Browns Plains State School

1-29 Mayfair Drive
Browns Plains QLD 4118

Phone: 07 3809 6222
Fax: 07 3800 3042

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The Magpie’s Call

The magpie appeared on the original BPSS school badge in 1983. The badge was a black and white production created by the first principal, Mr Dave Gray in our first year. In 1986 colour was added to it by Mr Darryl Sampson (original and long term teacher of BPSS) using a computer called an Atari 1040 ST along with the help of the Atari software program, Degas Elite.

In 1983 the school was completely surrounded by bush with no houses to be seen anywhere. There was only a small bitumen track that connected BPSS to Waller Rd. This track just happened to be at the very end of Waller Rd and was an afterthought when it was realised there was no actual road access to the actual school just weeks before the school was opened for its first students in January 1983. Parts of that track still exist today and can be seen near the inside of the fence next to the school bus stop on Mayfair Drive.

The magpie was a common visitor to the BPSS grounds along with many other animals and birds including koalas, possums and different types of parrots. Snakes and lizards regularly visited the school grounds and there was even talk of a platypus living in the creek which was bordering the fence at the bottom of the school grounds. It was never seen. It was the magpie that gained pride of place on the school badge/logo because its song and its presence was a regular part in the beginning of our school’s life.

Sport Houses

Our Sport Houses names and colours originated from athletics who competed and won in the 1982 Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane.

Curry - Lisa Curry (swimming) - Blue
Boyle - Raelene Boyle - (sprinting) - Green
Decastella - Rob DeCastella - (marathon) - Red

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Newsletter

2 May 2025

IMPORTANT DATES
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
FROM THE DEPUTY
FROM THE DEPUTY
FROM THE HEAD OF DEPT - STUDENT SERVICES
FROM THE GUIDANCE OFFICER
FROM HEAD OF DEPARTMENT - CURRICULUM
ADMINISTRATION NEWS
FINANCE NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS

IMPORTANT DATES

We have a number of events scheduled for Term 2 to add to your diaries:

Monday, May 5 – Labour Day Public Holiday
Thursday, May 8 Year 5 Gold Rush Excursion
Thursday, May 8 - Mother's Day Stall
Friday, May 9 - Mother's Day Stall
Monday, May 12 – Smart Energy Academy Incursion
Wednesday, May 14 - Student Council Subway Meal Deal Day
Friday, May 16 – Instrumental Music Drum Beats Excursion
Monday, May 19 – School Photos
Tuesday, May 20 – Book Fair commences
Tuesday, May 20 - School Photos
Friday, May 23 - Free Dress - Bring a packet of seeds for Environmental Club
Monday, June 23 – 800m for Year 4-6
Tuesday, June 24 – Senior Sports Day
Wednesday, June 25 – Junior Sports Day
Friday, June 27 – Under 8s Day
Friday, June 27 – Final day of Term 2

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I trust everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing time over the Easter break and got to spend some time with friends and family. Hopefully, you got to enjoy some Easter Eggs too!

At the start of a new term, it is especially important to create positive habits. Now is the perfect time to ensure your child/ren are organised and ready for school every day. Creating positive habits can be as simple as putting out the school uniform to be worn the night before so it is ready to go in the morning. It could be about packing your lunchbox the night before. It could be getting in the habit of reading for 15 minutes before school or starting homework as soon as you get home. Creating habits which bring about positive outcomes is important. Attending school every day, unless you are sick, is important. Perhaps starting a positive habit may make attending school every day easier too.

ANZAC Day Commemoration

I want to recognise and applaud our students for their outstanding and respectful behaviour during our ANZAC Day Commemoration last Thursday, April 24. Throughout the commemoration students were engaged and reflective. Seeing our students demonstrate our value of being ‘Always Respectful’ during such an important event filled me with pride. Classroom teachers did a magnificent job of helping students to understand the significance and importance of ANZAC Day and it was heartening to see our students, staff and families stand together in quiet reflection, honouring those who have served, and continue to serve, our country.

A special thank you to Mrs Warwick for her organisation of the commemoration and to our Year 6 leaders and students for hosting the event and reciting a poem.

Change to Assembly Frequency

To assist with providing as much time as possible for teaching and learning, we have reviewed the schedule for assemblies. Our assemblies for Term 2 are as listed below and will commence at 2:30pm:

Monday, May 12, Week 4 – Year 3 – 6

Monday, May 19, Week 5 – Prep – 2

Monday, June 2, Week 7 – Prep – 2

Monday, June 9, Week 8 – Year 3 – 6

Monday, June 23, Week 10 – Whole School

Student of the week certificates will be presented to students fortnightly at their morning musters.

School Priorities

Every year, schools prioritise one to three specific areas to focus on over the course of a year. In 2025, our 3 priorities are:

Staff and Student Wellbeing
English – Structured Literacy
Mathematics

These priorities build upon our work over the past two years and align with Department of Education priorities. We believe that as we continue to focus on these priority areas, we will continue to see positive gains in learning and wellbeing outcomes for students.

All the best!

Mr Poulter

FROM THE DEPUTY

Jellybean Playgroup

Come and join us Wednesdays – 9:15-10:45 am in the hall room. At playgroup, your

child can:

enjoy early learning activities
develop friendships and social skills
build school readiness

. . . as well as a great opportunity to meet and share with other parents.

Starting Prep in 2026?

Kindergarten is a part-time educational program for children in the year before Prep. Kindy is 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year and is free for Queensland children attending a government-approved kindergarten program.

In Kindy, children have great opportunities to make friends, explore new environments, build confidence and have fun learning. Kindy offers meaningful experiences and interactions that support your child's early learning, wellbeing and development and give them a great start to school.

You can find more information about free Kindy programs here.

If your child is starting Prep in 2026, enrolment packs are now available from the office with 2026 Prep interviews and transition days to begin later in the year.

Leesa Warwick,
Deputy Principal

FROM THE DEPUTY

Welcome Back to Term 2!

Welcome back to what promises to be a very busy and exciting Term 2! I hope everyone enjoyed a refreshing break and is ready for another term full of learning and growth. This term, students will have the opportunity to take part in a number of excursions and workshops, designed to enrich their classroom learning and provide some fantastic hands-on experiences. Please keep an eye on upcoming notices and permission slips so students don’t miss out!

Our Student Council is also getting busy this term, organising two separate lunch deals for students to enjoy. Details and dates will be sent home shortly, so keep an eye out for those announcements!

Mrs Farrell, Yea 5 teacher, and our Environmental Club are kicking off some fantastic initiatives this term. On Thursday, 23rd May, we will be holding a Free Dress Day. Students are encouraged to wear sun-safe free dress in exchange for bringing a packet of seeds, which will help launch our new Community Garden project. Through this initiative, the Environmental Club will also be leading efforts to support students in making smarter, more sustainable choices in their everyday lives. We can’t wait to see the positive impact this will have across our school community!

We are also looking forward to celebrating all our wonderful mums and carers with our Mother’s Day Stall, which will be held on the 8th and 9th of May (see schedule below). Students will visit the stall with a staff member during class time to purchase gifts, with prices ranging from $2 to $15. A huge thank you to Mrs Poole and Ms Yates who will be running the stall across the two days!

School Photos will be taken on 19th and 20th May as per the schedule below. Envelopes for individual student photos were sent home this week, and all orders should be made online. If you would like a sibling or family photo, special envelopes are available for collection from the school office. These photos will be taken before school from 8:00am in the Hall, and parents or carers must accompany students for these family/sibling photos.

Student Council Subway Meal Deal Day - 14th of May, 2025

While our school finalises the last stages of re-opening our Tuckshop, Student Council will be holding a Subway Meal Deal Day on the 14th of May, 2025. Orders can only be placed via Flexischools and orders will close on the 9th of May to enable Subway to order the required items to fulfil orders.

Orders will be delivered to classrooms for first break on the day.

We look forward to a wonderful term ahead with lots of opportunities for students to excel!

Theresa Kooyman,

Deputy Principal

FROM THE HEAD OF DEPT - STUDENT SERVICES

Attendance

Congratulations to the classes listed below for their attendance over the last fortnight and for Term 1.

Congratulations to Prep B for having the Best Attendance in the school for Term 1. Prep B will receive a Pizza Party next week!

Please ensure your children are at school every day if they are well. If your child is absent from school, provide a reason for their absence using one of the methods listed below.

Phone: 07 3809 6222
Reply to the text message sent by the school on the day of your child’s absence
Return the Unexplained Absence letter with a reason and signature

Unexplained Absence letters are generated and distributed to students each fortnight. These letters provide dates of your child’s absences which have not already been explained. If you receive one please fill in the reason/s for your child's absence/s, sign and have your child return it to their class teacher. Please work with us to reduce the number of unexplained absences in 2025!

Second Hand Uniform Stall

We intend to hold a Second Hand Uniform Stall at the beginning of Term 2. If you have any uniforms that your children have outgrown and you would like to donate please drop them off at the office.

Jess Galbraith,

HOD-Student Services

FROM THE GUIDANCE OFFICER

About Guidance Officers

Guidance officers are specialist teachers who deliver a broad range of services to school community members. They contribute to the development of a comprehensive student support and wellbeing program that is responsive to the needs of the school community.

Guidance officers may work directly with students in addition to working with a student's teachers, school support personnel, family, other specialists or external support providers.

Support offered by Guidance Officers includes providing advice and counselling on educational, behavioural, vocational, personal, social, family, and mental health and wellbeing issues.

Meet Sarah!

Sarah is the Guidance Officer at Browns Plains State School.

How long have you been at Browns Plains State School?

"This is my second year at Browns Plains State School."

What made you become a Guidance officer?

"I am passionate about making significant differences in students and families educational journeys and in fostering positive changes to their wellbeing. I draw inspiration from seeing the difference that schools can make in a child’s life when we know our students and cater for each individual and unique need.

Tell us a fun fact about you!

"I was a former state champion swimmer and can cook a mean Laksa. My favourite thing to do is travel and meeting people from different cultures. That’s three fun facts”.

What does a 'normal' day look like for you?

"Being a Guidance Officer is such a rewarding career. Each day is different, but centres around supporting students. I have many meetings with allied professionals who all come together with the intention of making decisions in the child’s best interest. I enjoy having one on one time with students and families and this is often the highlight of my day”.

What do you enjoy most about being a GO?

"I love the interactions we have with students, and those special moments when you feel that you have made a positive impact and changed a young person's life."

What can you help with?

"If you are needing support around your child’s education, personal concerns – friends, family, home life, mental health or general wellbeing, please make an appointment to see me.

You can do this by ringing the administration on 07 3809 6222 or emailing me on slfir0@eq.edu.au

Seasons for Growth will be available at Browns Plains State School in Term 2, 2025 free of charge. Seasons for Growth will be run by Sarah Firth, Browns Plains Guidance Officer.

Expressions of interest can be made through your child’s class teacher or by contacting our school Guidance Officer, Sarah Firth through email; slfir0@eq.edu.au

Alternatively, you can contact Centacare directly. Email: cfrs-gc@bne.centacare.au for more information, phone: 5552 6500

Please sign a permission note should you wish for your child to be considered for a place in the program. Permission notes are available from the office or attached below.

Kindly return permission notes to front office or hand into your child’s teacher.

Sarah Firth,

Guidance Officer

2023_MacKillopSeasons_Grief Children Factsheet.pdf

1707266115_Seasons_for_Growth_Permission_slip_2024 (1).pdf

FROM HEAD OF DEPARTMENT - CURRICULUM

The Book Fair is coming to Browns Plains SS! It will be here from the 20^th – 26^th May. Stay tuned for more details.

Browns Plains SS students will be participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. The challenge begins on the 6^th May. Students will be given a form to record books they read.

Happy reading!

Casey Consiglio

ADMINISTRATION NEWS

Contact details

There are times when we may need to contact parents and carers. Do we have your most up to date contact details? If not, please contact the school on 3809 6222 or admin@brownsplainsss.eq.edu.au so we can update our records. These details include parent/carer’s name, address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact details. Please remember to contact the school if any of these details change.

Absence notification process

Please remember to call the school on 3809 6222 or email at admin@brownsplainsss.eq.edu.au early in the morning if your child is going to be away or late for school so your child’s absence can be recorded correctly.

Same day notification

Our school will contact parents as soon as practicable on the day if a student is not at school and we don’t know why. If you are advised by the school that your child is away without a reason, please contact us as soon as possible by 3809 6222 to let us know where your child is. We will follow-up with parents if no response is received.