Week 8 Term 4 Newsletter

From the Principal – Maja Bogicevic

One act of kindness, however small, is never wasted.

Aesop

Thank you for the kindness you show us every day and for supporting our school to be the best it can be.

Reading

Reading across the Australian Curriculum is our priority for the next few years. We have started significant investments in the professional development of our staff, and more is planned for next year. Our dream is that all students at Kruger State School will be able to read fluently and confidently by the time they finish Year 2. Research shows that this is key time for children to learn how to read in order to be able to access curriculum at higher year levels. Investment in reading in early years is crucial, and parent support is invaluable. We thank you in advance for helping us dream big for our students and walking alongside us on this journey.

Week 11

With three weeks left in the school year, our staff and students are working hard to finalise all assessments and reporting and making sure we finish the year on a positive note. Week 11 is an additional week in Term 4 and will be filled with activities that will allow our students to learn different skills in fun and engaging ways. We hope that all our students are able to attend school in the last week; however, if you have already booked holidays or other family commitments, please inform the school at your earliest convenience.

Thank you, NRL Australia!

I would like to use this opportunity to thank NRL Australia and Gloria Murray-Fiu for their continued support of our students. During Term 4, Gloria has organised multiple training session for our students and supported our families to access League Stars. I was informed yesterday that NRL will continue to work with us in the next year to support the wonderful young athletes our school nurtures. Thank you to all our families for supporting sport at Kruger.

P&C Community Meetings

The P&C met yesterday in the first General Meeting to finalise 2024 matters and plan our meetings in 2025. Tracy Moore, the P&C President, is working hard to encourage more people to join the P&C and offer their support for our students. The 2025 Student Resource Scheme has been approved by the team and Melissa Henderson, Business Manager, will write more about this in this edition of the newsletter.

Facilities Improvements

More great news coming our way! We have been approved to have Block 3 refurbished early next year. This will mainly include work inside the building to improve the learning environment for our students and staff. We are very excited about the opportunities to refresh our school facilities and the support we are getting from the Department to complete this work as soon as possible.

Our new electronic sign is currently being installed, and we are so excited to start publishing messages, reminders and information relevant to our school and community.

Prep - Year 2 Deputy Principal - Amber Canestrini

It’s been a very busy week in Prep, Yr 1 and Yr 2. The students have been working very hard on their reading, writing and maths. They have been independently editing their writing to make it sound better. 

I have been delighted to see students being respectful, kind and safe in the playground and in the classroom. 

Year 3 & 4 Deputy Principal - Katie Robinson

The excitement is in the air for Kruger’s End of Year Concert on Friday 29 November. Year levels have been working hard on their performances ready to show off their talents to their families. The doors in the hall will open for families at 12:30PM.   

Kruger’s Got Talent auditions and call backs have finished. Students who have auditioned will receive an award for their participation. The final three groups who will perform at the end of year concert Friday 29 November, the winners to be announced shortly after.

Year 5 & 6 Deputy Principal - Peta Jackson

DP 56 Report

Year 5 and 6 Respectful Relationships

Recently a number of reports have been received by the Leadership Team of boyfriend and girlfriend relationships occurring in the Year 5 and 6 cohort. While developing relationships is a natural occurrence as students get older, I would encourage you to have open and honest conversations at home that explore topics of respectful relationships, personal space and consent. All students should follow the Student Code of Conduct when at school.

Year 6 Enrolments and Transitions to High School

On Tuesday 26.11.2024 Bellbird Park State Secondary College and Redbank Plains State High School will hold their Transition Days. If your child is attending these secondary schools Transition Day they are to be taken directly to the high school. Your child is to wear their primary school uniform, and bring a small bag, notebook, hat and a water bottle. If your child is going to Bellbird State Secondary College you will have to organise food for your child to eat, at Redbank Plains State High School food will be provided.

Further information about the Bellbird Park State Secondary College transition day is in this newsletter and information on the Redbank Plains State High School can be found on the following link. https://redbankplainsshs.eq.edu.au/calendar-and-news/news/year-7-2025-transition-day

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/staff that they may work with next year.

Year 6 Graduation

Reminder that students will not be required at school before the full Year 6 Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday 4 December at the Victory Church, 192 Redbank Plains Rd, Bellbird Park. You will arrive at the Victory Church as a family, to be seated before 11:00am. Children are encouraged to dress up for the graduation 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.

Wet N Wild

On Thursday 5 December 2024, the Year 6 students are going on an excursion to Wet ‘N’ Wild on the Gold Coast. The purpose of this excursion is to celebrate the end of their primary school career at Kruger State School and reward the children for their work as leaders of the school this year. A letter went home this week for permission and the cost is $22. I encourage all parents to send in the permission forms as soon as possible with payment. If you have questions about the trip could you please contact Miss Jackson on 3814 9333.

Head of Special Education Services - Regina Birchley

Transitions for the new school year

All individuals change from one activity to another and from one setting to another throughout the day. Whether at home, school, or in the workplace, transitions naturally occur frequently and require individuals to stop an activity, move from one location to another, and begin something new. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may have greater difficulty in shifting attention from one task to another or in changes of routine. This may be due to a greater need for predictability, challenges in understanding what activity will be coming next, or difficulty when a pattern of behaviour is disrupted.

What are transition strategies?

Transition strategies are techniques used to support individuals with ASD during changes in, or disruptions to activities, settings, or routines. The techniques can be used before a transition occurs, during a transition, and/or after a transition, and can be presented verbally, auditorily, or visually. The strategies attempt to increase predictability for individuals on the autism spectrum and to create positive routines around transitions.

Why do we use transition strategies for a new school year?

Some students have difficulties associated with changes in routine or changes in environments and may have a need for “sameness” and predictability. These difficulties may eventually hinder a student’s independence and limit their ability to succeed in educational settings. To set students up for success in 2025, we will be utilising a variety of strategies to ensure they have the opportunity to become familiar with their 2025 class and teacher.

Please let us know if you have any concerns for your child/ren’s transition to a new class for 2025.

Head of Department - Curriculum - Chloe Curry

We are excited to announce that our school will be hosting a Life Education program during Weeks 9 and 10 of this term. This program aims to equip our students with essential life skills and knowledge to support their growth and well-being.

Program Overview

The Life Education program is designed to engage students through interactive learning experiences. Topics covered will include:

• Prep - Year 2: Protective behaviours
• Year 3 and Year 4: Friends and feelings
• Year 5 and Year 6: Relate, respect, connect

Schedule Details

• Time: The program will run over Weeks 9 and 10.
• Location: Sessions will take place on school grounds. All students will attend Life education with their own class and classroom teacher.
• Participants: All students from Prep to Year 6 are encouraged to participate.

Additional Resources

• Educational Materials: Resources for parents to support their children's learning at home can be found on the Life Education website https://lifeeducationqld.org.au/.
• Follow-Up: After the program, we will send home a summary of what was covered to help continue the conversation.   

If you wish for your child to participate in this incursion, a consent form must be completed and returned to your child’s classroom teacher.

We believe that this program will be an invaluable experience for our students, and we encourage all parents to engage with this opportunity. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the school office.

Thank you for your support!

Guidance Officer - Allen Weynberg

“Therapy or counselling sessions with a psychologist, social worker or counsellor are often suggested for students and young people going through a tough time.  This one-page guide gives a simple explanation and some examples of therapy for children.”  

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.
2. Outstanding student invoices.  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.

Working to Support Families

The Student Resource Scheme (SRS) for 2025 was approved by the P&C at the meeting held Thursday 21^st November.

As per the Department’s Directive, a complete review of the scheme was undertaken, and the school was required to consider whether any of the costs could be absorbed by the school before determining the SRS fee.

The SRS fees for 2025 will be different across year levels, according to the level of curriculum resources used in each year.

The approved fees will be:

                Prep Year             $110

                Year 1                   $95

                Years 2 to 4         $75

                Years 5 to 6         $65

Throughout the year, the school has absorbed the cost of buses for Swimming lessons, life education, buses for Wet ‘n’ Wild, buses for the Musical performance at Bellbird Park Secondary State College.

We will continue to try to support our families where we can.

Positive Behaviour Learning

As we near the end of the year, our final teaching focus is "React with Resilience". This focus is designed to support students in building resilience and giving them the strategies to respond constructively to challenges.

Teaching and Learning

Prep

Prep have been reading lots of information texts to learn about different animals. Their fine motor skills have been improving by making the animals to match their writing. This week, Prep D have also been practising asking their peers for help and developing their independent problem-solving skills. 

Year 1

Year 1 have been learning how to write a procedure! They had lots of fun exploring the text Wombat Stew to create a disgusting stew to scare away the Dingo!! 

Year 5 

Students in Year 5 have been working to transmit light through a maze using mirrors. It wasn’t magic – it was science! Students worked exceptionally well in groups and were excited for their learning.

Year 6

Year Six are working hard to complete their final assessments of primary school. It is extremely rewarding to see the growth that students have made throughout the year. Their graduation and awards ceremony are quickly approaching. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Please ensure that you enrol your child in high school as soon as possible. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.

FlexiSpace

In FlexiSpace we have been trying hard to use this week’s PBL focus “React with Resilience” to finish our assessments. Each of us knows which strategies work best to help stay focused and that it's important to give things a go even when they seem difficult.

During our busy day, the FlexiSpace students and their friends found some time to make about 60 toiletries packs for a local charity "Let's Give".

Instrumental Music 

Mr. Osman is testing for new students next year over the next 2 weeks. Students will be notified of any successful positions in the next fortnight. 

Continuing students should make sure they send back the forms sent home on Friday 22nd as soon as possible to cement their place for next year. 

The band is playing at the School Concert on Friday 29th. All of our morning band people should be attending the performance. Mr. Osman will be collecting the school instruments after the concert in preparation for cleaning them ready for next year. All band music, folders and books will need to be returned next Friday as well.

Yours in Music,

Jason O.

Art 

Year 1 to year 3 Yayoi Kusama inspired art (dots)

Prep focus - portraits and family portraits 

Year 3 focus- tiny world art in a shoe box (unfinished working project)

Kruger's Got Talent

Students have been auditioning for KGT and working hard to practice their performances. You can see Top 3 at End of Year Concert Week 9.

What's coming up at Kruger!