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We have had a calm and positive feeling across the school with our predicted 30 classes implemented in draft as we await our staffing resources following the student enrolment data collection by the Department of Education on Day 8 (Thursday 6 February). Following this, our class structures will be confirmed for 2025. We currently have 710 students enrolled for the 2025 school year.
Our staff have returned to school with enthusiasm and energy to support Sunshiner students with a fantastic year of learning. A special welcome to new members to the Sunshine Beach State School staff team:
- Danielle Gillespie - Year 6 Teacher
- Summer Borghuis - Year 4 Teacher
- Norman Schaschke – ICT Technician
There are a number of staff who will be rejoining the Sunshine Beach team in 2025. We welcome back Clair Allan, Kaitlyn Sperring, Greta Matters, Mandy Wyatt, Bonnie Law and Erin Counsell.
I am incredibly honoured to be joining a wonderful team of talented and committed staff. The work of Sunshine Beach State School staff in 2024, with the support of parents and community, enabled the school to achieve high academic outcomes across the board. These results situate our school as a high performing school, exceeding regional, state and national average outcomes in all academic areas. The success of your child’s education is a team effort, and it is evident that the Sunshine Beach families are well and truly on the Sunshine Beach team.
2024 outcomes
In 2024, Sunshine Beach State School proudly surpassed all mean scale achievement scores in NAPLAN. We can celebrate 94% of our students achieving A-C for English and 66% achieving A-B levels in the English curriculum. Similarly, our school’s outcomes for Mathematics were strong with 95% A-C and 76% A-B levels of achievement. I share this data with you as we are extremely proud of the achievements and work of our learners and staff.
Of course, schooling is much more than academic outcomes, please be assured your child’s wellbeing, engagement and sense of belonging in our school community is a priority to our staff.
Our school’s 2024 Semester 2 reporting data demonstrated 91% of our students receive A-B effort ratings and 98% of our students achieve an A-C effort rating. Similarly positive, respectful and connecting behaviours are evident across all our school contexts with 86% of our students receiving A-B outcomes for positive behaviour and 98.5% of our students receiving an A-C outcome for respectful behaviour choices demonstrated with consistency. Well done, Sunshiner students – thank you for your outstanding commitment and contributions to a supportive, encouraging and happy school day, every day, for everyone!
2025 Improvement Priorities
Our improvement priorities are focused on Learning, Engagement and Wellbeing.
Learning: Implementation of Version 9 English and Mathematics, through the use of high impact teaching strategies and strong moderation processes.
Engagement: Strengthening inclusive teaching and learning practices and embedding individual student case management.
Wellbeing: Enhancing our sense of community and ensuring positive relationships with students, staff and families to provide a need fulfilling and joyful school.
Our improvements targets are:
- 96% Level of Achievement A-C for English and Maths
- 68% Level of Achievement A-B for English
- 78% Level of Achievement A-B for Mathematics
- Outperform National Average for percentage of students in the ‘Exceeding’ year level expectations band by 2% in all NAPLAN subtests
- 93% student attendance rate
- School Opinion Survey – This school has a strong sense of community 95%
QParents
To ensure your child has access to our online programs (Mathletics, Maths Seeds, Reading Eggs) and can gain your consent to participate in excursions, incursions and other school consent required activities, please prioritise your registration with QParents.
QParents is the Queensland Department of Education application for digital permissions. All families have been sent invitations to join QParents. Initial set up needs to be done on a computer and then QParents is accessible via an app on your phone. QParents is very easy to use and allows parents to provide digital permission for our school events and online programs. This registration with QParents will automatically transfer to secondary school with your child.
QParents also allows parents to view absences and provide absence information. To ensure your child can access our online programs. Pop into the office or sent us an email if you are having any difficulties in setting this up. We are here to help! Not only is QParents easy for parents to use, it saves the drama of the lost note, as well as saving paper wastage as we implement this paper-less system of digital permission.
Parents and Citizens’ Association (P&C)
A big thank you to the 2024 P&C team who provided resourcing of $150,000 to establish new playground equipment in the lower school playground. Our lower school students are thrilled to be using this play equipment every day. This is a wonderful example of P&C leadership and community support to enhance facilities for our Sunshine Beach students. Don’t forget – every time you order through our school tuckshop, you are supporting the P&C fundraising efforts.
Each year, we build our community connection by implementing a school-wide communication system that is tied in with a P&C Parent Class Representative for each of our classrooms. The P&C Parent Class Representative is an important role to enhance communication, build community connection and support our P&C’s initiatives. We are very appreciative of any parents who are keen to nominate for this role. An email was sent home on Monday 3 February with the details to nominate, as well as the link for all parents to give their permission to be included in the P&C Parent Class Rep’s communication.
Our first P&C meeting for 2025 will be held on Wednesday 19 February 2025 at 5.30pm. All parents are invited and encouraged to come along and share your thoughts on our key focus areas for this year.
Interactive Digital Screens
Our students are able to engage in a wide range of learning experiences supported by access to digital technology. Over the school holidays, over $80,000 was invested in new Interactive Digital Screens across our classrooms. Our teachers and students are exploring new functionalities to enhance engagement and deepening of knowledge through use of these tools.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you need any assistance to ensure your child has the most successful experience at Sunshine Beach State School – lcutt1@eq.edu.au
NAPLAN 2025
NAPLAN will shortly be on our doorstep, with all of our children in Years 3 and 5 due to participate in the national testing beginning on Wednesday 12 March. NAPLAN stands for National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy, and will measure students’ knowledge and understanding in Reading, Writing, Grammar and Punctuation and Numeracy in a series of online tests. Over the coming weeks, all students in Years 3 and 5 will be introduced to the online platforms, their functionalities and the numerous tools that support the completion of this test in it’s online form.
At Sunshine Beach SS, we work with our students to ensure that they are best prepared in their knowledge to use this online platform and feel confident to demonstrate their knowledge in an informed and supported way. Our children’s best preparation comes from the consistent and quality teaching of the Australian Curriculum which each of our experienced teachers provide students with every day.
As a school we will provide more information to students and their families as the time gets closer, however should parents want to do their own research please feel free to look at the NAPLAN online website or download brochure below. There are specific sections on their for parents and carers, but the ‘Public Demonstration Site’ that you will access there is another great way for parents and children to have understanding of what the platform looks like, and what their children will experience on the day. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Clair Allan - Head of Department Curriculum or speak with your child’s classroom teacher.
Performing Arts
Welcome back! We are excited to begin another term of dynamic and enriching learning in the Performing Arts. In Term 1, students will immerse themselves in Drama, exploring creativity and expression. We look forward to a term full of growth and inspiring experiences. Please remember to ask you child what they have been up to in Performing Arts. Here is an outline of the learning focus for this term:
Year 1 and 2: Fairy Tales - Students explore the key elements of fairy tales before bringing them to life through performance. They examine fractured versions of familiar fairy tales, analysing the similarities and differences between the two versions. The lessons emphasise using voice, facial expressions, and body movement to effectively portray characters and events. The unit culminates in students creating their own fractured fairy tale and performing it for the class.
Year 3 and 4: Radio Plays - Students are creating their own radio play, learning the key elements that make up this genre, including the roles of the narrator, sound effects, characters, scenes, music, and vocal characterisation. They will explore how to adjust their speech in various ways, such as pitch, tempo, tone, articulation, and accents, to effectively portray different characters and bring their story to life.
Year 5 and 6: Theatre Sports - Learners engage in improv-based activities that encourage quick thinking, creativity, and teamwork. They will participate in a series of games and exercises designed to build confidence, enhance communication skills, and strengthen their ability to perform under pressure. Through fun and spontaneous challenges, students will develop their acting skills, learn to think on their feet, and collaborate effectively with their peers. The unit emphasises improvisation, flexibility, and the joy of performance in a supportive environment.
Please encourage your child to explore the various opportunities available to deepen their involvement in the Performing Arts. Below is a list of extracurricular activities offered this term:
Monday 1st Break Junior Dance: Years 1 -3 - Hall
Tuesday 1st Break Senior Dance: Years 4 -6 - Hall
Wednesday 1st Break Sunshine Singers/Choir - Performing Arts room
Thursday 1st Break Drama Club - Performing Arts room
Friday 2nd Break Sunshine’s got Talent – Red Rock
Join Us at the Love Junction Street Party – Friday 7 February Our school is proud to be involved in this vibrant community celebration! The evening will feature live music, delicious food and a fantastic atmosphere, bringing together local businesses, families and friends. We encourage all families to attend and enjoy this fun-filled event while supporting our local community. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get together with friends and neighbours for an enjoyable evening out. We hope to see many of our Sunshiners and their families. Mark your calendars and come along for a great time! Further info: https://www.visitnoosajunction.com/love-junction
Upcoming Student Leader Investiture
On Tuesday 25 February we will be conducting our leadership investiture assembly for our newly elected 2025 school leaders. This is an important day for our students when they formally accept their leadership positions for 2025, receive their badges and undertake a pledge to fulfill their leadership role and responsibilities.
Invitations for the families of these students will be sent out soon.
ICT Agreement and Online Consent Forms
Each year students review our expectations for using information and communication technologies within our school. Part of this process requires students and/or parents to sign our ICT agreement to acknowledge their responsibilities in using ICT resources and programs. This has been sent out as a hard copy to return to your child’s class teacher.
Students will review the expectations for using our technology resources and the Internet, which will explained in simpler terms than the document sent home, so all students understand what is appropriate use and how to care for and respect the ICT resources.
Students will need to have a signed ICT Agreement form either by their parent on the child’s behalf or the child and parent if they are old enough to understand the expectations outlined on the document. Students will not be able to access our ICT resources without handing in a signed form to their class teacher.
Parents of Prep children, new students to the school and our Year 4 students will have been sent through QParents an online consent form for parents to read and sign. This form provides information on the external programs our classes use to support learning in our school. Examples of these include Mathletics, Reading Eggs, SeeSaw and StudyLadder. As these programs require some student information to register for use, we are required by the department to request permission to register your child. At Sunshine Beach we use limited information such as a first name and last initial in most instances so students are not able to be identified in the registration process.
Choice theory and behaviour focus
Welcome to Our Glasser-Accredited school!
For families new to our school, we want to share an important aspect of our approach to student well-being. As a Glasser-accredited school, we frequently dedicate time to teaching our students about Choice Theory.
During the first term, we focus on understanding the basic needs and how to meet them appropriately at school. Our first area of focus is love and belonging, which is primarily fulfilled through positive relationships with peers and school staff. Next, we will explore fun and enjoyment, helping students recognise appropriate ways and times to engage in enjoyable activities at school.
During the first two weeks, our behaviour focus has been on familiarising students with playground expectations. Additionally, each class will develop a negotiated set of class rules, aligned with our overall school values.
We look forward to a great start to the term!
Sunshine Beach State High School - Young Crest Scholars Program – application details
Sunshine Beach SHS is offering the ‘Young Crest Scholars Program’ for students in Years 5 & 6. The program is designed to provide enrichment opportunities for highly motivated students to develop their skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation. Young Crest Scholars will participate in a number of challenging activities with other like-minded students. Please note that all previous participants must re-apply.
Students applying for the Young Crest Scholars Program must:
1. Complete the attached application form.
2. Return the completed application form to:
The Deputy Principal – Junior Secondary
45 Ben Lexcen Drive
Sunshine Beach Q 4567.
3. Closing date: Wednesday 12 February 2025 (week 3)
4. Successful applicants of the Young Crest Scholars Program will be announced during week 4.
5. Program dates: Term 1: Friday 28 February (Week 5)
Term 2: Friday 23 May (Week 5)
Term 3: Friday 15 August (Week 5)
Term 4: Friday 7 November (Week 5)
6. Successful applicants of the Young Crest Scholars Program will have costs covered for morning tea on these ‘Excellence Days’. Students are to supply their own lunch. Students new to the program will receive a SBSHS Young CREST polo shirt to wear to each visit. Transport to and from Sunshine Beach SHS is organised by the parent/guardian.
Being the parent you want to be - Parenting course with Gerard O'Brien
Gerard O'Brien will be running our four-week Parenting with Choice Theory – Being the Parent You Want Be program this term.
We have based the program on William Glasser’s Choice Theory psychology, which is the psychological base we operate from at Sunshine Beach. It is a four week program at no charge for parents. A comprehensive parent workbook is part of the program.
Some of the topics covered include:
• recent discoveries in neuroscience and their implications for our parenting
• an introduction to Dr William Glasser’s Choice Theory psychology
• raising happy, resilient and healthy children – preparing them for the world ahead
• building and maintaining our relationship with even the most difficult child
• navigating the difficult times calmly and in control
• adjusting our parenting as our children mature
• being the parent you want to be
When: Fridays February 21, 28, March 7 and 14 from 8:30–10:30 am. The program is eight hours, spread across four weeks.
Where: Maker Space
Please note that we are unable to offer childcare services, which means we cannot accommodate children at the event.
If you are interested, please complete your registration by Wednesday 19 February, using the following link: https://sunshinebss.schoolzineplus.com/form/559.
Have you been wondering what a P&C Association actually does? Are you new to the school and would like to meet other parents? Do you want to get involved more with the school but aren't sure what you can do? If you answered yes to these questions then you should consider becoming a P&C member by coming along to a General Meeting, held twice a term at the school
Our first P&C meeting for 2025, will be held on Wednesday 19 February, at 5:30 PM in the staff room. Everyone is welcome to attend! Please register your interest by following this link:https://sunshinebss.schoolzineplus.com/form/36
We look forward to seeing you there!
Tuckshop News
NOTICEBOARD
PLEASE NOTE THAT SPORTSX NOW ACCEPT FAIRPLAY VOUCHERS!
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