Dear Queenscliff Parents and Carers,
Welcome to Term 4! I hope all of our Queenscliff Primary School families enjoyed a restful, relaxing holiday break, acclimatising to daylight savings and the warmer weather. Spring is always beautiful on the Bellarine, as we start to notice immediate changes in our environment, including bursts of colour and energy. On our school grounds, we have noticed flowers blossoming, grass growing, vegetables and herbs ripe for picking and baby birds nesting in trees. It truly is a wonderful time of the year. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the same burst of energy and excitement amongst our students and teachers over the past three weeks in classrooms and in the playground, as we commenced our final term of 2024.
Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser
On Saturday 30th November, our school will be hosting a Bunnings BBQ at Leopold Bunnings from 8:00am until 4:00pm. All funds raised from the BBQ will go towards the Nature Play Space that will be constructed on our grounds in 2025. We are seeking volunteers to assist with the BBQ on the day and donations for supplies to run the BBQ.
Roster
If you are interested in volunteering to assist with the BBQ, please add your name and contact number to the roster below (click on link). Please nominate a preferred time slot.
Donations
We would be grateful for families who are able to donate supplies for the BBQ. Please see the list of items required on the day using the link below and nominate an item you wish to donate. Donations can be delivered to the school office.
Our School Council member, Heidi Boyd is the key contact for the Bunnings Fundraiser. If you have any questions or difficulty accessing the above links please message her on 0404 051 708.
Prep 2025 Transition
Last Thursday 17 October, our school hosted our second transition session for our new Prep students who will be commencing in 2025. The future Preps spent time in the classroom with their new teacher, Mrs Jackie Morris, and created an artwork based on the picture book, The Rainbow Fish written by Marcus Pfister. We were highly impressed by the children who attended on how school ready they were in following instructions, connecting with each other and learning classroom routines. They all rocked up wearing their QPS Prep t-shirts with beaming smiles and full of excitement.
Silly Scientist Incursion
On Friday 18 October, students from Prep to Year 6 participated in the Silly Scientist incursion. The interactive show focused on all elements of the Science curriculum through song, dance, jokes, hands-on experiments and skits. Students were highly engaged throughout the show and learnt about how science is in our everyday life.
Transition Day - Tuesday 10 December
On Tuesday 10 December 2024, students will participate in a Transition Day. This will involve your child spending time in their new classroom with their new class for 2025 and they will meet their new class teacher. The transition session will occur from 9:00am until 1:30pm. The Transition Day aims to reduce your child’s anxieties and worries about the commencement of school in 2025 in knowing more about their class for 2025. Students will participate in a range of activities throughout Transition Day including 'getting to know you' tasks, team building initiatives and developing classroom expectations and agreements for 2025. Students will receive a letter from their teacher and will have an opportunity to write a letter to their new teacher to tell them about themselves, how they learn best, strengths and their interests. After lunch, students will resume back in their current classes for the remainder of the day. Our Prep Class for 2025 will be connected with a Year 5 student who will be their Year 6 Buddy in 2025.
Class Placement
This leads me to describe the process by which students are assigned to classes. The decision as to which class a student is assigned is based on academic, social, and behavioural considerations, friendships and discouraging combinations of students who do not work well together. The process is thorough, as we are committed to making it work for each student, based on what we know in our school setting. We want all our classes to be balanced academically, socially and behaviourally to achieve optimal learning conditions for all students. All students will have the opportunity to nominate preferences of peers they would like to have in their class in 2025. We will ensure your child has more than one peer preference in their class next year. While we are not in the business of having parents choose the teacher, if you have a legitimate and compelling concern about class allocation for your child or would like to provide further information about your child that you feel would be useful for our school to know when forming classes for 2025, please ensure that this information is emailed directly to the Principal by Friday 1 November 2024, at mathew.mcrae@education.vic.gov.au .
Sunsmart Hats in Term 4
It is Term 4 and the weather is getting warmer and the UV Index is increasing. As a result, all students are required to wear a QPS hat during recess and lunch whilst on the playground. Students who do not have a hat, will be required to play in shaded areas of the playground. We have two hats as part of our school uniform, including a wide-brimmed hat and a lightweight hybrid hat. Parents can purchase these hats from the school office. We encourage all students to have their hat labelled with their name in the event the hat becomes lost or misplaced.
Early Finish - Thursday 19 December
On the final day of Term 4, Thursday 19 December, students will finish at 1:00pm. After school care will not be available on this day.
School Volunteer Training
This Thursday 24 October, we are hosting a School Volunteer Training session for parents, grandparents or friends of QPS who wish to provide assistance in the Prep to Year 2 classrooms for the remainder of the year. To become a School Volunteer, you must have a Working with Children’s Check and complete the School Volunteer Training. To register your attendance at the training session, please click the link below.
School Volunteer Training Registration
Book and Stationery Packs and Voluntary Contributions 2025
In the coming weeks, parents will receive information about how to purchase book and stationery supplies for your child for the 2025 school year and have the opportunity to make voluntary contributions to the school to support specialist subject supplies, technology, literacy and numeracy resources, first aid supplies and online learning subscriptions. Parents will be provided with a link to access the WINC portal whereby you can purchase your child’s book and stationery supplies and make voluntary contributions to the school. Book and stationery supplies will be delivered to your home. Students will be required to bring their book and stationery supplies to school on the first day of school in 2025.
Mobile Phone Policy
A reminder that students are not required to bring their mobile phones to school or other electronic communication devices. This is a Department of Education policy to ensure that school is a place where students can focus, learn and socialise free from distraction. If mobile phones are brought to school by your child, they will be confiscated and families will be required to pick them up from the school office.
School Uniform
Students are required to attend school dressed according to our School’s Uniform Dress Code policy. The policy outlining the dress code can be found on our School’s website. Students who come dressed to school in clothing that is not outlined in the dress code will be reminded by their teachers and a note will be placed in their diaries. We encourage parents to ensure their child comes to school dressed appropriately in accordance with our Uniform Dress Code. Thank you for your support in ensuring our school maintains a high standard of pride and sense of community.
Noone, our uniform supplier, is currently offering free uniform fitting appointments between October and December. Families can book a free consultation by visiting Noone’s website.
Student Diaries
I have been impressed by our students' commitment and care for looking after their school diaries this year. Our school diaries are a useful communication tool between home and school, and a resource to support your child with their organisational skills. Diaries are a place where important information, reminders and notes can be kept by students to assist them in being ready and organised for school. Also, it is a special place where students are awarded Excellence Stamps by their teachers. We encourage families to remind their child to bring their diary to school every day so that they can be ready and organised for learning.
School Saving Bonus
Thank you to all of the families who have completed the online survey last term to update your email and contact details. In the coming weeks, families will receive an email from the Government’s School Saving Bonus team with instructions on how to access the portal to redeem the $400 bonus for your child to support costs for excursions and school uniforms. This bonus should be of great assistance to our families in supporting school-related costs.
Queenscliff Community Market
This Sunday 27 October, the Queenscliff Community Market will be held in Princess Park. Thank you to our families and parents who are volunteering on the day to support stallholders as well as setup and pack up for the event. I look forward to seeing you there.
Market Roster 2024
Farewell
Sadly, we say farewell to Mrs. Cherry Wake and Mrs. Anna Shiels. Anna has provided educational support to students across the school over many years and has decided to retire at the end of Term 3. I would like to congratulate Anna on a wonderful career as an Education Support staff member working across many schools, including Barwon Heads Primary School and Leopold Primary School. Anna has often gone above and beyond caring for our students with additional learning needs and assisting with the organisation of our learning and library resources. I wish her all the best in her retirement.
Cherry has been a vibrant and empathetic staff member who has greatly contributed to our school community. She has provided empathy and care by administering first aid to our schools, attended school camps and sporting excursions and greatly assisted with the operations of the school office. Cherry will conclude her appointment at our school on Wednesday 30 October. I would like to thank both Anna and Cherry for all of their contributions, care and enthusiasm they have brought to our school and I wish them the very best for their futures.
Kelly Sports
Last week, our Kelly Sports Club commenced on Wednesday 16 October. We have over 30 students involved in the program. Kelly Sports Club commences at 3:10pm and concludes at 4:20pm. Students will have the opportunity to learn new skills and engage in a variety of sports in a fun, supportive environment. They will learn key skills for basketball, cricket, hockey, soccer and tennis throughout the term. If you wish to sign your child up to Kelly Sports Club for Term 4, please email Kelly Sports at geelong@kellysports.com.au .
Last Day of Term 3 Footy Day
We celebrated the last day of Term 3 with a Footy Day. It was wonderful to see students come to school dressed in their favourite football team colours and other sports apparel. Thank you to the School Council members, Heidi Boyd and Richard Fewster, for organising the sausage sizzle lunch for our students and staff. At lunchtime, Year 6 students versed the teachers in an AFL game. In the afternoon, students participated in footy drills in their houses including marking, kicking and tackling.
Curriculum Days in 2025 - Save the Dates
The first day of school in 2025 for all students will be Thursday 30 January. In 2025, the following dates will be Curriculum Days for teachers to engage in professional development, reporting and planning. As a result, these dates will be student free days.
- Tuesday 28 January
- Wednesday 29 January 2025
- Tuesday 22 April 2025
- Tuesday 10 June 2025
- Monday 21 July 2025
- Monday 3 November 2025
- Friday 19 December 2025
Assembly
We have our first assembly for Term 4 this Friday 25 October at 9:00am. We will have students from Year 1, Year 2, 3/4TH and Science showcasing their learning. Parents and friends of our school community are invited to join us.
Nyatne baa Gobata
(Thank you and take care)
Mat McRae
Principal
