21 March 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,

As we reach the end of Week 8, we reflect on another fantastic fortnight of learning at Miami State School. Students have been applying their knowledge and skills from the term as they commence their assessments, demonstrating dedication and perseverance. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm for learning and commitment to achieving their personal best.

Resilience After Cyclone Alfred

Following the impact of Cyclone Alfred, our students have once again shown their incredible resilience. After a few days away from school due to the natural disaster, they returned eager and ready to engage in their learning. The way they have adapted and refocused on their studies is truly commendable, reflecting the strong spirit of our Miami community.

Celebrating NAPLAN Success

We would like to congratulate our Year 3 and Year 5 students on their fantastic efforts in NAPLAN. Their hard work and commitment to learning were evident as they tackled the assessments with confidence. The entire school community is incredibly proud of their dedication and the way they approached this important milestone with such positivity.

Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) Priorities

This year, our school is focusing on three key priorities to enhance teaching and learning:

1. Strengthening Staff Curriculum Capabilities in English
   • Aligning curriculum programs with Australian Curriculum V9.
   • Implementing high-yield teaching strategies to improve writing.
   • Providing regular feedback to enhance instructional practices.
2. Implementing a Multi-Tiered Approach to Student Support
   • Developing a structured framework for differentiated instruction.
   • Delivering targeted interventions for students who need extra support.
   • Monitoring student progress to ensure effective learning outcomes.
3. Enhancing Mathematics Instruction
   • Using data to inform teaching strategies and differentiation.
   • Providing professional development for staff in high-impact math teaching.
   • Strengthening student confidence and achievement in mathematics.

For more details, please refer to our school’s website where the full AIP document is available.

Student Dress Code Reminder

A reminder to all families that our Student Dress Code plays an essential role in maintaining our school’s high standards. Please ensure students adhere to the following:

• Shoes: Fully enclosed, black polishable leather or vinyl joggers. No coloured laces, suede, or canvas shoes.
• Socks: White ankle socks with no labels.
• Hair: Neat and tidy. Hair shoulder length or longer must be tied back. Extreme hairstyles (e.g., mullets, mohawks, undercuts, unnatural hair colours) are not permitted.
• Jewellery: Only a watch, small plain gold or silver stud/sleeper earrings, medical alert bracelets, or approved cultural/religious pendants (with parental request).

We appreciate your continued support in ensuring our students represent Miami State School with pride.

QParents

As part of our school’s progression towards online consent management Miami State School is asking our parent community to register for QParents.  This is the first step required for parents to be able to provide online consent for a variety of school activities/events.  This year, all permissions will be via QParents, therefore student will be unable to attend excursions, sporting events, etc. without online consent via QParents.

The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents and legal guardians of Queensland state school students to interact with their child’s school. Registered parents will have secure, online access to their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The benefits of QParents

Convenience and time savings for parents

QParents allows parents to connect instantly with their child’s school to access and manage their child’s student information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Academic report cards
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details

What is a QParents Account Owner (QPAO)?

The school will nominate parents or legal guardians for each student to be QParents Account Owners (QPAOs). QPAOs will be able to register for QParents to access and manage the student’s information online, view the student’s information and submit requests to update some of the student’s details.

QPAOs will also be able to invite other people (such as another family member), to view the student’s information. Once invited, these people can register for QParents as “delegated viewers”. A delegated viewer can see the student’s details, but cannot make updates.

Registering for QParents

You will have received an invitation email from us containing your unique invitation code. Simply follow the instructions in that email or letter to complete the QParents account registration process. Initial registration and addition of students to your account must be done on a desktop or laptop computer. Once registered, you will then be able to access QParents using your mobile device (via web browser or by downloading the iPhone or Android App).

Our friendly office staff are always available to support parents in setting up their QParents account if needed.  Identity verification evidence is required to do this. Please contact the school if you have any queries.

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!

Thank you for another great fortnight of learning. We look forward to the final weeks of Term 1 with continued enthusiasm and success!

Warm regards,

Jemille Malouf
Principal

Deputy Principal’s Message

Welcome to Week 8

At the completion of this week there will be only 2 weeks left until the end of Term 1, a crazy thought I know.  Classes are busy finalising Term 1 assessments and continuing the learning right up until the last day of term.  What a crazy few weeks it has been, primarily due to the weather and then the subsequent school closures.  Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding as we continue to move closer to normality.

Parent Teacher Interviews:

Parent Teacher interviews will be occurring next week on Tuesday the 1st of April.  Bookings will be closing at 2:00pm on Friday the 28^th March. Please refer to the SeeSaw messages that have been sent in previous weeks regarding Parent Teacher Interview information.

Attendance

School attendance for all schools continues to be a focus.  it is important to remember however, if a child is sick, unwell and not feeling themselves, the best place for them is at home resting and recovering.  The image below puts things in real perspective with regards to attendance over 13 years of schooling.  Remember ‘Missing School = Missing Out’

Social Media

In a world where we are surrounded by smart phones, tablets and social media it is sometimes hard to not find ourselves scrolling aimlessly through a sea of photos, videos and status updates.  As adults we are aware that out ‘cyber’ existence is not always real life.  Social media can be a very powerful form of communication and a fantastic way to keep in contact with family however it can also be very addictive and dangerous if used in ways it is not intended.  It is important that we collectively teach the importance of cyber safety.  When a social media world begins to affect the health and wellbeing of students whose number one job at school is to learn, that becomes a concern.  It might be worth nothing the following statements taken directly from the terms and conditions found on the most popular social media sites.

Australia has introduced a world-first social media ban for under 16-year olds. Certain social media platforms will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent Australian children under the age of 16 from having accounts on their platform.

On 10 December 2024, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 (Amendment Act) received Royal Assent and added a new Part 4A to the Online Safety Act 2021 with the following key features:

• ‘Age-restricted social media platforms’ must take reasonable steps to prevent users under the age of 16 having accounts with the platform.
• The penalty for non-compliance is up to AUD $49.5 million, but only comes into effect, at the earliest, 12 months after the legislation takes force.
• A social media platform must not use or disclose any personal information collected for the purpose of taking those reasonable steps for any other purposes.
• The eSafety Commissioner has new powers to formulate guidelines for taking reasonable steps, and to obtain information about a platform’s compliance with the reasonable steps obligation.

• TikTok

e. Age Limit. The Services are only for people 13 years old and over (with additional limits that may be set forth in the Supplemental Terms – Jurisdiction-Specific). By using the Services, you confirm that you are over the relevant age specified herein. If we learn that someone under the relevant age specified above is using the Services, we will terminate that user’s account.

• SNAPCHAT

1. Who Can Use the Services?

No one under 13 is allowed to create an account or use the Services. We may offer additional Services with additional terms that may require you to be even older to use them. So please read all terms carefully.

• FACEBOOK

Registration and Account Security

Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account:

1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
2. You will not create more than one personal account.
3. If we disable your account, you will not create another one without our permission.
4. You will not use your personal timeline primarily for your own commercial gain, and will use a Facebook Page for such purposes.
5. You will not use Facebook if you are under 13.

• INSTAGRAM

Basic Terms

1. You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service.

Behaviour as Communication

What these behaviours may communicate

As it can be difficult for children to explain how they are feeling, it is often up to the adults around them to help work out what feelings and emotions may be underlying a child’s behaviour. As parents and carers, you are in the best position to help work out how your child may be feeling. It can be useful to do this in collaboration with your child’s educator and teacher, who will also have a good insight into your child. When you notice these changes in behaviour, you will still need to reinforce or set clear limits for your child while thinking carefully about what it might be telling you.

Understanding how your child is feeling and why they are behaving in a particular way can help you work out how to support them, emotionally and practically. For instance, when you notice a change in behaviour you might ask yourself:

• What is my child feeling?
• Why might they be feeling that way?
• Have they behaved this way before?
• How did I support them previously?

Talking about your child’s feelings

Because of the changes associated with starting school, your child may benefit from some extra nurturing and understanding to help them feel secure and confident. Being open and receptive to how your child is feeling as well as providing comfort and attention when needed will help to support them through these changes.

Spend time with your child

Putting aside some special time with your child will give you an opportunity to talk with them and help them express their feelings about starting school. This can be challenging for parents who are busy with other children or have work commitments, but conversations with your child can take place at any time. It may be within your child’s everyday routines such as having dinner together or driving in the car. It may also be helpful to find times when your child feels most comfortable, such as when they are playing in the park or engaging in their favourite activity (eg on the swings or kicking a ball). Finding time during a shared activity will help your child to feel relaxed and comfortable to open up during a conversation with you. Some useful ways to prompt these conversations include:

• Sharing a story about when you have started something new (eg a job) and some of the feelings you had. This may help your child to feel more comfortable to express how they are feeling
• Using open ended questions that elicit more than yes or no answers (eg “What did you like about school during your visit today?”)
• Using prompts and encouragement or gestures like smiles and nodding to show your child you are interested in what they are saying.

Sometimes children just aren’t in the mood for talking and that’s okay. Be guided by your child in whether they want to talk, what they want to talk about and for how long. Just being there with your child, sharing an enjoyable activity or having a cuddle can help them feel supported and more at ease at times of change.

Until next fortnight

Ben Edmunds
Deputy Principal Year 4 - 6

Deputy Principal’s Message

Miami SS Students Shine in NAPLAN Testing!

This week, our amazing students at Miami State School showed resilience, determination, and a positive attitude as they tackled their NAPLAN tests! We are incredibly proud of the way they approached each challenge with focus and confidence.

From reading and writing to language conventions and numeracy, our students gave it their best effort, demonstrating the fantastic learning they have been doing in class. A big thank you to our dedicated teachers for their support and preparation, and to our parents and carers for encouraging and reassuring their children throughout the week.

No matter the results, every student should feel proud of their efforts. NAPLAN is just one way we celebrate learning, and we know our students are growing and achieving great things every day.

Well done, Miami SS – you have all done an incredible job!

Environmental Exploration

Our Year 1 students have been exploring animal habitats in Numinbah Valley this week.  Students walked the forest exploring creatures in their habitats.  In a “Creature Feature” session, they met and learnt about native species.  Then they examined diversity, through collecting the array of bugs in the forest.

Next week, our Prep students head off to the Currumbin Valley Farm, with a focus on exploring the needs of living things.  They will study both farm animals and vegetation.  Our Preps will also play in nature, climbing a special tree and exploring the creek bed.

Thank you so much for the teachers for organising these wonderful experiences to support our students learning. 

Kindy Connections

On Thursday of week 9, we are excited to have many of our local kindergartens coming to visit our Prep classrooms.  Kool Kids Miami and Mermaid Waters, Aussie Kids, Miami Community Kindergarten, Burleigh Sandpiper, Mermaid Waters Community Kindergarten, Little Scholars Burleigh and Busy Bees are all excited to see their former pupils in class.

At Miami State School we value our relationships with our local early childhood education centres.  We meet each term to plan the best ways to plan for each child’s transition to school.  We have established teaching buddy systems, where early childhood teachers from the child care centres spend time each term in our prep classrooms to build their understanding of school and embed strategies into their own classrooms. 

By fostering strong relationships between early childhood centres and school, we give children the confidence and skills they need to succeed. Together, we can make the transition to school a positive and exciting journey for every child!

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

HPE News

Miami Sports

Regional Swimming Trials:

Thursday 20^th February, we have a few talented swimmers who qualified to be part of their district team Lucas P, Amelia C, Grace P & Nate K. However due to the impact of Cyclone Alfred swimmers weren’t able to run a physical regional trial. South Coast adapted to accepting time nominations from qualified swimmers and we are proud to announce Grace P has been selected into the South Coast Swim Team.  We wish her all the best at State Trials.

Oceanic Trials:

With the disruption of Cyclone Alfred most trials in week 7 were been postponed until the following week. But we wish all our athletes who have been selected as our top 3 sport stars in their chosen field all the best of luck. Please make sure that any child that is given the opportunity to trial for an Oceanic sport they must have their South Coast booklet filled in and signed by admin. Please keep Mr Crilly-Hargrave updated on your progress as all district achievements goes toward end of year awards.

Oceanic Trial sign-up:

Attention soccer players Year 5 & 6, sign up is now available for your child to trial for Boys and Girls Oceanics. Please note that Oceanics have now gone down to 9-a-side competition, so spots are extremely limited. With this being said it is highly encouraged that any students who trial are club/development level players.

Congratulations to the following District Representatives:

Remy P U12 Girls Oceanic AFL Team
Taj S U12 Boys Oceanic AFL Team
Ryder M U12 Boys Oceanic AFL Team

Miami Cross Country

Having students’ safety as our upmost importance we have made the decision to postpone our cross-country to Week 9. All students in Years 4 – 6 will walk their cross-country course to familiarise themselves in preparation on the day. All students must be given parent consent on QParents prior to Monday or they will not be able to participate in the walk or the House Cross-Country Carnival.

• 24th March Year 4 Cross Country familiarisation walk
• 26th March Year 5 & 6 Cross Country familiarisation walk

On day of the carnival students are encouraged to wear their House colours on the day and we highly encourage spectators to come and support on the day.

• 28th March Cross-Country House Competition approx. 9am-11:30am

Students 10 – 12 years old who place top 6 in their division competing will progress to District trials.

• 9 Years (Born 2016) – 1.5km
• 10 Years (Born 2015) – 2km
• 11 & 12 Years (Born 2014/13) – 3km

Gala Day

In Term 2 and Term 3 this year, Mr Crilly-Hargrave will be coordinating three 'Sport Gala Days' for our Year 5 & 6 students’ which parents should have already discussed with their child/children. These events are designed for our students and those from nearby primary schools to come together and enjoy a friendly competition. The activities will include Tennis (mixed mini red ball), Rugby League, Oztag, Netball (mixed), Soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee (mixed). The gala days will take place on three separate days; Friday June 20th, Tuesday July 22nd, and Tuesday September 2nd. (In case of wet weather, an alternate date will be the Thursday of the same week.) The focus of these gala days will be on participation & having fun, providing students with the opportunity to experience team sports with their peers in a relaxed and enjoyable setting against local primary schools.

Teams’ nominations are being finalised, due to availability students may be assigned their second preference which they have being given the chance to select. Once teams are formed, students will not be able to switch sports. Please also note that Ultimate Frisbee, Mini Tennis, and Netball are mixed competitions for both boys and girls. Parental consent will be required for girls wishing to participate in the Rugby League competition (if available). There will be a fee for participation, which will be confirmed closer to the event. QParents consent forms will be sent home in the near future. We are confident that the students will benefit from this experience and look forward to a day of fun, friendly competition.

Ben Crilly-Hargrave

PBL Focus Week 5

PBL Focus Week 6

PBL Focus Week 7 & 8

Office Notice Board Week 5

Prep H has been reading How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers. Students enjoyed coming up with their own wishes and sharing them with the class, encouraging them to persist and shoot for the stars.

Office Notice Board Week 6

In Year 2AR, our young artists have been inspired by our Science unit on Earth, Space, and our place in the solar system. Using vibrant oil pastels, they coloured pages with captivating shapes, painted over them with black, and then scratched away to reveal marvellous scenes of galaxies, planets, and shimmering stars. Each artwork featured the artist as an astronaut, bravely exploring the cosmos. This scratch-it art project sparked creativity and curiosity, turning blank pages into cosmic masterpieces. Their artworks brilliantly reflect their understanding of space and their boundless imagination, truly taking their minds to infinity and beyond!

Office Notice Board Week 7 & 8

3B have been reading the book Silly Birds.  We have a lovely bunch of Turkeys brightening up the office.  Great Job 3B!

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 1 – 2025 AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITES

P & C Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser

CWA Morning Tea & Social Craft Morning

Chaplain Shane Scott (Chappy)

Fun & Sun Day Camp - (Grades 5-8)

Hello Parents/Carers. Below is a flyer for a day camp being held in the first week of the school holidays. This camp is run by SU Australia (my employer) and I will be attending as a leader. The camp is for all students but may be particularly appropriate if your child currently attends Religious Instruction at school as there are some low-key life lessons based on bible teachings. Last year’s camp was a huge success, so we anticipate places will fill quickly.

Please contact me if you have any questions.  shane.scott@suchaplaincy.org.au                                

To register click here: https://brushfire.com/sua/camp/597851

Other local holiday camp/activity providers

Tallebudgera Sport and Recreation Centre: action packed day or full day programs – ages 5+
Phone: 1800 753 732      email:    goldcoastrec@qld.gov.au

CYC Burleigh (Christian Youth Camps): Fun filled camps for primary and high school ages       

Shane Scott (Chappy)

Pancakes

Pancake Mornings are back in 2025!
Year 4 – 6 ( Monday 24th March (week 9)
We serve from 8.15am until 8.45am.

We serve 300+ pancakes at each morning and value the generous donations from families to help us with this. Can you help us stock up?

We need:

Pancake shake mix           (original/traditional): home brand mixes sell from $2.20.                                         
Paper plates:                     (Coles or Woolworths) - packs of 80 = $5.00, 50 = $3.15 or 20 = $1.50                           
Maple Syrup:                    (home brands) - $2.50

Donation Item/s can be dropped at the front office. Thank you for your generosity and support.
*(Chappy always has Gluten free pancakes available for students on request).

Shane Scott (Chappy)

Well Done Reading Warriors!

Students have made a wonderful start to MiniLit, Reading Warriors and Language Lift! 

Mrs Browne, Miss Jo and Miss Sandra are very proud of your efforts. Well done.