20 November 2020

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

Two weeks and three days to go!

The year is quickly coming to an end and we are very busy wrapping up 2020 and planning for 2021.

Please be aware of some key dates:

• Final P&C meeting for the year 25 November 7.30pm
• Prep Orientation 26 November 8.30 -10.45
• Year 4 camp, 2 and 3 December
• Class placement letters for 2021 sent home with each child 4 December
• Students opportunity to meet their class teacher for 2021 Monday 7 December
• Report Cards via email either 7 or 8 December
• Year 6 Graduation 7 December in the evening
• Class parties 8 December
• Clean up day 9 December

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our School Captains for 2021 – Bridget B, Evie O, Lily M and Maeve VB. The captains have a great balance of strengths and will make a mighty team! I would also like to congratulate our Student Learning Ambassadors for 2021, Emma R, Sana S and Isobel C who were very articulate in their understanding of the how they learn and how our school is helping them to develop as learners as well as our Cultural Ambassador, Ruby N who is excited at the opportunity to advance our understanding of cultural diversity. Congratulations and well done to all of our captains!

I would like to wish our Green team the best of luck as two student and teacher representatives attend as finalists in the waste awards next Wednesday! Go Green Team!

There will be another brief newsletter closer to the end of the school year to help us wrap things up.

P.S – I have heard a rumour that something very curious and exciting may be happening in the Wonder Garden on Tuesday 8 December! I wonder what it could be?

Have a great week,
Zoe

Newsletter Articles

Deputy Principal

Maree Hass

We have had our 3 Get Set for Prep sessions now and I think they have been very successful with our new students having the opportunity to familiarise themselves with different areas of the school and our prep classrooms. Parents have also been able to come and hear about different aspects of the prep program and how best to support their child in their transition to prep here at Graceville.

The next step is prep orientation. All letters for class placement and details about orientation have been mailed at the beginning of this week so hopefully have or will be arriving any day now.

Prep Orientation meetings: Thursday November 26

This will be in 2 sessions either 8:30 – 9:30 or 9:45 – 10:45, details have been sent in your letter.

Meet the class session: Thursday December 3, 9 – 10am

More information will be given at orientation on how this visit will run, stay tuned.

Uniforms for Preps

The uniform shop will only be open by appointment until the end of the year so please use the link below to book a time. There has been a display of uniforms at our Get Set for Prep sessions so if you know sizing then you can complete an online order and collect from the school office anytime.

To book an appointment click on the following link -

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Year 6 Bus Orientation sessions

On Thursday 3rd of December, our Year 6 students will participate in the Brisbane City Council Bus Orientation sessions. These sessions are useful for any students who may be using public transport in high school next year.

Active School Travel News

On Friday 27th November we will be having our last AST event for 2020. This year has been challenging for our committee to organise events with the COVID restrictions. Students are encouraged to participate in a Christmas themed event – Decorate your shoes & socks. Councillor Nicole Johnson from the Brisbane City Council is providing prizes for children in each year level. There won’t be a breakfast at this time but hopefully next year we can enjoy those events with some lovely food as well.

Swimming

Next week is our last week for Prep & Year 6 swimming lessons. I know the children have really enjoyed having these swimming lessons. Hopefully next year they may relax the COVID restrictions on cleaning and we will be able to have more classes swimming.

Collect your child’s medication from school

Remember to collect your child’s medication from school before the holidays begin and store them correctly at home.

Learn more about storage of medications such as asthma inhalers and adrenaline auto-injectors (for example, EpiPens) at the NPS Medicinewise website.

You should also check the expiry dates before taking medications back to school after the holidays.

Spark their Future — Finding their Spark

You can assist your teen find their spark to help build their confidence and get more out of school. Hobbies can allow your teen to develop their sense of self and find their passion.

Being engaged in something they enjoy can help them persevere and find meaning in learning.

Watch parenting expert Maggie Dent discuss the importance of teens finding something they’re good at to help them grow their spark and build their confidence at the Spark their Future website.

Help kids cope with summer storms, floods and fires

It’s been a big year for dramatic news, and some children may feel anxious as summer storm and cyclone season approaches.

The Triple P — Positive Parenting Program can help you support children’s coping skills and resilience, and free Triple P is available statewide thanks to the Queensland Government.

For more information, visit the Triple P website.

Know the 4T early signs of type 1 diabetes

World Diabetes Day is a reminder to us all that diabetes can affect children too.

If your child is showing the 4T early signs — going to the toilet often, is constantly thirsty, is more tired than usual or is looking thinner — they may have diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a serious condition where your child’s body no longer produces insulin, an important hormone that helps turn glucose (sugar) into energy for their body.

Knowing the 4T early signs and having your child tested can avoid serious complications.

Preparing for Prep 2021

Prep Orientation meetings: Thursday November 26

Please watch out for mail in the coming couple of weeks around times for orientation and class placements.

Meet the class session: Thursday December 3, 9 – 10am

Uniforms for Preps

The uniform shop will only be open by appointment until the end of the year so please use the link below to book a time. There is also a display of uniforms at our Get Set for Prep sessions to check our sizing and options.

To book an appointment click on the following link below:

Money Matters

Anne Nixon

The office will not be accepting any payments for excursions or fees after 27th November 2020.

If your child currently has a credit on their account, please do not pay. Contact the office either via email to admin@gracevilless.eq.edu.au or phone 3716 2777 to allocate the credit to future invoices. You will need to do this when you receive the next invoice.

If you are a year 6 parent or a parent of a student leaving, please contact the office in regards to filling in paperwork to receive a refund, if you are still yet to send it in. All refund paperwork must be received at the office by Friday 27th November 2020.

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.

Credit in Account: Credits from 2020 will be rolled over to next year and can be applied to future 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

We made our last recording with our choirs last week and are having our final choir rehearsals this week. Thank you to all of our students and families for your continued involvement in the choir during this unusual year with no performances. I hope students have continued to enjoy the experience of singing as part of a choir and making the recordings. We will be sending the recordings home soon. I hope families enjoy listening to the music we have recorded.

Instrumental teachers will let families know when they are having their last rehearsals and lessons for this year. Once lessons have finished, students need to return their ensemble music and school loan instrument (if they have one) as soon as possible. We will also be providing these recordings for families as soon as all IM recordings are finished.

The recordings which we will be sending home soon for our instrumental music and choral students will be for families to view and are not to be shared in any form, including social media.

Instrumental Music Recruitment for 2021

IM teachers have now had the opportunity to meet with the students who submitted an expression of interest for a place in the program in 2021. Once we have received our IM teaching allocation for next year, we will finalise place and send out notes to families regarding IM offers.

If you have any questions for teachers/conductors, please note their email details below.

Music Teacher Contact Details...

Mrs Ruth Prout - string teacher and conductor - Wednesdays and Thursdays - rprou5@eq.edu.au
Mr James Kukulies - band teacher and conductor - Thursdays and Fridays - jkuku2@eq.edu.au
Mrs Naomi Lindh - classroom music teacher and choir conductor - Mon - Fri - nclos1@eq.edu.au

Thank you for supporting your child's involvement in the music program this year! We look forward to sharing our music recordings with you soon.

Uniform Shop

Michelle Fanning

Hi all, welcome to week 7....just 3 weeks to go until the end of our school year!

OPENING DAYS AND TIMES FOR TERM 4

We will remain APPOINTMENT ONLY as well as having the online store for easy ordering. The appointment days this term are Tuesday and Thursday each week from 8:15am – 10:15am.

*Please note – In Week 10 the store will be open on MONDAY the 7/12 and TUESDAY 8/12*

There is now an option when booking online for 2021 Prep parents or new families joining us to make a 20 minute appointment to allow time for trying on uniforms etc. The usual 10 minute appointments will apply for current families.

*PREP OPEN DAY IS THURSDAY THE 26th of NOVEMBER 8:15AM - 11AM*

If you haven’t made an appointment yet, don’t delay as spots are filling up fast!

For any reason you cannot make your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible via the uniform store email or call the school office to leave a message.

When visiting the store, enter and exit the school grounds through the Oxley Road gate near the tennis courts. The uniform store is located just to the left of the courts.

To book an appointment click on the following link

ONLINE STORE

The uniform shop has an online store, so if you already know the sizes you're after you can order and pay online with ease. The order will be delivered to your child’s classroom via their teacher.

2021 Prep orders will be sent to the school office and customers will be called or emailed once their order is ready to be collected.

The online store can be found on the link below

POLO SHIRTS

Apologies to all that are waiting on the Gold polo shirts. I promise they are on their way! As for many things this year, Covid has held them up but they will be in soon and I will of course keep you updated and get in touch with all that have pre ordered.

NEW ITEM

If you missed the announcement, a long sleeve gold polo shirt is now available. It looks exactly like the usual short sleeve gold polo...GSS printed on the collar, buttons at the neck, school emblem on the chest and now with a long sleeve. They will be an excellent addition to the current uniform as they can be worn all year round...sun smart in summer and extra warmth in the cooler months. The long sleeve polo is currently available in size 6 to 12 and retails for $35. A broader size range will be available in 2021. D

DONATIONS

We are always grateful for donations of 2nd hand uniforms that are in clean freshly washed, saleable condition. We also ask that any donations are SCHOOL BRANDED ITEMS ONLY, so no items from any outside stores.

We are getting low on 2nd hand items so if you were thinking of going through the wardrobes, please do! When donating, please either drop them in on a Tuesday or Thursday morning. Any other day they can be handed in to the ladies in the office. Please DO NOT leave bags at the uniform store if it is closed.

Thank you for your generosity and understanding.

• Please be advised that refunds will only be given if you have the original receipt. Items should not have been washed, worn and any tags must still be attached.
• We encourage customers to use their EFTPOS or credit cards when purchasing.

The email address for school uniform store is:

gracevillessuniform@gmail.com
Thank you all for your ongoing support.
Michelle

Tuckshop News

Volunteer Call out! Please sign up if you can spare an hour or two. We only need you from 8.30-11.30 but anytime you can spare would be fantastic. Signing up is easy. Use this link below to sign up now!

Hi Everybody

As we are very quickly coming up towards the end of the year, we have some housekeeping issues this week.

TUCKSHOPS LAST DAY FOR THE YEAR WILL BE FRIDAY 4TH DECEMBER. ALL ORDERS MUST BE IN BY MIDDAY THURSDAY 3RD DECEMBER SO WE CAN ORDER AND START OUR END OF YEAR PROCESSES.

There will be no Tuckshop on the last week of school (Mon 7th – Wed 9th December).

Feedback on Qkr! has been great. We love hearing how easy parents/ students are finding it to navigate and use.

However please be mindful when placing your order that you have selected the 1st Break Menu option when ordering AND you are selecting the right date to order. There are 2 weeks listed in the date screen and it is very easy to select the wrong date. Please double check your order when completing and paying to ensure the correct date.

IF you want to check your receipts for your order at any time there are 2 ways to do this.

1. Click on the menu button in the top left corner of your screen and a small drop down menu will appear – here you click on ‘My Receipts’ to view all your orders OR
2. As soon as you open the app you will see a tab called “ACTIVITY” – this is another way to view your receipts or any purchases through the app.

REMEMBER Cut off for orders is 8am. If you know your child is not going to be at school on a day you have ordered tuckshop YOU need to cancel before 8am using the following instructions:

If life happens (as we know it does!) and you can’t cancel before 8am, please call us via the office asap.

Lastly, a few new menu items have been added.

Yogurt is back on the menu!! Find it under the snacks section for only $2

AND for a limited time Gingerbread people are back too! You can find them under the LIMITED SPECIALS menu for only $1.

Finally, a reminder that sushi orders need to be in by midday Monday. You need to place your order using the SUSHI MENU under Qkr!

As always if you have any questions about menu, Qkr or volunteering please email us at tuckshop@gracevillepandc.org.au and we will get back to you!

See you at Tuckshop!

Alex and Emma
Tuckshop Convenors 2020
E: tuckshop@gracevillepandc.org.au

HEADLINE:P&C News

The Arts Illuminated

The Arts Illuminated raffle has now been drawn and the following lucky winners have been contacted to collect their prizes:

• 1st prize (Bunnings Craft and Garden Basket) - Kelly Beak
• 2nd prize (BBQ Mafia $100 food voucher, full set of rubs and sauces and hat and shirt ) - Kelly Allan
• 3rd prize (C&K Family Lawyers Magnum of Champagne) - Belinda Mason
• 4th prize (School plus $50 voucher and $100 lego pack) - Lee-Ann Turner
• 5th prize (School plus $50 voucher and $100 lego pack) - Esther Tanswell
• 6th prize (C&K Family Lawyers Scooter) - Jonathan Tighe
• 7th prize (Aqua Door Designs Printed Linen Tea Towel Gift Set) - Rochelle Orazio
• 8th prize (Il Viale Dine in Voucher) - Lisa McDaid
• 9th prize (Superior Fruit - Fruit Basket) - Monika Courtney
• 10th prize (Thrive Health Co - 1 hr remedial massage) - Janice Parkinson
• 11th prize (Riverside Seafood Cafe Voucher) - Carla Baldwin
• 12th prize (Miettes Voucher) - Jocasta Daley
• 13th prize (Gordon and Luxton Meat Voucher) - Jemima Nelson
• 14th prize (Graceville Fine Foods Deli Dinner club for 4 persons) - Jonathan Tighe
• 15th prize (Courtney’s Quality Meat Voucher) - Nicole Johnston
• 16th prize (Arte et Gusto Coffee and cake Voucher) - Alison Nash
• 17th prize (Arte et Gusto Coffee and cake Voucher) - Stefania Shevchenko

The successful bidders on the auction prizes were:

• Collaborative Artwork 1 – Ursula McCrann
• Collaborative Artwork 2 – Alexander McNab
• Collaborative Artwork 3 – Kystina Jones
• Collaborative Artwork 4 – Cassandra Thurston
• Collaborative Artwork 5 – Sasha Griggs
• Collaborative Artwork 6 – David Heinemann
• Collaborative Artwork 7 – David Heinemann
• Dance classes at The Studio, Yeronga – Ana Brown
• Wireless headphones donated by Bentley's Camera House – Anne Grindrod-Canalese
• Interior Design consultancy package donated by Kikijo Design – David Heinemann
• Handmade sterling silver bracelet and earrings donated by Mrs S.N. Powell, Dalby – Fiona Bird
• Printing and framing package donated by Bentley's Camera House – Fiona Bird
• Children's bike, bag and water bottle donated by Ray White Sherwood – Fiorella McCurdie
• Private dinner with matching wines donated by Honour Ave Cellars – Nicole Wilson

Other sponsors included:

• Artlet
• Kikijo Design
• Video Domain
• Bank of Queensland, Sherwood

A huge thank you to all the wonderful local businesses who donated prizes for the raffle and auction. With Christmas approaching, please keep these generous businesses in mind if you’re looking for Christmas presents or catching up with friends.

P&C meeting

Join us for the last P&C meeting for the year on Wednesday 25 November at 7:30pm in the Waratah Room. Please note the change of date from Wednesday 2 December.

If you would like to join the meeting via Zoom, please email secretary@gracevillepandc.org.au before midday on 25 November for the link.

Fete and fundraising committee 2021

We are looking for some dedicated parents to form a fete/fundraising committee for 2021.

Ideally, the GSS fete will return in 2021. However, it’s not possible to say yet whether this type of mass event will be allowable in Aug 2021. Regardless, we will still look to create some fun events for our GSS students which bring our school community together and raise funds for the school.

We’ve learned a lot this year about what’s possible, even in the context of COVD restrictions, with Rainbow Ninja Challenge and The Arts Illuminated: Our 2020 Creative Journey. These events require a group of dedicated parents to make them happen, in addition to the many ways parents and teachers contribute in the lead up to and on the day of the event.

If you love our school community, will do what it takes to keep it thriving and are happy to help create what our 2021 fundraising events might look like – fete or otherwise – we need you!

Please contact pandcPresident@gracevilless.eq.edu if you are interested or would like to know more.

Voluntary Contribution

Thank you to those families who have made a Voluntary Contribution this year. Every donation is appreciated and while we are asking for $100 per student, we encourage families to make whatever contribution they are comfortable with if this is too much.

Payments can be made by electronic transfer to the P&C (see below for details) or via the Online Uniform Shop at the link below:

Account name: Graceville State School P&C Association
BSB: 064-111
Account number: 00900130
Ref: VC “Child’s name”

Containers for change

Did you know that the Graceville State School P&C are registered with Containers for Change? You can drop off your bottles at any Containers for Change depot and quote our ID, and your funds will automatically be credited to the P&C. The closest Containers for Change depot is located at 78 Andrew Street, Rocklea and our ID is C10055214.

Swimming

Peter Geraghty

Bookings are now being taken for the two holiday swim clinics being held at the Graceville school pool this Christmas holiday. The first will be run from Monday December 14th till Friday December 18th and the second from Monday January 18th till Friday January 22nd. All ability levels are catered for with learn to swim, stroke correction and squad classes on offer. You do not need to attend every day of the clinic as long as you mention your availability when enrolling. Children in holiday school care may also join the program as staff are able to bring students to the pool and pick them up after their lesson. You will need to do some paperwork with school care if this is the case. The number of sign ons for the group lessons will determine the start time of the private one on one lessons. As a rough guide squad will start at 8am followed by Advanced Stroke Development at 9 am and then Beginner stroke development at 9:30 am. I will then have teachers on hand for the one-on-one program from about 9 am. The one-on-one lessons will be available at this stage from 9 am onwards every day of the week. When booking please state which hour you are available [e.g. between 9 am and 10 am or 10 am and 11 am]. To really help me with making the schedule the best response is available 'anytime'. See you at the pool...

Pete Geraghty
ph. 0432407442

Community Notices