Brookfield Banter 30/07/25

From the Principal - Leanne Duncan

Thank you to our P&C and Volunteers for your ongoing support!

Thankyou Tricia V. for co-ordinating the working bee on Sunday. Thank you to the many Brookie families - Mum's, Dad's students and ex-students! Our gardens look well cared for and fabulous! Thank you to Helping Hands who provided and cooked up sausages for the crew!  

Each year, Schools are given an allocation to deliver their school's Instrumental Music Programs are given a school allocation of funding. At the last P&C meeting, the P&C approved the request for expenditure to support an increased number of students able to participate in Brookfield State School's Instrumental Music Program. The P&C have supported the program with additional funds, for a number of years. There are 35% of students who are able to participate in our Instrumental Music Programs (Strings and Band) due to the P&C's contribution funds to this program.  This is so appreciated and an outstanding support that gives Brookie students increased opportunity to participate in Band and Strings. 

Today is also, Happy Outside Hours School Care Educators Day to Kaila and the team at Helping Hands! Thank you to the P&C for dropping in to acknowledge this day with Kaila and our Educators! Thank you to Kaila and the helping hands team!

Health and Physical Education Staffing Update 

Mr Bidner and his family are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their second child. He will be taking four weeks of paternity leave to spend this special time with his family.

During his absence, Mr Max Moore will be teaching Health and Physical Education. Mr Bidner has worked closely with Mr Moore to ensure a smooth transition and the continued delivery of a consistent and engaging Health and Physical Education program.

Snake Safety

Snake Incident Response and Upcoming PBL Focus

Last Friday, a Class 2 incident occurred involving a student with a suspected snake bite. While the snake was not sighted and could not be identified, the student’s family later confirmed that hospital tests showed no presence of venom. The student remained in hospital overnight for observation and was cleared of toxins.

This incident reinforced the effectiveness of our recently reviewed policies and procedures, which received positive feedback. Staff responded swiftly and calmly, enacting snake bite protocols, retrieving the nearest snake bite first aid kit, and supporting the student with care and professionalism.

Every suspected snake encounter is treated as a medical emergency at Brookfield State School. We extend our sincere thanks to the student’s family for their calm and responsive approach, and to our staff for their decisive and compassionate actions.

Next week’s Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) school-wide focus will be on Snake Safety.

Additionally, as per protocol, the incident was reported to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, who commended Brookfield State School for its strong processes and efforts in promoting awareness and preparedness around snake safety.

Brookfield State School Before School Routine
BELONG    STRIVE    SUCCEED
Helping every student start the day calm, confident and ready to learn!

Why Mornings Matter
A smooth and on-time start helps students feel settled, focused, and connected. It supports learning, confidence, and positive classroom routines.

We know mornings don’t always go perfectly — and that’s okay! But building a consistent routine can make all the difference.

From the Deputy Principal - Leah Cathcart

PBL: Positive Behaviour for Learning

This week our focus is on Calm and Confident Problem Solving strategies.

This week, our Junior School students are exploring how to solve common social problems like disagreements, turn-taking challenges, and sharing issues. Students are engaging in learning strategies to solve social challenges peacefully and kindly.

Students discussed “What is a problem?” and “Have you ever had a problem with a friend at school?”

The learning Message for  our students is that a social problem is when people have a hard time getting along or want different things. It’s normal! The good news is we can solve problems by talking and listening.

👣 Our 4-Step Problem-Solving Strategy:

1. Stop and calm down
2. Say the problem
3. Think of solutions
4. Pick one and try it

🎨 Guided Practice:

Using picture cards of real-life playground and classroom challenges, students work together to talk through kind and respectful solutions.

🎭 Role Play Time:

In small groups, students will act out different social problems and practise using the 4 steps to find peaceful solutions. Creativity and kindness encouraged!

❤️ Growth Message:

We all make mistakes it’s how we respond and learn from them that counts. Let’s keep working together to solve problems peacefully and calmly.

This week our Senior School students are exploring how to manage social problems with cool heads and clever solutions. They are building their confidence in managing problems of all sizes, from playground mix-ups to classroom stress. Our senior students are learning strategies to support their independence in mangaging challenges.

Students discussed real-life scenarios to practise, “being distracted by others” and “getting stressed during assessment tasks”. Our students will:

• Practise calming strategies (like Box Breathing)
• Talk through how to communicate clearly and respectfully
• Learn ways to stay focused and think positively
  (“I can do this”, “I’ll do my best”)

📌 Post-It Problem Sorting Activity:

Students will write examples of everyday problems they face and sort them into:

• Small
• Medium
• Large
• Reminder: your reaction should match the size of the problem!

🗣 Reflection Questions:

• What could I do better next time?
• How can I share my message clearly and respectfully?
• Who is a safe adult I can go to for advice?

❤️ Growth Message:

We all make mistakes it’s how we respond and learn from them that counts. Let’s keep working together to solve problems with calm heads and kind hearts.

🏡 Conversation Starter for Home:

“Have you ever had a problem with a friend at school? What did you do?”

Talk about how you solved it — or what you might do differently next time.
Try walking through the 4 steps together:

1. Stop and calm down
2. Say the problem
3. Think of solutions
4. Pick one and try it

✨ Encourage your child to share how they’ve used calm problem-solving at school!

Prep 2026 Orientation Day

Our Prep 2026 Orientation Day was a joyful and memorable morning filled with connection, creativity, and community spirit. The Prep Team warmly opened their classrooms, inviting our future Preppies to explore, play, and participate in engaging activities designed to spark curiosity and excitement for the year ahead.

A highlight was the heartwarming performance of “The Kindness Song” by our Junior Choir, confidently conducted by our talented 2025 Music Captains. We were incredibly proud of our current Prep students who took on the role of guest speakers, bravely sharing their favourite parts of Prep life.

A special thank you also goes to our fabulous Year 6 Leaders, who welcomed families on arrival, supported new students in the classrooms, guided activities, and thoughtfully answered questions from both children and parents. Their leadership and care truly brought our school values to life.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many community groups who contributed to the success of our Prep 2026 Orientation Day. Our sincere appreciation goes to the P&C Executive, the team from Helping Hands, Fiona from our Uniform Shop, Religious Instruction (RI) Program representatives, John and Roanne from Brookfield Tennis Centre, Miss Prue from The Drama Workshop, Go-Sport, Rhee Taekwon-Do.

Your support helped create a warm and welcoming environment for our newest students and their families. Special thanks to Queensland Cricket and Rhee Taekwon-Do for generously providing goodies for the welcome tote bags. Your involvement plays a vital role in connecting our Prep families to the vibrant and supportive community that makes our school so special.

From the Deputy Principal - Katie Lewis

Student Celebrations

Congratulations to our students who were fantastic representatives of our school last week in many and varied ways.

To our students who ran, jumped and threw at Northern Eagles Districts Athletics Trials on Wednesday and Thursday, congratulations! We received positive feedback from others who attended Queensland State Athletics Centre, praising our students for their behaviour, sportsperson qualities and of course, their athletic ability. We also received great feedback on our students proudly wearing their BSS athletics singlets and shirts at the event. Mr Bidner has wrapped up our student achievements in his article, be sure to read that!

To our students who performed on stage at our Mid Year Music Concert on Thursday evening, congratulations! We were thrilled to hear performances from our Intermediate Choir, Senior Strings, Year 5 Marimba, Senior Choir, Year 6 Marimba and Senior Band. I know the crowd thoroughly enjoyed these performances and were impressed by the musical talent of our students, some performing in two or three ensembles.  Thank you to our fabulous music team of Mrs McMillan, Mrs Harle, Mr Lougheed and Mrs Robertson for your work with our students in the lead up to this event and on the evening itself. We are very proud of our music program here at Brookfield.

To our Year 6 students who represented us at the University of Queensland Kid's STEM Convention Inspiration Day on Friday, congratulations! These students were supported by Miss Laidlaw and Mrs Noonan and by all reports, had a fabulous day of learning and discovery. Miss Laidlaw shared with me that our students were incredibly well behaved, engaged and confident during this experience - well done students!

To our Year 6 Captains who supported our incoming Preppies and their families and our Prep Team at the Prep 2026 Orientation Day on Friday, congratulations! Our Prep Team shared that they felt very grateful to have our Captains supporting them in their classrooms as they worked with our future Preppies and our visiting families and external providers shared strong positive praise for our Captains, noting their polite, kind and considerate interactions and leadership qualities when working with younger students and families. We are very proud of our young leaders.

What an epic week! More wonderful adventures ahead for our students over coming weeks including Strings Camp, Futsal Competitions, Tennis Trials, Band Camp and Street Science.

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Away for the Day 

A reminder that if your child brings a phone to school, they are to be put 'Away for the Day'. At Brookfield, that involves handing them to their teacher for storage in our lock boxes in the classroom. Phones can then be collected at the end of the day.

If your child has a wearable device (smart watch), these are to have notifications switched off during the school day.

Senior Assembly - CPA3 - Wednesday 06 August

With Band West Camp in the Hall next week, we will have our Senior Assembly in CPA3. Parents are welcome to come and enjoy our assembly.

From the Head of Curriculum - Lisa McKay

From the Social Worker - Mrs D

Helping Kids Understand: "How Big Is My Problem?"

We help our children to build important emotional skills by teaching them to recognise the size of their problems—and how to respond appropriately. Big or small, problems are a natural part of life, and some even help us grow by teaching new strategies and resilience. The goal is to empower our children to handle challenges with confidence, calm, and self-awareness.

The problem solving scale helps children identify whether their problem is big, medium, or small—and what kind of response is most helpful.

Big Problems

“My brain is trying to protect me, but I need help to stay safe and calm.”

These are serious problems that often need adult support  such as feeling unsafe, harm or getting hurt or lost.

What we teach: Ask for help right away, use deep breathing, and focus on calming the body before making decisions.

Medium Problems

“I feel upset, but I can use my words and problem-solving strategies.”

These situations may cause strong emotions, but kids can often work through them with guidance such as arguments with friends,  being left out of a group or frustration with schoolwork.

What we teach: Use “I” statements, take breaks when needed, and communicate clearly.

Small Problems

“This is frustrating, but I can let it go or solve it on my own.”

These everyday annoyances can usually be handled independently suc as losing a turn in a game,  someone cutting in line  or small disagreements

What we teach: Take a deep breath, use positive self-talk, and practice letting go when it's not a big deal.

When  our children feel strong emotions, their "emotional brain" (amygdala) can take over. That’s when we practice switching to the "wise  owl brain"—a calmer, more thoughtful part of the mind. By teaching calming strategies like deep breathing , mindfulness and grounding and redirection we empower our children to pause, reflect and choose how to respond.

Uncomfortable feelings are a normal part of growing up. What matters most is that our children  feel capable and confident when navigating tough moments.

LOTE News

GERMAN Speech Contest

We are very proud of our ten German students who will represent Brookfield SS at the annual Speech Contest organised by the Language Teachers’ QLD Association this Sunday.

There are over 300 language students competing at the Brisbane event across seven languages.

Students have given up their lunch breaks to prepare and patient parents have given their energy to help them practise at home. Students will present their memorised prepared speech in German in front of judges at the Griffith University, Nathan Campus.

We wish them Alles Gute!  All the best!

lcrab10@eq.edu.au

Sports News

Northern Eagles Districts Banter Item

On Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 July, students from Years 4, 5 and 6 represented Brookfield at the Northern Eagles District Track and Field Trials. Competing across a range of track and field events, our students showed great determination and effort over the two days.

We were thrilled with the outstanding results, with several students qualifying for the Northern Eagles team. Among the many highlights were two exceptional achievements:

• Sam M broke the 10 Years Boys district records in both the 800m and 1500m events.
• Mia P broke the 11 Years Girls 1500m district record.

Other standout performances included:

• Arlo U – 1st in the 1500m and 800m
• Tom M – 2nd in the 1500m and 800m
• Victoria A – 4th in Long Jump
• Matilda C – 4th in the 1500m and 2nd in the 800m
• Charlotte H – 3rd in the 800m and 4th in the 1500m
• Taufato’a M – 3rd in Discus
• Fletcher O – 2nd in the 100m and 3rd in the 200m
• Mackenzie O – 4th in the 1500m
• Mia Parker – 1st in the 800m
• Harper S – 2nd in both the 1500m and 800m
• Evelyn V – 4th in the 100m and 2nd in the 200m

Congratulations to all students on their fantastic efforts. We wish those progressing to the next level the very best of luck and know they will continue to represent themselves and Brookfield with pride.

Music News

Mid Year Concert

A huge “Congratulations” to everyone who performed in last week’s Mid Year Concert. It was lovely to have so many students involved, as well as seeing them so keen to watch other groups that they were not a part of. Thanks also to our Admin team – Mrs Duncan, Mrs Lewis and Mrs Cathcart - for their invaluable help on the night with crowd control, movement and uniforms.

I’ve heard it said that there’s no rest for the wicked, so we are already preparing for our next big event. On Tuesday August 26, we are holding our annual Joining Generations concert, starting at 10am in the hall. We have sent out invitations to some local retirement facilities to come along and be entertained by our wonderful students (and have already had a response from one!). We would love to have our school families also come along – parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles, neighbours and friends. Our goal is to foster connections between the young and not-so-young members of our community. Emails to involved families (Senior Band, Strings and Choir, Intermediate Choir) are coming out this week, so keep an eye on your inbox for details.

CAN YOU HELP? A large part of the Joining Generations concert is a morning tea served by our parents and students after the concert. In order for this to happen, we need a wonderful parent volunteer who is willing to co-ordinate this part of the morning. The job involves setting tables, laying out food, serving food, tea and coffee, and tidying up afterwards. This person will have the support of other parent volunteers on the day, as well as assistance from some of our senior students after the concert. We are hoping to find this wonderful person from amongst our senior ensemble parents. I you think that you might be able to help out or would like some more details, please contact Melissa McMillan (mmcmi10@eq.edu.au) – she would love to hear from you!

Library News

Book Week – Week 6

Book Week Parade – Wednesday August 20 - 9am

 Alison Lester Author Visit -Thursday August 21

Author Visit - Week 5

 Louise Park Tuesday August 12 - Week 5 

Louise Park is an award-winning and best-selling author of many very popular series in our library. These include Boy Vs Beast, Zac Power, Star Girl, D-Bot Squad, Harriet Clare and has written many more fiction and non-fiction books. Her latest is Last man out: A personal account of the Gallipoli Evacuation. https://www.louisepark.com.au/

Premier’s Reading Challenge - Finishes August 22

Please send all yellow Reading Record forms to the office. Thanks for your support of our fabulous readers. Certificates from the Premier will be celebrated in November. Go Brookfield readers!

P&C News

What a wonderful start to Term 3 with the successful working bee and lovely class parent representative thank you event. Our thanks to the amazing volunteers who continue to contribute to make our school and school community a better place! 
We are excited about a range of upcoming important dates, activities and events.

SAVE THESE DATES:

• 1 August: Australian Primary Principals Day: An important day to recognise the leadership of Mrs Duncan! 
• 30 July: We are celebrating OSHC Educators Day with a special thanks to the Helping Hands team for their support of our events and engagement at our P&C Committee meetings. 
• 15 August: P&C Shared Staff and Student Lunch and Free Dress (A Pop of Purple) for Anti-Bullying Week
• 4 September: Father's and Special Friends Day Morning Tea and Stall
• 13 September: School Community Music Bingo Event (Grade 6 Fundraiser) 
• 24 October: Exciting new joint BSS and P&C Oktoberfest event. More details about this amazing event to follow! 

Have Your Say and Help Inform our Priorities: Fill in the School Community Survey- Closing this Week! 

The P&C is conducting a survey to gather insights and information about teacher, parent and student priorities. We value the voices and perspectives of members of the school community and want to work in partnership with the school leadership and community. This information will be used to guide P&C work this year, including events, fundraising and other projects.
The survey should take 5 minutes to complete and is a really important source of information for the P&C. Survey responses close on 31 July 2025. Keep an eye out for pop up stalls at pick up and drop off as well! 

Complete the survey here: Brookfield State School Parent and Citizens (P&C) Association Survey 2025 | SurveyPlanet

Thank You Corner

A huge thank you to over 30 people who volunteered at the working bee over the weekend with tools, kids and 'can do' attitudes. The group managed to get lots done and were rewarded with a BBQ and snacks from the wonderful Helping Hands team. A particular thanks to Tricia (P&C Sustainability Coordinator) for making it all happen!

Tuckshop Pantry Drive Extended

If you can help, please drop off your item/s at the Tuckshop anytime that suits you (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday from 8:15am), at your child’s classroom, or leave them at the office. 

Prep and Year 1 (including the 1 / 2 class)

Pasta – Zafarelli brand or San Remo elbows or curls please.

Year 2

Tinned diced/crushed tomatoes (any brand)

Year 3

Tomato pasta and / or pizza sauce (any brand)

Year 4

Tinned pineapple slices in juice (not syrup please) (any brand) and / or Tinned chickpeas (any brand) and/or Tinned corn (any brand)

Year 5

Tinned tuna (in water please)(any brand) and / or Plain Rice crackers - Sakata / Peckish / Coles brand (plain please)

Year 6

Chocolate chips and / or condensed milk (any brand)

Next P&C Meeting

The next P&C meeting Tuesday 19 August at 7pm in B Block.

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! 

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

Helping Hands News

Extra-Curricular Calendar - Term 3

Year 6 Graduation Fundraiser - Music Bingo

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 and Payments

Below are past and upcoming excursions and incursions for 2025. Please take note of what your child has and will be participating in, and ensure all permissions and payments are made in a timely manner.

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 student/s 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 Calendar - Term 3

Community News

RHEE TAE KWON-DO BROOKFIELD BRANCH

THE FAMILY MARTIAL ART THAT HELPS FUTURE-PROOF YOUR FAMILY!

Would your family like to spend more time together, get fitter, develop important life & self-defence skills all whilst having fun? Well now you have more opportunity to do so.

Rhee Tae Kwon-Do is pleased to advise our new Branch will be conducting classes at Kenmore Brookfield Anglican Church Hall, across the road from Brookfield State School, from 5.30-6.30pm on Tuesday & Friday nights starting Tuesday August 5.

We would like to invite students of Brookfield State School to come & join us for an UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL.

Founded in 1970 by World Master Chong Chul Rhee, Rhee Tae Kwon-Do is Australia’s first, largest, and most respected Martial Arts Academy.

Rhee Tae Kwon-Do is a traditional & non-competitive martial art that anyone can learn, irrespective of age, level of fitness or experience. Our underlying message is to promote a Sound Body & a Sound Mind through practice, discipline & physical Activity.

Some of the benefits of training in Rhee Tae Kwon-Do are:

✅ Promoting a Sound Body & a Sound Mind – Through practice, discipline & physical activity.
✅ Confidence & Self-Belief – Empowering students to achieve their best
✅ Respect & Discipline – Helping students to build a strong character and leadership skills.
✅ Fitness & Self-Defence – Stay active while learning practical techniques
✅ Positive Community & Role Models – Surrounding students with supportive friends & Instructors.
✅ Focus & Perseverance – Aiding students to Excel in school, work, or in their daily life.
✅Indomitable Spirit – A never give up attitude.

If you are looking to take the first step in the journey to change your life, you can find details about the Brookfield Branch or any of our other local branches (Chapel Hill, Fig Tree Pocket, Kenmore South & Moggill) at www.rhee.com.au.

QASMT National Science Week Campus Tours

Join us during National Science Week for a guided tour of the Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology (QASMT), a proud IB World School nurturing highly capable learners from Year 7 to Year 12.

📅 Tour Dates:

August 11th, 12th, 14th & 15th, 2025

These tours provide a valuable opportunity for families to explore our innovative learning spaces, gain insight into the International Baccalaureate curriculum, and see how students at QASMT are supported to flourish both academically and personally.

🔗 Bookings are essential. Reserve your place via: https://www.trybooking.com/DCNET

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.