17 February 2017

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

I am very excited the first P&C meeting of the year is being held at 9am next Wednesday. It is a fantastic idea to provide the opportunity to some of our parents/carers who cannot usually make it to night meetings to be able to come along. I will take the opportunity to talk about the school budget. The budget as a topic may sound a little dull however it will give you a good insight into how schools are funded. I will also provide some insight into the school improvement agenda for 2017.

Over the past two weeks our classes have been inquiring into how to be collaborators. Thank you for the wonderful feedback and encouragement we have received from parents who are supportive of the school’s decision to build learning assets within their children. We will continue to use the language of collaboration in both formal and informal ways throughout the year. This week we will be introducing the Learning Asset, Self-Manager, on our Whole School Assembly. If you are interested to help your child develop the skills of being a self-manager at home, please feel free to use the language that we will be using at school. We are Self managers when “we can learn independently and can make wise decisions about our learning. We know ourselves as learners and can set and work towards personal goals. We know we can continually improve as learners. We have the disposition of being resilient, responsible and reflective”.

Ms Hass, Mrs McKeaten and I are trying to get into classrooms more this year. This week I visited our Year 3 classes who have settled in well and are deep into learning! I was so excited to see how the teachers and students are using the learning assets and the inquiry process in their classrooms. I saw many thinkers and researchers, busily inquiring into their learning!

You may have heard the buzz sounding our Year 4 inquiry in the area of Humanities and Social Sciences. With the coaching of Kath Murdoch, our inquiry expert and mentor from Melbourne University, and guidance or of our Inquiry learning leaders, Mrs Martin, the year 4 teachers came up with a brilliant provocation to hook the students into learning. The aim was to provide an emotive or visceral experience to help the students connect to their learning. We had wonderful feedback from the parents who had interesting conversations around the dinner table that night! The teachers love positive feedback, it encourages them to keep moving forward with an Inquiry approach to learning!

Finally, I would like to congratulate our Year level and Class leaders who were awarded their badges on assembly this week. On Friday, we will hold our first Student Council meeting for the year. I look forward to seeing how our young leaders develop over the course of the year and the interesting ideas which will be discussed and considered through the Student Council.

Have a great week.

Newsletter Articles

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

School Technology Plan and Committee

During term 4 last year we developed a technology plan for the next 5 years which covers the distribution of devices in the school and planning for the renewal of devices as required. This year we plan to meet once a term to discuss how things ‘technologically’ are going in the school. I would like to invite any parents who might like to get involved in this committee to come to our first meeting for the year on Friday February 17 at 7.45am in the Waratah room.

Mathletics for 2017

We will shortly commence the Mathletics program for this year. It is an online Mathematics program that is individually based and one that students can access at home as well as at school for all students in prep to year 6. The cost for Mathletics is $12 per student for the year and invoices have been sent home. Once paid your child will received their log on and password from their class teacher. Your class teacher can inform you more fully about Mathletics and how your class will be using the program this year. Each student will then receive their own personal log on and password to access the program for both at school and at home.

Junior Assemblies

Parents and care givers are all invited to join us for Junior Assemblies which will be held every second Tuesday afternoon from 2.15 in the hall. These assemblies will be for all Prep to Year 2 classes. Year 2 students have the opportunity to develop their skills of public speaking by taking turns in leading these assemblies and classes also take part presenting items for us all. We also like to recognise Birthdays and present awards to students from across all classes.

Below is the calendar for term 1 assemblies.

From the Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

ALLERGIES – everyone’s issue!

We have quite a large number of students in our school who have food allergies. A large proportion of these allergies are to nuts. Increasingly, we have a number of students who also have allergies to eggs. In some cases, particularly with nut allergies, this is a life threatening situation for these children. We need everyone’s help to avoid any contact with nuts, nut products and eggs to ensure the safety of students with these severe allergies. What all members in school community need to do:

1. Not send any nuts, nut products or eggs to school including:
2. baked goods using any nuts, health/museli bars, nutella, peanut paste, etc. Baked goods which include eggs are acceptable.
3. Encourage your children to follow ‘no sharing of food or drinks policy
4. Name all drink and lunch containers clearly
5. Promote hand washing before and after eating

Be considerate of all members of our community & their needs. If there are particular allergies that students have, especially in your child’s class, please consider their needs.

2017 International competitions

All students in Years 2 - 6 will be invited to participate in the International competitions run by the University of New South Wales.

Any students in Years 2 or 4 whose parents are intending to apply for the Enhancement classes are required to enter their child in the English, Maths & Science competitions.

In 2017 we will be participating in the following competitions:

• Digital Technologies 23 May $8.00 (Yr 3-6)
• Science 30 May $8.00 (Yr 2-6)
• Spelling 14 June $11.00 (Yr 2-6)
• Writing 13 June $17.00 (Yr 3-6)
• English 1 August $8.00 (Yr 2-6)
• Mathematics 15 August $8.00 (Yr 2-6)

All participating students will need to indicate if they are entering by later in the term. Payment for these competitions will be included in your Term 2 account. All competitions will be non-refundable as they are pre-paid.

These competitions are valued by us and parents but they do take a considerable amount of time out of class, for often the same groups of children, so this year we will be conducting the competitions before school, as much as possible. Running these comps at another time, eg. lunchtime, is not in the best interests of the students. This may mean that for that week your child may have to miss eg. Senior choir or an Instrumental practice, but it would only be very infrequently. We do have to run the tests on the day indicated above, unless children are sick or absent. If this occurs we try to make-up the tests in the day or 2 after, if possible. We will confirm the times as the comps get closer. We would probably expect students at school ready to start at 7.45am.

NAPLAN testing – Term 2

On Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 May, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will take part in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy, or NAPLAN, as it is commonly known.

Skills that will be tested include: reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

These tests are done here at school and are considered just another part of the curriculum.

It is important for you and your child to know that NAPLAN is not a pass/fail test. It simply looks at what level students are achieving in literacy and numeracy against National Standards and compared with student peers throughout Australia.

NAPLAN cannot be studied for and students are not expected to do so. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to let them know that it is just a routine part of their school program, and to urge them to do the best they can on the day.

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN testing. Please ensure that if you have a child in Years 3 or 5 that they are in attendance during that week in May. Please avoid booking holidays or appointments during those days. If you can’t avoid those days eg. specialist appointment, please try to make it in the afternoon. All testing will be completed by 12.45 on those days.

Later in the year we will send you an individual student NAPLAN report that you can use to view and monitor how your child is progressing.

More information is available on the NAP website.

If you have any concerns, please contact the class teacher or myself.

Money Matters

Anne Nixon

Thank you for your payments for excursions and resources to date. Statements were sent home last week. If you have not received one, please contact the office for a copy.

All excursions and events require payment and a permission form to be returned by the due date or your child will not be permitted to attend.

This week all Prep students will be invoiced for Mathletics. An invoice will be sent home with your student.

Student Resource Schemes (SRS) for 2017 are:

• Prep Requirements ($60)
• Instrumental Music Programs – Instrument Hire ($100), Percussion Maintenance ($50), Music Participation ($30) & Choir ($30)
• Religious Education Program ($10)
• Mathletics On-line registration (Years Prep - 6) ($12)
• Origo Maths (years 3, 4 and 5) ($6)

All students involved in these programs must return a completed SRS form.

VOLUNTARY PARENT CONTRIBUTIONS

Your valuable contribution to this school’s Learning Targets are most welcomed.

$100 single student.

Credit in Account: Credits from 2016 rolled over to this year can be applied to current invoices at the parent’s request.

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

Payment of account days:

8am-3.00pm - 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.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Thank you to all of the instrumental students who have attended their rehearsals and students who have joined our choirs for 2017. It is an exciting time of year starting or returning to performing as an ensemble or choir. Please note it is an essential part of our instrumental program for students to attend their rehearsals regularly as well as their lessons. Senior Band is held on Wednesday afternoons until 4pm and Senior Strings on Thursday mornings at 7:45am. Next term the Junior Band will rehearse before school on Wednesdays at 7:45am and Beginner/Junior Strings will rehearse on Wednesdays at first break. Please continue to assist your child with remembering their lesson time as well as any rehearsals they need to attend. We appreciate your assistance with this while trialling our rotating timetables this year.

If any students have not attended a choir rehearsal and would like to join, they can come to the next rehearsal. The Senior Choir is for students in years 4-6 on Tuesday mornings at 7:45am with Ms West and the Junior Choir is for students in years 2 and 3 held on Friday mornings at 7:55am with Mrs Lindh. Students are welcome to attend and see if singing in a choir is something they enjoy. We are already organising performances for our choir students as we value their involvement in our school events and celebrations. The Senior Choir will be singing at the ANZAC Day service on 24 April at 10:15am. Families are invited to attend.

It is important for you to contact your child's teacher or conductor if you have any concerns or issues with their progress so we can work together to support their continued involvement in the program. Please note their contact details below.

Music staff email contacts

Alex Grodecki - agrod3@eq.edu.au
James Kukulies - jkuku2@eq.edu.au
Ruth Prout - rprou5@eq.edu.au
Steve Stiller - sstil2@eq.edu.au
Julie West - jwest269@eq.edu.au

Thank you for your involvement in our music program.

Naomi Lindh
Music Teacher and IM Coordinator

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL:

TACO TUESDAY!

(Travel Actively Coming-to-school On)

Last week’s heat, which is set to continue, has seen the traffic around the school increase as many students have been picked up from school to avoid the heat. The congestion and heat can test everyone’s patience so we all need to work together to get the traffic flowing. There were a number of instances last week where cars were parked over yellow lines or in the pick up zones, which stopped the flow of traffic and further impacted on the congestion around the school.

Yellow Lines!!!!

Remember that if there is a yellow line painted on the road this means NO PARKING AT ANY TIME! It is disappointing that many cars are being observed parking on the yellow lines at drop off and pick up times. This reduces visibility and increases potential danger for those actively travelling and also for other traffic around the school. Do the right thing!

Using the school “ Pick up / drop off zones”

We understand that there are times where it is not always possible to “actively travel” to school. There are pick up / drop off zones on both Acacia Avenue and Park Road for those times that you need to drive. If you are using these zones we urge you to pay attention to the signage and park / load-unload accordingly. Council does regular patrols of the areas, so if you are parking your vehicle on a yellow line, or stay parked for more than the designated time, you may be fined. By following the line markings on the roads and observing “no standing zones” you will help to improve the safety and visibility for pedestrians and traffic around the school. If we all do the “right thing” we will set a good example to others and to our children.

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. Parent volunteers are essential to keep this project going at our school. Our next meeting will be 23rd Feb at 10:45am in the Waratah Room. Please contact Jo Richards at sajrichards@iinet.net.au for more information.

P&C News

SPELLATHON 2017

It is nearly Spellathon time - one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for our school! More information and details to come next week, but in the meantime please put your hand up if you are able to volunteer some time next Tuesday 21st February to help prepare the paperwork (750+ envelopes to stuff!). Please email gracevillespellathon@gmail.com if you can help.

LOST PROPERTY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Labelled lost property finds its way back to your children thanks to the work of wonderful volunteers. Are you able to help out for a couple of hours every few weeks? Our lost property team is ready to handover! Please email the P&C if you can help.

And PLEASE label all of your children's belongings with first AND last names!

P&C WELCOME BBQ

Friday 24 February straight after school the P&C will be holding our welcome BBQ under Q Block. Children and parents are very welcome to come and have a sausage on their way home after school. Anyone who would like to help hand the sausages out would be very welcome.

CHAPLAINCY AT GRACEVILLE

At the first meeting of the P&C this year on 22 February (9am in Waratah Room) we will be discussing Chaplaincy at Graceville State School. We have been very lucky to have Chappy in this position for 10 years and Graceville has been quite unique in being able to provide John’s service for so long. The P&C sees great value in the role that Chappy plays and it is important that the school community and especially new families understand what John does. Funding and costs have changed considerably this year and we will be discussing that and the impacts that will have on our Chaplaincy service going forward.

UNIFORM SHOP

We are looking for more volunteers in the uniform shop and also in the tuckshop. Any assistance would be very welcome. These businesses do rely on volunteer labour.

PREPARING FOR THE AGM

The Annual General Meeting will be held next month and we are looking for new people who wish to contribute to the school community. Our Treasurer is looking for a replacement and we are hoping that someone with some accounting or bookkeeping experience would like to be Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer this year. Then they will have a full year of training in the post. All positions are up for election and I’d encourage everyone to get more involved.

BUILDING FUND

Our 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

The first meeting of the year will be a regular meeting on 22 February 2017. It is proposed that this meeting is a day meeting straight after drop-off at 9.00am in the Waratah Room. The AGM will be held 7.30pm on 22 March. Membership forms for 2017 will be available at the meeting and is also attached.

CONTACT: pandc@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

Uniform & Stationery

Your teacher should have advised you if you had not ordered your child's Stars Plus Textbook online through Campion (all years except Prep and Year 1). You are now required to purchase it through the uniform store. The books have been delivered directly to the school for all students and will be available in the classroom when paid. An order form is attached.

Year 6 Commemorative Shirts and "House Captain" forms will come home this week. Copy of forms attached.

We sell swim bags, silicon and fabric caps, quick dry towels and a limited selection of goggles and short sleeve rashies (size 16 blue). New colours of swim bags and caps have arrived.

I have in stock 1 size 10 long sleeve gold shirts and 1 size 8. $35 each. These are specially ordered so be quick as no more will be ordered until later in the year.

Donations of 2nd hand uniforms are always appreciated. Good stocks are available for sale now, including shirts, culottes, bags and jumpers.

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

YEAR 6 COMMEMORATIVE SHIRTS 2017

All Year 6 students are being given the opportunity to have a commemorative shirt. Gold polo shirts are screen printed with class lists on the back. New gold shirts can be purchased at the Uniform Shop for $30.00 (both child and adult sizes). New house shirts for house captains can be purchased for $35.00 (both child and adult sizes).

School rugby shirts can also be screen printed, as above. New rugby shirts can be purchased for $30.00 (both child and adult sizes). Existing school and rugby shirts that are in REASONABLE condition can also be printed.

PRINTING COST: $10.00 per item
$15.00 ‘House Captain’ printing on house shirt

Each child will confirm the spelling of their name on a class list that is provided to each class teacher. This is the name that will be printed on the shirt. This form and the shirts MUST BE RETURNED TO THE UNIFORM SHOP BY FRIDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2017. It would save us time if you could please write the child’s name on the tag of the shirt or label it, to enable easy identification.

If you have any queries please contact the Uniform Shop which is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8.15 – 9.00am or email: gracevillessuniform@gmail.com

If you wish to order, please complete the attached FORM and return it to the Uniform Shop with SHIRT/S & RUGBY/S (if using already owned items) and PAYMENT (cash or cheque made payable to GRACEVILLE SS P & C). Credit card details can also be provided on the form and either delivered to the Uniform Store or emailed to the above email address.

ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY FRIDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2017.

Tuckshop News

Volunteers for week commencing Monday, 20 February 2017 -

Thank you to our generous volunteers for donating their time and good nature in the tuckshop! We’ve loved meeting our new volunteers and, of course, catching up with our existing group of volunteers. We appreciate all you do to feed our lucky students and give you the day off making lunches.

Tuckshop is operated as an online ordering system. If you need to open a Tuckshop account, please visit school24.net.au and use Graceville’s School Registration ID: 25314963 and follow the prompts.

The 2017 menu is full of healthy food options “green category”, middle-of-the-road food options “amber category”, and a few treat foods “red category”. Some parents order tuckshop as a regular lunch option for their children and choose healthy freshly made options such as sandwiches, fruit cups, or sushi. Other parents order tuckshop as a treat and choose something which they don’t make for their children’s regular lunches. We believe it’s up to you to choose how you would like to order from tuckshop; the choice is yours.

For a look at our delicious menu, see the link on the front of the school newsletter, or on the school website, or click here (Ally please add menu)

If you have any questions or concerns, please see us at the Tuckshop or drop us an email at tuckshop.gss@gmail.com

Anne, Amanda and Ally

SWIMMING

Bookings are now being taken for the swim program as the last of the school pool renovations are completed and the schedule gets finalised for the Friday afternoon and Saturday morning one on one private lesson program. Those students who are in year one or older and able to swim 25 meters freestyle nonstop and would like to participate in the group program may also book a space in the Monday to Thursday after school program. Please direct all inquiries to Pete Geraghty by phoning 0432407442