Dear Parents/Carers,

SURVEY RESPONSE

Thankyou for the fantastic response to our Digital Learning and Device Usage Survey. More than 50% of our parent/carer cohort invested more than 15 minutes each in providing  rich feedback which was representative across all year levels. Statistically this allows the survey findings to be considered reliably. Our parent/carer committee leads are currently using the raw data to come up with the recurrent concerns and recurrent ideas for action, to consider when we meet again in Term 3.

SCIENCE OF READING: HOW PARENTS CAN HELP

• Make it fun: Keep reading activities engaging and positive. 
• Keep it short and consistent: Short and regular practice is more effective
• Provide appropriate materials for younger children: access to decodable texts is helpful. As they progress, introduce more diverse and challenging books.
• Be patient and supportive: Celebrate small successes
• Avoid guessing words based on pictures, context or the first letter. If your child is guessing, redirect them to sound out the word. 

By implementing these strategies, parents can effectively support their child's reading development at home, aligning with the evidence-based principles of the Science of Reading. 

FACILITIES

We are currently working with the Department of Education's Central Office around some facility upgrades. This includes 6 replacement classrooms for two of the older classroom blocks which currently house LOTE, our Speech Language Pathologist and the 4L and 4W classrooms adjacent to the MPC. The two Year 2 classrooms that sit on the rear corner of the oval near Horizon Drive are hire buildings and they will be replaced. The school is still working out with the department as to where the new buildings will be sited. 

Additionally, the admin, library, Year 4, Year 1 and the Prep V classroom will most likely receive new roofs. To facilitate this there will be some tree removal taking place in the coming weeks to ensure our gutters are not impacted by the trees. Between now and the start of next year, this work may require some temporary classroom relocations and we will come up with a plan that is the least disruptive but with the fantastic goal of having upgraded facilities. 

LONG SERVICE LEAVE

I will be taking Long Service Leave and will return to work on July 28. Scott Matthews will be capably leading the school in my absence. Lyndel Ivory-Lisle returns from leave next week and Mrs Rae Welch will take up Scott's Deputy responsibilities while he backfills the Principal role.

Have a great week and I will see everyone at the end of July!

Kind regards,

Kathy

Kindness Counts at Jamboree Heights

At Jamboree Heights State School, we are continually proud of the way our learners demonstrate kindness each and every day. Whether it’s including someone in a game, lending a helping hand to a peer or staff member, or taking initiative to tidy up our school environment, these small acts of kindness truly make a big difference.

These thoughtful actions don’t go unnoticed. They help to build a positive, respectful and inclusive school culture where everyone feels valued and supported. It’s heart-warming to see our students consistently choosing kindness and showing care for others.

We celebrate these acts of kindness at our school assemblies by inviting learners to sit on the Throne of Kindness – a special recognition of their caring actions. In addition, we are adding Kindness Hearts to our Kindness Tree, a growing display that proudly shares these positive moments with our school community.

Thank you to all our learners who continue to lead with compassion and make our school a better place for everyone!

Learners nominated for their kindness during our Week 7 Senior Assembly!

Following on the theme of kindness within our school community, it has been wonderful to hear about the number of our learners who are volunteering their time at a range of community events! A huge shout out and thank you to the following learners:

Max and Harper, two of our Year 6 learners who supported Cr Sarah Hutton at the Darra Festival. Both Max and Harper gave up time on their weekend, volunteering with pride and positivity!

We would also like to thank and acknowledge a group of learners who recently demonstrated kindness and school spirit by supporting one of our fabulous instrumental music teachers, Mrs Zorzetto. Thank you to Celine, Belle, Evie, Emily, Ella D, Ella F, Chase, Bodhi and James for attending the Bands in the Park festival to support Mrs Zorzetto, who is a talented member of the Queensland Wind Orchestra. This community event, run by the Brisbane City Council, was made even more special by the presence of our supportive students!

Year 1 Reading

Exploring Fluency in 1H
Learners in 1H are currently building their reading skills with an engaging new routine called Fluency Crowns. This interactive activity supports key components of the Science of Reading by combining decoding, fluency, and encoding practice in a fun and purposeful way.

Wearing sentence “crowns,” learners work with a partner to read a sentence aloud using a robot voice first to help them identify each sound. They then re-read the sentence with expression and fluency, before their partner writes it on a whiteboard. Roles are then swapped, allowing both learners to practise reading, listening, and writing.

This routine has quickly become a favourite in 1H, with learners showing growing confidence, collaboration, and enjoyment as they strengthen their fluency skills.

Prep and Year 6 Buddy’s Teddy Bear’s Picnic

Rain didn’t spoil our first ever Teddy Bear’s Picnic with our year 6 buddies. All prep and year 6 classes were excited for their wonderful morning in the MPC with their teddy, reading books and enjoying a snack. Thanks so much to Mr McNae for organising another fantastic event for our buddy classes and to the Prep and Year 6 teachers for fostering this great program for our learners.

Prep 2026 Enrolment

Lunchtime clubs and activities

For Term 2, we have a range of new clubs and activities now available to engage and support our learners, and believe there is something on offer for everyone. Please see the overview below for details on what’s on offer. We encourage you to explore these options with your child and help them find something they’re excited to try. If your child is unsure about joining a club, we suggest they attend at least once to see if it’s a good fit.

Clubs in the spotlight

Creative Writers Workshop - Year 4 to 6, 1st break Wed 

Each week Mr Lindsay is working to unleash the creative potential of of the many talented writers across Year 4 to 6.   Check out some of the pieces of writing below - definitely some future best selling authors!

Handball Clubs - Year 3, 1st break Mon | Year 4, 1st break Tue | Year 5 & 6, 1st break Wed 

Each week, Miss Annabelle (Years 3 and 4) and Mrs. Guenzler (Year 5 & 6) run a handball club where they review key rules and offer coaching and support to help resolve common game issues and keep everything running smoothly. Miss Annabelle even brings some music to liven up sessions!  

Debating Club - Year 5 & 6- Next Session will be Monday 16 June at 1st break, 11 to 11:45am in 6G/6F classroom

On Wednesday, we had over 40 learners attend our first Learn to Debate session. Erin McCabe (JHSS parent) has had lots of experience in debating and has kindly agreed to be our expert coach. For the first session, kids had fun getting into the spirit of debating, responding to prompts like “If I ruled the world, I would…” and then working as a team to argue which profession (teacher, florist, delivery driver, artist…) should be allowed into a bunker (with limited space) if there was a zombie apocalypse – lots of fun!

If any learners missed the first session, there will be another Learn to Debate session on Monday 16 June at first break, 11:00–11:45am in the 6G/F classroom. No sign-on is required—everyone is welcome to attend and can register their interest on the day. This will be followed by two more sessions in Term 3. After completing the series, learners will have the opportunity to nominate for the school debating team and participate in QDU debates across Terms 3 and 4.

Garden Club -Prep to 6 - Tuesday, 1st break (11:10am) | Thursday, before school (8:00am)

Look at the garden grow!   The garden is now thriving thanks to the efforts of Claire Hourigan and Maria Wilson (parent coordinators), Amy Manheim (teacher helper), and our amazing team of student volunteers. In the garden, you’ll find tomatoes, lemons, sunflowers, lettuce, rosellas, and more!

Supporting Diverse Learners at Jamboree Heights – NCCD Collection

Our school support model is based on the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). Students who face specific challenges or disabilities, and who require additional support, may be included in the NCCD. 

The NCCD recognises that learners require different levels of adjustment and categorises support into four tiers:

• Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice (provided occasionally)

• Supplementary (provided often)

• Substantial (provided most of the time)

• Extensive (provided at all times)

At the school level, any learner included in the NCCD will have a Personal Learning Record that outlines their specific areas of need and the key adjustments in place. One of the strengths of the NCCD is its inclusive approach to all types of disabilities, with a focus on the strategies we use to help learners access the classroom curriculum and school activities.

If your child is currently included in the NCCD or is being considered for inclusion, you will be contacted individually in the coming months to discuss this. For more information on the legislative requirements and what data is shared with the Australian Government, please refer to the NCCD Fact Sheet.

It’s important to note that a student does not need to be included in the NCCD to receive additional support. In our classrooms, we recognise a wide range of learning needs and strive to support all learners every day through high-quality teaching practices. Many students who receive support do not have a diagnosed disability. This includes students who need enrichment or extension, those learning English as a second language, and those with mild learning difficulties or behavioural challenges.

For further information about the NCCD or the data collection process, please contact Alister Warren at awarr26@eq.edu.au.

JHSS was alive with colour, creativity, and community spirit on Friday 30 May as learners and staff stepped out in their wackiest socks for Crazy Sock Day—all in support of the RSPCA.

From bright stripes and bold patterns to quirky pom-poms and mismatched pairs, the school was transformed into a sea of silly socks. The fun of the day also had an important purpose: to raise awareness and funds for the RSPCA and the vital work they do caring for animals in need.

Learners were encouraged to wear their craziest socks and bring along a gold coin donation. Their enthusiasm was clear, with smiles all around and thoughtful conversations sparked about kindness, empathy, and animal welfare.

Thanks to the incredible support of our school community, we raised an impressive $778! These funds will go directly to providing shelter, food, and medical care for animals across the state.

A special thank you goes to Year 5 learners Sophia and Sophie, who not only initiated the idea for the fundraiser but also ran a handmade keyring stall on the day.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed. Crazy Sock Day was a wonderful reminder that even small acts of kindness can have a big impact.

Safety Online and Offline

Over the past few weeks, JHSS has welcomed the Life Education team for a series of engaging and age-appropriate sessions across all year levels. With the ever-popular Healthy Harold leading the way, students explored vital topics around safety, respectful relationships, and the smart use of technology—both online and offline.

Prep: Learning Safety Rules
Our youngest learners focused on recognising safe and unsafe environments, learning how to care for others, and identifying the people and services who help keep us safe. Through stories and roleplay, they explored how to respond in emergencies and seek help when needed.

Years 1 & 2: Harold’s Online World
Our Year 1 and 2 learners discovered how to stay safe online and offline. They learned the importance of protecting personal information and how to identify trusted adults who can support them if they ever feel unsure or unsafe.

Years 3 & 4: bCyberwise
Students explored their growing use of technology and the importance of safe, respectful online behaviour. They were introduced to the ‘Recognise, React, Report’ strategy to help them identify warning signs, respond appropriately, and report unsafe or concerning situations to a trusted adult.

Years 5 & 6: Relate Respect Connect
Our senior students participated in thoughtful discussions around respectful relationships and managing change during adolescence. They examined strategies for building and maintaining positive relationships and identified how to respond to bullying, unwanted contact, or predatory behaviour, particularly in digital spaces.

The Life Education presenters praised the outstanding behaviour, enthusiasm, and thoughtful contributions of JHSS learners during the sessions. These important lessons will support students in making safe and respectful choices as they navigate both their school and online worlds.

Parents can explore further resources and practical tips by visiting Life Education QLD’s Parenting Guides.

Coming up soon in our school music calendar

Week 9: 17 June – Winter concert for Beginner Strings, Junior Strings, Senior Strings, Junior Band, Senior Band, Senior Choir. 12:45pm School concert and 6pm Concert for families.

Week 10: 26 June – JindaJam combined workshops with Middle Park and Jindalee SS for Year 4 Band and Year 3 Strings (at JHSS).

Rehearsals Weeks 9 and 10

Please read this very carefully as it can be confusing!!! If in doubt email your teacher.

All choirs will continue for regular rehearsals in Weeks 9 and 10.

Junior Band – Rehearsals and lessons Week 9, none on Monday of Week 10 but JindaJam on Thursday.

Senior Band – no rehearsals or lessons Week 9, lessons only in Week 10, not rehearsal

Year 3 Strings – lessons in Week 9, JindaJam in Week 10

Senior Strings – lessons only in Week 9, no lessons or rehearsal in Week 10

Junior Strings – no rehearsals in week 9 or 10. Year 4 lessons with Mrs Price in Week 10 only, none in Week 9. Year 5 lessons with Mr Hoey in Week 9 only, none in Week 10.

Fanfare

Congratulations to our Year 3 Choir and our Senior Choir who were both awarded Silver Awards for their excellent performances at Fanfare last week.

Here are some of the adjudicator’s comments:

• “Thank you for a well prepared and dynamic performance!”
• “Great energy and story telling! Everyone was committed!”
• “Thank you for a well prepared and joyful performance!”

We have really been working on telling the story with our faces and so it was good to get that feedback!

Winter Concert

The Senior Choir, Junior and Senior Bands and Beginner, Junior and Senior Strings will be performing at our Winter Concert next Tuesday 17 June at 6pm in the MPC. A note has gone home to all parents. If you need more information please email Mrs Brydon.

PLEASE NOTE: All performers should bring their instruments to school on Tuesday as we will have a rehearsal and performance for the school during the day.

A LITTLE BIT OF MUSIC FUN

Here are the clips that upper school students have watched recently in Music. We often only watch part of the clip in class due to time constraints and the learners are always asking to watch the rest. I tell them to ask their parents to show them from the newsletter. Why not watch them as a family and share the fun!

Week 7 -  The Rhythm Cafe

Week 8 – Noisestorm - Crab Rave [Monstercat Release]

Sports Representatives

We have had five of our talented athletes compete at the 4-day State Championships, with their Metropolitan West Regional team, over the last few weeks! Huge congratulations to Mitchell (Netball), Jack (AFL), Will (AFL), Caelan (Hockey) and Megan (Basketball)!

Our learners played brilliantly, making valuable contributions to their teams and had a fantastic time testing their skills against the other regions, from all over Queensland! Each Metropolitan West team consists of players from many other districts, so it is not only a fantastic achievement to be selected but also a wonderful opportunity to meet other athletes and expand their sporting abilities! Well done to those learners for their commitment and success!!

Congratulations to Mitchell for his selection into the Northern Eagles Softball team and Elva-Lia for her selection into the Northern Eagles Rugby League team!

Senior Athletics Carnival

It has been a huge few weeks of Athletics Competition! Congratulations to everyone who has participated in both our competitive and non-competitive events, we have seen some great performances but more importantly lots of fun, great sportsmanship and house spirit!!

Congratulations to all our athletes who placed in our competitive track and field events!

Huge congratulations to our Age Champions!

Special mention to Zara who smashed the 11 Girls Shot Put Record of 8.01m with a huge 8.23m throw!

Well done to our House Champions! It was a very close race to the end and the 100m participation points pushed our winning house over the line by 1 point!

Congratulations to Bowen!!

Interschool Sport

Huge congratulations to our Year 6 A1 team and Year 5A1 team who were undefeated and Premiers in the recent Interschool Sport Netball Season! The teams received their Premiership Certificates on assembly last week.

Our Year 6 Football team was also undefeated Premiers and will receive their certificates next Senior Assembly, well done!!

Running Club

The last Running Club for this term is this Tuesday week 9. There is no Running Club in week 10. All learners from Year 1-6 are welcome on the oval at 8am with a hat and a water bottle. A change of socks and/or shoes can be useful as the oval is damp in the mornings.

Readers Cup

We wish our teams good luck for Readers Cup Regional Competition next Tuesday, at St. Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School. These learners have been meeting weekly since the end of Term 1, working hard to read all the set novels, and work together as a team to come up with quiz questions for each other, to help them prepare for the big day. In total, over the 5 books, they have read an amazing 1675 pages! Some team members have read all the books twice, showing real commitment and dedication. All the best. We know you will represent JHSS proudly.

ILF Book Swap – Coming in Term 3

Next term we will be holding a book swap during our NAIDOC week celebrations, to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). Learners will:

• bring in one or two books they no longer want, that are suitable for their current age
• a gold coin donation for the ILF
• choose one or two books to keep from the table.

Money raised helps the ILF to provide culturally relevant resources and books in First Nations languages to send to remote Communities. More information will be sent out next term.

“The ILF is a national charity working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote Communities across Australia. We are Community-led, responding to requests from remote Communities for culturally relevant books, including early learning board books, resources, and programs to support Communities to create and publish their stories in languages of their choice.” (ILF website)

CBCA Book Week 2025

This year’s theme for Book Week is, “Book an Adventure”. The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week takes place 16-23 August. More information will be provided next term, but usually our dress-up day assembly is held on the last Friday of Book Week, Friday 22nd August – this will be confirmed next term. We are starting to catalogue the shortlisted books, and these will be up and on display next term.

Questions?

If you have any questions, email Ms Edwards – gedwa16@eq.edu.au

You can access our school library catalogue here. Parents are welcome to become library borrowers, too. Drop in and see us if you’d like to sign up.

 Thanks for the library love, Shanaya!

• All student mobile phones MUST be signed in at the office each morning.
• Students are NOT permitted to have any medication on them, all medication MUST be held at the office.
• Jewellery is NOT permitted except ear studs, watches and medical bracelets/necklaces.
• Playgrounds are NOT available to students before school.
• CLASSES START AT 8:50am EVERY DAY! (late arrivals impact on the learning and teaching).
• Student Absence Email Address: We now have an email address for notifying the school about student absence if you find email more convenient than phoning the school office (absentees@jamboreeheightsss.eq.edu.au).
• Payments: We are no longer able to accept cash payment. Both QParents and BPoint are easy, convenient online payment options. Full details of payment options are available on our website. Our office is currently open for payments from 8:00am-9:30am or 2:30pm-3:30pm, Monday to Friday.
• Office Hours: Please note the office hours below. Whilst staff are in attendance before and after these advertised times, these are the times that are available for our community to access office staff:
  
  • 8:00am to 3:30pm

Before School Play

• Before school each day, all students must be sitting in the Junior Shed unless sitting with a parent near their classroom. We insist on NO play on the various playground structures or playing handball before school even if parents are supervising as it entices others to join in, and we have no formal supervision in place before school.

Allergies

At Jamboree Heights State School, we have a number of students who suffer from a range of allergies. For some students, these allergies can be life-threatening. Therefore, we ask the following of parents of children with an allergy:

• Discuss your child’s allergy with their teacher as soon as possible and consider giving permission to share your child’s medical condition with other students and families
• Ensure all medical records are up to date on our school system
• If your child suffers from Anaphylaxis, please ensure their Action Plan and Epi-Pen are current and renewed annually
• Continue educating your child about allergy management
• Plan with the teacher for camps, excursions, sport, cooking at school, and special occasions throughout the year

For all other families, we ask the following:

• Find out from teachers if there is someone with an allergy in the classroom
• Try to consider children with allergies when sending in special treats like birthday food
• Educate your child about allergies, not sharing food, washing hands, and finding help if a friend is showing the symptoms of a reaction
• Be mindful of lunchbox contents such as foods containing nuts and eggs and the impact it may have on children with an allergy. We have a NO SHARING policy!

Finally, our school staff are educated annually on the topic of allergies and also undertake training in the use of Epi-Pens.

Homework

Our school’s policy on Homework:

At Jamboree Heights State School homework will include nightly reading (using appropriate levels and text types) and Computer or iPad tasks such as Reading Eggs, Reading Eggspress, Mathletics, Maths Seeds, Mighty Maths, etc. and occasional alternative tasks such as research, sight words, unit-based tasks, etc. but NO weekly homework sheet or grid, etc. If parents wish for their child to be given NO homework or only certain aspects above, then they can make a formal request in writing (or email) to the teacher. If computer or iPad access at home is difficult then students can make arrangements with their teacher for additional access before or after school or during breaks.

QParents

QParents allows parents to connect instantly with us to access and manage their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer. 

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence 
• Academic report cards 
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online 
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address 
• Enrolment details 
• Online excursion permissions

For more information see the QParents page on our website.

School Payments

Please note that payments must be made by due dates to ensure your child can attend the various extra-curricular events. Departmental financial practice dictates that we must immediately write off invoices for non-payment and therefore notify numbers based on this. At the end of each term we are required to provide Debtor Statements to those with outstanding invoices attached to their account, so it is very important that invoices are removed in a timely manner for each excursion/incursion or event.

Full details of payment methods can be found on the school website.

Messages from Parents

Requests for messages to be relayed to students during school hours, particularly regarding afternoon pickup arrangements interrupt both the office staff and teachers in the classroom. It is a good idea to confirm with your child each morning what the plan is for the afternoon, and have a regular meeting spot for them to go to if they are ever unsure. While some appointments and changes of plans are inevitable, we would appreciate your efforts in keeping these to a minimum.

The Administration email address is admin@jamboreeheightsss.eq.edu.au.