Welcome to the 2025 school year - to our returning students and their families, and, an extra hello to our newly enrolled students and their families.

Maroochydore State School the hidden gem of Maroochydore.

This is the 101st year of the school and a new beginning heading to 2124.

The first few school days were full of smiles as there was much to catch up on with friends about the holiday activities as and venturing into our  playgrounds and oval for some games with friends.

Currently, we have 9 classes and depending on enrolments on the official Day 8 of counting there may be some changes to a couple of classes as we manage our enrolments and resources. 

Mrs Henderson is our Prep teacher.

Year 1 are in F Block - the teaching block closest to the mango tree with Mrs Naylor.

Year 2 are in F Block - the teaching block closest to the mango tree with Miss Daniels.

Year 2/3 are in F Block - the teaching block closest to the mango tree with Miss Munro.

Year 3/4 are in B Block - surrounding the forecourt area with Mrs Whittam.

Year 4/5 are in A Block - the teaching block fronting onto Primary School Court with Miss Murphy.

Year 5 are in A Block - the teaching block fronting onto Primary School Court with Mr Gerrard.

Year 5/6 are in A Block - the teaching block fronting onto Primary School Court with Miss Clelland.

Year 6 are in A Block - the teaching block fronting onto Primary School Court with Miss Bassett.

For our year 5 and 6 students our new LOTE teacher on a Wednesday is Natasha Alanassoff   

The Arts again this year will be taught by Mr Simspon on a Thursday and Friday and,

Mr Gripske also returns on Thursday and Friday for PE.

Instrumental Music will be taught by Mrs Deady on a Tuesday.

Our Guidance Officer again this year is Mrs Potter and she is available Monday to Friday for students and parents.

Mrs Sinclair is our HOSE Monday to Friday and is supported in Learning Support by Miss Moyle.

Chappy Kyra is back and will be here again for three days a week. Monday, Thursday and Friday.

This year she shall be running the Chappy Breakfast on Monday and Thursday mornings.

Mrs Pool is our Head of Curriculum and Mrs Wilson is also supporting staff with curriculum and effective teaching and learning strategies.

All parents are encouraged to keep in regular contact with their child's teacher and specialist teachers through out the year.

Jewellery          Students are permitted to wear only the following items:  

• A watch or fitbit  
• One small plain stud or small plain sleeper of silver or gold  
• 1 small signet ring  
• Medical alert bracelet  
• Religious pendants by request of the parent  

Please leave necklaces and bracelets at home so as to encourage full participation in play, games and phys ed.

Hair  

Students are to wear their hair in a neat and tidy manner.   

Hair that is longer than shoulder length should be tied up with a hair band, ribbon or scrunchy into a ponytail, braid or bun.

Hair - to avoid distractions to learning - please leave colours and styles that may draw further attention for the holiday periods. 

Make-Up  

No make-up is to be worn to school. Please leave coloured nail polish for home activities on a weekend.

A new year and a big thank you to Lisa and all helpers who assisted in the Uniform Shop to have all of our studets in school uniform for the start of the year.

The first P & C Meeting of the year is in the Staffroom in the Admin building on:

Monday February 10

5pm - 6:15pm

then the March Meeting is the AGM

Monday February 10

5pm - 6:15pm

Through a wonderful grant to support our student's health and well being - each Monday of the year we shall supply a popper and a museli bar to suppliment and top up after your child's weekend of activity.

This will occur after second break and the juice and bar shall be delivered by our student leaders to each classroom.

During Weeks 8, 9 and 10 this will occur twice per week.

A nice little top up!

On Thursday parents will receive a note in their child's bag around the 2025 Voluntary Contribution.

In consultation with the P&C early last year we agreed to continue a yearly contribution of $40.

This amount paid by parents will go towards consumable resources for the classrooms, supporting school incursions and enhancing our science resources.

Thank you in anticipation of your support for our school.

On Tuesday our school leaders were announced to the Year 5 and Year 6 students along with Constable Rob (our School Based Police Officer).

Congratulations to Arianne and Hallie, and to Ethan and Frankie for attaining this position in our 101st year and we look forward to watching them further develop their leadership skills across the year.

Also a special cheer to a large number of eager students for also putting their hand up and presenting wonderful short speeches to their Year 5 and Year 6 peers.

Saffron, Audrey, Ella, Macy, Khira, Zariyah, Alexia, Haylie, Samantha, Summer and Thalia.

Shane, Cooper, Aaron and Lincoln.

They did make the voting close and can be very proud of their willingness to be active and involved.

The NAPLAN 2025 test window is 9 days from Wednesday 12 March 2025 to Monday 24 March 2025

With the exception of the Year 3 writing task we do use our school iPads to complete the NAPLAN test online.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. However, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers. Visit the parents and carers page on the NAP website and download a copy of the NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers.

Visit the public demonstration site page to see the format of the tests. This is the third year NAPLAN will be held in March, having previously taken place in May.

This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year and can use them to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year.

Why NAPLAN is conducted online

• NAPLAN transitioned from a paper-based to an online assessment from 2018 to 2022.

• NAPLAN online provides a better assessment and more precise results.

• One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can show what they know and can do.

• Online testing allows ACARA to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN.

• Feedback from students is that they find the online test more engaging.

If your child is sick please contact the school (5475 1555) to advise:

* your child's name and class or year level

AND * a reason - ie -> SICK

by 8:40am so that we can accurately complete our rolls.

Doing this - it does avoid us chasing you up and sending out a text message.

If you have forgotten PLEASE reply to the text message with your child's name, year level or class and a reason.

Doing this does avoid our Office staff again having to make contact with you.

We do expect all students to attend school each and every day of the term. As a did you know - please see below, as we all strive to provide your child with the best start.

Have you updated the school office with your new 2025 - anaphylaxis or asthma plan?

As a matter of urgently can you update our Office with 2025 information from your child's doctor and with the medication in it's original box including dosage instructions and doctor instructions.

Thank you to those parents who have already actioned this as a priority for your child's health and well being at school.

If your child requires medicine at school you need to bring the medicine (in the original box, with the dosage and instruction label intact and legible) to the School Office. There is a form you are then required to complete so that we can assist your child in getting the required medicine at the right time. Your child's teacher does NOT manage this process.

NEVER send your child to school with medication in their bag. Again, parents do need to bring any medication to the school office.

Helmets, helmets, helmets

All students who ride to ride to and from school are to have a helmet - this is basic general safety for all riders.

Constable Rob spoke to our Year 5 and Year 6 students and reminded them of wearing their helmets when on a bike, scooter or skateboard.

Locks and chains

All students who ride to and from school should have a lock and chain for their bike, scooter, skateboard whilst at school as an added precaution.

E Scooters

The following information is being shared to our school community via our school based Police Officer - Constable Rob.

ALL parents are urged to be across the following information on e-scooters.

NB: Riders are to be 16 years or older - thus students are NOT to bring an E-Scooter to school as you are in breach of the law.

This message comes from the Police as they are enforcing the laws.

We have the word KAIZEN printed on our pathways and its meaning of gradual improvement is something we are all striving for in our learning.

Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner are our three school rules and these help to shape expected student behaviours for both learning in the classroom and in the playground.

Our initial focus is on being nice, being a good friend and being positive and supportive in the playground. 

Each term we complete a fire drill and a lockdown drill as part of our Workplace Health and Safety routines.

These are planned to familarise students, staff and parents around critical safety actions in case an emergency does arise.

Staff do talk to their students about an upcoming drill including how to safely get to the emergency meeting point and what the routine around each of the drills is.

Any parent or volunteer on site during one of these drills will need to follow the direction of staff across the duration of the drill as a part of the mandated reporting.

We do vary the day and timing of the drills in an attempt to cover extra staff on our campus including those staff who are not here every day.

Next week we shall complete the first of our drills for the 2025 school year.

Currently our students are very lucky to be able to engage further in their learning with iPads provided by the school.

This is both a luxury and a privilege for our students and naturally we have high expectations around the proper use of them.

All students are reminded about holding them in two hands, not running with them and to be careful in their pressing of the screen and the buttons. Like at home, damages aren't fixed in the click of a finger nor should there be that expectation by any student.

These are Maroochydore State School iPads and we do remind students of this (as opposed to "it's my iPad and I can do what I want") as there are high expectations around not only the correct usage of them, but also of the responsibility of the student to maintain a high and expected standard of behaviour in being able to access such a resource.

This privilege can and will be withdrawn for behaviours that do not uphold our 3 School Rules - Be Respectful, Be Safe and Be a Learner. Thank you to all parents for talking to your child about being responsible at all times in using a Maroochydore State School iPad.

The best outcomes are achieved through regular contact with your child's class teacher.

Do keep in touch with your child's teacher so you know what is being taught, how your child is going and how you could help your child further improve.

Make a time to catch up after school one day, or well before the first drums of the day.

Kaizen - the word for continuous improvement. - what we are all striving for.