20 February 2025

The Principal

Dear Parents

I would like to extend a congratulations to all students and parents, for the way that students across all year levels, have presented themselves for the start of the new year. In last week’s newsletter, I reminded all families of the expectations concerning behaviour, uniform, make-up and jewellery. These expectations have also been discussed throughout the year in 2024, presented at all new family enrolment interviews and published in our school prospectus.

The stance taken on each and every item within these expectations has been a negotiated position between student, parent and staff groups and while some people may not agree with one or other of these ‘expectations’, the adherence to all of them is an essential part in ensuring that we have a smooth start to the year. Being part of the Talara community is a ‘package deal’ and the overall experience far outweighs minor discomfort in cutting hair, removing jewellery or making sure you have the correct shoes, complete uniform, hat and school bag. Our Deputy Principals have been in discussion with a minority of students and your support with this is important and appreciated. 

We are very much looking forward to the year ahead with your sons and daughters; please don’t hesitate to contact class teachers with any queries regarding the start of the year. We are incredibly lucky to have such a team of dedicated teaching professionals who have your child’s best interest at heart.

A secret to success will be understanding and implementing the lessons taught to us by two of our You Can Do It Characters.

Oscar Organisation. Ensuring our students are well organised and prepared for school each day gives them a terrific head start to having a successful and enjoyable day. Establishing routines at home by having a regular bedtime, a full uniform ready in the morning, a nutritious breakfast and prepared lunch for the day and being on time to school.  This all prepares your child to be super organised, confident and ready to learn.

Ricky Resilience. Ensuring that whilst some of our students may not be wanting to come to school at times, resilience means we can do the tough stuff.  Being resilient doesn’t mean avoiding difficulties but rather, effectively dealing with them.  It is our students’ job and responsibility to do the work of getting to school even when it is hard and they don’t want to, but they can only do this with your support to help them understand their feelings, express them appropriately and use some strategies you’ve worked out together.

As the term gets busier, and students recommence outside of school activities, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay organised, prepared and be resilient. Part of our school expectation is that all students from Prep to Year 6 complete homework activities set by the class teacher. Please support your child by having an area organised and time set aside each week for them to complete the required tasks. Some homework will be required to be done overnight, however most tasks will be set for the week. Helping your child to organise their week around family commitments, sport, dance and homework is helping them establish critical life skills in organising our most precious commodity - time.

Parents and Citizens Committee

At Talara we have a very committed group of parents who meet Tuesday evening of the 3^rd and 8^th school week each term to discuss how they can best support our school, to develop and enhance what we do. The first meeting for 2025 was held last Tuesday 11 February.

At the P&C meeting our school Annual Improvement Plan was shared and the committee identified the key projects and programs that they will allocate fundraising to for 2025. This has been developed as a result of our extensive quadrennial school review process undertaken last year.  This year the P&C have pledged $40,000 to various programs and resources across the college, as well as $65,000 facility improvements and a further $25,000 to long term project funding.

If you have any questions regarding our strategic direction, please feel welcome to come along to our next P&C meeting. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, 18 March at 6:30 pm in the IAC/ Library building. This will also be our Annual General Meeting including elections of all positions.

To deliver all of these wonderful projects the P&C will need to raise a further $40,000 this year and have a range of fundraising ventures, as well as community building events planned with the highlight being our mega Colour Explosion Fun Run at the end of Term 3.

Student Leadership Elections

During these first very busy weeks, many students from Years 4 to 6 have been involved in nominating for student leadership positions across our school. We now have newly elected student council representatives from each Year 4 to 6 class. Arts Captains, Environmental Captains, Italian Captains, First Nations Ambassador, as well as our sporting Captains and Vice Captains will join our four School Captains in this years leadership. In 2025 we also see the introduction of two STEM Captains. Congratulations to all of our student leaders, we look forward to the fantastic leadership they will bring.

Student Leader Investiture

Student Investiture will take place with our whole school on Thursday 27 February at 9:00am. Each year we look forward to the Year 12 School Captains of our State feeder High Schools addressing our students on leadership. Please come along and join us to recognise and celebrate with these students.

A big thank you to Mrs Paul for leading and coordinating our very rigorous selection process for all of our leaders.

Parent Partnership Sessions

It was wonderful to see so many parents coming in to school and meeting with their child’s class teacher for 2025. There was certainly a very positive and optimistic atmosphere for 2025, as ensuring that there is open communication between home and school is critical.

If for any reason you were unable to attend your parent partnership session, please make sure that you try and pop in one afternoon and introduce yourself to the teacher. 

Parent TV- A fantastic parent resource

At Talara Primary College every family is very lucky to have open access to a very comprehensive online parent resource program called Parent TV. Thanks to our Outside School Hours Care providers, Helping Hands, who fund the full school subscription. All Talara Parents/Carers are able to set up their own account and once registered you can access hundreds of 3-5-minute videos that provide excellent advice and insight into the many different complexities facing parents today.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parents, this is a quick date claimer with our parent teacher interviews for Prep to Year 6 taking place in Week 8 this Term (Monday 17 to Friday 21 March).  All interviews will be booked online through an email invitation. Please make sure your email address is up to date so you don’t miss this opportunity.

Talara School Discos

Talara Primary College will be running three discos across this year:

• Term 1 - Thursday 27 February (Week 5)
• Term 2 - Thursday 22 May (Week 5)
• Term 4 - Thursday 4 December (Week 9)

There is no Term 3 disco as we have the Talara Primary College Musical Performance at the end of Term 3. Our discos are incredibly popular and are another great way to celebrate the fantastic students we have with lots of fun, dancing with their friends.

Our discos can only happen as a direct result of our very generous staff who are willing to give up another night towards a school event. A massive thank you to each and every teacher who willingly gives their time during the term for these nights.

Parents we ask that you please ensure that you follow the two simple procedures of:

1. All students being collected promptly by a parent at the end of their disco from inside the hall;
2. Students are only allowed to attend their designated year level disco - no student can stay for both discos.

Our disco times are:

• Prep to Year 2 - 5:00pm to 6:30pm sharp
• Yr 3 - Year 6 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm sharp

This term’s disco is not too far away. Next week, Thursday 27 February, will be the first disco for 2025! See the flyer below for more information.

Have a great week.

P & C News

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the General and Finance Meetings last week. It was a highly successful and productive session, with many outcomes to look forward to. 

Parent Rep  

Your class Parent Reps have been busy setting up Facebook groups for you to join, keeping you updated with important information specific to your classroom. Please reach out to your teacher or check the TPC Community board post to find the group for your class. 

Tucker Shack  

At Talara’s Tucker Shack, we’re proud to offer affordable, healthy, and high-quality food for our school community. Did you know you can also purchase gift vouchers, which can be delivered directly to students or TPC staff members? Simply order via Qkr! or over the counter. 

Tucker Shack is also able to provide easy, hassle-free birthday treats. 

Uniform Shop  

Open each Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning 8:15am – 8:45am. For your convenience, orders can be placed via QKR and delivered to the student's classroom.

Last chance senior shirt orders close tomorrow.  

Seen – The Tour  

One Month to Go! Have You Got Your Tickets?  

Date: Wednesday, 12 March 
Time: 6:30 PM 
Location: Talara Primary College Hall 

Join us for an eye-opening and deeply moving evening as we screen Seen, the powerful documentary by Parent TV. 

Explore how personal healing impacts parenting and child development. 
Gain insights backed by science and real-life experiences. 
Connect with fellow parents and caregivers in a supportive community space. 

This is more than just a film, it’s a conversation that changes lives. Let’s come together to create a nurturing and understanding environment for both ourselves and our children. 

Tickets are available now! Secure yours here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1135131271189/

A huge thank you to Helping Hands for sponsoring this special event at Talara Primary College. 

P&C Meetings  

Our first meeting of the year was exceptionally successful, with many wonderful new faces. It was a pleasure to meet you and see so many returning members. 

During the Finance Meeting, the committee came together to decide how vital funds raised will be allocated to support the students. It is with great pride that I can share the following commitments for 2025: 

Next General Meeting & AGM - Tuesday 18 March 

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

Guest Speaker

Jody Johnston, one of our HODs, will be giving a 15 minute presentation during the General Meeting on the TPC’s structured synthetic phonics approach – PLD. This topic generated much interest during our first meeting, and we look forward to learning more. 

Our next meeting will include our Annual General Meeting, where all positions will be vacated and voted upon. At this stage, our existing Executive Members are happy to continue in their roles if re-elected. However, our Secretary, Carrie, will be stepping down. Below is an overview of the role. If you are interested in the Secretary role and would like to learn more about what it entails, please reach out via email at president@talarapandc.com.au. 

Beth Bonney
P&C President
Talara Primary College

RideScore Active Schools

REGISTER NOW!

1. Do you live close to school?
2. Do your children have a bike or scooter?
3. Would you like peace of mind knowing your children have safely arrived at school?

If you answered YES to these questions, then RideScore is for you!

Talara is one of eleven Sunshine Coast schools that are enjoying this wonderful program. 

What is RideScore?

RideScore is an incentive-based program delivered by Sunshine Coast Council and We Ride Australia to increase active travel to and from school. The program is open to all students who ride a bike or scooter to school, as these can easily be fitted with beacons.

Participating students will receive a personal sensor (beacon) to attach to their bike or scooter. The school bike storage facility will be fitted with a Bluetooth reader that detects the signal from the beacon and sends a notification to the nominated contact that the student has arrived at or departed the school gate.  Please note that the beacon is not a tracking device, it only records school arrivals and departures.

Data is collected by the online platform, enabling incentives to be offered at certain milestones.

How do I register?

Step 1 - Download the RideScore App (Search for ‘RideScore’ in the App Store or on Google Play)
Step 2 – Receive your welcome kit (posted to your address) that includes:

• Your child’s beacon & instructions on how to pair and fit
• Scorecard

Step 3 – Start riding or scooting
Step 4 – Visit the RideScore website for great resources and safety tips

Register for RideScore NOW! See Facebook for more info!

Free Prep Vision Screening

Good vision is important for a child’s educational, physical and social development. Vision screening checks for common eye conditions that may impact your child’s ability to see and therefore impact their learning and development.

A Registered Nurse will be visiting the school

Term 2 Week 2 - Monday 28, Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 April 2025 to conduct vision screening for children in their prep year.

If you wish to have your prep child participate in this FREE vision screening program, please scan the QR code below and complete an online consent form by April 13, 2025. 

Parents / carers do not need to be present for screening, however if you would like to be, please contact the school to arrange this.

If you have concerns about your child’s eyes at any time, please take your child to see an eye health professional (optometrist/ophthalmologist). 

For further information, please scan the below QR code to visit the Program website or contact the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program on 1800 687 372.

https://visionscreening.health.qld.gov.au/ParentalConsent/1211Yfrt%20/o%20https://visionscreening.health.qld.gov.au/ParentalConsent/1211Yfrt%20/t%20_blank

Year 3 & 5 NAPLAN TESTING 13 - 19 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 13 and 19 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 5 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. If your student is being considered for an adjustment, their teacher will be in contact in the coming weeks to communicate the types of adjustments they recommend. They will then provide you with the relevant paperwork for you to sign and return to school if you approve of the suggested adjustments.

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.

For information regarding student privacy. Click in the following link to access the NAPLAN student privacy notice.

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

School Photos

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

Two easy ways to purchase:
Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
Cash – complete a photography form and place into an envelope and return it to our photographer on photo day.

You can order online up until Monday 3 March without incurring a late fee.

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

TEAK News

A reminder that the final sign on day for TEAK is this Friday the 21 February. This will occur in the 3W classroom in R Block at first break. TEAK is open to students in Year 3-6 who are passionate about protecting the environment and are committed to reducing our school's environmental footprint and to attending our weekly gatherings. Parent permission forms will go home after the meeting.

Chaplains Corner

Week four already? I hope that you and your student/s are feeling settled and looking forward to the year ahead. There is so much awesomeness ahead of us at Talara!

Our fortnightly Thursday Brekky Club is back and in full swing. Big thanks to our student, parent, community and teacher volunteers, without whom we just could not deliver our free breakfast program to over 500 students. Woolworths Currimundi, Coles Birtinya and Carers Gateway continue to bless us with their donations, including 25 loaves of bread and 15 litres of milk each time.

Our chaplaincy program runs on a shoestring, and we have to fundraise around $10,000 each year to keep our chaplain in school two days per week. If you’d like to help, please contact me on psimp47@eq.edu.au or on 5438 3725.

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 December 31, 2024.

Seen: The Film

I’d like to encourage Talara Parents to come along to Seen: The Film, which will be screening at Talara Primary College on Wednesday 12 March, from 7-9pm.

“SEEN” is a feature-length documentary that explores the transformative power of personal healing for parents. It also delves into the scientifically supported effects of such healing on parenting and its impact on child brain development. The story is centred on candid interviews, this documentary delves into the lives of four individuals, each starting their journey with a pivotal wake-up call.

A Chilean-born woman unravels her challenging childhood’s impact; a First Nations man realises he’s been a dad for only two out of 18 years; an adopted man confronts his anger’s root cause, and a German woman learns how emotional shutdown affected her and her children. These narratives show paths to self-discovery, breaking free from ingrained patterns.

Experts in psychology, neuroscience, counselling, and developmental paediatrics provide insights into children’s needs and the science of understanding them. Ultimately, viewers find inspiration as each story leads to acceptance and seeing ourselves and, in turn, seeing our children more clearly.

Following the film, there is a live Q & A with professor Selina Bartlett, along with Zidia (a parent from the film).

If you can spare the time, we would love as many Talara Parents as possible to come along, to what promises to be an inspiring event. For bookings, please click the link https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1135131271189/

Tickets are limited and cost $18.78 each, thanks to sponsorship by Helping Hands.

Uniform Reminder on Jewellery

A friendly reminder to all our families, as we commence another successful year at TPC, that we have a very clear uniform policy around jewellery 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 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 explaining this matter will be forwarded to the parents / carers. Letters from parents concerning items of significance will be kept on file.

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. We’re thrilled to kick off the year with our first disco on Thursday 27February.  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!

Online Safety Basics

We can help our children safely navigate the online world by taking some basic steps to reduce the risks.

Our support and guidance can give our children the knowledge to make sound decisions online and the confidence to ask for help when they need it.

Three key strategies

1. Be engaged, open and supportive

• Get involved with your child’s online activities as a family. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
• Keep lines of communication open. Ask about their online experiences, who they are talking to and whether they are having any issues.
• Reassure your child they can always come to you, no matter what. Your child may not communicate openly about things that worry them online if they fear being in trouble if they tell you. Let them know you will not cut off internet or device access if they tell you they’re feeling uncomfortable or unsafe online.
• If you notice a change in your child’s behaviour or mood, talk with them about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help – from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

2. Set some rules

• Set rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them. As they grow in online skills and maturity you can review your rules together.
• Get your child’s input — this will help them understand risks.
• Model behaviour that you would like to see. Children will be more likely to follow rules if they see you doing the same.
• Consider creating a family tech agreement (sometimes called a family media plan or family online safety agreement). This is a set of rules about how devices are used in your home as well as what acceptable online behaviour looks like.

3.Use safety features and settings

• Get to know the devices you and your children use and set them up for privacy and online safety. Take advantage of parental controls to monitor and control screen time and access to content, based on your child’s age and experience.
• Choose apps and games carefully and visit the App Store or Google Play for age ratings and consumer advice.

For more information, visit: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/online-safety-basics  

Year 6 Camp

SIX WEEKS until our Year 6 students leave for camp!  Year 6 students will head to QCCC Mapleton in Week 10 of first term, between Monday 31 March and Wednesday 2 April.

The Camp is situated at Mapleton and is approx. 1 hour away.  Camp forms have been sent home with Year 6 students last week. If camp forms have been misplaced there are spare copies available in the office.

The cost of the trip is $380.  All payments are to be finalised by Friday 14 March.  Invoices have been generated for this amount and emailed to Year 6 families.  If you have any concerns in meeting this timeline, please contact Mrs Paul to make arrangements.

Students will be involved in school-based learning experiences focussing on the multitude of skills camp is planned to offer. These experiences will take place prior to and after camp and will focus on the following skills:

• Leadership
• Resilience
• Active participation
• Teamwork

Timeline of Events

• Monday 10 February this note, permission and medical forms sent home
• Friday 28 February - Medical Forms returned to class teachers
• Friday 14 March - payments finalised
• Monday 31 March - Students arrive at school at usual time
  • The students are very keen and may want you to arrive prior to this time however to assist with our planning and supervision we ask all to assist us by not arriving prior to 8.20am. If handing in medication, please arrive at 8.15am.  Bags will be loaded on the bus at 8:45am followed by departure at approx. 9:00am. 
  • As you arrive at school on Monday, we will have signs inside the front gate to your left where we will assemble with our bags, mark the roll and outline expectations.
• Monday 31 March - Depart Talara at 9:00am to arrive at QCCC Mapleton at approx. 10:00am
• Wednesday 2 April - Depart QCCC Mapleton at 11:00 am Arrive at Talara approx. Midday. (Not expecting parents to collect students at this time)

Should for any reason you intend for your child not to attend camp please put your intentions in writing and forward to your class teacher ASAP.  Please don’t hesitate to ask should you have any questions.

Online Services Consent Form and Information

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.

High School Visits

Meridan State College, Kawana Waters College and Caloundra State High School will be visiting our Year 6 students on Friday March 7 at 1.30pm in the Performance Centre to give the students their first insight into high school life, programs on offer, and upcoming scholarships.

Parents are encouraged to attend and hear the messages given to the students.

Year 7 2026 Scholarships

The Principals of the Coalition of State Secondary Schools, invite Year 6 students to apply for year 7 Scholarships for 2026. Application forms can be downloaded from each State Secondary School’s website. Each Secondary School has its own scholarship selection criteria and process. Parents are advised to contact our Coalition State Secondary Schools for further information.

• Scholarship Application Period opens on Friday 28 February.
• Scholarship Application period closes on Friday 21 March.
• Successful & unsuccessful applicants will be notified via email by Thursday 1 May

Secondary School Catchment Information

The Caloundra Coalition of Secondary Schools, wish you and your student a successful, productive and memorable final year of state primary education.

During this year, coalition primary schools will work together with the four local state secondary sites – Baringa State Secondary College, Caloundra State High School, Kawana Waters State College and Meridan State College, to provide a comprehensive and supportive program to assist both you and your student to make the transition to junior secondary schooling. At this early time of the year, we would like to provide you with important information regarding coalition enrolment processes for students transitioning to high school:

• Similar to primary school, all four coalition secondary sites have an Enrolment Management Plan (EMP) and corresponding catchment boundary.
• Parents can determine in which catchment they live by using the EdMap website (http://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/maps/edmap/ ). This is the method used by all coalition secondary schools to determine if a student is living ‘in-catchment’.
• Students are guaranteed enrolment at the school that is indicated by this web site as their ‘in-catchment’ school. This is determined by the student’s residential address. Proof of residency is required when lodging an enrolment application with a coalition secondary school and catchment status will be verified upon enrolment.
• The ‘in-catchment’ secondary school is the site that the student is assumed to be attending for Year 6 Transition Days in June and December.
• If a student has an older sibling already attending at an ‘out-of-catchment’ secondary school, the Enrolment Management Plan allows for the student to enrol at that school as long as certain conditions are met.
• Students may enrol in an ‘out-of-catchment’ school if they are successful in gaining a place in a scholarship program or Program of Excellence at that school.
• Parents may lodge a written Expression of Interest to enrol in an ‘out-of-catchment’ school for consideration by the Principal. ‘Out-of-catchment’ enrolments are granted at the sole discretion of the Principal and are subject to available enrolment capacity at the school after all ‘in-catchment’ enrolments have been accommodated.
• Details of each secondary school’s Enrolment Management Plan can be found on the school’s website.
• Each school has an Enrolment Officer who can be contacted to provide further information and advice.

State schools are great schools! Our secondary schools have planned a wide variety of whole day, before school and after school events that showcase the new and exciting opportunities available to Year 7 students. We urge you to take advantage and participate as much as possible in the Year 6 Transition Program this year. A summary of key dates is included on the back of the attached letter for your reference. Further details for each event will be provided closer to the day.

Helping Hands

What a great start to the year with our preps settling in well and enjoying our programs.

Just a reminder we are still taking enrolments, please go online and complete an enrolment form if you are in need of before or after school care.

We have started as a part of our weekly program, Lego club and cooking club, face paint club and soccer clinic that have all been a big hit. We have so many engaging activities for all ages from nature walks for our little explorers, arts and craft for our little artists and many ball games for our up and coming sports stars.

We supply delicious breakfast with cereals, toast, bacon and eggs, waffles and pancakes on some mornings (so always check our menu to see what's cooking). Afternoon tea is always popular with a wide variety of yummy snacks to fill hungry little tummies. We want to inform parents that we are happy to escort children to any extra-curricular activities within the school. This includes Martial Arts, Dancing and Band.

We are committed to assisting parents in providing opportunities for ALL children to participate in such a range of activities.

Please see staff to complete permission forms for dropping off and collection at the activity.

We have a fun ELA activity coming this term and children are all very excited.

If you would like your child to come join in the fun, please feel free to pop in for a visit or register on our website at talara@helpinghandsnetwork.com.au

Micah Beveridge 
Helping Hands Talara

Parent TV

Dealing with Separation Anxiety

As adults, we all know what it is like to say goodbye to someone when we may not be ready. It might be a relative you haven’t seen for a while or a friend?

For a child starting school or a new school year, this separation from you can be overwhelming.  They can become distressed, inconsolable and refuse to let you go. It’s even more difficult when you, as the parent, aren’t sure what to do. Do you ‘sneak ‘off when they aren’t looking or try for ‘just one more hug?’

Please watch the 2 videos below for some ideas on making drop off much easier for you and your child.

This first one features Dr Kaylene Henderson, Paediatric Psychiatrist as she gives tips and advice on handling goodbyes at school:

The second one features Maggie Dent, author, educator and parenting educator and discusses how you can ease your child’s separation anxiety:

This can be a very stressful time for all involved so I hope the tips and strategies work for you!

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