22 October 2025

Principal’s Pride

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,

Welcome to our Week 3 Newsletter. 

A massive thank you also to our entire school community for your generous support of the Free Dress Day last Friday to gain donations for the P&C Christmas Hamper Raffle. Please see the P&C section of this newsletter for all information regarding how you can support their final fundraising endeavours for the school year. 

2025 School Opinion Survey data is now available

Parent/Caregiver, Staff and Student School Opinion Survey Data has now become available for viewing. Over forthcoming Staff Meetings, Student Council Meetings, P&C Meetings and Parent/Caregiver Newsletters I will share some of the key themes, successes and areas for improvement with all key stakeholders. Today I would like to share the highlights snapshot below:

State Education Week – 27 to 31 October – Week 4

This year we will again showcase and celebrate State Education Week with our school community through Facebook posts sharing student work.  The theme for 2025 is 'Great Stories Start Here'. Queensland state schools provide the pathways for students to reach their full potential and to create their own stories.   

State Education Week is an opportunity to promote the great work being done at The Willows State School to help each student fulfil their unique potential. Look out for exciting daily Facebook sharing of our students fulfilling their potential and creating their own stories next week!

ADVANCE NOTICE: FINAL 2025 Performer’s Concert – your support appreciated

During State Education Week in Week 4 we will proudly showcase the works of our Choral and Instrumental Music students at our FINAL Performers’ Concert for 2025.  All children are performing on Tuesday, 28th October in The Carol Buchanan Centre (TCBC). This is our last formal performance for the year. It is expected that every member is in attendance as a requirement of students being part of the Instrumental and Choral Programs.

All parents/caregivers are cordially invited to attend our Performers’ Concert starting at 4.30pm. All children are required to be at the music room by 3.45pm to change into full music uniform. They also require black shoes, white socks, navy blue skorts/skirts/shorts. They will meet with their teachers and tune up ready to start promptly at 4.30pm.

We look forward to acknowledging our students’ achievements and growth across 2025 in ‘The Arts.’

ADVANCE NOTICE: Day for Daniel – Friday, 31 October

This is a National Day of Action to raise awareness of Child Safety, Protection and Prevention. Students need to hear important child safety messages so they can –

• recognise safe and unsafe situations using safety clues
• react to keep themselves safe
• report unsafe situations, unsafe phone and online incidents.

On Friday, 31 October, students and staff are asked to wear red. NO GOLD COIN DONATION. Teachers will utilise the resources from the Daniel Morcombe website and the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety School Curriculum with students during this week. Parents can also access the Daniel Morcombe website and show their children the many videos and activities available at this site: 

Phillip Thompson OAM MP Christmas Card Competition

Phillip Thompson has invited our school to participate in a fun activity which could see some of our students’ artwork take pride of place on his 2025 Christmas card, which will be going out to all constituents in the electorate of Herbert.

Students in years Prep to Year 3 are invited to draw and colour a Christmas-themed artwork to fit the theme Christmas in the Tropics. Designs must be done in landscape orientation.

The worksheet (attached to this newsletter) would need to be signed by a parent/guardian before being returned to the school by Thursday, 30 October 2025. His office will then arrange to pick up the artworks on Friday, 31 October 2025. Artwork cannot be considered after this date.

A winner, second and third place will be selected from each year group from Prep to Year 3, with the selected entries to be printed on the official Christmas card. The winning student from each year group will each receive a $50 gift card.

Interested students are also able to obtain worksheets from S Pod.

REMINDER: Natalie Marr MP – Thuringowa Christmas Card Competition

STAS – School Transport Assistance Scheme – refer flyer for details

Student Leaders 2026 – Selection Process Timelines

Students who have nominated for Sport and Music Captain roles will be participating in their selection and voting processes THIS week on Thursday, 23 October. I wish all sport and music captain nominees the very best for their speeches. All 2026 student leadership roles will be announced to the applicants in Week 6.

2026 BYOx Program – Year 4 to 5

Thank you to the families who were able to come along to our Term 3 and Term 4 BYOx Parent information Sessions. Please contact the school to request further information if you were unable to attend. Please also notify the school as soon as possible if you have made the decision to commit your child to the BYOx Program in 2026 as class planning is occurring early in Term 4.

REMINDER: 2026 Prep Enrolments

Prospective 2026 Prep students and parents/caregivers may like to consider attending a Willows Warriors Pre-Prep Program session on a Wednesday to support the transition and orientation process to school. Please contact our school office to obtain further information about this free program.

Our final Prep Bulk Enrolment Session will be held on Wednesday, 29 October, with our Prep Open Day Sessions for all enrolled 2026 Prep students occurring on Wednesday, 12 November.  These sessions provide an excellent opportunity for families to learn more about our great school and our incoming Prep students to experience a classroom environment.

2026 ENROLMENTS – NOW OPEN FOR ALL YEAR LEVELS 

Our school is still taking enrolments for the 2026 school year. Please get your enrolment forms in as soon as possible, to inform school planning. Should you know of friends or family looking to join our great school, please inform them that they are also most welcome to contact the school for further information and to obtain an enrolment package. 

Our next bulk enrolment session for 2026 Prep to Year 6 students will be held on Wednesday, 26 November.

Is your Prep to Year 5 Student Transferring to Another School in 2026?

We would appreciate early notice if your child, or children, will be transferring to another school in 2026. Please inform the office by phone on 47 991 333, email admin@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au OR complete the below survey at your earliest convenience.

The Willows State School Attendance Strategy – Every Day Counts!

Students are encouraged to come to school on every day they are well enough to attend. Our current whole school attendance YTD is currently 89.3%.  We are committed to maximising learning days for all students to ensure the best possible learning and life outcomes can be achieved.

Please contact the school to speak with your child’s class teacher or relevant Deputy Principal in the first instance should you require any support with school attendance concerns. We have a number of student wellbeing and engagement staff who can assist families. It is vitally important to seek help to work through any worries early on, before concerns escalate or poor patterns of attendance become established.

Have a wonderful week. Keep encouraging your students to ‘finish the year strong.’

Our next newsletter for Term 4 will be issued on Wednesday 29 October.

Warm regards,
Michelle Donn
Principal

Upcoming Events

Year Level Parade Times

Permission Forms

Prep Life Education

Year 2 Life Education

Year 2 and 4 Swimming Lessons

Year 6 End of Year Activities

General News

Performer’s Concert 2025

🍓 Try It Tuesday – Berry Edition! 🍇

Prep to Year 2 students took part in Pick of the Crop’s Try It Tuesday – Berry Edition! 🫐🍓

Students explored new flavours and textures as they tasted raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and mulberries. It was wonderful to see so many brave taste testers giving something new a go and discovering new favourites!

Trying new foods helps students build healthy habits and learn more about where our food comes from. Well done to all our adventurous eaters today! 👏

👉 Keep an eye out for more Try It Tuesday experiences coming up during Term 4 — we can’t wait to see what’s next!

Positive Behaviour Learning (Safe, Respectful, Responsible)

Positive Behaviour for Learning News

PBL Fortnightly Focus

This fortnight we will focus on ‘Safe Choices’ and creating safe environments both online and offline. This is in alignment with Australia’s largest child safety education and awareness day, ‘Day for Daniel’.  The theme for 2025 is "Safe Spaces," which emphasizes creating safer online and offline environments for children.

Throughout the next fortnight students will learn to make smart, safe choices. They will be able to identify early warning signs in their body indicating they don’t feel safe, and we will be teaching the strategies needed to seek assistance in unsafe situations at school, home, online and in our community.

Day for Daniel a day dedicated to raising awareness of child safety will be held on Friday 31st of October this year. To show our support and commitment to promoting child safety we encourage everyone to wear red on this day. The key message is to empower children to "Recognise, React, and Report" unsafe situations.

SAVE THE DATE – Day for Daniel (Term 4, Week 4)

Student Leaders

Congratulations to all the students who have been shortlisted for Sports or Music Captains. The speeches for these positions will be held on Thursday 23^rd October.

Music Captain speeches will happen at First Break in the Music room. All of the Choir and Instrumental music students are invited to attend this.

Sports Captain speeches will happen in the last session and the Year 4 and 5 students in each house group will vote after listening to the applicants.

Goodluck to all the students involved.

Announcements of the 2026 leaders will happen in Week 6.

P and C News

🎃🧛‍♀️ The Willows State School P&C Presents 🧟‍♂️🎶
BOOOOO-SICAL BINGO!
A spooky twist on your favourite game night!

📅 Friday, October 24
⏰ Doors open 6:00PM | Bingo kicks off 6:30PM
📍 The Willows State School Hall

Get ready for a fang-tastic night of Halloween-themed Musical Bingo!
Come dressed in your creepiest, funniest or most creative costume for your chance to win Best Dressed Awards.

Prizes to be won!

• Cash Prizes
• Lucky Door Prizes
• Best Dressed Awards

Pre-order your platters!

• Antipasto
• Cob Loaf
• Bolognese Pasta
• Sweet Platter
  Platter pre-orders close Tuesday, October 21.

Bar available on the night – No BYO Alcohol

$20 per player - Includes your own Musical Bingo sheet!

Tickets and platters can be purchased:

• By returning the booking form with cash
• Or via Flexischools

Please note: Platters may contain gluten, dairy and other allergens. Email us for ingredient info if required.

Defence News

Hello and welcome to all Defence families/caregivers and students,

Life can be Busy! The Defence lifestyle can be very challenging day to day and there can be many obstacles that may appear in our path. Some will be small and some will be large. Always evaluate the challenge and apply relevant worry. Can it be resolved easily with minimum fuss or is it going to require more attention? Don’t worry about stuff that hasn’t happened yet and Live for the Day! If the problem is too great, there are many supports available. Walk into DMFS office in Nathan Street Monday to Friday and ask to see a Social Worker or call Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

If you are Posting out this year, please make contact with the office and myself. I am available for a chat on Monday to Wednesday from 8am to 3.30pm in P2. Please call in. Always reach out to your chosen new school directly and request an enrolment pack. Complete and return to school before leaving town. This will assist with the process on arrival to your new location.  Please reach out to me if you have any more questions. Don’t forget to register for Geckos Xmas Party details below. DMFS newsletter attached is packed with activities to attend. Fact sheets on Moving.

The attached flyer provides information that can support you and your family with the transition into a new school. Details include how to contact the Education Liaison Officer at DMFS which are an advisory service designed to inform Defence families on relocation and schools.

Education Assistance Scheme is available to access for tutoring within 18months of posting to a new school. This is available for all primary and high school aged children who may require support in Maths and English. Contact the DMFS Helpline on 1800 624 608 for all details on how to apply. With approval your child can have access to 14 hrs of tutoring for both Maths and English through a private tutor. Contact me with any questions. Flyer below with details.

The Partner Employment Assistance Program (PEAP) is again available to partners to claim reimbursement up to $1500 per financial year for a variety of employment services. More details and how to register are on the Defence Website or you can ask me for a flyer. 

Kookaburra Kids is in Townsville, this organisation supports defence kids living in families that are affected by mental illness.  For more details on activities contact Hannah Galliner on 0484 544 451 or check out the website www.kookaburrakids.org.au

Families with Special Needs you can access support through the Defence Special Needs Support Group (DSNSG) or call 1800 037 674.  For more information on assistance measures go to the website or email specialneeds.families@defence.gov.au

For what’s coming up in Townsville for Defence Families see attached flyer or register to receive their newsletter and updates dmfs.townsville@defence.gov.au or follow on Facebook.

Geckos Family Centre-North Queensland is at Lavarack Barracks and is open for parents and families to drop in. Organised daily activities on offer. Follow them on Facebook or phone them on 07 4411 7031 for more details.

TO BE UP TO DATE WITH “WHATS ON IN TOWNSVILLE” CHECK     whatson.townsville.qld.gov.au

UPCOMING EVENTS/DATES TO REMEMBER

IMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILS

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 - 1800 624 608 - Need Help give them a call    

DMFS Office at Nathan Business Centre on Ross River Rd, call 07 4430 3879 or walk in  

Open Arms support former and current serving ADF personnel and their family members can use the service – office is at the Nathan Business Centre or call 1800 011 046 www.openarms.gov.au

Mates4Mates – Townsville FRC 4771 9600 townsville@mates4mates.org

Dirty Boots Café now Open from 9am-12.30pm every day, you are welcome to attend for a chat and to have a look around.

The Oasis Townsville for Ex-ADF Community in Townsville  hello@theoasistownsville.org.au

DFA (Defence Families of Australia) NQ Delegate Eden Santos 0418 796 561 nth.qld@dfa.org.au

DSNG Defence Special Needs Group - 1800 037 674  www.dsng.org.au

Beyondblue.org.au www.australia.gov.au

Geckos Family Centre Nth Qld Lavarack Barracks - Contact for enquiries on 07 4446 1238 or follow on Facebook

Kookaburra Kids Charity Organisation Mental Health Service - 1300 566 525   www.kookaburrakids.org.au or contact Hannah Galliner 0484 544 451/1300 566 525

Defence Holidays NQ at Lavarack Barracks (opp the Gym) - 07 4725 3842 admin@defenceholidaysnq.com.au

My office is open for a private conversation and cuppa anytime or alternatively phone me any time on 4799 1333 ext 323, Monday to Wednesday or email me cwhee36@eq.edu.au

Have an awesome week!

Correna Wheeler
Defence School Mentor

YOU SPARKLE, YOU SHINE, YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND!