28 April 2023

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL – LINDA GALLOWAY

I would like to welcome everyone back to what is a great start to Term 2. A special welcome to our new families who have joined us this term. This week we held our ANZAC Day parade, the event was supported by Minister Farmer and special guest speaker Mr Brian Daley OAM, president of the Bulimba RSL Sub-Branch. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the students, teachers and staff who participated in our school's ANZAC Day ceremony last Monday. It was truly heart-warming to see everyone come together to honour our fallen soldiers and pay tribute to the ANZAC legend. The ceremony was a wonderful reminder of the importance of this day and how we can continue to show our appreciation for our servicemen and women. I am proud to be part of a school community that values the ANZAC spirit and recognizes the sacrifices made by those who fought for our freedom.

One of the highlights of Term 1 was undoubtedly our end of term music concert – Top of the Pop’s, which showcased the exceptional talent of our students. I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the performances and the hard work and dedication shown by our music teachers and students. It was a joy to see our students performing and sharing their love of music with the school community. We also finished the term off with our annual cross-country event. I was delighted to see so many of our students participating and giving their all. It was a great opportunity for students to challenge themselves and work towards a common goal, and I was proud of the positive spirit and sportsmanship shown by all involved.

Our commitment to quality teaching and learning remains at the forefront of everything we do at Balmoral State High School. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to provide our students with a stimulating and engaging learning experience, and it has been wonderful to see the progress made by our students across all subjects. Over the past week and next week, we are running parent / teacher conferences. This is a great opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers and continue the work together in supporting their learning.

I am thrilled to announce that we have successfully completed the move into our new Administration Building. This project has been in the works for quite some time, and it has been wonderful to see it finally come to fruition. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire school community for their patience and understanding throughout this process. I know that the construction work has caused some disruption and inconvenience, but we have all worked together to ensure that the impact on student learning has been minimized.

Our new Administration Building is a state-of-the-art facility that will provide a modern and comfortable workspace for our staff. It features updated technology, spacious offices, and improved meeting spaces, all designed to enhance our ability to serve our students and their families. This project would not have been possible without the support of our school community, and I want to thank you all for your contributions. Your patience, cooperation, and understanding have been greatly appreciated, and we are excited to start using our new building to better serve our students and families.

Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of respectful communication with our school staff. We believe in fostering positive relationships between students, parents, and staff, and this requires a commitment to respectful and constructive communication. I urge all members of our school community to continue to prioritise this approach in all their interactions. I have included in the Newsletter the Parent and Community Code of Conduct which outlines the elements of engagement which expected that parents and visitors to our school community. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership with Balmoral State High School.

Linda Galloway
Principal

FROM THE DEPUTY – VANESSA CASH

Term 2 has begun well. Interim Report cards have been issued. The first round of Parent Teacher Interviews has occurred. School photos have been distributed. Our students have respectfully commemorated ANZAC Day. I am looking forward to the productive start to the term continuing to provide exciting opportunities for our students at Balmoral SHS.

There have been a number of staffing updates for the new term.

Katy Sprinkhuizen (Food and Textiles) and Erin Collins (Maths) have both returned from leave;
Lainey Harrison - Food and Textiles;
Madison Wheeler – Science and Humanities;
Kristina Conley – Teacher Aide

We welcome our new and returning teachers and staff members and know that they will settle successfully into our Balmoral school community.

We acknowledge that we have had a number of teacher changes for the term. Our Year 7 students have commenced a new Arts and Technology elective rotation. We are also in the process of recruiting teachers to fill some unexpected staff vacancies. Whilst we are finalising staffing, I thank Di Miller, Sean Kelly and Chris Meagher for their professional contributions and support for our students to provide continuing teaching and learning. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress in their classes, please do not hesitate to contact me.

ATTENDANCE – EVERY DAY COUNTS

Balmoral SHS has a very clear attendance expectation that every student should be attending school every lesson, every day throughout the entire week. If there is a reason why your child is absent from school, there is a legal obligation for you to provide a legitimate reason for that absence. All students are expected to set their individual attendance goal. The whole school attendance target is 93%. Students are able to monitor their attendance rate through Day Map.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Students at Balmoral are able to participate in the Duke of Ed Award in our Year 7 BRIDGE Award which encourages our younger students to accept challenges, set goals and explore their interests. Students aged 14 or older can work towards the more challenging levels of BRONZE, SILVER OR GOLD Awards within the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

The Award is structured to include the following four sections:

• Service – be involved in the community and help others
• Skill – develop personal interests and skills
• Physical Recreation – participate in physical activity and improve fitness
• Adventurous Journey – discover new surroundings, develop a sense of adventure and learn about the environment

Any students who are interested in completing the Bronze Award for the Duke of Edinburgh should contact me directly.

Vanessa Cash
Deputy Principal
Year 9 & 11 students

FROM THE DEPUTY – REBECCA GARDINER

VISIBLE LEADERSHIP - BEING A MEMBER OF THE BALMORAL TEAM

The education that is offered at Balmoral State High School is designed to prioritise the opportunity for every student to gain in depth knowledge in their areas of interest and then apply that knowledge to add value to the community.

With our Senior Cohort this year, I have discussed the concept of visible leadership in our school. It is the commitment of our students’ to a culture that aligns with our school values of R.E.A.L- responsible, excellent, accepting learners. Our key focus was representing the ‘Balmoral Team’ with pride and creating a legacy that all members of the school community are proud of.

From the start of our school year, I have seen remarkable examples of visible leadership from our students. We really are fortunate that our formal and informal leadership programs provide all students with the capability to contribute and the confidence to make a difference. From leadership of learning in classrooms, to Academy Training, House Cup Challenges and multiple extra-curricular oportunities, we really are fortunate to draw upon the strengths and diversity in student interests, encouraging all students to add value to our community.

The Inaugural iPS Alliance Student Leadership Conference was a great example of how we can effectively mentor students to develop their own leadership skills. Four of our Balmoral SHS Student Leaders, Boston, Akasha, Oliver and Addison, enhanced their capabilities to lead their peers by spending a day with world renowned leadership and high-performance team coach Dr Neil Carrington, young entrepreneur and youth leader Scott Millar and Maddie Smith-Jones from Education Changemakers. Our students used the methodology of the Theory of Change as a framework to create their united legacy. They decided that they wanted to “increase opportunities for student agency and voice so that Balmoral State High School continues to be an innovative and fun learning environment”.

Our students valued the opportunity to work collaboratively with one another, as well as with leaders from other schools, sharing design thinking ideas and leadership action plans. It was fantastic to spend the day with these four students and I left feeling inspired by their enthusiasm and feeling very confident that our school is in great hands.

THE BALMORAL TEAM - OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Throughout the year, we have recognised that being a part of the ‘Balmoral Team’ comes with opportunity and responsibilities. As a part of the Balmoral Team, we all have an important role to play and it is the collection of our individual contributions that makes our team culture strong and purposeful. We can demonstrate strength as a team by having students wear their uniforms with pride. When our students choose to do this, they are taking the time to prepare themselves and their mindset for learning. They are doing something that may seem quite small or insignificant, but they are, in fact, making a statement to our community that they are committed to Balmoral SHS and the values that we stand for. As we proceed towards our cooler months, I ask students and their families to ensure that the correct uniform items have been purchased in readiness for Winter. I am confident that all of our students are proud to belong to the Balmoral State High School community, therefore I look forward to seeing students wear their uniforms correctly during Term 2.

THE BALMORAL TEAM - EMBRACING OPPORTUNITIES

Finally, being a member of the ‘Balmoral Team’, means that you embrace the opportunities that are on offer at the school. As you are aware, upon arriving to Balmoral SHS all students and staff are welcomed into one of our four houses. These are named after Balmoral Alumni who have made significant contributions to our local community- Tunstall, Toyne, Coffey and Wilson. In recognising the fundamental importance that belonging has to our school culture, the house system encourages students to participate and contribute across all year levels. Students join together in House Groups for one lesson a week and they compete in interhouse competitions in a range of academic, cultural and sporting pursuits. I look forward to seeing our students embrace all opportunities that are offered this term. It is an exciting time to be a member of the Balmoral State High School team!

Rebecca Gardiner
Deputy Principal
Senior Secondary
Year 8 & 12 students

FROM THE HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOLING

Welcome back to Term 2, I hope everyone got to enjoy some time with family over the school holiday and Easter break. It has been a busy start to the term with preparations for Year 7 camp being finalised, district representative sport days and Parent Teacher interviews all happening in the first few weeks.

This term in Junior school, we have Leanne McFie helping out in the Junior Secondary Head of Department role, taking my place on camp to support Daniel Wettenhall with the biggest cohort ever attending. I am very disappointed that I cannot attend for the entire time, however Mr Baker and I will be visiting the campers during the week. This is a great opportunity for students and teachers to get to know each other while challenging themselves and supporting others to overcome obstacles and achieve success in an environment that many have not experienced before. It is one of my favourite things about my current role, seeing students learn, not just in the classroom, but about themselves and each other and form friendships that may last well beyond high school. I wish them all the best and look forward to seeing their transformation at the end of their week at Emu Gully.

Back at school we continue with our focus of becoming part of the school community and what it means to be a R.E.A.L. (responsible, excellent, accepting, learner) student. The junior school focus is specifically around the electronic device policy, which for Junior students is;

• All electronic devices (mobile phones, iPhones, MP3 players, iPads and all similar devices) are to be switched off and out of sight during school contact hours and including excursions and visits to other schools. Contact hours are from 8:45am to 2:45pm each day.
• No wireless earbuds are permitted.

All students in Junior school who have breached this policy in Term 1 have had an email sent home by me at the beginning of Term 2. The full policy can be found on our website (https://balmoralshs.eq.edu.au/our-school/rules-and-policies) and also in the student diary on pages 12-13. If you could please discuss this policy with your children, we can all support them to minimise distraction and disruption to learning while at school.

I am looking forward to another busy term working with students, families and the wider Gateway School network to ensure every student is getting the most out of being part of the Balmoral State High School community.

Kellie Baumgart
HOD Junior Schooling

WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

OPEN DAY – TUESDAY 16 MAY 2023

Balmoral State High School invites all prospective students for 2024 and beyond to attend our Open Day on Tuesday 16 May 2023.

Take part in a tour of our beautiful grounds and amazing facilities, speak with our friendly staff, and see what we have to offer! Join us from 3pm or come along any time after, we will be available and onsite until 6pm.

To attend this fun and informative event, please register your details via the following link:

Stay up to date across our socials: Facebook/Instagram: @BalmoralSHS

HOMESTAY FAMILIES NEEDED

MOTHER’S DAY HIGH TEA

ANZAC DAY TRIBUTE

Our ANZAC Day tribute at a full school assembly on Monday has been widely praised as a highly respectful commemoration of this important event.

Led by Captains, Jack and Parker, our school service recognised the bravery and self-sacrifice of past and present generations. It commenced with a Catafalque procession led by our Cadets: Hope, Miller, Jack, Nils and Mr Cheesman. We were delighted to welcome guest speaker, Mr Brian Daley, President of the Bulimba District RSL Sub Branch. Olive delivered an inspiring Acknowledgement of Country which recognised that the stories, contributions and bravery of our First Nations service people form an integral part of our ANZAC identity. Our vice Captains, Akasha, Boston and junior Captains Addison and Oliver presented the ANZAC Requiem while our Prima Band’s performance of Abide with Me was a solemn accompaniment to the laying of the wreaths which was followed by The Ode, The Last Post and a minute silence.

On Tuesday at 7am, students and staff from Balmoral joined service men and women and community members for the annual Bulimba ANZAC Day march to Memorial Park. It was a memorable walk, with huge numbers gathered to pay their respects to the men and women who have served our country in war. As school Captain, I was extremely honoured to lay the wreath on behalf of Balmoral State High School and was moved by the speeches from members of the military and local parliamentarians. Taking part in the march was a wonderful way to reflect and give thanks to all who have served and continue to serve in the Australian and New Zealand armies.

In both of these services, our Balmoral SHS community showed our genuine respect and appreciation for the spirit of the ANZACs and the contributions of our armed forces to our Australian nation. LEST WE FORGET.

Balmoral State High School Student, Parker Campbell

CONGRATULATIONS JONAH TURNER

Jonah has been doing Olympic diving for close to 5 years now. Since starting at Balmoral, he is part of a select few who have been inducted into the Queensland Academy of Sport and are part of the High-performance pillar of Diving Qld.

Jonah has just been selected to represent Queensland at the Australian Junior Elite National event being held in July in Adelaide. From there, he should qualify to attend World Junior Championships next year to represent Australia, internationally.

This is a huge achievement and one which has seen him train in excess of 24 hours a week, twice a day with only Sunday off. He has suffered and recovered from a fractured back, ankle and multiple injuries to his wrists over the years.

Join us in celebrating his efforts and achievements in maintaining such a high level of integrity, skill and resilience both personally and in his sport! He is also a Level 1 diving coach (coaching 3 nights a week) and is leading the next generation and the 2032 athletes towards their Olympic dreams.

He will be competing in the Australian School Sports qualifier next month and he is confident he will be able to represent Balmoral State High School at the National event later in the year.

SUPPORT SHAYLA WILLIAMS

Shayla Williams is an up-and-coming Football player who has played soccer since the young age of 4. She now plays for the QAS U15 team here in Brisbane and has been a part of the program for the past 3 years.

After competing in the National Youth Championships late last year she was invited to attend several Junior Matilda's training camps. Her success as a Forward in these camps has led her to be selected in the Junior Matilda's squad to compete in the AFC Round 1 Qualifiers in Mongolia.

She attends Balmoral State High School in Grade 10 where she actively participates in the Football Academy program there. In the Football off season, she enjoys playing Futsal for both club and school competitions.

Money raised will help her continue to prepare for future competitions to give her every opportunity to succeed and achieve at the highest level.

If you wish to make a donation, please use the following link:

NEXT STEPS SURVEY

The Queensland Government will conduct its annual state-wide survey of all students who completed Year 12 in 2022. The Next Step survey is a brief, confidential survey that gains a comprehensive picture of the employment, study and life choices made by Queensland school completers in the year after they finish Year 12.

Between March and June this year, all of our students that completed Year 12 last year will receive instructions to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office inviting them to complete the survey. We encourage all of our students to take part. For more information, please phone 1800068587 or visit the link below.

ECOMARINES UPDATES

Today Izzy, Audrey, Arlo and Charlie completed their EcoMarines ambassador training at Tangalooma.

We dodged the rain and enjoyed the island while learning about food waste, fast fashion, plastic pollution, waste water management and a range of sustainable practices.

Our students represented Balmoral with great pride and worked extremely well with their teammates from Kenmore SHS.

BALMORAL FOOTBALL ACADEMY NEWS

FOOTBALL REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS

We mentioned in our previous newsletter that Shayla had been selected to attend the U17 Junior Matildas training and selection camps and had then been included in a narrowed down squad for selection purposes to attend the final camp in Canberra prior to the Easter holidays. From this final selection camp Shayla gained selection in the CommBank Junior Matildas National U17 Football team for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Indonesia 2024 – Qualifiers Round 1. Shayla is currently in Mongolia with the team preparing for their tournament where they play against host nation Mongolia and Chinese Taipei. The Balmoral football academy family is so proud of Shayla’s achievements knowing the sacrifices and hard work that Shayla puts towards gaining such success.

Year 7 QFSL Cluster day

We hosted other QFSL schools from Brisbane and the Gold Coast in a day of 9 a-side games on Tuesday 28th March to provide our year 7 students/players a taste of higher-level school football. We entered four teams consisting of three boys’ teams and a combined year 7 and 8 girls’ team who competed admirably against all boys’ teams throughout the day. The year 9 academy students were the referees and assistant referees for the day controlling over 20 matches on the day. Opposing schools and coaches congratulated our year 9 students on how they refereed the games and how they conducted themselves.

2024 Year 7 Football Academy trial

Our first trial day has been set for next years, year 7 intake. The date is Thursday 1st June with the trial being held at the Balmoral SHS fields. Application forms can be obtained from the school website and all trialists are required to complete and forward the form to the school administration team.

Any questions or requests for information regarding the football academy should be directed to Mr Zimmerlie, our football academy director at dzimm2@eq.edu.au or by phoning 3823 8557.

BALMORAL MUSIC ACADEMY NEWS

Instrumental Music Update

Rehearsals are back in full swing this week with our students already busy with preparations for our next concert! If you are wondering what to expect at this terms concert… Watch this space!

Music Academy Auditions

If you love playing an instrument or singing and are interested in being part of a likeminded community of musicians, then the Balmoral State High School Music Academy program is for you.

Fill out the Application Form and lock in your audition date! You do not want to miss out.

Fill out the Application Form and lock in your audition date! You do not want to miss out.

Live auditions will be held in Term 2 (Wednesday 24 May) and Term 3 (Wednesday 16 August). Alternatively, we also accept video/USB submissions of audition material.

Further details will be sent once your application is received regarding audition times.

Please get in touch if you have any further questions musicacademy@bshs.eq.edu.au.

BALMORAL MUSIC NEWS

Prima ANZAC Day Service

Congratulations to our Prima students who performed as part of our school ANZAC Day service. Our students upheld the ANZAC spirit through their sombre and respectful renditions of the “Abide with Me” and the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems. Well done Prima.

WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENTS NEEDED

Are you a parent, past pupil or member of our community who can assist our students with a work experience opportunity?

Please help us grow our database of potential work experience providers, allowing our students to gain essential life skills. All Year 10 students will need placements in Term 2, 2023.

Any assistance would be appreciated; please get in touch with HOD Senior Schooling, Sarah McDaniel - smcda9@eq.edu.au

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Students at Balmoral are able to participate in the Duke of Ed Award in our Year 7 BRIDGE Award which encourages our younger students to accept challenges, set goals and explore their interests. Students aged 14 or older can work towards the more challenging levels of BRONZE, SILVER OR GOLD Awards within the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

The Award is structured to include the following four sections:

• Service – be involved in the community and help others
• Skill – develop personal interests and skills
• Physical Recreation - participate in physical activity and improve fitness
• Adventurous Journey - discover new surroundings, develop a sense of adventure and learn about the environment

Any students who are interested in completing the Bronze Award for the Duke of Edinburgh should contact Ms Cash.

Mr Wettenhall will be providing information to Year 7 families for the Bridge Award which will commence in Term 2.

GUIDANCE OFFICER WEEK

This week is Guidance Week. We are celebrating 75 years of guidance services in Queensland schools. Guidance Officers contribute to the development of a comprehensive student support and wellbeing program, which is responsive to the needs of the school community.

Support provided by guidance officers includes advice and counselling on educational, behavioural, vocational, personal, social, family, and mental health and wellbeing issues.

Psychoeducational assessments and career development also form an important part of the work GOs undertake to enhance positive educational outcomes and career pathways for all students.

In addition, GOs are able to provide training and support to staff in order to build their understanding and capability about how best to support students' mental health and wellbeing.

Guidance officers provide leadership, support and case management in responding to some of the most complex and challenging of circumstances, including student protection matters, critical incidents, mental health issues, and suicide prevention and postvention support.

At Balmoral we have two Guidance Officers, Mrs Nicole Collins (Yrs 7, 9 & 11) and Ms Kate Niland (Yrs 8, 10 & 12).

Parents and students are able to contact Guidance Officers for an appointment.

Happy 75 Years Guidance Officers ….

Kate Niland & Nicole Collins
(Guidance Officers)

NATIONAL FIRE ANT PROGRAM

Fire ants are one of the world’s most invasive pests and they have the potential to devastate our environment, economy and the outdoor way of life we know and love. To stop the spread of fire ants, the Department of Education is collaborating with the National Fire Ant Eradication Program to manage fire ants across schools within South East Queensland. This important work will help protect our schools and community from the dangers posed by fire ants.

An initial pilot program has treated 46 schools across the Logan, Ipswich, Somerset and Gold Coast City local government areas (Metropolitan and South East education regions). This will expand over the coming years to include additional schools. The treatment consists of applying two rounds of an insect growth regulator which sterilises the fire ant queen and prevents new ants from maturing into adults. These types of products are widely used in mosquito control programs, cockroach treatment and pet flea collars and when used according to instructions, are not harmful to humans, pets or wildlife.

The first round of treatment occurred in early 2023 and round two is being completed during April and May. The fire ant bait is being applied by experienced pest management technicians.

The school treatment program supports efforts to eradicate fire ants within South East Queensland by suppressing the fire ant population in areas until eradication treatment takes place. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 all Queenslanders have an obligation to manage biosecurity risks. The Department of Education is meeting its obligations by managing fire ants on land it owns or manages.

The National Fire Ant Eradication Program is also running a range of community projects to provide residents in selected suburbs with free fire ant bait to treat their yards to support eradication goals. For the latest information on community projects or for more information about fire ants visit: https://www.fireants.org.au

SCHOOL BUS UPDATE

Translink operates the school bus services for before and after school bus transport. Following extended negotiations with Translink and the Carina bus depot, we are pleased to announce that an additional “sweeper” bus has been approved for both our morning and afternoon bus transport services for students.

• The morning sweeper will be numbered as 807 and commence at Cannon Hill interchange at 8am and will run before the 811.
• The afternoon sweeper will be numbered as 808, commencing at Balmoral SHS and stopping at all stops on route to the Cannon Hill interchange where it will terminate.

There are now five BCC buses which operate after school bus routes:

• 807 departs at 2.55pm and runs express to Stop 34 at East Village on Wynnum Road and continues to Cannon Hill and Murarrie.
• 808 departs at 2.54pm for the Cannon Hill interchange
• 811 departs 3pm for Balmoral, Morningside, Cannon Hill, Murarrie, Tingalpa and Belmont
• 831 departs 3pm via Hawthorne, Bulimba, Balmoral, Morningside and terminates at the Cannon Hill interchange for connection to the Carina route
• The BCC regular 235 bus routes departs at 3.15pm from Walkers drive (Bulimba bound) and Thynne Road (city bound). Students are able to travel to Morningside train station by catching the city bound 235 bus.

Bus route maps can be found below:

We remind families that all students who travel on the bus are expected to know and abide by the rules outlined in The Code of Conduct for School Students Travelling on Buses. Click here to view.

This Code of Conduct includes paying the correct bus fare by using a Go Card. Fare evasion is regarded as misconduct under the Code of Conduct and consequences can be imposed. Can we please ask families to ensure that students always use their go cards for bus travel.

If you have any feedback about the school bus service, please contact me directly so that we can continue to work in cooperation with Translink and Brisbane City Council to ensure a safe and reliable school bus travel for our students.

Vanessa Cash
Deputy Principal

QPARENTS

Balmoral State High School will provide parents with access to a convenient, online education department approved parent portal called QParents.

The QParents web and mobile application provides an easier way for you to interact with our school. Parents will have secure, online access to their child's student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

QParents provides secure, online access to student information such as:

• Consent management
• Attendance details
• Report cards
• Downloading exam timetables and assessment planners
• Class timetables
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• Upcoming events
• Payment history
• Student photo

The benefits of QParents

Convenience and time saving for parents

• Parents can view or update their child's details without having to pay invoices and report absences without having to call the school or come into the office.
• Secure 24/7 online access.
• Available anytime, anywhere — access QParents on your smart phone, tablet or computer on a web browser or using the app (iPhone or Android).

Greater transparency of information

• Improves accountability between parents and schools by providing parents with timely access to their child's information online.
• Allows parents to engage more deeply in their child's schooling.

Improved administration efficiencies for schools

• Allows schools to streamline their administrative processes and cut down on printing.

What do you need to do to get started?

The office will be sending out emails inviting parents or guardians to become a QParents Account Owner (QPAO) for their student. 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. To obtain full access to student information, as part of their QParents registration users must complete an identity verification process. QParents offers two options for identity verification – online and offline.

If you don't have sufficient documents, or are unsure, you may still be able to register. For more information on the online identity verification process, see the link below.

Please note that QParents does not maintain copies or records of any identity documents used for account verification, either online or offline.

EQ ID

You will also need to have your child's EQ ID (their Education Queensland identification number) in order to complete your QParents registration. This can be found on your student’s ID Card or timetable.

Safe and secure

QParents is a secure portal that meets strict industry standards. The Department of Education and Training considers student information to be confidential (it is classified as PROTECTED by the Department). Only people with the right to access information about their child will be given an account. Additionally, as part of the registration process, 100 points of identity or equivalent will need to be presented to prove that the person who is registering is the person the school invited.

Further information

BCC PARKING OFFICERS PATROLLING FRONT OF SCHOOL

After ongoing concerns from Council Bus drivers regarding the danger of collision with illegally parked cars, Council has informed the school they will begin regular afternoon patrols from 2.30. Fines associated with these infringements range from $143 to $287.

Two major issues identified by Council are:

Parking on yellow lines: A driver must not stop where a no stopping sign or yellow no stopping line applies.

Passenger loading zone: Passenger Loading Zones allow you to stop for up to two minutes to pick up or drop off your child. This should be enough time to help your child with luggage and seatbelts. While it is preferable that you do not leave your car, you are permitted to do so to walk a young child into school or to collect your child, however you still need to be mindful of the two-minute limit.

Further information provided by Council can be accessed below:

This is a link that provides all parking rules Council enforces at schools.

These Council’s regulations ensure a safe environment for all students, and the school would ask parents to follow these guidelines please

MEDICATION SAFETY AT SCHOOL

Does your child need medication during school hours?

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

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

If you have any queries, please contact the office by email, info@balmoralshs.eq.edu.au

SAVER PLUS PROGRAM – THE SMITH FAMILY

The increased cost of living in recent times has impacted many families, making the back-to-school period a stressful time for those on lower incomes.

The Smith Family continues to run its matched savings program for families to help with school related expenses. Saver Plus supports eligible families to save for education related expenses by providing up to $500 for school costs via our free budgeting and matched savings program. We have now had over 55,000 families complete the program, and the program is now delivered virtually.

You can find more information about the program on our  website  or our  Facebook  page.

Here is a short video about the program:

Families can use this initiative to pay for items such as:

• Laptops, computers, or tablets
• School uniforms
• School books and stationery
• Textbooks
• Music classes or instruments
• Sporting classes or equipment
• Excursions and camps

NAVY CADETS RECRUITING FOR 2023

JOB VACANCIES AT SUNCORP STADIUM

JOB VACANCIES AT GOODSTART EARLY LEARNING

Seeking Community Members of Polynesian Heritage

WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS