T3_W2_Newsletter
** Acknowledgement of Country **
** Principal's Update **
Dear Parents and Carers,
This year’s School Opinion Survey runs from 28 July to 22 August. Parents, carers, students in selected year levels, and staff have been emailed a link to participate. Your feedback will help us understand our school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Survey responses are confidential. Find out more on the School Opinion Survey webpage or contact school administration.
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our Sports Days this week. It was lovely to see our students try their best and have fun! We look forward to sharing photos with you all next week.
Thank you,
Robyn Marshall
Principal
** Deputy Principal's Update **
Reading and writing at home and school
In previous newsletter articles I have provided information about reading at school and home with students, specifically how we teach students to decode (segment and blend) words. We use a similar strategy to support students to encode (spell) words. In the classroom, your child practices spelling a range of words using their letter-sound knowledge. The process the students use is called the ‘Sound Strategy’. This strategy focuses on the students identifying the sounds in a word and then representing these sounds with a grapheme (letter/letters) they know. To support your student to spell words at home you can use the following graphic with the process that we use at school.
We will be sharing information about the teaching of reading at a parent information session at 9am on the 7 August, with the same session running on 2.15pm on the 13 August. Further details to be sent closer to the date.
Enrol Now for Prep 2026
If you have a child born between July 2020 - June 2021 they are ready to commence Prep in 2026. Please collect an enrolment pack from the office now to start the enrolment process. We look forward to meeting with you and your child to prepare for Prep in 2026.
Events
Thank you to your students and school community for participating in our athletics days. There was a lot of fun had by all. It was wonderful to see our students and teachers enjoying a great day of physical activity together.
Thank you also for your participation in the P&C fundraising Pyjama Day.
Student Celebration
Congratulations to all our students who received Student of the Week certificates this week. We enjoyed celebrating student achievement in reading and wellbeing.
Kara Steers
Deputy Principal
** Head of Department - Curriculum Update **
This week I was fortunate enough to escort 11 of year 4 and 5 students to the annual Solid Pathways excursion at The University of Queensland, St Lucia campus. This year students became marine biologists, neurologists and archaeologists as they investigated the importance of microorganisms in our oyster reefs, the electrophysiology of cockroach legs and solved the mystery of the unknown bones from K’gari.
Below are some of the students’ thoughts on the day.
“I liked the archaeology, and I also liked the marine biology because we found all types of sea creatures.” Ebony
“I liked making new friends. I liked the uni itself. I liked spending time with others. I think by far my favourite things was taking the shells apart.” Tyson
“I learned about lots of stuff but my favourite thing was the aqua activity.” Maya
“It was fun and the buildings were pretty. Exploring the uni and the ocean reef was fun.” Kalari
“The excursion was really great. I had lots of fun.” George
Tabitha Jos
Head of Department - Curriculum
Solid Pathways Excursion
** Head of Special Education Services Update **
Wendy Nolan
Head of Special Education
** Year 2 Update **
Welcome to Semester 2!
Dear Year 2 families,
Welcome back! We hope you had a relaxing and refreshing break. We’re excited to begin another great term of learning and discovery with your children.
In English, students will be developing their persuasive speaking skills. They will create a spoken text where they express their opinion about the best destination for a class holiday and aim to persuade their peers to vote for their chosen place.
In Humanities, students will learn that the world is divided into different geographic regions. They’ll explore how people are connected to places both near and far, and begin to understand the relationship between people and their environment.
In Mathematics, students will:
- Compare and classify 2D and 3D shapes
- Measure and compare the length, mass, and capacity of shapes and objects
- Partition, rearrange, regroup and rename numbers to 999 to assist with calculations
- Use mathematical modelling to solve practical additive problems, including those involving money
In Science, students will explore one of Earth’s natural resources. They will investigate the many ways this resource is used in our daily lives and describe practical actions we can take to help conserve it.
It’s going to be a busy and engaging term, and we’re looking forward to seeing the students thrive. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Warm regards,
The Year 2 Team
** Student Leaders Update **
In Week one we met with Councillor Tereasa Lane. She discussed many things with us, including that she used to go to Kingston State School and that she still has school pride. She explained how important it is to continue our leadership capabilities and gave us helpful advice for our transition to high school. We learnt about her many different careers she has had over time and with a little determination and hard work, we all have the ability to change our lives for the better. She reminded us that the work that we are doing now for our school community will help our community now and into the future.
We learnt the skills to be role models across the school and be a support person for students at lunch time. This could mean playing structured games, just listening or helping students with their speedbumps and roadblocks. We have already helped a lot of students this week and we are excited to continue to support the students at Kingston State school. You can find us at lunchtime out on the playgrounds. We are wearing our blue vests and have our Reboot blue clip boards ready to help you. If you see us around, come and say hi. We are here to help you.
Reboot Buddies
Leadership statements from our Reboot Buddies:
“A good leader is someone who is a good role model to other students and someone who can help you when you need help with something.
- Zara, School Captain
“I think a good leader is being respectful, kind and helping others around you.”
- Luca, School Captain
“A good leader is someone who is respectful, a good role model, shows resilience and helps their peers. It’s someone who includes others who is feeling left out.”
- Giovanna, Cultural Captain
“A good leader is someone who can be there when others need you. It is someone who is kind and responsible.”
- Evie, Cultural Captain
“I think a good leader is a good role model. Someone who is kind, respectful and helps others. They take care of our school community, friends, family and everyone.”
- John, Arts Captain
“A good leader is a nice and helpful person, that can lead you the right way, they will do their best to help you with the problem you have.”
- Davis, Arts Captain
“I think a good leader is someone that is passionate and respectful to others, even if you’re in a bad mood.”
- Ella, Sports Captain - Pingin
“A good leader is a person who is kind and respectful. They are a good role model and is someone who is helpful.
- Hunter Sports Captain – Pingin
“I think a good leader means being kind and respectful to everyone. It’s someone who is really honest and is a type of person you can have a comfortable conversation with. A leader is someone who you can look up to and is a good listener.”
- Ivy, Sports Captain – Ngaram
“A good leader shows younger kids how to listen to themselves when things get hard, It’s being a great role model for them, so they have someone to look up to.”
- Chevonta, Sports Captain – Ngaram
“A good leader is a kind role model and an interested person.”
- Oscar, Sports Captain – Mibunn
“A good leader is a role model. They are safe people, that help others in respectful and responsible ways.”
- Kelvin, Sports Captain – Mibunn
“A good leader means being a kind person, helping out and engaging in groups and just helping.”
- Lexi, Sports Captain – Gowanda
“A good leader is someone who helps others and is kind and cares about others. They are respectful and is someone you can go to for help.”
- Oliver, Sports Captain – Gowanda
** FamilyLinQ Update **
Hi Kingston State School Families,
We’ve got some exciting things kicking off at FamilyLinQ next week!
Healthier Together Cooking Classes
Starting Tuesday from 4:30PM to 6:30PM, our popular Pacifikai cooking program is back for another term! We’re inviting Māori and Pacific Islander families with school-aged children to join us for this FREE, culturally tailored 6-week program. It’s all about cooking healthy meals together and celebrating culture through food – we have 2 spots left!
Circle of Security Parenting Program
Starting Wednesday from 9:00AM to 11:00AM, this FREE 8-week program helps parents better understand and respond to their children’s behaviour, while building stronger, more secure relationships. The program is inclusive, strengths-based, and culturally safe - we have 4 spots left!
To register for either program, just pop into FamilyLinQ reception or email us at kssenquiries@familylinq.org.au.
Birthday Club Update
Last week, we celebrated our Birthday Club with families who had birthdays in May. Thank you to everyone who joined us! If you haven’t already, come into the FamilyLinQ hub and write your name on your birthday month balloon!
We’ve got a jam-packed term of events and programs ahead, so come in and see what’s on offer.
See you in the FamilyLinQ hub soon!
** Community Update **
Please read the information below regarding updates to some laws that we need to be aware of.
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.
Kindy
Do you know about Kindy? Read below to learn more!
Please see the information below in regards to eligibility for Saver Plus.
