22nd August 2025

IMPORTANT DATES:

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Book Week – Book an Adventure!

What a fantastic morning we had celebrating this year’s book week! Our students looked absolutely amazing, with so much effort going into creative and colourful costumes. It was wonderful to see so many parents and carers joining us to share in the fun.

A big thank you goes to Mrs Warwick for her organisation of this event and to our staff for their enthusiasm, not only in dressing up but also in decorating classroom doors to bring stories to life. The event was a true celebration of reading, imagination and community spirit.

Working with Our Teachers

All our teachers take great pride in delivering the high-quality teaching and learning experiences your children enjoy every day at Browns Plains State School. Before and after school, teachers are often busy preparing lessons and setting up for the day ahead.

The best way to have a conversation with your child’s teacher is to book a mutually agreeable time. This allows teachers to give you their full attention without interruption or distraction. It can be very difficult for both teachers and students if parents are seeking a teacher’s attention during busy transition times or while lessons are underway.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work together to ensure the best learning environment for our students.

School Opinion Survey – STILL OPEN

This year’s School Opinion Survey runs from 28 July to 29 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.

Enrolments 2026

We are currently looking at Browns Plains State School’s planning needs for the 2026 school year. Part of this planning is considering the number of students we will have enrolled in the school. If your child is of Prep age for the 2026 school year and you are considering enrolment at Browns Plains State School, can you please let us know your intentions by contacting the school. This is not binding, and the catchment area and enrolment requirements still apply.

FROM THE DEPUTY

Book Week Parade

It was wonderful; to see all the amazing book week creations at our parade today. Congratulations to all our students and thank you for the support of some very creative parents! It was a wonderful morning to celebrate the joy of reading.

Enrol for Prep 2026

Enrolment have begun for Prep students for 2026. Do you have a child born between July 1st, 2020 and June 30th, 2021? Enrolment packs are now available from the office. GET SET FOR PREP transition days will be held in Term 4. This is an important opportunity to support a comfortable and confident start to Prep. Book a time for your enrolment interview as places will fill quickly.

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

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.

Leesa Warwick,
Deputy Principal

FROM THE DEPUTY

In Class 5/6, students have been busy exploring the classification of matter. They have been learning that solids, liquids, and gases share some properties while also behaving in unique ways. To bring this learning to life, students conducted hands-on experiments. The much-loved Coca-Cola and Mentos fountain demonstrated how gas can be rapidly released from a liquid, while a syringe experiment showed how water and air respond differently to compression. These activities created plenty of excitement and sparked thoughtful discussion about how matter behaves in our world.

Meanwhile, our Year 4 students have been developing their measurement skills in Mathematics. They are using scaled instruments to measure length, mass, capacity, and temperature. An important part of their learning has been correctly interpreting unlabelled calibrations—an essential skill for accurate measurement and scientific investigation.

Week 5 also brought a special treat for the whole school when we welcomed the Browns Plains State High School Strings and Band. Their performance filled the hall with energy and fun, featuring much-loved pieces, including Queen’s famous We Will Rock You. Students were clapping and singing along, making it a memorable experience for all.

For families of students in Year 2, keep an eye out for instrumental music forms coming home soon. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to begin their musical journey and be part of our growing music program.

Theresa Kooyman,
Deputy Principal

FROM THE HEAD OF DEPT- STUDENT SERVICES

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!

Congratulations to the listed classes for the Best Attendance and Most Improved Attendance for Week 4 – Week 5

FROM THE HEAD OF DEPT- CURRICULUM

Over the last couple of weeks, students have been attending the World of Maths incursions. They participated in co-operative hands-on mathematical challenges of measurement, probability, space and number. BPSS students and teachers were praised by the organiser for being highly engaged, supportive and collaborative. It was a great experience for all and we look forward to doing it again next year!

FROM THE SOCIAL WORKER

Why Screen Time Matters

Ever sat down for dinner and realised everyone’s looking at a screen, including you? Screens have a way of sneaking into every part of family life. This can be the dinner table, bedrooms or even short car rides. While technology can be great for connection, having just one space in your home where the devices aren’t used can make a huge difference to how your family talks, rests and relaxes.

 Screen Time Tip: Create One Tech-Free Zone

 What is it?

Pick a space in your home to be the ‘screen free’ space. This might be the dinner table, all bedrooms or even the car on short rides. The rule is simple, no phones, iPads, gaming consoles or TVs in that spot.

 Why is it important?

A tech free zone is like hitting the pause button on the noise. It gives kids (and adults) the space to chat, rest their eyes, and notice what is going on around them. Without the constant pull-on notifications or games, there is more room for connection, and sometimes even boredom, which is where creativity begins.

 What difference will you see?

Families often notice

• More conversation. You might learn more about your child’s day in 10 minutes at the table than in an hour in the car with headphones in.
• Calmer bedtime routines if bedrooms are device free
• Kids becoming more creative in how they spend time

I know it’s tempting to hand over a device in the car or keep the TV on during dinner for a bit of peace, and sometimes that’s exactly what is needed. But even making one place in your home tech-free most of the time can change the way your family connects.

Khushboo Fetter

School Social Worker

FROM ECDP

Does your preschool child require additional support before they start school. Browns Plains have an Early Childhood Development Program attached to Browns Plains State School.

FROM THE P&C

ADMINISTRATION NEWS

HAVE YOU REGISTERED FOR Q-PARENTS YET?

Thank you to the families who have registered for Q-Parents. From Term 3 2025, all consents for school related forms, for examples, excursion consent forms and student resource scheme participation agreement, will be done through QParents, no hardcopies will be given to families. If you have not registered for QParents please register ASAP.

QParents is a free and secure online application that enables Queensland state schools to provide parents with digital access to various student data and administrative functions, including:

• view upcoming events
• access and provide digital consent
• view and update attendance details (including future absences)
• view and pay invoices
• access payment history
• access report cards
• access enrolment history.

If you are having issues with uploading your ID when registering, please email your documents to admin@brownsplainsss.eq.edu.au

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.

FINANCE NEWS

Payment Options Available:-

BPoint

Visit:-  www.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete  and complete steps CRN can be found at the bottom of your statement.

Eftpos

Finance Window open Wednesday and Thursday 8am -10.00am.

CONTACT DETAILS

It is important that your contact details are up to date. This can be overlooked sometimes but can be easily updated on our website.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Parentline: Support and advice for all Queensland parents and carers

Being a parent can be rewarding—but it can also be challenging. Whether you’re trying to support your child with school issues, friendship challenges, behaviour, or tough moments at home, it’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to do next.

Parentline is a free and confidential service available to all Queensland parents and carers. No problem is too big or too small—and reaching out early can make a real difference.

Parentline offers advice and support on a wide range of parenting topics, including:

• bullying and friendship issues
• parent–child relationships
• parenting strategies and behaviour management
• mental and emotional wellbeing—for both children and parents

You can speak with a trained professional by phone or webchat (6am-midnight), seven days a week.

An online bullying support forum is also available. This is a safe, moderated space to connect with others, ask questions, and share experiences.

📞 Call 1300 30 1300

💬 Visit parentline.com.au

Because parenting doesn’t come with a manual—but help is here when you need it.

Home Fire Safety - Mandatory

All Queensland homes, including caravans and motorhomes, must have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027. These alarms are faster at detecting fires and when one goes off, they all do, giving you more time to escape.

It’s also important to create and practise a fire escape plan with your family. It only takes a few minutes and could save lives.

Learn more at Queensland Fire Department