Sarah Mewah 

Head of Department & Prep 

Our Prep students have reached the halfway point of the term, and it has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and growth as learners. In reading, they are building strong foundations through practising phonemes, blending CVC words, and recognising tricky words. At home, families can continue to support this progress by enjoying decodable home readers together and celebrating those small but important milestones. The confidence and joy we see when students realise, “I can read this!”, is setting them up for success as lifelong learners.

Thursday we celebrated Book Week with our much-loved parade, and what a delight it was to see so many creative costumes and smiling faces! Thank you to our families for supporting children to take part in this special event. Beyond the costumes, Book Week reminds us of the importance of reading with children every day—whether through school readers, picture books, or bedtime favourites. Sharing stories at home not only strengthens vocabulary and knowledge but also nurtures a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

School-based Skateboarding Program with Chiggy’s

Our skateboarding program, offered to Year 3 and 4 students through Chiggy’s Skateboarding, has started this term and has been a huge success. With so much interest, we are excited to be running the program again next term. If you would like your child to be added to the waitlist, please email me directly at smewh3@eq.edu.au. This program is a wonderful way for students to build balance, confidence, and resilience while having fun and learning new skills.

Playgroup and 2026 Prep Enrolments

Our Tadpoles Playgroup continues to be a fantastic way for young children to build friendships, develop confidence, and become familiar with our school environment—making the transition into Prep that much smoother. Please note there will be no Playgroup sessions on Friday 5th September (Student Free Day) and Friday 19th September (last day of school). Do you know someone enrolling in Prep for 2026? We still have three play-based enrolment interview dates available: Thursday 11th September, Thursday 16th October, and Thursday 13th November. We encourage families to book early to secure their place in our welcoming school community.

Sally Donohue
Deputy Principal Years 3 & 4

Kids in Action: Bush Tucker Garden Blooms with New Life

Exciting developments are underway in our Bush Tucker Garden! The garden is beginning to take shape with a fresh selection of plants recently added. Alongside this growth, painting and artistic touches are starting to bring the space to life.

Our enthusiastic Kids in Action Team has been busy researching the unique plants currently thriving in the garden. They are preparing to create a series of short films that will showcase the traditional uses and significance of each plant.

Stay tuned—soon you’ll be able to explore and learn about the fascinating stories and uses behind every plant in the Bush Tucker Garden. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature and culture through the eyes of our young researchers!

Looking Ahead: Class Arrangements for 2026

As we prepare for the 2026 school year, we are beginning to plan class arrangements to ensure the best possible learning environment for all students. If you would like to provide input regarding class suitability for your child, please keep an eye out for upcoming information.

Details on how to share your feedback will be included in the next newsletter. We appreciate your involvement as we work together to create positive and supportive classrooms for the year ahead.

Get Ready for Father’s Day!

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and we’re excited to announce that our annual Father’s Day Stall will be held in Week 8. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to choose a special gift for their dads or father figures.

To help you plan ahead, please refer to the timetable below to see when your child’s class will be visiting the stall. We look forward to making this Father’s Day a memorable one for everyone!

Sally Donohue

Deputy Principal Years 3 & 4

Geoff Habel
Deputy Principal Years 5 & 6

Year 5 Camp Update

With camp now less than a month away, the excitement is really building! Our students are looking forward to new adventures, making memories with friends, and experiencing all that camp has to offer.

To help us finalise preparations, we ask that all medical forms (now overdue) be completed and returned as soon as possible. Final payments must also be made by Friday, 29 August.

There is a lot of planning that goes into making camp a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone—this includes cabin allocations and activity groupings. To ensure everything runs smoothly, it is essential we know who will be attending.

Thank you for your support as we get ready for what promises to be a fantastic camp experience!

Year 6 Graduation: Prep Photo Needed

As we prepare for our Year 6 Graduation Ceremony, we kindly request that each family provide a Prep photo of their child. This photo will be featured during the Graduation Ceremony later in the school year.

Thank you to those who have already submitted their photos. For those who haven't yet, please send your electronic photos to graduation@baringass.eq.edu.au. If you have hard copies, you may bring them to the school office.

Year 6 Interschool Sport

Congratulations to all Year 6 students who participated in Interschool Sport last Friday. Win, Lose or draw, our Baringa students showed great teamwork and spirit! The students will continue their Interschool Sport in weeks 7 and 9

Late arrivals and attendance

There has been a consistent element of late arrivals and attendance throughout this year. While there are many understandable reasonings behind these the importance of time at school and in the classroom with their peers and teachers cannot be forgotten.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the school and seek support where needed.

Keep an eye out for fake QR codes

Did you know that scammers are sticking fake QR codes over legitimate ones to obtain your personal information?

To protect your information, check for signs such as material stuck on an official QR code and turning off any settings on your device that automatically send you to QR code scanned sites.

If you suspect you have scanned a fake QR code on a work device, please report it to the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

Keeping our school community well

Parents, carers and students are encouraged to:  Wash and sanitise their hands regularly · Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands · Cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing · Stay at home if unwell and consult a general practitioner (GP) or Nurse-On-Call as needed · Stay up to date with flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

School Pick Up / Drop Off Zone The safety of our students, staff and community members is paramount. We would like to remind all members of our school community to adhere to the road rules and parking signage, particularly during drop off and pick up times. • Reminder that drop off time is from 8:15am, and pick up time is 2.45 – 3.00pm. Camp Australia can assist any parents that require supervision outside these times

Queensland Child Protection Week 2025

Queensland Child Protection Week (7-13 September 2025) reminds us that child protection is everyone's business and all adults need to play a part in ensuring children are safe and nurtured so they can reach their full potential.

Visit the Queensland Education website for the department’s child and student protection policy and procedure.  

Visit Child Protection Week for more information about this important initiative, events being held in your community and how you and your child can participate in this year’s art project.

 

 

 

The Importance of Reading at Home

As we celebrate Book Week and The Year of Reading, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the power of books and the difference they can make in children’s lives. Reading together at home is one of the most valuable ways parents can support their child’s learning and development.  Just a few minutes each day can strengthen language skills, spark imagination and nurture a lifelong love of reading.

Why use shared book reading?
Shared book reading is more than simply listening to a story—it’s the rich conversations, questions, and ideas that unfold between parent and child. Storybooks introduce children to new words, experiences, and ways of thinking that they may not encounter in everyday life. Reading aloud develops oral language, providing the strong foundation children need to become confident, independent readers. Research shows that children who regularly share books at home are better prepared for reading success at school. And it’s not just about recognising words on a page—it’s about sparking curiosity, imagination, and confidence in young learners.

What does shared reading look like?

An important aspect of shared reading is the conversation that occurs between the adult and child during the reading. Pausing while reading and taking the time to discuss details in the story can support your child’s oral language development. The conversation might focus on the storyline, such as characters or where the story takes place; it may focus on similar experiences the child has had to those that happened in the book; it may focus on specific words; aspects of print; or concepts that are new to the child. When you read aloud to your child, they hear and learn lots of new and sophisticated words and sentences they may not hear or use in everyday talk.

What books should be used for shared reading?

In the early years of reading instruction, children engage with different books for different purposes. They need to read decodable texts to develop their word reading skills and they need to read and hear authentic texts to develop strong oral language skills. Authentic texts include picture books, storybooks, information texts and any reading material the child enjoys. When children are first learning to read, the books they will read independently are designed to improve their ability to decode (decodable texts). For most children, the language used in these books will be far simpler than the language they already understand and use. Virtually all children’s books are appropriate for shared reading, but the best books will have rich, detailed pictures, and are interesting to the child. Remember, the purpose of shared reading is to stimulate rich talk between the adult and child, not for the child to be able to read the text themselves.

Jo Klein

Head of Curriculum

On Thursday 31^st July and Friday 1^st August, Baringa State Primary School competed in the annual Glasshouse District Track and Field Competition at Beerwah State High School.  Aside from the cool conditions the weather was perfect over the two days of athletics.  The Baringa SPS team put on an exemplary show of positive attitudes and sporting prowess. 

Congratulations to all of our students who proudly represented our school, their team spirit and comradery was inspiring. This demonstration of teamwork shone through particularly brightly during the final event of the carnival – the relays. Out of 18 schools Baringa finished victorious in 5 out of 8 age divisions and to top it off our 12 years girls team broke the Glasshouse District 4 x 100m relay record.  

Baringa State Primary School achieved 2^nd place overall out of the 18 schools that competed from the Glasshouse District. This is the second year in a row that we have finished in silver medal position which is something to be extremely proud of. Pumicestone SS took home the silverware and were crowned as the 2025 Glasshouse District Champions, with our neighbours Nirimba finishing in 3^rd position.

A number of our Baringa students gained selection into the 2025 Glasshouse District Athletics Team to compete at the Regional Carnival later this month. We congratulate and wish these students the best of luck in their upcoming events at the 2025 Sunshine Coast Regional Track and Field Carnival.

Hunter T was awarded as Runner-Up Age Champion for the second consecutive year in his division, we congratulate him on his outstanding efforts.

Along with the students I would also like to give our very own, Miss Deb (Deb Roberts) a very deserving shout out. It is a demanding task managing the Baringa Athletics Team and Miss Deb makes it look easy and does with a smile – thank you! Mr Greg Kimber also requires commendation as he was once again the convenor of the District Track and Field Carnival for the third consecutive year. It was a highly successful event that was run with accuracy and expertise. Countless hours and energy have been put towards this event in the lead-up and throughout and it certainly does not go unnoticed, well-done Greg.

Aaron Kerley, Greg Kimber and Deb Roberts

Baringa PE Team.

RoboCup Junior State Championships – A Celebration of Innovation and Teamwork

On Friday 16th August, our robotics teams proudly represented Baringa at the RoboCup Junior State Championships held at the University of Queensland. This exciting event brought together schools from across Queensland, showcasing creativity, coding expertise, and collaboration at the highest level.

OnStage Performance

Our students competed in the OnStage Performance category, a challenge that blends technology with theatre. Teams are tasked with designing and programming robots to perform alongside human actors, creating a routine that tells a story or delivers a message. The performance must combine robot movement, coded choreography, and human interaction into a polished, entertaining presentation.

Baringa’s teams rose to the occasion with two imaginative routines:

• Baringa Secret Garden featured butterflies fluttering and trolls dancing the Cha Cha Slide.
• Baringa Star Fish transported audiences Under the Sea, with mermaids, crabs, and jellyfish joining in a vibrant dance.

Commitment and Collaboration

Behind the performances were months of dedication. Students worked before and after school to brainstorm scripts, code robots, design sets, and rehearse. Success depended not only on technical skill but also on teamwork, problem-solving, and persistence. Each student brought unique strengths—whether in programming, engineering, stage design, or performance—contributing to routines that were truly greater than the sum of their parts.

Goals of RoboCup Junior OnStage

The OnStage competition encourages students to:

• Innovate – by designing and coding robots that interact in creative, meaningful ways.
• Collaborate – through teamwork and shared responsibility.
• Perform – combining robotics with storytelling and presentation skills.
• Inspire – demonstrating how technology can engage and excite audiences.

Looking Ahead

We are incredibly proud of our students’ achievements at this year’s State Championships. Their performances highlighted not only technical knowledge but also creativity, perseverance, and teamwork. These experiences will inspire younger students to explore the exciting possibilities of robotics and prepare all participants for future challenges in innovation and design.

I remember in Year 2 when Ms T showed us a video about Creative Generation (CGEN). It had a student named Harlem and other kids talking about how awesome it was to perform in it. There was a picture of CGEN on Ms T’s window and I remember thinking, “I really want to do that!”

In Year 3, I got to be in the massed choir with all my friends and it was the best thing ever! I loved it so much. This year I had the chance to try out to be a Featured Vocalist. I had to go through multiple auditions but I’ll never forget the day Ms T called to say I got in… I was SO excited!

Being a Featured Vocalist was amazing. I made heaps of new friends and I felt like I found my tribe. Last year, when I was in the massed choir, I ran around and got the featured vocalists to sign their pictures in my CGEN book. And this year, it was wild because I was the one people were asking for autographs! I felt like Thelma the Unicorn!

CGEN has changed my life. I’m really thankful for all the memories, the fun and the awesome friends I’ve made.

Secure your spot at Helping Hands Network this Term!
This Term Helping Hands Network are running two fantastic 4-week programs to look forward to! Children can dance, sing, paint and design their way at the Creative Sparks program this August! Weekly themes include Drama-Rama ? The Art Lab ?️ Move & Groove ? and The Imagination Library ?

But that’s not all! In September kids can get those cogs turning in Helping Hands Network’s Engineers Workshop! Your children can build epic towers, boats, rockets and more; learning real engineering tricks like a pro! Weekly themes include Build It ? Marine Engineering ⛵ Flying High ✈️ and Tinker Lab ⚙️ 

Rest assured that your kids are having a ball with friends at Helping Hands Network where glitter flies, and imaginations soar. A place where screens are off, and kids are switched on! Where you avoid school peak hour, and they get peak play hours.

Enrol to Book Term 3 today at Helping Hands Network, where play meets potential.

Link: https://www.helpinghandsnetwork.com.au/before-after-school-care-oshc/?&utm_campaign=102_HHN_BRA_LEARN_DIGITAL_TOOL_KIT_T3_2025-awareness&utm_source=school-socials&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=book-now-term-3

Program Updates & What’s Ahead:

• Nature Walks Feedback:
  We're exploring the idea of regular nature walks to the nearby park. If you support this initiative, please complete a feedback form at the sign-in/out station. Once we have enough interest, we’ll share details about staffing, child-to-adult ratios, and scheduling.
• Musical Excitement:
  Our team has been truly inspired by the school musical rehearsals and can’t wait for the big show in September!
• Extra Staffing Approved:
  Great news! We’ve received additional funding for both our before and after school care programs. This allows us to have extra staff on site throughout the week, helping ensure every child feels supported, seen, and valued. A huge thank you to the families who backed us during the application process!
• Assessment & Rating Success:
  We recently completed a thorough assessment and rating process across three key quality areas. We're proud to share that we met the standards in:
• Educational Program & Practice
• Children’s Health & Safety
• Governance & Leadership

The positive feedback from the assessment officer reaffirms the dedication and care our team brings each day. Thank you for being part of our community—it’s your support that helps us continue to grow and improve.

Community Pantry:
A friendly reminder that our community pantry is always open to all families. If you know someone from the school community who could use a little support, please feel free to fill a bag on their behalf. A small act of kindness can truly brighten someone’s day. Shout out for Chappy Sarah for donating food items to help fill our pantry.

PUPIL FREE DAY – Friday 5th September
Have you booked your child in yet? Spots are still available! We’re planning a fun day packed with a variety of activities to keep everyone happy and busy.

BreastScreen Queensland is providing a free mobile screening service at Stockland Baringa from the 4th to the 6th of September, 2025. Free mobile service for woman over 40! Call 13 20 50 or visit breastscreen.qld.gov.au today to book your free BreastScreen.

Brisbane Roar A-League Men's side travels to Sunshine Coast Stadium on August 24 to face to the Central Coast Mariners. 

The afternoon pre-season fixture will offer the Sunshine Coast community the opportunity to see two professional outfits ahead of the season, which kicks off mid October.

With tickets priced at $6 for kids aged 4-17 and $12 for adults, it would be a great opportunity for families to enjoy a great family friendly afternoon. 

Full details are as follows: 

What? A-League Men Pre-Season Match

Who? Brisbane Roar vs Central Coast Mariners 

Where? Sunshine Coast Stadium, Bokarina

When? Sunday, 24 August. Kick Off 1:30pm AEST 

Tickets? Adults: $12, Juniors (aged 4-17) & concession pass holders: $6, Children 3 and under: FREE 

Ticket Link? https://www.sunshinecoaststadium.com.au/events/brisbane-roar-v-central-coast-mariners