Week 2, Term 3 2025

Principal Pen

Dear Parents and Carers,

Karibu kwa wiki 2;

Bienvenue à la semaine 2;

Wadda Mooli, Welcome to Week 2, Term 3 2025.

Welcome back, everyone! The holidays are officially over. We hope you had a restful and enjoyable break, filled with special moments and a chance to recharge.

As we return to school for Term 3, there’s a sense of renewed energy and excitement in the air. This term is a fresh opportunity for all of us to continue growing academically, socially, and personally. We have so much to look forward to, including new topics to explore, goals to achieve, sports to play, and experiences to share.

As always, our strength lies in our community. By working together, we can create a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. Let’s continue to encourage one another, lend a helping hand when needed, and celebrate our collective successes. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the sports field, or in creative pursuits, let’s make Term 3 a time of collaboration, enthusiasm, and achievement.

We’re so glad to have your back, and we can’t wait to see all the great things we will accomplish together.

TRAVELLING TO SCHOOL SAFELY

Ensuring the safety of our students on their way to and from school is a shared responsibility. Whether your child travels by car, bus, bike or walks, it’s important to model and practice safe habits. When driving, please remember to follow all traffic laws, use designated drop-off and pick-up zones, and never park in driveways or areas that block access. Doing so can create dangerous situations for children and families.

For those walking or riding, using crosswalks, wearing helmets, and staying alert to traffic are vital steps to staying safe. Bus travel is also safe when students follow the driver’s instructions and wait patiently in designated areas. Together, by prioritizing safety and respect on all modes of travel, we can ensure every student arrives at school ready to learn and returns home securely.

ATTENDANCE – Every Day Counts & School Starts at 8:30am Our whole-school target is to reach 88% attendance this year, and currently, we are sitting at 86%. Every day at school truly makes a difference. Consistent attendance is essential for student achievement as it supports steady learning progress, helps maintain strong connections with peers and teachers, and develops skills that are valuable both inside and beyond the classroom.

Parents are key partners in this effort by establishing positive routines and addressing any attendance challenges early. Teachers contribute by delivering engaging lessons and fostering a warm, welcoming environment that motivates students to attend. Ultimately, students themselves are at the heart of this goal—their dedication to coming to school and participating fully in their learning will help us reach and exceed our target together.

SCHOOL OPINION SURVEY

The suite of School Opinion Surveys is undertaken each year by the Department of Education to obtain opinions about our school from families, school staff and students in target year levels (5,6, 8 and 11). The surveys will help identify what we are doing well and understand where we can improve. The survey invitation will be emailed in the week beginning 21 July and is titled School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2025.

Each school family will receive one email invitation from the Department of Education to complete the Parent/Caregiver Survey. The survey is anonymous, and the results are not reported in ways that an individual’s response can be identified by the school.

Parents/Caregivers are encouraged to complete the survey. The survey can be completed via computers, tablets or smart phones with an internet connection.

For Parents/Caregivers who do not have access to the internet school computers/tablets will be available. Parents/caregivers who experience difficulties accessing the survey can request a new survey from the School Opinion Survey team via email schoolopinionsurvey@qed.qld.gov.au.

It’s important that as many parents/caregivers as possible complete the survey, so we would appreciate if members of this committee would raise awareness of this survey with other parents and caregivers.

Kind Regards

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

• ⛺ Year 5 and 6 Camp Final Payment - Due Now
• 🎶 Musical Instrument - Payments Due Now
• ⚽ Term 2 Interschool Sports Consent Forms - Due Now
• 🏈 Garbutt Magpie Cup - Permission Forms - Due Now
  
• 🏃‍➡️ Challenge Games 23rd and 24th July
• 🏴 NAIDOC Celebrations - 24th July
• 💤 National Pyjama Day - 25th July - Gold Coin Donation
• 📔 Book Club - Due 1st August
• 😋 Tuckshop - 1st Break every Friday

Important Update: Consent Forms Now Available via QParents or Email

We would like to inform all parents that, moving forward, consent forms will no longer be printed. Instead, they will be sent home electronically through QParents or via email.

This change will help us streamline communication and reduce paper waste. Please ensure you’re signed up for QParents or keep an eye on your email for any upcoming forms.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact the school office.

Reminder: No parking allowed at any time in the administration entrance driveway. Please use the designated car parks for all pick-ups and drop-offs.

Learning Beyond the Classroom: Family-Focused Homework at Aitkenvale

At Aitkenvale, we highly value opportunities for students to develop their literacy, numeracy, communication and social skills. We recognise the family/home unit as a key teacher in these areas and the way these skills can be developed through everyday interactions. The importance of allowing sufficient time for family, recreation, and community and cultural activities is also valued. Homework is therefore encouraged but non-compulsory.

From Term 3, instead of a homework grid being sent home, suggested homework activities will be communicated through the fortnightly school newsletter. There is no need for students to return / show their completion of these tasks – if they want to, they can, we always love to see our students’ progress. Please see below this fortnight’s homework activities which you can do as a family:

If you feel your child requires additional homework, to meet their individual learning needs (either at a lower or higher level) or home readers, please request these from the classroom teacher.

Exciting Tuckshop Launch – 1st August!

We’re excited to announce that from Thursday 1st August 2025, Aitkenvale State School will be launching online tuckshop ordering using Flexischools! Tuckshop will be available Friday only, during 1st break.

With Flexischools, you can easily order and pay for tuckshop items online – no cash, no queues, and no need to visit the tuckshop in person.

To get started, download the Flexischools app from the Apple or Google store and follow the steps to create an account.
Already using Flexischools? Just tap the Profile icon in the app and +Add New Student.

Please note:
🕛 All orders must be placed by 12pm each Thursday.
❌ No late orders will be accepted.

Our Fortnightly Wrap Up

Year 4 - Soil Excavation Fun

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Our Year 4 students became young archaeologists this week as part of their science unit on soils and rocks! They took part in an exciting excavation-style activity where they:

• Buried stones in soil and used spoons to carefully dig and scoop them out
• Gently brushed away dirt using paint brushes, just like real scientists in the field
• Used sieves to separate smaller soil particles, revealing their hidden rocks!

This hands-on experience helped them explore the properties of soil and understand how materials can be separated. A fun and muddy way to learn about science!

Year 1 - Fire Education Visit 🚒

This week our Year 1 students had a special visit from the local fire brigade as part of their Fire Education program.

Students learned all about fire safety, the role of firefighters in our community, and what to do in an emergency. They even got to see the equipment up close!

A big thank you to our visiting firefighters for making learning so engaging and fun while teaching such important life skills.

Lunchtime Fun at Aitkenvale

At Aitkenvale, lunchtime is always a highlight of the day!

With two lunch breaks, students enjoy the best of both worlds — play first, then eat

After running around and having fun, it’s time to relax with friends, share a meal, chat, and laugh together before heading back to class refreshed and ready to learn!

100 Days of Prep

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Yesterday our Prep students celebrated 100 days of school!

In the afternoon, they enjoyed a range of fun activities – all themed around the number 100. From creative games to counting challenges, it was a day full of learning and laughter. A highlight? The special cookies decorated with 100 – a sweet treat to mark a sweet milestone!

NAIDOC Week Celebrations

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Today we honoured NAIDOC Week with a vibrant celebration filled with culture, creativity, and connection. The children explored a variety of engaging activities including sensory play with playdough, salt dough ornament painting, fish weaving, dot face painting, boomerang decorating, and colourful handprints. We also shared stories and explored cultural artefacts that helped deepen our understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and traditions.

A big thank you to our wonderful volunteers from Yumba Meta, our PLOs, TAIHS, The Smith Family, Torres Strait islander dance group Wagga Wadth and the Elders who joined us. Your presence and support made this celebration truly meaningful for our children and community.

And a special thanks to Kulur Trio for keeping everyone refreshed with their amazing coffee van – it was very much appreciated!

Semester 1 Academic Awards Ceremony

We are incredibly proud of all the students who received awards during our Academic Parade.

Your dedication, hard work, and perseverance have truly paid off.

Well done on your achievements – you are an inspiration to your peers and the entire school community! Keep striving for excellence!

Interschool Sports Reports

Last week, our Year 5 and 6 students played in the interschool touch football and soccer competitions. It was a fun day full of teamwork, effort, and great sportsmanship.

This week, some of our students wrote their own sports reports to share the highlights of the day. Well done to all players and our student reporters!

Term 3 Learning Overviews

Current Permission Forms Now Available

We want to make sure your child can participate in all the exciting upcoming school activities, so we’ve made the most current permission forms available for you to access easily.

You can find the forms for:

• Interschool Sport - Activity Consent Form

Simply click the links below to print and complete your forms or log in to QParents to complete and submit the forms online. 

Make sure to return them by the deadlines to ensure your child can take part in these awesome activities! If you have any questions, feel free to contact the school on 📞4421 2333.

Account Statements Sent Home – Please Settle Outstanding Payments

Account statements have been sent home with students. 

We kindly ask that all outstanding payments be made as soon as possible via one of the following methods:

💳 BPOINT
🏦 Centrepay
📱 QParents
💵 Cash & EFTPOS (available at the school office)

Thank you for your prompt attention and continued support.

Camp Australia Newsletter - Week 2

Student of the Week - Week 2

Important Information for Families