Brookfield Banter 19/03/25

From the Principal - Leanne Duncan

Updated Calendar Weeks 8 -10

TC Alfred impacted some of our dates on the Term 1 Calendar. I have attached below a clear end of term calendar including dates that were required to be moved/changed.  

Harmony Day - The Kindness Song!

Thank you to Mrs McMillian who led the Kindness Song with all of our year 1's and 2's  on our Junior Assembly today - it was absolutely magical!! This was a part of the Harmony Day experiences for our students this week.  Harmony Day  2025 - Everyone Belongs!

On Friday 21 March, we are celebrating Harmony Day, a special day to recognise and embrace Australia’s cultural diversity.  Students are encouraged to wear orange and participate in activities on offer. Staff and Students will also come together for a shared lunch to share, learn, and celebrate what makes our school community so special! 

We will hear all of our year 1-3 students sing the Kindness Song again for our whole school assembly in Week 10!!!   

Traffic Flow and Safety at Pick up and Drop off

As you may be aware, the ongoing water issues on Boscombe Road continue to impact the drop-off and pick-up process. Brookfield State School remains in discussions to find a longer-term solution.

We understand that when vehicles park in the designated spaces at the very bottom, it creates challenges for others navigating the area, particularly around the tree. Larger vehicles often need to perform a three-point turn to move around, which then slows the flow of traffic. Additionally, when cars attempt to turn around further up on Boscombe Road, it causes delays and halts traffic movement. While a single vehicle making a three-point turn may seem insignificant, when multiple cars do so simultaneously, it can quickly create congestion and safety risks for our community.

Your patience and cooperation in following our Stop, Kiss and Go guidelines are greatly appreciated. The improvements have supported the flow on Boscombe road, when access is viable to and from Boscombe Road. Thank you to those who have given feedback reflecting what has worked. 

Thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring a safe and efficient drop-off and pick-up process.

Community Calendar UPDATE - Wk's 9 and 10

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

Week 8: This week we focus on inclusion, respect and belonging. At BSS we ALL Belong.

It is our responsibility to include others, act with respect towards others and create a sense of belonging for ourselves and others.

Our senior-school students listened to messages from Harmony Day local heroes from across Australia and viewed a BTN (Behind the News) clip about why multiculturalism in our county is to be celebrated.

Our junior-school students listened to stories from other children about “What does a world of Harmony look like?” including a story created by students from St Gabriel’s Primary School. They also enjoyed a story by Elizabeth Cole, “Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger”.

Ready-Set-Prep 2026

Parent-Teacher Meetings: Term 1 2025

Prep/Year 1 Families: Weeks 9 & 10 in CLASSROOMS

Parent-teacher meetings will take place during Weeks 9 and 10 of this Term.  These meetings will take place in your child’s classroom with booking times available before and after school (depending on each teacher’s availability). 

*Please note this booking code is for Prep and Year 1 only* Year 2-6 (including Mrs Godford’s 1/2) parent-teacher meetings will be in the HALL on Tuesday 01 and Wednesday 02 April.

When booking make note of the time and date selected and pop it in your diary, there will be no reminder generated or sent.

It is preferred that your child does not sit with us during the meeting. If they are going to be with you, please bring along an activity for them to do and perhaps a snack/drink bottle.

Click here to book (control + click to follow link)

Year 2-Year 6: Tuesday 01/Wednesday 02 April in the HALL

Parent-teacher meetings for Years 2 - 6 will take place in Week 10 this Term, on Tuesday 01 and Wednesday 02 April.

These meetings will take place in the HALL with booking times available from 3:15-6:45. 

*Please note this booking code is for Years 2-6 only. If you have a child in Prep or Year 1, check emails from your child’s class teacher for a different code. Prep and Year 1 meetings will take place in your child’s classroom*

When booking make note of the time and date selected and pop it in your diary, there will be no reminder generated or sent.

It is preferred that your child does not sit with us during the meeting. If they are going to be with you, please bring along an activity for them to do quietly in the Hall-foyer and perhaps a snack/drink bottle.

Click here to book (control + click to follow link)

From the Deputy Principal - Katie Lewis

NAPLAN Update

Well done to our Year 3 and Year 5 students (and their teachers!) for taking NAPLAN in their stride this week.  By all accounts, students are working well on completing their NAPLAN tasks, with Writing, Reading and Language Conventions already done, just Numeracy to be completed on Thursday.  If students have been absent, opportunities exist to complete catch up assessments during this week, until and including Friday.

Thank you, parents for working with us to ensure your children feel calm, relaxed and prepared for these assessments. Perhaps ice cream for dessert is in order on Thursday night!

Gala Sports Day - Years 5 and 6

Year 5 and 6 students will enjoy their first Gala Day on Wednesday 26 March. Parents have already received information via QParents along with invoicing from Christina in our Office. 

• What: Year 5 and 6 Gala Sports Day (Netball and Soccer)
• When: Wednesday 26 March 2025
• Where: Soccer – Moggill FC (Moggill)
• Where: Netball – WDNA Courts (Graceville)
• Transport:   All participating students are to travel to and from the venue by bus.
• PLEASE ARRIVE at SCHOOL BY 7.45am for an 8.00am departure. Students are to walk along the path, down the steps and wait in the area near the Music Room. Buses are due to return by 2:55pm (updates via SMS/email/Facebook if this changes).

What to wear/bring:

• ALL students are required to bring their own lunch and water bottle/s.
• ALL students are to wear FULL school uniform (Interschool Sports (Friday) Shirt) including hats.
• ALL students should apply sunscreen before leaving home.
• ALL students should remove jewellery, watches and earrings.
• SOCCER students are required to wear SHIN PADS (and long socks).

As always, we have reminded students of the importance of being ‘good sports’ when they are representing our school at Gala Days.  We have referred to our Code of Behaviour which you will have sent home for discussion with your child – thank you for your support with this.

Parents are welcome to come along to the Gala Days, and we ask your assistance in setting up slightly away from the school tent areas to ensure students can remain focused as part of their team and be ready for instruction from teachers and ready for their games on the day.

Harmony Day - WEAR ORANGE

Don't forget to show your support of our Harmony Day activities by wearing ORANGE on Friday 21 March. Families are reminded of the importance of clothing being sun safe and suitable for school (including footwear).

We are looking forward to our 'Buddy Lunch' and 'Buddy Play' on Friday too, along with creating items to place on our Brookie Branches of Belonging tree.

Thank you Mrs D, our Social Worker, for your work in pulling these Harmony Day events together for our school.

REMINDER - No Band Thursday 27 March

Year 4 families, don't forget there won't be any Band Lessons on Thursday 27 March as Mr Lougheed is away on Camp. 

From the Head of Curriculum - Lisa McKay

Respectful Relationships

This year your child will learn about the topic of Respectful Relationships in Health and Physical Education (HPE). Respectful Relationships education helps shape the future of the world we live in by giving children and young people the skills, experiences and confidence to lead healthy relationships and productive lives.

The current version of the Australian Curriculum includes Respectful Relationships Education in Health and Physical Education. Through our school’s HPE programs, we aim to teach children and young people how to develop behaviours and attitudes that promote healthy, safe and Respectful Relationships. We further aim to foster learning about personal and social capabilities, and ethical and intercultural understandings. The Australian Curriculum is publicly available online at https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/. Mr Bidner, Mrs Lizel Moore and class teachers will deliver this learning so that it is relevant, age-appropriate, and connects authentically with the real-life contexts within which our students learn, live and grow.

Through Respectful Relationships Education, children and young people will learn about:

• personal and social awareness, supporting students to understand themselves and others in different social situations
• respectful interactions, supporting students to understand and practise strategies for relating to and interacting with others respectfully (offline and online)
• protective behaviours, supporting students to understand and practice preventative, proactive and responsive strategies to keep themselves and others safe in offline and online environments.

Respectful Relationships - What will my child be learning?

Queensland state schools are required to provide health and wellbeing education as part of the delivery of the Australian Curriculum. At Brookfield State School we will be teaching the ‘Respect Program’ which is a teaching and learning resource developed by the Department of Education. The Respect program takes a developmental approach to content and delivery.

Prep to Year 2

Students develop the capacity to understand and self-regulate their emotions in ways that account for their feelings and the feelings of others. They also develop skills to initiate social interactions.

The content explores the people who are important to these young students and develops their capacity to initiate and maintain respectful relationships in different contexts, including at school, at home and in the classroom. Students explore their own sense of self and the factors that contribute to and influence their identities. They learn about emotions and how to enhance their interactions with others as they grow older, including seeking, giving and denying permission (consent).

Years 3 to 6

The Respect program's focus broadens to include the knowledge, understanding and skills required to support students' wellbeing and that of their family and friends. Personal and social skills take on an increasing importance as they look to family, peers and the community for role models. Students begin to explore personal and social factors that support and contribute to their identities and assist in the management of emotional responses in a range of situations over time. Students develop knowledge, understanding and skills that help them build and maintain respectful relationships, including seeking, giving and denying permission (consent).

Respectful Relationships – Role of Parents

https://education.qld.gov.au/parents/community-engagement/Documents/rre-role-parents-carers.pdf

Resources for Parents

https://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/file/a0ba1327-a69e-474d-a220-acfff7542960/1/parents/resources.html

Recent Updates to our Curriculum and Reporting Framework (CARF) - Reporting

The Queensland's K-12 Curriculum and Reporting Framework (CARF) guides how we teach and report on student progress.

Prep

Starting in 2025, there are significant changes to how reporting is structured for Prep students. While Prep students will continue to study all curriculum areas, they will only receive formal grades for English, Mathematics and Health and Physical Education (HPE). For other subjects, students will engage in learning experiences, and instead of the usual formative assessments, they will participate in monitoring tasks to track their progress.

The image below, provided by the Queensland Department of Education (2025), outlines which subjects will be graded and assessed, and which will be experienced through these new monitoring tasks.

Reporting Scales and Descriptions

These updates will be implemented this semester and will be reflected in the way teachers communicate with you during parent-teacher meetings. They will also appear in the end of Semester 1 report, which will be issued at the end of June.

The Curriculum and Reporting Framework (CARF) can be found at https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/stages-of-schooling/k-12

If you have any questions about these changes, please feel free to contact the Curriculum Coordinator Lisa McKay on lmcka51@eq.edu.au

From the Social Worker - Mrs D

What is Harmony Week?

Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging. The message of Harmony Week is everyone belongs. These celebrations create opportunities for all of us to think, talk about and recognise how our differences make Australia a great place to live.

Did you know?

• More than half (51.5 per cent) of Australian residents were born overseas or have at least one parent who was.
• Since 1945, more than 7.6 million people have migrated to Australia.
• Nearly every single country from around the world was represented in Australia's population in 2020.
• More than 150 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages are spoken in Australia
• Apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Punjabi. · We identify with over 300 ancestries.

On Friday we will be celebrating the diversity of culture at BSS and encouraging a sense of belonging through our shared lunch and cultural games on offer during break time. What might you include in your child’s lunch box that represents a piece of their culture. My lunch box would include a few pieces of Biltong.

Happy Harmony Day!

From the Inclusion Team

All members of our inclusion team can be reached via email at inclusion@brookfieldss.eq.edu.au.

Our inclusion team are specialist teachers whose role is to support classroom teachers and families to maximise engagement for students who have diverse learning needs. Each member of the team has different year levels we look after. The benefit of this team approach is that information is stored centrally and there is always someone from the Inclusion team who can assist. Enrichment and extension across the school will be shared across the team this year. Our social worker Nikki also works on a Thursday and assists with mild to moderate mental health concerns and any broader community support that is needed.

If you are not familiar or have not met our Inclusion Team, keep reading to learn more about Mrs Weigel, Mrs Vella and Mr Williams.

Steph Weigel (Prep & Year 1)

I am a passionate Early Years teacher with 14 years’ experience. I have a personal interest in all thing's child development, neurodiversity and authentic inclusion which enhances the school experience for all. I have 3 young children, 2 of whom attend the school which only strengthens my deep connection to Brookfield. I have recently spent 6 months working with Autism Queensland as an Early Years Inclusion Consultant for kindergartens where I received additional training in supporting families, positive behaviour support and best practise Early Years teaching through an inclusion lens. I will be responsible for supporting students in Prep and Year 1 and my workdays are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. I am always keen to connect with parents and welcome you to contact me anytime!

Anna Vella (Years 2 & 3)

I’ve had the privilege of teaching at Brookfield SS for many years in various roles, from classroom teacher to Learning Support. Over the past three years, my role has evolved into that of an Inclusion Teacher, where I support all of our diverse learners. In 2023, I completed the Metro Region’s Leaders of Inclusion course, and I’m excited to continue building on this knowledge with the team to champion inclusion at BSS in 2025. I love working collaboratively, and I look forward to continuing to partner with Ben and Steph this year to implement and refine our inclusive practices. Motivating and engaging students, while building strong connections with both them and their families, are passions of mine. I will be supporting students in Years 2 and 3, working three days a week, from Tuesday to Thursday. I look forward to meeting new families and reconnecting with returning ones. If you have any questions about your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Ben Williams (Years 4,5 & 6)

I am still fairly new to Brookfield, only starting here in 2023 but have loved every minute of it. I have been teaching since 2010 and have had some different roles along with classroom teaching. I am passionate about advocating for those who are neurodiverse and have thoroughly enjoyed the Inclusion role here at Brookfield. Anything sport related is also a passion of mine 😊I am lucky enough to have my two boys here at Brookfield. My role this year will be to support Year 4,5 & 6 students and I will be working Tuesday – Friday. On my day off I am studying Psychology and am excited to eventually get into that field!

It’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week! (17-23rd March)

Please visit the official website for highly valuable and child friendly resources.

https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/

What is Neurodiversity?

When it comes to inclusion, neurodiversity refers to a world where neurological differences are recognised and respected as all other human variations.

Depending on how our brains are wired we think, move, process information and communicate in different ways. Many people in our community use neurodiversity as an umbrella term used to describe alternative thinking styles such as Dyslexia, DCD (Dyspraxia), Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD. But regardless of labels, neurodiversity is about recognising those who think differently. And no matter whether you are a school, university or organisation you can benefit from different thinkers!
 
Approximately 15-20% of population has a neurological difference. Instead of labelling people with deficits or disorders, when we use the term neurodiversity, we take a balanced view of an individual’s unique strengths and challenges. Many ‘challenges’ neurodivergent people face are more to do with the environment and systems they are placed in, often designed by a majority population.

• No two people are the same and so we will all have different profiles
• Although we talk about specific neuro-differences such as Autism and Dyslexia, the reality is that these can co-occur
• Every neurodivergent individual has a unique pattern of strengths and challenges
• We tend to operate on an approach to diagnosis and labels which can mean that quite often the focus is on the challenges rather than the many strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals
• It is important that we take a person-centred approach, by tailoring strategies to each individual
• It is important to harness the strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals, this helps to build confidence and self-esteem, and ensures individuals are given the opportunity to flourish in their day-to-day

We will be shining a light on Neurodiversity Celebration Week, and we hope this sparks valuable conversations in your home.

For more information please contact; inclusion@brookfieldss.eq.edu.au

LOTE News

In Germany, many people enjoy one of the long traditions of the time leading up to Easter - eating fish for Lent, AND …. eating Berliner donuts!

So, Frau Raben and Sue from the Tuckshop have come up with a really yummy menu for Tuesday, 1 April (that’s Week 10) to experience German food.

On the menu will be:

First break: Fischbrötchen – a crumbed fish filet with optional mayo, gherkin and red onion on a German Kaiser roll. The Fischbrötchen is really popular street food in Northern Germany near the sea, in cities such as Hamburg and Kiel.

Second break: Berliner donuts. They are big raspberry jam-filled donuts with a few different names, depending on which part of Germany you are in. In central Germany they’re called Kreppel, in the Capital City Berlin, they are called Berliner Pfannkuchen, but in southern Germany you call them Krapfen.

The buns and donuts are baked fresh for us from King of Cakes, so are sure to be lecker (yummy!)

Orders on Flexischools until Thursday, 27 March.

Please email Frau Raben lcrab10@eq.edu.au if you have any questions or contact Sue if you can help out in the tuckshop that day.

Enjoy your meal! Guten Appetit!

Sports News

Library News

Date Claimer: Book Fair 20 March - 1 April 2025

We are excited to have wonderful books for sale at the Scholastic Book Fair! It begins tomorrow, Thursday 20 March and finishes Tuesday 1 April. Selling times do vary so check the schedule below.

Parents can make an online pre- payment at Scholastic for their child to come on in and choose books to that dollar value. Click here to make a pre-payment for your child to spend: https://parentpayments.scholastic.com.au/BookFairs

Alternatively, parents could pay in person with EFTPOS at the fair.

The school receives a commission on all books sold to buy new books for our library!

eBooks – Yr3-6

All year 3-6 students with permission are registered to access State Schools digital library which includes over 80,000 eBooks, audiobooks, read-along books and magazines. The eBooks Digital Library is available 24/7 at home and at school on a PC, laptop or mobile device.

To access eBooks, students visit the Sora website or download the free Sora app on a mobile device, search for the school: Education Queensland, and log in using their department username (MIS ID). Parents can access more FAQs on  eResource Services OnePortal page. Happy Reading!

Fiona Allison - Teacher Librarian

Sun Smart Policy 2025

Office News

Prep Families - Student Resource Scheme (SRS)

Thank you for your quick response! You should have received your invoice for $150.00 by now. If you have not seen this invoice in your emails or your QParents account, please let us know as soon as possible.

Entering the School

Please enter our school from the pedestrian gate. There is a pedestrian crossing and learning opportunity for children to make their way to Helping Hands OSHC.

Gate 2 car park is open for staff parking and disability access and also deliveries which can come at different times of the day.

For the safety of students at Brookfield State School, there is a 40 km hour zone on Brookfield Road. This is a supervised crossing which is attended and managed by two crossing supervisors.

Morning - 8am -9am
Afternoon - 2:50pm -3:20pm

Thank you for your support for this to make a difference to road safety around our school, and for your continued diligence and support of traffic management around our school.

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

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.

QParents

QParents is a secure, online portal that has been created by the Department of Education to provide parents of Queensland state school students with 24-hour access to their child's information.

The portal allows you to securely access information about your child and communicate directly with your child's school.

Find out more about QParents and download the app today.

Note: Initial registration cannot be completed via the app and must be completed using a personal computer. Once registered, you can choose to use the QParents AparemysExternaapp on your tablet or smartphone, or via the mobile browser. Refer to registration and access for more information.

Make sure you use the latest browser version (e.g. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge) when logging in to QParents from your computer or mobile device.

Note: Internet Explorer is not supported.

Please see attached further information below:

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

Helping Hands News

Extra-Curricular Calendar - Term 1

Community News

Celebrate the end of term 1 at Brookfield Showgrounds on Friday 4 April from 4pm.

Brookfield Show Society is hosting a FREE family movie, "Clifford the Big Red Dog" on the oval from sunset, around 6:15pm.

Pop down early to secure your spot and enjoy dinner from food trucks and a drink from the bar at 550 Brookfield Rd, Brookfield.

A range of food vendors will be in attendance with something to suit everyone. These include a BBQ from Brookfield United Cricket Club, pizzas from BrizWoodfired Pizza, Asian fusion and chicken nuggets & chips from Hawker Eats and ice-cream from Hit the Soft Spot.

This event is FREE and made possible from our film sponsors: Savages Coffee, Green Spirit Landscapes, 4069 Real Estate and Kenmore Hills Early Learning.

Brookfield Show Society 

Would you like to be involved with this years Brookfield Show? We are seeking a steward to run our Childrens Art Section. If you are interested and would like the opportunity to be involved with the show, please contact the secretary at secretary@brookfieldshowsociety.com.au