27 May 2025

From the Principal – Liam Hackwood

Yaama Ngulum (Hello everyone), we are past our halfway mark for the term which means that we are getting closer to the end of the first semester. Ringing in the New Year only felt like yesterday. When time does go fast, it really does go to show that every second counts at school. We have noticed that there is a high amount of students who are entering the school late in the morning. This morning routine is so vital for our kids. As we relate to it in adult terms, we never like being late to meetings, or late to work. It means that you are chasing your tail all day. It is the same for our students. I do ask that parents reflect on this in the morning and do the best they can to get their child to school on time. 8:40am is the perfect time to arrive at school!

Respecting Our Parent Code of Conduct

A gentle reminder that all parents and carers are expected to follow our school’s Parent Code of Conduct. This ensures a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for students, staff, and families alike. We ask that all interactions – whether with staff, other parents, or students – reflect the respectful behaviours we promote in our classrooms. Your partnership and positive example are vital to our culture of care and learning. Furthermore, The following are things that parents and carers should not expect:

• an immediate response to non-urgent inquiries - it may take a minimum of 2 or more business days
• staff to return calls or reply to emails outside standard business hours (including evenings and weekends)
• a response from staff to social media messages from their personal account
• access to teachers’ personal phone numbers or emails
• teachers to discuss school matters when not at work (e.g. if you see a teacher outside of school hours in the community)
• meetings with staff during the school day without an appointment
• to be allowed on school grounds if you have been aggressive or harassed staff or students

Celebrating Wonderful Learning and Experiences

Our classrooms have been buzzing with creativity, collaboration, and growth. This term has seen some excellent work across all year levels with our students busy writing information reports across the whole school. With the implementation of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum, there is stronger alignment now across our school.

At the end of Week 3, our cluster schools from Morayfield, Caboolture, Minimbah, Burpengary Meadows and Bellmere provided us with tremendous affirmations about our school. As we look to refine how we give feedback to students, our colleagues from the cluster were able to share with us that our staff are really doing a tremendous job, they commented specifically on the strong relationships that we have built with our students. While we are confident with our next steps for our staff, their visit of 27 classes across the school was a huge success for all.

Upcoming Assessments and Report Cards

As we approach the end of the term, students will be participating in various assessments to help us monitor progress and inform teaching. These assessments are a regular part of our learning cycle and provide valuable insights into each child’s development. Teachers will ensure students are well-prepared and supported during this time. You can help at home by maintaining regular routines, encouraging a positive mindset, and ensuring your child gets plenty of rest. A reminder that report cards for Semester 1 will be sent out at the beginning of Term 3.

Join Our New P&C Fundraising Committee

Since our last newsletter, we had our May General Meeting for the P&C. The P&C are excited to launch a new P&C Fundraising Committee and are inviting interested parents and carers to get involved. This is a fantastic way to give back to our school, help shape fundraising events, and build stronger community connections. No experience necessary – just bring your enthusiasm and ideas! If you are interested in joining this subcommittee, you are invited to contact the ladies at FundMESS@outlook.com . What an exciting opportunity to get involved with our school! Don’t forget, you can also provide feedback to the P&C about the most recent school disco and any future disco.

We Value Your Voice – SRS Feedback Opportunity

We’re currently reviewing our Student Resource Scheme (SRS) for next year and would appreciate your input. We’ll be discussing this at the June P&C meeting, and your feedback will help shape our decisions around resources, fees, and inclusions for 2026. Whether you have ideas, concerns, or questions – we’d love to hear from you. I am looking at a proposal of centrally managing the book lists for 2026 and I will be sending out a survey to parents and carers to seek feedback.

A Busy Finish to the Term

As we start to enter the last four weeks of Term 2, a reminder of some key dates which are coming up. Of course, stay up to date with everything on Facebook. Here are some key dates for your reference:

June 13 – 10-12 MESS Athletics Day (Years 5 & 6)
June 19 – Pyjama Day
June 25 – P-2 MESS Athletics Day
June 26 – 3-4 MESS Athletics Day
June 27 – Gymnastics and Red Dance performances in the morning (more information to come out regarding this.)

I wish you all a fabulous few weeks and look forward to connecting again when we are well and truly counting down to the end of the semester.

Yours in Learning,

Deputy News Prep – Natalie Arthur

Our Preps have enjoyed some exciting events over the past few weeks.

On Friday afternoon the 9 May our Prep students treated their mums, grandmothers, aunties and other special family members to a Mother’s Day afternoon tea and pampering session in their classrooms. There were nail salons, massage parlours, jewellery making stations and lots of smiles in every classroom. What a lovely way to celebrate our special people!

First Prep Excursion

On Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May our Preppies had their first excursion off school grounds when we headed to White Ridge Farm. There was so much excitement in the air!

Students enjoyed riding in the BIG bus, touring the farm with all the sights, sounds and smells and loved patting the bunnies, holding chickens, feeding the animals, mini golf and the tractor ride. Mr Hackwood even came along for a visit!

Our whole Prep team were so proud of our youngest students.

An extra special THANKS to our wonderful parent volunteers who helped make our two excursion days run smoothly. We appreciate your support.

Reading Detective Awards

Detective Arthur made her first visits to Prep classrooms last week to search for those students who are working hard to develop their PLD sound knowledge and early reading skills. 20 students across Prep classes received certificates and book prizes with more to come. Congratulations to our new readers! 

Under 8’s Day

Our annual Under 8s Day just gets better and better. Last Friday 23^rd of May all Prep to 2 students enjoyed a wonderful afternoon in the school grounds with friends and family.

Activities on offer included sensory play, pasta necklaces, butterflies, bubbles, sand cakes, science experiments, sensory boxes, Lego, mural painting, Taekwondo, Boom Whackers and more. Students loved the local Police car and radar checking their running speed and a chance to sit inside the Rural Fire truck. The petting zoo was popular, and the Murri Club performances were so entertaining.

The stunning weather contributed to a relaxed and fun vibe and the afternoon was thoroughly enjoyable.

A huge thankyou to Bec Favotto our Events and Marketing Officer for her organisation of this event for our school and a massive thanks to our amazing Prep to 2 staff for preparing so many fun activities. Thanks also to Toorbul Rural Fire Brigade, Police Service, Caboolture Early Years Place, Amazing Animals to You, Camp Australia and Lakerdis Martial Arts for their support of our event.

A BIG thank you to our wonderful families who came along and helped their child celebrate how special it is to be Under 8!

Upcoming events in our Prep calendar

May 27                                    Parent Info. Session and Open Day for 2026 Prep families
May 28                                    UQ Vision Screening
May 30                                    National Sorry Day
June 25                                   Prep - 2 MESS Athletics Carnival

News from Prep D with Mrs Sims

Prep D have been having a wonderful time learning about the weather and how it affects people through fun activities including role play, creative play and sensory play. So far we have played dress up games, created a weather wall, made kites, and conducted rain cloud experiments.

In the coming weeks we will be making snow 😁 and having pretend day at the beach 😊. 

News from our MESS Occupational Therapist (OT) – Taygan Courtney

I am an Occupational Therapist (OT) working with the Prep cohort at Morayfield East SS this year. OTs can help assess where developmental delays may be and can assist with developing fine motor, gross motor and perceptual skills in fun and engaging ways.

Prep is a big year for our little ones, with a lot of new experiences and lots of new growth and change. Getting enough good sleep is vital for their brains to develop and grow, but they need to be tired enough to get a good sleep. Something that can help with this is making sure they are active during the day to burn off their energy. The Preps have been practising animal walks at school as part of a program called Animal Fun.

Here are some ideas of OT gross motor activities that can be done at home to keep your prep child active:

If you have any questions about OT that you think other parents/caregivers would like to know the answers to, please feel free to send them to me on my email tcour35@eq.edu.au and I will try to provide the best answers in upcoming prep newsletters.

Deputy News Years 1 & 2 – Paul Simpson

Under 8s Day Celebrations at Morayfield East

Last Friday, Morayfield East State School came alive with excitement as we celebrated Under 8s Day — and what a fantastic day it was! Held in the middle of a mild autumn day, the event drew a large and enthusiastic crowd of students, parents, staff, and community members. There was a real buzz in the air as everyone came together to enjoy the fun-filled activities on offer.

The school grounds were busy with children laughing, creating, and exploring. Balloon tennis was a hit, as were the hands-on shaving cream and sand play stations. Creative minds got to work making masks and colourful noodle necklaces, and the animal petting area proved to be one of the most popular attractions, with long lines of eager students waiting patiently for a cuddle.

It was a true community event, with smiles all around and plenty of memorable moments shared between students, teachers, and families. A special highlight of the day was the popular “Where is Mr Hackwood?” activity, which had students excitedly searching for our principal in the crowd.

A big thank you goes out to the organisers, staff, and volunteers who made the day such a success. Your efforts helped create a wonderful experience for our youngest learners — one that will surely be remembered for years to come.

Paul

Deputy News Years 3 & 4 – Sue Clifton

It is hard to believe that we are already over halfway through this term. There has been lots of great things happening across classrooms and it is wonderful to see students engaged in their learning.

Our school expectations are Be a Learner, Be Respectful, Be Safe and Responsible. We believe in the importance of building relationships between teachers, students and parents. If you are having any concerns with your child, please get in touch with your teacher as the first point of call to have a chat. Most problems that arise, can often be sorted quickly through the classroom teacher.

Be a Learner

When students are engaged in their learning, they are making decisions and developing skills that will accompany them into adulthood and help them to achieve their goals. Another important factor in student achievement is attendance. When students miss a day of school, they are missing out on learning several important fundamental skills. Ensuring your child is at school, every day, gives them the best opportunity to achieve their goals.

Establishing good routines around school can assist with regular school attendance. These include:

• have a set time to go to bed
• have uniform and school bag ready the night before
• have a set time for starting and finishing breakfast
• set a time for daily homework activities
• speak about school positively

All students across year 3 loved the incursion “Wander with the Wildings”. They were able to get up close and personal with a saltwater crocodile, sugar gliders and a lizard. Students learnt lots of interesting facts and information and asked Ms Jodie some really good questions about the animals.

Year 3

In Mr Smith’s classroom, students have been busy creating informative reports on Australian native wildlife. After exploring three unique species, students began drafting their own reports using key facts and structured writing techniques. In Mathematics, students have been focusing on partitioning numbers to help solve addition and subtraction sentences more effectively. It has been a productive and engaging week of learning in 3F.

In 3B, students have partnered up to work together on researching the Tasmanian Devil. Students had to scan the QR codes and read through the information to take notes for the creation of their own informative text on the popular Australian animal.

In maths students have been focusing on different ways to display and solve multiplication facts. In this lesson, they were practicing arrays with Miss Reid’s secret lolly stash!

Diverse Learning in Year 3

In the support team we have been seeing some amazing progress with our students who participate in Intensive PLD groups. The children have been working hard on developing their letter sound knowledge and are now using this in word formation and their writing. They are so proud of their achievements.

Students have been working on developing their skills for end of term Informative text assessment. They have focused on sentence structure and turning their research information into sentences. In this activity students have taken important facts from a text about Emus and have jumbled it up with other words to then re-assemble it into simple sentences. Students have then tried to build on and create a more detailed factual sentence.

Year 4

Students in 4B are proud to showcase their individual learning folders that are supporting them with their learning in English. Each student’s folder holds the marking guide, a checklist and writing templates. Students decided they would divide the front of the folder into four sections so they could draw and visually represent what they learn about each term. 

Another great thing happening in 4B is the feedback passport that has just been introduced for each student. The passports include “I can statements” that align to the unit of work’s marking guide. Ms Cooke is able to provide feedback to each student, so they can improve their learning. 

Have a wonderful week

Sue Clifton
Deputy Principal

Deputy News Years 5 & 6 – Karen Herburg

Welcome to Week 6, Term 2!  This term has been very busy, and we are on the downhill slide until the June holidays begin.  There is still so much going on through the term, so please keep an eye out on events.

Year 6 Senior Leaders

I would like to acknowledge our Year 6 Senior Leaders, who have been helping out our younger students in the playground.  These responsible leaders wear their orange vests, which clearly show to other staff and students, who they are, and they are on a duty in that area.  I especially love to watch the younger students interacting with our Senior Leaders; it is definitely something!  To those Senior Leaders who helped out on Under 8’s Day, well done and super proud of you😊

Year 5 – Senior Leadership for 2026

Next term we will begin the process of Senior Leadership for 2026.  This is an exciting time for our Year 5 students, who are aspiring to be Senior Leaders and try out for Captain positions.  Without a doubt, we have fantastic Year 5 students who will not only be great leaders, but they will also be incredible role models for our younger students.  Watch this space for more information in the coming weeks.

Year 5 Camp

A reminder to all parents and carers that our first ever Year 5 Camp is happening this year.  Year 5 students will be participating in a 3-day camp at the Apex Queensland Youth Camp, Twin Waters.  The aim of the camp is to engage our students in a range of activities and challenges, that build their social skills, foster teamwork, resilience, and a love for the outdoors.  We are looking forward to sharing this amazing time with our students.  If you have not already, please ensure you have a camp note, if not, there are copies in the office that you can collected.  The dates of camp are Monday 8^th September to Wednesday 10^th September 2025.

Year 5 - Planetarium Excursion

All Year 5 students will be heading off to the Planetarium this week.  I will be attending with the teachers and students, and I look forward to what will be a great day and share some great photos in the next newsletter addition.

PCL (Positive Culture for Learning)

Teachers spend time in class talking with students about our school expectations Be a Learner, Be Respectful, Be Safe and Responsible. Every student should know exactly what our school expectations are, and how to conduct himself or herself in the classroom and in the playground. This is talked about often in class and teachers work with students around strategies when problems arise.

Unfortunately, there are a small number of students who are not following the schools’ expectations.  I would like to remind all students that it is unacceptable to walk out of a classroom during learning time, and to swear inappropriately at any teacher or staff member at this school. It is unacceptable to punch a student at this school and this behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances. There is ZERO tolerance to punching and the school will act accordingly with the appropriate consequences.

Classrooms in the Spotlight!

Well done to the students in Mrs Connell’s 5E for the incredible work they have been doing in Science, learning all about exploring the solar system!  The posters that the students have put together, really showcase their understanding of planets through the research that they have done.  Great work 5E!

6F Recreates Parliament House in Minecraft for Statewide Competition

Students in Mr Collin’s 6F class have taken learning to a whole new level—literally block by block—by participating in an exciting competition hosted by the Queensland Parliament. The challenge? Recreate and extend Brisbane's historic Parliament House using Minecraft Education Edition, blending technology, creativity, and civics education.

The statewide competition invited students from Years 4 to 12 to explore Queensland’s democracy in a hands-on, digital format. With the help of their teacher, 6F is designing an imaginative and educational extension of the iconic Legislative Assembly Chamber, showcasing their teamwork, problem-solving skills, and understanding of our parliamentary system.

The stakes are high, with prizes including Queensland Parliament merchandise, engraved awards, and the honour of bringing home the Parliamentary Education Cup to their school. Even more exciting, the winning model will be added to the Parliament's suite of educational resources, helping students all across Queensland learn about democracy in a fun and engaging way.

 “It’s amazing to see how our students are combining history, architecture, and digital technology,” said their teacher, Mr Collins. “They’re not just building walls and floors—they’re building knowledge and confidence.”

Last year’s winning design set a high bar with its detailed and functional replica of the Legislative Assembly Chamber, and 6F is determined to match it with a model that reflects both accuracy and innovation.

Stay tuned—our future leaders might just be Minecraft builders today!

News from 6D

This term, 6D have been working incredibly hard and showing great focus across all learning areas. In English, they are developing their research skills by exploring the inspiring stories of famous Australian refugees. Using this information, students are crafting informative texts to build understanding and empathy within our community. In Maths, the focus has been on mastering the order of operations and applying this knowledge to real-life scenarios by planning and managing a personal budget. It’s been a powerful term of inquiry, creativity and critical thinking, and I'm so proud of the commitment and effort 6D have shown this term!

Date Claimers

Student Engagement – Alistair Watt

LEAP UPDATE

The LEAP students have continued their journey in re-engaging with learning. There are so many individual success stories in each class with the students showing amazing progress in English, Maths and PLD. All students are currently focused on completing their informative text in English and preparing to complete their maths assessment. On Monday’s, they have started their specialists rotations with the classes rotating through PE, The Arts and Rock & Water.

The students have begun the process of transitioning back to their mainstream class by joining the class on Wednesday afternoons. The time with the class will increase in week 9 and 10 as they aim to return full time in Semester 2. We have also commenced the process of creating the LEAP class lists for Semester 2. Some of the current students will remain in the class and they will be joined by some new students who will benefit from the smaller class size.

Term 1 Prep-Yr2 Walking Club Winners

Congratulations to the term 1 Walking Club winners. A reminder that walking club is on the oval every morning starting at 8:15am. Students should remember to bring their QR code each morning to ensure that their laps are counted each day.

Year 3

1^st: Isobel – 121 laps
2^nd: 77 laps
3^rd: Willow – 50 laps

Year 4

1^st: Jasmine 76 laps
2^nd: Hunter – 68 laps
3^rd: Luca – 34 laps

Year 5

1^st: Chris & Maggie – 133 laps
2^nd: Olivia – 80 laps
3^rd: James – 75 laps

Year 6

1^st: Chris & Maggie – 133 laps
2^nd: Olivia – 80 laps
3^rd: James – 75 laps

P&C News

Hello, Morayfield East Families and Friends!

Congratulations on making it halfway through the Term! The P&C are always so grateful for the school community and support you are willing to show especially during our recent events: The Mother’s Day Stall and the Lilo & Stitch Movie Night!

The Mother’s Day stall was an absolute hit and we loved seeing how enthusiastic everyone was to shower their Mothers, Grandmothers and Carers with love! A special thankyou to all our volunteers over the course of the three days. We could not have done it without your support and willingness to give up your time to help man the stall - We see you and appreciate you!

Just like the recent Minecraft Movie Night, the Lilo & Stitch Movie Night brought many of our school families and community members together for a family friendly joy filled roller-coaster ride! If you missed out, don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities to come together with your families and school community in the future.

As you would have seen in a recent email, the P&C recently started a Fundraising Subcommittee. The goal of the Subcommittee is to focus on planning, organising and executing fundraising efforts to support the goals the P&C has. You don’t need to be a member of the P&C to attend. The first meeting will be held at 5:30pm on the 2nd of June at Café 63 Morayfield. Any questions drop us an email!

We are constantly considering the school families and communities feedback and would love to hear from you! A P&C survey was sent out on the 19th of May regarding the Discos and it would be awesome if you could fill that out before our next meeting.

Continue to keep an eye out for future events and if you would like to get involved, we’d love you hear from you so drop us an email at pandc@morayfieldeastss.eq.edu.au.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 16th of June at 3:15pm in the conference room in the school hall. All are welcome to attend, including your kids. These meetings are a great way to understand what is happening and connect in with other parents who are passionate about the school and its community.

Warm Regards,

The MESS P&C

News from the Tuckshop

Paper bag orders can be placed at the tuckshop before school, or you can use the QKR App if you wish to order online.

QKR is a convenient way to order food, uniforms, sports shirts and purchase tickets for discos and other P&C events. If you need assistance using QKR, please see Katie at the tuckshop.

QKR online cut off time is 8.30am. (If you are halfway through an order at 8.30am it will not work! You will need to come into the school or ring up. If there is no answer in the morning before school (especially Friday) you will need to come in!)

PLEASE NOTE: If orders are made over the phone or after 9am, only the sandwich package will be available. This includes a sandwich (choice of one of the following Cheese, Vegemite or Jam), an apple, popper or water and an ice block for $7

There are no over-the-counter sales for 1st break, these must be pre-ordered. Students can purchase drinks and ice creams as normal at 2nd break.

If you have any questions regarding the tuckshop, please contact Katie on 5428 8423.

As of this Term you will be unable to order uniforms from the Tuckshop counter between 9:00am and 11:30am as this is the Tuckshops busiest time in the day as they prepare for first break.

Katie, Chrissy and Kristen are our awesome tuckshop workers all do an amazing job of making sure the orders go out fresh and on time, but they are always in need of extra hands! If you can help out any day at any time even just for an hour please let Katie know. If you volunteer for four hours in one day you will receive a $10 credit that can go towards food in the tuckshop for your child.

When you are volunteering, please ensure that you sign in and out of the main office before and after each shift.  Before commencing your first shift you will need to complete the Parent and Community Volunteer Policy paperwork, available at the office.

News from the Health Room

⚽👕 The Great Uniform Round-Up! 👖🎒

Sometimes our students need a little help from the Health Room wardrobe – whether it's a lunchtime spill or a muddy adventure on the oval, we’ve got them covered (literally)! 🧼

But our trusty stash of spare uniforms is looking a little... well, bare. If you have any school uniforms at home that your child has outgrown or no longer needs, we’d love to give them a second life in the Health Room! Clean, gently-used donations are always welcome and deeply appreciated.

And if your child has borrowed a uniform recently, please help us keep the cycle going by washing and returning it as soon as possible – our supply is limited, and every item counts!

Want to chat more about donations? Give our friendly Health Room team a call on 542 88 446 – we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for helping us keep everyone comfy, covered, and classroom-ready! 🏫💙

Community News

Caboolture Show

At the upcoming Caboolture Show a small group of our Year 2 self-portraits have been selected for inclusion in the Schoolwork Displays. Our Visual Arts teacher, Mrs Stipanovic, will contact parents of those students.