Dear Fernbrooke Families,

As we approach the end of Semester 1, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an eventful and rewarding first half of the school year. Together, we’ve navigated a range of experiences—from weather events like flooding, school closures, and cyclones, to celebrating community and culture through special events such as our Easter Hat Parade, ANZAC Day commemorations, and the Ipswich Show long weekend.

Despite the challenges of the semester, our students, staff, and families have shown remarkable resilience and positivity, truly embodying our school value of Exceeding Expectations. Whether on the sporting field, in the classroom, or during special events, our Fernbrooke Stars have continued to shine.

Prep Gate Closure – 8:30am SHARP
A reminder to our Prep families: for student safety, the pedestrian gate near the Prep area will now close promptly at 8:30am each morning. Please ensure your child arrives at school with plenty of time to settle in before the learning day begins. Arrivals after 8.30am must be through the front gate.

Senior Sports Days – Day 2 this Friday

I would like to congratulate and thank our PE teachers for the effort they have put into running our Senior Sports Days this week. Day 1 on Monday was a huge success and we are expecting Day 2 on Friday to be the same. Parents are welcome to attend and support their child/ren as spectators. We hope to see you there.

School Disco Update
Please note there will be no school disco this term. A decision has been made to hold discos in Terms 1 and 4 this year due to operational considerations. We look forward to a fun-filled disco in November.

Hats – Uniform Reminder
It is important for all students to wear the correct uniform hat to school each day. The only acceptable hats are:

• The official Fernbrooke school hat, or
• A plain black bucket hat

We have seen an increase in students wearing football or cultural heritage hats, which has unfortunately led to unnecessary conflicts during playtime. We ask all families to support us in ensuring our students wear appropriate hats in line with our uniform expectations to maintain a positive and respectful school environment.

Label Your Child’s Jumper
As the cooler months continue, we are seeing a growing number of unnamed jumpers in lost property. To help us return lost items to their rightful owners, please ensure your child’s name is clearly labelled on their school jumper. This small step goes a long way in keeping track of belongings and reducing our lost property collection.

Students of the Week – Congratulations!
A big congratulations to all our Fernbrooke Stars who received Student of the Week certificates throughout the semester. Your efforts in learning, behaviour, and living our values have not gone unnoticed. Well done! If your child has not yet received a certificate, they have a chance to demonstrate our school values in Semester 2.

Celebration of Learning Day – Next Friday
We are excited to host our Celebration of Learning Day on the last day of term next week. This is a special opportunity for students to share their achievements and celebrate the fantastic learning that has taken place throughout Semester 1.

Semester 1 Reports
Semester 1 reports will be emailed to families next Thursday. Please ensure your email details are up to date with the school office to avoid any delays in receiving your child’s report.

Academic Excellence and Achievement Ceremony

This will be held on Thursday 26^th June 2025. Letters advising parents/carers that their child will receive an award have been sent home with students.   

• The Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 (3-6) ceremony will be held at 9.00am in the Hall.
• The Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 (P-2) ceremony will be held at 11.30am in the Hall.

The criteria to receive an award is as follows:

• Academic Excellence Award – students must have received As (Applying) for English, Maths AND
• Academic Award – students must have received at least 2 As (Applying) and 1 B (Connecting) across English, Maths and Science.
• Behaviour/Effort Award – students must have received an A Overall and A or B effort for every learning area.

We look forward to seeing parents/carers at this event to acknowledge the achievement of our students.

Bon Voyage, Mrs Parker!
We wish the wonderful Mrs Theresa Parker a very safe and happy holiday as she heads off on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to Africa next week. Mrs Parker will be swapping her office for wide savannahs, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and maybe even a lion or two (hopefully from a safe distance). Her favourite animal are elephants, and she is absolutely bursting with excitement to see them in their natural environment—especially as she plans to visit an elephant orphanage and spend time with the elephant calves in their care. We expect plenty of photos and maybe even a few elephant-themed souvenirs when she returns. Mrs Parker will be away until Week 3 of Term 3, and during this time, her Prep – Year 2 juncture will be in the capable hands of Ms Kasey Curwen.

Thank you once again for your continued support throughout the semester. We are proud of our students, grateful for our dedicated staff, and appreciative of our strong community partnerships. I hope everyone enjoys a safe and restful holiday break. It has been my pleasure to fill in as Acting Principal in Scott’s absence while he has taken a long awaited and much deserved family holiday in Weeks 8 and 9. He will be back with us on Monday for the start of Week 10, rested and ready to finish the semester.

Have a safe and happy winter holiday.

See you on the crossing.

Warm regards,
Shane Hancock

Acting Principal
Fernbrooke State School

Fernbrooke State School STARS awards are handed to students by their class teacher and acknowledged at their assembly. Students are nominated by their class teacher. Each week Fernbrooke STARS recipients are shared in the newsletter. All Fernbrooke students are STARS because they are Safe, are Thinkers, Attend school, are Respectful and Successful learners.  As a community, we congratulate all these students in their efforts to Exceed Expectations.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Can you believe it? We only have 7 school days left until a well-earned break! What an incredible term it has been, full of wonderful learning and growth. Our Early Years learners have come so far, especially our Preps, who are now halfway through their very first year of school. They are growing into confident, independent “big kids” right before our eyes!

A few staffing updates to share:

• Our lovely Angel Phillips is now on maternity leave. We warmly welcome Angela Shand, who is teaching 1G until the end of the term.
• Mrs Tahniya Myler will be returning from maternity leave and will take over as the 1G classroom teacher for Semester 2.
• Mrs Ramandeep Kaur is continuing her great work in Prep D.

On a personal note, I will be taking some leave from next week through to Week 3 of next term, as I embark on the adventure of a lifetime to Africa! In my absence, Ms Kasey Curwen will be the acting Deputy Principal for Early Years.

We have some exciting events coming up before the break:

• Semester 1 Academic Achievement Ceremony – Next Thursday
• Celebration of Learning – Next Friday, where students are invited to wear their snuggly PJs (with closed-in shoes) and enjoy a movie to celebrate their Term 2 successes.

Looking ahead to next term:

• The Prep Athletics Carnival will take place on Friday of Week 1.
• Our Year 2 students will be stepping back in time with their History day on Monday of Week 2.
• We will celebrate 100 Days of Prep on Friday of Week 3.
• Week 4 is packed with fun: Year 1 students will visit the Star Lab, and both Year 1 & 2 students will have their Athletics Carnival on Thursday, 7th August.
• We will also host our first 2026 Prep Transition Session, and finish the week with a whole-school NAIDOC Assembly.

For families with little ones starting Prep in 2026, did you know enrolments are now open? Please pop into the office to collect an enrolment pack and book a spot for the transition sessions.

With the cooler weather settling in, please make sure your child has a jumper each day — either a Fernbrooke jumper or a plain black jumper. Dressing in layers is a great way to stay comfortable as mornings can be chilly but the days warm up.

Thank you for your ongoing support this term. We hope you enjoy the upcoming break, and we look forward to seeing everyone back next term, refreshed and ready for more learning adventures!

Theresa Parker

The last two weeks have flown by! Thank you for your support while I have stepped into the role of Mr Hancock. We’re nearing the end of a fantastic term at Fernbrooke, and we’ve got a few important updates to share as we wrap things up:

Cookie Dough Delivery – Thursday 19th June
Thank you to everyone who supported our cookie dough fundraiser! Delivery is scheduled for Thursday 19th June. Parents will need to collect their orders from the school office. As we typically receive only 30 minutes' notice before delivery, we’ll post a message on our Facebook page as soon as it arrives. Prizes will be sent separately and we’re hopeful they’ll be ready to go home with your dough.

Report Cards – Thursday 26th June
Semester report cards are currently being finalised and will be sent home on Thursday 26th June. These provide a great opportunity to celebrate your child’s learning progress and achievements this term.

Achievement Ceremony – Thursday 26th June
Join us in the hall for our Achievement Ceremony as we recognise outstanding student efforts this semester.

• Years 3–6: 9:00am
• Prep–Year 2: 11:30am
  Students receiving awards have been sent a special invitation.

Sports Day Fun Continues – Friday 20th June
Day 1 of Sports Day was a huge success! It was heartwarming to see our students giving their best and supporting one another. We’re looking forward to more action and excitement on Friday 20th June for Day 2.

Celebration of Learning – Friday 27th June
To celebrate a fantastic term, students will enjoy a Movie & Popcorn Day on Friday 27th June, kindly provided by our Student Council. Students are invited to wear their pyjamas and bring along a pillow or stuffed toy (please label all items clearly).

Thank you for your continued support – we look forward to finishing the term on a high!

Kasey Curwen

We are rapidly coming to the end of the term and our students are still hard at work winding up this term’s units.  Even though the end of the semester is in sight, there are still some scheduled events before the children go on holiday.

Senior Athletics Carnival

On Friday we will have Day 2 of the Senior Athletics Carnival.  We will continue our track events with the 200m races and relays and each age group have another two field events to complete.  Congratulations to our record breakers:

Currently the points table looks like this -  but there are still plenty of points up for grabs so anyone could win the trophy this year. 

 

Report Cards

Teachers are currently finalising their report cards, and these will be emailed home on Wednesday, June 25. If you have changed your details recently, please contact the school to ensure you receive your child’s report.

Achievement Ceremony

Next week, on Thursday, June 26 we will acknowledge the hard work our students put into their academic pursuits, at the Senior School Achievement Ceremony. You will be notified by letter if your child is receiving an award. Please join us in the hall at 9:00am to celebrate your child.

Celebration of Learning

The celebrations continue on Friday June 27 as we recognise the positive behaviour of our students.  The children will have popcorn and a movie in the hall. 

Gala Sports

Behind every victory, there’s a story of hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment from coaches and their teams. Countless hours are spent behind the scenes to ensure that our students have the opportunity to join in with the Gala Days. Starting with the PE team who book our teams into the competition and ensure that we have transport, through to the teachers who give up lunch hours to train, down to the staff who take uniforms home and wash them on weekends – Gala takes a team effort. I’m sure you will join me in thanking all the staff who have worked so tirelessly and to congratulate our students who gave it their all resulting in some

Rugby League by Mr Laughton

Well done to our three rugby league teams that competed in gala sports recently. Our junior team showed great school spirit and were competitive in all of their games. Our senior Green team collected the premiership with an undefeated 9 wins from 9 games. The Senior Pink team grew in confidence as the competition progressed and finished week 3 by winning 2 out of 3 games. 

Soccer by Mrs Thorn

Fernbrooke’ s soccer teams had an outstanding season, showing great teamwork, determination, and skill. Fernbrooke 1 proudly brought home the premiership after a strong performance throughout the competition. Fernbrooke 2 also had a fantastic run, finishing as runners-up after an exciting finals match against Fernbrooke 1. It was a proud and exciting moment to see two of our teams face off in the Grand final! Fernbrooke 3 gave it their all, playing with heart and effort in every game. Although they didn’t place in the top 8, they showed resilience and team spirit throughout the season. It simply wasn’t their time this year, but with their positive attitude and commitment, their time to shine is surely just around the corner. All three teams represented Fernbrooke with pride and sportsmanship.

Netball by Mrs Turnbull

A massive well done to all the players, coaches, and supporters of the Fernbrooke State School netball teams! Your hard work, teamwork, and determination have truly paid off as we took away the Senior A premiership and were runners up in the Intermediate A group. Our senior B team finished in the top 4 and our Intermediate B group (many of them had never played netball) finished in the middle of their group.  Whether on or off the court, our students represented our school with pride and passion. Mrs Sloots, Mrs George and I were so proud of your efforts and achievements! You all did your school proud. 

Thank you to the parents and supporters who attended over the 3 days.  Your willingness to jump in and help use was very much appreciated.  A very big thank you to Sapphire’s mum Maria who stepped into umpire some of our games when we had multiple games at one time.

Year 6 Parliament House Excursion

Just a reminder that the Year 6 students have an excursion to Parliament House next term.  If you want your child to participate in the activity, please provide consent and payment by Thursday 26^th June, by returning the permission form to the office or through QParents Consent Manager.  No late payments will be accepted after this date.

Year 6 Camp

I know it feels like this event is a long way in the future but Term 4 will be here before we know it.  Camp payments close on Friday, September 19.  This leaves families with just over a term to pay the balance of $238 and to return the permission forms.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school if you would like to set up a payment plan.

Week 9 - PBL Focus: Respectful – We are kind to ourselves and others.  Students created a kindness tree, where they wrote or drew acts of kindness on leaves that could be practiced with other people.

Congratulations to 6C for reaching 100 STARS and 3A and 5F for reaching 200 STARS!

Celebration of Learning

Next Friday 27^th June is Celebration of Learning Day for the term.

To recognise all the amazing learning and achievements this term, we’re celebrating with a movie and popcorn!

As its winter, students are invited to come to school cozy in their pyjamas (don’t forget, closed-in shoes are a must for safety) and bring a pillow or teddy to join them for the movie.

We can’t wait to celebrate together!

Hi Fernbrooke families,

Wow , it’s hard to believe another term is nearly over! This year is flying by.

A big thankyou to all the lovely families who joined us for our fun and exciting programs in the Hub this term. We’ll be wrapping up our programs this week, and we’ll be back in Week 2 of Term 3 — except for the Sing & Grow program, which will finish up on Monday, 23rd June & the Induction Day for the Education Support Certificate course on Wednesday, 25^th June.

Next term, we’re excited to welcome back Strategix, who will be delivering the Education Support Certificate course from the Hub every Wednesday and Thursday. We can’t wait to meet the new students as they begin their journey in education support.

Just a reminder: The Hub is located in the Q Building and is open Monday to Thursday during school terms. Programs run from Weeks 2 to 9, and we always have coffee and tea available. Everyone is welcome to drop in, have a chat, and connect.

Please check out our Term 3 timetable — we’d love to see more parents and community members getting involved in the wonderful programs we offer. The Hub is a safe and welcoming space, often called “a home away from home.” We’re so grateful for this place where our community can come together.

Wishing you all a safe and happy winter break with your families. I’m looking forward to seeing you next term!

Warm regards,
Kerry Asquith
Your Community Hub Leader