27 June 2025

Principal

Abi Hurdley

Dear Graceville Families and Friends,

As we wrap up the final week of Term 2, it’s a great time to reflect on what has been a busy and highly successful term at Graceville State School. From rich learning experiences in classrooms to outstanding achievements in sporting and music events, there has been so much to celebrate. Our community has also come together for memorable events, including the vibrant and fun-filled P&C Colour Run. Thank you to all our students, staff, and families for your continued support and involvement throughout the term.

GRACEVILLE STATE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN (2024 -2027)

Graceville State School’s Strategic priority focus areas are:

1. Innovative Teaching and Learning
2. Empowering and Nurturing Environment
3. Connected Community

This year we will have two priorities in our Annual Improvement Plan that will guide our work for each of these focus areas:

• Enhance and extend a whole school, inclusive approach to support student learning beginning in the classroom so that resources are most effectively used to lift student learning.
• Deepening personal empowerment and embedding a nurturing environment to maximise curiosity, positive engagement and success for all.

This year, our school is committed to several key strategies aimed at enhancing teaching and learning. We are deepening our understanding of the Australian Curriculum (V9) to implement a conceptual curriculum and inquiry-based approach, encouraging critical thinking and curiosity in our students. At Graceville State School, we embrace a conceptual curriculum, focusing on deep understanding and connections across subjects rather than isolated facts. This approach fosters critical thinking and transferable skills, helping students develop a broader perspective on their learning. This semester, our focus is Expression - how people share ideas, emotions, and perspectives. Through inquiry and discussion, students have explored how communication shapes our world and strengthens our connections with others.

Expression Exhibition and Musical Performances

Last week, we proudly held our Expression Exhibition, a celebration of student learning and creativity across the school. The exhibition showcased the many ways students have chosen to express themselves through this semester’s learning journeys—from visual arts and writing to hands-on projects. It was a joy to see such diversity, thoughtfulness, and individuality reflected in the work on display.

In addition to the exhibition, we’ve been treated to a series of outstanding musical performances over the past two weeks. Our Junior and Senior Choirs, Intermediate and Senior String Ensembles, and Senior Band all took to the stage during our musical expression assemblies. These performances highlighted the talent, dedication, and teamwork of our student musicians and the wonderful work of our music staff.

Thank you to all families who joined us to celebrate the arts at Graceville State School.

Celebrating School Cleaners’ Day – Monday 16 June

On Monday 16 June, we took time to celebrate and show appreciation for our amazing school cleaning team as part of School Cleaners’ Day. Our cleaners work tirelessly every day to keep Graceville State School looking beautiful, clean, and safe for students, staff, and families. We are so grateful for everything our cleaning team does behind the scenes. Their efforts make a huge difference in the daily running of our school. Thank you for all that you do!

P&C - Graceville State School Fair – Saturday 2 August

Excitement is building as our amazing P&C and a team of dedicated volunteers busily prepare for our upcoming School Fair on Saturday 2 August! It promises to be a fun-filled day for the whole family, with plenty of activities, stalls, and entertainment to enjoy.

A big thank you to all families who supported our recent free dress day by donating a block of chocolate for our ever-popular Lob-a-Choc stall. We’re thrilled to let you know there will be a second free dress day next term on Friday 25 July, and we’ll once again be asking for a donation of a block of chocolate to help stock this crowd favourite.

We also thank everyone who has donated items towards our class hampers. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will help make this year’s fair another huge success.

Thank you to our wonderful P&C and all the volunteers working behind the scenes. We are so grateful for your time, energy, and commitment to bringing this special event to life. We can’t wait to celebrate with our community on the day!

COFFEE AND CONNECT SESSIONS: CONVERSATION WITH THE GSS LEADERSHIP TEAM

Last Friday, we held our Coffee and Connect session: Conversations with the School Leadership Team, and it was wonderful to see so many families come along. These sessions are a great opportunity to engage in informal conversations, ask questions, and hear more about what’s happening at Graceville State School. This term, we focused on two important topics: the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) and our approach to reporting and assessment. We shared information about how we support students with additional needs and what families can expect in their child's Semester 1 report card. Attached to this newsletter is the handout that was provided to those who attended. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We appreciate your time and your ongoing partnership. We look forward to seeing you at our next Coffee and Connect session in Term 3 on Friday 12 September.

As we head into the holiday break, we wish all our students, staff, and families a safe, relaxing, and happy holiday. Thank you for your continued support and contribution to another wonderful term at Graceville. We look forward to welcoming everyone back, refreshed and ready for an exciting Term 3.

Abi Hurdley
Principal

Upcoming Events

Planned events are listed – we may have to postpone or cancel based on advice closer to the time.

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Science and Engineering Competition

On Friday the 6^th of June, 32 Year 6 students from Graceville attended the Brisbane South Science and Engineering Challenge Discovery Day at Park Ridge State High School. This challenge was run by the University of Newcastle, and Griffith University.

The Science and Engineering Challenge Day was a fun day filled with lots of educational challenges, and we encourage others for next year to participate and try their best when they are in Year 6.

Whilst the teams were in second place by lunch time, they ended the day in 7^th place, with a very tight score of only 70 points between last and first place. It was the closest it’s ever been. Congratulations to the winning schools and our fellow participants.  

Benarrawa Maths Competition 

Last Thursday, 17th June, 16 of our Year 5 and 6 students represented our school at the Benarrawa Maths Challenge held at Corinda State High School. Competing in three teams, they joined 10 other teams from Oxley, Corinda, and Sherwood State School for a full day of Maths Madness. 

The event included team problem-solving challenges, relay rounds, and even an outdoor treasure hunt with a mathematical twist. All of our Graceville SS students did a fantastic job, showing great teamwork, creative thinking, and perseverance throughout the day.

A special congratulations to The Mathematical Sparkly Unicorns, one of our teams who were crowned overall winners, taking home the 1st place trophy! What an incredible achievement—well done to everyone who gave it their best effort and participated. 

Regional Reader’s Cup

On Tuesday 17^th June our Reader’s Cup teams competed in the Regional competition

Readers Cup is organised by the Qld Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. It is a statewide competition for young readers. Teams of four to five students together read a set of books, and then compete with other teams to answer quiz questions from the books.

Readers Cup competitions challenge students to read widely, work collaboratively and continue a love of reading. It allows readers to compete at a regional level similar to sporting competitions, and to meet other students with an equal passion for reading and books.

29 different schools and 45 teams competed in 2025.

Our GSS teams placed third and fourth.

WELL DONE!

Deputy Principal

Liam Bray

Thank You for a Wonderful Semester!

As we reach the end of another fantastic semester at Graceville State School, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks to the entire school community.

To our incredible teachers – thank you for your dedication, creativity, and tireless efforts in guiding and inspiring our students every day. Your commitment to excellence has made this semester a truly enriching one for all.

To our parents and carers – your support and partnership play a vital role in the success of our school. Thank you for your continued involvement, encouragement, and for being such strong advocates for your children’s education.

And to our wonderful students – we are so proud of all that you’ve achieved this semester! Your curiosity, kindness, and enthusiasm for learning make Graceville State School a very special place.

As we head into the holiday break, we wish all of our families a safe, restful, and enjoyable holiday. Take this time to relax, recharge, and spend time with loved ones.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for an exciting Term 3, full of new learning opportunities and shared experiences.

Enjoy the holidays!

Prep 2026 Enrolment information

Please visit the school website https://gracevilless.eq.edu.au/enrolments/prep for all the information about Prep 2026 including dates for Get Set for Prep sessions.

In catchment enrolments

Parents can download the enrolment forms via the school website. Or can pick up a hard copy from the Office. These enrolment forms can be handed into the office anytime from Term 2.

Out of catchment enrolments

We have made some changes to our process for out of catchment enrolments. Out of catchment enrolments will open on Tuesday 22^nd April at 9:00am. Parents are to complete the out of catchment form located on the school website. And send this via email to prepyear@gracevilless.eq.edu.au from 9:00am Tuesday 22^nd April.

Please visit https://gracevilless.eq.edu.au/enrolments/prep for all the information.

If you have any questions or concerns about 2026 enrolment, please contact the office.

Term 3 Junior Assembly

Guidance Officer

Louissa Chalk

Dear parents, caregivers and community,

As we draw to a close of a busy, inspiring and ‘choc-full of learning’ Semester 1, 2025, I wanted to pass on these 12 parenting one-liners to help you through the holidays 😊

I discovered these randomly online and am unable to attribute them to a source, but I think these are golden tips for those times when you find yourself as a parent struggling to come up with an appropriate response to your child – this happens to us all and more often than we would like to admit!

12 Golden One-liners That Make Parenting Easier!

1. “You don’t have to like it, but it still needs to happen.”
2. “I’ll give you space to decide.”
3. “It’s okay to feel upset, but we still need to treat each other with kindness.”
4. “Would you like to do it now or in five minutes?”
5. “Please wait for a pause; your turn is coming up.”
6. “Let’s take a break and try again later.”
7. “Your feelings are valid and so are the rules.”
8. “I trust you to make the right choice.”
9. “I’m on your team… we’ll figure this out together.”
10. “Would you like help or do you want to try first?”
11. “Do you need a solution or support?”
12. “I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.”

You may want to save these for future reference!
Enjoy your holidays and I look forward to seeing you next term.
LOUISSA CHALK | Guidance Officer 
Graceville State School
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
07 3716 2777 | lchal24@eq.edu.au
www.gracevilless.eq.edu.au

Chappy News

John Erichsen

Winter is coming! In fact, those winds suggest it has arrived. As we speed towards the Winter school holiday break, I’d like to thank everyone for the term that was. Such a busy term 2, with many highlights and a plethora of people putting their hands up to support what’s happening at school. With Spring Fair just around the corner in Term 3, that level of support and help steps up to another level. I hope for those amazing volunteers find the journey to Spring Fair and the connections made with other like-minded folk, as rewarding as the day itself, when the Graceville School Oval comes to life. It promises to be an incredible time.

As school takes a mid-year hiatus, some families will head away to enjoy a break from the routine. I trust all, whether near or afar, will have a wonderful time making memories with loved ones. I look forward to hearing about the adventures upon your return. For those choosing a home holiday, may the lack of school lunches, drop off and pick up, feel like chains being broken. Enjoy the freedom over the next two weeks and make a little time for you, amongst all the family plans. You’ve earned it…

See you on the other side…of the holidays

John Erichsen
(Chappy)

P&C News

👏 Thank you from the P&C Association!

The P&C Association would like to say thank you to all the amazing work that has been done to support its fundraising endeavours this term! Colour run was a huge success again this year raising about $15,000 for the new oval playground! Hats off to Lauren Poon for all her hard work! The fair is in full swing with donations and we are extremely grateful for the generosity of parents and carers so far. Thank you to our Fair convenor Veronica Lake for all her knowledge and incredible organisation. More information on current and next terms donation activations are below.

Once again thank you! And we look forward to next terms events!

🎉 GSS Fair 2025 – Only 5 Weeks to Go! 🎉

The countdown is on, and excitement is building! Our one-stop shop for all things fair is live and always updated at gssfair.com.au – check it out for everything you need to know.

📝 Class Sign-Up Is Now Open

Want to help or volunteer at your child’s class stall? Sign up now to secure your spot and be part of the action!
👉 Class Sign-Up Link

🎁 Hamper Donations Extended

Great news! There's still time to contribute to our themed hampers. Every donation helps make our raffle a success.
👉 Hamper Ideas + Themes

📦 We Need Your Boxes

We’re calling for good quality cardboard boxes – ideal for packing up fair gear and transporting donations. Preferred types include: Archive Boxes, Hello Fresh type, Book boxes, Fruit boxes. Drop them off in the Hall Annex from Week 1.

🎠 Ride Bands Available for Presale – Week 1

Get in early and save! Unlimited ride wristbands will be on sale from the first week of Term 3. Don’t miss out!

📅 Initiatives + Donations Schedule

From Week 1, there’s plenty to get involved in!

💡 Join the Canning Circle or Donate boxes of Soft Drinks

🎁 Drop off Toys, Books, Clothes & Bags

All details here:
👉 Initiatives + Donations Schedule

🧁 Oven + Orchard – Bakes & Preserves

We’re calling all bakers and makers! Contribute to our cake stall or donate your delicious jams and preserves.
👉 Learn More + Get Involved

🌐 Everything You Need in One Place

Visit gssfair.com.au for event details, forms, updates, and more.

We know we ask a lot — and we truly appreciate anything you can give. Even helping with 1, 2 or 3 of the donations above makes a HUGE difference. These items support our stalls and help boost Fair fundraising.

Let’s make this the biggest and best GSS Fair yet!

🎤 Trivia Night - 25th of October! 

Start getting your tables together as tickets will be available for purchase next term!

⭐ When and where

25^th of October at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start

At Fair Play Kitchen, Chelmer

Bring it on!

🎾 Get your Tennis rackets out! - GSS Tennis Court Hire

It’s so easy to play Tennis at Graceville State School! We encourage you to book a court, grab a racquet and have a hit with your family and friends!

When you book a court online, we'll send you a PIN to access the court/s you have booked.

Please note: Your booking PIN code will take 30 minutes to activate after you have made your booking online. Please book at least 30 minutes prior to the time you want to access the courts.

All funds raised for the tennis court hire go back to the Graceville P&C Association who, alongside the school help to both run and maintain our newly refurbished courts!

🗓️ Save the Date: Next P&C General Meeting

Our next P&C General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23rd July 2025 (this meeting will be dedicated to the Fair) at 6:30 PM in the Waratah Room and online. We encourage all members to attend, and we warmly welcome any new faces. It’s a great way to stay informed, have your say, and connect with our school community.

Anna Law
President
Graceville State School P&C Association 

STEM

-STEM Club: Wrapping Up a Stellar Term!

What an incredible journey we’ve had this term at G-STEM Club! After our deep dive into the wonders of the Solar System, the past three weeks have been all about hands-on exploration and discovery. Our curious young scientists eagerly explored the Four Forces of Flight, engineered creative solutions in the Egg-Stronaut Challenge, and thrilled in launching paper rockets into the skies.

A very special thank you to Wendy Angew, one of our wonderful G-STEM parents and a Science teacher at ISHS, who generously organised senior high school students to join us as mentors. Their support, guidance, and enthusiasm truly made a difference and brought such joy to our little STEM explorers, especially during our final rocket-launching session.

We are also incredibly grateful to Robin and Matt, Heads of Digital Systems at ISHS, for kindly donating the rocket launcher we used across both of our rocket sessions. Their contribution helped bring our STEM concepts to life in the most exciting way.

With this, we officially conclude our first batch of the G-STEM program for this year. But the journey doesn't end here! We’re thrilled to announce that our next batch will kick off in Term 4. And in the meantime, get ready for something special — an exciting STEM Expo is coming in Term 3! Stay tuned for more details in the next school term.

Thank you to all our students, parents, and volunteers for making this such a memorable adventure. We can't wait to see you all again soon to continue exploring, experimenting, and reaching for the stars!

GSTEM Volunteers Team

🌟 Get Ready for the 2025 STEM Inquiry Expo! 🌟

Friday August 15^th, 2025

Calling all young scientists, engineers, and curious thinkers in Years 3 to 6, the Graceville State School STEM Inquiry Expo is back, and we want you to be a part of it!

This exciting event is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore, investigate, and showcase their passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Whether you're designing an experiment, solving a real-world problem, or collecting and classifying data, there’s a category for everyone.

Choose your own STEM adventure from one of the following categories:

🔬 Scientific Investigations
📣 Communicating Science
🧺 Classified Collections
🔧 Engineering and Technology
🌱 Environmental Action Projects
📊 Mathematical Investigations

Students are encouraged to complete their projects as independently as possible. Projects don’t have to meet all the competition-level criteria to be part of the Graceville State School Expo, we encourage participation from students of all abilities and experience levels. For those aiming to take their projects further, outstanding entries may be nominated for the Griffith University Gold Coast Science Competition and the STAQ Science Competition (these entries must meet the criteria in the handbooks below).

To support students and families, detailed guides and criteria are available in our STEM Inquiry Expo Guidebook. You can also explore more information in the full handbooks of the external competitions here:
🔗 Griffith University Competition: Griffith Handbook PDF
🔗 STAQ Science Competition: STAQ Handbook PDF

So get thinking, get investigating, and most importantly, have fun with science!

Interested students can pick up an EOI form at our Wednesday, Week 10, Yr 3-6 assembly, or from the office until the end of term.

Let’s celebrate innovation, creativity, and problem-solving at the 2025 GSS STEM Inquiry Expo!

Please contact Ms Goeldsmede for any queries or further information: cngoe0@eq.edu.au

Tuckshop

It’s the end of another busy term and we’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered in the tuckshop this term. It’s been great to see a few new faces, and especially to our regular parent and student helpers, your help is always very much appreciated!

Please enjoy Ella’s delightful tuckshop-themed poetry, and we hope everyone has a great school break!

Tuckshop Ordering

Ordering for Tuckshop is all done through the online platform Qkr!, either using the web portal, or the Qkr! App on your mobile device. If you haven’t used it before, you need to create a new account and add the details for each of your children before you can make purchases. Please have a look at the how-to guides below for details. 

• Orders must be placed by 8am. Classes collect the tuckshop at 10:45am and take it to the class eating areas.
• To collect frozen treats, the students need to bring their tuckshop bag showing their order to the tuckshop counter during the play period of bread after 11am, except for the Prep students who will receive frozen treats in their tuckshop bags.
• Year 1-6 students and staff can also purchase a range of snacks and drinks from the tuckshop counter with cash or card during the play period, 11:00 - 11:20am. 
• The Emergency Menu is available until 11:30am daily for cases of lost or forgotten lunches or other unforeseen circumstances.
• If your child is absent you can cancel your order before 8am using the Qkr! app. After that time please call us as soon as possible and we may still be able to cancel or postpone the order (we won’t necessarily have a chance to check emails during the morning).

Please feel free to get in touch and let us know of any dietary allergies or sensitivities that your child might have so we can do our best to accommodate them.

Team Tuckshop
tuckshop@gracevillepandc.org.au
Ph. 37162777 (main school office and ask for the tuckshop)

Uniform Shop

Michelle Fanning

Hi all,

There goes another term... and it's been a chilly one! Now let's all enjoy a couple of weeks off for a little r & r. 

PREP, YEAR 1 AND 2

Just a reminder for all families with children in Prep, Year 1 and 2 to please pack an extra back up uniform in your child’s backpack in case of accidents etc. 

I supply 2nd hand stock to the office so they're able to help with extra uniforms when needed for emergencies, but we are running low on small sizes, particularly in shorts.  Your help is greatly appreciated. 

DRESSES

As we start a new term, the weather will be warming up so it's the perfect time to look at dresses. They were a very popular item over summer being a lightweight cotton mix fabric.

Feel free to make an appointment to try them out. 

We also have an extensive range of sizes in the older style dress on the 2nd hand rack, at great prices.

REP SHIRTS

A reminder to all who have children in year 5 and 6 who do Friday sport, that they can wear our Rep Polo Shirts. They look like our gold polos but have a royal blue collar and royal blue sections under each arm, down the side of the shirt. 

2nd HAND STOCK

Why not look at our 2nd hand rack. Items start at just $5 and are always marked at 50% off or less! Pop by the store on a Tuesday or Thursday morning for a look or send me an email with what you’re after so I can help.

RETURNS/REFUNDS

Please be advised that refunds will only be given if you have your receipt which will be sent to you via email or text message. Items should be in perfect condition so should not have been worn or washed and any original tags should still be attached. You have 60 days for returns and refunds.

DONATIONS

We are always grateful for donations of 2nd hand uniforms that are freshly washed, in saleable condition with no tears or holes. We also ask that donations are our SCHOOL BRANDED ITEMS ONLY, so no items from any outside stores. Please do not leave donations at the uniform shop when it is closed. Thank you for your generosity and understanding.

Email address for school uniform store is
uniformshop@gracevillepandc.org.au

Thanks everyone!
Michelle

Community Notices