1 September 2025

Principal

Abi Hurdley

Dear Graceville Families and Friends,

It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached the halfway point of Term 3! The past few weeks have been filled with wonderful learning, exciting events, and strong community connections. With plenty still to look forward to Term 3 continues to be a busy and rewarding time for our students and staff. Thank you to our families for your ongoing support as we work together to create positive experiences and opportunities for every child.

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 term, our staff have continued working with education consultant Jane Newman to strengthen our focus on personal empowerment and creating a nurturing school environment. Jane is a vibrant and engaging presenter with a deep understanding of human behaviour, informed by her own journey and her extensive experience as both a teacher and a school leader.

With international experience as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Jane supports audiences to clarify their core motivations, build stronger relationships, and navigate complexity with clarity and purpose. Her work closely aligns with our school priority of fostering curiosity, positive engagement, and success for all.

Through her sessions with staff, Jane has helped us explore practical ways to:

• deepen self-awareness and motivation,
• enhance communication and relationships, and
• translate this into purposeful, positive learning environments for students.

We are excited to extend this opportunity to our parent community.

Parent Information Session
Introduction to Choice Theory with Jane Newman
Date: Tuesday 14 October (next term)

In this engaging session, Jane will introduce Choice Theory, a framework developed by Dr William Glasser that helps us better understand behaviour - our children’s and our own. At its heart, Choice Theory teaches that all behaviour is an attempt to meet five basic needs: love and belonging, power, freedom, fun, and survival.

Parents will explore the difference between external control (rewards, punishments, pressure) and internal motivation and how understanding this shift can transform the way we relate to our children. By breaking down the habits that build connection and trust, you’ll leave the session with fresh insights and practical tools to support:

• more positive behaviour,
• better communication, and
• stronger relationships at home.

All families are warmly invited to attend this valuable session.

CELEBRATING SPEECH PATHOLOGY WEEK 2025

This week, 24–30 August, is Speech Pathology Week, an opportunity to celebrate the vital role that Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) play in schools across Australia.

This year’s theme, “Impact through Communication,” highlights the powerful difference communication makes in helping students access learning, build friendships, and thrive in their school journey. SLPs work with children who have speech, language, communication, and swallowing needs, often behind the scenes, but their impact is profound and long-lasting.

At Graceville, we are fortunate to have Jane as our Speech-Language Pathologist. Jane works closely with staff, students, and families to support learning, inclusion, and wellbeing. Her expertise and care make a real difference every day, and we are so grateful for the contribution she makes to our school community.

Please join us in acknowledging and thanking Jane for her commitment and the positive impact she has on our students and staff.

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL

This term, we continue to encourage and promote Active School Travel (AST) across the school, supporting both student wellbeing and sustainable travel habits. To keep the momentum going, the coveted sports bag will once again be awarded to the class with the highest number of active travellers overall. Our key event this term will align with R U OK? Day, when we will host a special walkathon. Students will be encouraged to walk to school with a friend or trusted peer—building not only physical activity into their day, but also meaningful social connections. To celebrate the event, a BBQ breakfast will be provided on arrival

Thank you for continuing to support AST—it’s a wonderful way for our students to stay healthy, connected, and active!

GSS SCHOOL CHAPLAIN – BRIDGE TO BRISBANE FUNDRASING EVENT

We are excited to share that our school chaplain, Chappy John, will be participating in this year’s Bridge to Brisbane! Chappy John plays an important role in supporting the wellbeing of our students, staff, and families, and this is a wonderful way to get behind him while helping to maintain our current chaplaincy hours at Graceville State School. If any community members would like to show their support, donations can be made via the following link. Every contribution, big or small, helps maintain the current chaplaincy hours at Graceville State School.

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!

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

Year 6 2026 Student Leadership Process

Tuesday 9^th September we will be having a Parent & student Information session in the Waratah Room at 8am to explain the revised Student Leadership process which will commence soon.

Term 4

Just a few reminders of things coming up in Term 4:

• 8-9 October Year 4 camp
• 15-17 October Year 5 camp
• Friday 31^st October - Day for Daniel & World Teacher’s Day
• Other School events coming up for fundraising:
• Student Council will be doing an event yet to be confirmed
• P & C Trivia night Saturday 25^th October
• P & C Spellathon 28^th October
• Chaplaincy Christmas markets & Movie night Friday 22^nd November

Just a reminder 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. Tickets can be purchased on Qkr! App for tickets, chips & drinks.

Deputy Principal

Liam Bray

Coffee and Connect – Friday Week 9

Our next Coffee and Connect session will be held on Friday 12^th September from 8:45am in the school hall. All parents and carers are invited to be part of this informal conversation with the leadership team. Coffee will be available for purchase from 8:00am.

As part of this session, I am going to be sharing some work that teachers and I have been doing on our school Code of Conduct. Over the past 6 months, we have been doing a review of our Code of Conduct to ensure that it reflects the latest policies and procedures and also look at how we are supporting our students. At this session I will share some of this work as we move into the final stages of the review. We understand that not all parents are available for these sessions, so I will also be sharing some of this work with the school community at the end of the term via email, so keep an eye out for that.

Book Week

Last week, Graceville State School was transformed into a magical world of imagination, creativity, and colour as we celebrated Book Week 2025! From classic characters like Harry Potter, Matilda, and Spiderman, to more modern favourites like Bluey, Dog Man, and the Wimpy Kid himself — the school grounds were bursting with literary life. The Book Week Parade was definitely a highlight, as students from Prep to Year 6 strutted their stuff under Q Block in front of a cheering crowd of parents, teachers and students. A special mention must go to the teachers and staff who joined in the fun, dressing up as the tooth fairy! I’ve never seen so many fairy wings in one spot!

A huge thank you to our school community, for supporting the week with such enthusiasm. The effort and thought put into every costume was clear to see, and it made the celebration all the more special.

Book Week is a wonderful reminder of the power of stories to connect us, inspire us, and spark curiosity. We’re so proud of the way Graceville students embraced the week, and we can’t wait to see where reading will take us next!

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.

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

Term 3 Junior Assembly

Lost Property

" LOST PROPERTY: There are a number of analog, digital and smart watches that have been handed in at the school office over the course of the year. If your student has lost one, please come in before the end of term to see if we have it. Thank you."

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Congratulations to our Junior Band and Mr Tom Stewart for on their efforts at the Beginner Band Extravaganza at Sherwood State School on Friday 29 August. We hope all of our young musicians have enjoyed learning new skills and repertoire, working with students and teachers from other local schools and sharing their music with a concert at the end of the day! 

Thank you to Mrs Mary Budden who replaced me during my recent long service leave, including taking choir rehearsals. I appreciate the understanding from students and families for the slightly later start to choir rehearsals during this time and have enjoyed seeing everyone back at rehearsals and lessons this week.

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

Head of Inclusion

Louissa Chalk

From our Head of Inclusion and Guidance Officer.
Sam Garrick and Louissa Chalk

One of our annual priorities at Graceville State School is around empowering students and enhancing their sense of belonging within our GSS family.

RUOK? Day is coming up on Thursday 11 September, but checking in on each other doesn’t need to wait for a special day. Everyone in our community go through ups and downs all the time, whether it be our children, teachers, parents, family or friends.  That’s why it’s so important to feel comfortable asking, “Are you OK?” any day of the year.

Research shows that when people are asked regularly if they’re OK, they feel more supported and experience improved wellbeing. In fact, a third of Australians say they’ve been checking in with others more often over the past year. That means many of us are already taking simple but powerful steps to look out for the people around us.

Of course, it’s normal for people to feel unsure about how we can support each other. However, here’s the good news… Nine out of ten Australians say they feel grateful, cared for and supported when someone genuinely asks how they’re going. That’s a step to ensuring everyone feeling like they belong at GSS, and a pretty great reason to give it a try. Chances are, you’re probably already having these kinds of conversations without even realising.

And if you’d like a little extra confidence, you can use these 4 simple steps to help you. You can also head over to the RUOK?  website www.ruok.org.au They have lots of great free resources and tips to help you out.

P&C News

👋 From the P&C Association

With Fair done for another year and only 3 weeks left of term 3 the P&C is looking forward to its next events in term 4!
Thank you to Veronica Lake on the results of the Fair! Check them out below! So, what's next to look forward to??? Tickets for the Trivia night will soon be on sale! And we are excited to announce that Spellathon is back for another year!

🎉 GSS Fair 2025 – Well done! 🎉

Firstly, the Fair Convenor Veronica, would just like to thank the P&C executive, the school leadership and admin team, teachers, the operations team, the convenors and all of the volunteers. This event would not have taken place if it wasn't for all your tireless support and hard work. Individual stall results will be shared with the Convenors over the next few weeks.

The final net profit.... $75,258! Our goal was to reach a net profit of $80,000 (we got so close!)  Well done everyone!

For a more detailed breakdown of the profits from the various stalls, sponsors, donations and rides please contact the P&C team.

A Note on Community & Volunteers 

The Fair takes place in a highly pressured environment over a number of weeks in the lead up and post event, and it’s important to remember that it is 100% powered by volunteers. Many people contribute countless hours—often above and beyond—because they believe in the strength of our school community. As we celebrate the financial success and legacy of this year’s Fair, we also remind ourselves to be kind, supportive, and respectful to one another. This spirit of generosity and collaboration is what truly makes the GSS Fair possible. 

From the P&C

A massive thank you goes to our captain, our maestro, out fearless leader, Veronica. Your knowledge, determination and courage to take on this enormous event is an asset to the Graceville State School community. Your ability to plan, coordinate and guide others towards a common goal is awe inspiring, No issue was too big or too small. We look forward to having you lead us for many years to come!

Final Takeaway 

The Fair has proven its resilience, efficiency, and community appeal again in 2025 - generating consistent six-figure revenues and channelling them into meaningful outcomes for the P&C and Graceville State School. Thanks everyone for everything you did to help make the GSS fair a huge success in 2025!

🎤 Trivia Night - 25th of October! 

The Trivia night is on the 25th of October at Fairplay Kitchen!

Tickets will be on sale on Monday the 15th of September at 8.00pm. Tables will be sold in tables of 10 so get your team together and get inspired to dress up! - the theme is TV series.

Carrie and Anna, our trivia convenors, have been doing an outstanding job of organising this fabulous night! They are on track with Ray White as the major sponsor and it looks to be another fun and successful event! However, they are still looking for sponsors - particularly round sponsors. There are 4 rounds on the night so if you know any businesses out there who are keen to get involved in sponsorship or to donate items to the raffle, please let Carrie, Anna or the P&C know.

🎓 Spellathon 2025

Spellathon is back for another year and will be taking place in week 4 of term 4! Thank you to Jane Gill for taking on this event! It is a great way for the kids to get involved in raising funds for our wonderful school!

More information will be released in the next few weeks.

🎾 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, 8th October 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.

Anna Law
President
Graceville State School P&C Association 

Chappy News

John Erichsen

With Sunday September 14^th the date of this year’s Bridge to Brisbane event drawing closer, the next two Wednesday mornings will provide a walk/run opportunity, at Graceville Memorial Park starting at 7.45am. All are welcome to join us in walking or running as a warmup / preparation for the Bridge to Brisbane. Students participating these mornings will need an adult in attendance and to get them across Oxley Road and to school following the walk/run.

For families keen to support the Chaplaincy Service in maintaining a three day/week service at Graceville, the following QR code directs contributions to the correct account within the SU Australia system.

Thanks for your support.
Have a wonderful week!
John Erichsen
(Chappy)

Tuckshop

Thanks to all the volunteers in the tuckshop this term, we’re so grateful for your help, especially our regular helpers. If you’ve been thinking about popping in some time, we’d love to see you in the last few busy weeks of term – we particularly need extra hands on Thursdays and Fridays, always the busiest days.

If there are any chicken-owners at the school who are interested in food scraps to take home as chicken feed, please get in touch; we have a bucket or two a week available to collect from the tuckshop.

If you’re interested in helping out in the tuckshop, please join the volunteers WhatsApp group for all the news and to find out when we need extra help:

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 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 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 everyone!

Week 7 is here, and the September holidays are just around the corner. We are then into the exciting craziness of Term 4 to close off another year. 

As mentioned in last fortnight's newsletter, if you, or anyone you know have little ones starting Prep in 2026, I encourage you to plan and book ahead in Term 4 to secure an appointment to view and try on our range. 

DRESSES 

As the weather warms up this term, 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 on. We also have an extensive range of sizes in the older style dress on the 2nd hand rack, at great prices.

HOUSE SHIRTS

All teams in all sizes are again readily available in store and online. Sizes start at a child's size 2, all the way up to an adult's size 14. 

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 a royal blue panel, down each 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