10 December 2015

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

We have made it to the last few days of the school year! It has been a very good year with wonderful achievements in both teaching and learning. It was fantastic to see our schools name back up in the Top 20 schools for both Year 3 and 5 achievement, out doing nearly all of our non-state school neighbours! This is a great state school, doing wonderful things, with even more to come in 2016 and beyond!

Despite our school's wonderful achievements and great reputation in the community, historically some families choose to move their children to non-state schools as they enter the middle and upper primary years. This movement of students out of the school does impact upon our enrolments, creating a juggling act right up until the last week of the school year. On Wednesday we released the class placements for our 31 classes for 2016. As the class letter states, these classes are dependent upon enrolment numbers staying firm until Day 8 2016.

It has been exciting to start our Curiosity and Powerful learning journey this term. Our teachers will start trailing authentic inquiry learning frameworks in Science and/or History next year. We are looking forward to seeing how our students engage and respond to the trial. We will run some parent information's session early next year to introduce our families to the project.

I would like to thank the P&C and wider school community for their support this year. We were very lucky to receive $40,000 from the P&C to put towards reading resources to support our reading program. The children will also benefit greatly from the wonderful new playground equipment at the top of the school. We are hoping for the same or even a greater level of support next year as we aim to set the foundations for our Inquiry Learning journey. An important element of this journey will be access to technology. We will let you know how you can help us to improve access to technology early next year.

In week 1 2016, we will send home a note with details of some operational changes for the 2016 school year. Please keep an eye out for this letter as it has some important changes.

Finally, I would like to thank the school staff for their commitment and dedication to making Graceville a great school. We are a strong team who are willing to make the changes that are required to improve student learning, engagement and wellbeing for Graceville students!

I am off to Denmark and England for the school holidays! My husband is Danish and we will spend Christmas and New Year in Denmark with his family and friends. I am hoping for a white Christmas!

I hope you all enjoy spending time with your family and friends over the festive season. Please stay safe over the holidays. Take regular rest breaks if driving long distances, swim between the flags at the beach and do all that is humanly possible to look after our communities' children with love and care! I hope to see you all back safe and sound to start the 2016 school year.

Thank you for your support this year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Newsletter Articles

From the Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

Adventure playground update

Our lower school students excitedly commenced use of the additions to our adventure playground on Tuesday this week. There were many favourable comments from students as they explored the new equipment. Check out the photos below of some students enjoying the experience. Thanks to the efforts from our P&C this playground will be a valuable asset to our school grounds and provide much enjoyment and physical development combined for our young students.

Read, read, read …….. Over the holidays please!

The staff would like to send the message home that reading over the holidays is a great thing to do and so much fun just like we show in the movie below, enjoy!

At our Junior assembly on Tuesday this week we were treated to a Christmas presentation from Prep T, please see attachment to view this festive show. Thank you Mrs Molloy and Miss Nicholls.

What a busy year we have had, our students in Prep to year 2 have grown, matured and developed so much. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday and Christmas, recharged for an exciting school year in 2016!

2016 BOOK LISTS

Orders need to be placed no later than Wednesday 9th of December 2015.

Enhancement Program

Students involved in the Enhancement program are to purchase from the following lists:

Some important information for parents re. Booklists:

• Every year level and classroom operates a bit differently so from year to year there may be some changes when it comes to resource use
• All items purchased by parents i.e. Booklist items, should be labelled prior to the start of the school year
• It is up to you, as a parent, whether you wish to cover your child's books or not
• Items that are not used during the year are returned to students at the end of the year, however most items are used throughout the year.
• Certain brands of items listed in the Booklists are requested due to their effectiveness. It is better to have high quality consumables e.g. gluesticks, pens, which last longer and work better, than having cheaper inferior products.
• Certain items from year to year are required the following year: e.g. USBs, atlases, headphones, recorder
• All items on the booklist are required to start Day 1 of the new school year. The gradual bringing-in of items creates confusion in classrooms.
• When students don't have all of their items on the first day it creates a high level of anxiety for some children.

From the Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

I hope everyone has a fabulous & safe holiday! Merry Christmas!!!

Keep watch on our school these holidays

With the holidays fast approaching, we need local communities looking out for our schools. If you see something suspicious, please don't intervene. Call the School Watch number on 13 17 88 and let the local police or State Government Protective Security Service deal with the matter.

Have your say on Advancing education until 23 December

We are interested in hearing your views on the Advancing education action plan for the future of education in Queensland, and #codingcounts to expand coding and robotics in schools. Feedback will inform implementation of the action plan and help support every student to be a successful digital learner. Have your say until 23 December.

Seqwater Aqua Rangers

Visiting one of Seqwater's dams, lakes and parks these holidays? Teach your kids about water safety by making them @Seqwater Aqua Rangers this summer! Students will learn how to play it safe when visiting dams, lakes and parks, and become Aqua Rangers in the process.

Quad bike safety

Safety information for young children who ride quad bikes is now available in the form of a downloadable colouring in safety poster. If your child rides quad bikes, download the poster, and talk to them about how to stay safe.

Money Matters

Roberta Haryicki

Thank you to the families who have settled their accounts from the reminder statements sent home. Please note: Overdue accounts will carry over to next year which may result in the non-attendance of events until arrears have been settled.

2016 Student Resource Schemes (SRS) for:

• Prep Requirements ($60) payment due 4 December 2015;
• Instrumental Music Programs (Various) have been issued this term in readiness of 2016. These should be returned by now.

Credit in Account: These will be applied to current invoices at the parent's request.

Other credits will rollover to 2016 and can be used with future family accounts.

Request for Refund form for an excursion paid and not attended is available from the front office. Prepaid ticketing excursions are non-refundable.

Payment of account days:

8am-3.15pm - 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.

Chappy's Chat

John Erichsen

Merry Christmas everyone! May your festive season be filled with wonderful memory-making moments shared with loved ones. Whatever you are doing and wherever you are going over the holiday break, stay safe and take care. For those leaving our school, may the next part of your journey be exciting and positive, challenging and rewarding, as you continue your education.

2016 promises to be a year filled with opportunities for all of us. There will be transition times where we settle into something new and different, new people to meet and new friends to make. Embrace the holidays and let the break refresh you as you prepare for what lays ahead. Enjoy family times, whatever they might look like. Engage in an activity you have been too busy for. Catch up with an old friend and enjoy good company over a coffee. Make the most of the end of 2015 and may 2016 be something extra special for you and yours.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy and blessed new year!

Music Notes

Naomi LINDH

This week we have given out the list of requirements (books etc.) to students who are beginning in the instrumental music program next year. If you are already on holidays or have not received this via your child, please send me an email and I can forward the information to you. We will let you know when lessons will be begin next year, either in week 2 or week 3. We usually start the choirs in week 3 of term 1 as well.

On behalf of the music department we would like to thank all students, families and staff for their support throughout the year! Our students have developed many new skills and enjoyed sharing them with their families, peers and staff at concerts. We would also like to thank our year 6 students for their commitment and participation in the music program.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday, and look forward to making music with our continuing students next year.

Creative Generation 2015

Amanda Nicholls

CREATIVE GENERATION – STATE SCHOOLS ON STAGE

In just over a week CGEN 2015 will be on TV! Network Ten will be screening a 90 minute edit of the show on Saturday 12 December at 2:30pm (Check your local guides). How exciting!

Active School Travel

TACO TUESDAY!
(Travel Actively Coming-to-school On)

Can you help???

We are looking for parents / caregivers to join our committee next year. If you can spare a few hours a month to help with event organisation, fundraising, newsletter writing, or research this would be fantastic! We are also looking for people with bike knowledge or with a fitness interest to help us keep the students engaged in the program, and help the school community to keep up its fantastic level of activity. If you would like further information please contact Jo Richards at sajrichards@iinet.net.au . Our next meeting will be Thurs 4th Feb 2016.

Keep reading the newsletters for more information on the program and for special stamping days.

Community Notices

HOLIDAY TENNIS CLINIC

We will be running a Tennis clinic at West Brisbane Tennis Centre from Monday 18th January to Wednesday 20th January 2016.

Time: 8.30am -12 noon each day
Cost: $135

Enquiries & Bookings jim@westbrisbanetennis.com.au Phone 0417 771022

Wishing everyone a very merry festive season & a great new year.

Thanks Jim

School Holiday Cricket Clinics

HENSCHELL CRICKET ACADEMY PTY LTD will be conducting Cricket Coaching Clinics during the Summer school holidays. Girls and boys of all standards, 6 to 17, are welcome.

The December "Performance Improver" Clinic will concentrate on building skills whilst having fun and enjoying the game of cricket. The January "Season Preparation" Clinic will concentrate on preparing players for the Post Christmas Club and School cricket seasons.

Non cricketers, looking for something active to do during the school holidays or wanting to learn how to catch and throw properly, are very welcome at these Clinics.

Attendees will be arranged with others of like ability and age, in groups small enough to ensure individual tutelage is provided. A Cricket Australia accredited coach will be allocated to each group for the duration of the Clinic to enable a structured program to be delivered and a comprehensive written report will be provided post Clinic conclusion.

A Senior First Aid Officer will be in attendance in case of illness or injury.

At each Clinic, one lucky player will win a Gabba cricket bat valued up to $230.00 (depending on size) simply by attending!

Where: Fig Tree Pocket State School, Cubberla Street, Fig Tree Pocket
When: Week 1 - Monday 14 to Thursday 17 December 2015 inclusive
Week 2 - Monday 4 to Thursday 7 January 2016 inclusive
Time: 8:30am to 12:00pm each day
What to wear: White shirt, sunscreen and hat/cap
What to bring: Personal cricket gear (if owned), water, snack, positive attitude
Cost: $199.00 (Incl. GST) per Clinic (family rates available)

To book your place at these 4 day Clinics, or for further information, please contact Brett Henschell via email henschellcricket@bigpond.com or by mobile 0458 026 224.

LIFELINE BOOKFEST 2016