PBL & Social-Emotional Learning

The focus for the fortnight is:

Be a Friend – We speak positively and politely to each other.

There is always a reason to smile. The politeness and respectful courtesies given by the students each morning as they start the day are a reason someone smiles everyday at our school. I want to extend our appreciation of the care and time given by families to nurturing values that will continue to stand our students in good stead.

This fortnight, students are focusing on the importance of speaking positively and politely. Students are encouraged to speak positively and politely to all students, staff and visitors at CSS always and in all settings. We can make others happy or hurt their feelings when we speak. Students will understand that speaking unkindly can affect how people feel and that it is always important to be kind and fair.

At Craigslea, we believe that being safe and happy at school impacts academic success. Each  classroom will explore the lesson focus in a variety of ways with the objective of upskilling our students with lifelong, transferable skills.

BYOD iPad Information Session

We understand that technology plays an increasingly important role in education, and we are committed to providing our students with the tools they need to succeed in the digital age. To support families in understanding how iPads are used in the classroom, we will be holding an iPad parent information session for Year 3 and 2024 Year 4 families on Wednesday, 8 November, from 5:30-6:15pm in the 5/6J classroom. This session will provide an overview of our iPad program, an introduction to the learning apps used in the classroom, and tips on how parents can support their child's learning at home. We highly encourage all parents to attend and look forward to seeing you there.

Step Up Day

At Craigslea we act to support all children with the transition to their new year level in 2024.  As part of this support, we will have Step Up Day on Monday 4 December 2023 for our current Prep-Year 5 students.

Step Up Day provides children the opportunity to be acquainted with their new class members and meet their new teacher (where possible). During Step Up Day children will spend approximately one hour in their 2024 classroom and experience a learning/ get to know you activity. The aim is to enable them to be more comfortable about the change to a new class. This day also provides children an opportunity to be familiar with their new classroom and to then be confident to orientate themselves on Monday 22 January 2024 when they return to school.

After their session, children will bring home a class placement note. This note will inform you of your child/children’s class teacher and class placement for 2024. These sessions are very effective in supporting students transition to their new class.

For our 2024 Preps they are invited to their Meet the Teacher session on Thursday 23 November - 9:30-10:30am. Our 2024 Preps will come to “big” school and meet their teacher and fellow classmates and have fun engaging in some activities whilst checking out their classroom.

2024 Student Leader Selection Update

This week I had the privilege of interviewing school captain candidates, with the unenviable task of shortlisting candidates for the school captain election. The future is in good hands if I go by the standard of candidates aspiring to be leaders of our school student body next year. We have articulate, curious, humble, community-minded and inspiring school captain candidates who are committed to adding value to our school. The courage of students choosing to put themselves forward for the leadership selection process cannot be understated. We were so impressed by their understanding that there can only be four final captains (two school captains and two school vice captains) and that they were already recognised as leaders in our community, given that they had made it through the first stage. Thank you to our parents for their understanding and support of the process too, as we engage in the leadership selection process for 2024.  

The delivery of speeches and voting by our Year 4 and 5 students and staff for the 2024 Student Leaders will occur across week 7. Children who have been successfully shortlisted to deliver a speech for school/vice captain, music captain and house captain have been notified. Well done to all those students who have put themselves forward to lead Craigslea in 2024!

High School Enrolment – Year 7, 2024

Is your Year 6 student enrolled for high school in 2024? Year 7 orientation days are quickly approaching. To attend, your child must be enrolled for Year 7 in 2024.

The 2024 Year 7 Transition Day for the following high schools are:

2024 Booklists

Booklists for 2024 have now been finalised. The P&C have engaged with COS as the school supplier once again this year. Hardcopies of the booklist have been sent home with children and an email with the booklist attached has been sent today. Please read through this for details on how to order if using the official supplier, including costs, and cut off times.

Active School Travel 

Walking Wheeling Wednesday’s

Wednesdays at Craigslea, are Walking Wheeling Wednesdays! Our school is a part of the Brisbane City Council initiative – Active School Travel.

Our next active school travel event will be on Wednesday, 15 November (week 7). It will be a kindness scavenger hunt. Look out for more details closer to the event!

How will you actively travel on Wednesdays? #activeschooltravel

Have an amazing fortnight of fun and learning,

Natalie and Sarah