Week 10, Term 4 2024
- Principal Pen
- Updates from the Admin Office
- 2025 Aitkenvale State School Booklist
- Academic Awards Ceremony Highlights
- Achieving Excellence Together
- Celebrating a Splashing Success: Our Gold Day Pool Party
- Splash Into Fun: The Annual Swimming Carnival
- Celebrating Success: Silver Day Reward Highlights
- Congratulations to Our Glowtastic Disco Prize Winners!
- New School Advertising Campaign Unveiled!
- The Christmas spirit has arrived at Aitkenvale State School!
- Elf Mischief at Aitkenvale State School!
- Reminder: Report Cards Emailed Home – Ensure Your Details Are Up to Date
- Join Us for a Festive Celebration Concert!
- Announcing Our Shift to a Digital-First Platform in 2025
- Final Transition: 2024 Marks the End of the Old School Uniform
- Townsville City Council Holiday Guide
- Christmas Cooking: Delicious Holiday Treats
- Celebrating our Student of the Week - Week 9
- Does my child start kindy or school in 2025?
- Important: Updating Student Details
- School Watch
- Like us on Facebook
Principal Pen
Wadda Mooli, Habari, Bonjour.
Welcome to week 10 of Term 4. Congratulations to all of you, we made it through another year of learning. This year school finishes on Friday 13th December. By Friday 6th of December all formal events will be complete and report cards sent home. Please advise the school office as per normal procedure if you have made holiday arrangements during that week and your student will not be attending.
Thank you to all of our parents and community members for your support this year. If this is your last as an Aitkenvale parent we wish you luck on your next journey, if you are continuing on with us, we look forward to working with you further.
Our school Values - Aspirational, Inclusive and Resilient are like the roots, branches, and leaves of a tree. The roots represent aspiration—they grow deep, reaching for knowledge and strength, even when unseen, grounding us in our dreams and pushing us to reach higher. The branches symbolise inclusion—spreading wide, they embrace everyone, offering support and connection, ensuring that no one is left behind. And the leaves are resilience—they bend and sway with the wind, yet never break, adapting to the challenges that come their way, growing stronger with each season. Together, they form a tree that stands tall, growing, and thriving despite the storms. Together we are Aitkenvale State School.
School Priority 1
Maximise student engagement and wellbeing across all settings
Our attendance Goal for 2024 was set at 85% attendance for the whole school. As of week 10, Term 4 we sit at 86%. This is an increase of nearly 5% for the year.
School Priority 2
Improve Level of Achievement in English for all students (Prep - Year 6)
Our Level of Achievement for Whole School English has a target of 75% of all eligible students achieving A to C on their report cards. I am pleased to say we have exceeded this target with whole school data showing 77.9% of students are receiving an A, B or C for English on their report card. Well done to all involved. This is a great achievement!
STAFFING NEWS
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Tom Frankling on his recent appointment to Northern Beaches State High School. We wish him luck with his new adventure. Mr Frankling said Aitkenvale holds a special place in his heart and is thankful for the time he spent here.
As a result of Mr Frankling’s appointment I am pleased to announce that I have been extended in the role of Principal at Aitkenvale State School. I look forward to continuing to work with you all in 2025 and beyond.
We have a number of staff leaving Aitkenvale at the end of 2024. We would like to wish all of these staff the very best for their new roles. We will miss each of them as they have all played a significant part in making Aitkenvale the community it is.
Staffing farewells end of 2024
- Melissa Benge – Kirwan State High School
- Arabella Campbell – Belgian Gardens State School
- Emma McClelland – Cranbrook State School
- Isabella Thomas – The Willows State School
- Catriona McDonald – Northshore State School
- Phillippa Coe – Heatley State School
- Kenidee McNamara – Relocating interstate
- Geoff Jopling – Retiring
We are lucky to have many new staff members arriving at Aitkenvale for 2025 and we are looking forward to meeting and working with all of them.
Incoming Teachers
- Lisa Pullens
- Alannah Wilson
- Anneliese Dijckmans
- Pascale Finlayson
- Danielle McCormack
- Rebecca Diamond
- Julie White
Returning Teachers
Ryan Marshall
SEMESTER 2 REPORTS
Report Cards for Semester 2, 2024 will be distributed via email, Friday of Week 10 (this week). Please ensure Application@oneschool.eq.edu.au is in your list of safe senders to ensure report card emails aren’t sent to the Junk folder.
To ensure all parents and caregivers receive their child/children’s Report Cards, it is important that the school has your current email address recorded in OneSchool. If you are unsure that the school has your current email address, please ring or email the office staff to confirm.
Report Cards will only be emailed to the parent/caregiver recorded as ‘receives correspondence’. If a duplicate or printed Report Card is required, please also notify the office by phone or email admin@aitkenvaless.eq.edu.au
GRADUATING CLASS OF 2024
On Wednesday evening, our year 6 students attended their graduation ceremony from Aitkenvale State School. It was a great night celebrating the journey so far, but it is important to remember there is an amazing journey ahead. We are all proud of you and your contributions to Aitkenvale SS. We look forward to hearing great things about all of you in the future. Just remember life might not always be a “glow up” video with perfect lighting and a flawless transition, but it’s always your story to tell. So, whether you’re the main character or the supporting cast, embrace every moment and make it your own.
ACADEMIC AWARDS
On Monday we acknowledged and celebrated the hard work and dedication all of our students but in particular the students who excelled in their academic studies. Congratulations to all our award recipients, we are all extremely proud of you. At Aitkenvale State School we are committed to Achieving Excellence Together. Our students are supported, valued and celebrated and we congratulate all students in their efforts. We also took the time to celebrate the great attendance at our school. We Acknowledged the 100% attenders on assembly and later acknowledged the 160 students who attended for 90% – 99%. This is a huge achievement. Well done everyone.
MEDICATION
PLEASE COLLECT YOUR CHILD’S MEDICATION FROM SCHOOL BEFORE THE END OF YEAR
PREP ENROLMENTS
We are now taking all Prep enrolments for 2025. Children born 01 July 2019 – 30 June 2020 are eligible to attend Prep next year. Make sure you get your enrolment forms completed and handed into the office as soon as possible.
ENROLMENTS
We are beginning our planning for 2025! If you know of a family looking to enrol at Aitkenvale State School, or know of a student looking to change schools, please contact the office by phone on 44212333 or email admin@aitkenvaless.eq.edu.au so we can ensure children have access to the best possible transition to school.
Thank you for working with the school in 2024. We look forward to continuing the great work in 2025 and building stronger partnerships with you all. Take care over the holiday period. School resumes Tuesday 28th January. 
Lee Braney
Principal
Updates from the Admin Office
Office Hours 8:00AM - 3:30PM 
Supervision on gates begins at 8:00am
Gates Close at 2:50pm - all remaining students will then be escorted to the office to await collection.
Important Dates
- Celebration Concert - 6th December 8:45 - 10:30am
- Office Closed - 6th December 8:40 - 10:00am
- Last Day of Term 4 - 13th December
All late slips and early pick-up requests for students are now handled at the student counter. Please follow the signs to the window at the back of the Administration Building.
Keep Our School Safe While Were on Holidays 
As we head into the school holidays, it’s important to remember that empty schools can become targets for unlawful entry, arson, theft, graffiti, and property damage. These incidents impact our entire community, going beyond the financial costs of repairs.
The School Watch program is here to help! This initiative, a partnership between the Department of Education, Protective Services Group, and the Queensland Police Service, encourages everyone to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity at our schools—especially when they are unoccupied during the holidays.
Did you know? On average, over 700 calls are made to School Watch each year, playing a crucial role in keeping our schools safe.
Remember: Look, Listen, Report.
If you see anything suspicious, call School Watch on 13 17 88. In the case of a crime in progress, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Let’s work together to protect our schools and ensure a safe environment for everyone.
Donate Your Old Uniforms!
Are you graduating?
Have you outgrown your old uniform?
Don’t throw them out – donate them to the school!
We are accepting donations of new uniform shirts, black shorts, and shoes. Your generous donations will help other students in need. Thank you for supporting our school community!
2025 Aitkenvale State School Booklist
Academic Awards Ceremony Highlights
On Monday, December 2nd, 2024, we held our annual Academic Awards Ceremony, celebrating the hard work and dedication of our students. The event recognized outstanding achievements in various categories, including Top of the Class, Most Diligent, Class Spirit and the Attendance Award. We also celebrated students who have excelled in their academic journeys with the Pathways Award and Most Improved awards. It was a wonderful opportunity to honour the accomplishments of our students and encourage continued growth and excellence. Congratulations to all the award winners!
Achieving Excellence Together
We are beyond proud to announce that one of our amazing staff has been recognised with the Achieving Excellence Award! 
This award celebrates the dedication, collaboration, and hard work that she puts in every day to create an exceptional environment for our students and our staff. 
A huge thank you to Ms Suhannah for your commitment for going above and beyond to support staff and students' wellbeing and learning. Ms Suhannah sacrifices a lot of her time, money and energy into putting smiles on all of our faces. Together, we’re building something truly special! 
Here's to continuing to achieve great things together! 
Celebrating a Splashing Success: Our Gold Day Pool Party
Our Gold Day pool party was a day filled with fun and laughter! This special event was a well-deserved reward for our students' exemplary behaviour this semester. They enjoyed exciting water activities in the pool, supervised by our dedicated teachers and teacher aides and led by our qualified swimming teacher, Kristen Leedie. The day was a memorable celebration, filled with joy and great moments that reflected the students' hard work and positive actions. Thank you to all the parents for your support, and we look forward to more opportunities to celebrate our students' achievements!
Splash Into Fun: The Annual Swimming Carnival
Last Thursday, our school hosted its annual Swimming Carnival, and what a fantastic day it was! Students from all year levels participated in a range of events, showcasing their swimming skills and team spirit. The pool was filled with excitement as competitors raced for victory, while spectators cheered on their peers with enthusiasm. It was a day of fun, friendly competition, and school pride. A big congratulations to all participants for their efforts, and we look forward to next year’s carnival! swim.
Celebrating Success: Silver Day Reward Highlights
Congratulations to Our Glowtastic Disco Prize Winners!
A huge congratulations to our prize winners! 
These students took home some awesome goodies from our Australian Fundraising Glowtastic Disco. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported this fun event! Your enthusiasm helps make these events a huge success! Check out the smiling faces of our prize winners below! 
New School Advertising Campaign Unveiled!
We’re thrilled to unveil our brand-new school advertising campaign, now live on our billboard on Woolcock Street! 🎉 This marks an important moment for us as we showcase our refreshed designs and message.
Our campaign is designed to perfectly capture the spirit of our school – vibrant, welcoming, and committed to excellence. We can’t wait for you to see it and share in our excitement.
If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and take a look!
The Christmas spirit has arrived at Aitkenvale State School!
🎄✨ Our classrooms are looking festive with beautifully decorated doors and windows, and our students are having a blast getting creative with Christmas crafts. It's the most wonderful time of the year, and we're spreading joy throughout the school! 🎅🎁
Elf Mischief at Aitkenvale State School!
The Elves on the Shelf have been causing a bit of mischief at Aitkenvale State School this week! From a sticky situation with stickers to playing games like the floor is lava, the children have loved checking the office window each day to see what cheeky adventure the elves are up to next. The holiday fun and laughter are definitely in full swing! 
Wonder what mischievous situations they will get into next week?
Reminder: Report Cards Emailed Home – Ensure Your Details Are Up to Date
We would like to remind all parents that report cards will be emailed out this week. To ensure that you receive your child's report on time, please take a moment to check that your contact details are up to date. Report cards will also be accessible through QParents.
Please make sure your details are current in QParents to avoid any delays. If you need assistance or wish to update your contact information, you can do so directly in QParents or visit the office where our friendly staff will be happy to help.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Join Us for a Festive Celebration Concert!
Announcing Our Shift to a Digital-First Platform in 2025
We are transitioning to a digital platform in 2025 and encourage all parents to register for QParent. To complete your registration, you will need your invitation email and your child’s EQ ID number.
If you require any assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask one of our admin staff for help.
Final Transition: 2024 Marks the End of the Old School Uniform
We are excited to announce that 2025 will mark the introduction of our new school uniform, and as such, the transition year is now coming to an end. Starting in 2025, all students will be required to wear the new uniform, which aims to foster a sense of unity and pride throughout our school community.
The new school uniform will include the following items:
- Aitkenvale State School polo shirt ($30)
- Aitkenvale State School bucket hat ($15)
- Black shorts, skirt or pants
- Enclosed shoes (suitable for school activities)
- White socks
Uniforms are available for purchase through the school office. If you have not yet ordered your child’s uniform, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible to ensure you are ready for the start of the 2025 school year. This change applies to all students, and the current uniform will no longer be accepted starting in January 2025.
We would like to thank you for your patience and cooperation during the transition year. Your support has been vital in helping us make this change as smooth as possible for our school community.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out to the school office on 4421 2333.
Townsville City Council Holiday Guide
Christmas Cooking: Delicious Holiday Treats
Celebrating our Student of the Week - Week 9
Prep A | Whole Class Award | For working diligently to complete all your learning tasks this term. You are amazing! |
Prep B | Summer-Rose | Dedication in her writing skills in preparation for year 1. |
1A | Ibtisaam | For being a kind and helpful class member. |
1A | Willliam | For his consistent enthusiasm towards learning in maths. |
1B | Rodina | For showing confidence in the classroom to try new things. Welcome to Aitkenvale. |
1/2C | Issa | Participating well in class activities and displaying a positive attitude toward learning. |
2A | Kovovia | For being safe and listening to instructions first time, every time. |
2B | M’masa | For participating enthusiastically in PBL lessons all week. Well Done! |
3A | Masen | For showing resilience during English tasks. |
3A | Joy | For active participation in class and group activities |
3B | Dalhia | For working independently and completing learning tasks. |
4A | Amne | For being a helpful class member. |
4B | Rayan | For settling well into your new school and learning classroom routines and expectations. Well done |
5A | Rayaan | For incredible improvement in her academic performance. |
5B | April | Meticulously maintaining mathematics mastery! |
5C | Qudra | For participating actively in classroom activities. |
6A | Gilbert | For bringing a smile to school every day! |
6B | Laura | Excellent narrative! |
Literacy Pathways | Rayan | For working hard in class and trying her hardest at all times. |
Literacy Pathways | Emmanuel 2A | Joining in with activities and having a go at new things |
Literacy Pathways | Mohamed 3A | Joining in with activities and having a go at new things |
Literacy Pathways | Whole Class | A wonderful term and the improvement and hard work they have demonstrated. Well done!! |
Does my child start kindy or school in 2025?
Important: Updating Student Details
UPDATING STUDENT DETAILS
It is extremely important that students' personal details such as contact telephone numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts are correct and up to date so you can be contacted if your child is unwell or needing medical attention. It is also very important that we are aware of all medical conditions.
Please email admin@aitkenvaless.eq.edu.au or contact the office to update your child’s details.
School Watch
The School Watch Program is a partnership between Education Queensland, the Queensland Police Service and the State Government Protective Security Service. It aims to reduce criminal activity in Queensland schools and encourages everyone to look out for after-hours crime in our schools. If you see anything suspicious, please don’t attempt to intervene.
Look, Listen, Report. Call School Watch on 13 17 88.
If you see a crime in progress, call Triple Zero (000).
Like us on Facebook
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