MacGregor State School eNewsletter

From the Principal

As we head into the final weeks of semester one, it is important to reflect on the success of our students throughout their first semester. It is important to recognise that success can look very different for each of our students. While it is easy to look at a report card and question the number of A’s on a student report, often it’s the level of effort recorded by teachers that paints a clearer picture. For some students, simply passing a subject is successful for them. On the flip side of this, some of our students might receive an A for achievement, but only a B for effort. The story behind this scenario is often one of a student coasting by on ability and the concern is for the future when subjects become more difficult, will they have the resilience to put in the hard yards to maintain their level of achievement.

Ultimately for our students, it is important that we judge them on what success should look like for them, and not compare them too critically to their peers or siblings. I hope all of our students find something to celebrate in their report cards this semester and also look for opportunities to improve for the future.

STAFFING
As you know Mr Gerchow is currently on leave. I will fill in as Acting Principal in his absence. It has been a joy this week having Miss Katelyn French acting in the Deputy Principal role this week.

In Week 1 of next term Mr Michael Austen will be Acting DP for Years 3 to 6 and in Week 2 Mrs Memy Chiang will fill this role. This is not only great recognition for them, but a great learning journey into the leadership arena in a large school. Thank you all in advance and we are so excited to have you coming up to work in the office.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Recently students from our choral program competed in the Choral Fanfare Competition. Students from Chamber Choir and their Conductor Miss Eadie were announced as one of the choirs making it through to the regional finals which were held this week at the Redlands Performing Arts Centre. At this competition they were named as one of the two most outstanding primary choirs.

Congratulations on your achievements, we are very proud of you.

SOCIAL MEDIA

It has recently come to our attention that a number of Year 6 students are accessing social media platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok. As digital technology continues to play a significant role in young people's lives, it is essential that we work together to ensure their online experiences are positive and safe.

In November 2024, the Australian Government passed the Online Safety Amendment (social media Minimum Age) Bill, which prohibits children under the age of 16 from using certain social media platforms. This includes Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), among others. These new laws are expected to come into effect later this year, allowing time for platforms to comply by taking “reasonable steps” to exclude users under 16. For more information about these changes, please visit the eSafety Commissioner website: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions

Parents and carers play a crucial role in guiding children's online behaviour. As a child's first teachers, you are in a unique position to support safe and responsible digital engagement. Educating children from a young age is especially important, given the accessibility of technology across all age groups. We encourage you to have regular conversations with your child about online safety and to set clear expectations around their use of social media.

HOLIDAYS

Today is the last day of Term 2 and the end of Semester One. We now head into school holidays for two weeks returning to school on Monday 14^th July. On behalf of the school’s leadership team we wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable break.

Prep to Year Two

Welcome to Week 10!

It is hard to believe that we are at the end of Semester 1. I am so proud of the progress and growth of each and every one of our young learners. I also feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by a team of educators who are truly committed to the success and wellbeing of our students, working tirelessly to ensure that every learner could reach their full potential and thrive in all aspects of their lives – academically, physically, socially and emotionally.

Thank you to all the families for your ongoing support during the term. I wish you a safe, relaxing and peaceful break. School resumes on Monday, 14 July.

Thank you to 1A and 1B for putting together a wonderful display of their learning in the Tuckshop area. Please take the time to stop by to celebrate their work.

Prep C, D, E and F had a great day at Trevena Glen Farm learning about the farm animals and their needs. Prep C have not stopped talking about their experiences at the farm and wanted to share some photos from their visit.

Congratulations to 1B who also celebrated with a Pizza party for their fundraising efforts!

Prep H have also enjoyed the visit from the buddies from 5C who shared their information reports with them. In return, our Preppies had an opportunity to showcase their own writing about the animals.

Our Learning in Year 1

Students in 1E were learning about frogs, koalas, sea turtles and camels’ appearance, diet, habitat and fun facts. They then created a labelled diagram and water colour paintings to match their writing

Our learners in 1B have been very busy researching and creating information reports about their favourite animals.

They continued their learning by creating dioramas of their animals in the habitats.

Students in 1C have created beautiful dioramas of their chosen animal, complete with detailed representations of their habitats and essential survival needs. In addition, they compiled informative little books filled with facts about each animal. The learners transformed the classroom into a museum display, inviting their parents to explore and appreciate their hard work and creativity.

A reminder to our existing families to put an enrolment application in as soon as possible if you have a child who is eligible to commence Prep in 2026. This will assist us with planning (staffing and classes) in preparation for the 2026 intake.

For further information about the enrolment process, please visit our website or contact Ms Marcia Crichton, our Enrolments Officer, mcric14@eq.edu.au

Year Two Deputy Principal

A wonderful end to Term 2 in Year 2!

As we wrap up the end of Term 2, I would like to say thank you to all of our parents for your support of our learning, our learners and our school.

MacGregor State School offers so many wonderful opportunities to our students, many of which we could not offer without your support (including well deserved hot-chip and slushi Week 10 treats!). On behalf of all of our teachers and teacher aides, our office team and our leadership team, thank you for your contribution to this great school. We wish you a safe and relaxing break with your children and we look forward to seeing you again on Monday 14^th July.

School Holiday Goal – Shared Reading…..if there is one thing you could do with your child or children these holidays, it would be to read to them.

‘Virtually all children’s books are appropriate for shared reading, but the best books will have rich, detailed pictures, and are interesting to the child. Remember, the purpose of shared reading is to stimulate rich talk between the adult and child, not for the child to be able to read the text themselves’ (DoE, Advice for parents and community, Reading through the Australian Curriculum).

Toohey Forest Excursion Update

Families, thank you for your patience as we navigate the date change of our Year 2 excursion to Toohey Forest. Due to Cyclone Alfred, our excursion was postponed – due to the popularity of this venue, we are experiencing difficulty securing dates that align with our 8 Year 2 classes. We have made the difficult decision to not proceed with this excursion. We do have another excursion next semester to Wolston House. At this stage, we will roll over payment to this next excursion once we know the date and costings (which should be very similar). We do apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to planning our next excursion (and this one does have a ‘dress-up’ element!).

‘Let’s Chat’ in Year

Thank you to the team from ‘Let’s Chat’ who provided age-appropriate, evidence-based workshops for our Year 2 students this week. These workshops encourage communication and enhance the sense of self, personal safety and wellbeing in children and young people.

I joined 2B as they listened to Mandy provide clear, respectful and engaging conversations with students.

If you’d like to learn more about Mandy and her team, go to: https://www.letschat.com.au/

2G’s Little Big Indoor Camp Out!

On Thursday, I received a very special invitation to visit 2G and their indoor camping adventures! With all assessment tasks finalised, students were enjoying a well-deserved opportunity to create, build and connect to the theme of their English learning this term of information reports. Merging creative and open-ended play with purpose, the classroom was abuzz with ideas, planning and reporting.

**Getting into the spirit of crazy hair day……2C have the team work that makes the dream work!**

Staffing Changes in Year 2

Mrs Nugus (2B) will be on leave for the duration of Week 1 Term 3. Her replacement is Mrs Kerry Hsu.

Ms Yip (2F) will be on leave from Monday 9^th July and will be returning on Tuesday 5^th August. We are currently finalising her replacement – I will reach out to all families of 2F once we have updated information. Please be assured that teaching and learning will continue with minimal disruption to routines and we look forward to Ms Yip returning early Week 4. Please note that Ms Yip will be holding her Parent-Teacher Interviews upon her return.

Congratulations to Class of the Week – Lunchbox Competition!

Well done to 2C for their fantastic efforts in our Lunchbox Competition!

We have all been working hard to ensure our lunchboxes are stored safely after eating times – with an incentive and (a way to keep organised using large sturdy tubs), all students in Year 2 (and our 3A + 3B friends) have been doing an outstanding job. 2C were the inaugural winners – they chose 40 minutes out on the oval with Ms Bailey which, as you can see, they absolutely loved! One lucky class will be nominated today…I wonder who it will be?

Year Three to Six

Year 3 Out Of The Box Excursion

Last Thursday, our Grade 3 students had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Out of the Box festival at QPAC in South Bank, Brisbane; The Out of the Box Festival is a children’s arts festival at QPAC designed for kids aged eight and under, featuring live shows, workshops, and creative experiences. As part of the day, they enjoyed a live performance of The Gruffalo, linking perfectly to their Term 1 English unit on narrative retells. It was exciting for students to see a retell brought to life on stage, with humour, engaging characters, and vivid storytelling.

After the show, students shared lunch together on the grass beside the Brisbane River, soaking up the sunshine and views. To finish off the day, they participated in a high-energy dance workshop; a fun and active way to end an inspiring day of learning!

Year 4 Science Rockets

Last Friday, our 4F and 4E classes participated in the Street Science rocket activity, and the students had a fantastic time! They were highly engaged and excited to explore how rockets work through hands-on learning.

Class 4F Explores 3D Forces Through Hands-On Projects

This week, Class 4F showcased their understanding of forces through creative 3D models. Students explored concepts such as push, pull, gravity, and friction by designing and building interactive displays. The gallery walk allowed students to explain their projects, demonstrate how different forces act on objects, and learn from each other’s ideas.

4AC Rockets

It was a very exciting and interesting end to our science unit on forces. We watched our rockets being 'pushed' up into the air. Gravity pulled the rockets back down to Earth, unless it got stuck in a tree. Thankfully, none of our rockets landed on a roof or got stuck in any trees.

Safety was very important and every person wore safety goggles or glasses and had to stay outside the launch zone. Once all rockets had flown, we could then collect ours and line up to have another go!

Sometimes our rockets didn't launch, and we had to work out what we had changed. After fixing that we got to relaunch our rockets again. The fins we added to our rockets also impacted how they flew.

We had a fantastic time launching our rockets. We now have a recipe card, so when we get home, we can make our own rocket fuel and show our families what we did today.

Fancy Stationary

We are having a lot of problems with students bringing in extra pens, highlighters, textas, erasers that are in addition to our booklist and then items going missing. We are asking all items to be taken home over the holidays and not brought back to school. If your child has their booklist stationary, these extra items are not required.

6EF Team Challenges

In 6EF students have been participating in awesome team challenges and cooperative games. They work on building cooperation and team-based skills and supporting each other in a ‘high stakes’ activity.

Interschool Chess Term 2 Tournament

Our Chess participants had another great tournament with the following results:

Premier Division:
1^st Team Place – Austin, Martin, Tianyu and Theyjal
2^nd Place individual – Austin
3^rd Place Individual – Tianyu

Division A
2^nd Place Team: Om, Pragya, Eugene, Ethan
3^rd Place Individual – Om

Division C:
2^nd Place individual – Patrick

Division D;
1^st Team Place: Derek, Austin, Norton, Evan
3^rd Place Team – James, Jacob, Luca, Revaan
2^nd Place Individual – Derek
3^rd Place Individual – James

ENRICHMENT @ MAC G

A range of enrichment activities are being planned over the coming weeks.
Some of these are opt in and require payment to participate whilst others will form part of the normal school day.

Australian Maths Trust (AMT) – Australian Maths Competition (AMC)
It has been pleasing to see over 400 students from Years 3 to 6 sign up to participate in this competition. Registrations have now closed and test papers have been ordered. Test sitting dates will be as follows:

Tuesday 5^th August – Years 3 & 4
Wednesday 6^th August – Years 5 & 6

Students will need to be at school by 7.30am on these days and meet in the Hall to register and sit the test commencing at 7.45am. Testing should be completed by 8.30am.

ICAS Competitions
A number of ICAS competitions are being offered to students in Years 3 to 6.

English
Writing
Science
Maths

Dates will be confirmed once registrations are completed.

Registrations are now open, and parents need to complete the sign up, registration and payment through ICAS directly. Links and further information are listed below.

To register for these competitions, you will need to click on the link below and use the school access code.

Parent Code: FJQ505

Parent Page Link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/FJQ505

Payment is made online directly with ICAS. The school does not accept payments for these competitions. ICAS will not refund or adjust payments once made.

Online registrations close on Monday 29^th July.

Youth Parliament

We have been successful in gaining some spots for students from our school to attend Parliament House in Brisbane and participate in a Youth Parliament forum.

This is a wonderful opportunity to students to sit in parliament, fill key roles and debate current issues with students from other primary schools.

The Brisbane South Youth Parliament will be held on Friday 8 August 2025 in the Legislative Assembly Chamber, Parliament House, Brisbane.

This hands-on parliamentary experience is an exciting opportunity for Year 5 and 6 students to learn more about how Queensland Parliament works.

Students allocated a speaking role will either:

debate a motion, or
speak in an adjournment debate or provide a private members' statement about any issue falling within the jurisdiction of the Queensland Parliament.

Some students will be allocated a non-speaking or scripted role.

This will take place on Friday 8^th August. Further information has been shared with Year 6 students and an email will be sent by the end of this week advising them about what they will need to do to be selected.

Melbourne Concert Band

On Tuesday, our P–2 students were treated to a special musical performance by the talented Melbourne School Band Concert and MacGregor State High School. The hall was filled with toe-tapping tunes and smiling faces as the students enjoyed a fantastic showcase of musical skill and teamwork. It was especially exciting to spot some familiar faces; past students who are now shining on stage! We feel very lucky to have been the audience for such a joyful and inspiring concert.

MSP PHOTOS
MSP will be onsite on Wednesday 16^th and Thursday 17^th July to take performing arts group photos. It is important that students have the correct uniform for these photos. Please ensure you have purchased the required items, otherwise the student will not be able to be included in the photos.

SENIOR SHIRTS
A limited number of Senior Shirts are available at the uniform shop for anyone who may have missed out or would like to purchase an additional one. See image below for further information.

Positive Mindset

As we near the end of the term, it is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed with everything that is going on. Trying to keep a positive mindset can be challenging not just for the children but also for the adults. This is a gentle reminder to everyone to realise just what an awesome job you are doing each and every day.

Inclusion Team Update

In Week one of Term 3, 2025 we will be Celebrating NAIDOC week. It is the 50th anniversary this year and the theme is 'The next generation: strength, vision & legacy'. Please see the link below to read more about the theme and its origins:

https://www.naidoc.org.au/about/naidoc-theme

To celebrate NAIDOC week MacGregor State School will be running the below colouring/art competitions for students to participate in:

Hello from our Chappy Mr T.!

Hi MacG family

Congratulations! We have reached the halfway point of the year and school holidays are near. Hope you have a great time during the holidays in whatever you do.

In case you need assistance during the school holidays, please use this website to search for your needs.

www.askizzy.org.au social support network at your fingertips. Can search for anything like accessing affordable food, family services etc.

We also have these charity centres in the local area to service your needs.

Mt Gravatt Community Centre
1693 Logan Rd Mt Gravatt
Walk ins Mon-Fri: 9am-1pm
Emergency and Food Relief: 3557 2150
Self-referral: bring ID with current address or agency referral.

Citipointe Marketplace
322 Wecker Rd Carindale (2^nd entry via Scrub Rd)
ph 3347 5896

Citipointe Marketplace West
152 Freeman Rd Durack QLD
ph 3879 6900
Mon-Thu: 8am-4pm
Fri: 8am-4.30pm
Sat-Sun: 9.00-12.30pm
Self referral: purchase minimum $20 of groceries and they will add additional hamper like free meats, non perishable food, drinks etc. Food hampers collection only from 9am-12pm. Free hamper for new customers.

They also have an OP Shop and grocery items at very low prices compared to Supermarkets. Bread and fruit and vegies are free whenever available.

Staff are very friendly and helpful.

Sports Updates

What fantastic days at the Junior and Senior School Athletics Carnivals!

From sprints and relays to ball games and obstacle courses, the day was packed with energy, teamwork, and plenty of smiles. A big thank you to all the staff, students, and families who helped make it such a success.

Junior: Congratulations to MACQUARRIE for taking out the overall win!
Senior: Congratulations to MACQUARRIE for taking out the overall win!

Check out these great photos of our students in action!

Junior Sports Day

Thursday 26^th June, students from Year 4-6 trialled for their Semester 2 Inter-school sports teams. As the coaches finalise the teams, students will come home with information notes on which team they have made and the requirements.

Performing Arts

SMART MOVES DANCE

Our Smart Moves Dance program culminated in some great performance in the Hall today from the students in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6. This is a great way to improve overall fitness whilst also having a great time exploring the world of dance and how to make their bodies move.

Working collaboratively with their peers and teachers to create some exciting dance routines and enjoying sharing them with others, is what it is all about. Congratulations to the teachers and the students for delivering some amazing performances.

Year 1 & 2 Performances

P&C Update

Dear MacGregor State School Families,

As we reach the midpoint of the 2025 school year, the MacGregor P&C Association would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported our efforts so far.

A huge thank you to all the incredible volunteers who’ve given their time and energy, and to the many families who’ve attended and supported our events — including the Disco, Mother’s Day Stalls, MacGregorthon, and the ever-popular Sports Day Hot Chip Stall. Your involvement helps build the strong and vibrant community that makes MacGregor so special.

We’d also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated so generously during each of our fundraising drives. A special shout-out to the local businesses and community organisations who have backed our events through prize donations, resources, and sponsorship — your support makes a huge difference.

Because of this amazing community effort, we’ve been able to fund some exciting projects already this year — including the revamp of the outdoor learning area outside the Prep classrooms at the front of the school, and the purchase of new interactive whiteboards for classrooms. These improvements are directly benefiting our students every day.

Looking ahead, we hope you’ll continue to support the P&C as we move into Semester 2. We have lost of great things upcoming events, with our biggest event of the year, Mac Fair, is coming up on September 6th, and we’ll be reaching out for help to make it a success. Whether it's volunteering, spreading the word, or attending with your family — every bit of support helps.

Thank you once again for your involvement and generosity so far. We’re looking forward to an exciting and productive second half of the year!

Warm regards,
MacGregor P&C Association

Farewell and Thank You, Kellie

Today, we say goodbye to Kellie, our long-standing Tuckshop Assistant, who is finishing up at the Mac Snack Shack after an incredible 7 years of service.

Kellie has been more than just a familiar face behind the counter. She’s been a constant source of care, kindness, and dedication, not only in the tuckshop but also at countless P&C events, always giving her time and energy to support our students and MacGregor State School.

Her warmth and commitment have made a lasting impact, and she’ll be truly missed by staff, students, and families alike.

We wish Kellie all the very best in her new role and know she’ll continue to shine wherever she goes. Thank you for everything, Kellie!

A Massive Thank You to Our Incredible Canteen Crew!

On Wednesday at the MSS Sports Day, a group of absolute legends manned the P&C canteen and went above and beyond to support our school community. This dedicated team of parents and grandparents gave up their time—missing out on work, time with family, and even moments watching their own children compete—to cook up over 100kg of chips (yes, you read that right!) and keep everyone fed and happy.

Their efforts didn’t just fuel our students and teachers through a huge day—they also raised vital funds that will benefit every student at MacGregor State School.

We are beyond grateful for your hard work, generosity, and community spirit. THANK YOU

Mac Shack News

Uniform Shop

As we come to the end of Term 2, our second-hand rail has filled up with pre-loved clothes. We have a great selection of formal uniform, performing arts uniform, everyday sports uniform and Winter uniform. Come and get a bargain before the holidays.

Just a reminder when ordering online to please update your child’s class details to ensure the order reaches the correct destination.

Thank you to all MacGregor parents and carers who have donated used/pre-loved uniforms so far this year. All donations greatly appreciated. If you have anything to donate, drop it in when we are open or leave at the Tuckshop on days we are not open.

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Amelie from 4D who competed in the RoboCup competition and achieved an outstanding result — 2nd place in the Riley Rover Rescue challenge.

This event tests coding, robotics, and thinking under pressure. Amelie did brilliantly!

Congratulations to Amelie in 4D who achieved a perfect score in the AMC Coding challenge.

Community News

Brisbane City Council Libraries Gold Star Reading Club

Children across the city will discover the joys of reading when the Gold Star Reading Club program commences in Council libraries on Saturday 28 June 2025, right in time for the school holidays.

The Gold Star Reading Club is designed to encourage and develop reading and literacy skills in children.

There are four great reasons for children to get involved in the 2025 Gold Star Reading Club.

Membership to the Gold Star Reading Club is FREE!
The Gold Star Reading Club can help children improve their reading and literacy skills.
Children will be rewarded for their reading efforts with a medallion and certificate of achievement.
It’s FUN! Children will have fun sharing their reading experiences with family and friends.

How the program works – it’s easy and free!

The Gold Star Reading Club is a 2-month program for children aged 6-12 years.
From 28 June, register for the Gold Star Reading Club online at brisbane.qld.gov.au/libraries or at your local library. Your child must be a library member to join Gold Star – signing up for library membership only takes a couple of minutes and is free. Each child’s parent or guardian must bring photo identification or proof of signature and proof of their address to any Council library, and you and your child can become library members in a matter of minutes. It’s that easy.
From 28 June 2025, Gold Star members can visit their local library to collect a Gold Star Reading Club reading map.
By reading for just 10 minutes each day and completing the 10 reading challenges (you’ll recieve a gold star for every challenge you complete!), you will earn a medallion and certificate of achievement to be awarded at your local Gold Star Reading Club awards ceremony.

For more information about the Gold Star Reading Club, visit your local library or call Council on (07) 3403 8888.

QASMT National Science Week Campus Tours

Join us during National Science Week for a guided tour of the Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology (QASMT), a proud IB World School nurturing highly capable learners from Year 7 to Year 12.

📅 Tour Dates:
August 11th, 12th, 14th & 15th, 2025

These tours provide a valuable opportunity for families to explore our innovative learning spaces, gain insight into the International Baccalaureate curriculum, and see how students at QASMT are supported to flourish both academically and personally.

🔗 Bookings are essential. Reserve your place via: https://www.trybooking.com/DCNET

MacGregor State School Newsletter 2025 - Edition 10