2025 Newsletter Term 3 Week 6

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’. Special mention goes to 4A who have exceeded our school goal each week this term with their attendance rate peaking at 93% for the last fortnight!  Our attendance team continues to follow up and make contact with those students who we are not seeing at school or if they are not providing an explanation for their absence. It has been really pleasing to see some students return to school this week who we have not seen at Kruger for a considerable length of time. We look forward to our attendance rate continue to climb over the coming weeks.

Reading (Classroom Visits)

Our school improvement priority this year is ‘creating capable readers’ and our specific focus with this is developing the decoding skills of our students. This approach helps our students become fluent readers which then supports their ability to understand what they are reading (reading comprehension).  Our Leadership Team have commenced classroom visits to watch our reading lessons and it has been rewarding to see how engaged our students are with developing their reading skills. Our Teachers and Teacher Aides are doing a fantastic job with supporting the reading development of our students and are to be commended on their efforts.

Book Week

‘Reading is everywhere’ and ‘Reading is everybody’s business’, are the catch-cries that you will hear regularly at Kruger SS and this has certainly been evident this week as our school celebrated ‘Book Week’. Promoting a ‘love of reading’ has been taken to all new levels this week, as students have visited the ‘Book Fair’, dressed up their classroom doors aligned to one of the Book Week ‘short-listed’ titles with the excitement reaching ‘fever pitch’ with the Book Week Parade this morning. It was wonderful to see so many of our parents join us this morning for our special parade, as everyone walked around to look at the classroom door displays. Students and staff are to be commended for their creativity and effort into designing their Book Week costumes which were simply outstanding! Thank-you parents for your support regarding this. The Book Week parade was a wonderful culmination of events that reinforced to our students the importance of literacy through promoting a love of reading.  

Kruger’s Got Sparkle

The sparkle has certainly returned to Kruger as our students work hard with keeping our school litter free with our focus on respecting our environment.  We are noticing a positive difference around the school with our cleaners in particular providing some positive feedback regarding this. The Containers for Change Program has also had a successful start, with several of our bins already full in readiness for collection in the near future.

Lost Uniforms

Students who have missing uniform items need to ensure that they search through our ‘lost property’ containers which are set up outside the tuckshop. There is an expanding collection of items that have been found around the school (most of them ‘unnamed’) which are awaiting collection near the tuckshop. Parents are most welcome to come and have a look through the lost property boxes to assist with locating missing items.

Gala Days

Our Gala Day program commenced last Friday with our Yr 4-6 students participating in basketball and touch football competitions. Our students had a successful start to the program and are to be commended in the positive way that they represented our school. Unfortunately, today’s competition has been postponed due to the wet weather with an additional day been rescheduled for Week 9.

Karen Murphy Cup (Girls Rugby League)

 Next week our girls rugby league team will be participating in the Karen Murphy Cup and we wish them all the best as they represent our school with pride during this annual competition. Go Kruger Crocs!

Contact Email: druss39@eq.edu.au

What's Coming Up at Kruger!

Deputy Principal Student Engagement - Peta Jackson

Every Day Counts at Kruger

At Kruger, we know that every day of learning matters. Regular attendance helps children keep up with their schoolwork, build friendships, and feel connected to their class and school community. Our current whole-school attendance rate is 81%, and together we are aiming for 88% by the end of the year. Each week we celebrate classes with strong attendance, with the winning class in each year level receiving the Attendance Trophy and 5-point SNAPs for every student.

Safe Footwear Reminder
A reminder that all students must wear closed-in shoes to school each day. For safety reasons, Crocs, slides, and sandals are not suitable for classroom or playground activities. Wearing the correct footwear helps keep our students safe while learning and playing.

Year 6 High School Enrolments
It’s time for our Year 6 families to complete high school enrolments for 2026. Early enrolments help ensure a smooth transition, with high schools already planning for next year’s intake. If you need assistance with forms or have questions about the process, please contact our school office.

Bellbird Park State Secondary College (BPSSC) 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.

On Wednesday 10^th September Bellbird Park SSC will be holding their annual SEED Day, a transition program for prospective Year 6 students to sample the STEAM academic excellence program at BPSSC.

There is a letter that outlines the details of the SEED day and invites you to register your child for the experience. This day is designed for high achieving students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects. If this is your child, consider sending them for the day to BPSSC to learn about the opportunities for extension on offer and what a pursuit in Maths & Science at high school is all about. There is a copy of the STEAM program application. Please consider applying now for STEAM in 2026, the next rounds of testing are on 10^th September and again on 15^th October.  

Thank you for supporting our attendance goals, helping us keep all students safe and ready to learn, and preparing our Year 6s for their next big step.

Contact Email: pmjac0@eq.edu.au

Deputy Principal Inclusion - Regina Birchley

We are over half way through term 3 and I am proud of the teaching and learning I see every day in classrooms and in the playground. 

At Kruger State School, we support a diverse range of students who face challenges in the classroom and within a school context.  At school, we know that children with diverse needs thrive when expectations are clear, consistent, with as little room for confusion as possible. This means using predictable routines, clear rules, and visual supports to guide learning and social interactions. 

Our teachers and support staff work together to build on each child’s strengths while supporting their challenges. We welcome your input on how to support your child. By working together, we can create an environment where children with diverse needs feel safe, understood, and empowered to do their very best.

Contact Email: rbirc14@eq.edu.au.

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning - Elena Finlay

Supporting Your Child’s Learning

Over the next few weeks, students will begin assessments to show what they’ve learned this term. Interim reports will be emailed in Week 10, and parent-teacher interviews will be held in Week 3 of Term 4. You can support your child by asking about their learning and encouraging 10 minutes of daily reading.

Each week, teachers send home a reading passage for practice. Students who are still consolidating their reading skills can also use the online platform Decodable Reader Australia. Each child has their own login, and if you would like them to access it at home, please contact your child’s teacher.

Contact Email: efinl9@eq.edu.au.

Book Week and Premier's Reading Challenge

What a big Book Week at Kruger! Following two author visits, a Book Week Parade, and the judging of the Door Dress-Up Competition, we also reached the end of the Premier’s Reading Challenge.

During the week, many completed Premier’s Reading Challenge forms were handed in. We are looking forward to celebrating students' reading success at the upcoming Week 8 Celebration of Reading Assembly.

Authors at Kruger

This week, Kruger hosted two author visits!

On Wednesday, author Chris Collin entertained our Year 1 and 2 students with the story A Bug Called Dou , and our Prep and 2026 Prep students with The Funky Chicken. Students listened, danced, and drew during both sessions. The puppets, Funky Chicken, Doug the Bug and Sneaky Old Croc, were particularly well received.  It was a great morning and a wonderful opportunity for our 2026 Preps to feel part of the Kruger family.

Sneaky Old Croc, Chris and Funky Chicken

Chris and Funky Chicken pretending to be scared of the Kruger mascot, Snappy!

Chris and Doug the Bug

Year 1 and 2 students sharing their drawings of Doug the Bug

Preps and Pre-Preps getting ready to draw their picture of the Funky Chicken

On Thursday morning, Aunty Marly, a proud Kooma/Kunja woman, shared her story Moodu-gutta Will Get Ya!, which was shortlisted nationally in the Black&Write! Writing Fellowship competition. Inspired by her childhood, the story tells how elders used awareness of the Moodu-gutta to keep children safe from the hidden dangers and fast currents of the Cunnamulla River.

Following her story, students in Years 3 and 4 imagined what the Moodu-gutta might look like and brought their ideas to life through creative drawings.

Aunty Marly sharing the story, Moodu-gutta Will Get Ya!, with the Year 3 students.

Aunty Marly with Jaylen Ruska, Kruger State School's Indigenous Community Co-ordinator.

Next week, author Zanni Louise, will be visiting to share her writing with the Year 5 and 6 students.

Book Week Parade and Door Display
On Friday, stories came to life at Kruger during the annual Book Week Parade and door display judging. Students and staff wowed everyone with their amazing costumes, and the creativity on our door displays was truly inspiring. Even the local radio station, River 94.9, stopped by after school to join in the Book Week fun!

Book Week Fun! 📚
Photos of staff and students were taken during Book Week, and it was wonderful to see everyone getting into the spirit. A special shout-out to our amazing staff who dressed up alongside the students – your creativity and enthusiasm made the day even more memorable!

Due to media permission requirements, student photos have not been shared. Students will, however, enjoy watching a video of the Book Week Parade at school next week. 🎉

Head of Department Student Engagement - Mathilda Holt

The PBL focus for the last 3 weeks has been on “We Are Safe – Our hands are used to write and play, our feet to walk away.” We are noticing some improvements with students using strategies to resolve conflicts. Please check-in with your child about the ‘Stop – Think – Go’ strategy we have discussed with all students, and when they can use this to help situations to deescalate.

In Week 4, 44 students cashed in for PBL SNAP Shop! Yesterday, over 100 students cashed in for PBL SNAP Shop. We are so glad to see students enjoying the prizes for Term 3. On Friday we will be rewarding around 50 students with Book Week Face Painting! We are very excited for the Watch a Rugby Match reward happening in Week 9. Please check-in with your child about what rewards they have cashed in for, and what they are looking forward to from the SNAP Shop.

Contact Email: mxhol8@eq.edu.au.

Head of Department Student Engagement - Ahmed Jalloh

At Kruger SS, we are proud to celebrate our students who consistently demonstrate our PBL expectations - being Safe, Respectful, Honest, and Learners. Recognising student engagement is vital because it acknowledges effort, showing students that their hard work is seen and valued. It also boosts motivation, encouraging them to continue striving for success. Celebrating achievements builds confidence, helping students believe in their abilities, and it develops good habits that support lifelong learning. Importantly, parent support plays a crucial role in reinforcing these celebrations, as shared encouragement between school and home strengthens student pride and motivation even further. 

 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 

We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating our students' successes together!

For any inquiries, feel free to reach out via email at asjalo@eq.edu.au.

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Guidance Officer - Ellen Taverne

Being Ready to Learn, Staying Safe and Feeling Connected

Hi Kruger State School Community. This week I’d love to share some helpful strategies that support student wellbeing, safety, and learning success.

At Kruger State School, we know that students do best when they feel calm, safe, and have a strong sense of belonging. Here are some of the ways every student can feel ready to learn and be their best selves:

Being Ready to Learn

Being “ready to learn” is about having a clear mind and calm body so students can focus on their learning tasks. Here’s how students can prepare for learning at school:

• Morning routines: Predictable starts to the day help students feel settled and confident. Being on time every day can help students settle in to learning in a calm way.
• Brain breaks: Short movement or mindfulness breaks help refresh the brain and keep focus strong for learning.
• At home: A calm, consistent morning routine can help your child arrive at school ready and confident.

Being Safe – Inside and Out

Physical safety at school is very important, and so is emotional security. Safety is encouraged at school every day and students are reminded that hands are for helping not hurting. Being safe is also encouraged with:

• Clear school rules: Everyone knows what safe behaviour looks like.
• Learning peaceful problem-solving: Students are taught how to use words, not hands, when things get tricky.
• Trusted adults: Children know who to go to when they need help or feel unsafe.

At Kruger State School we work closely with students who need extra support with learning how to manage big feelings or frustration in positive, safe ways and remind students that everyone feels big emotions. Learning how to manage them is an important life skill.

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.

2026 STUDENT RESOURCE SCHEME (SRS)

To provide parents with a cost-effective alternative to purchasing textbooks and/or resources elsewhere, Kruger State School operates a Student Resource Scheme.
This scheme ensures that students have the resources required for them to engage with the curriculum for their education and saves parents time and money in sourcing the prescribed materials elsewhere. Savings are gained through the school’s bulk purchasing practices and hiring arrangements.
The scheme is not used to raise funds for other purposes, and revenue collected through the scheme is applied only to the resources and operation of the scheme. The financial impact on parents and whether the school can absorb any of the cost is considered when determining the SRS fee.

The scheme’s operation, resource inclusions and participation fees will be presented to the school’s P&C Association at a general meeting to be held on Thursday 18 September 2025.

All parents and caregivers are invited to attend the meeting.

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

Teaching and Learning

Prep

In Prep, we have been learning new blends including ch, sh, oo, th, and ee. The students have enjoyed exploring these sounds through lots of fun and engaging activities. They have worked hard to read, write, and use the blends in words and sentences. Check out some of our awesome class work below!

Year 1

This week we have been busy with assessments and our book week preparations. On Wednesday we had a special visitor coinciding with book week celebrations - author Chris Collin. Mr Collin had a little bit of everything to entertain our Year Ones and Two’s with.

Firstly, he introduced us to his book a "A Bug Named Doug" and how he came up with the idea for the story. We listened to Mr Collin read the story, (with a musical theme in the background). Then we met Doug the Bug himself. Mr Collin is an amazing puppeteer and "Doug" taught us how to draw a giant bug. Our students all got a chance to illustrate a bug as well. After that eight students volunteered to sing and dance donning costumes and performing in front of the cohort. We also learnt about the real-life bug "the giant cockroach" by watching a David Attenborough show which taught us how important this bug is for our environment. This was a very unique experience for our students at Kruger to be part of. Thank you, Mr Collin, for coming to Kruger.

Year 2

This week, our Year 2 students had a fun time learning about Measurement! Children have used nonstandard units like unifix cubes and paper clips to measure objects in the classroom.  They measured their desks and pencil cases and thoroughly enjoyed measuring them.

Year 3

Discovering Our Neighbours
This term in HASS and English, our Year 3 students have been on a journey to learn more about our neighbours, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. They’ve explored culture, schooling, clothing, traditions, daily life, and even the geography of these countries. Along the way, students have been comparing similarities and differences, while also using what they’ve learned to strengthen their persuasive writing. It’s been wonderful to see them use real-world examples to support their arguments, communicate clearly, and grow in confidence as writers.

Year 4

This week Year 4 students are learning about measurement, including length, capacity and weight. Students are enjoying measuring different everyday objects. Please encourage your child to explore some measuring tools at home, like kitchen scales and measuring jugs.

Students have enjoyed working together to make their book week door displays. Year 4 are doing "We Live on a Bus" and doing a different page each.

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Year 5

Halfway through Term 3 and we are very much in the thick of it.

We have begun our persuasive writing about how we can protect both people and animals by using resources wisely. We have also been practicing standing and speaking in front of our classmates, which is how our persuasive pieces will be presented.

Students are continuing to wrap their heads around converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages. Mastering our multiplication and division facts is integral to understanding how to do this.

Some students have moved on to learning about prisms and shapes, and measurement of various lengths and weights of things.

On top of all our classroom learning, some students have also attended sports galas on Fridays for basketball and touch football.

We celebrated Book Week this week. Students worked hard on their door displays and proudly showcased them during our Book Week Parade.

Year 6

Students in Year Six have completed their first maths assessment on converting units of measure and solving area and angle problems. We are now working toward undertaking our second unit where we study fractions and percentages. Students are working hard to complete their science assessment involving exploring energy and electricity.

Flexi Space - Jenni Atkinson

In Flexi this week we were lucky to have Lynn and Jo from the Umbrella charity come and talk to us about people sleeping rough. We learnt about what they need and how basic things like safety, food and clean water is sometimes hard for these people to get. This knowledge will help us become inventors and design a solar powered solution to their needs.

We also helped pack food for their charity and both Lynn and Jo said we were very thoughtful in the way we chose the items for each pack.

Design Tech - Imogen Frangou

This week in Design Tech, the year 4 students participated in the marshmallow and pasta challenge. They had to build a tower using only 20 sticks of spaghetti, 6 pipe cleaners, and 1 metre of tape to hold a marshmallow on top - in just 20 minutes! They used their skills in ideation, prototyping, problem solving, teamwork and communication and had so much fun. It was a lot harder than it seemed.

Congratulations to the 4B winners: Maddi, Sylvia and Alice.

Book Week Parade Fun

Photos of staff and students were taken during Book Week, and it was wonderful to see everyone getting into the spirit. A special shout-out to our amazing staff who dressed up alongside the students – your creativity and enthusiasm made the day even more memorable!

Due to media permission requirements, student photos have not been shared. Students will, however, enjoy watching a video of the Book Week Parade at school next week. 🎉

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P and C

The Community Hub - Kym Alexander

Community Information

Parentline: Support and advice for all Queensland parents and carers

Being a parent can be rewarding—but it can also be challenging. Whether you’re trying to support your child with school issues, friendship challenges, behaviour, or tough moments at home, it’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to do next.

Parentline is a free and confidential service available to all Queensland parents and carers. No problem is too big or too small—and reaching out early can make a real difference.

Parentline offers advice and support on a wide range of parenting topics, including:

• bullying and friendship issues

• parent–child relationships

• parenting strategies and behaviour management

• mental and emotional wellbeing—for both children and parents

You can speak with a trained professional by phone or webchat (6am-midnight), seven days a week.

An online bullying support forum is also available. This is a safe, moderated space to connect with others, ask questions, and share experiences.

📞 Call 1300 30 1300

💬 Visit www.parentline.com.au

Because parenting doesn’t come with a manual—but help is here when you need it.