ANZAC Day Commemorative Service

On Thursday, 24 April, our school community came together for a special ANZAC Day Commemorative Service, and to remember and honour the brave men and women who have served—and continue to serve—our country. The ceremony also included the acknowledgement of  the 110 anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.

The service included thoughtful contributions from our senior students and senior choir, including readings, a poem, and beautiful renditions of the New Zealand and Australian national anthems.

Thank you to Mr Bart Mellish MP, State Member for Aspley, Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Shadow Minister for Veterans and Councillor Tracy Davis, McDowall Ward, for laying wreaths alongside our school captains at the service. We thank all who organised and attended in service for making the event a heartfelt tribute and helping to preserve the spirit of the ANZACs within our school community.

Uniform Reminder – Jewellery and Hair Expectations

We’d like to remind families of our school’s uniform expectations to help ensure all students are safe, comfortable, and ready to learn.

• Jewellery: For safety reasons, students are not permitted to wear jewellery at school. The only exceptions are watches, small stud earrings, and medical or religious items that have been discussed with the school. If students are wearing smartwatches, all internet, calling, and texting functions must be turned off in line with the ‘away for the day’ policy in state schools.
• Hair: Hair that touches the collar of the school shirt or is longer should always be tied back neatly. This supports student focus and helps ensure safety during learning and play. Hair accessories such as hair ties, scrunchies, ribbons, and headbands should be in school colours.

We appreciate your ongoing support in helping us maintain a neat and consistent appearance across the school. If you have any questions, please speak with your child’s teacher or contact school administration.

2025 Camps and Trips

Permission forms for Year 4 and Year 5 camps have gone home with students this week. If you require another copy of the permission form, please contact your child’s class teacher.

For your child to attend, their completed permission form is due to their class teacher by Thursday, 15 May 2025. Venues require final attendance numbers by this due date, so late forms cannot be accepted.

Online Safety – TikTok and Primary-Aged Children

TikTok, a popular social media app for sharing short videos, can be a fun platform used by some primary-aged students for creativity and expression, however, it also comes with serious safety and privacy concerns—especially for younger users.

What parents need to know:

• Age Requirement: TikTok’s minimum age is 13, in line with international online safety guidelines. Primary-aged children should not have their own account.
• Inappropriate Content: Despite content filters, children may still be exposed to videos with adult language, behaviour, or not age-appropriate.
• Privacy Risks: TikTok accounts are public by default unless privacy settings are changed. Children can be contacted by strangers or share personal information when using the app, without realising it.
• Screen Time and Sleep: Children using TikTok are often spending extended time on devices watching the short videos. This can affect their sleep, learning, and wellbeing.

What you can do:

• Talk openly about TikTok with your child and why it may not be appropriate for use.
• Use parental controls within the app if your child is using it under supervision.
• Check privacy settings to ensure location sharing is turned off and accounts are private. Also check controls for who can mention, tag or comments on posts.
• Discuss appropriate content to watch or post online and co-view content with your child.
• Encourage open communication, so your child feels safe coming to you if they see something upsetting.

For further advice, visit the eSafety Commissioner’s TikTok Guide, which includes key safety information and links for the use of TikTok.