2024 Term 3 Vol. 4

Acknowledgment of Country

From the Principal's Desk

Dear Families and Community Members,

As we come to the end of Term 3, it’s incredible to reflect on the rich and varied experiences our students have enjoyed over the past few months. From learning adventures to sporting achievements, this term has been filled with opportunities that have enriched both the academic and social lives of our students.

Celebrating Culture and Community

Our NAIDOC celebration was a highlight, bringing students together to deepen their understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures. It was inspiring to see such a strong sense of community and respect throughout the event.

Excursions and Adventures

Our students have ventured beyond the classroom, with the Year 6 trip to Cairns providing a memorable experience of our nation’s natural wonders, and the Year 1 excursion to Tropical Fruit World sparking curiosity about sustainability and agriculture. The Prep students’ visit to Fleays Wildlife Park was another fantastic opportunity to explore our local environment, while the Year 2 Museum visit helped students connect with history in an engaging way.

Athletics and Sporting Events

This term saw plenty of action on the sports field with our athletics carnivals and Gala Day, where students demonstrated their skills and sportsmanship. Our Green & Gold Day was a great celebration of national pride, tied in with the excitement of the Olympic spirit. Dance Fever also had students moving and grooving, showing their talents on the dance floor!

Learning and Competitions

Term 3 was packed with academic and co-curricular events, including Science Week, the Griffith Science Competition, and the always-popular Book Week, where creativity and literacy came together in full force. We also hosted a chess competition, which gave students a chance to showcase their strategic thinking. A special mention to our students who competed in the Gold Coast Eisteddfod, representing our school with pride and talent.

Health, Safety, and Wellbeing

Our focus on student wellbeing continued with important initiatives such as Prep Vision Screening and Bullying No Way Day, both ensuring our students' health and fostering a safe school environment. The Year 1 Fire Safety Program taught essential skills, while the Royal Rescuers visit educated students about real-life emergency responses.

Global Connections

This term, we were fortunate to host three groups of international visitors, providing our students with a wonderful opportunity to learn from other cultures and perspectives. See Mrs Dekker's article to view more highlights from this event. 

Community Engagement

Our school also participated in the Active School Travel Wheel and Walk event, promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainable transport. It was fantastic to see so many students and families taking part.

New Enrolments and Prep 2025 Transition
We are excited to welcome new families from Prep to Year 6 who are making contact with the school for enrolments in 2025. If you are intending to join us, please contact our Enrolments Team at enrolment@mudgeerabacreekss.eq.edu.au or if you prefer, call us to speak with the Enrolments Officer. The next phase of our Prep transition program is underway, with Prep interviews and classroom experience opportunities being offered for our future 2025 Preppies. These experiences are designed to ensure a smooth and positive start for our youngest learners as they prepare to join our school community. If you have a particular time in mind for your Prep interview, best access the booking system as soon as the email hits your inbox to ensure you get your preference—because as they say in The Incredibles, "Luck favours the prepared!"

As we near the end of the year there are the many tasks to work through in preparing for the 2025 school year, one of those is 2025 class creation. This year, please send an email to classpreference@mudgeerabacreekss.eq.edu.au regarding friendship requests. Please keep this limited to 2 friends, and of course if there are concerns about friendship groups, include this information as well. I do need to remind you all that these are simply requests and not a guarantee. We have many factors to take into consideration when compiling class lists. You are not able to request specific teachers as this is not part of the process. Requests are to be received no later than 2 October.

Each year we know that some of our families say goodbye to Mudgeeraba Creek, so if you know that you are not returning in 2025, please complete the Student Leaving Form below and return to our Attendance Officer, Louise Gossling - Attendance@mudgeerabacreekss.eq.edu.au We collate this information and use it in the planning of classes for 2025. Of course, this does not include our current Year 6 students, we know they are excitedly heading off to high school and will be invited to complete a brief survey regarding their high school of choice.

Looking Forward to Term 4

With Term 4 just around the corner, we are already planning more exciting events, and I encourage you to stay connected through our communication channels. Our next newsletter will be available in Week 1 of Term 4, and we’re looking forward to continuing this amazing journey with our students and families.

Wishing everyone a relaxing Spring break. We’ll see you all in Term 4!

Warm regards
Ben Morris
Principal

Senior School

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL - Walk to School Event Term 3

It was great to see so many senior students involved in the AST Walk to school event last week. Modelling healthy behaviours is something that our senior students pride themselves on and it was great to see so many senior students participate in such an important event. Seeing the senior students assisting the junior students with getting themselves organised and ready to walk was special. Well done students.

🏈 GALA DAY 2 🏀

This week our Year 5 & 6 students participated in their final Gala Sporting event for 2024. From all the coaches reports, our teams performed very well. Most importantly, students upheld our Creek values of being respectful, encouraging one another and working together to achieve awesome results. We managed to capture some of the action before the weather interrupted the day.

Junior School

Tokyo Kunimoto Elementary School Visit 

We were very lucky to host another school visit from Tokyo Kunimoto Elementary School on Wednesday 28 August.  Our Year 3 students were wonderful hosts and enjoyed sharing their classrooms with their buddies. 

The students from Japan thought our students were very lucky to have so much open space to play in and an abundance of wildlife at school. 

Our students were surprised to discover the similarities and differences between school life in Tokyo and Mudgeeraba.  We hope that we will be able to host more international school visits next year as this is a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn about life in other countries. 

⚽ Triple P - Preps Perfecting Progress! 🖍

Our Prep students continue to make amazing progress in all areas. They have perfected pencil grips, put their best dance moves together ready for the concert and found new things to do in the playground.

 📚 Reading is fun in Year One 😊

Year One continues to make the most of literacy blocks in class taking every opportunity to put their skills into action.  Reading to a friend is still one of the most popular rotations.

🎧 Year Two - Making Waves with Amazing Sound Experiments! 🧬

This term Year Two have explored what sound is, how it is sensed and how sounds are made.  They have enjoyed making an instrument out of common and recycled materials.   After playing their instrument in a class concert students used scientific diagrams to explain how their instrument produced sound.  This hands-on application of knowledge was great fun.

IDEAS

The Vital Role of Teacher Aides in Supporting Students with Diverse Needs at Mudgeeraba Creek State School

As our school continues to prioritise the success and well-being of all students, we want to highlight the essential role that our Teacher Aides play in supporting students with diverse needs. These dedicated professionals are integral to creating an inclusive and nurturing learning environment where every child can thrive.

Personalised Support for Individual Needs

One of the most significant contributions of Teacher Aides is their ability to provide personalised support tailored to each student's unique needs. Teacher Aides work closely with Classroom, Intervention and IDEAS teachers to ensure that every child receives the attention and resources necessary to succeed. This one-on-one or small group support can make a profound difference in a student's academic progress and self-confidence.

Fostering an Inclusive Classroom Environment

Inclusion is a cornerstone of our educational philosophy, and Teacher Aides are champions of this mission. They help create a classroom atmosphere where all students feel valued and included, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds. By assisting with differentiated instruction, adapting materials, and facilitating peer interactions, Teacher Aides ensure that students with diverse needs can fully participate in classroom activities alongside their peers.

Building Strong Relationships

Teacher Aides often build strong, trusting relationships with the students they support. These relationships are crucial in helping students feel safe, understood, and motivated to learn. When students know they have someone in their corner who understands their challenges and believes in their potential, they are more likely to take risks, ask for help, and engage fully in their learning.

Supporting Teachers and Enhancing Instruction

The presence of Teacher Aides in the classroom allows teachers to focus more on delivering high-quality instruction to the entire class. Teacher Aides take on various responsibilities, such as managing classroom routines, providing additional explanations or practice for struggling students, and assisting with classroom management. This collaborative approach enhances the overall teaching and learning experience, ensuring that all students receive the support they need.

A Pillar of Our School Community

Teacher Aides are more than just classroom assistants - they are vital members of our school community. Their dedication, patience, and compassion enrich the lives of the students they work with and contribute to a positive school culture. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and the impact they have on our students' educational journeys.  Their contributions go far beyond the classroom, helping to create a school environment where every child can achieve their full potential.

Warm regards
Pamela Lidstone
Head of Student Services

The Sporting Scoop

On the 7- 8^th August, the Mudgeeraba Creek Athletics team competed at the Oceanic Championships at Runaway Bay. All students represented the school well with the following students achieving top ten results.

10^th 12 years boys 800m, 1500m – Cameron

10^th 10 years girls 100m – Ava

7^th 12 years boys High Jump – Cameron

6^th 11 years girls Long Jump – Scarlett

2^nd 10 years girls Shot Put – Ava

Well done to Ava who represented the Oceanic team for Shot Put at the Regional Championships.

On the 10^th September our Year 5 and 6 students represented the school in our second Gala Day. Students participated in Baseball 5’s, Frisbee, Netball, Mixed Touch Football, and girls and boys Soccer. 

A huge shout out to Robina High for providing umpires for these sports.

Warm regards
Kurt Gislingham
PE Teacher

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A Touch of Drama

In Week 10, the Year 3 and 4 students have been performing their final performances of their Mulga Bill and dialogue scripts. We have been working on different facial expressions and using their body to help portray the story. They have done amazingly and their performances were very enjoyable to watch. The Year 6 students have also just performed their tableau stories of different fairy tales. This means working with freeze frames to tell a story. There were asked to use four freeze frames to tell a certain fairy tale. The students put in a lot of effort into their freeze frames, which helped the class have a clear understanding of their stories.

The Preps, Year 1's and Year 2's throughout this term have been working on improvisation skills. They were given a specific scenario and have 5 seconds to think of how they want to act out this scenario and do this all at once as a class. 

The students have had a blast with these activities, and it’s awesome to see such a noticeable boost in everyone’s performance as we wrap up Term 3!

This term in Drama has been a joyride, and I can’t get enough of those cheerful, beaming faces that light up my classroom every day. Wishing everyone a fantastic Term 4—may it be filled with even more drama, laughter, and fun!

Warm regards
Kate Mills
Drama Teacher

Important Reminders

The School Watch program encourages everyone to look out for and report any after-hours crime in our schools.

Empty schools can become targets for unlawful entry, arson, stealing, graffiti and property damage, especially during school holiday periods.  This comes at a cost to the whole community, and not just the financial cost of repairs.

The School Watch program is a partnership between the Department of Education and Protective Services Group, Queensland Police Service, providing a way for members of the community to report anything they see that is suspicious, even if it seems minor.

LOOK, LISTEN, REPORT.  Call School Watch on 13 17 88.  If you see a crime in progress, call Triple Zero (000)

Creek Kids Playgroup Term 3 Wrap-Up

This week, The Creek Kids had a blast outdoors! 🌞

We got our hands delightfully messy with playful activities that are not just fun but also help us get ready for writing in Prep next year! ✍️

And guess what? We soared through an epic obstacle course, boosting our confidence and coordination like little superheroes! 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️

Don’t miss out—The Creek Kids playgroup happens every Wednesday during term from 9 to 10 am. Come along in Term 4 for loads of fun, fantastic activities, and to make some new friends! 🎈🎨🚀

The Essential Role of State School Nurses

State School Nurses are employed by the Department of Education and form part of a team of 14 nurses that support South-East Region State Schools from the NSW/QLD border up to the Springwood area. We practice as Clinical Nurses and are based in the Professional Hub in the Bendigo building at Mudgeeraba Creek State School. We currently support around 150 students at 20 different schools including mainstream and special schools, learning centres, outdoor recreation centres and early childhood development programs.

A typical work day for us may consist of assessing a student's needs at school by liaising with their family and their school to develop health plans. We collaborate with allied health and treating specialists and then provide training to build capability and confidence of school staff supporting these students. Our main goal is to minimise the impact of the student's health condition on their learning and maximise attendance. 

We are able to engage with families after a nursing referral has been generated via the school and accepted by our nursing service. Some of the health supports that we assist with are enteral feeding, airway/breathing support and oxygen therapy, urinary/stoma support, diabetes, seizure management, asthma, allergy and anaphylaxis. We assist in extending these supports to off-site school activities and are always asking our supervisor if we can tag along to school camp, especially when they're in exotic locations. No luck yet!  

We love being a part of the Mudgeeraba Creek State School community, and look forward to further supporting our local families in maximising opportunities for learning, without health-related barriers. 

Thank you for your support 🌼

Warm regards,
Kathy & Renai

Your P & C - Disco A Huge Success!

We are thrilled to announce that this year’s annual P&C Disco was a massive success! The night was filled with fun, laughter, and plenty of dancing, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible support from our school community.

A special thank you goes to all the parents and staff who volunteered their time, including those who stepped in on the night to lend a hand. Your dedication made the evening truly unforgettable! We would also like to give a big shout-out to our tuckshop convenor, whose behind-the-scenes efforts ensured everything ran smoothly.

The P&C thrives on the spirit of community, and these events simply wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers. Thank you once again for your time and support! We look forward to more fantastic events in the future.

Staff Spotlight

Upcoming Events

Holiday Activities for the Family