Term 3 Week 2 Newsletter
From the Principal - Mrs Walsh
2025 School Opinion Survey
This year’s School Opinion Survey runs from 28 July to 22 August. Parents, carers, students in selected year levels, and staff have been emailed a link to participate. Your feedback will help us understand our school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Survey responses are confidential. Find out more on the School Opinion Survey webpage or contact school administration.
E-scooter rules and fines
There has been an increase in the number of serious crashes involving e-scooters, e-skateboards and similar devices. Many of these crashes are occurring in and around schools involving students.
To ensure you and your child know the rules to stay safe while using these devices, you can visit Streetsmarts Qld for a quick and easy to understand listing of the rules.
Key rules to be aware of include:
AGE:
- Primary school aged children, under 12 years, cannot ride e-scooters or e-skateboards at all.
- Children aged 12 to 15 years can only ride with adult supervision.
- Only those over the age of 16 years can ride e-scooters or e-skateboards.
Supervising adults should ride on a separate device, at a safe following distance from the child riding. The adult should always have close direct oversight of the child riding so that direction, guidance and any intervention can be given when needed.
Children under 12 can use push scooters and similar devices, but for more information you can visit the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ website.
ROAD USE:
- E-scooters and e-skateboards can only be used on the road in very limited circumstances.
- If your child uses an e-scooter or e-skateboard to get to and from school, it's good to remind them to ride on footpaths to obey road rules including speed limits.
SPEED LIMIT ON FOOTPATHS:
- The speed limit for footpaths and shared paths is 12 km/h.
SAFETY:
- Helmets must be used with the straps fastened securely, and bells fitted for any devices with handlebars.
- Only one person should ride on a device at a time – no doubling.
- Riders must ride to the conditions and avoid any unsafe manoeuvres.
Significant fines may apply if riders are caught breaking the rules, including an on-the-spot fine of $1251 for using a mobile phone and a maximum court-imposed penalty of $6676 for careless riding.
For more helpful videos and other safety tips please visit Streetsmarts Qld.
Mrs Tamara Walsh
Principal
From the Deputy Principal - Mr Horridge
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)
As a Parent, what do I need to know?
Each year, all Australian schools participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). This national initiative helps provide the Australian Government with valuable information about the number of students with disability in schools and the level of support they receive to access and participate in learning on the same basis as their peers. The NCCD is used to determine school funding for students with a disability (Inclusion), as part of the Reasonable Adjustments Resourcing (RAR) model.
If your child has a disability and requires ongoing adjustments at school, teachers work in consultation with you to understand their needs. This collaborative process helps ensure appropriate adjustments are made to support your child’s learning and participation. A student is included in the NCCD if they require adjustments due to a disability, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 This link will open in a new window (DDA). This includes a wide range of conditions such as physical and intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties like dyslexia or dysgraphia, and mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression.
As part of this process, schools collect the following information:
- The student’s year level
- The category of disability (physical, cognitive, sensory, or social/emotional)
- The level of adjustment provided (quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial, or extensive)
We are currently in the validation phase of this process. Teachers are reviewing and confirming data based on evidence gathered throughout the year—such as learning plans, classroom observations, and records of support. This ensures accuracy and reflects the adjustments made to support our students.
Please note:
- Personal details (like names) are not submitted to education authorities.
- The NCCD does not impact your child’s report card or daily school experience.
- It helps schools improve planning, allocate resources more effectively, and strengthen inclusive practices.
While it is not possible for schools or families to ‘opt out’ of the NCCD, the privacy and confidentiality of all students and their families is treated with utmost importance. To learn more, visit the NCCD website: www.nccd.edu.au. A Fact sheet for parents, guardians and carers is also available in multiple languages.
If you have any questions about the NCCD or RAR, please contact Fabian Horridge (Deputy Principal) at school on 07) 3340 6333.
Premier’s Reading Challenge – Still time!!!
This term our school continues participating in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC)!
The PRC is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, between 6 May 2025 to 22 August 2025.
To complete the challenge:
- Prep to Year 2 must read or experience at least 20 books
- Years 3 and 4 must read at least 20 books
- Years 5 to 9 must read at least 15 books.
Experiencing books can include shared reading, listening to stories, or reading picture books. The aim for the 2025 challenge is to encourage students to make time to read. Last year saw more than 130,000 children from around the state participate.
Key dates:
- 22 April 2025 - Online database registrations open
- 6 May 2025 - Reading period commences for Prep to Year 9 students*
- 11 - 22 August 2025 - Early childhood participation period
- 22 August 2025 - Reading period finishes for prep to Year 9 students*
- 5 September 2025 - All reading data must be finalised in the database
- October 2025 - Certificates of Achievement issued
- 3 to 14 November 2025 - Premier's Reading Challenge celebration weeks
News from Prep A - Mrs Johnson
News from Prep A - Busy Bees - Mrs Scharf
News from Year 1A & 1/2S
News from 2A - Mrs Nottage
Sports and Under 8's Day
More Amazing Sports & Under 8's!
News from 2/3S - Mrs Koh
News from the P&C
🍎 Meet Our New Tuckshop Convenor – Grace Yow! 🍽️
The EPMSS P&C is delighted to welcome Grace Yow as our new Tuckshop Convenor!
Grace brings a wealth of experience to our school community, with over three years of tuckshop experience in both primary and high school settings. Before that, she owned and operated a successful Café and Tapas Bar for six and a half years, where she developed her passion for quality food and friendly service.
Grace is excited to bring her knowledge and energy to the EPMSS Tuckshop. She’s especially looking forward to introducing more home-cooked meals to the menu – giving our children nourishing, delicious options made with care.
To help you get to know her better, we sat down for a quick Q&A.
👩🍳 Quick Q&A with Grace Yow
Q: What kind of changes can we expect on the tuckshop menu?
Grace: I’m planning to introduce more home-cooked options using fresh ingredients. Think comforting, nutritious meals that kids will love – and parents will feel good about.
Q: What’s your favourite food?
Grace: Japanese Curry Rice! It’s warm, savoury, and full of flavour – the ultimate comfort food.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Grace: I love heading to the beach with my two puppies. It’s the perfect way to relax and recharge.
We’re thrilled to have Grace on board and can’t wait for families to experience the delicious meals she’ll be cooking up. Keep an eye out for updates and specials in the coming weeks!
– EPMSS P&C Committee
Congratulations!
Congratulations to our wonderful Prep B teacher, Mrs Alexandra Johnson on her wedding in the holidays! Wishing you and Mr Johnson a lifetime of love and happiness.
2025 Uniform Shop Hours
Uniform shop hours are every Thursday from 8am - 9am for all of your school uniform needs.
