Dear Aspley Community

Last week, our school community faced an unprecedented situation with the unexpected arrival of a cyclone. The closure of the school on Thursday and Friday disrupted our usual routine, the wellbeing of our students and families was our primary concern during this time of uncertainty.

We sincerely hope that everyone is safe and recovering from the cyclone. We understand that the event may have caused concern and we encourage you to reach out if the school can offer any support to you or your children.

When I visited the school on Sunday to assess the site, I was relieved to find that our facilities had been largely unaffected. With minor damage to trees and loss of soft fall and sand near our playground equipment.

The resilience of our community was evident as we transitioned back to school from Monday. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of our staff for their unwavering support during this time, particularly as many of them were also managing personal concerns at home. Their dedication has been invaluable as we work together to return to normality.

Although this newsletter is delayed, we take great pride in sharing some of the highlights from our school. Students and staff continue to shine through and we are excited to showcase the accomplishments and positive moments from the past weeks.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we move forward together.

Your Voice, Our Strength: Why Your Support Of Our P&C Matters

In our previous newsletter, we shared some important information about our Parents and Citizens Association (P&C).

It’s worth revisiting just how vital this group is to the life of our school community.

The P&C plays an essential role in ensuring that our students and families have access to a range of services and activities that make our school experience better for everyone. Without members on the P&C Executive team and volunteers to support various initiative, the P&C would not be able to function.

What would be the potential consequences for us in the absence of a P&C?

 Consider the following:

• Tuckshop Services: The P&C runs our school tuckshop, providing hundreds of healthy, nutritious lunches each day. This service offers convenience for parents.

• Uniform Shop: The P&C manages the school’s uniform shop, providing affordable, quality uniforms. This service ensures our families have easy access to well-priced uniforms.

• Fundraising Initiatives: Through the P&C’s efforts, we have been able to fund essential resources and projects, including literacy materials for both junior and senior students, water chillers, stage risers in the hall and upcoming upgrades to our netball and basketball hoops. These investments directly enhance student engagement and wellbeing.

• Year 6 Shirts: The P&C coordinates the distribution of the Year 6 shirts, a special memento for our senior students. This initiative is made possible by parent volunteers working together with the P&C and school, to create a lasting symbol of their time at Aspley.

• Friday Night Swim Club: Friday night Swim Club is a sub-committee of the P&C. This event brings our families together for enjoyable, community building activities. Without the P&C, opportunities like this to engage in family oriented, recreational activities would not be possible.

• Supporting Music Concerts: The P&C plays an important role in supporting our school’s music concerts. They help ensure that families of students in the instrumental music and choir programs are provided an opportunity to attend and witness their children’s development and growth on these evenings.

• Building Community Partnerships: The P&C is instrumental in building and nurturing partnerships with local council and business. These partnerships help with evaluating and improving school resources and advocating for the school’s needs. The P&C ensures that our Metropolitan North regional staff are aware of our outstanding work as a team and provides families with a voice in securing vital resources for our school.

• Welcoming Families to Our School: The P&C is dedicated to welcoming all families to our school by initiating engagement and welcome events at the start of the year and throughout the year. One example is the warm and inviting event held on the first day of Term One, where families were treated to ‘Tim Tams and Tea’. Additionally, the P&C ensures that our Prep students receive a special memento in the form of a book to nurture connections between home and school, while also fostering a love of literature from a young age.

The list provided above represents just a small sample of the valuable services and contributions the P&C make to our school.  

As Principal, I am committed to supporting and guiding the P&C in all their efforts because of the tremendous value it brings to our school.

 Your participation and support are essential.

You are invited to attend the P & C AGM (Annual General Meeting)

Tuesday 18 March 6:30pm in the staff room

I urge you to consider joining the P&C and contributing to the excellent services already being provided.  Together, we can continue to enhance the experience of our students and maintain the high standards we all strive for at Aspley.

Harmony Day

Harmony Week will be celebrated from 17 to 23 March with this year’s theme, “Harmony. We All Have a Role to Play.” Australia’s rich diversity fosters inclusivity, respect and belonging for everyone, and this is especially evident in our Aspley community. Aspley benefits from a strong sense of intercultural understanding, thanks to the many diverse cultures and perspectives that shape our school.

Since its inception in 1999, Harmony Week has celebrated multiculturalism and is closely tied to the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. During this week, we come together to show mutual respect and build stronger communities, recognising the beauty in our differences and fostering a sense of belonging for all – those born here, those who have come to live here, and those whose cultures are connected to this land.

One of the key celebrations will be our Harmony Day Assembly on Friday, 21 March. On this day, we encourage all students to wear the colour orange with their uniform, which symbolises inclusivity, belonging and mutual respect. Students are also welcome to wear cultural dress , either for the entire day or just for the assembly. We kindly ask that any clothing worn is school-appropriate, ensuring that uniforms or cultural attire are suitable for all school routines and won’t be at risk of damage during playground time or specialist lessons.

Whether your child wears their uniform with an orange item (such as a t-shirt, hair accessory or socks) or chooses to wear cultural dress, the day will celebrate creativity, fun, and togetherness.

Families are invited to attend the Harmony Day assembly from 9:15 to 9:45 am in the hall.