Dear Parents/Carers,

Thank you to the Craigslea State School community who have made me feel so very welcome in my first few days. My initial interactions with staff, students and parents this week have contributed to the sense of community and pride that exists. Students are polite and eager to engage in conversations, teachers are focused on student learning and parents have told me what a great school and community this is to be part of. I am looking forward to learning more about your school and celebrating the final weeks of the 2022 school year.

As we move into 2023, I will continue to work alongside the school team, listen to what is important and lead with integrity so that our students continue to experience a quality education and reach their full potential.

Kind Regards,

Nikki Finch

Acting Principal

Prep 2023 Update 

Enrolment forms are available on the school website https://craigsleass.eq.edu.au/enrolments. Please email your completed forms to enrolments@craigsleass.eq.edu.au as soon as possible.

Class Placements 2023

At this time of year, we understand that families and children are eagerly anticipating finding out their class and teacher for the following year. Placement of students in classes is a carefully considered process involving teachers, specialist staff and information from the leadership team, and we appreciate your patience as we finalise this complex process.

Children will have the opportunity to meet with their 2023 teacher and classmates in the next couple of weeks. After their session, children will bring home a class placement note. This note will inform you of your child/ren’s class teacher and class placement for 2023. These sessions are very effective in supporting students transition to their new class.

Prep Meet and Greet:

Thursday 24 November - 9:30-10:30am. Our 2023 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.

Step Up Day:

Monday 5 December – 9:30-10:30am. Our Year 1-5 children will have an opportunity to meet their 2023 teacher, visit their classroom and engage in get to know you activities with their new class.

PBL & Social-Emotional Learning

This fortnight’s focus supports the expectation of Be a Friend by encouraging and supporting each other to be the best version of themselves. Teachers and students have been thinking of ways that they can show encouragement and support to each other especially at this busy time of the year with assessments starting. It has been wonderful to see how students have engaged with the concept and hearing of their random acts of kindness and encouragement.

At Craigslea SS this looks and sounds like:

• We support each other and work as a team
• We share and contribute
• We build trust through positive actions and words
• We encourage and inspire others
• We listen to understand
• We are happy when others succeed
• We keep our body calm and our hands and feet to ourself
• We allow others to participate in activities and share resources
• We respect others space.

Teaching and Learning 

This semester is quickly passing by as we are now over halfway through Term 4.  The students are busy consolidating their skills and knowledge and learning new concepts from across the curriculum areas.  

As this year draws to a close, students are beginning to enter the assessment-heavy period of the term. Teachers are working to a tight timeline to turnaround from teaching to assessing to reporting, so every day is busy. Assessments are an opportunity for students to ‘show what they know’ and they are really just an extension of the learning and activities that they have been doing in class.

Therefore, it is important that students are at school for those earlier lessons in order to have the best opportunity to indeed show what they know. Whilst teachers always do their best to catch students up on work missed, it is almost always an ‘abridged’ version of the lesson simply because of time constraints, human resources and the need to keep moving with the curriculum. Assessments are important and valued and we encourage students to do their best at all times, but we also teach them to understand that it is only one part of their learning process and there are always more opportunities in the future to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding.

Active School Travel

Craigslea State School – Active school travel School of the Year 2022

We did it!!!! A big shout out and thank you to everyone who has gotten behind our active school travel initiative in our inaugural year. Last week, the AST team had the pleasure of representing Craigslea at the annual Active School Travel awards at City Hall where we were recognised at School of the Year 2022 – an amazing achievement!

Santa Walk – 7 December 2022

Join in on the Active School Travel fun on Wednesday 7/12 as we meet up at a one of two designated parks (Redbourne St and Craigslea St) for the final time this year and walk to school with the Active School Travel Team. As some end of year fun as we walk to school, we will be on the look out for Santa who may have a sweet reward for our eagle-eyed spotting!

Have a great fortnight!

On Thursday night our Active School Travel Team attended the Brisbane City Council’s Lord Mayor’s Active School Travel Annual Awards at City Hall. The night recognises the fantastic outcomes and changes schools make through the program. The AST program is all about creating healthier, more active students and families, increasing road safety awareness, safer streets and continuing to tackle traffic congestion.

Well done to all the students, parents, teachers and staff who participate by getting active and importantly reducing congestion and increasing safety around our school.

Remembrance Day 

Mrs Le Roux coordinated the creation of our own field of poppies in the memorial garden out the front of the school as part of our recycled art and sustainability unit in Year 4 for Remembrance Day this Friday.

Principal’s Academic Award  

Progress Award: Consistent Effort in all Curriculum Areas 

 Criteria :

• Tries their best in all areas of the Curriculum  
•  Completes all set tasks—neatly and on time  
• Completes all homework tasks—neatly and on time