December 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principals Ponderings

Welcome to the holidays.

Congratulations on a most excellent year where students, staff and families have done their best to support students individually, in small groups and large groups.

What a marvellous week we have had with our year 6 and 10 students celebrating their last days as Primary students and /or with our school; a super swimming carnival where Narungi won the day and every student, past and present, swam their hearts out; our concert was a resounding, entertaining success with students and staff performing a variety of acts; and, our Speech and Awards ceremony finished our school year by recognising the effort that students have put in this year.

Looking forward to 2023 we have all teaching and leadership positions filled with only a Relief Teacher position and administration officer position vacant. Hopefully they will be filled over the holidays.

Our professional development days, the beginning of school, our Kickstart conference, and our calendar of events for the year is planned and ready to go.

I want to thank the most excellent leadership team for their work on teaching and learning, curriculum and organisation this year. I have felt that we really worked well as a team and many safe, supportive activities were presented for our students.

Remember to keep looking forward through the windscreen, with little glances in the side mirrors and rear-view mirror as we tackle 2023 with the utmost confidence.

Wishing everyone a happy healthy holiday and thank you for your effort this year.

Yours in education,

Jenny

From the Deputy’s Desk

Year 3 Charleville Camp and Year 4 – 10 Canberra Snow Camp

Year 3 Camp was held in Week 10 – Term 3. Twelve students travelled to Charleville for a week with their teachers and peers. Thank you to Ms Sugden, Miss Murphy, Miss Cash and Mrs McDonald for going above and beyond to ensure our students were able to experience all Charleville has to offer! I would also like to acknowledge and thank the other CSDE teachers who kindly offered to coordinate activities for our students and of course our trusty bus driver…Mrs Swadling. The students visited numerous local attractions and engaged in activities that developed their teamwork skills. Thank you to Mrs Helen Cook for her support with our volunteers and Mrs Lisa Cross for being our Food Co-Ordinator. Thank you to the parents that gave their time to ensure our camp was successful and our students well cared for.

It was an absolute privilege to accompany 26 (Year 4 - Year 10) students on a trip of a lifetime! So many amazing memories were made by the students, teachers and parents. The week ran smoothly because of our support team – Mrs Thomson, Miss Head, Mrs De Luca and Mrs Cosh. Together we visited - Dubbo Zoo, Parkes Observatory, Parliament House, Old Parliament House, Electoral Education Centre, National Museum of Australia, Mount Ainslie Lookout, National Dinosaur Museum, Australian War Memorial and Questacon. Finally, we spent three incredible days at Perisher, skiing and snowboarding. So many wonderful experiences were shared and the students exuded positivity, never giving up on a challenge! The students were all commended on their outstanding behaviour and the way they so proudly represented CSDE.

There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into planning and preparing for school camps and I can say that without the support, hard work and many extra tasks Miss Ellen Daunis completed, our camps would not have run so smoothly. A huge thank you to the P&C and Student Council for their very generous contributions to our camps.

Minischool and Multischool

During Week 3 of this term, I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to attend our CSDE Minischool (Charleville) and Western Alliance Multischool in Longreach. We had 50 primary students attend Minischool in Charleville. I would like to make special mention to Miss Cash for leading the staff as the Teacher in Charge. Her incredible organisational skills enabled the week to run smoothly. The students engaged in a variety of activities and we received positive feedback from the staff, students, parents and Home Tutors. Thank you also to Mrs Lisa Cross and her wonderful team of Home Tutors for looking after our students. For this Minischool we introduced a new timetabling schedule for the volunteers, instigated from previous feedback. We all know how much we value our Field Event program and we are always looking at ways to continually improve the standard of these events and welcome any feedback.

It was very rewarding to have the opportunity to meet our Western Alliance students and staff face to face. It is clear to see the students and staff truly value interacting with each other. Together we celebrated the achievements of the Year 10 students as they move on to their next phase of education or work. When listening to the teachers deliver their speech to each student, it was evident how dedicated and passionate our teachers are, as they ensure our students are given every opportunity to achieve.

Academic Reporting

Semester 2 Academic Reports will be sent on Friday 2nd December. This is later than indicated on the term calendar, we appreciate your understanding in the delay. If you have any questions about Academic Reporting, please contact me to seek clarification.

Year 5 and 9 Aspiring Leadership Program

We had 8 students complete the 2023 Aspiring Student Leadership program. The students were engaged and dedicated during our weekly sessions. I was extremely impressed by the quality of their leadership speeches they delivered to the school community. 2023 Student Leaders will be announced during our Speech and Award ceremony. During our sessions we spoke in detail about the fact that being a leader does not mean having a badge. I am looking forward to continuing our work together in the new year.

End of Year Events

So much to look forward to over two days! Thank you to Miss Murphy and her committee for organising the 2022 Swim Muster. Our Whole School Concert is set to entertain with student, staff and perhaps home tutor performances. Thank you to Miss Moore, Mrs Washbook and Mrs Swadling for organising this event. On Tuesday we will celebrate our amazing year and the successes of our students and staff. Thank you to Miss Cash and the Speech and Awards committee. Miss Cash spends a lot of time planning and preparing this event for our school community. Finally, we finish on Tuesday night with our Year 6 and 10 Celebration Dinner. It feels like planning for this event starts as soon as last year’s event has finished. Jenny Juniper and Kerry Radnedge are so dedicated to ensuring it will be a night to remember for our students, staff and families. We have so much to celebrate, and it is lovely to see that Jenny and Kerry want the absolute best for our students.

As the 2022 school year draws to a close and some members of our school community move on in 2023, I would like to take the time to thank all the students, parents and home tutors that I have had the privilege to work with this year. I would also like to acknowledge the achievements of our extraordinary staff. I appreciate the support and guidance I have received from our CSDE leadership team this year and I look forward to continuing our journey in 2023.

Head of Department: Primary and Secondary Teaching and Learning

Term 4 Field Events

Early this term our students were invited to attend CSDE’s Minischool or the Western Alliance Multischool.

Minischool – Our Term 4 Primary Minischool took the students on a safari expedition. Students experienced the joys of working face-to-face with their peers and teacher. The activities our teachers developed centred around the safari expedition and included; Jungle drumming, animal mask making, safari cooking, obstacle courses, science experiments plus our night activities of a Talent Show, I’m a Celebrity game show and Trivia.

The students enjoyed this wonderful event that was well run by our Teacher in charge, Bronwyn Cash and our food convener Lisa Cross.

Multischool – The second Multischool for 2022 was held in week 3 of Term 4 in Longreach. Students attended face-to-face classes and had the opportunity to make connections with their peers and teachers. Classes also allowed students to experience hands-on activities in Science, Art, Maths and Technologies. On the Wednesday afternoon students enjoyed some time at the Thomson River fishing and playing games (and cheering when watching a tourist get towed out after getting bogged). Students also completed a Scavenger Hunt at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame, and attended the celebration dinner and disco at the Branch Café on their last night in Longreach. Accommodation was provided at the Outback Hubs (formerly the Longreach Pastoral College) and students attended classes in the newly built classrooms 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.

2023 Planning and Preparation

The leadership team have spent the second half of this term planning for 2023 and reviewing our school priorities. 2023 will see our school prepare for the implementation of Version 9 English and Maths curriculum therefore spending the year support our teachers in understanding the changes and providing professional development opportunities to build teacher capability and confidence.

Primary 2023 yearly overviews have been revised to take on Home Tutor feedback around HASS units and when The Arts and HPE are being taught and assessed. Teachers have worked on allowing opportunities at field events to teach and assess key skills and concepts for these curriculum areas. Thank you to our Year 3 teachers who trialled this for us in Term 4.

Students entering Year 9 and 10 next year will see a change to the way the Western Alliance structure and run their electives. CSDE HODs have worked together to restructure the electives offered to our secondary students. this new structure has taken into consideration student pathways and teacher expertise. Year 8 students will also see an increase in their Maths and English lessons to 4 lesson per week. This has changed after positive feedback from students, Home Tutors and teachers in Year 7 who have piloted this structure this year. By increasing the number of lessons teachers and students found that skills, and knowledge was taught in greater depth with opportunities for revision.

Data Plan- 2022 Review

The 2022 CSDE data plan has been reviewed to align with the school priorities of 2023. It has also been updated to include the data collection of PAT-R (PAT Reading adaptive) for secondary students. This is a diagnostic test is norm reference assessment that measures students reading and literacy ability. Questions are automatically selected based on the responses they have given to previous questions and therefore levelled to the student’s individual ability. This diagnostic testing will replace the PROBE test which was the secondary literacy testing process previously used. The change occurred after an enquire cycle was conducted on the effectiveness and timeliness of PROBE testing on secondary students. We predict that changing to PAT-R teachers will have literacy data at the beginning of the year and also a greater success rate in students completing the testing therefore ensuring data can be used more effectively throughout the year.

Marking Guides- 4Cs

During Term 4 Primary PLCs focused on supporting each other with the development of their Marking Guides. This meant that teachers reviewed the C2C assessment they had been using to ensure they were being updated to include the four Cs (curriculum, Cognition, Context and Complexity). By including these 4 elements assessment Marking Guides have become easier to read and use for all stakeholders, have more clarity and connection to the task being completed and ensure there is a clear level of complexity as students work in the higher bands (A and B levels) of that assessment.

2023 will see more and more assessment Marking Guides include these 4Cs.

Early Start Testing

During Minischool, students in Prep – Year 2 completed Early Start. The results from this is used to find out what students know about Literacy and Numeracy. The information gathered from this, informs teachers what misconceptions students may have. Teachers are then able to plan lessons based on student’s needs. Students who were not able to make it to Minischool, completed Early Start online.

Literacy Skills

In 2023, the Year 4 cohort will complete Literacy Skills on-air. We have continued to see growth in students spelling and reading. New teachers will have the opportunity to engage in professional development leading up to the commencement of their lessons.

Music at CSDE

The leadership team have investigated alternative opportunities to expose our students to the Music curriculum within The Arts. This came about after Home Tutor feedback regarding e’teach music units and the possibility for a school funded music teacher. Although 2023 will not see the removal of the e’teach music lessons it will see the introduction of Music Club which will allow students to participate in a learning environment from an outside organisation that will teach student music through different instruments (school supplied) and choir. Brookfield Music is the organisation we are working with to finalise plans for these clubs. We are also in discussion with them around field events and potentially working with our teachers to further develop their curriculum knowledge within music and potentially future support with updating e’teach units.

Further details will be shared with our school community once they are finalised.

PLO Prattle

The Kickstart Conference brochure has been emailed out to all families and exciting activities are planned for both Home Tutors and Students. There is an “Early Bird” deal with savings for those who register early. We all like a bargain, so complete and return ASAP.

This year has been a year of ups and downs. At the beginning of the year we all have hopes and thoughts of how it will pan out. The thing that we need to think about and consider when things don’t go the way we want or hope for, is that we look after ourselves so that we are able to support the rest of our family.

Please see below an article from the Mental Health First Aid team:

Why is Self-Care Important when Helping Others?

When offering support or helping others it may be tempting to ignore our own self-care. This is especially true if you’re working, family or social life includes regularly caring for others. In our desire to always be there for the people we care about, we can forget to turn that compassion inward.

However, self-care is a vital part of maintaining our ability to care for others. This is particularly important if you are a parent, carer or someone people regularly rely on.

Here are some of the many reasons why self-care should be a part of your overall care strategy.

Taking care of yourself

You may have heard the saying you can’t pour from an empty cup. We often talk about self-care. To effectively take care of others, we must first take care of ourselves. We all need time to replenish the emotional, intellectual, and psychological stocks.

Instead of viewing self-care in isolation, reframe it as a healthy part of life. Imagine yourself as a tree in a forest and that forest as the family, friends, colleagues, and community around you. A tree pulls together water, carbon dioxide and the energy of the sun for its own self-care. The healthier the tree, the more it can provide life-saving oxygen, nourishment, shelter and comfort to the people, plants and creatures that surround it.

The same is true of the people in your life. The more you practice self-care and tend to your needs, the better placed you’ll be to offer support to the people around you.

Keener eye for small changes

The indication that someone we know may need support can come in many subtle forms, including increased isolation, decreased interest in a favourite hobby or pastime, a loss of appetite, lowered patience or tolerance for people or situations, avoiding friends and family, or a change in mood that might not seem significant by itself. However, if these changes combine or persist, it may be signs you need more than a moment to recharge.

Often when we’re caught up in the busyness of everyday life, we can invite stress into our lives. Stress can block our awareness of our own situation may affect our ability to notice some of the subtle changes in those around us.

Whether you’re a parent trying to reach a reluctant teen or a friend noticing changes in a friend, the earlier we can recognise these shifts in mood, speech, or behaviour, the quicker we may be able to listen, connect and offer support to that person.

Having a conversation has the potential can make a world of difference when it comes to helping the person and their outcomes.

Avoiding the self-soothing trap

It’s only natural that in helping others, we may drain or deplete our own bank of emotional resources. The problem isn’t necessarily the act of offering help or support but rather what we do to rejuvenate ourselves and replenish our bank and when we’re feeling emotionally, psychologically, or physically drained from helping others it may be more tempting to turn to self-soothing behaviours over self-care.

While the odd bit of self-soothing behaviour such as watching tv, having a drink, shopping or comfort eating can be part of a well-rounded self-care plan, it should not replace healthy activities such as exercise, sleep, mindfulness, healthy eating or connecting with friends – all of which help us rejuvenate and provides greater resilience for longer periods.

It sets a great example

Helping others can be a source of joy. It can give us pride in the work we do, what we’re able to accomplish and even a sense of purpose. However, like any form of productivity and action, it has the potential to become a little addictive, which may skew our perception of the payoff we’re receiving from giving our energy.

All humans need time to themselves to function. Constantly living with a feeling of obligation to others and never having finished your responsibilities is not healthy.

We all need to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from finishing a task. We also need to understand that in any helping situation, there are no prizes for going it alone. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes many different people and resources to give each individual person the help and support they need.

It’s not uncommon for a person who loves to help or is in a primary support role to feel guilty when their focus shifts from other people to themselves. But that doesn’t mean that shift is an act of selfishness or one that doesn’t fit within the parameters of helping.

Helping yourself to be the best version of you that can be makes you a better friend, lover, parent, colleague and professional. Giving yourself permission to attend to your needs also sets the example for those who rely on you for your support to do the same.

I hope you all have a nice break and time to recover/rejuvenate for 2023 and we can see as many of you as possible at Field Events; the first one being Kickstart Conference in February 2023.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Cheers

Helen Cook
Parent Liaison Officer

Digital Discoveries

Get Geared Up for 2023

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 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. Google Chrome is essential with Microsoft Edge 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:

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.

Regional Tech Hub

The Regional Tech Hub provides independent, free advice about telecommunications services for regional, rural and remote Australians.

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:

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 on the Learning Place (including QLearn, Microsoft Office and Blackboard Collaborate Ultra).

Multischool Term 4

Multischool Term 4

Minischool Term 4

Minischool Term 4

Snow Camp 2022

Snow Camp 2022

Year 3 Camp 2022

Year 3 Camp 2022

Thank You from Miss Cooper