Term 4 week 4 2025
- Principal's News by Ange Padgett
- Team Mango We All Belong!
- Prep News by Mieke Munko
- Year 1 News by Evan Barrett
- Year 2 News by Jessica Burnett
- Year 3 News by Kris Olsen
- Year 4 News by Barbara Cornford
- Year 5 News by Greg McCallum
- Year 6 News by Danielle Price
- Curriculum News
- Sporting News by The PE Department
- Community News
Week 3 was an exceptional week for us at Mango Hill State School. Thank you to all parents, carers and wider community members who spoke to a member of the review team about things we do well and our possible next steps. The review team spoke highly of the work we are doing and essentially verified that it is the right work .We should receive the executive summary before the end of the year. I look forward to sharing this with our school community. A huge thank you to our students for their positive and insightful discussions they had with the team. The review team shared some of the students’ feedback about our school and this included:- Teachers are kind and support us to be successful.
- We love the extra programs because they give you good life skills and they are fun. There’s lots of teams.
- Teachers teach you how to be accountable for your own learning.
- Boys can do dance club too!
- There are so many opportunities…something for everyone.
- Teachers are supportive and help you learn from your mistakes and keep learning.
- Teachers help us have a growth mindset, so we never give up and they help us learn from our mistakes, so we have a better future.
- There are awesome friends and teachers.
- Teachers give us encouragement and support so we can do what we want to do.
- Everyone is so diverse, but we all pull to together to be one community.
- Teachers don’t have favourites, they respect everyone.
Thank you to our students for providing us with such kind feedback. Friday is World Teacher’s Day and words like those above clearly highlights how much our teachers are appreciated. We are lucky to have such a high calibre of teachers. I thank them for everything they do.
Enrolments 2026
If your child won’t be returning to Mango Hill in 2026, now is the time to inform us. Please email Enrolments@mangohillss.eq.edu.au with this information. Day 8 numbers are calculated on the number of students we have enrolled, and this determines the number of teachers. Please don't delay notifying us.
Year 4 Camp
Last week our Year 4 students attended camp. I have had reports that students were respectful and displayed the Four Cares, making us very proud. Thank you to our staff who attended, including Mrs Linnane, Ms O'Brien, Miss Henderson, Mrs Putter, Ms Cooper, Ms Kosta, Mr Woodrow, Ms Corney, Mrs Oborne, Miss Bonavia, Mr Morgan, Ms Roberts and Ms Ecker. A special thank you to Mrs Cornford for attending both camps. This is a huge commitment, and we appreciate it.
Day for Daniel
Emergency Drills: Lock Down
Each term schools are required to implement practice drills for emergency responses. Our school recognises the importance of being prepared for such an event.
This term we will be conducting a Lock Down on Monday 3 November 2025 (Monday Week 5).
Please discuss this event with your child/ren particularly if they require additional time to process.
We warmly invite our First Nations families to join us for Yarn and Eats on Thursday 6 November from 3:00–4:00pm in the Piazza. Enjoy a sausage sizzle, a yarn, and some fun Indigenous games and activities. We’d love to see you there!
Please RSVP to polla2@eq.edu.au
Mango Hill State School will be participating in Go Blue for Diabetes Day on Friday, 14 November, to raise awareness and funds for Type 1 Diabetes research.
Students and staff are invited to wear something blue, such as a t-shirt, socks, blue accessories or blue hairspray—for a gold coin donation.
The blue must be applied at home before school and must not be brought to school. Please ensure any colour used is temporary, so it can be completely removed before the following Monday.
In addition, blue bracelets will be available to purchase from the Student Council for a small coin donation (any silver or gold coins available to donate to the cause).
All funds raised will go to Diabetes Queensland to support important research aimed at finding a cure for diabetes.
We look forward to seeing our school community turn blue for a great cause!
Over the coming weeks, members of the Mango Hill State School community will have the opportunity to purchase devices from our retiring fleet of school iPads through a tender process. These iPads have been part of our digital learning program in previous years but are no longer compatible with the Department’s company portal and apps used at school.
The devices vary in storage capacity and model year, which will be reflected in their pricing. Next week, a survey link will be shared for those interested in purchasing, along with the pricing details for each device. The tender process will operate on a first-in, first-served basis. Successful applicants will be required to make payment and acknowledge the conditions of purchase within two weeks of notification. If either step is not completed within this timeframe, the device will be offered to the next applicant in line.
Please note that all devices are sold as is, with no warranty or returns. These devises can not be used at school.
Christmas Carols (Yrs 1,3 & 5)
Get ready to celebrate the festive season at our Annual Christmas Carols! It’s time to dust off the songbook and get into the Christmas spirit as our talented Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5 students take to the stage for a joyful evening of singing and celebration.
Date: Thursday 4 December 2025
Time: 5.00pm start (finishing by 6.30pm)
Location: Piazza
Special Guests: The Junior & Senior Choir, Wave Length vocal group (featuring our very own Tracy Lundberg), Mango Hill State School Adopt-A-Cop & of course the big guy……Santa!
Performances by: Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5
Song List Includes: Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Rock and Roll Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells Rock, Go Santa Go, Aussie Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snow Man, You are a mean one Mr Grinch, Santa Clause is coming to Town and more!
Food: Pizza available through QKR. Orders open November 17.
P&C Stall: Christmas Decorations and more festive goodies!
So ho ho ho, bring along a picnic rug, wear your best Christmas outfit, grab a slice of pizza, say hello to Santa, and join us for an evening filled with music and community cheer.
We can’t wait to see you there!
In Weeks 6 to 9 of this term we will be conducting our Active School Travel Program for 2025. This program has been supported by Moreton Bay City Council.
This year students will be given a passport which will track the days of participation and the modes of travel on each of these days. All students can participate in this, but participation involves:
- Walking to school
- Riding a bike or a scooter
- Traveling on Public Transport – eg bus
Smaller prizes and certificates will be awarded to students as they complete a section of the Prize Tracker. This may be weekly if your child participates each day for the four weeks, or it may be gradually awarded as they complete a stage of the Tracker. The table below outlines the weekly or staged prizes.
When a stage has been completed the student will be given a raffle ticket to be added to the Grand Prize draw.
The Grand Prize is a mountain bike with helmet and gloves. This will be drawn at our final Farewell Parade Thursday 11 December 2025.
Thank you to Moreton Bay City Council for this exciting initiative.
Our Instrumental Music Program has again provided wonderful opportunities for our students throughout the year. The students have been able to participate in a range of activities such as performing for our school community, performing and competing in competitions and growing skills in workshops (Beginners through to Advanced).
This has all been possible because of your support through encouraging students to practise, getting them to rehearsals, giving permission for involvement in events just to name a few things. But it also would not be possible without the dedicated efforts of our teachers. I wish to acknowledge the work they have committed to throughout the year to support our school’s Instrumental Music Program. A special thanks to Mrs. Emma Nickolopoulos for her leadership and organisation of this program. We appreciate you! Thank you also to Mrs. Ritter, Ms Bogdan and Ms Luke.
There are a few more important dates to be mindful of in the next few weeks.
- Recruitment for 2026 will commence this week – week 4. Students will be called for auditions during school time. Information will be forwarded once this process has been completed.
- Instrument hired for 2025 will be required to be returned to the school. Date to be advised soon.
- End of year Concert. This will be held November 26 2025. Information will be sent home shortly. We would love to have as many students participate in this as possible. Students will be involved in final rehearsals during the day and then will be required for sound checks prior to the event. Our End of Year Concert is a night of celebration and an opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills. Looking forward to seeing you in the audience.
The Queensland Government would like to provide an update on upcoming changes to pedestrian and traffic movements on Dohles Rocks Road, Murrumba Downs, commencing Monday 3 November 2025. See attached notice for more information.
Date Claimers
Week 4
- Prep and Year 3 Swimming
- School Tour - Tuesday 9.00am
- Prep orientation session 2
- Day for Daniel - Friday
- World Teachers' Day - Friday
Week 5
- Prep and Year 3 Swimming
- Yarn and Eats - Thursday 3.00pm
- Student Leader passports due - Friday
- The Arts Parade - Friday 9.00am Gigum hall
Mango Hill State School Coffee Cups
Ange Padgett
Principal
apadg6@eq.edu.au
Care Class
This week in Care Class we are going to focus on Care for Self and supporting the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. We will learn about child safety - Recognise, React and Report. This will help us to better understand when we feel unsafe and how to react in these situations. We will also identify appropriate ways to seek help and the adults we trust to support us.
Students will be allowed to wear a red t-shirt or red accessory, to support Day for Daniel. On Friday, we will be talking about our safe people, recognising our body signals when we are in an unsafe situation and how to react.
Click on the link to access more resources you could use at home.
End of Year Concert and Costume guide - Prep and Year 6
P&C News
Have you heard of the Entertainment Book?
The Entertainment Book has been going for 27 years and is an amazing discount coupon membership that contains everyday discounts, rewards, and freebies across shopping locations, theme parks, cafes, restaurants, fast food, gift cards, movies and experiences. You can save hundreds of dollars.
The Entertainment Membership is now an easy-to-use app and can be purchased for $70. It is a perfect Christmas gift and is great for the whole family. The other bonus, when purchasing this membership, is 20% of sales go towards the P&C fundraiser tally which is striving to purchase more bubblers to be installed around the school.
For more information about what great savings can be made visit www.entertainment.com.au
Uniform Shop
Welcome! As we head into the last term, there are a few new messages of note:
Prices: From time to time we need to review our pricing and adjust accordingly. After no increases last year, we have changed our prices on a few items this year. The new price list is attached in the newsletter, please note hats are now $18.50. Prices are in effect from October 10.
Year 5 students: Senior shirts are available year round in the uniform shop. They are the same design as last year and are available for $42.85. You may purchase them whenever you are ready, but they are not to be worn until the start of Year 6 next year.
Prep students: If you have a new prep starting in 2026, you are welcome to start purchasing your student's uniforms. Please bring your child in store to try on the new uniforms to ensure they receive the correct fit. There are a number of ways you can visit with us, you can drop in on campus to visit our school based shop, we are located in the piazza, next to the canteen, you can visit our Wearitto retail store at 41 Kirby Road Aspley, or you can make an appointment. We are running booked sessions on each Thursday following the orientation days, and also January 13-16. Thursdays are set aside for prep students only, January appointments are open to the whole school. Appointments run in 15 minute intervals and bookings can be made at https://wearittomangohillss.simplybook.me/v2/
Back to school: If your student's uniform is starting to get a little tight or needs a refresh for the new year, we will be open additional hours over the back to school period. In the last week of school we will be open on Tuesday morning in addition to our usual times. In January, there will be appointments from the 13-16, please do not drop in during this time, it is for appointments only and we staff accordingly. The week before school goes back the shop will be open:
Mon Jan 19 - 8am-12pm
Tue Jan 20 - 2pm-5pm
Wed Jan 21 - 9am-12pm
Thu Jan 22 - 2pm-5pm
Fri Jan 23 - 8am-2pm
Our retail store at 41 Kirby Road is open 8:30am-5pm every weekday and 9am-12pm on Saturdays, they remain open over the summer break.
Zoe
Uniform Shop Convenor
Goldilocks and the 3 Zones |
Countering Entitlement with Frustration Tolerance |
Many children today expect things to come easily. When learning feels hard, frustration quickly follows—and sometimes, disrespect or giving up. As parents, our first instinct is often to step in and make things easier. But if we want to raise resilient, capable kids, there’s a better way.
We can help our children by teaching two powerful skills: frustration tolerance and an understanding of the learning zone.
Building Frustration Tolerance
Frustration isn’t failure—it’s feedback. It tells us we’re stretching, learning, and growing. When kids learn to tolerate frustration, they build the emotional strength they’ll need for life.
Here’s how we can help:
- Allow them to struggle: Resist the urge to jump in right away. Give them a chance to wrestle with the challenge.
- Offer support, not solutions: Try saying, “That looks hard. I’m here if you need me,” or “What’s one thing you could try next?”
- Celebrate effort over outcome: Highlight persistence and courage. “You kept going even when it was tricky—that’s resilience.”
The Learning Zone: Where Growth Happens
Think of your child’s learning like Goldilocks and her porridge—not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
- Comfort Zone: Everything feels easy. It’s safe but not stretching.
- Panic Zone: The challenge feels too big. They shut down.
- Learning Zone: The sweet spot—challenging but manageable. This is where growth happens.
When children understand these zones, they start to see struggle differently. Frustration isn’t something to avoid—it’s a sign they’re in the right place to grow.
This simple reframing counters an entitled mindset that thinks that everything should be easy, and, instead, empowers them to tolerate frustration and build resilience.
Helping Hands
Holiday HQ – Book now!
We’re running HHQ from Mon 15 Dec 2025 to Fri 23 Jan 2026. Bookings are open now.
- 2026 Prep children may attend from Mon 5 Jan 2026.
Questions or help with bookings? Contact Helping Hands Mango Hill on mangohill@helpinghandsnetwork.com.au or book via Mango Hill State School | Helping Hands Network
Mango Hill State Secondary College
Hats and water bottles
During the day, we like to make the most of all our learning areas including outside. Please ensure your child has a named hat and water bottle at school each day so they can enjoy our beautiful outdoor spaces and be sun-safe at the same time. With the weather heating up, it is also important that our students wear their hats to and from school, as well as during the school day.
Bumping up our writing
Prep learners have been busy writing retells of familiar stories. They have been using words and pictures and are working towards sequencing the key ideas and stating their thoughts and feelings about the story. Here is Elijah sharing his retell of the story Tom Tom. We are so proud of the effort Elijah and all our prep writers are putting into their work.
Mieke Munko
Deputy Principal-Prep
mmunk1@eq.edu.au
Maths
As I was visiting classrooms last week I was stopped in my tracks when I came to 1J. Students were spread out all around the classroom, busily working in small groups with different materials. When I asked some of the students what they were doing they replied ‘Partitioning collections into equal groups and then skip counting the collection’.
Students were skip counting in twos and tens. This is a fun and easy task to practice at home as well. I encourage you to try it this week with your Year 1 child.
Christmas Carols
On Thursday 4 December (Week 9), we will be holding our Christmas Carols event, featuring performances from our Year 1, Year 3, and Year 5 students.
Over the coming weeks, Year 1 students will be rehearsing their song for the night. Further details about the event will be shared in upcoming newsletters.
Our Year 1 classes will be performing the following songs:
Jingle Bells- 1A, 1C, 1D and 1E
We Wish You a Merry Christmas- 1F, 1G and 1H
Rock and Roll Christmas- 1B, 1I and 1J
We can’t wait to see our students perform and enjoy a fun evening!
Have a wonderful week everyone.
Mrs Evan Barrett
Year 1 Deputy Principal
ebmcf0@eq.edu.au
Learning in English
Our big purpose in English this term is to create an exciting narrative using a known character. Students are learning how to structure their stories with a clear orientation, introducing their characters and setting, and to build excitement through a complication and a ‘problem explosion’! They are also developing their use of noun and verb groups to make their writing more descriptive and interesting.
It was an absolute joy to visit 2G last week and listen to students proudly share the wonderful narratives they have been crafting. Their enthusiasm for storytelling is evident, and it’s clear how much they have grown in both their reading and writing skills this year.
As students begin preparing for their assessment, you can support your child at home by chatting with them about the novel Tashi, which they are reading in class. Encourage them to describe the characters and settings to help deepen their understanding.
Below are some of our talented Year 2 storytellers sharing their work.
Have a great week.
Jessica Burnett
Deputy Principal- Year 2
jburn289@eq.edu.au
Bump It Up Walls
This term in English, students are crafting imaginative narratives inspired by our text Kumiko and the Dragon. In each classroom, students are co-constructing learning walls to support their progress across a range of key concepts. These concepts align with the individual learning goals outlined on each student’s personal scale.
At Mango Hill, our learning scales are used to celebrate achievements and identify next steps to ‘bump up’ our work. Students can use their scales and Bump It Up Walls as tools to guide their learning journey, helping them reach their next goal — and make their work 4 Stars!
World Teachers Day
This Friday, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day — a special opportunity to recognise the incredible work our teachers do each and every day.
At Mango Hill, our teachers go above and beyond to create engaging, inclusive and supportive learning environments for every student. They inspire curiosity, nurture confidence, and help our students see their potential to achieve great things.
World Teachers’ Day is a chance for us to pause and say thank you — for the dedication, creativity, and care our teachers bring to our school community. Their commitment makes Mango Hill a place where learning comes alive and students thrive.
Happy World Teachers’ Day to our amazing teachers — we appreciate all that you do!
Deputy Principal
Well I have no doubt that you have now been given details on our camp. Thank you for entrusting your children with us! Camp has so many benefits and we got to experience them all: bonding with one another, learning to work as a team, being independent, trying new things including foods, being resilient … just to name a few. No camp could happen without supportive teachers and I want to acknowledge the amazing way every teacher engaged in making this camp a success for your children. They were tireless in supporting each and every person as well as engaging in the activities and having fun together.
I know that you have already seen photos on facebook, but here are a few more demonstrating the skills I mentioned above.
It has been wonderful to see students engaging deeply with the themes of interpersonal relationships and ethical dilemmas in the novel The Callers.
Throughout the term, students have explored complex sequences of events involving shifts in time and location, as well as a range of characters with diverse experiences and perspectives centred around the intriguing ‘gift’ of calling.
Students will soon move into the creating phase of the unit, where they will use their newly developed skills to craft their own fantasy narratives. We look forward to sharing their imaginative and thoughtful work in the coming weeks.
Student Leadership
A reminder that applications for 2026 Student Leadership positions are due soon. Students must submit their Leadership Passports by Friday, 7 November.
We encourage interested students to complete and submit their passports early to avoid any last-minute issues such as illness.
Congratulations to all aspiring leaders! While not every student will receive a position, we commend all applicants for demonstrating initiative and a strong commitment to leading the students of Mango Hill State School in 2026.
SOLE Badges
Congratulation on the large list of Year 5 student how received a S, O, L or E badge during the week. It has been wonderful to see students wearing their badges with pride on their uniforms. Keep up the great work of demonstrating Care for Self, Others, Learning and the School Environment and I look forward to presenting more badges in the coming weeks.
Greg McCallum
Deputy Principal- Year 5
gmcca24@eq.edu.au
Learning in Year 6
When visiting classrooms this week, it has been great speaking with students about their comprehension of texts. Students have been identifying similarities and differences in how ideas are presented in a range of texts. They have been discussing characters, settings and events and teachers have been teaching them to articulate how texts reflect provide evidence of their ideas.
Year 6 Graduation
Just a reminder to check your emails for an email sent last week including information on how to order food, details of the evening as well as an invitations.
Graduation will be on Wednesday 10 December, with arrival between 5-5:30pm, with the ceremony beginning at 5:40pm.
Following the ceremony, students and their parents will be able to enjoy dinner (pizzas), dancing, lawn games and dessert!
We are looking forward to celebrating this important milestone with all students.
Complex and Unfamiliar Tasks in Mathematics
At Mango Hill State School, mathematics involves students’ ability to engage with complex, unfamiliar questions that require them to demonstrate a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. Since 2023, we have been committed to this approach, and it is evident that our students’ disposition toward challenging questions has significantly improved. In addition to solving straightforward problems, students are encouraged to apply their learning across diverse contexts, bridging classroom knowledge with real-world situations. This approach allows students to showcase their critical thinking and problem-solving skills in varied scenarios. By focusing on these skills, Mango Hill State School aims to develop confident, resilient learners equipped to apply mathematics beyond the classroom.
AR Reading
Congratulations to Isla from Year 5 who has read 1 million words and Nicola from Year 6 who has read an amazing 5 million words!
Calling all volunteers!
If you have an hour to spare on Monday-Thursday, anytime between 8:30am-12:30pm, please drop in and help us cover some new books and student resources. We appreciate your support!
Have a fantastic week.
Physical Education News
Brisbane Active Football (Soccer) Program
We are very excited to be bringing our Brisbane Active Football Program back to Mango Hill State School in Term 4. Please see the eFlyer below for more information.
If you would like to register for this program, please use the link below:
Regards,
Mr Hills, Mr Newell, Mr Lisha & Miss Wilson
Physical Education Teachers
Mango Hill State School
