Newsletter 21/02/25

Principal’s Messages

From The Principal’s Pen

Welcome to our first Newsletter for 2025. I am Kelly Roberts and I’m happy

to be the Principal this semester. First and foremost, I’d like to acknowledge how privileged I feel to be part of your school community. Already I have a strong sense that my time at Burnside State School will be both personally and professionally rewarding.

It is obvious that Burnside State School enjoys an enthusiastic, experienced and dedicated staff. You can feel a strong sense of ownership and genuine connection with students when you talk to any member of staff – people who see teaching and working with children not as their job but as their ‘vocation’. This collective effort can only lead to the full development of our students in terms of their academic, social and emotional growth. I look forward to working with all members of our school community to achieve the best possible outcomes and opportunities for all students of Burnside State School.

School Leaders

Congratulations to our 18 Year 6 students who were successful in their pursuit of an official leadership position.  There will be an Investiture Ceremony on Friday 28^th February where they will be present with their badges. We openly invite their families to join us at this special time during their last year in primary school.

School Camps

Students in years 4 to 6 will have the opportunity to attend a school camp this year. Camps are an exciting time to build stronger friendships and self-confidence. Of course, camps are also a privilege, so teachers will be discussing expectations to maintain on TRACK behaviour to receive their invitation. We understand this can also be quiet a large financial investment for some families, especially if you have more than one child in these year levels. Please do not hesitate to contact the office to discuss payment plans if required.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN will take place this year from March 12 to 24 across Queensland for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. While this is not a high-stakes test, and we will not be placing pressure on students, we encourage maximum participation. This allows us to gather accurate data about our school, which helps inform future learning plans and focus areas. If you have any concerns or questions, please reach out and we are happy to guide you through NAPLAN 2025.

Deputy News

Easter Hat Parade

On Friday the 4^th April 2025 we will be having an Easter Hat Parade for our Prep – 3 students from 9am (till approx. 10am).

Students will be parading around the hall in their class as well as presenting a small performance whilst displaying their beautiful creations (Easter Hats). 

Students can design their hats at home, if you are unable to do this, please contact your class teacher.  Please come and join us for a morning of fun!

Cross Country- Wednesday 2^nd March 2025- more information to come
Parent Teacher interviews
Parent/teacher interviews will be held on Tuesday the 1^st of April 2025

Bookings for class teachers will open from Friday ^28th February 2025 - keep an eye out on School Stream for the link to book in. This provides an important opportunity to touch base with your child’s class teacher in a one on one, look at work samples, look at strengths or areas to focus on and discuss how your child is settling into the class.   This oral reporting, forms an integral part of our reporting cycle prior to providing report cards in Term 2.   It is important for all children to observe strong communication links between home and school and how best to support your student to achieve their best. 

Inclusion News

Hello Burnside State School parents, carers and wider community, 

Let us introduce ourselves, for this year. Rebecca Slater and myself, Reece Toomey are your contacts and support for anything in regards to inclusion, disability services and the Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP). 

We work alongside Inclusion Teachers:  Hayley Chamberlain (P-2 support), Kassan Reid (grades 3/4) and Doug Larsen (grades 5/6) and Heather Peens (ECDP), as well as the behaviour team led by Julianne Golding. 

Please contact your child's teacher if you believe your child may require further support, and you will be asked to fill out a Student Support Services form - which we would then follow up on. 

We look forward to having a great year with the Burnside State School community. 

Reece and Rebecca, 

Our contact details are:
Reece Toomey                  rtoom6@eq.edu.au (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Rebecca Slater                 rslat24@eq.edu.au  (Wednesday, Friday)

Missing File - RS.jpg

Playgroup News

It was wonderful to see some new families at playgroup that started back this week.

Come and join in the fun at 8:45-10:45am every Wednesday in the Inclusion Hub. Bring some morning tea, a hat and a water bottle.

Chappy Chat

Hey Amazing Burnsiders,

What an awesome start to 2025… so many new faces and people to meet… I absolutely love it. Although there was a time in my life, not that long ago, that putting myself out to meet new people would have been an absolute freak-out.

You might have a student that is in the same boat! I have found that a lot of encouragement around having a bit of courage, to step out of our comfort zone, helped me a lot. I also found that “actively looking” at the people around me, that look like they have similar interests and are expressing themselves that same way I do, help me to find the right people to approach.

I love sharing resources… and one of the best resources I have come across is being subscribed to The Big Life Journal email list. Each week there are some great resources and printables for both parents and students.

Another thing that I am passionate about, is connecting with external agencies that can help out students and families, especially when we find ourselves in a space of need. It has been really great to partner with The Everyday Foundation (formerly Suncoast Care), who, in association with Foodbank, supply us with all our food for our Breaky Program every Thursday morning. We also have an amazing connection with Urban Angels, which supply us with an amazing meal bank, for any families that might find themselves in a bind… we are able to supply families with ready made meals, to help them get through a rough patch. If you would like to access this service, please see either myself (Thursday & Friday) or one of the office staff and we would be glad to help you out.

Hope you all have an amazing Term and look forward to meeting with more students and families as the year progresses.

Love & Peace
Chappy Paul

Students Achievements

Maddi from year 5 came 2nd in shot put with a throw of 7.40m at the Regional Little Athletics and is now off to States in March. Well done Maddi!

What’s On At Burnside – Term 1

Tuckshop News

Please see below our updated menu for 2025. 

While we can sympathise with the financial situation families are faced with currently, the P&C as a business is not immune to the increases in cost of living and after much consideration most items have had an increase of .50c. We have tried very hard to be mindful of balancing what is affordable for parents while ensuring that the Tuckshop can be sustained going forward. 

Thank you for your understanding. We encourage you and your children to review the menu, to help avoid disappointment if they are purchasing over the counter.

A few points to remember:

 For returning students, please remember to update your new class

 Students in Prep and Year 1 - all items need to be ordered before 8:45am and are sent to the class at first break which is at 10:45am. This is their main break. 

 Students in Year 2 to Year 6 - orders close at 8:45am. Students can also purchase snacks, drinks & iceblocks over the counter at both 1st & 2nd Breaks

 If an item is unavailable, a substitute may be provided without notice

 Prices are subject to change. We will notify you if this happens. 

 Uniforms can be purchased through the tuckshop between 8:15am - 8:45am & 11am - 1pm

With Tuckshop operations commencing, it is time we start building our volunteer base. 

Why should I volunteer you may ask? 

 Strengthens community bonds: Helps foster connections between parents, teachers, and students.

 Improves school resources: Saves the school / P&C money by reducing the need for paid staff.

 Enhances children's education: Shows kids the importance of community involvement and gives them a positive role model.

 Provides personal satisfaction: Volunteers often feel rewarded by contributing to a cause they care about.

 Increases awareness: Gives parents a closer look at school operations and student needs.

 Builds relationships: Provides opportunities to connect with other parents and school staff.

 Promotes teamwork and skills: Volunteers develop communication, organizational, and leadership skills.

 Improves school environment: Supports the overall well-being of the school community.

What's your experience with volunteering? Do you think it could be a good fit for you?

My New Gallery

P & C News

Welcome Burnside families, 

It's a new year and we are excited to start planning some cool fundraising events for the year. We are looking for some new innovative ideas so if you have an exciting fundraiser idea or something you think we need to fundraise for in our school we would love to hear from you. 

Our school heavily relies on the work we do and we enjoy seeing new ideas come to life for our school and kids. 

We have our AGM & General

Meeting coming up on the 4th of March at 5:30pm in the Steam room. 

We are also recruiting a new Secretary & Treasurer this year to join our team, if this sounds like you please get in contact with us. These volunteer rolls don't require huge amounts of time just a lot of your fun ideas and definitely can suit working parents as we can work around you. These two rolls are important as they do help to support our team and make the P&C run smoothly. 

See below for role descriptions

If you think you would like to help and join our wonderful P&C team please get in contact with us Burnsidessp&c@outlook.com 

My New Gallery

Helping Hands OSHC News

Hey Families

On the 14th of March from 2.45pm we will be hosting a teddy bears picnic. Join us for an afternoon filled with fun, friendship, and fluffy companions! Prep Teddy Day is all about welcoming and helping new children (and existing) feel at home in OSHC, with their favourite teddy by their side. This special event is the perfect way to kick off the school year with laughter, games, and a teddy bear picnic for afternoon tea!

From exciting activities to new friendships, there’s plenty of fun to go around. And to top it all off, every child will take home a “First Day of OSHC” certificate for their cuddly friend—because big milestones deserve to be celebrated!

Feel free to either come into service and see what we are all about or give me a call on

 0474 462 948.

Come in and meet the team

Stacy – coordinator              Elena – Educator/RP           Mikayla – Educator/RP

Jayden – Educator                  Tayla – Educator

Hours – Rise then shine - 6:30am - 8:45am
              Stay and Play – 2:45pm – 6pm
              Holiday HQ – 6:30am – 6pm

                              Email - Burnsideqld@helpinghandsnetwork.com.au 

Stacy Jacobs I Coordinator – Burnside QLD

Community News

Burnside State High School GP Clinic

During the 2025 School Year, Burnside State School students will have access to the GP clinic at Burnside State High School.

Dr Richard van Hak, a General Practitioner (GP), also working at other school clinics and Health Hub Doctors Morayfield operates the clinic.

All Burnside State School students will be able to visit the GP clinic for free with their caregiver. Dr Richard will provide health information, advice and treatment. Students can access the GP for any physical or mental health concerns.

How to book a GP appointment

The Burnside SHS GP clinic is currently open 12:00 to 3:00 Wednesday afternoons during school terms.

To book an appointment, caregivers initially email GPappointment@burnsideshs.eq.edu.au . The appointment will be confirmed through a link to the Health Hub Doctors Morayfield website. Patient details, including Medicare number will need to be provided during this process.

Do students see the GP by themselves?

Primary school aged students will only be able to see Dr Richard with their caregiver. 

Will the GP tell anyone at school about the appointment?

A student’s appointment with the GP will be confidential, with conversations not shared with anyone else, unless the caregiver agrees, there is an immediate risk to a student’s safety or other’s safety and wellbeing, or the GP is permitted or required by law to tell someone.

About Dr Richard

Dr Richard van Hak is a registered GP in the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia. Richard was born in the Netherlands and graduated as a medical doctor in 2009. After 3 years of gaining experience in a variety of positions including surgery, paediatrics and patients with multiple disabilities he commenced training as a General Practitioner.

In 2015 he first started working in New Zealand before deciding to further his career in Australia joining the Health Hub Doctors Morayfield in 2018. His areas of expertise and special interests are paediatrics, lung & heart, musculoskeletal disease.

For more information about the GP in Schools service, please speak to the Burnside SHS Guidance Officer Steve Hutson, or email GPappointment@burnsideshs.eq.edu.au

Sunshine Coast Police Blog