6 February 2025

The Principal

Dear Parents

An exciting new school year is well underway, with all of our students across Prep to Year 6 showing wonderful learning habits right from the start. As I get around all of the classes, it is so rewarding to hear how much the students are enjoying their class, the new learning and that they are already overcoming new challenges.

This year is also a little more exciting as our teachers are implementing new or revised curriculum in Maths, English, Science and HASS. Throughout last year, our teachers were involved in professional learning of the latest version of the Australian curriculum in these learning areas.  They have undertaken significant time in teams, updating our units of work with the purpose of ensuring our students are fully engaged and excited by their learning.

All parents would have received an email home from their class teacher last week with the Term 1 Curriculum Snapshot, which clearly shows the learning intent for each learning area this term. Our Heads of Department, Mrs Shone and Mrs Johnson have included all Year Level Curriculum Snapshots in today’s newsletter if you would like to see what other year levels are learning.

Staffing Changes

There were some last minute changes to our teaching workforce over the holidays. Talara Primary College was sad to say goodbye to Ms Laurie Watts, Carolyn Simpson and Cindy Barnes. All of these ladies have been wonderful long-term members of our Talara Team and will be missed very much. Ms Watts has secured a Guidance Officer position at Yarrabah SS in Far North Queensland. Mrs Barnes has relocated to Hervey Bay and Mrs Simpson is celebrating retirement!

We are super excited to welcome back to TPC, Mrs Angela Haigh (Yr 1) , Mrs Belinda Delahunty (Yr 1)  and Mrs Courtney Warnett (Italian) who have all returned from maternity leave, while Mrs Bec Clayton (Prep) returns from 12 months travel and Mr Brad Jen (Yr 5) returns from 3 years teaching in the Torres Strait.

We are also excited to welcome some new faces to our Talara teaching team – Ms Amber Hughes, who is joining us from Gympie and who will be teaching Year 2, as well as Mrs Terri Priaulx who is joining us from Toowoomba and will be supporting students as an Inclusion teacher.

I am sure all of our parents will join me in making these new staff feel very welcome and lucky to be teaching your wonderful children at Talara. 

Congratulations to our 2025 Talara Primary College Captains

At our final parade for 2024, we were very honoured to have our TPC college captains from 2018, Evie Paul and Ezra Parsons return, to share their words of reflection and advice to our student body as these two outstanding young people have now graduated Year 12.

At this parade, our 2024 Talara Captains also had the honour of announcing the fine young students replacing them for 2025. Congratulations to -
Captains: Angus Hackney and Mia Mealing
Vice Captains: Curtis Jeffery and Addy Sporton

I know that these four excellent student leaders will be brilliant ambassadors for Talara Primary College (TPC) in 2025.

Our 42 other student leadership positions are being selected across Year 4 – 6 students over the next two weeks. We will then enjoy the very special whole school Leadership Investiture ceremony on Thursday 27 February at 9am in the Performance Hall.

Facilities

How exciting to kick off the year with our youngest students enjoying the fully interactive Prep play space including new decks, a new mud kitchen, nature water ways, sand pits, mobility tracks and nature balance play equipment. A massive thank you to all of the Talara Community for the incredible fund-raising last year that made this wonderful space a reality.

Our wonderful Business Manager Mrs Gould has three more projects on the go for completion this year. Continuing our covered walkways out to the multipurpose courts, upgrading the play space between the hall and prep for an artificial grass soccer field, and a new nature play space between the Junior Court and P Block.

Excursion Planner

To try and support parents in planning ahead, we have created an outline of 2025 intended excursions, incursions and other optional activities with their estimated costs. Please note that these are a guide only. Some events may possibly not go ahead, and others that were not planned for, may occur. Schools are incredibly busy and dynamic organisations, so flexibility is always required to ensure we are always doing the very best we can for our students.

This cost plan will hopefully help parents identify the major expenses across the year, for multiple children in different year levels, and help them to plan financially. Please don’t forget, parents are welcome to contact the office to arrange regular instalment options at any time, if this assists.

Parent Partnership Morning

I trust many parents of students in Prep, Yr 1, 2, 3 and 6 were able to come along and meet their new class teachers at the parent partnership mornings this week. These are a great opportunity to hear all about the year ahead and expectations.

A reminder for the Year 4 and 5 parents session coming up are:

Year 4 – Friday 7 February                8:15am – 8:40am        (Students go to Centre Court)
Year 5 – Monday 10 February           8:15am – 8:40am        (Students go to Senior Court)

Online Services Consent Form

All parents would have received an email from Qparents on Friday 22 January. Please open this email and complete the online survey at your earliest convenience as this replaces our paper website permissions. If you would like any assistance or further explanation, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Deputy Principal or Mrs Bruce (eLearning) who will be able to assist. Students are not permitted access to any online services until this survey has been completed.  If you haven’t received this email, firstly check your Junk Box or alternatively contact the school to have the survey reissued.

Road Safety “Expect the Unexpected”

With the return of school always comes the madness of the afterschool car park. Kids will be kids and they do not always do as they should, and often their actions are completely unexpected. It is the adults driving and walking who must be extra vigilant.

When leaving school and crossing either Saffron Drive or Talara Street, it is essential that all students and adults use the supervised crossings. These have been supplied and staffed with qualified crossing supervisors to ensure the safe crossing of our children. Please ensure that your behaviour is modelling what we expect of our children.

The Drop and Go zone has shown great efficiency when all parents stay in their car, move forward as a space opens, demonstrate patience and continue to follow the rules. When pulling into the two minute zone, please follow the directions on our wonderful new signs; make sure you drive up to the furthest vacant space to enable other cars to then move up behind you. Also please ensure that you do not park in the bus stop immediately before the crossing and the bus bay in front of the bus shelter. 

Driving in school grounds by any member of the public, without clear and explicit permission is strictly prohibited. Parents are reminded that they cannot drive into either school gate entrances to drop off or pick up a student. Please help to pass on the message to all parents that it is just unacceptable and unsafe.  

All parents, please be aware that the Qld Police Service will be showing an increased presence at drop off and pick up times, and vigilantly enforcing the 40km/h speed zones as well as parking restrictions (including the two minute drop off zone).

Talara Care Values

I am always so proud of the way Talara kids really do display our 4 Care Values so well, nearly all of the time.

• Care for Ourselves
• Care for Others
• Care for our Learning
• Care for our School

Kids will be kids, sometimes they will make mistakes and that is ok, it is all part of the valuable learning process.  Care for Others, is a value we are always promoting and discussing as it is such a critical behaviour to ensure we have such a lovely caring and inclusive school where everyone feels valued and welcome.

This week we have received numerous complaints from our neighbours regarding parent driving behaviour and how it impacts on their lives. Can I please ask all parents to remember at that peak time of 2:45pm, reflect on how and where you park or stop, caring for the surrounding residents, their access and their yards and footpaths.

Riding bicycles or scooters in the school grounds

All students have been given a clear reminder that under no circumstances should they be riding their bicycles or scooters inside the school grounds. All students must dismount and walk their bikes / scooters as soon as they enter the school gate. Students who choose not to do this will be issued a full blue slip as a consequence.

P&C Meeting

At Talara, we have a very committed group of parents who meet Tuesday of weeks 3 and 8 each school term to discuss how they can best support our school to develop and enhance what we do. The first meeting will be Tuesday 11 February, 6pm for an informal meet and greet and then the meeting starting at 6.30pm in the Information Access Centre (Library).  We would love you to come along, join us for a cuppa and have your say on the direction of Talara. The P&C Annual General Meeting and elections will then take place at the following meeting, Tuesday 18 March 2025.

Don’t Forget Upcoming Dates

Tribal Parades each even week

Tuesday 11 February
                Year 5 Big Bang Light Incursion
                Parents and Citizens Meeting 6pm- Library

Thursday 13 February
                Chappy Breakfast
                Year 2 Starlab Incursion

Monday 17 February
                Year 4 Street Science Incursion

Wednesday 19 – Friday 21 February
                School Photos

Thursday 27 February
                Student Leaders Investiture Ceremony 9am in hall
                Term 1 Disco P-2 5pm to 6-25pm / Y3-6 6-30pm to 8pm

P&C NEWS

Welcome to Term 1, 2025.  

It was a pleasure to meet so many new families at the Tea & Tissues morning tea.  

This year, we look forward to working together as we strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for the TPC students through our cohesive and productive partnership with the school community.  

We have some key fundraising events to look forward to, including the Mega Draw Raffle, the highly anticipated Trivia Night, and the Colour Run. We’re excited to share many more events throughout the year. 

Parent Rep  

A note was included in your class teacher email regarding becoming a Parent Rep. This valuable role assists Talara maintain its incredible sense of community. Please reach out to your class teacher if this is something that interests you. Keep an eye out for your class FB page. Links will be shared under one post on the TPC Community Board Facebook page.  

If you were a Parent Rep for a previous year, it would be greatly appreciated if you could close any inactive FB pages. If you require any assistance, contact either myself, or Heidi Davies.  

Social Media  

Please be advised that all essential communications concerning the school will be distributed through the official school communication channels, including newsletters, notes home, and emails. The school’s social media pages will serve to reinforce the information shared through these primary channels. We appreciate your ongoing cooperation in staying informed about updates pertinent to your child. 

We ask you to be aware that the school’s social media pages are moderated by a limited number of volunteers. We kindly ask for your understanding, patience, and courtesy in all interactions on these platforms. 

Tucker Shack  

At Talara’s Tucker Shack, we’re proud to offer affordable, healthy, and high-quality food for our school community.  

Below is our Term 1 menu:  

Uniform Shop  

Open each Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning 8:15 - 8:45am. For your convenience, orders can be placed via QKr! And delivered to the student's classroom. Ensure that you have updated the student's profile to ensure accurate delivery.  

P&C Meetings  

You are warmly invited to join us at our P&C meetings, held in week 3 & 8 of each term. Facebook events have been created for each meeting for the year. This is an opportunity for you to have your say, keep up to date on important updates from around the school, and hear from key figures. 

Curriculum Snapshot

We are very excited to be continuing to refine the delivery of our newly developed units of work for English, HASS & Science. We delivered these units for the first time in 2024 and have reviewed these units ready for implementation again in 2025. In addition to this, we will be delivering our new units for Maths, this will be the first time these units have been delivered. These new units of work have been designed to align with the updated Australian Curriculum and most importantly, have been developed to ensure maximum engagement from our learners.

We have an updated document called the Curriculum Snapshot, this gives you an overview of what the units are for the term ahead for each year level. Being aware of what your child is learning and furthermore, engaging in conversation with your child about their learning is a great way to value the learning that is happening at school and be an active partner in your child’s learning journey.

Marking Guides

Class teachers use Marking Guides to assess your child against the Australian Curriculum aspects of the Achievement Standard. The achievement standard for each learning area describes exactly what students should be able to know and do. These documents guide teachers to identify the precise knowledge and skills required to achieve an A, B or C (year level expectation) and clearly articulate which parts of the achievement standard are being taught and assessed for each unit of work. Below you will find the English, Science, HASS & Maths marking guides  for Term 1.

Italian News

Hello Parents and Carers, we are thrilled to introduce ourselves as the Italian teachers for 2025 - Courtney Warnett (Years 3–6) and Dominique Esposito (Prep–3). We've planned a fun-filled year of Italian for our fantastic Talara students!

Here’s a sneak peek at our Term 1 units:

• Prep – Un pacchetto dall'Italia (A Package from Italy): Prep students embark on an Italian adventure with our mascot Mario, learning greetings, exploring Italy on the map, and discovering exciting traditions through games and songs.
• Year 1 – Tutto su di me (All About Me): Year 1 students will chat with Mario in Italian, sharing about themselves and their families, learning greetings, and exploring cultural differences between Australia and Italy.
• Year 2 – Prepara il mio zaino (Prepare My Backpack): Year 2 students help Mario get ready for school in Australia, learning school-related vocabulary, describing classroom items, and comparing Italian and English through fun activities.
• Year 3 – Il mio posto, il tuo posto (My Place, Your Place): Year 3 students help Mario navigate an Aussie home while exploring Italian homes, using prepositions and comparing house types and daily routines in both cultures.
• Four – Cercasi: Vivo o Morto (Wanted: Dead or Alive). Students describe both their own and other’s physical appearance, share what their favourite subjects are and why, and compare English and Italian word order.
• Five – Scambiamo Case (Exchanging Houses). Students investigate different types of houses, locations and rooms in Italy. They complete a reading comprehension task and respond to questions.
• Six – La Mia Famiglia (My Family). Students write a pen pal letter describing themselves and their family. They explain where they like to go with their family and why.

We can't wait for a year full of Italian fun!

The Italian Team

Courtney Warnett
Italian Teacher  

Year 3 & 5 NAPLAN TESTING 12-18 March

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

This year, between 12 and 18 March, our school will be doing NAPLAN Online. One of the main benefits of NAPLAN Online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing, providing assessments that provide more precise results. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, giving them more opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do.

Year 3 students at Talara will complete their NAPLAN writing test on paper and then the remainder of the testing will use school allocated iPads. Our Talara Year 5 students will complete all their NAPLAN tests on BYOx or school provided laptops.

In the lead up to online NAPLAN testing our teachers will be supporting students through facilitated discussions and examples of the online assessment. Our school will also undertake a full readiness test in Week 6 of Term 1 to ensure all of the technical aspects run smoothly and students are familiar with the test environment.

Adjustments are available for students with disabilities and those students who have diverse functional abilities and needs. The school will work with parents/carers on a case-by-case basis to provide the reasonable adjustments that reflect the support normally provided for classroom assessments.

How can I help my child prepare for NAPLAN?

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular classroom activities. As such, excessive preparation or coaching is not required. You can help your child prepare for NAPLAN by reassuring them that the tests are just one part of their school program, and by reminding them on the day to simply try their best. NAPLAN is not about passing or failing, but about assessing learning progress. See the NAPLAN Public Demonstration Site for more information on how to familiarise yourself with the type of questions and related functionalities available in the NAPLAN Online assessment.

NAPLAN dates for Talara Students

• Students in Year 3 & 5 at Talara Primary College will participate in a practice NAPLAN test on Monday 3 March.
• The official NAPLAN testing for all year 3 & 5 students will be held on the following dates. We ask that families ensure their children are at school during this testing window.

Policies and procedures are in place to ensure personal information is protected in the online environment, a continuation of what happens with paper tests.

The NAPLAN information for parents and carers brochures (below link) provides information specifically for parents and carers.

Should you wish to know more about NAPLAN testing or wish to discuss your child’s participation please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible.

Megan James
Talara Primary College

2025 School Photos

School Photos will be taken on Wednesday 19, Thursday 20 and Friday 21 February for all P-6 students.

ECDP students will be sent home a separate communication detailing the package offered and the schedule for photographs.  

For the purpose of school photos, it is expected that all P-6 students follow the Talara Uniform Policy which includes and is not limited to:

• full uniform clothing
• black shoes and white socks
• long hair being tied back
• correct earrings

Photos taken on the day include a class composite photo and an individual photo.

Class photo days are listed here, however please be aware that these can change due to unforeseen circumstances right up until the photo day.

• If your child is absent on photo day, they can attend for an individual photo on the next photo day they are present.
• Year 6 Parents – The individual and group photos are used for Graduation items at the end of the year.
• Our strong preference is to order online however if you choose to order using an envelope, these must be returned to school on or before the first photo date.
• For further ordering information, please see the Advancedlife information attached.   

PLEASE READ THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION BELOW AND ATTACHED - FROM ADVANCEDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

School photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced life.

Whilst an envelope will be sent home, our preference is that ordering be completed online to reduce administration and potential security issues related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day.

Please refer to the ordering information attached.

Orders for photography packages can be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using the school’s unique 9 digit advanced order code below.

2 easy ways to purchase:

1. Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
2. Cash – complete the envelope supplied and return it to our photographer on photo day

Visit: www.advancedlife.com.au
And enter online order code: END KPK P9E

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
• Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the “Order School Photos Here” button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past

Instrumental Music Program

The 2025 IM program gets underway this week. Mr Hucknall (Band Program) will be at the school on Monday and Tuesday each week and Mr Fodor (Strings Program) will be at the school Thursday and Friday each week.

Band Program – from week 2

Band program to commence week 2 (Beginners lessons - Monday & Years 5/6 Band rehearsal only – Tuesday morning)
Timetables will be distributed at end of Week 2

From week 3

Monday before school rehearsal (8:00am – 8:30am) Beginner Band (students in years 4 – commencing late T1/Early T2)
Monday Band lessons: all Year 4 students + Year 5 & 6 Percussion students
Tuesday before school rehearsal (7:50am – 8:30am) Concert Band (students in years 5 & 6)
Tuesday band lessons: year 5 & 6 wind students

Strings Program – commencing week 3

Mr Fodor will be in contact with all of the beginner strings students in week 2 (Friday) to hand out loan agreement forms. Timetables will be distributed in week 2.

Thursday before school rehearsal (7:45am - 8:30am) Senior Strings Ensemble (students in years 5-6)
Thursday strings lessons: years 5-6 students
Friday before school rehearsal (7:45am – 8:30am) Junior Strings Ensemble (students in years 4)
Friday string lessons: years 3-4 students

Please ensure 2025 Instrumental Music Contract is completed and returned.

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to email either teacher:
Mr Hucknall – bhuck3@eq.edu.au
Mr Fodor – ffodo1@eq.edu.au

Chaplains Corner

Isn’t it great to start the 2025 school year, at the best school on the Sunshine Coast! With an emphasis on being kind, welcoming and caring, you can be confident that Talara is shaping our next generation to be amazing adults.

Talara’s chaplaincy service includes a fortnightly free Brekky Club (commencing Thursday week three), lunchtime dance parties (because whose mood doesn’t get a boost with some tunes), and fundraising (to maintain the service). The largest part of my role is ‘Chappy Chats’, 1:1 chats and small group work with students to help them with their hurts and their hopes. I’m here for the whole school community, so if there’s something you think I can help with, please do let me know.

I’m at school on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and can be reached via psimp47@eq.edu.au Our service relies heavily on the support of volunteers and donations. If you can help with either (or both), we would love to hear from you!

May your 2025 be better than you imagine. The best is yet to come!

Uniform Shop Update

The uniform shop will back to regular trading hours from Monday 3 February.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 8:15am to 8:45am

Uniforms ordered online via Qkr! Are delivered to your Childs’ classroom on open days.

Senior Shirts - we have sent home flyers for a second round of Senior Shirt orders – order via Qkr! and to be in by Friday 21 February with delivery hopefully before the end of Term 1.  

Any Uniform Shop questions can be emailed to Kerry at talarauniformshop@gmail.com

Uniform Reminder on Jewellery and White socks

A friendly reminder to all our families, as we commence another successful year at TPC, that we have a very clear uniform policy at school. This exists for not only the safety of our students but to ensure that we maintain our high standards here at Talara Primary College.

So all parents are aware and clear on our school expectations around jewellery, students may wear a standard watch (not a SMART watch), and small plain sleepers or stud earrings that are silver, gold or neutral in colour. A student may also wear a medical alert.

Other jewellery may be “unsafe for the student or others”, as they could become caught in play equipment, hat strings, headphone cords, or could come into contact with another student causing injury. Necklaces, bracelets and bike / house keys on neck-chains are not appropriate.

A student wearing other jewellery will be asked to remove the item and if necessary, take it to the office for safe-keeping for the remainder of the day. A letter/email explaining this matter will be forwarded to the parents / carers. Letters from parents concerning items of significance will be kept on file.

Ankle socks/sockettes are not part of our Uniform policy. Please ensure the white socks are clearly visible above the shoe.

Your support with this is very much appreciated as Talara staff and students work very hard upholding this high standard of dress.

Positive Behaviour Role

I am  very pleased to announce that I am in a dual role this year. Apart from Acting Deputy Principal, I will be engaging with class teachers and students across the campus in a supportive capacity. Primarily, I will be supporting staff if/when needed but of course, I will also be working with students.

From time to time I will be adding attachments/videos to the Newsletter regarding how you as parents/carers can support your child in their education journey. I am asking that you have a look at these. The link below is from parentTV which we have a subscription with. We have always included these in Newsletters as we value the information and expertise these articles provide.

In this video below, Maggie Dent shares strategies to help us build self-esteem within our children. Spoiler alert, so much of developing this is about how we as parents and caregivers model self-esteem to them. It’s the words we use, the way we speak to our children, the way we connect with them that helps build their confidence and competence, which ultimately can help build their self-efficacy, self-acceptance and self-esteem. I hope you ‘take something away’ after watching this!

I have also attached 2 items to this Newsletter which explains the easy ways you can support your child’s learning. There is a Prep to Year 2 document and a Years 3 to 6. We are available and ready to support you and your child should you need it. Happy reading!

Born Wired: Good Habits Start Young

Parents and carers play an important role in helping children to develop digital intelligence — the social, emotional and practical skills needed to successfully navigate the digital world.

Even for Prep children, it is never too early to instil good habits, and as your child gets older it is useful to keep reminding them of these basic digital intelligence principles: respect, empathy, critical thinking, responsible behaviour and resilience. These are also principles you can emphasise with your child when things go wrong.

How to build digital intelligence

Promote respectful communication

• Encourage your child to use the same positive manners and behaviour they would use offline.
• Remind them to avoid responding to negative messages.
• Emphasise the positives.

Encourage empathy

• Help your child to imagine being in someone else’s shoes.

Teach them to question

• Encourage your child to think critically about what they see online.
• Talk to them about ‘fake news’, or false information.
• Remind them to be careful when making new friends online.
• Alert your child to the dangers of meeting someone in person that they have been talking to online.

Encourage safe and responsible behaviour

• Work on achieving a healthy balance in your child’s online and offline activities and set boundaries for digital device use in your home.
• Remind your child of the importance of safeguarding personal information that can be used to identify or locate them. 
• Explain why they should be suspicious of unsolicited messages and emails, and avoid clicking on pop-up ads on websites.
• Help them configure the strongest privacy settings on all the social media apps and sites they use.
• Ensure your child uses strong passwords on devices and accounts.

Help them build resilience

• Keep your cool if your child experiences a negative experience online. Remember, the choices they make as they navigate difficult situations can help them learn and build their resilience.
• Remind your child that they can screen who they accept as online ‘friends’.
• Make sure they know how to block and report users or pages on the sites they use.
• If they have a negative online experience, find out how they are feeling about it and offer support
• Build your child’s confidence and encourage positive ways of thinking — looking on the bright side, thinking rationally, understanding that difficult times are a part of life but there is help and support available.

For more information, visit: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/good-habits-start-young

TEAK News

TEAK (Talara's Environmentally Aware Kids) program will begin this week. Sign up for the program is open to students in Years 3-6 who have a passion for protecting our environment.

Sign up will be on Friday at first break in the 3W classroom in R Block. Students need to commit to attending weekly Friday sessions and be willing to participate in gardening, composting and waste activities around the school grounds. 

Our first TEAK event for the year will be our school "Clean Up Australia Day" on Friday 28 February. We have perpetual trophies for the classes that collect the most waste in P-2, Years 3-4 and Years 5-6. Fingers crossed that we have good weather this year.

I would love some help from any experienced gardeners who could help with our fruit trees, vegetables and herb gardens a few times each term. Please email me at lhert1@eq.edu.au if you would be interested.

Exciting School Discos Coming Up in 2025!

A huge thank you to all our students, families, and staff for making last year’s school discos such a fantastic success! Your support and enthusiasm truly made each event special, and we can’t wait to do it all again this year.

Important Date Change for Term 1 Disco

This year, to better balance events throughout the term for both staff and students, our Term 1 and Term 2 discos will both be held in Week 5 of their respective terms. Please make a note of the new date for Term 1 as this is approaching quickly!

Listed are the disco dates and themes for 2025:

 🏖️Term 1 Week 5 – Thursday 27 February
       Theme: Tropical Beach Party
      Get ready to bring the summer vibes! Dress in your best tropical outfits for the first disco 
      of the year.

🌈 Term 2 Week 5 – Thursday 22 May      

       Theme: Colours of the Rainbow
       A night full of bright colours and fun beats! Come dressed in your favourite colour or 
       mix and match for a rainbow effect. Special Guest DJ Candy will be joining us!

🎄 Term 4 Week 9 – Thursday 4 December
      Christmas Disco
      Celebrate the festive season with an evening of holiday cheer! Wear your best Christmas
      outfit and get ready for some jolly fun.

Mark your calendars and start planning your outfits! We look forward to seeing all our students having a blast at each disco. Stay tuned for more details closer to each event!

Thank you again for your continued support—we can’t wait to dance with you all soon!

Term 1 Disco is Almost Here!

Get your dancing shoes and tropical shirts ready because our Term 1 Beach Party Disco is just around the corner—only three weeks away! We’re thrilled to kick off the year with our first disco on Thursday 27 February.  The Term 1 disco is always very exciting, particularly for our Prep friends who get the chance to experience their very first ever Talara Disco!

Ticket Details:

• Price: $6 per ticket
• Where to Buy: Available for pre-purchase on QKR until 9am Wednesday 26 February, or at the door on the night.
• Pre-purchase Bonus: Students who buy tickets on QKR will receive a wristband delivered to their classroom on disco day, meaning quicker entry on the night.  This is the easiest and quickest way to purchase your disco tickets and gain access to the disco.

What’s Included: Each ticket grants you:

• Entry to the disco
• A slice of pizza
• An entry into our lucky door prize draw!

On the Night: Extra pizza, food, and lollies will be available for cash purchase.

 Important reminders for the Evening:

• Students should attend only their age-appropriate disco session and are not permitted to attend disco sessions of older or younger siblings. 
• Discos are fully supervised by staff allowing parents to drop their students off and pick them up from the back doors of the hall promptly at the end of each disco.  Parents are also welcome to stay for the discos if they prefer. This is usually encouraged for our Prep parents at the Term 1 disco as some students can find their first disco a little overwhelming.  
• Discos are for Talara students only.
• Please leave mobile phones and backpacks at home, as they aren’t allowed in the hall.  Small shoulder bags to hold money is permitted.

We can’t wait to see everyone in their tropical best on the dance floor!

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION WORKSHOPS

CRU’s Families for Inclusive Education (FFIE) project is funded by the QLD Department of Education. The following webinars and face to face events are occurring as below if you would like to participate:

Online Workshop

Inclusive Education: What it is, and why it matters for your child

Wednesday 12 of February
10:00am to 11:30am

For more information and to register for this free online workshop, please click here 
To view and share on FB, please click here

This online workshop will focus on the basics about inclusive education – the definition, what it looks like, and why it is so important to all children, with and without disability. Join us online as we discuss the evidence in favour of inclusive education, the policies and supports that work towards inclusion at school, and tips on how parents can work confidently and effectively with their child’s school for an inclusive education.

This workshop is relevant for parents and carers of children with disability of school age, or younger, who are wanting to know more about inclusive education. We also welcome any interested supporters or community members wanting to learn about the importance of inclusion in schools.

Face-to-Face Workshop

Inclusion and Belonging at the Local School: The Parent Advocacy Toolkit

Brisbane – Thursday 27February, click here for more information and to register.  To view and share on FB, please click here.
Townsville – Thursday 27 March, click here for more information and to register.  To view and share on FB, please click here.
Rockhampton – Thursday 1 May, save the date!
Toowoomba – Wednesday 14 May, save the date!
Sunshine Coast – Thursday 29 May, save the date!
Gold Coast – Wednesday 11 June, save the date!
Cairns – Thursday 19 June, save the date!

This workshop is designed to give parents/carers of children with disability the information they need to feel informed about inclusive education for their child. It aims to equip family members with confidence to have conversations with their child’s current or prospective school, about the supports and adjustments their child needs for school inclusion.

Supported Attendance 

Please note that financial support is available to enable regional attendees to travel to our face-to-face workshops. This includes travel support (petrol/airfares) and accommodation. To apply, families should contact educationproject@cru.org.au

IF YOUR PASSION IS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION – SHARE OUR RESOURCES

 Everything is available on our website at cru.org.au/our-work/inclusive-education/resources-fie/ 

• All of our factsheets, including the new factsheet in PLAIN ENGLISH, can be found here: FACTSHEETS
• *BRAND NEW* VOX POP – ‘WHY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION MATTERS’ – Click HERE TO WATCH AND SHARE
  A Vox Pop video capturing the opinions of 27 students, parents, people with disability, teachers and other professionals.
• NEW – ‘Curriculum Inclusion for ALL : Real-life stories of inclusion of Queensland students with disability’ – Click HERE
  A digital collection of real-life curriculum inclusion stories shared with CRU by students, families, and educators in regular school settings across Queensland. 
• ‘It’s My Learning I Have a Say’ – Click HERE
  Released early in 2024, this video shows how two students are consulted about reasonable adjustments, and why this is important to them.

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIFELONG INCLUSION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES,  JOIN US AT OUR 2-DAY EVENT IN MARCH.

Building Capacity for Lifelong Inclusion 2-day event
Fri 14 and Sat 15 March 2025, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre – find out more here: Lifelong Inclusion

This two-day event will gather and connect people with disabilities, family members, friends, workers and allies to focus on building our capacity for lifelong inclusion. Speakers will include Emmy Award winners and disability rights advocates Dan and Samuel Habib, Australian human rights advocate Thomas Mayo, and Professor Bruce Bonyhady who was one of the key architects of the NDIS.

Sessions across the 2 days will be on the topics of Inclusive Education, Employment Inclusion, Supported Decision Making, ‘Behaviour’ and Sensory and Movement Differences, Establishing a Home of One’s Own, Respectful Support, and Friendship, connection and freely given relationships. View and share on FB here: CLICK HERE

Primary School Life Saving Championship

The Primary Pool Rescue competition will take place on Sunday 1 June 2025 at the Sunshine Coast Grammar Aquatic Centre. At last year’s carnival, Talara came 3^rd up against some pretty great schools.

I am looking for students to nominate who currently partake in either surf lifesaving or competitive swimming. The competition consists of the following events:

• 8m Line Throw
• Individual Medley
• 50m Pool Rescue Race (non-contact)
• 4 x 25m Team Survival Relay
• 100m Individual Life Saving Race
• 4 x 25m Fin Relay

No experience of Pool Rescue is required; however, students must be strong swimmers/squad swimmers and comfortable swimming fully clothed to nominate. Mrs Little will put out a call for interested students in the coming weeks. If you think your child may be interested in this, you can email me at elitt31@eq.edu.au . Minimum Age 8 years as at 31 December 2024.

Talara Cricket

Who is keen to play cricket?! Whether you’re a first-time batter or backyard cricket superstar, come and join in the fun!

Queensland Cricket will be running a Cricket Blast Program for Years 1 to 6, for 6 weeks on Tuesday mornings before school, starting on February 18, with the final session running on the March 25. Sessions will run from 7:30am and will finish in time for kids to be at their classes by 8:30.

Program cost is $50 for boys and $35 for girls, which includes a complementary Cricket Blast Participant Pack, as well as snacks from Woolworths every session.
*Girls have been discounted from the Growing Girls Cricket Fund and Cricket Australia

Girls Registration Link: https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/a73c8d
Boys Registration Link: https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/d0ebc9

Talara Board Riders

This year, Talara Primary College, in conjunction with North Caloundra Surf School, is offering a surfing program to students in Years 4 – 6. This program is limited to 18 participants, to ensure the safety of children while taking part in the program. Surf sessions will run over an eight-week block, commencing in Term 1 through part of Term 2, and then recommencing late in Term 3 and through Term 4 for an eight week block. Sessions will take place on a Friday morning, from 6 am – 7am. For Term 1, the program will commence in Week 4, on Friday, February 21. The location will be advised prior to the surfing sessions taking place, but will occur in the local area.

North Caloundra Surf School will provide two coaches to assist children to improve and develop their surfing skills. The cost of the program is $152 for the eight week block of lessons. This is a private company and payment in advance of lessons commencing is a compulsory requirement.  Payments can be made by going to the following link -
North Caloundra Surf School | Talara Boardriders

Payment is required in full to North Caloundra Surf School, not Talara Primary College.

Any lessons cancelled due to rough surf conditions will be made up over the course of the semester. Participants that miss surf lessons will not receive a refund for any lessons missed.

There are a number of requirements children must meet to be eligible to participate in this program. These include –

• A high level of swimming ability
• A surfboard with a nose guard (if a short board and not mini-mal) in good condition with no exposed fibreglass or sharp edges. North Caloundra Surf School can supply learner surfboards for participants if required.
• The ability to paddle out unassisted through waves up to 3 feet.
• Rashies are supplied by North Caloundra Surf School for each lesson.

If you are interested in your child taking part in this program, please complete the attached forms and return to the office as soon as possible.  Places are limited to 18 children.

Please note that this program was oversubscribed last time and places are allocated on first in basis, on payment to North Caloundra Surf School, not the return of permission forms to Talara Primary College.  

QParents

Great news, Talara Primary College is moving towards using the QParents App. In the future QParents will be the only option to approve consent forms. The QParents web and mobile application provides parents with secure, online access to their child’s student information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of a future absence
• Digital consent forms and managing permissions
• Academic report cards
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details
• Upcoming events list showing school events and excursions.
• Engaging in their child’s learning journey.

QParents also provides an efficient and effective way for parents to communicate with the school.

How to Register for QParents

You have been previously sent a QParents invitation email, please check your Junk folder as the message may have been directed there by your email provider.  Using this invitation, and the attached Quick Reference Guide, please follow the prompts to register as soon as possible.

Parents requiring assistance with this process, please visit the office between 8.00am - 3.30pm Monday to Friday. If visiting the office, please ensure you bring with you the necessary identification documents to reach the 100 points required (ID documents are listed on the attached flyer with their points value).

If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact our Administration Officer, Bianca Kubler.  More information can be found on our website https://talacollss.eq.edu.au/support-and-resources/qparents

Bianca Kubler
Administration Officer

Flashing lights now active at Talara Primary College

Over the Holidays flashing light school zone signs were installed on Bellara Drive. Talara Primary College was nominated to receive these new signs as part of a Queensland Government commitment to improve school road safety. 

You will notice that the new signs look similar to standard school zone signs with the addition of a red flashing ring around the speed limit as well as two flashing yellow lights at the top of the sign. The installation of flashing light school zone signs is proven to improve visibility of school zones, serving as an active reminder for motorists to slow down.

So next time you’re dropping off or picking up your child, keep an eye out for the new signs and make sure you stick to the signed speed limit.

Talara Primary College Parents and Community

As we look forward to an exciting new school year, we’d like to take a moment to introduce you to our daughter, Keira, who is starting Prep in 2025. Keira has a condition called Achondroplasia, which is a form of dwarfism. This simply means that Keira’s bones grow a little differently, making her shorter than other children her age, but she’s just as full of life, curiosity, and energy as her classmates.

Achondroplasia affects about 1 in every 25,000 people, making Keira quite unique. Like many children with dwarfism, Keira was born to parents of average height, and her condition was just something that happened by chance during her development. Despite these physical differences, Keira enjoys the same things as other kids her age—she loves to swim, dance, run, and explore. She is smart, independent, and excited to start making friends at school.

You might see Keira using a scooter around the school grounds. This has been approved by the school to help her get around more easily, especially when her legs get tired. Additionally, to make her arrival and departure smoother, we’ve been given permission to park in the bus zone near the front of the school. This helps reduce the distance Keira needs to walk.

We know that children are naturally curious, and we welcome that curiosity. If your child has questions about Keira, please encourage them to ask rather than staring or whispering. It’s important for children to learn that while Keira may be smaller, she’s the same age as other Prep students and does all the same things—just sometimes in a different way. A friendly smile, wave, or hello can go a long way in helping Keira feel included.

We’ve found that these moments of curiosity can be great learning opportunities for children. You can explain to your child that Keira is a little person with dwarfism and that everyone grows in their own way. Encouraging positive interactions, like greeting her and treating her like any other classmate, helps create a welcoming environment.

In our family, we prefer to use the term "average height" rather than "normal" when talking about differences. Everyone is unique, and Keira is excited to show how special she is. Her condition doesn’t affect her ability to learn or play—she’s just as capable as any other child in her class.

We’ve also included a link to a short video where Keira shares more about her condition in her own words. We’d love for you to watch it with your child to help them understand Keira’s experience a little better: Understanding Achondroplasia: Keira’s Story.

We are so excited for Keira to join the Talara Primary College community, and we look forward to seeing her thrive alongside your children. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Achondroplasia, please feel free to reach out to us. We’re always happy to help educate and support inclusion within our school community.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

Warm regards,
Candy & Kyle McKennon

Parent TV

What is ParentTV?

ParentTV offers hundreds of on-demand videos and courses to support the parenting and care of children from birth to teens.

Feel more confident and connected with access to reliable advice on a wide range of topics from Australia and the world’s leading parenting and educational experts.

You can now access reliable advice on a wide range of topics from leading parenting and educational experts in Australia and beyond, all in one place.

Community Notices

Disability Expo

Caloundra City Soccer Club

Caloundra Basketball

Falcons Footy

School Calendar