24 July 2025

The Principal

Welcome back for a busy Term 3. We finished Term 2 with glorious days on our oval for our three sports carnivals. The level of participation and positive house spirit was observed by all and evidenced the great kids we have at Talara Primary College. Students cheering on their buddies and congratulating their fellow competitors are the personal attributes that we are all proud of.  It was fantastic to see so many parents joining in the fun. Thank you to all our staff team for supporting this event, particularly our Physical Education teacher – Caitlin Parfitt. Thank you also to our Tucker Shack crew who had three busy days of additional sports day meals and parent coffees and cakes. Well done to the overall winning house BRIBIE!

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Semester 1 Results

We start Term 3 with sharing the Talara ‘Excellence in Education’ mantra backed by our wonderful Semester 1 data. Well done Talara students for bringing your growth mindset and ‘do my best and support others to do their best’ spirit to school every day. This student commitment matched with the expertise, care and support from our staff, ensures we continue to achieve the results our whole school community can celebrate with pride.

• English and Maths – 91% A-C
• English and Maths – 60% A-B
• Effort – 98% A-C
• Behaviour – 96% A-C

Playground Upgrades

At Talara, we have always taken immense pride in our strong sense of community — and at the heart of that is the incredible partnership between our school and our parents and carers, made possible through the unwavering dedication of our outstanding P&C.

Throughout the year, our P&C members give generously of their time, energy, and heart. Whether it's supporting our sports carnivals, organising Mother’s Day stalls, lending a hand in the tuckshop, or helping in classrooms, their contributions are constant and deeply valued. Every action, big or small, has a meaningful impact on the educational journey of our students — and for that, we are profoundly grateful.

Thanks to the P&C’s tireless efforts and our community’s ongoing support of P&C activities, we’re thrilled to share some exciting upgrades that took place over the holidays.

Our Prep area saw the completion of the final stage of the playground, including the installation of vibrant artificial turf and a brand-new soccer oval.

Meanwhile, our Year 1 and 2 students can now enjoy their nature play area under the comfort of a newly installed shade sail.

These fantastic additions simply wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our incredible P&C. Not only did they successfully secure a $33,050 Gambling Community Benefit Fund Grant, but they also contributed an additional $35,000 from our school community’s fundraising efforts to bring these projects to life.

So today, we take a moment to truly celebrate our Talara community and the P&C. Thank you for your generosity, your passion, and your unwavering commitment to our school. Our P&C is the heart of our community — and we are so lucky to have such a dedicated team. I would also like to acknowledge our school business manager – Kirsty Gould, who oversees all our facilities planning, design and infrastructure compliance work. Kirsty was also a keen driver of these projects and she works with vision and alignment with our P&C team to ensure modern and functional facilities for our students.

School Opinion Survey

This term you will receive via email an invitation to complete our School Opinion Survey. This survey is implemented each year for all state schools across Qld. Response data is collected from parents, staff, and students in Yr. 5 & 6

about a variety of school services. This data is collated by the Department of Education who then compile a detailed report for the school to assist us with future planning. Your feedback is important, and we very much appreciate you

taking time to let our staff know what we are doing well to support your child’s schooling journey and as well as what areas you would like us to focus on next for improvement.

Events

There are a range of exciting events and activities across our college for this term, including excursions, incursions, interschool sports and Book Week. However, the BIG two on our school calendar are the P&C organised Colour Run (17 September) and the School Musical ‘Madagascar’ (10 and 11 September). We know the Talara community spirit will ignite across our college to support our students’ participation in these fantastic events.

P&C News

Welcome to term 3, we hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break.

Colour Explosion Run 4 Fun

This term, we’re excited to announce that the Colour Explosion Run 4 Fun is returning to TPC on the 17 of September! Our goal is to raise $60,000 to support new playground equipment and essential repairs to the Year 1 & 2 sandpit shade cover.

Keep an eye out for more details soon - this is definitely an event not to be missed. We can’t wait to see our students bright, colourful, and full of joy on the big day!

Playground Upgrades

We are excited to announce the completion of the new multipurpose play area, as part of an extension to the Prep playground. This fantastic project was made possible through a $30,050 Gambling Community Benefit Fund Grant, as well as the generous support of the TPC community through ongoing fundraising efforts.

The new play space was completed over the holiday period by Coastal Synthetic Turf, whose professionalism we greatly appreciate. We hope this area brings joy and encourages active play for many students in the years ahead. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making this project a reality.

In addition, the P&C funded the installation of a shade sail over the new playground in the Year One and Two play area, supporting our Sun Safe policy. This new addition has now been installed and will be a fantastic enhancement to an already wonderful play space.

Principals Day

At Talara, we are incredibly fortunate to be guided by a team of exceptional leaders whose passion and commitment make a meaningful difference every single day. Their dedication to our students, staff, and wider community helps create an environment where everyone can thrive.

As we approach Principals' Day on August 1st, we invite you to take a moment to show your appreciation. It's a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to our school leaders for all that they do — often behind the scenes — to make Talara the best it can be.

Tuckshop

This term, the Tucker Shack will be hosting a special theme day! Keep an eye on the Talara P&C Facebook page and the school newsletter for more details as the date approaches.

In addition to our regular menu items, there will be weekly specials on offer - something for everyone to enjoy!

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:15am to 8:45am. Alternatively, uniforms can be ordered via Qkr! and delivered directly to your child’s classroom for added convenience.

Beth Bonney
P&C President
Talara Primary College

Curriculum News

Curriculum Snapshots and Marking Guides

Welcome back to an exciting Term 3! We are delighted to share with you the Curriculum Snapshots and Marking Guides for this term, providing you with valuable insights into your child's classroom learning.

As valued partners in the educational journey of our young learners, we encourage you to stay informed about the exciting learning happening in the classroom. Each Curriculum Snapshot is a brief summary of this term's curriculum for each year level. These Snapshots are also displayed in the classroom. You will see the Attributes of a lifelong learner and questions that serve as excellent conversation starters to engage your child in discussions about their school experiences. As parents, these Curriculum Snapshots can also support you in enhancing your child's learning at home by exploring similar topics and engaging in related activities. It's important to note that the skills developed through these attributes extend beyond a single subject and continue to develop across all areas of education, preparing students for lifelong learning!

To further ensure you have a good understanding of your child's progress, we are pleased to share the Marking Guides for English, Humanities & Social Sciences, Mathematics, and Science for each year level this term. These guides are used by our teachers to assess your child's learning and understanding of specific assessment tasks. By familiarising yourself with these documents, you will gain insight into the expectations for achieving a C (Year Level Expectation) and the additional knowledge or skills required for a B or an A grade.

Term 3 Curriculum Snapshots

Term 3 Marking Guides

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
https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/TWF958
2. Complete the ONLINE REGISTRATION component (outlined in the permission form) by Monday 28 July 2025 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: 9am 12 August 2025
    b. MATHEMATICS: 9am 26 August 2025

YEAR 1 PHONICS CHECK

In Term 3, all Year 1 students will complete the Year 1 Phonics Check. The Check looks at how well each student can 'decode' written words. Year 1 teachers will listen to how the student sounds out the letter and letter groups and how they blend these sounds together from left to right to read words.

The Phonics Check helps Year 1 teachers better understand the phonics knowledge of their students and will be used to confirm whether each student is making their expected progress in reading. Teachers and schools then use this information to inform their teaching programs.

Term 3 Units of Work for Italian

Prep

Benvenuti!

This term in Italian, our wonderful Preps will be diving into some fun and foundational language learning.

We will be focusing on three key areas:

• Numbers – learning to count and recognise Italian numbers through songs, games and movement
• Colours – discovering the colours of the rainbow in Italian with visual activities and creative tasks
• Greetings – learning how to say hello and ask and answer "How are you?" through simple conversation and roleplay

The lessons will be interactive, engaging and full of opportunities for students to speak, sing and move while exploring the Italian language.

It’s set to be a vibrant and joyful term of learning in Italian.

Year 1

In this unit, students will explore language and culture through the theme of personal favourites.

They will learn to talk about their favourite things using Italian words and phrases, including:

• Colours
• Games and activities
• Animals
• Foods
• School subjects

Students will practise expressing their preferences and will have the opportunity to compare their favourites with those of their classmates, as well as children in Italian-speaking cultures.

Through songs, games, speaking activities and creative tasks, students will develop their vocabulary and confidence using Italian in meaningful and personal ways.

It will be a fun and engaging term of language learning and cultural discovery.

Year 2

In this unit, students will follow the exciting holiday adventures of Mario, Talara’s Italian mascot, as he travels through Italy.

Through Mario’s journey, students will:

• Discover iconic Italian landmarks and cultural experiences
• Explore and compare life in Italy and Australia
• Learn vocabulary for different places, such as the beach, zoo, museum, park, city, and countryside

Each week, students will write simple postcards in Italian based on the places Mario visits, helping them practise key language structures while connecting with Italian culture in a fun and creative way.

It promises to be a term full of adventure, imagination and rich language learning.

Year 3

This term, students will explore the theme of pets and learn how to describe them in Italian using simple words and expressions.

Each week, students will write about a different type of pet, describing its physical features and personality. They will have the opportunity to present their work to the class, building confidence in speaking and sharing ideas in Italian.

Throughout the unit, students will also:

• Create short oral presentations using images and key vocabulary
• Use word banks and modelled sentences to write pet profiles
• Illustrate and caption a true or imagined features about their pet
• Explore how intonation changes in different types of speech: statements, questions, exclamations, and commands
• Recognise adjectives when describing their pet/imagined pet

This unit will allow students to express their creativity while developing their written and spoken Italian in fun, engaging, and meaningful ways.

Year 4

Students learn about different cities, monuments and celebrations in Italy. They create a poster describing their favourite place.

Year 5

Students write and talk about descriptions of outfits. They learn about the importance of fashion in Italian culture. Students write and star in an Italian fashion show.

Year 6

Students promote the Sunshine Coast as a tourist destination for Italians. They create a multimodal advertisement, including voice over, to advertise their favourite attractions and things to do.

Prep 2025 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 and contact our school office for an enrolment pack or if you have any questions.

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

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 participation 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 22August, 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.

Book Week 2025 – Book An Adventure

Mark your calendars – Book Week will be celebrated in Week 6 this term!  Dress up day is on Thursday 21 August so get your creative ideas flowing to think of a costume relating to your favourite book character or this year’s theme – “Book an Adventure”.  Children may choose to stand out in a solo costume or organise a group theme with friends, and remember, simple, homemade outfits using what you already have in the cupboard often make the best costumes.

We are excited to announce a new competition for book week this year - our Adventure Reading Photo Competition!  Students can take a photo reading in the most unique, exotic or unusual location and we will display them in the library.  Photos can be emailed to Mrs Millberry at tmill372@eq.edu.au or to your classroom teacher, or they can be printed and brought into the IAC.  The lucky winner will win a great Book Week book pack prize. 

We're also thrilled to share that as part of Children's Book Week® 2025, our school will be hosting the exciting and interactive musical adventure Treasure Hunt! on Tuesday 2^nd September.

In line with this year’s theme, “Book an Adventure,” students will embark on an unforgettable journey filled with music, storytelling, and discovery. This dynamic performance not only celebrates the joy of reading but also brings to life a selection of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) 2025 Shortlisted Books in an engaging, educational format.

To see the list of this year’s CBCA shortlisted books please visit https://cbca.org.au/2025-shortlist/

Interschool Sport Years 5 & 6

Interschool Sport for all Year 5 and Year 6 students will commence in Term 3.

Interschool Sport is a Coastal District Sporting Event in which schools in our southern zone compete in seven sporting codes. The sports include:

Netball – held at Caloundra Indoor Stadium (outdoor courts)
Basketball – held at Meridan State College
Soccer – held at the Meridan Sports Fields
Rugby League – held at the Caloundra Sharks Junior Rugby League Club
Oz Tag – held at Meridan State College
AFL – held at Currimundi State School (Not enough student interest)
Cricket- held at Caloundra Cricket Club (Not enough student interest)

Students will commence training in their selected sport Friday’s, beginning on Friday of week 1, Term 3. No training Week 2 due to Coastal District Track and Field & All Schools OZTAG.

Interschool sporting rounds will be held on Friday August 8, Friday August 15, Friday August 29 and Friday September 12 from 10:30am – 2:15pm. Parents/Carers are more than welcome to attend.

Students will travel to and from the various sporting venues on designated charter buses.

Excursion costs:

The cost for Interschool Sport is $45. This cost covers the provision of professional first aid officers, facility hire, groundsman costs, referee hire and transport.

All payments and Qparent consent forms are to be received at the office by Friday 25 July.

In the event that you are experiencing any issues completing payment, please contact the office so that alternate arrangements can be made.

Your assistance in applying sunscreen to your child for these days is appreciated. Should your child’s sport have a specific uniform, your child will be provided with this, otherwise students are to come dressed in their full school uniform. Specialised approved sporting footwear can be brought to school and changed into on arrival to their specific sporting venue. 

Year 5 Maranatha Recreation Camp (15-17 October)

From Wednesday 15 October to Friday 17 October, our Year 5 classes will be going to camp at Maranatha Recreational and Educational Centre.  The camp is located at Yandina and the site is surrounded by rainforest, bordered by Wappa Creek.  Students will travel to and from the site by bus and be accommodated in dorms on site. 

It is an expectation that every student attend camp as it is an integral part of our school curriculum.  School based learning experiences will take place prior to, and after camp.  The camp program will focus on various skills including goal setting, leadership skills, teamwork, cooperation, acceptance and tolerance of others in new surroundings.

We ask that permission forms and medical forms be returned as soon as possible (no later than 1 September) and payment is made before Wednesday 10 September.  If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact myself to discuss options to support you during this time.

Talara’s 2025 NAIDOC celebrations

Acknowledgement of Country

Talara Primary College would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land on which we stand today, the Gubbi Gubbi and Kabi Kabi people. We acknowledge with respect the land, the skies, the waterways, and all that inhabit this country. We acknowledge our Elders past present and future, for they hold the memories, traditions and hopes of Indigenous Australia. May their strengths and wisdom be with us as we walk together gently on this land.

WUNYA - (Welcome, Hello)

Talara Community have hosted an amazing 2025 NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) week of celebrations. Traditionally NAIDOC 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 across the country. Each year NAIDOC week grows in stature and depth of celebrations at community, state and national level.

It is an opportunity for all Australians to come together to celebrate the rich history, diverse cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the oldest continuing cultures on the planet.

2025 NAIDOC THEME - “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.”

This year’s theme chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee, 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 NAIDOC Celebrations

To celebrate 2025 NAIDOC WEEK, Talara Primary College Students and Teachers engaged in opportunities to learn more about First Nations Languages, Symbols and Colours, gaining a deeper understanding of ways of working and connection to country. Throughout the week, students participated in various hands-on learning activities, class discussions and sharing of stories that built further appreciation and respect for our First Nations cultures. Talara Staff were also very keen to show their appreciation of NAIDOC week 2025 through wearing their Talara Indigenous designed shirts.

Students Leaders did a fabulous job leading various NAIDOC arts, craft activities inside and outside the Information Access Centre (IAC) during lunchtimes.  Talara students had the opportunity to engage and learn more about different types of cultural techniques, symbols and language used to communicate, tell a story and express their people’s connection to country. Special thanks to all students and all teachers involved in facilitating NAIDOC activities.

IAC NAIDOC Resource Display and Sharing

Our talented and very dedicated staff member Mrs Newberry set up a fabulous visual display of resources that students were able to access viewing, reading and engaging with Indigenous Cultures. Students and teachers were also able to access various Indigenous resources and sites that have been made available linking our Australian Curriculum to Dreamtime storytelling. Information on artistic techniques, traditional methods of gathering and collection of food sources, dance and song that told ancestry messages and fictional stories of reference to the importance of this proud heritage of Indigenous Australian Culture, and our local Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi Language were available too.

Special shout out to all Students and Teachers from Year 4 who proudly contributed their Term 2 Unit Indigenous Art work Dreamtime stories for display throughout the IAC adding further inspiration to our NAIDOC Cultural Display.

Writing Competition

In celebration of this year’s NAIDOC theme “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.” we hosted our special annual NAIDOC week writing competition. We invited all Talara Primary College students to participate. This was a great opportunity to build awareness of our Indigenous Culture and a love of writing.

Prep - Year 1 Students - Used indigenous symbols/illustrations and words to create a visual story.
Year 2 - 6 Students - Wrote short Dreamtime Stories or Poems.

We had an overwhelming amount of student entries placed into the box in the IAC. It was a very difficult competition to judge however it is with great pleasure that we were able to present this year’s, 2025 Writing Competition winners their awarded prizes at our special Tribal NAIDOC Parades.

Congratulation to the following students who did themselves, their family and the wider Talara community very proud in their composition of their Dream Time Stories.

Jack C 3A –Long Ago in the Dreamtime

Sylvie M 6Y- Why the Kookaburra Laughs

NAIDOC Colouring

Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students participated by colouring our template of Talara Cultural Mural.

Year 3 - 6 Students were challenged to create their own creative art pieces related to this year’s theme “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy” through utilising elements of art, shape, textural, line and colour. Students explored a combination of different indigenous art techniques in their creations.

Finn M - 2M
Lucy B – 6M

We congratulate and thank all students and teachers who contributed to both these NAIDOC writing and art competitions.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge and thank all Talara Staff and Community who contributed their time and energy to ensuring our 2025 NAIDOC week of celebrations held at Talara successfully built awareness, showed respect and contributed to a proud celebration of Australia’s Indigenous Cultures. May we all continue to show appreciation, thanks and respect to all our Elders for they are the key to our future.

Book Fair 2025

A Massive Thank You for Supporting Our Book Fair!

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our amazing Talara families for your generous support of this year’s Book Fair.

This year’s ‘Egyptian Oasis’ display captured the imagination of students, sparking excitement and curiosity. Congratulations to the seven lucky winners of the “How many pages in the mummified book?” competition — they were thrilled to select a free book of their choice from the fair!

Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve been able to purchase a fantastic range of new books through Scholastic Book Club, helping us further enrich our library collection. We can’t wait to see these books hit the shelves and get out into the hands of our eager readers!

Term 2 Student Free Dress Day

It is with great pleasure I announce that our Term 2 Student Free Dress Day (Talk like a Pirate Day) held on the last Friday of Term 2 raised a total of $866.10

All money raised is going towards Childhood Cancer Support an amazing organization that helps families who may have loved ones undergoing cancer treatment.

Please pass on my heartfelt thanks to all your amazing pirates.

Sports News

Sports Day

What a great Week 9 in Term 2 with our annual Junior, Middle and Senior Sport Days! Congratulations to our Sprint and Age champions listed below, along with Bribie, who took out both the Middle and Senior overall trophies!

We wish all the best to the 35 Talara Athletes off to the Coastal District Track and Field trial on July 24 and 25 at UniSC Athletics Track, Go TALARA!

District and Regional Representatives

Congratulations to the below students who achieved Coastal District and Sunshine Coast Region success in Term 2. We have some wonderful photos to share of our students at their carnivals.

Storm, Ivy-Rose, Darcy and Mia O attended the Regional 11-12 Girls Rugby League trials on Friday 20 June at Maroochydore Junior Rugby League Club. The girls had to put in the hard yards backing on from Senior Sports Day, a huge effort from all four girls! Congratulations to Ivy-Rose who was selected into the Sunshine Coast Regional team, all the best at the State Championships in Townsville this September!

Cruz W attended the 12–14 Year old Baseball District/Regional Trials held in Redcliffe on 19 June.

Cruz had a lot of fun and learnt a lot from the experience. He was very proud to represent Talara.

Beau and Kobe had a busy start to their school holidays with the U11 Rugby League State Championships! The boys were undefeated in the round games and were the winners of their pool. Unfortunately coming unstuck in the finals playing off for 3rd place. Congratulations to Sunshine Coast Region finishing in 4^th place! This is the best result the age group had done in quite some years. Congratulations boys on a great 5 days of championships!

Talara Environmentally Aware Kids (TEAK)

The TEAK team have started Term 3 with "Plastic Free July" activities. On Friday the students discussed single use plastic items and made individual pledges, to reduce the use of specific items. These included - plastic wrap, shampoo and conditioner bottles, plastic bags, plastic drink bottles and plastic cups. We encourage everyone in the school community to think of a single use plastic item they can pledge to "refuse" in the year ahead. 

We will continue to hand out "Plastic Free Good Ones" during July, to students with no single use plastics in their lunch boxes. Some great examples of "plastic free" lunch boxes are included in the photos.

At the end of last term, the students enjoyed making "seed bombs" with recycled paper pulp and herb seeds. Hopefully these have been planted in many gardens and fresh herbs are on the way.

This week we will celebrate National Tree Day, that was officially on the last day of Term 2. We delayed our plantings until this week to ensure that the new plants would be well watered and cared for. Our planting focus will be on the gardens around the senior amenities block. All TEAK students are invited to join in on Friday at first break.

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Year 4 Pizza Incursion

Last week, Year 4 students took part in an Italian Immersive Language and Cooking incursion here in our Italian room. This formed part of the Term 2 Unit, Vorrei Una Pizza, where students performed a conversation ordering their favourite pizza.

This enrichment experience demonstrated the interrelationship of language, culture and learning. The aim of the incursion is to expand student knowledge and understanding of the Italian culture, specifically how food plays an important part in Italian day-to-day life.

Andrea from Pizza Coppola, a local mobile caterer, was our pizzaiolo who provided instructions and demonstrations in Italian. Students followed on excitedly and learnt how to make una pizza margherita from scratch. They stretched their own pizza dough, added the sauce, mozzarella and finally, basil. Students watched on eagerly as their pizza was cooked in the pizza oven, then enjoyed eating their creations! “Mmm deliziosa!”, they exclaimed.

Courtney Warnett
Italian Teacher (Year 3-6)

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.

Born Wired - Gaming

Many young people enjoy online gaming – from simple puzzle-based play through to strategic multiplayer games and creating their own virtual worlds.

Gaming can help improve your child’s coordination, problem-solving and multi-tasking skills, as well as build social skills through online interactivity with other players. Games can also be a great way to connect with your child and strengthen family relationships. But it’s also important to understand what can go wrong and how to keep your child safe.

How to create a safe gaming environment for your child

Young gamers said they felt happy and socially connected, had fun and enjoyed being helpful or supported when they were gaming.

It’s important to encourage your child to have these positive experiences, while helping to protect them from risks like cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. You can use these tips to help you:

Prepare

• Set up the computer or games console in an open area of your home.
• Install up to date security software on all devices.
• Activate parental controls and safety features on the device or in the app or browser.

Build good habits

• Help your child to protect their privacy online and suggest they use a screen name that’s different to their real name.
• Set clear standards and expectations to avoid conflicts, disagreements and/or aggressive behaviour.
• Encourage upstander behaviour and help-seeking to create a safe and positive gaming environment.
• Agree on strategies to help them to switch off, like a timer that signals game time is nearly over, with consequences for not switching off.

Stay involved

• Talk with your child about their gaming and who they play with online.
• Play alongside your child or watch their gaming to get a better sense of how they are handling their personal information and who they are communicating with.
• Take an interest by asking about the storyline or characters in the game if you don’t feel comfortable playing the game yourself, or your child doesn’t want to play with you.
• Encourage your child to tell you if they experience anything that worries them or makes them uncomfortable.
• Monitor the time your child spends online and watch for any changes in their activity, school or social behaviours, in case something might be wrong.

Empower your child

• Wherever possible, help them make wise decisions for themselves, rather than telling them what to do. 
• Give them strategies for dealing with negative online experiences that will build their confidence and resilience. Use our online gaming advice for young people to support you.

For more information and useful tips, visit:

Parent TV

Common childhood mental health problems and developmental conditions explained
Dr Kaylene Henderson

A significant proportion of mental health conditions begin in childhood so it’s important that parents know what to look out for. Join trusted Child Psychiatrist, Dr. Kaylene Henderson, as she describes four common conditions – Speech and Language Disorders, Anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Learn the signs so that you can pick these up early in your little ones and get them the help they need.

To learn more, please click on the link below to view the 6-minute video.

Student of the Week

Parent Notes

Hello beautiful souls!

Last term I shared a couple of mornings, each week, with staff, working on all things health, mindset, and practices to benefit our lives. I am excited to now extend an invitation of my mini sessions into our beautiful community of parents, friends and anyone wishing to attend. 

Each session can vary and I will cover anything from breathwork, meditation, how our body heals itself to specific classes for menopause, the quantum field and much, much more. Sessions are held here at the school, Talara Primary College. 

You can contact me for more information and to secure your spot. 

Much love x
Carly - 0423 590 406
DM FB or Insta
A Noetic Life / @a_noetic_life 

Community Notices

Kawana Touch Football

Picnic on Kings- Bluey is coming to Caloundra

Family Fishing Flyer

Dicky Beach Surf Club Nippers sign on

Bully Zero Workshop

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