October 2015

Newsletter Articles

Principal's Ponderings

Welcome to term four.

Minischools are in full swing, Holidays are round the corner…only seven weeks!

So much to do, so little time!

We have exciting news for planning for next year including staffing changes, extra funding, departmental consultation around the government's plan for education and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Transfers:

It is exciting that the following people have received the following placements:

Brent – Coolum SHS
Fallon – Narangba SS
Lisa – Yarrilee SS
Kathy _ ? SS
Karen – Charleville SS
Kate – North Coast region for when she returns from her adventures!

And coming in:

Jenny Fisher returning
Mary Anderssen returning
Debra Jensen – eKindy
Lenore Rodrigues – Secondary

And that Rachel Cooper, Alex Kirby and Jack Morris are now permanent employees of EQ and as such will remain on staff! Congratulations!

School Opinion Survey:

Thank you to everyone who completed this survey. We don't have the comparison to 2014 data or state data yet but a snapshot of 2015 feedback is:

I am excited that 100% of teaching staff are:

• confident in their knowledge of Australian and Queensland Curriculum,
• using the support materials to enhance student learning,
• meeting the learning needs of all students,
• engaging all of the students
• managing the behaviour of all students
• feeling that students receive a good education at this school
• feeling that students have the opportunity to experience age appropriate materials and,
• feeling that teaching at this school is rewarding

I am excited that 100% of all staff:

• enjoy working at this school
• find this a safe workplace
• feel students are encouraged to do their best and are treated fairly
• feel that student behaviour is well managed
• feel that the school looks for ways to improve
• feel that the school is well maintained
• feel well prepared for the different aspects of the job
• are aware of health and safety procedures
• feel that information and communication equipment is well maintained
• feel that students with disabilities are well supported
• feel that staff are approachable
• feel that the school provides useful information online
• feel that they are encouraged to take responsibility for the work that they do
• feel that the school has a strong sense of community
• feel that this is a good school, would recommend it to others and that working at this school is rewarding.

While the number of responses from parents and students (14 students (years 5, 6 and 8) and 28 parents), was down this year on last year's participation,

I am excited that 100% of students feel:

• safe
• like being here
• teachers motivate them to learn
• teachers expect them to do their best
• teachers provide useful feedback
• they are treated fairly
• they can talk to their teacher about their concerns
• their opinions are taken seriously
• the school is well maintained
• they are given the opportunity to do interesting things
• they are getting a good education
• that English and Maths skills are being developed
• they are encouraged to use computers and technologies and use these for learning and enjoy using these for learning
• they are accepted by other students at this school
• that their school work challenges them to think
• teachers encourage them to do their best
• teachers clearly explain what is required in the work
• teachers help when they need it and care about them
• this school encourages them to be a community member and,
• that this is a good school.

I am excited that 100% of parents feel that:

• They can talk to their child's teacher about their concerns and,

Over 90% parents feel that:

Their child:

• likes being at this school,
• feels safe at this school,
• is making good progress at this school,
• is getting a good education at this school

Teachers:

• expect their child to do his or her best
• motivate their child to learn
• treat students fairly
• are interested in their child's wellbeing

The school:

• works with them to support student learning
• keeps them well informed, provides useful information online and provides useful feedback about their child's progress
• encourages them to take an active role in their child's education
• encourages them to participate in school activities
• is well maintained
• is developing their child's Maths skills
• gives their child every opportunity to do interesting things
• is environmentally friendly
• is well organised
• has a strong sense of community

And that they:

• understand how their child is assessed
• understand how computers and other technologies are used in this school to enhance student learning
• feel staff are approachable, responsive to their enquiries,
• feel that this is a good school.

There is so much to celebrate in these results! Congratulations and thank you for the amazing work that you do.

Advancing education

An action plan for education in Queensland presented by our Department of Education and Training has been released.

"Education has a profound influence on the lives of children and young people.

It is essential that Queensland students are prepared for the jobs that tomorrow will offer.

Queensland's children and young people need to be supported to harness the opportunities offered by advancements in digital technology and innovation, by building on the essentials of literacy and numeracy.

The Queensland Government has a plan for education that will see us take our world-class education system further and prepare our students for the challenges of tomorrow. Advancing education - an action plan for education puts Queensland students on the path to success.

Through Advancing education we will inspire students to become lifelong learners, global citizens and successful people, confidently able to navigate their future. The action plan will position schools to more effectively support students to develop the knowledge, skills and qualities they need to be job-ready for the jobs of the future.

Every Queenslander plays a part in making the difference – families, communities, early childhood educators, teachers, principals, support staff and our education partners. By working together we can ensure that our children and young people have the opportunity to benefit from the life changing effects of education and to be resilient and engaged members of their communities.

We welcome your views on how we can work together to deliver our vision for the future of education in Queensland and how to best support our children and young people to reap the benefits education brings. The following link will take you to the full document.

Also released is information about:

#codingcounts

Science and technology have changed our world by transforming the way we live and the work we do. Our students need to be prepared to take advantage of the many opportunities in our increasingly digital world.

The #codingcounts discussion paper provides an opportunity for the community to join a conversation about the coding and robotics skills needed by students for their future and how schools can deliver innovative learning opportunities for all students.

Next wave – advancing education

Schools are already resourcing technology labs, investing in the skills of their teachers and extending student's interests and learning through robotics and coding clubs. The next wave is about developing every student's digital literacy, skilling young coders, nurturing young innovators and creating young entrepreneurs.

To learn more about our exciting initiatives, view the #codingcounts discussion paper.

Fast track Digital Technologies from 2016

Queensland will offer the new Digital Technologies Australian Curriculum from 2016 in state schools from Prep to Year 10, with teachers supported through professional development, teaching resources and scholarships.

Start-up the Queensland coding academy

Collaborating with industry and researchers in new ways to develop capabilities and provide opportunities for students and teachers to increase their skills and see the link between coding and robotics and their future.

Incubate the Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow

Providing opportunities for students to learn through real world experiences that will generate real pathways for our students into the world of work and further study and inspire them to be the creators of Queensland's future.

Making the Most Of Technology!

Promoting Emotional Health and Well-Being in the 21st Century

Emotional Health and Well Being Applications and Websites in the following brochure are available for adults and children alike for support and fun while addressing health and wellbeing. Enjoy!

World Teachers' Day 2015

Every day, Queensland teachers are making a difference educating and inspiring young people across our state.

World Teachers' Day is an opportunity to acknowledge our teachers and say thanks for the significant contributions they make in our classrooms and communities.

Celebrated in more than 100 countries world-wide, World Teachers' Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1994 to recognise the role of teachers in society.

World Teachers' Day is held internationally on 5 October. As the day usually falls during school holidays, Queensland celebrates on the last Friday of October each year.

This year, we will celebrate World Teachers' Day in Queensland on Friday 30 October.

Congratulations to all of you who are teaching our children.

Student Successes:

Congratulations to the following students:

Kyle and Jacob Rose won the year's 7-9 section of the Cybersafe Digifest competition with their video. Mrs O was unable to be there but I was fortunate to attend GOMA on Friday 26th September to see Kyle and Jacob receive their award.

Joseph Tully entered the 2015 Schools Poetry and Short Story Competition last term with a story called The Stone Lord.

We have been advised that Joseph's entry is going through to the finals of the judging and winners will be announced on 21st October.

However, his entry has been accepted to be published in a book of poems and short stories from students all over Australia and will be published March 2016.

Have a wonderful term,
Yours in education
Jenny

From the Deputy's Desk

So the year continues to race by. Already we are well into the fun and activities of Term 4 with Thargomindah Minischool kicking off. It was well attended with around 22 students in for the week (including some very keen eKindy kids). Thank you to all those parents and home tutors who have once again stepped up to cater at each of the minischools, without each of you these weeks would not be possible.

Students enjoying Minischool in Thargomindah

Minischool home tutor sessions have also been very well attended. Thanks to all who participated and shared their knowledge so well in these sessions. Reading really is a very important part of all our daily lives and as such it is vital that we ensure our students, your children are accessing this in a quality way every day. See Zoe's article for more on this topic.

This year saw year 3 students attend camp along with the years 4 – 6s for the very first time. All students had an outstanding time during our week at CYC Burleigh. I cannot thank each of them enough for representing both themselves and our school so well. Once again everywhere we went and everyone we worked with commented on what a wonderful group of kids we had. I was really pleased with the response from all the students in sending me their thank you letters for the crew at Burleigh. I sent these off to the camp site the other day. While I haven't as yet heard back from them I am sure that they appreciated all the notes of thanks from those who took the time to send them in to me.

Further school events are just around the corner with our school musical, Swim Muster, Speech and Awards Day and Graduation yet to take place. Invitations and information for these events will be sent out and become available in weekly notices in the coming weeks. Please be sure to note the dates and times in your diary and to RSVP by the due dates to the appropriate people as soon as you can.

At this time of year we also begin to look at staffing and classes for the coming year. Thank you to all who have already returned their Advice of Enrolment: 2016 forms to me. I would like to encourage everyone to return this to the school by Friday 30 October 2015. It will assist in ensuring that we have the most up to date student lists and numbers to inform our planning. This form is also available on weekly notices and may be faxed, mailed or emailed into the school.

I look forward to catching up with each of you at one of the remaining events on this year's school calendar. Until then take care.

Cheers Kate

PLO Prattle

Hi All,

Term 4 has started with a rush, with one Minischool down and two to go. It was nice to see some storms on our way to Thargomindah last week, a little rain but not drought breaking which was a shame, hopefully soon.

After spending some time with the students at Thargomindah, I came to think about how much I enjoy watching the students play at Minischools or any of our other field events and seeing how much fun and enjoyment that they have in each other's company. It's nice to see that there is no pressure to win or be the best, just do the best you can and have fun.

Following is a piece of advice from Michael Grose. I think it is a fantastic reminder that we have two types of situations in play – play for enjoyment and play for learning. Sometimes we forget to consider which is which and sometimes those lines can become blurred.

Most dads are hard-wired to want their kids to improve.

When they play outside with their sons and daughters they'll invariably turn a game into a teaching session.

"Hold the ball a little firmer!"
"Sit up straighter and you'll balance better!"
"Keep your right arm straight and make sure you watch the ball!"

Sound familiar?

This teaching is well intentioned, as dads want their kids to do better.

A dad's enthusiasm to improve his son or daughter's performance isn't restricted to the backyard.

It often shows itself at children's sports events when he freely shares his knowledge and experience with his progeny.

Sometimes a dad's advice can do more harm than good. It can turn kids off sport and physical activity, particularly if he doesn't know when to stop.

Research shows that kids under the age of ten predominantly play sport for two reasons – fun and friendships. Winning and playing will tend to be more important for (male) adults than kids.

If you (or a dad you know) enthusiastically gives/shouts advice to your children when they're playing sport then here are six words to use instead:

"I LOVE TO WATCH YOU PLAY!"

Kids love it when their parents are interested in them and their activities. They are not so keen when parents become coaches.

If you want your child to continue playing sport into adolescence and beyond then be an enthusiastic supporter, not an enthusiastic coach.

It's hard for many blokes to restrict themselves to the support role as coaching is in their DNA. But that's no excuse. And we need to learn better ways if we want our kids to continue to enjoy participating in sport.

So start practising, "I love to watch you play!"

There, that's not so hard!

I think that this concept not only relates to sport but can be considered across a range of areas including within the schoolroom. Sometimes we can be so caught up in wanting our students to BE the best rather than just doing their best. Encouragement is the key, not competition.

Will catch up with you over the next few weeks at one of the school field events.

Cheers
Helen

Curriculum Corner

Approximately 80% of our Preps are currently reading below benchmark.

For those of you that don't know me overly well… I'm a thinker, an over-analyser and I like to ask a lot of questions. I'm a big believer in investigating as to whether we can 'do better' for our students.

So once again, this questioning nature I have, brought me to sit at my desk during the holidays and analyse our most recent P-3 reading data. Can I be honest and say, I am quite worried about our results?

We all know that reading ability is one of the best foundations to a successful learning pathway. A failure to become a successful reader at an early age generally means that students will continue to struggle with learning. And potentially a child who starts his/her schooling below benchmark in reading, will generally continue to be below benchmark in reading without serious intervention.

So these are my thoughts…

Why do we have so many students currently below benchmark?
Do we value reading? Is it important to us?
Are we explicitly teaching reading EVERY day?
What do we need to change so that more of our students are being successful?

From this graph, you can see a significant number of students are currently below benchmark in reading. This means, that they do not have the reading ability we would expect them to have by the end of the year for their age group.

The data isn't all bad. We have quite a number of students who are reaching benchmark. We see a lesser number of students below benchmark in the higher, early years grades. We even have some students who are progressing between 4 and 7 reading levels in a term (the average is 2-3)! There are certainly things to celebrate, but with all our continued effort and focus on reading, why do we have some students succeeding and so many who are still falling behind?

Sadly, despite being an over-analyser, I don't have an answer for this one and I think the reasons will vary from student to student. One of the biggest questions I have to ask myself is:

Are we persistently taking some time each day to read with our students?

As a school we run reading groups, integrate reading into units, have intervention programs for those who are below benchmark in reading and continuously research newer and better ways to teach reading but these lessons and considerations still don't mean that students are reading each day as they should be. I have heard so many times that 'reading is the first thing that we take out of our day' and every time I hear this I can't help but wonder what the implications of this are. Children won't just absorb the knowledge of how to read. Like everything else, they need to be taught how to read explicitly. This needs to be a priority each and every day for every child.

So how do we do this? Please, please, please, read with your child every day. This might mean reading to your child some days, modelling fluency, expression and comprehension. You might read a book together and talk about some of the strategies you are using. You might allow the child to read a levelled book to you and encourage the use of strategies when they encounter a word they don't know. But best of all, if you can do all of these things as well as integrating these skills into everything else that you do, how can our students not improve?

Below are 'The Big 6 of Reading'. These are the important focus areas if we want students to be successful readers. However, if you aren't sure of how to read with your child, please do not hesitate to pick up the phone and call your teacher. He/she will be more than happy to provide resources, ideas and walk you through the process. Reading is so important and we need to do all we can as a team to ensure students become successful readers.

The Big 6 of Reading
Focus		What can I do?
1	Oral Language	Stay, play and talk Keep the conversation going – strive for 5 turns Build on student language (e.g. add information) Help children make connections with own experiences Model correct grammar and punctuation and correct errors As open questions that foster thinking Play games. Enjoy poetry, songs, chants and rhymes Think aloud Teach and model active listening
2	Phonological Awareness	Talk about words, letters, sounds, syllables, rhyme, alliteration Use hand gestures Have children predict rhyming words when reading together Have children put a counter down each time they read/hear a word Cut a sentence into individual words and put them back together again Help students identify syllables in words Play games (e.g. I spy, Boggle) Discuss onset and rime (e.g. a word that starts with…. ends with…)
3	Letters and words	Think aloud as you read and write to show how sounds can be blended Make a word wall of sight words Play with letters and sounds: magnetic letters, sandpaper letters etc… Play games with sight words In upper primary include Greek and Latin roots and links in words
4	Vocabulary	Develop a love of words Define, Use, Revise Use new vocabulary from all subjects in discussions and a variety of contexts Use word walls and vocabulary clines Discuss new vocabulary before, during and after reading Explicitly teach new vocabulary focussing on both meaning and word structure Use synonyms in everyday conversation (e.g. confused, bewildered) Before reading a book, discuss how the author might use a new word – encourage students to use the cover, title and illustrations to help Model figurative and evaluative language
5	Fluency	Model fluent reading Model using punctuation Assist when reading by encouraging use of strategies (do not just tell them the answer) Guided reading Record and time reading Echo reading Allow time for my child to read independently and to others Repeated readings (use the same book multiple times for fluency and expression)
6	Comprehension	Click here to download What Good Readers Do Flyer 62 KB - PDF

Thanks
Zoe Farrer

Digital Discoveries

Have you visited the Student Space?

The Student Space allows students to:

• Discover thousands of digital resources and online spaces
• Blog (with teacher approval)
• Collaborate online
• Personalise their own learning space

Personalise

Students can add their own personal touches to the Student Space by creating an avatar, applying different themes and changing the 'look and feel' of their site.

To start go to the Learning Place and log into the Student Space link on the right.

Then select 'My Learning Space' at the top of the page and choose 'Personalise' on the bottom left hand side.

Select your theme, background and control style to make your Student Space truly yours.

Student Space Personalised with Pink Theme

Avatar Maker

To change your avatar, click on the image at the top of the page to load the avatar creator.

Create your avatar using the different parts or select random for the computer to make one for you.

Click on the Save button when you have finished making your avatar.

Blogging

You can post blogs on the Learning Place but your teacher needs to check and publish your blog posts before other students can see them. When they are published, students in your class or your year level across the state will be able to read them.

Blogging is a great way for students to express their ideas, feelings or to talk with their peers online. Encourage your child to blog regularly to improve their literacy.

Log onto the Student Space at https://students.learningplace.eq.edu.au

Click on the Blog button at the top of the page

Click on Create a Blog on the right hand side

Type away!! Tell us a story, share a poem or ask a question.

Check out Campbell's blog and read his movie reviews at:

Tink's Place

Have you met Tink yet? He has his own place within the Student Space. Click on his link on the right hand side of the Student Space to see what he has been up to and his latest competition.

Visit Tink at:

Overview of Student Space

P & C News

Swim Muster /Musical/ Speech and Awards /Year 6 & 10 Graduation

What an exciting time we will have for the annual Swim Muster/ Speech and Awards/ Year 6 and 10 Graduation trip. This year we will also have the school musical to entertain us.

Swim Muster is at the Charleville Pool from 12 noon on Monday 16th November. There are no snacks available at the pool, so please remember to bring some food along as children always seem to get hungry when they are swimming. Hope the children have been doing their running/ fitness to raise points for their team.

Monday night is the School Musical with all students needed to be at the Racecourse Complex at 4.30pm for a rehearsal. The P & C are hosting happy hour from 4pm so come along and join us until the show starts. Bar and snacks available. Leith Brennan will be offering steak burgers and sausage on bread from 5.30pm. There will be a cast call and doors open at 6.30pm with the musical starting at 7pm.

Speech and Awards is at the school in the covered area near the library on Tuesday morning from 8.30am. This is a great way to celebrate the great things done in our school with presentations to students and staff. The staff will be providing smoko after the ceremony in an attempt to win the smoko challenge. We had a pretty good spread for Sports Muster, so they will have to pull out all stops to claim the prize.

For those of us with children in Grade 6 and 10, we will stay on for the Year 6 and 10 Graduation. This is a special time for the Year 6 children to celebrate the end of their Primary Schooling (and for some the end of their time with Distance Ed) and for the Grade 10s, the end of their time with the school. A great time for all to reflect on their time with our school and to plan for the steps ahead.

Battery Drive

The battery drive is continuous, so please ask your family and friends if they have any old batteries and contact Sally and Damian Campbell on abc_campbell@harboursat.com.au . A huge thanks to Sally and Damian for their tireless work with this successful money spinner.

Fundraising

The P&C have set a new goal - to help fund a playground at the school. Got an idea how we can raise the cash? We'd love to hear from you!

(Sample only)

NEXT meeting
November 4TH @ 7.30 pm

Via Teleconference O7 31815999
Conference Code 2901452267#
GOT AN IDEA? BRING IT TO THE MEETING AND LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN!
This will be the last meeting for the year.

Do you have any suggestions for purchases the P & C should put in the budget for 2016? Please bring any ideas to the meeting or email Annabel, Christy or Michelle with your suggestions.

Girl Guides – International Jamboree

Over the September school holidays three of our students who are members of our school-based Girl Guide unit participated in the Great Bunya Gathering International Jamboree held at Lake Somerset. The girls joined over 1 300 Girl Guides from across Australia and nine other countries to participate in traditional camping for ten days.

Jamboree: a huge event!

Harriet, Kristy and Savannah, along with their leader 'Kookaburra', travelled many hours by car and bus until they arrived at the beautiful Lake Somerset. The girls were placed into sub-camps where they put up tents and prepared their camp areas while meeting new friends from across the globe. Most of the girls slept in traditional 'ridge' tents that are made of canvas and have no floor. Luckily they were prepared for this and had their bed rolls ready.

Putting up a Ridge Tent

Over the ten days, the girls participated in a range of activities including: canoeing, kayaking, tackling a mud obstacle course, mastering the low ropes course, flying high during the gecko climb and abseiling, chilling in the pool, archery, creating art works and learning circus tricks. There was even a day off-site when the girls were able to visit Australia Zoo or Dreamworld.

Tackling the Mud Obstacle Course

While the girls were extremely tired after their ten day adventure they enjoyed their experiences and will value the friendships made at the Great Bunya Gathering.

"It was a great experience and lots of fun, but the food could have been better. Overall I really did love it. My favourite part was meeting Guides from across the world and making new friends." Savannah

"Camp was very fun, muddy and funny. It was tiring and very crowded. The best part was learning to do archery – I nearly got a bull's eye!" Kristy

"My favourite part of Girl Guide Camp was meeting lots of new friends." Harriet

If anyone is interested in joining our unique Girl Guide unit, please contact Kookaburra (Sam Owczarek) on sowcz1@eq.edu.au

Footy Colours Day Fundraiser

On the last day of term 3 the staff wore their footy colours to raise money for Kids' Cancer Research. We had a Footy Colours Day morning Tea and raised $117. Thank you to all! (Please note that Ms Simmons was wearing the Hawks colours and is a very proud supporter of the 2015 Premiership winner in the AFL)