Nirimba State Primary School Issue 4 2025
Principal News
Dear Nirimba families,
It’s very hard to believe that we are half way through the 2025 school year! The last half of this term has been very busy, with our annual Winter Fair, sporting events, incursions, excursions and reporting occurring in all classrooms.
A very big thank you to our P&C Committee and the Winter Fair subcommittee for their hard work and determination organising, setting up and running the annual Winter Fair. Despite the wet weather, it was a resounding success, with feedback from the event being overwhelmingly positive. A lot of time and effort goes into organising such a big event and I sincerely thank each and every member of the team, along with every volunteer, for your efforts.
All of our students have been working hard to showcase their knowledge and skills over the last few weeks, through assessment task completion. It has been wonderful to see so many students able to articulate what they are learning and how they can improve their work. Setting learning goals is a powerful way for students to understand how they are going with their learning and support a growth mindset allowing them to strive for improvement.
A very big thank you needs to go to Mr Michael Collingwood and Mrs Tara Williams for organising another successful Athletics Carnival. A special mention needs to go to the staff, parents and students who participated in a very competitive relay at the end of the day. While the ‘original’ staff team reigned supreme, there was some tough competition from all teams. Thank you to everyone for getting into the spirit of the day and congratulations to the winning house, Djaa’Gan.
As I prepare to move on to my next role, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the wonderful students, staff and families of Nirimba State Primary School. It has been a privilege to be part of such a vibrant and growing community, where every child is encouraged to reach their full potential. While I am excited for the next chapter, I will miss the warmth and spirit of this school and wish you all continued success in the years to come.
I hope you all have a wonderful winter holiday break, before students return on Monday, 14th July.
Yours in Education,
Elise Maguire
Acting Principal
Inclusion News
Embracing Inclusion and Empowering Every Learner
At Nirimba State Primary School, we believe that every student brings unique strengths, perspectives and potential to our learning community. Embracing inclusion means more than just welcoming all students into the classroom—it means actively getting to know each child, understanding their individual strengths and needs and creating an environment where they can thrive.
One powerful framework we use to support this vision is Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL helps us plan lessons that remove barriers to learning and provide multiple means of engagement, representation and expression. By offering flexible options on how content is taught and how students demonstrate their understanding, UDL ensures that every learner has an equal opportunity to succeed. It’s not about making one path for all, but many paths so that every student can reach the destination.
In today’s classrooms, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an invaluable tool in this process. For many students, especially those who find traditional writing or speaking tasks challenging, ICT offers alternative ways to express their ideas and understanding. Whether it's using speech-to-text software, video recording, or digital graphic organisers, technology helps level the playing field and encourages students to share their voice in ways that feel comfortable and empowering.
Another cornerstone of inclusive education is Social Emotional Learning (SEL). By helping students develop skills like self-awareness, emotional regulation and responsible decision-making, SEL supports the overall well-being of our learners. When students feel emotionally supported and secure, they are more resilient, self-confident and believe in their ability to grow and succeed. SEL contributes directly to a student’s self-efficacy—the belief in their own capabilities—which is critical for lifelong learning.
Inclusion is not just a strategy; it is a mindset and a commitment. By using tools like UDL, ICT, and SEL, we are working every day to build a learning environment where all students feel seen, supported, and celebrated for who they are.
Our Inclusion team looks forward to continuing to work together—educators, parents, and students—to make our school a place where everyone belongs and everyone can achieve their best!
We wish everyone and safe and relaxing winter break!
Leonie Botha – Head of Inclusion
Janelle Clarke, Lisa Montgomery, Lis Macmillan, Hayley Krause & Daniel Will – Inclusion Teachers
Corey Ridden – UDL Coach
Student Services
As Term 2 comes to a close, we’re excited to share some of the fantastic progress and initiatives happening at Nirimba State Primary School in the area of Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL).
Our focus this term has continued to be on building a positive, respectful and inclusive school culture where every student feels safe, supported and ready to learn. There has been a great deal of work across the school to strengthen behaviour expectations and social-emotional learning, and we are seeing the benefits in both classroom and playground settings. This will also continue to be a priority for the remainder of the year.
This term, we’ve also delivered several targeted Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs across the school:
- The Resilience Project continues to be embedded across all year levels, supporting students to build gratitude, empathy, mindfulness and emotional literacy through evidence-based practices. Students have engaged in meaningful discussions and reflections that support wellbeing and resilience.
- Year 4 girls have been involved in the Tween Warriors program, developing key life skills such as emotional regulation, confidence, empathy and effective communication as they navigate the tween years.
- Year 4 boys have worked in ‘The Rock and Water’ program which has supported students in building self-control, self-respect and social awareness through interactive activities that balance physical movement with emotional reflection.
- The Jack Reed Broncos program for identified students in Year 3-6. This program focussed on helping these students develop positive relationships, self-awareness and leadership skills.
Looking ahead to Term 3: Term 3 will bring even more exciting opportunities for our students and school community:
- We’re thrilled to welcome MF Martial Arts, who will be working with our Year 2 and Year 3 students. This program will support respectful peer relationships and promote essential life skills such as respect, discipline, goal setting and concentration. It’s a fun and engaging way to reinforce positive behaviour and self-leadership.
- We’re also excited to invite families to an upcoming Parent Information Evening with Michelle Kennedy, Youth Mental Health Leader from the University of the Sunshine Coast. Details below:
Let’s Talk: Growing Great Kids – Inside and Out!
This practical session is designed to help parents support their child’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
Join us as we explore:
- How to support big feelings
- Building healthy brains
- Navigating screen time and school refusal
- Understanding and supporting neurodivergent kids
Supporting emotional development helps children manage emotions, build resilience and thrive in both learning and life. We encourage all families to attend this valuable event on Tuesday 22/7/25 at 6pm.
We are incredibly proud of the growth we’ve seen in our students this term and are grateful for the continued support of our families, staff and community partners. Positive behaviour for learning continues to be a cornerstone of our school culture and we’re excited to keep building on these strong foundations in Term 3.
Wishing you all a restful, safe and happy holiday break.
Warm regards,
Student Services Team
Kylie McKenna, Justin Perrin & Michelle Sinclair
My New Gallery
Curriculum
As we reach the end of a productive and engaging Term 2, we are proud to celebrate the achievements and growth of our students across all areas of the curriculum. Report cards will be sent home this Friday at 3:00pm and we look forward to families sharing in the successes their children have worked so hard to achieve.
Looking ahead, Student Progress Meetings will be held during Weeks 9 and 10 of Term 3. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for families and teachers to discuss student development and set goals for the remainder of the year. Further details will be shared early next term.
We have also begun analysing the interim NAPLAN data recently made available to schools. Individual student reports will be sent home to families once they are released. There are some great successes to be had across Years 3 and 5.
Lastly, a reminder that ICAS information has been resent to families. Please refer to this for details on how to register your child for the assessments.
Wishing all our families a restful and safe holiday break — we look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 3!
Sports News
Athletics Day/s 2025
Our Athletics Carnival for 2025 has come and gone and what a fantastic few days of competition we had! Our students from Prep right up to our seniors in Year 6 were a credit to themselves, participating in as many events as possible and simply doing their best to gain points for their houses. An extra special mention to all the students in Djaa’gan which, for the 2nd Athletics Carnival in a row, was our winning house for 2025!
Our students broke 30 records on the track and in their field events which is an outstanding achievement!
A big congratulations to the following students who were named Age Champions across our competitive age groups: Willow & River (9 Years Girls), Atticus (9 Years Boys), Olivia (10 Years Girls), Rhythm (10 Years Boys), Savanah (11 Years Girls), Jacob (11 Years Boys), Kaia (12 Years Girls) and Rory (12 Years Boys).
District Athletics
In the first week back after the holidays, students who have been selected in the school athletics team to compete at the Glasshouse District Athletics Carnival will be notified. The district athletics carnival this year is once again being held at Beerwah SHS and will be on Thursday the 31st July and Friday the 1st of August.
Interschool Sport
Interschool Sport provides a great opportunity for our upper school students to challenge themselves and participate in sports against other schools in our sporting district. On the Fridays of Weeks 7 and 8, we sent five soccer teams and four Netball teams to Glasshouse Mountains to participate in Interschool Soccer and Netball competitions. All nine of our teams have had a great experience and have had an action packed two days where some of our students played games non-stop. Across the two days, all the teams won some games and lost some games but hopefully learnt some new skills that they can use to help them develop on the sporting field. A special mention to the A Netball team who won their division and were named champions of Interschool Netball this year. Great job girls!
Interschool sport will be back in Term 3 with our Year 5 and 6 students given the chance to play the other schools in our sporting district in Touch Football. More information will follow next Term.
Oztag
Nirimba’s 2025 Oztag team continues to train before school in readiness for the All Schools Oztag Championships at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in late July. This is a massive carnival that over 100 schools participate in from across Queensland. Mark Friday the 25th July, Saturday the 26th July and Sunday the 27th July in your calendars to come and support these awesome students at such a big sporting event.
Netball – Primary Schools Gala Day & Lightning Cup
Our Netballers continue to tear it up this year with a 2nd place finish in their division at the 2025 Primary Schools Gala Day. The girls remained undefeated all day until their final match where they went down in a close game to finish Runners-Up. Amazing work girls!!!
In Term 3, Netball doesn’t slow down for the girls when they will head to Maroochydore in week 6 to participate in the 2025 Unitywater Lightning Cup. These girls will also continue to train before school in the lead up to another big carnival. We can’t wait to see how they go!
Sports at Nirimba
A number of sports continue to run programs using the school’s facilities outside of school hours at different times. Students will bring home flyers every now and then with information about how to register to be a part of one of those sporting programs. If you have any questions about what particular sports are on or when they will offer their programs, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with myself or the office.
Japanese News
みなさん、こんにちは!
This term, students in Years 1 ,2, 3, 4 and 5 have had a すごいtime experiencing Japanese cultural activities during incursions.
Aiko from Wasabi Kids visited during week 6 and presented a ‘4 Seasons’ play to Year 1 and 2. She then presented a ‘Samurai and Ninja’ play to Year 4 and 5. Students were engaged by these interactive, vibrant performances and learned about key aspects of Japanese culture throughout the shows. たのしかった です！
During Week 7, Kenny from Nexus Art taught our Year 3 students the art of drawing まんが, tying in with the Year 3 semester topic of まんが。 Students had the opportunity to draw along with Kenny as he demonstrated various techniques, tips and tricks for portraying characters, showing different emotions.
Nirimba students and families, やすみ を たのしんで ください。
Phrases for this newsletter:
みなさん、こんにちは (minasan, konnichiwa) Hello, Everyone!
すごい Awesome, great
たのしかった です！ Great fun
まんが Manga （Japanese comics）
やすみ を たのしんで ください。 Please enjoy the holidays.
My New Gallery
Sustainability
There’s a real buzz around the school as our composting system is now well underway! Students across all year levels have been doing their part by composting their fruit scraps every day. A big shoutout to Ms Mortimer and her Prep class who have taken on the important job of emptying all the Prep compost bins and the Student Council Reps from years 4-6 emptying the other compost bins - what a team!
Out in the garden, things are really taking off. Our beans and strawberries are thriving and the spring onions and spinach are growing beautifully too. Unfortunately, all heavy rain we have had this term hasn’t been kind to our seedlings and some haven’t survived the soggy conditions. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that our beetroot, lettuce, broccoli and carrots sprout soon and bring a fresh burst of life to the veggie patches.
Our little gardeners have been busy bees lending a hand with watering, sweeping and weeding. It’s been heart-warming to see older students joining in to support the younger ones, they’ve been fantastic role models and a big help in keeping our garden flourishing. The fruit plants have been getting plenty of love and attention, especially with all the hosing and we’re hoping for another successful harvest this year.
In exciting news, our Sustainability Club has just won our next grant! We are thrilled to put this funding towards designing our very own Outdoor Learning Classroom. We can’t wait to begin planning a space where students can learn and connect with nature in a hands-on meaningful way. Stay tuned for updates as this exciting new project takes shape!
Thanks to everyone who has pitched in—our school is greener and cleaner because of your efforts. Keep up the great work! Mrs Dodd and Ms Mortimer 🌿🍓
My New Gallery
Art Club
There’s never a dull moment in Visual Arts Club! Students across all year levels have been experimenting with a wide variety of materials, expressing themselves through drawing, painting and sketching. Our younger artists in Prep–2 and Years 3–4 have been enjoying the freedom to choose their preferred mediums—whether it's soft watercolours, bold oil pastels, or detailed pencil work. The creative possibilities have been endless! Meanwhile, our Year 5–6 artists have taken on the exciting challenge of drawing realistic portraits using charcoal, with a strong focus on refining detail and mastering proportion. The dedication and talent on display have been nothing short of inspiring!
Prep
We are excited to share with you the wonderful learning adventures our prep students experienced during our recent Science incursion: Mysterious Materials!
Over three fun-filled days, our Prep students rolled up their sleeves and dived into the wonderful world of materials. Through hands-on activities and playful investigation, they explored how everyday objects are made and what makes each material special.
Students observed, touched and tested a variety of materials to discover their unique properties like texture, durability and water resistance. Using what they learned, they put their creativity to work by designing and crafting their very own wind ornament, choosing the best materials to help it spin, twirl and catch the breeze!
My New Gallery
Year 2
What a wonderful and productive Term 2 it has been in Year 2!
In English, students became budding researchers as they explored the features of informative writing, choosing an animal to investigate and publishing their learning as a multimodal poster. Their creativity and curiosity truly shone through!
In Science, our exciting excursion to Wildlife HQ brought life cycles to life! Students made meaningful connections between classroom learning and real-world experiences, observing animals up close and deepening their understanding of living things.
In Math, students applied their knowledge in a hands-on way by solving a practical problem involving money. Through engaging tasks, they demonstrated how to add money and budget their earnings effectively.
Our STEAM focus was a highlight, as students explored ways to conserve Earth’s resources using creative thinking, scientific inquiry and digital technologies. They loved programming BeeBots and using block coding to design algorithms that supported problem-solving and sustainability.
We also celebrated a fantastic Sports Day, where students showed incredible effort, teamwork, and resilience while developing their gross motor skills through a range of athletic events. Their determination and positive spirit were inspiring!
Thank you to all of our families for your continued support, and a big well done to our Year 2 students for a successful and fun-filled Term 2. We wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday break!
The Year 2 Team
My New Gallery
Year 3
What a busy and exciting end to Term 2 it has been for our Year 3 students! We've wrapped up the term with a wonderful mix of learning, creativity, and special events that kept everyone engaged and enthusiastic.
In Week 9, students gave it their all at the Athletics Carnival, showing fantastic sportsmanship and energy. Earlier in the term, we were lucky to have a Japanese Manga incursion, where students took part in a fun and engaging drawing lesson, organised by our wonderful Japanese teachers and our guest drawer. There were lots of smiles as students explored the art of Manga and created their own expressive characters.
In English, students worked hard on their informative writing. Many impressed us with their well-structured reports, using clear text features and eye-catching visuals to enhance their work. It was fantastic to see students applying their learning with such creativity and pride.
In Mathematics, students began mastering multiplication. They learned how to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to solve two and three-digit addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems. Estimating, checking for reasonableness and using mathematical modelling with twos, fives and tens multiplication facts kept our learners challenged and engaged.
Over in Visual Arts, our students became creators of their own “tiny worlds.” Using digital technologies, they designed and built virtual environments that reflected different human interactions with the world around them. It was a joy to see their ideas come to life on screen.
In Design and Technologies, students took sustainability into their own hands by repurposing an old clothing item into something new and useful using recycled materials. Their creativity and resourcefulness were on full display—see below for some of their incredible designs!
Thank you to all our families for your continued support. A big congratulations to all our Year 3 students for their hard work, enthusiasm, and accomplishments this term. We wish everyone a safe, relaxing, and well-earned holiday break!
Warm regards,
The Year 3 Team
My New Gallery
Year 4
What a jam-packed and exciting Term 2 we've had in Year 4! From the high-energy Athletics Carnival to a fascinating Japanese cultural incursion, our students have made the most of every opportunity to learn and grow. Even with several public holidays throughout the term, Year 4 stayed focused and engaged with a wide variety of hands-on and meaningful learning experiences.
In the classroom, students tackled financial modelling and explored telling time in Maths, developing practical skills for everyday life. In English, they became authors of their own informative texts, learning how to structure and present facts clearly. Science lessons took us on a journey through the incredible world of life cycles, sparking curiosity about nature and living things. Meanwhile, in Media Arts, creativity shone brightly as students designed their own magazine covers—each one a reflection of their interests and personalities. Well done to all of our budding writers, scientists, and artists!
Year 5
What a busy and exciting term it’s been in Year 5! We’re proud to share some of the fantastic learning experiences and events that have taken place over the past few weeks.
English – Multimodal Informative Texts
In English, students have recently completed their Multimodal Informative Texts. It was fantastic to see such strong engagement, as many students chose topics that truly interested them. Their enthusiasm showed in the high-quality work they produced. It’s been great to see their confidence grow as they presented their knowledge using a combination of written text and visuals.
Maths – Business and Financial Maths
This term in Maths we’ve been learning how businesses operate. We’ve explored key concepts like income, expenses and profit and how these all impact the success of a business. This real-world focus helped us link Maths to our HASS learning and gave us a better understanding of how money flows in everyday life. We too had to extend our multiplication, division and estimation strategies.
HASS – Business and Community
Building on our Maths learning, in HASS we’ve continued exploring how businesses impact communities. We’ve had great discussions around what types of businesses would suit our local area in Aura and how they can help meet people’s needs while making a profit.
Science – Animal Adaptations
Our unit on animal adaptations has sparked plenty of curiosity and creativity. We loved using the PowerPoint app to design desert animals with special features to help them survive harsh conditions. We also had fun imagining and creating our own unique environments and designing entirely new animals—some of which looked very much like dinosaurs!
Media Arts – Creature Creations in Tinkercad
In Media Arts, we had a blast designing our own imaginary creatures. We then brought them to life digitally using the Tinkercad app. A big thank you to Mr Perrin, who shared his expertise and guided us through the process. It was a fun and creative way to combine technology and design thinking.
Sport – Interschool Competitions & Athletics Carnival
Sport has been a big part of our term too! Over two weeks, many of our students travelled to Glasshouse for Interschool Sports, proudly representing our school in Netball and Soccer. It was a great opportunity to build teamwork skills and enjoy some friendly competition. We also had a fantastic time at our recent Athletics Carnival, it was wonderful to see everyone giving their best effort and cheering on their classmates.
Looking Ahead – USC Career Day
We all enjoyed the USC Career Day. This exciting opportunity allowed students to explore future careers and pathways, sparking ideas and possibilities for their futures. It was a fun and inspiring day!
The Year 5 Team
Mrs Dodd, Miss Orr, Miss Duncan
My New Gallery
Year 6
Term 2 has been an exciting and productive one for our Year 6 students. They have continued to demonstrate strong leadership, teamwork and dedication across all areas of learning. We’re incredibly proud of the way they are engaging in class and contributing positively to the school community.
In English, students have been researching and creating multimodal informative texts on a range of interesting topics. They have been using images, diagrams and digital features to complement their writing and communicate ideas effectively. It’s been wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm shine through as they craft engaging and informative pieces for a variety of audiences.
In Mathematics, students have been putting their real-world problem-solving skills into action by creating a budget for a Year 6 Celebration Dinner. Through mathematical modelling, they have explored financial literacy concepts such as calculating costs, comparing prices, and working within a budget. This hands-on task has sparked some fantastic discussions and shown just how meaningful and practical maths can be.
In HASS, students have been using their critical thinking and planning skills to design a business that would benefit the local community. This has encouraged them to think deeply about community needs, sustainability, and innovation. It’s been inspiring to see the thoughtful and creative ideas they have come up with.
In Science, students have been investigating how the structure of living things helps them to function in their environments. They have used environmental data to explain differences in structural features of various creatures, making connections between adaptation and survival. This inquiry has been supported by hands-on activities and observations that have sparked curiosity and scientific thinking.
In Design and Technologies, students have taken on the important task of designing and making a product that supports wildlife to coexist with humans in the school environment. From nesting boxes to garden features that support local fauna, their thoughtful designs are a testament to their care for the environment and their ability to solve real-world problems.
Sport has been a real highlight this term! Our Year 6 students have shown fantastic sportsmanship during interschool sport, participating in both netball and soccer. They have represented our school with pride, enthusiasm, and integrity.
We also celebrated our Athletics Carnival this term, and we couldn’t be prouder of our students for their efforts. As their final athletics carnival at primary school, it was a special day filled with amazing performances, cheering, and team spirit. Well done to everyone who gave their best and supported their peers.
Thank you to all our families for your continued support. With so much learning, fun, and growth already this term, we are looking forward to a strong finish and more exciting opportunities in the weeks ahead!