24 August 2017

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

The Fete has finally arrived! I hope you can all make it on Saturday! I personally cannot wait for my favourite part of the Fete, the Fireworks! It is wonderful to watch; it is such a cosy experience as we all huddle around the outside of the oval, joining together in oohs and ahs as the beautiful colours fly through the night sky! It is a magical experience!

Thank you to the families who have returned the forms indicating an intent to continue enrolment at Graceville for the 2018 school year. It is very important we have an accurate picture of enrolment for 2018 so we can staff the school accordingly. The staffing process takes place in late Term 3 and early Term 4 so please return your forms by next Thursday 31 August. Families who have not returned their forms by mid next week will get a call from the office staff seeking the information we need.

Next week we will host our annual Instrumental Music workshop. Our students take part in two days of learning and practicing which culminates in a night time concert. I am looking forward to hearing how far our students have advanced in their learning this year.

On 7 September, all parents who expressed an interest in the Enhancement classes for 2018, will be provided with an official Nomination Form. The Nomination forms must be filled in by parents and students and returned to the school by 3pm on 6 October (the first Friday back in Term 4). It is important to remember the Expression of Interest for the classes closed earlier this year and no new expressions of interest will be accepted.

There is only three weeks now until our Study Tour to Taiwan departs Brisbane! The students and teachers are getting very excited! We depart on Wednesday 13 September and return home on Sunday 24 September. It will be an amazing cultural experience! I was recently made aware we are the only State Primary School who take students on Study Tours to Taiwan so the experience is very unique to our school.

Finally, Father’s Day is fast approaching! On September 1, all dads who can make it into the school will be given a treat for Father’s Day. The treats are courtesy of the Student Council.

Have a great week,
Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Getting Set for Prep at Graceville State School

Please see flyer attached for new events we are holding during term 4 this year to assist in preparing enrolled students and parents to commence at prep in 2018. These will be opportunities for pre-prep students to spend some time at school with their parents familiarising with our school and some practical information for parents on ways to assist their children have the most positive start at school. RSVP for each event is essential!

All families who put their name down for a meeting at our Information session have been contacted and meeting times set. If you haven’t arranged this meeting and would like to discuss your child commencing in prep in 2018 please come into the office and make a time.

If you are an in-catchment family and have a preppie for next year and haven’t lodged the enrolment forms please do so as soon as possible so that we can gather firm numbers for classes for next year.

Date Claimer: our prep orientation meetings will be held on Thursday November 23 when new families will be invited to come to a session at prep, meeting staff and learning more about starting prep at our school.

Special Prep Uniform selling times:

14th November: 3-6pm
23rd November: 8.15-11am (Orientation morning)
28th November: 8.15-11am
17th January: 3-6pm (tbc)

Minzu Study Tour – September 13 – 24

Date Claimer: Wednesday August 30 at 6:15pm – meeting for parents and students of our outbound Study Tour group in the Waratah room.

We have a pre-departure booklet ready to go through at this meeting to ensure that everyone is well prepared for our adventure!

We have now commenced weekly meetings with our 22 year 5 and 6 students who will be travelling to Taiwan later this term. These students are getting excited as they anticipate this experience of life and school in Taiwan for 10 days.

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:

http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/catchment/plan-g/graceville-ss.html

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

Calendar for Junior Assemblies for Term 3

From the Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Swimming for Preps, Year 1 & 2 – term 4

Swimming will start for Prep, Year 1 & 2 will commence in Week 1 of Term 4. Permission letters and invoices will be sent to families in the next couple of days. Swimming will run from Week 1-8 and the cost will be $68 for the whole term’s program. Last day for payment will be the 8th September.

HRE for years 5 & 6 this term

HRE starts this week. Lessons will be on Fridays (18th, 25th August and 1 September). Both year levels will have an hour long lesson on those days in the first session of the day, due to interschool sport starting on 25th August. Lessons will be 8.45 – Year 6 and 9.45 – Year 5.

Interschool Sport for Years 5 & 6

Mr Daunt has already sent home the letters about interschool sport and students have chosen their sports for the upcoming season commencing on 25th August. Permission letters and invoices (where necessary for some sports). Last day for half of the invoice for interschool sport will be this Friday 18th August. The second half of the invoice will be due by Wednesday 13th September, prior to the holidays.

Life Education

All year levels will again be participating in the Life Education later in the term (1-15 September). Last day for payment is 25th August.

QParent Information

QParent has started! We have sent home student information for families to be able to register. If you have children at high schools with Q Parents already functioning, please make sure that you use the link that we sent you to register. If you haven’t registered as yet please do so ASAP. It will make payments and accessing details etc. much easier for families. It also makes the invoicing process much easier for us and you, as you will be able to pay for multiple invoices in one hit. Soon there will be the facility to also give your permission for excursions through this system. All excursion dates from now on will also be automatically added to the calendar. Remember that next term you will no longer be able to ring up and pay for invoices over the phone. In person or on B Point/Q Parents will be the only options for you to pay.

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.

We would just like to advise parents that from Term 4 we will not be able to process payments over the phone. You will either need to pay via BPoint, or in the school office.

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 following website at 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

We are looking forward to our fete performances this week. Junior Band and Senior Band students are able to leave their instrument case in the music room (and return it there after their performance). We are requesting the Junior Band to be at the hall/music room by 11:15am for their 11:45am performance and the Senior Band by 11:30am for their 12:00 performance. Please let your conductor know if you will be late on Saturday. All fete performance items are free dress for students (or costume for Senior Choir students). Choir students can meet their conductors in the hall approximately 15 minutes before their performance and sit in front of the stage prior to their performance.

The music workshop is scheduled for the week following the fete, on Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 August. This will conclude with a performance on Thursday 31 August at 2pm. The cost of the workshop is $40 to cover the tutors who work with small groups of students to assist them with further developing their skills and musicianship. A letter with further information about the workshop has been handed to students and is attached via a link in this article.

Please note that expressions of interest in the instrumental music program should have been handed in by Friday 18 August. If this has not been returned please contact me this week.

Students already enrolled in the instrumental program do not need to complete any forms at this stage. The will have a place in the program until the end of year 6 and only need to complete the student resource scheme form later this year. It is important to note that no swapping of instruments is permitted at any stage. The instrumental teachers will meet with students who would like to be considered for the program later this term.

Upcoming performances

Fete - 26 August

11:45 Junior Band
12:00 Senior Band
12:25 Junior Choir
12:35 Senior Choir
31 August 2pm - Instrumental Music Concert - all students involved in the instrumental music program will perform at this concert (IMP only, no choir performances)

Members of the school community are warmly invited to our concerts!

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
Naomi Lindh - nclos1@eq.edu.au

We are looking forward to our upcoming fete and instrumental music workshop performances!

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

Once again this year we will be celebrating Book Week with a whole school DRESS UP DAY!

On WEDNESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER (last week of term) students are invited to come to school dressed as their FAVOURITE (or any) STORY BOOK CHARACTER.

This will be a fantastic way to celebrate books and reading, and a great way to encourage reading for enjoyment, particularly during the upcoming September holidays!

Please take the opportunity to talk to your children about their love of books, story book characters they like, and reading for pleasure. Start planning or suggesting what characters they could possibly come dressed as. Persuade them to come up with something creative and imaginative! There is no need to hire or buy a costume.

There will be some special lunch time activities for the students on this day, with plenty of prizes to be won. More information to come.

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE

Premier’s Reading Challenge ends THIS FRIDAY, 25 AUGUST. All reading record sheets MUST be returned to the Library on or before this date.

Fete News

Here we are!!!!

Fete day is just days away now.

You've got the check list and you've seen the noticeboards on Oxley Road and at the back gate, so you know what to do. You are all set!

Clean Up Day

8.30am on Sunday we rub the magic dust off and turn our fete playground back into our little school.

PLEASE, come along, lend a hand for a few hours then finish the morning with a breakfast BBQ cooked by us.

The more we have the faster we all finish and can relax after another fabulous fete.

Thanks.

Anne
Fete Convenor

Tuckshop News

Volunteers for the week commencing Monday, 28th of August 2017 are -

Thank you to all our volunteers! We really appreciate your help!

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.

Size 6 skorts are currently out of stock but will be available again beginning of term 4.

Get ready for term 4 with most of your swimming gear available from the uniform store. Attached is a form to order long sleeve rashies, swim caps, bags and quick dry towels in your house colours. There will be limited stock kept in the uniform store of these items.

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 and can be emailed to the uniform shop at the below address, 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.

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

P&C News

FETE

Thank you to all the wonderful effort of all families as the fete draws near. A fantastic contribution from the whole school community is what makes our fete special. A special mention to the fete committee and our fete convenor Anne, who are bringing everything together.

We are looking for new families to join the setup crew and helpers on the day. This is typically a great way for Dad’s to get in and lend a bit of muscle to help setup the stalls. Friday afternoon after school the school begins its transformation ready for Saturday. Sunday morning is also a great opportunity to get in and help return the school to normal ready for Monday morning.

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.

REMAINING 2017 MEETING DATES

For your diaries:

Wednesday 11 October
Wednesday 29 November

CONTACT: pandc@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

SchoolsPlus

At Schools plus Graceville, we value the uniqueness of children and look to create opportunities for their personal and physical development. This is a learning story that shows how simple interactions can make a difference, providing an opportunity to make new friends, to negotiate and problem solve, strengthen self-belief and a greater sense of belonging, all while gaining physical fitness and having fun!

‘Whilst outside today, Blake and I decided to play a 1 vs 1 Touch Football game. Setting the boundaries and rules, we started to play and have a lot of fun. Blake would use his speed and agility to try and out run me and even used a couple to rugby tactics to push past me to score a try. We eventually had a few other boys start playing and eventually had 3 vs 3 match happening.

Getting Blake to play a game of Touch Football requires teamwork and encourages socialisation with other children. Games such as Touch Football often help children to make friends. Towards the end of the game, Blake was having a lot of fun and sorting out team tactics together with the other children. The smile on his face was something unforgettable as he started to make new friends.

Blake has already indicated that he would like to play Touch Football again with the boys and I think this will be good for him. Mixing the teams up and allowing him to socialise with other children will allow him to expand his friendship base and can make after school care and general schooling life more enjoyable for him. Team sports has shown to raise self-confidence in those that participate in it so for Blake, this can help him in day to day activities and future life endeavours. Today was a great day for Blake and I am keen to see him grow as his friendship group expands.’