Can you believe we are already in Week 7? With just three weeks remaining in the term, this is a key time for students as they begin to complete assessments and reflect on their learning progress. At this stage of the term, it’s not uncommon to notice changes in how some students are feeling or behaving. These moments are when strong communication between home and school becomes especially important.

We encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any concerns, notice changes, or feel your child may be struggling. Together, we can work to ensure every student feels supported and continues to move forward in their learning. Our partnership with families is vital, and we are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need support. As always, communication is key to helping our students thrive.

Focus on Learning

Last Wednesday, our Year 3 students and staff enjoyed a memorable day out at Tropical Fruit World. The excursion was not only a fun and engaging experience but also a valuable learning opportunity that helped bring classroom concepts to life.

Our students represented Coombabah proudly throughout the day and impressed staff with how many fascinating facts they could recall after the visit. Excursions like this are a fantastic way to consolidate and enhance the learning we do at school, and our Year 3 students certainly made the most of the opportunity. Well done to all involved for making it such a successful and enriching day!

Eisteddfod Success

Our music students have once again made us proud with their outstanding performances at recent competitions. Last week, our Concert Band performed at the Eisteddfod and was awarded a Silver Award for their efforts. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of both the students and their conductor, Mr Ugarte. We were especially touched to receive a heartfelt email from a parent acknowledging Mr Ugarte’s exceptional commitment to preparing our students for such their performance.

Continuing the success, our Beginning Strings Ensemble, under the direction of Ms Swindley, took to the stage at HOTA yesterday and were awarded a Gold Award along with third place.

Congratulations to all our students and staff for their commitment, effort, and passion in representing our music program so proudly. A special thank you to our families for your continued support and encouragement of regular practice. Your involvement plays a vital role in our students' success.

Book Week Magic at Coombabah!

We’d like to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in organising and running our recent Book Fair in the library. These events are about so much more than just celebrating reading. They also raise valuable funds that go directly toward purchasing new books and resources for our students. Thank you to all our families who supported the Book Fair through your purchases. Your generosity helps us continue to grow a vibrant and engaging library for our school.

Tuesday’s Book Character Parade was a true highlight of the week. Our school came alive with colour, creativity, and an incredible sense of fun as students, staff, and families embraced the magic of books through costume. From our youngest learners to our teachers, it was fantastic to see so many dressed up and enjoying the event together.

Coming from a much larger school of over 1400 students, it was especially special to witness the event at Coombabah as a genuine whole-school celebration. One of the standout moments of the day was seeing parents, carers, and extended family members lining the path to the hall as students and staff paraded past. It was a beautiful reminder of the strong community spirit we share.

Thank you to everyone for your participation in bookfair and the book character parade. It was a day full of joy, inclusion, and creativity, and one our students will remember long after the costumes are packed away.

Before School Processes

Starting Thursday, we are introducing a new before school routine designed to create a calm, safe, and positive start to the day for all students. Under this new procedure, all students will go directly to their allocated areas from 8:25am. There will be no handball or free movement around the school grounds during this time. Parents are still welcome to sit with their child in the designated area. We ask that older siblings attend their area after dropping their sibling to the supervising teacher. These changes are being made with student safety and wellbeing in mind, helping everyone begin the day feeling settled and ready to learn.

Students were informed about these new expectations during our daily assembly, and we ask that all students follow the instructions of our duty teachers to ensure a smooth transition. We also remind families of our existing mobile phone policy: all phones must be signed in at the office upon arrival and are not to be used once students enter the school gates. Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a safe, respectful, and positive learning environment for everyone.

Show Holiday and Student Free Day Reminder

A reminder that we have a couple of Fridays in week 7 and 8, where Coombabah State School will be closed for students

• Friday 29 August (Week 7)- all schools on the Gold Coast are closed for the Gold Coast Show Holiday. OSHC is closed as well.
• Friday 5 September (Week 8)- all schools are closed for students across the state for the state-wide Student Free Day.  OSHC is open.

Wishing all of our families a great week ahead and I hope to see many of you at our Student-Led Conferences and Junior Sports Carnival.

Mel Bodley