We are now at the halfway point of Term 2 and from now on, things really start to get busy! We have National Simultaneous Storytime today (Wednesday) and CRAZY SOCK Day on Thursday. This week is also Under 8’s day and on Friday, our Early Years classes are celebrating this with a wonderful Parent engagement afternoon. Our Seniors have their parents coming along to the Senior’s café on Friday this week and again in Week 8. SPORTS DAY is Friday 20^th June, in Week 9.

We are so pleased to have parents coming along to our events and engaging with their child’s learning. The relationships built between home and school are invaluable. Check your parent calendar for the events occurring over the rest of this term – come along to any events you can – you are VERY welcome!

I am away on personal leave from Wednesday 11 June, Week 8 through to Friday 20^th June, Week 9 returning to school on Monday 23 June for the last week of term. During my leave Phil Whatt will be Acting Principal and for Week 9, Shellie Pursey will return to Gympie Special School as Acting Deputy Principal. I know I will be leaving the school in very capable hands during this time.

Staff and students are very busy engaging in assessment activities over the next few weeks in preparation for reporting. Report Cards will be emailed out at the end of the Term. We look forward to celebrating the gains and improvements that our students demonstrate through their learning.   I have been meeting with individual teachers discussing some of the progress our students have made this term. It’s been exciting to hear about individual student progress and I know several students will be moving up to their next curriculum level in Semester 2. What a fantastic achievement! Our staff and students hard work is really paying off with our data and results!

Our current AIP focus on implementing structured literacy to improve our student’s reading outcomes is also beginning to show results. I have been impressed with the lesson observations I have been privileged to watch. We have an excellent team of dedicated teachers and teacher aides who are using a wide range of strategies and resources to engage our students in their phonics learning.

Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) has been implemented across our school. This a structured, evidence-based approach to teaching reading that focuses on the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes). It's a "bottom-up" method where instruction starts with individual sounds and builds them up to words. This approach helps students learn to decode words by blending sounds together. Staff have already engaged in multiple professional development sessions to build their skills and knowledge, and as they apply this knowledge in their rooms with their students, we are seeing the results in our classrooms.

I am pleased to announce that Amy Buick, one of our Secondary teachers has recently been permanently appointed to our school. Congratulations Amy!

One of the highlights for me this term is the reduction of physical aggression behaviours across our school this term. The hard work our staff put into supporting and managing behaviour of concern and the skills, strategies and resources they use to support student engagement and minimise behaviour of concern has been very evident. Student behaviour has shown a wonderful improvement and that is really worth celebrating. Well done to our staff and to our students! I’m looking forward to celebrating these excellent behaviours at our ARDY Prize Shop this Friday and at our end of Term celebratory Rewards Day in Week 10.

Wishing you all a wonderful 5 weeks ahead as we progress through the rest of this term

Ms. Sarah Lester

Principal

Dear Families and Community,

As we reach the halfway point of Term 2, I’m pleased to share some exciting updates from around the school and reflect on the collective growth we are witnessing, both in our students and our staff.

Firstly, I recently had the privilege of attending the Flagship Aspiring Principal Program, a three-day residential focused on leadership development in school settings. It was an enriching experience to collaborate with other emerging leaders across the state, dive into research-based practice, and reflect deeply on how to continue building my capacity for the future. I return with renewed energy and fresh strategies to support our students and staff, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

On the topic of professional growth, we’ve continued to prioritise collegial engagement through structured lesson observations and feedback cycles. Over the next few weeks, our teachers will open their classrooms and engage in observation and feedback sessions in order to identify areas in pedagogy and practice to focus future professional development. This kind of collaboration not only strengthens instructional quality but also fosters a culture of trust and shared learning.

We are excited to share that our students have recently participated in the student council elections, casting their votes to elect representatives for this school year. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to engage in the democratic process and practice leadership and civic responsibility. We are proud of all the students who ran for office and those who took the time to vote. The newly elected student council representatives will be officially announced and presented in an upcoming parade. We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make on our school community!

In other exciting news, this Thursday of Week 5 is Crazy Sock Day! Students and staff are encouraged to wear their wackiest, most colourful socks to school. It’s a fun way to inject some joy into the week and celebrate our positive behaviour displayed across whole school.

Lastly, and most importantly, I’m thrilled to celebrate a 50% reduction in recorded behaviors of concern across the school this term. This is a tremendous achievement that reflects the hard work of our staff, the positive behaviour support strategies we’ve implemented, and, of course, the efforts of our incredible students. Whether it’s through calm communication, consistent routines, or targeted interventions, it’s clear that we are making meaningful progress and that’s something worth celebrating.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. Our school community continues to grow stronger together.

Phil

Deputy Principal

Early Years 1 – Exploring, Learning, and Laughing Together!

What a wonderful few weeks it’s been in Early Years 1! Our little learners have been busy exploring the world around them through play, stories, music, and lots of hands-on fun. From painting to building tall towers with blocks, their creativity and curiosity are shining bright! We’ve also enjoyed group time activities where we sing songs, read picture books, and practice taking turns – all important steps in growing our social skills.

This week, we especially loved learning about the forces of push and pull with our banana muffins. The children had so much fun squashing the bananas – and mixing all the ingredients together and taste testing the end product – yummy!

Over the past few weeks, the children have also enjoyed travelling on the school bus to practice following the rules of bus safety.  A big highlight was visiting the Riding for the Disabled centre to learn about staying togethers as a group and being safe around large animals. They also got to meet a couple of the horses, Chevy a Shetland pony and Liberty.

Thank you for continuing to support your children’s learning at home and sharing this news with us in the communication book – chatting about their day makes such a difference!

Don’t forget to join us on Friday at 1pm for our Under 8s celebration!

Cassie, Lynne, Claire, Amity, Eve, Elena, Matthew, Donald

EY2

In English we have been enjoying reading and viewing our books of the week. So far the highlight has been The muddled up farm, in which all the farmyard animals say the wrong sounds. Imagine chickens woofing and cows meowing . . .very funny!. This book was made even funnier by pressing stitches with recorded farm animal sounds as the story was being read. In Maths we continue to explore number and shapes and try to guess the shape according to the number of sides. In Science we have had fun investigating how things move and change shape with either a push or pull force and look forward to the yummy cooking activities we have planned next week.

Thankyou to all families who has kept us informed via the communication diary about at home happenings and updates. It is great having the background knowledge so we can chat with the students about the fun places the family had visited on the weekend or the new family pet.

From Miss Erin, Miss Kelsey, Lucas, Felicity, Charlotte, M and A

This term we have started really well. We have been reading the stories ‘Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas and Koala’s Big Day Out’. We are using communication boards to talk about the stories and write sentences.

Our speech therapists have been working with the class to help us develop communication skills and to use communication devices. We have been working on using Proloquotogo and PODD.

During maths lessons we have been learning about different shapes such using sensory play and colours.

Best wishes

Miss Alicia, Miss Kate,, Sophia, Indiana, Jai and Marky.

Striving for more in EY4

This week marks the middle of Term 2 and brings us closer to the end of Semester 1. As a reporting term, we are busy collecting evidence for our Highly Individualised Curriculum Plan (HICP) goals and already thinking about ways to extend learning for next semester. We are very excited to be joined by Miss Riane, pronounced Ree-ah-na, on Mondays and Fridays beginning this week. Miss Jodie is our whole school Expert Reading Team Leader and will be working with teachers on the 2025 Annual Improvement Plan on those days. Miss Riane is one of popular specialist subject teachers and we are all looking forward to teaching and learning with her as she brings fresh ideas and ways of working into the classroom.

The wet weather has interrupted many outdoor play sessions and brought coughs and colds to school, so we are spending extra time revisiting personal hygiene protocols. The students remember to wash hands before eating when coming in from the playground and after visiting the toilet, but we sometimes need reminders to cough into our elbows and wash hands or use sanitizer after blowing noses. We really appreciate families keeping children home to rest when unwell so they can make a quick recovery and stop the spread to others.

Our daily fruit break stop continues to be popular with students tasting hummus with carrot sticks and apple slices while some more adventurous children decided dipping cheese sandwich wedges in hummus was the best treat of the day!

Coach Tim has been teaching us how to throw modified javelins and shotput We are getting lots of practice in turn taking, being safe and waiting patiently. On Friday we will celebrate Under 8’s Day and will welcome parents and younger siblings to Early Years for an hour of activities. With this year’s theme being “Unleashing scientific thinking through play” we can guarantee lots of ways to creatively engage young minds and bodies.

Take care of you and yours.

Until next time

Miss Jodie, Miss Riane, Miss Nairda, Rose, Jack, Harrison, Jake, M***a and Mason.

I looked out this morning and even though it was still cloudy, it felt like the rain had decided to give us a break. We have had more than enough of the wet weather.

So far, this term has graced us with two great ‘Books of the Week’. The first one was The Very Cranky Bear. The students decided to again create a new version of that story and came up with ‘The Very Cranky Bat’. Isabelle chose to be the crocodile, Jace was the leopard, and Mac was the green parrot. We made masks and the students enjoyed acting out their favourite part of the story. As the sheep in the story made the Cranky Bat a beanie, so did we. The students used the knitting machine to help make their own beanies. They will be completed just in time for winter.

Our next book to read and enjoy was ‘Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas’. Our new version of that book was titled ‘Mosquitoes Don’t Eat Doritos’. This book related to their health lesson on junk food.

The students have really enjoyed using expression and ‘reading; their books. Look out as these books will be coming home shortly. You too will have the pleasure of having those stories read to you!

Within mathematics, we have continued our measurement journey and have built tall, taller and the tallest towers. We have explored tall and short with straws and string. In number, we have been consolidating numbers 1 to 10, counting forwards and backwards and looking at quantifying our numbers. Students are shown a numeral like 4 and must get four blocks out to represent the number. We have also looked at 10 using the two hands made of cardboard. The students have enjoyed counting backwards and Blasting Off!

Science allowed us to use the force of push and pull in cooking. We have made some delicious ‘Puff pastry cheese twists’ and some ‘Chocolate banana muffins.’ The muffins were finger licking good. Watch out Junior Master Chef!  

The students have also enjoyed using ramps and testing different balls and cars to see how far they would roll. They discovered that thick carpet slows down both balls and cars and that a smooth floor allows a ball and car to travel further.

This term, Coach Tim has been concentrating his teaching on Athletics. The students have experienced javelin throwing, shot putting and discus. We are honing our skills and making slow but steady progress.

Using Bingo games to teach phonics has also been lots of fun. We have used the rime of ‘at’ and ‘it’ so far with great success. Sounding out the beginning, middle and end sounds is at times challenging but fun.

To help with social skills we have been playing board games. We are learning to wait our turn, roll the die and count the dots, carefully manoeuvring our ‘car’ around the board and using our manners. There is however always a reward at the end whether you finish first or last.

The new object gaining great attention this week has been the ‘Calm Corner’ box. Students can choose to ‘chill out’ by sitting in the box and relax whilst watching small colourful lights buzz around. Even during their Free Time, they will sit patiently waiting for their turn to enjoy the soothing visuals in their own little cubby box! Destressing and staying calm is very important if students are to be at their best

There is still another five weeks of fun and excitement to be had before the term ends so keep reading those diaries and check your calendars for ongoing events and special news.

To all the parents and carers, from the Team here in EY5, THANK YOU for all that you do day to day for our precious students. Your continued support, communication and dedication is valued and so very much appreciated.

Cheers from Miss Gaelle and Miss Codie 

This term, our students have been enthusiastically engaging in a range of rich learning experiences across the curriculum. A key highlight has been our participation in the National Simultaneous Storytime, where students across all year levels joined in reading and responding to a shared picture book ‘The Truck Cat’. This event sparked wonderful discussions and inspired creative activities in our classrooms.

In English, students have been exploring persuasive texts, developing their ability to express opinions and justify them with reasons. They have enjoyed engaging debates and writing persuasive pieces on topics that matter to them. Our Primary classes have also been actively involved in re-enacting stories and exploring language, bringing literature to life through drama and oral storytelling. These hands-on experiences are helping to build both literacy skills and confidence in self-expression.

Looking ahead, we are excited to host a Questacon science show, which promises to be an engaging and interactive experience that will support our science learning outcomes and spark curiosity in STEM.

As we approach the end of the term, teachers are beginning the assessment process in preparation for report card writing. These assessments provide valuable insights into student progress and help guide our planning for the next phase of learning.

We thank our students and staff for their continued enthusiasm and commitment to learning.

WE WENT TO THE SHOW! The class had a fantastic time, our favourite things to see were the birds, there were some really blue birds on display, the animal nursery, the art/craft /cooking displays in the pavilion and the chickens. We saw some absolutely weird and wonderful chooks and Isaac’s family are lucky he did not manage to smuggle one out to take home, he really wanted to as they were his favourite. Beau and Miles loved the cake decorating the most, even slightly more than the Lego display which Layton thought was the best. When we got back to school they practised their persuasive writing for English and wrote about what was the best and gave reasons why. Students took photos themselves at the show to go along with our work. They then proudly took their work to show Sarah who was very impressed and gave them all stickers.

We are working hard at assessments and creating some fantastic work to represent our learning in Semester 1 and are very proud of the skills we are developing. We understand the need to keep your students home if they are unwell and encourage this as absolutely necessary especially as it is easy to pass on illnesses to each other in classroom. However, over the next few weeks while we are trying to finish assessments, unexplained absences make it hard to complete assessments so if your student could attend as much as they are able that would be appreciated.

Jo, Bree and Declan

We are halfway through the term already. We can’t believe time has flown by so quickly. This term has been so busy with lots of short weeks due to public holidays and loads of work and fun.

At the beginning of the term we had our Cross Country which had been postponed from last term. It was a great day with lots of fun. It was awesome to see everyone dressed up in their house colours. Now we have been working hard with Coach Tim on a Tuesday learning the skills for Sports Day which is the Friday of Week 9.

In Weeks two and three we worked very hard to make our gifts for our special Mothers, Nannas, Nans and others in our lives. What gorgeous gifts we gave our special people. We had a lovely afternoon tea on the Friday of week 3. Our class made some yummy cornflake cookies for afternoon tea.

We have been working hard in class on our learning. Lots of shapes and counting in Maths. Musical shapes is such a fun game to play! Throwing snowballs at Yeti’s is a fun counting activity that Kruze loves. Magnetic toys, games and experiments in science. We have a wonderful magnetic magician in our room who loves to show you his tricks. In English we have had a great time recreating some of the books we’ve been reading with dress ups. ‘What colour is Bear’s underwear’ was a great book that everyone loved matching our teddy bear to his coloured underwear just like the bear in the book. ‘Bundled up’ was another book we enjoyed. We invited Miss Karen down to our room to join in on the dress up fun.

Please be careful now that the cold weather is coming in. Illnesses are starting to go around our room. We appreciate when you keep your child home when they are sick. Also could you please ensure that your child has a full spare set of clothes and a jumper, sometimes the weather can change throughout the day.

Thank you

Jennie, Sarah, Elliot, Isaiah, Kruze and Naomi

Hello from P3!

Despite the numerous long weekends we've enjoyed this term, our students have adapted remarkably well, maintaining steady progress throughout Term 2.

English Language

In our English sessions, we've been focusing on letter recognition, including both their names and sounds. Students are building simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, expanding their reading skills, and applying their growing vocabulary to construct simple sentences. Our daily shared reading time is a highlight, especially on Fridays when we engage in craft activities related to our shared reading book of the week.

Mathematics

In Maths, our students are working diligently on addition and subtraction. We've also explored our school community, identifying familiar shapes hidden in plain sight, enhancing our understanding of geometry in everyday environments.

Cross Country Day

Our Cross Country Day was a fantastic experience! The P3 students displayed excellent behaviour, and we are incredibly proud of their participation and sportsmanship.

Mother’s Day Tea

We were delighted to host a beautiful Mother’s Day Tea, where mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and sisters enjoyed lovely refreshments and quality time together.

Health and Wellbeing

As winter approaches, we encourage parents to remain vigilant regarding any signs of colds or coughs. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and a balanced diet can significantly help your child stay healthy and attend school regularly.

Until Week 10, take care from all in P3

Carina, Andrea, Obadiah, Oliver, Jaspar and Henry

Hello from P4,

As we enter Term 2, I am constantly amazed by how far our learners have come in such a short time. We continue to grow as a team and the students are proving to be thoughtful and kind.

We have hit the floor running during our literacy program with our students using a range of strategies to create text. We are using higher modality words when writing persuasive text. In addition, our learners are accessing word walls, PODD, and sounds including diagraphs (two letters making one sound) to write.

In maths we continue to work independently to consolidate our number and shape. It is lovely to see students helping each other to share strategies and skills.

After attending Districts Cross-Country, Taten returned to school proudly wearing a medal for his efforts. He has qualified for the Regional Cross-Country trials. Can’t wait for that event!

Our Sector celebrated Mothers’ Day with an afternoon tea outside the Gym (due to rainy weather). We had many family visitors and the students served fruit, cupcakes and punch. Our learners practiced greeting and serving their family members earlier in the day, so they would feel more confident when their families arrived. Thank you to all the families who attended, it was lots of fun.  

Stay tuned for our next edition of news,

Koby, Rose, Skylah, Taten and Trinity, Steve and Deb.

In Week 1 we had a wonderful morning running our postponed Cross Country. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and most importantly, it wasn’t raining! Congratulations to everyone who participated on the day. A huge thank you must go to the Junior Leaders from Gympie State High School who came across and helped for the morning. Congratulations to Gigum who won the day overall and to all of our age Champions and race winners, see the full lists below.

Early Years

Primary

Secondary

Seniors

Age Champions

From our School Cross Country, 5 students were selected to attend the District Cross Country Trials, held on the 13^th of May at One Mile Sports Ovals. The boys; Taten, Ryan, Charlie, Declan and Zane represented our school with pride and determination. All 5 boys ran under the qualifying time and have been chosen to represent Gympie District at the Wide Bay Trials to be held in Gayndah on Tuesday the 3^rd of June. A big Congratulations to our Age Champions; Taten – 10-12 years, Ryan – 13-15 years and Zane - 16-19 years.

Jennie Bryant

Sports Coordinator 

Chappy News

Term 2 Parent Coffee Catch Up

Our next Parent Coffee Catch Up will be on Tuesday 10 June at 9am. Invitations will be sent out in the next few weeks.

Mother’s Day Gifts at Secondary Girls’ Group

Last week we made bookmarks for Mother’s Day. The girls had fun colouring in, collaging, and creating.

Choir Continues to Hit High Notes

Choir has continued this term, and some of the primary students have been joining us. We have had fun playing games and continuing to work on our song. 

Essentials Hampers 

More hampers have been given out over the past few weeks. Congratulations to Daniel and Henry and their families for receiving a $20 hamper, made up of pantry and household essentials. All school families are automatically in the draw, and special thanks to Vinnies Gympie for making up these hampers for us.

Family Matters: Slow Down to Create Margin for Family Time

The intentional act of slowing down to create a margin for family time provides benefits that will carry forward in every family member’s life. Many families today have a hard time balancing work, family, and personal time. However, every day is a gift you get to unwrap so don’t miss it! Reducing the speed of our lives gives us time to open and enjoy each one. As a way of life, not slowing down forces you to lose out on the extraordinary blessings around you each day, including your kids’ desire to be seen or heard by you. As parents, we may not have time to notice if we don’t regularly consider our priorities and intentionally reduce our pace. Though parenting is an amazing gift, it is also a demanding job! Its challenges are magnified when we forget to down-shift and breathe. In fact, if you accelerate, you may fly by important moments, missing them altogether.

The Gift of Slowing Down

Slowing down allows for some fantastic things to happen, far better than any toy you could buy your kids.

1. Margin to play and build bonds: play creates joyful moments, quality time that strengthens your relationships. Research affirms that your playfulness and warmth provide your children with a safe and secure environment. In other words, your loving playfulness is great for your child’s day! It leads to deeper connection between you and can help decrease negativity and behavioural issues. Researchers have also discovered that the quality of play matters. Everyone is different, so take the time to figure out what high-quality play means for each of your children. Play is serious business for family health and identity. Both individually and as a family, play builds identity, helps kids learn to construct relationships outside the family, and cements social skills like sharing, collaborating, and being a good sport. Simply playing encourages physical activity, imagination, and creative problem-solving and fosters communication skills. It lowers stress and anxiety, too! Protecting time to play is a meaningful way to relax and restore your soul with fun.
2. Room for meaningful conversation and deeper connections: rushed and distracted conversations can make people—especially your kids—feel unimportant. Meaningful and satisfying conversations, on the other hand, bless your relationships. They create opportunities for understanding, influence, growth, and closeness. Really connecting in conversation requires the discipline and challenge of carefully listening. Listening instils value. In fact, when people sense that they are heard and understood, they experience higher levels of ‘feel good’ connection hormones. Researchers have found that, when people dive into conversation, their brains begin to synchronise with one another. Lead your conversations in a way that surprises and interests the other person. Slowing down makes room for this gift in your family conversations.
3. Time for learning and teaching: learning takes time and teaching requires patience. Slowing down is beneficial to both, though. Being in a hurry and busy all the time increases overlooking blind spots, making mistakes, oversights, and impatience. Too many families fall apart because of the relentless pace they are trying to maintain. Their constant hustle grows their impatience with one another and eliminates opportunities to learn from their mistakes. Foster a culture of growth and retention in your home by reducing the pressure of hurry whenever possible. It will allow you space to adjust your emotions and responses, provide opportunities to think more clearly and enable you to guide your children with wisdom. This provides a powerful model of self-control. Affording time to unhurriedly teach your kids how to tie their shoes, wash dishes, manage their money, treat others kindly, vacuum, cook, or cuddle for some closeness is never wasted. The fact is that your kids need you to slow down so that they can follow in your footsteps, relationally attach, and learn to trust your guidance.

Overcoming Family Obstacles to Slowing Down

When it comes to slowing down, most families face challenges. Extracurricular activities like sports, tutoring, music lessons, and time with friends create tension. Sometimes, it is as easy as learning to say, “No, thank you. We have other commitments.” As you work to manage the obstacles facing you and your family, think about these issues:

1. Motivation: too many have bought the lie that busyness is a sign of success. But what is ‘success’, anyway? How you define it is essential. If you spend a lot of time in the car shuttling your kids from practice to events to lessons (frequenting drive-throughs for dinner on the way), it may be time to consider your motivations. Reflect on these few questions:
2. Is this driven by you or your child?
3. What beliefs and priorities do you and your family want to work on?
4. Does your schedule build or detract from these?

If you are serious about slowing down to create margin for family time, start by modelling the values you’ve identified and revisit them often in family conversations. As you aim to develop strong hearts, souls, and minds within your family, make room to discern what activities and commitments will best serve you. And be sure to ‘keep the main thing, the main thing.’ This will help your family members learn how to balance necessary responsibilities and interests with intentional slow-down time.

2. The drain of technology on family time: buy back some time in your schedule by turning off the TV, laptop, and smartphones. Technology drains time and interpersonal connection, so limit their interruption with some basic ideas to curb their use, including:
   1. Placing a basket in your drop zone. When family members walk in the door, have them leave tablets and phones there. This will take some monitoring at first but will get easier. Allow access to their tech to take calls, do homework, or enjoy a predetermined period of playtime, but when they’ve hit their limit, be sure the device goes back in the basket.
   2. Setting media guidelines suited to the ages of your children. The eSafety Commissioner and the Australian Parents Council websites have some good information on setting boundaries.
   3. Turning off all screens during family meals and outings.
   4. Removing screens and turn them off 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.

• Adapted from Focus on the Family Australia

My role is to support the wellbeing of staff, students, parents, and others in our school community. If you ever need to have a chat or help with something, please contact me on the school number – 5480 2333. I’m at school on Tuesday (8.30am-11.35am) and Thursday (9.30am-2.35pm), and I can also be contacted via email – rsdri0@eq.edu.au.

Chappy Rachel

Mason has completed another two VTQ workbooks and received the first certificate which was proudly presented by our Vice Principal Phil Whatt. Mason is also demonstrating his ever improving Social/Emotional skills when interacting with staff and peers.  This week he is nominating to represent our class on the School Council.

Eli is working hard on his communication, literacy and maths.  He is also beginning to work independently on some tasks. Eli can now navigate through various pages on the ProloQuo2Go to answer questions and request.

Chris has also been working well on his literacy and maths.  He is increasingly asking for preferred activities using his words.  Chris likes to play catch with a staff member between learning tasks.

Andrew, Dale, Mason, Eli and Chris

The start of Term 2 has flown by with many opportunities for learning and experiences outside the classroom. We kicked off the term by participating in the school cross country with all students giving their best. We then enjoyed celebrating the amazing people in our lives with a special Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea, where students proudly shared crafts and enjoyed some time together. We also had a wonderful day out exploring the Gympie Show, with all students exceptionally behaved as we viewed tractors, art, lego displays and animals.

Each Wednesday, students have been participating in athletics, building their skills, confidence, and teamwork, ready for sports day later in the term. We have also been enjoying some lunch times in the gym riding the bikes.

Students in S2 have been working hard on measurement as well as addition and subtraction in maths. We are continuing to explore movements, forces, sounds and circuits in science. This term we will continue with persuasive texts with students working towards using reasoning and arguments to expand their writing.

It’s been a busy and exciting start to the term, and we’re looking forward to all the learning and fun still to come!

Amy, Jasmine and Bec

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who joined us for the recent parent event, and hopefully others can make the next event.  Families engaged in fun crafts and conversations over cookies, brownies and lemonade. It seemed like everyone had fun and I can’t wait for the next Parent Event in Term 3.  We hope you can join us for the next gathering — details to come soon! The excursion to the Gympie Show was a delightful experience, blessed with sunny weather for a change. All the students from S3 displayed exemplary behaviour, being safe and respectful.  They relished the vibrant displays, making it a memorable day for all.

Coach Tim has been leading energetic sessions to prepare our students for Sports Day in Week 9.  It’s been great to see the students’ enthusiasm and effort paying off as their skills improve.  While a few sessions have been wet we’re lucky to have the Quad to practice in, but have been soaking up the sun on the playground oval with Tim when it’s out.   We look forward to seeing everyone at Sports Day to cheer on our young athletes. As we approach the end of the term, excitement is building for the PBL Rewards Day in Week 10. While the specific reward remains a surprise, it's sure to be a fun-filled celebration of our students' positive behaviours and achievements.

Warm regards, Andy, Gaelle, Sabana, Baxter, Leni, Maddie A, Maddee S and Arley

Science with Gaelle

We launched into science by first making some catapults. They were lots of fun and demonstrated the force of push and how the flexible materials allowed for the pompoms to be propelled across the room. We then revisited our balloon rocket and through changing the shape of the balloon, succeeded in getting it to travel a great distance along the corridor. The students cheered at their result! We then built magnetic cars and using the repelling force of the magnets we moved our cars forwards, backwards, around an obstacle course and over a bridge. The students also conducted two experiments of their own choosing. They predicted, made observations and made sure that their tests were fair. Science is always a lot of FUN!

Wow! It’s hard to believe we are already in Week 5 of Term 2! We have had an exciting time with lots of extra holidays and events for Mother’s Day/ Carers and our Gympie Show visit. It was wonderful to share some craft skills with our Mums, making bead bracelets, photo frames and modelling clay pendants for them. Our trip to the show was short and sweet! We enjoyed seeing the racing ducks, horses jumping, cattle and all the exhibits in the pavilion. We especially liked the lego models, baking and cake icing displays. We then went to see the fun vegetable and fruit sculptures and agreed that we should have a go ourselves! On the way out we visited the bird pavilion and saw some very scary roosters. We continue to read and listen to wonderful persuasive texts, our favourites over the last few weeks have been “The Terrible Plop” and “I Will Not Ever, Never Eat A Tomato”. We had fun making our own sentences when responding to the texts and appreciated the silliness and humour in each. Our science continues to be intriguing, as we problem solve the construction of our circuits and predict what movement will happen, once completed. We then compared our prediction with our results after observing the experiment, our last being a fun bubble blowing investigation. We look forward to participating in Crazy Socks Day this week.

Warm regards,

Libby, Michelle, Leah, Heath, Daniel, Max, Thomas and Chris.

The first half of this term has flown by with many shorter weeks due to ANZAC Day, Gympie Show Holiday and Labour Day. We have enjoyed 2 excursions, one to the Careers Expo which was a great opportunity for the students to communicate with a lot of different people in our community. The second excursion was a quick visit to the Gympie Show which fit in nicely with our curriculum of movement in Science, addition in Maths and persuading in English. Cross Country came and went… there are many running superstars in our class that’s for sure!! Recently, the students have been exploring, extending and strengthening their abilities with counting strategies and writing bigger and better sentences with more detail. The focussed learning, improvement of spelling using our new sound cards and peer learning has been awesome to observe!

The second half of the term will include us consolidating all of our learning and new skills, finishing off assessments from our key learning areas and teachers will be beginning the reporting period. Reading will also be a huge priority for us. We have Sports Day, Photo Day and PBL Rewards Day to look forward to. Year 10 vaccinations are also coming up. Have a fantastic remainder of term! ?

From S5,

Miss Monique, Miss Naomi, Miss Bec, Ryan, Declan, Rosie, Charlie and Tyson

This term has been full of exciting learning experiences and memorable events. Two key highlights were the Gympie Show and our special Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea, which were enjoyed by students and families alike. In English, we focused on persuasive writing, learning how to express our opinions clearly and effectively. Students developed skills in structuring arguments and using persuasive language to support their viewpoints. In Mathematics, we explored shapes and measurement, gaining a deeper understanding of geometric properties and how to measure length, area, and volume accurately. Science has been particularly engaging, with hands-on investigations into the movement of objects and the electrical components of simple circuits. Students enjoyed experimenting with forces and learning how circuits work in everyday devices. We have Photo Day and Sports Day coming up. Students have been practicing with Coach Tim for Sports Day.

It’s been a fantastic term of learning and discovery!

Linda, Chrissie, Laila, Azalia, Rebekah, Ky, Dante and Locklan

Positive Shift in Behaviour Reflects Calm, Consistent Practice

Recent OneSchool data shows a notable reduction in behaviour incidents at Gympie Special School, marking a significant step forward in creating a calmer and more supportive school environment.

The results reflect the ongoing efforts of staff who are responding to behaviour with professionalism, consistency, and care. In classrooms and across the school, students are being met with calm voices, patient redirections, and well-timed interventions that de-escalate challenges before they grow.

This steady, respectful approach to behaviour is making a real difference. Staff are not only managing behaviour effectively in the moment – they’re actively shaping a culture of safety, respect, and emotional regulation.

The reduction in incidents is a clear sign that the strategies being used every day – from dynamic risk assessments to quiet, purposeful redirection – are working. The school community is seeing the impact of these efforts in the form of improved student engagement and a more positive atmosphere.

With continued focus and teamwork, this progress is expected to build further, strengthening the foundations for learning and wellbeing for all.

Don’t Forget!
* Crazy Sock Thursday is coming up on May 22 – and if you don’t have wild socks, a crazy wig will do the trick!
* The PBL Rewards Shop will be open on Friday, May 23 – we’re looking forward to seeing you all there!

Darren Stockmeier

Senior News

Senior students have had a wonderful start to Term 2, with many events including Anzac Day, Cross country and our visit to Gympie show and the Careers Expo. It is hard to believe that half of the term has already flown by.

We are more than happy to announce that we are back in our beautifully refurbished senior building, both our students and staff are more than happy to return to normality. It has been a credit to our students that have shown resilience and patients moving from one building to another.

Our upcoming events include, STEPS visit at Caloundra, The Events Centre to experience the Wonder Box sensory show and not to forget, our Parents morning tea at our Snack Attack Café in week 8.

Curriculum

Literacy

Students have been continuing their focus on persuasive texts and using images as a stimulus, have create some amazing work. We have also created a rap and short video to promote Smack attack café with the use of creative and persuasive language, we are sure to convince more staff to come to our café.

Numeracy

With reporting fast approaching, students have been working with their heads down and tails up to demonstrate their QCIA goal in numeracy including, measurements, shape, ordering and comparing numbers, calculating and problem solving and counting and recognising quantities of money and change when participating in our recent Mother’s Day stall.

Coach Tim/Sport

Our students have enjoyed practising a variety of skills including, batten races, discus throwing, shotput, javelin and long jump with coach Tim each week.

Snack Attack

Students continue to make delicious snacks to sell at our Snack Attack Café, in the near future they will be creating a step-by-step recipe book that they will be marketing to our staff. Our students continue to receive wonderful feedback for their continued dedication to the running of our café.

The Arts

Students have been exploring and experimenting with a variety of art mediums to create art works including, nail/string art, woodburning, marbling and string paintings. Our Mother’s Day Stall was a success and our crafting/art group worked together to make this stall a success. We will now be turning our focus to sellable crafting ideas as we begin to produce products to sell at a Market, date to be advised.

Miss Kate, Miss Liz, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Kerri, Miss Dana, Miss Jane

This term is going by so fast! The students have been having fun continuing to explore and investigate healthy habits including healthy eating choices, personal hygiene and what makes us happy. Classes have been working together to identify everyday and sometimes foods. We are continuing to develop our justifications and explanations of our choices. As we are moving to the middle-end of the term we are focusing on finishing our assessments and consolidating our knowledge and understanding of healthy eating and the five food groups.

Stay Active, Stay Healthy!

Warm regards,
The Health and Physical Education Team

Caroline and Riane

Supporting Communication Across the School: Staff Engagement with AAC and ALD Boards

At our school, we are committed to ensuring that all students have the tools they need to communicate effectively. This term, we’ve been focusing on enhancing our staff engagement with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, as well as integrating ALD (Alternative Learning Device) boards in our playgrounds to support communication in all areas of school life.

One of the key initiatives this term is the use of AAC devices, which are designed to support students who may face challenges with verbal communication. Our staff have been embracing these devices, carrying them wherever they go to model and encourage their use in all environments. By integrating AAC into daily routines, we are helping students become more comfortable with these tools, allowing them to express themselves with greater confidence and clarity.

In addition to this, we are working towards the implementation of ALD boards on the playgrounds. These boards will serve as an important communication tool for students, offering symbols, words, and visuals to help them interact with their peers and teachers in outdoor spaces. The aim is to create an inclusive environment where communication is accessible at all times, whether in the classroom or on the playground.

Our teachers and staff are excited to see the impact these initiatives will have on student engagement and social interaction. Through their dedication and collaboration, we are creating a school culture that values every student’s voice and encourages communication in all its forms.

We look forward to continuing to build on these efforts in the coming months and appreciate the ongoing support from our school community in making these initiatives successful.

Qkr now available

Gympie Special School is excited to offer all parents the ability to order and pay for your child’s school items using your smartphone, tablet or computer. The new Qkr (pronounced ‘quicker’) by MasterCard application is a secure and easy way to make school payments at your convenience. We encourage all parents to use Qkr as it reduces the need to send cash to school or attend in person, and receipts are automatically generated that can be easily retrieved on the app or sent to your email. Apart from making life easier for families, it also significantly streamlines operations with the school.

What can be ordered and paid for via Qkr?

• School fees, charges, levies
• Uniforms (Coming soon)
• Camps, excursions, incursions
• Fundraisers
• Event tickets

The Qkr app can be downloaded for free from Apple’s app store for iPhones (iPads to download iPhone version) or from Google Play for Android phones and tablets.

The Qkr ‘How-to’ Guide from the school shows you how to download the app, register yourself and your children, and pay for a variety of school items.

There will be more items available for payment over time. We will be providing additional information to families over the coming months as we move to online payments within the school.

Reading Update

To be functionally literate means to have the practical skills necessary to read, have some form of expressive communication and do simple math calculations that support personal and community development. From interpreting a bus timetable, applying for rental accommodation, job applications and keeping track of spending, functional literacy, or the lack of it, impacts all of us.

Our 2025 Annual Improvement Plan (AIP), available on the GSS website, outlines our intentions to formalise the collaborative teaching of literacy via explicit instruction across the school. Under the direction of our incredible teaching and support staff, literacy building lessons happen in many ways and the AIP focus provides opportunities for staff to share and build on our professional knowledge.

While we are busy researching, developing and delivering explicit literacy instructions in the classroom, there are other ways to support your child’s progress at home and when you are out and about. Speaking and listening remain important for vocabulary development as young minds sponge up new words and phrases to explain the world around them. Get creative with your descriptions or everyday items and routines and encourage your child to do the same. Non-speakers also benefit from imaginative wonderings in favourite texts or audio books and there will be lots to choose from depending on your child’s personal interest.

While out and about children love helping to get items off the shelf at the supermarket which also exposes them to new and familiar words. Can more confident readers write the shopping list? Celebrate success – if you can understand it, spelling is not as important as building our confidence and enthusiasm for reading and writing. At school, we focus on the sounds letters make in the early stages of reading rather than letter names so pick up a catalogue to take home and look through together. Can your developing reader identify the sound the item starts or ends with?  Older children may notice differences in brands and prices or want to read ingredient lists or check for allergens which leads to conversations that spark interest to learn more. Whatever your child’s personal interest, it is a useful resource to engage them in learning to read and express themselves.

Happy teaching and learning,

Jodie Sargeant

Expert Reading Team Leader

Jodie Sargeant

Expert Reading Team Leader