13 June 2025

Acting Principal

Abi Hurdley

Dear Graceville Families and Friends,

As we head into Week 9, it’s hard to believe how quickly the term is flying by! With just a few weeks to go, classrooms are buzzing with rich learning experiences, and it's been wonderful to see students continuing to engage with enthusiasm and curiosity. Thank you to all our families for your ongoing support. It plays such a vital role in our school community. As we move towards the end of term, we have several exciting events and important dates coming up, so be sure to check the updates below.

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. Next week we are excited to announce our upcoming Expression Showcase—a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate and share their creativity across dance, music, singing, visual art, drama, writing and more!

We welcome all students to take part by submitting a piece that reflects how they express themselves and what brings them joy.

📌 Submission Details:

• Visual Arts/Written Work: Submit a clear photo (no need to send physical items).
• Performing Arts (Dance, Singing, Music): Submit a video recording (max 2 minutes).
• Other forms of expression: Choose either a photo or video format.

All submissions must include:

• Student’s full name
• Student’s class
• A short explanation (max 100 words) about the piece and how it celebrates expression

📅 Submissions close at 8:45am on Monday 16th June, 2025
📧 Email entries to: cngoe0@eq.edu.au or send via USB

We can’t wait to see the amazing ways our students choose to express themselves!

There is plenty to look forward to during week 9.

CHAPPY WEEK 2025

This week we celebrated School Chaplain Week with a range of fun and meaningful activities. It was fantastic to see so many students dress up as superheroes on Friday, bringing colour and excitement to the day! Throughout the week, students also had the opportunity to take part in an art workshop where they created superhero versions of themselves and join Chappy on the oval for games during Thursday lunchtime and after school on Friday. A big thank you to everyone who joined in and supported the events. Special thanks to our Chaplain Support Team for all their efforts in making the week such a success.

If you would like to contribute to maintaining chaplaincy hours at Graceville State School, donations can be made via the following link:

SCHOOL OFFICER DAY – A BIG THANK YOU

On Wednesday, we celebrated School Officer Day. This is a special opportunity to recognise and thank our amazing school officers for the vital role they play in keeping our school running smoothly. From maintaining our grounds and facilities to ensuring our learning spaces are safe, functional, and welcoming, their work often happens behind the scenes but is essential. We’re so grateful for their dedication, hard work, and the pride they take in looking after our school. Thank you for all that you do Gus and Manu!

P&C

This week we held our P&C meeting, and it was great to have members of our school community join us. The P&C are now busily preparing for our annual School Fair, which will be held on Saturday 2 August. A big thank you to our Fair Convenor for the incredible work she is doing behind the scenes, and to all the volunteers who are already lending a hand. As part of the lead-up to this exciting event, students are invited to wear free dress on Friday 20 June. In exchange, we ask that each student bring along a block of chocolate to donate, which will be used for the always-popular Lob-a-Choc stall at the fair.

COFFEE AND CONNECT SESSIONS: CONVERSATION WITH THE GSS LEADERSHIP TEAM

This term’s Coffee and Connect session will be held on Friday 20 June. We’d love for you to join us!

The school leadership team will share key information about the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)—an annual initiative that collects data on students with disabilities who receive adjustments at school.

We’ll also provide an update on reporting and assessment, followed by a special performance from our school choir to end the session on a high note.

Coffee will be available for purchase from the coffee van from 8:15am, with the session kicking off at 8:45am.

We look forward to connecting with you there!

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

ICAS assessments 2025

This year’s ICAS assessments are coming up in Term 3. Science is 18-22 August and Maths is 25-29 August for Years 2-6. These assessments will take place before school with different year levels on various days in the library.

As these assessments are pre-paid, we need to know which children wish to participate so we can apply for the correct number.  When I work out the schedule, I will try to avoid days where there are music rehearsals. 

Deputy Principal

Liam Bray

As we approach the end of Term 2, we would like to inform you that student report cards will be distributed in the final week of the term. These reports provide a summary of each student’s academic progress, classroom effort, and overall engagement throughout the semester.

At Graceville State School, we are proud of the hard work and dedication our students have shown across all year levels. The upcoming report cards reflect not only academic achievement but also the individual effort and commitment each child has made to their learning journey.

We encourage all families to take the time to review the report with their child, celebrating areas of growth and discussing opportunities for further improvement. These conversations play a key role in supporting students to reflect on their goals and take ownership of their learning.

In 2025 you will notice some minor changes to report cards that reflect some of the changes made with the implementation of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum, as well as some changes made by the Department of Education.

Next Friday, at our Term 2 Coffee and Connect Session, the Leadership Team will provide some more information about this and also be there to answer any questions parents might have.

Chess at Graceville SS

We are thrilled to share that 11 enthusiastic students from Graceville State School recently took part in an inter-school chess tournament hosted by Gardiner Chess. Held in a competitive but friendly atmosphere, the event brought together young minds from across the region to test their strategic thinking, patience, and problem-solving skills.

Our Graceville teams represented the school with pride, showing great sportsmanship and a positive attitude throughout the day. For many of our students, this was their first time competing in a chess tournament — and they embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, learning valuable skills along the way.

We are especially proud to announce that one of our teams placed third overall — an outstanding achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication they’ve put into developing their chess abilities each Wednesday morning with Dianne as part of our Chess Club. Congratulations to Tommy, Jack, Oscar and Hamish!

More importantly, all students returned with smiles on their faces, having gained new insights, made new friends, and enjoyed the opportunity to grow their skills in a supportive and exciting environment.

A big thank you to Gardiner Chess for hosting such a well-run event, and families for supporting this enriching experience for our students. Thanks also to Dianne for all she does in supporting our students through Chess Club.

Below are some comments that some of the students made about the day:

I enjoyed the tournament because I got to learn new strategies. 

I enjoyed by day because you get to verse harder opponents and learn more strategies so that's why I liked my day.

It was fun and I moved up to Division A.

I enjoyed versing rated players.

We look forward to seeing even more Graceville students involved in future tournaments!

Prep 2026 Enrolment information

It is hard to believe that we are already looking at 2026 Prep enrolments! Please visit the school website 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.

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

Term 2 Junior Assembly Timetable

Please note that our Junior Assemblies will start at 2:05pm in the school hall.

G-STEM

From Biodiversity to the Stars: G-STEM Club Explores SPACE!

This year, our G- STEM Club has been reaching for the stars with the theme of SPACE. Building on last year's exploration of Biodiversity, our young scientists have been delving into the wonders of the cosmos. Over the past three weeks, students have engaged in hands-on activities to understand the solar system's scale, the forces of flight, and the challenges of space travel.

Looking ahead, the excitement continues as students will apply their knowledge to design and build egg-drop challenge, simulating safe landings for astronauts and launching rockets.

For families interested in extending their children's STEM experiences beyond the classroom, several upcoming events in Brisbane offer fantastic opportunities:

• Mini-Spark STEM Conference: On June 25, 2025, at Grace Lutheran College, this event invites Year 4–10 students to engage with industry role models and participate in hands-on STEM challenges.

• Young ICT Explorers: A national competition for Years 3–12, promoting creativity and problem-solving through technology projects.

• NASA’s Moon Mascot Design Challenge: A global competition inviting students to design a mascot for NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission. Open to students aged 5–18!
  

We encourage our school community to explore these enriching opportunities and support our students in their STEM endeavours. Stay tuned for more updates as our G-STEM Club continues to inspire and innovate!

G-STEM volunteer team

Music Matters

Naomi Lindh

It has been a busy term for all of our choirs and ensembles, and we are preparing for some performances in the next couple of weeks as well as the Spring Fair.

Please note our upcoming performance schedule to celebrate the concept of 'expression':

Wednesday 18 June - Assembly performance - Intermediate and Senior Strings
Friday 20 June 9:15am - Coffee and Connect session - Junior Choir and Senior Choir
Tuesday 24 June 2pm - Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Senior Band 

All of the choirs and ensembles will also be performing at the Spring Fair in August. Times will be sent out to families soon. 

Congratulations to our Beginner String students and Mr Chin for their efforts at the Beginner String Extravaganza in week 6! They had a one-day workshop at Sherwood State School, joining students and instrumental teachers from other local state schools to further develop their skills and perform in a short concert at the end of the day. We hope you enjoyed this special event and performance opportunity! 

We look forward to sharing our music with you at upcoming performances. 

Thank you for supporting your child's involvement in our music program!

Music Teacher Contact Details

Mr Alex Chin - Instrumental Music Teacher - Strings - Email: achin4@eq.edu.au
Mrs Naomi Lindh - Classroom Music Teacher/Choir Conductor - Email: nclos1@eq.edu.au
Mr Tom Stewart - Instrumental Music Teacher - Band Email: tstew97@eq.edu.au

Guidance Officer

Louissa Chalk

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

NATs are Negative Automatic Thoughts that pop into our heads and make us think unhelpful and 'bad' things. Everyone has NATs sometimes, but they become a problem when they start having an impact on the way we feel and stop us from doing or enjoying things.

This week I have attached some helpful information from the link below to encourage discussion in your family and community around NAT’s and how to challenge them in ourselves and our children.

Providing this information is linked to our Graceville Core Priority: Empowering and Nurturing Environment.

Any of the information contained should be viewed in light of your unique family context.

I hope you find it helpful.

Kind regards,

Louissa Chalk
Guidance Officer

Graceville State School (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday)

Chappy News

John Erichsen

This week we celebrate Chappy Week at Graceville State School!

The lolly jars are at the front and back gates in the mornings, for the “Guess the number of lollies” competition. $1 per entry. 

This week we celebrate Chappy Week at Graceville State School! 

On Wednesday, we had a guest artist come in for a drawing session, giving students some tips and help, as they draw themselves as a superhero. Over 50 junior school students attended their session at second break and 80 senior students participated in their session. I am looking forward to seeing the entries as they come in. There is a box in the office for entries and the deadline to be considered for the winning prize and the participation lucky draw prize, is 9am next Wednesday, June 18.

Thursday will see games on the oval at breaktimes, with student leaders assisting in running the games and we ramp things up on Friday morning with a sausage sizzle ($4) and “Dress up as a superhero” morning before school, starting in the quadrangle at 8am with a Superhero Parade at 8.30am. To finish the week, after school on Friday, there will be a soccer game with students, parents and staff welcome to join in. There will also be ice-cream spiders available for a gold coin donation down near the cricket nets at the end of the school day.  We hope to see you there!

Last night, our new P&C exec successfully held the first meeting on their tenure. It was a good meeting, ran very smoothly with a very supportive school community in attendance and online. Many thanks to the previous Executive, for their work to ensure a smooth transition and their continued support of those who have taken on these important roles. Your generous, selfless work over the past years and continued support is much appreciated and not forgotten.

Our athletics carnival was held last Thursday at University of Queensland, with our students giving it their all, in long jump, high jump, shot put, 100m plus the 200m and 800m finals. There were some great performances by many of our students and the spirit of competition and sportsmanship was evident all day. From Mr Daunt and all the Graceville State School staff, a huge thank you goes to the many parent helpers, who assisted with running the field events, timekeeping and judging the running events. The students would not have this amazing opportunity without you. Thank you!

Have a great week!

John Erichsen
(Chappy)

P&C News

🎡 Graceville State School Fair – August 2, 2025

The excitement is building for the GSS Fair 2025, and we’ve got a bunch of ways you can get involved right now! Don’t forget to visit the fair hub at 

📆 Donations & Activations Schedule 

Wondering what to donate and when? We’ve made it easy! Check out the Donations + Activations Schedule link– it outlines everything that’s coming up so you can plan ahead. We know we ask a lot — and we truly appreciate anything you can give. Even helping with 1, 2 or 3 of the donations below makes a big difference. These items support our stalls and help boost Fair fundraising. Check the schedule for what’s needed and when. Your generous contributions go a long way towards the profit the event can make. 

🍫 Free Dress Day – Friday, June 20 

Let the kids ditch the uniform and dress for fun! All they need to bring is a block of chocolate to support our beloved Lob-A-Choc stall. The drop off location is to be confirmed so keep an eye out in your class rep chats. (No nuts please)

Every donation helps – thank you for donating! 

🎁 Hamper Donations in Week 10 

Our new 2025 fundraiser! We’re collecting goodies for these Hampers and we need your help. Each year level will have their own labelled hamper. Please donate one item that matches your year's hamper theme. The hamper themes are: 
 
Prep - Bluey 
Grade 1 - Gift Cards 
Grade 2 - Indoor Games 
Grade 3 - BBQ + Picnics 
Grade 4 - Outdoor Games 
Grade 5 - Food + Chocolate 
Grade 6 - Harry Potter 

Find your class hamper collection point on the Hall kitchen bench. Drop off ONLY between 8.30am - 9am during Week 10. 

🧁 Oven + Orchard  

Welcome to your one-stop destination for all things bake and can! Join our thriving community of home preservers and bakers where we share everything you need for ‘Freestyle’ Making and Baking. We have also created a canning circle to swap + preserve. More info found at this link Oven + Orchard 

Thank you for being part of our incredible school community. Every little contribution brings us one step closer to the best fair yet! Visit

🎤 Trivia Night – Date has been announced! 

Get your costumes ready!!! We are very excited to announce the new date of this much anticipated event!

⭐The 25^th of October 2025! ⭐

More information will be released shortly on when tables can be purchased. Thank you to our Trivia Convenors Carrie and Anna! It is going to be an amazing night!

Free Dress Day – Friday, June 20 

Let the kids ditch the uniform and dress for fun! All they need to bring is a block of chocolate to support our beloved Lob-A-Choc stall. Leave your chocolate bars in the boxes at the front and back gates in the morning. (No nuts please) Every donation helps – thank you for donating!

🎾 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 

Active School Travel

How easy is it for you to walk, ride or catch public transport to school? It just became a whole lot easier with Graceville State School’s new Active Travel Map. Brisbane City Council has created our own personalised map as part of the Active School Travel Program. The map makes it simple for you to find your best walking, riding or public transport route to school. It highlights local walking and riding paths, crossings, bus stops, parks and other local points of interest. With a magnet on the back, the maps can be kept prominently on your fridge as a reminder of your active travel options. Next month, we will shift our Active School Travel focus from walking to riding. Please keep an eye out for messages regarding that. We have exciting plans in the works!!"

Tuckshop

We’re rapidly approaching the end of a busy term and things can be a bit hectic, so don’t forget we’re here to help with the school lunches!

Our hot meals are more popular than ever now that the weather has become distinctly chillier. At the moment we have a new honey-soy chicken with rice on the menu, along with other tuckshop-made meals:  bolognese with wheat or gluten-free pasta, chilli con carne and rice, and butter chicken and rice, and a range of other hot menu items.

Donations

If you have any spare large freezer-friendly plastic containers or oven mitts at home, we would greatly appreciate any donations – thank you for your support!

We begin morning preparation in the tuckshop from 8am each day and students from each class come to collect lunches at the beginning of first break at 10:45am. From 11:00 to 11:20am the tuckshop counter is open for students to collect pre-ordered frozen treats and buy snacks over the counter (they always love to see you there!). Even if you just have 15mins after drop-off, any help is very welcome during the morning food prep.

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, welcome to Week 6

Winter is officially just days away. Our Polar Fleeces Jackets have been extremely popular and it's nice to see all the children enjoying being rugged up.

GREEN T's FOR OHSC VACATION CARE 

As usual, we have green shirts available for the OHSC Vacation Care program. Please note, these shirts are by special order only. 

The cut-off date for ordering is -

FRIDAY THE 13TH OF JUNE 

Please order through our online store or come and see me on a Tuesday or Thursday morning to purchase. 

PREP AND YEAR 1

Just a reminder for all families with children in Prep and Year 1, please pack an extra back up uniform in their 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. 

WINTER GEAR 

We have an extensive range of winter items to keep your children comfy cosy throughout the winter months.

Our range includes –

• Polar Fleece Jacket - super soft and super warm, front zip style and pockets
• Sports Jacket - lighter weight quick dry fabric, front zip style and pockets
• Rugby Jersey - long-sleeved polo shirt style in a thicker jersey fabric
• Long Sleeve Gold Polo - the same fabric as our short sleeve polo
• Track Pants - fully lined, quick dry fabric with pockets, elastic/draw string waist and zip at the ankle
• Leisure Pants - straight leg, thick stretch fabric with elasticised waist and zip pockets

We encourage you to wear our winter range and perhaps find a bargain on our second-hand racks that are currently well stocked. Don’t delay in browsing as they always sell fast!

The link for the online store to view all our uniform items is below - 

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

Brisbane State High School | Year 7, 2027, Academic Selective Entry Test Day

Brisbane State High School is a public school that is committed to providing opportunity for students. For students who are out-of-catchment, this opportunity comes in the form of selective entry places. We proudly uphold the best of public education values; opportunities to excel regardless of personal circumstance. We believe that partnerships across the whole state school sector provide a network of support and bring richness to the school experience.  Selective entry opportunities allow students from a range of disciplines to further develop and grow these talents at our state high school.

Enrolment opportunities are now available for current Year 5 students for Year 7, 2027 Academic Selective Entry. Applications close at 4:00pm on Monday 16 June 2025. Please refer to the attached flyer for further details.  Information is also available on our school website –

QACI Brilliant Futures

APPLY NOW for QACI Brilliant Futures  - a two-year selective-entry preparation program for student participation in Year 7 and Year 8. Current Year 6 students are welcome to APPLY NOW. 

QACI Brilliant Futures provides impactful, collaborative extra-curricular learning experiences aligned with the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile, including inquiry, critical thinking and reflection.

Insert image: A5FlyerSchoolsNewsletter2025.pdf

To assist with promoting this new initiative we have attached an A5 Flyer and/or a Horizontal Image for your community/school newsletter.

If you have an online newsletter, may we ask that the image and/or flyer be linked to the following page for more information about the program:

QACI Brilliant Futures.jpg