Term 1 Week 8 -
Principal's Report
Dear Coolum Community,
It is difficult to believe that it is the end of Term 1 already! This term has been full of exciting learning, sporting and cultural activities and also lots of fun! There was even a cyclone thrown in for good measure! We are very proud of the student’s school achievements and can’t wait to see what they can do next term!
A special congratulations to our Prep students who have completed their very first term of formal schooling! They have done a tremendous job of settling into school life over the past 10 weeks! I hope that both the Prep students (and the staff working with them) enjoy a well-deserved break!
This term we say farewell to one of our amazing Prep teacher aides, Mrs Caron Leppard. Caron has been at Coolum SS for over 28 years and in that time, made a huge difference in the lives of the students she has worked with. Caron is taking some time to travel and be with family and we wish her all of the very best and thank her for all that she has contributed to Coolum SS.
Last week our P&C held their Annual General Meeting and elected their Executive team for 2025. Congratulations to:
- Stephanie Hartas (President)
- Shane Urban (Vice President)
- Marie Groshens (Secretary)
- Leona Onions (Treasurer)
Thank you to all of our parents in attendance at the meeting. The P&C is a wonderful forum for the school and community to align and work together on common goals, share ideas and provide feedback.
Thanks must go to outgoing executive team members, Clare Bates-Pay and Lisa Nugent. Their ongoing dedication and commitment to Coolum SS has been nothing short of outstanding. The hours of volunteering, fundraising and advocating for Coolum SS has been enormous over their long engagement with the P&C and I’d like to sincerely thank them for everything that they have given for the benefit of our students and our school. We will miss you and wish you all the best for the future.
Coolum State School, in partnership with Coolum State High School, have made it a priority to have 100% of our parents on QParents. There are many advantages to the QParents system and our schools now have a shared commitment to prioritising important school functions such as student absence notifications, reporting, payments and consent forms via QParents. Having all families on QParents is a significant advantage for our school and our community, as this allows us to move to a digital system for notes, permissions and payments. Unfortunately it is difficult to move forward without all of our families using this service. We are now asking all of our wonderful parents to register for this system, if you do not already have a QParents account, to make major parts of our school operations more streamlined. Invitations will be coming out to register for QParents. I have included the Parent Fact Sheet further down in this newsletter which may assist you with some troubleshooting.
At the end of the first week back next term, parents will receive the Parent Learning Overviews for their children. These are the topics and concepts taught and assessed through the learning area units for Term 2. This is a useful reference for parents to use to engage with their children about their learning, by asking questions related to the units, asking them how they are going with the work and what they find interesting. Parents connecting with tehri children about their learning and showing an interest in this has a positive influence on both student engagement at school, and also the results that they achieve.
Have a wonderful holiday break and Happy Easter! Looking forward to seeing you all in Term 2!
As we approach the end of Term 1, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible efforts, progress, and achievements of our Year 5 and 6 students. It has been a term full of excitement, learning, growing and fun.
Both the Year 5 and 6 recently returned from 3 days camps at Currimundi and Maranatha respectively. The camps were designed to build teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving skills. From Mid Ropes courses to Caving to the Possum Pull to the Leap of Faith, the students were challenged both physically and mentally. It was wonderful to see them step out of their comfort zones, support each other, and have a go at some quite challenging activities. We are hoping the students continue to display these skills throughout the year, both in and outside of the classroom.
As we have settled back into the routine of school work, we see both year levels preparing for and completing their assessment tasks. The Year 5s are completing their multimodal informative texts about how astronauts prepare both physically and mentally for life in an International Space Station. The Year 6s are putting their final touches onto their short stories about a character who faces a conflict in the context of a natural disaster. I am sure both tasks will lead to interesting and enjoyable reading by their teachers.
I am constantly reminding the Year5 and 6 students that they role models and leaders for all the younger students at Coolum State School. Their actions, words, and behaviours have a significant impact on the school community, and it's important that they set a positive example in everything they do. Whether it's how they interact with their peers, how they handle challenges, or how they contribute to the school environment, the younger students look up to them.
As we break for the Easter holidays, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Year 5 and 6 students and their families a restful and enjoyable break.
Happy Easter to all, and thank you for your continued support throughout this term. Enjoy the holidays!
Terry O’Brien
Deputy Principal
Deputy Principal's Report
As we approach the end of Term 1, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible efforts, progress, and achievements of our Year 5 and 6 students. It has been a term full of excitement, learning, growing and fun.
Both the Year 5 and 6 recently returned from 3 days camps at Currimundi and Maranatha respectively. The camps were designed to build teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving skills. From Mid Ropes courses to Caving to the Possum Pull to the Leap of Faith, the students were challenged both physically and mentally. It was wonderful to see them step out of their comfort zones, support each other, and have a go at some quite challenging activities. We are hoping the students continue to display these skills throughout the year, both in and outside of the classroom.
As we have settled back into the routine of school work, we see both year levels preparing for and completing their assessment tasks. The Year 5s are completing their multimodal informative texts about how astronauts prepare both physically and mentally for life in an International Space Station. The Year 6s are putting their final touches onto their short stories about a character who faces a conflict in the context of a natural disaster. I am sure both tasks will lead to interesting and enjoyable reading by their teachers.
I am constantly reminding the Year5 and 6 students that they role models and leaders for all the younger students at Coolum State School. Their actions, words, and behaviours have a significant impact on the school community, and it's important that they set a positive example in everything they do. Whether it's how they interact with their peers, how they handle challenges, or how they contribute to the school environment, the younger students look up to them.
As we break for the Easter holidays, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Year 5 and 6 students and their families a restful and enjoyable break.
Happy Easter to all, and thank you for your continued support throughout this term. Enjoy the holidays!
Terry O’Brien
Deputy Principal
Years 5 and 6
2O News
Hey everyone!
This term in Year 2, we’ve been having an absolute blast diving into the world of forces! You’ve probably heard the words "push" and "pull" before, but do you know what they really mean and how they work on objects? Well, buckle up, because we’re about to take a fun ride through the world of physics!
What Are Push and Pull Forces?
In simple terms, push is when you apply force to move something away from you, like pushing a door to open it. On the other hand, pull is when you draw something towards you, like pulling a rope or your favourite toy towards you. These two forces are responsible for making things move, stop or change direction.
Our Toy Makers!
To better understand how push and pull forces affect objects, we’ve been busy creating some super cool toys in our Science lessons. Here’s a peek at what we’ve been up to:
- Disc Spinners: We made these awesome spinning discs and tested how much force it takes to get them to spin. Some of us even challenged each other to see whose spinner would go the longest!
- Push-Pull Puppets: These clever little guys, gals and creatures helped us explore how pushing or pulling certain parts of an object can create movement. We had so much fun making them dance and play!
- Pinwheels: Who doesn’t love a good pinwheel? We made these wind-powered toys and learned how the force of wind (a natural push and pull) can make them spin.
- Helicopters: Yes, you read that right! We created our own paper helicopters and sent them soaring through the air. We discovered how the force of gravity pulls them down, while the push from the air resistance keeps them spinning as they fall. It was a blast watching them twirl and glide!
- Rolling Toys: We tested how the amount of force affects how fast or slow our toy cars, balls, and other rolling toys could go. Spoiler alert: The harder we pushed, the faster they went!
What We Learned
By exploring with these activities, we discovered that forces are everywhere! Whether it’s a gentle push or a strong pull, forces are what make things move stop or even change direction. We also saw that the amount of force you use makes a huge difference in how things behave.
So, next time you’re playing with a toy, opening a door or even blowing a pinwheel, remember that push and pull forces are the invisible powers making it all happen!
Stay curious, keep exploring and keep having fun with forces! 💨🌀
2O Science Explorers 🌟
My New Gallery
4G News
4G Newsletter
This term in English we have learnt about Runt. I really enjoyed this because the book was very interesting and I always wanted to read more. The book kept me interested and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. We had to write a new chapter for Runt using detailed paragraphs to keep the reader interested and revised what nouns, adjectives, noun groups and extended noun groups are.
Katie
This term in Maths we have learnt about how to convert fractions to decimals and converting decimals to fractions. I really enjoyed this because it was easy and fun to do.
Raki
This term in science we have been learning about forces. I really enjoyed it because we got to be creative and design a game and build it to play. I enjoyed playing and making it using forces and learning more about forces. We got to play practice games and it was like we were actually playing a minute to win it game.
Gracie
This term in HASS we have learnt about the history behind the first fleet colonising Australia. I really enjoyed this because I love learning the history of Australia and the World.
Cooper
6D News
6D have had an amazing start to the year. This term has been incredibly busy with camp, our ‘Clean Up Australia Day’ parade item, cross country and this week’s foyer display. In Science and English this term, we have been learning about natural disasters. This meant that even Cyclone Alfred’s appearance was a learning opportunity, as it allowed us to learn and understand what our English characters might be experiencing.
Below are a few of 6D’s favourite things about Term 1:
Micah – Camp because it was fun to get away from school and have a break.
Mila – Getting buddies because it is fun and exciting.
Lenay – Camp because it was really fun and I got to spend time with my friends.
Edward – Lunch because it is fun.
Ziggy – Sport because I love playing soccer and running around.
Sam – Cross Country because I love it and it is so fun.
Ben – Being sports captain because it’s really fun and gives me responsibility.
Jack – School camp because I got to play with friends and do fun activities.
Rosie – Making new friends in my class because it’s fun to hang out with other people.
Olive – Lunch time because I get to hang out with my friends, play games like tag and Simon Says at the exercise equipment or play basketball on the courts.
Ayva - Prep buddies because it is nice to hang out with them.
Bede – Cross Country because I want to win.
Dylan - Art because we get to sit where we want.
Josiah - Having prep buddies because we get to see them and have fun playing with them.
Tayla - Having prep buddies because Year 6 is the only year that you can get the opportunity to have prep buddies and having them is amazing.
Sasha – Art because it's the funnest subject in school and it's not boring.
Taeyah - Camp because it was fun and I really enjoyed doing all the activities. My favourite activities were definitely mid ropes and the leap of faith.
Mahli - Buddies because I love being able to hang out with my prep buddy and help her learn.
Evie – Having lots of fun because when it's Art and lunch we get to chat with our friends.
Pierce - Computer Lab because I love using computers and I find it fun when we get to use them.
Max - Art because I have loved doing art since I got to this school.
Finally, below are some things that 6D are looking forward to in their final year of primary school. We have a feeling that the rest of the year is going to be just as busy as Term 1! Before we know it, it’ll be time to graduate!
Gala days, Sports Carnival, District soccer, Coolum Carnival, Swimming carnival, last day of school, Graduation, free dress days, excursions to the high school, spending more time with our prep buddies and representing the school in a variety of sports and music days.
Environmental Team News
Plastic Free Tuesday Champions
Congratulations to the whole school for their wonderful efforts making sure our school stays plastic free. This terms champions are 4G and PRC. We hope everyone continues to keep their lunchboxes plastic free.
Containers for Change Carpark Collection is back.
This week the youngest child in every class will receive a containers for change collection bag. We would love you to spend the next few weeks filling it with cans and bottles. On Monday 29th April the P&C will be operating a drive through in the P&C carpark where families can drop off their bags, extras are available at the uniform shop. The family with the most bags will receive a small prize of thanks from the P&C.
Thanks everyone for your support.
A big THANKYOU to everyone who has been collecting the ring pulls from aluminium cans. Every little bit counts and we have been receiving donations from everyone across the school, including Preps to staff members. 6Q and 6N are up to 1kg each, just in one term. Let's keep collecting because, as the song says, "from big things, little things grow!"
Jo Nix and 6N
Thank you
Coolum You're the Best
A huge thank you to all our animals and to everyone at Coolum State School for showing how kind you are. Today we raised $750 (final amount to be confirmed) for the amazing Australia Zoo Animal Hospital. Australia Zoo help to rehabilitate animals from the land, sea and sky and then release them back into their environment, see what they do here Australia Zoo Animal Hospital.
Student of the Week
All Car & Bike Show
RideScore Active Schools
Do you live close to school?
- Does your child have a bike or scooter?
- Would you like your child to get an active, healthy and fun start to the day?
- Would you like a system that tells you automatically when they have arrived or left school?
If you answered YES to these questions, then RideScore is for you!
We are one of 11 Sunshine Coast schools that are enjoying RideScore Active Schools Program funded by councils Transport Levy.
What is RideScore?
RideScore is an incentive-based program delivered by Sunshine Coast Council and We Ride Australia to increase active travel to and from school. The program will be open to students who are able to ride a bicycle or scooter to school.
Participating students receive a personal sensor (beacon) to attach to their bicycle or scooter. The school bicycle storage facility has a Bluetooth reader that detects the signal from the beacon and sends a notification to the nominated contact to inform them that the student has arrived at/or departed the school.
Each trip is recorded by the RideScore app, providing incentives when the students reach their milestones. Earn great prizes:
- 20 Trips – Mystery prize
- 70 Trips – Movie ticket
- 120 Trips – Bli Bli Aqua Park voucher
Activities will be planned throughout the school year to promote and encourage riding and scooting, including fun events and bicycle skills classes for all year 4 students.
This program was developed in 2022 with a Federal grant funding from the Move it AUS program, with the support of Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and Stockland.
How do I register?
Step 1 - Download the app (search ‘RideScore’), complete your registration details
Step 2 – Receive your sign on bag (posted within 1 week) that will include:
- Your child’s beacon & instructions on how to pair and fit
- A scorecard (your app will also keep a live score)
Step 3 – Start riding and scooting!
Visit the RideScore website for more information, great resources and safety tips.
CDC Queensland Bus information
Reporting your child's absence
If your child is absent from school it is important that you notify us as soon as possible. To report your child’s absence please either complete the short form available on the website at https://coolumss.eq.edu.au/our-school/absences or telephone us on 5471 9300.
Absences may be reported both on the webform and on the telephone in advance for planned absences.
We thank you for your assistance.
Contact details
Have you changed your mobile number recently? Have you moved house?
It's important that we hold up to date contact details for you and your nominated emergency contacts. If you would like to update your details please pop in to the Administration Office or email us at info@coolumss.eq.edu.au .
QParents
Did you know that the QParents portal is available for Coolum State School? QParents enables schools to offer parents secure access to information about their child. Parents can communicate directly with the school and update their child’s address and medical conditions and submit reasons for absences.
QParents is available to all families and not just our new families! If you would like to receive your unique invitation code and child's EQ ID please email us info@coolumss.eq.edu.au to request this.
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