Principal's Message

Hi Everyone,

This is it, the last week of school!!  I think it is fitting that today our children have had ‘Step Up Day,’ where they have stepped up to their next year class and met their teacher.  There was a lot of excitement in the air, and it was a wonderful morning.  Thank you so much to Mrs Griffin for organising this important event. Please, if you know of anyone wanting to enrol in our school, now is the time for them to contact us!

Today we had out Ironside State School’s Got Talent finals and it was AMAZING!!  We have so much talent in our school!  Congratulations to our overall winners -  wow!  Thank you to Ms Pinkerton and the Student Council for organising this fabulous event, it has brought a lot of joy in our last few weeks.

Last week was full of fun events and it was wonderful!  We had three swimming carnivals  -  our Year 3&4 carnival and our Year 5&6 carnival and our Prep swimming carnival….well, actually, it was just a whole lot of very fun water play!!  Thank you so much to Mr Jorma Bushnell and Mrs Tara Griffin for organising this fun morning; as well as the Prep teaching team.  Parents spoke to me about how amazing, helpful and caring our Sport’s Captains are and they are so right  -  we are so grateful to them!

The 3,4 and 5,6 swimming carnivals were just brilliant, so much talent on display! Congratulations to everyone who got in the pool and a huge congratulations to our competitive swimmers, you really shone!  Thank you to Mr Nathan Reardon, Mr Jorma Bushnell for organising everything and to our wonderful staff for helping.  Again, our Sport’s Captains were so impressive!  Our carnivals would not have been successful without all of the dedicated volunteers  - thank you everyone!! I believe we will find out our results at this week’s assembly on Thursday!! 

We had our final P&C Meeting for the year last week.  I want to thank our P&C Executive and everyone who attends these meetings and is active in the P&C.  The P&C make enormous contributions to our school and truly make it a better place. I look forward to more families joining our P&C in 2026!

Our 2026 Preppies and families joined us for the final time last week.  We look forward to them being part of our school in 2026!  Our transition program has been hugely successful, and we thank Mrs Tara Griffin and the team, for all the work that has gone into it.

Congratulations to all our STAR Award recipients, we are so proud of you!! 

I had to miss assembly on Friday, which was upsetting but I was equally as sad to miss seeing our Junior Choir perform afterwards.  I was able to watch the video thankfully  -  congratulations Mrs Huxley and our Junior Choir, you were incredible!!

I was back in time for the Year 6 Sustainability Showcase and it did not disappoint  -  wow!  What incredible work has been produced by our children, you parents must be so proud.  I know I am also proud and thankful to our year 6 teaching team. 

Coming Up:

• Learning Celebrations  - Tuesday 9th December
• Year 6 Graduation and Formal Dance  - Wednesday 10th December
• Class Parties -  Thursday 11th December
• Cleaning and moving Day  - Friday 12th December

Our last 4 days are big. Tomorrow Prep, year 2, 3, 4 and 5 are having celebrations of learning.  Please see the timetable for the day, you are so welcome to come and join us.

Year 6 are graduating on Wednesday!!  How has this happened??  We are going to miss them so much!  We look forward to formally watching them graduate and then celebrating afterwards.

All classes are having their break-up parties on Thursday (a pool party for lucky year 6!).  It is always sad to finish up as a class, so much of a bond has been formed across the year and it is hard for that to be over. 

Friday is cleaning and moving day, so children need to come ready to help us get things organised.

Your child’s report card should arrive in your email on Friday.  As you know, there are no longer written comments, just levels of achievement.  Please let us know if you do not receive your child’s report card. 

We have several staff departing that I want to acknowledge and thank!

• Ms Catherine Roche is taking well-deserved long service leave all of term 1, 2026  -  jealous!  All the very best Ms Roche and thank you for everything! Mrs Annika Sauvage will be our full-time librarian for term 1 next year.
• Miss Sameen Arshad, our incredible Communication Officer is leaving us.  I work very closely with Miss Arshad, as does the office team and we’ll miss her terribly! 
• Thank you to Mrs Gulshan Banu, who answered our call to be our EAL/D Teacher when Mrs Dancer retired!  Thank you for all you have done Mrs Banu!
• Thank you to Mrs Tracey Horan, who has been working with Mrs Simone Fitzgerald in year 2 and across our school as relief.  Thank you for helping us Mrs Horan! 
• Mrs Debbie Smith has worn a variety of hats across our school and is loved by children and staff alike for all she does.  Thank you for coming into our school and helping us!
• Mrs Jessica Murray works on a Friday with 4F and we are so grateful for you to have helped 4F get through this year Mrs Murray; thank you!
• Mr Bruce Vayo is returning to Chapel Hill State School.  Thank you for everything Mr Vayo, you will be missed! 
• Mrs Phoebe Anderson answered our call and took on the Year 2/3 multiage class and has been so adored by the children.  Thank you, Mrs Anderson, and thank you also for your incredible work with Strings!!!!!  We are so grateful for everything you have done.
• Mrs Rosa Alexis is heading back to Central State School next year.  Thank you for everything Mrs Alexis; you will be missed!
• Mrs Michelle Bingley answered our call and did a wonderful job taking over a year 2 class mid-term.  Thank you for everything Mrs Bingley, you have been like an angel that answered out prayer!
• Ms Sophie Leishman, took over a year 3 class last year when we really needed someone and started here as a graduate! Ms Leishman has gotten the job I want and is off to Ashgrove SS as an Arts Teacher.  This is so exciting Ms Leishman!  Thank you for all you have done here at Ironside!
• We also have Mrs Amanda Hayes Relieving at Level over at Durack State School!  Mrs Hayes is going to expand her horizons out at Durack and have an adventure.  Mrs Hayes is a feature in the Prep area of the school, as well as being the Queen of the Green Team!  We will miss you, thank you for everything!
• Ms Sophie Morrison, started here as a graduate 2 years ago and has taken up the calling and is off to teach in the country at Quilpie State College!!  What an adventure, I am so jealous!  Ms Morrison, you have done so much in the year one arena in such a short time and will be so missed  -  thank you!
• Mrs Julie Heyden has a long-standing on and off history with Ironside.  Mrs Heyden will be missed by children and teachers alike.  Thank you for everything Mrs Heyden!!
• Mrs Josie Donaldson has received a transfer and is going on an adventure out to Forest Lake SS.  Mrs Donaldson has only been back this year after teaching in NSW.  Thank you for everything you have done for Ironside SS over the years Mrs Donaldson, you will be missed.
• Mrs Jessica Ballantyne, our Guidance Officer, is sadly being transferred to another school. Mrs Ballantyne is such a part of our community and even went to school here!!  You will be enormously missed Jess, thank you for everything!!
• Finally, we have Mrs Kylie Sommerfeld retiring.  Mrs Sommerfeld has been synonymous with EAL/D in our region for 30 years and is the face of it at Ironside!  We will miss you Mrs Sommerfeld, but I am so happy you are heading off on your next life adventure.  We cannot thank you enough!

Thankfully we get to welcome some people too!

• We need to welcome back Mrs Annabelle Houlahan from maternity leave!!  😊  Mrs Houlahan is one of our experienced teachers and we are excited she is returning.  Welcome back!
• Welcome to Mrs Ashley McMillan who is joining our Prep Team.  Mrs McMillan is an experience teacher who is thrilled to be joining us!  
• Welcome to Mrs Leanne Nebe, who is joining the year 1 team.  Mrs Nebe is another experienced teacher who will be a great addition to our team.
• Welcome to Ms Tzigane Latter, who is a graduate joining the year 2 team!  😊  Ms Latter is very excited to be joining our team and has a background in early childhood.
• Welcome to Mrs Taylor Wilton, who is joining our year 3 team.  Mrs Wilton is a very experienced teacher, who is looking forward to making a difference at Ironside.
• Welcome to Ms Sequoya Miller who is a graduate joining the year 5 team.  Ms Miller is looking forward to having her own class!
• Welcome to Mrs Celine Garibaldi, who will be teaching our EAL/D children in 2026.  Celine is an experienced teacher, joining us from Benowa SS where there is a large EAL/D population too.  
• Welcome to Mr Cliff Makemson who will be joining us as our new Guidance Officer 2 days a week. Mr Makemson is a very experienced Guidance Officer and we look forward to working in partnership with him.

Well, what a year!  Gosh we have achieved a lot!

I want to give a SHOUT-OUT to all our volunteers in our school and our wonderful P&C Executive!  Though small in number, you have made a real difference, and we are beyond grateful.  Thank you to all our parents and caregivers and extended families and wider community; your support means the world to your children and to us.  To our amazing staff, thank you so much for turning up daily with renewed dedication to all our children, you are extraordinary and are changing lives. Finally, thank you to the STARS of our show, our children!!  You really are a delight to be with every day.

To those of you staff and families heading off, all the very best; you will be missed.

I hope everyone has a wonderful break and that you get time to be with your people, get done what you need to and have fun!

We are looking forward to 2026.

Sincerely,

Angie Kelly

Principal