2025 - Term 3, Week 6 Newsletter

Calendar

Semester 1 Academic Achievement

Congratulations to all students for reaching their full potential with academic achievements in Semester 1. A big thank you also to all teachers, teacher aides and parents for the ongoing support provided to our students, each and every day.

The Department of Education works with schools to review our student achievement each semester and we are pleased to share the following:

Report Card Results:

• English – 98% of students achieving A, B or C
• Maths – 98% of students achieving A, B or C

NAPLAN Results:

Our Year 3 and 5 students as a whole, have exceeded the Queensland and National mean scale scores in all areas of NAPLAN again this year with results below:

Work Effort Results:

• English - 99% of students achieving A, B or C
• Maths – 99.5% of students achieving A, B or C

2026 Prep Enrolments

Enrolments Open

Children born between 1st July 2020 and 30th June 2021 are eligible to enrol in Prep for the 2026 school year.

Early enrolment assists the school with planning, so we encourage families to submit applications as soon as possible.

How to Enrol
✅ Enrolment packs are available from the school office.
✅ Enrolment forms can be downloaded from the school website.
✅ All required documentation must be submitted with the enrolment form for processing.

Know a family with a child eligible for Prep?
Please share this information with them so they don’t miss out!

Out of catchment applications have now closed. In catchment applications are due by Friday 19th September 2025.

Prep Tours

📅 When: Every Monday at 9:30 AM, until Monday, 27th October 2025
📞 Bookings Open: 31st March – Call 5477 2777 or visit the school office to secure a spot.

Prep Tours are very popular, so we encourage families to book early to avoid disappointment.

For any questions, please contact the school office. We look forward to welcoming our new Prep students for 2026!

2026 Classes

At the start of next term, we will begin the process of developing class lists for 2026. This process is always predicted for the beginning of the school year and confirmed on the eighth day of the new school year. At Buderim Mountain State School, we have a very detailed process, which takes place over a number of weeks to create classes. This includes use of a software program to assist with the creation of classes based on gender, academics and appropriate learning partners.

If parents have any specific requests regarding their child’s placement for 2026, please send an email to our administration staff by Friday 19 September, even if you have spoken to your child’s current teacher about your concerns.  All emails need to be emailed to  info@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au. Please be aware of the following:

• While all requests are given due consideration, please be aware that it is not always possible to guarantee parental requests.
• Parents are not able to request a specific teacher for their child.
• We are unable to consider any requests submitted after the due date (end of Term 3).
• Please do not submit any requests for your child to be placed with another child, as all children will do this at school, by choosing up to 5 learning partners they would like to be in a class with – we do guarantee that they will be placed with 1 of the learning partners they have requested.
• Generally, the request needs to identify characteristics or concerns relating to your child which you feel need to be taken into consideration in regard to class placement.
• Students will be informed of their provisional 2026 class in the final week of the school year via an email to parents.

Incursions & Excursions

Prep Celebrate 100 Days of School

On Tuesday July 22, our Prep students reached an exciting and very special milestone — 100 days of school! To celebrate, our classrooms were filled with laughter, creativity, and lots of grey hair as the children dressed up as if they were 100 years old. From walking sticks and glasses to cardigans, moustaches, and curlers, the costumes were both adorable and funny, adding a fun twist to a day of learning and reflection.

It was a joyful and heart-warming way to recognise just how far our Preps have come in their very first year of school. Over the past 100 days, they’ve shown incredible growth in their confidence, independence, and enthusiasm for learning. We’ve seen huge progress in literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional learning, and this celebration was the perfect opportunity to reflect on their achievements and how much they’ve blossomed.

The day was packed with exciting, hands-on activities all themed around the number 100 — from counting collections and writing about what life might be like at 100 years old, to building with 100 blocks and creating colourful artwork. It was a day filled with wonder, laughter, and pride.

We are so proud of every single Prep student and the amazing journey they’ve been on so far. Here’s to the next 100 days of learning, growing, and having fun together!

Grade 1 Visit to Wildlife HQ

Our Year One students had an exciting and educational day at Wildlife HQ! The children thoroughly enjoyed walking around the wildlife park and seeing the animals up close. They showed great enthusiasm as they explored the different habitats and observed the animals in their natural environments.

As part of the visit, the students used special booklets to answer questions about the animals they saw. This hands-on activity helped them learn more interesting facts and deepen their understanding of each creature.

One of the highlights of the day was the interactive talk about the skink and snake. The children were fascinated and loved listening to the presenter share fun and engaging information about these reptiles.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience that sparked curiosity and excitement for learning about wildlife and conservation.

Year 2 Make a Splash at Sea Life!

In Week 2, our adventurous Year 2 students swapped their classrooms for coral reefs as they embarked on an exciting excursion to Sea Life at Mooloolaba. Spread across two action-packed days, this trip was a celebration of our Term 2 learning, where students became budding zoologists by researching animals and turning their findings into impressive information reports.

The excitement began the moment we hopped onto the bus — because, as every Year 2 student knows, no excursion is complete without a singalong, some giggles, and the occasional "Are we there yet?"

Upon arrival, each class was met by their own Sea Life tour guide, who dazzled us with fascinating facts and fun fishy knowledge. From bizarre sea creatures to graceful jellyfish, the students soaked it all in (metaphorically, of course — we kept dry!).

A unanimous favourite was the spectacular seal show, where two clever seals wowed the crowd with their slippery tricks and cheeky charm. Another jaw-dropping moment came as we wandered through the ocean tunnel, watching enormous sharks and majestic rays glide above our heads — it was like being inside a giant fish tank, without needing a snorkel!

And of course, who could forget the blue penguins? Cute as buttons… and just as smelly. The students will be talking about those whiffy waddlers for weeks!

A huge thank you goes out to our wonderful parent helpers who met us at the aquarium and bravely helped supervise the troops. Thanks to their watchful eyes, we can confirm that not a single child went swimming with the sharks — phew! All students returned to school with smiles on their faces, sea facts in their heads, and all limbs accounted for.

What a ‘fintastic’ way to kick off Term 3!

By Aimie Holt

2AH’s Favourite Parts of the Sea Life Excursion

Wow! Sea Life is amazing! My favourite bit was when we went in the tunnel because there were sharks and rays. I liked the bus ride too. By Evan

We went to Sea Life on a bus and when we got there, the first thing we saw was jellyfish. My favourite jellyfish was the ‘Lion’s Mane’ jellyfish because it had really long tentacles. By Hunter

My favourite part at Sea Life was walking through the tunnel and seeing all the sharks, rays and fish. Cool! While we were in the tunnel, a huge ray swam right over me! There were also divers cleaning the tank. By Talia

We went to Sea Life on a bus and I sat next to Talia. We saw lots of Sea Jellies. My favourite animal was the seal. By Matilda

When I went on the bus, I sat with Alexis. My class saw jellyfish (sea jellies). My favourite part was seeing the sharks in the tunnel! By Norah

We went on an excursion to Sea Life. My favourite thing was the Cuttlefish because it changed colour a little bit and wriggled its body around. I also liked the rays because they swam over us and we got to see their bellies. It was so cool! By Vincent

My favourite thing at Sea Life was the Seal show! I loved all the tricks that the seals did. By Charlotte

My favourite thing at Sea Life was the sharks! By Felix

Yay! We got to go to Sea Life and my mum got to go as well! My favourite part was the Seal Show because the seal tricks were amazing. The seals names are April, Saturday and Moana. By Eddison

I went on an excursion to Sea Life and my favourite animal was the jellyfish. We played a card game in the tunnel and you had to find the animal on the card. By Alexis

I saw the seals and they were doing tricks. One seal even knew how to put rubbish in the bin! By Chloe

My favourite animal was the Stonefish! We got to see the Seal Show and I liked it when we got to walk through the tunnel. I saw a Shovel-nosed shark in the tunnel. By Boston

My favourite part was the Seal Show. We also saw lots of jellyfish. I sat next to Eddi on the bus. By Parker

My favourite part was the Seal Show because the seals did loads of tricks! By Hamish

Wow! We got to go on a bus to Sea Life. There were two scuba divers in the tanks with the sharks! The Blue Penguins were stinky but they were cute. By William

My favourite animal was the penguin because I got to dress up as a penguin! We saw jellyfish and the seal show. It was so much fun! By Miles

Wow! My favourite part of Sea Life was touching the Sea Stars at the touch pool. I like how they felt. My sleeve got wet and it took a long time to dry. By Daria

I went to Sea Life and my favourite thing was the Seal Show. The seals did tricks and put rubbish in the bin. By Emily

We went to Sea Life to celebrate our learning in Term 2. My favourite thing was the sharks! By Cole

I loved walking through the tunnel because we saw lots of sharks and stingrays. By Arlo

Wow! I went through a huge tunnel of stingrays and sharks. The seal show was awesome too! By Edmund

My favourite thing was the tunnel. I also enjoyed the seal show and the smelly penguins. They smelt the worst! By Zak

I went to Sea Life and I saw fish, jellyfish and the seal show. My favourite was the seal show. By Summer

Stars, Space & Beyond: Year 3 Explore the Cosmodome

Year 3 visited the Cosmodome in the hall on Wednesday 13/8/25. After spotting the dome set up in the hall, we were excited to see what was inside! The entry was very cool and not what we expected.

Here are some thoughts from 3KC:-

Elijah:- Ancient people believed that the Earth was flat and if they went over the edge, there were monsters.

Harper:- I liked the way we zoomed in and out of the moon and learned the way that the moon’s craters evolved. The first lunar landing was very interesting.

Olive:- A misconception is a theory that is proved wrong.

Florence:- The cosmodome made learning about space very enjoyable because it was exciting to see the constellations and Milky Way.

Evie S:- The cosmodome really helped me understand space.

Taylor:- The commentary was humorous so you stayed engaged.

Alfie:- It was really quite funny when the coyote came out, thinking he was the professor.

James:- It was a fun, excellent incursion that educated me about space.

Henry:- I learnt that the Earth spins, not the Sun.

Elijah:- I liked the sundial and seeing the shadows grow longer through the day.

Archer:- I liked seeing the Earth’s rotation.

Willow:- I liked learning about the emu (the black spot in the night sky near the Southern Cross), and the legends around it.

Theo:- I liked looking at the stars and planets in the sky and the torch legend.

Overall, we loved the Cosmodome and found it to be very educational.

In the Classrooms

Prep BC

Our days in Prep BC are busy, full and fun. Prep is a special year of growth, wonder and play-based learning. Our dramatic play areas are our favourite parts of prep. These areas allow children to make sense of the world around them through acting out their real-life experiences in play. Through play the children are learning negotiation, sharing and problem-solving skills. They see a purpose for writing, reading and numeracy and can use these skills while they act out their experiences. Earlier his term the children chose to set up a hair salon and a supermarket. This week we brainstormed again and the children collected data to decide on some new dramatic play areas with an airport and toyshop winning out. As the teacher, I have allowed, with all the ideas and execution to come from the children. They made the signs and set up the areas. So, feeling like a flight somewhere?  Check in with our lovely staff and receive your boarding pass, buy a coffee or treat at the coffee shop and relax in the airport lounge while you wait. Listen out for boarding at Gate 3 and allow enough time to get through security. Come and fly Cowan Airlines for a wonderful experience! (The pink plane was voted on by the class and apparently the Spitfire plane was pink back in the war. Also Paris Hilton has a pink plane – if it’s good enough for the soldiers and Paris, it’s good enough for Prep BC!

Some thoughts from some students in our class:

Reggie – I love doing all the craft activities. We made a bear mask last week and today we made a bath for ‘th’. We do painting too. I like doing rotations and Mrs Cowan always gives us fun games to learn our spelling and writing.

Reid – I love to make mazes with the mini pipes for Foxy Loxy to get trapped in! We have also made cuffs, swords and guns out of the pipes, but Mrs Cowan doesn’t like it when we make guns.

Willow – I’ve been playing babies with Sadie and Freya. I shop in the supermarket for the food for my baby.

Winnie – I love animals so I always play with them and I have 2 pet dogs and a pet lizard. I’m taking my dog on the plane as my support dog. Willow and I collected some toys for the children on the aeroplane and put some colouring in there so the kids can draw on their flight.

Sadie – I collected toys for the toyshop and made price tags for all the items. I set the chairs up for the airplane and I cut out the plane sign – it’s in the shape of an aeroplane and it was so hard to cut!

Ivy – I love writing about the books we read. The Very Cranky Bear was really fun and I wrote sentences about him.

Muse – I love playing with the new, cold playdough! It’s blue this time!

Cameron – Ari, Spencer, Reid and George built a police station. I love playing in the police station with my friends. We wear the police hat.

Sanne – I made an Ipad to take on the aeroplane so I can take photos inside the plane! I also wrote a menu and price list for the coffee shop.

George – I love PE and playing sports. I love playing with my friends too.

Martin – I do box construction everyday. I made a rocket ship, a bear and a pig! I brought lots of new boxes in from home today. I’m not sure what I’m going to make yet.

Spencer – I love going outside and riding the bikes. I was the security at the airport today!

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1SB

What a busy but brilliant time we have had so far in Term 3, in Year 1! We have been having a lot of fun learning about procedures, especially recipes, in English. We know they need a title, an ingredients list and the method. We know they need to have adjectives and adverbs to help give even more information, but the fun part has been planning DISGUSTING recipes…no delicious ingredients in our classrooms!! This goes with the book we have read “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch” where the seagulls keep stealing Mr Grinling’s lunch. Those seagulls certainly wouldn’t be stealing the sandwiches we are planning!

Science and HASS are all about the sky and landscapes…what the features are, how and why they change, and if the features are natural, constructed or managed. We are looking forward to creating dioramas to show some of these features, later in the term.

It’s all about adding, subtracting and sharing numbers in Maths, as well as shapes…2D and 3D shapes and objects, and boy, do we know a lot about them!

Not only have we been working very hard in class, but we have also had lots of extra fun this term too, with our Life Education visit, our Cross Country race and our fantastic visit to Wildlife HQ! We saw so many beautiful and interesting animals there. What a wonderful day! We are so lucky in Year 1!

1/2EC

100 Acts of Kindness

This entire year we have been learning about random acts of kindness. In class, each time we are kind to each other, we get to colour a heart on the heart chart. Once the chart is finished, the class gets to go to the park.

We have learnt to be patient, kind and helpful to each other.

Octavia, Guy, Vihen, Isaac

Stick Insects

In our classroom we have stick insects.

One of them is called Ninjago, another is called Roxy, we have Leaf Boy and finally we have Mia.

Our stick insects are kept in a see through mesh cage, so we can see them easily and they can also still breathe in there. The cage is kept on the top of the bookshelf at the back of the classroom.

The stick insects eat gum leaves, bugs and insects. If they are too big they move slowly but if they are small they move fast.

The stick insects have taught us about responsibility, and we have loved looking after and caring for these animals.

Liam, Diana, Oli S, Nate

Procedures, Ingredients and Method

This term we have been learning about different types of procedures in English.

We have learnt to write sentences using sentence starters...for example...Firstly, Next and Finally. We have also learnt to add adjectives and adverbs to our sentences to make them more interesting to read, for example....carefully pour the silky, tasty orange juice.

Without procedures in the classroom the students wouldn’t know what to expect, what to do and how to behave.

Vijay, Oli W, James

Sea Life

This term the Year 2s went on an excursion by bus to Sea Life at Mooloolaba.

We saw many animals that live in the sea, like seals, jellyfish, starfish, stingrays and many more.

We watched the seal show where one of the seals had a blind eye. It was very sad, but he was still very happy. We also saw the jellyfish kingdom, where there were so many jellyfish.

Sea Life has a special tank that is shallow, and it allows the visitors to put their hand in carefully and touch some of the animals in the tank. We got to pat a starfish and some sea cucumbers.

We saw stingrays swimming in the big tank and lots of other sea creatures.

We did some fun activities and finished the day with a play in the playground. It was the best day ever!

Harriet B, Harriet C, Estelle, Hudson     

Materials

This term in class we have learnt all about different materials and how important they are for us and for the environment.

There are various materials, some man made and some are made from natural sources.

Some materials are:

Steel.... Steel is man made and used to make house frames, desks for our classroom and many useful utensils. It is a very strong material.

Fabric......Fabric can be a man-made and natural material and comes in various textures. It is used to make clothes, carpets and also to cover furniture. It is a very important material for humans to keep us warm.

Paper......paper is a natural product and is produced from trees. We use paper every day in the classroom and we also need paper to make our beautiful books in our library.

Glass....Glass is a man-made material and is made in different colours, different thickness and different strengths. We need glass to make the windows in our houses; to make glasses so we can read and to also make drinking glasses.

We are lucky we have so many different materials to enable us to make different things humans need to live their lives.

Lilly, Quincy, Alfie

Measurement

This term we have been learning about measurement in our class.

We have learnt the different types of measurements for example: measuring in blocks and measuring in centimetres.

We measured books and found out they were 12 blocks long, compared to a texta which was 5 blocks long.

We know that our ruler is 30cm long and it took 49.5 rulers to measure from the back wall to the classroom door, which would mean 49 and a half groups of 30 would be our answer of how long it is in total.

Raven, Alfred

3JS

Life in the 3JS Classroom

What a busy, exciting, and joy-filled term it has been in 3JS! Our classroom is always buzzing with learning, laughter, and teamwork. Every day brings something new to discover, and the best part is, we do it all together. The students wanted to share some of their favourite things about life in 3JS.

Charlie says, I love everything we do, like Maths, Science, English and Art. Something I like about Maths is that we have think boards. Another reason I like Science is because we are learning about the Earth’s rotation. In English we are writing a persuasive text about my Favourite Thing. Finally in art we do different pictures for the different subjects.

Sophie says, I love being in 3JS because in English we have groups. Another reason I love being in this class is we have group points. At the end of the week, we get Buzz awards depending on how many points we get. For every five points we get one Buzz award. Every Wednesday and Friday we count our points up. That’s why I love being in 3JS.

In Art, we’ve been following Art Hub for Kids to learn how to draw, focusing on creative themes like space, planets, Earth, the Sun, and the Moon.

Oliver says, I love doing Art Hub because you can draw a picture, and you can improve your drawing skills.

Marcelo says my favourite thing to do is Art Hub because we get to do fun drawings themed on English, HASS, Science and Maths. For example, if you are still colouring, it means you’re putting a lot of care into your drawing, so that it looks colourful and pretty.

Innika says, my favourite subject we do is Art Hub. When we do Art, we do different types of drawings and that’s why it is fun. Art is relaxing because its calming. I really like it.

In Maths, we’re exploring fractions, multiplication, measurement and mathematical modelling. Our Number of the Day think board helps us break down and understand numbers in different ways. We also work in small groups to target our learning.

Elijah says my favourite subject is Maths because we use think boards and practise standard and non-standard partitioning. We also create 3D objects by using play dough. That is why Maths is one of my favourite subjects.

Henry says, I like doing the subject Maths. The reason I like this is because you get to make Three Dimensional objects out of play dough. Also, if we do our work quickly, we get to play this timetables Bowling game on the BenQ.

In English, we’ve been planning and writing speeches about our favourite things. We are practising speaking with expression and confidence! We are using our Learning Wall to support us with writing, as well as working on our handwriting learning to join our letters.

Grace says, my favourite subject is English because I get to learn about persuasive texts, modal verbs, emotive words and all the things I need to make a great text.

Ivy says my favourite subject is English. English makes me happy and feel ready to learn. You can even have fun making up stories.

Olive says, one of my favourite things to do is English. I love English because I get to write informative texts and lots of stories.

Spelling has been lots of fun with whiteboard games and group activities. We post our weekly spelling results on Seesaw so you can celebrate with us at home!

In Science, we’re learning about Earth’s rotation, and in STEM, we’ve been busy building and using technology to solve problems creatively.

Amity says my favourite subject is Science because it’s fun and you can do stuff like learning about space.

In HASS, we’ve learned to read and label maps, developing our geography skills.

James says my favourite subject in the classroom is HASS because we are learning about mapping, and I think mapping is fun. We also learn about different seasons in science which I find interesting. That’s why I think HASS and Science are the best subjects.

Each day, we also spend time on PERKS, our personal and social learning program that reminds us to be mindful, respectful, and kind.

Fantastic Awards: Our classroom is full of excitement with Buzz Awards! Each award is valued at $5, and we’ve been practicing how to calculate money amounts by “banking” them in our Buzz Bank Books. This helps us learn important lessons about saving money and the consequences of spending too much. We love our table group points system and enjoy saving our Buzz Awards to “purchase” fun and motivating rewards that make our classroom an even better place to learn.

Marcus says my favourite thing to do in the classroom is banking because we can buy cool things on Fridays.

Cheers from Miss Stewart and 3JS

4CS

This term in Science we are learning about materials and their properties. Today we learned about absorbency. We used a sponge, cloth and rubber and put all three materials on top of a glass beaker with an elastic band. We used a dropper to drop a maximum of 20 drops of coloured water onto the materials. Josh T.

We are learning about materials and their properties this term in Science. We have looked at whether a material is water proof, transparent, soft and many more properties. We are learning how they absorb water and if they stretch. We are also learning about natural and processed materials. Braxton B.

This term for Science we did a scavenger hunt to look for objects in the classroom of a certain material. My favourite activity in Science was when we sorted processed and natural materials. Molly T.

This term in Science we are learning about materials and their properties. So far my favourite investigation has been the absorbency test which is fun because some of the colour water spilt and it was green dye. Luckily there was paper to stop the green dye from running everywhere. We also did a stretchy plastic investigation and my piece of cling wrap stretched from 5 to 11cm. Jesse G.

My favourite lesson in science this term with Mrs Briggs was when we went on a scavenger hunt in the classroom. We were looking for objects made from paper, plastic, metal, fabric, glass and wood. It was fun and we were able to stretch our legs while looking for materials. George T.

5CN

End of Term 2 Celebration!

At the end of Term 2, our 5CN classroom turned into a mini-expo, and we were so excited to welcome our parents in to see what we’ve been learning. We proudly shared our informative reports from English, which were linked to our Science unit on Space, and we also displayed our country projects from our HASS unit. It was such a fun and meaningful afternoon. I loved making my poster, bringing in food from my country, and even wearing traditional clothing. It felt amazing to share my culture and learning with my family and friends. A big thank you to all our wonderful parents for coming — you helped make our celebration extra special!

Persuasive Power!

In English, we’re busy creating persuasive speeches to convince people about an important issue our school needs to fix or improve. We’ve been learning how to use TEEL paragraphs, powerful language features, and clever persuasive devices in our writing.

The best part? We’re also practising how to use our voices confidently when speaking in front of others. To make our speeches even stronger, we’re going to survey all the Year 5 students and ask questions so we can gather real evidence to back up our opinions.

We can’t wait to share our speeches with the class on topics we’re passionate about. Get ready — we’re going to try our best to persuade you!

Maths Fun in Our Classroom!

In Maths, we’ve been learning about numbers every day, as well as exploring fractions, decimals, and measurement. One of our favourite times is when Mrs Noke gives us problem-solving challenges!

She starts us off with mild questions, then moves to medium, and finally the spicy ones. We work in teams of three on the big classroom whiteboards, sharing our ideas and helping each other. It’s exciting to see how we can start with easier questions and build up to the tricky ones — there’s something for everyone’s learning level.

Buddies

This term, our Year 5 class has been working with 1/2EC in our Buddies Program, and it has been truly wonderful! The program is all about building positive relationships between older and younger students, helping the Year 1s feel supported, and giving the Year 5s the chance to be role models and mentors. On our very first day, our buddies interviewed us about our favourite things — it was a great way to break the ice and get to know each other. Since then, we’ve met each week to take on fun challenges together, like making 3D shapes out of paper, reading stories, and playing problem-solving games. These sessions aren’t just about having fun — they help the younger students develop confidence and social skills, while the older buddies practise leadership, patience, and kindness. As Sophia P from Year 5 says: “I really enjoy doing buddies… it’s the highlight of our week!”

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6KB

As high school approaches, 6KB have been working hard throughout all subjects this term.

But first, let’s talk about CAMP!

At the very start of Term 3, the lucky Year 6 classes got to experience the fabulous fun of the BMSS school camp to Noosa Northshore Resort. With enjoyable activities from canoeing, bodyboarding, mountain biking, laser tag, bouldering, archery and many more, the whole 3 days were a blast! A huge highlight was the food. The butter chicken especially, was loved by most of the class. We were very lucky to have our magnificent music teacher, Mr Peter Jackson at the camp with us, as Ms Brennan was recovering from eye surgery. Poor Ms Brennan missed out!

English

In English, we are learning about how to influence an audience through persuasive writing. We are learning that using key techniques such as literary devices, “TEEL paragraphs” and high modality language can keep readers engaged and wanting to learn more. For our assessment, we will be presenting a “PowerPoint” to the class advertising a holiday destination. Our class teacher, Ms Kirstin Brennan, continues to encourage us and help us to understand the task.

Maths

In Maths this term, our focus has been on fractions. Whether it’s converting them to decimals, percentages or operations involving them, Mr Spencer is making sure we are all becoming efficient at them and getting set for high school maths. Online platforms such as Mangahigh, Quizizz, 99Maths and Studyladder help us polish our skills.

Science

Circuits, electricity and energy types are what we are learning about in SCIENCE. Mr Hooper is there to teach us everything we need to know or answer queries that we are unsure about. By using “kits” that contain scientific equipment such as wires, switches and light bulbs, our learning is hands-on, fun and interactive.

HASS

HASS is an acronym for Humanities And Social Sciences. This term we are studying Geography. Learning about the lines of Longitude and Latitude, the continents and climatic zones and time zones means this term’s HASS topic links to our English, due to it being about destinations of the world. Next, according to Ms Brennan, we will be comparing Asian countries to Australia. This will include lifestyles, culture, environmental characteristics and position on Earth.

ASPIRE+ MATHS

In Aspire+ Maths, we are learning how to represent 3D objects on a 2D piece of paper. For our assessment, we are pretending that the P&C has asked us to design and create garden beds for a garden site. The space that we have been allocated is 4500mm x 4000mm. The absolute most money we can spend is $1000 for the garden beds. The minimum amount of garden beds we need to build is 3 and one has to be triangular. Any leftover space will be turf. The turf should be designed in a way making easy access to the garden for weeding and other purposes. Our phenomenal ASPIRE+ teacher, Ms Macan, has taken us through the assessment step by step.

Authors: Leila, Max & Hayden

6LC

This term in English, we have been learning to create a multi – modal presentation to persuade an audience to visit our chosen travel destination. We will finish the term off by hosting a travel expo with dress-ups and food, which will be fun! In Maths we just finished our unit on converting and adding fractions, decimals and percentages. In science, we are learning about different types of energy and enjoying creating our own electrical circuits Lastly, in HASS we have been learning about cultural diversity and foreign aid.

Last Thursday, was our “Bullying No Way” day. As a class we dressed up as orange Ninja Turtles, to represent fighting against bullying. It was a great day, and we learnt the importance of standing up for others when they are being bullied. We also went around the school showing BMSS our amazing costumes and magnificent karate moves!

Buderim Mountain State School’s Production of Disney Pixar Finding Nemo JR.

Dive into the big blue world of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo JR.! This new stage musical is a 60-minute adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo JR. is presented through special arrangement with and all materials are provided by Music Theatre International.

Join the talented students at Buderim Mountain State School as they take you on an epic journey. 

Performance dates:

Friday the 12^th of September 6:30pm

Saturday the 13^th of September at 1:00pm

Saturday the 13^th of September at 6:30pm.

Tickets on sale now! Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/DEFQI 

Year 4-6 Planeteers Update- Term 3, 2025

In week 3 this term, the Year 4-6 Planeteers set up our new Worm Farm, donated by Envirocom last term. Thank you to parent Abbey Wendt for donating the worms and coming along to share her expertise with the Planeteers! We look forward to keeping our worms fed and comfortable in their new home, with the hopes to produce our own worm juice in the future.

We have recently transitioned from our old compost bay system to our set of three new compost bins (made from recycled plastic). In the coming weeks, Planeteers will be using compost from our old bays to enrich our soil and plant a variety of seeds in preparation for Spring. Currently we are planting nasturtiums, snap dragons and sweet peas.

Our schoolwide classroom bin audits last term resulted in ten classes achieving 5 out of 5 stars. Congratulations to Prep AB, Prep BC, 2MS, 4DN, 4JM, 4KP, 5CN, 5IL, 5SV and 6AJ for being Super BMSS Waste Warriors! We continue to work on education around correct recycling and reducing our impact on landfill.

Thank you for the dedication and enthusiasm of our Year 4-6 Planeteers so far this year. All year 4-6 students are welcome to join us on Mondays at second break. We can all make a difference in keeping our environment beautiful!

Belinda Thompson

🎵 Start your child’s musical journey with the Instrumental Music Program 2026 🎵

How to Enrol

If your child will be in Years 3 - 6 in 2026 and is interested in learning a musical instrument in 2026, please read the Parent Information on the below flyer, then click on the link or scan the QR code below to complete the Instrumental Music Expression of Interest Survey by FRIDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2025.   

2026 Buderim Mountain State School Instrumental Music Expression of Interest Survey

If you have questions about the Instrumental Music Program, please do not hesitate to email Margot Payne mpayn20@eq.edu.au  

Let’s create many musical memories together 🎵

Sports News

School Aquatics Program

Our school Swim2Survive program for Prep, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 will start on Tuesday October 7 and finish Friday November 28.  (Classes swimming on a Monday will start on October 13, Monday of week 2 and finish on Monday 1 December).  All families will be able to see the swimming invoice and consent to participate shortly in QParents.    All swimming lessons will be held in your child’s usual HPE time on the following days:

Volunteers for each class will be required, so please look out for communication from either your child’s HPE teacher or Class Teacher later this term to register an interest for this. 

It is a sun safety requirement that all students must wear a sun shirt (rashy), when swimming. We recommend all students wear goggles and apply sunscreen before swimming. To assist with lost property, we kindly ask that all swimming gear is clearly named.

From Week 6, students in Years 4-6 will complete their major assessment task. This involves demonstrating survival strokes and strategies while wearing clothes over their swimmers. A detailed note outlining the types of clothing students require will be sent home early term 4.

Representative Sport

Last week, our students showcased their athletic talents at both the 1500m event and the Track and Field District Carnival. It was a fantastic week of sportsmanship, determination, and incredible performances across the board!

We are so proud of all the students who participated – their enthusiasm, effort, and support for one another truly reflected the spirit of our school. From powerful sprints to long-distance endurance, we saw some amazing athleticism on display.

We are currently compiling all the results, highlights, and action-packed photos from both events, which will be shared in our next newsletter. Stay tuned!

Cross Country Carnival – A Fantastic Day of Fun and Fitness!

After two rain cancellations, we were finally able to hold our much-anticipated Cross Country Carnival on Friday 25 July — and it was well worth the wait!

Students from Prep to Year 6 laced up their running shoes and gave it their all, showing fantastic perseverance and school spirit. The day was filled with great running, loud cheering, and a wonderful sense of inclusivity from teachers, parents, and students alike. It was truly a whole-school effort, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone who took part.

A special shout out to our amazing Year 6 student leaders, who played a vital role in helping younger students and ensuring everyone made it to the finish line with a smile. Their leadership and encouragement were a real highlight of the day.

With fun music blaring to keep energy levels high and a Zooper Dooper treat for every student at the end, the carnival had a wonderful atmosphere from start to finish.

Congratulations again to all participants — whether racing for a place or simply giving it a go, your efforts were outstanding!

Please enjoy the photos and results from the day below.

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Individual Achievements

Isla J, School Vice-Captain, competed in the Sunshine Coast Junior Eisteddfod (12 years solo vocals) and was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ (4th place).

There were 24 competitors in her category, with only five receiving a placing.

Isla sang ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman. 

Congratulations to Isla on this wonderful achievement.

ICAS Assessment

ICAS tests have commenced, with most testing now complete.  The Mathematics test will be held in the STEM lab on 26 August. Participating students have been sent home all the information needed in preparation for the testing dates. If there are any further queries, please contact Jo Macan jmaca47@eq.edu.au (ICAS School Coordinator).

Testing will be conducted before school hours on the following date and time.

Student Free Day

Please be aware that Friday 5 September (end of Week 8) is a student free day in all public schools across Queensland. As a result, our school will be closed to students on this day. Our Outside School Hours Care program will be open all day as per Vacation Care hours.

QParents

Our school has been using QParents in recent years for all year levels. All new families should have received an email inviting you to register for QParents.  If you have not received this email, please check your spam or junk box, and if you cannot find the email, please contact the school office so we can assist.  In order to register for QParents, you will require the regular 100 points of ID.  Attached to this newsletter is an outline of the types of ID accepted. QParents is a simple way to pay for any school excursions or fees without having to send money or paperwork back to the school. Parents can also gain an update on your child’s attendance and submit absence information. Finally, parents can update personal details automatically and student's past report cards can be accessed via QParents. If you have not received an invitation, please advise us immediately.

If you are an existing parent and have yet to register for QParents, please either call the office on 54772777 or email info@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au

To register for Qparents, you will need to follow 4 easy steps

1. Check that you have received your unique invitation code sent to your email. This also includes your child’s EQ ID number (if you haven’t received this, email our HR team to assist via resources@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au),
2. You need an active email account
3. Access to 100 points of ID to verify your identity
4. Go to https://qparents.qld.edu.au and register

Reminders

Late Arrivals & Early Departures

To ensure the safety of our students, we kindly remind you of the procedures for dropping off late students and picking up children early.

• Late Arrivals: If your child arrives late to school, please bring them to the Health Room to sign them in. This helps us keep accurate attendance records and ensures your child is properly accounted for.
• Early Pickups: If you need to pick up your child before dismissal, please go to the Health Room and bring a valid photo ID. The Health Room staff will call your child’s classroom, and your child will meet you there.

These procedures help us maintain a safe and organized environment for all students. Thank you for your cooperation!

Lunches

Thank you also to all families for ensuring students attend school with their lunch in their bag or their tuckshop ordered. Any students who have forgotten their lunch should go to the school office for assistance.

Playground Access

This is a friendly reminder our students are not permitted on the playground equipment before or after school. This equipment should only be used with teacher supervision which happens during the play breaks.

We appreciate your support in ensuring our students are safe.

Parking Safely Around Our School

Please ensure you are parking legally and respectfully when dropping off or collecting your children. There are various parking zones around our school, and we ask that you always consider the safety of students and the access needs of our neighbours.

General Parking Guidelines

• Passenger Drop-off/Pick-up:
  You may stop for up to 2 minutes to drop off or collect passengers.

• Goods Drop-off/Pick-up:
  Non-commercial vehicles may stop for up to 20 minutes to load or unload goods.

• Commercial Vehicles:
  Vehicles displaying a commercial vehicle label, as well as buses and trucks transporting passengers or goods, may stop for up to 30 minutes.

• Disability Parking:
  Vehicles with a valid Australian Disability Parking Scheme permit may stop for up to 5 minutes to drop off or pick up passengers
  

• Time Limits Apply:
  Always observe signposted time limits, as these may vary by location.

Important Reminders

• Commercial Vehicle Definition:
  Typically, a commercial vehicle is one built to carry goods and displays a commercial identification label or permit.

• Loading Zones Are Not for General Parking:
  These areas are for quick drop-offs or pick-ups only—not for extended parking or waiting.

• School Loading Zones:
  These may have stricter time limits (e.g. 2 minutes) during school hours. Please follow posted signage carefully.

• Permit Requirements:
  Some areas may require specific permits to use designated loading zones.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping to keep our school environment safe, respectful, and efficient for everyone.

PERKS Project

In our PERKS lesson in Years 1 to 6 coming up in Week 7 Term 3, students will learn more about RESILIENCE and MINDSET where they revisit what they already know and are introduced to new knowledge about our

• SELF-TALK 

Self-talk is the way we talk to ourselves or our “inner voice”. Only we can hear this voice in our head.

Self-talk is all the things we say to ourselves, without actually saying them out loud. We might not be aware that we’re doing it, but we most certainly are.

The type of self-talk we use is important because it has a big impact on how we feel and what we do.

The students will be introduced to the terms

• INNER CRITIC & 
• INNER COACH

Negative self-talk belongs to our INNER CRITIC while Positive self-talk belongs to our INNER COACH.

What are the benefits of positive self-talk? (THESE ARE THE KEY MESSAGES FOR OUR STUDENTS)

• Listening to our INNER COACH is a great way to develop skills to build our RESILIENCE.
• We all have moments when we listen to our INNER CRITIC – the goal is to be able to recognise that this voice is just our worries speaking.
• Our INNER COACH doesn’t guarantee that we will succeed every time.
• Our INNER COACH reminds us to keep going, try again, not give up, work in our stretch zone.
• Our INNER COACH can give us courage to try something new, work through our worries and learn from our mistakes.  

Paul Franklin Shield - Rugby League Competition

In week 3 of Term 3, Buderim Mountain entered a mixed year 5 and 6 rugby league side into the 2025 Paul Franklin Shield rugby league carnival. It is the first leg of the Mark West Cup carnival that is run for the Sunshine Coast Region. All primary schools are invited to participate.

Our team has actually been training since Term 1 this year (when it wasn’t raining) and were called the Mark West Cup Squad.

The Paul Franklin carnival day was excellent in terms of organisation, participation and results.

Our side finished in 5^th place.

We won one of our pool matches convincingly. The other two matches we lost by only one try. The competition this year was very close amongst all sides, so a try was the difference in many games across the day. A bit of luck here or there could have had us in the semis, but it wasn’t to be this year.

Thank you to Mr Jackson and Mr Neighbour for your good work on the day.

We are looking forward to next year when we will enter again, and more students will get to experience playing rugby league (the greatest game of all!).

Mr Allen

Coaching Coordinator

Free Dress Day

Friday September 19 is a free dress day to support Fight Cancer Foundation, with students wearing their Sporting Team colours to support this cause.  Our school leaders will collect a gold coin donation from all students participating.  The money being donated will be used by the student council to purchase additional sports equipment.

Curriculum Corner

Australian Curriculum Version 9

Our school has been working closely with the Department of Education North Coast Regional Office and the Sunshine Coast HOC Cluster Team to ensure our school is on track with covering the new curriculum.

The Department of Education’s timelines for V9 curriculum implementation advice is that we have until 2028 to implement all learning areas. At BMSS, we have already implemented English and Mathematics. We are using the Department’s planning documents and assessment tasks for the implementation process. As these are created and polished, we then adapt them for our school’s context while keeping the rigour of the A-E grading system.

Our journey so far in relation to English V9 reading and spelling:

We started planning for reading and spelling V9 English in 2022 to ensure we have enough time to upskill staff and embed the best practices into our classrooms by the end of 2028. This links in the with Science of Reading which is also linked to the reading expectations in the Australian Curriculum V9.

We have a consistent systemic synthetics phonics program (which also links with decodable reading) via the Firefly Sound Waves Program. It has been updated to align to the Australian Curriculum V9. This consistent and explicit approach is used across Prep to Year 6. It includes explicit instruction relating to spelling but links in with decoding for reading given it is focused on the phoneme-grapheme connections. The program also links into understanding the morphemes, vocabulary building and linking it to writing. Teachers are using this daily in classrooms via the online teaching sequences and resources for their literacy blocks.

Since 2022, we have also been using the consistent daily approach to phonemic awareness via Michael Heggerty’s program in Prep to Year 2. This also links in with the V9 English curriculum and supports the reading and decoding process. The program has been well researched, and it is endorsed by the Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP). This program is also used for students requiring support in the older year levels.

Our early years teachers are using decodable texts as part of their explicit teaching for reading (daily in class), and decodable texts are used as part of homework. Our Prep and Year 1 teachers work from our school-developed scope and sequence for the explicit teaching of reading and phonics based on the Science of Reading and the Australian Curriculum V9 (while using the resources from Sound Waves, Heggerty phonemic awareness, decodable texts and the decodable reading resources from the Dept. Education Reading Portal). We’ve also shifted away from teaching words purely as sight words. Instead, we’re teaching children how to decode high-frequency words by focusing on their tricky spelling patterns (so they can sound them out) while guiding them to learn the irregular parts by heart as ‘heart words’.

Our next steps are to extend teacher understanding even further in the Science of Reading in all year levels. We will continue to work collaboratively to ensure our students are receiving the best possible access to the Australian Curriculum.

Kristie O’Keefe

(Head of Curriculum)

Library Lounge

Book Week

Book Week Theme this year is “Book an Adventure”.

Many classes have contributed some great artwork for the library.

Thank you to all the teachers and students for making our library come to life.

Book Club Term 3

Thank you to everyone who purchased books from Issue 5 of Book Club.

We received $1000 in rewards to purchase new books for the library.

Parades

Parades will continue each week, in our new school hall, at the following times with parents welcome to attend:

Parades include the presentation of weekly awards, messages and occasional performances.

Principal’s certificates, banners and medallions are usually presented twice per term. Any awards that are submitted by the Wednesday in the week prior to the dates shown below will be presented on these parades:

Staffing Update

Please be aware that the following staff will be replaced while they are on leave in the coming weeks:

From the Office

Facility Hire

2026 Facilities Hire

State schools are important community assets. The department recognises the valuable role that schools and school infrastructure play in the life of local communities. A school’s priority function is delivering educational programs during the school day. However, outside of school hours schools can be used to facilitate and promote the use of their facilities by members of the local community.

Buderim Mountain State School invites members of the local community to complete an annual application for 2026 Hire Agreements. The following areas will be offered for hire:

• Multipurpose Hall

• Our hall offers 775m² of pillarless event floor space, a 107m² curtained stage with external side access, and an additional 150m² of outdoor space ideal for breaks, networking, or social gatherings. The venue features Autex Quietspace acoustic treatment and a Pulastic multi-sport floor with markings for netball (1 court), pickleball (3 Courts), volleyball (1 court), badminton (3 courts), and basketball (1 court). Additional amenities include height-adjustable basketball hoops, dressing rooms, specialised lighting and audio-visual equipment, and a fully equipped commercial kitchen and amenities block. Conveniently located at the front of the school grounds, off Main Street. While onsite parking is not available, ample on-street parking is easily accessible nearby.

• Library courtyard

• Small covered courtyard area, catering for 10-15 people

• Main oval
• Main school oval, excluding the use of the student playground equipment and amenities
• Pool (please see further details below)
• Heated 25m, 6 lane pool and amenities
• Multipurpose sports courts
• 2 Tennis courts
• 2 Netball Courts
• 6 Pickleball Courts
• Gloucester Rd oval (Weekends only)
• Smaller oval just off Gloucester Road, catering for smaller sporting groups. Excludes the use of playground equipment and amenities
• Basketball Court (Half)

Pool hire

The department's hire agreements differ a little for pools. Pool hire agreements are over a three-year period (the start date and the end date must not exceed three years after the commencement date) and require a tender process.  If you are interested in hiring the pool, a Request to Quote will need to be completed and emailed to info@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au, by close of business, Friday 29 August 2025.

Please note, our pool is currently hired Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 3:30pm – 5:30pm. Times outside of this period are available for hire.

How do I go about applying to hire school facilities?

1. Review the 2026 Hire fees/charges schedule (see below)
2. Complete an Expression of Interest
3. Attach all supporting documentation requested in the Expression of Interest (including Community User Risk Assessment) by close of business, Friday 29 August 2025
4. The principal (and/or delegate) will consider all applications (please make sure you complete all required sections as this forms part of the considerations), and successful hirers will be notified via email

If you have any other questions, please phone 5477 2777 or email info@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au.

P&C Events and Special Dates

Father’s Day Stall- Thursday 4 September

Save the date! The renowned and absolutely epic BMSS Father’s Day stall is scheduled for Thursday 4 September 2025.

Held in our new school hall, the stall is going to be BIGGER and BETTER than ever!

We already have an amazing catalogue of items growing (get a sneak peek at items so far at: www.bmsspandc.org/fathersday).

Available to lend a hand serving the students? Please send Margie an email at: marketing@bmsspandc.org

Transport Survey - How do you get to school?!

We are keen to know more about your child's journey to and from school!

Please take 1 minute to complete this short survey to help us understand your school's transport triumphs and trials (including all forms of travel – walking, bus, car, bicycle/scooter etc).

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

https://form.jotform.com/251977681151060

Buderim Street Party – Thank You!

Heartfelt thanks to all who helped us celebrate the Buderim Street Party, and especially those volunteers who helped us run the P&C stall at the event. What a wonderful, fun-filled night for all!

Community Kitchen cook up

Heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who helped us prepare meals at our last Community Kitchen Cook Up - we managed to cook 120 meals for families in need.

Uniform Shop News

Uniform Shop is turning one! Plus second-hand uniform request

Do you have any outgrown uniforms needing a new home? If you’re having a spring cleanout in the coming weeks, remember our uniform shop gratefully receives donations of uniforms in clean condition for our secondhand racks.

The turn of spring will also mark the first birthday of our new uniform shop! We encourage you to pop by for a browse if you haven’t yet seen our new refurbished space. Stay tuned for some celebrations and specials in the weeks to come.

Banksia Cafe News

Take Home Meals – Available Now!
Introducing delicious, nutritious and convenient meals for your family now available from Banksia Café!

What’s on Offer?
🍲 Fresh or Frozen Family Meals
💚 Made with Love & Quality Ingredients
🌟 Limited Quantities – Order Early!

Pick-Up Times:
Monday - Friday | 7:30 AM - 2:45 PM

How to Order:
✅ Order via Flexischools
✅ Purchase Over the Counter at Banksia Café

~ FLASH SPECIAL~

Muffin Mornings – Only $6!

Use the Banksia Cafe App and enjoy a Regular Coffee + Muffin of the Day for just $6!

Available from week 6 through to week 9 only, every weekday from 7am.

What an ideal way to start your morning with your little one, a fellow parent or a colleague.

Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC)

Buderim OSHC Spring Vacation Care: Program out now!

Check out the program to see the fantastic array of activities, incursions and excursions in store at Buderim OSHC these Spring school holidays, including a visit to the Big Boing and White Ridge Farm, an OSHC Olympics Day, a Spring Festival, a Wild West Day, messy play and more! 

To enrol and book, please visit our website (www.buderimoshc.org)

We look forward to welcoming you and your children to the OSHC Spring Vacation Care program!

BMSS P & C Socials

Follow Us on Socials

Stay up-to-date and make sure you follow us on social media.  Our accounts always have lots of great information.

Access our website and socials using the links below:

In the Community