20 May 2016

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

This week sees the midpoint of the term. It is a long term with 11 weeks! Our teachers will start the Report Card writing process in the next few weeks. As you can imagine, writing Report Cards on top of a teacher’s usual work load is very demanding. Weeks 7-9 are the most demanding on a teacher’s time and we would be very grateful for your understanding and patience during this busy time.

This week we hosted Ryan Dunn from the University of Melbourne and Curiosity and Powerful Learning Project. Ryan was part of our Self Determined Review process last year and worked with us to develop our implementation plan for the Theories of Action for the project. Ryan was very impressed with our progress so far and gave us some great feedback to enable us to deepen our learning. We were also lucky to have two representatives from Griffith University who were keen to learn more about our school’s success in Curiosity and Powerful Learning and work out ways we could possibly partner in the future. It will be wonderful to work with a University in QLD. The work we are doing is very exciting!

Mrs McKeaten, Mrs Chester (Guidance Officer), Mrs Lambkin (Support Teacher for Students with Special Needs) and Mrs Harris (Learning Support Teacher) attended a Wellbeing conference this week. As you may know, our school will also have a strong focus on both teacher and student wellbeing over the next three years. We are in a learning and planning year in 2016 so you likely to see a greater emphasis in this area in 2017 as we move into the first stages of implementation.

The ladies in the office have asked me to remind you of the following:

• The office opens at 8am and closes at 3.30pm.
• Payments can be made at the office between 8am and 3pm Monday to Wednesday and 8am to 12pm Thursday and Friday.
• BPoint can take up to 3 days to clear. If paying by BPoint please do so three days prior to the last day for payment.

Finally, the Trivia Night is fast approaching! Have you booked your table? The date is June 4th!

Have a great week.

Newsletter Articles

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Date Claimer: Under 8’s Activities on Wednesday May 25, 8.45 – 10.45

This annual event for Prep, year 1 -2 classes is on again. Please see poster attached for more information. We invite all parents to attend and join in the fun if available.

Study Tour – From Future Heir School in Taiwan to Graceville State School

Thank you to the parents who have come forward to express interest in hosting a student from Taiwan during our upcoming Study Tour. We still need to find a few more host families, especially if you are able to host a girl to come forward and let me know if you are able and willing.

The success of a study tour to our school is very dependent upon this kind of support and we are looking to host approx. 20 students during this time

Please read the information below and let me know if you would be able to assist.

In order for Graceville to be able to host these students, we need to provide homestay accommodation. You may have more than one student if desired with most students preferring to stay with another student.

A homestay family must provide:

• A bed – own bedroom is desirable but not necessary
• All meals – send lunch each day, if your child has tuckshop, then provide homestay student with tuckshop also
• Travel to and from school

Each Saturday, the students will go on an all-day excursion so must also be dropped at school at 9:00am and picked up at approximately 5pm (this is negotiable if your family was to go away for the weekend).

We cannot undertake this study tour without the support of our school families. Students from Taiwan will be 10-12 years of age. School families with younger children can be a homestay family as all students will be assigned a school buddy as well. Could you please indicate on the form attached if you would be interested in hosting a student for this upcoming study tour. Please return the form to the admin office ASAP or email me at mhass10@eq.edu.au I will arrange an information session for all families who indicate interest to go through in detail what would be involved.

ORAL LANGUAGE PREP PROGRAM

This term, along with continuing our work on identifying and producing rhyme, we have been expanding our vocabulary with interesting words found in Pirate stories. We have also been playing Barrier Games to develop skills in both speaking (composing) and listening (reception/comprehension). Barrier Games also provide opportunities to use and extend positional language.

In Oral Language lessons on Thursday 9th June, our Prep Pirates will have a chance to use their positional language and follow directions to find buried treasure in the school grounds with Captain Chudasko and Captain Hegarty. We hope all of our little Prep Pirates can come dressed as pirates on this day.

Mrs Chudasko and Mrs Hegarty
Prep Oral Language Teachers.

Date Claimer: Prep Information Evening - Wednesday July 27 at 7pm.

Graceville State School recognises as its prime obligation the provision of access to an appropriate educational service for students resident within this community as defined by its local catchment area.

Please visit the following link which details our school enrolment management plan and also provides a link to the catchment area for Graceville State School:

This site also outlines the process for placing your child’s name on our waiting list if you reside outside of our catchment area.

Below is the calendar for term 2 assemblies.

From the Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Wellbeing

On Thursday this week (26/5) some of our school leaders and I attended the Annual Sorry Day Ceremony at the Sherwood Arboretum at 7.00am. It was a very moving ceremony which was well attended by community members.

On our Whole School Assembly on 16th June we will be celebrating NAIDOC week, as it falls during the school holidays.

During this special Assembly we will be having Traditional aboriginal songs, sung by students in 4B and our choir. We are in negotiations with local community members to secure a guest speaker who can present at our assembly. They will be speaking about the local area and the significant Aboriginal places which date back to pre-European arrival. All parents are welcome to attend.

University of New South Wales Competitions

Competition dates:

Science - 31 May - Yrs 2-6
Writing - 16 June - Yrs 3-6
Spelling - 15 June - Yrs 3-6
English - 02 August - Yrs 2-6
Maths - 16 August - Yrs 2-6

If your child is away on the day of any of the competitions, please let the class teacher know so we can look at an alternate day, before or after the sitting date.

Money Matters

Roberta Harycki

Thank you for your payments to date. The use of BPoint has been exceptional as families nominate invoices paid on-line. This Departmental program has allowed staff to manage payments and reporting more easily. Feedback from parents has been mostly positive so I thank you for your patience. As with most EFT transfers allow a couple of days to complete your transaction.

Please be reminded that your attention to permissions and last day for payment will ensure your child’s attendance.

Voluntary Parent Contributions

Still collecting your valuable contribution to this school’s curriculum resources in Curiosity and Powerful Learning.

$60 single student family and $115 for 2 or more in family. Please refer to the Principal’s letter and information sheet.

Credit in Account: All credits (e.g. -$10) in family accounts may be used with current invoices at the parent’s request. BPoint payments over the invoiced amount will be added as a credit balance.

Request for Refund form for an excursion paid and not attended is available from the front office. Prepaid ticketing excursions and prepaid competition entries are non-refundable.

Payment of account days:

8am-3pm - Monday to Wednesday
8am-12pm - Thursday and Friday

BPoint is the preferred method of payment.

Eftpos, Debit Cards: Visa/Mastercard, cheque or cash payments are accepted.

BPOINT User Information

For payment of multiple items on your statement/invoice, you will need to do a separate entry for each item, entering the invoice number and the corresponding payment amount for that item only e.g.

Separate Entries for each line must be done to ensure the payment is allocated to the correct Excursion/Resource Fee.

BPOINT payments must be processed in time to clear (usually 2-3 business days) before the Due Date for payment.

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE 2016

Literacy is at the heart of a student’s ability to learn and succeed – at school and for life. An enjoyment of books not only encourages an active imagination but allows the reader to learn about their world and develop literacy skills.

The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) aims to improve children's literacy, cultivate a passion for literature and encourage children to read widely for pleasure and learning.

That is why every student is encouraged to participate in this year’s 2016 Premier’s Reading Challenge. The Challenge is open to students in Prep to Year 6 and is running from 16 May until 26 September.

The Premier is challenging every child from Prep to Year 2 to read or experience 20 books, Years 3 and 4 to read 20 books and Years 5 and 6 to read 15 books.

Student Reading Record Sheets will be handed out in the coming weeks to those students who express an interest. Children who take up the challenge and read the required number of books will receive a signed certificate from the Premier. Schools with 100 per cent participation will be in the running for numerous lucky draw prizes.

Please ensure your child keeps a record of every book they read or experience, and have signatures of those people who have witnessed them reading.

Books may selected from the school library, the local library, home or reading resources at school however, the books must be considered suitable for the year level and individual reading ability.

I hope many students will join in on this wonderful journey of reading and learning. So please come and see me in the library to sign up and start reading!

Scholastic Book Club

The latest Book Club catalogues will be sent home this week or early next week. Orders will close on Monday 30 May and the books will be distributed approximately two weeks later, just in time for some school holiday reading.

Thank you for using our preferred payment option – LOOP – Linked Online Ordering and Payment available on the link below or download the LOOP Apple or Android app.

No need to send paper orders to school. No Cash Orders Please – Graceville is running a Cashless Book Club. There is a box in the library for paper orders with a cheque made to Scholastic Australia.

Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our library and classrooms, however there is never any obligation to order.

Active School Travel

TACO TUESDAY!

(Travel Actively Coming-to-school On)

National Walk Safely To School

Now in its 17th year, National Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) is an annual event when all Primary School children will be encouraged to walk and commute safely to school. It is a Community Event seeking to promote Road Safety, Health, Public Transport and the Environment. Help celebrate this fantastic day on Friday 20th May by decorating wearing crazy socks and/or decorating your school shoes.

Important Changes to Pick Up Zone Signage

There has been a change to the signage on Park Road (near after school care). The sign has been aligned to the loading zone on Acacia Avenue. This change will allow those who use the pickup zone to collect children from after school care after 4pm to stay longer than two minutes. Previously the loading zone was from 2-6pm.

If you have a few spare hours a month to help us run this fantastic program we are looking for volunteers to join our Active Travel Committee. Please contact Jo Richards at sajrichards@iinet.net.au for more information.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Our students have been busy with lessons and rehearsals this term and we have performances planned for the following dates and students:

31 May - Fanfare competition at Sherwood SS - Senior Strings and Senior Band - families welcome to attend

16 June - NAIDOC Day assembly - Year 2/3 Choir performing (one song)

17 June - Choir Workshop/Incursion (to be held at school with a guest conductor and school choir conductors) all choir students will be involved and performing in a concert in the afternoon at approximately 2:15pm.

Please note - all students attending Fanfare must bring their signed permission slip to school to enable them to attend this excursion. The choir incursion does not require a permission slip as it is to be held in the school grounds.

Music Rehearsals Term 2

Tuesday 7:45am Senior Choir - Ms Julie West ( jwest269@eq.edu.au )
Wednesday 7:45am Senior Strings - Mrs Ruth Prout ( rprou5@eq.edu.au )
Wednesday 3-4pm Senior Band - Mr Steve Stiller ( sstil2@eq.edu.au )
Thursday 7:30am Junior Band - Mr Alex Grodecki ( agrod3@eq.edu.au )
Thursday 7:45am Year 3 Choir - Warratah Room
Thursday 12:45pm Beginner/Junior Strings - Mrs Ruth Prout ( rprou5@eq.edu.au )
Friday 8:00am Year 2 Choir - Mrs Naomi Lindh - music room

Please continue to inform your child's conductor if they are unwell or unable to attend a rehearsal.

Thank you for supporting the music program.

P & C

TUCKSHOP SOS CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Last Thursday afternoon our wonderful tuckshop convenors had to issue an SOS call for volunteers as two of the ladies rostered were unable to make it in. Thank you for people who were able to come in to help and others who stopped by Friday morning to make sure the tuckshop was adequately staffed.

The tuckshop does rely on volunteers to continue to be able to provide a five day service. We do need a greater volunteer pool for the roster and also for back-ups in cases of emergency like last Friday. If you can help at all or would be prepared to step in last minute in case of shortfalls, please do get in touch with our wonderful convenors. Also please do feel free to give it a try one day – even if you can’t be a regular. It is a great experience.

CLASS REPS MEETING

Next Friday 27 May after drop off the class reps will be meeting in the Waratah Room. We will discuss the work of the P&C this year and the important work the Class Reps do. In preparation for the fete we will also be presenting the class stall allocations and be on hand to explain how everything works. If you are a class rep, or would like to help your class rep, please feel free to attend.

TRIVIA NIGHT

This is shaping up to be another fantastic night on Saturday 4 June. Great thanks to our Principal and some of the teaching staff who have volunteered to help with the bar on the evening. Please see the Trivia Night section of the newsletter for the booking form. Get a class table or invite your trivia buddies into the school. Everyone is welcome and great prizes will be on offer.

BUILDING FUND

The P&C, like most other P&Cs, offers parents an opportunity to take part in a Tax Deductible Voluntary Contribution Scheme. If you wish to contribute to the P&C building work projects for the school, please contact the P&C Executive at the email below and we will send you the details. The building fund is going towards climate controlling the school, continuing to air condition the class rooms and the major project of fixing the ventilation of the hall.

NEXT MEETING

All members of our school community are welcome to our next meeting Wednesday 20 July at 7.30pm in the Waratah Room (which is beside the staff room in the main administration block).

Please feel free to contact the P&C executive via email: pandc@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

Tuckshop News

On Friday, we prepared 175 orders! Yes, you read it correctly! Thank you to these amazing volunteers who came in and prepared the lunches when we were in desperate need of help. Thank you also to those answered the call and offered their help too.

Here’s who you should thank for getting the lunches out on Friday:

Julie Woolfield (also the new School Banking Co-ordinator, Contact Club volunteer)
Evie Askew (also a Class Rep)
Fiona Fryer (also does Reading groups)
Elise Alison (also does Reading groups)
Maggie Robbins (also Class Rep Co-ordinator)
Chris Hansen (also P&C President)
Shona Luke (also Secretary of the Swim Club), and
Gehann Molochino (also Fete Stall Convenor and Swim Club Kiosk Convenor).

The rest of the week was busy, busy, busy! A new world record achieved on Friday! Here’s how it looked:

As you can see Friday’s are super busy. Try to order well before the 8.30am morning cut-off; the night before is always better as sometimes you may experience difficulty accessing School24 due to sheer volume of people doing the same thing. If this happens to you try again but if no luck, you can do a paper bag order (please only in an emergency). Please also send School24 an email and log this problem so they can monitor it for future high volume days.

Should you need to cancel your child's order due to an absence, please do so on the system if it is prior to 8.30am. You only need to call us to do this if it after 8.30am.

Our fabulous volunteers for week commencing Monday, 23/5/16 are:

If you can be an emergency non-rostered tuckshop volunteer, please email us at tuckshop.gss@gmail.com Let us know what days you are best available (Mon-Fri), your mobile phone number, and we will call you should the need arise to see if you are able to help.

See you at the Tuckshop.

Anne and Amanda

Uniforms & Stationery

Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8.15am to 9.00am.

All sizes in House Shirts (Cook, Kennedy and Flinders) are in stock including size 6.

All sizes in Polar Fleece jumpers are in stock. Tracksuit pants and bootleg leggings are in stock.

Band folders are available $15.

The last remaining school cookbooks are in stock $10 each.

Donations of 2nd hand uniforms are always appreciated. Good stocks are available for sale now, including lots of jumpers and good gold shirts. Come in and grab a bargain.

Order forms are available on the School website. If you email the order, the items will be sent to the classroom.

Email address for school uniform store is: uniformstore@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

School Banking

School Banking is every Monday

• Place your money into your yellow Banking Wallet, complete your deposit slip (leave student no. blank the 1st time) and place the wallet into the Grey Banking Satchel in the classroom on Monday morning.
• We will keep a record of your Deposits.
• Once 10 tokens have been recorded we will issue a reward coupon to redeem a reward. Reward cards will be issued at school in 2016.
• Branches do not have access to tokens or rewards.
• The School Banking program rewards individual saving. Minimum 5cent Deposit
• School Banking is processed by parent volunteer School Banking Coordinators. Please take the time to thank them for their efforts as this is a great fundraiser for our School.
• Happy Saving!

School Plus

May 4th has rapidly become a day looked forward to by many people, this week we celebrated the wondrous world of Star Wars for the annual, Star Wars Day! As we have countless Star Wars fans in our service, we decided to keep the celebrations going for a few days after as well, creating our own Star Wars themed week with Revenge of the 5th and 6th. Children came into the service with Princess Leia inspired hairdos and Luke Skywalker robes and with the assistance of Sinead and Tayla, the students made their very own Jedi Lightsabres with glow sticks, masking tape and felt tip pens. The children also enjoyed colouring and designing their own patterns on the Storm Trooper masks, playing a Star Wars themed memory card game, and stretching and bending to a Star Wars themed Cosmic Yoga session. All in all, the children and staff thoroughly enjoyed intergalactic fun from a galaxy far, far away.

During the week, we reorganised the Home Corner inside and opened it out a lot, allowing for the children to have more room to act out their activities as well giving the space a more authentic “homely” atmosphere. Adding to the homely feeling at Graceville this week, we have started preparing warm meals as we come into the colder months for the children every afternoon for afternoon tea, with tasty treats such as Macaroni & Cheese, Savoury Mince and Fried Rice. These meals were all prepared by different staff members each day and the children loved all of them.

As we come into the colder seasons, we would like to remind all parents to pack a jumper as before and after school hours are rapidly becoming darker and colder as each day passes. We also wish to make parents aware of the necessity of naming and labelling any equipment or clothing that children are bringing to school and before/after school care to ensure any lost items are easier to identify. It is also preferred that children leave any Trading Cards (Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc.) at home as there have been several instances of these kinds of items going missing.

We are always open to and seeking afternoon tea menu ideas to add on to any future menus, as well, any ideas for future Vacation Care excursion/incursions are always greatly considered.

Laugh Out Loud – Learn through Play with School Plus!

We welcome new friends to join in the excitement. For further details please call the Service on 0476 268 778 or email graceville@schoolplus.com.au or visit our website at:

For new enrolments

Go to our website New Families.

If you are an existing School Plus family and haven’t tried my Family Lounge, please contact School Plus Support Office on 07 3161 9904.

Once registered with my Family Lounge you can download the free App and be able to do the below 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Make casual Before and After School bookings (with instant confirmation)

• Advise of an absence for permanent and casual bookings
• Advise of a cancellation for permanent and casual bookings (Note all cancellations are defaulted to absent and School Plus applies the correct cancellation policy depending on the number of days and where incursions and excursions are non-cancellable.)
• Make all Vacation Care bookings (with instant confirmation)

On my Family Lounge website, you can do the following:

• Make, change and cancel permanent bookings (not instant confirmation)
• Make, change and cancel casual bookings (with instant confirmation)
• Make all Vacation Care bookings (with instant confirmation)
• Change family details including people authorised to collect your child/ren, phone numbers etc.
• Enrol an additional child

Community Notices

Sherwood Arboretum Tree Walk

A walk among giants – Saturday 28 May

It’s not every day that you get to start your weekend with a walk among an avenue of 91-year-old rainforest giants.

However, that’s just one of the treats of discovering the heritage-listed Sherwood Arboretum during a special tree walk at 9.30am on Saturday 28 May to mark the inaugural National Botanic Gardens Open Day. Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens Volunteer Guides and the Botanic Gardens Curator, Dale Arvidsson will introduce the Arboretum to you.

The Friends of Sherwood Arboretum Association (FOSA) is joining with Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens in promoting this 90-minute guided walk, which starts at the Jolimont Street, Sherwood entry and finishes with morning tea among some of the Arboretum’s tallest trees.

Brisbane City Council last December appointed the Botanic Gardens Curator to manage the Arboretum’s collection of more than 1000 native trees from across northern Australia.

Please remember to RSVP to FOSA at info@sherwoodarboretum.com.au or call 3278 6525 by Wednesday 25 May. Bookings are essential. The $5.00 cost per adult (students are free) for morning tea supports FOSA’s voluntary work in the Arboretum.

Kids Holiday Club at Kenmore Baptist Church