Term 3, Week 2

From the Principal - Micheal Grogan

Acknowledgement of Country
Brisbane Central State School would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which our school is based.

We recognize their custodianship and role in caring for and maintaining country over thousands of years.

We pay our respects to the elders’ past, present and acknowledge our young people for they are our future leaders

NAIDOC Celebrations

Held across the country annually from 7-14 July 2024, NAIDOC Week celebrates and recognises the history, culture, resilience and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee, is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud.

Blak, Loud and Proud encapsulates the unapologetic celebration of First Nations identity, empowering First Nations people to stand tall in their heritage and assert their place in the modern world. This theme calls for a reclamation of narratives, an amplification of voices, and an unwavering commitment to justice and equality. It invites all Australians to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering a society where the wisdom and contributions of First Nations peoples are fully valued and respected.

This year’s theme and artwork, ‘Urapun Muy’ by Deb Belyea, from the Kalaw Kawaw Ya dialect of the Top Western Islands of the Torres Strait, means ‘One Fire’. “The title of this work pays homage to Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people everywhere, as we all have that one fire: our passion for our culture. In this work, I have depicted the hands of our ancestors that have carefully dropped a burning ember on to a fire. This ember burns hot with intensity, stoking the flames, as it combines with the new fire. The linear detail shows the energy and power as cultural knowledge is transferred from our ancestors to us today. Culture is the fire that gives us knowledge, wisdom and purpose. It is our responsibility to maintain, practice, and pass on our fire to our future generations.”

Brisbane Central has been for the past few years celebrating NAIDOC week in the last week of July. This year we will be undertaking activities to recognise and celebrate the history, culture, resilience and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from July 22 – 26. Rhan Hooper will once again be providing lessons in culture and completing art activities with all of our classes throughout the week. We will culminate our celebration with a NAIDOC Assembly on Friday July 26. Our assembly will feature a Welcome to Country and performances from Aunty Sharon mirii Bell, Rhan hooper and the Leichhardt SS Deadly Dancers.

An invitation for our school community is attached to this newsletter and we hope to see you all there as we celebrate the oldest continuous living culture on earth.

Prep 2025

If you are planning on enrolling for 2025 and have not yet done so or know of someone who wishes to enrol their child in our great school please use the email below to register your interest and our enrolments team will send all of the information required.

enrolments@brisbanecentralss.eq.edu.au

Mastering Children’s Mental Health in the Digital Age

You are invited to a forum focused on the impact of social media on children's mental health and how to protect and support children online.

Event Details: Date: August 8^th, 2024 

Time: 6pm for 6.30om start- 8pm 

Venue: Southbank TAFE Auditorium

Mastering Mental Health in the Digital Age is a free event that aims to bring together principals, educators, community organisations, policy-makers, parents, and carers to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with social media use among children. Southbank TAFE has generously provided an auditorium for this gathering. The goals of the event are to:

• Raise Awareness: Discuss the effects of social media on children's mental health, supported by the latest research and data.
• Share Tools and Strategies: Provide practical tools and strategies for educators and parents to help children navigate the online world safely.
• Foster Collaboration: Encourage a collaborative approach to addressing online safety, involving all stakeholders in our community.

• Develop Action Plans: Create actionable plans that schools and families can implement to promote healthy online habits.

For further information see the attached flyer or register for this event using the link below:

https://events.humanitix.com/mastering-children-s-mental-health-in-the-digital-age

Deputy Principal - Nikolas Taufatofua

Dear Families,

I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new Deputy Principal of Brisbane Central SS. It is with genuine enthusiasm and a deep sense of privilege that I join this remarkable community.

Throughout my career as an educator, I have been fortunate to serve in diverse roles that have enriched my understanding of effective leadership and educational practices. My journey in education began with a passion for fostering critical thinking, resilience and a sense of community for all students, principles that have guided my path and brought me to this pivotal role at Brisbane Central SS.

Central to my educational philosophy is creating a nurturing environment that promotes academic achievement, personal growth and character development. I am committed to ensuring that every student feels valued, supported, challenged, and empowered to reach their full potential.

I understand the vital role that our partnership plays in your child's education journey. I am dedicated to working closely with each of you to maintain Brisbane Central SS as a place where your child not only receives a top-tier education but also feels safe, supported, and encouraged to explore their passions and take risks.

I am genuinely excited to embark on this journey with you all. Together, we will uphold the traditions of excellence that define Brisbane Central SS while embracing new opportunities for growth and innovation. Please feel free to contact me at nrtau0@eq.edu.au with any questions, ideas, or concerns you may have. I look forward to meeting each of you and collaborating to ensure that Semester Two is truly exceptional.

The Arts-Dance Curriculum Delivery

To enhance our delivery of the Australian Curriculum, The Arts – Dance, we are engaging an instructor from Grin and Tonic Troupe for weekly dance lessons for the students from Prep to Year 6 in class time for Term 3.  The instructor will assist with teaching elements of the dance curriculum https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ .   The Arts – Dance curriculum will be taught, assessed and reported on in second semester as part of our set curriculum. 

The cost is  $44.10 for Prep to Year 2 students - 9 lessons and $49.00 for  Year 3-6 students - 10 lessons.  Invoice have been sent out to all fee paying parents.  The lessons are scheduled on either Monday, Tuesday or Friday depending on the class.  We are delighted to be welcoming Kellie from Grin and Tonic to develop our students’ knowledge and abilities in how we express ourselves through dance and to build our staff capacity in this area of the curriculum.   

If you would like more information, please feel free to contact the class teacher or Maureen Kelly, Head of Department, Curriculum, mkell83@eq.edu.au

Councillor Vicki Howard - Year 4s

We appreciate Councillor Vicki Howard visiting today (Friday 19/07/24) and sharing her knowledge with us. 

New School Social Worker

Eva Lucas is our School Social Worker. Eva has experience working within state schools, child and youth mental health services and community organisations. Her role as Brisbane Central State School’s Social Worker is to support children’s mental health and social and emotional well-being.

Some of the services Eva can provide include psychosocial assessment, individual counselling, group therapy, advocacy and family support. Eva enjoys working collaboratively to provide holistic support for students and their families. 

Eva will be at Brisbane Central State School each Tuesday and is looking forward to getting to know the school community. If you would like to know more about the services Eva can offer, please either speak with your Class Teacher or contact Eva by email eluca62@eq.edu.au to find out more.

P&C News

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:

1. Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
2. 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

ICAS Test Dates 2024

ICAS TEST DATES 2024

Th following is the dates that the ICAS tests will be held at BCSS.  This may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.  The test sessions will be held in the morning session and students go to class first and will be directed by their teacher to go to the testing room.  Please feel free to contact Maureen Kelly, mkell83@eq.edu.au, for more information. 

Book Club - Issue 5

Visit scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app.

Please order and pay by credit card and your order will be electronically linked to the rest of your school’s order.

Scholastic bulk delivers the books to school after their issue closing date. However, to have the orders arrive before the school holidays below is the order closing date. Sometimes your child’s book will not arrive in the bulk delivery because it is on back order. It will arrive.

When the books arrive at school, they will be handed to your child to take home.

Due Dates for Excursions/Activities

Instrumental Music News

Senior concert band:

The 31 year 5 and 6 concert band students performed last term at the statewide fanfare music festival receiving a silver award for their performance. After catching a bus to KGSC,  warming up, performing and listening to other school bands they received a well deserved silver award for their performance.

Band honours students.

After successfully auditioning our year 6 students Caleb, Amber, Natalia and Sophia attended the Northside Honours Band Workshop last week at the famous old museum building on Gregory terrace. They joined a concert band of 80 other fine young musicians for 3 days of music making culminating in a very impressive concert performance of 5 challenging pieces.

Junior band workshop:

All year 4 band students have been invited (check your emails for registration and other details) to a "beginner band blitz" in August. This 1 day workshop finishes with a concert of music prepared during the day by the 120 piece concert band made up of year 4 beginner band students from 6 different state schools.

Library

QParents

Brisbane State High School | Year 7, 2026