Week 6 Term 4 Newsletter

From the Principal – Maja Bogicevic

‘It takes a whole village to raise a child’ – African Proverb

This quote is one of my favourites and it rings so true at Kruger State School. Thank you for being part of our ‘village’ and working in partnership with us to help your child be the best they can be. Together, we can achieve amazing things!

2024 School Review

Earlier this year, our school participated in the Department of Education school review process, aimed at supporting schools to reflect on their practice and identify next steps for improvement. Following the review process, we have been working hard to unpack the review findings and formulate our strategies and future actions.

The key findings included great things that we can celebrate at Kruger State School, and they include a strong sense of belonging to the school community, and our team’s moral imperative of ‘whatever it takes’ to help our students learn and achieve great outcomes.

Our improvement strategies revolve around teaching and learning, in particular pedagogical practices and differentiation in teaching and learning. We are in the process of reflecting on what works well at the moment, and what we could do better in the future. Our main focus for 2025 will be on the teaching of reading across the Australian Curriculum and ensuring we have suitable measures to monitor our students’ progress.

Sports Opportunities

This week, I sent an email to all parents informing them of the League Stars program opportunity for our students. Included in the email was the link to Fair Play vouchers which can be applied to the cost making the program free. The program will be offered before school on Wednesdays and after school on Thursdays, starting next week.

Prep - Year 2 Deputy Principal - Amber Canestrini

This week, we held the last of the five weeks of Prep Transitions program at Kruger State School. We are grateful to all the parents who found time to attend sessions and connect with our staff. Our future Prep students experienced great learning in the classroom with different activities being run by our teachers and support staff.

Parents had an opportunity to have a cup of tea in the Zen Den and listen to Maddi Harmer and Chantel Phanthanouvong’s presentations regarding Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services available through Department of Education.

Our parents often ask which skills students need to practise when transitioning to Prep. The skills that are very helpful in this process are:

1. a) Gross motor skills;
2. b) Fine motor skills;
3. c) Self-care, and
4. d) Self-regulation.

The more opportunities the students have to practise these skills, the more successful they should be to tackle different challenges and opportunities as they start their schooling journey. As always, we are here to support you and your child, so please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Year 3 & 4 Deputy Principal - Katie Robinson

In Years 3 and 4, our students have been busy working on their assessments across all subject areas. During this time, students have been taking on teacher feedback to improve their work. Many students in Years 3 and 4 have been practising for their Kruger’s Got Talent auditions.

Kruger’s Got Talent

Students who have signed up and been to the practice sessions will be given an audition time over the next week. The top 3 finalists will perform at our End of Year Concert, which will be held on Friday, 29 November and all parents are welcome to join us to support their child's performance. There is a great deal of excitement amongst the students and staff about this opportunity and we are sure that the event will be a great success. 

Year 5 & 6 Deputy Principal - Peta Jackson

Year 6 Graduation

Please remember that the back page of the Graduation Letter does need to be completed and returned to the school office by Wednesday 20 November. This year, students will not be required at school before the ceremony. You will arrive at the Victory Church as a family. Children are encouraged to dress up for the graduation ceremony. Our full Year 6 Graduation ceremony will take place from 11:00am-1:00pm on Wednesday 4 December at the Victory Church, 192 Redbank Plains Rd, Bellbird Park.

Awards Ceremony

A reminder that on Monday 2 December, from 1:00pm-2:30pm, we will present the Year 6 special awards to students as part of our end of year Awards Ceremony at the Kruger State School Hall. Parents of award winners will receive a special invitation to this ceremony. We look forward to celebrating our students' achievements.

Year 6 Enrolments and Transitions to High School

More of our Year 6 students are now enrolled in high school and I would continue to encourage parents to enrol their children as soon as possible. If you require any support with the enrolment into high school, please contact the office and ask to speak with Miss Jackson.

Orientation/transition days for many of the high schools occur in Week 9 and students can only attend these days if they are enrolled. These days are an important part of Year 6 students transition to high school, as it often answers a lot of their questions, they can become familiar with the new school and meet a number of teachers and support staff who they will be supporting them in Year 7. We are grateful to local secondary schools for supporting our families with the transition process. 

Head of Special Education Services - Regina Birchley

Supports for students with diverse learning needs.

Staff at Kruger State School collaborate to ensure the success and wellbeing of our diverse learners through every stage of learning in an inclusive setting. Reasonable adjustments are made by teachers and support staff so diverse learners are able to access and participate in the same curriculum as their peers.

Parents play a vital role in their child’s education, with students, parents and staff working together to identify and develop the right reasonable adjustments for each student. If your child has a paediatric appointment, hearing test or vision testing coming up, please let your child’s teacher know so we can work together to support your child.

Asthma

Does your child suffer from asthma? We ask that your child’s Asthma Action plan is updated every 12 months. Forms are available from the office, or your GP can download one from the Asthma Australia website: asthma.org.au

Head of Department - Curriculum - Chloe Curry

As we move into Week 7 of this term, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the exciting learning journeys taking place across the school. It has been a busy few weeks, filled with new topics, fresh challenges, and wonderful moments of discovery. I am so proud of the progress our students have made, and I am delighted to share some updates with you about what is happening in the classroom and beyond.

Curriculum Highlights

One of the most rewarding aspects of my role as Head of Curriculum is seeing our teachers bring the curriculum to life. We are continuing to place a strong emphasis on ensuring that every student’s learning experience is engaging, relevant, and enriching.

In English, we are focusing on developing strong literacy skills through a combination of reading, writing, and speaking activities. Our younger students are making great strides in phonics and early reading skills, while our older students are diving into more complex texts, enhancing their comprehension and writing abilities.

In Mathematics, we have been introducing a variety of strategies to help students develop a deeper understanding of key concepts. Through a mix of hands-on activities, problem-solving tasks, and interactive lessons, children are becoming more confident in their mathematical abilities.

Our Science lessons continue to be an area of real excitement, with students investigating everything from the properties of materials to the wonders of space. Meanwhile, our HASS lessons are bringing the past and present to life, with learning experiences designed to deepen students’ understanding of the world around them.

Art, Music, and PE also continue to thrive. From lively music lessons where students learn to play instruments to dynamic physical education classes that promote teamwork and fitness, these learning areas play a vital role in the development of our students.

I look forward to all the amazing things that the rest of the term will bring!

Business Manager - Melissa Henderson

Friendly reminders from the Office:

1. Families with students not returning to Kruger State School in 2025 at all or returning after the first day of school (Tuesday 28^th January), please advise the Office as soon as possible.  We ask that you complete an Enrolment Survey form.  Forms are available from the Office or by clicking the hyperlink below.
2. Debtor statements will be sent out in the coming week.  Unless you are on an approved payment plan, all outstanding monies are to be paid by the end of the school year.  If you are not on a plan and will not be able to finalise your accounts by the end of the term, please contact the Office immediately.
3. Student Resource Scheme – the draft student resource scheme for 2025 is available on the school website for families to review and consider ahead of the P&C Meeting to be held on Thursday 21 November at 1:30pm.   The draft documents will be discussed and submitted for approval and endorsement at this meeting.

Positive Behaviour Learning

As a school, we have continued to explore and practise ‘responding respectfully’. Since the beginning of our teaching focus, we have seen a drop in the number of reported incidents involving disrespect – a true reflection of students' efforts. This week, I asked some students what ‘responding respectfully’ meant to them:

Addison in Prep: “It means when you be nice to people, like when you say good morning!”

Indie in Year 2: “You have to listen when other people are talking and be helpful if someone asks for help.”

Tayla in Year 4: “If a student is being mean to you, I can say ‘please stop it, I don’t like it’ and then go tell a teacher. Or when a teacher tells you to do something, you follow the instruction and don’t talk back.”

It has been wonderful to see students not only understanding what it means to ‘respond respectfully’ but also applying it in their everyday interactions, actively contributing to a more positive and supportive school environment.

Celebrating our Community Hub

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mrs Kym Alexander and the entire team at the Community Hub for being awarded the Mission Australia Diversity & Inclusion Award for 2024 Child Friendly Excellence Award.

This recognition is a testament to your unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for families and young children. Your dedication to making a positive impact within the community is truly inspiring, and we couldn’t be prouder of your achievements.

Teaching and Learning

Year 1

In 1H, we've been hard at work crafting a procedure for a truly disgusting stew! Students are using descriptive adjectives, precise nouns, vivid verbs, and expressive adverbs to bring their stew to life. Soon, they’ll create eye-catching posters to showcase their ooey-gooey concoctions.

Additionally, students have been practicing spelling words with the /a_e/ and /ew/ sounds, strengthening their phonics skills in fun and creative ways.

In math, students are learning various strategies to add and subtract numbers up to 20. We can use a number line, tens frame, draw a picture and use a part-part whole model.

Year 3

Solids and Liquids

In Grade 3, students have been learning about solids and liquids in science.

Solids have a fixed volume, a fixed shape, the particles are tightly packed together, and they do not flow. Liquids have a fixed volume, they take the shape of the container, particles are loosely packed, and they flow. When heat is added to a solid, it melts and changes into a liquid. When a liquid is cooled, it freezes and changes into a solid.

In 3RS, students have enjoyed seeing Science in action by making jelly. We have added a fixed volume of hot and cold water to the jelly crystals, stirred it together and watched how the liquid mixture took the shape of the bowl. We cooled the liquid mixture in the refrigerator overnight and saw how the liquid set and changed into a solid. Since then, we have made jelly a second time and saw how the liquid mixture took the shape of the smaller patty pans. Afterwards, students enjoy eating the jelly!

FlexiSpace

In FlexiSpace, we were lucky to have Mr Puri visit and answer all our questions about India. We had the opportunity to invite a friend or two to join us. Mr Puri told us about the school he taught at in India, how cheap the food is, a 6 metre King Cobra as well as a wedding with 10 000 guests and four elephants. 

He showed us a couple of breathing techniques to stay calm and cool down in the heat. At the end, for some fun Mr Puri taught us how they milk a camel in India.

Year 5 

Students in 5H have developed a fascination with rocks and crystals. They have been sharing their interest with their peers and teacher. Students were supported in their interest with a visit to the library to gather books about crystals, and they were provided access to rock collections. After students generated this hobby, Miss Holt was fascinated to attend the Queensland Museum and learn that crystals can actually grow in perfect cubes, just like in Minecraft!

You can read more about this natural phenomenon here. Sometimes the best learning happens naturally! 

What's coming up at Kruger!