The Sunshine Beach State School P&C committee is a welcoming team and is a great way to meet new people, make friends and make a positive difference to our school and your child’s educational opportunities. At the February P&C meeting, new netball uniforms and performing arts shirts were approved, as well as approval of upcoming Term 2 excursions and incursions. There was also early discussion of project planning events for 2025.

Our P&C committee enables services through the provision of tuckshop and employment of our permaculture garden teacher. The P&C directs its fundraising back into the school to resource enhancements for our students.

We are keen to hear your ideas on priorities for 2025 funding targeted projects. Last week, I emailed home a survey link which encouraged all parents to indicate areas of priority.

Some ideas already suggested are:

• The next phase of playground equipment: Further expand and diversify play areas to cater to different age groups and provide more engaging activities.
• Netball court/basketball redesign: We currently have a situation where adults coaching netball are required to move very heavy posts in and out of the court during netball training. The netball posts being there permanently results in the loss of use of the basketball hoops which are situated behind. Two options include reconfiguring the court to be three half-court basketball courts with hoops on east and west, and one netball court with hoops on north and south aspects. The other option is a new dedicated court for netball and leaving the existing court as it is.
• Enhancements to our permaculture garden: Growing our sustainable garden is an exciting way to teach our children about the environment and healthy living while beautifying our school grounds. This is a signature program of our school and offers a unique learning environment for our students. We currently are not able to use the adjoining bush land due to some safety aspects. A proposal would be to revitalise the permaculture garden and extend into a section of the bushland.
• Improvements to tiered seating and steps to oval and Sunshine Beach unique mural on the large retaining wall circling the oval bank: enhancing school culture and functional use of this area.

This is your chance to have your voice heard and contribute to the continued success of our school.

Please provide your ideas via the survey link  by 14 March 2025. The survey asks that you select one of these four suggested project ideas and then gives scope for you to add another suggested area of enhancement.

This survey also asks if you would be interested in being part of a P&C focus group. The groups would give relevant advice and feedback to the school and assist with project planning and delivery.

P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The P&C are holding their AGM on Wednesday 26 March at 5.30pm in the Staff Room. As per usual P&C AGM protocols, all executive positions will be declared vacant and nominations will be called for President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer positions. If you are interested in any of these P&C positions, I am happy to talk you through the requirements of these positions (lcutt1@eq.edu.au ). We hope to continue the strong tradition of P&C support to benefit your children during their time at Sunshine Beach State School

NAPLAN 2025 – Year 3 and Year 5 students

Each year, all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in Australian schools are offered the opportunity to complete NAPLAN tests (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy). Sunshine Beach State School will complete the tests between 12 – 14 March, with catch up testing offered on Monday 17 March.

There are four tests in total – Writing, Reading, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. All tests are around 40 – 50 minutes in length. The tests are all done online via a secure NAPLAN browser (except for Year 3 Writing Test which is completed on paper). Our Head of Department – Curriculum, Clair Allan, emailed home some information on Friday 28 February with further details.

Parents are provided with their child’s results later in the year.

Remember, NAPLAN is a point in time test and checks what students are normally learning in the classroom. It does not assess all the extra things that make up each of our exceptional and unique students we have here at Sunshine Beach State School.

If you wish to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher or make a time to chat with the school Administration team. Withdrawal from this National Testing program requires a conversation with one of the key contacts below and the completion of a written request on a specific NAPLAN form. Please ensure any such conversations and documentation required is completed by Monday 10 March at the very latest to allow the school to upload the necessary information to the NAPLAN portal prior to the testing schedule on 12 March 2025. Reasonable adjustments are available for students with disability who have diverse abilities and needs.

Key contacts to discuss adjustments and participation are:

• Clair Allan (Head of Department - Curriculum) calla45@eq.edu.au
• Nicki Kennedy (Year 3 Learning Engagement Teacher) nkenn13@eq.edu.au
• Christine Baldry (Year 5 Learning Engagement Teacher) cbald45@eq.edu.au
• Marc Baker (Deputy Principal) mtbak0@eq.edu.au

Understanding Mathematical Modelling in the new Version 9 Australian Curriculum

All schools in Australia are delivering the new Version 9 Australian Curriculum for the learning areas of English and Mathematics this year. A strong focus of the assessments in Version 9 Mathematics is mathematical modelling. Mathematical modelling at the primary school level involves using mathematics to solve real-world problems. It encourages students to represent and analyse situations mathematically, helping them understand the connections between mathematics and the world around them.

What is Mathematical Modelling?

Mathematical modelling is the process of translating real-world situations into mathematical concepts. In the classroom, students are given a scenario or problem that they need to represent using mathematical techniques such as numbers, graphs, shapes and equations. This helps students develop their problem-solving skills and enhances their ability to think critically and creatively.

At the primary school level, mathematical modelling can be seen in a variety of contexts, such as measuring distances, understanding patterns, calculating areas, calculating costs, or exploring time-based activities. The goal is not just to perform calculations but to understand how math can be used to describe and solve everyday problems. A practical example is planning a birthday party. This is another real-world scenario where students can use mathematical modelling to organise and manage the event.

Step 1: Understanding the problem

Suppose your child is planning a birthday party for 20 friends and they need to figure out how much food and drink, and other party supplies to order. They will need to calculate how many servings of snacks, drinks, party favours and party supplies are required. They will then need to find the cost of the items required and examine best-buys.

Step 2: Translating to a mathematical model

Calculating the number of drinks needed @ 2 drinks per guest. Calculating the number of snacks needed @ 4 snacks per guest. Calculating the number of plates @ 2 per guest. Calculating the number of napkins @ 2 per guest. Calculating items needed as party favours for 20 guests etc. Investigating costs of these items and identifying best-buy options.

Step 3: Applying the model

Quantities and costs are calculated from the mathematical modelling. Students can further refine their model. For example, they might consider different types of drinks and snacks based on the preferences of their guests.

Step 4: Exploring alternatives

To extend the modelling, students could also think about potential changes to the party, such as different group sizes or a budget limitation. What would happen if there were only 15 guests instead of 20? How might the amount of food and drinks change if the party is held for fewer people? What is you decide to buy a fun party game – how can costs be reduced in other areas to remain in budget? Another aspect to consider is timing. Suppose the party is scheduled to last 3 hours, and you need to plan activities for the guests. The student could divide the time by different segments (e.g., 1 hour for games, 30 minutes for snacks, 1 hour for music and dancing). This is a good exercise for understanding how to allocate time efficiently.

How can parents support their child’s mathematical modelling skills?

Parents can support mathematical modelling at home by encouraging their children to solve real-life problems using mathematics. Here are some simple activities that can be done at home:

• Planning a shopping list: Have your child create a shopping list and calculate the total cost of items, then compare prices or make decisions based on a budget.
• Baking together: Involve your child in following recipes, adjusting measurements based on serving sizes, and understanding fractions.
• Building a small model: Encourage your child to create a small-scale model of their room, house, or garden, and use measurements and scale to determine the area, volume, or proportions of their design.
• Planning a family event: Involve your child in planning a family outing, calculating distances, time for travel, or cost of tickets, and planning meals.

By incorporating mathematical modelling into everyday tasks, students can better understand how math applies to the world around them, and they will be able to approach problems in a more structured and logical way. Through these experiences, they can grow into confident and capable mathematicians.

Student Leaders 2025

Our Year 6 students took their leadership pledge at their Investiture Ceremony last week. I am confident that our school will be provided with exceptional role models from our 2025 Year 6 cohort. Congratulations to our 2025 school leaders! We’re excited to see you inspire and represent our school community in the year ahead.

Taj is a role model for perseverance, discipline, and excellence. We thank him for his time in attending our Investiture Ceremony last week.

Lisa Cutter (Acting Principal)