Attendance FAQ's

What if my student is unwell?

Any child who is showing signs of illness or feeling unwell, should stay at home.
If a child is showing signs of illness at school, the school will contact the parent or carer to collect the child.

Does School Plus automatically know we are away?

No. If you have a regular booking with School Plus Outside School Hours Care, it is your responsibility to notify them directly if you need to cancel or amend a booking, will be away or if your student is absent due to illness.
Please phone 0458 052 153 or email newfarm@schoolplus.com.au 
If you fail to notify School Plus of an absence Police may be notified in accordance with the 'Missing Child Policy'.

What if my student is attending a school activity somewhere else?

If the school trasnports students to an acitivity via bus or walking groups, the school will mark a roll and account for the students.

If you transport your student to the activity, please notify the school they have arrived and are participating in the activity. 
To advise of an off campus activity, you can:
1. email absences@newfarmss.eq.edu.au 
2. phone student absence line (07)3358 7333 option 1
3. QParents app via 'Notify Absences' tab

How does the Absence SMS from school work?

If your student is not present at 9am roll marking and the office has not been notified they would be away, an SMS is generated and sent to parents. You are able to reply text to this SMS. 

If your child/ren have a medical condition requiring regular or emergency administration of medication, please make sure you have supplied school with the following:

1. All medications must be in the original container and have clear chemist labels with the students name
2. Any allergy/asthma/anaphylaxis plans must be completed and signed by a GP
3. All parents must also complete a consent to administer form that aligns with the GP directed plan - there must be a form completed for each medication

IF YOUR CHILD/REN SELF ADMINISTER THEIR MEDICATION THIS NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY DISPLAYED IN BOTH THE LETTER FROM THE DOCTOR AND IN THE ACTION PLAN

Parents are also required to provide a letter detailing their consent for their child/ren to administer their own medication.

Parents are welcome to drop medication to the Admin Office between 9am – 3pm daily.

Students are not permitted to transport their own medication. An adult must attend and provide medication and complete any require consents.

For all emergency medication, once it has been received and recorded by administration, all medication (e.g. asthma medication, anaphylaxis medication) will be put into a labelled box and stored in the administration building First Aid Room.

If your child/ren’s medical status changes (e.g. asthma action plan no longer relevant, allergy severity decreased etc) please let the school know via email through firstaid@newfarmss.eq.edu.au so that we may update our systems.

Dr Carmel McGrath

Term 4 Pillar Champion Awards

Each term we acknowledge and celebrate those staff, parents and students who have contributed to our pillars: Innovation, Inclusion, Well-Being and Curriculum. The people who receive the pillar awards will be acknowledged on our final assembly Wednesday 11 December. 

Staffing Update

Merrilyn Krohn will continue in the role of Head of Department (HOD) for semester 1 2025 while Mel Norman is seconded to a Guidance Officer role. Kay Bradley will be A/Principal at Petrie Terrace SS for term 1 2025 and I am currently recruiting for the Deputy role. New teaching staff for 2025 include: Ms Sarah Hilton (Teacher), Mr Dion Cerreto (Teacher), and Emily Chen and Nups Patel (Education Support Officers). I am also currently recruiting for another classroom teacher. Staff have been allocated now and will be reviewed at our Day 8 census to confirm or alter class arrangements as per our Education Queensland staffing model.

P&C 2024

As we draw to the end of another very busy year, I wish to acknowledge the efforts of our P&C executive Rachel Frizzo President, Dahna Gallantree (Treasurer) and Katharine Lloyd (Secretary). It is always a pleasure working with our dedicated team of parents and I commend their enthusiasm and willingness to contribute so readily to the commitments throughout the year. This year the P&C have supported the implementation of the new adventure playground on James Street, organised numerous fundraisers and special events for our students and staff (including the Halloween Disco, Sports days, Science and Book Weeks), supported strategic planning and resourcing of school initiatives, as well as sharing information with both parents and the school. Thank you also to all subcommittees or working groups who have volunteered and supported the gardens, tuckshop and swim club. 

Instrumental Music Annual Gala Performance

Congratulations to all instrumental students Years 4-6 who performed at last Tuesday’s Gala Performance. Many parents attended to watch the Junior and Senior Band and choirs perform under the instruction of Mr Colin McIntyre and Ms Rebekah Davis. 

Reporting

Staff are currently finalising assessments and report cards for students. These will be distributed in week 11 of this term and parents should expect to receive reports from Thursday 12 December. Any issues regarding reports should be directed to admin@newfarmss.eq.edu.au  

Year 6 Graduation Dinner and Ceremony

Thank you so much to all our parents and staff who have been organizing our Year 6 Graduation Dinner (Thursday 05^th Dec) and special Graduation Assembly (Monday 09^th Dec). Special thanks to our wonderful organising committee: Michelle Logan, Penny Glasson, Jenny Loi, Julie Robson, Anais Gould and Chloe Whitehouse. Thank you to Mr Fleming for once again taking on the role of MC for the event. Thank you also to staff Mr Jones, Ms Cuthbertson, Ms Fletcher and Ms Davis for helping prepare students for the Graduation Ceremony.

Dance Extravaganza

Thank you to our Dance teachers and Mrs Krohn for organising this week’s end of term P-2 dance performance. It is a wonderful showcase of their dance lessons for term 4 and a great fun event for our last week of school. Thank you again to our marvellous dance instructors.

2025 Class Allocations

Thank you to staff, who have worked tirelessly to ensure the complex task of organising students into their new classes has now been finalised. Students will receive a teacher postcard package to take home and most will meet their new teacher next week. If the class teacher is unable to attend due to commitments, an opportunity will be available ON 24^TH of January 9-10am on Pupil Free Days. This is not compulsory but if your child is a little anxious, it can help prepare them by knowing where their classroom is located and who their teacher is.

Year 6 Final Roll Call

The last day of term 2024 is Friday 13 December. As part of our Year 6 tradition, we hold a very special final roll call for our Year 6 Graduates. Parents are very welcome.

• At 2:55 pm all classes assemble near A Block and around towards the Netball court. The students, staff and parents make a guard of honour for the Year 6 students. 
• Parents are welcome to join the fun.
• Our Year 6 students line up on the A Block veranda.
• At 2:59 pm the school counts down from 10 to 1 and then the old school bell is rung.
• Then Year 6 students walk down the stairs and through a full school community guard of honour. The students receive high 5s and lots of applause as students, staff and parents to celebrate their final departure from New Farm SS.

Digital Teaching and Learning

We are thrilled to share an update on the exciting developments in our Digital Teaching and Learning program, designed to ensure every student at NFSS has access to equitable, innovative, and secure digital learning opportunities.

Key Update – No Device Purchases Required:
A key element of our updated strategy is the transition away from requiring parents to purchase iPads for students. Starting with Year 3 in 2025, the school will provide iPads for students as part of a school-owned device model. This change:

• Reduces financial pressure on families.
• Ensures a standardized and secure digital environment.
• Provides equitable access to technology for all students.

For families with students currently in Years 3–6 using personal devices, rest assured that our IT Support Plan will include measures to secure and manage both school-owned and BYOD devices to ensure safety and consistency across the board.

We are committed to supporting parents as digital learning partners, equipping you with tools and resources to foster a balanced and effective digital experience for your children.

We will continue to keep you updated as the program progresses. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Important Dates and Events:

• LAST DAY 2024 – Friday 13 December 3pm
• 2025 Office Opens Monday 20 January
• 2025 Meet the Teacher and Visit Classrooms Session Friday 24 January 9-10am
• FIRST DAY 2025 -Tuesday 28 January 8:45am

Kay Bradley

Transition to 2025

We have been working hard on drafting class lists for 2025 and are now at the stage of reviewing these lists with class teachers, the inclusion team and admin.

Next week, our students will have an opportunity to meet their 2025 teacher and will bring home a postcard from him or her. If a student is not at school to receive their postcard, it will be emailed to them. This postcard will have a message from the teacher and an invitation to come to an Open Classroom event which takes place on Friday the 24^th of January, before the official start of school. 

This transition process has been designed to ensure a smooth transition for all our students and to alleviate nerves.

Parent Reps 2025

In previous years, the school has coordinated a team of Parent Reps; one from each class.

The roll of the Parent Rep has traditionally been to act as a point of contact between class teachers and families. In recent years Class Dojo, Q parents and Schoolzine have evolved, making the need for the extra layer of communication less necessary.

In 2025, the official role of Parent Reps will be more of a coordinator of a whole year cohort communication tool. This is in line with what already exists in most year levels.  The school has received positive feedback about this type of system, as it promotes information sharing and social connection across the cohort.

More information to follow.

Medication Collection 

Message for all students with medication stored at school.

We ask parents please collect their medication before school closes for the year.
We request you attend the administration office between 1:30pm and 3:30pm Friday 13 December.

Or as you collect your child on their last day for those finishing the year early.

ANY MEDICATIONS LEFT AT SCHOOL AFTER 3:30PM FRIDAY 13 DECEMBER WILL BE DISPOSED OF VIA A PHARMACY.

If your child/ren’s medical status changes (e.g. asthma action plan no longer relevant, allergy severity decreased etc.) please inform the school via email firstaid@newfarmss.eq.edu.au 

I am looking forward to a safe and enjoyable end to the year for all students, staff and families.

We are thrilled about the upcoming New Farm’s Got Talent performances! The talent this year is absolutely amazing, and we can’t wait to see the final acts.

Here are the important details for performance times:

• Year 3 and 4 Performances:
  Monday, 11:40 AM - 1:10 PM
• Year 5 and 6 Performances:
  Wednesday, 11:40 AM - 1:10 PM

Reminder for Performers:
Please ensure you have submitted your music selection to Mr. Curby as soon as possible.

We look forward to celebrating the incredible talent of our students. Get ready for an exciting showcase of creativity and skill!

This year at New Farm our sustainably projects has taken us on an amazing journey of discovery. We have been working on a variety of projects with our class crew. Below are some items we have achieved for 2024:

Students have been learning about upcycling recycling. By using clean recycled items, we can make new products and gain a second use before recycling. These items include:

• single sided photocopying can be cut down and stapled to create a note book
• milk or juice bottle can be repurposed into a scoop or bailer
• tissue boxes can be cut to make a book mark
• coloured scrap paper and cardboard can be used for collage materials
• using empty plastic veggie packaging can we repurposed into seedling trays
• glass jars, particularly passata jars, can be used to create vases for water plants, add some wrapping paper or scrap fabric around the jar for decoration.

* We held our first annual Go Green for EcoMarine competition during October.

* We conducted our annual bird audit. With some surprising data. We have seen a decrease in pigeons since last year and an increase in native birds.

Our major project this year was simplifying our waste system. We have developed a 3 bins system. Yellow for all recycling, green for Containers for Change and red for general waste. Through this we have seen a reduction in the amount of general waste across the school and believe this has also contributed to the reduction in pigeons at our school.

Band Recruiting for 2025

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

All parents of current year 3 students only, are invited to click on the link below for information, and to apply for, our band instrument instrumental music program in 2025. Learning and performing a musical instrument in a group environment indeed has many developmental benefits with the fun factor being my favourite!

For any questions please contact Mr Colin McIntyre via email cmcin13@eq.edu.au

Our enrolments for 2025 are open, be sure to submit your expression of interest now!

If your child will not be returning in 2025 please complete a Student Departure Advice, this does not include year 6 graduates. 

The New Farm Kingfisher Swim Club is back, and we’d love to see all New Farm State School students get involved! ? This community-focused event is open to all primary school-aged kids and is held right here at the New Farm State School Pool. It’s a great way to unwind, make new friends, and enjoy a fun and relaxed Friday night! ?

Whether you’re a confident swimmer or just starting out, as long as you can swim 20 meters with a kickboard, you’re welcome to join! ? It’s free to attend, no registration is required, and there’s a sausage sizzle ? and drinks ? available for a small cost, making it a great night out for the whole family.

We are also looking for volunteers to help get the kids ready for the races and assist with running the BBQ and drinks stall. Please contact me if you are interested in helping with the BBQ—your support will make the event even more fun! ?

Details:

• First Event: Friday, 4th October
• When: Every Friday night starting from the first Friday of Term 4
• Time: Arrive at 5:15 PM for a 5:30 PM start. Events finish by 7 PM ⏰
• Where: New Farm State School Pool
• Who: All primary school-aged kids are welcome! ?

We look forward to seeing all our New Farm State School families for some splash-tastic fun! ? Come and join the community spirit!

Any questions please call Paul 0403666060