Indooroopilly State School eNewsletter

Debbie Spanner

Principal

principal@indooroopillyss.eq.edu.au

The school year is well and truly underway and it is wonderful to see how calm, engaged and happy our students appear. The Prep BBQ was a great success on the weekend. A big thank you to the P&C Executive for organising this event and the many staff who attended too. Many parents expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to meet other parents and teachers in the informal setting.

Parent teacher nights have been well attended over the last few weeks, with many parents taking the opportunity to gain further insight into their child’s teachers and their plans for teaching and learning this year. My message to parents centred around the whole school learning asset Contributor, that is a focus this year.

I encourage parents to think about how you can contribute to add value to our school community. This can be in smaller, every day things like following the traffic rules, parking in considerate ways, smiling and greeting fellow parents and children. It can also be in more substantial ways like P&C participation, becoming a Parent Rep, volunteering to help at school events to ensure they go ahead. Please see the Parent Engagement diagram that highlights the difference that your engagement in our community can make. Your contributions model what being a part of a community means to your children and they are so proud to see you actively supporting their school. The Movie Night on Saturday 22 February is a great opportunity to contribute. I encourage you to volunteer to help the team make this night a really successful one and create some lovely memories for your children.

The first P&C meeting will be held on Monday 24 February in the school library. P&C meetings are a great opportunity to learn more in depth detail about school operations and general school happenings. Meetings are either in person or online the fourth Monday of each month. Please reach out to one of the Executive if you are keen to be involved beyond attending meetings- secretary@isspandc.org.au.

This year we have employed a Digital Coach, Mr Kyle Walters, for two days each week. Kyle will look to embed Digital Intelligence and HONOUR online strategies to help our students be safe online, explore the productive use of devices in our BYOD program, discover the productive use of AI for staff and, where appropriate, students, broaden our use of digital tools and devices to support pedagogy. Kyle is an outstanding user of technology, communicating clear messages about considered and measured use. We will offer parent education information in multiple ways throughout the year too, including external providers to address considerations such as screen time. Look out for information from Kyle in our newsletters. The following information from the eSafety Commissioner regarding screen time may be of interest.

Screen time for your child - 7 tips

Screen time for your child - 7 tips 172.75 KB

This coming Tuesday is the first School Council meeting for the year. Mr Peter Finch, School Council Chair, and fellow school council representatives, will review the school budget and Annual Implementation Plan. This year the key focus areas for the AIP are implementing V9 Australian curriculum English, including literacy, and expanding Multi-Tiered Systems of support for intervention, to help all students gain further access to support they need to achieve at their best. Thank you to the School Council for all they will do to help with school governance in the year ahead.

Yours in Education

Deb

Date	Event	Location	Times
Friday 21/02/2025	Working Bee	Prep Sandpit	6:00am - 7:30am
	Friday Night Swim Club - Starlight Foundation Fundraiser	School Pool	Gates open at 5:45pm
Saturday 22/02/2025	P&C Movie Night	Main Oval	6:00pm - 8:30pm
Monday 24/02/2025	P&C Meeting in person or online	Library or via TEAMS	6:00pm - 7:30pm
Tuesday 25/02/2025	Year 3 Starlab incursion
Wednesday 26/02/2025	Regional Swimming
Friday 28/02/2025	Student Council Meeting	Library	8:15am
	Friday Night Swim Club	School Pool	Gates open at 5:45pm

Calling for Volunteers

Mini working bee to fill the Prep-Year 3 Sandpit

Who: All welcome, but especially parents of Prep, Year 1, 2 and 3.

When: Friday 21st February, 6-7.30am

What to bring: shovels (and wheelbarrows - if you have them!)

Why: to replenish the sand in the Prep playground. The sand will be delivered to the bottom oval and we would appreciate assistance to move it up the path to the Prep playground.

Register your interest at secretary@isspandc.org.au

Swiming Club - Starlight Fundraiser Swim-a-thon

Friday Night Swim Club continues every Friday night this term.

The Indooroopilly Friday Night Swim Club is hosting a special fundraiser challenge this February to support the Starlight Children's Foundation Super Swim!

On Friday 21 February we have challenged our swimmers to try and achieve as many kms of continuous swimming as possible over the night! Non-club swimmers are welcome to come for the night as well. There will be a $5 entry fee per swimmer which will be donated directly to the Starlight Foundation. Gates open at 5:45pm as usual.

We have set a goal as a group to achieve 14km in one night, but would love to go even further with the support of our fabulous school community to motivate our swimmers!

Click here to donate through our team page to the Starlight Foundation

If you aren't a usual club swimmer but would like to participate, please email Miriam fridaynightswimclub@isspandc.org.au to RSVP (teachers and parents welcome too!)

P&C Movie Night

To see the latest information please check the ISS P&C Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559123083079

Gather the family for a fun-filled evening. This will be an awesome opportunity to get to know your school community and enjoy a night out.

Date: Saturday, 22nd February 2025

Time: Gates open at 6:00 PM Movie starts at 6:30 PM

Location: Bottom Oval, Indooroopilly State School

Tickets: Limited tickets available: $7 per child and $10 per adult

A child must be accompanied by an adult.
Children aged 4years and under do not need a ticket.
Ticket sales close at 11:59 pm on the 15th of February 2025.

All ISS P&C sale proceeds will go towards

repairing the Dragon playground and
covering Movie Night costs.

We kindly request volunteers to help with event set up, ticket check in, bar counter, pop-corn counter, first aid officer, safety officer, clean up and pack down.

Please register your volunteering commitment and book your family tickets asap. https://signup.com/go/jvOXkHE

We look forward to seeing you there!

Term 1 Date Claimers, Week 6 onwards

Year 3 Life Ed incursion 4-6/03/2025
Year 6 Camp Group 1, 10-14/03/2025
Year 3 & 5 NAPLAN testing window, 12-24/03/2025
Student Council Badge Ceremony - 19/03/2025
Harmony Folk Night - 20/03/2025
Harmony Day Events - 21/03/2025
Year 6 Camp Group 2, 24-28/03/2025
P&C AGM - 24/03/2025
Year 1 & 2 author visit - 27/03/2025
Prep 2026 Open Morning - 28/03/2025
Prep Hat Parade - 31/03/2025
Years 3-6 Cross Country - new date 02/04/2025

Scholastic Bookclub

Orders are due this Friday 14 February for Issue #1. Please use the link below to order online.

https://scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/

Any questions or inquires can be emailed to Sue Boyce- sboyc8@eq.edu.au

Parents & Citizens Association

If you would like to be an active P&C Parent Representative, please complete the Application for P&C Membership and email it to secretary@isspandc.org.au.

2025 P&C Membership & Nomination

Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of the month, 6.00-7:0pm, in the school library and/or on Microsoft Teams. All are welcome!

Please join us for our first meeting of the year either in person or online.

6:00 - 7:30pm Monday 24 February (In Library or on Teams)

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 488 208 755 821

Passcode: ddHKvv

Our Annual General Meeting is in person only in the School Library

6:00 - 7:30pm Monday 24 March in the School Library

The evening will provide an overview of 2024 P&C activities before election of the 2025 Executive committee members. All positions become available for election on an annual basis. Nominations are due by 5pm on the Friday prior to the AGM 21/03/2025.

In 2025 Indooroopilly State School will continue to move forward with its partnership with The Resilience Project.

WHO: The Resilience Project was begun by Hugh Van Cuylenburg after his experience teaching students in extreme poverty in India. Although these students possessed almost nothing, he found them to be full of joy. He learnt over time that certain habits led to their resilience and happiness. Hugh began sharing this information with sporting teams and soon became involved with schools. As an organisation, The Resilience Project works with more than 1000 schools across Australia to promote wellbeing and happiness. It teaches students, teachers and parents about key pillars of gratitude, empathy and mindfulness, and encourages them to make these practices daily habits.

WHAT: Our involvement with The Resilience Project will include:

Multiple presentations by Resilience Project personnel to our whole school community - including students, teachers and parents.

Teaching manuals for each year level, weekly lessons, audio-visual and print resources, and a workbook that includes a reflective journal for each student

Participation in individual and group activities related to gratitude, empathy, mindfulness and emotional literacy

WHY: The current state of mental health in young people in Australia:

1 in 4 adolescents will experience mental health problems this year
1 in 7 primary school students will experience mental health problems this year
Mental Health Disorders carry the largest burden of disease for 15–24 year olds
Suicide is the most common cause of death for 15–24 year olds
1 in 5 adults will experience mental health problems this year
65% of adolescents will not seek help

The key to reducing these figures is prevention. When children are calm and happy, improvements occur in academic results and behaviour.

WHEN: Weekly lessons have begun and continue all students in Years 1 - 6. During the year the school will update families of event details when TRP visit our school and offer online Parent Workshops.

HOW: The cost is $20.00 per student in Years 1 – 6 to cover the costs of the incursions, workbooks and resources used this year. We encourage you take advantage of this opportunity. Parents can play a critical role in supporting their children to develop positive habits. We encourage you to ask your children about the program and how they are integrating gratitude, empathy and mindfulness into their lives.

Our students are beginning their preparation for the upcoming online NAPLAN tests in weeks 7 and 8. Students will participate in a selection of practice online reading, language conventions and numeracy questions. Further practice sessions will occur over the next few weeks to help our students in this online environment. NAPLAN Online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, providing better assessment and more precise results.

As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

For more information and access to practice NAPLAN assessments click on the links below.

https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support/

Many think leadership is about being in charge, but true leadership is about setting an example, inspiring others, and taking responsibility. A leader steps forward to guide but also steps back to listen. It is not about being the loudest voice—it is about standing up for what is right and working toward a shared goal.

I have a medal from the Australian Taekwondo Nationals. It symbolises persistence, resilience, and leadership. Like leadership, it took dedication, patience, and teamwork. But leadership is not about titles or medals. Every student can be a leader—by showing kindness, standing up for others, and making a positive impact.

As we step into 2025, let us face challenges with courage, lift each other up, and make this a year of growth, unity, and success.

Yuna

Leadership isn’t just about wearing a badge—it's about inspiring and guiding others to be their best selves. As leaders, we have the unique opportunity to set examples and be role models for the junior students here at I.S.S

A good leader listens to others, shares ideas, and works together as a team. It's about being kind, helpful, and always willing to lend a hand to people in need. Remember, every act of leadership, no matter how small, makes a big difference.

So, let's embrace the responsibility, support one another, and lead with courage and compassion. Together, we can create an amazing year and leave a positive impact on our school community.

So, as we begin this journey as school leaders, let’s take on the challenge with enthusiasm, kindness, and courage. Let’s support one another and leave a lasting impact on Indooroopilly State School. Together, we can make this year an incredible year!

William

Chappy Jaida

Hello everyone! Chappy Jaida here!

I hope your school year is off to a great start, and you are all settling in well.

I had a wonderful start to the school year with our morning tea for parents on the first day. It was such a pleasure meeting new people and having the chance to chat over coffee and Tim Tams!

I’ve also had a lot of fun already this year playing handball with students at lunchtimes – I may have spent a bit of time practicing over the holidays to have a chance at winning!

I'm really excited for the chaplain events later in the year and the opportunity to get to know more students, whether through conversations or playing at lunchtime. If you see me around, feel free to come say hi - I'd love to meet you!

Lorenzo Guglielmino

Cecylia Garcia

Allie Masuch

HPE team email- pestaff@indooroopillyss.eq.edu.au

Swimming lessons - Term 1

Thank you for your patience with the process of signing the “2025 PE and Sports permission form” for this year. Please make sure you submit the online permission form below if you have not already done so; https://forms.office.com/r/wxqXgFDqN5

Parents helpers: We are still looking for adult helpers in the pool for the Year 1 and 2 students. Please let us know if you can help during our swimming lessons. Parents that can swim and jump in the water (shallow end) with the students are ideal.

Please see below the swimming timetable for this term (subject to change): 

District Swimming Trials

Congratulations to our 13 students who participated in the district swimming trials representing Indooroopilly State School on Monday at St Peters Lutheran College.

We have not received the names of students who qualified for Met West yet. We expect to publish these results in the next newsletter.

There are many other district sports coming up this term. If your child is interested in attending any district trials throughout the year, please email us at pestaff@indooroopillyss.eq.edu.au

Please see below the latest district trials calendar (subject to change): 

ISS Years 3-6 Cross Country – new date Wednesday 2 April

Due to a clash with the cricket club at Moore Park for our initial proposed date, this event will now be held in Week 10 on Wednesday 2 April. Students from Years 3 to 6 will participate in our Cross Country event this term at Moore Park. More information will be shared soon. 

Interschool Sport (Year 5 & 6) 

Interschool sport seasons will be in Term 2 and 3. We will share more information in our coming newsletters.

Margaret Hoey

Music Teacher

mhoey5@eq.edu.au

Cassi Zander

Music Teacher

czand4@eq.edu.au

At ISS we love to sing. We strive to have the opportunity to perform once a term on parade or in a festival or concert. Our choirs have changed a little this year to accommodate other school activities. Choir rehearsals start next week. For more information and to register please click on the link below.

Click here to register for the choirs

Monday
Yr 5/6 Chamber Strings	7:30am	Strings Room	Mrs Harle
Tuesday
Yr 5/6 Senior Strings	7:30am	Strings Room	Mrs Harle
Yr 4 Mezzo Voices	7:45am	STEAM Room	Mrs Zander
Wednesday
Yr 5 Band	7:30am	School Hall	Mr Harris
Yr 6 Grande Voices	7:45am	Music Room	Mrs Hoey
Yr 4 Band	1:00pm	School Hall	Mr Harris
Thursday
Yr 6 Band	7:30am	School Hall	Mr Harris
Yr 5 Cinque Voices	7:45am	Music Room	Mrs Hoey
Friday
Yr 4 Intermediate Strings	7:30am	Strings Room	Mrs Harle
Yr 3 Beginner Strings	1:30pm	Strings Room	Mrs Harle
Yr 5/6 Extension Cantare Voices	7:45am	Music Room	Mrs Hoey
Yr 3 Poco Voices	2:20pm	STEAM Room	Mrs Zander

Julie Bliss

Deputy Principal, Years 3 & 6

jmbli0@eq.edu.au

Year 6 STEM investigation

This week saw Year 6 engage with the Bright Future STEM program. The Bright Future STEM program showcases Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and the diversity of career opportunities within the resources and energy industry in these exciting fields. The students listened to a presentation from a working engineer and discussed the real-world applications of their learning. There was a variety of hands-on activities for the students to rotate through. From problem solving games and simple circuits to VR experiences. The students thoroughly enjoyed their time experimenting and learning through the program.

Taking an Inquiry Approach to Science

This term Year 3 students are investigating the question of how the Earth’s movement affects our daily lives. 3B have been taking a hands-on approach to their learning and exploring questions in collaborative groups. Each person has had a role to contribute to investigations and students have loved the sense of autonomy it has given them. 3B are indeed inquisitive Scientists!

Steve Box

Acting Deputy Principal, Years 4 & 5

sbox6@eq.edu.au

A Different Time and Place for Year 4

Not only have Year 4 students moved into a new learning area, a new eating area and a new play areas in 2025, as they began their English unit of work they moved to a totally different time and place. Exploring Jackie French’s Tom Appleby and the story of Eliza Bird, Year 4 students have wound back the clock about 250 years to the pre-colonial England and ahead of the voyage of the First Fleet to Australia. Exploring new vocabulary, and contrasting the world of a 10 year old convict boy has been an engaging launch into a literature-fuelled term of learning.

Year 5 Goes Wild!

As part of their Term 1 Science unit, Year 5 welcomed a host of new friends to school in Week 2, with feathered, furry and scaly creatures sharing the ISS grounds. Studying animal adaptations, students got an up close and personal experience with WildCall, observing the host of structural and behavioural adaptations of the animals. They now have the chance to build on these insights as they observe animals who call ISS home and consider how our ongoing construction work may impact their environment and behaviour.

Wendy Fender

Deputy Principal, Years 1 & 2

wfend1@eq.edu.au

Magnificent Materials in Amazing 2A- By Ms Bates

In science this term we are learning about “Materials”, and in particular, we are asking the question “How can we turn everyday materials into something extraordinary?”

Last Thursday 2A began to engage with this idea by creating the tallest tower they could from several items made of different materials. Then they discussed and wrote about how they had physically changed some of the materials to create their tower.

We also used our “Contributors” Learning Asset to work in groups. The students considered what it means to contribute ideas, how to encourage others to contribute ideas and how to respond to and value all the contributions of the group.

Mrs Smith and I were very impressed with how the children were communicating with each other, and with their ‘extraordinary’ towers!

1E’s Marvellous Maths

During the first few weeks of school, 1E have been looking at numbers to 20. We have been counting to and from 20, counting collections to 20, making collections to 20 and partitioning numbers to 20 into 2 or more parts. Our favourite activity has been working together as collaborators to make numbers using materials found in our classroom.

Amy Howkins

Deputy Principal, Prep

ahowk1@eq.edu.au

Prep A students have made a wonderful start to their journey at ISS! Our big question this year is “What can we notice?” In our first two weeks of school, this has prompted exploration, curiosity and joy as we learn about our school routines, environment and meet new friends! So far, we have enjoyed noticing our features through self portraits, outdoor learning, meeting Indi and seeing our friends and teachers each day. Prep A students cannot wait to see what else we can notice and learn about this year!

Personalised Embroidered School Hats - Pre-Order Now!

Make you child's school hat easy to identify with custom name embriodery. Order now and ensure your child's hat is easy to find and uniquely theirs.

Orders are only available through Flexischools- https://flexischools.com.au.

Order deadline: 4pm, Friday, 07/03/2025

Delivery Estimate: Early Term 2

Format of name embroidery: Full Surname with First Name Initial

Example: John Smith would be " SMITH J."

Please ensure your child's name is spelled correctly- double check for correct spelling before placing your order.

No Refund or Exchange for order of incorrect size.

BCC Event Witton Barracks

Goodstart Kenmore

Western Districts Netball

South West United Hockey Club

ArtSpace Toowong

Stafford Dental Clinic

ISS Parents received this information invia the Week 2 Indi Incidental newsletter. Please note the location of the appointments is at Stafford. Register now by visiting: https://metronorthoralhealth.snapforms.com.au/form/dental-treatment-form

Metro_North_Oral_Health_Services_Stafford_Dental_Clinic.pdf

Australian Girls Choir

Australian Girls Choir Open Day - Saturday 22 February

Look no further than the Australian Girls Choir (AGC) because we encourage, challenge and inspire girls as they learn to sing, dance and perform. School aged girls are invited to come along to our February Open Day to try our fun and inclusive classes and learn more about being part of the AGC! Please visit our website to register to attend our free Open Day: ausgirlschoir.com.au/joinagc

Kenmore Rugby