20 February 2025

Principal’s News

As we approach the four-week mark of the school year, I want to share some ways we’re continuing to support your child’s success. Our focus remains on building strong, trusting relationships, ensuring each student feels valued, heard, and confident in their learning.

We’ve established clear expectations and routines that are helping students feel more secure and engaged. Our lessons are interactive, with activities that cater to different learning styles, making learning both fun and meaningful. We continue to foster a growth mindset through our Tree of Growth, encouraging effort, resilience, and learning from mistakes.

Social and emotional development is a key part of our approach. We’ve been incorporating activities that help students build positive relationships and work together. It’s been wonderful to see them grow in both confidence and collaboration.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to celebrating your child’s progress together throughout the rest of the term.

P&C AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the P&C is coming up soon and scheduled for Tuesday 18 March at 7pm. A number of the Executive members will be vacating their positions. Please consider contributing to the school by taking on one of these positions. The positions are President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. See the P&C News section for further information.

Parent Representatives

A big thank you to all of the wonderful parents who have nominated to be Parent Representatives for their child’s class. We are still requiring parents for a couple of classes. Parent Reps have a class email list (de-identified) to communicate with families in their child’s class. Please see below the list of contact details for the Parent Reps.

Volunteering

A reminder that all parent volunteers are asked to complete Volunteer Training before working in classes. A copy of the Key Messages (Volunteer Training Packages) can be collected from the school office.

Community Care

At Kenmore South we value the caring and considerate community we have. From time to time we have families that experience hardship due to illnesses such as cancer, or other emergent circumstances. This is when we ask for the assistance of our wonderful families to lend their support by making a meal or two. Chappy Denise organises this when required through an app called Meal Train. Please consider contributing to Community Care, even if it is just once or twice in a year. We currently have at least one family requiring some support.

Warm regards
Georgina Allardice
Principal
Kenmore South State School

Senior Years Deputy Principal News

Religious Instruction

Religious Instruction (RI) classes will begin next week for Years 4 and 6, with Year 5 classes starting early in Term 2. RI classes will run until the end of Term 2. These lessons will occur on Thursday afternoons. RI classes for Years 1-3 students will commence in Semester 2.

Queensland state schools embrace a multitude of cultural, religious and non-religious beliefs. Under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006, schools are to provide RI if approached by a faith group seeking to provide RI and students of that faith attend the school.

RI informs students about the beliefs and values of a particular religion. It is delivered by volunteers of a faith group using instructional materials approved by that faith group. RI is required to be consistent with legislation and Department of Education policies and procedures.

All RI instructors must hold a blue card and participate in compulsory Student Protection and Code of Conduct training. RI instructors are only entitled to deliver the RI program outlined below. A school staff member will be present during the delivery of RI.

Participation in RI is not compulsory. Any student (except Prep students) may participate in RI if a parent has provided written instructions to the school.

Students are allocated to RI based on information provided by parents on the completed application for student enrolment unless other written instructions have been provided to the school.

Note: This consent remains in effect unless the parent informs the school otherwise in writing.

A description of the RI available at Kenmore South SS is provided below. Please see further information about the program from the RI convenor later in the newsletter.

Christian Religious Instruction

Participating faith groups: Local Christian Churches come together to offer Christian RI on a cooperative and non-denominational basis. These local churches may, amongst others, include Anglican, Australian Christian Churches, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Brisbane Chinese Alliance, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches and Uniting Churches.

For further information regarding the curriculum please visit the school website.

Harmony Day Assembly

Harmony Week (Week 8) promotes inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians. On Wednesday 19 March we are holding a special assembly to celebrate Harmony Week. Students are encouraged to wear orange or cultural dress. We are inviting students and family members to give a brief performance (dance/song/instrumental item) at the assembly. If you are interested, please email Nat Thomas at nthom288@eq.edu.au by Friday 28 February.

Warm regards,
Nat Thomas

Junior Years Deputy Principal News

Dear Kenmore South Families,

This week almost marks the midpoint of the school term which is a great time to reflect on the strong start our students have made in 2025. The beginning weeks have been filled with new learning experiences, building of routines and positive relationships that will shape our student successes and the rest of the school year. The growth and enthusiasm that our students are already making and showing, continues to be the highlight each day, as you walk around our school. 

This week, students have also spent some time discussing the theme of gratitude; about what gratitude means to them and how they can express appreciation in their daily lives. A topic seldom discussed by our young people, but one that encourages reflection, honesty and thankfulness for the people, experiences, and things in our lives. Visiting classrooms, it has been wonderful to hear some of their reflections on the people, experiences, and opportunities they are thankful for.

These thoughts naturally lead me into sharing how lucky we are as a school to have a vibrant, hardworking P&C of volunteers, who want to bring our school community together through events such as our P&C Community Welcome BBQ this Friday evening from 5:30pm. Please ‘get around’ our P&C by supporting this great event with your family this Friday and soak up the sense of community that we are fortunate to have at Kenmore South! 

As we move into the second half of the term, we look forward to building upon our strong start to the year and embracing the new learning opportunities and challenges that come with being Positive Agile Learners. I look forward to hearing of the ‘buzz’ around the grounds this Friday night and of a good evening enjoyed by all.

Kind regards,

Andrew

Clean Up Australia Day

Next Tuesday 25 February, students at Kenmore South will participate in our annual Clean Up Australia Day event. Students from across the school will take part in cleaning up a different area of our grounds. Students are encouraged to bring along a pair of garden gloves on the day. Further details will be shared with students at school and through class Newsletters.

Beginner Strings Information Night

To the families of our new Beginner Strings students, please join Mrs Fiona Lougheed next Thursday evening 27 February, from 6-7pm for our parent, Beginner Strings Information Night. This session will be located in the Music Room adjacent to the school Hall and is for parents only.

NAPLAN Parent Information 2025

NAPLAN 2025

This year, the 2025 NAPLAN test schedule for Kenmore South will be Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 March, with catch-up tests held the following week for absent students.

The test schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday 12 March: Writing
• Thursday 13 March: Reading and Conventions of Language (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation)
• Friday 14 March: Numeracy

All NAPLAN tests other than Year 3 Writing are conducted online using a locked down browser, which is required to be installed on all Year 3 and 5 student owned devices.  The benefits of online testing include 'tailored testing', which gives students questions better suited to their ability, resulting in more precise results, and improved student engagement through computer-based tasks.

All students in Years 3 and 5 are expected to sit the NAPLAN tests unless they are withdrawn by their parents or exempt.  Parents can withdraw their child from the tests by notifying the school and signing a record of withdrawal form before testing.  Please notify your child’s teacher if you would like to withdraw them from testing.

Sample tests for writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy for each NAPLAN test year level are available online from the NAPLAN public demonstration site.  These sample tests contain questions that show the types of technology-enhanced features of the online tests, including interactive navigation, audio features, and drag and drop style responses.  Teachers will be conducting familiarisation activities and practice tests to ensure students are confident in navigating the platform and its various functions.

Student devices require the new Locked Down Browser to be installed for 2025.  The Locked Down Browser can be downloaded for Windows devices from the assessform website.  The iPad app can be downloaded from the App Store.  Please confirm your child’s device has the correct version installed by checking its icon matches the one below.  Additionally, students will require the use of their headphones for the audio elements within the platform.  If you child has broken or misplaced their headphones, please ensure they are replaced in time for testing.  We will be conducting checks on student devices to ensure the locked down browser has been installed prior to the test window.

Additional information can be found at the below links:

Parent Connect Event

In week six of each term, we offer an information session for our parent community, called Parent Connect.

This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to hear about school initiatives and meet other parents.

We would like to begin the year with Parent Connect: Intervention, Enrichment and Extension at Kenmore South.

This will be held on Thursday 6 March from 6pm -7pm, in the Modular Room (adjacent to the Administration Office). 

Please email Caitlin Donaghey at cdona79@eq.edu.au if you are able to attend.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Warm regards, 

Caitlin Donaghey

Head of Special Education Services

Sporting News

Northern Eagles District Swimming Trials

We wish to congratulate all 7 students who participated in the Northern Eagles District Swimming trials on Monday 10^th February at St Peter's Lutheran College.  These students include Ben Emery (50m Fr), Hannah Laing (50m Fr), Mabel Smith (50m Fr), James Bettington (50m F), Abbey Bourke (50m Fr, Bk, Br, Fly), Liam Elhkes (50m Fr, Bk, Br, Fly, 100m Fr) and Harrison Jones (50m Fr).  Well done to all!

We are thrilled to announce that the dedication and sportsmanship of several of these talented swimmers will now see them advance to the 2025 Metropolitan West Swimming Trials, to be held on Wednesday 26^th February. 

Swimmers who have qualified include:

•  James Bettington (Age 10) will be competing in the Boys 50m Freestyle.
•  Abbey Bourke (Age 11) has earned places in the Girls 50m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, and 50m Freestyle events.
•  Liam Ehlkes (Age 12) has qualified for the Boys 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke, 50m Freestyle and 10-12years 100m Freestyle events.
•  Harrison Jones (Age 11) will compete in the Boys 50m Freestyle event

We wish all students the very best for this next stage of competition.

Kind regards,
Kim Shields

Student of the Weeks - Week 2 and 3

Prep A: Emika O & Louis G
Prep B: Lyla G & Henry Y
Prep C: Henry K & Cara O
Prep D: Izenne P & Casey L
1A: Riley W & Alexander B
1B: Zoe F
1C: Philippa C & Anaira V
1D: Alice J & Delilah P
2A: Kody M & Joey CT
2B: Elliott M & Oliver D
2C: Archie B
2D: Carter G & Archira P
3A: Enoch H & Samriddhi C
3B: Liam S & Charlton J
3C: Joseph P & Hugh L
3D: Elora K & Georgia O
3E: Levi P
4A: Tafseer A & Saxon F
4B: Madeleine C & Max J
4C: Paul G & Gigi T & Quinn
4D: Tilly S & Ryder W
4E: Yowon K & Jorja C
5A: Elliott F & Jakeb E
5B: Maya F & Tyler C
5C: Ava P-T & Ariana S
5D: Macy H & Tynan H
6A: Slava K & Arna S & Tex T
6B: Mia W & Kashish M
6C: Tarquin C
6D: Alexis B & Elsie S

Lunch with the Principal!

Term 1 Week 2

Term 1 Week 4

P & C News

Welcome to Week 4 of Term 1! There’s plenty happening with the P&C, and we’re excited to share some important updates and upcoming events.

Join Us for the Welcome BBQ! Don’t miss out on our 2025 Welcome BBQ this Friday 21 February 2025. The event kicks off at 5:30pm and runs until 7:30pm—a fabulous social event to bring the whole school community together! Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Face painting for the kids
• Delicious options from Food Trucks
• The PCYC Fun Squad BBQ
• P&C bar
• Great music to enjoy the evening!

This is a wonderful opportunity to relax and have fun, but we need your help to make it a success. We’re kindly asking for volunteers to assist on the night. Whether it’s helping with the set up from 3pm, face painting, serving at the bar, or packing up, giving back to your school and community is a great way to get involved and make this event even better for everyone.

If you can lend a hand, please reach out to our P&C Secretary, Meagan, at pandc_secretary@kenmoresouthss.eq.edu.au. Even an hour of your time would be greatly appreciated!

Get Involved with the P&C If you’d like to get involved this year, 2025 P&C membership forms are available. Contact Meagan to request a form. We welcome anyone eager to contribute to our vibrant school community!

Upcoming AGM Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is on Tuesday, 18 March 2025 at 7pm in the school staffroom. This is a great opportunity to meet other parents, learn more about what the P&C does, and share your ideas. We encourage all families to attend! We’re also accepting self-nominations for the 2025 Executive Committee. Nomination forms are available from Meagan, so be sure to submit yours before the AGM!

Exciting Projects for 2025 The P&C is thrilled to announce a donation of $130,000 to fund the following improvements:

• Nature Play Upgrades: Astro turfing, landscaping, and re-planting – $50,000
• CPA and Prep-Year 1 Seating: Upgrading benches to aluminium and adding new seating – $40,000
• Yarning Circle: Constructing a yarning circle using timber from the front carpark trees – $15,000
• Cricket Nets and Pitch Upgrade: Improving the surfacing of cricket nets and pitch – $30,000

Design a Brick Fundraiser For those who participated in the 2024 Design a Brick fundraiser, watch for an email with a link to submit your engraving details. Each brick allows for three lines, with a maximum of 17 characters per line. Thank you for your patience as we finalise this project! 

Stay Connected For regular P&C updates, make sure to follow and LIKE our Facebook page.

We wish everyone a fantastic start to the year and look forward to seeing you at the Welcome BBQ this Friday!

Peta Wilson
P&C President

Term Dates 2025

Term 1: 28^th of January to 4^th of April 2025
Term 2: 22^nd of April to 27^th of June 2025
Term 3: 14^th of July to 19^th of September 2025
Term 4: 7^th of October to 12^th of December 2025

Upcoming Dates

21^st of February – 5:30pm P & C Community Welcome BBQ

24^th of February – Halogen Young Leaders Day

25^th of February – Clean Up Australia Day

27^th of February – 5:00pm Beginner Strings Information Night

27^th and 28^th of February – Year 3 Nudgee Beach Excursion

3^rd of March - Year 1 Bugs Incursion

4^th of March – Year 2 RAW Art

5^th of March – 2:10pm Assembly

6^th of March – 6:00pm Parent Connect Information Session

12^th of March – NAPLAN - Writing

13^th of March – NAPLAN - Reading and Conventions of Language (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation)

14^th of March – NAPLAN - Numeracy

14^th of March – Grandparents Day (Prep) - 9:00am 

School Communication and Publicity

All requests for articles or information to be placed in the school’s newsletter, Facebook Page or school website are to be directed to Publicity@kenmoresouthss.eq.edu.au Deadline for the school newsletter is the Friday prior to distribution. Newsletters are sent out on the Thursday of every even week during the term. File types submitted are requested to be in .jpg format for photos and Word format for text.

Community News