21 March 2019

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

I hope you were not affected by the storm that came through Graceville on Tuesday. It felt like the storm was right above the school. Luckily the school did not suffer any major damage however much of the soft fall on our playgrounds was washed away. I would like to commend our teachers and students for remaining calm and composed while the thunder and lightning were overhead. In fact, the weather event has sparked some interesting class inquiries into how storms, thunder and lightning are created.

Our school is situated on a very busy road. Although we have traffic lights to help manage the traffic and keep our children safe, we must always be aware that human error can play a factor at any time. We are hoping for your support in reminding our children to wait at the set of traffic lights until they can see all cars have stopped before stepping out to cross the road. We need to help our children understand that green does mean it is ok to cross however they must also be aware of and watching the cars to ensure they have stopped. We will of course ensure the school provides the message to all children and we would appreciate your support in reinforcing the message at home.

The Fete committee met for the first time last week. We are excited at the opportunity to have a Fete again in 2019. The Fete raises much needed funds that the P&C can use to enhance aspects of the school that are not funded by the Department. Major projects such as air-conditioning in classrooms and soon the hall, more solar panels to make our school more environmentally friendly and increasing technology beyond the departmental ratio of computers to students, are ways the funds are used at Graceville. We can only have a Fete though if we can get enough volunteers to help out in the lead up to the Fete and on the actual day. A letter will be going home next week to seek your support to help out at the Fete – many hands make light work. If we all chip in, we can make a great difference to the school. Just being able to man a stall for an hour or so on the day would be a great help. The responses we receive from the letter will help the Fete committee to decide if we can hold the Fete in its usual format in 2019 or if changes are required. The Fete is a great day and the children love it! The grade 3 children in particular are very passionate about the Fete. So passionate in fact they have chosen the topic of keeping the Fete as a big community event as a stimulus for their persuasive writing this term. The children have offered to share their persuasive writing with me so I can use their ideas to encourage parents and community members to volunteer at the Fete!

Finally, keep your eye out for a letter in relation to the UNSW ICAS tests. As you may be aware the UNSW have changed the way the tests are administered from 2019. All tests are now online and there are guidelines schools must follow to administer the tests. The UNSW tests are an extra curricular activity that has been offered at Graceville for a very long time. We understand that many parents and children like to sit the tests and enjoy the acknowledgment of academic achievement. The new arrangements for test administration have caused the school many issues in our ability to offer the tests and maintain the usual operation of teaching and learning for all students. The school will consider what and how we will offer aspects of the UNSW tests and provide advice on alternate options for families who would like to participate more broadly than the school can offer. A letter with details will go home to families very soon.

Next Tuesday our school is hosting an event for sixty educators from SE QLD. We will be hosting a day for educators to come and learn about inquiry teaching and learning. We are very proud to be asked to host such an event. Our guests will be arriving at the school between 7.45 and 8am and departing the school from 3.10pm to ensure we do not add to the school’s peak times for pick up and drop off. This will mean however that parking spaces may be harder to find close to the school. Tuesday would be a great day to actively travel to school!

The P&C AGM will be held next Wednesday night at 7.30pm. If you are interested in taking on an executive role in the P&C, this is the meeting to attend. We do need to fill all of the roles to ensure we have a functioning P&C so please consider if you could help out. A general P&C meeting will also follow the AGM. All parents and carers are welcome to attend.

Finally, our next Whole School Assembly focus will be to celebrate Harmony Day. We will have a number of student performances and important messages encouraging tolerance and for all people to respect each other’s rights and live together in a peaceful manner. Parents are always welcome to attend our assemblies so we would love to see you there.

Have a great week,

Zoe

Newsletter Articles

Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Visiting past student at Senior Assembly this week:

Claudia M, a past Graceville Student, currently attending Brigidine College, attended one of our assemblies this week to speak to our students about ANZAC day traditions and excitingly about her upcoming trip to France and Belgium for this year’s commemoration of ANZAC day.

We congratulate Claudia who has been awarded the 2019 Premier’s ANZAC Prize. Claudia has been selected among eight students from across the state to travel to the Western Front battlefields in Belgium and France as part of the 2019 Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize tour. During the 16 day tour, Claudia will travel to France to experience the ANZAC tradition first hand, by travelling to the Western Front region and attending the ANZAC day dawn service at the Australian War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. What a wonderful experience for her and thank you for sharing with us at Graceville Claudia!

2019 is a busy Study Tour year for us at Graceville as we have an outbound trip planned for September for 22 of our students and we look forward to welcoming students here at our school for 2 weeks on an inbound Study Tour!

Inbound Study Tour

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 23 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.

Prep Vision Screening

Queensland Health will be at school next week starting our vision screening of prep students who have returned their forms. This will start on Wednesday and go for a couple of days. Parents will then be notified by a letter afterwards.

Waiting List for Prep for 2020 – opens first day of next term Tuesday April 23.

The waiting list for 2020 will open on Tuesday, 23rd 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.

Bronze Certificates have been handed out and students congratulated at Junior Assembly this week:

Prep: Samantha W, Alexia F, Brady T, Harriet M, Kiet L, Yvette M, Max B, Abhay S, Allan S, Aria M, Arie C, Atticus M, Benji H, Eddie N, Isla C, Harris W, Theodore F
Year 1: Marco S, Ruby G, Henry H, Claire E, Erin D, Evie D, Flynn S, Charlie P, Lachlan W, Gemma P, Joshua C, Grace J, Mitchell H, Fletcher S
Year 2: Max M, Victoria C, Sophie D

Well done to these students for being consistently safe, respectful and responsible!

Junior Assemblies

Our final junior assembly for this term will be a special one with our Easter hat Parade, hope you can make it along for a 2:15 start.

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Harmony Day Assembly – Thursday 28 March 2pm

“Everyone belongs at Graceville”

As part of our celebration of Harmony Day (15 March), we have a special assembly planned. It will involve students from our junior choir performing, students from 4/5B, Year 5 & 6 students and other individuals from classes in the school.

Students may like to wear “national dress’ or bring an artefact to show, if they have a different cultural background.

Money Matters

Anne Nixon

Student Resource Schemes (SRS) for 2019 are:

• Prep Requirements ($70)
• Reading Eggs for Prep ($25)
• 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 2, 3 and 4) ($6)
• Year 4/5 maths levy ($17.50)
• ESmart Digital Licence Yr 5 ($10)

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.

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 2018 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.

Spellathon

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 2 April. 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 2019 Spellathon a great success.

This year the funds raised will go directly to support our teaching and learning of writing.

Our sponsors for 2019 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

Proudly sponsored by:

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB

Scholastic Book Club is up and running again this term, thanks to our fantastic volunteers. This terms issue’s flyer (Issue 2) has been handed out to the classes – to order, just look over the flyer with your child, select the books you want and mark them on the order form on the back of the flyer.

Then ORDER ONLINE WITH THE CORRECT PAYMENT, by the closing date FRIDAY 22th MARCH.

Preferred method of payment:

CREDIT CARD payments online, or through the LOOP APP [LOOP: Linked Online Ordering and Payment available on the website below or download the LOOP Apple or Android app]. The order forms do not need to be returned to school.

If paying by credit card on the phone or with a cheque made to Scholastic Australia, return the order form to the school library by Friday 22nd March.

NO CASH ORDERS PLEASE – GRACEVILLE STATE SCHOOL IS RUNNING A CASHLESS BOOK CLUB.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Thank you to Senior Choir students and families for your understanding with our rehearsal swap from Monday to Tuesday morning this week due to our professional development session with Kath Murdoch. Senior Choir rehearsals will return to Monday morning next week as usual. We are very pleased to confirm that the Senior Choir will be attending the Sing Together Day at St Peters on Tuesday 18 June and evening concert. A letter will be provided to students closer to this event, but please note the date as it also includes an evening concert at St Peters (on Tuesday 18 June). We need all Senior Choir students to attend to make the most of this exciting performance opportunity so we ask families to ensure students are able to attend. The Senior Choir will also be performing at the Junior Assembly on Tuesday 11 June prior to their St Peters performance.

The Junior Choir will be singing at the Harmony Day assembly on Thursday 28 March at starting at 2pm. This will be the first performance for the Junior Choir and will involve students singing two songs. Families and members of the school community are invited to attend the assembly. If your child is in the Junior Choir and you have not received a Junior Choir update email, could you please send me an email and I will add your details to the group contact list (nclos1@eq.edu.au).

Thank you to our senior students who have been attending their instrumental rehearsals regularly.

Please ensure that your child is prepared for their instrumental lesson and rehearsal for senior students. We encourage you to contact your child's teacher if they are experiencing any difficulties with their instrument/practice, as often support at an early stage can greatly assist your child's progress and involvement in the program. We also request that you let conductors know if students are not able to attend a rehearsal which includes choir and instrumental students (please see email contacts are below).

Please note that in week 9 on Wednesday 27 March there will be no instrumental music lessons due to the West Cent instrumental music auditions. A small number of selected students from Graceville will be participating in these auditions as well as students from other schools. Our instrumental teachers are all involved in these auditions therefore normal Wednesday lessons will not occur (on Wednesday 27 March). We apologise for this disruption. Please note that the Junior Choir rehearsal will still occur on this day and it is important for all of our Junior Choir students to attend as we have a performance scheduled for the following day. On Wednesday 27 March the Junior Choir rehearsal will be held in the hall (for this rehearsal only).

2019 Rehearsals Venue - Music Room

Monday 7:45am - 8:30am Senior Choir (beginning in week 3 on 11 February) (year 4,5 and 6 students) Ms West
Tuesday 7:30 - 8:30am - Junior Band (starting during term 2, date TBA) Mr Kukulies
Wednesday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior Choir (beginning in week 3 on 13 February) (year 2 and 3 students) Mrs Lindh
Wednesday 10:45am - 11:25am - Beginner/Junior Strings (starting during term 2, date TBA) Mrs Prout
Wednesday 2:50pm - 4:00pm - Senior Band (beginning in week 3 on 13 February) Mr Stiller
Thursday 7:45am - 8:30am Senior Strings (beginning in week 3 on 14 February)

Music teacher contact details...

Alex Grodecki - agrod3@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Thursdays)
Ruth Prout - rprou5@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Wednesdays and Thursdays)
James Kukulies - jkuku2@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Tuesdays)
Steve Stiller - sstil2@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Wednesdays)
Julie West - jwest269@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Monday/Tuesday)
Naomi Lindh - nclos1@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Wednesday/Thursday/Friday)

Thank you for supporting our music program!

Naomi Lindh

Music Teacher and IM Coordinator (Wednesday - Friday)

Your P&C Needs you!!

The P&C needs your help. Most of the current executive is moving on or will be moving on next year and so we need some new blood to continue the great work of the P&C. Training and support is available and the work of the P&C is a great lot less than Kindy committees you may have been involved in. Perhaps bring along a friend and share the role?

All positions will be vacant at the AGM on 27 March 2019.

See you at the AGM!

Chris Hansen
P&C President.

NOTIFICATION OF GSS P&C Annual General Meeting

The P&C AGM will be held on 27 March 2019, at 7:30pm in the Oxley Room.

A general PandC meeting will follow at the conclusion of the AGM.

Membership

All memberships must be renewed at the AGM. You do not need to attend the AGM for your membership to be accepted. Membership forms for 2019 (attached to this newsletter and available in the office) can be placed in the P&C mailbox in the office, or handed to the Secretary, Karen McNab, prior to the meeting.

Positions to be elected

The positions of President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary are elected at the AGM.

Nominations for Executive Positions can be made by completing the Executive Nomination Form attached to the newsletter and returning it to the P&C, or advising the Principal. If you are interested in finding out more, you can also contact the P&C President.

A brief description of the positions is provided below:

• The President provides leadership and is the accountable officer of the Association. Their role is to act as a representative of the Association, encourage communication between the Association, School administration and the community and encourage participation in the Association. The President will be the Chair of meetings and conduct them in an efficient and timely fashion, being familiar with the rules, constitution and other documents governing Association operations. The President is an official member of the school council for the School, if one exists.
• The Vice-President provides essential support for the President and possibly other members of the Executive Committee. They will Chair those meetings from which the President is absent and carry out any duties that have been delegated by the President. They should also be familiar with the rules, constitution and other documents governing Association operations.
• The Secretary collates the agenda papers for each meeting, (including subcommittee reports) and assists the President in preparing an agenda for each meeting. They prepare and present minutes of the Association’s meetings, record and deal with correspondence in/out as directed and generally organise, record and maintain information pertaining to the activities of the Association.
• The Treasurer has the overall responsibility for the financial management of the Association including all subcommittee accounts. In their role they must comply with the Accounting Manual for P&C Associations in all respects. They prepare an annual budget and Annual Operational Plan for the Association in consultation with other members of the Association’s Executive Committee. It is the Treasurer's responsibility to keep accurate accounts of receipts and expenditure.

Tuckshop

Thank you to our Week 9 volunteers for giving us 3 hours of your time!

Monday 25/3/19 - Leslie Wong, Jean Ling
Tuesday 26/3/19 - Kora Uhlmann, Lauren Thomson
Wednesday 27/3/19 - Jane Garner, Jo Armstrong, Neena Barwick
Thursday 28/3/19 - Leisa Battig, Penelope Shaw, Marion Battig-Franks
Friday 29/3/19 - Liz Fourie, Helen Beauchamp, Shari MacDonald, Fiorella Morlin

This week we have our new special Fruit Buns in stock, still the same great price but shaped like rabbits and Hot Cross Buns have arrived. We have had some official tasting sessions and can tell you that they're so delicious.

Uniform Shop

Fiona Fryer

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

Uniform Store Roster

Term 2

Year 6 Commemorative Shirts

The shirts arrived last Friday and were handed out to the kids in the classroom, they were so excited!! Unfortunately if you missed out or are wanting another shirt I'm afraid it is too late now as I won't be doing another order.

If your child has made it through to Districts for Cross Country there are Graceville State School singlets you can hire from the uniform store for a fee of $5, plus a $5 refundable deposit.

Size 12 Flinders shirts are out of stock.
Size 8 gold shirts are back in stock.

We now have size 2 house shirts in stock, by the end of this term everyone should know which house they are in.

We have had a delivery of more hair accessories, there are headbands, hair ties, bows and clips all in the school colours.

As of 1st July 2018, stores stopped providing free single use bags therefore the uniform store will no longer provide plastic bags so please make sure you bring your own if required.

Donations of 2nd hand uniforms are always appreciated, 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.

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 in the main office.

Email address for school uniform store is:

uniformstore@gracevilss.eq.edu.au

Active School Travel

FOOTLOOSE FRIDAY

National Ride2School Day – Decorate your bike helmets

National Ride2School Day is the perfect opportunity for Australian students and school communities to embrace a healthier start and to try walking and riding to school.

National Ride2School Day 2015 will be on Friday 22nd March.

The purpose of National Ride2School Day is to show school communities that riding to school is an easy and fun activity. It is a chance to celebrate and prove it can be done. All Children who actively travel to school on this day will receive a stamp in their passport. Decorate your helmet to be in the running for some great prizes. There will also be a sausage sizzle. Judging of the helmets will be done at the quadrangle between 8:15am-8:30am. Don’t worry if you can’t ride your bike or scooter, so long as you actively travel with your helmet you will go in the draw.

Join other kids across Australia to actively travel on 22nd March. It's a great way to get fit and healthy. Your child will also arrive alert, more attentive and ready to learn. Remember that when riding a bike you are required by law to wear an approved helmet securely fitted and fastened.

While Active School Travel promotes leaving the car at home, we understand that some days this isn’t possible. AST also promotes safe driving around schools. Set an example to others (and your children) by following the road rules and obeying the line markings and signage around schools.

Yellow kerbside lines = NO STOPPING!!!!!!!!!

Please also be sure to observe the signage around the school – loading zones, two minute zones etc. These signs are there for a reason…..TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AND TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING!

Passenger loading zone

Sign on Acacia Ave, Graceville

Passenger Loading Zones allow you to stop for up to two minutes to pick up or drop off your child. This should be enough time to help your child with luggage and seatbelts. While it is preferable that you do not leave your car, you are permitted to do so to walk a young child into school or to collect your child, however you still need to be mindful of the two-minute limit.

Tips for drivers picking up or setting down children:

Be courteous to other drivers and school crossing supervisors

For more information visit:

We need you!!!!!

We are very lucky to have the year 5 students involved in Active Travel this year and Mrs Hornstra, Mr Guthrie and Mr Osborn do an amazing job each week with organising the students to ensure that passports are stamped and the AST messages are delivered on assembly (and many other tasks too numerous to list). Without their support this program would not be the success that it is.

The Active School Travel committee is very “Active’ in our community. We have great support from Councillor Nicole Johnston and Michelene Doray, who is the Project Manager for AST in the BCC. Mrs Hornstra and Mrs McKeaten from the school and Paul Rueberry as well as myself. We would like to adopt the P&C model of having someone “Learning the role” from me this year. This person would attend our once or twice a term meetings and do the newsletter article each week as well as attend any school events, if possible. You would be very well supported in the committee if you were interested. We are always after fresh ideas. If you are interested in talking to me about this please email Jo at sajrichards@iinet.net.au or come along to our next meeting at 3pm on Thursday 9th May in the Waratah Room.

School Plus

As we end another week at School Plus, the children are anticipating the School Holidays and finishing term 1! The weeks have flown on by and we have seen the children really grow and excel at school and as unique individuals. There is much talk about Easter and our fantastic holiday program! Be sure to book in soon to secure a spot and the early bird rates! This week at School Plus the children enjoyed a number of activities including Wiggle Karts (that will be back in next week program due to popular demand), Train Tracks outside, creative arts and much more! The Preps have been loving the morning greetings and going off to class in a fantastic mood after their choice of a hug, knuckles, high five or mini boogie! That’s a wrap for now! Watch this space for next week’s run down!

Tennis Coaching

Graceville State School Tennis Coaching – Term 2

Before School, Lunch Time and After School Coaching will commence from Tuesday 23rd April, 2019.

Enrolments close by 9.00am on Monday 1st April 2019. 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.

A tennis meeting will be held at lunch time (1st Break) on Thursday 4th April on the School Tennis Court to advise of your lesson time – Please ensure your child attends.

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

Easter Swim Clinic

Bookings are now being taken for a swim clinic being held at the school pool over the Easter vacation. Group lessons consisting of Squad, Advanced Stroke Development and Beginner Stroke Development are on offer. Private lessons for learn to swim students or those who want specialized instruction may also be booked for 20 minutes. The swim clinic will be held for 5 days from Monday April 8th until Friday April 12th. You do not need to attend every day of the clinic so just state your availability when booking. To enrol in the clinic please contact Pete Geraghty by phone [0432407442].