12 June 2025

The Principal

Reading - The Australian Curriculum lays out clear expectations for literacy development across the early years of schooling. Phonics instruction is a key component, as research consistently shows that strong phonics skills are crucial for developing reading fluency and comprehension. Systematic instruction ensures that phonics is taught in a structured, logical sequence, which helps children master the foundational skills they need for reading success. The clip below is provided to support parents with reading tips in line with current research.

Report Cards - As we approach the end of semester, it is hard to believe that we are approaching half-way through the school year. With this comes time for our student’s report cards to be emailed home. Reports will be emailed out to families on Friday 27 June. Please take the time to read the reports in detail and celebrate your child’s achievements this semester. Parent teacher interviews will be held at the start of Term 3 to allow parents to further unpack their child’s learning gains and learning goals with the class teacher.

There is much to be celebrated in our student’s reports with outstanding results from our students placing them as one of the high performing students in the region.

Events - We have an action packed two weeks remaining for this term with many opportunities for community engagement. I strongly encourage all families to get involved and celebrate the sporting and academic achievements of this semester. Our Parade of Excellence is Wednesday 25 June. I look forward to recognising and celebrating the amazing achievements of our Talara students across a range of academic and extracurricular areas.

The athletics season is a significant time of the school year and our talented student athletes will contest a range of sporting activities at our Sports Carnivals. Most importantly, it is a time to celebrate teamwork and peer encouragement to shine in true TALARA spirit. It would be great to see as many families as possible at these days to cheer the students on and be involved in the excitement of our sports days. Please check the calendar section for the date of your child’s sports carnival.

At Talara Primary College, we handcraft our units of work from the Australian Curriculum to engage our students with learning to equip them to become competent global citizens. It has been tremendous to see the smiles on the proud faces of our students as they have been working on these units throughout the semester. Look out for your class teacher’s communication about our upcoming Culminating activities related to the Term 2 units of work, which all parents are invited to attend.

Finally, we all know that Talara is one of the Seven Wonders of the Sunshine Coast, if you come into the Information and Access Centre (IAC), you will be transported to one of the actual Seven Wonders of the World with our Egyptian theme transforming the IAC space for our Bookfair. A big thank you to our IAC staff who provided this staging and have built the excitement around reading and books. I hope you got to see their amazing costumes this week!

Lisa Cutter
Acting Principal

P & C News

As we begin to wrap up a busy and exciting term, there's plenty to celebrate and look forward to in the lead-up to the mid-year break.

Uniform Shop  

With Sports Days just around the corner, the Uniform Shop is fully stocked with house shirts and accessories to help students show their team spirit.

For your convenience, the Uniform Shop will be open every morning next week from 8:15am to 8:45am.

Tucker Shack

Next week, our amazing Tucker Shack will be open all day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, serving a delicious Sports Day menu for students, parents, and teachers.

Please note that all purchases from the Sports Day menu must be made at the front window of the tuckshop, using cash or EFTPOS only. Students participating in their Sports Day will need to make their purchases over the counter. The standard menu will still be available via QKR! for non-Sports Day students.

For your convenience, Grounds for Good coffee will also be located on the oval.

Available daily from 8am is fresh coffee made on locally sourced beans from Groundskeeper Willie, Moffat Beach.

P&C Meetings

Our final P&C meeting for the term was held on Tuesday, with plenty of great discussion and valuable input. A highlight of the evening was the approval of another three Representative Applications for students excelling in their chosen sports.

Congratulations to all students who have received sponsorships so far this year — we’re incredibly proud of your achievements and wish you all the best in your sporting endeavours.

Our next P&C meeting will be held in Week 3 of Term 3, at 6:30pm in the staff room. We warmly invite all parents and carers to come along and get involved. It’s a great way to connect, contribute, and stay informed.

Beth Bonney
P&C President
Talara Primary College

Prep 2026 Enrolments

If you have a child beginning in Prep next year or know someone who does, we are taking enrolments now! 

Here at Talara we have a very comprehensive and supportive induction program for our Preppies including:

• The ‘READY SET PREP’ program
• Open afternoon in the prep precinct for preppies and parents
• A guided tour with the Principal
• Enrolment induction sessions for parents and children

*Children born 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 are eligible to enrol in Prep in 2026*

Have you notified our front office that you have a child enrolling in Prep 2026? We do not want you, or your Preppie, to miss out on any of these important dates and opportunities. If you haven’t already submitted your enrolment paperwork, or notified our office about your Preppie’s 2026 enrolment, please do so either by email to info@talacollss.eq.edu.au or by phone 07 5438 3777.

Please see the two flyers below for more information. Alternatively, if you have any questions or require an enrolment pack, please contact the office.

We look forward to seeing you and meeting your 2026 Preppie!

Randell Hardy
Deputy Principal

EEP Term 2

Extension and Enrichment Program at Talara Primary College

Here’s a recap of our EEP day on Tuesday 27 May.

The Year 5 and 6 EEP students turned up ready to do a ‘deep dive’ on R.J.Palacio’s well known novel, Wonder.  Wonder tells the incredibly inspiring, heartwarming story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to discover their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.

The students were tasked with selecting an event from the novel and retelling the event through the perspective of another character.  Our Year 5 and 6 EEP students certainly rose to the challenge and were able to write some incredibly thoughtful and creative recounts.  Well done to all the students who participated in our ‘Lens on Literacy’ challenge this term.

The Year 3 and 4 EEP students engaged in an author study on the very popular Australian author Andy Griffiths. We explored his author style and viewed a series of interviews where Andy talked us through a range of topics including where his ideas come from, how he collaborates, the importance of play and how he lays his books out.

We drew inspiration from learning that the pictures can be just as important as the words and that one weird and wild idea can form the vision for an entire book. We created hybrid animals to feature in a storyboard.

The Year 2 EEP students completed an engaging author study centred around renowned Australian picture book author, Margaret Wild. Throughout the day, students explored her distinctive writing style and how she uses pictures and words to make us feel something when we read. Students investigated the themes, tone, colour choices, language features, and literary devices Margaret Wild uses to create mood and meaning in her stories.

They then applied their learning by collaboratively planning and publishing their own ‘Wild’-inspired short stories, complete with a designed book cover that reflected the themes and emotions of their writing.

It was a joyful day about the celebration of language, creativity, and literature, giving our young writers the chance to not only study a much-loved author, but to step into her shoes and create as authors themselves and learning that writing is more than just words. It’s about feelings, imagination and the magic of stories.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

In 2024 close to 900 schools, and more than 270 centres took part in The Premier’s Reading Challenge combining more than 215,000 Queensland children and students, reading 1.9 million books. What an outstanding achievement!

This year we are really highlighting the importance of every child reading and joining the Queensland Premier’s Reading Challenge and it will be a great incentive to motivate our readers. Every young Queenslander can take part in the challenge regardless of their reading ability. Prep to Year 2 students can even record books that are being read to them by parents, carers or older siblings.

Students have already received their individual participcation sheet to record all of the wonderful books they read between now and August. 

We know we have sensational students who love to read, so parents, please support your child in sending back the registration and then enthusiastically recording each completed book in their log.

Simply return the completed record form to your class teacher before 22 August 2025 and the school will submit your child’s name for the special certificate from the Premier of Queensland, Mr David Crisafulli MP.

For further information visit the Premier's Reading Challenge website.

ICAS ASSESSMENTS 2025

Students from Year 3 – Year 6 are invited to sit the ICAS (International Competition and Assessment for Schools) Assessments in English and Mathematics.

The English primary school level papers of ICAS English exams challenge and extend high-achieving students while reinforcing key English literacy skills in these crucial earlier years of language development. Students read a variety of texts which narrate, describe, explain, argue, persuade and review. The texts increase in complexity within each paper as well as between the papers, which are each designed according to the respective stage of the national Australian curriculum.

The mathematics primary school level papers of ICAS maths exams challenge and extend high-achieving school students while reinforcing key numeracy skills in these crucial foundational years, providing a strong building block for future learning. Students answer a variety of questions on topics such as arithmetic, patterns, geometry, data and pre-algebra, which increase in complexity throughout the paper and encourage the use of higher-order thinking skills.

If you would like your child to participate in the ICAS assessment testing in 2025, please follow the steps below:

1.Select the link to register your child for one or both of the tests

2. Complete the ONLINE REGISTRATION component (outlined in the permission form) by Monday 28 July, this includes payment for the nominated tests

3. Complete the attached consent form and return to school by Monday 28 July.

4. Ensure that your child is able to sit the ICAS assessments on the following dates:

a. ENGLISH: 12 August 2025 at 9am
b. MATHEMATICS: 26 August 2025 at 9am

Sports Day

Our annual Sports Days are fast approaching in Week 9! These are fantastic days of competition and sportsmanship where house spirit, cheering and war cries will be encouraged at different intervals during the day. Your child may already be familiar with our ‘Sporting House War Cries’, however for our younger students, there is not an expectation for them to know these off by heart.

800m finals event occurring 1:45pm for Year 4-6 students on Monday 16June
Senior Sports Day (Year 4-6) – Tuesday 17 June
Middle Sports Day (Year 2 and 3) – Wednesday 18June
Junior Sports Day (Prep and 1) – Thursday 19 June

For your child to get the most out of the day, please assist them with:

• appropriate footwear (runners)
• house sports polo (available at the Uniform Shop)
• school hat and sunscreen
• drink bottle

TUCKER SHACK

Tucker shack will be open both breaks with a wide variety of choices for lunch, drinks and snacks for students, parents and teachers. All food sales will now operate from the front counter. A menu is attached. Parents and family members are welcome at any time throughout the day to purchase food and drinks.

QKR online lunch orders will not be available for students participating in their specific sports days.

Please find attached carnival timetables, maps and sporting house war cries. Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the times stated, make sure to leave yourself plenty of time in case a change occurs.

We look forward to your support on these days, please be sure to bring a chair, picnic rug and a hat.

Discus Nominations

Students born 2015, 2014 & 2013

Discus is one of four field events offered at the Coastal District Track and Field trial. Due to its high-risk level, we are unable to perform this event at our Senior Sports Day.

Any families of students born in 2015, 2014 & 2013, who train/compete in Discus within Little Athletics, are to contact Ms Parfitt via email by Friday 20 June if wishing to nominate.

Nominating students need to be able to throw the above qualifying distance, using correct technique. Those students invited to attend (maximum 2x per age group/gender), will need to complete a “Certificate of Competence” form, which must be signed off by a qualified coach, who must also provide their Level 2 club coach accreditation from Athletics Australia.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me via email if you have any questions, cparf12@eq.edu.au

NAIDOC WEEK 2025

Talara Primary College- Acknowledgement of Country

I would like to acknowledge and show respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet; The /Kabi Kabi people of the Gubbi Gubbi nation.

It is on their land that the Talara Primary School is built. As we share our knowledge, teaching and learning with the school and community, may we also show respect to the knowledge embedded forever within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Country past, present and emerging.

WUNYA - (Welcome, Hello)
Talara Primary College will be celebrating NAIDOC WEEK, throughout Week 1 of Term 3.

Why do we celebrate NAIDOC Week? Celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organizing national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.

The National NAIDOC Committee invites all Australians to walk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a movement of the nation for a better future.

NAIDOC Week 2025 is being held nationally in the first week of July each year Sunday to Sunday.

This year’s theme chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee, is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.”

The theme honours not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.

Poster title-Ancestral Lines
Artist-Jeremy Morgan Worrall

Ancestral Lines is a visual representation of the lines and ties that follow a generation and the songs that come with it. When I think of the next generation I think towards my Ancestor Lucy Wright, Enoch Wright, Nonie Wright, all the way from my Nanna Audrie to my Mother Vanessa. When I look back at my mob it helps me see towards the future, it gives me hope and strength knowing what my mob have survived through and accomplished amid adversity. Each person in the painting depicts a series of lines akin to songlines, that represent what they know, who they were and what they have passed on, the first being that of lore (interpretive), hunting, protecting, and tracking, the second of care, weaving, fishing, and love.

The third is when we see the two combines into one, and the last two take unfinished elements of them all, to show the passing down of knowledge and care. Above them is the essence of the land they live and protect/care for. It is a depiction of my home the cold skies of Tenterfield with the swirling clouds and giant moon, a place around the fire is where the next Generation find their strength, vision and legacy.

• 2025 NAIDOC Poster A3 Print Version - PDF 8.5MB
• 2025 National NAIDOC Week Poster - JPG 2.2MB
• 2025 National NAIDOC Week Poster - PNG 4.7MB

TALARA’s 2025 NAIDOC Writing Competition

In celebration of this year’s NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) theme of “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”. Talara Primary College will host our annual special NAIDOC Week writing competition aligned to NAIDOC, with wonderful prizes to be won.

Celebrating NAIDOC 2025 at Talara

To celebrate 2025 NAIDOC WEEK, Talara Primary College Students will be engaged in opportunities to learn more about our local Kabi Kabi Gubbi Gubbi Language and gain a deeper understanding of our school’s Indigenous name ‘Talara’ and our connection to country through our Tribal Cultural Names and the relationship between our class letters, animals and the environment. Talara Staff are also keen to show their appreciation of NAIDOC week 2025 through the wearing of different Indigenous designed clothing. Student Leaders will be supervising different Indigenous Art and Craft activities in the IAC during lunch times.

This year our NAIDOC Art Competition is focussed on further understanding of our connection to First Nations Culture. Students will be able to participate in various colouring competitions.

Chaplains Corner

Massive thanks to our parent helpers at the Chappy Week art activities… our students enjoyed creating beautiful canvases by finger painting with glitter paints and then writing what Chappy means to them. These banners will be hung up around the school for a few weeks for everyone to enjoy!

Thursday week eight will see us selling zooper dooper’s (for $1 each) at both breaks, raising funds for Talara’s chaplaincy service. We are very grateful to Woolworths Currimundi for their generous donation, and appreciate your support in purchasing a zooper dooper or two.

 Might anyone please be able to help our Chappy Brekky Club program? Once a fortnight, the grocery order needs to be collected from Woolworths Currimundi and dropped down to school. This happens on the Wednesday of odd weeks, and could happen at any time of the day that suits you (as long as it’s at the school before closing time). If you’re able to help us with this task, it would be so appreciated! Please let me know.

A few weeks ago I was at a BBQ and met a retired lady who loves crafting. This lady oozes enthusiasm for her hobby, and life wisdom. I asked her if she’d ever consider regularly meeting with a young person and sharing her talents? To my utter delight, she was keen to do so, and will be our first mentor in Talara’s chaplaincy mentoring program. Would you consider being a student mentor? Or know someone who could invest 30 minutes once a week during school term, to meet with the same student? If you (or someone you know) is interested in an opportunity to speak into a young person’s life, please let me know?

If you’re able to share your time, talent, and/or treasure (I have to fundraise to be here), please contact me on psimp47@eq.edu.au ; you will be such a blessing to our school community!

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 website 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.

Year 6 High School Transition

On Tuesday 24 June 2025, all Year 6 students attending Coalition State Primary Schools are invited to attend their ‘in-catchment’ secondary school (Caloundra State High School, Kawana Waters State College, Meridan State College or Baringa State Secondary College) for the day to experience what high school is like and become familiar with their ‘in-catchment’ Secondary School for 2026.

 As previously communicated to you, state secondary schools have enrolment management plans. Catchment maps can be accessed at the Ed Map website https://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/maps/edmap/ 

Students are expected to attend their ‘in-catchment’ secondary school as determined by their residential address, unless they have accepted a scholarship or an offer to participate in a Program of Excellence at an ‘out-of-catchment’ school.

Date: Tuesday 24 June 2025

Transport: Parents are required to drop off and collect their child at their designated ‘in-catchment’ high school
Dress Code: Students are expected to wear their primary school uniform
Supervision: Students will be supervised by a teacher from their primary school
Things to bring: Writing equipment, lunch, water bottle and hat.

CALOUNDRA STATE HIGH SCHOOL: Start time: 9:00am Finish Time: 2:30pm

Assembly Point: Student Centre (access from Bower Street)

A meet and greet session with the Principal and Student Support Team will run from 2:00pm – 2:30pm in the Conference Room in A Block. Interested parents can register their interest via link in attached letter.

KAWANA WATERS STATE COLLEGE: Start time: 9:00am Finish Time: 2:30pm

Assembly Point: Secondary Administration Block (on Sportsmans Parade)
Tours are available throughout the school year via registration with the secondary campus office. Please check our website for details.

MERIDAN STATE COLLEGE: Start time: 9:00am Finish Time: 2:30pm
Morning Assembly Point: Performing Arts Complex
Afternoon pick up point: Senior Undercoft (located at the front gates of the secondary campus)

Parents wishing to drop off their students personally will have the opportunity to meet with the Deputy Principal and the Head of Department Junior Secondary. There will be tea & coffee available at the café.

BARINGA STATE SECONDARY COLLEGE: Start time: 9:00am Finish Time: 2:30pm
Assembly Point: Grassed area outside the Executive Building
Students will meet at the assembly point at 9am and will be dismissed from there at 2:30pm

Should you have any questions regarding the organisation of this day, please contact your child’s teacher or myself. Enquiries regarding Enrolment Management Plans (EMP) and corresponding catchment boundaries should be directed to the relevant high school. Contact details can be found on the high school's website.

Talented Maths Day

Year 6 Students Representing Talara Primary College

On Tuesday 3 June, Talara was represented by a Team of 15 Talented Mathematicians who participated in the Talented Maths Day at Caloundra High School. Our students did not disappoint bringing home a 1^st in the School Challenge and many students placing within the mixed schools events for the remainder of the day. Congratulations to this team and many thanks to Lorraine Hamill for the supervision and support.

Talara Enviromentally Aware Kids (TEAK)

Our TEAK teams enjoyed being back out in the sunshine last week to harvest our school grown fruits and vegetables. The Tucker Shack were grateful to receive lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, mandarins and lemons. 

Some of the classes are collecting their fruit scraps in small re-purposed buckets provided by TEAK. This is being combined with the compost bins from the eating courts to make our school compost. 

Thursday 5 of June was World Environment Day. This year the theme is "Beat Plastic Pollution". We will be exploring this theme more at TEAK after the holidays, when we will participate in Plastic Free July. There will be daily Environmental Good Ones for students with no single-use plastics in their lunches. We will also have a "plastic pledge" activity. We encourage everyone to think about one single-use plastic item that they could try to replace with something more sustainable. 

Representative School Sport

Representative School Sport

Congratulations to Ivy-Rose, Mia.O, Storm and Darcy who have been selected into the Coastal District 11-12 Girls Rugby League team! The girls will be competing in the regional trial on Friday 20 June at Maroochydore JRLC. All the best girls!

In Cricket news, Angus has just been selected into the Coastal District 10-12 Boys Cricket team! He will be attending the Regional Trial on 22 July at Caloundra Cricket Club. Have a blast Angus and we wish you the best in making the squad for trial day #2!

Bailey spent last weekend at the 10-12 Hockey State Championships, with a chilly 4° start! The girls won 2 out of 4 games (3-2, 5-0, 1-2, 1-2) to be placed third in their pool. With cross overs, they had to win their first game to be in contention for a medal, which they did 2-0. Their next game could put them in contention for the Gold Medal but they drew 2-2 with the top team, meaning their opposition got the win. On Sunday they played their hearts out for the Bronze Medal and won 3-2 with goal for goal retaliation. A big congratulations to Bailey and the Sunshine Coast Girls Hockey team!

District Cross Country Trial

We were lucky to have a small break in the wet weather to send 27 of our long-distance runners to the District Cross Country trial on Wednesday 28 May at Beerwah SHS. Thank you to our families and Mr Gaffney for supporting and cheering on our students on the day. It was a fun course, with logs, hills and creeks, a big difference to our nice flat school track! Congratulations to all of our runners, and to Charlie (5^th), Ayuna (2^nd) and Georgie (3^rd) who were selected into the Coastal District Team.

Regional Cross Country Trial

With only a 6-day turn-around, Charlie and Ayuna were off to Noosaville SS on Tuesday 3 June to represent Coastal District, with Georgie being approved exemption due to prior school commitments. Charlie finished 14^th out of 43 runners and Ayuna finished 20^th out of 60 runners, a huge effort at such a high level! Great job!

FUSE Cup Esports ‘Mario Kart’ Competition

On Thursday 5 June, Kayden, Alex, Angus, Ace, Marshall, Azia, Zane and Lewis proudly represented Talara Primary College at the FUSE Cup Regional ‘Mario Kart’ Esports Competition, hosted at Matthew Flinders Anglican College.

The team showed incredible sportsmanship, teamwork and determination throughout the day as they raced through the heats, quarter finals and semi finals to secure a place in the Grand Final. With banana dodging focus and blue shell-worthy reflexes, the Talara team dominated the tracks from start to finish.

A massive congratulations to our Esports team on taking out first place overall!

A special shout-out to Angus, who claimed victory in the Grand Final, and to Azia, who was awarded MVP of the competition for his impressive performance and positive attitude throughout the day, so well deserved!

The whole team trained hard in the lead up, supported one another, and proudly demonstrated both our Talara values and those of the FUSE Cup. They stood out for all the right reasons and were an absolute credit to our school.

Bring on the State Championships on the Gold Coast later this year – we’ll be cheering you on!

Primary School Royal Lifesaving Pool Championships

 Last week our Talara students competed in the 2025 Primary School Royal Lifesaving Pool Championships at Sunshine Coast Grammar School. Curtis J, Zane M, Addy S, Paddy H, Riley C, Lewis B, Willow D, James B, Oka W, Amaya C, Chloe O, Holly S, Lennox M, Leo L, Remi M, Tilly T and Madelyn R competed in each event, such as 8m Line Throw, Rescue Races, Survival Medleys, Survival Relays and Freestyle Relays. For many of the students, this was their very first time competing in these events and in true Talara Spirit, all students gave each event their best efforts with outstanding results. Our boys placed 2^nd and the girls placed 3^rd resulting in Talara placing 3^rd overall. This is very impressive when we don’t even have a pool at TPC and we had the youngest team there!

Addy S won silver in her individual events and our Senior team, consisting of Addy, Curtis, Riley and Paddy, placed 2^nd in the Fins relay and 3^rd in the Medley relay. A great result for a couple of our year 6 students in their final year of the Primary carnival.

I want to commend each student for having their best ‘Can Do’ attitude at the event as it was a very cold Sunday afternoon. Mrs Clayton and the event organisers mentioned the exceptional behaviour from Talara students and their team attitude really stood out on the day. A BIG thank you to the parents and past TPC students who volunteered for time keeping and to Mrs Clayton who came along and helped us on the day.

If you are interested in getting your child involved in the 2026 competition, please keep an eye out in the Term 1 Newsletter for information. No experience is necessary, only swimming ability.

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Dance Excellence Team

A huge congratulations once again to our talented dance teams who shone on stage in the Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge (BPAC) on Tuesday 3 June!

I was an unforgettable day of performances, teamwork, and school spirit.

Contemporary – 1st Place
Jazz – 3rd Place
Hip Hop – 3rd Place

We are so proud of each and every dancer who represented our school with passion, grace, and confidence. What a team!

A big thank you to Mrs Fritz, Mrs CD, Mrs Land, and our amazing choreography team for their dedication, creativity, and endless support. You helped make the day such a success!

Born Wired: Parental Controls

How to use parental controls and other tools to maximise online safety in your home.

Know your devices

All the devices that connect to the internet in your home offer lots of benefits. But you also need to understand the risks associated with these devices and how to protect yourself and your family.

Explore how to use parental controls: 

• on your home wi-fi network
• built into devices, including computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles and smart TVs
• through third-party software
• in apps and programs, including streaming services, web browsers and search engines

Use parental controls

Parental controls are software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online.

They can be set up to do things like:

• Block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions (like using a device’s camera, or the ability to buy things).
• Filter different kinds of content — such as ‘adult’ or sexual content, content that may promote self-harm, eating disorders, violence, drugs, gambling, racism and terrorism.
• Allow you to monitor your child’s use of connected devices, with reports on the sites they visit and the apps they use, how often and for how long.
• Set time limits, blocking access after a set time.

If a device or program is shared by multiple members of your family, you should be able change the tool settings to reflect each user’s age and skills.

Check out a couple of videos, more information and useful tips, at:

Parent TV

How to help your child locate and release difficult emotions in their bodies.

By Dr Charlotte Reznick

Dr Charlotte Reznick is a highly sought-after Child and Educational Psychologist who specialises in helping children tap into their own hearts and imaginations to deal with difficulties in their lives. This approach empowers children and adolescents by equipping them with the skills they need for self-control and self-healing.

Please clink on the link below to discover a simple exercise that will help your child understand WHERE in their body they are holding a difficult emotion and how to release or diminish it.

Student of the Week

Student of the Week from 29 May

Helping Hands News

Helping Hands Talara – Winter World Explorers Holiday Program!

Get ready for an adventure these school holidays with Helping Hands Talara’s Winter World Explorers Holiday Program, running from Monday 30 June to Friday 11 July – and bookings are now open!

The full schedule is attached for your convenience, or you can check the most up-to-date details by visiting our website and searching for your nearest service.

Spots fill fast – secure your child’s place today:

Helping Hands Talara

Community Notices

Caloundra State High School Afterschool Volleyball Program Years 5 – 6

Caloundra State High School are proud to offer a free junior volleyball development program, formerly known as Spikezone, now rebranded as the Play Poles Junior Seahawk Volleyball Development Program.

Caloundra SHS is currently ranked in the top five volleyball schools nationally, with over 170 students (both girls and boys) participating in our Volleyball Signature Program.

This new development initiative is an opportunity for younger students to get a taste of the sport in a fun, inclusive and supportive environment, while developing important values such as teamwork, commitment, and positive behaviour, principles our program is built upon.

While participation in this development program is not a prerequisite for future involvement in the Signature Program, it will give students a great introduction to the game before trials are held the week following the program’s conclusion.

Highlights of the Program:

Open to all Year 5 and 6 students

Completely free of charge

Every participant receives a free training shirt, generously provided by our sponsor, Play Poles

Attached is the program flyer with all the relevant details.

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Business Mum of the Year

Congratulations to Talara mum – Kate Langford for winning ‘Business Mum of the Year’ at the 2025 BEAM Awards.

The BEAM Awards celebrate the brilliance, excellence, achievement, and motivation of people in business across Australia. This award recognises women who successfully balance the demands of business and motherhood—something Kate Langford has not only embraced but redefined. Seven years ago, Kate started her business journey from her garage, with two kids under three and a fire in her belly to help people do work they love. Now, she’s built two thriving businesses, authored a book (Have Your Cake and Eat It Too), and supports thousands of career changers and business owners across Australia.

Well done Kate!

School Calendar

School Contact Details

ADDRESS:

PO Box 3707 Caloundra DC 4551
Talara Street, Currimundi 4551

CONTACTS:

P&C Association

P&C Meetings are held on Tuesday evening of Week 3 & 8 each term at 6:30pm.

Everyone is welcome. Please email secretary@talarapandc.com.au for further details.

Uniform Shop Hours

Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:15am to 8:45am.

Tuckshop

Open daily Monday to Friday 8:30am to 1:35pm.

Parades (2:15pm)

Outside School Hours Care:

Helping Hands 0459 990 650.

Student Absences

Please remember to ring the school on our Student Absence Line (5438 3760) or send an SMS to our SMS Absence Line: (0474 195 135) otherwise a note to the teacher the next day is required.

Remember, all student absences need to be accounted for and any unexplained absences require the school to ring home to check. Accounting for student absences is a legal requirement for all schools. Your assistance in providing the relevant information to us regarding your child’s absences daily is appreciated.

Change of Details

• Have you bought a new mobile?
• Maybe started a new job?
• Moved house?

Please remember to update your details with the school, either via the Change of Details Form found on the side panel of this newsletter or drop us a line at info@talacollss.eq.edu.au