31 October 2019

Domain and email change

Please be aware that the school’s domain name change for our school website address is now:

This domain name change also impacts upon the following email addresses, please ensure you have updated your contact lists:

principal@gracevilless.eq.edu.au
admin@gracevilless.eq.edu.au
newsletter@gracevilless.eq.edu.au
pandc@gracevilless.eq.edu.au
bsm@gracevilless.eq.edu.au
prepyear@gracevilless.eq.edu.au

Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

Thankyou to all the families who showed support for Day for Daniel and World Teachers Day last week. It was especially lovely to see students from three schools join together and take part in the Day for Daniel walk wearing their red shirts.

As you may be aware, the Book Fair is on now! Mrs Hutchinson would love to see families and children coming in to view the products and purchasing some great books and accessories.

The Active Travel Committee have organised a ‘decorate your hat’ competition to coincide with Melbourne Cup day. Children are welcome to decorate their hats and wear them to school on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, we announced the shortlisted nominees for School Captain and Student Learning Ambassador Leaders. For 2020, we have decided to select four School Captains who will act as a team to represent the student body. This differs from previous years where we have selected school and vice captains. The shortlisted nominees are now preparing speeches that they will present at a special whole school assembly next Thursday from 1.50pm. The short listed student learning ambassador leader nominees and school captain nominees will also take part in an interview next Friday.

It is hard to believe but the end of next week marks the middle of the term. There are now only six weeks to go until the end of the school year! There are many Extra Curricular activities in the lead up to the end of the year. Some important dates are listed below:

• Music concert Wednesday 13 November
• Movie night Saturday 16 November
• Year 4-6 Swimming carnival Friday 6 December
• Lower school Swimming Carnival Friday 10 December
• Year 6 Graduation evening Wednesday 11 December
• 2020 Leaders Badge Assembly and Farwell to our Year 6 students Thursday 12 December

Tuckshop Day is November 1 and a big thank you to our tuckshop convenors and volunteers who provide a great service that helps families who have to juggle many different tasks at the start of each day and some good food options that helps the students learn and play through the day. We don’t take their hard work for granted and it is great to see parents putting up their hands and getting involved with our school. Thank you everyone.

Don’t forget Friday is a Free Dress Day for the Student Council. Children coming in free dress are asked to donate a gold coin to support the student council.

Have a great week,

Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Remembrance Day 2019

Our special school assembly will be held in our school hall on Monday November 11 at 10:15am, everyone welcome to attend.

We have now commenced selling poppy badges at both the front and back gates before school each day.

Get Set for Prep!

We had a great roll up for our second Get Set for Prep session this week! Thank you to our school Speech Language Pathologist Chelsea who presented to the parents.

Our final Get Set for Prep is on Tuesday week 6, please see details below.

Date Claimers:

Get Set for Prep session 3: Tuesday November 12, 9 - 10:30am, Focus on Reading

Prep Orientation meetings: Thursday November 28 (A letter with information will come home soon)

Prep uniform selling morning: Thursday November 28, 8:15 – 12:00 and Wednesday January 22nd 2020 3-6pm

Below is the calendar for Junior Assemblies in Term 4. Everyone welcome, we are on from 2.15pm on these Tuesdays in the hall.

Bronze Certificates have been handed out and students congratulated at Junior Assembly this term so far:

Year 1: Marcus T, Rhett T, Harriet W, Eli R, Will H, Lawson W, Dane D
Year 2: Jermone J, Samuel K, Lilli J, Asher L, Luciano M

Extra special congratulations to Silver Certificate recipients:

Prep: Ayden C, Calvin P, Edward C, Ustat S, Luca H, Ava H, Vinh P, Leo L
Year 1: James C, Millen H, Daniel B, Samantha W, Rhiannon L, Jessica R, Lachlan G, Bridgette A, Kieran S
Year 2: Guy K, Sebastian C, Kushi S, Max R, Freya S

GOLD CERTIFICATE to William W, Claire E, Flynn S, Roisin Mc, George T, Hugo G, Verity S, Dylan M, Charlie P and Ruby G – Congratulations!

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Be there on Day 1, 2020

Attending every day of school is important to ensure students have the very best start in life and learning.

Please phone, email or visit our school before Tuesday 28 January, 2020 to let us know if your child will not be at school on Day 1 of Term 1, 2020.

Bring a smile to kids in care this Christmas

Christmas can be a difficult time of year for children and young people who are living in care and can’t live with their own families.

You can help by donating gifts to the Queensland Government’s Kids in Care Gift Donation Drive and make sure every child in care has an extra Christmas gift under the tree. Help bring a smile to their faces.

Donate before 6 December at donation points across Queensland.

Applications are now open for our various 2020 International Opportunities programs.

There a life-changing opportunities for your child to experience new cultures, make new friends, discover new ways to learn and improve their language skills. Check out the hype reel to see what’s on offer. Refer to the Education website for various application closing dates.

Scholarships for aspiring teachers

Do you have an aspiring teacher in your family? Applications for the Pearl Duncan Teaching Scholarship and Aspiring Teacher Grants are now open, and close on 13 December.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

Thank you to our string students for welcoming Mr Adeney to our school this week and attending lessons and rehearsals. Students who attended lessons on Thursdays last term will continue to have lessons on Tuesdays throughout this term and the Senior Strings rehearsal will be held on Tuesdays during first break. Timetables were emailed to parents (on Friday 18 October). If your child is in the string program and you have not received this email with lesson times, please contact me.

All of our music students in ensembles and choirs will be performing at the end of year evening concert on Wednesday 13 November at 6pm. Please ensure your child is attending rehearsals and lessons regularly to prepare for this.

Our Grandparents Concert is scheduled for Wednesday 27 November at 10am. Students in the Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Senior Strings will be performing at this concert and will be able to invite their grandparents/special guests to attend the concert. After these performances they will sing some Christmas carols together followed by a shared morning tea. The invitation for guests and information notes are attached and will be handed out to students at rehearsals over the next week. If you are able to assist with the morning tea (from 9am - 11:20am on Wednesday 27 November) please let me know via email (nclos1@eq.edu.au).

On Saturday 30 November our choir students are invited to sing at the Christian Riverside Church Community Carols evening. This will be a combined choir of any students in the Junior and Senior Choirs who are able to attend. The performance from our combined choir will be at 5:30pm. As there has been disruption to the normal Senior Choir rehearsals with the public holiday and PFD this term, any students in the Senior Choir who would like to join Junior Choir rehearsals for some additional practice of the songs we will be singing for this performance are welcome to join at 8:15am (on Wednesdays in the music room).

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.

2019 Rehearsals Venue - Music Room

Monday 7:45am - 8:30am Senior Choir (year 4,5 and 6 students) Ms West
Tuesday 7:30 - 8:30am - Junior Band - Mr Kukulies
Tuesday 10:45 - 11:20 - Senior Strings - Mr Thomas Adeney
Wednesday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior Choir (year 2 and 3 students) Mrs Lindh
Wednesday 10:45am - 11:25am - Beginner/Junior Strings - Mr Thomas Adeney
Wednesday 2:50pm - 4:00pm - Senior Band - Mr Stiller

Music teacher contact details...

Alex Grodecki - agrod3@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Thursdays)
Thomas Adeney - taden3@eq.edu.au (at Graceville Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
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...

13 November - Annual Music Concert at 6pm - all choral and instrumental music students will be performing at his concert

27 November - Grandparents' Concert at 10am - students in the Junior Choir, Senior Choir and Senior Strings will perform at this concert for their grandparents/special guests

30 November - 5:30 - Christian Riverside Church Community Carols - all students from the Junior and Senior Choir students are invited to sing (performance scheduled for 5:30pm)

We look forward to performing for you at our upcoming concerts!

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

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

LIBRARY NEWS – BOOK FAIR

Our annual BOOK FAIR started this week and we are off to a great start! We have created an enjoyable opportunity for your whole family to get excited about books and reading. Everyone will find wonderful books and other exciting products to purchase at the Fair. We hope you will attend.

Starts: WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON 30 October until WEDNESDAY MORNING 6 November

Open: Before school 8 – 9 am & after school 3 – 4 pm

Everyone is welcome! And remember all purchases benefit our school library.

Melanie Hutchinson
Teacher Librarian

P&C Update

Tuckshop Day

This week we’d like to say a big thank you to our Tuckshop Convenors Anne, Emma and Alex and to all the volunteers who give their time in the tuckshop.

The first Friday in November each year is Tuckshop Day and recognizes the efforts of everyone who works in tuckshops across Queensland state schools. Providing a tuckshop service would be impossible without our hard-working conveners and the many volunteers.

We all love the convenience, nutritious food and occasional treats our tuckshop provides.

For an insight to what’s involved in tuckshop, check out the video in this week’s newsletter!

Please encourage your children to say an extra special thank you if they are passing the tuckshop this Friday.

Volunteers

We really need a couple of people to step forward for some important volunteer roles in the school community next year. We are currently looking for people to run the Spellathon and school banking. The Spellathon is a great fundraiser and this year raised $13,000 for the school and we are sure the children would love to see school banking back if it’s possible.

If you are interested, please contact the P&C at: pcgracevilless@gmail.com

Voluntary Contributions

If you haven’t made a voluntary contribution yet this year, you can still contribute to help fund technology resources at Graceville State School.

You can make your Voluntary Contribution of $100 per student (or your preferred amount) by transfer to the P&C account, at the School Office or in $10 instalments online at the link below.

The P&C account details are:

Account name: Graceville State School P&C Association
BSB: 064-111
Account number: 000900130
Ref: VC “Child’s name”

P&C meeting

Please join us for the final of the year at 7:30pm on Wednesday 4 December.

Tuckshop News

Tuckshop News

Tuckshop Roster for week ending 8th of November 2019

Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers.

Please remember, there has been a price increase to a few tuckshop items but most importantly, to Iced Monys and icecreams. These have increased in price to $1.20 so make sure you send your child with the correct money so that they can purchase their favourite frozen treat at the Tuckshop window.

Should you have any questions about this price increase please email pandcgracevilless@gmail.com

Do you know how hard our Tuckshop volunteers work? Check out this video. It is crazy!

As we stumble towards the end of another year, we would like to thank our amazing volunteers. Remember, if it wasn’t for them, there would be no Tuckshop, or Uniform Shop or covered library books and class room readers

So, a Thank you Dinner for all our Volunteers has been scheduled to take place on Thursday, 12 December. This will be combined event to farewell our outgoing Tuckshop and Uniform Shop Convenors and welcome our new Convenors.

If you’d like to come along and join this fabulous celebration and celebrate everyone’s general fabulousness, please drop us a line at tuckshop.gss@gmail.com

Thanks.

Uniform Shop

Fiona Fryer

Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8.15am - 9.00am

Uniform Roster

Term 4

Prep Selling Days

Thursday November 28th 2019 8.15-11.30am
Wednesday January 22nd 2020 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.

Stock Update

We have great quality swimming bags for $12 and swimming caps for $10 in various colours.

We have a lightweight microfibre jacket in royal blue and gold for $33. Size 6 microfibre jackets are now out of stock until next year.

Size 8 dresses are out of stock until the end of the year.

School colour hair accessories are available, there are headbands, hair ties, bows and clips.

We will need some new volunteers in the store for next year, if you are interested please send an email or come and see me in store.

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 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

Day for Daniel

Thank you to everyone who came along on Friday to raise awareness on Day for Daniel. It was great to see all of the red shirts at the Memorial Park and heading across to school together.

A huge thank you to Queensland Police for joining us and Cr Nicole Johnston for also coming along and providing some tasty fruit for the children.

School Holiday Tennis Coaching

CHRISTMAS SCHOOL HOLIDAY TENNIS COACHING CLINICS

MONDAY 16th, TUESDAY 17TH, WEDNESDAY 18TH DECEMBER, AND
MONDAY 20th, TUESDAY 21TH, WEDNESDAY 22TH JANUARY
GRACEVILLE STATE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Christmas School Holiday Tennis Clinics are now open for enrolments. Positions are available for all school students aged between 5-9 years.

DECEMBER HOLIDAY CLINIC - RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN 5-9 YEARS OF AGE
8am – 10.30am at Graceville State Primary School (Oxley Road, Graceville)

JANUARY HOLIDAY CLINIC - RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN 5-9 YEARS OF AGE
8am-10:30am at Graceville State Primary School (Oxley Road, Graceville)

Coaching clinics are suitable for everyone as children are divided into groups according to both age and ability. Each session includes plenty of coaching and games, with coaches ensuring regular breaks and snack time, especially for the littlies!

Holiday Clinic positions are limited - Our last school holiday program booked out well before the end of term so please enrol early to avoid disappointment!!

For further details or to enrol, please click this link below or contact Tennis For Kids at info@tennisforkids.com.au or on 0408 187 741

School Plus

Week three of the term began with our Student Free Day, for which we had a Birthday Theme. We celebrated everyone’s birthdays by making party hats, pin the tail on the donkey, pass the parcel and of course some birthday cupcakes that the children made and decorated.

Throughout the week at School Plus the children enjoyed many physical activities such as Yoga, Football, Skipping, Handball and of course our Dance Battles! We have been celebrating Children’s week as well, with various crafts such as decorating bookmarks, creating a poster using handprints and making all sorts of creative arts using construction materials such as the waffle blocks, bamboo blocks and Lego.

We have been exploring sustainability as we have been feeding the worms the scraps from our fruit and also watering and looking after our beautiful flower gardens. What a great and busy week we have had!

Community Notices