Celebrating Student Leadership

We strongly believe that every Year 6 student is a leader in their own right. This is reflected in their learning, their behaviour and the positive influence they have on our school culture.

This year, our leadership positions for students include School Captains, Sporting Captains, Library Captains, Music Captains and Technology Captains. Each of these students has demonstrated exceptional dedication and resilience throughout the rigorous application process. We commend them for their hard work and commitment to excellence. Congratulations to all those who earned a leadership role!

In addition to these official positions, a larger portion of our Year 6 cohort is considered senior leaders. These students consistently showcase their leadership skills through their daily actions and interactions, setting a strong example for others throughout the school.

Later this term, we are excited to take our captains to a Youth Leadership Conference. This conference will provide them with the opportunity to dream big, learn from inspirational speakers and network with other primary school leaders. It is a fantastic chance for them to continue growing and bring back fresh ideas to benefit our school community.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the families who have supported their children in their educational journey, regardless of the position or badge. At Aspley State School, we nurture leaders in all forms, as reflected in our school motto: ‘We Who Learn Succeed.’

As our Year 6 students approach their final year of primary school, we look forward to celebrating their achievements and providing them with opportunities to make a lasting, positive impact on our school culture.

School and Community Partnerships

Parents and Citizens’ Associations (P&C)

Parents and Citizens' (P&C) associations work in productive partnership with the school, Principal and community to promote the interests of the school, and facilitate its development and further improvement, to achieve the best possible outcomes for students.

Our P&C is comprised of a group of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to strengthen our community. Providing special celebrations, strong advocacy and valuable support, advice and feedback, all with the goal of ensuring every student has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education.

In week 8, Tuesday 18 March we will hold our second P&C meeting for the year, which is also our AGM (Annual General Meeting). This meeting is a special one as applications for new/renewed memberships are accepted at the AGM. At the AGM, the P&C members present must elect an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee includes a President, at least one Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and any additional officers as decided by the associations.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the current members of our P&C for their years of unwavering commitment and tireless efforts. I am truly in awe of your dedication and support for our wonderful school. As we look ahead to 2025, we are seeking interested parents who would be willing to join our P&C, particularly those interested in the positions outlined below.

Nominations for the executive positions are welcome. If you have any queries about how you can join or assist with our P&C, please email me at Principal@aspleyss.eq.edu.au .  I look forward to honouring our school by supporting all who may wish to join.

School Council

All Independent Public Schools (IPS), like Aspley State School, are required to establish a school council. School councils enable greater involvement of the school community and other stakeholders, such as industry, and setting the strategic direction for the school.

The council works closely with the Principal to perform its role in accordance with legislation and in a way that achieves the best learning outcomes for the school's students.

I would like to thank our members:

• Mr Kevin Russell (Chair)
• Mrs Alice Long and Mrs Kirsten O’Connor (P&C Presidents)
• Mrs Amanda Witt (Parent Rep.)
• Mrs Rynel Evans (Staff Rep.)
• Mr Kendall Simpson (Staff Rep.)
• Mr Kyle Rankine (Staff Rep.)

I extend my thanks to those continuing in our council and welcome the new members, grateful for their leadership in supporting our school.

The School Council has played a vital role in supporting Aspley State School in various strategic initiatives. Their contributions have enhanced our academic, cultural, sporting and enrichment activities.

With the council, the school has initiated in 2025 an expansion of our Instrumental Music program, which reflects our commitment to providing enriched learning experiences for all students. Wellbeing programs such as Play is the Way and Respectful Relationships have also been implemented through council consultation, aiming to support students mental and emotional wellbeing now and into the future. These initiatives are aligned with our broader vision of fostering a nurturing environment where students can thrive.

In 2024, another milestone supported by the council was the introduction of the Academic Award Celebrations. This initiative celebrates the achievements of our students and is in line with our ongoing efforts to recognize and reward academic excellence.

School strategic plans are developed after a comprehensive school review, guiding our journey towards continuous improvement.

As we move into 2025, I look forward to continuing our work with the School Council to further support the students of Aspley State School and our broader community. Together, we are committed to delivering high-quality education, striving for excellence and most importantly, staying true to our vision: Dream, Believe, Create, and Succeed at every stage of the learning journey.

Animals and Pets on School Grounds

Schools can engage in a wide variety of activities involving interactions with animals or pets. Whilst these activities are invaluable for student learning, there are considerations for all to consider.

No pets should be on the school grounds, this includes our friendly fur-family. The potential health risks associated with animal interactions require appropriate precautionary measures, to reduce risks to those involved.

In 2024, the school engaged with a clinical therapy dog training request. Over the year, Teddy visited the school with his owner. Teddy is a Goldendoodle, a mix between a Golden Retriever and Poodle.

The school has worked with Teddy’s family to complete a comprehensive risk assessment to ensure proper supervision and control measures. We are mindful of all factors, including appropriate waste removal and sanitising equipment for clean up if required.

Teddy will visit our school in 2025! Students will be reminded at assembly of Teddy’s presences on the school grounds and appropriate interactions. Teddy has progressed in his training and will have an opportunity in 2025 to visit our Learning and Innovation Centre (old library).

School Car Park

Over the past four weeks, we’ve seen significant progress on the development of the new car park. The project is still anticipating completion in March as previously communicated, provided we experience favourable weather and no unforeseen delays.

We understand that it may be difficult to conceptualise the finished product at this stage.  We are including the original concept image of the car park to give a clearer idea of what the completed space will look like. We are excited to see this facility upgrade come to life, as it will not only benefit our community but also improve the safety of our students.

In the meantime, we would like to take a moment to thank our students for their continued safe behaviours when exiting and entering vehicles. We also want to acknowledge the vigilance of our staff who remain on duty before and after school to ensure everyone’s safety. Additionally, we are grateful to our families for their care and consideration when dropping off, picking up or parking in the local area.

As always, the school will keep the community updated on any significant developments or changes. We look forward to accessing the new car park this term and will continue to work together to ensure a safe and efficient environment for everyone.

Junior School Routines

At the start of each school year, you may hear teachers often referring to school and classroom routines.  Routines create structure, stability and consistency for students, helping them feel secure and confident in their learning environments.

A few key reasons why routines matter:

• Predictable routines help students know what to expect, reducing anxiety and allowing them to concentrate on learning rather than uncertainty.

• When students don’t have to waste mental energy adjusting to constant changes, they can fully engage in lessons and problem-solving activities.
• Daily routines, such as arriving on time, organizing materials, and following schedules, teach students valuable life skills.
• Consistent routines provide a sense of security, which is especially important for younger students or those with additional needs.
• When students understand daily procedures, they can manage themselves and their tasks more efficiently.
• When routines are well-established, teachers can spend more time teaching and less time managing disruptions.

Routines like lining up after the bell and moving calmly back to class ensure a quick, safe and organized return to learning. Smooth transitions have been of focus for our younger year levels.  We move quietly in two lines when transitioning around the school.  This keeps everyone safe.

Parents and carers are encouraged to support the school by having conversations at home that support safe and smooth transitions.  Working together, we keep our students safe. 

Prep Adventures with 'Alexander’s Outing'

Our Prep students have been on an exciting journey exploring the story Alexander’s Outing by Pamela Allen. This delightful tale follows a family of ducks as they set off on an adventure through Sydney. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when little Alexander falls into a hole! With lots of quacking and flapping, the ducks and a group of helpful people work together to rescue him, using various problem-solving strategies before finally filling the hole with water to lift Alexander to safety.

After enjoying the story, our Prep students have been using their creativity to imagine new places Alexander could visit. Could he waddle between the trees, get lost behind the fence, or hide inside the cardboard box? Their imaginative ideas have helped them explore positional language in fun and interactive ways.

Throughout the week, the students have been learning to use words like above, below, beside, between, inside, and behind to describe Alexander’s adventures. We can’t wait to see where Alexander’s next adventure takes him!

Friendships at School

“When children make friends, they develop important life skills. These include getting along with other people, being independent and learning how to sort out conflicts and problems. These skills are important for your child to learn because children who get along with others are less likely to have social and emotional difficulties later in life.”

At the beginning of each school year students have the opportunity to broaden their social group, discover new work partners and understand how they relate to others.  This opportunity can be daunting and can cause some anxiety for students.  The adults at school and at home have the unique opportunity to support students in developing strong connections with familiar and new friends at school.  The following website contains some useful suggestions for families to help students maintain established friendships and facilitate new social interactions.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/connecting-communicating/connecting/supporting-friendships#about-your-childs-school-age-friendships-nav-title

Senior School Routines

At the start of break times, all students in Years 3-6 make their way up to the hall to their designated eating areas. For Years 3 and 4, this is outside the Eastern Hall (snack shack side), and Years 5 and 6 the western (oval) side of the hall. Students eat with their peers for the 15-minute eating break, and at the conclusion of the break, prior to play time, they wait to be released by the teacher on duty, placing rubbish into the bin’s provided. Lunchboxes are placed in their class tubs. Students are to collect their lunchboxes from the tubs at the end of the play break prior to returning to class.

2025 NAPLAN Assessments

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in Australia do NAPLAN tests in March this year.  NAPLAN tests students’ skills in reading, writing and maths through Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy assessments.  The test questions are presented in Standard Australian English dialect.  Within the assessments, students will read some of the questions and listen to others with headphones.

Students in Year 3 will complete the Writing test using pencil and paper, with their other assessments completed online via the NAPLAN application. Students in Years 5 will complete all their assessments via the online NAPLAN platform.

For further information, please see the  NAPLAN information for parents and carers brochure available online and sent home with all Year 3 and Year 5 students this week.

eSafety - Play It Safe and Fair Online

Australian athletes Caitlin Bassett (Australian Netball), Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson (Paralympic swimming) and Taliqua Clancy (Olympic Beach Volleyball) talk about their online experiences and how they play it fair online, with tips about staying safe online and what to do if something goes wrong. (Source: eSafety Commissioner)

RACQ Streets Ahead Program

Last week, the RACQ Community and Education Team delivered the RACQ Streets Ahead road safety lessons to Prep to Year 6 students. These lessons aligned with their age-appropriate Health curriculum content, and were also timed to align with the upcoming carpark re-opening, enforcing messages of safety around cars and roads.

If you would like to reinforce and extend your child’s learning of pedestrian, passenger and riding safety, you can access Resource Packs available via the RACQ Streets Ahead webpage. These packs contain different age-appropriate activities in each as well as four educational videos demonstrating the strategies taught for Prep – Year 2 students. These resources will assist you to continue teaching road safety, implementing the strategies your children will learn, and applying them to your everyday lives.

ThinkUKnow Presentations

ThinkUKnow Australia is an evidence-based education program designed and delivered nationally through partnership between the Australian Federal Police, Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The program is delivered in collaboration with policing partners New South Wales Police Force, Northern Territory Police, Queensland Police, South Australia Police, Tasmania Police, Western Australia Police, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.

In Week 6, Aspley State School will be hosting the student and parent, carers and educators ThinkUKnow sessions. These sessions are designed to align to each other, to ensure adults receive complementary information to assist them in communicating with children and young people about the technology they use.

ThinkUKnow Student Presentations

On Tuesday, 4 March, students in Years 1-6 will be attending the ‘ThinkUKnow’ student presentation. These presentations are presented by a member of Queensland Police Service and are tailored specifically to the current topical issues each age group might face online.

The ThinkUKnow program aligns with the Australian Curriculum learning areas of Health and Physical Education and Digital Technologies, covering topics including differentiatiating between online and in-person friends, determining what information children should and shouldn’t share online, practical ways to ensure your child’s personal information and content is kept private and when and how children can seek help from a trusted adult if needed.

ThinkUKnow Parent, Carers and Educators Presentation
Aspley State School will be hosting the ThinkUKnow Parent, Carers and Educators presentation on Wednesday, 5 March at 6:00 pm in the school hall. We are looking forward to offering this session again to our school community again in 2025, and all parents, carers and teachers are encouraged to attend.

The presentation will be delivered by a local law enforcement member and an industry volunteer. The presentation is pro-technology and is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about young people and the online environment, and how you can help them to be safe and responsible users of technology.

RSVP your attendance via this link or the QR code by Monday, 3 March 2025.

For more information, you can visit www.thinkuknow.org.au or contact the school office on (07) 3863 9111.

PLEASE NOTE: This session is not suitable for children or students to attend due to the nature of the topics discussed. Parents and carers will need to organise alternate care arrangements if attending the session.

Canberra Trip Update

Families should have received the invoice for Payment 3, with payment due by Friday, 21 March 2025. If you are experiencing financial hardship and wish to discuss payment options, please contact our Business Manager, Miss Hannah Payne, to discuss. We are here to support our community.

The countdown to Canberra has begun for our Year 6 students, families and teachers. One of the stops on our itinerary is the Australian Parliament House. The one-hour tour will see students gain first-hand knowledge of democracy and lawmaking within the walls of Parliament House on Capital Hill. There are many artefacts and behind the scenes places we will get to visit that is not available to the general public, including a private morning tea for our students hosted by our local Federal member of Parliament. Weather permitting, we may even be able to venture onto the rooftop!

Families please note, students will be required to wear long black pants/slacks (not tracksuit pants), their white formal school shirt, maroon school jumper and plain black school shoes for the Parliament House visit.

Online Beginner Language Experience Opportunity

The Department of Education International Global Engagement is inviting Years 4-6 students  an exciting opportunity to learn a new language from home.

Participants will connect with experienced university tutors and through interactive lessons and hands-on activities,  will develop their language skills while broadening their cultural horizons and developing global competence.

This program not only introduces participants to a new language and deepens their understanding of its associated culture, but also equips them with the knowledge, skills and cultural awareness needed to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Course Date: April 2025 School Holidays 

Applications close: 5:00pm Friday, 14 March 2025

Course Information Sessions: 4:30pm, Monday 3 March 2025 via Microsoft Teams.

For more information follow this link. 

Student Resource Scheme

We thank families and caregivers for returning the 2025 SRS Forms. Invoices have been raised and sent to families today, Friday 21 February with payments due on or before 21 March 2025.

Fee Payment Agreement forms were due to the office by Friday 21 February 2025. If you are wishing for your student/s to participate in the SRS (Student Resource Scheme) in 2025,  all Fee Payment Arrangement Forms and Participation Agreement Forms need to be returned no later than Tuesday, 25 February 2025. Once forms have been received, invoices for the scheme will be issued with payment due 21 March 2025.

If you have any questions regarding payment of the SRS (Student Resource Scheme) please contact the office by emailing admin@aspleyss.eq.edu.au.

Finances

Please ensure to check your students account via QParents to ensure there are no outstanding invoices from previous years. If you do not have QParents access please contact the front office on 07 3863 9111 or via admin@aspleyss.eq.edu.au to check their financial account.

The schools preferred payment methods are QParents and BPOINT. The school is able to accept cash payments via the front office from 8.30am – 12pm Monday – Thursday. Please note if paying in cash via the front office the correct cash must be provided as we are unable to provide change.

School Payments

If you have a credit on your student/s account, please contact the office by emailing admin@aspleyss.eq.edu.au, requesting the credit be applied to an invoice/s that is outstanding on the student/students account – these are unable to be automatically applied by the school.

Has your student/s been invoiced for an excursion or event that they are not participating in? If so, could you please ensure to let our friendly front office team know by emailing them at admin@aspleyss.eq.edu.au to advise of your students' non-participation. This will assist us in ensuring that your students' financial accounts are cleared of the invoices.

Should your family be experiencing financial hardship, please contact our Business Manager via BSM@aspleyss.eq.edu.au to discuss payment plan options.

Making Payments

BPOINT and QParents are the two preferred payment methods at Aspley State School. The administration team will be able to receipt cash payments, however please note you will require to have the correct amount as we are unable to provide change. Cash payments can be made at the front office between 8.30am – 12pm Monday – Thursday. 

Did you know you can use the BPOINT link on your invoice to make multiple payments? This allows for families to make a number of smaller payments towards larger invoices such as the SRS and school camps. Don’t worry, if you lose track of the payments you have made towards the invoice you can always check the remaining balance in the QParents App or contact the friendly front office staff.

Permission Forms

When returning permission forms please ensure these have been completed with either a black or blue pen. The school is unable to receive permission forms that have been electronically signed. We are able to receive scan copies of permissions that have been completed with black or blue pen, scanned and emailed back to the admin@aspleyss.eq.edu.au email address.

QParents

Have you registered for a QParents account?

Did you know that QParents allows you to pay for and check outstanding balances of student invoices from anywhere at any time, all you need is your mobile and the internet. Not only does QParents allow you to check your students financial account, you can also access their report cards. QParents is also a great way to keep the school updated of your students absence. This can be utilised to enter same day student absence by logging in that morning and letting the school know your student/s is away that day. QParents also has the ability for you to advised the school about past and future student/s absences.

QParents now has the added feature of electronic permission forms. Families with QParents accounts are able to complete various Department forms within the QParents App. This will save paper forms from getting lost or eaten by the school bag on the journey to / from school.

Please keep an eye out in your inbox (and junk) for an invitation from the school to create a QParents account if you don’t already have one. The email will provide you with all the relevant information for your student/s and a step-by-step guide to setting up your account.

SSS Referral Meeting

If your child is experiencing difficulty at school, the class teacher will put in additional adjustments to support. If adjustments have been in place and your child continues to experience difficulty, he/she may be referred to the SSS Referral Team. The SSS Referral Team consists of the Head of Special Education, Guidance Officer, Speech Language Pathologist and the SSS Case Manager. The class teacher will contact you to gather additional information about your child and then attend the SSS Referral Meeting to present your child. At the meeting, the group will decide on outcomes to best support your child’s success and these outcomes will be shared with you.

Personalised Learning Plans

Students with additional needs require adjustments to be successful at school. The class teacher will inform you if your child requires additional support and discuss any adjustments with you. We acknowledge parents as being a child’s first teacher and welcome suggestions around strategies that you find successful in supporting your child. Any adjustments that a student receives are outlined in a Personalised Learning Plan.

NAPLAN

If your child requires reasonable adjustments to support their access to the NAPLAN testing, you will have received a ‘Record of adjustment for disability’ form. Please sign and return as soon as possible as we need these finalised by the 11 March. Thanks for your assistance with this. If your child is in Years 3 or 5, has a disability and you believe adjustments would support their participation, please contact me via email (kcarn10@eq.edu.au) and I will follow up.

Respectful Relationships – Mr Kyle Rankine

We have commenced our Respectful Relationships Education program with some of our classes from Prep to Year 6. These classes will participate in lessons during the first part of the year, with the remaining classes transitioning into the program in the second half of the year. This will provide all children with an opportunity to learn, grow and play together in a respectful manner.

In a primary school context, the Respectful Relationships Education program focuses on helping students develop skills to be independent, confident, and resilient in their relationships with teachers, peers, family and the community. The content of the Respectful Relationships program in primary school covers topics such as emotional awareness, positive communication, how to support others and build friendships. It is designed to support students in building healthy relationships and enhance their wellbeing.

The program does extend into high school, where topics covered are often more complex in nature. These topics are not addressed within our primary school lessons. As you review the table below, you will see that our primary school students will focus on learning about self-management, social awareness, values, responsibility and how they can be their best individual.

Prep

Respect and Trust

• They learn how to respect others, take care of belongings and follow school expectations in a supportive and engaging environment.
• These activities help build positive relationships, cooperation and a sense of responsibility.
• Understanding trust—identifying safe and trusted adults in their world.

Emotional Awareness

• Recognising and naming emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared).
• Identifying emotions in others through stories, pictures, roleplay and when to utilise them in different situations.

Year 1 & 2

Respectful Interactions with Parents/Carers, Peers, and Teachers

• This learning is linked to the school expectations an reinforces respectful interaction between peers, adults and teachers.
• Using kind words, listening when others speak and following instructions politely.

Understanding Personal Boundaries

• Recognising personal space—e.g. Asking before hugging a friend and understanding when someone needs space. Respecting people’s personal bubbles.

Practising Respectful Interaction Strategies

• Examples: using “please” and “thank you,” resolving small disagreements calmly and asking for help politely.

Encouraging and Supporting Others Respectfully

• Celebrating a friend’s success, cheering for a teammate and comforting a peer who is upset.

Year 3 – 6

Conflict Resolution

• Identifying Different Types of Conflict – Disagreements with friends, sibling arguments, classroom, and playground disputes.

• Understanding Conflict Resolution Styles  
• Avoiding – Ignoring the problem or walking away. Useful when the conflict is minor, but not ideal for ongoing issues.
• Compromising – Finding a middle ground where both people give a little to reach an agreement.
• Competing – Wanting to “win” the argument without considering the other person’s feelings (not ideal for friendships).
• Accommodating – Letting the other person have their way to keep the peace. Sometimes okay, but not if it always means ignoring your own needs.
• Collaborating – Working together to find a solution that meets everyone’s needs. This is the goal for respectful conflict resolution.

• Practising Respectful Conflict Resolution Strategies
  • Use "I" Statements – Expressing feelings without blaming.
  • Stay Calm and Listen – Using deep breaths and active listening to understand the other person’s perspective.
  • Finding Solutions Together – Brainstorming ways to solve the problem in a way that works for both people.
  • Seeking Help When Needed – Knowing when to involve an adult for support.

Learning and Innovation Centre News

I would like to welcome, Ms Asher Stander who will be replacing me for the term while I am A/DP at another school. She will continue working in our Learning and Innovation Centre (library), teaching classes, and exploring literature from the current English units of study as well as managing components of the centre.

This fortnight in our lessons Year One and Two classes have been revisiting what a sentence looks like.  We have also looked at nouns and verbs and written some interesting sentence. Year 3 to 6 have learnt the TEEL method for writing.

T-topic sentence

E-explanation

E-evidence

L-linking sentence

The Year Three and Five classes will be using this to help them with learning how to write a persuasive text. Year Four are looking at types of sentences, (simple, compound and complex) Year Six writing links to their HASS unit to help write about famous Australian’s.  

Lunch time 

The Learning and Innovation Centre is open every second break. All children from Year )ne to Six can come into the LIC to read, play quiet games, complete puzzles, colour, and draw. Our Year Six student leaders come in and support the other children and help reshelve books.

Borrowing News

Your child has weekly borrowing time at the LIC. (Please see timetable below. Their classroom teacher will bring them each week to borrow but they MUST have a library bag.

How many books can my child borrow?

Prep – 2 books

Years 1-6 – 4 books

Responsible Reader Awards

Congratulations to these classes over the last two weeks who have no overdue books. You have worked as a team to support each other.

Outstanding Fees

I have now emailed all parents of child with overdue books from last year. If the book hasn’t been returned our BSM will be sending you an invoice this week. If you have outstanding fees for lost books from last year, could you please pay these as soon as possible. Your child is unable to borrow until this matter is resolved.

ASPLEY MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Choral Program 

What a wonderful start to the choral year with many Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 students participating in trial choral rehearsals held for both Junior Choir (Girls and Boys in Years 2 and 3 ONLY) and Senior Choir (Girls and Boys in Years 4, 5 and 6 ONLY) through-out weeks 3 and 4.  What beautiful singers we have at Aspley.  Interested students are invited to continue their participation in the choral program attending weekly rehearsals as outlined below. 

Interested students will be distributed a paper copy of the parent/carer information letter outlining the finer details of participating in the 2025 Aspley Choral Program in coming weeks.   

We are looking forward to your child/ren participating in the 2025 Aspley Choral Program.

Music Performance Uniform

All students participating in Junior Choir, Senior Choir, Senior String Orchestra, Junior Concert Band and Senior Concert Band will receive a letter in coming weeks outlining the Aspley Performance Uniform for the 2025 school year.  The Aspley Performance Uniform will be available for purchase through the Aspley Uniform Shop.   

The Aspley Performance Uniform is worn by all performing ensembles at Aspley State School (excluding Beginner String students.  Beginner String students are required to wear the Aspley formal school uniform when performing). All performing ensembles are required to wear the following performance uniform – Long Black Dress Pants, Long Sleeved White Dress Shirt, Black Socks and Black Shoes.  Continuing String/ Woodwind/Brass/Percussion and Choral students may already have the necessary uniform requirements from previous years participation.  

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Instrumental Music has kicked off for the year, starting with our excited beginners in Week 2 and in Week 3, our regular weekly lesson timetable and ensembles beginning.  Timetables have been distributed to students, parents and staff.  Both Mrs Kim and Ms Jabs are looking forward to a marvellous term of weekly group lessons and ensemble rehearsals. 

 The Aspley Music Team

Mrs Macca, Ms Jabs and Mrs Kim 

North District Swimming Carnival 2025

Congratulations to all the students that participated at the Central & North District Swimming Championships on Monday at Lawnton Aquatic Centre. Congratulations to Sam, Toby, Sam B, Georgia, Karim, Darius and Ari who will be progressing further to Metropolitan North Swimming – and we wish them the best of luck!

North District Sports Trials

Parents there are a lot of sports trials coming up for a variety of sports, this year North District is trying to achieve all nomination etc through their website – please follow the steps to register your child –

1. Child approaches PE teacher for sports trial form
2. Scan QR code and follow the required steps
3. Email PE teacher student forms
4. Attend the trial

2025 Aspley State School Years 3-6 Cross Country

Who:              All students in Years 3-6

When:           28^th of March 2025

Where:         Ben Lomond Park, Aspley

Transport:    Students will walk down to the park in their class groups with their classroom teacher.

Parents are welcome to attend as spectators. We invite you to bring a chair. Please help up by spectating within the marked areas. We look forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming Sports Events Term 1

Run4Fun (Prep – Year 2 students only) is a junior run around the oval for house glory. The date is Wednesday 2^nd April 2025. Stay tunes for more information in the coming newsletters.

Aspley State School Years 3-6 Cross Country is scheduled for March 28^th 2025 at Ben Lomond Park. All students in years 3-6 are encouraged to participate and challenge themselves. Running distances are: 8 & 9 Years - 1km, 10 Years  - 2km and 11-12 Years - 3km. Start training now!!

Run Around Australia

When: Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 – 8:40 am

Where: Top/Senior Oval

What to bring: Hat, wear comfortable school shoes, lots of energy and any parents who wish to join.

This initiative is assisting our students in preparation for the Cross Country and Run 4 Fun, at the end of the term. Each lap completed earns students a ticket, each ticket is counted and calculated in distance travelled around Australia.  The student leaders assist with the set up and pack up every morning. They also update the students on our distance travelled, at assembly. Thank you to our HPE staff and other teacher for supporting this initiative.

HPE team

Shannon Kelly – Prep – Year 2 HPE (Wed-Fri)

Anthony Schmidt – Year 3-6 HPE, P-2 PMP, Sports Coordinator (Mon-Fri)

NAPLAN 2025 – YEAR 3 and Year 5

NAPLAN NOTES for Parents

• Key Dates - 12–24 March
• Download the 2025 NAPLAN Testing Window Infographic 

Send your child’s 3.5mm Jack Headphones to school now for testing (no Bluetooth Headphones please)

• Contact your child’s teacher if you wish to withdraw your child from the NAPLAN Testing
• Soon we will conduct a practice test, online, in order to test the network capabilities of our school devices and to explore and become familiar with the online testing environment (these tests are not marked or scored)
• Visit the public demonstration site to view the online test environment (more information below)

NAPLAN INFORMATION for FAMILIES 

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year.   It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.

What’s in the tests

Reading

In the English learning area of the Australian Curriculum, students develop language and literacy skills and then apply these skills across a full range of learning areas. The NAPLAN reading tests measure literacy proficiency across the English learning area in line with the Australian Curriculum: English.

These tests focus on the reading of written English.  Knowledge and interpretation of language conventions in context are also an important part of reading and are drawn upon in many reading questions.

In the tests, students are provided with a range of texts that illustrate different writing styles. Students read the texts and answer related questions. The tests contain multiple-choice and technology-enhanced questions such as drag-and-drop and hot-text.

Typically, students are able to engage with more complex texts as their reading comprehension skills improve. As there is a very wide range of reading ability levels at each school year level, the texts range from short and simple to longer and more complex.

Writing

The Australian Curriculum: English requires students to be taught a variety of forms of writing. The 3 main text types (previously called genres) taught are imaginative writing (including narrative writing), informative writing and persuasive writing. In the writing test, all students receive the same text type or genre of writing task regardless of whether they are a Year 3 student doing the test on paper or a student in Year 5, doing the test online.

In the writing test, students are provided with a ‘writing stimulus’ (also called a ‘prompt’ – an idea or topic) and asked to write a response in a particular text type. Different prompts are used depending on the testing day and student year level. These writing prompts target the full range of student capabilities expected of students from Years 3 to 9.

Assessing the writing task

Students’ writing is marked by assessors who have received intensive training.  Test administration authorities in each state and territory are responsible for the marking of the writing tests within their jurisdictions.   All markers across Australia use the same marking criteria, receive the same training and are subject to the same quality assurance measures.

Conventions of language

The conventions of language tests assess spelling, grammar and punctuation. Literacy knowledge and skills are essential to effective communication across all learning areas. However, the tools of language, including the conventions of language, are explicitly developed in the English learning area. Therefore, the content assessed in the conventions of language tests is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: English.

The conventions of language tests focus on the use and knowledge of written standard Australian English. These skills are essential to the development of reading and writing. The content of the tests complements the writing tests where spelling, grammar and punctuation are explicitly assessed in context. However, students’ understanding of the conventions of language is also necessary for reading. The tests contain multiple-choice, text entry and technology-enhanced questions such as drag-and-drop and hot-text.

Numeracy

The NAPLAN numeracy tests measure the achievement of students in numeracy, including mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding as outlined in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. The numeracy tests assess the proficiency strands of understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning across the 3 content strands of mathematics: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability.

The numeracy tests contain multiple-choice, text entry and technology-enhanced questions such as drag-and-drop and hot-text.

NAPLAN tests are delivered in an Online environment

NAPLAN tests are designed to provide precise results and are engaging for students. The tests are tailored (or adaptive) which means that each test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses. This helps students remain engaged with the assessment.

Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based upon both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly.

Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway.

All Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper in 2025.

What can I do to support my child?

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Some explanation of NAPLAN is useful to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the tests; however, it is not necessary for parents/carers to do this. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance. 

Take a look at the Tests

The public demonstration tests show the types of questions students will answer and the functionalities that are available in NAPLAN tests.  The following links will take you to these test examples. 

After clicking on the link below, choose the type of test you would like to see and then select “Standard Test”.  Continue to click the “next” button until the example test appears.  Even if prompted, you do not need a PIN to access this public demonstration site just click “next”. 

YEAR 3

YEAR 5

Participation in NAPLAN

NAPLAN is for all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students.   All students have the opportunity to participate in the National Assessment Program.  To support all students to participate in the testing, adjustments are available for students with disability who have diverse functional abilities and needs.

Aspley State School teachers and administration will work with parents/carers and students to identify, on a case-by-case basis, reasonable adjustments required for individual students with disability to access NAPLAN.   Adjustments should reflect the support normally provided for classroom assessments.    We will make contact with families of students that have been identified as requiring adjustments to participate in the testing. 

Parent / Caregiver Withdrawals From NAPLAN

NAPLAN tests are a routine part of the school calendar.  However, students may be withdrawn from the testing program by their parent/carer for reasons such as religious beliefs or philosophical objections to testing. This is a matter for consideration by individual parents/carers in consultation with the school.  A formal application in the manner specified by the relevant test administration authority must be received by the principal prior to testing. 

If you are considering withdrawing your child from the NAPLAN tests this year, please make contact with your child’s teacher and discuss your decision.  Classroom teachers will then be able to provide access to the withdrawal of consent forms required by the school.   The Notification of Parent/Caregiver Forms must be completed and received by the school Administration by Tuesday 11 March 2025.

Curriculum News

Prep A

Prep A has settled into classroom routines and we are immersed in exploring a range of stories for our English unit. We have been identifying and drawing characters, recalling story events, discussing what we like about the story and making personal connections. We have also been learning to blend and segment words and read and write using our s,a,t,p,i,n sounds and graphemes.

1A

In English, students in 1A have enjoyed listening to stories including ‘Alexander’s Outing’ and ‘Just Jack’. We have been sharing our opinions and describing the characters using interesting adjectives. As part of our Mathematics unit, we completed a ‘Write the Room’ activity where students searched for positional language pictures and words around the classroom. In Science, students are exploring different materials and their properties. We had fun making a paper cup and testing its strength and durability using marbles and water!

2A

In English 2A have been busily reading stories and writing character descriptions.  We have been exploring how images and language features build and shape the depiction of characters. We have been learning about simple and compound sentence structures and using these in our writing.  We are trying to be 5 Star Writers remembering capital letters, punctuation, neat handwriting, word spaces and to re-read our writing so it makes sense.  Here are a few of our interesting stories.

3A

3A have started the year on a positive note. We have welcomed two new students and everyone is working well. In English we have begun studying 4 short stories; Fire, Cyclone, Drought and Flood by Jackie French and Bruce Whately. We have discussed language features such as similes and personification used by the author to make the stories more interesting. The students will create and deliver a multimodal presentation to review and express an opinion of one of the books.

4A

In Year 4 English, we have embarked on our new Version 9 curriculum. In this exciting new topic, students will view and analyse a range of imaginative texts, with a key focus on short films. Their review will be presented orally. Students will analyse the story, characters, and themes, and describe how visuals and sounds help tell the story. They will also share their opinions, explaining why they would recommend the short film to their peers.

Critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills will be at the forefront as students analyse and review the animation. We have been looking at key features of a review and topic specific vocabulary needed for the task. Using the strategy of ‘close reading’ has been especially useful in becoming familiar with the criteria needed for a film review. So yes, if your child comes home and says that they are watching movies at school, that is 100% correct!

5A

In our English class, students have been exploring the world of podcasts as part of a creative project based on Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda. To start, we looked at different types of podcasts, focusing on how they engage listeners through interview-style conversations, storytelling, and discussions. As we progress through each chapter, students have been engaging in thoughtful discussions about the book’s themes, characters, and key moments, while developing insightful questions and ideas to explore in their podcast. Many students have shared that this has been the most enjoyable and memorable part of their weeks so far! Not only does the project allow them to analyse the story in-depth, but it also helps build confidence in speaking in front of their peers, leading discussions, and clearly expressing their ideas. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and creativity, and we look forward to seeing how their podcast turns out!

6A

This year has begun with such enthusiasm and optimism. All things curricula are humming along. In mathematics, we are learning about negative and positive numbers, the cartesian plane and shapes that tessellate.  In Science our focus is on solids liquids and gases and how these can change. HaSS, has us discovering how key figures, events and values have shaped Australian society, its system of government and citizenship: with a particular focus on Federation.  English this term has us reading short stories and preparing to participate in a book club discussion on a selected text. This discussion is designed to share and elaborate on ideas, that discusses how the author uses text structure, literary devices and language to develop a central theme and build meaning for effect.

Art Classes

Swim Solutions

Newsletter_Insertion_Swim_Solutions_Term_1_2025.pdf

Newsletter_Insertion_Swim_Solutions_Term_1_2025 _pdf 172.82 KB

Sports X - Basketball 

Aspley_Basketball_DF_Term1_2025.pdf

Aspley_Basketball_DF_Term1_2025 _pdf 532.08 KB

Sports X - Cricket 

Aspley_Cricket_DF_Term1_2025.pdf

Aspley_Cricket_DF_Term1_2025 _pdf 395.68 KB

Lyrebird Language Centre

2025_Aspley_SS_Flyer.pdf

2025_Aspley_SS_Flyer _pdf 295.57 KB

Young Engineers

Pine Rivers - St Andrews  Hockey - Come and Try Day