Brookfield Banter 18/06/25

From the Principal - Leanne Duncan

Nearing the End of a wonderful (and busy) Term! 

As we approach the end of the term, it’s a great time to reflect on all we’ve achieved together. From exciting excursions and special events to sporting carnivals, offsite athletics carnivals, and classroom milestones, it’s been a full and vibrant term.

We also want to acknowledge the effort and energy that’s gone into the reporting period—our teachers have worked incredibly hard to capture each student’s growth, and we know families appreciate the time taken to reflect on individual learning journeys.

A big thank you to our staff, students, and families for the teamwork, resilience, and positivity shown throughout the term. While there’s still a week to go, we’re already proud of everything that’s been accomplished.

We look forward to finishing the term strong—and then enjoying a well-earned break for all!

Oval Update 

After some delays due to the wet weather, we’re excited to share that the turf has finally been laid on the oval this week – and it’s looking fantastic! Mr Mathers is working hard to help the grass establish, and once it’s ready, the bunting will be removed so everyone can enjoy the full space.

In the meantime, students are already making the most of the open areas, with three soccer goals set up and plenty of fun being had at break times. We know it’s been a challenging wait with the unpredictable weather, but the end is now in sight, and we can’t wait to see the oval fully open and thriving again soon. There is a part of the turf near the fence line and surrounding area that will be redone and levelled for useability. 

Parentline service supporting parents and carers 

Parentline is a free, confidential counselling service newly available for all Queensland parents and carers.
If you need support navigating challenging situations, Parentline offers qualified counsellors who can help with expert advice, emotional support and referrals when needed.

Parentline’s services include:

• practical parenting resources on their website

• live webchat with professional counsellors

• phone support for immediate assistance (1300 30 1300)

• the option to pre-book ongoing sessions with the same counsellor

• online counsellor-facilitated parenting forums for shared support

• referrals to other family support services when additional help is needed.

Visit their website (parentline.com.au) for more information today or give them a call on 1300 30 1300. 

Brookfield Students - Big Experiences, Bright Opportunities

It’s been a big and exciting week for our Brookie kids, with students across the school jumping into a range of enriching experiences!

A huge shout-out to our Year 5 and 6 students—Felix W, Matias L-A, Declan R, Oliver A, and Shaurya M—who proudly represented Brookfield at the 2025 Readers Cup Challenge last Wednesday, competing alongside students from 25 other schools. Great Job!

Our Prep to Year 2 students also had their moment to shine at the P–2 Athletics Carnival. It was a particularly special day for our Preps, who gave it their all at their very first school carnival! We loved seeing their energy and enthusiasm!

And tomorrow morning, our talented Senior Choir will take the stage at the Fanfare Regional Final. We can’t wait to see them perform and share their beautiful voices with a wider audience.

Brookfield is a place where students are supported and celebrated as they step up, participate, and thrive. This is just what I know our Year 5 students will be doing this when they attend camp next week!

Community Calendar - Term 3

Our Term 3 Community Calendar will be in next week's Banter!

Term 3 kicks off on Monday 14 July—here are some dates to note for the first week:

• NAIDOC WEEK: 1-13 JULY The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy
• P & C Meeting - Tuesday 15 July
• Junior Assembly - Wednesday 16 July
  

From the Deputy Principal - Leah Cathcart

PBL: Positive Behaviour for Learning

Our Rules and Values in Action at Brookfield State School

At Brookfield State School, our mission is clear: Belong, Strive, Succeed. Every day, we support our students to live this mission through our shared values of being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe.

Our school rules help guide us:

• • • • • • • • • 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

What Does It Mean to Be Safe?

As part of our Health and Wellbeing focus this week, our junior students have been exploring the concept of Being Safe—a core value at our school and an essential foundation for learning and growing together.

We talked about how being safe means more than just avoiding danger. It includes:

• Being protected from harm, risk, or situations that make us feel uncomfortable
• Feeling positive, loved and cared for
• Knowing how to speak up when something doesn’t feel right

Together, we discussed everyday ways we keep ourselves and others safe, including:

• Self-care and hygiene practices, like regular handwashing to stay well and stop the spread of germs
• Road safety awareness, including how to cross roads safely and follow traffic rules
• Understanding and following school rules, which help everyone feel secure and respected

We also introduced support networks. Each student identified five trusted people they can talk to if they ever feel unsafe, helping them recognise that they’re never alone.

To support this learning, we shared messages from Kids Helpline and discussed ow it is important to feel confident and safe emotionally and physically.

At our school, Being Safe is one of our key values because we know that children learn best when they feel secure, confident and cared for.

In the Senior School this week our focus turned to our school protocols and expectations for ICTs, mobile phones, smart watches and devices.

🎒 The Aim of Away for the Day

At Brookfield State School, our aim is to create a focused, safe, and connected learning environment.

Away for the Day is our whole-school approach to managing personal devices like mobile phones and smartwatches during school hours.

This expectation is part of a Queensland Government initiative in place across all state schools to support student wellbeing and engagement.

By keeping devices off and away, we aim to:

• Support positive social interactions
• Reduce distractions in learning
• Encourage students to be present and engaged
• Promote a sense of belonging and inclusion

We thank our families for supporting this shared approach — helping every student to Belong, Strive, and Succeed

This week our senior students turned their focus once again to discussing and understanding why it is important for their safety and learning to respect statewide expectations for Away for the Day

Using Technology Respectfully, Responsibly & Safely at BSS

At Brookfield State School, our Behaviour Flowchart helps guide students to make positive choices—especially when it comes to using technology. As part of our school values, we explicitly teach and expect all students to be Respectful, Responsible and Safe in their use of ICTs.

Here’s how our approach supports learning while ensuring digital devices are used appropriately:

✅ Green Light – Learning is On Track 

When students follow directions and school expectations:

• Phones are switched off and stored appropriately
• Smartwatches are on School Mode
• Laptops are used only during learning time
  In these moments, students are praised, acknowledged with positive feedback, and classroom learning continues smoothly.

⚠️ Yellow Light – First Warning 

When a device is used inappropriately, the following steps apply:

• Phones: Immediately handed to the teacher and placed in a lock-box
• Smartwatches (not on School Mode): First warning given, with contact made to parents
• Devices/Laptops used at inappropriate times (before/after school or outside of learning):
• First warning
• Name recorded on clipboard
• 5 minutes off the device
• If repeated: 10 minutes off the device

🔴 Red Light – Second Warning  

If inappropriate use continues:

• Phones:
• Second warning
• Phone again placed in lock-box
• Parents contacted via phone or email
• Smartwatches:
• Second warning
• Watch placed on teacher’s desk or taken to the office
• Parents contacted
• Devices/Laptops:
• Second warning
• Name recorded
• 15 minutes off the device
• Parents contacted

By clearly outlining expectations and consequences, our Behaviour Flowchart helps ensure that all students can use technology in a way that is respectful to others, responsible in timing and purpose, and safe for themselves and their peers.

We encourage families to discuss these expectations at home and support students in developing healthy digital habits.

Prep 2026 Orientation – Coming Soon!

Did you receive our email last week?

An important message was sent to all families with a child on our 2026 enrolment list. This email included helpful and practical information to support a smooth and positive transition from kindergarten to Prep next year.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Tips for building school readiness
• Helpful routines to practise at home
• What to expect in the first term of Prep
• Key dates and next steps in our transition program

If you didn’t receive the email, please contact our school office so we can ensure you’re on our mailing list.

We are very excited to welcome our Pre-Preppies and their families next term for Prep Orientation Day – Friday 25 July 2025 9:15-11:00.
We have a fabulous morning planned, full of engaging experiences for the children and valuable insights for parents. It’s a special opportunity to meet the Prep teaching team, explore our classrooms and begin building a connection with our wonderful school community.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Junior Athletics Carnival 2025 - A Fabulous Day of Fun, Effort and School Spirit!

What a wonderful morning we shared at our Junior Athletics Carnival! A heartfelt thank you to Mr Bidner and our staff, parents, and students for making the day such a fantastic celebration of participation, encouragement, and team spirit.

We are incredibly proud of the preparation and enthusiasm shown by everyone involved. Our students demonstrated great respect and responsibility throughout the event, cheering each other on and giving every activity their best effort. It was inspiring to see so many students step up with resilience, showing courage and determination as they had a go at new and challenging physical activities.

The support from our staff and parent community was exceptional, creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere for our young athletes. Whether it was helping with events, cheering from the sidelines, or ensuring everyone was sun-safe and hydrated, your contribution helped make the day a memorable one.

Congratulations to all our Prep–Year 2 students—you should be proud of your efforts and the way you represented our school. We look forward to building on this success in years to come!

From the Deputy Principal - Katie Lewis

Fanfare Regional Finals - Thursday 19 June

Wishing our Senior Choir and Mrs McMillan the best of luck for their performance tomorrow at the Fanfare Regional Finals at the Old Museum. 

Parents are reminded that Senior Choir students are to be dropped off at 8.00am to the Music Room for an 8.15am departure. Students are to be in their black and white performance uniform and require a change of uniform when they return later in the school day.  For further information, please refer to emails from Mrs McMillan.

Year 5 Camp - Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 June

Our Year 5 students are getting VERY EXCITED as they count down days to their Mapleton Camp! Parents are encouraged to check packing lists and to review emails from Mrs Cole with all relevant information to support students to be ready for camp. Any medication is required to be dropped to the school office by Thursday 19 June, thank you for your support with this. Teachers attending camp include Mrs Cole, Miss Laidlaw, Mr Skehan and Mr Williams.

🚌Departure:  Monday 23 June at 8:30am for a 9:00am departure

🚌Return: Wednesday 25 June at approximately 2:00pm

🥪Morning Tea: Please pack a small morning tea (fruit/snack) in a disposal bag for your child to eat upon arrival.

Crazy Sock Day - Friday 27 June

Our School Captains are hosting CRAZY SOCK DAY on Friday 27 June, raising funds for their Year 6 Graduation.

Students are encouraged to wear 🧦CRAZY SOCKS and bring a 👛GOLD COIN donation.  

NAPLAN Results

Individual Student Reports (ISRs)

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority posts hard copies of Individual Student Reports (ISR) to all schools from the beginning of Term 3.  These are then sent home in envelopes through students. Parents of Years 3 and 5 students, we will inform you via email when these ISRs are received and being sent home.

School Data Sets

This week, we have received our school NAPLAN data sets and will consider and reflect on this data to further inform our teaching and learning here at Brookfield.

From the Head of Curriculum - Lisa McKay

ICAS

Our students have many talents, and this year they’ll once again have the chance to take part in the ICAS competition to share and celebrate their achievements.

What is ICAS?  

ICAS is an online academic competition for Years 3-6 that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics and Science. ICAS evaluates student performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The data reveals student strengths and weaknesses and can help you recognise and support your child's academic journey.    

Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.

Brookfield State School is offering students the opportunity to sit the following tests.

How to Participate in ICAS 

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please: 

Please note: Online payments for ICAS close on 27th July. 

1. Read about ICAS subjects and prices here: icasassessments.com/products-icas/
   
2. Read the Privacy Collection Statement - below
3. Read the terms and conditions here: (icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf)
4. Go to the Parent Portal to sign up to chosen subject areas here: (shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps)
5. Your parent payment access code is: QKB733

      Your parent page link is: ttps://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/QKB733

1. Enter your child’s details, select the subject areas your child would like to participate in, then proceed to payment.

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records. 

The following information is a privacy notification about how your child’s data is kept private and secure.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions. 

It is Reporting Time

As teachers support students in completing assessments and they are busy preparing reports, it's a good opportunity to remind you of the updates to the K–12 Curriculum and Reporting Framework (CARF) introduced this year. The CARF guides us on how we teach and report on student progress. These changes were outlined in earlier editions of our Banter and can be found below. If you have any questions about your child's report, please see their class teacher.       

Prep Reports

While Prep students have continued to study all curriculum areas, they will only receive formal grades for English, Mathematics and Health and Physical Education (HPE). For other subjects, students have engaged in learning experiences, and instead of the usual formative assessments, they will participate in monitoring tasks to track their progress. The changes will be reflected in the end of Semester 1 report, which will be emailed in Week 10. 

Reporting Scales and Descriptions

The scales below will be used in the end of Semester 1 report, which will be issued via email in Week 10. 

For more information, please refer to the following links. 

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

In 2020, Michelle Mitchell conducted an anonymous survey with 567 tweens who chose to answer the question: “What is one thing you wish all adults knew about life as a tween?”

Five things tweens want you to know:

If your child was asked that question, how do you think they would answer? They might tell you that a 10 year old shouldn’t go to bed at the same time as a sibling who is 7, or that kids who don’t like broccoli should never be made to eat it. This is the important stuff that characterises much of our tween’s headspace! However, I wonder if we were to probe a little deeper, would there be one thing that your child wishes they could tell you, but can’t quite manage to communicate? Do you think there is anything that they find difficult to talk about or perhaps even intentionally hide because of fear or shame

With the holidays fast approaching, I encourage you to take the time to connect with your tween — to check in, spend quality time together, and remind them that you love them, no matter what.

In the busyness of school life and extracurricular activities, the holidays offer a valuable opportunity to pause, reset, and reconnect. Taking even small moments to be present with your tween can make a big difference in staying close and strengthening your relationship.

https://michellemitchell.org/five-things-tweens-what-us-to-know/

LOTE News

GERMAN language competition!

German students in Years 4 to 6 are invited to represent Brookfield SS at the annual Speech Contest organised by the Language Teachers’ QLD Association. The Contest is on Sunday, 3 August and contestants must have their own transport to and from the Griffith University.

Students are required to write, memorise and present their one-minute speech to two German-speaking judges.

If your child is interested, please send them along to the meeting on Monday, 23 June or Tuesday, 24 June to collect the speech script.

Or, for further information, please contact Frau Raben lcrab10@eq.edu.au

Library News

Readers Cup

Our BSS team competed against 25 other schools in the Brisbane West reading quiz competition on Wednesday. They represented our school very well, and a gained valuable competition experience. The Yr 5/6 team members are Felix W, Matias L-A , Declan R, Oliver A and Shaurya M. Thank you to the Anderson family for the kind donation to our library of signed books from author Katrina Nannestad at the competition. Well done boys for your reading efforts this term!

P and C News

Term 2 Wrap Up

It has been a very busy Term 2 with lots of school and P&C activities and events. 

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who have contributed their time and energy at our key events throughout the Term including Bush Dance, Mother's and Special Friends Day and Stall, Election BBQ, Cross-Country and Athletics Day Cupcakes and Kokoda car parking.  

We are excited about a range of upcoming activities and events in Term 3. Save the Date for:

• 15 July: P&C Meeting 7pm in B Block (and online) 
• 21 July: Class Parent Representatives thank you and connection event (invitations to follow via email for Class Reps soon)
• 27 July: Working Bee 

We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday and we look forward to seeing you all back in Term 3! 

P&C Meeting Update

We had a positive P&C meeting on 10 June. We discussed: 

• Ways to continue to make the meetings useful and spend time discussing key things of interest to members.
• The final version of the upcoming survey for the school community to inform and shape the P&C role and priorities (which will be released in Week 1 of Term 3). 
• Engagement with the school and broader community, including positive engagement with Helping Hands
• Reflections on successful recent events, including the wonderful Bush Dance & Kokoda Car Parking. 
• Reports and updates from the Principal and P&C Executive and on things including tuckshop, uniforms and sustainability. 

Our next meeting is on Tuesday 15 July. Members of the school community are always welcome to attend meetings or contact the P&C Executive ahead of meetings to provide feedback and/or ideas. 

Meet your P&C 

(attached photo here)

Who? Amanda Alford

Role: Vice President

Children: Isabelle in 4A and Grace in 1B

Day Job/Other Responsibilities: I am a human rights lawyer, currently working as a national Director at a not-for-profit organisation focused on preventing violence against women and children. 

Your Favourite Part about the BSS school and community: As a new family to Brookfield this year, I love the strong sense of community at the school.

Stay Connected and Get Involved

📣 Follow the Brookfield State School P&C page for all the latest updates:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/BrookfieldSSPandC

Have questions or ideas for the P&C? Have a special skill or some time and keen to contribute? We’d love to hear from you!

📧 pandc@brookfieldss.eq.edu.au

Thank you for your continued support – we look forward to seeing you in Term 3! 

Tess, Amanda, Jill, David and Danette (P&C Executive Committee, Brookfield State School)

Helping Hands News

Extra-Curricular Calendar - Term 2

Office News

Office Hours

Please note the changes to the opening hours of our administration office below.

• Monday, 8:00am - 3:30pm
• Tuesday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm

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

Permissions

Payments Methods

The following are the payment methods available to you for your child/ren's 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

Community News

Sharks Camp 2025 - July.

GET IN QUICK LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE!! Sharks Camp is a four-day volleyball camp designed to cater to athletes of all skill levels. With elite development opportunities available and pathways into club and state-level volleyball, this camp has something for everyone!

The Dates:

8th July | 9th July | 10th July | 11th July

We usually hit capacity pretty quickly, so if you're interested sign up today to secure your spot!!

YEAHHHH SHARKS!!

Visit our website for more information https://sharksvolleyball.com/sharks-camp." 

Brookfield Tennis Centre

The Brookfield Tennis Centre are offering a free trial tennis lesson for all kids at the Brookfield State School courts or at the Brookfield Tennis Centre courts. Brookfield State School has a very proud tennis tradition with roughly half the school enrolled in tennis lessons at any point in time and we'd love your child to be a part of it. 

This a great way for your kids to make new friends, learn a great set of skills and a game for life and have a wonderful time in the process.  All kids that enrol into lessons will receive a free tennis racquet from the team at the Brookfield Tennis Centre to help them get going.

Their coaching staff will take good care of them during the session. They will walk your child up to their class after the lesson in time for the bell.

To register your child please email John and Roanne at tennis@brookfieldtennis.com.au.  Spaces are limited.