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Dear Craigslea Community,
We’ve had a fantastic start to Term 3, with the first three weeks flying by. Our students are fully engaged in their learning and enjoying the new challenges the term brings.
In English, students are exploring persuasive texts and preparing spoken presentations to influence an audience. Topics range from favourite activities and preferred places to whether our school should have support animals or how we can take sustainable action in our school and broader community.
There’s also been lots of lively discussion at Principal’s Afternoon Tea about perimeter, area, angles, and multiplication as students tackle new Maths concepts. It’s wonderful to hear their enthusiasm for learning.
Education for All Grant
Earlier this year, I submitted an application through the Education for All grant program, seeking funding to improve disability access across our school. With support from an Occupational Therapist and a Physiotherapist, we identified key areas for improvement.
I’m thrilled to share that our application was successful. We have been allocated funds to enhance access to classrooms, improve pathways throughout the school, and upgrade access to the pool. Work on these projects will begin later this year. We are excited about the positive impact these upgrades will have for our students and community.
Book Fair Success
A big thank you to Mrs Bryce and her dedicated team of helpers for bringing Book Fair to Craigslea this week. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to discover new books and support our library. We also extend our thanks to our families for their support, it truly makes a difference.
Celebrating Our Students
There are many ways we recognise our hardworking students, but two of my favourites are Principal’s Afternoon Tea and Principal phone calls home. While some parents are momentarily surprised when they receive a call from the Principal, that quickly turns into joy and pride when they learn the reason. Students who receive these calls are also presented with a special Craigslea Champions postcard acknowledging their commitment to learning.
School Opinion Survey
The annual School Opinion Survey is open from 28 July to 22 August 2025. Families, staff, and students in Years 5 and 6 are invited to share their thoughts on what we’re doing well and where we can improve. Invitations were emailed last week. Your voice is important, and we welcome your feedback.
Facilities & Construction Update
Update on infrastructure projects that are currently underway:
- Stop, Drop and Go Zone: The design phase has been completed, and the project is now progressing to the tender stage.
- Stepping Stones: A heartfelt thank you to our Sustainability Group for installing beautiful stepping stones to help students and families avoid puddles near the Sensitivity Unit. (See photos here)
Photos of our Playground and J Block Renovations
BYOD Program Review
At the end of last term, families were invited to share feedback as part of our review of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. Thank you to the 67 families who responded. Key insights include:
- Impact on Learning: 28 families identified positive impacts of BYOD on student learning.
- Student Confidence: 52 families noted their child was highly confident using iPads for learning.
- Affordability: 30 families felt the program was manageable.
- Communication: 35 found the school's communication somewhat supportive, with 14 rating it as supportive.
- Alternatives: Interest in a school-managed 1:1 device program through an ICT levy - 22 Yes | 33 Maybe | 12 Unsure/No
Your feedback will guide next steps as we continue to refine our approach to using technology for learning. During the next fortnight I will be bringing together a working party of teachers to continue the review.
“People working together in a strong community with a shared goal and a common purpose can make the impossible possible.”
— Tom Vilsack
Yours in learning,
Melanie Rehm
Principal
Learning to read is a process that needs step-by-step teaching and plenty of practise at school and at home. Unlike walking or talking, reading is not a skill that we learn naturally — everyone needs to be taught how to read.
Reading requires two very important skills:
- decoding (reading) the words on the page
- making meaning from the words, sentences and paragraphs that are read.
For children to learn how to decode words, they need to understand how sounds and letters link together. They are taught that: - words can be broken up into sounds (the word ‘cat’ is made up of 3 sounds: c-a-t) and that sounds can be blended to form words (the sounds c-a-t blended, forms the word ‘cat’)
- the sounds in words can be represented by letters or groups of letters.
As children develop their understanding of letter-sound correspondences and apply this knowledge to reading words and texts, they learn more complex English spellings.
- The same sound can be represented by different letters; the words ‘play’, ‘rain’ and ‘stage’ all contain the sound /ay/ but the spelling is different in each one.
- The same letter can represent different sounds; the letter ‘c’ can represent a ‘k’ sound as in ‘cat’, or an ‘s’ sound as in ‘race’.
- Small parts of words can have a meaning all their own; in the word ‘walked’, the ‘-ed’ tells us that the walk has already happened — it marks past tense.
- Children practise their word reading skills by reading decodable texts that contain only the letter-sound correspondences children have been taught.
- As children develop their decoding skills and their reading becomes more automatic, they will move from reading simple decodable texts to authentic texts. Authentic texts are any texts that are read for enjoyment or learning and that support word reading, language development and engagement.
Children develop their language skills through the language they hear and read. In the early stages of reading instruction while children are developing their decoding skills, it is very important that they are read to often, so they hear lots of new words and learn about new things that they may not yet be able to read about themselves.
Parents play an important role in helping children learn to read by both:
- listening to your child read aloud to practise decoding words
- reading aloud to your child to build their understanding of language and literacy
Enjoy your reading journey with your child!
Yours in Learning,
Erin Wiles
National definition of bullying for Australian schools
Bullying is the ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm.
It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power (or perceived power) over 1 or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.
Bullying can happen in person or online and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).
Bullying behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time (e.g. through sharing of digital records).
It can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders.
On Monday 11 August the whole school will participate in the Kids Helpline largest anti-bullying lesson and all students will
participate in activities to understand bullying and ways to manage with their buddy classes.
On Friday 15 August all students are encouraged to wear orange to 'Be bold. Be kind. Speak up' as we come together to promote inclusion, respect and belonging.
Bounce Back!
PBL
Pedagogy in English
Teachers across all year levels are actively supporting students to improve their English skills through pedagogical practices that build language and literacy in meaningful and targeted ways. In Prep, teachers are helping students learn to express themselves clearly by encouraging speaking in full sentences and given detailed responses during everyday conversations. Year 1 students are learning to engage with feedback from both teachers and peers to add depth to their opinions. In Year 2, the focus shifts to vocabulary development, helping students use descriptive language accurately and fluently. Year 3 continues this emphasis by exploring vocabulary modality and evaluative language through quality texts. Year 4 students are supported through scaffolding strategies that help them organise and extend their ideas. In Year 5, peer feedback is enhanced with checklists that guide students in reviewing each other’s work. Finally, Year 6 students benefit from explicit instruction and worked examples that model how to develop and elaborate on a single idea within a paragraph. These approaches reflect the thoughtful and consistent ways teachers are supporting students’ language development across the primary years, strengthening communication and literacy skills.
Kids’ STEM Inspiration Day
Six of our Year 6 students recently had the exciting opportunity to attend the Kids' STEM Inspiration Day at the University of Queensland. This hands-on event sparked curiosity and creativity as students explored the worlds of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through interactive workshops and real-world challenges. Guided by passionate experts and university mentors, students were inspired to think like scientists and engineers, discovering how STEM can shape the future and their place in it.
ICAS Reminder
Tuesday 5th August is our first ICAS test for 2025. If you have registered your child for the Digital Technologies test, please ensure they meet Ms Cowan-Dillon at the Sensitivity Unit at 7:45am.
Alice Cowan-Dillon
Book Fair: Thank you to all of the families who have supported Book Fair in the Library this week. We have had a wonderful week with excited little shoppers. We can still fill online payments until Thursday 7 August using the Wish Lists. If you have any questions please contact our Librarian Tess Bryce - tknig93@eq.edu.au
Year 1 and Year 2 will be visited by Perform Education on Thursday 7 August. Their performance, "Treasure Hunt", will link to this year's Children's Book Council of Australia books and the Book Week theme "Book an Adventure". You might like to practice their dance with your child https://vimeo.com/1097402529?share=copy before their visit!
Remember Book Week dress up day is on Friday 22 August. Get your costumes ready to come as your favourite story book character or dress to match the "Book an Adventure" theme.
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LIFE AWARDS Week 2 Recipients |
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| Class | Name | Reason |
| Prep C | Alayna | For being an active learner and for her great work writing about investigations. |
| Prep K | Eliza | For her efforts to use classroom learning tools to help support her writing. |
| Prep N | Harrison | For demonstrating outstanding growth in becoming a confident and independent learner. |
| Prep T | Aiden | For being a dedicated learning and shining during daily phonics Boost Groups. |
| 1B | Lucas | For trying new activities and joining in. |
| 1C | Milla | For working hard to be a Craigslea L.I.F.E. learner. Milla’s confidence has grown and so has her independence during writing time. |
| 1D | Felicity | For always sharing her ideas and giving learning tasks her best effort. |
| 1R | Bryce | For giving your best effort in learning activities and starting the term strong. |
| 2HG | Isabella | For being a responsible friend and encouraging others to be good learners through the demonstration of being prepared, kind and listening to others. |
| 2S | Archie | For applying and making connections with his learning and sharing with others. |
| 2W | Harper | For showing bravery and confidence during our performance at the high school. |
| 3A | Jaisarv | For trying his best, working hard to be an independent learner. |
| 3H | Miriam | For being an enthusiastic learner who participates actively in class activities. |
| 3K | Darryn | For being an active learner and having a fantastic start to the term. |
| 3P | Violet | For being an active learner by sharing her great ideas and answers in whole class discussions. |
| 4B | Andie | Has demonstrated responsible E-safe behaviours and participates well in all subjects. |
| 4D | Evangeline | For your inclusive nature and consistently showing kindness and respect to both peers and adults. |
| 4G | Elwood | For being an enthusiastic learner by trying his best and sharing his ideas in all key learning areas. |
| 4J | Theodore | For his genuine desire to learn and engage in all class settings. Your efforts are truly valued. |
| 5JK | Adam | For using the criteria on the learning wall and driving his learning by identifying next steps. |
| 5M | Rhea | For being a respectful learner and engaging in all class activities. |
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5S |
Jordan | For working hard to be an independent learner at Craigslea. |
| 6C | Owen | For being a friend to others and constantly offering help and words of encouragement to his peers. |
| 6D | Ethan | For his independence and ability to apply strategies so that he can complete tasks to the best of his ability. |
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6H |
Emerson | For consistent application to work in all learning tasks |
| 6K | Harry | For being a learning and showing growth in his willingness to take on classroom challenges. |
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LIFE AWARDS Week 3 Recipients |
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| Class | Name | Reason |
| Prep C | Cara | For using her letter and sound knowledge to write a recount and present it to the class. |
| Prep K | Violet | For her eagerness to apply her learning to help improve her writing and reading. |
| Prep N | Sadie | For her attentiveness in learning, well done for consistently displaying a growth mindset. |
| Prep T | Asha | For being a committed learner and showing improvement in her sentence writing skills. |
| 1B | Emma | For always demonstrating her friendly and caring nature with the class. |
| 1C | Ridaan | For consistent effort in all areas of the curriculum. Keep pushing yourself to be the best learner you can. |
| 1D | William | For always sharing her ideas and giving learning tasks her best effort. |
| 1R | Alison | Your perseverance during new and challenging learning tasks. |
| 2HG | Ezra | For stepping into Term 3 with confidence and putting 100% into all aspects of his learning. |
| 2S | Destiny | For making a smooth transition into 2S and making a big effort to complete her work |
| 2W | Kai | For having a growth mindset and for never giving up on building strong connections with others. |
| 3A | Itgel | For settling into 3A and making a wonderful start at Craigslea. Putting 100% into all our learning and striving to do his best. |
| 3H | Hossein | For being an independent learner and taking responsibility for his actions. |
| 3K | Ellie | For showing continued improvement and consistent effort towards your learning. |
| 3P | Ayannsh | For being a good communicator by actively participating in whole class discussions and learning. |
| 4B | Angaj | Showed thoughtful consideration and positive support for fellow students. |
| 4D | Bodhi | For being engaged in class by putting your hand up, asking thoughtful questions and showing a great attitude to learning. |
| 4G | Thiago |
For his remarkable perseverance and growth in overcoming challenges in mathematics, particularly in understanding perimeter and representing the product of numbers when multiplying by 10, 100, and 1000. |
| 4J | April | For always being a supportive and encouraging Craigslea friend, uplifting others with kind words and recognising their efforts. |
| 5JK | Serena | For being an engaged learner and active participant. |
| 5M | Annie | For being an engaged learner and asking for help in maths when learning new topics. |
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5S |
Damian | For taking more risks with his learning, allowing him to actively participate in classroom activities. |
| 6C | Patrick | For demonstrating respectful behaviour during presentations and asking thoughtful questions. |
| 6D | Soham | For his willingness to strive for excellence and his active participation in our classroom. |
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6H |
Leo | For always displaying independence by taking responsibility for his own learning and behaviour. |
| 6K | Minnah | For demonstrating the LIFE expectations and being a model ambassador for the school during excursions. |
In this edition…
There is so much to look forward to this term! Mark the dates in your calendar and
get excited.
- Bushdance Friday Aug 29th!
- Fathers and Fellas Stall Wed. Sept. 3rd!
- Craigslea Hall Hustle is coming! Friday Sept. 19th.
Also…
- Exciting News! The Grade 1 & 2 playground is nearly complete — we’re thrilled to
see the finishing touches coming together. Get ready for fun, adventure, and lots
of playtime ahead! A Huge Thank you to all the families that have contributed to
the fundraising for this project over the last few years. - Free Fathers & Fellas Breakfast! Join us at OSHC on Wednesday, September 3rd for a special morning celebrating dads and important male role models. Enjoy a delicious breakfast and great company — we’d love to see you there!
- The P&C are contributing $500 for an emergency kit (non-medical) for
instrumental music. - Entertainment memberships help us reach our fundraising goals. This month
when you purchase and Entertainment membership you will get a FREE
upgraded to a multi-city membership. You can purchase your membership here:
https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/225332
1. Bushdance Friday Aug 29th!
- Tickets on sale now. https://www.trybooking.com/DBCKP
- Volunteers needed for the BBQ. volunteersignup.org/3Y8KC
- Flyers coming home soon with more details, keep an eye out for updates on
our Facebook page.
2. Fathers and Fellas Stall! • Wednesday Sept 3rd.
- Celebrate the amazing men in our community with a free breakfast at OSHC
and a special stall - Volunteers needed: Sign up at volunteersignup.org/KTAYF
- Flyer coming soon with all the details — stay tuned!
3. Craigslea Hall Hustle is coming!
- We are so excited for the fun to come.
- Think fun run & colour splash.
- There will be lots of creative and exciting fundraising incentives along the
way. - More information to come. Keep and eye on our Facebook page and future
newsletters.
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P&C Executive |
Joel (President), Raechal (vice president), Kim (Treasurer), Sophie (Secretary). |
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OSHC |
3350 8724 / 32563688 |
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Tuckshop |
Deb 33508744 |
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Uniform Shop |
Emily 33508744 |
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Swim Club |
Wendy |
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Sustainability Committee |
Jen sustainability@craigsleapandc.org.au |
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P&C Facebook Page |
All day 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM All day 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM 8:15 AM - 8:30 AM 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM All day All day 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Prep Excursion to Shorncliffe
Pre-Prep Story & Craft
Eco Club - Term 3
Book Week Parade
High School Band Performance
Street Science - Year 3
Eco Club - Term 3
P & C Bush Dance
Bushdance!
Pre-Prep PE Lesson
P&C General Meeting
Fathers and fellas breaky and stall
Junior Choir Pop-Up Concert
Year 4 What's in The Bin Incursion
Student Free Day (NO School today)
Music Workshop
Music Gala
Eco Club - Term 3
Show N Shine
Let’s Empower Families with Financial Literacy and Savings!
Saver Plus is a program designed to help eligible families develop essential financial skills and build savings for education costs.
If parents commit to saving up to $50 a month for 10 months, ANZ will match their savings up to $500 for education costs, such as school uniforms, stationary, textbooks, computers.
