Ironside State School eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

Ironside State School acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to the Elders past, present, and emerging for they hold the traditions, culture, memories and hopes of Indigenous Australia. The Turrbal Aboriginal Nation, who spoke the Jagera Language, roamed these lands.

Welcome to Term 1, Week 6 2025

Hi Everyone,

We had a wonderful first P&C Meeting for the year last week and I want to say thank you to everyone who came along, it is clear we are going to achieve many things together this year! Thank you so much to our P&C Executive team and all of our wonderful volunteers also. It was great to hear from Ms Sharyn Pinkerton and Mr Brett Perrier who captured the voice of our students and presented the types of improvements they would like to see at our school. Please come and join the P&C, maybe sign up to be a Class Parent Representative and be a part of your child’s school and our wonderful community.

I was able to talk through our approved 2025-2028 School Strategic Plan, where we are focusing on implementing the Australian Curriculum Version 9 through research-based, best-practice teaching and quality assuring this through collegial engagement. This is all well underway, as myself and the leadership team, meet with each year level team of teachers every week and work through the Australian Curriculum V9 English and look at the teaching sequences together. Whenever you see this symbol over the next 4 years, it symbolises our 2025-2028 School Strategic Plan.

For many reasons, many of our families go away on trips during school time. If you are taking your child out of school for more than 10 consecutive days, you need to apply for an exemption for schooling. Mostly this will not be granted but I do want to assure you that we completely understand if you need to travel to see loved ones or a religious event etc. We can’t grant an exemption, but we certainly support you doing what you need to do.

Here is an excerpt of Education Queensland’s exemption policy

Please remember, we are not suggesting you don’t go to these important events.

If you know you need to collect your child for an appointment or something similar during school time, can you please come to the front office during class time, as it is easier to locate your child and get them to the office when it isn’t play time. So, lesson times are 9-10:50am, 11:30-1:30 and after 2pm.

We had a fire evacuation practice last week and we will have a lockdown practice this week. Everyone did an excellent job but if you want to reinforce to your children to always stay calm and listen to the staff and follow their instructions; that is all they need to do.

Please note on the calendar that parent/teacher meetings are in week 8 and 9 - Monday 17—Friday 21 March and Monday 24-Friday 28 March.

Congratulations to all of our STAR students who received their award on assembly on Friday; listening to why they received this award was just heart-warming, well done kids and thank you teachers!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Jacob Ngu and Evelyn Reeves who won our Queensland School Library Awards! They were presented with their certificate on assembly by Ms Sauvage.

We also got to congratulate those children who won the Ironside State School Tennis Championship which is run by the very wonderful Penny Biddlestone - how exciting!! Congratulations Hana, Hudson, Olivia and Jonas.

Coming up:

Student Leader Induction Ceremony, Friday 7 March 9:15am in the hall.

Coming up this Friday is our Student Leader’s Induction, and you are all welcome. We look forward witnessing those children who have been voted in by their peers receive their leadership badge. After the induction ceremony is over, we will be having a morning tea for these inducted students and their parents.

I will finish by saying, Clean Up Australia Day was yesterday but Mrs Amanda Hayes and the Green Team got us all into it on Friday! Thank you for your inspiration Green Team!

Have a truly fabulous week!

Yours in Education

Angie Kelly

PS If you are wanting any old furniture, please email me on akell58@eq.edu.au

Important Term 1 Dates

Around Ironside

4A

Team 4A has had an amazing start to 2025 with 5 weeks down and 5 to go we find ourselves an eighth of the way towards Year 5. Wow! Where did that time go??? It has been a great five weeks as we have developed our understanding of who we are and how we work together. This has allowed us to be kind when considering the importance of treasuring our diversity and respectfully interacting with each other. All the attributes of a terrific team are taking shape!

As you can see in the pictures below, by acting with integrity when making the right choices, as well as being responsible by doing what we know we should, we have been busy creating our best bookwork to support and share our learning. It also makes us super proud and keen for more learning success.

Regards,

Mr Bierhuizen (4A Classroom Teacher)

Join us for a special NAPLAN twilight information session on Thursday, 6 March at 6pm. To help parents navigate the upcoming NAPLAN test, we are collaborating with the Queensland Department of Education to deliver an online information session that will provide you with valuable information on NAPLAN and offers tips to support students on doing their best. Additionally, we will share important readiness information for both you and your child, discuss the essential digital skills for NAPLAN and explain how NAPLAN’s tailored test design adapts to each student.

Visit https://bit.ly/4gZ3Wf0 to register.

HPE News

Ironside Students Shine at Met West Swimming Trials

Fourteen talented Ironside students recently dived into competition at the Met West Swimming Trials, held at the Brisbane Aquatics Centre. Representing our school with determination and skill, these students put in outstanding performances, achieving personal best times across multiple events.

A huge congratulations to Edie Cudmore and Harvey Twinn, who have been selected for the Met West Swimming Team! Their impressive results have earned them a place at the upcoming Queensland Trials, where they will compete against the state's best swimmers.

We are incredibly proud of all our students for their dedication and hard work in the pool. Competing at this level is a fantastic achievement, and each swimmer should be proud of their effort.

Best of luck to Edie and Harvey at the Queensland Trials—Ironside is cheering you on!

If you have a student wishing to attend the Northern Eagles District Trials for:

10 – 19 years Boys and Girls Squash
10 – 12 years Boys and Girls Basketball
10 – 12 years Boys Rugby League
10 – 19 years Boys and Girls Golf
10 – 12 years Boys AFL
10 – 12 years Boys and Girls Hockey

Email Mr Reardon your experience in the sport to receive the Nomination Booklet.

You will then need to fill out and complete the Nomination Booklet and email a digital copy to Mr Reardon (nrear8@eq.edu.au)

IMPORTANT REMINDER

We need to stress that representative sport is for serious athletes and not a “give it a try” opportunity.

Students selected to go to a district trial will be among the top athletes in that sport for that school and will be required to provide proof of the club/team they play for outside of school along with years of experience and position they play.

We encourage our more Elite 10 -12-year-old athletes to seek additional opportunities through the Queensland School Sports Representative Program.

Throughout the year, Northern Eagles district trials are held across a range of team and individual sports.

Students and parents are notified of these trial dates through daily notices, student emails and the school newsletter.

Importantly, these district trials are highly competitive and only for students who have extensive experience in their sport outside of school.

If selected, students have the chance to display their talent at the regional, state and national level.

Regards,

Mr Reardon (PE Teacher)

Library News

Upcoming Events

T2 21/5 National Simultaneous Storytime

T3 21/7 Year 5 Dr Sam Lloyd author visit incursion

T3 Week 6 Book Week costume parade - date to be confirmed

Music News

Junior Choirs Update

The Year 1 and Year 2 Choir enrolments have been updated, and parents of children attending rehearsals were notified by email in Week 5. If you believe your child is, or should be, participating in the Year 1 or Year 2 Choir and have not received an email from Mrs Huxley, please get in touch to ensure your child's enrolment is confirmed and your email is added to the correspondence list.

We've had a fantastic start to the year in Junior Choirs, with students eagerly diving into new repertoire. A reminder that Year 1 Choir rehearsals take place in Mrs Huxley’s Music Room on Mondays during first break, while Year 2 Choir rehearsals are held on Wednesdays during first break.

Both choirs are preparing for an exciting performance at our final assembly of Term 1 (Friday, 4th April), where they will sing a special Harmony Day song. We can't wait to share their hard work with the school community!

We look forward to an exciting semester of singing and teamwork! 🎤✨

Marianne Huxley | Specialist Teacher | mehux0@eq.edu.au

Ironside Strings

Dear Parents,

Please see the attached timetable for term 1 Strings.

You will notice the timetable rotates a little differently. Because many year levels have 1 hour specialist lessons, I have spread the rotation out a little more, so students don’t miss the same specialist lesson. Students will only miss each time slot once per term.

Any problems or questions please let me know.

Trudy Weekes

Experienced Senior String Teacher (Monday, Tuesday, Friday)

Ironside Lunchtime Clubs

💙At Ironside State School we offer a variety of lunchtime clubs.

These allow our students to learn new skills, make new friends and meet our staff to build additional connections.

🗣️ Talk to your child about which activities they’d like to participate in next week!

🎤 💃 🧘 🎶 ♟️ 🧵 👨‍🎓👩‍🎓

P&C News

Ironside OSHC

We are excited to announce that over the Christmas break, Ironside OSHC successfully relocated to J-Block! Our new drop-off and pick-up location are conveniently situated beside the school hall, making the process smoother and more accessible for parents and carers.

We have vacancies in before school care and most afternoons! Drop your child off early for breakfast and supervised play. Remember, children cannot be left at school before 8:30am, so booking into OSHC is a great solution.

Enrolling at Ironside OSHC is easy! Simply visit our website at www.ironsideoshc.org.au and complete the enquiry form.

P&C Meeting

Don't forget if you have any items for the next P&C meeting (including ideas for projects this year) they need to be sent to the secretary today. The meeting notice and agenda will be sent out tomorrow for the first meeting of the year on the 25th.

🌟 Join the Ironside State School P&C – Get Involved, Make a Difference! 🌟

The Ironside State School P&C Association is all about community, collaboration, and creating the best possible experience for our kids! We’re a not-for-profit group that brings together parents, citizens, and staff to support the school and enhance learning, facilities, and student well-being.

Why Join?
- Help improve school facilities & programs
- Connect with other parents & make a real impact
- Have a say in where funds are spent
- Stay informed & be part of exciting projects!

Meetings & Membership

Our first general meeting is on Tuesday, 25th February, at 6:30 PM in the school staff room - and we’d love to see you there! Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of every month, so there are plenty of chances to get involved.

Becoming a member is easy! Simply fill out a Membership Application Form and send it to our secretary at pandcironside@gmail.com or bring it along to the next meeting.

Got an idea for the school? Let’s hear it!

We are now accepting proposals for projects to invest the funds raised last year. If you have ideas to enhance our school—such as shade sails, playground seating, books, or other improvements that benefit students and the school community - we’d love to hear from you!

If you have a suggestion, email us before the meeting so it can be added to the agenda. Ideas must be submitted ahead of time to be discussed at the meeting.

Fundraising & Events

The P&C runs exciting fundraising events throughout the year to support the school and enhance student experiences. From fairs to fun events, there are plenty of ways to get involved and help make a difference! Keep an eye out for upcoming events and opportunities to contribute.

Looking Ahead: AGM Update

This year, we’re delaying the AGM until March so we can present a well-planned budget for the year ahead. Stay tuned for more details!

Announcements

This year we will be setting up a new Facebook page to post information directly from the P&C. This will include meeting announcements and information about fund raising events so please make note of the page: https://www.facebook.com/ironsidestateschoolpandc

Questions?

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out at pandcironside@gmail.com.

Join us, share your ideas, and be part of something great!

Membership Form

New Tuckshop Specials Menu

Uniform Shop News

School Crossing Supervisor Position

The Department of Transport and Roads (TMR) are looking for School Crossing Supervisors (Lollypop person) in your area to help get our kids safely to and from school.

School Crossing Supervisors must be available for work in both morning and afternoon shifts on a rostered basis (in all weather conditions).

In return we offer the following:

Casual pay-rate starting at $37.10 per hour
Relief opportunities on your days off
Long service leave entitlements

Commencement of employment for the successful applicant is dependent on:

The favourable outcome of a pre-employment health assessment
A Positive Notice Blue Card (you do not need to have a blue card to apply for the position)

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, give us a call on (07) 3863 9871 to speak with your local Road Safety Officer or email CSB.SEQN.RoadSafetyCarseldine@tmr.qld.gov.au for more information.