Welcome Back to Semester 2

Welcome back to all our students, families, and staff for Semester 2 and Term 3! We hope everyone had a restful and refreshing holiday break. Term 3 is always a busy and exciting time of year, full of learning opportunities, extracurricular events, and moments to celebrate our students’ growth and success. Your child is now officially closer to the next year level with every day that passes. It was lovely to see so many of our children return with smiling faces and a readiness to exceed expectations in everything they do as learners and Fernbrooke students.

Keeping It Smart and Sensible – A Friendly Reminder About Uniform Expectations

At Fernbrooke State School, we pride ourselves on maintaining high standards in all aspects of school life – and that includes wearing our correct school uniform with pride. As we embrace the colder months, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind families of a few important uniform guidelines to help keep our students warm, comfortable, and looking their best:

• Layer Up – and Label Everything!
  With chilly mornings becoming the norm, it’s wonderful to see so many students rugged up in their plain black, hoodless jumpers or school uniform jackets. However, our Lost Property bin is quickly filling up with unnamed items. To avoid the daily game of “Whose jumper is this?”, we kindly ask all families to clearly label every item of clothing, especially hats and jumpers. A simple name tag or permanent marker goes a long way in helping lost items find their way back home.
• Uniform Matters
  Our school uniform is designed to be practical, comfortable, and promote a sense of belonging. It is also a ‘leveller’ in that everyone is wearing the same clothing without superiority of fancy, expensive brands etc. As such, I’d like to remind families that make-up, coloured hair, and temporary tattoos from recent holiday adventures should be saved for home. While we love hearing about the fun had over the break, we ask that students return to school ready to meet our uniform expectations and focus on learning without these adornments.
• Dressing Appropriately
  I’ve noticed a few students coming to school in tight-fitting garments like Lycra tights, bike shorts, or spandex-style clothing. Please note that these items are considered underwear or base layers rather than outerwear. If students choose to wear these for warmth or comfort, they must be worn underneath appropriate school uniform clothing such as a skirt, dress, or shorts. Likewise, no branded clothing items are permitted as a school uniform item e.g. black shorts with popular sporting brands on them or jumpers with hoods etc. All uniform items are to be plain black if not a school logo item.

By adhering to our uniform policy, we help foster a positive school culture where every child can feel included, respected, and ready to learn.

Upcoming Events at Fernbrooke

There are plenty of exciting learning opportunities and celebrations happening this term:

• Year 3 – STARLAB Incursion
  Our Year 3 students will be exploring the wonders of space during their STARLAB incursion on Thursday, 31st July. All permission forms and payments have now been finalised – we can’t wait for this out-of-this-world experience!
• Year 4 – Remondis Waste Management Excursion
  Year 4 students will be attending their excursion to Remondis Waste Management on Tuesday, 29th July or Thursday, 31st July. This is a free excursion, and the permission period to attend has now closed. We’re excited for our students to see real-world sustainability in action.
• Junior Athletics Carnival – Year 3
  Don’t forget – our Year 3 students will be participating in the Junior Athletics Carnival on Thursday, 7th August. We encourage all students to show their team spirit and give their best effort on the day! Parents are welcome to attend and spectate.
• NAIDOC Assembly – Celebrating Culture and Country
  Our school’s NAIDOC Assembly will take place on Friday, 8th August. This is a whole-school event celebrating the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend and be part of this important celebration of our First Nations culture.

Thank you, as always, for supporting our school community and encouraging your child to be a proud Fernbrooke STAR. Let’s make Term 3 a great one.

See you on the crossing.

Shane