2 November 2017

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

I am very pleased to say Year 5 camp was a great success! What an amazing group of students! I felt so privileged to spend three days with them as they engaged in activities and explored Noosa North Shore. I was most excited when the instructors pulled me aside and said, “Your school must be doing something differently to other schools because the students have so many ‘other’ skills”. Rather than ‘telling’ them what we are doing, I inquired as to what they meant and as they explained through use of examples, I could hear the language of communication, collaboration, thinking and self-managing. I could hear enactment of the Learning Assets in a context outside of the normal school day! I felt such pride in the teachers and students of Year 5 who have obviously embraced our school’s journey into inquiry are actively using the Learning Assets. It is through deliberate use of the Learning Assets both formally and informally, that we will start to see the Learning Assets language and dispositions transition across our whole school. What have you noticed as a parent? What can you see, hear or feel that is becoming different within your children related to the Learning Assets of Thinker, Researcher, Collaborator, Communicator or Self Manager?

This week the short listed nominees for School and Vice-Captain for 2018 were announced. The students now have a week to create a speech which they will deliver to the student body on a special assembly next Thursday 9 November. Parents and friends are welcome to come along from 1.50 to 2.45 to hear the speeches.

On Friday the 10th of November, 10.15-10-.45am, we will hold a special Remembrance Day assembly. Parents and friends are also welcome to attend.

I would like to thank the Student Council, Year 6 teachers and teacher volunteers for helping at the Disco on Wednesday night. The students love the disco and it is always lovely to see the children having fun!

In a few weeks’ time we will hold our final teacher professional development for the year with Kath Murdoch. Kath has been very generous with her time this year and we are grateful for her continued support. Our teachers love seeing Kath model lessons with our students. It gives them the confidence that they can continue to learn and grow an inquiry dispositions as teachers. I see growing passion and bursts of new learning in our classrooms after each of her visits! On her final visit, Kath will model lessons in Prep and Year 3 and spend some time with our upper school teachers to explain the benefits of ‘i Time’ and the importance of a whole school approach if we choose to use ‘i Time’ as a school strategy. If you are interested to learn more about Kath Murdoch, she has a website, tweets regularly (our school has even featured in her tweets) and has a wonderful TED talk which is very inspiring.

I hope you have a great week,

Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Date Claimer: Remembrance Day school assembly

All parents and community members are invited to attend our school assembly at the special time of 10:15 am on Friday November 10 in our school hall.

Poppies will soon be on sale at both gates before school leading up to November 10. Year 4 parents are providing morning tea after the assembly, thank you!

Getting Set for Prep at Graceville State School

We held a successful session for students and parents this week. The focus for discussion was around getting ready to learn to read and the next session will be about fine motor skills and readiness for prep.

Here is a photo of our school captain Alice reading to one of our ‘new’ preppies.

Please see flyer attached for the final event we are holding during term 4 this year to assist in preparing enrolled students and parents to commence at prep in 2018. These opportunities provide pre-prep students 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. Please RSVP!

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. Enrolled families will receive a letter prior to this day giving details of class, teacher and time to come on November 23.

Special Prep Uniform selling times:

14th November: 3-6pm
23rd November: 8.15-11am (Orientation morning)
28th November: 8.15-11am
16th January: 3-6pm (please note change of date from 17th to 16th)

If you think your child will need a very small sized uniform then please come in sooner rather than later as these special orders take 4 – 6 weeks to come in. Our uniform shop is open every Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8:15 – 9:00am.

Calendar for Junior Assemblies for Term 4

From the Acting Deputy Principal

Tracy Freeman

Social Media Awareness

The internet is having an increasing influence on the social development of children and how they interact with each other. Social media, smart phones and other technologies provide children with wonderful opportunities to learn, be creative and socialise. However, just as with face-to-face interactions, sometimes harassment can occur.

Some social media tips for your child:

• Strong passwords – passwords should feature a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
• Effective Privacy – regularly update privacy settings and limit the personal details your child shares online.
• Responsible interactivity – encourage your child to think before they share. The things that are said online could affect friendships and other relationships.

Today we had Sergeant Darnielle Fioriti from the Queensland Police Service attend the school to speak with the Year 6 students about Social Media – the positives and the potential implications, and appropriate ways to interact online.

Active School Travel

Melbourne Cup – Decorate Your School Hat

Just a reminder that Tuesday 7th November, is the day to get creative and decorate your school hat!! Decorations need to be on your school hat. We look forward to seeing some of the students’ wonderful creations.

Tracy Freeman
Acting Deputy

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.

As per previous newsletters the Department has made a commitment that by the end of 2017 all of business units will no longer accept Credit Card details over the phone or in person if paying accounts outside of normal receipting hours. Departments will no longer be allowed to keep this information as previously required for Audit purposes.

To still provide this service to our clients, BPOINT IVR is a payment solution that enables business units and Schools to charge card payments via a bank hosted IVR phone service in real time achieving full Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliance.

This will be compulsory for all Schools. Once implemented, no credit card payments will be taken over the phone unless they are processed via BPOINT IVR (1300 631 073)

When contacting the 1300 number the caller will need their customer reference and invoice details which can be found on the student invoice.

We will be implementing BPOINT IVR from now.

In 2018 we will also no longer be able to provide our school bank details for those parents who choose to do internet banking.

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. This also may include excursions where transport has been arranged. These are also 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.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

This term Mr Stiller and Mr Kukulies will be taking long service leave. This is the last week of this year that Mr Stiller will be with us for lessons and Senior Band rehearsals. Mr Stiller will not be replaced for the remainder of this term, so there will be no percussion lessons from next week. We are pleased to advise that Senior Band rehearsals will be taken by Mr James Kukulies, our Junior Band conductor and IM teacher. Next Wednesday 8 November Mr Kukulies will take the Senior Band rehearsal. Please ensure your child attends with their instrument and music, as students are preparing for the end of year concert. The Senior Band will rehearse for the evening concert during the school day on November 15, but there will be no Senior Band rehearsal after school on 15 November due to the evening concert. Please also note, there will be no percussion lessons from Wednesday 8 November. We would like to thank Mr Stiller for his work with our percussion and Senior Band students this year and wish him well during his time on long service leave.

On Wednesday 15 November there will be a Junior Band rehearsal before school as usual then they will set up in the hall at the beginning of the school day before returning to their classrooms. Mr Kukulies will be taking long service leave from 20 November so 15 November will be his last day with us for this year. We are asking students who have loaned a school instrument to return it to Mr Kukulies in the Oxley room as well as their music immediately after the end of year concert.

On 15 November, the Beginner and Junior Strings will rehearse at first break in the hall and for a short time into session 2 of the school day to prepare for the evening concert. The Senior Strings will rehearse during the school day and due to the evening concert there will be no Senior Strings rehearsal on Thursday 16 November. The last performance for the Senior Strings is on Wednesday 22 November at the Grandparents' Concert. Senior String students will need to set up on 22 November in the hall at 8:45am then rehearse for the concert. There will be no Senior Strings rehearsals after 22 November. The Junior and Beginner Strings will have no lessons on Wednesday 22 November due to the Grandparents' Concert, however lessons will be swapped from Wednesday to Thursday that week, so junior/beginner string students will have their final lesson Thursday 23 November.

There will be no instrumental lessons in the last 2 weeks of this term, or from when your child's teacher is on long service leave (for Mr Stiller and Mr Kukulies' students). Please contact your child's teacher if you have any queries about lessons or rehearsals.

The Senior Choir will rehearse on Tuesday 14 November at 7:45am in the hall and on Tuesday 21 November in the hall to prepare for the evening concert and Grandparents' Concert. Tuesday 21 November will be the last rehearsal for the Senior Choir, with their final performance for the year on 22 November. Ms West will be in attendance on Wednesday 22 November to conduct the final Senior Choir performance for this year and we thank her for swapping her usual teaching day at Eatons Hill SS for this event.

The Junior Choir will continue Friday morning rehearsals until Friday 17 November. We will also have an additional rehearsal in the hall on Wednesday 15 November during the school day to prepare for the evening concert. The Junior Choir is singing at the Grandparents' Concert on Wednesday 22 November at 10am and this will be their last performance for the year.

Our annual evening concert is scheduled for Wednesday 15 November at 6pm. All choirs and ensembles will perform at this concert and families and members of the school community are warmly invited to the concert. This is a formal concert and all students are requested to wear full school uniform.

Performance dates for term 4

15 November - 6pm - Annual Music Concert - all choirs and instrumental music students will perform at this concert - full school uniform

22 November - 10am Grandparents Concert - Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Senior Strings will perform for their grandparents/special guests then join us for a shared morning tea.

The Grandparents' Concert invitation and information notes have been handed out to students in rehearsals over the last week, but if you have not received them please find them attached.

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 look forward to sharing our music with you at the annual evening concert.

LIBRARY NEWS

Melanie Hutchinson

A big THANK YOU to our wonderful school community for your fantastic support of our annual LIBRARY BOOK FAIR! This year’s event was great fun and a terrific success!

The students and their families enjoyed the opportunity to buy books for themselves, their families and friends, and the school.

We earned a huge amount of commission to help purchase wonderful NEW books and many essential educational resources for the library collection as well as other classroom resources. It was a tremendous effort from everyone!

A special thanks to our teacher aides as well as the student volunteers - whose assistance at this great school event was most appreciated.

Melanie Hutchinson
Teacher Librarian

Lego Engineers Club

Graceville students are having fun with robotics during lunchbreaks at our Lego Engineers Club.

In term two, year 5 students were trained as Lego Engineer Assistants for the Lego Engineers Club that runs in semester 2 for students in Year 1-4. Students from 5W, 5G, 5H and 56E registered their interest in this role and attended training with Mrs Chudasko over 2 lunchbreaks in the Lego Lounge.

The Lego Robotics kits purchased by the Student Council at the end of last year are being used for the Lego Engineers Club. This hands-on kit that includes Lego bricks and the ‘WeDo’ iPad app ignites students’ curiosity, while enhancing their skills in science, engineering, technology, and coding. Students make and program ‘Milo’ the robot to move, make sound and even change colour! Our learning assets and inquiry approach align beautifully with the key values of the program:

• Investigating, modelling, and designing solutions
• Engaging students in science by making it real and relevant
• Basic programming skills
• Collaboration and presentation skills
• Critical thinking and problem solving

The Lego Engineers Club is held at 1st break on Wednesday and Thursday. Lego Engineer Assistants and classes have been assigned to each week of the term. In term three, year 3 and 4 students attended Lego Engineers Club and this term year 1 and 2 classes are attending. Teachers are invited to attend one of the lunchtime sessions with their class to see the resources in action.

It’s been great to see the Year 4 classes and the 3/4 Enhancement Class go on to utilise the Lego Robotics kits further by undertaking the ‘Plants and Pollinators’ and ‘Sort to Recycle’ projects provided on the Lego WeDo App. These projects are a great support to the Science, Geography and Digital Technologies curriculum.

Mrs Elisa Chudasko – ICT Mentor

Tuckshop News

Volunteers for the week commencing Monday, 6th of November 2017 are -

Thank you to all our volunteers!

Please remember to check your confirmatory emails that your order has been placed and for the right day. Also check that you haven’t ordered twice as this can sometimes happen.

If you do need to cancel an order, you can easily do so on School24 right up until the 8.30am cut-off time the day of your order. Once you have logged in to School24, just look at the left hand of your screen for options available and cancel an order is right there! You can also view your order history to check orders you have placed.

Tuckshop is operated as an online ordering system. To open a Tuckshop account please visit:

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.

Prep selling days are:

14th November 3-6pm
23rd November 8.15-11am
28th November 8.15-11am
16th January 3-6pm

Families that are already at Graceville State School are encouraged to come during normal uniform store hours as the prep selling days are much busier than usual.

Donations of 2nd hand uniforms are always appreciated, if you have some smaller sizes that you no longer need we would love to have them, it is coming up to our prep selling days and we are low in stock in dresses, shorts, culottes, skorts and shirts.

Backpacks and library bags are back in stock.

We have some swimming gear available including long sleeve rashies, lycra and silicone swim caps, swim bags and quick dry towels in your house colours.

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

New volunteers would be greatly appreciated and will be needed as some of the current volunteers will be leaving the school at the end of the year. It only requires you to be there from 8.15-9.00am on Mondays, Tuesdays or Fridays, if you think you could help out please send an email to the above address or just come to the store and have a chat.

I have 4 plain navy blue backpacks for $55 each in stock that are perfect for high school, if you are needing something like this come and see me in store or send an email to the above address.

Active School Travel

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

Mebourne Cup
Decorate your School Hats….next Tuesday

On Tuesday 7th November please decorate your school hats on Melbourne Cup day, which also happens to be TACO Tuesday! There will be lots of great prizes to be won including tuckshop vouchers so get busy decorating! Decorations need to be on or over your school hats.

Cr Nicole Johnston will be providing us all with fruit and juice on the day so come along and have some fun!!

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, in order for this program to keep running we need the support of parents and caregivers. If you can help in any way please contact Jo Richards at sajrichards@iinet.net.au for more information.

School Plus

The highlight of our week this week has definitely been our water play!

We were lucky enough on Monday to be given some brand-new water play toys and a water system. The children have really enjoyed getting out under Q block and playing in the water.

We will be aiming to include more and more water based activities in our program from here on out as the temperatures raises as we head into what will no doubt be another hot summer.

Wishing everyone a relaxing weekend

Swimming

Recently I have been asked numerous times if it is too late to join the swim lessons at the school pool since we are nearly half way through the term program. My response is that it is never too late. Any time spent in the water with one of my team of instructors in the one on one program on offer Fridays after school and Saturday mornings will benefit your child. Ensuring your child is safe and confident in the water is something we should all strive for. For the older students and more proficient swimmers the group classes will help with stamina and correct technique. If you still wish to have swimming lessons please call me to discuss your child’s ability and needs [0432407442] See you at the pool.

Pete Geraghty

Community Notices

Lions Club

The Brisbane Oxley-Sherwood Lions Club members are very grateful for your support in our endeavours to promote good health and sight amongst the populations of needy countries.

Your donation of unwanted spectacles will enable so many people to enjoy clear vision for the first time. Thank you sincerely everyone.

Rita Jensen-Lions Club member.