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- From the Principal: Angelique Kropp
- From the Deputy Principal: Dan Carlyon
- From the Deputy Principal: Ashleigh Woods
- From the Deputy Principal: Elyse Szasz
- From the Deputy Principal: Toni Kele
- From the Head of Special Education Services: Morgan Batty
- Learning Conferences
- District Sport
- Scholastic Book Club
- Look Out Zone
- P&C News
- School Crossing Supervisor
- Canteen
- QParents
- Finance
- Uniforms
- Friendly Reminders
- Free Home Internet
Welcome to the 2025 School Year!
Welcome back to another exciting year at Pumicestone State School! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break filled with rest, joy, and special moments with loved ones. It has been fantastic to see our students return with enthusiasm, ready to learn and reconnect with friends. A special welcome to our new families joining us this year—we are thrilled to have you as part of our school community.
The first few weeks of the school year are always an important time as we establish routines, build relationships, and set the tone for a successful year of learning. Our dedicated staff have been working hard to ensure a smooth start, and I appreciate their efforts in creating engaging and supportive learning environments.
School Values & Expectations – At Pumicestone, we continue to uphold our values of Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience. We encourage all students to embrace these values in their learning and interactions.
Communication & Partnerships – Strong partnerships between home and school are essential for student success. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
We are excited for the year ahead and look forward to working together to make 2025 a year of growth, achievement, and positive experiences for all students.
Look Out Zone
Just a friendly reminder to our families using the Look Out Zone during drop-off and pick-up times: please do not leave your cars unattended. While it might seem convenient to quickly run into the office, doing so risks fines if a parking officer is present. Often, the first notice you'll receive is the fine itself in the mail.
Please remain in your car to keep traffic flowing smoothly, making pick-ups and drop-offs easier, and ensure a safer environment for students.
*Don't Forget* The parking time limit in the Look Out Zone is 2 minutes.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Warm regards,
Angelique
Exploring the World of Podcasts in Year 5
This term, our Year 5 students are diving into the exciting world of podcasts, learning how to share and expand on ideas for a specific audience. As part of this journey, Mrs. Brown and the students of 5/6G have been exploring what makes a great
podcast.
To support their learning, Mrs. Brown has created a learning wall filled with key information, strategies, and examples to guide students in developing their own engaging podcast content. Students have also had the opportunity to share their new insights with the class, refining their skills in speaking, structuring ideas, and captivating an audience.
Click class 5/6G podcast to hear a student’s explanation of what makes a great podcast!
Year 6 Blast Off into Space and Creativity!
Our Year 6 students have had an exciting start to the year, exploring the relationship between the sun and the planets of our solar system. In 6B, with Mrs. McLeod, students have been bringing space to life through artistic paintings of observable cosmic phenomena.
True to the vibrant and creative atmosphere of Mrs Watson's classroom, students also took the opportunity to get to know one another better by showcasing their favourite hobbies—illustrated on their very own self-portraits!
Check out their amazing artwork and discoveries as they journey through space!
Whats on in Prep?
We are learning…
What an amazing start to the year for our 2025 prep cohort!
In Prep this term we are working hard to share ideas about familiar stories with our friends.
What questions can you ask us about our learning…
- What story are you reading?
- What characters are in the story?
- What happened?
- What did you like about the story?
We know we are successful when we…
- Share our ideas about a familiar story.
- Talk about the characters in the story.
- Talk about what happens in the story.
- Talk about what you liked or didn’t like in the story.
A Message to our Prep Families
We know how hard it is to say goodbye. Please remember our learning starts at 8:30 and it is very important for us!
Prep A
Prep A students love doing their learning jobs! Last week we were trying super hard with our letter S writing! Miss Wells is so proud of us!
Prep D
Working hard in Prep D - class routines, focusing on our numbers, sounds, fine motor skills and building strong social connections. Keep up the great work Prep D!
Introducing New Staff
Welcome to our new Prep teachers! We are thrilled to have them join our school community and bring their passion, creativity, and dedication to our youngest learners. Welcome aboard!
Dear Pumicestone Families,
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for the warm welcome upon my return from maternity leave. It has been truly wonderful to reconnect with our school community, preparing alongside our dedicated team to welcome both familiar and new faces back to school.
This year, I am thrilled to be working as the Deputy Principal for Years 3 and 4. Having previously supported these cohorts in various leadership roles—including Head of Department for Student Services, Head of Special Education Services, and Deputy Principal for Prep and Year 1—I am delighted to continue this journey with them. It is a privilege to see their growth and development firsthand.
I am also pleased to introduce our outstanding 2025 Year 3 and 4 teaching teams, made up of many familiar Pumicestone faces. I look forward to another fantastic year of learning and collaboration with our students, staff, and families.
|
Year 3 3A- Mr Davie |
Year 4 4A- Miss Benson |
Educational Support Mrs Masters |
Inclusion
I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce Mrs. Stephanie Johnston to our school community. As one of our dedicated Inclusion Teachers, Mrs. Johnston supports students across Years 3 and 4. She and Miss Hughes form a highly collaborative and dynamic team, working together to ensure all students receive the support they need to thrive in their learning journey. We are excited to have Mrs. Johnston as part of our team and look forward to the positive impact she will have on our students.
The Arts
I am pleased to formally welcome Mrs. Janelle Moore to our team. Mrs. Moore is our instrumental music teacher and is based at Pumicestone State School on Thursdays. While she is already familiar to some of our Year 5 and Year 6 students, she has now commenced initial assessments for Year 4 students interested in learning an instrument.
We are excited to advise students in years 4 - 6 can apply to participate in our schools Instrumental Music Program for 2025. 
Music is a unique and integral part of life. It has the capacity to inspire all students' creativity and imagination, engage them in the art of expression, immerse them in a language and history that is rich in culture, provide them with opportunities beyond the classroom and excite them about life and learning.
If you would like to place an expression of interest in this program, please complete this form here at EOI Instrumental Music
Please be aware places are limited.
Our First Day!
The first day of the 2025 school year was a fantastic start! I was incredibly impressed with our Year 3 and Year 4 students and how smoothly they transitioned into their new classes and routines. They adapted well to their lunchtime eating and play schedules, demonstrating resilience and enthusiasm. It was wonderful to see so many friendships rekindled in the playground, with students eagerly sharing their excitement about their first morning in their new learning environments.
On Monday afternoon, we held our first Year 3-6 assembly for the year. It was fantastic to see our students demonstrating respect and engagement throughout the assembly. We were especially proud to celebrate the many student achievements, setting a positive tone for the year ahead.
Curriculum Learning and Highlights
From 3A and Mr Davie
In 3A, we read Twig by Aura Parker, a beautiful story about how starting school can sometimes feel like being camouflaged—blending in so much that others might not notice us. Through this story, we explored the importance of including others and making sure everyone feels seen and valued. Inspired by nature, we then took our learning outdoors, where we worked individually and in groups to create stunning 'nature mandalas' using leaves, flowers, sticks, and other natural materials. This hands-on activity reinforced the idea that, just like in nature, every unique piece contributes to something beautiful when we come together.
Mrs. Holden and the students of 4D have engaged in some excellent transition activities this week, designed to foster collaboration and build a strong sense of community within the classroom. One of the activities involved students standing behind their partners, 'drawing' on their backs, and then having their seated partner transfer the drawing onto their whiteboard desks. These activities not only promote teamwork but also contribute to creating a positive and engaging start to the day, helping students feel a sense of belonging as they begin their learning.
Below from left to right: (1) Jaxon and Jaiden doing some Fine motor activities on Friday. Some very happy faces as they challenge themselves (2) 3B have been exploring the features of texts. On Friday they made an artwork to link up to their learning of the three little pigs. Hunter very proudly showing his artwork (3) Some great morning Maths work from Willow (4) TJ, Elias and Bonnie from 3A shared their awesome writing with Mrs Szasz
Attendance
Regular school attendance is vital for every child’s academic success, social development, and overall wellbeing and feeling of belonging at school. Every day of learning builds on the previous one, helping students develop the skills and confidence they need to thrive. When children miss school, they miss valuable learning experiences that cannot always be made up.
We understand that some families may face challenges in ensuring consistent attendance, and we are here to help. If you are experiencing any difficulties getting your child to school, please reach out to us. Our school offers a range of supports, including support teams, wellbeing programs and community resources, to assist families in overcoming any barriers. Together, we can ensure that every student has the best opportunity to succeed.
A special mention to 3B and 4D for their excellent attendance efforts in the first week. And a great effort from 3C and 4B in week 2.
Online Safety
In today’s digital age, it's important that our young learners enjoy a healthy balance
between screen time and real-world play. While technology can be a valuable learning tool, reducing overall tech use helps foster creativity, social skills, and
physical activity. We encourage parents to monitor and limit access to social media to ensure that online experiences remain safe, age-appropriate, and supportive of your child’s development. Establishing clear boundaries at home can empower our children to build balanced, mindful habits that will serve them well both now and in the future.
There are many available resources online through the mighty heroes program if you were interested in exploring these with your child here: Online Safety Mighty Heros
Have a great week and I look forward to sharing some more updates on student curriculum, teaching, and learning in our week 6 newsletter.
Yours in education,
Elyse Szasz
Deputy Principal
A Successful Start to the School Year
What a fantastic start our Year 1 and 2 learners have had to the school year. Our first few weeks of learning has been met with enthusiasm, and it's been wonderful to see so many smiling faces, both familiar and new.
Our learners have been busy getting to know their new teachers, classmates, and new class and school routines. Teaching and learning has begun in earnest in every classroom.
As well as setting learning and behaviour goals for the weeks ahead, our students in Year 2 English have been learning about character traits. After reading the book My Monster is Gross, students from 2C created their own unique monsters and described both their inside traits (like being friendly, sneaky, or shy) and outside traits (such as having slimy skin, sharp teeth, or glowing eyes). This activity helped students develop their understanding of how characters are built in stories while sparking their creativity. Be sure to ask your child about their monster and what makes it special!
Attendance Matters
Earlier this week we attended our first assembly, celebrating student successes over the first two weeks of learning. In coming assemblies, we will recognise classes with the highest attendance rates. Your child attending school every day will provide a life of choice and we want to celebrate this. As well as strengthening a sense of community, coming to school on time every day builds on your child’s prior learning, allowing them to have a brighter future. Thank you for working with us to ensure our learners continue to arrive on time each day ready to learn.
Inclusion
Welcome to 2025! At Pumicestone, we are proud to have an exceptional team of Education Support staff dedicated to supporting our students. This team includes Inclusion Teachers, PBL Teacher, Support Teachers: Literacy and Numeracy, Auslan Education Interpreters, Auslan Language Models, a Guidance Officer, a Social Worker, a Community Education Counsellor, and Education Support Teacher Aides.
Our Education Support staff work closely with students, families, and teachers to help every student reach their full potential. Keep an eye on this newsletter and our Facebook page for introductions to some of our newest Inclusion Teachers: Stephanie Johnston, Heidi Clark, and Katrina Patterson!
Activity Boards
Have you noticed our new Activity Boards around the school? These boards are available for students to use during playtime, movement breaks, or targeted learning.
You'll also find Auslan and Braille boards outside the library! At Pumicestone, we support students who communicate using Auslan and Braille—why not take a moment to learn some of the alphabet?
Queensland School Representative Sport is a sporting pathway open to all students aged 10-19 with an aim to identify excellence in multiple sporting arenas. This pathway is a 4-tiered progressional system in which students, with a very high level of sporting talent are identified at school, district, regional and state levels.
Pumicestone State School is an active member in Glasshouse District Sport. As such, students with exceptional sporting ability are actively encouraged to trial in team sports such as, but not limited to, basketball, netball and soccer. These trials take place over the duration of the school year at various venues within our district.
Attached is the Glasshouse House District sporting trial schedule for 2025. Please note that whilst every endeavour is made to adhere to documented times and venues, some trial times may change due to weather, student numbers and venue availability.
To nominate for a district sporting trial, it is essential that your child displays a very high level of skill in that particular sport, competing in a community sporting club. It is not a "come and try" opportunity.
The steps to nominate involve:
- Student/parent collects the "Permission/Medical Form" from Mr Ryan Chisholm - PSS PE Teacher - one week prior to the trial date.
- Student submits the completed "Permission/Medical Form" to the coach/manager at the district trial. Please note that it is a legal requirement for the student to submit a completed form at the time of the trial. NO FORM = NO PARTICIPATION AT THE TRIAL. (No exceptions)
Individual sporting trials, such as cross country, swimming and track and field, are held at Pumicestone State School. A team is then selected for each age group to compete against all schools in a Glasshouse District Carnival.
In the event that you need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Ryan Chisholm on rchis2@eq.edu.au
Yours in sport
Ryan Chisholm
The first Book Club issue of 2025 is now available! Your child should have brought home a Book Club brochure recently. By ordering books from Scholastic through Book Club, you’re not only providing your child with great reading material at home, but you're also supporting our school library. Each order earns reward dollars for our school, which allows us to purchase more books for Pumicestone students to borrow! Ordering is simple and done online—just follow the instructions on the back of the brochure. Orders are due by 17 February 2025. Please note that cash payments are not accepted.
You can find more information here at Scholastic Book Club
Pumicestone State School has implemented the "Look Out" program to reduce congestion at the Cottrill Road Loading Zone.
Our aim is to enhance safety for all students and parents using the car park. Community cooperation is vital for the smooth operation of this initiative, ensuring hassle-free school pickups.
Program Overview
School finishes at 2:30 pm. In the afternoon, staff supervise the loading zone on Cottrill Road. They monitor and prevent unsafe practices such as:
- Children loading into double-parked cars,
- Loading from the driver's side of vehicles,
- Vehicles idling for more than 2 minutes in the zone,
- Queuing that obstructs the school crossing.
Registration and Participation
Parents will receive a registration link via email in the coming days.
Once registered, you'll receive a name tag for your sun visor which will be sent home with students.
Process at the Loading Zone
Upon arrival, staff will call for waiting children. The first three vehicles in line can load and depart before the next set of vehicles.
If your child isn't present when your vehicle reaches the front, please proceed and re-join the end of the queue, or park in the car park.
Only cars with name tag on the passenger side sun visor to use the pick-up zone.
Non-Compliance:
Vehicles not adhering to rules or engaged in unsafe practices will be reported to Police Link and/or Moreton Bay Regional Council.
Parent Responsibilities
- Arrive at the loading zone during monitored times 2:30pm to 2:45pm
- Display the name tag on the passenger side sun visor for staff to identify.
- Stay in your vehicle; do not exit.
- Ensure adequate space for children inside the vehicle.
Encouragement for Children
- Arrive promptly at the loading zone as close to 2:30 pm when school finishes.
- Be seated in your house group with your family members and listen for their name to be called.
- Be prepared with school bags and belongings to quickly, yet safely, enter vehicles.
Key Actions for the Look Out Program
- Display your name tag clearly.
- Queue and remain in your vehicle.
- Move forward safely when directed.
- Load your children promptly and depart.
Please support the program as it is designed to assist all families pick up their children promptly and safely.
We would like to welcome all our wonderful families to the Pumicestone Community. We have such an amazing 2025 planned for our students and families!
Our P&C have already been hard at work preparing and gifting our Tea and Tim Tam packages to Prep families in week 1. These packages were intended to calm those first day nerves for our parents and caregivers. We hope you were able to enjoy a tea and Tim Tam on us! 
Join us at our first meeting for the year, our Annual General Meeting on Monday the 3rd of March at 5Pm in the hall. Refreshments will be provided. It's your chance to meet our wonderful principal Angelique Kropp, our executives and have your say and vote on this year's upcoming events.
Please be sure to head on over to our facebook page "Pumicestone SS P&C Association" and follow along with any updates.
If you are interested in volunteering please email us at: pandc@pumicestoness.eq.edu.au
Farren Humble
Pumicestone State School
P&C Vice President
A position exists for a Casual School Crossing Supervisor at Burpengary, Morayfield, Caboolture and Wamuran areas.
- A School Crossing Supervisor must be able to work in all-weather conditions,
- Maximum of up to 1 hour and 30 mins per day - a maximum of up to 5 days per week (on a rostered basis).
- Relief opportunities on your rostered days off.
- Pay Rate $37.10 per hour.
Commencement of employment for the successful applicant is dependent on:
- The favourable outcome of a health assessment.
- A Positive Notice Blue Card (you do not need to have a blue card to apply for the position).
See the link below for the employment application form.
Registration
Have you registered for QParents yet?
Creating a QParents account requires you to complete a simple registration process. If you have not already received an invitation via email (check your junk/spam folders), please contact the school office.
Step 1: Locate the QParents invitation email in your inbox
You will receive an invitation email with your unique invitation code.
- Click the link to register. This will open QParents with your invitation code already entered.
- Select next.
Step 2: Verify your identity
After accepting the terms and conditions of use of QParents, you will need to verify your identity by completing an identification check.
You can still register for QParents if you cannot verify 100 points of identity documents online by using the option on the lower left side of the screen that says 'not enough ID?'. Select this to continue the registration process without verifying 100 points of ID online. You can use this option even if you have not verified any identity documents online. The school will contact you to verify what is required.
You should then complete the remaining steps in the registration process and add student/s to your account.
Step 3: Create a QParents account
You will be required to create a QParents account using an email address as your account name. That email address will need to be confirmed before your account is activated.
You may also provide a mobile number for QParents to verify your identity (in which case, the app will send you an SMS code to access QParents). You can also choose to receive security codes via email (rather than SMS). Refer to changing a phone number, email address or password for further information.
Step 4: Add your child
You now need to add the student to your account. You will need to know your child's EQ ID to do this. Refer to I don't know my child's EQ ID for help with finding the EQ ID.
Enter the EQ ID, then select the student's current year level and school name from the drop-down list to add a student.
After completing these steps, your request to create a QParents account will be sent to your child's school for final approval.
I don't have an invitation but I want to register
QParents is an optional resource available to any Queensland state school. Schools may choose to use QParents depending on the needs of their community.
Contact your child's school to find out if they are using QParents. If they are a QParents school, discuss that you would like to be invited to register.
SRS Fees
A friendly reminder that your SRS fees were due in full 31st of January 2025. Unless you have a current Centrepay in place, please make your final payment via, BPoint, QParents, or EFTPOS.
If you have concerns or would like to discuss the SRS scheme, please send an email to our Business Manager at bsm@pumicestoness.eq.edu.au
Payment Plans via Centrelink
Did you know we accept Centerpay. Make sure your SRS fees are paid on time SET & FORGET!
Did you know once your fees are paid, your account will go into credit. You can then use this credit to pay for School Camps and Excursions.
- Sign in to your Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
- Select More to access the full menu.
- Select Deductions.
- Select Centrepay Deductions.
Alternativly complete and return the below Centerpay deduction form to bsm@pumicestoness.eq.edu.au
Payment Plans via PumicestoneSS Payment Plan
Complete the Payment Plan form below and email to bsm@pumicestoness.eq.edu.au
Please be mindful that we cannot allow credits to accumulate to a large amount. If your account grows into a substantial credit, we will contact you regarding stopping your payments.
Hardship
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the Business Manager to discuss your situation.
Discover a one-stop-shop for your school uniforms, school footwear, stationery, technology, musical instruments, sports equipment and more, at School Locker North Lakes.
Online Uniform Shop
Discover a one-stop-shop for your school uniforms, school footwear, stationery, technology, musical instruments, sports equipment and more, at School Locker North Lakes.
Student Advantage Membership
In addition to 6 days a week in store shopping, your uniforms will also be available online. The new online uniform shop offers a convenient way to purchase school uniforms whenever you need them. You will have the option to enjoy home-delivery or click-and-collect your uniform purchases from the School Locker North Lakes store.
Shop for Uniforms at School Locker
4-6 Burke Crescent North Lakes
Phone 3490 1400
Monday to Friday 8:30am-5:00pm & Saturday 9:00am-3:00pm
Mobile Phones
It is assumed that any child bringing a mobile phone to school needs it for safety when travelling to and from home, but not during the school day.
Therefore:
Phones are to be turned off and submitted to the office on arrival at school where they are checked in via a register- They are to be collected and signed out at the end of the school day
- No student mobile phones are permitted to camp or on excursion as students are in the direct care of Teacher
Student Break Times
Office staff are unable to locate students during break times. Should you need to collect students during breaks, please ensure you have pre-arranged this with the office.
First Break: 10:30am - 11:05am
Second Break: 1:05pm -1:40pm
Thank you for your understanding.
Scooters & Skateboards
We kindly request that you remind your children that scooters and skateboards are not permitted on school property and not an acceptable mode of transport for school. Please ensure that your child is aware of this policy and refrains from bringing scooters or skateboards to school.
Bikes
We kindly remind those students who ride bikes to school, to bring a bike lock each day. This helps ensure the security of their bicycles while on campus. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for supporting a safe school environment.
Car Park Feedback
As our carpark falls under the management of the Moreton Bay Council, we encourage you to reach out to the council with any complaints or suggestions you may have, as they are best equipped to address and resolve such issues effectively.
Do you qualify for free home internet to support your child’s education?
To ensure all students have equal opportunity for online learning, the Australian Government has extended the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) to continue free NBN broadband access until 30 June 2028.
There are limited places available nationally. For more information or to check your eligibility, please contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 or visit http://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet.