Dear mums, dads, carers and colleagues

With just 20 school days remaining this year, things are certainly getting busy.  I hope that you are all able to be involved in the events across the next four weeks.

World Kindness Day on Monday

Kindness is a very important virtue at our school.  Here are some tips on how you can make someone's day a little brighter. 

Donations to the school

Thank you sincerely to everyone who donates items to our school.  We certainly try hard to reuse the items you donate.  The only thing that we ask though is to please check with the school before you donate so we know to expect your kindness.  Items left at the school gate can be considered dumped or stolen property.  

The best of the best

Last weekend, our Year 5&6 students participated in the All Schools Touch Football competition, held at Redlands Touch Football fields.  The carnival was immense, with hundreds of teams representing schools from all over Queensland.  The carnival ran over two days with teams vying for top spots in their pools.  At the end of the day, both the Coomera Rivers boys and girls teams topped their respective pools and were then selected for the Championship Finals on Sunday.  This is the top level, followed by plate and cup levels.

Both of our teams progressed undefeated to the grand final after a further three consecutive wins on Sunday - separated and disrupted by a massive down pour.  

The grand finals were the final games of the entire carnival and they were all nail biters with teams going try for try for a lot of the match.  Despite their magnificent spirit and grit, our girls team was defeated by the superb team from St Kevins, 5-3.  And after being 2-0 down after just a few minutes, the boys team worked themselves back into the match to win 6-3 against Wynum.  

It was my privilege to be with the kids across the weekend to see them represent our school.  I could not have asked for better.  While the scoreline successes were pleasing, the spirit and sportsmanship of our players was the real prize for me.  I will always prefer to lose with dignity and sportsmanship than win anything without it.  

Thank you to the coaches and managers who supported the teams, Mr Burrows, Mr Liam, Miss Lambert and Mrs Profke for your wonderful commitment and leadership of our teams.  Thank you also to the parents who showed incredible support and kindness to our players and helped with transporting the equipment.  And finally, thank you to the players for demonstrating the pride you have when wearing our school jerseys.  

Consultation at P&C meetings

I have been consulting with the community at P&C meetings over two matters these past two months.  They are:

1. School camping activities for 2024 and
2. Should high school students be permitted onto the school grounds

School camping:  School camps will not be overnight activities in 2024.  The logistics and responsibilities are immense and detract massively from what should be a great teacher-students time away.  

We will still be doing camp activities in Years 4 and 6 - just without the sleep overs.

High school students:  Following an incident where a high school student entered the school grounds unaccompanied to threaten one of our current students, I was asked to re-consider the blanket permission that is provided to older siblings who are on school campus for valid reasons.  The meeting determined that permission for high school students should be continued in cases where they act appropriately.  Their access must only be for authentic reasons. 

School hours to change

The mainstream news has been busy this week reporting the government's announcement to provide schools and communities the capacity to change school hours.  Currently, our school has no need or desire to change the current school routine.  Should a need become evident, a thorough consultation process would be undertaken as the implications for community and staff would be significant.

Looking towards 2024

We are under way with our preparations for the 2024 school year.    

Leaving us:  If your children are not returning to Coomera Rivers in 2024 (not the current Year 6 students), please email Kylie Finch at kfinc0@eq.edu.au to let us record this.  

Joining us:  We are still taking Prep enrolments for 2024 so if you are looking to enrol for 2024 please email Kylie Finch at kfinc0@eq.edu.au

The All Schools players check what was a sports field after the downpour had eased.

Class lists for 2024

Our teaching teams met this week to begin the painstaking process of creating class lists for 2024. The placement of students in classrooms is a meticulous and deliberate process that considers many factors including the educational needs and the dynamics of students in each class. Teachers have learned a lot about our children this year and will use this in the creation of the new class lists.

While I understand that you may have specific preferences for particular teachers or may hope that your child is placed with particular classmates, I kindly request that you place your trust in the professional judgement of our teachers as they work to create balanced and diverse learning environments for every child. They are already aware of your child's social, emotional and educational needs and will use this information effectively.

Class lists will be finalised by the end of this school year and we will inform families before school resumes next year.

Book lists for 2024

We will publish book list information in next week's issue of the newsletter.  Getting them out early provides time for families to prepare for the sales.   

Remembrance Day tomorrow

Remembrance Day is being recognised tomorrow at 11:00am with a minute's silence.  This is an Australian tradition to recognise the armistice treaty of World War 1.  We normally respect this at school but it is different this year given that it falls on the weekend.  

Earlier this week, 3A and 3H classes participated in an educational program launched by RSL Queensland.  They created a mural and met with a local veteran who was absolutely impressed.  Check out more details in the Year 3 section of the newsletter.  Well done to our teachers and students.

What's happening on the oval?

Visitors to the school this week will have seen the start of additional sports facilities for the students.  Thanks to our incredible P&C Association, we are having a cricket net and long jump pit installed at the northern end of the oval.  These will soon be followed be re-surfacing of the sports court.