Welcome back to school for 2025. I hope you were able to have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday. We have started the year well and our students have settled into school and class routines with energy and enthusiasm.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new students and families starting at Tingalpa State School.

We have opened the school year with 20 classes, as we know, changes can and do occur as the numbers change.  The number of children enrolled and present on Day 8 (6 February) determine the 2025 class compositions and staffing. If class changes are necessary, we will make decisions in the best interests of the students.

I believe that relationships are the corner stone to student success and I will continue to build and maintain productive relationships with students, families and staff as we start the 2025 school year together. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new students and families joining the Tingalpa State School Community.

I am also excited to share that the French Bilingual Program at Whites Hill State College has continued to grow. This year they will have FBP classes from Prep to Year 3, as well as students in Year 7 and 8. The program will continue to build and extend over the following years.

2026 Waiting List for out of catchment enrolments for the French Bilingual Program and the English Program opens 7:00am on Tuesday, 4 February 2025.

Home/School Communication

The start of a new school year is a busy time for everyone, there will be many emails that will be sent out to ensure parents and carers are aware of school processes, policies and information. It is important that you read school emails.

If you change your email throughout the year please let office staff know so that school records can be updated by emailing details to admin@tingalpass.eq.edu.au.

Research leaves no doubt that when parents and teachers work together the educational outcomes are always better for children.  In addition to improved educational outcomes a strong partnership between home and school ensures maintenance of children’s wellbeing, parents feel more confident and teachers feel supported. 

All staff will respond to email and phone messages, in a timely manner, during business hours.  Some staff may choose to respond outside of these hours and this is their choice to do so. However, there is no expectation that staff will respond to emails after 4:00 pm and before 8:00 am. We expect that staff would respond to communication within two rostered school days. A teacher contact list is attached.

The school newsletter will continue to go out fortnightly, on odd weeks.

Assembly will be held fortnightly on Tuesday afternoons, even weeks at 2:30pm. To help parents attend assembly when their child receives a Student of the Week award, children’s names will be published the week prior to the assembly in the School Newsletter. Please note Teachers will not be contacting parents to let them know their child is receiving an award.

Parent Information Sessions

Next week we will hold parent information sessions to discuss the 2025 school year and class arrangements. We are changing the format this year. The sessions will start with a group meeting for parents from the nominated classes for whole school messages and then break into class groups and move to their child’s class with your class teacher. A copy of presentations will be sent to parents/carers at the end of the week. 

The meetings will be at the following times:

Venue: Hall

There will be supervision for students provided in the covered area near the tuckshop during the meeting times.

Teachers as Learners

Teachers returned to work on Wednesday 20 January to engage in professional learning.  The program set the focus on pedagogy and working collaboratively to ensure consistency of practice across year levels.

Teachers engaged in professional learning on:

• Program planning for Term 1
• Student Code of Conduct
• Mandatory Training – Code of Conduct, Student Protection
• Educator wellbeing

Year 6 Student Leaders Investiture

The first assembly for each year is the investiture of our student leaders. This includes all Year 6 students and the senior leaders of the school. Student Leaders for 2025 will receive their badges at this assembly.

We will also recognise the Cre8 Crew students, Year 5 students taking on a leadership role for Semester 1.

Phones Away for the Day

All Queensland state school students must keep their mobile phones ‘away for the day’ during school hours. Notifications on wearable devices, such as smartwatches, must be switched off so that phone calls, messages and other notifications cannot be sent or received during school hours.

The decision to implement a consistent, state-wide approach to putting mobile phones away during the school day is based on the advice of Ms Cheryl Vardon AO, former Queensland Family and Children’s Commissioner, who completed an independent review of Queensland’s approach to mobile phones. Ms Vardon’s review included consultation with key education stakeholders, such as principals, school staff, students and families from each education region, as well as a review of recent research on student use of mobile phones and personal devices in schools.

‘Away for the day’ supports schools to maintain a strong focus on student educational achievement, wellbeing and engagement by:

• providing optimal learning and teaching environments
• encouraging increased face-to-face social interactions between students
• promoting the health and wellbeing of students through increased social interaction and physical activity
• reducing the potential for students to be exposed to the negative impacts of the digital world, resulting from unsafe or inappropriate technology use.

PARENT FAQs

When does ‘away for the day’ begin?

From Term 1 2025, all state school students must keep their mobile phones ‘away for the day’ during school hours.

Can my child take their phone with them when travelling to and from school?

Yes, students are allowed to bring their mobile phone or wearable device to school but must hand into the office as soon as they arrive at school. Students will be able to use their phone outside of school hours (to and from school) to support safe travel, and to make contact with parents, friends and part-time employers.

My child’s phone does not connect to the internet, will they be allowed to use their phone?

No. Any phone or device that has the ability to connect to telecommunication networks or the internet must be away for the day.

My child uses their phone / wearable device to manage and monitor a health condition. Can they still use it?

Yes, exemptions will be made available for students who require access to their mobile phone or wearable device for health monitoring purposes. Please speak with the school principal regarding processes for requesting an exemption. 

My child forgot their lunch, how will I contact them?

You can continue to contact your child through existing school processes, such as phoning the school office.

How will I contact my child at school in the event of an emergency?

In the event of an emergency, you will still be able to contact your child through existing school processes, such as phoning the school office.

How will my child contact me while they are at school?

If your child becomes unwell or experiences an issue during the school day, it is important that they report to a staff member in the first instance. Staff will follow appropriate school processes and make contact with parents and carers.

In the event of an emergency at school, the school will follow their Emergency Response Plan to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students and staff, which includes processes for communicating with parents and carers.

Can my child use their phone while they are on excursions?

Mobile phones and wearable devices are not to be used during school activities such as representative sport, camps and excursions.

Where will my child store their phone during the day?

Mobile phones are to be switched off as the student enters the school grounds.  Mobile phones, or other electronic devices, equipped with camera functions are not to have that function accessed at ANY time whilst on school grounds.

All electronic devices, including but not limited to mobile phones, iPad, tablets, cameras are to be signed into the office on arrival at school and stored by office staff in the secured place.  Electronic devices can be collected only by the student or parent at the end of the school day, or on departure from the school with a parent/carer, in the case of early departure.

Student and Parent Responsibilities

Students Responsibilities:

• Mobile phones are brought to school at entirely the owner's risk. The school will not be involved in disputes and/or investigations over damage, loss or theft.
• Phones/electronic devices must be handed in at the office on arrival at school.
• Due to privacy considerations, phone or watch cameras or audio/ visual recording devices cannot be used whilst at school.
• Phones are not to be taken on excursions or camps.
• Students breaching the policy will be subject to the student behaviour management consequences as documented in the Student Code of Conduct.
• Should the rules be breached, the student will be instructed to pass the phone to the office for the rest of the day.
• If procedures continue to not be followed, the phone will be confiscated from the student and the parent will be asked to collect the phone from the office.

Parent responsibilities:

• Reinforce that phone are to be kept at the office and turned off at all times, whilst on school premises.
• Parents are to contact students during the school day, through the office, not by mobile.

Year 3 to 6 students will be given a mobile phone/electronic device permission form for 2025. This must be completed by parents/carers each year and approval from the principal provided for students to have devices with them coming into the school grounds.

I am looking forward to a great first Term.

Kind regards

Donna