13 June 2025

What’s Happening

Principal’s Report

As Term 2 nears an end, we farewell a very special and long-standing member of our staff for the past 30 years. Ms Sharon Wicking will be retiring at the end of this term. We look forward to farewelling her in true Ms Sharon form. If you see her around in the coming weeks, please wish her all the best. Also, if you know of anyone who would like to say farewell, please let them know.

I would also like to wish Mrs Nicci McDonald all the best as she takes maternity leave for the next 2 terms to have her third baby. We can’t wait to meet them. In her absence, we welcome Miss Eva Zhang who is looking forward to teaching our students Mandarin. Please make her feel welcome.

Communicating with your child's school

The department is committed to open, respectful, and positive communication with parents and carers, as a vital part of supporting your child's learning, wellbeing and development.

To strengthen partnerships with families, the department continues to celebrate student achievements, share learning progress, respond promptly to important concerns, communicate absences, manage consent and payments, provide regular school updates, and invite your feedback and involvement.

To support positive communication between schools and families, a new resource has been developed that outlines shared expectations around what, how, and when schools and families communicate. This resource is designed to help foster mutual understanding and proactive collaboration.

For more information and to view the resource, please refer to:

• Communicating with your child's school guidelines (PDF, 670KB)—accessible version (DOCX, 25KB)

Contact your child's school

Follow the school's process for communicating with them—as a parent, your needs and concerns are important to your child's school. Schools have communication processes set up so your needs can be met by the right person as quickly as possible. If you aren't sure about the communication process for your child's school, contact the office and they will tell you the best way to communicate with them.

Know the outcome you want—before you contact your child's school, be clear about your needs and have some ideas about how the school can help. Make sure you begin the conversation when you're in a clear head space so you can have a constructive conversation about taking action.

Organise a time in advance—school staff want to support your child's learning and wellbeing. But, just like you, they can have limited time and juggle many priorities. Allow staff time to prepare so they can better support your family.

Plan next steps—if more communication with your child's school is needed, ask about how and when this will happen. Accommodate their needs where you can, to make the process happen as smoothly as possible.

Keep your contact details up-to-date—make sure your child's school has details on the best way to contact you.

Be patient—school staff might not be able to respond to your request immediately—but that doesn't mean you're not important to them. Allow staff to have boundaries around their communication and give them reasonable time to respond.

Be polite and respectful—when communicating with school staff, in writing or in person, be polite. School staff deserve to be treated with respect because they, just like you, want the best outcomes for your child. Be considerate of how you're speaking and the impact it can have on the staff.

Be a team player—your child's school is on your team when it comes to supporting your child. Be open to new ideas and be prepared that you might need to compromise to reach an agreement. You and your child's school have different kinds of expertise when it comes to raising your child, and that expertise can be much more powerful when combined.

Let's collaborate in Term 3 – Student Code of Conduct 2025

Working with your child's school can create great outcomes for your child. With this in mind, I will be sending an email out early next term to invite you to come in and discuss our Student Code of Conduct. I will be releasing the draft document and am looking for your feedback. I look forward to discussing any elements of this important document.

As we finish up Term 2, I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank our school community for your continued support. Your involvement and encouragement play a vital role in your child’s learning journey, and we truly value the strong partnerships between home and school. Have an amazing fortnight and stay warm!

Andrew Stewart
Principal

Deputy Principal Senior Report

Extra Interschool Sport Day – Term 3

Great news for our student athletes! An additional day of Interschool Sport has been scheduled for Week 4 of Term 3 (Wednesday, 6th August). This extra day has been added to make up for the sessions that were unfortunately cancelled due to rain earlier in the term. We’re looking forward to giving students another chance to represent our school and enjoy the competition.

ESports Tournament with Keebra Park SHS

A group of our Year 6 students have been participating in an exciting ESports Tournament hosted by Keebra Park State High School. Each Friday afternoon, the students are engaging in popular gaming activities while also developing essential skills like teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving. A big thank you to Keebra for offering this valuable and fun opportunity!

Year 6 High School Enrolment Reminder

Parents and carers of Year 6 students – a reminder that enrolments for Year 7, 2026 are now open at local high schools. We encourage families to collect enrolment packs directly from the high schools and begin the process as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition for your child.

Senior Sports Day – Week 9

Get ready for one of the biggest events on our calendar! Our Senior Sports Day will be held on Friday, 20th June (Week 9) for Years 4–6. Students will participate in 100m and 200m sprint events, as well as a range of athletics rotations throughout the day from 9:00am to 2:55pm on the school oval. Families are warmly invited to attend and cheer on our young athletes – we hope to see you there!

David Capill
Deputy Principal Senior School

Deputy Principal Junior Report

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

At Southport State School, we promote and encourage the following values which have been identified by our school community. These values are upheld by both students and staff:

“I am a Learner, I am Respectful, I am Safe”

Each week students engage in a PBL focus lesson. These lessons promote the school values and we talk to students about the behaviours associated with them.

What are the benefits of using the PBL framework?

• PBL helps schools to be consistent in the way they support and respond to behaviour.
• PBL enables schools to develop clear expectations and boundaries for behaviour and ensures that behaviour support is differentiated according to need.

The week 7 & 8 PBL focus value was Learner.

Southport State School is committed to providing quality education for all in a safe, respectful and disciplined learning environment. We believe these values teach and promote our high standard of responsible behaviour.

Parentline service supporting parents and carers

Parentline is a free, confidential counselling service available for all Queensland parents and carers.

If you need support navigating challenging situations, Parentline offers qualified counsellors who can help with expert advice, emotional support and referrals when needed.

Parentline’s services include:

• practical parenting resources on their website
• live webchat with professional counsellors
• phone support for immediate assistance (1300 30 1300)
• the option to pre-book ongoing sessions with the same counsellor
• online counsellor-facilitated parenting forums for shared support
• referrals to other family support services when additional help is needed.

Visit their website parentline.com.au for more information today, or give them a call on 1300 30 1300.

Gabrielle Baldwin
Deputy Principal Junior School

HOPL Report

Befriending children with Disabilities

Here at Southport State School, we have a strong focus on welcoming and valuing diversity. Every day I witness beautiful examples of students going out of their way to ensure their peers’ participation in both the classroom and playground environment. We also hear lovely stories of occurrences outside of the school environment such as students with social and behavioural difficulties being invited to fellow students’ birthday parties. It is truly heart-warming to hear of how the children and parents felt having been included in such celebrations.

Students can at times find peers with Autism Spectrum Disorder difficult to decode and understand before they get to know them. Below is a helpful guide with some easy hints to help your children understand more about children Autism. 

Poppy Verrall
Head of Personalised Learning

News from the Office

Kylie Sztama

Guidance Officer

The Gold Coast City Council provides many opportunities for parents to keep their kids entertained with the Active and Healthy holiday program.

All activities are free or low cost with something different on offer each holiday. The winter holiday program is released approximately two weeks before the end of term. To get an email delivered direct to your inbox subscribe on their website.

Happy Holidays!

Marisa Anderson

Mind Matters

Why Routines Matter

Routines aren't just about keeping things on track- they’re about helping kids feel calm, confident, and in control. When kids know what to expect, their world feels more predictable and safe. Daily routines teach time management, build good habits, and reduce stress (for them and us!). Whether it’s brushing teeth, getting to bed on time, or knowing when it’s playtime, routines help everyone feel more prepared for the day.

Start small, stay consistent, and make it fun! Involving your child and using visuals can go a long way. The goal isn’t perfection- it’s creating a rhythm that works for your family.

Kiana Bresic
School – based Psychologist

P&C News

Student of the Week Award – Week 6

Student of the Week Award – Week 7