Prep’s Milo Surprise Party

On Thursday 12 June, Mrs. Morris and our Prep students celebrated their efforts in learning key phonemes and letter sounds as part of their Little Learners Love Literacy program with a ‘Milo’s Surprise Party’ event. Our Preps came to school dressed up as a character representative of a letter sound that they have been learning as part of their phonics program. Parents/carers joined us for the special occasion, participating in literacy activities and enjoying delicious party food. We had students dress up as ‘Sally the Snake’, ‘Jack the Jellyfish’, ‘Cooper the Caterpillar’, ‘Leo the Lion’ and more. The creativity in costumes was outstanding and all of our Prep students should feel incredibly proud of their efforts in learning key sounds for letters over the past two terms. Thank you to our wonder Prep parents for your support in making this event so memorable for our students. Well done to our Prep class and Mrs. Morris.

OSHC Changes

The three schools in the Borough of Queenscliff; Point Lonsdale Primary School, St Aloysius Primary School and Queenscliff Primary School, recently conducted a review of Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) arrangements. Currently Lonsdale House provides OSHC service to students and families from all three schools and this is hosted at Queenscliff Primary School.

The recent survey data collected from families from all three schools has revealed that there is an increased demand for families wishing to access Outside School Hours Care (e.g. Before and After School Care and Holiday Programs). In addition to this, schools have engaged in consultation with parents, carers and staff to gain an understanding of the care needs of our community. We have identified that many families have not been able to access the current OSHC program provided by Lonsdale House due to capacity limits. Feedback was provided to Lonsdale House throughout the process regarding families having difficulty accessing the service and Lonsdale House was part of the consultation process with the three schools in ensuring that all students/families had opportunities to access the OSHC service if required.

As a result of this, the three primary schools with the support of Queenscliff Primary School School Council undertook a procurement process as the Lonsdale House Licence Agreement expired in 2024. The School Council evaluated the proposals submitted by OSHC providers and decided to engage with another OSHC service provider who is able to meet the increased demand of children and families who wish to access the service. Lonsdale House was provided with an opportunity to submit a proposal as part of the School Council’s procurement process, however, chose not to. Consultation with parents/carers was undertaken by all three schools and our School Council through formal and informal meetings to gain an understanding of the needs of our school community.

TheirCare is the OSHC provider who has been selected after a comprehensive procurement process. TheirCare is currently engaged with a diverse range of schools on the Bellarine and Geelong and offers a high-quality program for Before and After School Care and Holiday programs.

TheirCare will commence providing OSHC at Queenscliff Primary School from the beginning of Term 4. Lonsdale House will continue to provide OSHC until the end of Term 3. As a result of this, there will be increased availability for QPS families to access Before and After School Care.

As part of the transition, there will be opportunities in Term 3 for families to meet TheirCare staff and engage in a Parent Information Session online and in person to learn more about their OSHC program so that families have a deep understanding of the new service and feel supported throughout the process.

The three schools have made this decision to ensure that all families can have the opportunity to access quality Outside School Hours Care if they require it. In the coming weeks, further information will be provided to families about TheirCare and arrangements for Term 4 OSHC at Queenscliff Primary School.

Thank you - QBTC

Thank you to the Queenscliff Bowling Club who have provided a mini-bus free of charge to support our students in attending these Division events. We are grateful for your support.

Hannah Petrie - School Placement

Mrs. Hannah Petrie, our Wellbeing, Disability and Inclusion Leader is currently undertaking a school placement as part of her Masters of Disability Inclusion. Hannah will be on placement for the remainder of Term 2 and will recommence her position at our school at the beginning of Term 3. We wish Hannah all the best for her placement and we are looking forward to hearing about the learning she has undertaken as part of her placement.

Class Rep Meeting

Next Friday 27 June, Melissa Fitzgerald and I look forward to meeting with our Class Reps at Shelter Shed. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to meet with families to share information on school events and operations and gain valuable feedback and insights into the perspectives of our families. I encourage parents/carers to reach out to your Class Rep in the coming week to share any insights, questions or information that you would like to be discussed at the meeting.

We are grateful for the efforts of our Class Reps in setting up WhatsApp Class Group chat forums this year. The purpose of these WhatsApp groups is to build connections and positive relationships between parents/carers within classes. Ultimately, our students will feel more connected and safe at our school if families are well-connected and support one another. WhatsApp group chats are to be used to communicate key information related to school events and operations, or important reminders. In addition to this, WhatsApp group chats can be used for families to organise out of school activities for students to connect with one another, including picnics and playdates.

Parents/carers who are using the WhatsApp group chats are expected to engage in respectful communication as per our School’s Statement of Values and School Philosophy. This policy outlines behavioural expectations for school staff and parents/carers when engaging in communication with each other. In the event that communication is in breach of this policy, it may lead to further investigation led by the school and implementation of appropriate consequences including being removed from the WhatsApp class group. Thank you for your support in ensuring that our school community is one that upholds the values of respect, integrity and empathy.

Performing Arts News

Prep – Grade 2: Exploring Beat and Rhythm

This term, Prep to Grade 2 students have been focusing on the elements of beat and rhythm. Through voice, movement, and body percussion, they explored musical ideas and even composed their own body percussion pieces. A highlight was seeing Grade 1 students working alongside their Grade 5 buddies to create and perform body percussion patterns.

Grade 3/4: African Drumming

Grade 3/4 students took part in an exciting African Drumming session, where they had the opportunity to learn about traditional African music. They explored the Djembe (hand drum) and Shekere (shaker), learning traditional rhythms and understanding the rich cultural stories behind the music

Grade 2: Community Performance at Arcare Point Lonsdale

Grade 2 students brought smiles and music to the residents of Arcare Point Lonsdale, performing a selection of classic Australian and musical theatre songs. The performance included favourites such as Waltzing Matilda, The Sound of Music, and Home Among the Gumtrees and more. Students sang with confidence and heart, spreading joy to their wonderful audience.

PE News

Exciting Times in Physical Education at Queenscliff Primary School!

It has been a fantastic couple of weeks in Physical Education at Queenscliff Primary School, with some amazing opportunities and experiences for our students!

Golf Lessons for Grades 3–6

Over the past three weeks, our Grade 3–6 students have enjoyed a series of golf lessons proudly sponsored by the Queenscliff Golf Club, located on beautiful Swan Island. If you have a chance on the weekend or during the school holidays, we encourage you to take your family and check out their special junior short course. It’s a wonderful way for young players to enjoy golf in a stunning location. Even better – if you mention that you had golf lessons at Queenscliff Primary, they’ll be thrilled to see you and offer a discount on your round! These sessions were delivered in partnership with The Golf Lab in Ocean Grove, and we were fortunate to have three professional golfers – Tom Jefferies, Luke Culbert, and Jordan Allen – working with our students. Their energy, enthusiasm, and fun-filled activities made the lessons a big hit!

Kim, Harper, and Mabel shared, “All the golf lessons were super fun, and we loved having targets to aim for.”

Each student also received a voucher for a free 30-minute session at The Golf Lab, where they can use state-of-the-art simulators and games. To book your session, visit thegolflab.com.au and give them a call to secure your spot. A huge thank you to Brad Teal and Barb Luppino from the Queenscliff Golf Club for making this opportunity possible. Experiencing a variety of sports helps students discover their passions and potential!

Enjoy the Holidays – See You in Term 3!
As the term wraps up, we wish all our students and families a happy, safe, and relaxing school holiday break. We look forward to seeing everyone back for Term 3, ready for more exciting physical activities, new sports, and fun challenges in PE.

Our group therapy programs are designed to support development in key areas such as communication, emotional regulation, daily living skills, and social connection.

Whether a child is preparing for school, strengthening friendships and peer connections, building confidence, or working towards increased task and routine independence, our programs provide supportive, engaging, and evidence-informed opportunities. Each group is guided by qualified therapists and informed by evidence-based practices, with individual strengths and goals at the centre of our approach.