20 March 2025

Kenmore South State School

Our thoughts have been with many of our students and families who experienced some stress due to the effects of Cyclone Alfred. Many within our community lost power, had flooding and damage to their homes. Students have been amazing in their attitude to learning following this event. They are credit to you as parents. Please reach out if your family requires support in some way.

New P&C Executive Officers

Congratulations to our new P&C Executive team, voted in at our AGM meeting this week. 

President: Clint Quinlivan   pandc_president@kenmoresouthss.eq.edu.au 

Vice President: Laura Tromans   pandc_vice_president@kenmoresouthss.eq.edu.au 

Treasurer: Gemma Kent   pandc_treasurer@kenmoresouthss.eq.edu.au 

Secretary: Clemence Ville   pandc_secretary@kenmoresouthss.eq.edu.au 

Chaplain and Community Care

Our wonderful Chaplain, Denise Ko, works two days a week to support students, teachers and parents. The role of the Chaplain is to provide social and/or emotional support to children staff and families, to network and connect with community members as required, to provide spiritual support when requested, and to be a positive role model to students by engaging with them and developing purposeful relationships. Further support is provided with extra-curricular activities and in educational support, such as through delivery of the Switch4Schools program. Denise also coordinates our Community Care group. This provides an opportunity for families requiring assistance due to health, medical, financial distress, mental health etc with meals and other supports when required. If you would like to support our families in need in some way, whether it be a meal once in a while, a donation of stationery or clothing or via other means, please reach out to Chappy Denise on dko10@eq.edu.au

There is weekly Chappy Coffee at the Lookout, each Friday at 9:00am.

Parent Teacher Interviews

All parents and carers are encouraged to attend the upcoming Parent Teacher interviews and engage in meaningful dialogue surrounding your child’s progress, student goals, and areas for improvement. We are happy that these interviews can be conducted face-to-face.

Parent Think Tank Feedback

Our first Parent Think Tank is Friday 21 March at 8:30am in the Library. This forum allows parents to provide valuable feedback to the school. We value the relationships we have with our parents and are fortunate at Kenmore South to have parents who are vested in their child’s education. We aim to run Think Tanks once a term. The Parent Think Tank concept forms one of the actions of the Parent and Community Engagement Framework. This Framework was compiled in consultation with our PACs (Positive Agile Community) Consultative Committee a few years ago.

Appointments during school time

As a school we understand that some students may need to attend medical and specialist appointments during school hours at times. For those students who require regular ongoing appointments, we ask that you please contact your child’s teacher to ensure that the arrangement is in the best learning interests of the child. A balanced approach, giving consideration to learning time lost, is required. We appreciate the value in Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathologist, Psychologist, etc, appointments and ask where possible, that these are kept to before and after school hours.

Being on Time for School

We have noticed an increase in the number of students who are arriving late to school. Whilst we understand that this may happen from time to time, it is not desirable to be a regular occurrence. Often the day’s schedule and expectations are outlined at the beginning of the day, as well as wellbeing check-in time and roll marking. A regular predictable routine is beneficial for students for a successful start to the day.

Warm regards
Georgina Allardice
Principal
Kenmore South State School

Senior Years Deputy Principal News

Term 1 Gala Day

Next Wednesday the Year 5 and 6 students will represent Kenmore South at netball and soccer events. The students will enjoy social and competitive games, encouraging each other to do their best, and being outdoors. A huge thank you to the teachers who have been training the students in netball and soccer all term, and the staff who help organise and supervise on the day. Special thanks to Kim Shields for her wonderful organisation.

Harmony Week

This week we are celebrating Harmony Week. Congratulations to the many students who performed at our special Harmony Week assembly yesterday. Thank you to Mrs Sewell, Mrs Adriaansz and the Student Council Representatives for organising such a wonderful assembly.

Remember to wear sun safe, cultural dress or orange tomorrow (Friday 21 March). Please bring a gold coin or donate via Qkr! to raise funds for our World Vision Sponsor child, Inora.

Casual Teacher Aides needed

From time to time, the school requires casual Teacher Aides. Requests to work may occur at short notice. Teacher Aides work in classrooms with students, under the direction of the class teacher, and do playground duty. To work as a Teacher Aide, Teacher Aide qualifications are desirable, but not necessary. If you are interested in joining the casual Teacher Aide pool at our school, please contact the admin at admin@kenmoresouthss.eq.edu.au or phone 3327 0888.

Year 6 Awards

Every year the Year 6 students look forward to attaining some very special awards that are presented at the Graduation Ceremony in Term 4. There are two types of awards: Community and School. The award recipients are chosen by the Year 6 teachers, specialist teachers and admin team. If you have a Year 6 student, please encourage and help your student achieve their new best throughout the year and they may be a worthy recipient of one or more of the awards listed below. Please see the following eligibility criteria:

COMMUNITY-BASED AWARDS:

The Kenmore-Moggill RSL School Prize: the person in Year 6 who best exemplifies the following all-round qualities:

• ANZAC Spirit:
       Demonstrated attributes of the ANZAC spirit:
  • Sense of purpose and direction
  • Acceptance of responsibility
  • Unselfishness and mateship
• Academic Achievement
  • At least sound achievement in all subjects
  • Verification of achievement
• Community Service
  • Demonstration of significant contribution to school and community service.

Ivan Lund: best demonstrates the following:

• all round achievement in the School's academic, sporting and social programs
• commitment and responsibility
• independence and personal achievement
• tolerance, respect and support for others

Rotary Club of Brookfield: the student who

• Upholds the values taught.
• Demonstrates a commitment to modelling those values at every opportunity.
• Seeks to assist others in understanding and living those values.

The Kenmore Evening VIEW Club School Prize: is awarded to one student chosen from among the class winners of the citizenship award which is presented to a female Year 6 student at Kenmore South State School, who best exemplifies the following qualities:

• Community Service
• Demonstration of significant contribution to school and community service.

State Member for Moggill Award: the book prize is awarded to one boy and one girl of the graduating students who meet the criterion of showing:

• Leadership and Initiative

Adopt-a-Cop Award: the Year 6 student who:

• consistently lives the school’s values
• is known to be friendly and inclusive in the playground
• supportive of their peers
• exhibits safe behaviours in and around the school

SCHOOL-BASED GRADUATION AWARDS:

Sports Award (boy): is awarded to the male student in Year 6 who is identified as having made significant achievements in sporting performances, demonstrated leadership qualities and upheld the values of Kenmore South.

Sports Award (girl): is awarded to the female student in Year 6 who is identified as having made significant achievements in sporting performances, demonstrated leadership qualities and upheld the values of Kenmore South.

Languages (Japanese) Award: is awarded to the student in Year 6 identified who is identified as having made the most significant achievements in Japanese, shown excellent effort and contributions to lessons.

Innovation Award: is awarded to the student in Year 6 who is identified as having made the most significant achievements in the areas of STEM and innovation in learning.

The Arts Award: is awarded to the student in Year 6 identified as having made the most significant achievements in all strands of The Arts for the year.

The Literature Award: is awarded to the student in Year 6 identified as having made the most significant achievements in all strands of English for the year.

Tree of Growth Award: is awarded to the student who is identified as demonstrating the attributes of a Positive Agile Learner through significant fulfilment of one or more key elements from the Tree of Growth.

Year 6 students are only eligible for one of the community-based graduation awards but a student may be eligible for any number of school-based graduation awards. Students are eligible even if they have received a Citizenship Award for the Academic Awards Ceremony or an Aussie of the Month Award throughout the year.

Warm regards,
Nat Thomas

Junior Years Deputy Principal News

Dear Kenmore South Families,

Welcome to Week 8! It’s hard to believe that seven weeks have already passed, and we are quickly approaching the Easter school holidays. While the end of term is in sight, our students remain focused as they work through and prepare to begin the Term 1 assessment window. Throughout this time, it is also a great time to remind ourselves of the importance of the positive habits that breed success. The kind of structures, routines and values that form the foundation of our KSSS Tree of Growth. Things such as healthy eating, quality sleep and rest, exercise and preparedness and punctuality for school, that will ensure students are given every opportunity to succeed and are ready to engage in their learning. Your ongoing support in maintaining these routines and healthy habits, makes a significant difference to your child’s day and the success they feel and experience at school.

I want to thank all of the parents I connect with each day and week for your continued partnership in your child’s learning journey. I also look forward to making these final weeks of Term 1 productive and rewarding!

Looking ahead, please take note of some key upcoming events on our school calendar for the remainder of the term:

Friday 21 March – Active School Travel ‘Ride to School’ Day: We look forward to seeing some ‘blinged’ bikes this Friday! There will be some prizes on offer!

Friday 21 March: Harmony Day free dress: Wear orange or cultural dress.

Friday 28 March: P-6 X-Country (see flyer below for more details)
Friday 4 April – P-2 Easter Bonnet Parade 9:15-10am: We can’t wait to see the fantastic Easter bonnets on the last day of school! (Please see the flyer below for more info).

Regards,
Andrew

Head of Inclusion Services News

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 20 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

Sporting News

2025 Interhouse Cross Country Carnival - Friday 28th March (Backup Day: Tuesday 1st April).

Get ready for an exciting day of running and school spirit! The annual Interhouse Cross Country Carnival will take place on 28 March.  

Year 4 to 6 individual runners will race between 9:00am and 10:00am, showcasing their athleticism and competitive spirit.  Students who elect to run as teams will then race between 10:00am and 11:00am. 

Following them, the Prep to year 3 Carnival will run from 11:40am to 1:40pm, where younger participants will join the fun and excitement.

Races will start approximately half-hourly from 11:50am with year 3's first, followed by the 2's, 1's and Preps.

We look forward to having you come along and support our runners.  Please arrive before the designated start times of your child's race and look for our designated parent seating and photography areas.  

Kind regards,
Kim Shields

Environment Club

The Environment Club is off to a great start this year, with around 10 students regularly coming together to see what can be done to help our school’s open spaces. Any student is welcome to join with us at any time, and there is no ongoing commitment needed.

We have had a change of meeting day and room: now meeting at 11:15 Tuesday during our first break at the 1B classroom. Miss Hollonds from 3C has been welcomed as an additional teacher to join Mrs Lenane.

So far this year, our group have

• helped students place their rubbish in the correct bins during eating times
• organised the new garden shed that stores the outdoor equipment
• set up a new worm farm outside 3C (who have very kindly agreed to look after it and our bottle top turtle under the D block stairs)
• seen our new Environmental Captains Ezra and Kashish inducted with other school leaders
• participated with the rest of the school in doing our part to Clean Up Australia

Just about everyone enjoys being a part of Clean Up Australia at school, and this year we collected 9 small bags of rubbish throughout the day.

We are looking forward to being a part of the EcoMarines team again this year and partnering with the Lunchbox to compost food waste and help out with the garden beds near the hall.

Student of the Weeks

Prep A: Mia J
Prep B: Hannah H-A
Prep C: Vivienne N
Prep D: Zoe B
1B: Nieve G and Leon Z
1C: Louie L 
1D: Henry G
2A: Isabel B and Jasper L
2B: Reuben C and Isabella P
2C: Greta J and Helena D
2D: Ryan M
3A: Shinichiro K
3B: Clara C
3C: Leo N
3D: Benjamin V
3E: Zaidan F and Elsa H
4A: Dakota J
4B: Ranveer S
4E: Isla B and Imogen A
5A: Edward L and Atlas S
5B: Alexander S
5D: Archie D
6A: Dahlia N
6B: Beau F
6C: Hannah L and Taiyo S
6D: Emilia E

Lunch with the Principal

Term 4 Week 8

P & C News

P&C Update for Week 8, Term 1: A Successful AGM and Exciting News Ahead!

Welcome to Week 8 of Term 1! We’re pleased to bring you the final P&C update for the term, following our highly successful Annual General Meeting (AGM) and more exciting announcements for the community.

AGM Success and Gratitude

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended the AGM on Tuesday, 18 March 2025. Your participation and support helped ensure a productive meeting as we reviewed the P&C’s progress and discussed plans for the year ahead. We extend our deepest gratitude to our outgoing Executive members for their dedication and contributions over the past year. Your hard work and commitment have made a tremendous difference in our school community.

We are delighted to announce the newly appointed Executive Officers for 2025:

• President: Mr Clint QUINLIVAN
• Vice President: Mrs Laura TROMANS
• Treasurer: Miss Gemma KENT
• Secretary: Miss Clemence VILLE

Congratulations to our new team! We look forward to working together to make 2025 an outstanding year for Kenmore South State School.

Acknowledging Our Outgoing Members

A special thank you to our outgoing members for their dedication. Your efforts have left a lasting impact, and we are incredibly grateful for your time and service.

Exciting Projects in 2025

As shared at the AGM, we are thrilled to announce the P&C’s commitment of $130,000 toward several exciting projects that will enhance our school environment:

• 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

These projects will create vibrant spaces for our students to learn, play, and grow. We’re eager to see these improvements come to life.

Supporting Chappy Denise

The P&C is proud to continue supporting Chappy Denise and her wonderful projects. Her role in providing support to students, families, and staff is invaluable, and we’re excited for the positive impact she will continue to make this year.

Stay Connected

We encourage everyone to stay connected with us for updates on events and initiatives throughout the year. Be sure to follow and LIKE our Facebook page for the latest P&C news.

Wishing you all a successful and enjoyable end to Term 1! We look forward to seeing you at upcoming events and working together to achieve great things in 2025.

Warm regards,
Peta Wilson
P&C President

Chappy News

🌟 School Community Food Drive 🌟

We’ve set up a Community Food Box at the school admin office. Parents and staff can drop off non-perishable food items, and families are welcome to take what they need.

📍 Location: School Admin Office
🥫 Donations: Canned goods, pasta, rice, cereal, long-life milk, etc.
🤝 Take what you need, give what you can.

Let’s support each other and make a difference! 💙

End-of-Term Subway Fundraiser!

We are excited to offer a Subway Meal Deal in Week 10 on Thursday, 3rd April! 🍽️🥪

🔹 Orders must be placed by Monday, 1st April – no late orders can be accepted.
🔹 Place your order by visiting the link below: https://myschoollunch.com.au/kenmore-south-state-school

Thank you for supporting our fundraiser!

All proceeds will go towards the Chaplaincy Services and resources here at KSSS.

Kenmore South State Schools Yarning Circle

We’d like to say a huge thank you to our hard working P&C for the funding of our Yarning Circle, it looks fantastic and will be a welcome resource for our students.

A Yarning Circle is a significantly important process that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use to learn, share, build respectful and caring relationships, pass on cultural knowledge through narrative, and come together as a community.

Set some expectations: Yarning circles are a safe space where everyone should feel comfortable to contribute. This means everyone needs to be respectful. Setting expectations around listening, using respectful language and not judging other students’ contributions, can help ensure your yarning circle is a positive space.

At our Yarning Circle we:

• Sit and listen respectfully
• Use respectful language
• Respect others’ contributions

Yarning circles

The use of a yarning circle (or dialogue circle) is an important process within Aboriginal culture and Torres Strait Islander culture. It has been used by Indigenous peoples from around the world for centuries to learn from a collective group, build respectful relationships, and to preserve and pass on cultural knowledge.

By using yarning circles as a teaching and learning strategy, students’ understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and ways of working are enhanced. This strategy is suitable for students across all phases of schooling.

Building respectful relationships

A yarning circle is a harmonious, creative and collaborative way of communicating to:

• encourage responsible, respectful and honest interactions between participants, building trusting relationships
• foster accountability and provide a safe place to be heard and to respond
• promote student–student interactions and student–school–community connectedness
• enrich learning experiences for students.

In some instances, the ‘no language’ method can be applied to the yarning circle. This method originated from watching elders. Very few questions are asked; the primary method of learning is through observation. The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership have developed a video expanding on the ‘no language’ method of learning.

Implementing yarning circles in your classroom

A yarning circle is usually initiated or hosted by an individual — a teacher, a student, or a visitor. Yarning circles can take a number of formats but the following guidelines generally apply when initiating a yarning circle.

1. Sit in a circle:Participants sit in a circle and are encouraged to actively listen to others’ views. Participants should understand that they are all considered equal within the circle and that there is no hierarchy.
2. Introduce the group:The host invites participants to introduce themselves and share something about themselves.
3. Introduce focus questions:Yarning circles can be undertaken for many reasons. The host introduces the purpose of the yarning circle or the focus question to participants.
4. Share ideas and thoughts:The host encourages participants to take turns to talk and to promote reciprocal sharing and learning. Time can be allocated for participants to write or draw their thoughts after each person speaks. The host could provide butcher’s paper in the middle of the circle for participants to record their thoughts, or hold the circle outside so participate can draw their thoughts in the dirt.
5. Reflect:Resolve any actions or issues identified by the yarning circle, or agree to follow up in future yarning circles.

Yarning circles diagram

Figure 1: Implementing yarning circles in your classroom

A yarning circle can be used as a learning tool to enrich and promote the shared knowledge of the group. It builds on existing relationships in a respectful and meaningful way.

Ideas and Links for using the Yarning Circle

• Student Leader/Student Council meetings
• Morning circles
• Yarns around important events in the calendar, for example, NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week, National Sorry Day, Mabo Day and reflections on these days
• Observations about seasonal changes
• Planting bush tucker and Indigenous plants around the yarning circle
• Nature study
• Peer Mediation/Restorative Practice
• Brainstorming projects

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

Thursday 20^th of March 6-7pm: Parent Connect Information Night

Friday 21^st of March: Harmony Week Free Dress – wear orange or multicultural dress

Friday 21^st of March: Bling Your Bike – ride your blinged up bike to school for Active School Travel. Come down to the oval at 8:30am

Monday 24^th of March to 4^th of April: Parent Teacher Interviews

Wednesday 26^th of March: Term 1 Gala Day

Friday 28^th of March: Cross Country Prep to Year 6

Tuesday 1^st of April and Wednesday 2^nd of April: School Photos

Thursday 3^rd of April: Chaplain Subway Fundraiser

Friday 4th of April: Easter Bonnett Parade P-2 at 9:15 to 9:45am

Friday 4^th of April: Last Day of Term 1

Tuesday 22^nd of April: First Day of Term 2

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.

PCYC Easter Vacation Care

Community News