26 April 2019

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

I hope you enjoyed the Easter Break! I had a very nice and relaxing few weeks spending time with family and friends.

I would like to thank Ms Byrne for hosting the ANZAC ceremony, the Year 3 students for creating the programs and the parents for catering the morning tea for our guests. I would also like to congratulate Sarah Neilson in year 6 for doing an amazing job playing the Last Post as part of the ceremony.

As you know, each year the school holds a Fete. The Fete is the major fundraiser for the school each year. The Fete committee are in the process of making decisions about the Fete. The Fete will go ahead; however, it may have to be reduced in some form due to concerns about lower volunteers this year. Final decisions about what will be included in the Fete will be discussed at next Tuesday’s Fete meeting. The Year 3 classes in particular are quite passionate and feel that the Fete is integral to our school. The students wrote persuasive arguments for me to share with you in the hope it will encourage you to support and volunteer at the Fete. I have pieced together original statements from the Year 3 Persuasive writing to help persuade you!

Imagine walking to school on Fete day and not seeing any rides on the oval? Imagine going to the quadrangle and seeing no stalls? How would you feel?

The Fete is something special. To us it is not just rides, food and games. To us it’s something we’ve known for the past 30 years. You can meet new people, ride rides, perform in the hall or just kickback and have fun. It’s perfect!

Have you ever wanted to volunteer? Well now is your chance because right now Graceville State School does not have enough volunteers!

Here is some reasons why you should volunteer. You can raise money for the school, you’ll have great fun and it is a tradition of Graceville State School.

Firstly, the fete raises money. Graceville State School every year gets between $60,000- $90,000 but we might not get that much money this year. We need money for:

• Air-conditioning in the hot and bothered hall. If you are not persuaded then you have no idea how it feels to sit in a hot, stinky hall for 3 hours without air-conditioning.
• Solar panels so we can save power and we don’t have to pay that much for electricity too!
• Guess what the teachers want? They want 6 iPads for each room but we don’t have enough money! We need more technology and I mean need more technology!
• More learning and thinking spaces. We can have a wonder garden where you can sit and think and write things down.

Secondly, you’ll have great fun! Here are some reasons why:

• While you’re selling things, if one of your friends wants to buy something you’re selling you could have a little chat that would cool!
• Friends and family could volunteer with you so that you are not alone while you sell things and make money for the school!
• You can also meet new people and they can be your new friends. You can chat and get to know each other.
• It would also be pretty fun to volunteer for example running a food stall. It would smell delicious!

Finally, it’s a tradition of Graceville State School. It’s been going at least for 30 years, it is main thing that gives us money and it is great fun! Just think how our Year 6 students will feel if the Fete in their final year is not as good? What about the Preps who may never know how great the Fete was in the past? It will be a sad year if we don’t have the fete or we have to lose things from the Fete.

I firmly believe that the fete can grow happier and friendly communities that can work together in a team with companies, and meet with each other and socialise, talk and interact.

Now you must be sure to support and volunteer for the fete! We need you!

All of the statements above are from the persuasive writing pieces of our Year 3 students. Straight out of the mouths of babes, as they say! I am so proud of our students who have taken action in an area they feel passionately about. I enjoyed reading the persuasive writing pieces and would especially like to thank the following students for the use of original statements which I collated and pieced together – Murphy, Zoe, Travis, Emily, Ava, Gus, Max.

Finally, I wish our Year 4-6 students the best of luck at the Athletics Carnival on Monday! Go Teams!

Have a great weekend,

Zoe Smith (who will also be volunteering all day at the Fete – I have to now!)

Newsletter Articles

Acting Deputy Principal

Kerrie Byrne

Welcome back to school. I hope your child has enjoyed their break and are ready for an exciting term ahead. I am replacing Maree Hass while she is on leave. It has been a busy start to the term and I have enjoyed the role as acting deputy principal.

It was great to see so many parents lining up for the Prep Open Day enrolment waiting list. I was good to meet parents and to hear their views about why they want their child to attend Graceville State School. Many parents liked the teaching and learning approaches adopted at Graceville State School. They are encouraged to learn about how Graceville students are learning skills for the 21st Century. I look forward to meeting the new prep students next year.

On Wednesday morning, Graceville State School held a special ANZAC Day assembly. Students demonstrated that the ANZAC spirit is continuing in the next generation of young Australians by laying wreaths and standing in a minute’s silence to pay respect to those who lost their lives in battle. It was great to see ex-servicemen and local dignitaries come along to the assembly. Thank you to the year three parents for contributing to the delicious morning tea.

Yesterday, I was privileged to among so many students as they marched through Graceville for the ANZAC ceremony. Students represented Graceville State School proudly as they held the school banner, carried and laid wreaths at the memorial site.

Junior Assemblies

Below is the calendar for term 2 assemblies.

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL MONDAY 29TH APRIL

All Year 4-6 students will be attending the event. The first bus leaves school at 8.15am. All students attending need to be at school in the hall by 8am at the latest. Teachers will need to mark the roll and organise their class prior to getting on the bus.

Please make sure they have their hat, sunscreen, water bottle, lunch and anything else they require. If they have a Ventolin inhaler for asthma, they can carry that with them on the day. We will be taking all medications with us for students, from school.

If your child is sick on Monday or isn’t attending the carnival please call the absence line (3716 2760) prior to 7.30am on Monday. If you already know they will not be attending on Monday please call today so we know in advance.

All students should be back to school by 2.50pm.

Nominations now open for 2019 Peter Doherty STEM awards

Awards of $5000 each are on offer in this year’s Peter Doherty Awards for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Six categories recognise students, teachers, schools (both state and non-state), volunteers, mentors and organisations that demonstrate an outstanding and innovative contribution to STEM education in Queensland.

NAPLAN testing (Years 3 & 5) 14, 15 & 16 May 2019

On Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 May, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will take part in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy, or NAPLAN, as it is commonly known.

Skills that will be assessed include reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

These tests are completed here at school and are considered just another part of the curriculum.

It is important for you and your child to know that NAPLAN is not a pass/fail test. It simply looks at what level students are achieving in literacy and numeracy against National Standards and compared with student peers throughout Australia.

NAPLAN cannot be studied for and students are not expected to do so. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to let them know that it is just a routine part of their school program, and to urge them to do the best they can on the day.

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN testing. If you have a child in Years 3 or 5, please ensure that they are in attendance during NAPLAN week in May. Please avoid booking holidays or appointments during those days. If appointments need to be made, try to plan them for afternoons. All testing will be completed by 12.45pm. Any missed tests will be made-up on Friday 18 May only.

Later in the year we will send you an individual student NAPLAN report that you can use to view and monitor how your child is progressing.

More information is available on the NAP website.

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. We will be starting to send Term 2 accounts next week.

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.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Welcome to term 2! Please note our upcoming event/performance dates listed below in your calendars. There will be additional performances added to these dates which we will confirm at a later stage.

The Beginner Strings have been invited to attend a workshop at Sherwood State School on Tuesday 18 June. This will be for beginner string students only. Further information will be provided soon but we will be requesting parents to drop their children at Sherwood State School for the workshop and collect them at the end of the day. The workshop will include a concert (at Sherwood State School) at approximately 2pm which parents and members of the community are welcome to attend.

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. If any students would like to join one of our choirs, please check the link below for further information.

Please contact your child's instrumental or choral conductor if they are not able to attend a rehearsal (email contacts are listed below) or if they are experiencing any issues with their lessons.

Next week, the year 6 students will be on camp. There will be no Senior Band but the Senior Strings will continue as usual on Thursday morning.

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 in term 2 on 21 May) 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 in term 2 with junior string students only on 1 May, with beginner strings joining them later in the term) 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)

Important dates to note...

11 June - Senior Choir singing on Junior Assembly
18 June - Senior Choir attending St Peters Sing Together Day and evening concert
18 June - Beginner Strings Workshop (beginner students only - all day at Sherwood SS with a concert at approximately 2pm)
24 August - Fete performances - Junior Band, Senior Band, Junior Choir and Senior Choir
28/29 August - Instrumental Music Workshop - concert 29 August at 2pm involving all IM students
13 November - Annual Music Concert 6pm - all choral and instrumental music students will be performing at his concert
27 November - Grandparents' Concert - students in the Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Senior Strings will perform at this concert for their grandparents'/special guests

Naomi Lindh
Music Teacher and IM Coordinator (Wednesday - Friday)

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

GSS READERS’ CUP 2019

On Thursday 4th April, 28 enthusiastic teams of Year 5 & 6 students participated in the annual Graceville SS Readers’ Cup. Each team read seven selected stories before the day and were quizzed on their knowledge of these books. They were also quizzed on their knowledge of books and reading in general.

At the end of six challenging rounds, MEGAminds [MOST EPIC GROUP AROUND]: Sam, Tom, Maya, Alisha, Jasper, Rhys and Caleb were the ultimate winners of the GSS READERS CUP trophy; with CRAZY COMICS INC. team: Hugh, Patrick, Jackson, Miller, Ella and Jameliah coming in Second. Successfully coming third were SUPER SEVEN: Tara, Amy, Indie, Dana, Zara, Maria and Eva.

Congratulations to the MEGAminds [MOST EPIC GROUP AROUND] team who were gracious winners and will now have their team name engraved upon the Readers’ Cup trophy. Congratulations also to all the other teams who participated in the spirit of the day and walked away with some fabulous prizes. It was just fantastic! A special thanks to Mrs Hornstra, Mr Guthrie, Mr Osburn, Mr Jordan, Ms Ellis, Mr Arnold and Ms Elliott for being our judges for the competition. We look forward to holding a Readers’ Cup again in 2020.

Melanie Hutchinson
Readers’ Cup Co-ordinator
Teacher Librarian

Chappy’s Chat

Welcome back everyone! I trust you have had some time to rest and refresh over the holiday break. I look forward to hearing some of the tales of adventure that school holidays inevitably provide.

This week, we stop for our school’s Anzac Commemoration. This special assembly encourages us to remember the sacrifices that have been made in times of war and conflict. It is a time to reflect on the freedom we have and the peace we live in today. The school community embraces these commemorations and we are privileged to have returned service personnel and families participate in our assembly. Their presence adds so much to this special time of year.

Our Year 6 students head to camp next week, which will be an exciting few days filled with fun and outdoor challenges. I am sure many will return growing from their experiences and achieving more than they thought they were capable of. For Year 6 parents, enjoy the slightly quieter house while students are away and expect some weary campers to return next Friday afternoon.

Have a great week!

John Erichsen
(Chappy)

Tuckshop News

Welcome to term 2!

Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers. We still have some spaces to fill this term and we are always in need of back up people for those last minute issues that arise. If you are able to give just a few hours a term we would greatly appreciate it.

We have new muffins on the menu that are baked by GSS Mum, Carolin Holl. Orange and Poppyseed and Apple and Cinnamon.

www.madebyc.com

Enjoy!

Anne and Emma

Active School Travel

Welcome back! We hope that you all enjoyed the holidays. Please take note of your speed when travelling around the school and especially on Oxley Road. Remember 40 KM PH during 7-9am and 2-4pm on School days!

2 Minute Drop Off/Pick Up Zones

(Acacia Avenue – near front gate & Park Road – near back gate)

How they work?

The sign says 2 mins.

If you are one of the 3 cars at the start of the line you need to move on and go around the block if your child isn’t at the car after being in this position for 2 minutes. Please be mindful of others in this line and move on as fast as possible.

Only the first three cars are to have children exit or enter the car. The rest must wait until these cars have moved on, then move up to the front of the zone and stop. Then your children should enter your car.

The driver is not to leave the car at any time while in this line. Helping get bags out of the boot is OK – but having a conversation with other drivers, walking parents or going into the office is not acceptable and disrupts the flow of traffic.

It is not acceptable to move up on the right hand side past waiting cars to park up ahead of waiting cars. Be patient and wait your turn.

Wait for the car in front to move forward first, or leave the line.

Do not park over the safe crossing area or driveways at any time.

Please don’t encourage your children to disregard the instructions of staff on duty. e.g.calling them to enter your car when you are not one of the first 3!

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 Osbourne 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). With out 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.

Uniform Shop

Fiona Fryer

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

Uniform Store Roster

Week 2

Cross Country

If you hired a singlet from the uniform store, please don't forget to return it to receive the $5 deposit back.

Size 12 Flinders shirts are out of 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 a new delivery of 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 in but can you please make sure that all items are washed and in a good 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 address below. 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

Community Notices