16 March 2018

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

Two weeks to go!

As you would be aware, our school has signed up to acknowledge National Day against Bullying on Friday March 16th. Students can wear an orange T Shirt to highlight awareness of the day. Mrs McKeaten and the Student Learning Ambassadors hosted a Whole School Assembly on Thursday helping children understand the need for us all to live together as Peacemakers, living in harmony, looking out for and after each other. Bullying is not acceptable in any school or part of society. If your child is experiencing anything they consider as bullying please make the school aware and we will follow through and investigate.

Parent Teacher Interviews are being held next week. Depending on the class sizes, our teachers could be hosting up to 28 Parent Teacher Interviews outside school hours next week. As you can imagine this is a daunting task and we need to provide an equitable timeframe for all parents. The interviews are approximately 12 minutes long. Teachers build in a 3 minute window for movement between interviews so we would greatly appreciate parents understanding the teacher’s prompts to end the interview. If a follow up conversation is required the teacher can accommodate at another time.

The Spell-a-thon was held on Tuesday. We are grateful to those families who supported the Spell-a-thon. I would also like to thank Mrs Leanne Gordon and her helpers for organising the Spell-a-thon on behalf of the P&C. The funds raised will go towards supporting the development and resourcing of our approach to writing.

The P&C AGM is being held on Wednesday 28 March at 7.30pm. All positions are declared vacant at the AGM and parents and citizens can put their name forward to take on an executive position. The P&C are also always looking for interested parents come along to meetings. It would be great to see you at a meeting this year.

Don’t forget the last day of term is Thursday 29 March.

Have a great week,
Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Say 'Bullying. No Way!' on Friday 16 March

The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA) is on Friday 16 March. Take a Stand to promote a united message that bullying and violence are not okay. Students and Staff are encouraged to wear an orange shirt on that day. Yr 5 & students will need to bring their usual shirt for interschool sport.

Managing contagious conditions at your school

Parents are reminded to take their child to the doctors if they are quite unwell. We don’t want contagious conditions at school otherwise other students, staff and parents may also get sick. Please let us know immediately if the diagnosis is an infectious condition where we would need to contact public health and the school community. Your GP will know the full extent of conditions eg. chicken pox, Gastro, Measles, Whooping cough, Hepatitis A, Rubella are the common ones. Please be mindful that we have people in our school community who may be adversely affected by some of these contagious conditions eg. people with low immunity or pregnant women.

Train travel for Easter holidays and #GC2018 – be prepared

To support the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, there will be timetable adjustments across the SEQ Citytrain network from 30 March – 20 April, over the school holidays and during week 1 of Term 2.

Members of the school community are encouraged to plan their journeys in advance, especially when returning to school next term. Material for school newsletters, social media and websites is included in this edition of the State Schools Update and there is a flyer that can be distributed.

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Date Claimer: our annual Prep Easter Hat Parade will be on Tuesday March 27 at 2.30 in the hall. This is outside our usual junior assembly time this year, it is an event enjoyed by all, mark it in your diaries!

School Technology Plan and Committee

In 2016 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. The P&C support technology in the school by providing 75% of voluntary contributions towards technology. 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 to discuss how things ‘technologically’ are going in the school on Friday April 27 at 8:00am in the school library. We are fortunate that this year we have a computer technician to support us in the school 3 days per week, this is part of a new Education Queensland initiative as last year we had to purchase technician time 2 days/week out of school funds.

Our prep students are enjoying using Reading Eggs and utilizing the laptops purchased at the end of last year to replace very old and slow desktop computers in classrooms. This was thanks to voluntary contributions from families. Reading Eggs is used both in the classroom and at home to support the explicit teaching of reading for our Prep students.

Here are some Prep S students enjoying this learning.

Study Tour 2018

It’s early days but we will be hosting a Study Tour from Taiwan, from Minzu and Wenhau Elementary schools this year. The prospective dates will be July 24 until August 7 for two weeks. Please as a family start to think about if you are able to offer a place to host one of these students. It is a rewarding opportunity and I will give more information at the beginning of term 2 as we commence planning for this visiting group.

Waiting List for Prep for 2019 – opens first day of next term Tuesday April 17.

The waiting list for 2019 will open on Tuesday, 17th April at 8:00am. Please let any interested people know that forms and information can be obtained from our school office from that date which is the first day of next term. Families from within our catchment area we also invite you to obtain enrolment forms to begin the process when convenient after the start of term 2. 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.

Below is the calendar for term 1 assemblies.

Money Matters

Anne Nixon

Thank you for your payments for excursions and resources to date.

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.

Student Resource Schemes (SRS) for 2018 are:

• Prep Requirements ($70)
• Instrumental Music Programs – Instrument Hire ($100), Percussion Maintenance ($50), Music Participation ($80) & Choir ($30)
• Religious Education Program ($10)
• Mathletics On-line registration (Years 1 - 6) ($12)
• Origo Maths (years 3, 4 and 5) ($6)
• Year 4/5 maths levy ($17.50)

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

VOLUNTARY PARENT CONTRIBUTIONS

Your valuable contribution to this school’s Learning Targets is most welcome.

$100 single student.

You can either pay the Voluntary Contribution in the office, or by direct deposit into the school bank account referencing the payment “VC” with your child’s name. Our bank account details are

BSB: 064-111
Account Number: 00090051
Account Name: Graceville State School

Credit in Account: Credits from 2017 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

We have organised the Junior Choir's first performance for this year, at the full school assembly on 15 March for Harmony Day. Families and members of the school community are warmly invited to attend. Junior Choir rehearsals will continue until the end of this term in week 10 and resume in week 1 next term.

In last week's Newsletter I reminded families to ensure they have returned their student resource levy and paid it. Payment for the instrumental music program is due by the end of week 8 this term. At the end of last year with the approval and input from the P and C we changed the IM levy process and included the workshop in a non-refundable $80 annual levy due by the end of week 4 as well as instrumental hire if applicable or the percussion maintenance fee. This information was included in the Newsletter sent out to families on 23 November 2017 and letter to students beginning in the program this year. Most of our families have paid this levy, but if you have not and would like your child to continue in the program we are requesting the payment by the end of week 8. Please contact Mrs Smith if you are having any issues with payments. We are also requesting the choir levy of $30 to be paid ASAP. This year we are organising a choir incursion with a guest conductor for Friday 22 June which will culminate with a concert (at 2:15pm). The levies paid by students will cover costs for the day including the guest conductor and accompanist. Please ensure your child's levy is paid so they are able to participate in our exciting incursion.

2018 Rehearsal schedule

Monday 7:45am Senior Choir (year 4/5/6 students) - Ms Julie West (rehearsals begin in week 3)

Tuesday 7:45am Junior Choir (year 2/3 students) - Mrs Naomi Lindh (rehearsals begin in week 3)

Wednesday 7:30am Junior Band (year 4 band students) - Mr James Kukulies (please note this will not begin until term 2 in May, with the first rehearsal date TBA)

Wednesday - first break - Junior/Beginner Strings - Mrs Ruth Prout (please note this will not begin until term 2, with the first rehearsal date TBA)

Wednesday 3:00-4:00pm Senior Band (year 5/6 band students) - Mr Steve Stiller (rehearsals will begin in week 3)

Thursday 7:45am Senior Strings (rehearsals will begin in week 3)

Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns about your child's involvement in the music program or if they are unable to attend a rehearsal.

Alex Grodecki - agrod3@eq.edu.au
Ruth Prout - rprou5@eq.edu.au
James Kukulies - jkuku2@eq.edu.au
Steve Stiller - sstil2@eq.edu.au
Julie West - jwest269@eq.edu.au
Naomi Lindh - nclos1@eq.edu.au

Thank you to our Junior Choir and Choir Captain Megan B for their efforts preparing for the Harmony Day assembly!

Naomi Lindh
Music Teacher and IM Coordinator

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

GRACEVILLE STATE SCHOOL READERS’ CUP COMPETITION 2018

This term Year 5 & 6 students will participate in the annual GSS READERS CUP. Teams will compete against each other in the Readers Cup competition on THURSDAY 29 MARCH at 9.00 am in the HALL.

Readers’ Cup is a competition that promotes the reading of books and rewards students who do well at reading. Just as good sports people receive rewards, then good readers will receive accolades and prizes for competing at reading.

Teams have already been formed and students are currently reading the FIVE selected stories (Red Dog – Louis De Bernieres; Someone Like Me – Elaine Forrestal; Think Big (from ‘Give Peas a Chance’ – Morris Gleitzman (short story); Give Peas a Chance (from ‘Give Peas a Chance’) – Morris Gleitzman (short story); Our Granny – Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas (picture book).

Points are scored on the day by answering rounds of questions on each book as well as answering rounds of general knowledge questions on reading and books.

Families are asked to encourage their children to read the required stories books and actively support their team!

CONTACT CLUB VOLUNTEERS

A great big thanks to those who helped out at the last Contact Club. We had a large turn out, and now have a heap of brand new library books to add to the collection. The children are so excited – in time for holiday borrowing too! Teachers were also appreciative of the new resources that they are now able to access and use in their classrooms.

As you know there are always books to cover so if you are able to come in for the next Contact Club meeting that would be fabulous. If anyone has some spare time (perhaps over the holidays), and would like to take some books home to cover, there are many to cover at your leisure. Just come and see us in the library.

SAMANTHA WHEELER WRITING WORKSHOP

Celebrate World Science Festival with a Writing workshop for children with Samantha Wheeler (the author who visited with our Year 5 students and 5/6 Enhancement class earlier in the term)

When: Saturday 24 March - 10:00 - 11:30am
Venue: Room 1B, State Library of Queensland.

Cost: $25 Book Links member (i.e. family is a member), $30 non-members.

Includes free copy of Turtle Trackers.

This workshop best suits 8-12 year olds.

If you love animals and would love to write a story about them, but are unsure of where to start? Let author Samantha Wheeler help you plan your story so that it starts with a boom, races across the page towards the finish, and comes to a rounded, satisfying end. Become the champion of storytelling in one short workshop that is sure to leave your narrative shining.

Chappy’s Chat

John Erichsen

Our year five and six students will be in “Reading Mode” at present as they prepare themselves for the upcoming Readers’ Cup event in week 10. Memories will be switched to full retention as they study the depths and intricate details of the multiple books used for this contest. While this is a fabulously fun day, filled with creative costumes and finely designed table themes, it is also a great way to engage students with reading. Good luck to all our year five and six students for this event. I am positive that the day will be fantastic and the recollections will be most impressive.

On the senior school assembly, last Thursday, our regional swimming representatives were recognised for their efforts and achievements in making it through to this swim meet. In strong competition, qualifying for this level is an excellent achievement so all those swimmers should be very pleased with their success. At this event, our students performed very well, including a number of personal best times being recorded. Well done to all who represented our school at this competition. One of our students successfully qualified to go on to the next level, the State Swimming Titles, and our support and best wishes go with him as he competes against the very best swimmers in Queensland.

It is most enjoyable to see the sun attempting to break through the grey skies and dry things out a little. We are fortunate to have received some welcome rain, greening up lawns and filling tanks, without the devastating inundation areas in North Queensland have experienced. Our part of the world knows all too well, how tough it can be to recover from flooding, so our thoughts go with those families, communities, support agencies and government organisations, functioning to restore some normality to lives in those regions.

For some students, watching or hearing the news of flooding up north may prompt anxiety or fear that we may be under threat of flooding here. Calmly journeying through that conversation with children can be very reassuring and minimise their concerns. Explaining how far away those floods are, how rare those events are in our part of the state and acknowledging that some areas can experience localised flooding after significant rain events are all helpful during times of heightened anxiety. I have been told by a very reliable source that hugs at home and a warm drink work pretty well too.

This Friday, students are being encouraged to wear orange in support of The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence, so if you pass by the school and see a sea of orange, you will know why. It is important that, in our school and community, we support a strong stance against bullying in all its ugly forms. Sadly, we see too many instances of bullying, by very prominent people, as passion or acceptable aggression. I hope our leaders and public figures recognise they too have an important role in providing our young people with positive role models to look up to.

Have a fantastic week!

John Erichsen
(Chappy)

Spellathon Test Day was Tuesday of this week. Thank you to the children for learning their words and trying their best. Thanks also to the teachers for supporting the Spellathon and for incorporating the Spellathon test into their busy schedules. Everyone’s efforts to help the school are greatly appreciated.

Each child’s sponsorship form should have been sent home again this week so the children can collect their sponsorship money from their sponsors. To be eligible for prizes the sponsorship forms and all money raised are due back to the School office by 3pm on Tuesday 27 March. If your child forgot to bring in their form for test day, please get them to bring the form in soon for the teacher to write the child’s number of words/ tasks that they got correct on the top. If you cannot find your form, please find a copy linked to this newsletter.

Don’t forget there are great prizes in each year level. Prizes will be based on sponsorship collected and also every child who spells all their words correctly will be entered into an exciting prize draw where they could win one of two fun prizes in each year level (see your information letter for prize details). As well as these individual prizes, there will be whole class prizes. Every child in the class that raises the most money in each year level will receive a small prize. No matter how small a contribution your child makes it will be helping to make the 2018 Spellathon a great success.

This year the funds raised will go directly to support our Inquiry learning approach in either Science, Humanities and the Social Sciences or the Learning Assets.

Our sponsors for 2018 are Peter May and Brad Robson from Place Real Estate and Graceville Village Discount Drug Store.

If you need help buying or selling your home, Peter & Brad from Place are the ones to help you. Please contact Peter on 0409543546 or Brad on 0414773437.

For all your pharmacy needs go to Graceville Village Discount Drug Store where you get more than just low prices. They are located right next to the Post Office in Graceville.

We thank our sponsors for their support of our school and ask that you support them with your business.

If you have any queries please get in touch by emailing: gracevillespellathon@gmail.com

The Spellathon Committee

Uniform Shop

Fiona Fryer

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

YEAR 6 COMMEMORTIVE SHIRTS

The shirts have been sent to the printers so I will not be accepting any late orders. The shirts will be back before the end of this term.

INTERSCHOOL SPORT

Interschool sports have started for years 5 and 6, you can purchase the representative shirts from the uniform store for $35.

All house shirts are now back in stock.

Donations of 2nd hand uniforms are always appreciated, so please keep them coming but can you please make sure that all items are in a good, clean and saleable condition.

Please be advised that refunds will ONLY be given if you have the original receipt and items should not have been washed or worn.

Swimming gear is available including some long sleeve rashies, lycra and silicone swim caps, swim bags and quick dry towels in the house colours.

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 via the teachers pigeon hole.

Email address for school uniform store is:

uniformstore@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS PLEASE, it only requires you to be there from 8.15-9.00am on Mondays, Tuesdays or Fridays, if you think you could help out send an email to the above address or just come to the store and have a chat.

Tuckshop News

Tuckshop Roster for the week ending Friday 23rd of March 2018

Thank you to all our volunteers! We still need more volunteers!

More volunteers are required on most days, if you can help please contact us at the Tuckshop on tuckshop.gss@gmail.com We are very busy preparing the healthy choices lunches!

NEW SUSHI AND RICE PAPER ROLLS – from CILANTRO FRESH!

Next week we will be featuring a new Sushi and Rice Paper Rolls supplier! We are happy to have Cilantro Fresh on board making our sushi and Rice Paper Rolls FRESH every Tuesday and Wednesday. We will be offering the following choices:

Sushi - Tuna mayo, Tuna avocado, Chicken mayo, Chicken & avocado or Avocado with soy sauce options.

Rice Paper Rolls – Chicken, Tofu, or Pork with a special dipping sauce.

Look for the new menu items on School24 soon. Ordering is still the same – open to order from Thursday to Monday 12pm for the Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.

TO BUY AT THE TUCKSHOP COUNTER –

Popcorn is only 50 cents and you can buy it online or over the counter. ANZAC Cookies are available for 50 cents per cookie too. Want something refreshing on a hot day, then try Frozen Watermelon for only 50 cents. Bretzels are selling fast too, very tasty and popular at our introductory price of $1.20.

Fancy a different snack? Try the Roasted Chick Peas or Fav-va Beans for $1.50/bag. They are a very filling snack! Apples available for $1. Delicious Vanilla Blueberry or Apple muffins are also available for $2 each. Greek yogurts in either berry, passionfruit or mango flavours are $2.20 and very tasty. So much to choose from!!

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

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL

Friday 23rd March -National Ride to School Day.

Students have the opportunity to earn a bonus stamp in their passports on Friday 23rd of March. Decorate your helmets (even if you cannot ride your bikes) to be in the running to win some great prizes. Remember just be active…..ride, walk or roll and help reduce congestion around the school. Judging will take place at 8:25am in the quadrangle (near the tuckshop)….don’t forget to bring along your passports .

We need you!!!!!

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 are especially in need of a parent, caregiver or member of the community to head up the committee for 2018, with lots of ongoing support from the current members. Without the support of parents and caregivers this program will be unable to continue in the school.

Please contact Jo Richards at sajrichards@iinet.net.au for more information.

Park and Stride

You’ve probably heard of ‘Park n Ride’, but what about ‘Park and Stride’?

Active School Travel encourages students to walk, cycle, scoot, car pool and catch public transport to and from school, but some parents still need to drive their children to school as part of their journey to work or other activities. Alternatively, you may live a long distance from the school and can’t actively travel all the way from home.

Even though you might need to drive your children to school, you can still make a difference to the traffic congestion and safety around our school by walking or riding part of the way.

Use the Active Travel map to find your Park and Stride starting point. Make sure it’s at least a few blocks away so your child will receive a stamp in their AST passport on their active travel day.

So don’t miss out on TUESDAY

Did you know?

10% of all journeys people make are 1km or less and 50% are under 5km. Consider walking or riding your bike for short journeys. It’s easier, better for you and saves petrol!

Fete News

So far we have had 3 wonderful, new Prep parents volunteer to learn Fete Committee roles this year. This is a great result.

We still have 6 Fete Committee positions that need to be taught to willing volunteers, THIS YEAR.

These include, along with email addresses for each, should you wish to find out more about a particular position:

Fete Convenor gracevillefete@gmail.com
2 X Food Stalls Convenors gracevillefetestalls@gmail.com
2 X Non-Food Stall Convenors gracevillefetestalls@gmail.com
Bookings Co-ordinator gracevillefetebookings@gmail.com

We also need as many volunteers as possible on the Sponsorship Committee. Please contact our New Sponsorship Co-ordinators at gss.fete.sponsorship@gmail.com

We work on a 3 year volunteering plan:

Year 1 - Learn it,
Year 2 - Do it, and
Year 3 - Teach it.

We MUST teach these roles this year or this will be the last GSS Fete.

This would be a huge shame for our community and a massive disappointment to our students.

Our first Fete Committee meeting is roughly scheduled for Wednesday, 9 May 2018 at 7.30pm. If no one puts their hand up to take on these roles I will let you all know on Thursday, 10 May that 2018 will be the last GSS fete. Fingers crossed that it won't come to this.

There's only one way to make sure this doesn't happen. Please consider.

Anne Canalese
Fete Convenor

Schools Plus

Community Notices