December 2024
Important Dates
| December 13 2024 | Final day of school for all year levels |
| January 27 2025 | Public Holiday |
| January 28 2025 | First day of school for all year levels |
Leadership Update
Reflecting on another year
As we come to the end of another eventful year at Aspley Special School, it’s time to look back on all the fun, growth, and achievements that have marked our journey together. This year, we began with 130 students spread across 23 classes, excited to welcome 19 new Year 7 students into our school community. It was the beginning of many wonderful memories, as our students and staff embraced a year full of learning, resilience, and celebration.
Our leadership team began the year with Ches and Kath sharing the principal role during the week, providing guidance and continuity for everyone. In the junior school, Kath and Vanessa took on the Deputy Principal role with dedication, while Jayson led the senior school with strength and vision. Together, they have fostered an environment that values each student’s unique abilities and potential.
In curriculum, Trish took the lead for the junior school, shaping engaging and meaningful learning experiences for our younger students.
Vanessa and Dom worked together to provide senior students with the support they needed to reach their goals, until we said goodbye to Dom as she moved on to Red Hill. We were fortunate, however, to welcome Jess back to the Head of Department role, bringing her warmth and expertise to our school once more.
This year has been filled with opportunities for students to explore, connect and thrive. From academic achievements to sports and special events, we’ve watched students shine in countless ways. We now prepare to send off our Year 12 students, celebrating their achievements and looking forward with excitement to see where life will take them. They leave us with cherished memories and the assurance that they are ready for the next stage of their lives.
Thank you to everyone in our Aspley Special School community for making this year unforgettable. Here’s to the year we’ve shared—and to the exciting future that awaits!
From the Leadership team
As we move into 2025, we wanted to inform you of an important update regarding our communication channels. After careful consideration, we have decided that we will no longer be continuing with our traditional newsletters in the upcoming year. Instead, we will be focusing on more modern and efficient platforms to keep you informed about school news, events and updates.
For class-specific information, updates and student learning, Seesaw will continue to be our primary communication tool. You can expect regular updates from your child’s teacher, including photos and videos of classroom learning, CBI, events and activities. Communication books will remain the go-to method for any student-specific details, including daily notes, reminders and individualised messages between teachers and parents. For school-wide announcements and key updates, we will be continuing to use Schoolzine. This digital platform allows us to share news efficiently and ensures it reaches everyone. Additionally, our school Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AspleySpecialSchool) and Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/aspleyspecschool) will continue to be an important resource for general school news, events and celebrations. Make sure to follow us to stay connected.
We believe that these changes will streamline communication and ensure that you receive relevant information in the most direct and efficient way possible. We’re confident that these platforms will better serve our school community moving forward.
Thank you for your understanding and support. We look forward to staying connected with you in 2025 and beyond!
If you are passing our school on the vacation break, please report any unusual activity to School Watch on 13 17 88.
Deputy Principal’s Update (Junior Secondary)
Vanessa Hill
As we approach the end of another incredible year at Aspley Special School, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the many achievements and memorable moments that have made 2024 so special. This year has been filled with growth, learning, and connection across our vibrant school community.
To cap off the year, we were thrilled to host our first Christmas Concert in many years. It was a magical evening that brought students, families, and staff together to celebrate the festive season with music, joy, and community spirit.
A huge thank you to Conan for orchestrating the Christmas Concert! Your dedication, creativity, and hard work were instrumental in bringing this event to life. The concert wouldn’t have been the success it was without your leadership and passion.
We’d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our parents and families for joining us at the concert. Your support and encouragement mean the world to us and truly enrich the school community. Seeing the joy and pride on our students’ faces as they performed was a highlight of the year and a testament to the strength of our school-family partnership.
YEAR 12 FORMAL
On Thursday 14 November we celebrated a truly memorable Year 12 Formal as we bid farewell to our amazing graduates. The evening was filled with joy, pride, and heartfelt moments. A huge thank you to Lyndsay and the Formal Committee for their incredible effort in organising this special event. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the generosity of the Brisbane Antique Automobile Association for their time and donation of driving our students to their formal in style!
We are also grateful to the Kedron-Wavell RSL for hosting us in such a welcoming and elegant setting and to Alison from ORCA for delivering an inspiring speech that was full of useful tips.
📸 Families can purchase professional photos from the evening:
🌐 Website: https://brissiepix.zenfolio.com/AS_FM_24
🔑 Password/Gallery ID: AS_FM_24
Congratulations to our graduates—we are so proud of you and wish you all the best for the exciting journeys ahead! 🎉❤️
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we continue to focus on improving our teaching and learning practices, Aspley Special School is excited to announce our participation in the Collaborative Capability Development Framework. This initiative involves sending our teachers to other schools and inviting them to visit classrooms within our own school. The goal is to share practices, develop knowledge, and strengthen our capabilities in preparation for 2025.
Kind regards
Vanessa Hill
A/ Deputy Principal (T, Th)
Head of Department, Curriculum: Senior Secondary (M, Fr)
Classroom Updates
Senior 9 has been hard at work this year, balancing a variety of activities and programs that are preparing them for life beyond school. It’s been an exciting and rewarding journey as they explored work experience/volunteer settings and worked towards completing their Certificate 1 in Active Volunteering.
In Semester 1, students attended All-Abilities Garage, where they were able to learn about working on cars, including how to change a tire.
In Semester 2, the class attended Zillmere Community Centre. Here they completed a variety of volunteer tasks including tending to the gardens, sorting grocery donations and bagging bread for the local community.
As part of their studies, S9 is completing their Certificate I in Active Volunteering. This year, they developed their volunteer skills by learning about safety signs, practised communication scenarios in workplace and volunteer settings, planned a charity day for the school and learned about diversity and discrimination and how it relates to volunteer settings.
These experiences have helped them build essential life skills while setting a strong foundation for their futures.
Cheers,
Chris Smith
Classroom Updates
I can’t believe I am writing this article for the final newsletter of the year—where has the time gone? What an incredible and busy year we’ve had in J10! It was packed with fun, laughter, friendship, and plenty of learning.
Some of our favourite activities this semester have included Sports Day, Book Week, NAIDOC Week, cooking and performing in our first school Christmas concert. We had fun visiting various parks on Community Based Instruction, which tied into our learning in HPE. We also learnt how to order and pay for our own lunches while out on CBI. Our favourite parks were definitely Kidspace and Pine Rivers Park—everyone loved the flying fox!
Some more photos from our favourite activities this semester:
As the year winds down, we’ve been working hard on assessments and are now excited to shift gears into preparing for Christmas. Our class is buzzing with craft activities, Christmas music, and letter writing—it’s such a joyful way to end the year.
I am extremely proud of all the students in J10. They’ve worked so hard to follow the Rule of 5, support and encourage each other and interact with kindness. It’s been a privilege to watch them grow in confidence and character.
I wish you all a very happy, safe, and relaxing holiday—and most of all, a wonderful Christmas!
Warm wishes,
Eveline
PBL News
New PBL Reward System Coming to Aspley Special School in 2025
Some exciting changes are coming to Aspley Special School’s Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) rewards system in 2025. We will be introducing ‘Gotchas Bucks’, which will replace our sticker reward system and allow students to save their ‘Gotchas’ and use them as currency at Kingfisher Recycling Centre. The change was decided on by our PBL Team and staff as we were finding that stickers were not a desirable reward for many of our students. The new ‘Gotcha Bucks’ reward system will allow students to choose something that is in line with their interests. Keep an eye out for more details in early 2025!
Positive Results in our 2024 PBL Assessments
Every year, Aspley Special School completes two assessments which provide a reliable and efficient measure of the extent to which our school is implementing all aspects of the PBL framework. The assessments are the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) and the Effective Behaviour Support (EBS) Survey. Our Tier 1 implementation fidelity in our TFI increased from 60% in 2023 to 87% in 2024 and our classroom systems from our EBS survey rose from 82% in place in the 2023 survey to 92% in place in our 2024 survey. Exciting times ahead as we strive towards becoming a PBL demonstration school.
I hope you all have a happy and healthy holiday break, and we will see you in the new year!
Chris Smith
Frothee Coffee Shoppee
The ‘Frothee Coffee Shoppee’ is a fantastic training program for students with a disability from our school and our local region. With delicious coffee, delightful food and amazing customer service, a visit to our coffee shop is an insightful and enjoyable experience. We are grateful for all of the community support that we receive in order to make this program a success.
If you would like to attend the ‘Frothee Coffee Shoppee’, please be aware that bookings through our office are essential. The Coffee Shop seats a maximum of 30 customers per sitting so the earlier you book, the better. There are two sittings for the Coffee Shop at 10am and 11am. Unfortunately, without a booking, you will not be able to visit as we limit the numbers to enable the students to learn. Please contact the school on 3867 2333 to make your booking. Coffee Shop dates for Term 1 2025 are below:
Student Contact Update
Contact details
There are times when we may need to contact parents and carers. Do we have your most up to date contact details? If not, please contact the school on admin@aspleyspecs.eq.edu.au or 3867 2333 so we can update our records. These details include parent/carers’ name, address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact details. Please remember to contact the school if any of these details change.
Absence notification process
Please remember to call the school on 3867 2333 or email at absent@aspleyspecs.eq.edu.au or SMS 0428 665 712 early in the morning if your child is going to be away or late for school so your child’s absence can be recorded correctly.
Same day notification
Our school will contact parents as soon as practicable on the day if a student is not at school and we don’t know why. If you are advised by the school that your child is away without a reason, please contact us as soon as possible by phoning 3867 2333 or email at absent@aspleyspecs.eq.edu.au or SMS 0428 665 712 to let us know where your child is. We will follow-up with parents if no response is received.
We're thrilled to announce our partnership with Harvey Norman Aspley!
For every purchase you make, 1% will be donated to our school to support important programs and resources for our students.
Here’s how you can help:
1. Visit the Aspley store and mention this ad at checkout.
OR
2. Use the QR code to let the store know what you’re interested in buying and they’ll contact you to discuss your purchase.
It’s a win-win – you get what you need and Harvey Norman Aspley helps our school grow. We are so grateful for their support in making a difference for our community!
Let’s keep our school thriving, together!
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