Issue 16, Friday 17th October 2025
From the Leadership Team
Making the big move to Prep smaller in 2025
Starting school is an important milestone in a child’s life. Creating a positive experience and confident transition for children as they move from kindy to Prep, sets the foundation for their learning, wellbeing and development.
To help prepare your child for the move, there are some fun and helpful activities and games available on the early childhood website. To find out more visit: www.qld.gov.au/BigMoves-EarlyYears.
Together, let’s make the big move to Prep smaller and help your child start strong.
https://youtu.be/j1Jg428Psc0
Making the big move to kindy in 2025 Starting kindy is an important milestone in a child’s life. It can however be a big
move for both the child and their family. Working together we can create positive experiences and successful transitions for your child as they start kindy, setting the foundation for their learning, wellbeing and development. To help prepare your child for the move, there are some fun and helpful activities and games available on the early childhood website. Visit
www.qld.gov.au/BigMoves-EarlyYears.
Did you know that kindy is free for all Queensland families? To learn more about the benefits of kindy visit qld.gov.au/FreeKindy. Families are encouraged to use the Free kindy finder to locate a government-approved kindergarten program provider in their area. Together, let’s make the big move to kindy smaller and help your child start strong.
Step into Prep 2026 Come & Play Afternoons are a great opportunity for your child to come up and meet our Prep staff and some of their new friends they will have at Hilliard SS next year. Please arrive at the Prep area just after 2pm to sign in and have some time with your child to ready them for a fun afternoon! Parents will bring their child into the Prep classroom and do a simple art and/or learning activity with them to settle them into the prep classroom environment. Once the children are settled and ready, parents are encouraged to say a quick goodbye and step outside the classroom doors where their child can still see them. For some children, these opportunities to practice quick, positive separations from parents are extremely valuable for transitions. Our goal is that all children feel connected, safe and supported in their prep environment from the first day of Prep in 2026, with children saying a happy goodbye to parents and confidently and positively engaging with their teachers and peers, and WANTING to be at school :-)
Sessions are approximately 30 minutes long, and will include fun activities such as reading a book, singing a song or nursery rhyme, and doing some art/craft activities or playing a game. While the children are in the Prep classroom having fun, parents are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk with other parents
Celebrate Grandparents Day on Sunday 26 October
Grandparents can also be primary full-time carers for their grandchildren — safeguarding family connections. Read about the support available for grandparent carers and about Queensland Seniors Month.
To celebrate all of the wonderful grandparents in our Hilliard Community we are holding our very own Grandparents Celebration on Friday 24th October - check out the details below:
Expectation of the Week
Term 4, 2025 Event Calendar
From the Office
Leaving Hilliard in for 2026?
Please let us know ASAP so we can plan our 2026 classes accordingly. Please contact the office on 07 3820 1666 or email admin@hilliardss.eq.edu.au with your child's name, current class and the school they are moving to!
We are delighted to partner with STAR Community Services for their "Secret Santa for Seniors" initiative.
Donations can be brought to the office.
WORLD TEACHERS DAY
To celebrate World Teachers’ Day (31 October), ABC Kids listen radio is asking primary students to shout out their favourite teacher.
To get involved, students can submit an audio message about why they love their teacher.
Listen to the pop-up radio show hosted by Mr Luke between 8-9am on 27-31 October for a chance to hear your message.
https://www.abc.net.au/kidslisten/programs/kids-listen-specials/abc-teacher-shout-outs/105840842
Day for Daniel
Our school is participating in Day for Daniel on THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER (and not Friday as previously advertised).
Students are encouraged to wear red to raise awareness for child safety.
It’s important to educate children about personal safety, help them identify unsafe situations, teach them to react and empower them to report abuse and seek help.
As part of Day for Daniel, our school will also participate in Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson. This year the lesson focuses on creating safer online and offline environments for children.
Find more information on Day for Daniel and Australian’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson here: https://danielmorcombe.com.au/day-for-daniel/
From the Classrooms
Term 3 was very busy for our iNNOVATE students! One of our Year 4 students created a great summary video of the first Term 3 unit for the Year 3 and 4 program, and Ms Schwandner has created a little clip showing the hard work our Year 1 and 2 students completed.
Our iNNOVATE have another exciting term ahead, including our Year 5 and 6 students running their market stalls at the November movie night.
Look out for more exciting updates!
Our Yr 4 students had an AMAZING time on their camp at Kindilan last Thursday and Friday!
Year 4 Camp: Kindilan
Hilliard Sport!
State Track and Field Success!
This week, Charlee and Olivia proudly represented Met East at the State Track and Field Championships in Townsville. Both girls are to be congratulated on their outstanding efforts and achievements while competing in some very hot conditions.
Charlee competed in the High Jump, finishing 14th with an impressive jump of 1.41m—coming very close to her personal best. Olivia had an incredible meet, placing 4th in the 100m final with a new PB of 13.02 seconds, 2nd in the 12 years girls 4x100m relay, and taking out the State Champion title in the 200m with a winning time of 26.37 seconds.
Both girls are to be commended for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to training. Congratulations, Charlee and Olivia, on your wonderful achievements and for representing Met East and our school so proudly.
Their outstanding efforts also contributed to Met East being named the overall State Champion region—a fantastic team result recognising the success of all athletes across the carnival.
We wish Olivia all the best as she prepares to travel to Canberra in five weeks’ time to represent Queensland at the National Championships!
State Track and Field
If the link doesn't work, please cut and paste into your browser:
Hilliard Dance!
From the P&C
Movie Night - Saturday 15 November
Entry fees - $10 per adult, $5 per child above 2yrs, children under 2 yrs and pensioners are free.
Activities include animal farm, face painting, hair braiding*, jumping castle, arts/crafts/games area, magic show, lob-a-choc*, performances by the school dance teams and instrumental band, Santa, photobooth, food trucks*, P&C BBQ*, and a movie (TBA). (*additional costs will be incurred).
We will be looking for volunteers for this event for roles such as ticket sales, cooking the BBQ, selling items in the canteen, face painting, hair braiding, crowd control, set up and pack down.
Christmas Stall and Raffle - Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th December
We will be looking for volunteers to help at the stall as well as donations for both the stall and raffle prizes.
UNIFORM SHOP NEWS!!!
We would like to welcome our new Uniform Shop Convenor, Mrs Cheryl Tollis. You might have seen Cheryl around the school as she regularly volunteers her time at the Breakfast Club, Tuckshop, P&C events and even looking after the vegetable garden.
The P&C have recently engaged Wise School Uniforms to be our new uniform supplier. Previously we have had separate suppliers for hats, another one for the skorts etc. but now Wise Schools will be providing everything. This will make it easier for our convenor as well as hopefully reducing the cost of some of the items.
We would like to thank the parents, teachers and students who completed the recent survey about the proposed changes to the school uniform. We are pleased to announce the following changes to our school uniform have now been approved:
- Hilliard Day Polo – our polos will be the same design; however, they will be made using a different material which is more breathable, is less likely to pull or pill, and is wash & wear.
- Hilliard Skorts and Shorts – our skorts and shorts will also be made using a different material which is stretchier, thinner, is less likely to pull or pill, and is wash & wear. They will also now be Navy Blue. One of the main reasons we decided to change to navy blue is that parents will have the option to purchase them from shops such as Best’n’Less, Kmart etc, another reason is that the darker colour will be more forgiving with marks and stains.
- Sports Shirts – our sports shirts have been revamped with new Sports House mascots on the back, and they are in bright new colours. They will also be made from a more breathable material which is also wash & wear.
- School Hats – the design of the hats will be the same (Navy blue on one side and sports colour on the other), however, they will be made from a more breathable material, and they will have a drawstring plus toggle to help keep the hats on the students’ heads.
What do these changes mean for our families?
We still have a lot of the current uniform in stock (approximately $10,000 worth) and we simply cannot afford to write this amount off. So, we need to keep selling our existing stock until it runs out and only when it runs out will you be able to purchase the new stock.
This means that for some time there will be a mix of the current uniform items being worn as well as some of the new items. To allow for the mixed uniform and so parents do not need to rush out and purchase new uniforms if they do not need them, there will be a 2-year rollover period starting at the beginning of 2026. This means it will not become mandatory for all students to be wearing the updated uniforms until the beginning of 2028.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact either Cheryl in the Uniform Shop (hilliarduniformshop@gmail.com) or myself (hilliardpandcpresident@gmail.com).
Thank you.
Sam Eady
P&C President
Community Notices
To join Saver Plus, you need to meet these requirements:
- Be 18 years or older
- Have a current Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
- Have a child in school, starting next year, or be studying yourself
- Get a regular income (can be you or your partner in paid work or child support/carers' payment)
- Agree to join in free online financial education workshops
What are the eligible savings goals?
Eligible savings goals are education-related products or services that:
- Assist a primary/secondary school student’s education.
Session Details – Term 4:
Dates: Saturday 11th October, 18th October, 25th October, 1st November
Locations:
Moreton Bay Boys College MTB Trails (for coaching and maintenance sessions)
Daisy Hill Conservation Park (for the final family trail ride)
Program Structure:
3x Coaching Sessions (plus bike maintenance tips) – Focused on skill development for both kids and parents
1x Guided Family Trail Ride – Putting new skills into practice on real trails
Separate Parent and Child Groups Initially – Merging for a final ride to build connection
Topics covered include:
Body position
Controlling the bike (brakes, gears)
Cornering
Rocks, logs, and jumps
Trail etiquette and safety
Hands-on bike maintenance (e.g. fixing flats, cleaning chains, brake adjustments)
Program Goal:
To encourage families to ride together regularly, safely, and confidently. By developing foundational skills and fostering shared experiences, we aim to build community connections and support a healthier, more active lifestyle.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could share this opportunity with your school community through your newsletters, digital platforms, or bulletin boards. We’ve attached a flyer for easy distribution.
If you have any questions or require additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for supporting local, community-driven initiatives!
2026 Australian of the Year Awards
Nominations are open for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards. These national awards celebrate people making a real difference in their communities. Categories include Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero. Nominate someone inspiring in your school community or beyond who deserves recognition. Nominations close at midnight, Thursday 31 July.
Learn more or nominate now: https://australianoftheyear.org.au.
