Term 4, Week 4, 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
Firstly, thank you to everyone who attended the very first St Saviour's Primary School Spring Fair! It was amazing to see so many families enjoying the weather and a the strong sense of community that we have within our school.
There were many positives from this event and always things that could be more effective or efficient and we look foward to planning the next fair. In saying that, I would like to make special mention of Mrs Rebecca Thomas, Mrs Alyce Webster and Mrs Elise Bishop who took on a large portion of the planning and worked tirelessly in the lead up to this event. It is very appreciated!
Last week, we were also fortunate to have Bishop Ken Howell and Dr Pat Coughlin (Executive Director: Catholic Schools) with us to officially bless and open our new facilities. We are very lucky to have the new facilities at St Saviour's Primary School and the funding for this was a joint effort through the Australian Government, QLD Government and the SSPS School Community. I thank you all for your generous support.
CLASSES for 2026
As per the last newsletter, teachers and leadership are busy working on classes for 2026.
I would like to provide the following information for the parent community to assist you in understanding how important we regard the task of class groupings and the many aspects that the staff take into consideration when working on these for the year ahead.
Staff consult with each other extensively on this undertaking. When completing class allocations, we reflect on the following points:
- What are the best learning combinations (What we know about the students this year/ last year/ previous years) for each class?
- How to ensure there is a balance of the learning needs in a class? Consideration is given to students with learning difficulties, difficulties with a learning area and students who are achieving above the expected level in a learning area
- The balance of learning styles, including those who are fast, independent learners and those who require additional time to grasp concepts
- Boy and girl ratios
- Friendships between students that impact both positively and negatively on their ability to achieve the best possible learning outcomes
- Social/emotional considerations
- Family considerations such as keeping twins together or in separate classes, as well as the number of children who have siblings already at the school (particularly relevant in Prep class groupings).
The process of class allocation takes many weeks. Parental input has and is always welcomed and considered seriously by the staff. However, it should be obvious that friendships cannot always be catered for, especially if staff know that some friendships may inhibit classroom learning. Chidren are given the opportunity to write down some friends that they would like to be with and these are certainly considered. Additionally, although we do our best, parent requests for specific teachers cannot always be guaranteed, with some of the reasons in the dot points above.
Parents are asked to send an email directly to the Principal: Sam Hannant sam.hannant@twb.catholic.edu.au for any considerations for class placements in 2025 by Friday 7 November 2025.
Have a great weekend.
Sam Hannant
….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition
Dear families
A great start to our term with the celebration of the new learning spaces and buildings, last Thursday. Bishop Ken and Fr Peter led our Liturgy and the students participated fully with great respect and pride. Our singers, choir and instrumentalists were amazing! Thanks to Mrs Kelly, Mrs Fuller and Miss Ruby for their support and guidance in preparing our students to perform. It was a fabulous morning of celebrations. Thank you to everyone who made it a success.
Thank you for your support in raising awareness and funds for Day for Daniel today. Keeping our children safe both online and in their daily activities is a responsibility we all share. All the funds raised will go towards continued development of free resources and programs for parents, carers and educators to teach children how to stay safe.
Profession Schindler Primary School in PNG book donations - To continue this whole school Service activity to our friends in PNG, we are accepting donations of reading Books for the school – particularly, Non-Fiction and early reader books. In preparation for the 2026 school year, donations of new/unused exercise books and stationery such as pencils, glue, scissors, colouring in pencils and textas etc would be greatly appreciated. If you’ve ANY donations such as these, please drop them into the Primary school office at any time during the remainder of the term. This will be an ongoing need, and the donations will be transported to PNG in early January. HUGE shout out to Renata McDonald for making these arrangements happen (Lotte & Orla Yr 5). Thank you for your support.
Enrolments are now open for students from Years 4 and older (in 2026) in the St Patrick’s Cathedral 2026 Sacramental Program. Children who have already been Baptised complete their initiation into the Church through the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Communion. This is a partnership in which families and the Parish community work together as your child is nurtured in the practice and love of the Catholic faith. An information session will be held early next year, where you’ll be given a preparation workbook which is to be completed at home. The Enrolment forms, dates and details will be sent home with students in Year 3. If you’ve any questions or queries, please contact the Parish office on 4637 1500.
Date claimers
Week 5
Monday 3rd November: 9.15am - Final visit for Yr 6 Service councilors to Brodribb Nursing home
Tuesday 4th November: 9am - Yr 2 to Parish Mass at The Cathedral
Week 6
Tuesday 11th November: 9am - Yr 4 to Parish Mass at The Cathedral; 11.15am - Whole school Prayer Liturgy for Remembrance Day in the Mercy Centre
Week 7
Tuesday 18th November: 9am - Yr 5 to Parish Mass at The Cathedral
Week 8
Tuesday 25th November: 9am - Yr 3 to Parish Mass at The Cathedral
Thursday 27th November: 11am - Year 4 students singing at Anointing Mass in the Cathedral Centre
Week 9
Tuesday 2nd December: 8.45am - 2026 Leaders’ presentation.
Awards for Years 3 – 6: Whole school Christmas Carols & Awards, Prep – Year 2
Wednesday 3rd December: Whole school transition morning
Friday 5th December: 9am - Year 6 Graduation Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral
Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend.
Ann-Maree Ward (Assistant Principal – Mission & Identity)
Dear Families
Week 3 was a big week in our school calendar and certainly showed our capacity to Strive in Faith, Learning and Life. Our school community is shaped by the unique contributions of every individual—students, staff and families. Each person adds something special that helps make our school a place where everyone belongs.
This Friday the 31st of October school communities across QLD celebrate World Teachers Day. We are blessed at St Saviour’s to have a committed and compassionate group of teachers who consistently strive to be positive influences in the lives of our students. The ongoing work teachers do to build positive and supportive learning environments that engage, challenge and extend our students is greatly valued by Toowoomba Catholic Schools and, I am sure, the many students, parents and extended families who are witness to this every school day.
Equally as inspiring is the commitment our teachers show to our students and school community in often unnoticed behind the scenes work they voluntarily take on for the betterment of our community. An example of this work culminated in the two large community events that occurred last week. From musical performances, the art show, successful sporting representation and physically giving their time on a weekend or out of school hours, our teachers consistently strive to do their very best for our students and school.
“Hats off to our teachers”
Report Card Change Reminder
Semester Two report cards will feature:
- Assigned grades for key learning areas;
- General comment at the conclusion of the report that will provide a holistic snapshot of how the student is going at school; and
- No comments attached to Maths or English grades.
Mrs Katie Hauser
SWQ All Schools Touch Football Carnival
On Friday, October 24th, 14 enthusiastic students from Years Five and Six proudly represented our school at the SWQ All Schools Touch Carnival, held at the Kearney Springs Touch Fields. The team, an even mix of seven boys and seven girls, had been training diligently since term three, showing great commitment and teamwork under my guidance. Throughout the day, our students played a series of thrilling matches against schools from across the region. Their teamwork and determination were on full display as they secured victories in every game, earning a well-deserved spot in the grand final against Dalby. The final match was a nail-biter, ending in a dramatic three-on-three drop-off. Despite a valiant effort, Dalby managed to score in the final moments. Although the result didn’t go our way, the team’s sportsmanship, skill, and school spirit were truly commendable. A special congratulations to Harry Black, who was voted Player of the Carnival, an outstanding achievement! Team members: William Prust, Adelaide Adams, George Gainey, Jemma McHugh, Harry Black, Sophie Chandler, Beau Adame, Indi Brookman, Darcy Phillips, Ruby Land, Axel Chandler, Chelsea Ray, Lachlan Scott, and Mila Bishop. I am incredibly proud of each student for their effort and the way they represented our school. Well done, team!
Zone and Darling Downs Trials
All information regarding Zone and Darling Downs trials will be posted on Parent Portal. To ensure your child is eligible to trial for these sporting teams, please check the Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone. You will need to obtain the necessary paperwork from myself. Please be aware that I am unable to nominate students after the closing date, so it is crucial to monitor the Parent Portal. If you have any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.
Cheers
Brendan Luck
HPE Teacher
Term 4 in the Library
- Week 1- 6 class borrowing sessions
- Week 7 All loans due
- Week 7 Holiday borrowing opportunity for returning students
- Week 7 Thursday and Friday - Book Fair sales
- Week 8 Monday and Tuesday - Book Fair sales
- Week 9 Family Book Club Afternoon tea – Wednesday 3rd December
- Week 9 Student leased devices due
Family Book Club
Get your copy of Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey ($16.00 for a hardback copy at Big W and K Mart) and start reading aloud at home. Join us on Wednesday 3rd December in Week 9 for afternoon tea to chat about this story.
Engaged Readers During Class Browse and Borrow Sessions
Invoices for Long Term Overdue Books
Invoices for items overdue since the start of 2025 will be emailed over the next few weeks. Please endeavour to return any overdue items so this time-consuming task can be avoided.
Unclaimed Books From Homes
We have a large number of books from homes which have been mistakenly placed in the returns tubs. They have been on display in the library foyer this week. Please take a moment to check if they belong to your family. Unclaimed books will be added to the library collection or donated at the end next week.
Happy Reading Everyone!
Anne Anderson
Teacher Librarian
Dear parents and carers,
Today we will be sending home a Darling Downs Health School Dental form with your child. Please see attached letter from Darling Downs Health with all the information regarding this service.
Dental treatment will be completed at Rangeville School Dental Clinic, South Street, Rangeville (opposite 51 South Street). Toowoomba Oral Health Services will contact you to book an appointment.
There is no out of pocket cost for your child/children if you have a Medicare card.
Please return the form to your Classroom Teacher or Front Office by Friday, 13th November, 2025.
If you have already accessed this service, please disregard.
Kind regards,
SSPS