2025, Term 2, Week 0, Kilcoy State School Newsletter

21.4.2025

Acknowledgment of Country: This newsletter comes to you from Jinibara Land. In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples today. We are thankful to be able to work, learn and play on Jinibara land.

Vision & Values: "We believe that all members of the Kilcoy State School community have the right to work, learn and play in a safe and inclusive environment."   Our STAR values are SAFETY - Taking Responsibility - Active Learning - Respect

2025 Annual Improvement Plan

• AIP Focus area 1: The quality enactment of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum, leading to measurable improvement in student academic achievement.
• AIP Focus area 2: The development of a school culture which underpins a rich, engaging and consistent learning environment, prioritising excellence in curriculum, teaching and learning, resulting in enhanced staff and student learning and wellbeing. 

Principal's welcome

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to Term 2 of the school year! We look forward to an enjoyable and productive term, learning with your children. There are several exciting events on this term and details have been provided below for events on in the next five weeks.  Commencing on 6/5/25, we are also participating in our next School Review.  Each Queensland State School participates in a review every four years and the feedback from the review provides the school with affirmations and advice on where to progress next. Our entire community are invited to participate and the reviewers will make themselves available during their visit. 

Another way our school can measure progress is by reviewing our Annual Improvement Plan regularly. Our staff have been involved in creating this roadmap for our success, and each term we make time to track our progress. By highlighting our progress in traffic light colours, we are able to clearly see which components are going strong (green), getting there (orange), or not yet started (red). We have found this to be an effective method to refine our collective focus in order to ensure we can achieve our planned goals. 

Unfortunately, last term our Interhouse Cross Country was cancelled due to the intense rain fall we experienced. During the holidays, we were able to reschedule the event, and it will now occur on Monday 28th April. We encourage you to come along and cheer the kids on. They love having you participate in their school life and watch their efforts. Feel free to send family to join in if you are not able to come.  

To our Prep Parents and Carers: in the afternoon just after the Cross Country on 28/4, we are holding a Prep Home Reading workshop (2.30pm). We ask all parents and carers of Prep students to attend and learn how we can work together to help your child learn to read. 

Parent/Carer and Teacher Meetings. Wednesday 30-4-25, 3.15pm to 6.15pm. 

Held each semester, we encourage you to take this opportunity to speak with your child's teacher/s and learn how you might help your child take their next steps in learning. Parent/Carer and Teacher meetings are a great opportunity to have a conversation with your child's teacher and ask them any questions you may have about your child with regard to their academic and personal learning, well before final reporting for the semester occurs. 

Online bookings for these meetings will open on Tuesday afternoon and using the link below, you will be able to book after 6pm on Tue 22/4/25. If you are unable to attend in person on the day, you can opt in to receive a phone call from the teacher instead. 

Breakfast Club: If you are able to help make toast or cut fruit for about 30-45mins in the morning on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday from 8.15am, we would dearly love your help. We are also looking for donations of honey, vegemite and strawberry jam. Donations can be left at the school office or brought directly to Breakfast Club in the hall. 

Staffing update

As you will be aware, Mrs Lisa Webster, our Deputy principal, was successful last term in obtaining the position as Principal of Peachester State School until the end of the school year.

I am pleased to announce that Mrs Pam Carlile will be backfilling Mrs Webster while she is away. Mrs Carlile has a wealth of leadership experience and having come from a smaller school community, will no doubt fit into our school well. Please make her feel welcome as she gets to know our school. 

In other staffing changes, Mrs Dani Vella has accepted a role with the Department of Corrections for the remainder of the school year. We wish Mrs Vella well in her new adventure! With great confidence, I have employed Ms Lisa May to be the full-time teacher in 4/5A, officially commencing on 28/4/25. In a new role, Mrs Bassingthwaighte will still be involved with the class, providing a measure of continuity through the necessary change for our students. 

Kind regards, Mrs Belinda Nash. 

Upcoming events

P&C News

Our next P&C Meeting is on Wednesday 7th May in the Resource Centre at 3.30pm. Please join us for the first meeting with the new P&C Executive Team for 2025!

Library Display: The Tree of Acknowledgement

Our library is looking fantastic with a vibrant display of Year 5/ 6A and 6B students’ work on the Tree of Acknowledgement. This eye-catching display showcases their science unit from Term 1, “Our Changing World.” 

Throughout Term 1, students explored natural disasters—cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis—learning about their causes, effects on the Earth’s surface, and impact on communities. As part of their project, they created their very own Disaster Awareness Guide, packed with information, illustrations, and practical tips on how to prepare for and respond to these extreme events. The knowledge and skills they have developed in this unit will also provide them with a strong foundation for their English studies this term, where they will continue to refine their ability to write well structured informative texts. 

Their hard work has resulted in a stunning, colourful display filled with detailed guides, beautiful artwork, and powerful messages about the forces of nature. It’s clear that our students put in a tremendous effort—and the results are well worth a visit! 

Parents and families are warmly invited to pop into the library to admire this fantastic showcase of creativity and learning. We’re incredibly proud of our young scientists for their dedication and enthusiasm. Well done, Year 5 and 6! 

-Mrs Karen Burton

Year 5/ 6 A and B, Natural Disasters

Sports News

-Mrs Joanne Smith

Inclusion Support news

At Kilcoy State School, we embrace many elements of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a framework and endeavour to ensure that all students have equal access to learning and opportunities to succeed. As the Inclusion Support teacher, I am committed to providing support to students based on individual needs, strengths, and learning styles they may require. This approach is not only about academic success but also engagement and motivation in our students.

Your insights into how your child is feeling and performing -whether at school or at home-are invaluable. If there have been any changes or if you have noticed any areas where you child may need additional support, please don't hesitate to reach out. Your feedback helps us create a more personalised, effective plans that align with both the classroom goals and the needs of your child.

Whether it's adapting the curriculum, using assistive technologies, or adjusting teaching methods, we are all striving to here to create an environment where every learner can thrive. Please feel free to contact me by email or phone, and we can set up a time to talk or meet.

I also wanted to share something that made me smile this week. It was so heart-warming to see the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders playing together at lunchtime in such an imaginative way. The girls told me they were on a rickety bus that had travelled all around the school with no real destination. It was wonderful to witness their creativity, engagement and the pure fun they were having!

-Mrs Harriet McVeigh

Please see the attached Community Calendar from the Somerset Regional Council detailing some amazing local events in the Somerset Region this month! 

Thank you for taking the time to engage in your child's school life further by reading this newsletter. We appreciate you staying informed. If you have any newsletter suggestions, please email them to admin@kilcoyss.eq.edu.au.