Term 4 2023

Principals Ponderings

A very warm welcome to our last newsletter for 2023.

Thank you all for your dedication to your students’ learning and involvement in the school this year. A big thank you to our P&C and a heartfelt thank you and farewell to Cassie Ryan who has stepped aside as P&C President. The P&C committee are strong and supportive when things must change and the benefits to the students are many.

It has been an uneventful year with our planned field events proceeding as we hoped, our enrolments remaining steady with some comings and goings, and our budget remaining healthy. Some of our planned budget expenses have not eventuated, such as the writing of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum due to unfilled staffing positions, so we go into 2024 with unexpected extra funds, that will soon be used for extra support for students through staffing.

Looking forward to 2024, we have no staff leaving and we are overstaffing to make the most of supports for all students. Predicted class numbers are smaller at the moment. We are fortunate to have a relief teacher based at the school and will endeavour to continue classes with very few disruptions. The HOD position, which was Rickie’s substantive position, has been advertised as a temporary fulltime position. The application closes on the 30th November and then we will follow the procedures of a panel and appointment.

Within the Western Alliance, the Leadership team continues to work together to move forward and improve upon attendance, engagement and pedagogy for our secondary students. A draft Annual Implementation Plan has been shared with the WA staff for feedback and will form part of our agenda in O week (the week before school starts) when we have the WA staff in Brisbane for a day of collaboration and learning.

Unfortunately, cyberbullying and misbehaviour in the online environment has been an ongoing issue for some students in our secondary area. It includes the use of mobile phones during lessons and break times. As the “Away for a Day” Policy comes in for Queensland State Schools in 2024, we are updating the Student Code of Conduct to include the expectation that our students will not have access to or use their phones or any devices to contact other students during school or break times. They can continue to contact students using their eq emails during this time. We will share this with the school community early in 2024.

Every Queensland state school undergoes a review at least once every 4 years. The three schools in the Western Alliance will be reviewed in term one or two in 2024. The reviews play an important part in how the department supports school improvement. They provide schools with quality feedback, tailored to their context and needs. Principals use the review findings to work with their school community and school supervisor to develop clear actions to move the school forward. Reviews are conducted by experienced educators trained in the use of the School Improvement Tool, a nationally-recognised framework for reviewing teaching and learning practices. Review teams generally consist of 2 to 4 reviewers, but the number of reviewers and length of each review depends upon a range of factors, including the size and context of the school. Reviewers look closely at each school’s performance data and speak with a wide range of staff, students, parents and community members to get an accurate picture of the school. Unlike many other review systems, schools aren’t ranked or given a performance rating. Instead, the school is given a comprehensive report for consideration. The report details key findings and recommended improvement strategies to maximise student outcomes. The school publishes the executive summary or full report on its website. Principals are encouraged to share this information with their staff and school community to help shape the school’s strategic direction.

Feedback from parents and the community is an important part of school reviews, with everyone encouraged to have their say. To register your interest in participating in a review, please contact your school office or email SRR at reviews@qed.qld.gov.au .

In this newsletter there is a report from Di Knudson re the Version 9 work being done across the WA. In our secondary department, we will commence with Dana writing English units for year 10. This will be in conjunction with another Year 10 English teacher. We are expected to engage in V9 lessons for Primary English and Maths lessons in 2025 and in the secondary area, as we work with teachers to plan new units of work across some of the learning areas.

We value the input of all members of our school community. The Management Committee provides an opportunity for representatives of the school to hear what is happening in the school across all areas of field events, Primary, Secondary, and parent/home tutor support, and to consult with and seek feedback from the whole school community. This committee met on Monday the 27^th November. We will share a more consultative process of sharing the minutes, planning and consultation of the issues discussed by this committee. Something new for 2024.

Next year will bring a fantastic Kickstart conference in week 2, continuation of the intensive literacy and phonics support in Primary, our school review, from which we will develop a 4-year Strategic Plan and our usual field events that bring us together. It is most exiting.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy break, with lots of fun, laughter and happiness.

Yours in education,

Jenny

“We don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note. Only notes that are different can harmonise. The same is true of people.”

-Steve Goodier

From the Deputy’s Desk

Term 4…busy, busy, busy! So many exciting field events! In Charleville, our Minischool hosted a total of 56 students. A huge thank you goes to the Food Convenor, Lisa Cross and her team of volunteer parents and govies for their delicious meals and caring for our students. The WA Multischool in Longreach involved 14 CSDE students and 43 WA students, featuring a new event layout with a focus on extracurricular activities that both students and staff enjoyed. The inaugural Western Alliance Outreach Days in Brisbane brought together 8 CSDE students and 19 WA students, with parents expressing gratitude for the event's positive impact on their children's social and learning experiences. This feedback highlights the significance of such occasions in developing a sense of community and connection among students and families. We are looking forward to 'kickstarting' 2024 with our Prep-Year 10 CSDE Kickstart Conference (Term 1, Week 2). Don’t forget to check out the amazing event program; it's going to be one not to miss!

As this year draws to a close, we are busy planning more amazing events for 2024.

2024 Planning

Semester 1

• Kickstart: Term 1 – Week 2 (Monday 29th January – Thursday 1st February 2024)
• Halogen Leadership Conference: Term 1 – Week 5 (Monday 19th February 2024)
• NAPLAN (Year 3, 5, 7 & 9): Term 1 – Week 8 (Wednesday 13th March – Friday 15th March 2024)
• Western Alliance Multischool and Outreach Days: Term 1 – Week 9
• Cluster Muster: Term 2 – Week 1 (Friday 19th April 2024)
• Whole School Muster (P-Year 10): Term 2 – Week 6 (Monday 20th May – Friday 24th May 2024)

Semester 2

• Western Alliance Camp (Magnetic Island): Term 3 – Week 6 (Monday 12th – Friday 16th August 2024)
• Year 3 – 6 Brisbane Camp: Term 3 – Week 10 (Monday 9th – Friday 13th September 2024)
• Western Alliance Multischool and Outreach Days: Term 4 – Week 3
• Minischool: Term 4 – Week 4 (Monday 21st October – Friday 25th October 2024)
• End of year events 2024

Future planning

• Confirming: Snow Camp (Year 4 – 10) 14th – 20th September 2025

Semester 2 Report 2023

Congratulations to our dedicated students for their outstanding results! All Semester 2 Report Cards were emailed to parents on Friday 24^th November. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your class teacher.

Student Leaders

As we reflect on this incredible year, it has been nothing short of amazing to see our student leaders in action and honing their skills. Witnessing their dedication and commitment to their leadership roles has been remarkable.  Some of our outgoing captains might have occasionally been missing in action for a few meetings, but thanks to the support of Miss Cash, I am sure our leaders will continue to develop the lifelong skill of accountability! Thanks Miss Cash.

I can see the passion our leaders have for our school. Whether it's cheering on our sports teams, leading by example, or bringing that extra burst of energy to school events – they've made CSDE a place we all love to be.

So, a massive thank you to our outgoing captains. Your dedication has left an indelible mark on our school community and we're excited to see the continued impact you'll have on the world beyond these walls. Cheers to an unforgettable year and the incredible leaders you are.

A huge thankyou to our outgoing captains:

Narungi Captains: Zoe Cosh and Arabella Muenster          

Kanyanna Captains: Isla McCarthy and Billy Hudson

Junior School Captains: Izzy Bond and Brodie Todd

Senior School Captain: Katelyn Worsnop

A huge congratulations and welcome to our 2024 Student Leaders:

Junior Narungi House Captains: Lacey Preston and Annabel Ferguson

Senior Narungi House Captain: Kymberlee Russell

Junior Kanyanna House Captains:  Cody Prow and Haley Lee

Junior School Captains: William Todd and Hannah Webber

Senior School Captain: Kymberlee Russell 

Thank you for an incredible year! To our dedicated staff, supportive parents, and our leadership team, this year has been so rewarding because of you.  Most importantly, thank you to our amazing CSDE students who consistently achieve incredible things every day! I am truly honoured to have secured the permanent Deputy Principal position and eagerly anticipate the opportunity to continue working collaboratively on our shared vision: Every student achieving.

Rickie Itzstein 
Deputy Principal 

Head of Department: Secondary and Primary Teaching and Learning

Term 4 Field Events

Early this term our students were invited to attend CSDE’s Minischool, the Western Alliance Multischool and the Western Alliance Outreach Days.

Minischool – Our Term 4 Primary Minischool gave students the opportunity to prepare for a safe summer holiday.  Working face-to-face, Teachers guided their classes through an array of engaging learning activities, fostering collaboration and teamwork.  In the afternoon sessions we welcomed various members of our community who work in the emergency services.  Queensland Ambulance, the SES, and RFDS were all very accommodating in delivering very exciting presentations and important information for being safe at home and in the community.  Former Olympian, Taylor McKewon, shared her personal journey of overcoming setbacks and achieving triumphs in the world of elite swimming. She also led the students through goal setting and inspiring them to never give up.  As the sun set, the excitement continued.  On night one students participated in luau games, knowledge was put to the test at the trivia night on night two, the final night saw some wonderful creativity with the 000-roleplay challenge.   Thank you to the staff and volunteers involved for bringing together the week and delivering such a wonderful event. 

Multischool – The second Multischool for 2023 was held in Week 3 of Term 4 in Longreach.  Students enjoyed meeting face-to-face with their teachers and peers and had the opportunity to make valuable connections.  This was our first Multischool where we trialled not having subject classes – with very positive feedback from students about this new format.  Instead of formal classes, students got to experience hands-on activities in Science, Art, HPE, and Technologies. On Wednesday, students enjoyed travelling to Winton to explore the ‘Age of Dinosaurs’ display and tour.  Students also competed in Quiz, Lego Masters and MKR challenges throughout the week, as well as orienteering, pottery and debating.  The celebration dinner and disco at the Branch Café on their last night in Longreach was also a great hit. Accommodation was provided at the newly built accommodation at the Longreach School of Distance Education.  As usual it was a fantastic week of engagement, learning and friends, with a sad farewell on the Friday morning before Charleville and Mt Isa students boarded buses for the journey home.

Outreach Days – Outreach days were held for the first time at two locations in the South East Corner - Ipswich and Shorncliffe.  Students had the opportunity to meet their teachers and peers and enjoyed Kayaking to a secret beach at Ipswich and Exploring Nudgee Creek at Shorncliffe.  Feedback from both parents and students on these days was very positive and Outreach Days will be run again in conjunction with our Multischool’s in Terms 1 and 4 in 2024.

2024 Planning and Preparation

2024 will see our school continue to prepare for the implementation of the Version 9 English and Maths curriculum across both Primary and Secondary in 2025.  The Secondary teachers and students will have access to a suite of textbooks through Jacaranda Publishing – called JacPlus.  This subscription will include access to textbooks across multiple subjects.  Students in years 7-10 Science will also have access to “STILE” – an online interactive resource for delivering Science Lessons.  These new resources will be used when developing our Version 9 Curriculum delivery across years 7-10.

Primary 2024 yearly overviews have been revised to consider the best scheduling of learning to support student understanding and consolidation of skills.  Teachers will continue to use field events as opportunities for teaching and assessing curriculum areas as well.  In weeks 7 and 8 of term 4, classes from years 1 – 4 have trialled using Mathletics.  Mathletics is the world’s leading online maths program that builds confidence through personalised learning, exciting games and mastery challenges.  The aim of this trial was to promote engagement and strengthen students’ understanding of mathematical concepts.  Thank you to all the students who have provided feedback on their experience using Mathletics. The school is in the process of finalising an action moving forward to optimise the learning experiences of all students through tailoring resources to meet their needs and interests.

Venessa Moore and Dave Kruger

PLO Prattle

On reflecting back over 2023 I’ve realised that we all achieve something in our lives, that at the time may not appear to be an achievement, but it is. 

At the end of last term, I applied for and was successful in winning a grant “Trees for Bees”. It was $500 to purchase trees for the CSDE grounds. The staff planted the trees in the area near the car park, and so far, they are all surviving. The help that was received from Steven and Jay, the schools’ officers for the campus, was much appreciated as they pre-dug the holes. They also extended the watering system to include the areas with the new trees.

Kickstart Conference information and registration forms have been emailed to all families, now is the time to register and book your accommodation for a great week of learning, socialising and having fun. Please take note of the changes to the format of KSC for 2024 that include students staying with parents and fewer days.

I wish everyone a safe and restful Christmas holiday and will see you all in 2024 refreshed and ready to go.

Cheers
Helen Cook
Parent Liaison Officer

Partners in Learning

As we prepare to close out 2023, I would like to say a very enthusiastic thank you to all of you who have attended a Partners in Learning workshop this year. Be it face to face or online you have shown great commitment to helping to support your little people with their adventures in learning how to read and write. There have been many valuable conversations and questions asked throughout the year with some great lightbulb moments. It is my absolute pleasure to assist in easing the challenges that can come with the effective teaching of reading and changes in education. If you’ve been to one of the workshops in the last 18 months and loved it, spread the word to your fellow home tutors and govies. Keep an eye out for information and registration details for our 2024 workshop offerings.

I will be visiting during Kickstart Conference 2024 and look forward to catching up with those home tutors I’ve already met and meeting and welcoming new home tutors. Please say ‘hi’ and have a chat if you see me wandering about.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember, the only silly question is the one you don’t ask.

“The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.”

– Stephen King

 Michelle Sieber
Head of Department – Partners in Learning
Based at Longreach SDE
Available Monday – Thursday
Email: msieb4@eq.edu.au
Phone: (07) 4658 4220

Digital Discoveries

Get Geared Up for 2024

The holidays are a great time to ensure you have all the right gear to get the most out of Distance Education.

Hardware

A laptop is great as it allows you to move around and work in different places. The school strongly recommends that each student also have an additional monitor to allow them to have on-air lessons on one screen and other applications, such as OneDrive or OneNote on the other.

Check your student’s headset. Many will need to have a clean and, in some cases, may need repairing. Having a headset allows students to hear and speak clearly during lessons without feedback.

Computer Programs

Student laptops should ideally have Windows 10 or 11 as their Operating System (to match what the school is using).

Microsoft Office 365 (or 2016) is the preferred office suite and is available for free to all Education Queensland students to download from Office.com using their school username and password. Office includes: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook.

In order to access the internet, the school highly recommends that students have at least two browsers on their computer. Microsoft Edge is essential with Google Chrome or Firefox being used as backup.

Students need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on their computer in order to open PDF files. This is available as a free download from: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Internet Advice

Review your Internet plan and check with your Internet Service Provider for deals that may apply for students working via Distance Education. It is essential that students have a reliable broadband connection to be able to complete on-air lessons effectively.

Need some advice on what is the best options for accessing the Internet? The Regional Tech Hub is available to give free advice on what is the best type of Internet for your area. Visit https://regionaltechhub.org.au/ for more information.

Buying a New Computer

If buying a new computer for your student, remember to ensure it meets our minimum specifications to ensure students are able to access all resources and complete all activities required.

Student Laptop Hire Scheme

Check out the flyer for more information: 

Speak Tool

The OneNote App has a feature named ‘Speak’, it can speak selected text on any page.

OneNote Speak is a hidden command. We need move it to OneNote Customize Quick Access Toolbar

On OneNote (at the very top), drop down the Customize Quick Access Toolbar and select More Commands.

In OneNote Options Dialog window (under Quick Access Toolbar), choose All Commands and Speak.
Click Add in the middle to add the Speak option. Click OK to close the dialog.

Now, a new command Speak icon appears at the top of your screen/
Select some sentences on a page in OneNote and click Speak command to speak the text to speech.

Online Bullying

Many parents feel teaching their kids about online safety is important, but they don’t quite know how to go about it. Check out the https://dollysdream.org.au/parent-hub/ for information and advice.

Need More Help?

Digital Learning Facilitator – Sam Owczarek: sowcz1@eq.edu.au or 07 4656 8915

For advice or help with using programs or tools (including QLearn, Microsoft Office and Class Collaborate).

Version 9 Curriculum Update

Hard to believe that we are three terms into our Version 9 journey. Halfway through the year, I breathed a sigh of relief when the Department of Education made the decision to delay the implementation of V9, changing from implementation commencing in 2024 to 2025. Below is a snapshot that outlines this information for Primary and Secondary:

Our V9 Team currently consists of one writer (Fiona H) and myself as Head of Curriculum. Our team is growing next year but we are still on the lookout for more writers to help update our ILMs to align with the Australian Curriculum V9. This year, Fiona has focused on Prep to Year 2 Mathematics and has done an incredible job to adjust, and in many instances, create lessons for our ILMs. I have been working on rewriting Year 3 Mathematics and am incredibly proud of the new look ILMs which we cannot wait to share with everyone.

Some of the key changes you will notice in the V9 ILMs for Mathematics are listed below:

• Alignment of Mathematics Strands and concepts across Prep to Year 6 so that Home Tutors will be delivering similar concepts in a multi-age classroom to their students at the same time.
• More consistent layout (in lower primary) that provides Home Tutors with model responses within the Guides, negating the need to flick back and forth between booklets and sheets to find the answers.
• Warm up and extension activities in every lesson.
• Explicit reference to marking guides within lessons, helping to clarify what students are learning about.
• New tasks and send in sheets that provide students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and get feedback from class teachers leading up to monitoring strategies or assessment tasks.
• Some important to note ‘notes’ that provide Home Tutors with the ‘why’ behind the tasks and questions.

Our goal for 2024 is to continue rewriting ILMs for Prep to Year 6 in Mathematics and with enough writers, English as well. We have been, and continue to write lessons with our students and the isolated classroom at the forefront of our planning. Excited for 2024 and working towards creating quality learning experiences for our students!

Di Knudson
Head of Curriculum – Western Alliance – Prep-Year 10
dknud3@eq.edu.au

Minischool Term 4

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