19 August 2021

From the Principal

Zoe Smith

Hello,

It is wonderful to have all of our students back at school!

As you will have heard by now, some restrictions are easing and we are entering Stage 2 restrictions from Friday 4pm. For schools this means parents/carers and visitors are allowed back on site. Please be aware the wearing of masks is required in all indoor spaces and outdoors if you cannot socially distance. Pick Up and Drop off for Preps and their siblings will return to normal from Monday. For one more week at least teachers are required to wear masks when working with students.

The Spring Fair committee are meeting Friday to discuss the possible options for how to proceed with the Fair or something similar. If your child is a Market Stall holder, it is important to note we will proceed with the markets this year regardless of the outcome of other fundraising. Once I know the outcome of the Spring Fair committee meeting, I will be in touch with our student market stall holders to explain the new plan.

This week we emailed home the Class Placement Considerations form for 2022. We ask all parents to complete and return this form as soon as possible. We use the information to better understand who will be returning to Graceville in 2022 and how we can best consider student needs in the class placement process. A very important factor is that we come to understand our total enrolment number which helps us to staff the school with the appropriate number of teachers.

Parents in Year 2 and 4 were also emailed home an Expression of Interest Form for the Enhancement Classes for 2022. It is important to note that until we understand our total enrolment and the number of students in each year level (as a result of reviewing the Class Placement Consideration forms) we cannot advise if or how we will proceed with Enhancement Classes for 2022. At this stage, based on historical enrolment data, we have started a process to at least seek expressions of interest from the most likely juncture points into the classes. As the year progresses we will share more information about the formation of the classes.

Finally, the student leadership process for 2022 starts very soon! Within the next week all Year 5 students will be given the opportunity to express an interest in taking on a school leadership position for 2022. This is an exciting time for our Year 5 students who aspire to be a school leader.

I hope you have a great week.

Regards,

Zoe Smith

Newsletter Articles

Acting Deputy Principal

Belinda Martin

In-catchment enrolments

If you are a school family or new family within our catchment area and you have a preppie for 2022, please enrol now. This will enable us to start planning for our prep classes for next year.

Preparing for Prep 2022

Some key dates have changed this year due to COVID-19.

Our Prep waiting list for 2022 for out of catchment is now open. The waiting list must be done in person at the school office.

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:

Prep interviews

Interviews for in-catchment families are now open for booking and interviews will start from Monday August 23rd , these will be done in person at school with either Mrs Martin or Ms Cousins.

You will be able to use a home computer, a tablet or mobile phone to access the parent booking system. Depending on your configuration you will be required to enter an email or uniquely identifying value.

Please use the following URL to make a booking:

Prior to your interview you will need to complete the 2 school enrolment forms and also bring the completed prep profile to the interview with your child.

Term 4

Get Set for Prep proposed sessions: Focus on Reading, Focus on Fine Motor Skills, Introduction to Speech & Language Development

At this stage we will plan to proceed with face to face sessions although we will have to wait and see health and safety directives to come. Families must RSVP for these sessions using the booking system (same as above) and select the sessions you wish to attend as we will have a limited number of spaces for each session. Please

Session 1: Wednesday Oct 20 OR Friday Oct 22, 9 – 10:30am Focus on Fine Motor Skills
Session 2: Thursday Nov 4, 9 – 10:30 Introduction to Speech and Language Development with our School Speech Language Pathologist
Session 3: Monday Nov 8 OR Friday Nov 12, 9 – 10:30am Focus on Reading

Prep Orientation meetings: Thursday November 25

Meet the class session: Thursday December 2, 9 – 10am

Junior Assemblies in term 3 @2pm

Hopefully with restrictions ending this weekend we will be able to resume our junior assemblies in week 8 to celebrate the achievements of our students with class awards and Gotcha certificates. I’m sure the children have been proudly bringing home their certificates to share with you. 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 2.00pm 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 3 for assemblies and other important dates:

Deputy Principal

Lisa McKeaten

Relationships Education in Years 4-6

In the next couple of weeks our Year 4-6 students will be involved in Relationships Education lessons at school. The year 4 students deal with appropriate content to do with Protective behaviours. The year 5 & 6 build on these topics based on what is appropriate for this age group, linked to the Relationships Education in the Australian Curriculum. I have attached the permission form for parents, which was emailed out last week. It also gives you more details of the ‘themes’ across each year level.

Date Claimer: sports and Music Photo Day Tuesday 26th October

The new Date for Public Holiday to replace Ekka Wednesday is Friday 29th October

Reminder ICAS Assessments start next week – 23rd August:

Science:

Monday 23rd August Year 5 & 6 - 7.30am start time (school library)
Tuesday 24th August Year 4 - 7.45am start time (library)
Tuesday 24th August Year 2 (9.45 during school time) (library)
Friday 27th August Year 3 - 7.45am start time (library)

Maths

Monday 30th August Years 5 & 6 - 7.30am start time (library)
Tuesday 31st August Year 4 - 7.45 am start time (library)
Tuesday 31st August Year 2 (during school time) (library)
Thursday 2nd September Year 3 - 7.45am start time (library)

Year 5 & 6 Interschool Sport

With all the lockdowns and COVID restrictions we are still waiting on confirmation about whether Interschool Sport will go ahead for our Year 5 & 6 students. Permissions and invoices haven’t been sent out as yet until we have confirmation that it can go ahead. At this stage it is possible that it may commence in Week 9 , 10th September. We will let you know when we it is confirmed.

Maths Tournament Monday 6th September

At this stage be are hoping that our planned Maths Tournament for some students in Years 5 & 6 will go ahead on Monday 6th September. We couldn’t participate last year, but have done in previous years. We usually have 4 teams of 5 students from the Year 5 & 6 classes participate with teams form other schools. It is generally a great day of challenging Maths problems for students who love difficult challenges in the area of maths!

Swimming Term 4

We are in the process of organising our swimming program for Term 4. With the COVID requirements for cleaning of the pool change rooms between lessons (when required), we are trying to work out what is possible. We are endeavouring to offer swimming to every year level this year. In Term 1 we had Year 2 and 4 participate in swimming lessons. We are hoping to have intensive swimming lessons in small groups for our Prep & Year 1 students. This will incur a cost to families. Hopefully theses will commence in Week 2 next term.

We are also hoping to have Mr Daunt take swimming lessons with our Year 3, 5 & 6 students. More details will be sent in the next couple of weeks.

Music News

Naomi Lindh

This week our instrumental music lessons have resumed with Mr Chin and Mr Kukulies. Our students and teachers have been looking forward to returning to lessons. At this stage we are unable to resume instrumental and choral rehearsals due to the restrictions but will let families and students know when this changes.

Congratulations to the students and our IM teachers who participated in the West Cent music camps earlier this term. They were fortunate to be able to participate in this activity and concert, prior to the lockdown. We hope they enjoyed this experience!

Unfortunately, we were unable to hold our instrumental music workshop due to the lockdown. We are currently looking at options for rescheduling this event and will advise students and families of the new date if this is possible.

Thank you for supporting your child's involvement in the music program!

Rehearsal schedule for 2021 (when we are able to resume rehearsals - please note that locations may change to the hall depending on the restrictions as advised)

Monday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior Choir (students in years 2 and 3) - in the music room
Tuesday 7:45am - 8:30am - Senior Choir (students in years 4 - 6) - in the music room
Wednesday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior Strings (this is for second year string students) - in the music room
Thursday 7:45am - 8:30am - Senior Strings - in the music room
Thursday 2:50pm - 4:00pm - Senior Band - in the hall
Friday 7:45am - 8:30am - Junior Band - in the hall

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

Uniform Shop

Michelle Fanning

Hi everyone!

Welcome to week 6...can you believe we’re over the half way point? It’s been quite a term!

BACK IN STOCK

I'm happy to say that Gold Polo Shirts in sizes 6, 8, 10 and 12 are now available in store and online. Shorts in size 6 have also arrived.

HAIR ACCESSORIES

Headbands are back! We also I have a few new cute styles including hair ties, so check them out online or pop into the store.

SPECIAL THANKS

A huge heartfelt thank you to our wonderful teacher Ms Goeldner, for her help on the massive task of sorting through the lost property a few weeks ago. I'm sure a lot of children came home with missing items and parents were no doubt extremely grateful for that!

OPENING DAYS AND TIMES FOR TERM 3

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

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 passed on to your child’s teacher

The online store can be found on the link below

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 uniform store is at the link below.

Thanks everyone!

Michelle

Tuckshop News

Week 7/8

Hi Everyone

Thank you to all our volunteers and to those that pop in and help out for ½ hr to 3! We are very grateful to any time you can spare to help us out in the Tuckshop to ensure we can continue to provide a 5 day service. As always please jump on to Sign Up and pop your name down where you can using the link below

SignUp.com:

Please remember to come through the Oxley Rd Carpark when volunteering.

THIS WEEKS NEWS

We have extended the Sushi cut off time to MIDDAY TUESDAY. Hopefully the extra day will make it easier to remember every week!

Look out for a new addition to the menu as well….Teriyaki Salmon Sushi is now available. It is NOT gluten free so please be aware of this if you order.

Can we also remind everyone of the following:

• Birthday Iceblocks need to be ordered 24hours in advance so we have time to organize a balloon with the iceblocks. We would hate anyone to miss out!
• Orders close at 8am every morning. Please do not use the Oops I forgot menu if you miss cut off. This menu is only to be used for emergency situations i.e., where kids have dropped their lunches or discovered they have no lunch at break. The menu is only checked after we have spoken with a parent or the office and is not to be used for any other purpose.
• We are still not taking cash over the counter this term. Please order any treats through the QKR! App.

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

Spring Fair Raffle Tickets

Even though the Spring Fair has been postponed the Raffle Ticket draw will still go ahead on Aug 28th. Please buy tickets using this link:

Keep your eyes and ears open as we try to find a future date for all the rest of the fun of the Fair. In the meantime support the school community and our sponsors by purchasing raffle tickets.

P&C News

Congratulations to Paul Ruberry, P&C Treasurer

Our very own P&C Treasurer, Paul Ruberry, was recently awarded the 2021 Commonwealth Bank Not-for-Profit Treasurers’ Awards in the Education category. These national awards recognise the immense contribution community treasurers make to their own groups, the not-for-profit sector as a whole and Australian society. Paul needs to be congratulated for the massive commitment he shows to the Graceville State School P&C and the passion, dedication, professionalism and can-do attitude that he demonstrates.

During his time as Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer before that, Paul has overseen the transition to a new tuckshop ordering system, taken the uniform ordering online and set up the appointment system. For every event we hold, Paul has been the person organising payments, bookings and online platforms. He also keeps us to date with governance requirements and has transformed our filing and comms to make for easier handover to exec members in the future. We really have a lot to thank him for. Congratulations Paul, we are very proud of the you!

Spring Fair

Unfortunately, the disruption of the recent COVID-19 outbreak and associated lock down restrictions meant it was not possible to continue planning for our Spring Fair to be held on 28 August 2021.

It was with great sadness, but an acute awareness of and sense of responsibility for the health of our entire community, that we decided not to proceed. The impracticalities of executing the final stages of preparation in a time of such uncertainty also meant it was just not possible.

Faith Studd, the Fair Convenor, and the Spring Fair committee have achieved so much already—breathing life into what was our fete once more. This is a group of incredible individuals who worked tirelessly and creatively, with the generous support of our sponsors, to make it possible again and were ready to roll.

The Committee are currently in discussions to explore what opportunities remain in 2021. Stay tuned.

Spring Fair Raffle

In the meantime, keep the spirit alive and jump online to purchase raffle tickets in the Spring Fair raffle. There are lots of great prizes to be won!

Change to October P&C meeting date

The October P&C meeting was originally scheduled for 13 October, however we have needed to change the date to Wednesday 20 October. A reminder will be sent to members closer to the time, however if you were planning on attending this meeting, please update your calendars now.

Voluntary contribution

The P&C are again supporting 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 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 following link below.

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

School Plus

Week 6 Newsletter

The weeks are flying by, and we are well and truly into term 3 now! It’s been a busy couple weeks so far, filled with lots of laughter and fun. Check out what we’ve been up to so far in Term 3!

In the Program

Wednesday the 28th of July was OSHC Educators day! Our Educators are all very special at School Plus Graceville and we are so lucky to have such a fantastic team! To celebrate our team, we had a special day of themed activities that both the children and Educators could get behind and have a great time.

We also celebrated International Friendship Day last Friday! We think having fun playing with our friends is the best part about coming to OSHC, so we planned lots of fun activities focused on having a ball with our friends.

Our lavender plants have sprouted! We’ve been making sure they get lots of water and sun to keep them healthy and growing strong. We love getting our green thumbs on at School Plus Graceville!

We also had some fun celebrating World Elephant Day! Check out these awesomely cute elephant faces we made!

What to look out for

School Plus Graceville is open for the Student Free Day on the 3rd of September. We will be having lots of fun celebrating everyone’s birthdays with lots of fun party games and food. Make sure you book in fast under the ‘SFD’ code on the My Family Lounge App, or feel free to email for a link to the booking form!

White Balloon Day is coming up soon, so we are starting some of our fundraising efforts soon! Keep an eye out for pancake breakfasts and cupcakes for sale and don’t forget to bring a gold coin for a good cause!

As we get closer to the end of the year, now is the best time to start thinking about OSHC enrolments for next year! If you have a Prep child that will be coming next year don’t forget to start your enrolment soon, so everything is ready to go for next year! If you have any questions about enrolments or any other general enquiries, please don’t hesitate to come and speak to one of our friendly staff!

Karina, Tiff, Oliver and the School Plus Graceville team

The Graceville Lightning Swim Club

The Graceville Lightning Swim Club is back!

Come and join us for a fun season of Friday night swimming! Swim club starts back on 8th October, 6pm and runs every Friday night through Term 4 and Term 1, 2022.

Who can join?

Anyone over the age of 5 can join and swim. Gain experience racing in the pool against your friends in a fun and supportive environment. Assisted swims are provided for the younger swimmers until they feel confident on their own.

2021/22 membership prices have been reduced and start at only $50 for our younger swimmers for the entire season!

And Friday night dinner is sorted - enjoy a burger or sausage from the BBQ or a drink from the canteen. And don’t forget the lollies for the kids!

All are welcome to come along to one of the club nights to check out the action. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the pool!

Visit the link below or email secretary@gracevillelightning.org.au for more information.

Community Notices