25 July 2025

Principal

Abi Hurdley

Dear Graceville Families and Friends,

Welcome to Term 3!

We hope all our families had a wonderful and refreshing break. It’s been fantastic to see the energy and enthusiasm as students have returned, ready to take on a new term of learning and growth. Term 3 promises to be another busy and exciting time at Graceville State School, with a range of academic, sporting, musical, and community events on the horizon. We look forward to working together to ensure a positive and successful term for every student.

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 Innovation—how new ideas are sparked, developed, and used to solve problems. Through inquiry and discussion, students will explore how creativity, curiosity, and design shape our world and drive positive change for the future. Each year level will investigate Innovation through a guiding question:

Prep – How does it work? Exploring form, function, curiosity and systems.

Year 1 – How can it change? Understanding movement, materials, and shape.

Year 2 – Why is it designed that way? Investigating design, movement, materials, change, growth and transformation.

Year 3 – How can inventors change the world? Examining change, cause/effect, sustainability and collaboration.

Year 4 – How can innovation help solve problems? Understanding sustainability, collaboration, challenge, impact and cause/effect.

Year 5 – How does innovation build resilience? Exploring sustainability, systems, survival, resilience, adaptation, empathy and inclusion.

Year 6 – What drives innovations? Exploring responsibility, change and impact.

Through these inquiries, students will deepen their understanding of innovation and its power to solve problems, drive change, and shape the world around them.

SPOTLIGHT IN THE CLASSROOMS - NAIDOC Week Celebrations

This week we proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week, a time to recognise and honour the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Throughout the week, students engaged in a variety of activities designed to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the world's oldest continuous cultures.

This year’s theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” emphasises the importance of young Indigenous leaders and the wisdom passed down by Elders. It highlights the continuous growth and evolution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and communities. Our students explored this theme through storytelling, art, music, and meaningful discussions, reflecting on how we can all contribute to creating a future that respects and celebrates First Nations peoples.

GRACEVILLE STATE SCHOOL P&C - Graceville State School Fair – Coming Soon!

Our Graceville State School Fair is fast approaching and will be held on Saturday 2 August. A huge thank you to our wonderful P&C team and the many volunteers who are working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this much-loved community event to life. We are also very grateful to all our families for the generous donations already received, which will help make the fair a great success. As a reminder, we will be holding a second free dress day on Friday 25 July, where students are invited to wear free dress in exchange for donating a block of chocolate, a sweet addition to our ever-popular Lob-a-Choc stall. We can’t wait to see you all there for a fantastic day of fun, food, and festivities!

COFFEE AND CONNECT SESSIONS: CONVERSATION WITH THE GSS LEADERSHIP TEAM

Our next Coffee and Connect session will be held on Friday 12 September from 8:45am, and we warmly invite all parents and carers to join us for this informal conversation with the school leadership team. Coffee will be available for purchase from 8:00am, so feel free to come a little early, grab a cuppa, and enjoy a relaxed start to your day. During this term’s session, we’ll be sharing updates on two important pieces of work currently underway at Graceville – our review of the Student Code of Conduct and the Student Leadership process. We look forward to sharing with you and hope to see you there!

2025 SCHOOL OPINION SURVEYS

The suite of School Opinion Surveys is undertaken each year by the Department of Education to obtain opinions about our school from families, school staff and students in target year levels (5, 6, 8 and 11). The surveys will help identify what we are doing well and understand where we can improve. The survey invitation will be emailed in the week beginning 21 July and is titled School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2025. Each school family will receive one email invitation from the Department of Education to complete the Parent/Caregiver Survey. The survey is anonymous, and the results are not reported in ways that an individual’s response can be identified by the school. Parents/Caregivers are encouraged to complete the survey. The survey can be completed via computers, tablets or smart phones with an internet connection. Parents/caregivers who experience difficulties accessing the survey can request a new survey from the School Opinion Survey team via email schoolopinionsurvey@qed.qld.gov.au

Can’t find your invitation? If your family has more than one parent/caregiver, check that they haven’t received the invitation and/or check your junk email folder.

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

Maths Challenge

On Tuesday I took 13 students to Canterbury College for an Interschool Maths Challenge.

We had a great day full of exciting Maths problems to solve and had a lovely day out. Our students performed very well against a range of other schools across Southern Brisbane. Well done Year 5 & 6 students.

Term 3 Discos – Date claimer

Just a date claimer about the Discos that are coming up on 10^th September. Prep & Year 1 will be 1.50-2.50, Year 2 & 3 will be 4.30-5.30 and Years 4-6 will be 6.00-7.00. Themes and other details will come home soon.

ICAS assessments Years 2-6

The Maths and Science competitions are coming up soon – (in the school library)

• Science – 18-22 August (before school)
• Maths – 25-29 August (before school)

Schedule will come home very soon!

Deputy Principal

Liam Bray

As we begin Term 3, we’re excited to see our school community come together once again, with fresh energy, smiling faces, and a renewed focus on learning and connection.

At Graceville State School, we believe that every child should feel a deep sense of belonging, in the classroom, in the playground, and across all areas of school life. This term, we continue to build on our commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment where every student feels valued, supported, and known.

Prep 2026 Enrolment information

Our Prep 2026 Information Session is taking place on Wednesday 30^th July at 3:30pm in the school hall. All parents with Prep children starting in 2026 are invited to attend to hear from our amazing Prep Team and the Leadership Team.

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.

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

School Uniform

Last term, I spoke about how wearing our school uniform links directly to our sense of belonging as a school community. When students wear their uniform, they are not only representing our school, but also showing that they are part of something bigger than themselves. It creates a strong sense of unity and pride among students, reminding us all that we are working together toward common goals.

As part of our uniform policy, there is an expectation that students are wearing a blue jumper. Our uniform shop has jumpers available for purchase and there are also a large number of jumpers in our lost property. Thank you for reinforcing this expectation with the children.

Chess Club Update

Congratulations to the following Students who have just achieved their Ratings - Alexander C - 500 and William C - 543, well done.

Chess is on a Wednesday Morning from 7.30 - 8.30 am in the Library.  All ages and levels welcome.

Term 3 Junior Assembly

Creative Generation

Creative Generation – Excellence in the Arts 2025

What an unforgettable week it was last week for our school community as we proudly took part in the 2025 Creative Generation – State Schools Onstage at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.  Creative Generation (CGEN) brings together over 2,000 primary and secondary school students from across Queensland to perform in this spectacular event, which celebrates excellence in music, dance, and the performing arts in our state schools.

A total of 22 of our talented GSS students were involved in this incredible event, performing in both the Massed Choir and the Massed Dance ensembles.  After months of dedicated rehearsals and countless hours of preparation, our students took to the stage for four spectacular shows over just two days – and they absolutely shone.

The professionalism, passion, and commitment these students demonstrated was nothing short of inspiring. From early morning rehearsals to late-night performances, they gave their all – every single time – and their energy and enthusiasm lit up the stage.

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them. Their hard work, resilience, and outstanding representation of our school is something we will celebrate for a long time to come.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated teachers – Miss Nichols, Miss Cousins and Mrs McLachlan - who generously gave their time and energy to support our students throughout this journey.  Their commitment made it possible for our school to once again be part of this state-wide celebration of creativity and talent.

If you missed the live shows, don’t worry – Creative Generation 2025 will be broadcast on Channel 9 later in the year.  For more photos, highlights, and behind-the-scenes reels, be sure to check out the Creative Generation Facebook page.

Congratulations again to our incredible performers – you made us all so proud!

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Thank you to all our musicians and their families for the fabulous performances we had at the end of term 2! Our choirs and ensembles have been busy preparing for the upcoming Spring Fair performances which will be held in the hall. Please see the times below for your child's performance. Your child's teacher will let them know when and where they need to meet before the ensemble performances. Choir students can come to the hall and sit at the front around 10 minutes before the start of their performance, or they may enjoy listening to other ensembles performing and arrive earlier. All students can wear free dress.

• Spring Fair - Saturday 2 August
• 11:30 - Junior Band 
• 11:40 - Senior Band
• 12:00 - Beginner Strings
• 12:10 - Intermediate Strings
• 12:25 Senior Strings
• 12:40 - Junior Choir
• 12:50 - Senior Choir

Next week on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 July I will be on long service leave. Mrs Mary Budden who has been working at our school will be replacing me for these days. She is able to take the Senior Choir rehearsal but due to travel, she can't confirm that she would be at school until 8:00am, so while she may arrive earlier, the official start time for this rehearsal will be 8:00am (for this coming Monday). This has also been emailed to families and students have been told at their rehearsal this week.

In week 3, some of our selected IM students will be involved with some combined school’s workshops. One of these will be held at Graceville. We hope the students involved enjoy this experience.

We look forward to sharing our music with you at the Spring Fair!

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,

Anger is an emotion that tends to be easy to see. However, anger is often just the tip of the iceberg. Other emotions may be hidden beneath the surface.

In some families, anger is seen as more acceptable than other emotions. A person might express anger in order to mask emotions that cause them to feel vulnerable, such as hurt or shame.

I have attached an image document from WeHeartCBT to help describe the ‘Anger Iceberg’ analogy.

The iceberg graphic aims to help in the understanding of the behaviours that we can see (above the surface) and the associated feelings that we may not be able to see - which are ‘under the surface’. 

Anger may be fuelled by different emotions at different times, or by a combination of emotions. Sometimes, however, anger is just anger.

I hope you find this image both interesting and thought-provoking.

This article is linked to our Graceville Core Priority: Empowering and nurturing environment.

Louissa Chalk
Guidance Officer
Graceville State School (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday)

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

SAVE THE DATE : BOOK WEEK IS COMING!! AND SO IS BOOK WEEK DRESS-UP DAY!

On WEDNESDAY 20^TH AUGUST (Week 6) students are invited to come to school dressed as their FAVOURITE (or any) BOOK CHARACTER!

This is a great time to celebrate books and reading. Please take the opportunity to talk to your children about their love of books and reading for enjoyment. Inspire and/or suggest what characters they may like to come dressed as. This year’s theme is ‘Book an Adventure!’ which allows for so many possibilities. Persuade them to come up with something creative/imaginative, as there is no need to hire or buy a costume. 

We will share this literary event and the wonderful costumes with a parade on Wednesday morning. Reminders will be sent out in the coming weeks, so everyone knows this dress up day is fast approaching!

UPCOMING SPECIAL GUEST TO CELEBRATE BOOK WEEK
BEN WOOD [ILLUSTRATOR]
is coming to Graceville State School
THURSDAY 21^st AUGUST

We have the wonderful opportunity for Ben Wood to visit our school during Book Week. Ben Wood is the illustrator of best-selling crime-fighting series Real Pigeons with Andrew McDonald, which is currently being adapted by Nickelodeon for the screen.  He has illustrated over fifty books for kids, including the popular graphic novel series Hello Twigs and Squishy Taylor.  His books have been shortlisted for many awards, including the Australian Book Industry Awards, Children’s Book Council of Australia, and the Readings Children’s Book Prize.

Students in Year 2, 3, 4 and 5 will have to chance to participate in a fun and interactive workshop with Ben where he will share the process of drawing a story visually, provide tips and tricks for producing illustrations.  He will also share how he created ‘Real Pigeons Fight Crime’ alongside the author.

There is a small cost of $3.80 per student to be involved in his hour-long workshop.  Invoices will be sent out in Week Four.

We look forward to hosting Ben Wood here at Graceville SS on Thursday 21^st August!

Chappy News

John Erichsen

Chappy’s Chat

In the midst of Fair preparations, Graceville State School has also celebrated NAIDOC Week with our full school assembly focussed on celebrating the culture of our First Nations people. Thank you to all who were part of putting this together and sharing such important messages for our community.

Our District Athletes, earlier this week, participated in the District Athletics meet at QSAC. Our students produced some great results with many achieving personal bests and/or successfully making it to the next level of competition, the Regional Carnival. Well done to all who competed and good luck to those progressing to Regionals.

The Fair preparation is in full steam ahead mode, with cold rooms starting to arrive early next week. Over the week, as more and more Fair-related resources appear on site, excitement will grow. When rides start arriving on the oval, things are getting very real. I hope everyone can embrace the pre-event chaos and enjoy the ride that is …The Graceville State School Fair.

In closing this week, I bring attention to something shared by one of the world’s elite sports people after achieving victory in one of the pinnacle events in their sport. When talking about what victory meant, while expressing joy and gratitude, world number one golfer, Scottie Scheffler, shared that the excitement of victory lasts only a very short time. He shared that as wonderful as his success felt, what matters more to him is family. What drives him to be the very best isn’t winning or success. It’s doing the best he can for his family. The measure of his success isn’t found in wins or trophies, but in his relationships. I found this very refreshing, from someone at the top of their “world”, receiving great accolades and being mentioned in the most elite circles in the sport. Perhaps it’s a chance for us to reflect. What is important to us? Where do we find success? Are we defined by our results and rewards or by our relationships. Maybe the healthiest mindset is - Be the best you can be and find your success in that journey and the people you share it with.

Have an awesome week!

John Erichsen
(Chappy)

P&C News

👋 From the P&C Association

The P&C have been hard at work making sure this year’s Fair is better than ever! Below are a few more details about how you can help out too! We also have our Trivia night coming up so start getting your friends together for a great night out!

🎉 GSS Fair 2025 – ONLY 1 WEEK TO GO! 🎉

We’re Calling Out for Help – We Can’t Do This Without You!

We know we’re asking a lot… but right now, we really need you.

Everything you give — whether it’s a donation, your time, or both— truly will make a difference.

Full Activation and Donation information can be found here:

https://gssfair2025-p8tz8fr.gamma.site/initiatives-donations

🎠 RIDE BANDS are NOW on PRESALE!

Pre purchase has been extended until Sunday 27th July midnight!

Buy yours through QkR!

🧁 BAKES + PRESERVES

Help us stock the cake stall and jam table with your delicious creations

You can drop off and pick up bottles and fruit

Tell us what you are making https://signup.com/go/QnphdqX

🎒We need your 2^nd hand TOYS, BOOKS, CLOTHES + BAGS

Please only donate items that are in good condition.

We ask that parents bring in + place all items on allocated tables.

No soft toys please.

📝 We are desperately needing VOLUNTEERS!

Want to volunteer at your child’s stall? Now’s the time to sign up with the link below. 

Visit: https://gssfair2025-p8tz8fr.gamma.site/class-sign-up 

🥤Donate Boxes of SOFT DRINKS

We need donations of Coke and Coke Zero please

🛴Donate ESKIES + TROLLEYS

Can we borrow your eskie, portable beach trolley or hand trolley?

Drop off in Hall annex

🎩 ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM - Now LIVE

Check out what is happening on both the School Hall and Party stage

Visit: https://gssfair2025-p8tz8fr.gamma.site/program

💡MEGA RAFFLE is NOW LIVE!

Buy your tickets at gssfair.com.au

🎸GACEVILLE'S GOT TALENT! Busker Competition

This is your moment to shine!
Sign up now - https://forms.gle/KH3HFg6facJneuMr9

Visit gssfair.com.au for everything fair

Thanks so much for everything you do to support this event!

🎤 Trivia Night - 25th of October! 

This is our next big event! Start thinking about your costumes and make it big!

⭐ 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

https://play.tennis.com.au/GracevilleStateSchool/court-hire/book-by-date#?date=2025-05-14&role=guest

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, 27th August 2025 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.

Tuckshop

Welcome back for term 3, we hope everyone enjoyed the break and is ready for another busy and exciting term!

Just a heads up that you may notice a small rise in prices of some tuckshop items this term. Though we do our best to keep prices down, this is needed now to help cover rising food and supply costs. Thanks for supporting our tuckshop and helping us keep things running smoothly.

With the school fair coming up very soon, if you’re having a clear out, please think of the tuckshop if you have unwanted kitchen items, such as containers in good condition, baking utensils and equipment, or cooking pots, we’d very much appreciate any donations!

If you’re interested in helping out in the tuckshop, please join the volunteers WhatsApp group:

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. 

Click here to download the QKR How To flyer

• 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 break 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 8.00am 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 Term 3! 

I hope you all stayed warm and well and enjoyed a little down time over the winter break. 

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.

Click here to view more information

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