22 July 2016

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

I hope everyone is settled back into the school routine!

Last week a group of Graceville Students took part in Creative Generations. I was lucky enough to attend the Friday night performance. I was amazed at the depth of talent in QLD State Schools. Our students performed in two items, That’s What I Like’ and the finale, ‘Celebration’. I was able to go back stage prior to the performance and wish them luck. I also took the opportunity to get my program signed by our students, as you never know, one day they may be famous! I thoroughly enjoyed the night and was a very proud principal watching our students perform. I would also like to thank Ms Amanda Nicholls for the huge effort she put into organising and supporting the students so they could take part in CGEN. Thankyou Ms Nicholls!

I would like to welcome Ms Evette Tapinos to Graceville State School. Ms Tapinos will be teaching the Senior Enhancement Class for the rest of the year. I am sure you will make her feel welcome.

Next week our teachers will be holding Parent Teacher Interviews for parents who have specific questions or who are seeking clarification around aspects of the report card or portfolios. Please remember these interviews are offered at this time for a specific purpose and are not compulsory. Teachers have sent home a letter detailing the times they are available. Our teachers communicate with parents throughout the school year and you are welcome to make times to meet with them as needs arise for you or your children.

I would like to thank Mr Daunt for the preparation, planning and effort that goes into the athletics carnival. It is exciting for the students to attend the UQ athletics fields to take part in our athletics carnival. Mr Daunt always has a band of enthusiastic parent volunteers to help him for which we are very thankful. Well done to all of our students for participating and doing their best on the day!

Next week our teachers will be taking part in a peer observation and feedback process called Triads. Teachers will watch each other teach using the Theories of Action we are trying to achieve consistently across the school. We are doing our best to ensure all teachers are using Learning Intentions and Success Criteria in reading initially and we hope to transfer this to other areas of English and maths. This will enhance our explicit teaching process that is used in these areas.

Our Inquiry teaching and learning journey continues in Semester 2 as we gain deeper levels of understanding. By the end of the year we hope to have developed our whole school approach to Inquiry teaching and learning which will be the foundation for all future initiatives in Inquiry learning. We are in the process of putting together a team of teachers who will co-create our Whole School Inquiry Approach.

Finally, I would like to apologise for any inconvenience in payments over the last week or so. A whole of state issue occurred with the system that we use therefore impacting on our ability to take payments.

Have a great week.

Newsletter Articles

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

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

All parents are welcome to attend whether in catchment or just wanting to find out more information about Prep here at Graceville and the enrolment process in preparation for next year.

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 3 Junior assemblies.

QSchools App for Graceville – have you downloaded the app yet and marked Graceville SS as a favourite?

The QSchools app is a convenient way to receive up-to-the minute information from Queensland state schools. We have decided to trial the use of this app for parents and families to get up to the minute information about many facets of school life at Graceville. The App is free to download and you can then identify Graceville as your favourite school where you will find located contact details, news feed, calendar events, links to school newsletters, fete newsletters, information about the tuckshop and uniform shop etc. We will also use the app as a means of sending out important school messages, notifications of upcoming events and emergency alerts and important updates. To receive school notifications you must permit ‘push notifications’ to come through on the settings on your phone.

The QSchools flyer is attached:

How do I download the QSchools app?

To download the app visit the application store for your device:

• iPhone/iPad
• Android
• Windows phone
• Windows PC

If you have any feedback around the use of the QSchool app or questions, please send me an email at mhass10@eq.edu.au

Free playgroup membership for Queensland families

All Queensland families who register with Playgroup Queensland before their child’s first birthday can now receive a free 12-month family membership as part of the Queensland Government’s Play Stars initiative. With more than 60,000 babies born in Queensland each year, Play Stars will benefit many new families by creating more opportunities for children to learn through play, while supporting parents and carers in their role as first teachers.

The Play Stars initiative is an action from the Advancing education: An action plan for education in Queensland and will be delivered in partnership with Playgroup Queensland over the next five years. Register online or visit the Playgroup Queensland website for more information.

From the Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

University of New South Wales competitions

English Years 2-6 - 2 August
Maths years 2-6 - 16 August

Showcase Awards regional winners announced

Congratulations to the regional award winners and commendation recipients in this year’s Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools. Good luck to all regional winners who are now competing state-wide. The state finalists will be announced on 1 August ahead of the Showcase Awards Gala Dinner in Brisbane on 28 October.

Congratulations Fanfare grand finalists

Ten primary and secondary state schools were recently announced as the Fanfare grand finalists. The talented ensembles have been selected to perform in the grand final concerts to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 18 and 19 August. For ticket information, visit the Education website. Congratulations to all schools and best of luck in the grand finals.

Winter 2016 QKindy magazine out now

The Winter 2016 issue of QKindy and early childhood magazine is out now in hardcopy and online. This bumper edition features stories on an innovative resource for children who use Auslan to communicate, an interactive website for educators of kindy-aged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and bush schools trialling kindy.

All departmental regional offices and early childhood services across Queensland will receive copies in the post and are encouraged to share them with staff, parents and their communities.

If you’d like to order copies, phone the Kindy Hotline on 1800 454 639 or download an electronic version from the Early Childhood Education and Care website.

If you have any feedback or would like to contribute a story idea for the next QKindy, contact the Stakeholder and Sector Development team.

White Ribbon Night — have a night in, to get the word out!

Friday 29 July is White Ribbon Night , an event which aims to raise awareness about violence against women. Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and their children. A house should be a home, and a safe one at that. Instead, at least one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner, while one in four children are exposed to domestic violence. No one should accept this.

How can you get involved? This White Ribbon Night, hold a movie marathon , cook up a feast or watch the footy — all in the comfort of your own home. By registering an event, spreading the word on social media (#WhiteRibbonNight) and making a donation, you can help raise awareness and funds to support White Ribbon’s work. Find out more and register here .

We need to stand up and say domestic violence is never acceptable, Not Now, Not Ever. The department is committed to eliminating domestic and family violence in all its forms. Please familiarise yourself with our departmental resources on OnePortal . Together let's build a future free from violence.

Money Matters

Roberta Harycki

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

Scholastic Book Club

Just a reminder that orders for the Scholastic Book Club will close at 5pm this Friday 22 July and the books will be distributed approximately two weeks later.

There are extra catalogues in the library if you have not received one from your class teacher.

Thank you for using our preferred payment option – LOOP – Linked Online Ordering and Payment available on the websiteor 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.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Next week our instrumental teachers will be attending the WestCent Music Camps so unfortunately all instrumental lessons and rehearsals will be cancelled (from 25-29 July). We wish our instrumental teachers and attending students a fabulous week at camp!

Choir rehearsals will continue throughout the term. Dates of scheduled performances are listed below for your information and families are invited to attend these.

2 August – Senior Choir – special assembly to welcome visiting students, 9am (one song)

Fete – all choir students will be performing (usually between 12-1pm) and the Senior Band

7/8 September Instrumental Music Workshop (cost $40 - all IM students involved) with a concert on 8 September at 2pm

16 November – evening concert – all choir and instrumental students will be performing (6pm)

23 November – Grandparent’s Concert - all choir students and the Senior Strings

Thank you for supporting our music program!

Active School Travel

New procedures for the pickup zone – Acacia Avenue

Please be aware that there are now some new procedures in place for the pickup zone (afternoons) on Acacia Avenue. These changes have been implemented due to safety concerns, and from suggestions from parents within the school community. We ask your understanding and patience as we roll out the changes, and fine tune them to make the pickup zone more efficient and safer for the school community. Should you have any feedback or additional suggestions Active Travel is more than happy to hear from you, or feel free to attend our next meeting.

Summary of changes:

• Main entrance on Acacia Ave will be used for children waiting to be picked up
• Students will be seated in this area and listen to the supervisor on duty
• Students will exit from this gate to the first three waiting cars in the zone
• Smaller pedestrian gate will be used by parents and students not involved in the pickup zone.
• Please try to avoid main gate access at peak time of 2:50pm
• We have ordered signage to clearly highlight where the pickup zone commences and where cars are NOT to be parked during this time
• Order forms will be sent home to order name tags for the car sun visors so that the supervisor can identify the children who are to be picked up

Remember that we encourage ACTIVE TRAVEL so why not take the ACTIVE CHALLENGE and try for a week (or a few days) to park your car in one of the designated “park-and-stride” areas, and walk to collect your children from school. You may be surprised to know that it doesn’t take too much longer out of your day - you get to spend time in the fresh air, catch up with other parents and help to reduce congestion around the school

Fete Competition

The school fete committee has generously donated some prizes to Active Travel, which is great news for all those students out there who are active on TACO Tuesday! Active travel can be any of the following:

• Walking to school
• Park and stride – parking the car in the designate “park and stride” zones and walking a short distance to school
• Riding your bike or scooter to school
• Carpooling – arriving at school by car with some of your friends
• Public transport

Being dropped off at the front gate does NOT qualify as “active travel”.

In weeks 1-6 of Term 3 (12th July – 16th August) you will have the opportunity to collect an entry each week when you have your active travel passport stamped at the designated stamping stations. All you need to do is fill out your entry form and put it into the entry box (either at the stamping station or the office). Entries must be received by 19th August @ 3pm to go in the draw.

So if you travel every week you have the opportunity to have six entries in the running for the prizes. This week you should have received your first entry, so please make sure you complete it and hand it in. So get active!!!!

There will be one (1) ride band per year level to be given away. If you’re lucky enough to win and have already purchased your ride band, don’t worry we will organise a refund for you.

To win the free toss at the lob-o-choc get together with your class and get as many of your class mates to enter as possible. It’s simple, the class with the most entries will win!

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. Our next meeting will be on 28th July @ 10:45am in the Waratah Room. Please contact Jo Richards at sajrichards@iinet.net.au for more information.

P & C

FETE THIS TERM!

The fete is only 5 weeks away. Please help your class reps and the fete committee to make this day a great success for the school again. Get organised early – order your ride bands, and keep an eye out for your class roster. Saturday 27 August.

POOL ANNIVERSARY

Our school pool turns 50 this year and we are hoping to celebrate this with the Swimming Club in term 4. We are looking for any volunteers who would be interested in working on the celebration preparations. Please email pandc@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

ROAD SAFETY – 2 minute zones

Council have recently informed us that traffic officers will be present at the school in coming weeks to help assist in the operation of the two minute pickup zone. There will be some visual differences at the front gate to educate and inforce the correct use of the 2 minute pickup zone in the coming weeks. With correct use, the zone will work very efficiently and safely for all. Please stay tuned for further information and keep an eye on the Active School Travel section of the newsletter.

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.

COMMUNITY FUN RUN

Christ the King are organising a community fun run on Sunday 31 July across the road in Simpsons Playground, Graceville. Registration from 7am for a 8am sharp start. For more information please see the flyer in the community notices section below and enter online:

NEXT MEETING

The P&C meeting was held Wednesday 20 July at 7.30pm in the Waratah Room (which is beside the staff room in the main reception block). Highlights of the meeting will follow in newsletter next week.

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

Fete Update

It's a great time to have a clean out of toy boxes, book shelves and kids rooms because toys and book donations for the Fete are now being collected!

Drop off your toy and book donations to the boxes outside the office. Please make sure toys are in good working condition. Soft toys cannot be accepted. Thank you in advance!

The POD will arrive for Garage Sale collections in the first week of August, so start planning what good quality large items you can retire from your home. This stuff is gold in the Garage Sale.

Ride bands and Art Show go on Sale this weekend via School24. Stand by for further instructions!!!

For anyone who missed it, Fete Newsletter Number 3 (online) was published last Friday. Here is the link to it:

Only 5 weeks to go....

Kathy and Anne

Uniform and Stationery

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

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

All sizes in Polar Fleece jumpers are in stock, as are tracksuit pants and bootleg leggings.

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

Donations of 2nd hand uniforms are always appreciated. Good stocks are available for sale now, including lots of dresses, jumpers and good shorts. 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

Tuckshop News

We had a lovely first week back, hope yours was too.

Numbers for the week were:

Volunteers for week commencing Monday, 25/7/16 are:

Remember, these wonderful people give up their time to make your children's lunches so you can have the day off. Please thank them if you see them.

Give us a shout if you need to tuckshop.gss@gmail.com.au or, drop in and see us.

Anne, Amanda and Ally

School Plus

Community Sport Notices

Greater Brisbane Junior Tennis

Greater Brisbane Junior Tennis (GBJT) conducts weekly Tennis Fixtures at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Tennyson and The University of Queensland for children up to 18 years of age. Grading day for new players is to be held on Sunday 24 July at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Tennyson from 3pm to 5pm. Further information is available at www.gbjt.org.au or by phoning Mrs Peta Davis on 3374 0516.

Community Notices

Christ the King Community Fun Run