Victoria Park State School Newsletter - Week 10, Term 1, 2025
Acting Principal's Report
This week concludes our first school term. Congratulations to our students on a great first term at Victoria Park State School. We hope our school community has a restful and refreshing break and safe Easter holiday period.
Staffing
Mrs Mutton continues her leave throughout Week 1 of Term 2, returning on April 28th. During this time Mrs Whittington will continue as our Acting Principal.
Cross Country
Congratulations to all of our students for their efforts during our Cross Country events last week. Additionally, thank you to our school community for your agility and flexibility as we navigated some extreme weather. Congratulations to the many students who have earned selection in the Southern Suburbs team and thank you to Ms Armstrong, Ms Drew and Mrs Graham for their efforts co-ordinating our Cross Country events.
Sing Out
We were excited to have a record number of students represent Victoria Park at Sing Out this week. Vic Park are lucky to host a number of dedicated choral offerings and even luckier to have a number of wonderful staff who give up their time each week to work with our students. Thank you Mrs Milles and Mrs Nacev for co-ordinating our Sing Out participation in 2025.
ANZAC Day
Our school will host its ANZAC Day commemoration on Thursday April 24 at 2:00pm in our school hall. We welcome all interested members within our school community to attend. We additionally encourage as many students as possible to represent Victoria Park and march with our school at Mackay's ANZAC Day March on Friday April 25.
Farewell Andie and Sue
Throughout this week our staff and students have taken time to farewell our wonderful tuckshop convenors Andie and Sue. In this, our last newsletter of the term, we'd like to acknowledge them once more and pass on our sincere thanks for everything they have done for the Vic Park community. You will be both be incredibly missed!
Jennifer Whittington,
Acting Principal
Celebrating Success
Highlights this week are from our Cross Country presentations last week.
Photos of the Week this week feature some end of term highlights.
Cross Country 2025
Chess with Mrs Samuel
Chess club has started up in Mrs Samuel's room at first break on Tuesdays.
It has been a big hit and we can't wait to start back up again in term 2.
Please see Mrs Samuels for more information
Choir
Students of the Week
Week 8
Prep A | Alaric | For always being reliable and responsible. |
Prep A | Ellie-Jana | For embracing the PBL Value of the Week: Being Friendly. |
Prep B | Angus | For being a super engaged learner |
Prep B | Xavier | For being a Tricky Word Champion |
Prep C | Harry | Showing his classmates how to be an amazing listening. |
Prep C | Kylan | For being a fantastic thoughtful helper in class. |
1A | Boatu | For her amazing effort when writing Rainbow Fish retell. |
1A | Navya | For her caring and considerate attitude towards her classmates. |
1B | Evie | For your beautiful, detailed retell writing |
1B | Margaret | For your amazing use of noun groups in your oral and written retells. |
1C | Jasper | For always being an enthusiastic and self-motivated learner in our class. Well done Jas! |
1C | Paisley | For embracing mistakes and becoming a confident and responsible learner who always tries her best. |
1D | Alena | For arriving at school each day with a smile. You always try your best! Well done, Alena. |
1D | Awhina | For being a kind and caring friend. You always try your best! Well done, Awhina. |
2A | Jayden | For making a huge improvement with his school work. Well done, Jayden. |
2A | Zoey | For being a kind, caring and thoughtful member of our class. Keep it up, Zoey! |
2B | Isabelle | For being a kind and thoughtful friend. |
2B | William | For an amazing effort in his English and Science assessments. |
2C | Jomen | For the effort you demonstrated in writing your information report on bees. |
2C | Tinaye | For consistently demonstrating adherence to classroom expectations. |
2/3 | Hazel-Grace | For always being a role model to her peers and trying her best in her assessment. Great work! |
2/3 | Karli | For your amazing effort with assessment and always being a positive person in our classroom. |
3A | Aoife | For always have a positive can-do attitude to complete tasks. Keep up the great work! |
3A | Laney | For always have a positive can-do attitude to complete tasks. Keep up the great work! |
3B | Connor | For your hard work in all assessment areas. Keep it up! |
3B | Enzo | For your creative writing idea. Great work! |
3C | Hasvi | For consistently following classroom expectations and being a role model to others |
3C | Jaxan | For being supportive and kind to his classmates |
3/4 | Charlie | For always completing your Homework. Keep up the great work! |
3/4 | Noah | For a huge improvement in communication and following instructions. Well done! |
4A | Kassidie | For working hard and completing her assessments. |
4A | Maleah | For being a helpful responsible member of the class. |
4B | Mehkenzie | For bringing kindness and laughter into our classroom everyday. |
4B | Oaklee | For always bringing a big smile to school and a positive attitude to all tasks. |
4C | Ariyah | For setting an example of excellence in behaviour and academics. |
4C | Inayah | For being a caring and compassionate student, who demonstrates a positive attitude to learning. |
4C | Jacob | For being a cooperative student who is always willing to help others. |
4C | Phoenix | Approaches every day with enthusiasm and a willingness to do his best in all tasks. |
5A | Amira | Consistently showing reliability and strong principles, making her a valued member of our class! |
5A | Kodie | Always showing up with a positive attitude, perseverance and a strong work ethic. Keep shining! |
5B | Emmerie | For demonstrating huge personal growth this week! |
5B | Mia | For always demonstrating the school values of being respectful and being a learner. |
5/6M | Connor | Amazing work on his writing assessment. |
5/6M | Talinn | Superstar work and effort on all assessments. |
5/6S | Savannah | For an excellent effort on her Science disaster awareness guide. |
5/6S | Skyla | For writing interesting and engaging stories with a variety of noun groups. |
6B | Arianna | For always being a respectful, hard-working, and well-mannered class member! You're a superstar! |
6C | Souleah | For working constructively in the classroom |
Week 9
Prep A | Serenity | For working hard to achieve your learning goals. |
Prep A | Tiaki | For being a responsible and reliable leader. |
Prep C | Nico | For working hard with writing and sight words. |
Prep C | Ruben | For working hard to write his name. |
1A | Iris | For being a bubbly happy student that always tries her best. |
1A | Jan | For his great effort with reading. |
1B | Esther | For her monumental effort with completing the cross-country! |
1B | Koa | For always putting 100% effort into her classwork |
1C | Chelsea | For always displaying a positive outlook and attitude. Thank you for brightening everyone's day! |
1C | Nevaeh | For showing confidence and resilience when resolving problems and taking on challenges. |
1D | Faith | For being a polite and caring member of 1D. You treat all of your peers with kindness and respect. |
1D | Quinn | For being a hardworking and dedicated learner, completing tasks to the best of your ability! |
2A | Addison | For trying hard while writing her information report about bees. Well done, Addison. |
2B | Alyssa | For an amazing effort with her writing assessment. |
2B | Niylah | For being a happy and enthusiastic member of our class. |
2C | Jyxen | For positive classroom spirit and exemplary behaviour. |
2/3 | Gutuma | For enthusiasm and effort in learning and consistently contributing to classroom discussions. |
2/3 | Summer | For giving her best effort and working hard on her English assessment story. Great job Summer! |
3C | Addelai | For making great progress on her imaginative story |
3C | Andre | For a great effort in writing an entertaining narrative |
3/4 | Liam | For always putting a very high level of effort into your school work. Well done! |
3/4 | Morgan | For always taking on feedback and wanting to improve in your learning. Great job! |
4A | Lennyn | For being a responsible and trustworthy student. |
4A | Locklan | For concentrating and working hard to complete assessments. |
4B | Mason | For responding to feedback and adding awesome detail to his work! |
4C | Bobbi | For being a polite and responsible member of our classroom and school. |
4C | Tyson | For being an independent worker who completes activities to the best of his abilities. |
5A | Blaise | For continuously showing up for yourself and others. You are such a valuable student! |
5A | Ezra | For the creative way you inserted your personality into your writing assessment. |
5B | Emma | For being a proactive learner and eager participant in all classroom learning activities. |
5B | Harlow | For being such a quiet achiever. She always works hard to ensure all her work is complete. |
5/6M | Dante | Being a caring and friendly class member. |
5/6M | Imogen | Outstanding results on her reading assessment. |
5/6S | Marceline | For a detailed and informative information guide on Floods. |
5/6S | William | For an amazing effort creating a frequency table with digital tools in Maths. |
6A | Theney | Producing her best work in all assessment tasks. |
6A | Tyson | For being the most polite and hard-working student in the universe. |
6A | Vea | For working to the best of her ability in all areas of the curriculum. |
6B | Elias | For always working diligently to complete your work to a high standard. |
Week 10
Prep A | Nickolas | For working hard to be a safe, respectful and responsible learner. |
Prep A | Tokokara | For fabulous effort learning Term 1 Initial Lit sounds. |
3/4 | Cara | For always being confident and willing to try new things. |
3/4 | Evelyn | For being a polite, kind and curious learner. |
6B | Layla | For being a respectful, helpful, and hard-working student! Keep it up! |
Date Claimers
Don't forget that you can find key dates in our live calendar linked below in addition to our weekly 'what's happening' card on SZapp.
Anzac Day School Parade
Anzac Day March - 25th April
Anzac Day Information
2025 ANZAC DAY MORNING PARADE AND SERVICE
MACKAY, QUEENSLAND - FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2025
Thank you for participating in Mackay’s 2025 ANZAC DAY morning parade and service.
Once again, primary and high school participants will assemble and march from the Caneland Central ground level car park and kindergarten students will assemble at the corner of Gordon and Wellington Street in the cordoned off area.
Enclosed is all the information you will need for the day. Please forward this information onto your school community.
Should you have any questions about the parade or the main service, please contact council’s Community Engagement Team Leader Rebecca Batzloff on 0460 014 780 or email rebecca.batzloff@mackay.qld.gov.au.
Drop-off points
Primary and high school students are to use the Caneland Central drop-off area on Matsuura Drive (1, pink). The drop-off area will be operational from 7am and is located near the roundabout. Please only drop-off students in the drop-off area, so traffic can continue to flow along Matsuura Drive.
You can either drop your child off in the allocated drop-off area or park in the upper-level car parking (P1) or around Caneland Central and walk your child to the ground-level Caneland Central car park (3, green).
Those who are transporting large pieces of band equipment can park in the designated band vehicle parking area (2).
Vintage cars and the ambulance are to park and assemble in designated parking area (2).
Daycare/kindergarten students are to be dropped off at the corner of Wellington and Gordon streets by 8am.
Please see maps below.
Parking
Parking is available in the upper-level car park (P1) of the Caneland Central Shopping Centre via the ramp off Matsuura Drive.
There is also parking around Caneland Central Shopping Centre. Please park in the designated (P) areas.
Day-care/kindergarten students can utilise parking in the surrounding area.
Road closures
Road closures will be in place along the parade route. Please adhere to all roadside signage and instructions.
The Mangrove Road and Milton Street intersection will be closed from 8am (red). Please allow plenty of time to get to the Caneland Central car park.
Morning parade formation
Primary and high school students, cadets, scouts, guides, veterans, and descendants will all march off from the Caneland Central car park. Vintage vehicles and an ambulance vehicle will assemble at the bus stop (purple).
Daycare/kindergarten students will march from the corner of Gordon and Wellington streets, along Gordon Street and will disperse in the car park on the corner of Macalister and Gordon streets (behind Artspace Mackay). An SES volunteer will be there to assist this group march off.
Morning parade assembly
Students, cadets, scouts, guides, veterans, and descants are to be assembled in the Caneland Central ground-level car park by 8am.
Rows have been allocated for each school/group in the following map.
Please do not practise your band equipment in the undercover car park, as the noise echoes and it is difficult to hear. Please strike up the band as the parade steps-off.
At 8.30am the parade will move onto Victoria Street and march along Wellington, Gordon, Macalister and Alfred streets. Students will continue to march until they reach their dispersal location.
Dispersal of students after the parade
School’s will be allocated areas on Macalister Street between Gordon and Alfred streets and Nelson Street between Alfred and Shakespeare streets (including the Mackay Central State School grounds) for parents to collect their children.
Please see your school’s dispersal location in the map below.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Wreath-laying at the morning service, Cenotaph, Jubilee Park
After the march, students laying wreaths will gather in the shade near the large tree beside the Cenotaph.
They may be moved under a marquee by marshalls to be closer for laying wreaths.
Marshalls will position wreath-layers in order during the address by Mackay Regional Council Mayor.
The morning service will commence at 9.30am and conclude at approximately 10.30am.
Wearing of military decorations, campaign and service medals and ribbons
Medals awarded to a person are worn on the left breast.
Medals worn for a family member are worn on the right breast.
Medals may be worn for parents, grandparents, etc.
Following a tradition that began during an Armistice Day parade in London, in 1920, (now Remembrance Day), Veterans cover their medals with their right hand after laying a wreath and when repeating “Lest We Forget” at the end of “The Ode” recital. This is to cover awards or decorations the Fallen may not have received.
Medals worn on the right breast may be covered by the left hand.
Toilets
Portaloo toilets will be available at the assembly location at Caneland Central car park near Star Car Wash and in the vehicle access area near the undercover rear car park.
They will also be located in the Jubilee Park Anzac Day service area, in the MECC car park and in the council car park, which daycare students can use. (Please see the locations in the maps below).
Water
Water will be available for veterans and their families at the assembly location and the service.
Schools are asked to bring some water with them.
Information for schools attending the dawn service
Mackay’s Caledonian Pipe Band members suffered many casualties during the First World War. After the Mackay and District Pipe Band was formed, in 1928, the Pipers were invited to lead Anzac Day parades and to lay a solitary wreath during Mackay’s Dawn Service. A Veteran Piper or the Pipe Major lays that wreath.
Other wreaths may be laid before or after the Dawn Service.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)
PBL Goals of the Week
Below you'll find links to videos that illustrate our two PBL goals for this fortnight;
- Be Ready for School
- Be a Team Player
School Improvement
Our Strategic Plan 2023 - 2026
Our 2023-2026 strategic plan encourages us to R.I.S.E. to the challenge;
R – Responsive Curriculum. We want to ensure that our curriculum is relevant to our local kids, is responsive to modern educational trends and is interesting for our students.
I – Innovative Instruction. We want to capitalise on being Mackay’s first school with laptop classes to ensure that through the use of engaging teaching approaches and clever use of digital technology, every lesson is exciting and engaging for our students.
S – Strengthened Systems. Our 2022 school review revealed that there are strong systems in place with regards to how we operate at VPSS. In deference to the great work that has come before, we want to ensure that we strengthen these to continue our great progress.
E – Expert Educators. We want to ensure that our kids at Victoria Park are learning from the very best educators and have committed to facilitating this.
Regional Director's visit
In Week 9 Victoria Park State School hosted our Regional Director, Kay Kirkman and School Supervisor, Cath Lalor. We were excited to walk our visitors through several of our Year 2, 3 and 4 classrooms and around our grounds. We enjoyed introducing Kay and Cath to several of our newest teachers many of whom we hosted as pre-service teachers at earlier stages of their teaching careers. We are proud of our pathways and pipelines that grow great graduate teachers and continue to support their development into high-quality teachers and were grateful for the opportunity to showcase this feature of our school whilst showing off the great achievements of our students that occur in our classrooms each day.
From the P&C
Victoria Park State School is lucky to have an incredible Parents and Citizens Association. Here you can find out all about what our committee is up to. We very much encourage anyone and everyone to get involved - many hands make light work!
Farewell Andie & Sue
This week, we farewelled our amazing tuckshop ladies, who have been the heart of our school community. Their dedication, warmth, and incredible cooking have nourished both our bodies and spirits, always serving up delicious meals with a smile. Their hard work and kindness will be deeply missed, but their impact will never be forgotten.
Thank you for everything—you will always be a cherished part of our school family. We wish you all the best in your next adventure!
Contact Us
Phase Leaders
To ensure we get to know each and every one of our students, each member of our school leadership team oversees a cohort of students. 'Phase Leaders' are the next step to resolving an issue after the classroom teacher has been contacted.
ECDP Phase Leader: Ms Roanna Capone - ecapo4@eq.edu.au
Prep Phase Leader: Mrs Kristi Elworthy - kelwo2@eq.edu.au
Year 1 Phase Leader: Ms Roanna Capone - ecapo4@eq.edu.au
Year 2 Phase Leader: Mrs Kristi Elworthy - kelwo2@eq.edu.au
Year 3 Phase Leader: Mrs Jenny Whittington - jwhit211@eq.edu.au
Year 4 Phase Leader: Mrs Jenny Whittington - jwhit211@eq.edu.au
Year 5 Phase Leader: Mrs Sarah Mutton - samut0@eq.edu.au
Year 6 Phase Leader: Mrs Sarah Mutton - samut0@eq.edu.au
Phone conversations or appointments to speak to Phase Leaders can be made by calling the office (4951 6333).
Staff List
Email addresses for all teaching staff can be found below. We ask that parents respect teachers' right to disconnect outside of work hours and be reminded that emails may not always be answered immediately - especially during the day when teachers are teaching. Urgent messages should instead be communicated to the office via a phone call (4951 6333).
Staff Contact List: https://victoriaparkss.schoolzineplus.com/staff-email-list
Victoria Park Community Noticeboard
