School Newsletter - Issue 1, Term 3 2024

Welcome to Term 3 at Silkwood School

Dear Silkwood Community,

Welcome back! We hope your break was filled with rest, connection, and a little adventure. As we return for Term 3, there’s a wonderful buzz across our learning community – and a term full of exciting experiences to look forward to.

School Photo Days – 16 to 18 July
We’re starting the term by capturing a special moment in your child’s learning journey. School Photo Days are a wonderful way to reflect on how much they’ve grown and the connections they’ve built along the way. Please check your child’s photo schedule and help them come prepared with their best smile and a sense of pride in being part of the Silkwood story.

Mid-Year Music Concert – 31 July
We’ll soon be gathering for our Mid-Year Music Concert, where our student performers will take to the stage and share the musical moments they’ve been working on. It’s always a special occasion that reflects our values of courage, creativity, and collaboration – and we can’t wait to see it all come to life.

Bush Dance – 8 August
Dust off your boots – our much-loved Bush Dance is back! This community event is all about good music, good company, and good fun. It's a joyful evening that brings families together to laugh, dance, and celebrate the vibrant community spirit that makes Silkwood so unique.

Book Week – 18 August
Get ready for a celebration of stories! Book Week is a much-loved moment on the Silkwood calendar. With themed dress-ups, storytelling adventures and lots of book-inspired fun, this week encourages our students to dive deep into the world of imagination and ideas.

Father’s Day Breakfast – 5 September
We look forward to welcoming our dads, carers and father-figures for a relaxed breakfast to celebrate all they do. It's a great opportunity to connect, share time together, and show appreciation for the supportive role they play in the lives of our learners.

Spring Dreaming Festival – 18 September
As spring approaches, we come together for our Dreaming Festival – a day dedicated to honouring and learning from the rich cultural heritage of our First Nations peoples. Through music, storytelling, art, and ceremony, we celebrate the deep connections to land, family, and culture that continue to shape our community and country.

This term invites us to connect, to celebrate, and to explore. We’re looking forward to all the memorable moments ahead as we journey through Term 3 together.

Warmest regards,Silkwood School

Public Holiday	Date
Gold Coast Show Day Public Holiday	Friday 29 August

Dear Silkwood Families,
We have made some changes to our North-Western Bus Route for 2025.

The changes are as follows: -
We have removed the bus stop at Reserve Road near Lawson Street, in Upper Coomera.

We have added a stop in Mount Nathan – Mount Nathan Road @ The Oval Drive (afternoon run only) and in Upper Coomera – Brygon Creek Dr near Mockingbird Dr (morning and afternoon runs).

The new bus route information can be seen on our website, please click on each Bus Route to view the Timetable information. https://www.silkwood.qld.edu.au/our-community/school-bus-service

There is also further information on this page regarding our pricing, code of conduct and the TransportMe Passenger App user guide.

If you are interested in your child utilising the Silkwood School Bus Service, please contact us at schoolbus@silkwood.qld.edu.au. We can then arrange a SmartCard for your child and will reply to your email with details on how to link this card with your TransportMe Passenger App.

School buses will commence from Wednesday 29th January, 2025.

It is a requirement of the bus service that all bus students in Year 6 or below must be met at the bus stop by a parent or guardian, who is required to wait at the stop 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival time. Students must also be registered with our new Outside School Hours Care provider, Extend.

Please visit https://www.extend.com.au/families/enrolments-and-bookings/ to register.

This is a requirement of the Silkwood Bus Service in case the afternoon bus is missed.

School Bus Behaviour

As a general reminder, we ask that you remind your children of the conduct and behaviour expected of our bus users – in particular:

Seat belts must be worn at all times whilst travelling on the bus;
Students must remain seated whilst the bus is in motion;
No eating or drinking is permitted on the bus (except water);
Shouting and yelling is not tolerated, nor is offensive language;
All school rules apply during travel on our School Bus Services;
Drivers and other passengers must be treated with care, consideration and respect.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Morning Driveway Drop-Off Schedule

Please note: The back playground area will be supervised from 8.00 am for those wishing to drop off their Prep child from this time.

Year Level	Set-down area	Drop-off times (between)	School start time
Prep	Outside Prep	8.00 - 8.40am	8.45am
Year 1	Primary School set-down area	8.00 - 8.25am	8.30am
Years 2 - 9	Middle School set-down area	7.45 - 8.25am	8.30am

Afternoon Driveway Pick-Up Schedule

PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE BEFORE YOUR PICK-UP TIME AS YOUR CHILD MAY NOT BE READY FOR COLLECTION

At the end of the school day, we move a lot of traffic in a short space of time. To assist with the smooth operation of our afternoon schedule, we have a few guidelines we ask you to follow:

To eliminate car park congestion, please do not arrive earlier than the times below to pick-up your child.
If you arrive early, you will be asked to re-circulate the driveway until your child arrives.
If you arrive on time, use the drive-through pick-up system and refrain from parking if possible.
If your child is not looking out for their car, or they do not respond to their name being called, you will be asked to circulate the driveway until they make their way to the pick-up area.
If someone other than a parent or guardian is collecting your child, please let the school know in advance.
Please ensure your child’s name and year level is clearly visible on your passenger-side car visor.
When pulling up to collect your child, please ensure you stop the vehicle as far to the front as possible so that we can assist multiple families. In the Primary School, there are three vehicle spaces marked on the road to help you see where you need to stop. Our volunteers will ask you to move forward if you have stopped with a vacant bay in front of you, please respect their direction, they are there to help every child get to their vehicle safely and promptly.

Families with siblings use their youngest child's pick-up zone and the latest designated pick-up time for that zone.

For example.

Siblings of Prep-Year 1 students go to the Primary School pick-up zone.
Families with students only in Years 2-9 go to the Middle School pick-up zone.

PRIMARY SCHOOL PICK-UP SCHEDULE (Prep Car Park)

The latest pick-up time for this location is 3.20 pm, students not collected by this time are taken to OHSC, charges apply.

Year Level	Pick-up Time
Prep & Year 1 (and older siblings)	3.00 - 3.10pm

Students with large musical instruments may be dropped off and collected from the Prep car park on their assigned music days.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PICK-UP SCHEDULE

The latest pick-up time for this location is 3.30 pm.

Year Level	Pick-up time
Years 2 - 5	3.20 - 3.30pm
Years 6 & 7	3.15 - 3.30pm
Year 8 & 9	3.10 - 3.30pm

Dear Senior School Families,

As we commence Term 3 of the 2025 school year at Silkwood, we hope this message finds you well. With each term bringing new challenges and opportunities, it’s crucial that we revisit and reaffirm our driveway and parking protocols at the Robina campus to ensure the safety and compliance of our community. Whether you’re a returning family or new to our school, understanding and following these guidelines is essential for maintaining a secure and orderly environment.

At the start of each term, we must remind our Senior School families of the parking drop-off and pick-up procedures. These conditions are outlined below:

• At no time can students be dropped off or picked up on or around the streets near the school campus (including Laver Drive and Easthill Drive).

• Any vehicle visiting the Senior School campus must park in a dedicated ‘visitor car parking’ space located at the northern end of the building entry from Laver Drive (these parks are NOT to be used for dropping off or picking up students).

Please understand that the drop-off and pick-up rules we have in place are for both community safety and to meet the Council conditions of our approval to operate a school on the site. These are both very serious matters and failure by our students and families to abide by these conditions puts community safety and the compliance of the School at serious risk.

Campus Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures

For a smooth and secure drop-off and pick-up experience, please adhere to these guidelines:

• Designated Locations: We have arranged two convenient locations for drop-offs and pick-ups: Robina Station and Robina Town Centre. For ease of access and ample parking, Robina Station is highly recommended.

• Staff Assistance: Each morning at 8:15 am, a school Advisor will be at Robina Station to accompany any students requiring assistance to the school. This support is also available in the afternoon for students as needed.

• Departure Time: Students are free to leave for their various off-site transport options from 3:00 pm.

Car Parking at Senior School

Please note the following to ensure an orderly parking situation:

Parent/Carer Parking: Visitor parking is located outdoors, accessible via Laver Drive, offering 6 spaces. Due to the limited availability, these spaces are strictly reserved for parents or carers with a pre-scheduled appointment. We kindly request all other visitors to the Senior School campus to utilise parking at Robina Town Centre or Robina Station.

Disabled Parking: Disabled parking spots are conveniently situated on the ground floor at the southern end of the building for those requiring them.

Student Parking: Students are provided parking in the underground carpark located at the northern end of the building.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in adhering to these procedures and parking arrangements. These guidelines are in line with Council regulations and are essential to uphold for our school’s operation and the safety of our community.

Together, we can ensure a safe, efficient, and respectful environment for our entire Silkwood community.

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