Newsletter 13 27 August 2025

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are quickly moving through Term 3 and there are a number of exciting events and important reminders over the coming weeks.

Construction Update
Work along Martin Street is progressing well. Construction has now moved above the ground floor and it’s pleasing to see the first level taking shape. We appreciate everyone’s patience with the disruptions and look forward to the improvements this project will bring to our school.

Life Education – 1–3 September
Next week, our students will take part in the Life Education program on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (1–3 September). Please refer to the detailed email sent by Dr Scholl for further information.

Cross Country
Please note that the date for our Cross Country has been moved to Thursday 4 September. We look forward to seeing our students participating with their usual enthusiasm and team spirit.

Student Free Day – Friday 5 September
A reminder that Friday 5 September is a Student Free Day. Staff will be engaged in a professional development program. Please ensure alternative arrangements are in place for your children on this day.

Budgie Cup Soccer – Friday 12 September
Our Year 4–6 students selected for the Budgie Cup Soccer will compete on Friday 12 September. This is always a highlight on the sporting calendar and is hotly contested by all four participating schools.

School Camps – Week 10
In Week 10, our senior students will be heading off to camp:

• Year 5/6 – Marron Outdoor Education Centre
• Year 4 – Jacob’s Well Environmental Education Centre

These experiences are a wonderful opportunity for our students to build independence, teamwork, and lifelong memories.

Inspiration – Ben Hunt
At the risk of being in trouble for talking sport again…Last weekend, NRL player Ben Hunt played his 350th game – a huge achievement in professional sport. He has long been one of my favourite players, and while people will remember different things about his career, what stands out to me is his story.

Ben grew up in the tiny Central Queensland town of Dingo (population 220) and from those humble beginnings he went on to become one of the most respected and sought-after playmakers in the NRL (including playing for Queensland and Australia). Very few players ever reach 350 games – it takes determination, resilience and commitment well beyond what most would be prepared to give.

His story is great reminder to our students (and all of us) that no matter where you come from or what challenges you face, you can achieve incredible things with a dream, hard work and perseverance. No doubt he’s had a plenty of support along the way.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school community.

Simon Vaseo - Principal

From the HOD-C

Children's Book Week turns 80 in 2025

Thanks to Ms Santoro and Mrs Alexion for organising our book week event this year and for the effort everyone went to, to find or make costumes. The students enjoy the opportunity to dress up. The CBCA 2025 Book of the Year Awards – Winners have been announced and are available for viewing in the school library.

Fire Brigade Visit for Year 1s

On Thursday the 28^th of August 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 will be sent to parents in due course. Consent and payment must be returned prior to the incursions for students to participate.

I have sent parents an email with further information from Life Education about the incursion. These fliers include advice and resources about how to talk about the topics in and connected to the Life Education incursion. Speaking with a trusted adult is protective for the child, strengthening for the relationship, and builds resilience for future challenges the child may face.

Further resources I would offer parents regarding respectful relationships education include:

• The Respectful Relationships Education Hub,
• Kids Helpline (which has resources for students of all ages and parents),
• eSafetyCommisioner (which has resources regarding online safety for students of all ages and parents).

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.

Camps

We are looking forward to both the Year 4 and Year 5/6 camp in week 10 of this term.

The Year 4 camp at Jacobs Well Environmental Education Centre has a science focus and the students learn about life cycles, food chains and webs and adaptations of plants and animals to their environments. The students also experience a unique walk on South Stradbroke Island where they learn about the history of the local area.

The Year 5/6 camp provides the students with opportunities to practice teamwork, build resilience, make connections and develop leadership skills. They are also provided with multiple opportunities for critical and creative thinking, problem solving and reflection as they tackle the challenges presented to them by the staff at Maroon Outdoor Education Centre.

Please speak with your child’s class teacher, in the first instance, for further clarification regarding camp requirements.

Rosie Scholl - HOD-C

Upcoming Excursions/Incursions

Cross Country

Our Annual Cross Country has been postponed due to bad weather; it will now be held on Thursday 4 September. Classes have been training throughout this term in preparation for the event. All children will participate in the run with Prep – Year 3 running a track within the school grounds and Year 4-6 running along the creek path.

Our event will begin with the Year 4 children running off shortly after 9am, followed by Year 5 and 6 children. The Prep – Year 3 children will begin running from 10am onward. Each child will get points for their house and an ice block, kindly donated by Helping Hands, at the completion of their race.

Please ensure children are wearing their house colours and appropriate footwear.

Parents are welcome to attend to watch the event.

Julie Wain

Physical Education Teacher

From the Inclusion Teacher

Different Paths, Same Goal: Growing Independence

As I finish Chapter 14 and skim the FAQs, I realise I’m finally reaching the end of Judith Locke’s book The Bonsai Child. This final chapter opens with a powerful reference to ‘Schoolies Week,’ which managed to both terrify and reassure me at the same time. Parenting teens — especially one who is learning to drive — certainly has its challenges, but there are benefits too, particularly when we focus on gradually helping our children build responsibility and maturity. There’s also a special kind of freedom that comes when we let our children take the reins and grow more independent.

In this chapter, Locke highlights the importance of giving children space to take responsibility and develop resilience. Bonsai parenting seeks to protect children from life’s risks, yet this well-meaning protection can backfire, leaving them less equipped to deal with difficulties once they step beyond the safety of home.

Locke explains that while parents often want to “match” their child’s maturity with their age, this balance can be thrown off if adults do too much for their child. When parents step in quickly to solve problems, smooth the path, or protect from every disappointment, they inadvertently delay their child’s independence. A child may grow older in years, but without practice in coping, they may lag in maturity.

True growth comes when children are allowed to experience manageable challenges, frustrations, and even small failures. By stepping back, parents provide opportunities for children to practise decision-making, problem-solving, and responsibility. Over time, this builds the confidence and resilience children need to become not only age-appropriate, but also genuinely mature and independent.

For neurodiverse children, the principle still applies, though the “step back” may need to be gentler or more gradual. They too benefit from learning independence and resilience, but the scaffolding and pace might look different. The key is striking a balance—offering enough support to set them up for success, while still allowing space for them to practise and grow.

Locke reminds us that while stepping back can feel uncomfortable for parents, it is ultimately an investment in their child’s future wellbeing and success.

Katherine Austin - Inclusion 

Book Week news

Book Week was finally here!!

Children's Book Council of Australia's 2025 Book Week was kickstarted, on Saturday 16th, with the announcement of the CBCA Book of the Year award winners for each category!  

*CBCA Award for New Illustrator - Grow Big, Little Seed – ill. Sarah Capon

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books - Always Was, Always Will Be – Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson

Picture Book of the Year - The Truck Cat – ill. Danny Snell, text by Deborah Frenkel

Book of the Year: Early Childhood - The Wobbly Bike – Darren McCallum, ill. Craig Smith

Book of the Year: Younger Readers - Laughter is the Best Ending – Maryam Master, ill. Astred Hicks

and *Book of the Year: Older Readers - I’m Not Really Here – Gary Lonesborough

* All age-appropriate shortlisted books are available to be borrowed from the library now!

Last Thursday, we had the fun and wonderful Book Week Character Dress Up Day, which the students enjoyed immensely! 

Book Week 2025

School Opinion Survey

The school opinion survey is now closed. Thank you to all the parents/caregivers, students and school staff who completed this year’s School Opinion Survey. We look forward to sharing our survey results with you when we receive our school report later this year.

From Helping Hands

From the Community