30 May 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 midpoint of Term 2, it’s an important time for all students as they begin preparing for upcoming assessments. This is a crucial period where consistent attendance, positive behaviour, and a strong commitment to learning play a big role in each student’s success. We encourage all students to be present, stay focused, and always give their best effort in everything they do. Whether it's in the classroom, on the playground, or during assessments, doing our best helps us grow, learn, and achieve our personal goals. Let’s work together to finish the term strong!

Attendance Matters: Every Day Counts!

At Miami State School we firmly believe that regular attendance is crucial for the academic and personal growth of our students. Attending school consistently has a profound impact on their overall success, as it allows them to fully engage in the learning process, build meaningful relationships with peers and teachers, and develop essential life skills.

Why Does School Attendance Matter?

Regular school attendance gives students a better chance at life. Students achieve better when they go to school all day, every school day because:

• they have increased access to learning opportunities
• they maintain friendships
• they stay connected to the curriculum progression
• they develop self-efficacy as a learner
• they have better long-term life outcomes.

Check out the Queensland Government’s ‘Every Day Counts’ website for some great books and animations with student, Jimmy, and his dog, Sam, regarding attending school!

Communicating with your child’s school NEWLY RELEASED DoE resources

“We value open and respectful communication with parents and carers, to support student learning”

At the end of Term 1, 2025, the Minister for Education and the Arts committed to releasing a set of consistent state-wide expectations for communication between parents/carers and their child’s school.

Last week, the department released the Communicating with your child’s school set of resources. These resources are designed to support respectful communication between parents/carers and schools to promote positive school engagement. Our school community thrives when staff, parents/carers and students can share good news, talk about issues and have respectful conversations.

Specifically, the Communicating with your child’s school guideline outlines clear, consistent expectations for how parents/carers can engage with their child’s school, including appropriate contact channels, response timelines, and processes for raising concerns respectfully.

These tips support strong parent/carer partnerships in our school:

• contact school administration offices for general inquiries
• follow school process to request meetings with teachers and staff
• use polite language in all messages.

Strong parent and school partnerships are key to support your child to achieve their best. 

Let us know if:

• your child will be absent
• you are concerned about your child’s learning, safety or wellbeing
• there are changes to your child’s medical information or family circumstances
• you need to make or change a school appointment.

We will:

• keep you up to date about your child’s learning and engagement
• offer parent/carer-teacher interviews twice per year
• participate in pre-organised meetings for complex or sensitive issues
• provide school updates and opportunities for feedback.

Find out more about these guidelines in Queensland state schools: 

Reminder of Winter School Uniform

As the weather starts to get a little cooler, we would like to remind all families about our school winter uniform.

• Royal Blue zipper jacket (available from the uniform shop)
• Long royal blue track pants (available from the uniform shop)
• Royal Blue pants / jazz pants
• With the school dress – Navy blue tights ONLY under the school dress with black shoes (no socks required)

If you are unable to purchase a school jacket, or tracksuit pants we ask that your child wear a plain royal blue jumper/track pants without any patterns, logos or hoods.

‘Time Out’ Poster – Keeping your child and other children healthy

We love to see all of our students at school every day they are well enough to attend.  On some occasions however, your child may become unwell.  Please view the following Queensland Health ‘Time Out’ poster to see recommendations for keeping your child at home.  

Have a wonderful week ahead.

Warm regards, 

Jemille Malouf
Principal

Deputy Principal’s Message

Welcome to Week 6

It continues to be a hive of activity at Miami State School.  The children of Miami are provided with so many opportunities and it is great seeing so many get involved in things outside of the classroom.

• TSP, JEP and STEAM continue weekly,
• The Year 5 and 6 students are training to compete in upcoming Gala Days,
• Recent Under 8’s Day
• Eco Marines are working hard on their recycling and waste management endeavours,
• Street Science excursions are occurring,
• Burleigh Headland excursions are occurring for Year 2,
• Senior Athletics is coming up,
• Book Fair is happening now,
• Recent Year 6 Camp,
• Year 5 Camp happening now.

Just to name a few.  All of these are possible due to the hard work and organisation by our team of Staff at Miami who do what they do for the kids of our school.  It will sure be a very busy last month before we break for Winter holidays.  It is important that attendance remains a priority in the final month of Term 2.  Of course if your children are unwell, the best place for them is at home, in bed resting.  Our classes are currently working on assessment pieces that will help form their marks for end of semester reporting.  Please ensure you have updated your email contacts if they have changed as all Report Cards are emailed in the last week of this term. 

YEAR 5 CAMP

I would like to say a very big thank you to the staff and students who attended Year 5 Camp this week.  I was lucky enough to head down on Thursday and saw the kids having a wonderful time and pushing themselves to do things they may never thought they could.  Thank you to Miss Kaoustos, Mr Stephens, Miss Slater, Mrs Goldstein, Mrs Crawford, Mr Fletcher, Mrs Simpson and Mrs Crawford’s Prac Student Mr Gam for supporting our Year 5’s.  It is very much appreciated as you also spent time away from your own families and friends.

IMPORTANCE OF READING

I would like to share with you some findings from a recently published study in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics. The study measured the average number of words that a child would be exposed to, from birth to their fifth birthday, depending on how often the child was read to by their caregivers. Amazingly, the study found that:

• Children who were never read to were exposed to about 4, 662 words by age 5.
• Children who were read to 1-2 times per week were exposed to about 63,570 words by age 5.
• Children who were read to 3-5 times per week were exposed to about 169,520 words by age 5.
• Children who were read to daily were exposed to about 296, 660 words by age 5.
• Children who were read to five times a day were exposed to about 1, 483, 300 words by age 5!

These findings highlight the impact that book sharing has on language development. Students who are read to regularly at home come to school with a significantly more developed vocabulary; helping them to be ready to learn, understand, participate, and achieve in the classroom.  Try setting aside 30 minutes per day to share a story book at home.  Reading to and with children of any age is extremely beneficial and important in their development.

Ben Edmunds
Deputy Principal Year 4 - 6

Deputy Principal’s Message

🎉 What a Morning! Under 8s Day Success 🎉

Our Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students had an absolute blast celebrating Under 8s Day this morning!

A big thank you to all the parents and families who came along—your support made the day even more special for our young learners.

We’re so proud of our wonderful staff, who put together a fun-filled morning of hands-on activities and learning opportunities. Your creativity and energy made the event one to remember!

We also want to thank the many community groups who joined us and gave their time so generously, including:

• Local police, fire brigade, and ambulance officers
• Gold Coast Library
• Queensland Government Disaster Management
• Gold Coast Suns
• Queensland Lifesaving
• Bunnings
• OSHC
• Miami State High School students

A special shoutout to our amazing P&C for organising a fantastic DJ and an exciting surprise visit from Spiderman—what a hit!

Thank you to everyone who helped make Under 8s Day a truly memorable celebration for our students. 💛

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💬 Need a Bit of Extra Support?

Parenting can be tough sometimes, and it’s okay to ask for help. Here are two great services that can support you and your family:

Parent line

A free, confidential phone and online counselling service for Queensland parents and carers.
📞 1300 30 1300 | 🌐 parentline.com.au

Available 7 days a week, Parent line offers:

• Qualified counsellors
• Phone and webchat support
• Resources and parenting forums
• Referrals to other services

Head to Health Kids QLD – Gold Coast (H2HK-Q)

Supporting children under 12 with mild to moderate mental health challenges like anxiety or making friends.
📞 1800 595 212 for referrals
ℹ️ goldcoast.health.qld.gov.au/h2hk

Help is just a phone call away.

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.

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

Oceanic Trials:

Reminder to any club players that are in Year 5 & 6 we will be holding cricket trials next week. Our top 3 will then be nominated to trial for the Oceanic trials against other local secondary and primary schools.

Any Year 5 & 6 Girls with cricket experience can now sign up their interest in the Oceanic Girls U12 Cricket Trials on the HPE door with Mr Crilly.

We wish Porsha A, Indie H & Ivy S all the best at the U12 Oceanic Girls League Trials.

Oceanic Cross-Country:

What do you get when you mix 33 determined Miami runners, a last-minute venue change, and one very hilly velodrome? An unforgettable day at the Oceanic Trials on Thursday, 15th May!

Originally set for the flatter fields of Pizzey Park, the event was thrown a curveball when — just 48 hours before the starter whistle — the venue was switched to the infamous Nerang Velodrome (a.k.a. the mountain range in disguise). Cue a few panicked glances, deep breaths, and extra carbs at dinner.

But did that stop our runners? Not a chance.  With grit, guts and a lot of sweat, every Miami athlete gave it their all, charging up the hill and mud and showing true sportsmanship along the way. From the first whistle to the final stride, Mr Crilly couldn't stop smiling — beaming with pride at the incredible effort, energy and camaraderie on display.

It wasn’t just about medals — all our runners battling it out to the very end for the chance to earn just one extra place in the results. Talk about fighting spirit!

Regionals:

U/12 Boys Touch Football

Well done to Cash C who has been named into the U12 Boys South Coast Regional Touch Team. Cash has been named into the 14 player squad. We wish him the best at State Trials.

Cross-Country

It's official, well done to our following runners who placed in the top 14 at the recent District Oceanic Cross-Country Competition. The following students who now will head to Runaway Bay Sports Complex Tuesday 3rd June to trial for a spot in the Regional South Coast Team. Shout out to Beau, Lucas & Savannah who made podium finishes on the day for their District.

10 Year Boys:
Beau S (1st) & Henry G (12th)

11 Year Boys:
Lucas P (2nd) & Piero B (8th)

11 Year Girls:
Savannah T (2nd)

12 Year Boys:
Taj S (4th)

Gala Day

Reminder Gala Sport Day #1 will be taking place Friday 20^th June. Trainings have already begun. All parents must acknowledge their child’s participation through QParents via consent. Students may be shifted from sports if consent isn’t completed by due date to allow those students a spot in their first preference of sport. Due to refurbishment netball has been moved from Firth Part to Mallawa, Palm Beach for Gala’s 1 & 2.

Senior House Athletics:

800m Athletics Trials – Competitive Runners Only! 🏃‍♀️

Attention Year 4–6 students (10–12 years only):

If your child is a competitive 800m runner and would like the opportunity to trial for a place on our Athletics Team, they must register their interest by this Friday, by singing up on the HPE door.

🗓 Trial Date: Monday 9th June

Please note: This event is run separately from the Athletics Carnival and is extremely competitive. 1st place will automatically qualify for the District Team. 2nd place must beat the regional qualifying times below in order to be eligible. We can only nominate 2 athletes per event max.

GIRLS 800m Qualifying Times

10 yrs: 2:51.99
11 yrs: 2:47.00
12 yrs: 2:41.00

BOYS 800m Qualifying Times

10 yrs: 2:44.56
11 yrs: 2:39.62
12 yrs: 2:31.95

This is a fantastic opportunity for strong middle-distance runners to compete at a higher level. We look forward to seeing our top athletes give it their all!

During their HPE lessons students have had the opportunity to test their discus skills with Mr Crilly. Once all year levels have completed, those students who have been selected will have the opportunity to compete at Pizzey Park (parents will receive consent via Qparents) please indicate via the platform if your child does wish to participate. 1^st place will then be eligible to represent Miami in that event. Our 1500m trials are invite only to our cross-country team members due to the gruelling distance and competitiveness, once again 2^nd place must beat regional qualifying time to qualify. We can’t wait until Friday 13 June when we hold our Senior Athletics Carnival, please pencil in your diaries for those wishing to spectate on the day.

Senior Athletics Carnival is Coming!

Get ready for a fun-filled day of running, jumping, cheering, and house spirit! Our Year 4–6 students will be showing off their athletic skills at this year’s Senior Athletics Carnival on Friday, Week 8 – 13th June at Pizzey Park Athletics Track.

Whether they’re sprinting for glory, giving a new event a go, or cheering from the sidelines, it’s a fantastic chance for every student to get involved and earn valuable points for their house! Plus, our superstar 10, 11 and 12-year-olds will be vying for a spot on the Miami Athletics Team – go team!

Start Time:

9:00am sharp – but we need all students at school and seated in their eating areas by 8:30am.
After drop-off, parents are welcome to head over to Pizzey Park to cheer on the action!
Latecomer? Please sign your child in at the office so they can be walked over safely.

Important food note:

There’s no tuckshop on Friday, but the P&C is firing up the BBQ!
Order a sausage sizzle via Qkr (under ‘special events’) between Monday 2nd – Tuesday 10th June so your child doesn’t miss out on a tasty lunch.

It’s going to be a big day of fun, fitness, and school spirit – we can’t wait to see you there!

• Junior School Cross Country: The Race of the Year!

Attention all budding athletes, parents, and professional cheerleaders (yes, we mean you, Miami supporters!)—the most exciting event on the Junior School sporting calendar is nearly here!

Get ready to lace up those runners, stretch those tiny hamstrings, and gulp down that Weet-Bix, because the Junior School Cross Country is happening on Tuesday of Week 8—and it’s going to be a marathon of fun!

  When: Tuesday June 10, Week 8

  Time: 9:00am – 11:00am

  Where: Our very own Miami Oval

• Who: Everyone in Years Prep to Year 3... and all parents/spectators who enjoy a good laugh, a loud cheer, or an excuse to cheer in the sun.

 Race Order

We’ll be kicking things off with the long-legged speedsters of Year 3, followed by the high-energy enthusiasm of Year 2, the “look at me go!” spirit of Year 1, and wrapping up with the adorable chaos of Prep, who may or may not be racing for the finish line, the playground, or their parents with open arms.

 What to Expect:

Triumphant sprints, dramatic finishes, and the occasional shoelace emergency or lost shoe.

Supportive teachers yelling encouraging things like “Keep going!” and “You’re halfway there!” even if they’re not entirely sure where halfway is. There’ll be loud cheers, House war-cries, high fives, and perhaps even a few personal bests. Whether you're running like the wind or jogging with friends, everyone is a champion in our book. So dust off those running shoes, mark your calendars, and get ready to cheer louder than ever—Cross Country 2025 is coming in hot!

Year 3/4 Soccer:

There has been a buzz amongst our soccer hopefuls in Year 3 & 4. Mr Smith and his volunteer coaches and support staff have been holding trials over the past couple of days. It’s exciting to announce that our Year 3 & 4 Soccer Club players having this opportunity to trial for a spot to represent Miami in an upcoming 6 v 6 Soccer Competition held in Tweed next term!

Due to limited team numbers and this being our first time entering the competition, trials were open to students currently involved in a Soccer Club. We will be entering 3x boys’ teams and 1x girls’ team to take part this year. Thank you to Mr smith, Mr Miller and Mrs Bacon who have volunteered to be our junior soccer coaches for this competition.

Ben Crilly-Hargrave

PBL Focus Week 5

PBL Focus Week 6

Office Notice Board Week 5

3C graced our office display last week with their beautiful sunflowers. They looked at the appearance & structure of a sunflower and created these impressive drawings.

Office Notice Board Week 6

The students of 4G have been exploring different art techniques. Here, the students have experimented with the signature style of Piet Mondrian – abstract grid lines, primary colours including black, white and grey, and flatness. The limited colour palette has created stunning pieces!

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

CWA Morning Tea & Social Craft Morning

Chaplain Shane Scott (Chappy)

Seasons for Growth® Program for Yrs. 3 -6

Change and loss are issues that affect all of us at some stage in our lives. These times can be very challenging. At Miami SS we are pleased to be able to provide the evidence-based education program called Season for Growth. This program supports children to understand and respond well to the issues they experience as the result of a death, separation, divorce or other significant change events and loss. Children learn that change is part of life, naming and caring for feelings, problem-solving, making good choices and developing support networks. 

In term 3, I will facilitate Seasons for -Growth for a small group of years 3&4 and/or 5&6 students, depending on interest. They will attend 8 weekly sessions of 50 minutes during normal class time. Each child is given a journal to record their experience and learning during the program. There is no cost to parents/carers.

If you think your child would benefit from Seasons for Growth, I invite you to nominate them for this upcoming program (a brief explanation for your nomination is helpful). You can do this by contacting me at shanes@chappy.org.au

If you require further information, please contact me or visit www.goodgrief.org.au

Pancakes

Prep – 3               Monday 9th June             (Week 8)

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)

Prep 2026

Year 2 Burleigh Headland Excursion

Exploring Nature and Stories at Burleigh Headland – Year 2’s Adventure

Last week, Year 2 students had the joy of exploring the natural beauty and cultural significance of Burleigh Headland (Jellurgal). It was a fabulous day filled with fresh air, nature play, and meaningful learning.

As part of their HASS curriculum, students explored different perspectives on how landforms were created by engaging with First Nations Dreaming stories, Western narratives, and scientific theories. Their curiosity and thoughtful questions sparked rich discussion.

Highlights included creek exploration and inventing their own games. Many students embraced new experiences with courage and enthusiasm.

A big thank you to our wonderful parent helpers for their support throughout the day.

It was a joyful day of connection, curiosity, and growth. We’re incredibly proud of how beautifully our Year 2s represented our school.

Year 2 Team
Miss Tamara Cameron, Mrs Corene Richardson, Miss Jayne Allan, Mr Aaron Watts, Mrs Kelly Smith & Miss Olivia Sorensen

2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge

Once again Miami State School students are invited to join in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, from 6 May to 22 August.

To complete the challenge:

• Prep to Year 2 must read or experience at least 20 books
• Years 3 and 4 must read at least 20 books
• Years 5 to 9 must read at least 15 books.

Experiencing books can include shared reading, listening to stories, or reading picture books. The aim for the 2025 challenge is to encourage students to make time to read.

Every student who completes the challenge, and returns the completed record reader form, will receive a Certificate of Achievement. Hopefully many of our students will participate in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge.

LOTE News

Year 1 LOTE students used great concentration learning how to use chopsticks with Sensei in their Japanese lessons.

Performing Arts Evening