Brookfield Banter 5/02/2025

From the Principal - Leanne Duncan

For our students, Term One is filled with many events and date claimers whilst learning, connecting and settling back into school routine.  From the enthusiasm of Prep to the BYOD devices commencing in Year 3 and new play areas and experiences for all, we have continued to have a positive start to the year. 

At Brookfield State School, staff are committed to fostering a culture of growing academic achievement and progress alongside growing socially and emotionally as a part of our community. 

One of the great strengths of our school is the strong sense of community that brings students, teachers and families together. We encourage parents and carers to get involved in school life, whether through volunteering, attending events, or joining the P&C. Your support plays a vital role in shaping the experiences and opportunities available to our students.

As we settle into the new school year, we encourage all students to embrace new friendships, participate in activities, and communicate openly with their teachers and support staff. 

We are excited about the journey ahead and the many opportunities this year will bring. Together, we will continue to foster a positive and inspiring learning environment where every child can strive to achieve their personal best. I encourage all students to approach this year with curiosity, resilience, and a passion for learning! 

I look forward to seeing you at Burger Bar on Friday night! 

From the Deputy Principal - Leah Cathcart

Ready-Set-Prep 2026

Our waiting list is open for students who will attend Prep in 2026! If your child was born:

1st July 2020- 30 June 2021 they are eligible to attend Prep in 2026

Enrolment forms are available for collection from:

• our administration office or
• digitally from our school website https://brookfieldss.eq.edu.au/

Please return your digital enrolment forms by email, or return your forms in person, to our administration office in order for your child to be added to our 2025 waiting list. Out-of-catchment enrolments are welcome and offers of placement will be offered; dependent on numbers and in order of date received.

If you have a child due to start in 2026 you are very welcome to register for an enrolment tour. We are currently taking bookings for tours every 2nd Tuesday. Please call our office on 3374 7333 or email admin@brookfieldss.eq.edu.au to make a booking. Your little people, our future students, are welcome to join us for the tour.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

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 2: Welcome Back to BSS 2025

This week we continue our focus on welcoming each other back to BSS for the new school year. Welcome Week is about looking after our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others as we start the school year.​ It is about enjoying belonging together in our school.

We have continued to focus on demonstrating 8 positive behaviours:​

• Smile ​
• Invite others to join you ​
• Encourage others ​
• Say hello
• Offer help​
• Support others​
• Work together​
• Look around you

We reflected on what made us feel welcome on the first days as we arrived at school and how these actions, words or props made us feel.

Students viewed and listened to messages about BELONGING. They discussed and shared about what they CONNECT with at school and what GROUPS they belong to…class group, year level group, Brookfield State School group, music, sport or extra-curricular group.

We reflected on the power of a positive greeting…saying HELLO. Students shared with their classmates how they meet and greet others.

Life Education: Prep-Year 4

In Week 3 this term, Life Education Queensland will be visiting BSS. During this week our students in Prep to Year 4 will be participating in a Life Education experience delivered by the educator. The sessions will be held in classrooms and students will participate along with their classmates and class teacher.

More information will be shared by class teachers as our timetable is finalised. QParents permission note and an invoice of $14.00 will be available in your QParents account in the coming days.

The modules for 2025:

• Prep: Harold's Friend Ship
• Year 1: Harold's Online World
• Year 2: Growing Good Friends
• Year 3: bCyberwise
• Year 4: Friends and Feelings

Parents for more information follow the link: https://lifeeducationqld.org.au/parenting-guides/

Parent Information Night - Week 3

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the Year 1 and 2, along with rescheduled Prep C Parent Information Night on Tuesday 11 February at 6pm.  Refer to emails from your child's teacher for more information. Please note that this is an adult only event. 

From the Deputy Principal - Katie Lewis

PBL Rewards at Brookfield

Has your child come home and told you that they have received a stamp on their Reward Card? Are you wondering what that means?

As part of our Positive Behaviour for Learning approach, students in Years 3 to 6 are awarded stamps on their Reward Card when they are observed making great choices and following our school rules or demonstrating our mission and values.  Once they have 10 stamps on their Reward Card, it goes into the draw and they start another card.  

Twice per term, Reward Cards are drawn from the mix and students are able to choose either a $5 Brookie Store Voucher or a $5 Brookfield State School Tuckshop Voucher - both very hotly sought after items!! 

Our first Reward Card draw will take place at Senior Assembly in Week 5 of this term, with another draw in Week 10.

NAPLAN - Year 3 and Year 5

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 at Brookfield State School will sit their NAPLAN assessments in Weeks 7 and 8 of Term 1, as per the timetable below:

More information regarding NAPLAN is contained here and will be emailed to Year 3 and 5 families.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or reach out to me.

What is NAPLAN?

The purpose of NAPLAN is to assess the literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school. NAPLAN is about assessing learning progress and is not about passing or failing. Encouraging your child to do the best they can on the day is the best approach for preparing your child. Excessive preparation or the use of NAPLAN coaching is not necessary or recommended.

Format of the tests

For all eligible year levels (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9), there are 4 test domains: writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy. Below is a summary of the format for each test.

Writing

Students are given a stimulus and asked to construct a response to the task. Their response will be based on a particular text type (narrative or persuasive). Students in Years 3 and 5 will receive different writing stimuli to students in Years 7 and 9, both of the same genre. All Year 3 students sit the writing test on paper.

Reading

Students are given a range of texts to read. They respond to the test items using a range of response types such as multiple choice, hotspot and drag and drop items.

Conventions of language

Students respond to spelling as well as grammar and punctuation items. The response formats are multiple choice, short response and other interactive response types such as hotspot and drag and drop items.

Numeracy

Students respond to numeracy items. The response formats are multiple choice, short response and other interactive response types such as hotspot and drag and drop items.

Students also have access to online numeracy tools (ruler, protractor or calculator), depending on their year level. For Years 7 and 9, the numeracy test includes a non-calculator section and a calculator-allowed section.

Participation

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to sit the NAPLAN tests unless they are withdrawn by their parents/carers or exempt.

Withdrawals

Parents can withdraw their child from the tests by notifying the school in writing before testing. Withdrawal is intended as an option to acknowledge religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing.

Exemptions

Students may be exempt from one or more of the tests if they meet one of the following criteria:

• students with a significant intellectual disability and/or significant co-existing conditions that severely limit their capacity to participate in the test
• students with a language background other than English, who arrived from overseas and have been attending school in Australia for less than a year.

Exemptions for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities are determined through consultation between the principal, student, and parents/carers.

Adjustments for students with disability

Information about available adjustments for students with disabilities can be found on the NAPLAN AARA page.

Further information

Visit ACARA’s For parents and carers webpage for further information, including how student results are reported.

Welcome Back Burger Bar - FRIDAY NIGHT!

Come along if you're free - we would love to see you there.

Parent Information Night - Week 3

Year 5 and 6 Families are invited to the Parent Information Night on Tuesday 11 February at 6pm.  Refer to emails from your child's teacher for more information.

Senior Assembly - Week 3 (Wednesday 12 February)

We will kick off with our first Senior Assembly of the Year on Wednesday 12 February in the Hall.  Students come straight into the Hall after Second Break, and we aim to be underway by 2pm with our proceedings.  Parents are welcome to come each and every assembly, and you will be invited to attend if your child is receiving an award.

Student Captain Induction - Week 4 (Friday 21 February)

Year 6 students who have been elected as leaders will be inducted into their roles, and receive their badges on Friday 21 February at the Student Captain Induction Ceremony from 9.15am in the Hall.  Parents are welcome to attend, with parents of Captains invited onto the stage to pin their child's badge on.  This Ceremony is followed by Morning Tea for our invited guests on the Library Verandah.

From the Social Worker - Mrs D

Welcome to the Wellbeing Chat - From Mrs D

Even if... and other conversations to combat anxiety

There really is an anxiety epidemic impacting today’s young ones. Anxiety is the most common mental health issue they face, making up about half of all mental illness in our country. Everywhere parents and teachers are talking about anxious kids. However, these conversations are only useful if they are based on accurate information and are solution focused.

The truth is that for most of our kids, anxiety is not a life-long diagnosis, and there is much we can do to support them. SO MUCH! Below are three very specific conversations which will help you boost resilience in your child during their anxious moments and enable them to be courageous when feeling challenged.

Conversation One: 'Even if..."

“What if…” is often the centre of our conversations, especially when we are worried about our kids.  We might ask ourselves, “What if they fail, get rejected, feel stressed, don’t cope when we are separated from them?” There are so, so many “what if” scenarios that we can explore in our minds.

But what would happen if we replaced “what if….” with “even if…”? It’s a small but profound shift which enables us to process the potential risks (which we need to do as parents), while focusing on the end game. It acknowledges the challenges while championing their strengths.

“What if…” puts their focus on what may go wrong. “Even if …” reinforces the fact that no matter what life throws us, we can adapt, respond well and find joy. We want to reinforce and help our children discover that, as human beings, we are incredibly resilient.

Conversation Two: It’s not the size. It’s the direction.

Karen Young, author of children’s book Hey Sigmund often talks about anxiety being an opportunity to be brave.

One rarely sees brave manifest in a super-hero size leap which instantly changes the landscape. That’s the sensationalised, Hollywood concept. Karen says that even a shuffle, in the right direction, is worth celebrating.  The direction of the step is far more important than the size of it.

Let’s paint a realistic picture of courage. We can then celebrate and build on the momentum which every small step creates. Conversations that ask, “What is one small thing you can do” might be a game changer for some children who are anticipating anxiety will dissolve in one big action.

Conversation Three: What makes you feel stronger?

Ideally, we want our children to move from overwhelmed to calm, using positive coping strategies rather than quick fixes. Positive coping strategies make them feel stronger and strengthen their brave!  Poor coping strategies deplete and reduce their strength.

During stressful times, ask our children these questions – What makes your body feel stronger? What makes your mind feel stronger?  What makes your soul feel stronger?  I also remind them that they need their strength so it’s worth looking after.

Let’s boost those things which make our children feel stronger, and in turn make it easier for them to choose brave and believe in “even if….”

Adapted from Blog from Michelle Mitchell

Music News

Welcome to a new year of Music at Brookfield!

Last week, all students who participate in Instrumental Music (Strings or Band), Choirs or Marimba groups should have received a letter outlining the “need to know” information for the start of the year. If you missed your copy, please contact either Melissa McMillan (mmcmi10@eq.edu.au) or the office for your copy.

Below is a table with rehearsal times for all of our music groups each week and their respective start dates. If you have any questions regarding any of these, please contact the relevant conductor for information.

Senior Ensemble members (i.e Senior Band, Senior Strings and Senior Choir) will all require a performance uniform for our school ANZAC ceremony early in Term 2. The Uniform Shop stocks these, but parents can also purchase the pants and shirt elsewhere if wished.

We are looking forward to a great year of music making with your children!

Library News

Safer Internet Day -Tuesday 11 February

This international campaign encourages all Australians to take three simple actions when approaching online safety: Connect. Reflect. Protect.

Safer Internet Day materials will be delivered to all classes.

The Safer Internet Day web page offers online safety tips, parent webinars, virtual classrooms, and educational resources to raise awareness of online safety. https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/whats-on/safer-internet-day#resources-for-schools

Welcome Weeks 2025

We have been celebrating Welcome Weeks 1-2 here at Brookfield!

It is about looking after student wellbeing as we start the school year and enjoying belonging together in our school group, team and community. There have been reward tickets, school leaders in the junior playground and makerspace activities.

Library Lovers Week - Queensland School Library Week

We are celebrating our love of our library here at Brookfield with lunchtime makerspace activities!

Office News

Traffic Reminder - Keeping Everyone Safe!

With school back for 2025, we need to keep safety in the forefront of our minds when travelling around our school. Please help keep everyone safe by staying alert, slowing down, adhering to our pickup and drop off routines and listening to our School Crossing Supervisors who are there to help families cross the road safely.

The documents linked below will take you to our Stop, Kiss and Go drop off and pick up zone guides.

For our Stop, Kiss and Go zones to be successful the following is necessary.

Handy Hints:

• Avoid parking along any part of the school side of Boscombe Road between 2:45pm and 3:30pm
• Use the area as a “drive through” service, with the zone operating like a fast-moving taxi rank, and not a parking bay.
• Avoid driving south on Boscombe Road toward Rafting Ground Road in order to keep it as clear as possible. No U-turns into driveways on Boscombe Road.
• Drive the short distance around the block to change direction.
• Stagger pick up between 2:55pm and 3:15pm to enable gradual traffic around the school. There is staff in the drop off zone supporting students for this time. Students not picked up by 3:15pm will wait in the office. The office will ring parents/carers if no message has been received by this time.
• Ensure you talk to your child/ren about their drop off/pick up arrangements, so that they know!

Students are to make their way to sit under CPA2 from 8:30am. There is no school supervision before this.

The zones operate more effectively and safely when everyone works together!

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

Your support for this to make a difference to road safety around our school.  Thank you 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.

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

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:

Tuckshop News

Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for a few more volunteers to help in the Tuckshop of Thursday 14/02 and Friday 15/02/2025. If you would be interested in helping out, please contact Sue as soon as possible! tuckshop@brookfieldss.eq.edu.au

Helping Hands News

Extra-Curricular Calendar - Term 1

Community News