2025 Term 1 - Week 10

From the Principal's Desk

As we come to the end of Term 1, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the many wonderful experiences and achievements that have taken place across our school community. This term has been filled with learning, growth, and celebration, and I am grateful for the collective efforts of our students, staff, and families in making it such a success.

The energy and enthusiasm with which students and staff embraced the start of the year was truly inspiring. From the first day of school to our many events and activities, there has been a strong sense of community and engagement.

A particular highlight of the term was our P&C Disco. A huge thank you to our dedicated P&C team, parent volunteers, and staff who generously gave their time to create a fun and memorable evening for our students. Your contributions are deeply appreciated.

Throughout the term, students participated in a variety of enriching activities, including Year 1 swimming, the Easter Hat Parade, Life Education sessions, Year 2 Fairy-tale Day, the Year 6 Energy Trailer incursion, and the beach safety incursion. Our Year 3 and 5 students undertook NAPLAN testing, demonstrating resilience and commitment to their learning. Additionally, we were proud to induct our 2025 Student Leaders, who have already begun to make a positive impact on our school.

This term also brought challenges, particularly with the impact of Cyclone Alfred. The resilience and adaptability shown by our students, staff, and families in response to the disruptions were commendable. The way our school community came together to support one another during this time is a testament to the strength and spirit of Mudgeeraba Creek.

This week we have some great news regarding the success of a recent grant we submitted which was targeted to revitalise the area between the library and F Block. This exciting project will transform the area into a multifaceted space which will enable different styles of play and also opportunities for outside learning.

Over the upcoming break, we will see continued improvements to our school facilities. C Block is scheduled for repainting and reflooring, and the final repairs from storm damage will be completed. We kindly ask our community to keep an eye on our school grounds over the holiday period. If you see anything unusual, please contact School Watch on 13 17 88.

As part of our strategic planning cycle, early in Term 2, we will be participating in a school review. From Week 3, we will welcome three Principals for a four-day review process. All Queensland state schools undergo a review at least once every four years, typically aligning with the development of their next strategic plan. This process provides valuable insights that help shape our school’s direction. Reviewers will engage with 80% of staff, school leaders, members of the community, and our community partners. They will also seek to connect with parents and carers before and after school in addition to the scheduled discussions. If you are interested in participating in a scheduled discussion, please reach out to the office or myself—we would love to hear from you.

As we wrap up a busy and rewarding term, I encourage everyone to take time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the company of loved ones over the Easter period. Thank you for your continued support of our school community—I look forward to an exciting Term 2 ahead.

Warm regards
Ben
Ben Morris - Principal 

IDEAS

The Power of Play: Supporting Your Child’s Development During the School Holidays

As the school holidays approach, it's the perfect time to focus on one of the most valuable aspects of childhood—play! Research consistently highlights the importance of play in fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, social connections, and emotional well-being. Play isn't just fun; it's a crucial part of learning and development that builds cognitive, gross motor, fine motor and social skills development!

Why Is Play Important?

Play is considered the “work of childhood”.  Engaging in play helps children:
✔ Develop cognitive and critical thinking skills
✔ Enhance social and communication abilities
✔ Build resilience and emotional regulation
✔ Improve physical coordination and strength

Whether it's imaginative, social, active, or structured, all forms of play contribute to your child’s growth in unique ways.

Ideas to Facilitate Play These Holidays

You don’t need expensive toys or planned activities—simple, everyday experiences can create wonderful play opportunities! Here are a few ideas:

🛝 Outdoor Play: Visit local parks, ride bikes, explore nature trails, or create backyard obstacle courses. Fresh air and movement boost well-being!

🎭 Imaginative Play: Encourage dress-ups, role-playing games, puppet shows, or storytelling sessions to spark creativity.

🎲 Board Games & Puzzles: These support strategic thinking, patience, and turn-taking skills.

🎨 Creative Activities: Provide simple art supplies for drawing, painting, or crafting. Loose parts like cardboard boxes can become anything from spaceships to castles!

📚 Reading & Storytelling: Make reading interactive by acting out stories or creating new endings together.

👥 Social Playdates: Arrange time with friends or family for cooperative games, team sports, or group projects.

💡 STEM Exploration: Build with LEGO, experiment with simple science activities, or explore sensory play like water or sand.

Remember, unstructured free play is just as valuable as structured activities. Allowing children to take the lead in play fosters independence, problem-solving, and joy.

We encourage you to embrace the power of play these holidays and make the most of these special moments with your child. 

Wishing all our families a fun-filled and restful Easter Holiday break! 

Warm regards
Pamela Lidstone
Head of Student Services

Finance Matters

UNDERSTANDING ADJUSTMENT NOTES - When Your Unpaid Excursion Invoice is Cancelled

Following up on the details shared in our Week 4 parent newsletter about excursions, we felt it may be beneficial to provide some further information on what an Excursion ‘Adjustment Note’ is and how it relates to excursion payments.

What is an Excursion Adjustment Note?

An Excursion Adjustment Note is a credit applied to reconcile or adjust an unpaid excursion invoice off your account. It is sometimes also referred to as a credit note or credit adjustment note.

• If an excursion invoice remains unpaid after the due date, it will be cancelled.
• The parent/carer who normally receives invoices will receive an automatic ‘Adjustment Note’ notice via email, confirming the cancellation.
• Once the invoice is cancelled, it will no longer be available for payment.
• If you receive an Adjustment Note, please do not make any payment.

What does it mean if I receive an ‘Adjustment Note’ for my child’s excursion?

• It means the payment deadline was missed or you advised your child was not attending/participating, and the unpaid invoice has been cancelled.
• The Excursion ‘Adjustment Note’ is your notification from the school that payment has not been received by the due date
• As payment has not been received by the due date, your child won’t be able to attend the event, even if consent forms have been submitted
• Payment is no longer possible
  

Why does my invoice show as paid in QParents when an Adjustment Note has been issued?

• An excursion invoice will be available for payment in QParents up until the due date. 
• Once the due date for payment has passed, an Excursion Adjustment Note will be issued against the unpaid excursion invoice and both the invoice and corresponding Adjustment Note (credit) will ‘move’ to the payment history.
• To cancel out all the entries, invoices and credit adjustments will all show as PAID/PAYMENT as part of the reconciliation process.

If you have any questions about reading your QParents Payment History, please contact the
QParents Help Desk on 13 74 68 or contact our Finance Team -  finance@mudgeerabacreekss.eq.edu.au

How can I ensure I don’t miss excursion payment and consent deadlines?

To support busy families, we’ll send reminders as the due date approaches. Here are some other helpful tips to stay on track:

• You can click on the calendar icon next to your invoice in QParents, and it will add it to your calendar for you!
• Set phone reminders
• Flag important emails
• Use a calendar to track deadlines
• Place sticky notes in key places
• Try a task manager app like Todoist or Google Keep
• Ask a friend or family member to remind you

*Please allow up to 48 hours for BPOINT payments to process.

We hope this information assists families in understanding their account. Just like you, we want to ensure every student is able to enjoy participating in their events.

Thank you for helping us support your child by ensuring payments and consent forms are submitted by their due date.  

Warm regards
Finance Team

Your P & C

Mother's Day Stall

Please note that the MCSS Mother’s Day Stall will be held on Wednesday 7^th May and Thursday 8^th May (8am to 2pm both days) and we will be appealing for volunteers early next term. It is such a rewarding experience helping the students to pick out just the right gift for mum (or significant other) as well as a great opportunity to meet other parents at the school.

Donations Wanted 

If you have any craft items or other Mum-friendly gifts you would like to donate to the stall, could you please have your child drop them off to the tuckshop.

All donations are greatly appreciated and will assist in raising much needed funds for the school.

Finer details regarding the stall (including a class timetable) will be sent out closer to the date.

Prep Tuckshop Orders Open from Week 1, Term 2!

We are happy to share that tuckshop lunch ordering for Prep children will be available from the start of Term 2, Tuesday 22^nd April, 2025! The Creek Café has a wide range of delicious and healthy food options for either first (main) or second break. 

Online Ordering and Payment Options

• Register for Flexischools by visiting www.flexischools.com.au. Add your student, their school and class to get started.
• Make an order by selecting from the range of options made available by your school and proceed to make payment for the order listed in your order pad. Orders need to be placed before 9am each morning.
• Review Orders by logging back in to your Flexischools account. You can set recurring orders, view transaction history or cancel orders via your Flexischools login.
• What does it cost? Refer to the website for full details and transaction costs.

Over the Counter Orders

Please see menu below for current pricing.

To complete your order, please:

• Write your child’s order on a paper bag (see below for example of information to be included)
• Place the correct money inside the paper bag
• Hand into the tuckshop counter before school starts for the day.

**Important Note**

Prep children are not able to bring money (for over the counter sales) at this early stage of the year as we do not want students having to navigate too far away from the Prep area. Prep ‘Treat money days’ will be introduced some time during Semester 2 when teachers feel students are ready for this to occur.

Warm Regards
P&C Committee

Reminders