Newsletter 19 - 13 November 2024

From the Principal

It has been a fantastic term, with plenty of exciting news and activities to share. Last week, we were thrilled to see Buranda State School featured in The Brisbane Times, highlighting the positive experiences our students are enjoying.

Students

• - I like being at my school (96% positive)
• - I feel safe at my school (96% positive)
• - My teachers motivate me to learn (97% positive)

Staff

• - I enjoy working at this school (95% positive)
• - I feel this school is a safe place in which to work (100% positive)
• - Students are encouraged to do their best at this school (100% positive)

Parents

• This is a good school (97% positive)
• Staff at this school are responsive to my enquiries (98.6% positive)
• Teachers at this school are interested in my child’s wellbeing (97.3% positive)

This positive feedback reflects our community’s dedication to fostering a caring and inclusive school culture.

Tomorrow, our students have the chance to dress up for an important cause, as we support the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. We encourage everyone to come dressed as their favourite animal or in wildlife-inspired attire. A gold coin donation is welcomed, if possible, to help support this vital work in protecting Australia’s unique wildlife.

Next week, on Thursday 21 November, we’ll be celebrating World Philosophy Day. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to explore critical thinking and big ideas. As part of our celebrations, students from Hillbrook College will be joining us on Wednesday, 27 November, to participate in philosophical discussions and workshops alongside our own students. We’re looking forward to the insightful conversations this will inspire!

Looking a little further ahead, our Prep Orientation Morning will be held on Thursday, 28 November. This is always a special day, as we welcome our new preps and their families into the Buranda community. Our staff and student leaders are eager to show them around and introduce them to the many exciting aspects of school life.

Our final Budgie Cup event on Friday 1 November, was an incredible success, with our four teams representing Buranda State School in the Diamond Cricket Tournament in fine fashion. This was our most successful Budgie Cup ever, as we proudly took home both the Junior and Senior trophies—congratulations to Senior Maroon and Junior Maroon! Our Senior Silver team also gave a fantastic effort, coming just shy of making the senior grand final on points. Beyond the trophies, I am especially proud of our students for their dedication in the lead-up to the tournament. Their commitment to early morning practices every Thursday was evident in their enthusiasm and hard work. A big well done to each of you! Special thanks go to Mr. Higgins, Ms. O'Dempsey, Miss Coutts, and Miss Douglas for coaching the teams on the day and for all their support throughout the season.

Congratulations to Jonson N who competed at the Brisbane Age Chess Titles last week at Calamvale Community College. Jonson had a fantastic day and won the 2013 age division. Well done on an outstanding achievement Jonson!

Congratulations also to Ethan T in Year 4, who performed at Brisbane City Hall at the Australian Duet Festival (Piano) yesterday. Ethan placed third in the intermediate group at the Queensland Piano Competition in September this year. Another outstanding achievement.

Please note that the Martin Street entrance will be locked daily from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. If you need to collect children for appointments or other reasons during these hours, please use the Gladys Street entrance. This arrangement will remain in effect until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

The Instrumental Music Concert will be held on Wednesday 27 November at 10.30am in the school hall.

Please check the upcoming events calendar in the newsletter and our school website for all events in the final few weeks of the school term.

Please note, week 9 will be our last newsletter for the year.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. Here’s to a fantastic end to the term!

Have a good week

Simon Vaseo

Principal

Upcoming Excursions/Incursions

From Inclusion Teacher

Understanding Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), formerly known as Specific Language Impairment (SLI), is a condition diagnosed when a child experiences persistent language difficulties that continue into school age. These challenges often affect a student's ability to comprehend and use language—whether spoken, written, or signed—to convey ideas and information.

In the classroom, it's estimated that about two students in every class may have a language disorder significant enough to impact their academic progress. Despite these challenges, students with DLD also demonstrate remarkable strengths, which we want to highlight today.

Strengths of Students with DLD:

• Creative and eager learners
• Highly adaptable to new situations
• Skilled at using sensory information to understand instructions
• Creative in developing their own strategies, including visual aids, to support learning
• Great at forming friendships, using both verbal and non-verbal communication to collaborate with peers, and engaging in imaginative play

Additionally, children with DLD tend to excel in areas like personal care, daily living skills, social interactions, and gross motor activities. Many carers of those with DLD, notice their children's strong sense of agency and prosocial qualities, and the resilience and creativity these children often display.

As we continue to support students with DLD, it's important to celebrate the remarkable strengths they bring to our school community.

Katherine Austin

Inclusion Teacher

Philosophy Corner

From the Music Room

I am very excited to announce that our end of year Music Concert will be held Thursday 5 December in the middle session (from 11.45am – 1.15pm). Families are very welcome to attend and the students would love your support!  To wrap up the music learning for the year, here’s a bit about what each year level has been doing this term and what they are preparing for our concert:

The Prep/1 classes have been exploring responding to music by sharing what they imagine as they listen to different pieces of music. We have also been studying music that composers wrote to represent specific things, including The Four Sea Interludes from the opera Peter Grimes and The Carnival of the Animals. For the end of year concert they are preparing a performance using PERCUSSION and VOICE.

The 1/2 classes have been talking about where/why and how music is performed in different contexts, and have also been consolidating their understanding and use of tempo and dynamics. For the end of year concert they are preparing a performance using DJEMBE.

The 2/3 class has also been talking about where/why and how music is performed in different contexts, and has been composing with different percussion instruments and rhythms to represent different images in their own Pictures at an Exhibition compositions. For the end of year concert they are preparing a performance using GLOCKENSPIEL.

The 3/4 and 4/5 classes have been writing their own songs for voice and ukulele using tab notation, and also studying different messages in the music of songwriters. For the end of year concert they are preparing performances using UKULELE and VOICE.

The Year 6 classes have been studying the use of music in Aboriginal cultures, including in Songlines, in cross-genre collaborations and in popular music contexts. For the end of year concert they are preparing performances using BUCKET DRUMS.

The school choir will also perform at the concert. Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday of Week 10 to share all of the student's fantastic work!

Ms Tafra

Classroom Music Teacher

Booklists - Order now!

Remember to order your book packs for 2025! Parents have already been emailed the booklist details, but you you can also download and print a copy via our school website. Please click the link below to access:

https://burandass.eq.edu.au/support-and-resources/forms-and-documents/documents

Olympia have added a couple of additional features this year. 

• QR Code – located on the top right hand of front page of booklist– Scan to order
• Early Bird Ordering – Order by 20^th November and go in a draw to win your bookpack for FREE.
• Afterpay facility – Available in store now and online from 1^st October 2024.

Further details can be found on the booklists.

Update from the P&C

Ice blocks

Ice blocks will be served from the uniform shop, on Wednesdays, until further notice. Please let your children know.

If your child has not finished their ice block card at the end of the year, the card will be rolled over for 2025.

Any year 6 students that have ice blocks left on their card at the end of the year, can choose to give their card to their buddy or return their card to Ludivine, at the uniform shop.

Uniform Shop News:

The uniform shop opens on Wednesdays 8-9:30am and Thursdays 2:30-3:30pm.

Orders on QKR! cut off Tuesdays, 3pm and delivered on Wednesdays.

School Holidays 2025 opening hours:

• Tuesday 21^st January 11:00am -1:00pm
• Wednesday 22^nd January 4:00pm -6:00pm                                       
• Thursday 23^rd January 7:30am -10:00am

First day of School 2025:

• Tuesday 28^th January 7:00am -9:30am

Donations

The uniform shop would love to receive donations of uniforms before the end of the year. We are desperately looking for small sizes (4-8years old) shorts, skorts and polos. Be aware that 2^nd hand uniforms go often to families in need, we love having presentable uniforms. So, please do not donate polos without logos, shorts, skorts and polos stained or ripped. Donations will be accepted until Wednesday 11^th December.

Lost Property:

Lost property will be removed from school grounds on the last day of term 4. Please make sure that you check the lost property (situated near the uniform shop) on a regular basis.

From the Community