Brookfield Banter 30/04/25

From the Principal - Leanne Duncan

Brookie Students were so excited to hear the Oval was (*partially) open yesterday!

Thankyou to Mrs Lewis, Mrs Mackay along with Mrs Cathcart who began the term whilst I was on leave. Seeing the Facebook posts and photos of our community and students marching was so heartwarming.   I do hope you had some excited children come home yesterday with the partial opening of our school’s oval.

Results were received confirmation on Monday that some sections of the oval are safe for use. Thanks to the efforts of Mr Mathers, who mowed and put Bunting up around the sections that still have E.coli present. While this is only half of the oval, it is step forward!  

Unfortunately, ongoing rain has delayed repair and restoration work across many schools, including ours. I want to sincerely acknowledge and applaud our students for their patience during this time. Teachers have continued to speak with them about the challenges, reassuring them that we have been actively working to follow up.

Our Business Manager, Megan Clark, will continue to provide updates through the Banter as new information becomes available.

P and C - Principals Update

Thank you to our P and C executive who have hit the ground running after our AGM last term to kick off events and the communication of these!

• Brookie P & C Election Day BBQ - The democracy sauce has been delivered!! - Saturday 3 May - Brookie Hall
• Mother’s Day class visit and Morning Tea – Thursday 8 May - 8.40am-9am
• Mother’s Day Stall – Friday 9 May - 

Thankyou to all who have already signed up as volunteers - these events wouldn't occur without those who champion them  and the team of volunteers who sign up to support!   

Morning Tea with Helping Hands on Friday 2 May

Helping Hands are offering families an opportunity to Meet and Greet (10-11) on Friday 2 May in the OSHC room. Please see the details below.

Community Calendar - Term 2

From the Deputy Principal - Leah Cathcart

Our Rules

Follow directions straight away

Keep hands and feet to ourselves

Listen and speak in a friendly way

Be in the right place

Care for others, objects and the environment

Our Values

Respectful, Responsible, Safe

Our Mission

Belong, Strive, Succeed

In preparation for our annual school photographs, this week in PBL we once again focussed on our school Uniform Expectations. At BSS we are responsible and wear our uniform with pride.

We have simple and streamlined uniform expectations for our students from Prep to Year 6:

• BSS green polo shirt (Year 6 students may wear their Senior Shirt)
• Year 4-6 students may wear BSS sport shirt on Friday
• BSS green skorts/shorts
• NEW! BSS Bucket Hat with toggle or BSS Slouch hat
• White socks and black shoes or any colour sports joggers
• BSS green jacket or jumper
• BSS green tracksuit pants
• BSS green tights
• BSS green long sleeve undershirts
• BSS green polo shirts for extra sun protection or warmth
• BSS green religious/cultural items (e.g. hijab, yarmulke, turban)
• Students are encouraged to use the official Brookfield State School bag
• Hair neat and tidy, students are encouraged to tie hair back if below the shoulder
• Hair ties/accessories are to be BSS green and gold or natural hair colour only
• Students are permitted to wear small earrings (studs or sleepers), one watch, items of religious or medical significance
• Make up and nail polish is not permitted

For school photographs we:

• Button up shirts
• Tuck shirts in
• Wear white socks
• Wear appropriate footwear (not boots or mismatched shoes)
• Have neat and presentable hair
• Wear school coloured hair ties/accessories
• Wear only school appropriate jewellery (watch, small earrings)

Ready-Set-Prep 2026

We are looking forward to our first formal transition to school event – Parent Information Session: Tuesday 13 May 6:00-7:00pm.

Under Eights Week Celebration 2025: Friday 16 May 9:00-11:00am.

Our early years team is busily planning for our annual Under Eights Week event on Friday:16 May 9:00-11:00am.

Our Preps, Year 1s and Year 2s will attend for approximately an hour with their class group. Your class teachers will let you know the plan for the times that your children will attend. Parents, grandparents and carers are very welcome to join us and participate in the fabulous activities planned for throughout the morning.

Our Junior Choir will be making a guest appearance in CPA2 (undercover area in front of tuckshop) at 10:00.

Triple P: Postivie Parenting Programs

Reframing routines - helping our kids cooperate

April 10, 2025 | Triple P Articles

8 min read

Getting our kids to cooperate with us can be a daily challenge. Our toddlers might not want to go to sleep at night. Our school-age children might complain about having to eat their dinner. Our teens might refuse to do much at all. You might find yourself thinking: ‘Can’t they just cooperate with me a little?’

When it comes to helping encourage your child to cooperate, there is a strategy that might seem simple, yet it can really work: using routines.

What is a routine?

A routine is how we organise and schedule events, activities, and tasks in a set way. In the home, they can be used for lining up things like what children can do before going to bed, how they can prepare for school, or setting regular mealtimes. Typically, parents or caregivers set up routines, and they often involve other family members too. They are helpful for bringing order and certainty, making everyday life easier through knowing what to expect.^1,2 Routines can be used with children at any age or stage, including children with disability. The key to a routine working is to stick with it and repeat it. When we do this, it can help ease the stresses of life and support good behaviours.¹

Benefits of routines for child development and good mental health

When used in a calm and caring way to provide structure for children, routines have been shown to help them with cooperation. When cooperation improves, this usually leads to less conflict, and children can feel closer to their parents and carers.¹

Benefits of using routines include:

• Routines can help make our kids’ lives more predictable. When children know what to expect, it can help prevent the power struggles that can happen around daily tasks like mornings and bedtimes.^1,2 This can lead to the whole family feeling more connected and calmer, reducing stress for everyone.
• Routines can also be great for our children’s future development and wellbeing. When parents guide and teach children to use and develop routines well, they can become more independent, which is an important life skill.^1,2,
• When routines are followed in our homes, day-to-day interactions and tasks can be less stressful. This can have a positive influence on children’s physical and mental health.²

Problem-solving ways to use routines in your life

When do you struggle most to get your kids to cooperate with you?

Maybe morning routines are hardest for your family – getting everyone dressed, fed, teeth brushed, and out the door. Perhaps it’s nighttime and worrying about the kids getting enough sleep. Whatever it is, when we add routines to these challenging moments, it can help them go more smoothly.

Every family and child is different, so every routine should be different. With that in mind, here are some ideas for using routines in your home that you might like to try.

1. Repeat the routine and stick to it once you start. Doing the same things in the same order each day can help routines work as it helps children feel safe and secure by creating a predictable environment.¹ For example, a morning routine for school-aged children might look like: wake up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed, get shoes on, and then pack the school bag. When children know this happens every day and their parents and carers calmly support them follow the routine, there is a better chance that those steps will become a routine. It might take up to three weeks for children to learn a routine, but it is worth the effort.
2. Set limits in positive ways. Routines usually involve limits and boundaries set by parents and carers that are appropriate for the child and family. These limits help encourage good behaviours and cooperation. For example, setting the same bedtime each night, or the same wake-up time, or limiting when and for how long screen time goes for after school (such as when homework is finished).
3. Use clear instructions. Instructions used for routines are important and should be adapted to each child. These instructions don’t always have to involve you telling them what to do, although some children may need that, such as asking what steps they need to take before they go to bed. For other children, a visual schedule with pictures of each part of the routine can help. For some, a written list they can tick-off might work.
4. Help your child complete the routine according to their abilities and developmental stage. Young children may require more support to settle at night, while older children could need assistance with boundaries around phone use. Children with a disability may need additional support with their routines based on their individual needs, so it is important to provide guidance that suits them.
5. Praise and encourage children for following the routine. For example, if a toddler followed their new bedtime routine, you could thank them for doing that in the morning and encourage them by letting them have their favourite breakfast.

By thinking about using routines, even in small ways, we might be able to help overcome the daily challenge of our kids cooperating with us. For more ideas on using routines or helping children cooperate, you might like to check out one of our online parenting programs. If you have children aged 12 and under, Triple P Online can help. For new parents, Triple P Online for Baby has practical advice on navigating your baby’s first year. For teens, you could try Teen Triple P Online. For parents and carers of children with disability, you might be interested in Stepping Stones Triple P Online.

For more tips and strategies for raising confident kids, visit Triple P Online.

References

1. Ren, L., & Fan, J. (2019). Chinese preschoolers’ daily routine and its associations with parent-child relationships and child self-regulation. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 43(2), 179-184. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025418811126
2. Selman, S. B., & Dilworth‐Bart, J. E. (2024). Routines and child development: A systematic review. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 16(2), 272-328. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12549

From the Deputy Principal - Katie Lewis

ANZAC Day - Thank You

Thank you to the families who attended the local ANZAC Service on Friday last week.  It was great to see such a strong contingent of Brookie students, proudly marching in the parade and respectfully attending during the Service at the Showgrounds (despite the unfavourable weather conditions).

Thank you also to Kenmore Village Florist for the wreath, placed by our Captains Caden and Vicky.

ANZAC Day 2025

Northern Eagles Cross Country

Congratulations to all of our Brookie kids who ran their hearts out at Limestone Park on Tuesday. We are so proud of you!

Top ten finishers from Brookfield include:

12 Year Boys:

• Tom M - 1st
• George J - 9th

12 Year Girls:

• Charlotte H - 5th 
• Charlotte W - 7th

11 Year Boys:

• Arlo U - 2nd
• Freddie S - 9th

11 Year Girls:

• Mia P - 1st
• Harper - 2nd
• Mackenzie - 9th

10 Year Boys:

• Sam M - 1st

Thanks to Mr Bidner and Mrs Lizel Moore for all you did in getting our kids prepared and on the day, thank you also for the photos, Lizel (included below and on Facebook).

Northern Eagles Cross Country 2025

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 23

Next

From the Head of Curriculum - Lisa McKay

Building Strong Foundations in Reading: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Last week, I introduced the Big 6 of Reading (see image below). This week, we focus the essential components of Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness.

Phonological awareness refers to the ability to hear and work with the sounds of spoken language, including syllables, onset and rime, and individual sounds known as phonemes. Phonemic awareness, a subset of phonological awareness, involves the ability to isolate and manipulate these individual phonemes within words. It is a critical skill for early reading success. Please see the umbrella image below, which illustrates the relationship between phonological and phonemic awareness.

At Brookfield, we explicitly teach phonemic awareness in Prep and Year 1 through the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness program, a structured and research-based approach. Later this term, the program will also be implemented in Year 2. In addition, we conduct regular check-ins in Prep and provide targeted support in Years 1 and 2, as needed, to ensure all students are developing strong foundational skills in reading.

Swimming Program Feedback

Last year, we made changes to our swimming program and invited the school community to provide feedback through a survey. The graphs below summarise the responses we received.

We greatly appreciate the input shared by families and have used this feedback to inform our planning. We will continue with the swimming program in Term 4 this year, for students in Years 1 to 6.

From the Social Worker - Mrs D

Transitioning back to school after a break could be challenging for some of our children. Below are some tips to get ahead of the game if this occurs in your family.

1. Talk about going back to school days ahead of time

Lots of kids will benefit immensely from reminders that a return to school is coming soon because it helps them mentally prepare for the transition, instead of being surprised the day before.

2. Set up a playdate or two with school friends

My family was recently quarantined for 2 weeks. The kids missed a lot of school. I knew the transition back was going to be difficult on one of my other sons, who’s in 4th grade. I didn’t have to remind him about school coming, he knew it, and was telling me that he was getting worried thinking about going back.

3. Prep some helpful transition items

Ask your child if there’s anything special, they’d like to get ready to help them with going back to school. Don’t be surprised if they have some ideas, and if it’s something that’s appropriate, even if it seems strange to you, make it happen.

4. Get to bed early 2-3 days ahead of time, and wake up on time

Helping kids get back to all aspects of their morning routine will help make the transition smoother, and this includes sleep!

5. Expect your child to have a hard time

If your child has ever had any trouble transitioning back to school, at any time, even just over the weekend, you’ll be in a much better place to support them after the holiday break if you anticipate that they’ll have a hard time.

I’ve been guilty at times of just hoping that it’s not a problem. If it is, and I haven’t mentally prepared myself, I tend to get frustrated because “my hope” didn’t come true.

I have a feeling I’m not alone in this.

So mentally plan on the first day back being a rough morning, and then, if it’s not, you can be pleasantly surprised. If it is, you’ll be far less frustrated. 

6. Call in supports

If your child has particularly difficult transitions, on a consistent basis, you may want to ask your spouse, partner, another caregiver, or grandparent to go to work late or come over to help you in the morning, especially if you have other children you’re managing. 

7. Decompress and debrief

When your child gets home that first day, they may need time to decompress. Ask a quick question or two about how their day went and then allow them space to relax or get some physical activity. 

After they’ve had a chance to decompress ask more open-ended questions about their day….

• How did they feel at school today?
• What was the best part of their day?
• What was the hardest part of their day?

Adapted from yourkidstable.com

Library News

Premier’s Reading Challenge May 6 - August 22

The library captains will be distributing the reading record forms to students in Week 3. Each student who completes the challenge will receive a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier.  Go Brookfield readers!

National Simultaneous Storytime Event – Week 5

Lunchtime Lab Activities

The Library Computer Lab is open at 1^st breaks for certain year levels on different days. See below timetable

P&C News

The P&C are running the upcoming Election Day BBQ event fundraiser and would love your help! This Saturday May 3 – Kirit (P&C Committee member), and Sue from Tuckshop along with the Helping Hands team will be setting up a delicious BBQ & treats stall to sell to the hungry local voters. We’re looking for volunteers to help run the BBQ and get involved!

If you are able to help out, even for just an hour, please pop your name on the volunteer register via the link below - Come and connect with other Brookie parents & community and help to make this voting day an enjoyable one!

Please click on the following web link (or copy it into your web browser if clicking doesn't work) to go to the signup sheet:

volunteersignup.org/W3MBQ

To sign up, just follow the instructions on the page. It only takes a few seconds to do.

Thank you for volunteering!

SAVE THE DATE - Mother's Day Morning Tea and Stall 

Helping Hands News

Office News

Office Hours

The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm, during the school term. 

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@brookfieldss.eq.edu.au

Facilities Update

Oval Update

We are very pleased to advise that we have been able to open part of the oval.

Results from soil sampling was able to confirm areas with acceptable levels of e. Coli.

Repairs and clean-up of the fence and oval was not completed during the school holidays due to the oval being too soft for machinery. Q Build will be advising a new date for these repairs to take place. I would like to extend thanks to all staff and students for your patience with this matter.

Payments Methods

The following are the payment methods available to you for your child/rens invoices.

• BPoint
• EFTPOS
• Cash
• QParents
• Qkr

The link below will direct you to the BPoint payment system. This can also be found at the bottom of any invoice and statement. If you use the link provided below you will need to enter your details manually.

Absences

Reporting an absence

Parents can report their student's absence via the following options:

• QParents 
• Email - absences@brookfieldss.eq.edu.au
• Phone - 07 3374 7333 option 1

Any absence that is more than 10 consecutive school days must be requested via an exemption form to be approved by the principal prior to the absence. Please see the link below for more information about why an exemption is required from compulsory schooling 

Unexplained Absences

To avoid having unexplained absences listed on your child/rens school report, please ensure any unexplained absences are corrected by informing office staff on the day of absence. These can also be updated via the QParents app.

Late Arrival and Early Pick Up

We ask that all parents please bring their students via the office if arriving after 8:55am to ensure they are signed in, which will update their absence on the roll. Please note that even if you have emailed Admin advising your student/s will be late it is still mandatory that they are brought to the office to sign in.

If you need to collect your child/ren early (before 2:55pm) please ensure that you email both your class teacher and Admin.

Please note ALL STUDENTS must come to the main office to be collected prior to 2:55pm, unless confirmed otherwise by Admin.

Ensuring your student/s sign in and out of school correctly is for their safety. We thank you for your understanding.

2025 Term Dates

• Term 1: Tuesday 28 January to Friday 4 April—10 weeks.
• Term 2: Tuesday 22 April to Friday 27 June—10 weeks.
• Term 3: Monday 14 July to Friday 19 September—10 weeks.
• Term 4: Tuesday 7 October to Friday 12 December—10 weeks

Extra-Curricular Calendar - Term 2

Community News

Brookfield Show Society 

SHOW TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

The Brookfield Show will run from Friday 23 May to Sunday 25 May 2025. You can purchase your tickets by using the QR code on the flyer below or by following the link provided.

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR THE BROOKFIELD SHOW:

The Brookfield Show's success is only because we have community members kindly giving their time. If you would like to volunteer, please follow the link below.