Term 4 Week 2 Newsletter
- From the Principal - Mrs Walsh
- From the Deputy Principal - Mr Horridge
- From Head of Curriculum - Mrs Simpson
- News from 3B - Mrs N
- News from Year 4 - Mrs Allen & Mr Lim
- News from 5A - Mr Gibson
- News from Mrs Sipos - 5B
- Day for Daniel - Friday 31st October 2025
- Family Picnic Night - Tuesday 2nd December
- School Calendar - Term 4
- 2025 Uniform Shop Information
- Back to School - Uniform Shop Extended Hours for January 2026
- Tuckshop Lunch List
- EMPSS P&C - Halloween Disco, Friday 31st October
From the Principal - Mrs Walsh
Enrolment for 2026
Important Attendance Information
As we begin planning for the 2026 school year, it’s important that our school has accurate information about student attendance and enrolments. If your child will not be returning to Eight Mile Plains State School in 2026, or if your family will be taking an extended holiday, please notify the office in writing by emailing admin@eightmileplainsss.eq.edu.au
Please note that any absence greater than 10 consecutive school days requires an Exemption from Compulsory Schooling form to be completed. These forms are available from the school office or can be requested via email.
Knowing this information early supports our planning for funding, staffing, and class placements, helping us ensure a smooth and successful start to the new school year for all students.
Class Placement for 2026
The process of placing students into classes for the next school year is a careful and thoughtful task that requires collaboration between teachers, administrators, students and parents. The goal is to create balanced, inclusive, and supportive learning environments that cater to the needs of all students.
Process:
Class structures are established based upon predicted enrolment numbers and estimated funds to employ teaching staff. Factors taken into consideration when placing students into classes for the following year include:
- Student Performance and Needs: Teachers review each student’s academic progress, behavioural tendencies, and social-emotional needs. This includes formal assessments (e.g., test scores, reading levels) and informal observations (e.g., group dynamics, participation).
- Teacher Feedback: Teachers provide insight into each student’s learning style, strengths, areas for growth, and any special considerations like learning support or social needs.
The following factors are considered to create balanced classes:
- Academic Levels: Ensuring a mix of abilities in each class
- Behavioural and Social Dynamics: Ensuring that students who may not work well together are placed in separate classes, while maintaining positive friendships that support learning.
- Gender Balance: Striving for a balanced ratio of boys and girls in each classroom.
- Additional Needs: Making sure that students requiring additional learning support are placed in classrooms where they can receive appropriate attention.
- Teacher Strengths: Matching students with teachers who can best meet their learning styles or needs.
Once the data is collected, teachers and administrators work together to create initial class lists. This process typically involves:
- Collaboration: Grade-level teams meet to discuss potential groupings, often considering what has worked well (or not) in the current year. They may refer to past placements or consider separation of students with conflicts.
- Drafting Class Lists: Teachers create draft class lists based on the established criteria, keeping in mind both individual student needs and the overall classroom balance.
- Administrative Review: The principal or administrative team reviews the draft lists, ensuring that the composition of each class is equitable and aligned with the school’s overall goals.
- Specialist Input: Input may be sought from special education teachers, counsellors, or other specialists who work with students.
- Adjustments: Based on feedback from various stakeholders, adjustments may be made to the class lists. This step often involves fine-tuning to address issues that might have been overlooked.
This entire process is designed to be as objective as possible, ensuring that every student is placed in a classroom where they can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
If you have any special circumstances or wish to provide information that we should consider when making decisions about class placements, please email Mrs Tamara Walsh at twall167@eq.edu.au no later than Friday 31 October 2025. Please note that any requests received in the past are not considered in future years and you must submit a new request each year.
We ask that you do not request specific teachers as there is no guarantee that they will be teaching the same year level next year. Class groupings will be finalised closer to the end of the year when we have a clearer picture of student numbers in each year level, then classes created, and finally teachers allocated to a class.
Share Your Ideas with Us!
We value the voices of our parents, carers, and community. To make it easier for you to share feedback, suggestions, or ideas, we’ve launched an online suggestion box. This is a simple and convenient way for you to contribute your thoughts at any time. Whether it’s an idea to support learning, a way to strengthen our community, or feedback to help us improve, we’d love to hear from you.
Together, we can continue to make Eight Mile Plains State School the best place for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.
Mrs Tamara Walsh
Principal
From the Deputy Principal - Mr Horridge
Newsletter term 4 Week 2
Student Leaders 2026
At Eight Mile Plains State School student leadership plays a vital role in the life of our school. We believe that when students are actively involved, they develop confidence, responsibility, and a strong sense of community.
Our leadership program provides opportunities for students to grow their leadership skills and represent the student body with pride. Student leaders are selected through a nomination and selection process.
All leadership positions are open to students regardless of gender, with selection based on merit, character, and demonstrated leadership qualities.
Student leaders at EMPSS are public representatives of our school community. They are expected to lead with integrity, act as role models, and represent the school with pride on official occasions and in their everyday actions.
Leadership Roles
Leadership can exist in many areas of school life. It is less about holding a title and more about a student’s willingness to contribute, help others, and make a positive difference. Students may show leadership by:
- · Serving as School Captain and taking on leadership roles in areas that include Sport, Community, Arts or ICT.
- · Acting as a peer supporter
- · Volunteering to help within the school or in the wider community
- · Joining or leading clubs and activities
- · Initiating or contributing to a project that benefits the school or community
- · Modelling positive behaviour, kindness, and responsibility in everyday situation
The nomination process for 2026 Student Leaders has now begun, and we are excited to see many enthusiastic applicants. Over the coming weeks, students will participate in various selection activities as we move toward the speech and voting stage.
We look forward to seeing our next group of young leaders emerge—ready to inspire, serve, and lead with pride at Eight Mile Plains State School.
Mindfulness Glitter Jars
During Mental Health Week (Week 4), all students at Eight Mile Plains State School will have the opportunity to create and learn about Mindfulness Glitter Jars. These jars are a practical and engaging way for students to explore how the brain influences emotions and to discover strategies for calming and self-regulation.
A huge thank you to Ella and her team of volunteers for working with our students and staff to provide such a creative and meaningful activity. The Mindfulness Glitter Jar sessions encourages students to reflect, relax, and develop greater emotional awareness.
We would also like to sincerely thank Astnd Property at Eight Mile Plains, for sponsoring and supporting the Be Kind, Be Brave, Be You initiative. Programs like this are only possible through the generous support of our local community and businesses.
From Head of Curriculum - Mrs Simpson
Curriculum Newsletters
Welcome back to our final term of the year. I hope that all of our EMP families have had an enjoyable holiday break. It has been encouraging to see that students have returned to school, ready to settle into their learning activities and engage in their new units of work.
This week, families would have received their child’s Class Curriculum Newsletter. This newsletter outlines the curriculum intent for Term 4 and important upcoming events and dates.
During the term, I would like to encourage parents/carers to talk with their child/ren about what they have been learning each day.
Picnic Night – Save the Date
We would like to warmly invite EMP families and school community to attend the annual Eight Mile Plains State School Picnic Night. During the evening, there will be raffles, a sausage sizzle and performances from each class. It is a wonderful time to celebrate the end of the year together.
Where: The top oval of our school
When: Tuesday 4th December, from 5:00pm until approximately 7:30pm.
More information regarding event details will be shared with families in the coming weeks.
We look forward to sharing this end of year celebration with you.
Professional Learning and Collaboration - Moderation
Next Monday afternoon, our teachers will travel to various schools in our local community to engage in a Cluster Moderation process.
Cluster Moderation is a process where our teaching staff come together with teachers from other schools, to share work samples, teaching practices and expertise. Monday’s meeting will provide an opportunity for our teachers to connect with others and engage in professional conversations about aspects of the Australian Curriculum. This opportunity will be beneficial to all involved, as we continue to reflect on, and plan learning experiences for, our students using the new Australian Curriculum.
If you would like further information regarding the Australian Curriculum V9.0, please click the link below: Parent/carer information | V9 Australian Curriculum
News from 3B - Mrs N
3B Colour Run Crazies!
Term 4 has started off in a haze of colour with the EMPSS Colour Blast: Colour Run which was held on Friday 10th October.
3B students have been eagerly checking the leader board every day over the last several weeks as they have been trying hard to collect as many sponsors as possible to win a whole class prize.
We came in 3rd place on the leader board after 1A and Prep A with a total of $1035. After eating our Zooper Doopers, we watched some teachers with Mr Horridge and Mrs Walsh get slimed!
Check out our before and after photos!
3B Colour Run Fun!
News from Year 4 - Mrs Allen & Mr Lim
News from 5A - Mr Gibson
Welcome back to Term 4!
So far the students have been learning about Federal, State and Local Government's responsibilities. They are also learning about zones within a town/city. Students are creating their own town/city with the relevant zones and infrastructure to make it livable.
Last week, we enjoyed the colour run with students running and getting blasted with colour. I will just say that being slimed is an experience I will never forget.
Remember every day at school counts!
News from Mrs Sipos - 5B
Term 4 is off to a flying start! We had so much fun at the Colour Blast Run on Friday. The students of 5B showed responsibility as they waited to be the last class to run. It's hard to sit still when you're excited, but the kids did a great job.
We are straight into learning, with a heavy focus on decimal place value in Mathematics. The students have been timing activities and ordering them from fastest to slowest. This has been a fun way to learn while moving our bodies.
We have commenced a daily 'Walk and Talk' this term. Our top oval is 200m long. Every day we walk/ run around it for ten minutes and count the laps each of us complete. At the end of the term, we will calculate our laps and distance and see how far north we can get on a map of Queensland. This activity provides multiple learning opportunities with measurement, as well as giving the kids a chance to chat to their friends in the fresh air. So far, we have completed 489 laps, which brings us to approximately 97.8km. WOW!
Finally, please ensure your child is reading every day! We borrow from the library every Wednesday, so the students all have access to great books. Reading develops the mind in many ways. READ! READ! READ!
Let's have a fantastic Term 4!
Day for Daniel - Friday 31st October 2025
Eight Mile Plains State School is supporting Day for Daniel
Day for Daniel is Australia’s largest day of action to raise awareness of child safety, protection, and harm prevention. Held annually on the last Friday of October, Day for Daniel honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe.
Parents, carers, and educators are encouraged to start a conversation with children and young people about personal safety. On Friday 31st October 2025, Eight Mile Plains staff are invited and encouraged to wear something red to match our students who are already wearing a red uniform and to raise awareness of child safety issues. Years 3 - 6 will be attending a Day for Daniel assembly at 9am to listen to two school liaison police officers from the Mount Gravatt Police Station talk about keeping safe in real life and online.
In addition to this, Eight Mile Plains State School will be conducting child safety education activities which have been developed by the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. The ‘Keeping Kids Safe’ resources support students to ‘Recognise, React and Report’ when they feel unsafe. Developing an understanding of respectful relationships is also a key learning area within the resource.
Why do we wear red?
People are encouraged to wear red on Day for Daniel in remembrance of Daniel Morcombe. Daniel was wearing a red t-shirt on 7th December 2003 when he found himself in an unsafe situation. Wearing red links Daniel’s very real story to the importance of safety education. It provides a message of strength and hope that together we can make the world safer for all children as a legacy to Daniel and his family.
For further information or to view some of the activities and videos, please visit the Daniel Morcombe Foundation Website: https://danielmorcombe.com.au/day-for-daniel/
Family Picnic Night - Tuesday 2nd December
School Calendar - Term 4
2025 Uniform Shop Information
Back to School - Uniform Shop Extended Hours for January 2026
Tuckshop Lunch List
EMPSS P&C - Halloween Disco, Friday 31st October
