21 November 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,

It was an exciting morning on Wednesday as our school hosted Olympian David McKeon (Olympic Swimmer) who shared his Olympic story with us. As David’s talk was the 500th Olympian Unleashed school visit, the occasion was marked with special guest speeches by Minister Mick de Brenni and AOC CEO Matt Carroll. Our students enjoyed the experience and loved hearing about David’s Olympic Story.

Thank you to the parents who have completed the voluntary online survey the school sent out last week. We decided to take the opportunity (as we plan for the next four years) to seek some wider information and ideas which could help us to understand and further refine aspects of the school. As of Monday, 120 responses had been collected and collated. We appreciate the affirmations and constructive feedback that has been provided. Friday 22nd is the last day for parents to respond to the survey.

As you may be aware, with three weeks to go until the end of the school year, the school is extremely busy! Over the next two weeks, teachers will finalise report cards for Semester 2 and classes for 2020.

The class placement process is a very complex one. The teachers, along with representatives from student services and school leadership, work together to create the classes. All information provided by families, students and of course the professional judgement of teachers, is taken into consideration. In doing so, it is very difficult to accommodate all of the ideas that have been put forward for consideration especially when the average year level has 100 students. We anticipate your support in understanding the process is a complex one in which we do our best to create classes which reflect the needs of the students. Graceville is quite unique as we ask for feedback from students and parents which we take into consideration in the process. Most other schools do not allow input of any kind into the process. I am extremely grateful to the teachers for taking the time to use the information provided by students and families as part of the process.

Finally, a reminder about a few important dates:

• Grandparents concert 10am 27 November
• Prep Orientation (for 2020) 28 November
• P&C meeting 4 December, 7.30pm
• Swimming carnival Year 4-6, 6 December
• Report cards emailed home over 10 and 11 December
• Swimming carnival 1-3, 10 December
• Graduation night 11 December
• 2020 School Leader Badge and Year 6 Farewell assembly 12 December

I hope you have a great week,

Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Prep 2020

Our Get Set for Prep sessions have finished and I think these visits have helped many new students become familiar with our school, the playgrounds and prep classrooms. Letters have gone home now with information about prep class placements and times for prep orientation on Thursday November 28. If you have not received your letter yet please contact the office as soon as possible in preparation for next week.

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

Date Claimer: Robotics Club Challenge – Wednesday December 4 at 2pm in the hall

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

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

School Booklists 2020

Graceville State School has elected to offer an enhanced Resource List service to parents and students by placing Resource Lists on the School Website so students can place their Resource List orders electronically.

I have enclosed a NEW Icon and a URL to be placed on the School's HOMEPAGE for students and their parents to use when completing their Resource List. We have changed the way the security for this page is handled and it is important that you load the new link and logo, rather than retaining the previous one.

You will see from the URL that the actual Resource List is hosted on a Secure Website. Students/parents cannot access the website other than via your school's website. They cannot see any other school's Resource List.

Their order is completed and then forwarded to our web server for downloading. We use industry standard SSL (Secure Socket Layering) 128-bit data encryption to transfer the data and store it in an encrypted database on the server. Encrypted data is then transferred to Campion and decrypted via a key.

Finance News

Anne Nixon

Just a reminder to any year 6 parents who are leaving the school this year and have a credit on file, to please return your refund forms to the office by 9am Wednesday 27th November 2019. Any late forms received after this time will not be processed until January 2020.

No payments can be taken at the Office after Friday 6th December.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

This term we started the recruitment process for the instrumental music program for next year. It is a busy term with concerts as well as reports, so we are working through the information we have as we are able to and will send notes home towards the end of this term notifying students and families of offers for the 2020 IM program.

As the year draws closer to an end, some of our IM teachers are assisting with administrative tasks so not all lessons will continue. Please note that from this week there will be no Beginner/Junior Strings, Senior Band or Junior Band rehearsals. The Senior Strings will continue to have lessons and rehearsals in week 7 and 8 as they will be preparing for their performance including Christmas songs at the Grandparents' Concert on 27 November at 10am that will be the last day of lessons/rehearsals for the Senior Strings. The Senior Choir rehearsals will continue until 25 November for Senior Choir and 27 November for Junior Choir as they are preparing for the Grandparents' Concert and the Community Carols evening.

Our Grandparents Concert is scheduled for Wednesday 27th 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 included in the links below.

On Saturday 30 November, our choir students are invited to sing at the Christian Riverside Church Community Carols evening. Please find the note attached regarding this performance. 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.

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...

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)

Chappy’s Chat

John Erichsen

With the end of year fast approaching, weary school communities are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Hang on a little longer and we will make it. This time of year isn’t called the Crazy Season for nothing. Life is always busy in our modern world, yet somehow it ramps up to a whole new level this time of year. There is so much required of us. So many commitments. So little time to get everything done. In the midst of all the business of life, it is good to make time for family, friends and yourself. Remember to stop and smell the flowers. Drive to Mount Cootha and enjoy the view of the city lights. Share a laugh with those close to you. It doesn’t have to be big, but it is important. Life is for living, not merely surviving.

Last week, our choirs and music students took centre stage and showcased their musical talents and abilities. Each year, one of the journeys that brightens my world is the journey of our music students. By the end of the year, they are quite accomplished and sound amazing when they all come together as an ensemble. A huge thank you to all our passionate music teachers who do such an incredible job, bringing music to life in the hearts of our students.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the communities devastated by bushfires, not just in Queensland but in all parts of our country. Homes can be rebuilt, but that reality doesn’t lessen the grief and loss experienced by so many at this time. Perhaps this can be a time where the very best of what makes Australia great is on display for all to see. Our brave firefighters and emergency services personnel need all the recognition we can give them as they risk their lives to protect lives and property. Heroes are real! They don’t just exist in the DC or Marvel universe.

Have a wonderful week!

John Erichsen
(Chappy)

Creative Generation

Miss Nicholls and Ms Cousins

Graceville State School has participated in Creative Generation since 2013. It is open to all students who will be in Year 3-Year 6 in 2020. We will be participating in the Junior Massed Dance section. If your child/ren are interested in participating please fill in the forms attached and return them to the school office. If you have any further questions please send an email to me and I will answer any questions you have.

Each year, the most talented dancers, singers, musicians and actors from Queensland State Schools come together to stage one of the state’s largest performing arts events. More than 1500 student performers will come together to showcase their talent by starring in the professionally produced show alongside some of Queensland’s leading professional artists.

Creative Generation–State Schools On Stage continues to give students, teachers and school communities the opportunity to be involved in a large-scale, award-winning event. Student Performers will come together to rehearse items covering a wide range of musical genres. CGEN is much more than a musical extravaganza. It is a journey of self-confidence for the talented students who take part.

Miss Nicholls and Ms Cousins

P&C Update

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 Roster for week ending 29nd of November 2019

Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for another busy week - only 2 more weeks of Tuckshop left for 2019!

Don’t forget!!

Gingerbread men are back on the menu! Order through S24 for only 80c or for a special Friday treat order an ice cream and Gingerbread man for $2.

Week 9 is the last week of Tuckshop as we close the shutters this year on Friday, 6 December.

All orders for Friday, 6 December must be placed on S24 by noon on Thursday, 5 December.

This will allow exact product to be ordered for the last day of service in 2019 and avoid storing excess in freezers over the Christmas break.

We will remind you about this each week, once via the newsletter and once via a S24 email on a Monday.

Tell everyone you know and thank you in advance for your co-operation.

Finally, don’t forget our “Thank You Dinner” for all our Volunteers has been scheduled to take place on Thursday, 12 December. This will be a combined event to farewell our outgoing Tuckshop and Uniform Shop Convenors and welcome our new Convenors for 2020.

Come along, enjoy a night off and celebrate everyone’s general fabulousness! Drop us a line at tuckshop.gss@gmail.com if interested.

Thanks.

Uniform Shop

Fiona Fryer

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

The last day to purchase uniforms will be Monday 9th December.

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.

We desperately need new volunteers in the store for next year as most of this year’s volunteers are leaving, it only requires you to be there from 8.15 to 9am once or twice a fortnight (depending how many new volunteers we get). If you are able to help please send an email or come and see me in store. Without your help the store cannot be open as often as it is, hopefully see you soon!

Uniform Roster

Term 4

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.

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:

gracevillessuniform@gmail.com

School Plus

In week 6 at School Plus, Monday commenced with a beautiful poppy display on our front door created by the children. They worked hard on the paper poppies during ASC the previous week and worked together on hanging up the display for Remembrance Day. The day was filled with activities and discussions to commemorate the soldiers who fought to protect our nation.

Tuesday morning involved playdough, totem tennis, construction toys as well as a practise Lock down Drill. The children responded well and followed the correct procedures, we believe it is important to always ensure the children and staff are well prepared for any situation.

One of the week’s major highlights was the delivery of some new equipment on Wednesday! The children are super excited about the giant Ping Pong table along with relay batons, giant game dice and much more! The week ended with delicious sushi for afternoon tea on Thursday and scones on Friday, along with lots more outdoor, indoor and craft fun.

Community Notices

'3/4 cello in good condition for sale. $500. Contact Julie Butner on 0416 039 934.'