18 March 2021

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

It is hard to believe there are only two weeks until Easter! The last day of the school term is Thursday 1 April.

It has been a busy few weeks at the school. We have hosted the Cross Country, Spell-a-thon and an Open Day for educators.

The Spell-a-thon took place on Tuesday and we are very thankful to one of our parents, Fiona Bird, for volunteering to organise the Spell-a-thon this year. We hope families have been able to find generous sponsors and that the event raises much needed funds to update and buy additional readers for students to use at school and home, as well as resources to support the development of our young writers. We thank you in advance for your support of the Spell-a-thon.

We are excited to announce that teachers are keen to increase the number of parents/carers in their classrooms at any one time to six. This means they can take on more parent volunteers in reading groups and or more parents in the classroom in the morning and afternoons. As the year progresses, if things continue to go well, we will increase numbers gradually. We are very thankful to all of the parents who have been mindful of and respecting the number of adults in classrooms. Thank you!

On Wednesday our school hosted 85 educators from across QLD who were keen to learn more about how to take an inquiry stance to leading, teaching and learning. Our amazing teachers opened their classrooms and hosted groups of up to four guests at a time (to ensure our COVID safe plan was adhered to) to help enable their learning. Our students blew our guests away with their ability to effectively communicate! The feedback from our guests confirmed how curious our children were to meet new people, ask questions to get to know them and make them feel welcome in our school. On top of that, our children were also able to hold conversations with our guests about their learning. Some children we even able to talk to the guests in an informal capacity about the types of assessment that our school uses and the comments that are on their report cards. It is important to never underestimate the potential of children! We have amazing teachers and young people in our school and I went home feeling very proud to be the principal of our school.

I would like to do a big shout out to the Tuckshop staff and volunteers. Over the past few weeks they have recorded record breaking days of orders. To manage such large orders, we have been grateful for the many volunteers who have given up their time to help out. The tuckshop is a great resource for the school and it does require volunteers to make it cost effective to continue. We are so appreciative of the service that is provided by both the staff and volunteers! Thankyou!

As the term draws to a close, we still have a number of events to manage. Our Year 6 students head off on year 6 camp next week and the lower school will take part in an Easter Hat parade on the last day of term.

Finally, I would like address a murmur amongst the parent community that I have been made aware is going around. Some parents have expressed questions about why teachers have to be out of the classroom at various times. It is important to note that all teachers are entitled to two hours on Non-Contact from students each week to plan, mark etc. Teachers at Graceville are also entitled to an additional two hours a fortnight of time off class to work as teams to plan curriculum, teaching and learning that is relevant for their year level cohort. This is the minimum time off class that teachers are entitled to. While off class, our teachers are replaced by specialist teachers who are permanently based at our school and or contract teachers who have been employed for the sole purpose of relieving the same class each fortnight. When the teacher is out of the room they continue the usual learning, as set by the class teacher. As in all professions, teachers need to keep up to date with learning and research to best support their students. At various junctures across the course of the year, some teachers may attend professional learning opportunities. These opportunities are planned and part of each individual teacher’s professional development needs as negotiated as part of a performance development process. Where possible we try and replace the teacher with a relieving teacher known to the class and or school. On these days, once again, the class teacher sets the work for the day and work is completed by the relieving teacher. Finally, of course if a teacher is sick, they cannot attend work. This has been exacerbated since COVID as a teacher is not allowed to attend work if they wake up feeling sick at all and if they have any cold and flu like symptoms they must get a COVID test and cannot return to work until receiving their test results and their symptoms have cleared. As you can see, our teachers are not out of class more than any other teacher in QLD and the times they are out of class are specifically planned to meet the learning needs of our students are or our teachers. I hope this helps parents to understand why our teachers are out of class at various times and the longer term associated benefits which this time off class brings to student and teacher learning.

Don’t forget the P&C meeting is next Wednesday night. Although zoom is offered as an option, and a great way to keep in touch with what is going on. Given that the zoom is held in a big room with many people, zoom can be challenging when it comes to engaging in conversation and voting. I know some parents do not want to attend in case masks need to be worn. I can tell you it is highly unlikely masks would need to be worn as the usual numbers of parents who attend P&C meetings is well under the number of adults allowed in the Waratah room. We can have up to 40 adults in the room if we set the chairs up in a socially distanced way, before the need to wear masks is required. Please don’t let the possibility of having to wear a mask (which is highly unlikely) stop you from engaging in the face to face meeting but if you are still worried, zoom is the next best option.

I hope you have a great week,
Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

eSafety’s parent guide to cyberbullying

Mark the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence by attending the free webinars to explore the latest research and how parents and carers can support young people to have safe and respectful online relationships

There’s also tips on what to do if things go wrong, conversation starters about online friendships, and discussion about the rules of social media use, and where to seek help if your child is involved in a cyberbullying incident.

The free webinars are available 16–22 March 2021. Register your interest today.

National Day of Action against bullying and Violence – Friday 19 March

This special day is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative by strengthening connection in schools and communities to find workable solutions to bullying and violence.

The theme for 2021 is “Take Action Together” to empower young people to join the conversation. To support this day we encourage everyone to wear orange, which is the official colour for the day as well as for Harmony day.

Health Reminder

If your child displays any of the following symptoms they must go and get a COVID test:

• Fever
• Respiratory symptoms
• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose, headache, muscle or joint pains

The following is directly from the COVID guidelines:

Any child or adult who is showing signs of illness COVID or other illness must stay home and go and get tested if they have COVID symptoms.

If a child is showing signs of illness or feeling unwell at school parents or carers will be contacted to come and collect the child.

Naplan 2021

Year 3 & 5 students will participate in Naplan testing online (except for the Year 3 Writing).

All classes will participate in practice tests in Week 1 of Term 2. The actual Naplan tests will run over a 2-week period – 11-21 May.

For more information please have a look at the website:

Harmony week/day Celebrations

This week is Harmony Week with the theme of “Everyone Belongs” . To celebrate this event we have had our Cultural Ambassador, Ruby, present on assembly along with our Junior choir performing on both the 3-6 and Prep-2 assemblies. For more information please see the website:

Acting Deputy Principal

Belinda Martin
Student Ambassador Program

Last week, the 2021 Student Learning Ambassadors gathered in preparations for the Inquiry in Action Day. It was a fun-filled workshop where we focussed on improving our confidence and our understanding of the Learning Asset’s skills and dispositions. Students participated in collaborative tasks that assisted them in being able to communicate with others effectively. The Ambassadors are such a “wonder-filled” team and our visiting educators were amazed at their respectful and confident dispositions. Well done team!

Waiting List for Prep for 2021 – opens first day of next term Monday April 19th.

The waiting list for 2022 will open on Monday, 19th of April at 8:00am. Please let any interested people know that forms and information can be obtained from our school office from that date which is the first day of next term. Families from within our catchment area we also invite you to obtain enrolment forms to begin the process when convenient after the start of term 2. For in catchment families, a birth certificate and proof of residency in our catchment is required along with the completed enrolment form.

Graceville State School recognises as its prime obligation, the provision of access to an appropriate educational service for students residing within this community as defined by its local catchment area.

Please visit the following link which details our school enrolment management plan and also provides a link to the catchment area for Graceville State School:

This site also outlines the process for placing your child’s name on our waiting list if you reside outside of our catchment area.

Junior Assemblies

Parents and care givers of those hosting or performing a class item are invited to join us for Junior Assemblies which will be held every second Thursday afternoon from 2.15pm in the hall. These assemblies will be for all Prep to Year 2 classes. Year 2 students have the opportunity to develop their skills of public speaking by taking turns in leading these assemblies and classes also take part presenting items for us all. We also like to recognise Birthdays and present awards to students from across all classes.

Below is the calendar for term 1 assemblies.

Mathletics and Reading Eggs for 2021

Subscription payments were due on March 12th.

We have commenced the Mathletics program for this year. It is an online Mathematics program that is individually based and one that students can access at home as well as at school for all students in year 1 to year 6. The cost for Mathletics is $14 per student for the year and you should have received the invoice for this activity.

READING EGGS payment– For Prep and Year 1 students

Reading Eggs is the online reading program that helps children learn to read. Like Mathletics it is a program that is individually based and one that students can access at home as well as at school. The cost for Reading Eggs is $26 per student for the year and you should have received the invoice for this activity.

Please contact our office immediately if you have not received the invoice yet for either application. Your class teacher can inform you more fully about Mathletics (Prep – Year 6) and Reading Eggs (Prep & Year 1 only) and how your class will be using the program this year. Each student should have received their own personal log on and password to access the program for both at school and at home. If you have not paid your subscription/s your child will be unassigned from their class and will be unable to access these applications – please contact the office to organise payment and renew the subscriptions for 2021.

The Online Services Consent Form - In order for your students to access the above applications parents were asked to complete a survey sent in an email. Our school uses tools and resources to support student learning, including third party (non-departmental) online services hosted and managed outside of the Department of Education network. This email and survey instrument is to inform you about the third party online services used in our school and how your child’s information, including personal information and works, may be recorded, used, disclosed, and published to the services (if you provide your consent for this to occur). The Online Services Consent Form is a record of the consent provided.

If you have not given consent or you have not received your email with the consent survey please let us know. Without consent we are unable to let your child use their paid subscriptions.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

This week we have had our first live performances since the beginning of last year, with the Junior Choir singing 2 songs for the upper and lower school assemblies to celebrate Harmony Week. Our Junior Choir students and Choir Captains have been working hard over the last 3 weeks to learn the songs since the change to restrictions allowed us to rehearse and sing together without distancing. We sang a folk song from the Congo and a traditional Maori welcome song. Thank you to the parents and family members who were able to attend the performance too. Due to the size of the choirs, one parent/adult per child was invited to attend and next week during our usual rehearsal time we will record the songs and send out the link so family members who were not able to attend can hear them. This recording is for private viewing and not to be shared on any public forum. Thank you to all of our choir students and families for supporting your child's involvement in the choir and to the choir members for their beautiful singing this week! If there are any students from years 2 - 6 who are interested in joining the choir, please contact me on nclos1@eq.edu.au for further details. Students are welcome to join the Junior Choir in week 10 as next week we will be recording our songs. If any students are interested in joining the Senior Choir they can attend rehearsals from next week (see rehearsal details below).

If your child is already a member of the choir, parents/carers should have received an email from the choir email group I have created. If you have not received this correspondence please check your 'junk email' folder in case it is there, and if is isn't please send me an email with any email contacts you would like me to add to the email group for Junior or Senior Choir.

Rehearsal schedule for 2021

Monday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior Choir (students in years 2 and 3) - in the music room
Tuesday 7:45am - 8:30am - Senior Choir (interested students in years 4 - 6) - in the music room
Wednesday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior and Beginner Strings (this will begin in term 2, date TBA)
Thursday 7:45am - 8:30am - Senior Strings - in the hall
Thursday 2:50pm - 4:00pm - Senior Band - in the hall
Friday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior Band (this will begin in term 2, date TBA)

Music teacher contact details

Alex Chin - String teacher and conductor (Wednesdays and Thursdays) email: axchi4@eq.edu.au
James Kukulies - Band teacher and conductor (Thursdays and Fridays) email: jkuku2@eq.edu.au
Naomi Lindh - Classroom music teacher and choral conductor (Monday - Friday) email: nclos1@eq.edu.au

Library News

Melanie Hutchinson

GRACEVILLE SS READERS’ CUP 2021

Students in Year 5 & 6 will be testing their knowledge of books and reading by competing in the GSS Readers’ Cup on Thursday 1st APRIL in the Hall. Students will battle through SIX rounds of questions for their chance to win the GSS Readers Cup trophy and many other fantastic prizes. The Readers Cup preparation is challenging students to read widely, work collaboratively in a team and continue to develop their love of reading.

Costumes and table decorations are encouraged, and each team requires a poster with their Team Name for competition day.

For those students who are interested in representing the school at the Regional Readers’ Cup Competitions coming up in Term 2 – the TRY-OUT question time will be held during the first break on Thursday (day of the school competition). The students with the highest scores from this session will be invited to be entrants in our upcoming Regional Readers’ Cup competition.

Families are encouraged to get their children reading the required stories and writing practice questions.

We wish all the teams the best of luck for the day,

Melanie Hutchinson
Teacher Librarian
Readers’ Cup Co-ordinator

Uniform Shop

Michelle Fanning

Hi everyone!

Welcome to Week 8. Holidays are just around the corner woo hoo!

OPENING DAYS AND TIMES FOR TERM 1

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

BOOKING APPOINTMENTS ONLINE

There is an option when booking online for 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 who know what sizes and items they are after.

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 below:

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. All uniform items can be found online except for 2nd hand garments. Items ordered online will be sent to your child’s classroom.

The online store can be found on the link below

WINTER GEAR

With the cooler weather this week winter gear has been flying off the shelves, so don’t delay if you’re needing to up size or add to your collection. We currently have a full range of sizes in both the Polar Fleece jacket, Sports jacket and Rugby jerseys. Don’t forget the Track pants and Leisure pants too. We really encourage the children to wear the royal blue on the bottom half as well as the top half. We have a good supply of 2nd hand winter gear now, so always come and have a look at the rack for some great bargains!

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 available in size 4 to 16 and retails for $35.

DONATIONS

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

If you were thinking of going through the wardrobes, please do! When donating, please either drop them in on a Tuesday or Thursday morning when the store is open, or you may leave them with the ladies in the office any other day. 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
Thanks everyone!
Michelle

Tuckshop News

Tuckshop News 2021 – week 9/10

We have had some HUGE weeks at tuckshop! Over 230 orders and that’s just Friday! As always we are so grateful to the volunteers that help out week after week. Only 2 weeks to go now so please help us fill the spots till the end of term.

Lend a hand using the following link – SignUp.com:

MENU ITEMS NEWS

We have a couple of Limited Specials until the end of term….Anzac Cookies are back…and only 50c each as well as Easter Bunny fruit buns for $1.00. Get in quick before you miss out!

This Week’s Reminders

• If you’re not sure if an order has gone through or not or you would like to check the activity on your account you can do this by:
  - Logging onto Qkr! and clicking onto the Activity Tab or
  - Clicking on the Menu tab and selecting My receipts
• Orders close at 8am every morning. If your child wakes up sick you can cancel your order on the QKR app as long as its before 8am. If you have any issues then feel free to give us call and we can try and help you
• Birthday Iceblocks need to be ordered 24hrs to ensure your balloon with order is organized on time
• Preps cannot have Ice Cream on a Friday. If you accidently order an ice cream we will substitute for a water iceblock. Preps are not able to collect ice cream at break so please order an iceblock or other frozen treat instead.
• We are still not taking cash over the counter. Please order any treats through the QKR! App.

Can you believe that we have only 2 weeks left? This has certainly been a quick crazy term. We hope everyone has a fabulous Easter break and enjoys some time away or just some time to relax.

We look forward to seeing all the smiling faces again at the beginning of term on Monday 19th April.

If you have any questions or concerns and you’d like to speak with us please email tuckshop@gracevillepandc.org.au or pop in for a quick chat we’d love to hear from you.

See you at Tuckshop!
Alex and Emma
Tuckshop Convenors 2021

Chappy’s Chat

John Erichsen

It is great to have our school assemblies in the hall again with a small number of invited parents. This week our Junior Choir are performing on both Wednesday and Thursday assemblies with two songs to celebrate Harmony Day. These are their first live performances since Covid last year and everyone is very excited.

Last week our Cross Country took place across the road and so many ran their hearts out. It was fantastic to see the excitement and effort shown by our students. In week 10, our school representatives will compete at the District Cross Country meet against students from all the schools in our district. I would like to wish them all the best for this event.

The wet weather has certainly added to some restlessness at break time with the oval too wet for play. It is important for students moving around on wet days to be safe and responsible. Walking on hard surfaces and staying out of the rain and / or puddles is a good start. In the hall at breaktime there are activities to give students opportunity to safely release some of their pent-up energy. Just dance is proving very popular and entertaining for both students and staff on duty.

Next week, we send our Year 6 students off to camp, another event missing from last year’s calendar. This camp is filled with lots of high rope activities where harnesses are worn so it is essential for students to wear suitable clothing. Shorts need to be mid-thigh length to prevent the harnesses rubbing on skin and causing much discomfort. The camp is in a beautiful setting and even if it rains, will be an awesome experience for our students. Even though there are no water activities it is important for students to bring an extra pair of shoes that can stay dry for evening activities.

Have a wonderful week!
John Erichsen
(Chappy)

P&C News

P&C AGM – Wednesday 24 March at 7.30pm

The Annual General Meeting of the P&C will take place on Wednesday, 24 March at 7.30pm. All memberships will be open for renewal at this meeting and new members are also welcome to apply. Please see the link below for the P&C membership nomination form.

Joining the P&C is a great way to keep informed, to contribute to the quality education of our children and to make new friends. Your contribution can be as large or small as you can manage, but your ongoing support of the P&C is invaluable. Not only will you be supporting the school community, but you can also learn new skills and gain a clear understanding of how the school operates. This is a great opportunity to share in the school’s decision-making processes and help shape its future.

Voluntary contribution

The P&C also resolved at its last meeting to support the voluntary contribution scheme in 2021. Voluntary contributions are payments made by families and collected by the P&C on behalf of the school, with all funds transferred directly to the school. This year the amount is again set at $100 per student, but we understand this may not be affordable for all families, so we encourage you to make whatever contribution you are comfortable with. 75% of funds raised will be dedicated to improving and maintaining IT resources and the remainder will be spent on other learning resources.

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”

P&C Communications

We are looking for someone to support P&C communications. This might include supporting communications for P&C events and also includes administration of the P&C Facebook page. If this is a contribution you can make to support the school (or you with a friend), please get in touch with President@gracevillepandc.org.au.

School Plus

The end of week 7 already? We’ve been busy this term at SchoolPlus Graceville! And the last two weeks have been no different! We have all been settling in nicely this term and are well into our routine. We’ve been very excited to see everyone grow and continue to try new things and make lots of new friends.

Super SchoolPlus Science

We’ve been trying our hand with some crazy cool science experiments! From silly slime and soapy sea foam to volatile volcanoes. We’ve had great fun getting messy and learning loads from all the crazy science experiments. Science is a great and engaging way to teach; combining the knowledge of how some things work and having super-duper fun! Science also provides children with a hands-on way of learning that is accessible for all ages!

World Wildlife Day

The 3rd of March was World Wildlife Day. This year World Wildlife Day was celebrated with the theme of 'Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People'. At SchoolPlus we are very passionate about sustaining and respecting our environment. We are very fortunate to live where we do, so last week we celebrated our wonderful environment and made some Initiatives to help better protect and respect our environment. We have recently started our environment and sustainability club, which Is working closely with our seniors to make our school a cleaner place!

Holiday Swim Clinics

Peter Geraghty

Bookings are now being taken for the holiday swim clinic being held at the Graceville school pool this Easter holiday. The clinic will be run from Monday April 5th [Easter Monday public holiday] until Friday April 9th. 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 enrolling students for the group lessons will determine the start time of the private one on one lessons. As a rough guide squad will start at 7:30 am followed by Advanced Stroke Development at 8 am and then Beginner stroke development at 8:30 am. I will then have teachers on hand for the one-on-one program from about 8:30 am. When booking please state which hour you are available [e.g. between 8:30 am and 9:30 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

Tennis Holiday Clinics

EASTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY TENNIS COACHING CLINICS

TUESDAY 6th & WEDNESDAY 7th, THURSDAY 8th APRIL 2021

School Holiday Tennis Clinics are now open for enrolments. Positions are available for all school students aged between 4-12 years.

https://tennisforkids.com.au/holiday-programs/

CLINIC 1 – RED BALL STUDENTS (RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN 4-7 YEARS OF AGE)

• 8.00am - 10.30am at Graceville State School (Oxley Road, Graceville)
• 8.00am - 10.30am at Sherwood State School (Oxley Road, Sherwood)

CLINIC 2 – ORANGE BALL STUDENTS (RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN 7-9 YEARS OF AGE)

• 8.00am - 11.00am at Graceville State School (Oxley Road, Graceville)
• 8.00am - 11.00am at Sherwood State School (Oxley Road, Sherwood)

CLINIC 3 – GREEN BALL STUDENTS (RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN 9-12 YEARS OF AGE)

• 8.00am - 11.00am at Graceville State School (Oxley Road, Graceville)
• 8.00am - 11.00am at Sherwood State School (Oxley Road, Sherwood)

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 - 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

Community Notices