13 October 2016

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Welcome back to Term 4! We are now on the final countdown to WindsorFest. This weekend we as a school community go on show. Many members of our community have contributed to ensure that WindsorFest is a huge success. I ask everyone to get behind our WindsorFest Convenors, our stall organisers, our cooks, bakers and of course our valued sponsors. Bring all your family and friends to WindsorFest at Windsor State School, this Sunday 16th October from 10am-4pm.

WindsorFest 2016 will feature local business pop ups, rides, gourmet foods, live entertainment, show bags, fashion stalls and much more. This is our major fundraising event for the year with proceeds assisting the school to improve facilities, equipment and programs for students.

The WindsorFest committee is working extremely hard to make this year’s event the best we’ve ever seen. I’d like to thank all members of this P&C subcommittee for their hard work and determination so far. Much time goes in to organising a large event for the community and I’d like to encourage others who can assist to come to the final meeting tomorrow night, Thursday 13th, in the school Hall. I look forward to seeing everyone at WindsorFest supporting the school and enjoying our sense of community spirit.

See the Windsorfest Map below to start planning your fun family day out!

Matt Keong
Principal

Debating

This Wednesday evening, our Year Six Debating team participates in the final round of Queensland Debating Union’s Primary Competition, 7:00pm, at Clayfield College. The topic for this debate is “that boarding school is better than day schools”. This is a great opportunity for other students to come along and support our teams as well as to learn about the great skills involved in debating.

Congratulations to Lily C, Rosie H, Luca G and Saul C for your outstanding efforts and dedication to debating. Thank you also to Mrs Vincenzi and parents for your work preparing our students.

Prep 2017 Enrolments

Our planning for 2017 is well underway and it is very exciting to see so many new enrolments for 2017. Windsor State School is approaching 100 new Preps, in-catchment, rapidly. We are now planning for Transition Day that will take place on Friday 18th November from 9am-11am. Invitations will be sent out to all in-catchment enrolments who have now had interviews. If you have a child starting Prep in 2017, live in-catchment, and have not submitted your enrolment forms to the office, I ask that you do this ASAP to ensure you don’t miss Transition Day.

Currently, we have an out-of-catchment zone waiting list of over 40. Regrettably, I am now certain that Windsor SS cannot take any enrolments from outside our catchment boundaries.

If you know of people who live in our catchment and intend to enrol at Windsor SS in 2017, please ask them to contact Admin on 38664333 to arrange an interview asap.

Planning Classes for 2017

We are well underway with our planning for the 2017 school year. I urge all families to ensure they have returned their enrolment intention form as soon as possible. Early in the new term, we will begin our individual class plans for 2017. Our teachers use their knowledge of students, their educational and developmental needs in planning fair and equitable classes for the new school year.

Parents who believe they have information that needs to be shared about their child’s development may email me at Matthew.Keong@eq.edu.au with this information. Please ensure the subject line of the email is: Classes 2017.

Requests for individual teachers and the need to be with friends are not required nor considered.

Playgrounds after school

It is great to see students and families enjoy the wonderful facilities and playgrounds straight after school however I need all of the community to please support this practice in the following ways.

If students are to use the playground after school parents must be actively supervising from right next to the playground. Playgrounds are also only available for use after school until 3:30pm, this is 30 minutes after school is finished. From 3:30pm all playgrounds are required for our after school care program and as such must be vacated. Please remember that all playgrounds are ‘off-limits’ before school. I appreciate everyone’s support with this.

Student Free Day

Next Monday, 17th October, is a Student Free Day when teachers undertake Professional Development and training that is aligned with our Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan. The Community Voluntary Financial Contribution so far this year has raised over $35,000. These generous financial donations from the community have enabled us to progressively build a fleet of iPads for use in classrooms. Next Monday, all staff will undertake Professional Development with Bob Rodgers, DET Principal Project Officer: Innovation, in the integration of iPads to implement an innovative and engaging approach to curriculum delivery. Teachers will be exploring apps and the use of iPads to further support higher order thinking.

Please remember to organise OSHC with Helping Hands next Monday.

Deputy Principal’s Report

As we begin another busy term, our focus on teaching, curriculum and assessment continues. This term, year level teams will continue to moderate student work samples to assist with consistency of judgements across the school. Each year level team will again be provided with release time for half a day to moderate student samples. In addition to the summative assessment that is used to inform reporting and overall results, we also focus attention this term on formative assessment. Formative assessment is a range of formal and informal assessment which is used to monitor student progress. The purpose of such assessment is to gain information about students that will assist in the planning and implementation of future learning experiences. Such assessment is useful for identify the needs of a whole class, groups of students and individual students. Some of the formal formative assessment tools used at Windsor SS include PAT Testing and Early Start.

For Prep, Year 1 and Year 2, Early Start is a comprehensive formative assessment tool. By administering Early Start, teachers gain important information about what your child knows and understands. This information can then be used to make decisions about teaching and learning, and to monitor progress over time so that your child’s needs are met. At Windsor State School, Early Start is administered at the beginning of Prep, end of Prep, end of Year 1 and end of Year 2. This assessment is primarily conducted by working one-on-one with each child. Prep – Year 2 teachers and teacher aides will be beginning to conduct Early Start in the coming weeks and will continue up until the end of term.

The information gathered through the use of this assessment tool is not used for awarding a grade level, as it is a formative piece of assessment. Instead, the important information gathered from these assessments conducted at the end of the year are used by their teaching to inform their planning and also provided to your child’s 2017 teacher. For example, the end of Year 2 Early Start data will be provided to the 2017 Year 3 teachers to provide important information about what each child knows and understands in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy.

At the beginning of another busy term, full of important learning experiences, remember, “Every Day Counts”! Just a little bit of time away from school may not seem much but…

Roxanne O’Donoghue
Deputy Principal

Pastoral Care Focus

A Model for Mindful Parenting

For many of us, the term ‘mindful parenting’ is somewhat obscure. What exactly is mindful parenting, and what does it mean?

A simplified definition is that mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience, moment by moment.

A team of US researchers set out to introduce a model of ‘mindful parenting’ as a framework whereby parents intentionally bring moment-to-moment awareness to the parent–child relationship. This is done by developing qualities of listening, emotional awareness, self-regulation, compassion and nonjudgmental acceptance to parenting interactions. The aim of the research was to integrate mindfulness-based intervention techniques and mindful parenting into well-established, evidence-based family prevention programs.

Key findings:

• The cultivation of mindfulness is thought to provide an antidote to states of being unaware, for example not noticing or not paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and sensations. It is also thought to provide an antidote to avoiding the experience of what is happening in the present moment.
• The model of mindful parenting suggests that the quality of parent–child relationships will be improved by promoting parents’ ability to bring a present-moment awareness to their parenting.
• Parents who adopt mindfulness for their parenting and regularly engage in mindful parenting practices will undergo a fundamental shift in their ability and willingness to truly be present with the constantly growing and changing nature of their child.
• Mindful parenting may enhance parents’ abilities to successfully navigate their children’s cognitive, and behavioural changes during adolescence, as well as adapt to their own developmental changes.
• Mindful parenting may also promote parenting practices such as teaching children how to label, express, and talk about their feelings, which can promote a child’s own self-regulation abilities.
• Mindful parenting does not imply that the impulse to display emotions such as anger or hostility is not felt. Rather, it involves pausing before reacting in order to exercise greater self-regulation and choice in the selection of parenting practices.

Things you can do:

• Make time to listen. Kids tend to talk when they’re ready, not when it suits us, so make the most of those precious conversations.
• Notice tone, facial expressions and body language. Hearing the content of a conversation is often not enough. If we watch for tone, expressions and body language, we can more successfully detect our child’s needs or intended meaning.
• Resist the temptation to say ‘I told you so’. Allow kids to make mistakes and suffer consequences, recognising that mistakes are all a healthy part of life.
• Provide clear standards and expectations for behaviour. Ensure these are appropriate to both culture and the child’s developmental level.
• Practise identifying emotions. If we are able to identify both our own and our child’s emotions, we can make conscious choices about how to respond, rather than reacting automatically, based on perceptions or beliefs.
• Avoid self-blame. When parenting goals are not achieved, a mindful approach may lead to greater acceptance of our efforts rather than a focus on specific outcomes of parenting.
• Pause before reacting. Give yourself the chance to exercise greater self-regulation and an opportunity to choose which strategy you’re going to employ.
• Show compassion. When we do, our kids feel a greater sense of positive affection and support.

Source: Duncan, et al., A Model of Mindful Parenting: Implications for Parent-Child Relationships and Prevention Research. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev (2009) 12:255-270.

Follow this link to YCDI Parents for more information and/or to subscribe to the ParentingWorks Newsletter

Gala Days

Sport is an integral part of our school curriculum. The first three Fridays of Term 4 are Interschool Sport Gala Days. Each student in Years 4-6 must pay $12 per day, for each Gala Day, and have returned a completed permission slip to participate in Gala Days. It is crucial that the buses leave on time so that students do not miss games, so we ask that all Year 4-6 students arrive at school promptly on these mornings. Supervision will be provided from 8.30am. We will begin boarding the buses at 8.50am and the buses will be unable to wait for late arrivals.

Please remember to send sunscreen with your child to reapply throughout the day. It is important that they take responsibility for their personal sun-safety.

Day for Daniel

Friday the 28th of October is Day for Daniel. For a gold coin donation, students are invited to wear red to school on this day to support the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. The foundation aims to help raise awareness about child safety and protection. It aims to help empower children to Recognise, React and Report if they feel something is not right.

This is not just a ‘Free Dress Day’. If your child does not wish to wear red to school on this day, they are to wear normal school uniform. Wearing red could be anything from a complete red outfit to a red hair ribbon!

National Bandana Day

Friday the 28th of October is also National Bandana Day. Bandanas will be on sale for $4.00 before school near Constitution Building Monday-Thursday of that week and Student Councillors will go around to each class to sell any remaining bandanas on Friday the 28th of October. The money raised from the sale of the bandanas goes to Canteen, to help support young people living with cancer.

The Breathe Project

Just Breathe…These simple words have been flying around our school this week along with one simple breathing technique. This technique aims to enhance mindfulness and wellbeing and reduce stress and anxiety.

The Breathe Project is an independent health promotion initiative empowering youth, schools and communities with one simple breathing technique. The project teaches students and teachers how to practically use this technique and integrate it into the classroom.

This term, Breathe Project Founders Kat & Bodhi dropped in to educate Windsor SS students and teachers on how to breathe correctly and they also encourage parents to join the project. More information is available at the following link.

QParents

Our school now has QParents. Parents should have received an invitation email or letter by now and it’s great to see that so many parents have registered already.

If you have not received an invitation, please advise us immediately. QParents will soon become an integral part of how we communicate with parents. Get on board to enjoy the ease and convenience that QParents offers.

Help us become more ‘paper-less’ by registering for QParents now!

School Stuff

There are three simple methods for filling orders through Schoolstuff:

• ONLINE: Go to the above link at any time to place your order. You can either have your order despatched to your chosen address or it can be collected from our warehouse. Orders are despatched on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays.
• PHONE: Call us on 33917000 and we will place the order for you.
• RETAIL STORE: Visit our store at 81A Caswell St East Brisbane for an instant service. Our staff will pick and pack your order for you while you wait. The store is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 9am -4pm throughout the year, including school holidays.

Master Teacher’s Report

Master Teacher Update

Reading

Before school Reading Intervention

These programs have already started. Please check the timetable below.

Using bar codes to record and listen to reading

At the end of last term, our Year threes were exploring the Show, Don’t Tell strategy in writing. The students have recorded their stories on iPads using a barcode. By downloading a QR Reader app on your iPad or mobile, for example 1-I-nigma or QR Code reader, you will be able to scan the barcodes below and listen to the students read their own stories.

Sonya and Finley reading their stories

Writing

Writing Highlights

By writing every day, our students are continuing to build their stamina and expertise. Below is Cooper’s story, written on his topic of choice. Notice the sizzling start and emotive words.

Our Playgroup, the Windsoroos

Having fun at Windsoroos

2016 Term 4 dates:

Anyone interested in participating in the Windsoroos Playgroup can:

• contact the office staff on 3866 4333 and leave their details or email admin@windsorss.eq.edu.au with their details

Connecting with the local kindergartens

On Monday morning, Trina Christensen and I were cordially welcomed, when we visited the local C&K at Lutwyche. There, we discussed early childhood resources with Sue, the C&K coordinator. She has kindly offered to loan our playgroup some of her kindy resources. We were also lucky enough to talk with some of our Windsoroos, Hamish and Ivy.

Kindy fun!

Donations for the Windsoroos

If you are having a Spring clean, we would love to help you! We are looking for:

• previously loved metal cooking utensils: (for the sandpit)

• An old non-working microwave to put near the sandpit to cook our sand cakes
• Dress-ups for the home corner (shoes, bags, hats, costumes…)

Thank you for recycling!

Jan Moore

WindsorFest

Only a few days to go now! Who’s excited? The committee certainly are!! I know this section is big, but please keep reading as there’s lots of great information below about what’s happening on the day.

Entertainment & Activities

There will be heaps to keep the whole family entertained all day at WindsorFest. We have facepainting, balloons, appearances by Redback Garrison, 501st Legion (Star Wars characters), other appearances such as Spider Man, robotics workshops, kids yoga classes, African drumming workshops and a school tour for past students at 1pm.

Community Stalls

There will also be a huge variety of free community stalls and displays to visit, such as

• Windsor State School Heritage Display
• Windsor Historical Society & Windsor Past Students Association – 1956 Reunion
• Wilston Grange Junior AFL
• Brisbane Bandits Baseball
• Golf Central
• Shaw Park Tennis
• Queensland Ambulance Service
• Queensland Fire & Rescue Service
• Queensland Police
• The Backyard Bee Project

Stages

Did you know there will be 2 stages this year with heaps of entertainment all day?

Here’s the schedule for each stage:

Dunk Tank

Have you been thinking about who you want to dunk?

A word from our Principal Sponsor – Ray White Lutwyche

Check out the pdf below from our Principal Sponsor Ray White Lutwyche. There are some great offers in there as well as more info on our lucky door prize!

Voluntary Gold Coin Entry to WindsorFest

Grab your ticket stub after making a gold coin donation on entry to WindsorFest to enter the draw for a fantastic lucky door prize donated by Ray White Lutwyche. The prize is a registered box trailer loaded up with gardening goodies from Bunnings – valued at around $2,500!!! Head over to the Ray White Lutwyche stand in the Jazz Bar area to hand in your ticket stub to go in the draw! Not keen on the gold coin entry fee? No worries! The gold coin entry is not compulsory, your family will still be able to enjoy WindsorFest.

Thinking of a career change?

Rides Tickets

If you haven’t already got your rides tickets, come and visit us before or after school near the Constitution building to save money and time. Otherwise purchase online at the following link.

Wristbands include unlimited rides all day and can be used on all rides operated by Carnival Land. Activity Passes can be used on all rides, activities and most P&C operated stalls.

Prices on the day $45 per wristband or $5 per ride. Activity Pass will remain at $25 on the day.

Already purchased online?

If you’ve already purchased online, you or the kids can visit us before or after school to collect the writstbands/activity passes.

Raffle

Please return any unsold tickets to the office by the end of this week! They MUST be returned to be included in the draw on Sunday.

Who’s going to be lucky in the raffle draw?

Silent Auction

Check out our Silent Auction Catalogue below, listing all silent auction items on offer. In a first, this year we will be offering you the opportunity to buy the item before the silent auction closes (or even opens!). If you simply must have a particular item, ‘buy it now’ to ensure it’s yours, don’t leave it to chance.

Calling all Bakers

The WindsorFest Cake Stall is putting the call out to all bakers within the school community to heat up their ovens and don an apron!

Our best sellers are always TRADITIONAL home baked sweets, it’s what our community and consumers love! Think childhood favourites and all things biscuits, slices, cupcakes, whole cakes, bar cakes, loaf cakes/breads, muffins, cookies, brownies, gingerbread, crackles, bundts in every shape and size!

Clear plastic bags with ribbon are available at the office. In case you miss out on the freebies the ribbon colours are Royal Blue, Red, Yellow and Teal. Keeping in theme with the WindsorFest colour scheme.

To meet food safety standards ALL donated goodies MUST be labelled with ingredients listed. For your use and to keep labelling consistent please use the PDF below of printable and editable labels. Please insert the name of your baked good i.e. Chocolate Brownies in the first text box and then list the ingredients in the second text box.

** BAKED GOODS DROP ZONE **

The cake stall ‘drop zone’ is at Helping Hands (Ground Floor, Constitution Building).

Please drop off your packaged goodies between 12 - 4pm on Saturday 15th October.

We will continue to accept baked goods on the day, preferably before 10am.

** QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT **

If you have any baking questions please contact Cath (cathrobson@hotmail.com 0421 470 780) or Crystal (dcconcepts@bigpond.com 0405 134 581).