Term 3, Week 10

Principal - Micheal Grogan

Dear Parents and Carers

As this term draws to a close, we have been spending time looking forward to 2025. Our school will begin working in a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) from the start of Term 4 as we look to learn with and from other schools about how we can better support our students. The focus for this upcoming work will be Prep – Year 2 Mathematics. Myself, Mr T, Mrs Kelly, Ms Garrod and Mr Fischer will be leading this work across our school. I am excited by the opportunity to connect with schools, both local and more further away to focus on this important work.

I hope you all get a chance to connect with family or friends and wish everyone a safe and happy vacation.

QParents

QParents is a free online portal for Queensland state schools to use, and allows parents from a school to:

• view attendance details, behaviour information, report cards, timetables, invoices and a history of payments
• provide reasons for unexplained absences and to notify the school of future absences
• view and pay school invoices online
• update student details including residential and postal address as well as medical conditions.
• Provide consent for school excursions and  online services

BCSS will be transitioning to QParents as our consent management platform beginning Term 4 2024. At this stage we have approximately 40% of our families using QParents. We would encourage you to get online and register as soon as you can. The use of QParents will make providing permission, paying for excursions, recording absences much smoother for both parents and school staff.

Your support with this transition is greatly appreciated. If you need help in anyway, please do not hesitate to contact the school office and they will provide assistance.

2025 Enrolments

Another key aspect of our planning for 2025 is ensuring we have an accurate picture of what enrolments will look like as we approach the new school year. Accurately capturing our new and continuing enrolments is vital to ensuring we can set up our students, staff and community for success in 2025.

It is important for school planning that if you intend on changing schools, you let us know as soon as is possible.

It is also important to remind parents that moving house does not mean you are required to move schools. If you and your child are happy at BCSS, moving from within our existing catchment does not mean you are required to change schools as well.

Dates to Remember

Term 4  is always a very busy time of year in schools and this year is no exception.

Some key dates for the term ahead include:

30 September              School Returns

7 October                      Public Holiday

11 October                    P&C Trivia Night and Multi-Draw Raffle

14-18 October             Year 6 Canberra Trip

27 November              BCSS Music Celebration Evening

3 December                 Year 6 Graduation

4 December                 End of Year Concert

13 December               Last Day of School

We are fortunate at BCSS to have great community support for our events and we look forward to welcoming you to the events listed above over the coming months.

Staff Changes

Next term we will welcome a new teacher to BCSS. Sam Stark joins us form the UK and will be replacing Ms Herron in 3 Red.

We also farewelled Ms Desai for the remainder of the year. Ms Heslip will be replacing her for the remainder of the year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Herron for her contribution to BCSS over the past 6 months. She has, as all teachers do, worked tirelessly to make a positive difference to the lives of the children in 3 Red. Her contribution is greatly appreciated and we wish her all the best for her new role at Ironside State School.

Deputy Principal - Nik Taufatofua

As we reach the end of Term 3, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a remarkable term and to express my heartfelt gratitude for the ongoing support and dedication of our entire school community.

Throughout Term 3, our entire team has demonstrated exceptional effort and commitment. From classroom achievements to extracurricular activities, it has been a term full of hard work and dedication. I am continually impressed by the way our staff, students, and families come together to support one another and contribute to our school’s vibrant community. I look forward to working with everyone to continue this great work in Term 4.

Today we welcome back our Year 5 students from camp at the Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre. It was truly inspiring to see our students engage so enthusiastically in a range of activities, from team-building exercises to outdoor adventures. The camp provided not only a break from the classroom but also valuable opportunities for personal growth, camaraderie and leadership. I was lucky enough to attend camp on day 1 and enjoyed the beach and Miss Stainer’s iteration of Minute to Win It. A big thank you goes to our dedicated team who worked tirelessly to ensure the camp was both safe and enjoyable. Their commitment to providing enriching experiences for our students does not go unnoticed.

As we approach the school holidays, I want to extend my best wishes to each and every one of you. I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved break filled with relaxation and time with loved ones. Whether you’re traveling or staying close to home, may this holiday be a time of rest and rejuvenation.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support and partnership in making our school a wonderful place for learning and growth. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for an exciting and productive Term 4.
Wishing you all a fantastic holiday!

Warm regards,
Nikolas Taufatofua
Deputy Principal

Head of Department Curriculum

ICAS Results

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.  The ICAS Tests are now complete.

Student’s results and certificates are received in schools approximately four weeks after the end of the test week, except for writing.  Writing certificates are received approximately eight weeks after the official sitting window has closed since it involves manual marking. 

Students who have sat an ICAS test in previous years have online access to their results via the Results Portal using the TAP ID and PIN on the certificates from previous years.  The school does not provide access to individual student codes for online access to results.  Online access is available about a week after the end of the test week except for writing.   If you have any questions please feel free to email Maureen Kelly, mkell83@eq.edu.au.    

Parents and students can access their own results using their TAP-ID and PIN:

• The English test results are now available.

• Students that have sat ICAS before can find their TAP-ID and PIN on the back of a previous year's certificate.
• Students that have sat ICAS at your school for the first time this year, can request their TAP-ID and PIN via this form. 

Teaching and Learning Reference Group

Interested parents and carers are invited to join the Brisbane Central State School Teaching and Learning Reference Group.  This group is being formed to gain feedback on and input into school policies and practices for the delivery of the curriculum for all students.   The planned topics include:

• Assessment and reporting on learning (Report Cards) for students in Prep
• Learning Webs
• Reporting on learning (Report Cards) for students Prep – Year 6

The Teaching and Learning Reference Group is a small team made up of parents, a community member, class teachers, the Head of Department, Curriculum and the principal.  The group will meet approximately two to three times a term to:

• provide perspectives on the focus topic
• plan and implement ways to gain feedback from the broader school community
• analyse and draw conclusion based on feedback gained

While the Teaching and Learning Reference Group will be a small, consistent team, opportunities will be available for the broader parent community to provide input into the school’s policy and practices, without being part of the Teaching and Learning Reference Group.   These opportunities will be shared with parents and caregivers. 

 Register your interest to be part of the Teaching and Learning Reference Group:

Application is via the Forms survey by Friday 4 October.  https://forms.office.com/r/0EPdKGRwvi 

Those who apply are invited to a meeting on Thursday 10 October 2024, 7:45am – 8:30am in the school library. 

The purpose of this meeting is to share information about the scope of the group and the ways of working, to seek commitment from those in attendance and to create a group based on group size and diversity within the parent group including members with children in a range of year levels. 

For more information please contact: 

Maureen Kelly, Head of Department, Curriculum, mkell83@eq.edu.au

Micheal Grogan, Principal, mgrog1@eq.edu.au

Consent Management / QParents

Queensland State Schools are moving towards online permissions managed through the QParents app.  We believe that moving to digital consent for excursions, SRS and Third Party Consent  managed through QParents would be beneficial to all.  It would remove the need for paper-based permission forms to be printed, distributed, signed and returned.   

Many in our community already have a QParent accounts but for those who do not,  invitations  have previously been sent out to your registered email addresses.  If you require a new invitation please contact the office.  By signing up you will not only have access to digital permission forms but also attendance records, finance (view only), positive behaviour and report cards. 

We understand that everyone is busy, and we hope that by streamlining our services online where we can, we will better service our community.

Library News

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SORA

Book Club

Thank You for supporting our BCSS Book Club.

Your child have their books from issue 6 in their hands to enjoy for the holidays.

Please keep supporting BCSS Book Club as the rewards help buy new books for the library.

P & C NEWS

We are excited to invite you to come along to our P&C Trivia Night on Friday October 11.

Tickets are available here.

Tickets are now available in our P&C Trivia Night Multi-Draw Raffle. Tickets can be purchased online. We would like to thank the local businesses who have supported our raffle and hope to see all of you at the Trivia Night on 11 October.

King Street Kids

It's time for the young makers of Brisbane to shine! As part of the inaugural King St Kids Festival, we're excited to introduce the Next Gen Markets, a dedicated market precinct showcasing the creativity and innovation of Brisbane's finest young artisans, makers, and entrepreneurs.

Set in the heart of Bowen Hills at Alexandria Park (RNA Showgrounds), the festival is a dynamic celebration featuring performances from young circus artists, breakdancers, DJ's, roving entertainers, and more. The Next Gen Markets will be a central feature, providing talented youth (recommended aged 10-17) a platform to display and sell their handmade creations, from crafts and artwork to innovative products and designs.

If you're a young creator or entrepreneur, this is your chance to get involved! We’re calling all emerging talents to express their interest in being part of this exciting market. Join us at King St Kids for a day filled with creativity, play, and community, where youth take the lead and showcase their entrepreneurial spirit.

Expressions of Interests can be completed here.

Due Date for Excursions / Activities

Chess Program Term 4

Every day counts