Hello Fernbrooke Community,

With one week to go, students have been working diligently on assessment to conclude the term. This week I have had the pleasure of siting in with 4E and 4F. Both classes have seen student attendance remain high and their engagement in class is positive.

Staffing at Fernbrooke SS

As many of you may be aware through news reports or social media, there is a growing teacher shortage across the state. This ongoing issue has impacted our school’s ability to allocate teachers to classes.

We would like to acknowledge and thank our specialist teachers for their flexibility and willingness to step into classroom roles at very short notice. Their support has been vital in maintaining continuity of learning for our students.

At the end of next week, we will be farewelling some staff members. Mrs Yathu Chandra and Mrs Jessie George will be commencing maternity leave, and Ms Renee Lotter will be moving on to pursue new opportunities and personal goals. We also farewell Mrs Kellie Parsons, one of our Prep teacher aides, who will be taking up a position at another school. We sincerely thank each of them for their contributions to our school community and the time they have dedicated to Fernbrooke State School.

At this stage, we are still finalising teacher replacements for classes 3B, 4C, and 5C. I am working closely with the Department of Education to recruit suitable candidates and will continue to explore all options to ensure each class has a teacher in place for the beginning of Term 4. We appreciate your understanding and ongoing support as we work through this complex challenge.

​Attendance

Thank you to all the families who have responded to unexplained absence letters. This is a practice we will continue each week to help support regular attendance.

Despite the challenges of the ‘cold and flu season’, we’ve seen some improvement in student attendance this term. The data in the graphics below shows that attendance is improving from Tuesday to Friday. However, Monday attendance remains an area for improvement.

A significant portion of Monday absences are due to late arrivals. For example, on Monday 8th August, over 50 students arrived between 8:45 am and 9:30 am. This late arrival time overlaps with important targeted literacy teaching across most year levels and represents a substantial amount of lost learning time.

Next term, we will continue working closely with students and families to encourage attendance “From the first bell to the last bell.”

Enrolling for High School – Year 6 Students

We encourage all parents and caregivers of Year 6 students to contact Redbank Plains State High School or your preferred high school to begin the enrolment process for 2026.

Finally, thank you to the P&C for organising and hosting the Fathers Day Stall. I know many dads out in our community appreciated the gifts last Sunday.

Next week is our last week of term three before the spring break.

Thank you all for a great term.

Scott

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.

We thank our families for their understanding and support with our afternoon exit procedures. To maintain a calm and safe environment in the Prep precinct, families who are not collecting a Prep student are asked to exit through the front gate or the pedestrian gate on Gannett Street walking past Perry’s Nest rather than through the Prep area. The side gate on Gannett Street remains available for use and students may still collect bikes and scooters from the bike cage by walking past Perry’s Nest and exiting through the gate at the far end of the Prep buildings. Older siblings collecting Prep students will still be able to do so; this adjustment is simply to prevent the Prep area from being used as a general thoroughfare and to keep our youngest learners safe.

It’s hard to believe we are just seven school days away from the end of Term 3! This fortnight has certainly been a busy one and everyone is looking forward to a well-earned rest and recharge over the holiday break.

A heartfelt thank you to all families who attended our Parent Teacher Interviews. These conversations are so important—they give us the chance to celebrate student progress, share next steps for learning and strengthen the partnership between home and school. Your support and involvement make a real difference in your child’s education.

Unfortunately, our Prep Vision Screening has been postponed due to illness within the Queensland Health team. We will communicate new dates as soon as they become available. Thank you for your understanding.

Our Early Years students have certainly been busy learning and celebrating:

• Prep students enjoyed their much-loved Bear Hunt, celebrated Father’s Day with a special afternoon together and have now finished their swimming lessons for the year. We hope all fathers and father figures had a wonderful day last Sunday.
• Year 1 welcomed the Queensland Fire Service for an engaging and important session on fire safety education.
• Year 2 have been travelling on a virtual road trip around Australia and have done their best to persuade us all to visit their favourite destinations.

The learning happening in our classrooms has been wonderful to see. Prep students have loved retelling their favourite experiences, our Year 1s have been busy learning how to write step-by-step procedures and our Year 2s have been convincing us all to pack our bags and visit their top Australian destinations.

This week also marks the completion of Life Education across the juncture—an important program helping students build their knowledge of health, safety and wellbeing.

Looking ahead, Prep Transition sessions for 2026 enrolments will be held on Thursday afternoons. Enrolment packs can be collected from the office, and families are encouraged to register to attend one of our transition sessions.

As we move into Term 4, it promises to be the busiest of the year with many celebrations, events and important learning still to come. Please ensure your child attends school every day—from the first bell to the last bell—and that you read all communication carefully so you stay up to date with what’s happening.

We wish you and your family a safe and restful break and we look forward to welcoming students back for Term 4 on Tuesday, 7 October. Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

Warm regards

Theresa

The holidays are here!

As Term 3 comes to a close, I’d like to celebrate the hard work, energy, and positivity our Year 3 and 4 students have shown over the past ten weeks. It has been great to see them grow, learn, and share so many special moments together. A big thank you also goes to you, our parents and carers for the support you give every day—it makes such a difference and strengthens the relationship your child has with their teacher and school.

Next term, we’ll have a couple of staff changes. We say goodbye to Ms Renee Lotter from 4C, who is leaving for a new professional opportunity, and we thank her for all her care and dedication shown to her students. We also send our best wishes to Mrs Yathu Chandra, who begins her maternity leave at the start of Term 4. We’re all so excited for her as she becomes a first-time Mum, and we know her class will be eager to hear the wonderful news and eventually meet the newest little member of the Fernbrooke family.

Next Friday, the last day of term, is our Celebration of Learning Day. This special day is a reward for students’ positive behaviour choices across the term, and they will spend time with their teachers taking part in fun and engaging activities that are a little different from their usual classroom learning.

I’d also like to invite parents and families to attend our whole-school assembly at 12:30pm this Friday in the hall, which will be co-hosted by myself and Mrs Parker. It is always a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate our school community at the end of a term.

I wish you and your families a safe, relaxing, and happy Spring holiday break. Please remember that school resumes for Term 4 on Tuesday, 7th September, as the Monday is the King’s Birthday public holiday. I can’t wait to see all of our Year 3 and 4 students back, refreshed and ready for a fantastic Term 4.

See you on the crossing.

Shane

Gala Sports

Fernbrooke students will attend their final Gala sports day for 2025 on Friday, September 12.  We wish them all the best in their sporting endeavours. 

Year 5 Leadership Day

Shortly students in Year 5 will receive a permission form to attend   This event will be free, thanks to the generosity of our hard-working P&C.  The leadership day will be held on Friday, 5^th December 2025. Students will participate in designing and building a Sideshow Alley style game, facilitated by ‘Character Builders’ – a company that specialises in leadership activities and team building games.

2026 Year 6 Camp

Our current Year 5 students are invited to participate in the Year 6 camp in 2026 at the Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre in Currimundi. Camp dates are Monday 9^th February 2026 to Wednesday 11^th February 2026. Students will participate in many activities across the three days of camp which will help to develop their leadership skills.  These activities may include leadership team building, canoeing, caving, beach games, and low ropes.

The projected total cost of camp should be between $280 - $320. Final price will be provided once we know how many students are interested.  Camp costs include all accommodation, food, events, and activities.

To secure your child’s spot, we require a $50 deposit paid (invoices will be emailed) to the office by the 17^th September 2025. The deposit is non-refundable and will secure your child a place on the camp.  If we do not secure enough interest and are unable to proceed with camp, this deposit will be refunded.

2025 Year 6 Camp               PERMISSION/CONSENT AND PAYMENT DUE Friday September 19^th

We are currently waiting for approximately 30 families to finalise their payments for camp.  This is a significant number with only a week and a half to the closing date.  Please contact the school if you are unsure if you have paid in full or need an update on the balance owed.

Have you enrolled your Year 6 child at their high school?

There are still only a few of our families who have enrolled for Year 7.  It is important to remember that if you are not enrolled, your child will NOT be able to attend any transition opportunities in Term 4.  High schools, like primary schools are often enrolment managed and you need to live in the catchment to be eligible to attend.  If you are unsure which secondary school your child should attend, you can use this website: EdMap to check the catchment maps.

• Enrolment paperwork for Redbank Plains State High can be found here:

      https://redbankplainsshs.eq.edu.au/enrolments/enrolling-at-our-school

• Bellbird Park Secondary College

A great and supportive part of the transition process to Bellbird Park SSC is our annual Transition Day. The Transition Day is held on the Tuesday in the second last week of Term 4 – Tuesday, December 2. Only enrolled students are eligible to attend this day. Please ensure you have submitted all enrolment application documents to guarantee attendance.  Follow the link below to start your enrolment process: https://bellbirdparkssc.eq.edu.au/enrolments

• Ripley Valley State Secondary College

The picture below shows the enrolment process for RVSSC.  RVSSC have advertised a Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Day on Friday, December 5.  You can begin the enrolment process by following this link:

https://app.enquirytracker.net/request-application/27960d815b6645b6a73aee7354b926a9/6omVwRFPTpLxZnslFSCb

Week 8 & 9 PBL Focus: Respectful – We share and take turns.  

Attendance – from the first bell to the last bell.

Congratulations to Cailis and Amelia who have won our PBL Marketplace Raffle for this term! You are both STARS!

 

Celebration of Learning Day Term 3

To celebrate the end of an incredible term, our PBL Team has planned a fun-filled day of activities for all students! From a high-energy junior dance party with special guest ‘DJ Glitter Boots’ to action-packed games on the oval, plus creative art & craft and hands-on STEM challenges, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It’s the perfect way to finish the term with laughter, friendship, and lots of fun!

FYI – Upcoming Events (more details to follow next term)

• Final Disco of the Year – Thursday 30 October (Spooky Theme)
• ❤️ Day for Daniel &  World Teachers’ Day – Friday 31 October
• 2026 School Leader Nominations – opening early Term 4

Hi Families,

At our community hub in Term 3, our twice-weekly playgroups welcomed many new families, and we have also introduced a new program alongside Helping Hands called Island Roots, Strong Hearts. Next term, we’ll be running a crochet workshop where you can learn to make a granny square for a good cause, and hosting OZ  Harvest again with the NEST cooking program. If you’re interested in either of these programs, please contact Kerry Asquith kasqu2@eq.edu.au. Our programs have concluded for this term but will resume in Week 2 of Term 4, 7 October, with the new timetable coming out shortly. Wishing you a restful and wonderful break!

Warm Regards

Kerry Asquith

Community Hub Leader

On Thursday September 4, I had the pleasure of attending the "Ipswich Speak it up Council" with Mackenzie (5E) and Izaiah (5A). This group of children meet once a term in different locations and discuss issues that impact their lives, learn about children's rights and share their voices on different topics. These sessions are led by Bec from Mission Australia and this time we went to Ripley Valley State School. The council is made up of 2 selected students from each of the following State Schools- Goodna, Raceview, Ripley Valley, Fernbrooke, Leichardt and Riverview. Mackenzie and Izaiah will be part of this during Year 5 and Year 6. This session was mainly focused on classroom and school conditions. The children discussed different scenarios and ranked them on how important they were. They then justified their opinions with real life experiences and those of their peers. Following this, they also brainstormed ways that Fernbrooke could celebrate and acknowledge the upcoming Children's week in October (18th-26th). There were many deep and thought provoking discussions throughout the day and Mackenzie and Izaiah represented our school beautifully. Next term's meeting will be at the Ipswich Council Chambers and the mayor may even attend!!

Kirsten Eriksson - Teacher 5E