Issue 15 | Term 3 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
The end of another fantastic term. It was nice to have a near perfect run on all our school-community based activities not affected by poor weather. The students have enjoyed a long continuous run of beautiful days of outdoor play and learning. We finished the term with tremendous and very cute Prep outdoor presentations in our new covered area. This has been a new community attraction to our program and likely to be a legacy we look forward to.
Thanks Prep team. Thanks Prep students.
I want to wish all our students and staff a most wonderful holiday break and look forward to hearing all the stories of adventures and travels that occur. With one term to go when we get back, and a program jammed packed with fun, everybody will be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ before you know it.
Next Term, we have quite the start. Beginning in the first week with a
public holiday Monday, the second week will see the
Year 4 and Year 5 camp occurring. The students are very excited. While everybody is away on camp, our school will feel very quiet with about 260 students missing.
Term 4 is shaping up to be a busy term as always, please see a few upcoming important events below and some recent changes that have taken place:
B Factor
Now that the school musical has been postponed until 2027, we have decided to re-instate B Factor. Auditions will be on Friday in the second week.
Colour Run Celebrations
On Friday 09 October, end of the first week, I will be donning on the junk clothes to be slimed, along with other candidates of staff. This will be conducted I the last session of the day. All the announcements will be made on that day:
- Highest fundraisers
- Total raised
- Who will be slimed
Come along and join in on the fun.
Graduation for Year 6
This will come quicker than you are ready for. Please make sure you get in and buy your tickets. Remember that each family who has a graduating student (or students in the case of twins), will be entitled to 2 tickets. No more allocations will be provided. Make sure you are having those conversations now to decide who is securing those seats.
Farewell to Nerissa Hardcastle
Nerissa is stepping away from the position of P&C Operations Manager after many dedicated years in the role. We had a lovely morning tea with her this week and thanked her for her service and contribution to this community. Her first port of call is the UK to visit family and friends. We wish you all the very best and trust you will enjoy the freedom of using your time as you see fit. Congratulations on doing a wonderful job.
Change to Benowa SS Business Manager
Recently our long term and dearly loved Business Manager Mrs Kristi Williams has moved into a dedicated HR role in Pacific Pines State High School. We are so proud of her selection for that role, but we will deeply miss her time with us. In saying this, we have been fortunate enough to appoint Mrs Jade Cooke into the role of Business Manager for Benowa State School. She may be new to the role but her working knowledge of the school, great business mindset and creative oversight has allowed the transition to be quite smooth. This also means other changes have occurred. Mrs Lauren McAuliffe will now be working 5 days in our Accounts Department, and we have advertised for a 2 day per week position.
Parking
Could I please use this time to remind everybody about following all the correct
road and parking rules around the school. I will acknowledge that congestion is quite an issue but
remaining with your car is the best thing you can do if your vehicle is inappropriately located.
Please do not park your car behind other parked cars and leave it to walk into the school. This creates a situation whereby people can be stuck for up to 15 minutes as some were the other day. Thank-you for you kind consideration in this matter.
Mr Michael Josey
Principal
Upcoming Events
All upcoming events are listed on the
school website calendar.
- School Resumes - Tuesday 06 October
- Clothing Swap Drop Off - Tuesday 06 - Thursday 08 October
- Year 4 Camp - Monday 12 - Wednesday 14 October
- Year 5 Camp - Monday 12 - Wednesday 14 October
- Year 2 Step into History Incursion - Wednesday 14 October
- Year 3 Swimming - Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 October
Like our Facebook page and bookmark our website to always be on top of information and events.
Benowa Shines at the QA Interschool Maths Challenge!
Our talented Year 6 mathematicians recently represented Benowa State School at the
Queensland Academy Interschool Maths Challenge, competing against schools from across the Gold Coast in a series of challenging mathematical problem-solving rounds.
Benowa held the lead throughout the entire competition, making it all the way to the exciting Champion Round. In an incredibly close finish, it came down to the very last question, which saw Benowa narrowly miss out on first place and finish an
outstanding SECOND overall!
We are incredibly proud of our students for their teamwork, determination and impressive mathematical thinking.
Congratulations, Team Benowa!
Eco Marines Amabssadors Spring Clothing Swap
Our Eco Marines Ambassadors are excited to promote a special project they have been working on at our senior assembly this afternoon which is our
Spring Clothing Swap.
Now is the perfect time to clean out your wardrobes, empty your drawers and get a couple of bags of too big, too small, not my style anymore clothing ready to bring to the swap!
Make sure it's clean and good quality and bring to school in the
first week back.
Code of Conduct for all students travelling on buses
The Code of Conduct exists to make sure everyone on the bus has a safe and comfortable journey. It applies to every bus trip to and from school and for school events (like school sports, excursions or camps). It lays out clear expectations for how you should act while on the bus and the consequences if you don’t follow the rules.
If your child catches the bus to school or uses buses as a part of school, please ensure you
open The Code of Conduct and follow these expectations in order to keep all children safe.
Religious Instruction Christmas Assembly
The Religious Instruction Co-op invites children that do not participate in the R I classroom lesson to join the other children in the Christmas Assembly. If you would permit your child to join this Assembly, please contact the Benowa State School office to inform of your child’s participation.
When: Friday, the 27th of November
Where: Benowa State School Hall
Time: 12:40 – 1: 40pm
All grades attending
As we move towards the final stage of Year 6, we would like to remind families of the importance of completing your child's enrolment at their local catchment secondary school before the term concludes.
Enrolling early helps ensure a smooth and successful transition from primary school to high school. It allows secondary schools to begin planning for the needs of their incoming students, including class placements, transition activities, wellbeing support, subject selections, and any additional learning or support requirements.
Most importantly, early enrolment helps schools get to know your child before they arrive, ensuring they are welcomed, supported, and ready to start their secondary schooling journey with confidence.
If you have not yet submitted an enrolment application, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible.
If you are unsure of your local catchment school or require assistance with the enrolment process, please check the attached for further information around how you enrol, where you can access the catchment maps and what High School you can direct you queries to.
Thank you for your support in helping us and our local secondary schools provide the best possible transition experience for your child.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION FLYER 
The YMCA Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service is conveniently located at the heart of the School next to the Access Centre and operates
Monday to Friday offering before and after school care from 6:30am - 8:45am and 2:55pm - 6:00pm.
The YMCA also offers vacation care during the
school holidays from 6:00am - 6:00pm.
The YMCA OSHC services are operated by qualified and experienced educators providing a program framework centralised around the elements of Belonging, Being and Becoming, in an environment which is safe, inclusive, diverse, engaging and fun.
For more information on our services, fees and programs please
visit the YMCA website. Alternatively, you can call us on 0467 956 817 or email
abw@ymcabrisbane.org.