2025 Newsletter Term 3 Week 4

From the Principal – Darren Russell

Attendance

Coming to school each and every day is our focus with students this term as we strive towards reaching our school goal of 88% attendance. It has been rewarding to see how much our students have enjoyed the attendance presentations at assembly as we celebrate our year level ‘class champions’. Our attendance team is following up and making contact with those students who we are not seeing at school or if they are not providing an explanation for their absence. Contact is also occurring with those families who need support with improving their child’s attendance due to chronic absenteeism. The research shows that higher student attendance is linked to higher student achievement, which reinforces why it is so important that our students are at school each and every day. For those families who may be going on holidays during the school term, if your child is going to be away for more than 10 school days you are able to apply for an ‘exemption’ from schooling. Please contact the school if you would like to find out more about this. For more information about school attendance please refer to the hyperlink resource.

School Opinion Survey

Thank-you to those 30 families who have already responded to this year’s School Opinion Survey. We really value your opinions regarding what the school is doing well and more importantly what we can do better! We are currently working through the surveys with our Year 5 and 6 students which allows us to capture ‘student voice’ regarding what they think of our school. The survey closes on the 22 August, so there is still time if you haven’t completed the survey.

NAIDOC Celebration Day

Our recent NAIDOC Celebration Day certainly exceeded all expectations with what was a wonderful day of celebrating our Indigenous culture. The assembly was a fantastic way to start the day, as our students listened respectfully to the guest speakers and were actively engaged with the wonderful performances of our cultural group, visiting school dance troupes and the Torres Strait Island dancers. The activity program that followed was another success as our students were engaged in a rich program of cultural learning throughout the day. Thanks to our staff team for their efforts with offering this program to our students under the leadership and coordination of our NAIDOC Team (Jaylen Ruska, Jonnae Downing and Elena Finlay). It was by far the biggest and most successful NAIDOC Celebration that I have seen at a school event or that Kruger has experienced before. Fantastic work Kruger SS!    

Kruger SS State Champions

Recently we had 3 of our Kruger Crocs (Lamar Aiono, Iverson Au and Jacob Betham) play in the Met West Rugby Union team at the State Championships. The team performed very strongly, were undefeated and crowned State Champions! Congratulations to the boys who were great ambassadors for our school, we are very proud of their achievements.

Support Staff Appreciation Week

Next week our school will be recognising the efforts of our support staff who do so much for our students, teaching staff and parents in our school. Support staff at Kruger SS include our Administration Officers, Schools Officers (Groundsmen), Indigenous Community Coordinator, Business Manager, Social Worker, Speech Language Pathologists, IT Technician, and Youth Workers. Our support staff at Kruger, really are the ‘glue that holds our school together’ as they go above and beyond supporting us all through the important work that they do each day. Thank-you, our amazing Kruger support staff!  

Gala Days

Next week our Year 4, 5 & 6 students will be representing our school at our Gala Day competitions participating in touch football and basketball game with our local schools. We wish them the best of luck as they represent our school with pride, giving their best as they uphold our school values of being respectful, safe and honest.

Book Week

Coming up in Week 6 our school will be celebrating Book Week as we highlight a love of reading with our students. As part of the week-long literacy promotion, we will be having a book fair and some visiting authors coming along to talk with our students. Information notes regarding the author visits have been emailed home to parents for review. Teachers and students will also be dressing up their classroom doors, aligned to a book that has been shortlisted for this year’s Book Week Awards. Make sure that you keep a look out for these when you are up visiting the school during Book Week!

Bullying No Way Day

The Bullying No Way: National week of action – 11 – 15 August commences next week and our school like many others will be promoting and talking about this very important topic. Bullying is everyone’s responsibility. It takes a community to be brave and address bullying behaviours within and beyond the school gate. Students can be bold, kind and speak up to support others being bullied. School staff, parents and our community are there to support our children to learn how to be kind to each other and to report bullying. Next week will be an opportunity for us to promote the importance of peer, school, family and community connections, creating a space where every child feels safe, supported and respected.  

Contact Email: druss39@eq.edu.au

School Opinion Survey

Thank you to all of those who have already completed the Parent/Caregiver Survey. If you have not had a chance to complete the survey yet, please note that the online surveys will remain open until Friday 22 August 2025. This is your opportunity to provide feedback about what our school does well and how we can improve.

To have your say, check your email for an invitation from the Department of Education titled School Opinion Survey for Parents and Caregivers, 2025.

Can’t find your invitation? If your family has more than one parent/caregiver, check that they haven’t received the invitation and/or check your junk email folder.

What's Coming Up at Kruger!

Deputy Principal Student Engagement - Peta Jackson

Every Day Counts – Attendance, Belonging and Planning Ahead

At Kruger, we know that every day at school matters. Regular attendance helps children build strong friendships, feel connected to their class and school community, and continue to learn and grow with confidence. A strong sense of belonging is built when students are here, participating and being part of daily routines. Our aim is to maximise the days of learning for all of our students at Kruger State School

Our current whole school year to date attendance is 81% and our aim is to get to 88% by the end of the year. We are currently focused on class attendance percentages at the end of each week. The class with the highest overall attendance percentage in each Year level is awarded the Attendance Trophy—filled with 5-point SNAPS for every student in the winning class! Some of the class winners over the last 2 weeks are below.

If your child is away, please remember to contact the school office (3814 9333) with a reason for their absence. This helps us support your child and keep our records up to date. Let’s work together to help your child’s class win the attendance trophy and to make every day of learning count!

Kruger’s Got Sparkle!

Our positive behaviour initiative, Kruger’s Got Sparkle, encourages students to take pride in and look after our school environment.

Each week, classes are judged on how well they keep their bags, and areas near their classrooms neat and tidy. The winning class receives a certificate, a trophy and a class set of 5-point Sparkle Snaps and go into the draw to win 30 minutes of extra play time. Below are the class winners over the last 2 weeks.

Thank you for encouraging your child to take responsibility for keeping our school clean and tidy. With your support, we can all make sure that Kruger’s Got Sparkle!

Year 6 Transition to High School.

For our Year 6 families, now is the time to be thinking ahead—high school enrolments for 2026 are open! Most local high schools are already conducting enrolment interviews and information sessions. If you haven’t yet submitted your application or would like help with the process, please reach out to us—we’re happy to support you.

Bellbird Park State Secondary College will be holding a Diversity Transition Session this term on Friday 5 September. If your child requires additional support at school, this Diversity Transition session is a great way to support their transition to high school.

To RSVP, simply email diversity@bellbirdparkssc.eq.edu.au. Flyer below.

Let’s continue working together to support smooth transitions for all our Year 6 students.

Contact Email: pmjac0@eq.edu.au

Deputy Principal Inclusion - Regina Birchley

Thank you to parents and caregivers who have engaged with Mr Richard Chadwick and the hearing screening team at Kruger State School. These screening days have been successful in flagging students who may have potential hearing issues and allow for further investigation. Hearing loss, which can be due to recurrent ear infections (otitis Media) and fluid build-up may affect childhood development – including speech, language and cognitive development. Long term developmental and learning problems due to a hearing loss impacts on school readiness and communication skills. It can affect a child’s family relationships, social skills and contribute to perceptions of behavioural problems. This can have social and economic consequences because they influence the trajectory of children’s lives towards adolescence and adulthood. If you are concerned about your child’s hearing, please contact Mr Chadwick at the school.

The University of Queensland is conducting research exploring experiences of autistic students with the entire school camp process. The survey contains open-ended questions seeking short written responses. The online survey takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, and you can access the survey at the following link: https://uniofqueensland.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bsziOACRIpkKuV0 or use the QR code below. The survey will be available until participant numbers reached. Participation is entirely voluntary, and all responses will remain confidential. Thank you for your time and support in this research. 

Contact Email: rbirc14@eq.edu.au.

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning - Elena Finlay

Contact Email: efinl9@eq.edu.au

Only 14 Days Left to Complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge!

I am so proud to announce the following students completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge in Weeks 3 and 4: Ricky (4D), Lucas (2C), Yavnish (1C), Mahalia (1C), Ailee Grace (1C) and Ms Phadilok’s 1D class! Congratulations on your amazing effort!  That brings the total of students finished the challenge to 71!  Well done Kruger!

With just 14 days left, there’s still time to complete the challenge by Friday 22 August. The library is open every day—come and visit, read, and borrow a book to enjoy at home.

A big shout-out to Luna from Prep B—what a mighty effort completing the challenge in Prep!

Another huge congratulations to Addison in 3D who has read 60 books, and Laasaga in 4D who has read 40 books.
Let their enthusiasm inspire you to keep reading—even if you’ve already completed your 20 books!

Premier’s Reading Challenge Celebration Parade – Monday 1 September
To celebrate our amazing readers, we’ll be holding a special Premier’s Reading Challenge parade. We can’t wait to recognise everyone’s hard work and love of reading!

Curriculum News

Keep an eye out for an upcoming email outlining what your child will be learning in class this term. This is a great opportunity to stay informed and engaged with your child’s learning journey.

If you have any questions about your child’s learning or would like ideas on how to support them at home, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.

Term 3 Report Cards will be emailed home in Week 10.

Parent Teacher Interviews will take place in Week 3 of Term 4.

We look forward to partnering with you to support your child’s continued growth and success.

Book Week at Kruger – Week 6
We’re excited for Book Week in Week 6! Our Book Week Parade will be held on Friday morning at 8:40am in the Hall.
Parents and carers are warmly invited to come along and cheer on our students as they parade in costume around the school.

As part of the celebrations, students will also judge classroom doors decorated in this year’s Book Week theme. Which class will take out the top prize?

Authors Visiting Kruger for Book Week

We are excited to celebrate Book Week at Kruger with visits from three wonderful authors! Each author brings a unique voice and story to share with our students. All presentations will take place in the Kruger School Hall. Please see the details below:

 Chris Collin – Wednesday 20 August (Prep 2026, Prep, Year 1 & Year 2)
Author of fun and imaginative books such as Funky Chicken and A Bug Called Doug. Chris will be delivering two interactive storytelling sessions:

• Time: 8:30am – 9:30am Year 1 and Year 2
• Time: 9:30am – 10:30am Prep and Prep 2026

Aunty Marly – Thursday 21 August (Year 3 & Year 4)
Aunty Marly, Indigenous Community Co-ordinator at Leichhardt State School, was recently recognised in the black&write! Writing Fellowships. She will be speaking with Year 3 and 4 students.

• Time: To be confirmed
  

Zanni Louise – Wednesday 27 August (Year 5 & Year 6)
Zanni Louise is a beloved author of more than thirty books for children, including Archie and the Bear and Tumblewood. She will be sharing her journey as a writer with Year 5 and 6 students.

• Time: 9:30am – 10:15am

Prep Transitions – Starting Prep in 2026?

Prep enrolment interviews have started! If you have a child starting Prep next year, please contact the office to:

• Collect an enrolment pack
• Book your Prep enrolment interview

Prep Transition Activities begin on Wednesday 20 August with a special visit from children’s author Chris Collin at 9:30am in the Kruger State School Hall.
We welcome all future Kruger Prep students and their families to this fun and engaging session.

For more information, please contact the Kruger Office Team.

Please keep an eye out for our Prep Transition Video, now available on the school Facebook page and website.

This video is a fantastic way to support your child as they transition into Prep next year. It provides a helpful glimpse into what Prep at Kruger looks like.

A big well done to our current Prep students who did an amazing job starring in this virtual tour—we’re so proud of them!

Please see below for the exciting Prep Transition activities we have taking place at Kruger over the rest of the semester.

Head of Department Student Engagement - Ahmed Jalloh

We’re thrilled to see students already showing great enthusiasm and positive behaviour as we kick off the term. Our Term 3 SNAP Prize Shop is now open, and students are earning SNAPs to work towards exciting rewards! Chat with your child about their SNAP goals for the term — you might like to ask, “How many SNAPs have you earned so far?” 

In Week 1, our PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning) focus was “We are Respectful – respecting new facilities.” We’ve built on that in Week 2 with “Respecting our environment.” Students are learning to care for our school spaces by: 

• Keeping bag racks and classroom surrounds tidy 

• Using our Containers for Change bins 

• Picking up rubbish when they see it 

• Respecting calm areas like the Zen Den as peaceful, mindful spaces 

We’re proud of the way students are rising to these expectations — Term 3 is shaping up to be a great one! 

Celebrating Student Achievement at Kruger Primary School 

Our students continue to live the PBL values - Safe, Respectful, Honest, and Learner at Kruger Primary School. We see how much our students care about these recognitions of achievement with a subtle air fist bump followed by a quiet “YES!” or a beaming smile as they skip along the isle for a handshake and a certificate. 

Well done to all the students who have achieved a PBL award.  

Assembly Schedule: 

Senior Assembly (Year 3 to Year 6): Mondays at 9:00am 

Junior Assembly (Prep to Year 2): Mondays at 10:00am 

For any inquiries, feel free to reach out via email at asjalo@eq.edu.au. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating our students' successes together!

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Guidance Officer - Ellen Taverne

Hi Kruger State School Community. This week I want to talk about two things that are super important for everyone's well-being and are a focus at Kruger State School: keeping our school clean and coming to school every day.

Kruger’s Got Sparkle!

Students have been doing a fantastic job of keeping Kruger State School clean and tidy. Think about our school as a big house that we all share. When our house is clean and tidy, it feels calm and organised. It's easier to find things, and we feel happy to be there. The same is true for our school! When students work together to put rubbish in the bin, keep their classrooms tidy, and respect shared spaces, school becomes a much nicer place to learn and play. A clean school helps students feel more peaceful and ready to focus on positive learning experiences and friendships.

Every Day Counts

Did you know that coming to school every day helps in so many ways? When students are at school, they’re getting the best opportunities to grow and achieve as a learner, see their friends, play games during breaks, and be part of our awesome school community. Regular attendance helps students be confident learners. They won't miss out on important lessons or fun activities, and they’ll feel more connected with their peers. Being part of the daily school routine helps students feel a sense of belonging within the school community by learning and growing together.

Contact Email: egibb34@eq.edu.au.

Business Manager - Melissa Henderson

Thank you for taking the time to read the key messages below and keeping informed.

QParents

We are in the process of working towards introducing QParents in the school. 

This is a valuable interactive communication tool used by many schools.  Using this app, parents who are registered, are able to access information such as Student Reports, manage information such as Student Consent for camps and excursion as well as notify the school of student absences, pay invoices and more.

Before we can introduce this app, the school must ensure that guardian and student information is up to date.

If your details have changed, please advise the Office asap.  Any changes in your family situation, address, contact details, emergency contacts, student medications etc should be advised.

This week is School Support Staff Appreciation Week, an opportunity to show our gratitude to the amazing team of support staff here at Kruger SS. 

I would like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of the following support staff:

• Grounds Staff – Mr B. and Mr M.
• Admin Officers – Main Office – Ms P., Ms B., and Ms P.
• Admin Officers - Student Services Office – Ms F. and Ms I.
• IT Officer – Mr O.
• Social Worker – Ms H.
• Youth Workers – Mr T., Ms H., Ms F., Mr A., Ms R., Mr A., Ms G.
• Indigenous Cultural Liaison – Mr R.
• Speech Language Therapists – Ms M. and Mr V.
• HUB Leader – Ms A.
• HUB officer – Ms M.

Thank you for all that you do every day to support the students, staff and whole school community!

Contact Email: admin@krugerss.eq.edu.au

Teaching and Learning

Prep

Prep Happenings
Our Prep students have had a busy and exciting time filled with hands-on learning and meaningful experiences. As part of NAIDOC Week celebrations, they enthusiastically took part in the whole school parade followed by learning traditional dancing, creating bead bracelets, and enjoyed skilled face painting. In Maths, they have been exploring 2D shapes by building, crafting, and counting them in their playground environment and are now measurement. In literacy, Prep students continue to grow their skills by discovering words with our newly learnt phonics of sh, ch and th. They are also sharing stories about their special people and places. They are becoming confident communicators and storytellers through listening, discussing, drawing, and writing.

Year 1

It’s been a busy and exciting fortnight for our Year 1 students. In English, we’ve focused on Indigenous games and how these follow a procedure, learning to then write these procedures with clear structure. In Maths, students have been exploring grouping of objects and equally sharing them out.

A highlight of the fortnight was celebrating NAIDOC Week. Students participated in meaningful activities that deepened their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

We’ve also continued building social and emotional skills, encouraging kindness, teamwork, and resilience. It’s been wonderful to see the growth in confidence and independence across the cohort. We’re so proud of our learners and look forward to more exciting learning ahead!

Year 2

This week, our Year 2 students had a deliciously fun time learning about fractions! Using pancakes, they explored how to divide a whole into halves and quarters. Through hands-on cutting and sharing, students developed a clear understanding of equal parts and how fractions work in real life. It was a tasty and engaging way to bring maths to life.

Year 3

Last Friday, we celebrated NAIDOC Week with a range of exciting indoor and outdoor activities. Students had the opportunity to explore and engage with Aboriginal culture through hands-on learning experiences. They learned an Aboriginal language version of the song "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and participated in games that reinforced their understanding in a fun and interactive way. It was a wonderful day of learning, connection, and celebration of the rich culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Mrs Brown proudly shared her culture and explained the meaning behind the Torres Strait Islander flag. Students had the opportunity to create Torres Strait Islander flags as a way to deepen their understanding of the flag’s meaning and cultural significance.

Flexi Space - Jenni Atkinson

The term has started well in Flexi with the students creating posters to promote PJ Foundation Day and collecting donations. It was a wonderful day as the school community came together to support the charity and keep warm in their PJ’s. After some late donations, the amount raised was an amazing, $807.00!

FlexiSpace has a  mix of students across year 4,5 and 6 and we’ve seen some lovely friendships and peer learning support develop across the year levels

Our current learning focus is around inventions and renewable energy, so the students have enjoyed exploring Google Earth to find solar and wind farms. They are also enjoying reading different types of persuasive texts to learn how best to convince an audience. So far this term, Maths is all about fractions, decimals, percentages and board games - lots of fun.

HPE - Lachlan Bowser

Two weeks ago, three of our Kruger Crocs Rugby League students – Lamar Aiono, Jacob Betham and Iverson Au competed in the U11-12 QRSS Rugby Union competition. The boys represented Met West in the state championship against Met East in a thrilling grand final showdown. The boys were down 0-10 at half time and demonstrated great resilience and teamwork to come back and secure a 17-10 win! A huge testament to the skill and passion from our Kruger Crocs.

This is a fantastic achievement as Kruger SS is primarily a Rugby League school, so to see these boys win a grand final for a Rugby Union competition at a Queensland representative level is an outstanding accomplishment.

We are so tremendously proud of these students and hope to see them continue stacking their wins this season against other competing schools in the GSPSS Touch Football Gala Day tournament starting next week!

NAIDOC

Kruger State School proudly celebrated NAIDOC Day 2025 with a full-day program dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The event brought together students, staff, families, and local community members to honour the histories, traditions, and ongoing contributions of First Nations peoples.

The day began with a powerful NAIDOC parade, featuring cultural performances from local dance troupes and school groups. Students and visitors watched on as dancers shared traditional movements, songs, and stories that reflected deep cultural knowledge and connection to Country.

Following the parade, students rotated through a variety of cultural workshops and activities. These included a language workshop, traditional dancing, Torres Strait Islander totems, weaving, and many more. Each experience gave students a meaningful opportunity to learn about and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in a hands-on and respectful way.

This year’s NAIDOC theme highlights the importance of celebrating not only the achievements of the past, but also the strength of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and the legacy of their ancestors. At Kruger, the day was a reminder of the power of culture, the importance of community, and the responsibility we all share in keeping stories, language and tradition alive.

Kruger State School thanks all Elders, performers, staff and families who supported the day. It was a strong, proud celebration of identity and culture.

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P and C

The Community Hub - Kym Alexander

Community Information