Principal s Column. Our new Adventure Playground. National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence

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1 191 The Avenue Peregian Springs QLD 4573 Subscribe: Phone: Fax: March 2018 Principal s Column Our new Adventure Playground Many thanks to Jodie Curran from Agent 4573 and our hardworking P&C for the start-up funds to get our Adventure Playground up and built. It looks amazing and kids now and for years to come are going to love it. Jodie has personally donated $ (with more to come shortly) to this project as a result of referrals from our school community. Our P&C through Loose Change Challenges, Discos, Mother s and Father s Day stalls, cup cake days, school banking, the Tuckshop, sausage sizzles and many other events have contributed nearly $ just in the last two years Please support Jodie and our P&C as they will continue their efforts for the remainder of the year to finalise payment for this wonderful asset to our school. National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence We have participated in this annual event since we opened in In nine years, there has been so much progress but there remains more to be done to stop the violence in our communities. Visit the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence website to learn more about your role in preventing and responding to bullying. Students can also find activities, games, links to apps and support services that can help them understand that bullying needs to stop and that every student has a right to feel safe. Help us deliver a powerful message that bullying and violence is never okay. We teach children about bullying, harassment and mean moments in order to model the language for talking about things they feel uncomfortable about. Our definition of bullying from Ken Rigby, School of Education, University of South Australia, serves us well, with most children being able to tell the difference between this and mean moments. The definition of bullying is when the following sorts of things happen again and again and again to someone who finds it hard to stop them from happening: Being ignored, left out on purpose or not allowed to join in Being hit, kicked or pushed around Lies or nasty stories are told about them to make other kids not like them Being made afraid of getting hurt Being made fun of and teased in a mean and hurtful way.

2 At times all children make mistakes in their relationships and we work with them to help them learn better ways of being with their friends as well as coping with situations that can be hurtful. Building resilience to cope when things go wrong in our relationships is an important life skill we hope parents work with us to assist their children verbalise what they would do if this happens again. Such conversations build the internal message that the child can be in control of the situation and not the bully or the one causing the mean moment. Learning starts at 8.50 a.m. We have increasing numbers of children lining up in the office in the mornings to collect late notes and it s not even cold yet! The first bell goes at 8.45 a.m. and we like children to be at school at 8.30 a.m. this enables them to settle and prepare for the day. Children entering a classroom late, start the day unsettled and unprepared as the teacher and the other children have already commenced learning. The morning is also when many classes have their extra staff which means when a child is late they are missing valuable time for small group or individual work. If your child is late to school please collect a late slip before going to the classroom. Lateness is recorded on the roll. Supervision before school Over the last couple of weeks some parents have raised questions about supervision before school. State schools only provide supervision by teachers between the start of school bell and the end of school bell. For us that is 8.45 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. In the mornings from 8.15 a.m. we have Teacher Aides in each area monitoring students. Also, many staff are walking to and from classrooms and meetings and always keep an eye out as they travel from place to place. This is called Duty of Care. A similar situation occurs after 3.00 p.m. It is a parent s role to provide more supervision than this before 8.45 a.m and after 3.00 p.m. Some teachers may open their classrooms early for a range of reasons but this cannot be relied on as provision of care before school. The Queensland Teachers Union determines that teachers are not on duty for supervising children and providing instruction until 8.45 p.m. Prior to school teachers are often in meetings with staff and or parents, doing preparation and attending to their administrative tasks. Therefore, sometimes they don t open the classroom until the first bell. I hope this clarifies this situation for parents but if not please don t hesitate to make an appointment with your child s year level lead administrator Veronica Reid Prep and Year 3 Jo Glennon Year 1 Kylie Westlake Year 2 Anne Slattery Year 4 Michael Slocombe Year 5 Dave Foxover Year 6 2

3 Picking up your children during the school day We have a large number of families in the school who have differentiated family arrangements. Many of these arrangements also change regularly. All parents are asked to sign children out during the day through the office and not collect children directly from the classroom. Class teachers will redirect you to the office if you arrive at their classrooms without a docket showing you have signed children out using our safety checking procedures. Parent Teacher Student Conferences Term In the next few weeks class teachers and support teachers will invite parents to a formal Parent Teacher Student Conference. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss the progress children have made to date and to communicate learning goals for the year. I urge all parents to make some time to meet with their children s teachers. It is important for us to have parents understand areas in which their children have grown and the areas in which there is room for development. Our Fantastic Relief Staff From time to time staff need to take time away from school either for personal reasons or because they are engaged in professional development. Parents can be reassured that we work as closely as we can with our relief staff to ensure educational programs continue without disruption. When a class teacher is going to be away for 5 days or more parents are notified by a letter from the office. The letter usually indicates the relief teacher s name and contact details. Class teachers usually leave a plan for relief staff to follow and include notes about their class. We are fortunate to have many high-quality teachers in our relief pool who know our school well, and in many cases, also know the children in each class. Common Courtesies versus Good Manners I m always amused to read educational history sometimes there are some things that never change. Principal s Blog I blog irregularly throughout the year about our school and education in general. You can find this via the link below. Last week s post can be found here r-school.html Newsletters are published four times a term. Until next time. Gwen 3

4 Springers Newsflash David Foxover Veronica Reid Michael Slocombe Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Head Of School - Student Support Anne Slattery Kylie Westlake Head Of School Head Of School - Diverse Learners Curriculum NAPLAN Jo Glennon Head of School - Curriculum NAPLAN stands for National Assessment Program: Literacy and Numeracy. This year our Year 3 and 5 students will be completing their NAPLAN tests in paper format from Tuesday 15 until Thursday 17 May. As per the table below. Preparing for NAPLAN NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning through the school curriculum. Teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test formats and will provide appropriate support and guidance. Excessive preparation is not useful and can lead to unnecessary anxiety. If you have any questions about your child's preparation for NAPLAN, you are encouraged to make a time to speak with their teacher. NAPLAN tests are constructed to give students an opportunity to demonstrate skills they have learned over time through the school curriculum, and NAPLAN test days should be treated as just another routine event on the school calendar. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program, and to urge them to simply do the best they can on the day. ACARA does not recommend the use of commercial products, such as booklets and practice tests, to help your child prepare for NAPLAN tests. None of the commercial products currently on the market are endorsed by ACARA. The use of services by coaching providers is not recommended. Participating in NAPLAN All students in Years 3, and 5 are expected to participate in NAPLAN tests. NAPLAN tests give you information on how your child is progressing against national standards. This information allows for additional intervention if necessary to ensure your child progresses at a rate where they can fully participate in all aspects of the curriculum. NAPLAN does not replace, but rather complements, assessments run by your child's classroom teacher throughout the year. Adjustments can be provided for students with disability to enable them to access the tests on an equivalent basis as students without disability, and should be discussed with your child's school prior to the tests. Some students who have been attending school in Australia for less than a year before the tests may also be eligible for exemption. Exemptions should be discussed with your child's school. Parents or carers may withdraw their child from the tests to address issues such as religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing. A formal application must be made to the Principal prior to testing. Should you be considering this option please contact our Deputy Principal Mrs Veronica Reid to discuss further. Wherever possible, schools will organise for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed tests at another time during testing week. Please don t hesitate to discuss any queries you have with one of our staff as we work together to prepare your child for testing conditions that they will be exposed to throughout their education. Below you can access further information to you and your child. see also NAPLAN Frequently asked questions practice questions are available at: NAPLAN Information for Parents and Carers Meet and Greet Thank you to parents who came to our recent New Family Meet and Greet. Key members of our school Leadership Team along with a representative from our P&C were on hand to introduce parents to school. 4

5 When things go wrong The following article When kids experience problems at school outlines what parents can do to support their child when something goes wrong at school. The seven points outlined in the article are: Be empathetic first Sit calmly with your child and take your time Get all the facts Assess whether to go to the school to sort out or not Use the right channels if you take the issue to the school Look for solutions rather than blame Stay in touch The Department of Education has a fact sheet to help you when deciding to make a complaint to school Domestic Animals The covernance over the land on which our school is built prevents domestic animals including dogs from being on school premises. Please do not leave your dogs unaccompanied and tied to the school fences. Bikes and Scooters Overnight A reminder that our bike and scooter racks have no capacity to lock in items overnight or on weekends. It is the student s responsibility to collect their bikes and scooters at the end of day or they will remain overnight in these areas. Flashing lights now active at Peregian Springs State School Flashing light school zone signs have been installed on The Avenue. Our school was nominated to receive these new signs as part of a Queensland Government commitment to improve school road safety. You will notice that the new signs look similar to standard school zone signs with the addition of a red flashing ring around the speed limit as well as two flashing yellow lights at the top of the sign. The installation of flashing light school zone signs is proven to improve visibility of school zones, serving as an active reminder for motorists to slow down. So next time you re dropping off or picking up your child, keep an eye out for the new signs and make sure you stick to the signed speed limit. Lemonade Stand Competition Year 5/6 students We re painting a mural and you re invited On Monday 16 April - Student Free Day, parents and caregivers (unfortunately we won t be able to accommodate any children on this day) who can use a paint brush are invited to help us paint a colourful mural on the 6 metre long wall at the back of the veggie garden. The mural has been designed by Tonia Newton (our resident art teacher) and features fruit, veggies, flowers and beneficial insects. Before the Easter holidays, the background will be painted and Tonia and Sarah (Albertson) will have outlined the detailed design ready to be painted on 16 March. Tonia and Kathleen (Gordon) will be in the garden all day on 16 March and you are welcome to drop by any time after 9.00 a.m. to paint. Come for 30 mins or an hour or two if you like. You don t need to bring anything but let Jono (Mitchell) know if you intend to come by sending him an on jmitc242@eq.edu.au. You can also ask him any questions you have about the project. From the garden club team (Jono Mitchell, Desleigh Sorensen and Leah Florence) Sports News Coles Sport for Schools Vouchers As I m sure you are well aware Coles are currently running their Sports for Schools vouchers. For every $10 you spend at Coles you will receive a sports voucher. Simply drop your vouchers into the PSSS collection bin at Coles or there is also one in the office. The sports equipment received from this promotion will be used in the classroom and at lunchtimes. District Sports Update With most of the Term 1 sports trials nearly wrapped up we look forward to Term 2. Just a reminder that students who want 5

6 to attend a District Trial must sign up for their sport at the ISC when their chosen sport is available. Term 1 Term 2 Boys & Girls Football (soccer) 10/3 Boys & Girls Touch 20/3 Hockey Direct to Regional 26/3 (Please see Mr Hutchins ASAP) Girls Rugby League 24/4 Tennis 4/5 Rugby Union 8/5 Golf (direct to Regionals. Please see Mr Hutchins) 8/5 Cross Country 11/5 Selected from school RWC Boys Softball 21/5 Girls AFL 13/6 Students doing super stuff Regional Aquathlon Congratulations to Oliver Hunt for an extraordinary performance at the State Aquathlon Championships recently in Hervey Bay. Oliver had a great race stopping the clock in a very respectable 13:45 which was only 1:41 off first place. Well done Oliver. Congratulations to Mr Dixon on his first State Titles as a manager. Word on the street is he is the best manager they have ever had. District Swimming Congratulations to all of our students who swam at the recent Noosa District Swimming Trials. Peregian notched up several placings including a number of 1st. A special congratulations to Ella-Bea Pickerall, Naish Roberts, Murray Clare and Cooper Adler who were all selected in the Noosa District Swimming Team. The awesome foursome had a great day at the Regional Trial at Caboolture last Wednesday, with a few of our swimmers crawling off their sick beds to compete. Super work team. District AFL Jasper Delaney-Taylor, Elwood Fawcett, Hudson Going, Jordan Dodd and Zakai Smith will be front and centre at the Regional AFL trial after recently being selected in the Noosa District AFL team. Quite extraordinary to think that 5 out of the 20 boys selected were from our school. Remember boys.. Get it, Give it, KICK it! District Basketball Mia Gieschen, Jasper Delaney-Taylor, Cooper Adler and Callum Meredith will be Dunking like Dennis (Rodman) at the Regional Basketball trials later this month. Mia and the boys were selected in the Noosa District Basketball Team. Congratulations on your selection. District Netball Matisse Dupuy bounce passed her way into the Noosa District Netball team last week. Not only did she impress them with her wit, charm and remarkably great sense of humour she also proved that she is a gun netballer as well. Well Done Matisse. I m sure she will be stepping up to the challenge. Staff doing super stuff The Sunshine Coast is about to host more than 500 athletes and officials from nine regions, who are visiting us for the primary purpose of preparing for Commonwealth Games glory. We have 2 staff members playing a role during this exciting time. Hilary Dean is Liaison Officer for the Scottish Women s Hockey Team, and Rose Marszalek is a liaison in the press section. Keep an eye out for special events on the coast in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games. Yours in sport Mr Hutchins 6

7 Important dates for your calendar Run Walk Challenge - 20 March Athletics Days - Junior School 18 June, Senior School June Swimming Carnival - 7 December 4F Exploring, designing and creating with Digital Lego! Year 4s had a lot of fun learning embossing techniques to create individual artworks showing actual and implied textures. Year 1s created artworks using printmaking techniques in warm and cool colours. Lunchtime art group is currently painting a canvas to celebrate the Commonwealth Games to go on display at the school Resource Centre. Leader s Investiture Coolum State School Student Leaders and two of our Student Leaders, Macey Higgins and Michael Stedman, attended Coolum State High School Student Leaders investiture to gain insights into student leadership at high school. Performing Arts News Aladdin Musical QPAC Brisbane Excitement is in the air as tickets for Year 6 students are now ready for purchase for the Annual Performing Arts Excursion to Brisbane. Year 6 parents, please check your s for permission and payment information. This year s musical production we are attending as part of the Performing Arts Program is Aladdin. School Banking New to School Banking? Tuesday is School Banking Day. Simply visit your local CBA branch or apply online via CBA to open a Youthsaver account, it takes about 5 minutes to complete and the yellow Dollarmites wallet & deposit book will be posted to your address. Mini Cinema g.html Our Performing Arts Leaders have been busy curating films, popping popcorn and handing out 'mini cinema tickets' to classes. Each week they have a short film theme and the show is enjoyed by all. We'd like to congratulate our Leaders for their marvellous efforts each week to pull this together. It's a big task, and many hands make light work. Sofia Hobson and Deb Ellison News from our Art Room 7

8 Loose Change Challenge Uniform Shop CLEARANCE SALE - Plain Bucket Hats - $5 Do you seem to keep losing school hats? If you would like a spare hat for those unexpected times, we are having a Clearance Sale on the older style plain bucket hats. These are not the reversible ones, and not adjustable. Sizes are : 50cm, 52cm, 56cm, 57cm & 59cm Available until sold out. Uniform Shop is able to take online orders through School Shop Online. See link below for uniform information, details and opening times. ges/uniformshop.aspx Tammy P&C P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM) 15 March p.m. School Staff Room The next meeting of the P&C will be the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held on 15 March at 6.00 p.m. in the Staff Room. Nominations are being sought for all executive positions. We are looking for : President Secretary Vice President Business Operations Vice President and SafeST representative P&C Qld Representative (a non-executive position). pandc@peregianspriingsss.eq.edu.au or contact the school office. Tuckshop. New Menu! Term Visit our school website page: s/tuckshop.aspx General Reminders and Information Absences Parents can now complete a quick online form for absence. (You can also still phone, or use QParents) Direct parents to the website Quicklink: ges/absence.aspx Tuesday is school banking day each week. For more information on School Banking please visit our website page: ges/absence.aspx To open an account: 8

9 g.html Nude Food Days Just a reminder that Nude Food Day is every Monday and Tuesday! Nude Food is all about having no rubbish or wrappers in your lunch box (or in everyday life). We want everyone to participate in these days. This will help reduce waste on The Earth and in our school. Current Excursions, Camps and Events For details and forms relating to all current excursions, and events available for online bookings please visit our website; All current excursions, camps and events Finance News The school will parents all invoices / adjustment notes that are raised in the system. If you do not wish to receive these via please inform the school via admin@peregianspringsss.eq.edu.au or by phoning the office on Please note that no paper copies will be issued. Invoices are able to be paid through one of the follow methods as shown on your invoice B-Point, QParents, EFTPOS, Centrepay, Money order, Cheque or cash. If you wish to pay via direct deposit please visit our website for the account details. ons,-incursions-and-camps.aspx Payments Due: Student Resource Scheme 2018 $100 Volunteering in our school Volunteer forms are online. All volunteers should complete this form prior to commencing in ourschool. Website Quicklink: msanddocuments/pages/volunteer-declaration-form.aspx Contact Details Have you recently changed your address, workplace or phone number? admin@peregianspringsss.eq.edu.au msanddocuments/pages/changes-to-contact-details.aspx Does your child require medication during school hours? If your child requires medication while at school, please ensure you complete and sign an Administration of medication record sheet available from the school s office. You will also need to provide the school with the prescription-labelled medication in the original packaging with clear directions for its use. The school may request an accompanying doctor s letter for certain medications. Whilst as a state school we have no qualified medical personnel on grounds, all staff in our school are first aid trained. Please be assured that your child will receive the best of care that we are able to provide, within the parameters of our training. For more information visit the Training website. Department of Education and Staying safe during extreme weather events and natural disasters In Queensland, the summer weather can be unpredictable. At these times, the safety of our school community is paramount. To keep safe, we remind parents to: stay informed by checking the School Closures website or following the Department s Facebook and Twitter accounts keep students at home if conditions pose a threat to their ability to travel safely to school advise the school of any absence due to extreme weather or natural disaster this will not be recorded as an absence on student report cards liaise directly with your child s bus company for changes to bus routes and/or timetables. If our school is closed, any children already at school will be looked after until they can be safely picked up. N.B Excessive heat: In excessively hot weather, principals will make decisions about school activities to ensure the health and safety of students and staff. Students are not sent home in these circumstances. For more information, contact your school. es/heat.html Free Microsoft Office For Students For Home Use On All Devices ng/office2016.html Domestic Animals The covernance over the land on which our school is built prevents domestic animals including dogs from being on school premises. Please do not leave your dogs unaccompanied and tied to the school fences. Bikes and Scooters Overnight A reminder that our bike and scooter racks have no capacity to lock in items overnight or on weekends. It is the student s responsibility to collect their bikes and scooters at the end of day or they will remain overnight in these areas. 9

10 Dates for your diary Keep an eye on the calendar in Schoolzine (our newsletter service) and on the website. All important dates and changes are recorded there. Here are a few things coming up this term: Tuesday 13 march Wednesday 14 March Thursday 15 March Tuesday 20 March Year 4 Camp P&C AGM Run Walk Challenge Friday 30 March Good Friday Holiday NO SCHOOL Student Celebrations We have amazing kids in our school achieving in their chosen interests at high levels. If your child has achieved something wonderful outside school please let us know either through the office, your child s teacher or the.principal@peregianspringsss.eq.edu.au We love to hear about what our kids are doing! Community Notices 10