Planning Days for Principals

For three days this week, Christine Johnston and myself have been in Emerald for Principal Learning Days.  These have included a Reading masterclass, a Curriculum Masterclass and Strategic Planning for our school with other principals in our area.

School Opinion Survey

Last week we received our School Opinion Survey Data.  Below are the highlights of our data.  We had 30.3% of parents and caregivers, 96.1% of students and 79.6% of staff participate.  We also received feedback from Parents and Caregivers, Students and Staff of how we can improve and this will inform our AIP (Annual Implementation Plan).

Parent Survey

Please take the time to respond to our parent survey around school hours of operation and our school swimming program. It is a quick survey.  The survey closes on 24 November.  Please know we are in the consultation period and no changes will be made until 2026.

Intentions for 2026

Please keep an eye out in your child's bag for the below form in regards to your schooling intentions for 2026 year.

PBL Lesson this week

This Week’s PBL Focus:

PBL Focus – Swimming and Pool Safety

This week, our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) focus is on Swimming and Pool Safety. As swimming lessons begin in PE next week, students are learning how to be safe, respectful, and responsible around the pool. We’re discussing the importance of listening carefully to instructors, following pool rules, and looking out for others to ensure everyone can enjoy their swimming time safely.

GEM Focus

G.E.M. Focus – Gratitude

This week in our Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness (G.E.M.) program, students are focusing on gratitude by reflecting on the people who make them happy. They are encouraged to think about someone special in their lives – a friend, teacher, family member, or classmate – and recognise the positive impact that person has on their day. By identifying and appreciating the people who bring them joy, students learn that practising gratitude helps strengthen relationships, boosts overall wellbeing and spreads kindness throughout our school community.

Whole Class Stamp Charts

After reaching our amazing goal of 20 completed Whole Class Stamp Charts last term, our count has now started again! The challenge is on — can we reach another 20 before the end of the school year?

Including the final week of Term 3, we already have six classes who have completed their stamp charts, starting us off wonderfully toward our next whole-school celebration. Congratulations to Prep C, 2C, 3A, 3C, 4A, and 5/6C for leading the way and helping us reach a total of six completed charts so far.

Keep up the great work, everyone — let’s see how many more classes can join them before the year is out! ?

Watch this space for our growing tally.

The Biggest Catch

 It’s our way of celebrating how many individual stamp charts each class completes.

Think of each filled chart as a part of a fish—the more completed charts, the bigger the fish will be.

At Calliope State School we all swim together.

Positive Behaviour Data Update
At Calliope State School, we continue to celebrate the many positive choices our students make every day. As of Week 4, Term 3, 2025, we have already recorded 59 positive behaviour acknowledgements, alongside 18 awards recognising student effort and achievement through Teacher Aide Certificates, Cool Kid Awards, Classroom Cool Kid Awards, and the Principal’s Award.

We’ve also had four students receive Good Newsletters for their outstanding efforts and positive contributions around the school. These recognitions highlight the great start we’ve had this term as students demonstrate our school expectations of being safe, respectful, and responsible.

Keep up the amazing work, Calliope students — every positive action makes a difference! ?

Swimming lessons at Calliope SS start in Week 3. Please ensure your child has returned their signed swimming permission note to their classroom teacher by this week.

In Week 2, QBuild will be conducting emergency works to reseal expansion joints in our pool. We are hoping that the works will be completed by Week 3, and it will have no impact to our swimming. If there is a delay this will be communicated to families.

For their swimming lessons, students will need-

• Togs and a swim shirt
• Swimming Cap (These can be purchased at Kmart, Big W, Sports Power, or our local pool)
• Towel
• Swimming bag

A couple of things to consider for swimming-

• Ensure all items of clothing (including underwear and socks) are clearly labelled with their name and class.
• If your child’s lesson is early in the day, I would recommend that students are dressed, ready for swimming PRIOR to arriving at school with their uniform worn over the top.
• Goggles are permitted but please ensure they fit correctly and are adjusted accordingly, and practise with your child putting them on.
• Practise independence with your child with dressing, undressing, and talk to them about the importance of neatly placing all their clothing items back in their bag to assist them in organising themselves and to limit lost belongings.
• If your child is anxious or not very confident in the water, talk to them about what will happen and their feelings and please let their teacher know if you think there is something we need to be aware of.
• Earrings are okay as long as they are only studs or sleepers, no big dangly ones. However, if their earrings fall out in the pool it is highly likely we will not be able to find them. I remind students this when they come swimming.  If students want to take their earrings out for swimming I suggest they do it at home and not when they get to the pool. 
• I prefer them to also take watches off, so they don't catch on others when swimming. 

Hi Calliope Families! Below are a few reminders from the P&C.

Tuckshop Orders - Important Reminders 

• When using QKR to order, ensure you select your child's correct class, as lunches are delivered to the class listed on QKR
• Orders for the tuckshop close at 9 AM every day
• If your child is unwell, you can cancel their order on QKR App before 9 AM

Uniform Shop 

The uniform shop operates on Fridays before the parade. Orders placed via the QKR app can be collected during this time. For any inquiries regarding the uniform shop, please email uniformshop.calliopess@gmail.com. 

*Please Note:* EFTPOS is currently unavailable, so orders must be placed via the QKR app.

QParents  is a secure, online portal that is free for all Queensland state schools to use and provides parents with quick, easy access to their student information including:

• student and parent contact details
• attendance details
• report cards – all report cards (past & present) are available to view and upload
• assessment planners – uploaded each semester
• timetables
• invoices and payment history
• Online consent management

The student information displayed in QParents is surfacing information that is already recorded and managed in OneSchool. The benefits of using QParents for schools and parents include:

• a faster, more efficient way to communicate with parents regarding student information
• a secure, convenient and automated process for parents to pay school invoices
• significant time and effort savings for both your school and parent community
• an innovative online communication tool that’s free of charge for both schools and parents to use.

How do I register for QParents?

You will be sent an email inviting you to register for QParents. You will then be able to register via the secure QParents website: qparents.qld.edu.au using the unique invitation code contained in the email. You will require each child’s unique EQ ID and you must verify your identity by providing 100 points of identification. If you cannot verify your identity online, you should contact your child’s school for assistance. The school will review your registration and approve your account. You will then be able to access the QParents app.

Please note: if you have not received the Qparents invitation email, please send correspondence through to admin@calliopess.eq.edu.au with your full name, student/s full name & DOB to request your Qparents invitation.

Program Dates:

29 Oct – Get messy with squish, splatter & swirl creations!
5 Nov – Turn everyday foods into colourful, edible art ?
12 Nov – Think BIG and create even BIGGER! Collaborate on giant projects ?️
19 Nov – Mix science and art for fizzing, foaming fun!