25 July 2025

What’s Happening

Principal’s Report

Welcome back to Term 3. Although the days are shorter in terms of sunlight, the weather can be absolutely perfect through the middle of the day. I trust you were able to take advantage of this at times, I know our family did. The winter break saw our school being refreshed which included some more pavers being replaced with concrete, replacement Junior Oval Goalposts damaged from Cyclone Alfred, trees trimmed behind our hall and some block and general painting touch ups.

Your Feedback Matters!

Each year, our school takes part in the Department of Education’s School Opinion Survey. This confidential survey helps us understand what we’re doing well and where we can improve. It’s open to all families and student voice is collected from Years 5 and 6.

The 2025 Parent/Caregiver Survey will open on Monday 28 July and close on Friday 22 August. You’ll receive an email invitation directly from the Department—it may land in your junk or spam folder, so please keep an eye out.

Completing the survey takes about 5–10 minutes and it can be done on any device—smart phone, tablet, or computer. For those without home internet access, school devices will be made available to complete the survey on site.

Your feedback helps us celebrate what’s working and identify areas for improvement. The results inform our planning for school programs, teaching and learning, student wellbeing, and communication.

Please note: If you require a translated version of the survey, please contact Deputy Principal Dave Capill via email at dcapi0@eq.edu.au to request one.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your feedback and support our continued growth and improvement!

Student Code of Conduct

The last phase of consultation and collaboration for our Student Code of Conduct wrapped up on Tuesday 22^nd July.

Thank you to all those that have provided input which included our P&C Committee, staff through Growth Groups and other meetings, student voice particularly within the behaviour and anti-discrimination areas and an invitation to all parents as an open forum.

The next step will be for this document to be ratified by the P&C President next week and I will publish the final version in the Week 4 newsletter, on our website and as a link within our staff email signature.

Online Safety

Children regularly use different websites and apps from their parents, and it can be hard to keep up in this ever-changing digital world. But the things that help keep children safe online are often similar to the things that keep them safe offline.

Encourage your child to think critically and question what they see online. Talk to them about where they go to get information they trust, talk about fake news, fake followers and scams. Help them develop a healthy suspicion of whether people are who they say they are.

Share your knowledge and experience of good and unhealthy relationships.

Show them how to report any worrying behaviour they see online – for example through Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command or the Internet Watch Foundation.

We can help prepare children for their futures if we help them go online safely and responsibly. 

SnapChat is one that we have noticed causing concerns at the moment. Please click on the ‘what parents/carers need to know’ PDF document below for a one-page crash course.

We are now over halfway of your child’s 2025 schooling journey. Thank you for all that you do towards supporting your child. You will hear from me again in a fortnight.

Andrew Stewart
Principal

Deputy Principal Senior Report

Welcome back to all our students and families! Term 3 is already shaping up to be a busy and exciting one, with plenty of events and learning opportunities ahead. We look forward to a great term of connection, celebration, and achievement across our school.

Multicultural Day – Week 4

We are excited to once again host our annual Multicultural Day on Thursday 7^th August (Week 4). This vibrant event is a highlight of our school calendar and a celebration of the many cultures that make up our wonderful community.

The day will include student performances, a cultural costume parade, hands-on cultural activities across the school, and a special performance in the afternoon. Parents and carers are warmly invited to join us for the following:

9:00–10:00am: Parade and children’s performances

11:35am onwards: Cultural activity rotations and afternoon assembly

A reminder that students are encouraged to wear traditional dress from a culture meaningful to their family or community. Please ensure closed-in shoes are worn for safety.

Sports Day Age Champions

A huge congratulations to all students who participated in our recent Senior Sports Carnival – the effort, team spirit, and sportsmanship on display made us very proud.

We will be announcing the 2025 Age Champions at our Senior Assembly in Week 6 (Wednesday 20th August). Families of students in Years 4–6 are welcome to attend and help us celebrate the achievements of our athletes.

David Capill
Deputy Principal Senior School

Deputy Principal Junior Report

Prep Open Day

Southport State School will showcase our wonderful Prep program at our Prep Open Day. This is being held on August 16 from 9am-11am. This will allow our community to visit our engaging Prep precinct, participate in some exciting activities, tour the classrooms and school, and enjoy a sausage sizzle run by our P&C. If you would like to attend, please register using the QR code on the flyer. 

Gabrielle Baldwin
Deputy Principal Junior School

HOPL Report

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disabilities (NCCD)

Each year schools across Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disabilities (NCCD). Please see the below Information Notice to understand the background of this data collection and what the process entails.

Poppy Verrall
Head of Personalised Learning

Head of Curriculum

Parent Guide: Respectful Relationships

From early childhood, children begin to form their understanding of empathy, communication and the importance of healthy, positive relationships. The Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA) has developed a guide to support parents and carers in nurturing these essential skills at home, using age-appropriate books and practical discussion points. Drawing from the federal Respectful Relationships initiative, which empowers schools and communities to foster equality, respect, and resilience, this resource offers a curated selection of literature and activities designed to help your child build meaningful connections.

Whether you're reading together at home or discussing themes throughout daily life, the books and strategies here will help strengthen your child’s understanding of respect, responsibility and kindness. Each book is paired with guiding questions to spark thoughtful discussions and help your child reflect on important values such as empathy, conflict resolution, and understanding others. These questions are designed to encourage meaningful conversations that support the development of emotional intelligence, communication skills, and positive social behaviour.

You can find the document on PETAA’s website.

Multicultural Day: Thursday, 7 August

Our amazing Multicultural Day will be held on Thursday, 7 August. Classes will be decorating their blocks and organising wonderful, cultural activities for our students to complete. The ultimate goal of the day is to promote a society that celebrates diversity and builds a sense of unity and respect among all its members. 

On the day, students may wear the traditional dress of their country, including proper enclosed footwear and a hat for breaks. A selection of international food will be available to purchase through the Snack Shack and parents are welcome to attend various sessions throughout the day.  

A note will be sent home in the coming weeks.

Book Week: 16-23 August

Each year across Australia, the Children’s Book Council of Australia brings children and books together celebrating CBCA Book Week. During this time our school will be celebrating Australian children’s literature in a variety of ways.

The CBCA theme for this year’s book week is ‘Book an Adventure’. To celebrate Book Week, we will be running a competition, hosting the book character parade and holding ‘Book Fair’. Our annual Book Character parade will be held on Thursday, 21 August from 9am. All welcome!

Southport Science Competition

Students are invited to create an amazing science project for the Southport Science Competition. Students may choose from any one of the following categories. Please see Mrs McAlister for more information on each category and ideas if you decide to enter:

• Scientific Investigations
• Classified Collections
• Environmental Action Plan
• Communicating Science
• Engineering and Technology Projects

Students may work individually or in pairs.

The divisions are:

• Prep
• Years 1 and 2
• Years 3 and 4
• Years 5 and 6

All work MUST be the child/children’s own work.

Each project MUST include a scientific notebook (reflective journal).

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Tania Biddulph
Head of Curriculum

ICAS assessments

Final date for payment Monday 28^th July

What is ICAS?  

ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.  

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.  

Southport State School will be facilitating the English and Maths competitions in the Tech Lab.

• English – Thursday August 14^th, 9.00am
• Maths – Thursday August 28^th, 9.00am

How to enrol and pay for your child to participate in ICAS  

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please note:

English competition - $20.95

Maths competition - $20.95

1. read the terms and conditions here
2. go to Parent Portal to purchase tests here
3. enter our school’s access code – GSS316
4. enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment. 

Please Note - the last day for parent payment is Monday 28^th July.

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.  

The school will send permission notes and further information after payment has been made.

Susan Mitchelmore
Director of Teaching and Learning

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is underway, and a great range of genres are being read, from fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels and fantasy to colourful picture books. Additional Reader Record Forms can be collected from the Library. The Challenge finishes on 22 August, so there is still time to keep reading!

Music

Choir Eisteddfod

The Southport State School Choir is performing at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod.

DATE: Tuesday, 12 August

TIME:  All students need to be at GLOW by 5.15pm. Our section begins at 6pm. We are 1^st in the section.

WHERE: GLOW, 10 Energy Crt, Robina

TRANSPORT: All students will need to be transported to and from GLOW by parental transport.

All students are to be dressed in full school uniform. This includes SSS music polo shirt. Music shirts can be purchased from the uniform shop.

As it is an out of school time event, permission notes do NOT need to be handed in.

I kindly request that ALL choir students attend. We have been working consistently on our songs and every child is a part of our TEAM together. Every child is important.

You can purchase tickets at the door, but as it is an after-school time, there will be many parents attending also from other schools.  You can also purchase tickets online at the link below.

If you have any enquiries, please email me jburn251@eq.edu.au

Thank you for your support.

Julie Burnett

Guidance Officer

Everyday Counts!

Even minutes matter!

Marisa Anderson

Mind Matters

Why Bubble Breathing Works

Deep breathing is a simple but powerful tool to help kids (and adults!) manage big emotions like stress, anxiety, or frustration. When we’re upset, our breathing gets fast and shallow, which signals to the brain that something’s wrong. But when we slow our breath down, it sends the opposite message: You’re safe. You’re okay.

Bubble Breathing makes this calming technique fun and easy for children to understand. Imagining (or actually using!) bubbles helps kids visualise their worries floating away, while practicing slow, steady breathing. It’s more than just a calming trick, it’s helping kids build emotional regulation skills they can use for life. Try it together during a quiet moment or when your child needs help calming down. It’s a gentle, playful way to bring a little peace into their day.

Kiana Bresic
School – based Psychologist

P&C News