15 May 2025

The Principal

At the time of writing this newsletter, I can confidently say that we are all a little bit sick of the rain!! Despite many lunch breaks over the last two weeks where our students have been confined to play breaks that have been in our undercover areas, safe and respectful behaviour choices have been displayed by all students. It has been wonderful to see the creative games the students can come up with when their usual outdoor active activities are not available. Well done, Talara Kids for continuing to prioritise our ‘Care Values’.

Thank you to all parents who provided items for the Election Bake Sale and BBQ. I have to say that I bought a couple of items and the blondie slice and ANZAC biscuits were sensational! A fabulous team effort with many P&C volunteers supporting the stall on the Saturday and high levels of patronage from our Talara families and residents.

Courteous and Safe Driver Practices

It is busy at pick up and drop off times. This is the same situation in most schools across Queensland. To maximise safety of our students, it is a time that everyone needs to display their safe driving practices and abide by the road rules. Be mindful of yellow lined areas which indicate ‘No Standing’ as well as the signage related to Bus Zones and the Stop, Drop, Go area at the front of the College. We have recently had communications from our local residents in Jacana Street, who have been inconvenienced with vehicles parking over their driveways during pick up and drop off periods. I ask for your support in ensuring driving practices around our school are safe, in line with road markings and signage, and are thoughtful to our neighbours.

Winter Uniform

At Talara Primary College, the expectation is that each day students will wear one of the agreed Talara Primary College uniform options. As the days become cooler and we move into the winter weather, please check your child’s winter uniform requirements, so your child is ready to go when the cold days hit. Details of our winter uniform are below:

Sports Day Dates – DATE CLAIMER

This term we hold our Sports Days in Week 9, the second last week of the term. These days are a real highlight on the school calendar and we truly appreciate the massive parent support we have during these days. We can’t wait to have lots of parents here in 2025 cheering all of our students on. So as an early date claimer, I encourage parents to put them on the calendar and hope you are able to make it for part, or all of the day.

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

Let’s hope our ovals dry up soon so we can start our training for the track and field events!

Disco next Thursday 22 May

Just a quick reminder that our disco this term is WEEK 5, on Thursday 22 May. The theme for the disco is Colour Superstars, see the flyer in today’s newsletter.

We would like to bring to your attention a few important points:

1. Disco times are strictly: Prep-Year 2 from 5.00-6.30pm and Years 3-6 from 6.30-8.00pm. Students are only to be present for their year level disco, as there is absolutely no capacity for students to be at both discos
2. Pre-purchased tickets are available online through Qkr! app. A pre-purchased ticket entitles your child to express access to the disco, a slice of pizza and a ticket in the lucky door prize. Parents can pre-purchase tickets through the Qkr! App up until 9am Wednesday 21 May.
3. Parents are welcome to ‘drop and go’. All children will be supervised in the Hall and pick up at the end of the disco occurs at the rear of the Hall.
4. No student will be allowed to leave the disco without an adult coming into the Hall and collecting their child.

Mother’s Day Stall

A big thank you to Kerry Goodacre from the P&C and her fantastic crew of volunteers, who organised the most spectacular array of Mother’s Day gifts for our students to select from. It is always so special to see how excited our students get about buying a very special present for Mum or their special person and being able to surprise them with these goodies on Mother’s Day. I hope all of the Mums and special family members across the Talara Community had a wonderful Mother’s Day.

Time to celebrate an awesome P&C

Across Queensland, P&C Day is celebrated on Friday 23 May. This is an opportunity to publicly thank the hundreds of hardworking P&C members for the tireless work they do each year to improve educational facilities, resources and student outcomes in Queensland State Schools. P&C Day is held during National Volunteer Week, the best time to celebrate their inspiring efforts! A big shout out to the Talara P&C executive and our committed band of volunteers. The Talara P&C is a powerhouse team, and their annual work truly impacts the provision of resources and services to our students. Just as importantly, our P&C organises events and activities that build community spirit and school connections that contribute to our Talara Culture – We welcome, We embrace, We Include! Thank you to all our P&C team!

Marking Guides

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. We are therefore pleased to share with you the Marking Guides for this term, providing you with valuable insights into your child's classroom learning. These Marking Guides are used to assign a level of achievement for your child at the conclusion of each unit of work. 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. Below are the Marking Guides for each year level for English, HASS, Science and Maths.

Extension and Enrichment Program (EEP)

On Wednesday 28 May we will have our second EEP day for 2025. Invited children from years 2-6 will meet in the IAC after they have been to their class for roll marking.  The focus of term 2 EEP is Lens on Literacy.
Prior to attending the EEP session, students are required to read specified text/s.

Year 2 Author study: Margaret Wild
Students are required to read a minimum of 5 texts by Margaret Wild

Years 3 & 4 Author Study: Andy Griffiths
Students are required to read a minimum of 2 texts by Andy Griffiths

Years 5 & 6 Novel Study: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Students are required to read Wonder

These texts are available to borrow from our library, there is a display outside the HOD/C office.

Parents and carers are invited to be an audience member as we showcase our finished projects. This presentation will start at 2pm in the IAC.

 If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to make contact with Amanda Shone or Jody Johnston.

Italian Curriculum Overview: Term 2

Please find below the year level topics for this term, in 4 different powerpoints for Prep – Year 6.

Prep – Students continue to be introduced to Italian language and culture through fun games, songs and activities.

Year One – Happy Birthday! Buon Compleanno! Students are learning all about Italian celebrations.

Year Two – Students dive into the world of fashion and learn to describe outfits.

Year Three – Gameplay! Students play games in Italian and use appropriate gameplay language including encouraging others.

Year Four – Students learn to order a pizza in Italian with a focus on accurate pronunciation and reading comprehension.

Year Five – Collaboratively students create a book about Australian animals. Each student selects their own animal and writes a descriptive piece including their animal’s colour, size, personality, body parts, habitat and movement.

Year Six – With a focus on reading comprehension and reflexive verbs, students describe their own and others’ daily routines. They also compare school life in Australia and Italy.

The Italian Team
Benjamin Tierney / Dominque Esposito (Years Prep – 3)
Courtney Warnett (Years 3 – 6)

TEAK News

The TEAK team have had a great start to the Term 2. Mrs Priaulx and Mrs Hertslet are meeting with the students at First Break on Fridays. The Year 6 TEAK students have taken on the role of Team Leaders and help with a group of younger students to complete our Garden Guardians and Waste Warrior activities each week.  We have also started our Compost Crew and they will meet with Miss Hughes (2B) at Second Break on Fridays.

We are currently growing tomatoes, capsicum, strawberries and pansies and have also harvested lettuce, spinach and mandarins for the tuckshop. Our TEAK team have also been collecting hundreds of Containers for Change from our eating areas as well as at the school discos. 

This term we shared a Power Point with all teachers and classes to remind them of what each bin in the school is used for. Ask your child what rubbish goes in the Red Lid Bin, Recycling Bin, Compost Bin and the Containers for Change Bin.

This term we are looking forward to celebrating Plastic Free July as well as National Tree Day on Friday 27 July. 

Egyptian Oasis Book Fair

We're excited to announce that Talara Primary College will be hosting our Egyptian-themed Scholastic Book Fair from Monday 9 June to Friday 13 June, before and after school each day!  

This is our one and only annual fundraiser for the library, and we’d love your support. Every book purchased helps us bring in fantastic new resources for our students to enjoy—so come along and discover some treasures!

If you’re available to volunteer for around 45 minutes during the Book Fair, please feel free to email me or pop into the IAC—we’d really appreciate the help!

We hope to see you there!
ontact Info:  – Tamara Millberry
Email -   tmill372@eq.edu.au
Phone – 5438 3777

Day for Dolly

Last Friday 9 May, Talara students and teachers supported Day for Dolly by proudly wearing their blue T-shirts to school. Inspired by Dolly Everett’s spirit and fuelled by hope, and Dolly’s favourite colour blue, we set out to grow awareness of Dolly’s Dream Programs and Services by sharing key messages and strategies to create a kinder, safer world for every child. By going blue we were able to raise an outstanding amount of $907.35 for the Day for Dolly Foundation. What a fantastic collective effort for such a vital organisation that develops and implements such amazing key educational resources and programs to keep us all safe.

Throughout week three of this term Year Six student Eloise K, empowered us all to take a collective stand against bullying to protect each other from its harmful effects, both on and offline. Because of Eloise’s passion and leadership, we were able to create awareness building activities such as Day for Dolly Classroom Door Displays, host lunchtime activities where conversations led to further knowledge and understandings of how to use Talara’s High Five and Safe Five strategies to further protect Talara students from the harmful effects of bullying.

Talara students and the wider Talara Community were inspired to Stop, Pause and Reflect on a growing community issue that is affecting all of our society. 

Congratulations to the following class groups (Prep- PG & PY, Year 1A, Year 2B, Year 3A, Year 4G, Year 5M and Year 6A) in your effort and inspiration put into your educational classroom door displays. I know that the Year Six student judges had a very hard time deciding on the winning door displays. Thank you to all Talara students and teachers in sharing key messages, strategies and resources concerning ways to create a kinder and safer world for every child both on and offline 

On Friday the lines leading to the Tucker shack for blue iced cupcakes were unbelievable. Students had our Tucker shack ladies run off their feet as they continued to bake and sell out of cupcakes. A total of 424 over the counter deliciously baked and iced blue cupcakes were purchased by many enthusiastic customers. Huge thank you to our amazing P&C committee and Tucker shack chef and volunteer helpers for making this project such an outstanding success.  Thank you also to each and every student and family who purchased a cupcake. Because of your kind gestures an extra $424 was added to our total therefore bringing our grand total to $1331.35 for the Day for Dolly Foundation. This is truly an outstanding effort and we applaud everyone for your valuable efforts. Way to Go!

If you or your family need support, Dolly’s Dream offers helpful resources to keep children safe and supported. Their website includes a 24/7 support line with trained counsellors available by phone or webchat, as well as workshops on online safety and bullying for students, parents and educators.

You’ll also find a Parent Hub with trusted, easy-to-understand information about keeping kids safe online and promoting kindness. Visit: www.dollysdream.org.au

Term 2 School Disco – Colours of the Rainbow!

Get ready to dance the night away at our vibrant Term 2 School Disco with this term’s exciting theme: Colours of the Rainbow! Dress up in your brightest reds, boldest blues, or anything in between – we can’t wait to see the hall light up in a rainbow of colour!

When:  Thursday 22 May

               P-2    5:00pm-6:30pm
               3-6    6:30pm-8:00pm

Ticket Details:

• Price: $6 per ticket
• Where to Buy: Available for pre-purchase on QKR until 9am Wednesday 21st May, 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. 
• 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 are permitted.

Special Guest DJ: We’re thrilled to welcome our special guest DJ-Candi, a Talara mum and seasoned DJ, who will be spinning the tracks for an epic night of music and fun!  Please note there will be no dancing on the stage by students at this disco so we can keep the area free for our guest DJ and her equipment

We can’t wait to see our Talara kids light up the dance floor in a swirl of rainbow colours! 🌈 Don’t forget to grab your ticket early on QKR for that speedy wristband entry – and let’s make this disco one to remember!

SPORTS DAY!

Students are busy preparing for our upcoming Sports Days in PE lessons! Please see our carnival dates below. Program of events will be distributed closer to Week 9. Students in Year 4, 5 & 6 will also compete in high jump pre-trials, these trials will be held within school hours, students will be notified of the trial date/times once determined.  

TERM 2, WEEK 9

800m Finals (Year 4, 5 & 6)- Monday 16June from 1:45pm (afternoon session)
Senior Sports Day (Year 4, 5 & 6)- Tuesday 17 June (all day event)
Middle Sports Day (Year 2 & 3)- Wednesday 18 June (all day event)
Junior Sports Day (PREP & Year 1)- Thursday 19 June (9:00-12:00pm)

Representative School Sport

Our Coastal District and Regional trials have continued through the on and off rain!

Kobe, Lennox and Beau competed in their Regional U11 Rugby League trial, with Coastal District finishing the 2 day carnival undefeated! A big congratulations to all 3 boys for such a successful competition. We wish all the best to Kobe and Beau who will be representing Sunshine Coast region in the State Championships over the winter school holidays.

Jagger and Ayuna managed a snapshot during the Regional Football Trial. They unfortunately had their 2^nd day on a very wet Friday 9May, more information to come!

Jaxon, Hunter.S and Hunter D will be spending Tuesday and Wednesday this week at Caloundra JRLC with Mr Hohn. A lovely photo of the boys before they head out onto the wet and muddy field! Have a blast boys!

Mia.M, Georgie and Ivy-Rose were selected into the 10-12 Girls Touch Football team, they will be competing in the Regional trial in Week 5 in Glasshouse Mountains.

Go Talara Superstars!

Congratulations to our 2026 Scholarship Recipients!

We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of a group of outstanding year 6 students who have been awarded scholarships to our local feeder high schools for 2026. These scholarships reflect the unique values and priorities of each high school, with selection criteria varying between schools.

All recipients have demonstrated commitment, talent, and a readiness to take on new challenges in their secondary education journey in 2026.

Please join us in congratulating the following students:

Caloundra State High School

• Martin A
• Jude T

Kawana Waters State College

• Ayuna B
• Harry C
• Eloise K
• Mia M
• Jagger P

Meridan State College

• Matilda H
• Owen M
• Aayan P
• Harper C
• Joel T

We are so proud of these students and their success. We know they will continue to represent our school community with pride as they transition into high school.

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.

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 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 schools website. 

Kristy Walton
Deputy Principal

Born Wired: Screen Time

Help your child achieve a healthy balance in their online and offline activities.

How much is too much?

There is no magic figure. The right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors like your child’s age and maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine. 

It can be easy to focus only on the clock, but the quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement, are just as important.

Consider your child’s screen use in the context of their overall health and wellbeing. For example, is online time getting in the way of their sleep and exercise? Is it impacting on their face-to-face connections with family and friends? The answers to these questions will guide you and help strike the right balance of online and offline activities for your child.

Signs to watch for

Signs that your child’s online activity may be having a negative impact on them or on your family include: 

• tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain 
• changes in eating patterns
• reduced personal hygiene
• obsession with particular websites or games
• extreme anger when being asked to take a break from online activity
• becoming withdrawn from friends and family

Help your child manage their online time

• Stay engaged and encourage balance.
• Involve your child in creating a family plan for leisure and entertainment time that balances time spent sitting in front of screens and a variety of offline activities.
• Reduce your own screen time to set a positive example.
• Use the available parental controls and software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online.

Set boundaries for digital device use in your home

Device-free zones and times can help you manage screen time. For example, your family plan could include rules like this:

• no devices in the bedroom for younger children
• all screens off in bedrooms after a certain time for older children
• all screens off at least one hour before planned bedtime
• all family members switch off at dinner time
• devices charged overnight in a place your child cannot access

For more information and useful tips, visit:

Inclusion and Belonging Workshop

Parent TV

How to teach your child self-control

Self-control is important in children because it helps them manage their emotions, behaviour, and impulses, which are essential skills for learning and social interaction. Children who can practice self-control are better able to follow instructions, stay focused in class, and work cooperatively with peers. This ability also helps them make thoughtful decisions instead of acting on impulse, which can prevent conflicts and promote a more positive school/life experience. Developing self-control at a young age sets the foundation for long-term success in both academic and personal areas of life.

Please click on the link and search ‘self-control’ for a great discussion around how to teach your child/ren self-control.

Student of the Week

QParents

Community Notices

Caloundra SHS Rugby League Development Day

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