Our Week in Brisbane – STEM MAD, Culture, Friendship and Fun!

What an unforgettable week we’ve had! Eight of our incredible Year 5 and 6 students represented our school with pride, curiosity, and compassion during their adventure down to Brisbane for the BCE STEM MAD Showcase – and what a week it was!

The trip was packed with learning, cultural experiences, exciting challenges, and joyful moments. It was heartwarming to see our students grow not just in knowledge, but in confidence, friendship, and faith.

STEM MAD at the Brisbane Convention Centre

The heart of our journey was the STEM MAD competition, held at the Brisbane Convention Centre. It was a true joy to witness our students in their element – confidently presenting their projects, explaining their ideas, and engaging with others with such professionalism and excitement.

Ivyanne summed it up beautifully: “I loved going to the Brisbane Convention Centre and showing off our projects. Everybody was trying their best!”

Mr Jake, who worked with the students on their projects, reflected: “Watching the students enter a ‘flow state’ while presenting gave me goosebumps – they truly stepped up and owned the moment.”

Walter added, “STEM MAD was so fun – I loved seeing everyone’s inventions and hanging out with our St Finbarr’s friends and some of the STMC kids.”

Visits to Our Partner Schools

Our students also visited St Thomas More College (STMC) and St Finbarr’s Primary School. The welcome we received from these communities was overwhelming and deeply appreciated.

Lakeisha shared: “Going to St Finbarr’s was my favourite because the kids were so nice to us. They made us feel welcome and even threw us a party!”

Taye reflected on the generosity of our high school partners: “I really liked how the STMC students volunteered to help us and took time out of their day to be with us.”

Culture and Connection at Ngutana Lui

A highlight of the trip was our time at the Ngutana Lui Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre, where students learned about First Nations culture through dance, language, boomerang throwing, and enjoyed a traditional kup muri.

Ezmay said, “I really liked how Uncle Bani spoke to everyone and shared language from his own culture.”
It was a profound experience that deepened our understanding and appreciation of the rich Indigenous heritage that shapes our nation.

Facing Fears and Having Fun

No Brisbane adventure would be complete without a little fun! We celebrated the students’ hard work with a night at Holey Moley and a thrilling day at Dreamworld – where many students overcame fears and embraced joy.

Meleisha shared, “Dreamworld was amazing – I’ve never been on a rollercoaster before, and it was really fun!”

Peri added, “Shockwave was my favourite – I screamed so much!”

Zaiden couldn’t choose just one highlight: “Going to the Gold Coast was awesome – especially the Forest Flyers ride!”

And of course, Mr Jake got a kick out of the bumper cars: “Watching the students drive terribly and crash into everything was hilarious.”

This week was about more than STEM. It was about faith in action, building community, respecting culture, and celebrating growth. Our students walked away with new friendships, deeper understanding, and memories to last a lifetime.

To our eight young ambassadors – Ivyanne, Zaiden, Lakeisha, Walter, Periota, Taye, Ezmay, and Meleisha – thank you. You represented our school with pride, joy, and excellence.

We’re so proud of you.

Blessings,

This term, our class took pride in the many ways we are growing as learners. Students celebrated their hard work in writing, sounding out words, and handwriting, showing significant progress through the Little Learners Love Literacy program. They loved hands-on activities like Read and Grab, Sound Swap, Read, Write, and Draw, as well as creative projects such as building animal habitats, gardening, and exploring Australian animals like quokkas, wombats, and dugongs. Many students spoke proudly about coming to school every day, playing with friends, and learning Bible stories that show God’s promises. Looking ahead, they want to keep improving their reading, writing, drawing, and listening, as well as trying new challenges, showing kindness, and even taking on the role of “teacher.”

Jemimah
“I feel proud of my writing and sounding out words. I loved playing Read and Grab and Sound Swap with my friends. I really want to reach Year 2’s level! Next term, I want to get better at writing, painting, and learning to play instruments.”

Mikes
“I loved learning about quokkas and making my Rottnest Island habitat. One day, I want to travel to Perth to see a quokka smile. I’d like to keep improving my reading and writing, especially sounding out words.”

Shirley
“I’m proud of myself for coming to school every day. Making my koala habitat was so much fun because I got to build it using different materials. Next term, I want to challenge myself then teach my class.”

Viv
“I worked hard on my handwriting, and I’m proud that it’s getting neater. I liked learning about Sarah and Abraham because it showed me that God keeps promises, and I love that. Next term, I want to follow instructions straight away and have fun in my swimming lessons.”

Veronica
“I’m proud that I came to school every day, read books, played with my friends, and had fun. I loved gardening—planting flowers, watering them, and watching my beans grow. Next term, I want to be kind and look after my friends. I really want to be the teacher!”

Mere
“I’m proud of going to sleep early and learning about wombats. I loved Private Maths because I got to use gold coins and diamonds like treasure, and I had to count them in rows. I want to be a better listener and improve my reading and writing.”

Junior
“I felt proud when I learnt about dugongs, dingoes, and other Australian animals. I loved reading books and writing about my favourite animals because it made my brain grow. Next term, I want to get even better at reading and writing.”

Dante
“I loved learning about wombats, lyrebirds, cockatoos, and quokkas. My favourite activity was Read, Write and Draw because it challenged me with new words. I want to get better at sounding out, reading, spelling long words, and drawing.”

Too deadly! Well done, everyone. We can’t wait to watch your growth next term.

Kindest,

Ms Leah and Ms Michelle xxx

What a whirlwind of wonderful opportunities and warm memories for our Preps! We have competed in our first sports day – running, jumping and throwing – as well as learning how to be a good sport and good team mate. 

We have experienced the joy of Under 8s day in the park – being part of the kind and welcoming community that this island offers to all that live here.  We have taken amazing strides in our reading and writing – we now know all our letters and sounds and this term proudly wrote our own information books on Australian animals.  We have taken huge steps forwards in our maths thinking, learning new strategies for adding up and taking away numbers and gaining confidence in counting to 20 and beyond. 

Our flower garden has brought joy to the whole school, and regularly delivers fresh flowers to Ms Tomisina in the office and tomatoes to Ms Chi in the tuckshop.  Our ice-cream stall in the classroom has seen hours of imaginative play.  We finished the term with a celebration of all we have learnt – an alphabet letter parade – cheered on by the rest of the school community.  See you all in Term 4!

This term in religion we have looked at the Old Testament and covenants which God made with his people. We have read stories and formed images of what God looks like to us and who HE is…

Lucas: God is a creator – a saviour and a covenant maker.

Finlay: God loves us – he is watching us and he is like a superhero.

Ebony: God gave us the commandments – he is a friend to me.

Xhalia: Having God makes us better decision makers – makes everyone happier and creates loving, kind and respectful people.

Scarlett: He is always trustable – He is like a hero – He is love.

Trinity: He created the world – He loves everyone

Brancis: He is a kind God

Iarnah: God’s love NEVER ends.

Ella: God is loving and gave us the world and the 10 commandments.

Vincent: He is a kind being – He is full of peace.

Nataya: God is a person who is good to look after us – He gives family, things and he loves us.

Henry: He is helpful – He created the world – He gave the commandments.

Ivy: God knows what we do everyday and He is all powerful

Havana: God is wonderful and a loving person.

Braxton: God can raise the dead and he is a creator.

Makayla: God keeps his promises and is miraculous.

Treicee: God is KING and a miracle planner – like when he told Mary she would have baby Jesus.

Langston: I think God is like Batman – I think he can save me – I think he can stop bad men.

Martha: God is family; Love and  - He is the sea.  

… He is the sea?… so deep, so mysterious, so calm until the storm, so vast so all consuming, the life giver... God IS the sea.

We then looked at Jesus’ commandment:

Love one another….

and as Langston said, “Even love your enemies and when they hit you, you turn your face.

So, in term 3, I wondered who was teaching who.

Thank you for your children.

As we wrap up Term 3, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the fantastic work, learning, and experiences your children have been part of over the past ten weeks. It has been a term filled with creativity, curiosity, and connection, and I couldn’t be prouder of each student’s growth and effort.

In Literacy, we completed our novel study of Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda. The students explored powerful themes such as courage, self-belief, and transformation. Following the novel, we launched into a unit on poetry, where students wrote haikus, limericks, acrostic poems, and experimented with alliteration and onomatopoeia to express their ideas creatively and confidently. In Mathematics, our main focus was on the addition and subtraction of fractions. Students developed their fluency with like and related denominators and used visual models and number lines to support their understanding. In HASS, we concluded our study of democracy in Australia. The class explored how elections work, the roles of elected representatives, and how citizens can work together to achieve shared civic goals. Our Religious Education unit focused on the wisdom of the saints, particularly St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. We discussed how her strength and compassion continue to guide communities of faith today and how we can live out similar values in our everyday lives.

Alongside our classroom learning, Term 3 was rich with special events and excursions. Some of our students travelled to Cairns to perform at the ACEC Cultural Dance event, proudly showcasing the traditions of our community. We also welcomed a special Biosecurity talk where students learned about managing mosquitoes and fruit flies in the Torres Strait. Our visit to Star of the Sea Aged Care Home was a beautiful opportunity for students to connect with Elders and spread kindness. Children’s Day at ANZAC Park was another joyful highlight filled with games, art, and community celebration. A huge congratulations goes to Meleisha, Walter, Zaiden, Taye, Ivy-Anne, and Lakeisha for travelling to Brisbane to represent our class at the STEM MAD Showcase, where they presented a project focused on sustainability. What an incredible achievement!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support this term. The enthusiasm and encouragement you show at home has such a powerful impact in the classroom. I hope you and your family enjoy a restful and safe holiday break. We’re looking forward to a wonderful Term 4 together to finish the year on a high.

What a term it’s been for our incredible Year 6 students! From fundraising for camp through many great efforts by parents, staff and friends, to writing persuasive essays, students have shown commitment, creativity and teamwork every step of the way.

A major highlight was our Leadership Camp to Mungalli Falls, where students truly shone. They showed courage and resilience during abseiling and cliff climbing, taking that first step was the hardest, but they did it! Water raft building, flying fox, and a magical night walk to see glowworms added to the adventure. Students also learned about the Indigenous history of the site, traditionally used by women for birthing a powerful cultural experience.

Team-building activities like orienteering and archery brought out their competitive spirit. The Tagai team broke the Mungalli record in archery!!Must be those crayfishing skills! Low ropes and obstacle courses tested their strength and teamwork, with mud crawling, tyre jumping and cargo net climbing tackled brilliantly. Many thanks to Miss Kathryn and Miss Tish for their hard work on camp.

Staying at St Augustine’s gave students a taste of boarding life (and delicious food!), while Newman College hosted us for BMX riding, mixed sports, and a forest bike ride led by Zane Dockray. We wrapped up with a fun afternoon at the Wake Park, where students tried balancing on slides and wakeboarding, some for the first time!

A fantastic term full of growth, laughter and leadership.
 

Lifeskills