Term 2, Week 10
From the Principal - Micheal Grogan
Hello and welcome to our week 10 newsletter. This week we have concluded our recruitment for a new deputy principal at BCSS. Nikolas Taufatofua has been appointed to the Deputy Principal position. Nik joins us from Grovely State School. I am sure the BCSS community will welcome Nik when he joins us from Monday 15 July (Week 2 of Term 3).
I want to thank and acknowledge the work of both Mrs. Kelly and Mr. Fischer for their work as acting Deputy Principal and Acting Head of Department – Curriculum. They have been doing an amazing job supporting our staff and students through this term.
This week I have also had the privilege of travelling to Cairns along with Mr. Ludlow and Ms. Stainer to attend the PBL Conference. This is a biennial conference hosted by the department to support schools across Australia to deepen their understanding of PBL and enhance the fidelity of implementation within and across schools.
Over the last few days we have been able to learn with and from invited experts from the United States and colleagues from schools from within Queensland and interstate.
I look forward working with Mr. Ludlow, Ms Stainer and our PBL to implement the lessons learned this week to better support our students and school community at BCSS.
Access for all to Hall
I am pleased to advise that the project to provide access to the hall via a lift is now recommencing. Over the winter break we expect to see the construction fences be shifted to a smaller area and work commencing on the construction of the lift and access walkways to provide access for all to our Hall. I will share the new design when we return from the break.
Gala Days
Thank you to the families who washed and dried their shirts prior to returning. If you still have your shirt we ask it be returned on the first day of term 3.
P&C Meeting
We have our next P&C meeting on Monday July 8, first day back next term. I would encourage all of you to come along or log in via Teams to contribute to our P&C. We have a small and dedicated group who coordinate the daily functions of the P&C and they are always looking for new people to support and contribute in any way you think you could help.
Staffing Changes
Next term we will welcome back Madame Kasim who is returning from Long Service Leave. We have been notified this week that Madame Martin has resigned from her position to take up an offer at a private school. We are currently undertaking a recruitment to fill her role.
Thank You
Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to our staff, students and school community for the way we continue to support one another and work to ensure success for every student across our school. We are lucky to have a highly capable and skilled workforce who strive for improvement both in their own practice and for their students each and every day. At BCSS all of our staff work collaboratively to learn with and form one another for the purpose of supporting the learners in our rooms. The students really are at the core of all that we do.
I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday and hope you get a chance to connect with family and friends.
Eco Marines
On Thursday the 19th of June, Aaron and Becky from Eco Marines came out to present the Sustainability Captains with a 'Cooking with Leftovers' Scrap Book that was developed by the BCSS community last year!
Thank you to last year's captains, Emma and Safeena, for all your hard work! Thank you to Mrs Thomas, Maisie and Zach van der Horst, Mr Fischer and Miss Pafflin for your wonderful recipe entries. We will hopefully be selling copies at the Book Sale during Book Week (19th - 23rd August).
P&C News
Library News
LIBRARY MONITORS
If we have approximately 520 students at our school and they borrow 2 books each week, have you ever wondered how 1,040 books per week are reshelved?
Yes, a substantial portion of these books are reshelved (that’s after the students do the most amazing referrals and trading of books with each from the ‘Drop and Go’ section of the library borrowing counter) by the library staff, however, the remaining books are reshelved by our reliable, diligent student library monitors.
They attend training with Miss Sami Smith once a week (Thursday 2nd break). They have a weekly library monitor roster for reshelving books and they go once a week to the library in their lunch breaks after eating their lunch to reshelve library books.
The training and reshelving includes:
Junior Fiction – Picture Books and Short Reads
Junior Non-Fiction – The famous One and Two Green Dot books
Junior Fiction – Red and Orange Dot Series
Non- Fiction – Blue Dots – Horrible Histories/Science/Geography, Murderous Maths and Dead Famous
Fiction Series – Chapter Books – My Australian Story, My Story, Our Australian Girl, Star Wars, choose your own Adventure, 39 Clues, Geronimo, Thea Stilton books and Graphic Novels.
Fiction Large Books – Christmas, Easter and ANZAC
Fiction General – Shelved by author’s surname, alphabetical by first three letters.
Oops!! Don’t Forget Non-Fiction – Computers 000-004, Animals, Fairy Tales 398 and Religion 200).
Thank you for volunteering to be Library Monitors. The library shelves look ‘AMAZING’.
YES, MISS LADYBUG HAS ARRIVED ! ! ! !
Last year your child/children raised funds at the Toy Sale to purchase a Ladybug book carriage, eight carriages and one multipurpose carriage to home the Junior Picture books.
The junior students are having a great and easy time selecting books from the Lady Bug carriages. Thanks for your support in helping us have a new friend in the library.
P&C 2ND HAND BOOK SALE – ADULT and CHILDREN’S
This year the P&C and all the students would like to raise some funds to buy additional books for the library. We are having a 2nd Hand Book Sale in Term 3 Week 7 – BOOK WEEK.
Please have a look around your home and see if there are any Adult and/or Children’s books you would like to donate. Drop them off at the library counter and please leave your name so we can give you a THANK YOU.
Book Donations accepted until Friday 16th August – Term 3 Week 6. Happy Holidays!
School Photo Day: 13/08/2024
Dear Parents,
School photography day is coming up soon. Group and portrait photographs can be purchased by following the link below or by returning the order envelope with your payment to our photographer on school photo day.
Two easy ways to purchase:
- Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
- Cash – complete the envelope supplied and return it to our photographer on photo day
Or visit: www.advancedlife.com.au
And enter online order code: V5E EHQ LM2
School photography information:
- Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
- Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography, so no one misses out. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography, so your school is aware you want the photo taken and can bring your children together in time for it. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos
- Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
- Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
- Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the “Order School Photos Here” button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past
Finance News
At the end of this week statements will be generated showing any outstanding balances, both debits and credits on student accounts. Credit balances are represented by a minus sign if front of the amount. If you have a credit balance this can remain on the account to go towards future excursions/activities.
It would be appreciated if any outstanding invoices are settled by the beginning of Term 3.
Due Dates for Excursions
Year Level | Due Date | Amount |
| Prep Excursion | 19/07/2024 | $28.50 |
Year 6 | 06/09/2024 | $1290.00 |
Book Club
Book Club Issue 4 - Closed
Your children have their books in their hands.
Happy Holiday Reading.
ICAS Assessments for Advanced Learners
Each year, at Brisbane Central State School, we offer parents the opportunity for their child/children to sit the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) tests. ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills. Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate and an online report of results. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals. To learn more about this year’s ICAS competition, visit: (icasassessments.com/products-icas/). In addition, this video demonstrates the testing platform. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DMCtlAjQHs
ICAS Test offered at Brisbane Central | Year levels | Test window | Online booking closes | Date of tests at Brisbane Central State School |
Writing | Years 3-6 | 5 - 9 August 2024 | Monday 15 July No late registrations will be possible. | To be advised in School Newsletter Friday 19 July |
English | Years 2-6 | 12 – 16 August 2024 | ||
Science | Years 2-6 | 19 – 23 August 2024 | ||
Mathematics | Years 2-6 | 26 – 30 August 2024 |
Parents register their children for ICAS and make payment using the online UNSW Global Parent Payment System. ICAS registrations are open for use by Brisbane Central State School parents and is open until Monday 15 July 2024. Registrations for the tests will not be possible after this date.
Brisbane Central school access code is: RHV663
Brisbane Central page link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
How to participate in ICAS
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year:
- Read about ICAS subjects and prices here: (com/products-icas/)
- Read the Privacy Collection Statement below.
- Read the terms and conditions here: (com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf)
- Go to Parent Portal to purchase chosen tests here: (icasassessments.com/pages/pps)
- Enter our school’s access code – RHV663
- Enter your child’s details, select the subject area tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.
- After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email. Please keep this for your records.
Please note that the ICAS tests shown for selection are at the school’s discretion. Brisbane Central State School is offering the English, Mathematics, Writing and Science assessments. Writing is only provided by ICAS from Year 3, while the other subject areas are available from Years 2 to Year 6. We will notify parents of the dates that Brisbane Central will run the different ICAS tests after the close of bookings.
Your child’s ICAS certificates will be delivered to the school about 4 weeks after the close of the assessment period Once we have received your child’s ICAS certificate, we will send it home with your child. The back of the certificate shows ICAS results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”. Use these to enter the Results Portal orti.icasassessments.com/ortiStudent
Privacy Collection Statement
The following information is a privacy notification about how your child’s data is kept private and secure.
ICAS Assessment is owned by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd (We, Us, Our).
To deliver assessment products, Janison will require your child’s School to obtain your consent to provide Janison with certain personal information of students. Janison will collect, store, use, disclose and otherwise deal with such personal information in accordance with its privacy policy (below). We are aware of our responsibility to protect personal information related to children and students from being disclosed when we deliver an ICAS Assessments product. Unless you, as the child’s legal guardian consents, we will not:
- collect any personal information or data of children other than the information we need for the successful completion of an assessment, test, or exam.
- transfer any personal information we obtain from a child in the delivery of assessments and tests to any jurisdiction outside of Australia.
- share any personal information relating to children with any third parties (except for those third parties necessary for us to carry out our Services or provide our Products e.g., medal engraving).
- use any personal information or data relating to children for marketing purposes.
You can view our full privacy policy at https://www.janison.com/privacy-policy/.
We may retain personal information and data relevant to a child for their future purposes or for research purposes by Janison for the duration of the school life cycle of the child. However, if you or your child at any time wish to have their personal information or data removed from our systems, they or you may opt out by simply contacting our Privacy Officer at privacy@janison.com or by contacting icasassessments@janison.com.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school via Maureen Kelly, mkell83@eq.edu.au, if you have any questions.
PBL
QParents
