LEARNING CURVE

This week our Learning Curve program is from the ‘Meaning and Purpose’ category.

The wellbeing skill builder is ‘Saying Sorry’ and Forgiving for the Prep to Year 2 and ‘Strength of Character’ for the Year 3-6 classes. The Junior idea is about being kind to others and ensuring they say sorry if they hurt or upset someone. It is also about using their strength of courage to forgive someone when they have hurt them or upset them.

The Senior topic is about the same idea but more focussed on using their strength of character to say sorry and forgive others. The aim is to grow their best self by showing in their thoughts, words and actions that other people matter.

These concepts were introduced on assembly this week and were taught in the Health lessons with Miss Dunstan and followed up in classrooms.  Our Year 3-6 students continue to track their progress in their Learning Curve diaries.  The parent newsletter is attached below.

Primary_wk18_Parent_Newsletter_Article_2025.pdf

2026 SCHOOL CATCHMENT

The Qld Government Statisticians Office (QGSO) each year reviews and updates, if necessary, state school catchment areas to take into account changes such as, new roads and subdivision activity, changes to land parcel structures, modifications to existing road structures and changes to schools such as entry points and offerings to ensure that a school’s catchment area is equal distance to and from main entrances to neighbouring schools using the trafficable road network by return journey. 

We have been advised that for 2026 there will be changes to our catchment area which reduces our catchment by 102 parcels of land which they indicated may mean a reduction of 22 students for future enrolments.

Of course, families who are already attending or have siblings coming or enrolments that have already been accepted for 2026 are exempt, however any new enrolments after these changes go live in September ready for next year, will be deemed outside of our catchment.  The impacted area involves all of Hilda St and Edith St and some houses in Wardell St, Lloyd St, Verdun St, Moore St, Griton St, Marne St, Cole St, Hall St, Alderley Ave, Mina Pde and Wakefield St as per the section of the catchment map below, which show the proposed changes. (solid line is the new catchment from 2026 and dotted line show the current catchment). As part of this the P and C have been made aware of the proposed changes for 2026.

So, I encourage any families who live in these impacted streets who have students wishing to enrol at ESS for 2026 do so immediately and prior to September to be exempt from these changes.

PREP ENROLMENTS

If you know of families who live in our catchment and are hoping to come here next year, please let them know of the next Open Day coming up next term on July 25^th from 9-11am.  Families who have made their decision can drop in enrolments forms to the office at any stage to enable us to get them on the system and into the communication channels for next year. 

DANCE AND VOCAL PERFORMANCE TEAMS

Recently, our very talented Dance Performance Team (DPT) performed at the Sunshine Coast Eisteddfod as their very first competitive performance.  They won a third place for their Jazz routine ‘Respect’ and a VHC (Very Highly Commended) for their contemporary routine ‘Ashes’.  They are now working on their feedback for their next performance at the Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge (BPAC) next week at Seventeen Mile Rocks. 

Likewise, our Vocal Performance Team (VPT) under the direction of Mrs Rebecca Rees, recently performed at the DoE Choral Fanfare event.  They also received excellent feedback and were presented with a GOLD Award at the event.  We wait now to see if they will be selected to come back and perform at the Choral Fanfare Finals. Their next competition will be Singfest in week 7 of next term at Wavell SHS.

We congratulate both of our teams and wish them all the best in their next ventures.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Recently, the cold water bubbler and bottler filler was installed under D Block to replace one of the old bubbler troughs. This was made possible through the Student Council funds raised throughout 2024, particularly from their major fundraiser the Spell-a-thon. The P and C have decided to postpone the Family Fun Day for this year and run a Colour Run instead. The only dates that were available to them clashed with other events so we have decided to mover the Spell-a-thon forward to the end of this term and early next term. This will allow both of our school fund raising entities a chance to run their activities.

ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING

A reminder that as we move into the business end of the Semester, students will be completing end of semester assessments in all of their learning areas to go towards their gradings on their report cards. We ask that families ensure students are attending school every day during this time, unless they are sick and that they are ready to do their best every day. The Semester One report cards will be emailed home on Thursday 26^th June.  If you have changed emails, please ensure your email addresses are up to date at school.

Currently, we are working through consultation with the various stakeholders around some changes to the personal comments on the report cards. Some of these changes will be implemented this semester once consultation has been completed and considered and final decisions are made by the school’s leadership team. These will be discussed in the newsletter next fortnight once this process has been completed.

Till next time,