22 August 2025

From Taylor Haley, Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome to Week 6! We are now well into the term, and it’s been wonderful to see our students thriving in so many different areas of school life. The energy around campus has been buzzing, from classrooms full of learning to rehearsals, training sessions, and competitions. What stands out most is the way our students continue to approach every opportunity with enthusiasm, teamwork, and pride in being part of the Surfers Paradise State School community. This fortnight has been especially exciting, with a string of sensational achievements we are delighted to share with you.

What an extraordinary couple of weeks it has been at Surfers Paradise State School! Across the arts, sport, aerobics, and academics, our students have been shining brightly and making us all so proud.

Eisteddfod Success
Our music program continues to impress! The Junior Choir opened the season with an outstanding 2nd place, and our Senior Choir raised the bar even higher by singing their way to 1st place. Congratulations to our talented performers and a big thank you to Mrs Kelly for her inspiring leadership. A congratulations to all of the Senior Band students for their Gold Standard performance, the band exceeded their performance expectations and were a credit to themselves and our school.  Thank you to Mr Strand, you have supported this group so well. I look forward to supporting and hearing from our, Junior Band, Jazz Band and Strings ensembles as they take to the stage later this week and next.

Sports Aerobics – National Champions !
Hobart was the stage for incredible achievements from our Sports Aerobics teams. Spice it Up! earned a gold medal, Sweet or Sour secured bronze, and our Glam Girls performed brilliantly against strong competition. A huge thank you to coach Ms Tickell for guiding our athletes to success and a big thank you to our parents who supported the interstate trip.

District Athletics – Podium Power
Congratulations to our outstanding track and field competitors, who will be off to the next stage of competition soon.

• Jackson – 1st Discus, 1st High Jump, 2nd Long Jump, 2nd 200m, 3rd Shot Put
• Brayden – 1st Shot Put, 2nd Discus, 2nd High Jump, 3rd Long Jump
• Jaxon – 3rd 1500m
• Sofia – 2nd Long Jump

All of our representatives showed grit, determination, and true sportsmanship.

STEM Excellence
Not to be outdone, our brilliant STEM Team claimed 1st place in the GC STEM Cup competition. Their teamwork, problem-solving skills, and creativity highlighted the strength of innovation in our school. Thank you to Mrs Humbert for supporting and encouraging our young scientists and engineers.

From the concert stage to the athletics field, from aerobics mats to STEM innovation, our students have proven once again that they are leaders, achievers, and true ambassadors for Surfers Paradise State School. Congratulations to all!

The Value of Play in Learning

“Play” and “learning” might sound like separate ideas, but in education they are deeply connected. This is a topic that is quite topical at the moment and one that I have been reading about recently.

Why play matters in primary school:

• Builds strong foundations – Play develops problem-solving, creativity, and resilience, skills children use across all areas of learning.
• Supports wellbeing – Play encourages social interaction, teamwork, and empathy, helping children form positive relationships.
• Encourages curiosity – Through playful learning, students experiment, explore, and discover, sparking a love of learning that lasts.

The current conversation in education: Research has highlighted that while the benefits of play are well recognised, many teachers feel pressure to reduce opportunities for it due to curriculum demands especially in the older primary years. This has sparked national discussion about how to strike the right balance and one, our staff will continue to explore.

Finding the balance in schools: Across Queensland and Australia, educators are weaving play into structured learning through inquiry projects, STEM challenges, drama, sport, and hands-on problem solving. Even short opportunities for playful learning during the day can: boost engagement, deepen understanding, and make learning memorable.

At our school, we see play not as a break from learning, but as an essential part of it. When children play, they are often doing their very best thinking.

Kind regards, Taylor Haley

Calendar 2025 Term 3

This calendar is for reference only and is subject to change. Please check with your child’s class newsletter for any changes to times and dates. If you are unsure, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the school office during business hours.

P&C Fundraiser

Let the FUN begin with Bitesize 'FUN'raising!

We’re thrilled to introduce a new fundraising initiative at our school – Bitesize ‘FUN’raising – to help us raise much needed funds for a new kitchen air conditioner in the assembly hall.

Bitesize 'FUN'raising is powered by the team behind Australia’s most-awarded gourmet biscuits. Their FUN flavours Raspberry White Chocolate, Choc Chip and Salted Caramel biscuits are free from nuts, preservatives and additives, and are absolutely delicious – making them a perfect treat for families and teachers to enjoy with their tea or coffee.

But the impact doesn’t stop there. Every biscuit sold also helps support a truly inspiring Australian charity – Supertee.

Supertee was founded by Jason Sotiris, a tradie and devoted dad whose daughter bravely fought a rare form of cancer. During her treatment, Jason and his family had to cut up old t-shirts to make room for medical tubes – garments that were uncomfortable and temporary. From this hardship, the idea for Supertee was born: a superhero-inspired medical garment that makes hospital life easier and more empowering for seriously ill children.

Supertees aren’t sold – they’re gifted to kids in hospitals across Australia, helping them feel stronger, braver, and ready to face the day like a true superhero. And here’s where Bitesize 'FUN'raising comes in: a portion of every box sold helps donate more Supertees to children in need, through the Bitesize Kids Appeal.

We’re proud to be part of this double-impact fundraiser – raising money for our school while supporting a wonderful cause that’s changing lives.

Info & Tips for Bitesize ‘FUN’raising

• Each carry-box contains 15 Gourmet Bites packs. Each Gourmet Bites pack sells for $5 each or $75 for the entire carry-box.
• Take your carry-box out with you to social gatherings and sell to family members, friends or neighbours.
• Spread the word through Facebook and social media platforms.

From Our Psychologist - After the Big Feelings: Problem-Solving Together

Once the storm has passed and your child is calm again, it’s tempting to just move on. But this is actually a great moment to gently guide them in learning how to solve the problem that caused the meltdown in the first place.

Problem-solving helps children understand that they can face challenges—and that they’re not alone in working things out. It’s also a chance to build connection, trust, and emotional resilience.

According to Murray et al. (2021), when adults take a calm, collaborative approach to problem-solving, children are more likely to develop flexible thinking and emotional regulation. The key is to work with your child, not do it for them or force a quick fix.

Try this at home:

• Use simple questions like: “What do you think happened?” and “What could we try next time?”
• Offer a few ideas if they’re stuck, but invite them to choose: “Do you want to try writing it down next time, or come talk to me first?”
• Keep your tone calm and warm—not about blame, but learning: “It’s okay to get it wrong. We just keep learning together.”

Reflect:

• Think about a recent challenge your child faced.
• Was there time to talk about it afterwards?
•  Did they feel heard?

Regards, Georgia Blackwell, Psychologist

Broadwater School Sport District Athletic Trials

16 students represented SPSS at the Broadwater District Track and Field events.

Listed are the students and their result for the event/s at District level, which is in the top 5 per cent of the students in this District.

Students who are now in the Broadwater District Athletic Team, going to the South Coast School Sport trials are:

Regards, David Gee, HPE Teacher

Checkmate! Congratulations, Hanish!

Over the weekend, Hanish competed in the Gold Coast Chess Tournament and delivered an outstanding performance. Showing focus, strategy, and determination, he went undefeated, winning all 8 of his games!

What an incredible personal achievement, Hanish. We’re so proud to celebrate your success with our school community!

STEM Challenge

2025 Gold Coast Primary Schools STEM Challenge Finals Day

SPSS STEM EX team were thrilled to qualify for the regional finals day, held on Wednesday 13 August 2025 at Griffith University. Our hardworking year 5 and year 6 team competed against 10 other primary schools in five complex STEM challenges.  We are very pleased to announce that we WON!

Regards, Julie Gotje, STEM/Technology Teacher

My New Gallery

Sport Aerobics Nationals Competition

This past weekend, 11 students and their families travelled south to Hobart, Tasmania to compete in the Schoolaerobics National Championships.

We had a fun and successful weekend. The competition was steep but the teams pulled off a Gold and a Bronze medal, and gave some valuable experience to our younger students who will hopefully be back on that stage next year.

Congratulations to our teams;

A big thank you to the families that got them there and supported in all sorts of ways before, during and after the event.  Bring on SPSS Sport Aerobics 2026!

Regards, Melissa Tickell, SchoolAerobics Coach

My New Gallery

French Speech Competition

At the end of last term, six students in Years 5 and 6 competed in the LTQ Online French Speech Competition.  The results are as follows:

I would like to congratulate all six students on their commitment to their French learning and their willingness to put themselves out there to compete. Well done!

Regards, Melissa Tickell, LOTE Teacher

Year 6 Street Science incursion

PE – Term 4 Swimming

In term 4, our PE lessons will be at the pool from week 1 to week 9.

The sports house swimming carnival will be in week 5 with further details to come.

Regards, Mr Gee, HPE Teacher

Lost property

Please ensure your child’s jackets and hats are labelled with their name.  We have a lot of lost property, especially jackets during this cool weather time!

Birthday Book Club

“Many happy returns” to the following students who have donated a ‘Birthday Book’ for our school library:  

Book Club #6 is open

Book Club issue 6 orders close Monday 8 September 2025.

Assembly timetable

Enrolments for Prep 2026

If you have a child starting Prep in 2026 and they already have a sibling attending our school, we encourage you to submit their enrolment forms as soon as possible.

Should you have questions regarding the enrolment process, please feel free to contact us via email enrolments@surfersparadisess.eq.edu.au or visit our school office.

Eisteddfod Music Timetable

Permission notes have been issued by our music teachers and need to be returned as soon as possible.  If there is an invoice associated with transport to the venue, please ensure payment by the due date.

Bottle Caps and Lids Collection

Tuckshop – Flexischools orders

Always ensure you see the ‘order placed’ confirmation at the end of the process when ordering tuckshop on the phone app or internet.  There will be a large white tick inside of a green circle.  You are also able to check on the ‘orders tab’ to view the order has been successful.

Northcliffe Nipper Sign On

BMD Northcliffe Nipper Sign on Days for 2025-26

All nippers must bring their togs and goggles to complete a pool swim. All membership forms will be available on the day.

Early bird membership prices from $30-50 - price goes up after Sunday 31 August 2025!

First day of our Nipper program is Sunday 28 September 2025, and the season runs until March 2025.

Please visit www.northcliffesurfclub.com.au/nippers or 

contact nippers@northcliffesurfclub.com.au for more information.

Community Notice Board

The school is happy to advertise some local events and business ventures. However, we do not necessarily endorse them to you. It is the responsibility of individual parents/caregivers to ensure that they themselves are satisfied with all services offered before they involve their children.