7 February 2025

Principal’s Message

2025 School Explicit Improvement Agenda (EIA):
Curriculum – English
Multi-tiered Approach to support
Curriculum – Math V9

Dear Miami State School Community,

Welcome to a Fantastic Year at Miami State School!

What an incredible start to the year! Our students have settled in beautifully, embracing their learning with enthusiasm and following our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) expectations. It’s wonderful to see our school buzzing with activity as extracurricular programs are already in full swing. JEP, TSP, and STEAM are underway, while band and strings lessons will begin next week. Choir sign-ups are open, musical auditions are taking placed, and sporting trials have kicked off. Be sure to stay informed by checking our school’s Facebook page and Seesaw announcements for all the latest updates. Let’s make this a fantastic year together!

Safe School Travel for all

Travelling to and from school can be a very busy time – especially in wet weather. At the start of the year, it is also additionally hectic as new families and students establish new entry and exit points. Parents are respectfully asked to assist our staff in keeping their children safe by reminding students:

• Roads and footpaths are not a place to play – look out for traffic all the time and only cross roads at the designated SAFE school crossing points supervised by a ‘lollipop’ person
• When riding scooters and bicycles wear protective equipment correctly
• When travelling in a car, remember to put on your seat-belt in an age-appropriate seat
• When travelling by bus, remain seated at all times and show respect to the driver

REMINDER: Administration of Medication in Schools

If your child needs to take medication at school in 2025, please provide the office staff with:

• a completed and signed Consent to administer medication form;
• the medication in its original container; and
• medical authorisation (e.g. the pharmacy label***, or a letter from the doctor, or a completed and signed health action plan).

If you have any specific queries, please contact the school office.

***Please note over the counter medication can only be administered by school staff if it meets the above requirements. The pharmacy label must include the student’s name, doctor’s name and dosage if not included in an individual health plan.

Family Air Conditioning Voluntary Contribution – $30 per Family

Miami State School is committed to providing the best possible learning environment for our students. Thanks to the hard work of our P&C and school community, we successfully raised funds to install air conditioning in our classrooms. To help cover the ongoing costs of maintenance and operation, we invite families to make a voluntary contribution of $30 per family.

Key Points:
✅ Purpose: Funds collected will go towards maintaining and running the air conditioning units.
✅ Voluntary Contribution: This contribution is entirely optional and is used to enhance school facilities.
✅ Community Support: The amount and use of funds are reviewed annually with the P&C.

How to Contribute:
💰 Pay $30 via direct debit using your child’s name and "AC" as the reference.

Bank Details:
📌 BSB: 064445
📌 Account: 00090027

Your support helps keep our classrooms comfortable for all students—thank you for your contribution!

P&C AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the P&C Association will be held on Monday 10^th March 2024, at 2:15pm in the STEMosphere.

Executive positions to be submitted by Monday 3^rd March 2025

To make for smooth running of the AGM the current committee is asking for all nominations for the executive positions be submitted no later than Monday 3rd March 2025.  Submission to be handed into the school office.  Please see below for a list of positions.

President: The President provides leadership and is the accountable officer of the Association. Their role is to act as a representative of the Association, encourage communication between the Association, school administration and the community and encourage participation in the Association

Secretary: The Secretary collates the agenda papers for each meeting, (including subcommittee reports) and assists the president in preparing an agenda for each meeting. They prepare and present minutes of the Association’s meetings, record and deal with correspondence in/out as directed and generally organise, record and maintain information pertaining to the activities of the Association

Treasurer: The Treasurer has the overall responsibility for the financial management of the P&C, including all subcommittee accounts.

Full position requirements can be found at; http://www.pandcsqld.com.au/pc-resources/executive-roles/

If you are interested and would like to find out more, please contact the school office  on 5595 4888 or email at office@miamiss.eq.edu.au

Late arrival/early departure

Please note that school hours are 9am to 3pm and students should be in class during these times. Late arrivals and early departures can be very disruptive to the class and your student/s. If your student is late, or must leave early, follow the student absence and late arrival/early departure procedures outlined below.

• If your student is late to school please make sure you attend with the student to advise of the late arrival at the school office.
• Early departures are for emergent situations only. Please organise appointment times outside of school  hours.
• If you do absolutely have to collect a student early, try not to arrive during break times between 11:00am -11:40am and 1:40pm – 2:10pm – you are not able to access the school ovals/playgrounds to locate them.
• The office cannot have students brought to the office to wait for collection before you arrive. Staff will not arrange for sign-out until you are physically on site to collect.

Student Absences – Every Day Counts!

• School attendance is compulsory under the Education Act. If children are going to be absent from school for any reason parents are requested to inform the school by Option 1 - Text our SMS line on 0427 904 333 with student’s full name, class and the reason for absence (This is our preferred method). As the SMS text automatically goes into our school system.
• Option 2 - Email absentee@miamiss.eq.edu.au, with student’s name, class and reason for absence.
• Option 3 - Contact our office on 07 5595 4888 and press 1 to leave a voicemail informing students full name, class and the reason for absence.

If your child is absent from school on any given day and we are unaware of the reason for the absence, an SMS will be generated asking you to contact the school regarding your child’s absence. Our whole school attendance rate is currently sitting at 94.3% YTD.

Again, I thank you for your support over the past week.   Have a wonderful weekend.

Warm regards,

Jemille Malouf
Principal

Deputy Principal’s Message

Welcome back to the 2025 school year.  I would like to extend an extra welcome to our new staff and families that have joined the Miami State School family.  Hopefully everyone had a restful break and took time to safely catch up with family and friends over the Christmas, New Year period.  The 2025 school year promises to be a year jam packed full of fun and memories, however the core business of learning is what needs to remain forefront in our minds as we work together to ensure our students succeed.  Miami State School is a widely respected school on the Gold Coast that provides lots of opportunity in many different areas.  I am very fortunate to be at this school and I hope you feel the same way.  It is very important that respectful open communication occurs between home and school.  At the end of the day we all want what’s best for the children enrolled in our school.  Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the Office if there is something we can help you with.  Our classrooms have an open-door policy however at times an appointment may need to be made to discuss factors of your child’s education more in depth.

PBL

Miami State School is Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) school.  “PBL is a systems approach to establishing the social culture and behavioural supports needed for all children in a school to achieve both social and academic success. PBL is not a packaged curriculum, but an approach that defines core elements that can be achieved through a variety of strategies.” (G.Sugai, R. Horner; 2007)

Positive behaviour supports can effectively address a range of behavioural needs - from those who just need minor supports to those who require more intensive in-depth supports. The goal of PBL is to enhance the capacity of schools to educate all students, especially students with challenging social behaviours, by establishing an effective continuum of PBL systems and practices.  Miami is currently in our first year of implementation. 

With PBL: 

• Expectations for student behaviour are defined by a school based team with all staff input.
• Effective behavioural support is implemented consistently by staff and administration.
• Appropriate student behaviour is
• Positive behaviours are publicly acknowledged.
• Problem behaviours have clear consequences.
• Student behaviour is monitored and staff receive regular feedback.
• Effective behavioural support strategies are implemented at the school-wide, specific setting, classroom, and individual student level.
• Effective behavioural support strategies are designed to meet the needs of all students.

Looking forward to a successful 2025.

Until next fortnight

Ben Edmunds
Deputy Principal Year 4 - 6

Deputy Principal’s Message

Welcome

Welcome to our new prep families and welcome back to everyone else.  It is wonderful to see everyone’s happy, smiling faces at school and to see how superbly students have settled back into their school routines and expectations. 

Helping Your Child Make New Friends: A Guide for Parents

Starting a new school year or joining a new class can be exciting but also a little daunting for children. Making new friends is an essential part of their school experience, helping them build confidence, develop social skills, and feel a sense of belonging. As parents, you can play an important role in supporting your child’s friendships. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Encourage Confidence and Communication
   Help your child develop confidence in social situations by practicing greetings, small talk, and asking questions. Role-playing different scenarios can be a fun way to help them feel prepared.
2. Teach Kindness and Empathy
   Encourage your child to be kind, take turns, and listen to others. Discuss how important it is to show empathy and be a good friend by understanding others’ feelings.
3. Arrange Playdates and Social Activities
   Organizing playdates with classmates or joining extracurricular activities can provide natural opportunities for your child to meet and bond with peers in a relaxed setting.
4. Support Their Interests
   Encourage your child to participate in activities they enjoy, such as sports, arts, or clubs. Shared interests can be a great foundation for friendships.
5. Lead by Example
   Show your child how to build and maintain friendships by modelling good social behaviour, such as introducing yourself to new people, being a good listener, and expressing kindness.
6. Help Them Overcome Challenges
   If your child is struggling to make friends, offer encouragement and reassure them that making new friends takes time. If needed, speak with their teacher to find ways to support social interactions in the classroom.

You can also help by supporting your child with small, manageable challenges for school and the weekends over the next month.  Go Zen is a superb online platform that provides so much social emotional support for children and their families.  Some of their suggestions are:

• Discuss what makes a good friend
• Make a thank you card for a friend
• Create a secret handshake with a friend
• Send a kind message to someone
• Say only positive things about others for a day
• Share a funny story and make a friend laugh
• Compliment someone
• Invite a friend to play
• Discuss things that make your child a good friend
• Plan a surprise act of kindness for a friend
• Draw a picture for your friend and gift it to them
• Write a note to friend about their greatest strength
• Ask a friend about their hobby and listen closely
• Invent or draw an award and give it to a friend
• Say hi to someone new for a day
• Compliment someone’s effort
• Invite a friend to your house.

By fostering a positive and supportive environment, you can help your child navigate social situations with confidence and ease. Friendships play a crucial role in their emotional and social development, and your guidance can make a world of difference!

Julia Hoy
Deputy Principal Prep – Year 3

Office/Finance News

Communication: It is important that all communication relating to change of personal details and payments are directed to our office@miamiss.eq.edu.au email address.

DEBTOR STATEMENTS (Please see example below)

Debtor statements will be issued at the beginning of each month.  A statement will show all of your enrolled students at Miami State School on the one statement.

If you don’t receive a statement, it means that you have nothing owing on your student’s account. 

If you receive a statement and it shows a (-) negative sign in front of the $ amount, it means you are in credit on your account.  PLEASE DO NOT PAY.  When future invoices are issued, please advise the school and we can apply the credit to your invoice.  If you would like the credit on your account applied to a current invoice that is showing on your statement, you will need to notify the school for us to apply this credit.  If you have any queries, please email the office on office@miamiss.eq.edu.au or call on 5595 4888. 

Please ensure when you are making a payment, that you pay it against the original invoice NOT against a statement.

Just a friendly reminder, if you haven’t signed up to QParents yet, please do so asap.  This is the best way to view what is currently outstanding on our student account or any credits you may have.  If you require assistance in setting up QParents, please email Michelle Engler on mengl57@eq.edu.au or phone 5595 4888.

QParents is now available at Miami State School! We currently have 634 families registered with QParents. As of term 4, all permission slips and consents will need to be completed on QParents. If you have not yet registered, please take the time to complete the process. It takes no longer than 10 minutes. If you are experiencing any difficulties with the registration process, please contact Michelle at mengl57@eq.edu.au

What is QParents?

QParents is a free digital platform that enables parents to conveniently access and view a range of your child's school data and efficiently complete school-related administrative processes.

Benefits of QParents

QParents provides parents with 24/7 online access to:

• receiving and responding to consent requests and automated reminders
• receiving and paying invoices
• academic reporting data

Third Party Consent forms 

Third Party Consent forms have been sent out via QParents. Please check your app and provide permission for your child/ren.

Excursions / Incursions :

Payments

Please ensure when making a deposit into the school bank account you put your students name and invoice number as a reference.  This ensures we can apply it to your invoice promptly.

No late payments will be accepted, please note direct deposits can take up to 3 business days for funds to clear.

If you are experiencing any financial difficulties, please contact our office (office@miamiss.eq.edu.au) to request a payment arrangement.

How to record a Student Absence

• Option 1 - Text our SMS line on 0427 904 333 with student’s full name, class and the reason for absence (This is our preferred method). As the SMS text automatically goes into our school system.
• Option 2 - Email absentee@miamiss.eq.edu.au, with student’s name, class and reason for absence.
• Option 3 - Contact our office on 07 5595 4888 and press 1 to leave a voicemail informing students full name, class and the reason for absence.

If you receive a text message for an unexplained absence, please reply to the text ASAP with a reason for absence to avoid us contacting you and interrupting your busy day.

Thank you 😊

Office Staff

PBL Focus Week 2

PBL Focus Week 3

TSP / STEAM Map

Miami State High School Parent Information Session & Tour

Tuckshop

Our wonderful tuckshop is always looking for an extra pair of hands to help out. If you have a little spare time, they would love for you to pop in and give them a hand.  Please contact the tuckshop via,

email:  miamisstuckshop@gmail.com

After School Programs

Please note these programs are facilitated by external providers and you are required to make any enquiries or bookings directly with the relevant provider. Please ensure you are on time to collect your student from the relevant location. Collection of students from the oval and multi-courts to be via Pizzey Road tennis courts (not through the school).

TERM 4 – 2024 AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITES