8 June 2017

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

The Trivia Night was great fun and a huge success! Great costumes and healthy team rivalry all added to the atmosphere of the night. I would like to thank Juanita Bennett, Lisa and Bernie McKeaten for organising such a great night. Thanks must also go to David Curnow for being MC on the night. Mrs Clarke, Mrs Peacock, Mrs Jackson, Mrs Hegarty, Mrs Lambkin my husband Martin and I enjoyed watching the fun from the side lines while manning the bar. All proceeds go directly back into improving our wonderful school!

Last Thursday and Friday, four members of our leadership team attended professional training to help us understand how people are motivated and the conditions that need to be in place in an organisation to help build intrinsic motivation within staff. The participants were mostly leadership teams from schools (from Australia and NZ) and we also had the opportunity to meet and work with the General Managers from successful corporations and sporting clubs from Australia and New Zealand. We were lucky to have two gentleman at our table with corporate and sporting world experience to learn with, the General Manager of Essendon Football club and the General Manager of the fastest growing trucking company in New Zealand. We enjoyed learning with them and the different perspectives they shared from the corporate world. Attendance at the training affirmed a lot of what and how we are currently working in the school. It also gave us a few ways, we had not yet considered, to help further set the conditions which are most conducive for staff to build intrinsic motivation. As it is report card time and teachers minds are focused on them at the moment, we will wait until the beginning of next term to start sharing our learnings from the course and making decisions about how to use our new knowledge within the school.

The P&C meeting was held on Wednesday night. I presented the ideas the teachers have for the $19,000 raised from the Spell-a-thon. As you know the money raised is going to support our Inquiry journey this year. Next week we will refine the list, make the final decision about what exactly to purchase and order ASAP. We can then consider how to fund the many remaining items on the list into next year.

Finally, below are a few reminders for the rest of the Term:

• Lap-a-thon Tuesday 13th
• Active School Travel Breakfast Friday 16th
• School Athletics Carnival Tuesday 20th
• Reports Cards home Wednesday 21st
• Readers Cup Thursday 22nd
• NAIDOC Inquiry Day Friday 23rd

I hope you have a great week,

Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Firstly, a big thank you to Prep teachers who have run a successful fine motor program this term for students. This has been carried out in out of school time to assist students in their learning. Great job!

All things Study Tour:

Inbound Tour: July 18 – August 6

A huge thank you to those families who have just come forward to offer a homestay place for a student during the inbound tour. I now have enough places, some families even offering to take 2 students! I will be sending home some documentation to host families to complete and return in the coming days.

Outbound Study Tour: September 13 - 24

Plans are progressing well, early next term I will start to meet with students regularly as we prepare to head out at the end of term 3 to Taiwan.

Date Claimer:

Prep 2018 information evening – Wednesday July 26 at 7:00pm.

All welcome to attend.

Waiting List for Prep for 2018 is now open.

Please let any interested people know that forms and information can be obtained from our school office. Families from within our catchment area we also invite you to obtain enrolment forms to begin the process when convenient. For in catchment families a birth certificate and proof of residency in our catchment is required along with the completed enrolment form.

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.

Junior Assemblies

Below is the calendar for the remainder of term 2 assemblies.

From the Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Don’t forget about the Active School Travel Breakfast next Friday 16th June before school. Chappy will be cooking sausages on the BBQ!

Student Safety Reminder

When parents are bringing their children in late in the mornings or picking up early during the day, it is a requirement that you come into the office to either sign them in, if late, or sign them out, if leaving early. This rule is important for the safety of students in our school.

Change in dates for the School Photos this year.

Due to the Study Tour arrival & Assembly on Tuesday 18 July, we have changed the School Photo day to Tuesday 8 August.

2017 International competitions

In 2017 we will be participating in the following competitions in the school hall:

• Writing 13 June (Yr 3-6) Yr 3-6 – 7.45 start
• Spelling 14 June (Yr 2-6) Yr 3-6 – 7.40 start/Yr 2 – school time 11.30
• English 1 August (Yr 2-6) Yr 3-6 – 7.30 start/ Yr 2 school time 11.30
• Mathematics 15 August $8.00 (Yr 2-6) – 7.30 start/ Yr 2 school time 11.30

Money Matters

Anne Nixon

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. Over the phone payments made through the office will be being phased out by the end of the term. Phone Payment will be able to be made to Bpoint on 1300631073. You will need to quote your CRN and Invoice number which appears on the bottom of your invoice.

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)
• Reading Eggs (Prep only) $22.50
• Year 5 Digital Licence $11.00

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 per student.

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

Please ensure when paying via BPoint, that you log onto to the website via the link below. You must put the entire website address as this has the biller code.

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. If this is not done, your child might not be able to attend the activity.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Our Senior Choir is looking forward to the St Peters Sing Together Day on Wednesday 14 June. There will be an evening concert at 6:30pm at St Peters and students have been requested to be at there by 6pm on the evening of 14 June in full school uniform including black shoes. Julie West and I will both be attending this exciting day of singing. Permission slips need to be returned and payment of $10 for music needs to be paid by the end of this week. Please note we pay this directly to St Peters for music and the cost of the bus and TRS for our attendance will be covered by the choir budget. On the days of the international competitions, the Senior Choir students involved are requested to come to a choir rehearsal at first break. Students who are not involved in the competition are requested to attend the normal rehearsal at 7:45am on those Tuesdays. Students involved in the spelling competition on 14 June will have time to complete it then join the Senior Choir to travel to the bus to St Peters. Those students will need to ensure they arrive to complete the test by 7:30am. Students need to meet Ms West and I at the bus shelter near the music room at 8:20am on Wednesday 14 July.

The Junior Choir are currently rehearsing for their next performance which will be at the special NAIDOC Day assembly on the last day of this term, Friday 23 June at 9am. Families and members of the school community are warmly invited to attend.

Please contact your child's music teacher if you have any concerns about their progress or practice.

Music staff emails:

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
Naomi Lindh - nclos1@eq.edu.au

Thank you for supporting our music program.

Congratulations Metropolitan Region Honours Choral Honours Program Representatives!

Graceville State School is proud to have had four representatives Amy P, Ruby D, Annabelle H and Evie G. They attended the Metropolitan Region Honours Program from Monday 27 March 2017 to Wednesday 29 March 2017 which concluded with an evening concert. This three day activity was designed to cater for advanced choral students in Years 5 and 6. There were 90 students from state primary schools across Metropolitan Region that were selected to participate.

The students sang in one of two different choirs and had the opportunity to work with renowned Choral Conductors Barbara McGeever and Kate Albury as well as a range of other musicians and accompanists.

I would like to thank Amy P, Ruby D, Annabelle H and Evie G on representing our school in the Metropolitan Region Honours Choral Honours Program for 2017. I had the privilege of joining the choir rehearsals on the first a final day and then at the final evening concert. It was a wonderful event and they did Graceville State School proud with their enthusiasm and commitment. Well Done!

Yours in Music,

Julie West
Classroom Music Specialist and Senior Choir Conductor.

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” – Arthur O’Shaughnessy

Fete News

Fete Special Family Photo Portrait Offer

Limited Time ending 23 June

One of our fabulous sponsors, Margherita from kissphotography has released a limited number of amazing family photo portrait packs to help us raise money AND give you an amazing deal. This offer is available to family and friends of GSS so spread the word, but get in quick as the offer ends on the 23 June.

Packs are worth $500 and you pay only $100. This is a genuine offer. You’ll have some amazing photos, taken outside in this fabulous Queensland winter light. What better time to enjoy some special family time, have some fun and maybe purchase a gift for a special someone.

All details can be found on our fete website or look out for the flyer coming home this week.

Active School Travel

TACO TUESDAY!
(Travel Actively Coming-to-school On)

Active Travel BBQ 16th June

With the cooler mornings it is a perfect time of year to put on your walking shoes and actively travel to school any day of the week! Remember on Tuesdays you can get a stamp in your passport.

On Friday 16th June we will be having a BBQ in the quadrangle and we will be doing bonus stamps in your passports. So get active…..walk, ride or roll to school and enjoy a sausage at the BBQ.

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. We meet once a term and plan one key event a term. Parents run our committee with three staff members so we are in much need of additional support. The next meeting will be on 20th July @ 10:45am in the Waratah Room. Can you help? Please contact Jo Richards at sajrichards@iinet.net.au for more information.

Tuckshop News

Another good week in Tuckshop last week! Order numbers looked like this:

Volunteers for the week commencing Monday, 12th of June 2017 are -

Thank you to all our volunteers!

**New menu item – we now sell a hot chicken breast, lightly coated in a southern spice mix, with the garden salad. You can add this to your salad for $2.30 as an extra option. It’s the same chicken breast we use in the hot sweet chili chicken wrap, another popular item. Also available is a French vinaigrette dressing squeezy to add to your salad for only $0.40.

Please also remind your children that they are not allowed to buy tuckshop for their friends. We are seeing a high number of students trying to purchase items over the counter for their friends. It is against the school policy so please let them know the rules that we have to follow.

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. There is an information page and login guide on the Graceville State School website, under P&C and the Tuckshop, if you need any help.

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

Uniform Shop

Fiona Fryer

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

Our supplier is out of stock of size 4 trackpants and they won't be available until the end of June.

Size 6 polar fleeces are back in stock.

All House Shirts (Cook, Kennedy and Flinders) are available in size 4 and up.

Band folders are available for $15.

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.

Donations of 2nd hand uniforms are always appreciated. Good stocks are available for sale now.

Any new volunteers would be greatly appreciated, it only requires you to be there from 8.15-9.00. If you think you would like to help out please send an email to the above address, if you have any questions please ask.

Chappy’s Chat

John Erichsen

Next Tuesday is Chaplaincy Lapathon day, so fingers crossed the weather works for us. Thank you to all the school families busy chasing sponsors for the event. The track will be marked this week so students will have opportunity to get some extra practice, if they so desire.

Just a reminder of the timetable for the day-

8:45 - Year 3
9:15 - Year 2
9:45 - Year 1
10:15 – Prep
11:30 - Year 5
12:00 - Year 6 and 5/6
1:50 - Year 4 and 3/4

A coffee van will be onsite during the morning session for parents and staff to enjoy, with the proceeds being donated to chaplaincy. For students, popcorn will be on sale at first break. I hope to see you there and anticipate the day will be great fun for all.

Next week, our students in years 4 – 6 head to Queensland University to compete in their Athletics Carnival. I am sure there will be many outstanding achievements on the track and in the field. I am also certain that an extremely high level of sportsmanship will be on display, as students cheer on their house while respecting the efforts of all competitors. Good luck to all competitors and may the best house win!

Have a fantastic week!
John Erichsen
(Chaplain)

P&C News

*** IMPORTANT *** VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION

The school and the P&C have worked closely to identify and create a strategy to turn around the aging technology in our school. Rather than go down the very expensive route of a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy as many schools are forced to do, the P&C strongly supports a voluntary contribution of $100 per child which started this year. This voluntary contribution route only works if everyone contributes! Contributions are still below 50% of the children in the school. Contributions are voluntary and of course can be part payments. All funds are used for the technology budget of the school. Contributions can be made to the office at any time.

2017 MEETING DATES

At the P&C meeting on 3 May, updated meeting dates for the remainder of 2017 were agreed. For your diaries:

Wednesday 7 June
Wednesday 26 July (morning meeting)
Wednesday 23 August (if required – fete week)
Wednesday 11 October
Wednesday 29 November

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.

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!

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

The next regular meeting of the P&C is to be held in the Waratah Room on Wednesday 7 June at 7:30pm.

CONTACT: pandc@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

Trivia Night

Trivia Night 2017 has come and gone again and Disney fever certainly hit!!

There was many a Disney movie to be seen with tables decorated as Mad Hatters/Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and some pretty awesome dwarfs, Mickey Mouse, Dalmatians (not to mention some pretty scary Cruella de Ville’s), Mary Poppins, Toy Story favourites (including a moving Martian ‘claw’, some lovely blue caterpillars, Pirates from Never Never Land and also the Caribbean and some very Mighty Ducks (dedicated to their costume by being on roller blades, just to name a few. Needless to say that the parents (and staff) at our school really enjoy dressing up and having fun supporting our school!

A great many local businesses also donated some great prizes for the night and huge thanks goes out to them as well. A complete list of all our sponsors for the night is attached.

A big thank you must also go out to the team – Lisa & Bernie McKeaten (a fountain of trivia), Rebecca Sinfield (my King of Hearts and right hand ‘man’ on the night), Angela Sullivan and Simone Braithwaite (sponsorship gurus), Zoe Smith and all of the staff who helped on the bar, Chappy for again helping set up the AV, and David Whitefield and Scott Ramsay for their help in setting up the bar. Thanks must also go out to our wonderful MC on the night David Curnow, who certainly had his work cut out controlling the crowd!

The Trivia Night Committee are definitely in the hunt to find people who might be interested in seeing how the night is prepared for, in the preparation of handing over the reins in the next year or so. If you had a great time (let’s face it – who didn’t!) and want to have a chat about what’s involved, please feel free to call me - you don’t have to have a fountain of trivial knowledge, and it’s not all that time consuming to organise.

All I can say is bring on next year...

Juanita Bennett
Trivia Night Chairperson

Jim Joyce Term 3 Tennis Coaching

Before School, Lunch Time and After School Coaching will commence from Tuesday 18 July 2017 (during the second week back after the holidays).

Enrolments close on Friday 14 July 2017. Spare enrolment forms are available from the School Office, they can also be downloaded from the School Newsletter. To ensure a place in class, forms must be returned by this date to the School Office. Do not return forms to the School Office after this date contact Jim Joyce directly on 0417 771022.

Special Offer – All new students in Grade 1, 2 and 3 will receive a free tennis racquet when joining for the first time.

For further enquiries please contact Jim Joyce on 0417 771022

Holiday Tennis Clinic

We will be running a Tennis clinic at West Brisbane Tennis Centre from Monday 26th to Wednesday 28th June 2017.

Time: 8.30am -12 noon each day
Cost: $135

Enquiries & Bookings jim@westbrisbanetennis.com.au Phone 0417 771022

Thanks Jim

School Plus

Keyboard Kidz

Graceville Piano Student Achieves Distinction!

Keyboardkidz, one of Brisbane’s premier piano schools, is pleased to announce that Elijah H of Graceville State School completed his Preparatory Contemporary Piano Exam at the Australian Guild of Music Education at the end of Term 1. He received a Distinction, a result to be proud of. Congratulations to Elijah!

If your child is interested in learning piano, Keyboardkidz runs lessons out of Graceville State School. Visit the link below to book your two free trial lessons.

Community News

This year Brisbane Gang Show are proud to have Pragun, a student from Graceville State School as a member of this year’s cast. Come along and see Pragun light up the stage in the production of ‘Bankrupt … the musical’.

Register now for DayCamp! A program run in the June School for kids in grades 1 to 5 by the Oxley Uniting Church. It is a time of discovery and adventure in a bushland setting. DayCamp is the fun of hikes, craft the thrill of cooking your own food over a campfire, games.

the program is run at the Corinda Pony Club at the end of Rinora St, Corinda from 27 – 30 June 2017, 9am – 3 pm each day. We also run a program called FunFari for kids in years 6 and 7, more info and registration details for these awesome programs via the link below:

Taringa Rovers F.C.

June - July School Holiday Football Camp

Taringa Rovers is pleased to announce a 3-day Football Camp during the June/July school holidays.

This is open to all junior players ( Boys & Girls,Taringa & non Taringa players).

The camp is open for all players from U6 thru to U14 in 2017, and all ability levels. It will be run by Taringa Rovers Junior DOC, Kelvin Wheeler (AFC B licence).

When: Tuesday 4 July, Wednesday 5 July & Thursday 6 July
Times: 2pm to 5pm
Where: Taringa Rovers F.C. at Jack Speare Park, Indooroorpilly
Cost: $95 per player
Contact: Kelvin Wheeler
Ph: 0412 085 388
Email: juniordoc@taringarovers.com.au

To register your interest for the clinics please send an email containing the following information to the above email address -

Please supply the following Player Registration details –

• Players Given Name and Surname
• Date of Birth
• Parents contact details - Mobile Phone and email address.
• Any medical condition