1 February 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Welcome back. I hope everyone enjoyed the school holidays and had a great start to 2017. It is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to step into the Principal role at Windsor State School. I am an experienced and passionate Principal and have been working with the Department of Education since 1982. I thoroughly enjoy working with staff, parents, students, the School Council, P&C and all members of the school community to improve learning outcomes for all students.

Over the past weeks I have had the pleasure of working with the staff of Windsor State School. The first thing I noted was their dedication and commitment to the students and their enthusiasm to get to know the students in their class and to engage all students in learning.

Please ensure students are at their classroom by 8:50am each morning. If students arrive after the second bell at 9:00am, they will need to go to the office for a late slip. Every Day Counts and it is very important to ensure our students are at school every day unless unwell. If your child is going to be absent for any reason please ring the school hotline, or email admin and provide the following information:

1. Student name
2. Class
3. Day/Dates they will be absent
4. Reason for the absence

We are currently investigating ways of reducing unexplained absences and your assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated.

The QParents app is an excellent way to record unexplained absences and invitations (QParents Account Owners) to new families will be sent out this week.

We are currently investigating and will soon be using a SMS service to ascertain all unexplained absences. If you receive an SMS, it would be appreciated if you could reply as soon as possible. We are always investigating ways to reduce unexplained absences to ensure children are attending school. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Our priority areas for 2017 will be Reading, Writing and ICTs. As Principal, I will monitor our progress in these areas and work with the staff and the School Council to ensure alignment of our strategic direction and progress towards our goals. Last year a decision was made to purchase a set of five iPads for every classroom. Thank you to the P&C for this huge investment. The iPads have now arrived and will be rolled out to all classrooms as soon as possible. Teachers are already exploring suitable apps for using the iPads in the classrooms and all staff are expanding their knowledge and skills of digital technologies and digital pedagogies.

Please continue to use the website and newsletters to check the calendar of events and ensure you are up to date with all that is happening. Unfortunately, I have had to take some unexpected leave this week; however, I look forward to meeting parents next Tuesday night, 7th February, at the annual ‘Meet the Teacher Evening’.

Kind Regards
Jude Fountain
Principal

CLASSES

Each year a school’s staffing ratio is determined by the Day 8 enrolment data. This year, Day 8 is this Thursday 2nd February. At the end of 2016, all class lists were prepared with the proviso that changes may occur after our Day 8 enrolment data was finalised. This is a systemic process across Queensland that impacts all schools.

It is important that all parents are reminded that changes to classes may occur post Day 8 if our enrolments increase or decrease. All class lists remain in DRAFT until final enrolments have been collected and definitive school staffing allocated.

The outcome of the 2017 Day 8 enrolment collection may mean that your child/children move classes and teachers. I apologise, in advance, for any disruptions that may occur post Day 8 and reassure you our teaching staff will strive to ensure continuity in educational programming for all students. We need to prepare children for possible changes to ensure that we continue to foster and develop resilience. Any changes to classes and staff will be communicated to parents ASAP. Thank you for your understanding.

MEET THE TEACHERS

We welcome our new teachers to the school for the 2017 School Year. We look forward to them playing a vital role in the continuation of excellent educational opportunities for all of our students. Joining us this year are:

Mr Nick Fenton PA; Ms Elise Chemello 1C; Mr Luke Vearing 2B; Mrs Zara Marshall 2C; Ms Anna Thygesen 2D; Ms Jacqui Milner 4A; Mrs Lisa Heard 5A; Mrs Rhona Chapman 5D; Mr Taylor Imhoff 6D; Mrs Janelle Skinner Music; Mr Paul Kucharski Instrumental Music Band; Ms Rachael Crossley Teacher-Aide; Mr Darren Burgess Teacher-Aide SEP. We hope they enjoy their time at Windsor.

Next Tuesday, 7th February, our annual ‘Meet the Teacher Evening’ will be held. This enables all parents to meet teachers and become familiar with how year levels and classrooms will operate. These meetings “set the scene” for the year ahead.

“Meet the Teacher” meetings are a valuable way to learn about the year level curriculum and expectations, classroom organisation, routine and procedures. For those parents who have more than one child at Windsor, in 2017, we have arranged two separate half hour sessions so that you can move easily to various classrooms.

As our teachers work closely together these meetings will be held in whole year level groups this year. At these meetings, the classroom teachers will introduce themselves and share important information that you will find valuable when supporting your child/children throughout the year. These meetings will focus on important areas that directly impact on student learning and classroom organisation.

INDUCTION OF SCHOOL LEADERS

One of the most important days of our school year is the induction of our School Leaders and Student Council. On this day we recognise and celebrate the achievements of those students who we, the staff and students, have selected as the representatives for our school. The induction parade will take place on Monday, February 13th, 2017 from 9am in the Hall.

All parents are invited to attend this special ceremony.

SAFETY FIRST

It is important to remind all parents/caregivers of the need to obey the council signage around our drop off zones. The drop off zones on Constitution Road and Harris Street are two minute stopping zones only. Parents cannot leave their vehicle, you must move to the head of the queue, if your child is not ready to be picked up you must drive around the block and return to the end of the queue.

UNIFORM

Thank you parents for the outstanding manner in which our children have prepared for school. Our school has clear expectations that the school uniform is to be worn at all times. In recent years, the P&C have added new house shirts to the uniform. House shirts should be worn on HPE lesson days, Fridays for Pastoral Care and at Sports Events, Cross Country, Athletics & Swimming.

The agreed uniform for our school stipulates black shoes and white socks should be worn. There are many forms of black joggers available for purchase that enable a child to play on the oval at lunch time. Parents are asked to not allow students to wear brightly coloured joggers to school.

Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly marked with your child’s / family name. All hair that falls over the collar should be tied back to help minimise the spread of head lice. Girls should only use blue or white hair bands or ribbons. Boys’ hair should not be shaved or patterned. Colouring of hair is not appropriate for school aged children.

Jewellery should be limited to sleepers or studs in the ears and jewellery of religious or cultural significance.

BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL

Children at school before 8:30am should be enrolled in the before school care program. Between 8:30am and the first bell students are to sit under the main building where they will be supervised by the school leadership team. This is not a time for play. The school offers no supervision of play areas before or after school and parents are asked to help make our school safe by all students not using play equipment before school.

Students and families may enjoy our playgrounds straight after school; however, it is important that the community 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 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. We appreciate your support with this.

OSHC: HELPING HANDS NETWORK

Helping Hands Network is the supplier of Out of School Hours Care at Windsor State School. Parents should be aware that, each term, Helping Hands Network provide a significant financial contribution directly back to the school, dependent on the number of families who utilise the service. This financial contribution directly supports student learning outcomes.

The service operates as a community partnership with the School, Parents and Children to provide all Out Of School Hours Care needs (i.e. Before School, After School and Vacation Care). Helping Hands actively cooperate with government agencies, schools and parents to make the use of the service and payment of fees convenient and affordable while providing exceptional value to our school community.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Welcome back to the 2017 school year! Hopefully everyone enjoyed a relaxing break and managed to spend quality time with family and friends. I know that the children are ready for school and enthusiastic about ‘making every minute count’ this year.

At the end of 2016, on the second last day, Mr. Stephen O’Kane informed me that he had been appointed to the position of Principal, MacGregor State School. MacGregor is a much larger primary school than Windsor, on Brisbane’s Southside, and a great achievement for someone who has worked in Queensland State Schools throughout a long career. I have enjoyed working with Stephen immensely over the past 7 years and wish him every success in this new and challenging role.

Stephen first came to Windsor State School in 2004, when enrolments were around 300 students, and has seen Windsor through incredible change over the years to the point where we are now at almost 700 enrolments and the school of choice in Brisbane North. Stephen’s decision to move on from Windsor after many years of commitment and hard work was definitely not an easy one. Nonetheless, he has left Windsor a much better place than he found it. Stephen has asked me to communicate that he misses the Windsor community and thanks everyone for such tremendous support and encouragement over the years. He believes that it is through the efforts of our entire community that Windsor State School has continued to improve. Stephen acknowledges that it is only when parents, teachers and students work together that school improvement can be truly realised.

In 2016, I was honoured to be able to lead Windsor throughout a period of change and transition. I would like to take the opportunity to welcome Mrs. Jude Fountain to the position of Principal this term. I look forward to working with Jude to continue to build on the successes of the past.

I look forward to another happy and successful year at Windsor SS.

Matt Keong
Deputy Principal

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL

This year, Windsor State School has been selected as one of 17 new schools joining Brisbane City Council’s Active School Travel (AST) program.

Active School Travel promotes clean and green, active and healthy school travel modes such as walking, cycling, carpooling and public transport. Over the next three years, our school will receive a range of free resources, tools, incursions to enable active travel to and from school.

By leaving your car at home, at least one day a week on our active travel day, we can reduce traffic congestion at the school gate, improve our students’ road safety awareness, create a cleaner environment, and improve our health and fitness!

The AST Crew will visit our school assembly to launch the Active School Travel program very soon. We strongly encourage you to be part of this great initiative to change our school environment and culture.

Start thinking how you can use your car less travelling to and from school this year.

STUDENT COUNCIL DISCO

The Student Council welcomes everyone back to the New Year with a Disco on Thursday, 16th February, the first Disco for 2017. This Disco helps to raise money to support student council projects at the school, including our World Vision Sponsor Child.

Tickets will be available in the Early Years Precinct, before 8:50am in the week leading up to the Disco ($5.00 single ticket; $10.00 family ticket- 2 or more).

The Disco times are as follows:

Prep-Year 2: 5:15pm-6:30pm
Year 3-6: 7:00pm-8:30pm

All Prep-Year 2 students must be accompanied by their parent/guardian at all times during the Disco. Parents/Guardians, you are responsible for your own children. Teachers will supervise at the Year 3-6 Disco. Parents are not required to stay at this Disco, but must collect students promptly at 8:30pm. Food and drink will be on sale at the Disco. The DJ will also be selling glow products.

Follow Windsor SS on Facebook & Twitter!

Get the most up-to-date information and school alerts by following Windsor State School on Facebook and Twitter @Windsor_SS.

You can also access important school information and alerts, including Facebook/Twitter, via the QSchools app! Download it now and keep informed of everything that is happening at our school.

QParents

Our school also has QParents. Parents will receive an invitation email or letter to register this week. Prep parents will also receive a Student ID card containing an EQ ID number to register.

If you do not receive an invitation (QPAO), please advise Admin asap. QParents is one of the ways we communicate with parents, get on board to enjoy the ease and convenience that QParents offers.

QParents is also the means by which parents access Student Reports. It is important to register now as printed reports are no longer sent home at the end of each Semester. Help us become more ‘paper-less’ by registering for QParents now!

RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR & CODE OF CONDUCT

Pastoral Care: Social Emotional Learning

YCDI is a program that teaches children a number of different skills that they need to be successful and happy, not only at school but during their years in primary, secondary school and beyond. “Successful” means every child doing the best they can. “Happy” suggests children who like themselves and have a good self-esteem, have friends, work hard in learning activities at school, challenge themselves, help others in need, and make school and home a safe and organised place to live and learn. YCDI aims to establish an environment where children will not spend a lot of time feeling extremely sad, worried or angry and will not want to fight with others or spend a lot of time alone and withdrawn from play or work activities.

There are 5 Foundations (5 Keys) that young people need to develop in order to be successful and happy. These are: CONFIDENCE; PERSISTENCE; ORGANISATION; GETTING ALONG AND EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE.

Although these words may seem “very grown up”, especially for Early Childhood, the YCDI program will introduce each Foundation (Key) with a character: Connie Confidence; Pete Persistence; Oscar Organisation; Gabby Get Along and Ricky Resilience. The Foundations (Keys) will also be emphasised in Social Emotional focussed teaching and Pastoral Care, through children’s stories, in creative lessons and activities and in songs. These different components will give your child time to learn about and practise each Foundation (Key) thoroughly. It is important that parents talk to children about the 5 keys and use the language of You Can Do It at home also!!

Our Whole School Responsible Behaviour Plan has been developed around students’ behaviour choices and their commitment to our school rules, beliefs and values (Respect for Self; Respect for Others; Respect for the School). Bronze (C- Satisfactory), Silver (B- often very good), and Gold (A- consistently excellent) levels are achieved when students achieve specific criteria. These criteria are related to the school beliefs and values about RESPECT and the development of the 5 keys to success and happiness, CONFIDENCE; PERSISTENCE; ORGANISATION; GETTING ALONG; RESILIENCE. All students (except Prep) begin on Bronze at the beginning of the year and may apply for Silver (after 4 weeks on Bronze) and Gold (after 6 weeks on Silver) as the year progresses.

Students may progress up, or down, these levels as a result of the choices they make. Again, being a Silver or Gold student reflects an awareness and understanding of our schools’ values and beliefs about Respect and the development of the five foundations. It is the responsibility of each student to follow the process when applying to become a Gold/Silver student. This process includes completing an application, demonstrating that they meet the criteria of behaviours, negotiating with classroom teachers and acquiring the necessary signatures to confirm that they demonstrate each of the criteria. Students in Years 2-6 may begin their applications for Silver in Term 1, Week 5 beginning Monday 20th February 2017. Class Teachers will present and discuss the criteria sheets with students to set goals.

The school acknowledges positive role models of behaviour in many ways throughout the year (merit badges; public acknowledgements). This year, we will celebrate students’ efforts and achievements in class and at special parades throughout the year.

PREP VISION TESTS

Children’s Health Queensland, which is a Queensland public health service for children, is running a new vision screening program for Prep children. A Registered Nurse will be visiting Windsor State School during school hours on 15th – 17th March to provide this free screening service. Good vision is important for children’s educational, physical and social development, so the earlier a problem is detected, the better the treatment outcomes.

All prep parents will receive a Vision Screening & Privacy Consent form next week. The completed form will need to be returned to the office by 20th February.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Windsor SS Trial: Prep – Year 6 Languages: Japanese

2017 is an exciting time for learning a language at Windsor State School! Traditionally, Japanese has been taught only to our Year 5 and Year 6 students. This year, we are trialling a whole school Japanese program, with Australian Curriculum Languages: Japanese being taught weekly from Prep through to Year 6. Windsor SS is lucky enough to have two experienced Japanese teachers on staff this year. Mrs Karen Townsend will continue to teach Year 5 and Year 6 Japanese for an hour per week and Mrs Robin Brandis will now teach Japanese from Prep to Year 4. Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students participate in a 30 minute lesson each week and Year 4 students a 45 minute lesson.

This approach to the teaching of Languages at Windsor State School is consistent with the Windsor State School Strategic Plan 2016-2019 and the strategic direction of DET. In Advancing Education: An action plan for education in Queensland, released by DET last year, one of the major focus areas is ‘Global Schools through Languages’ with the aim to expand the study of culture and languages from Prep to Year 12 in state schools with a focus on Asian languages. The following is an excerpt from the action plan:

“Queensland students live and learn in an increasingly interconnected world. As tomorrow’s leaders and citizens, they need to be aware of global issues and understand the traditions and cultures of our broader community more than ever before.

Learning a language gives our students the chance to communicate across cultures and experience the world in new ways. This helps build a cohesive society at home as well as preparing students for success in the internationally competitive employment and business markets.

Expanding the study of languages and cultures from Prep to Year 12 in state schools, with a focus on Asian languages, will support young Queenslanders to develop a global mindset, enable them to communicate across languages and cultures, and open doors to further study and personal and career opportunities.”

As we trial this new whole school approach to the teaching of Japanese at Windsor State School, we welcome your feedback on the program.

Year 5 and Year 6 Economics and Business

As we continue to roll-out the Australian Curriculum, Year 5 and Year 6 students will be taught the content and skills of the Humanities and Social Sciences sub-strand of Economics and Business. Below is further information about the concepts covered in Year 5 and Year 6 Economics and Business.

Concepts for developing understanding

The content in the economics and business sub-strand develops key ideas, with a focus on developing an understanding of why decisions need to be made when allocating resources (resource allocation) for society’s needs and wants, and the various factors that may influence them when making decisions (making choices). Methods that help with these decisions, particularly for consumer and financial decisions, are considered (consumer and financial literacy).

Inquiry Questions

Why do I have to make choices as a consumer?
What influences the decisions I make?
What can I do to make informed decisions?

Year 6 Economics and Business

Concepts for developing understanding

The content in the economics and business sub-strand develops key ideas, with a focus on developing students’ understanding of opportunity cost and why decisions about the ways resources are allocated to meet needs and wants in their community involve trade-offs. The limited nature of resources means that businesses and consumers make choices (resource allocation and making choices). This involves consumers choosing what to purchase and businesses choosing the way they provide goods and services (consumer literacy, business environment). Students consider the effect of consumer and financial decisions on individuals, the community and the environment (consumer and financial literacy). The emphasis is on community or regional issues, with opportunities for concepts to also be considered in national, regional or global contexts where appropriate.

Inquiry Questions

Why are there trade-offs associated with making decisions?
What are the possible effects of my consumer and financial choices?
Why do businesses exist and what are the different ways they provide goods and services?

The above information, along with the Australian Curriculum content descriptors and achievement standards, are available on the Australian Curriculum website by following the link below.

Master Teacher’s Report

Master Teacher / STLaN Update

Reading

Before school Reading Intervention

Once again, we will be providing our before school reading programs. During week two, a letter will go home to all parents of students being offered places. Please sign and return the forms ASAP, as all programs will begin in Week 3. More information about these programs will be in the next newsletter.

Windsor State School Reading Program

Our reading framework from P-6 engages the Australian Curriculum English and C2C units. We will be continuing and working on the whole school approach to reading, using the Daily 5 structure. The explicit teaching of reading strategies at Windsor SS is by the Literacy CAFÉ strategies.

CAFÉ is an acronym that stands for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanding vocabulary. Reading instruction and practice are structured through the Daily 5 model of focus lessons, Read to Self, Read to Someone and Listen to Reading.

All students at Windsor State School:

• Work with their teachers to set realistic and achievable reading goals
• Know their reading goal/s
• Articulate their reading goals
• Discuss what they are doing to achieve their goal/s
• Have their own reading box filled with a variety of “Good Fit Books”
• Be explicitly taught how to pick “Good Fit Books”

Our Playgroup, the Windsoroos

Welcome back Windsoroos!

At Windsor State School, we are once again very excited about running our Playgroup, the Windsoroos. It is an early years Playgroup, affiliated with Playgroup Queensland, designed to:

• foster parent/carer, child relationships
• provide networking connections

Windsor State School pays the membership fee that covers insurance, however one of the requirements of this, is that each member registers. Forms will be available when you come along. The information will be kept on file and submitted to Playgroup Queensland. Each week we ask for a gold coin donation to cover the costs of consumables.

Our playgroup is for siblings of students at Windsor State School and children, 0 – 5 years, who reside in the Windsor State School catchment.

Parents, carers, children and babies meet together each Friday from 1.30 to 3.00pm in our relaxed Early Years Precinct to share knowledge, seek advice and gain invaluable support. We begin our afternoon in the Helping Hands area under the Constitution building. Helping Hands is our Before and After School Care provider and they support our Windsoroos.

The Playgroup will recommence on Friday, 3rd February, 2017, and will continue to operate in alignment with the school terms.

2017 Timetable for the Windsoroos:

The Windsoroos Playgroup runs in conjunction with our extended play for Prep every Friday afternoon. After lunch every Friday, the extended play for Preps will provide a powerful context in which the children will learn as they actively engage socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually with people and the environment. During the play sessions, children will take on the roles of co-player, observer, listener, initiator, responder, facilitator, questioner, scaffolder, modeller, challenger or mediator.

Our extended play will cater for the following types of play.

As the Early Years precinct will be a learning and teaching environment every Friday afternoon, we ask that all parents, carers and children respect the students, teachers and the young Windsoroos and stay away from the Early Years Playground. Please wait under the buildings or the meeting place until the 3pm.

For more information about our playgroup, please click on the attachment below.

We look forward to having fun and growing with you and your child/children at the Windsoroos Playgroup.