Welcome to Term 4 and a special welcome to all of the new students and families who have joined the Sunshine Beach State School community this term. Term 4 is always a busy one, with lots of learning and recognition of effort occurring over the coming weeks. Swimming started this week and I would like to thank the staff and volunteers who are involved for supporting this program.

Administration of medication

Last week we had a School Audit which supported the administration team to review systems and processes used within the school. Following on from this review, parents and carers are reminded that any over the counter medications must be handed into the office in its original packaging and accompanied by a letter from a health practitioner (eg doctor or dentist) stating the details regarding the dosage and time. I acknowledge that it is difficult to get appointments to see GPs but this process is necessary for student safety and in line with departmental policy. Please note, the office will no longer accept medications without the appropriate written information from a prescribing health practitioner. The fact sheet from the department is included in this newsletter and I thank you all for your support in ensuring this process is followed.

There has also been a change to Blue Card requirements that came into effect on the 20 September this year. In most instances, our fantastic volunteers will require a Blue Card and to complete the Mandatory Training (Key messages) guide. A very big thank you to all our volunteers who have applied for their Blue Cards over the past few weeks. It is a very simple online process. You can check for further details on the Blue Card website (click here), or call the office for guidance on how to apply. Volunteer Blue Cards are free of charge. Please remember that if you are volunteering for our school, you will need to sign in at the office rather than heading directly to classes, including if you are helping with swimming. Thank you.

Robotics Club

This week we launched our Robotics Club for selected students in Year 5. This initiative is being run with a small army of incredibly knowledgeable and passionate volunteer parents along with school staff. It allows Year 5 students who excel in the STEM subjects (Science, Technology and Mathematics) to further develop their problem-solving and design-thinking skills using Lego Spike Prime kits in small groups and pairs. The aim is to have teams participate in local Sunshine Coast competitions using the kits. This is a wonderful partnership between the school and community and I sincerely thank all of our volunteers, particularly Marilyn, Jason, Lawrence and Jack for partnering with us to deliver this program.

2026 classes

Finally, it is that time of the year when the leadership team are working on class planning for 2026. As we are part of a state-wide system, our staffing allocation for next year is based on our enrolment numbers. It is incredibly important that we have an accurate understanding of the number of students we will have in each year level to ensure we can start 2026 with the appropriate class structures. If your child will not be returning to Sunshine Beach State School in 2026, please let the school office know as soon as possible. If you have a child (or know of families) who are intending to start at Sunshine Beach next year, please get in contact with the office as soon as possible. Class teachers will also be speaking to students about choosing 2-3 friends requests to be considered for class composition in 2026. Please feel free to discuss this with your child over the coming few weeks.