Dear Parent and Caregivers,

LEARNING CURVE

This week the Learning Curve focus is from the ‘Growth Learning Approach’ category.  The wellbeing skill builder is ‘Little Steps’ for the Prep to year 2 students and ‘Writing TEEL Paragraphs’ for the Yr 3-6 classes. The Junior idea is focussed on when you have a big task or project to do that you break it down into smaller learning tasks so that it is not so overwhelming and is more manageable. The Senior topic is about organising your thoughts when writing by using TEEL paragraphs. TEEL stands for Topic sentence, Explain your idea, Elaborate on your idea and Link your paragraph to the next paragraph. Our students are taught this strategy from Year 3, to use when writing persuasively.

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

Parent_LC_Article.pdf

STAFFING

School’s Officer, Reynaldo Delatorre is continuing on with work cover after an injury at work and will soon be commencing his gradual return-to-work. Mr Ian Lenane is continuing on behind him during this time. 

A/HOSES, Belinda Paton is still off on work cover after an injury at work. We anticipate her return on August 15 also on a return-to-work program.

Mrs Donagh McKenzie (Success Teacher for 5/6) is on Long Service Leave from August 7 until August 19. Miss Tamara Dowling (5/6C) will be on Long Service Leave from August 25 for the reminder of the term.  Both she and Mrs McKenzie will be backfilled by Eliza Kelly during this time.  Mrs Andrea Moeser will be on long service leave from September 1 for the rest of the term and will be continuing for 3 weeks into Term 4. 

NAPLAN

Recently the NAPLAN reports for our Year 3 and 5 students who sat NAPLAN earlier this year were distributed to parents. We hope that you had a chance to unpack the reports and to ask any questions at the recent parent teacher interviews with your child’s teacher.

We also now have available some preliminary data below which compares our performance to the performance of the Region, State and Nation. This data below is of the mean scale score, which represents the average achievement of our students in each assessment domain against the common national scale.

It is very pleasing again to be performing well above the Region, State and Nation even though we have taken a slight dip in all tests except the Year 3 Spelling. The Year 3 Spelling improvement is very pleasing as this is the third year of improvement since implementation of our whole school Soundwaves (Phonics, Phonemic Awareness and Spelling) program. This demonstrates that we are getting traction in the consistency of this program from Prep through to Year 3. 

Whilst we may have experienced a dip of our results in the other tests, our trajectory is still heading upwards in all tests since 2023, except Year 5 Reading and Spelling, but when you compare these results for this cohort against their performance in the Year 3 two years ago they have also improved. Therefore, the dips in this year’s data are understandable considering cohort differences each year and also the changes to the Australian Curriculum, as we continue to roll out Version 9.

PREP ENROLMENTS

Last Friday morning, we held our final Open Morning for this year focussing on Prep enrolments for 2026. If you know of families who live in our catchment and are planning to come here next year, please remind them to submit their enrolment paperwork as we will soon be sending out information for the Prep Enrolment Interviews which we will commence from September 1. Bookings for Prep enrolment interviews will open on August 18 at 6am and can be made via SOBS.  The information below demonstrates how to book an interview spot.

Unfortunately, any out-of-catchment enrolments can only be considered after these interviews and in-catchment enrolment numbers are confirmed.

Sobs_Booking_Instructions.pdf

https://eq.sobs.com.au/pt3/parent.php?schoolid=70109

OPINION SURVEY

A reminder that all parents should have received a direct link to their email box to conduct the DoE School Opinion Survey for this year. These emails were distributed from July 21 through to July 25. The survey links are individual links and are open from July 28 until August 22. The data from these surveys is collated by the DoE and shared with schools at the end of the year to inform planning for the following school year.

COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

In the last newsletter I talked about our Collaborative Learning Community with Oxley State School and how they visited us to view our Learning Wall and Writing Goal journey. This week we have the opportunity to reciprocate the visit by going to Oxley to see their Learning (Bump It Up) Walls and to visit some classrooms to speak with students. Below are some photos from the visit we hosted.

DANCE AND VOCAL PERFORMANCE TEAMS

Our Vocal and Dance Performance Teams have their final competitions for the year coming up soon. The Dance team will compete at the Beenleigh Eisteddfod this Friday and our Vocal team will attend Singfest for a workshop on 28th of August. Our Junior Strings students will attend a workshop also on 1st and 2nd of Spetember.  We wish the Dance team and Miss Dunstan and Mrs Rees all the best for Friday.

NCCD

This week we finalise the data for the annual National Consistent Collection of Data which is a census held each year to collect each school’s students with disability data. The NCCD enables schools, education authorities and governments to better understand the needs of students with disability and how they can be best supported at school. Further information around the NCCD can be viewed at

https://www.nccd.edu.au/

Till next time,

Mrs Anne Robinson

Principal

Upcoming School closure dates

A reminder that there are two days that our school is closed this term:

Wednesday 13th August for the EKKA holiday 

Friday 5th September for a departmental Student Free Day.

As the weather remains cold over the winter months, a reminder that students are required to either wear a school jacket available at the uniform shop (open Friday morning from 8am); or a plain jumper in a school blue colour.  Students are not permitted to wear hoodies or jumpers with any printing or designs on them. Girls are permitted to wear blue stockings (or black if blue is unavailable). All students can also wear plain school blue tracksuit pants. A reminder that girls should be wearing suitable earrings and headbands to school. Headbands should be in school colours and earrings should be limited to plains studs.

This Dress Code was developed collaboratively with the school community and supports the wearing of a school uniform to promote a sense of belonging and school pride.   It also promotes a supportive environment fostering mutual respect among individuals at school by minimising visible evidence of economic, class or social difference.   Thank you for your support of our School Dress Code.

On Thursday 21^st August students in Years Five and Six will be attending the annual Volleyball Qld Primary Schools Cup. Students will be travelling to and from Craigslea State High School via Bus. Students are asked to be at school by 8:15am as they will be departing at 8:30am and returning at approximately 2:30pm. 

Students are to wear their Enoggera School Uniform of blue shirt (no house or senior shirts), blue shorts, black shoes, white socks and school hat.  Students are to bring a water bottle, lunch and sunscreen. 

Online Qparents consents and payments are required by Thursday 14^th August for students to attend.

During week 5 (11^th August – 16^th August) Enoggera State School will be celebrating National Science Week with the theme Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language. This theme invites students and teachers across Australia to delve into the mysteries of the Universe by exploring the fundamental languages of nature, including mathematics and the ground-breaking field of quantum science.

Activities relating to the Science Week theme will be held at ESS across week 5. Please also search the ‘National Science Week’ website for events happening in Brisbane - www.scienceweek.net.au

Book Week: In week 6 (18^th August – 22^nd August) we will be celebrating book week. The theme this year is ‘Book an Adventure’. Activities will be held in our school library throughout week 6, with our famous ESS book parade on Friday 22^nd of August at 9:15am. Start thinking of your favourite book character to dress up as. Remember that costumes can be as simple as a prop, a hat or even a mask! We cannot wait to see all the wonderful costumes on display this year.

Book Club Issue 5:

Issue 5 of Book Club has now been ordered. Orders should arrive next week and will be distributed to classrooms.

Premiers Reading Challenge 2025

Please remind your child to keep reading furiously in order to meet the Premiers Reading Challenge this year of twenty books for Prep – Year 4 students and fifteen books for students in Years 5 and 6. If your child has already met the target, please have students return these forms to Mrs Jones (Miss Kerwick) as soon as possible. The final date for reading forms to be returned is Friday 22nd August 2025.

Mrs Laura Jones

General Finance Update – Friendly Reminder

A friendly reminder that payment and consents for the following activities is due soon;

Please note that invoices are always emailed to the paying parent, as nominated at enrolment. This setup can only be changed with a written request. As a result, only the paying parent will be able to view invoices through QParents.

If you think there might be a student credit on your account, feel free to reach out to me directly so I can apply it for you—credits can't be applied via QParents.

We really encourage all families to sign up for QParents to keep on top of invoices and stay connected with school updates.

If you have any questions, need help, or would like to talk about setting up a payment plan, you’re always welcome to get in touch with me at bsm@enoggerass.eq.edu.au.

Thanks for your support!

Follow-Up on Unexplained Student Absences

Two weeks ago, letters were sent home with students who have unexplained absences on their attendance records. These letters included a form requesting a reason for the absences, which has not yet been returned in some cases.

If you received one of these letters and have not yet submitted the completed form, we kindly ask that you return it to the school office as soon as possible.

Accurate attendance records are important for student wellbeing and required for school reporting purposes. Your prompt response helps ensure our records are up to date and supports clear communication between home and school.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

QPARENTS – Stay Connected and Informed

We kindly remind all parents and caregivers that QParents is now the primary platform for receiving school communications, including consent forms and invoices.

To ensure you don’t miss any important information or deadlines, we strongly encourage all families to register for QParents as soon as possible.

If you choose not to sign up for QParents, please be aware that you will need to visit the school office regularly to collect any hard copy consent forms or notices.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us streamline communication and support a more efficient, environmentally friendly process.

REMINDER: Spellathon Forms & Timeline

Thank you to all families who have supported this year’s Spellathon!

Spelling tests have now been completed, and sponsorship forms have been returned to students. We kindly remind families that sponsorship money is now due.

Please ensure all funds raised are returned to the school office by Friday, 15th August.

Your support helps make this Student Council fundraiser a success—thank you again for your participation!

LOST PROPERTY

With jumper season in full swing and the end of term fast approaching, it’s time for a final call!

Our Lost Property area – just under the administration office, outside the uniform shop – is overflowing with misplaced socks, school hats, and those vanishing jumpers. If your child’s missing something, please encourage them to stop by before the end of this week.

Any clearly named items still in Lost Property by this Friday will be safely stored over the holidays. Unnamed items, however, may not return from their adventures!

A huge thank you to the amazing parents who help keep things organised – we couldn’t do it without you!

SPARE UNIFORMS & UNDERWEAR – A LITTLE BACKUP GOES A LONG WAY!

A quick reminder to all our Prep and Year 1 families: please make sure your child has a full set of spare clothes in their school bag each day – including underwear. Sometimes little accidents happen, and having a change of clothes on hand helps keep our students comfortable and ready to learn.

If your child has borrowed any spare clothing from the office recently, we kindly ask that these items be returned as soon as possible. Our supply is running low, and we'd love to restock for any future needs.

We're also gratefully accepting donations of new underwear, as these items can't be reused once worn. Thanks so much for your support in helping us care for all our students!

CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE – TURN TRASH INTO TREASURE!

Did you know Queenslanders use around 3 billion drink containers every year? That’s a lot of bottles and cans – but thanks to Containers for Change, we can give them a second life and help our environment at the same time!

The Containers for Change Schools Program is a fun and easy way for schools like ours to raise funds while teaching students about the power of recycling. It’s a win-win for our planet and our school community!

If you’ve been collecting bottles and cans at home, you can support Enoggera State School by donating your containers. Just drop them off at any official Containers for Change collection point and use our school code: C11523111

Thanks for helping us make a difference – every container counts!

HUNGRY TUMMIES & EMERGENCY LUNCHES

As the cooler weather sets in and appetites grow, a friendly reminder to pack a little extra food in your child’s lunchbox if possible – especially during winter! We’ve noticed some students are finishing their food early and feeling hungry before the end of the day.

On the odd occasion when lunch is forgotten, we do have emergency food supplies available at school, generously donated by Camp Australia and Foodbank. We're so grateful for their support. Sandwiches will always be prioritised over snacks to ensure students receive a filling and nutritious option.

If families could please ensure students come to school with enough food each day, it would also help reduce the demand on our admin team during busy break times.

Thanks for your support in keeping all our students happy, healthy, and ready to learn!

SCHOOL CLEANER WANTED – JOIN OUR TEAM!

We’re currently looking for a school cleaner to join the Enoggera State School team for 20 hours per week. Ideally, the position will be Monday to Friday in a split shift (e.g. morning and afternoon).

This is an entry-level position, so a full recruitment process isn’t required. If you or someone you know might be interested, please get in touch with me directly via email emast27@eq.edu.au  – I’d love to hear from you!

PAPER & TISSUES – A FRIENDLY REMINDER AND THANK YOU

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all families who have already provided extra supplies of white A4 paper and tissues—your generosity is truly appreciated and makes a big difference in supporting classroom learning and shared resources across our school.

As a reminder, each student’s book list includes 1 ream of white A4 paper and 1 box of tissues. We've noticed that some families who purchased book packs independently (rather than through our preferred supplier, Bedrock Books) may have missed these items. If you happen to still have these items at home, we kindly ask that they be brought to the office, as our current supplies are running low.

We are also very grateful for any extra donations—every contribution helps and is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your continued support and generosity!

Have a lovely fortnight!

Ellie Mastrapostolos

Our Arts on Stage Performance will be held on Thursday 27^th November. Ensembles involved in the performance include Vocal Performance Team, Dance Performance Team, Senior Strings, Chamber Strings, Junior Strings, Concert Band, Senior Choir, Junior Choir, Recorder Band, Boys Crew, Red Dance, Green Dance and Purple Dance.