Term 2 2023

Principals Ponderings

Enrolments and Staffing

Our enrolments are remaining steady with students enrolling and leaving at a rate that makes for minor disruptions to class sizes.

Staffing has remained as allocated at the beginning of the year with minor changes with the addition of a part time teacher aide for student support commencing in term 3. We welcome Hayley Price to this role. We are advertising for a DRT (District Relief Teacher) to alleviate disruption to classes when teachers are on leave.

Field Events Term 2

Our dedicated staff have supported many successful activities this past term. I congratulate them on their organisation, enthusiasm and commitment to making every opportunity a meaningful one for our students and each other.

I am humbled by their honesty, integrity and support of each other. No mean feat in the world of schools at any time let alone in this present time. It is a privilege to work beside our staff.

Thank you to our families who support these field events when they can. The partnership with parents in any education setting is paramount and in ours, an absolute must. We value you, your queries, questions, curiosity, and feedback. Please use the P&C and the Management meeting as well as direct calls and emails at any time.

Western Alliance

The leadership team of the WA has commenced discussion and reflection on the processes, procedures, communication and decision making in the Western Alliance. As the WA has grown in number and complexity over these past ten years, changed leadership members, had some adversity (MISoTA not able to attend Multischool, staff and leadership personnel on leave, LSoDE was a building site for the last Multischool – all unavoidable but challenging nevertheless) we feel it is time to review/reflect on and move forward.

So far:

• We have reflected as three school staffs
• I have contacted a coach to work with me
• We have engaged with like schools/Principal Associations for a critical friend/reviewer
• Investigated leadership PD for our WA Leadership team.

This is an exciting time to determine where to and how for our Western Alliance. While this is occurring it is business as usual and our WA teachers and leadership team are supporting the students with their access to curriculum and wellbeing through GoTo sessions and contact.

Department of Education Changes

Equity and Excellence – as per the Equity and Excellence strategic plan of the department the following are the changes to the supervision of schools by regional personnel, and focus for our region as part of the State School System.

Focus:

• Maximise Learning Days – State-wide Focus/Trends in disciplinary absences – every day counts
• Regional Realignment - Starts Semester 2 – see flowchart below
• Equity & Excellence Measures - see placemat
• ARD position is no longer - shift to School Supervisor. Charleville SDE will be supervised by Andrew Oliver (Ex Cairns SDE Principal) along with the other schools of distance education and virtual schools and a Virtual Academy.

Looking ahead

Many exciting activities are planned for our school for Term 3. Stay safe, stay warm and have a well-deserved break.

Yours in education,
Jenny

From the Deputy’s Desk

Term 2 Overview

NAPLAN Online

Changes to reporting

As part of the National School Reform Agreement, education ministers agreed that a proficiency standard be introduced for literacy and numeracy assessed by NAPLAN. On 10 February 2023, education ministers also agreed to change the reporting of NAPLAN results in response to the online testing transition and the move to earlier NAPLAN testing in March.

The new proficiency standard has four levels of achievement for each year level and replaces the previous 10-band structure and the national minimum standard used across the four domains.

The four levels of achievement are:

• Exceeding
• Strong
• Developing
• Needs additional support.

Whole School Muster Week: 22^nd – 26^th May

I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible volunteers and staff who made our week a resounding success. The dedication, passion, and unwavering support created a memorable experience for all students. Thank you for being the driving force behind our successful field events.

School Leaders

Thank you to our school leaders for their dedication to leading Assembly. I acknowledge the internet disruptions has an impact on the videos played. We are hopeful that the update to our school bandwidth will rectify this situation. I am open to any feedback about Assembly and possibilities for improvement.

Thank you to our leaders for planning and rehearsing their Sports Muster speeches. I was very proud of their public speaking confidence and willingness to support this process. Also, to the House Captains for organising and leading War Cry practice.

Rachel Downie Visit – 18^th May 2023

Rachel worked with all WA Secondary students, Year 5 and 6, CSDE staff and some parents/home tutors.

The parent session was recorded and is available to download. Rachel discussed Cyberwellness: Transparency Balance, Boundaries and Values. What is your digital parenting style?

A huge thank you to Jenny Peacock from the HOPE Project for facilitating this visit.

Term 3 Planning

Please mark your calendars for the following events:

Semester One Report Cards: These will be sent home on Friday, 21^st July. We encourage you to take the time to review your child's progress and celebrate their achievements.

Cluster Musters: On Friday, 28^th July, our students will have the opportunity to participate in Cluster Musters. This collaborative event will bring together students from various clusters, fostering a sense of community and shared learning experiences.

Primary Planning Day: Please note the change in date for the Primary Planning Day, which will now be held on Friday, 18^th August. This day will provide our dedicated staff with an opportunity to collaborate and refine our teaching strategies to better meet the needs of our students. Students will have other tasks to complete while they are not on air.

Western Alliance Term 3 Camp: Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that the WA Term 3 Camp for this year has been cancelled. The reasons for this included availability of a venue for the number of students and the cost, to families, of travelling and camp activities so close to a Multischool in term 4.

Parent-Teacher Interviews: In Week 10, we will be conducting parent-teacher interviews. This will provide an opportunity for meaningful discussions about your child's progress, goals, and areas for further support. More details will be provided closer to the date.

2024 Student Leadership Program: The Student Leadership Program for the upcoming year is currently under consideration. We will keep you updated on the selection process and key dates as they become available.

We encourage you to stay connected with the school community and make note of these important events. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Year 3 – 6 Beach Camp: Sunshine Coast Recreation Precinct (Currimundi)  

We are delighted to announce that the Year 3-6 Beach Camp at Sunshine Coast Recreation Precinct in Currimundi is fast approaching! From Monday, 7^th to Friday, 11^th August 2023, students from Charleville SDE and Morven State School will come together for an exciting adventure by the seaside. This collaborative camp will not only provide our students with an opportunity to explore the beautiful Sunshine Coast but also foster new friendships and enhance their social skills. We are also thrilled to announce that a parent session will be scheduled for Week 1 of Term 3, where we will share important details about the camp and address any questions or concerns you may have. Stay tuned for more information as we gear up for this incredible beach camp experience!

Head of Department: Primary Teaching and Learning

Cluster Muster and Under 8s Day

There have been many memorable days this term, but two highlights have been Cluster Musters and Under 8’s Day.  At the Cluster Musters, students were very fortunate to hear from Michael Wex, a Charleville resident and serving member of the Australian Defence Force.  Michael shared with the students some of his experiences whilst serving and gave some insight into the lives of children in war torn areas.  He spoke incredibly well and shared some very engaging stories.  Students had the opportunity to ask him some questions.  Here are some examples;

1. What emotions do you feel during war? (Isla - Quilpie)
2. Is war like what they show in movies? (Blair – Quilpie)
3. What food did you eat? Did you like it? (Clem – St George)
4. What clothing and equipment did you have to wear? (Annabelle – St George)
5. What is your favourite part of an Anzac Day ceremony and how many medals do you wear on ANZAC Day? (Brodie – Mitchell)

After the question time Michael reminded students to look out for each other and look after each other.

Under 8’s Day was a fun and well received day by our students in Prep – Year 2 who attended Whole School Muster Week.  Students received a passport for all of the activities on offer and spent the morning working towards completing these.  There were arts and crafts, plenty of games to play, and emergency service vehicles to explore.  I thank the staff involved for their efforts in ensuring students had a fantastic time.  I congratulate the students on their behaviour and willingness to participate in the activities.  The morning was a huge success. 

Premier’s Reading Challenge and Reader’s Cup

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is an annual state-wide initiative for state and non-state schools and home-educated students up to Year 9, as well as children attending early childhood centres.  The challenge is not a competition however aims to improve literacy and encourage children to read widely for pleasure and learning.  For a student to successfully complete the challenge they must read or experience the allocated number of books for their year level during the reading period.  Students who complete the challenge have their efforts recognised through the receipt of a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier of Queensland.

To successfully complete the challenge students must read or experience* the specified number of books.

• Prep – Year 2: Read or experience 20 books
• Years 3 – 4: 20 books
• Years 5 – 9: 15 books

The requirement for Year 5 through to Year 9 students to read 15 books acknowledges that older students are likely to select longer, more complex books that may take longer to read.  

The following activities can be counted towards the challenge:

• Reading independently
• Shared reading
• Being read to* (Prep – Year 2 experiencing books)

The following text forms can be counted towards the challenge:

• Printed books
• E-books, virtual books and digital publications
• Graphic novels and comic books
• Audio and braille books
• Newspapers, magazines and recipe books.

The challenge is on now until the 25^th of August.  Please email Mr Kruger at dkrug11@eq.edu.au  to register your child's interest.  An Individual Reader Record Form will be emailed back and you can start straight away.

The Reader's Cup is a captivating event that showcases the knowledge, passion and ability of all participants in a friendly yet fierce competitive environment. The text genres and competition questions challenge and extend even the most well-read students, making it an engaging and stimulating experience.  This year a team of four avid readers (Brodie, Izzy, Isla, and Haley) gathered to give their best effort against other students in the area.  Congratulations to Miss Cooper and the students involved in Reader’s Cup this year. 

Music Club

Expression of interests for the Music Club next term have now closed.  There are 13 students participating in the introductory course (10 lessons) to play the Ukulele.  The students will be supported by an instructor from Buzz Music who will be delivering lessons online.  For students participating, Ukuleles will be sent out on loan from the school to commence lessons in week 1 of term 3.   All involved are incredibly excited and are looking forward to being part of this wonderful opportunity.

Primary Planning Day

On the last day of the term, June 23^rd , the primary staff will be involved in a planning day.  These days provide a wonderful opportunity to collaborate, reflect and plan forward.  A key objective out of this will be, to moderate student work to reach a consensus on an overall achievement for Semester 1. The purpose of this process is to work together and confirm teacher judgments against the relevant achievement standards for reporting.   This day also provides an opportunity to reflect on student achievement over the semester and how to use this data to plan for upcoming units of work.  With this understanding more aligned learning opportunities for students can be provided.

Head of Department: Secondary Teaching and Learning

Version 9 Curriculum

An updated Prep to Year 10 Australian Curriculum (Version 9) was approved by Education Ministers in April 2022.

In June 2022, the Minister for Education, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing, Grace Grace announced the expectations for using this updated curriculum in Queensland schools.

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority released the implementation schedule in October 2022. A staged implementation schedule for P-6 has been released to ensure a smooth transition to the updated curriculum in reasonable timeframes, considering the workload of teachers. Secondary schools will need to determine an implementation schedule for their school to ensure that all learning areas of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum (ACV9) are implemented by the end of 2026.

Charleville SDE is working with Mt Isa School of the Air and Longreach School of Distance Education to produce resources for the delivery of the updated curriculum as per the implementation schedules.  Di Knudsen (Mt Isa) is working as the Head of Curriculum for this project and there are 6 writing positions for Education Officers Special Duties (EOSD), some of which have already been filled.

MultiSchool - Term 1

In week 9 of term one, 10 Western Alliance students from the Charleville School of Distance education travelled up to Longreach to attend the first MultiSchool of 2023.  Students had the opportunity to take part in classes face-to-face with their teachers as well as a variety of extra-curricular activities.  The year 7 Science class visited the Longreach water treatment plant with Mrs Washbrook to see first-hand how the river water was treated and processed so that it was able to be used as drinking water in the town of Longreach.  HPE students practiced their golf skills with Mrs Thomson, and completed hands-on Maths and Science activities.  Other extra-curricular sessions included Lawn Bowls, The Amazing Race, Holey Moley, the inflatable obstacle course at the Longreach pool, an astronomy talk and a visit to Camden Park station for a camp oven dinner and some Karaoke.  Students stayed in motel accommodation during this week as construction of the accommodation at the Longreach School of Distance Education was still ongoing.  This accommodation should be completed for the second MultiSchool in Term 4.

PLO Prattle

I often ask myself is there ever a quiet term? The answer is NO. As the years go by the terms appear to be full on.

This included in term 2 - Public Holidays, Cluster Muster, Whole School Muster, Sports Muster, a visit to BSDE and the Positive Schools Mental Health Conference. Whew.

I attended Quilpie Cluster Muster, spending time with the Home Tutors and the students.

The Whole School Muster was a fun filled week spent with Home Tutors and students, hint, ‘don’t play “Bull Rush” with Prep students as they will win’. The Art sessions with Carmel Williams were amazing, the students did a really good job. I now want to try this. The upper Primary and Secondary students also did great work on their woodwork item at the High School Manual Arts department.

Sports Muster was won by the best team, (haha) NARUNGI. It was nice to see so many parents, aunties, uncles and grandparents attending to support the students. The students put so much effort into the wonderful day.

In week 8 of Term 2, I attended Brisbane School of Distance Education along with the PLO from Longreach SDE to have discussions with the Enrolments Team around the different Categories of enrolments and how it is for each SDE, and planning for future enrolments.

 I also attended the Positive Schools Mental Health Conference whilst in Brisbane. This conference gives ideas, strategies and support around Mental Health and wellbeing within schools for not only students, but parents and staff in schools.

Some of the things I would like to share from the conference:

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass……It’s about learning how to dance in the rain”.  This is so true as we all have storms in our lives at different times, and it’s about learning how to continue on and either sing or dance.

If someone is going through a really tough time, it can be a massive relief to be given permission to say 'I'm not OK' and to be given an easy opportunity to ask for help. The following steps can help you to initiate a conversation with a student you are worried about.

Tip 1. Be receptive

Take the lead, show initiative and ask: "Are you OK?

• Put the invitation out there: "I've got time to talk".
• Maintain eye contact and sit in a relaxed position - positive body language will help you both feel more comfortable.
• Often just spending time with the person lets them know you care and can help you understand what they're going through.

Tip 2. Use ice breakers to initiate a conversation

Use open-ended questions such as "So tell me about...?", which require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. You may also like to use the following questions to start a conversation:

• "You know, I've noticed that you've seemed really down/worried/stressed for a long time now. Is there anyone you've been able to talk to about it?".
• "Lots of people go through this sort of thing. Getting help will make it easier".
• "I hate to see you struggling on your own. There are people that can help. Have you thought of visiting your doctor?"

Tip 3. Practice your listening skills

• Listen to what a person is saying: be open-minded and non-judgmental - sometimes, when someone wants to talk, they're not always seeking advice, but they just need to talk about their concerns
• Be patient: let the person take their time
• Avoid telling someone what to do: it is important to listen and try to help the other person work out what is best for them.

Tip 4. Be encouraging

• Encourage physical health:maintaining regular exercise, a nutritious diet and getting regular sleep helps to cope in tough times
• Encourage the person to seek professional help:from their family doctor, a support service or counsellor, or a mental health worker
• Encourage self-care: sometimes people need to be encouraged to do more to look after their own needs during a difficult time.

Tip 5. Be helpful

What not to do when trying to help someone. It is unhelpful to:

• Pressure them to "snap out of it", "get their act together" or "cheer up"
• Stay away or avoid them
• Tell them they just need to stay busy or get out more
• Suggest alcohol or drugs
• Assume the problem will just go away.

It's more helpful to:

• Listen to their concerns
• Acknowledge how they are feeling
• Let them know you care about their wellbeing
• Help them identify next steps for further support.

Enjoy your break and sing or dance to help you through the storm.

Cheers,
Helen Cook

Partners in Learning

The second face-to-face delivery for the 2023 Partners in Learning workshops was presented during Week 6 Term 2. I was joined by another fantastic group of participants who participated enthusiastically, asking great questions to further their understandings and joining in in-depth conversations. Even though the content itself remains the same I enjoy the diversity of each workshop as I respond to the needs and interests of those who have joined me.

Whilst I love delivering these workshops in a face-to-face format, starting in Term 3, I will also be offering the option of an online series for the workshop content to allow greater access for families. The face-to-face format will continue to be available for those who prefer this option. The first round of online delivery will be delivered over 4 consecutive Wednesday afternoons at 4pm for approximately an hour. Please see the flyer attached to register your interest.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions, that’s what I’m here for. The only silly question is the one you don’t ask.

“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”
– Roald Dahl

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

Congratulations Katelyn

This term Katelyn represented our school and Region at the STEM Girl Power Camp in Brisbane. With only 60 Year 10 female students selected from the State, Katelyn was able to experience a range of STEM related activities, meet a range of women working in the field of STEM and visit a wide variety of universities and workplaces to explore different STEM careers she could follow in the future. As part of the STEM Girl Power Initiative Katelyn will now present some activities to other students during Science Week – stayed tuned for more!

SORA Reading App

Have you checked out SORA yet? You can access SORA through the quick link in QLearn (same page as the link to On-air lessons). SORA is a collection of digital books, including audiobooks, students can access from home. With a range of collections from C2C texts for English, to popular books and recommended texts for the Premier’s Reading Challenge – there is something for everyone. Simply sign in with your school username

Tools to Help

Check out these three tools that can help you with your school work.

Internet Advice

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 the link below for more information.

All About Spotify

Does your child use Spotify to listen to music and watch videos? Do you know what it contains and gives your child access to?

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).

Teen TPOL Flyer

Family and Child Connect

Family and Child Connect provides free advice

Family and Child Connect provides families free, unlimited and confidential advice. They can connect you to local services that help with: 

• building better family relationships
• managing child behaviour
• healthcare
• housing.

If your family is going through tough times, call them today at 13 FAMILY (13 32 64) or visit familychildconnect.org.au.

Finding the right learning pathway for your child

Every young person is unique and success looks different for everyone. By looking at the way we think about school and success, we can help our teens find their own learning pathway through school and beyond. Did you know the human brain doesn’t fully mature until the third decade in life? Hear Dr Nagel explain how being at school helps develop the teenage brain. During these years it’s a critical time for young people to be around other young people. The Spark their Future website has tips and resources to help you support your teen during their learning pathway.

NAPLAN Student Report Information

Reader’s Cup

Scouting @ Home

Cluster Muster Term 2

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Whole School Muster Week

Sports Muster

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