Newsletter 11 30 July 2025

From the Principal

Dear Families,

Today I’m attending a Regional Principals Conference, connecting with school leaders from across the region to share strategies, celebrate successes and continue the important work of improving outcomes for all students.

I’ll provide a separate update tomorrow regarding the planned industrial action next Wednesday.

Next week – August 4 to 8 – we celebrate something very close to our hearts: School Support Staff Recognition Week.

Support staff are absolutely essential to the operation of our school and to Queensland’s education system. Quite simply – without them, schools wouldn’t run and learning wouldn’t happen.

This week is about recognising, respecting and celebrating the incredible contributions made by support staff. From the front office to the playground, and from IT rooms to therapy spaces – their impact is everywhere.

Our Administration Officers, Business Managers, Schools Officers, IT Officers, Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, are the often-unsung heroes of our education system.

Your hard work keeps our school safe, inclusive, engaging and running smoothly. You make a difference every single day.

So next week – and every week – we say thank you.

Have a great week.

Simon Vaseo - Principal

From the HOD-C

Plastic Free July

Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste.

Plastic Free July™ is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by pledging to refuse single-use plastics?

At school students can do this by ensuring they bring less plastic in their lunch boxes and more nude food. They can also reuse and recycle and dispose of plastic appropriately so that it lessens the problem in our immediate environment. Teamwork makes the dreamwork!

National Science Week

In week 5 on Monday the 11^th August, Dr Rob Bell, will provide presentations, in the school hall, for the students to celebrate National Science Week.

Consent forms for this incursion have been sent to parents. Consent and payment must be returned prior to the incursions for students to participate.

Bullying No Way: National week of action

Week 5 is also the 2025 Bullying No Way: National week of action.

Bullying No Way Week is about the important roles school, family and community play in helping young people feel accepted, respected and a sense of belonging.

Every day we can help create positive action with students, school staff and our school community by Being Bold. Being Kind. Speaking Up.

Everyone has a role in preventing bullying. We do this by maintaining self-respect and speaking to others in kind, assertive and meaningful ways that consider everyone’s perspectives.

Teachers will work with students to investigate ways to be respectful and assertive in their health lessons. You can also Check out the 2025 Bullying No Way Week campaign video.

Children's Book Week turns 80 in 2025

Thanks to Ms Santoro and Mrs Alexion for organising our book week event this year in Week 6. This year is the 80^th birthday of Children’s Book Week. The CBCA 2025 Book of the Year Awards – Shortlist is available. The winner of book of the year will be announced on the 15^th of August. The theme this year is Book an Adventure!

Fire Brigade Visit for Year 1s

In week 6 the Annerley Fire Brigade are booked in for their annual safety visit with the Year 1s. This will occur if the fire officers are not called out on a higher priority job. The fire safety messages from the professionals are part of the health curriculum that the teachers organise for the students. There are also Safety and education messages available for the community on the Queensland Fire Department website.

Life Education

In week 8 Life Education Queensland (LEQ), an organisation at the forefront of child health and wellbeing, will offer students in Years 3-6 presentations from the ‘Talk About It Program’. LEQ are the state’s largest health promotion charity, providing age-appropriate health and safety education to students from prep to high school.

LEQ will be providing:

• a 75-minute session to the year 3 and 4 students called 'Body Safety, Body Changes'.
• a 90-minute session to the year 5 students called Welcome to Puberty.
• two 90-minute modules to the year 6 students about life education called 'Thriving in Puberty' and a 'Journey of Human Reproduction'.

These presentations are aligned to the Australian Curriculum Health and address aspects of the achievement standard and content descriptions within the Personal, Social and Community Health strand of the HPE curriculum.

The Talk About It Program has been presented to students in Years 5 and 6 for many years at Buranda and has been very successful in helping to educate students about identity, relationships, and puberty. This year we have extended the program to Year 3 and 4 as consent education is now a compulsory part of the curriculum and is included in the Talk About It Program, in age-appropriate ways.

Consent forms for the LEQ incursions have been sent to parents. Consent and payment must be returned prior to the incursions for students to participate.

eSafety Commissioner – Technology Use and Online Safety

eSafety is Australia's independent regulator for online safety. They educate Australians about online safety risks and help to remove harmful content such as cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse and intimate images or videos shared without consent.

eSafety offers an Online safety book for parents which covers some of the key online safety issues for young people and includes a range of practical tips and advice on what to do if things go wrong. You can also find a list of important services that can offer extra support. This book is available in multiple languages on their website.

eSafety also has a section of their website devoted to information for parents under the following headings

• Online safety basics
• Safer gaming for families
• Prevent child sexual abuse online
• Focus on under 5s
• Cyber bullying
• Parental controls
• And more …. including advice on Screen Time

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the eSafety website and resources.

Rosie Scholl - HOD-C

Upcoming Excursions/Incursions

2025 School Opinion Survey - Have your say!

The 2025 School Opinion Survey opens on Monday 22 July and will close on Thursday 22 August.

This important survey is your opportunity to provide feedback on your experience with our school.

All surveys will be emailed directly to parents and caregivers using the email address provided to the school. Each invitation includes a unique user ID and password to ensure secure access. Please note that the survey is completely anonymous – your responses are confidential, and your personal information (such as your email address) will only be used to send you the survey link.

If you require translation assistance, please contact Doreen Holland on bsm@burandass.eq.edu.au, translations are available in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Hindi, Korean, Samoan, Spanish and Vietnamese. 

We encourage all families to take a few minutes to complete the survey. Thank you for your support!

Prep 2026 Enrolments

Letters of offer were sent last week to all parents who have registered their interest for Prep 2026. To secure your spot, please remember to bring in your paperwork next week, collect an enrolment pack and book an interview time.

If you have a child starting Prep next year and have not registered, please click on the link below and register as soon as possible.

https://burandass.eq.edu.au/enrolments/enrolling-at-our-school

Book Week - Thursday 21 August

We are looking forward to celebrating Book Week this term with a fun dress-up day on Thursday, 21 August. This year’s theme is "Book an Adventure", encouraging students to explore exciting worlds and characters through their favourite stories.

Students are invited to come dressed as a character from a book that sparks a sense of adventure - whether it's a brave hero, a curious creature, or a daring explorer.

There will be a whole school photo at the amphitheatre at 8:45am. If you would like your child to be included in the photo, please make sure they arrive on time and in costume.

We cannot wait to see the creative and adventurous characters come to life!

Ms Santoro and Mrs Alexion

From the Inclusion Teacher

Raising a Child Who’s Good Company: More Than Just “Nice”

As I continue my reading the of The Bonsai Child, psychologist Judith Y. Locke explores a topic we don’t always think about when raising children: how to help them become good company — someone who is socially aware, respectful of others, and enjoyable to be around in a range of settings.

Being good company doesn’t mean being a social butterfly, and it certainly doesn’t mean being perfect. It’s about helping children learn how to behave thoughtfully in group situations, read social cues, and take part in the give-and-take of conversations and shared experiences — whether that’s in the playground, at the dinner table, or in a classroom.

Why does this matter?

In many households today, adults are highly responsive to children’s needs — which is a good thing, to a point. When children are always the centre of attention, or when we constantly adjust the world around them to suit their preferences, they may miss out on learning how to manage frustration, wait their turn, or understand the impact of their actions on others.

Locke notes that without clear guidance and boundaries, we risk raising children who:

• Dominate conversations or group activities
• Struggle with turn-taking, compromise, or instructions
• Expect adult attention on demand
• Disrupt learning environments and social interactions
• Have difficulty managing disappointment or hearing “no”

This plays out not only in friendships and family life, but also in classrooms, where children need to follow group expectations, show respect to teachers and peers, and take responsibility for their role in a shared learning space.

In the classroom

In schools, we’re seeing more students who find it difficult to manage their behaviour in group settings. Some:

• Constantly distract or disrupt others’ learning
• Demand special treatment or resist routine expectations
• Struggle with feedback or redirection
• Believe classroom rules apply to everyone except them

While these behaviours can stem from many factors — including emotional needs, developmental delays, or neurodivergence — it’s important that, as a school community, we continue to teach all students how to be part of a classroom: how to share space, show respect, follow instructions, and work alongside others, even when things don’t go their way.

What helps children become “good company”?

The good news is that these social and behavioural skills can be taught — and practised — in everyday moments. Judith Locke suggests we help children grow in this area by setting clear expectations, modelling social awareness, and encouraging respectful participation in group life.

Here are some practical ways we can support that learning:

1. Teach them to wait their turn

Rather than stopping everything when a child interrupts, a calm “I’ll be with you in a moment” teaches patience and respect — both at home and at school.

2. Expect contribution to shared spaces

Children can help tidy, listen while others speak, or stay focused during lessons — habits that show respect for the group and the task at hand.

3. Coach social and behavioural etiquette

This includes learning how to accept disappointment, respond respectfully to feedback, and understand that there are times to lead and times to follow.

4. Balance child-centred and group-centred moments

It’s more than okay (and healthy!) for children to occasionally sit through “boring” lessons or events without constant stimulation — these experiences build stamina, self-regulation, and social maturity.

Where this happens at school: The Deck

At Buranda, we’re proud of a space we created a couple of years ago called The Deck — a quiet, structured alternative to the playground at lunch and break times. While it’s open to all, it’s particularly popular with students who are neurodivergent, find social situations challenging, or simply need a place to decompress.

Although there are games, drawing, and quiet activities available, The Deck is more than just a chill-out zone — it’s also a place of genuine social learning.

This week, I sat playing a game of Uno with a regular visitor to The Deck and a new visitor. The regular, who once struggled with the etiquette of card games — such as waiting while cards are dealt, handling cards appropriately, or losing without frustration — has learned these skills over time. What made this moment special was watching them teach the new student what they had learned: good manners, taking turns, and how to laugh when things don’t go your way.

Moments like this remind us that social and behavioural growth doesn’t always happen in formal lessons — it happens with connection, practice, and patient guidance.

A note on neurodivergent learners

As always, it’s important to consider the needs of neurodivergent children — and to teach social and classroom skills in ways that are explicit, respectful, and developmentally appropriate.

Being good company doesn’t mean masking or conforming — it means helping every child develop the tools they need to interact with others, manage expectations, and participate in group life, while also being accepted and supported for who they are.

We can support this by:

• Offering clear, consistent expectations
• Creating safe spaces to practise and reflect (like The Deck)
• Encouraging both individual strengths and shared responsibility

The big picture

Children who are good company — in classrooms, homes, and friendships — tend to form stronger relationships, learn more effectively in groups, and grow into adults who know how to listen, collaborate, and contribute meaningfully.

Like everything else in parenting and teaching: we’re learning this alongside them — one card game, classroom moment, and messy teaching opportunity at a time.

Katherine Austin - Inclusion 

Instrumental Music

On Tuesday 24 June, a group of our beginner instrumental students took part in an exciting Instrumental Music Workshop at Balmoral State High School. It was a fantastic day filled with music, learning, and fun! Students worked hard in focused sectionals and full concert band rehearsals, developing important skills such as tone, articulation, posture, rhythm, and ensemble playing.

The students showed excellent focus, teamwork, and enthusiasm throughout the day. They made amazing progress and represented our school with pride. The workshop ended with a short performance for families, where students had the chance to shine and share what they had learned. I am so proud of our students – what a brilliant group of young musicians!

Facebook

Please remember our Facebook Page is up and running. This will allow you to stay up to date with events and important information within our school community 

QParents is up and running!

Thank you to all the parents who have registered for QParents. An email was sent to all families on 19 June outlining the process. Please check your junk folder for the QParents email. If you are still unable to locate it, please advise admin on admin@burandass.eq.edu.au

• QParents registration process for parents (see flyer below)
• QParents fact sheet (see flyer below)
• QParents account registration form (QPAO) (emailed to parents)

Please complete the QPAO form and return to the office asap. Once we have received the completed form, the school will email you an invitation code. This code will be unique to you, and you will need to enter it as part of the registration process. If you have lost your invitation code, please contact the school and we will resend your invitation.

Kind regards,

Rose Beake - Admin

From the Community