30 March 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

During my short time at Windsor State School I have been impressed by all aspects of the school and its community members. Students are engaged, focused and motivated towards success, staff are professional and united in their quest for improvement of learning outcomes for all students.

Thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome.

As you are aware the Principalship of Windsor State School has gone to merit and the process is currently underway. I have been notified by the chair of the panel that we should be able to make an announcement on Friday, the last day of the term. We will do this via a newsflash.

Our three priorities are foremost in our minds as we end the first term of 2017, Reading, Writing and ICTs.

We have Put Faces on the Data (Sharratt and Fullan 2012) through the introduction of Data Walls and Case Management. I have been very impressed by how well the teaching team and leadership team know their students and have focused on moving all students forward. We are well on the way to ensuring that the Windsor Reading Program is embedded in every classroom.

The Writer’s Box was a catalyst to engaging students in writing and as you can see from the newsletter, students have really embraced this initiative. The writing program is well on the way to being written with clearly articulated goals and timeframes over the next 3 terms.

ICT initiatives have been energized through the introduction of iPads in every classroom, all staff are exploring the endless possibilities of digital pedagogies and using devices in our classrooms. Training of all staff is continuing.

I would like to thank Scott Lawrence and the 2016 P&C who have dedicated their time and considerable effort in working towards a common goal with the staff of Windsor State School to ensure exceptional learning outcomes for all students.

I would like to welcome Craig Thompson to the 2017 P&C team and wish them all the very best for 2017. I would especially like to thank those community members who have given up personal time to help in classrooms, in the tuckshop, on the P&C and in many other ways. It is the wonderful people that make the Windsor State School community truly special.

I would like to acknowledge the incredible leadership skills and negotiation abilities of Matt Keong who has moved the school forward in 2016 and filled my shoes during Term One. Behind the scenes, Matt’s ability to keep abreast of the many challenges that arise in schools and deal with these in a measured and thoughtful manner is admirable. Matt’s every decision is based on his strong moral purpose and integrity and his determination to ensure Windsor State School is the very best it can be.

Jude Fountain
Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

We have almost reached the end of another full and eventful term. Students have persisted in their learning zones all term, setting new goals and striving for success. Throughout the term, I have been on “Learning Walks and Talks” in classrooms across the school. I have spoken with children and asked the following questions about their learning:

What are you learning?
How are you doing?
How do you know?
How can you improve?
Where do you go to for help?

I have been impressed to hear the children confidently and accurately answer these questions and articulate what they have been learning and their goals for improvement. We know that children are self-assessing when they answer these questions and we are fortunate, at Windsor State School, that we have an expert teaching team who make their expectations for successful learning explicit. I have seen students working on achieving their reading goals around comprehension, accuracy, fluency and expanding vocabulary. Many students have also been focussed on building their writing stamina and I have read both convincing persuasive and imaginative narrative pieces of writing. The improvements I have seen in both Reading and Writing are wonderful and I thank both teachers and parents/caregivers for your commitment to our children’s progress.

The Annual General Meeting of The Windsor State School Parents & Citizens Association took place before the holidays and I am delighted to congratulate the new P&C Executive 2017. The positions were filled as follows:

Thanks to these people for their support and dedication to our school. I’d like to pay special tribute to Mr. Scott Lawrence and thank him for his service over the last 12 months. It is the hard work of our dedicated P&C, all of whom are volunteers, which makes Windsor SS a better place for our entire community.

This year, our major improvement focus areas are reading and writing. It has been wonderful to watch the children get excited about writing. I am impressed by the persuasive and narrative pieces of writing that we have been collecting. I have awarded hundreds of stickers for sensational ‘Sizzling Starts’; terrific texts with ‘Tight Tension’ and dynamite ‘Dynamic Dialogue’ delivery. Keep up the great work Windsor Writers! I have also enjoyed my learning walks and listening to students across the school working hard on their reading goals, whether they be practising Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency or Expanding their Vocabulary strategies. Reading frequency has a high correlation and impact on success. Consider the following statistics:

• Student A reads for 20 minutes a day, a total of 1 800 000 words in a year and achieves in the 90th percentile ranking on a standardised test.
• Student B reads for 5 minutes a day, a total of 28 200 words in a year and achieves in the 50th percentile ranking on a standardised test.
• Student C reads for 1 minute a day, a total of 8 000 words in a year and achieves in the 10th percentile ranking on a standardised test.

As I consider the Windsor State School reading data, I reflect of these compelling statistics and what we do as teachers in classrooms to improve. I also remind parents/carers that voracious readers often experience greater success throughout life. Reading to and with your child is extremely valuable. Remember…when it comes to reading, there’s no APP better than a parent’s LAP!

We also have some persistent children coming before school to work with Mrs. Moore and our dedicated teacher-aides on their reading stamina and strategies. Thanks also to Mrs. Kemph for providing opportunities to challenge and extend students at before school program and the BrainWAYS Days of Excellence. STEM club is also extremely popular this term with many applicants for only 30 places. I thank Matt Smail, Myles Cullen, Kellie Robertson and Azadeh Knopf for providing this opportunity, in their own personal time, for students to learn about Science, Coding and Robotics. I applaud all staff and parents for your commitment to improving outcomes for our kids. That is “The Windsor Way” as we know it. I am constantly impressed that, in every classroom, teachers and students are ‘making every minute count’. Students are engaged, focussed and motivated towards success.

Enjoy your Easter vacation, stay safe and remember to drive responsibly around schools!

Matthew Keong
Deputy Principal

WSS Cross Country and Cross Country Training

Congratulations to Wilson House are this year’s Cross Country champions with Maynard a close second and Lutwyche in third place. It was a challenging day due to intermittent rain; however, the student showed great resilience and persistence under true Cross Country conditions.

Congratulations, also, to our Age Champions on your competitive spirit and success! Thanks also to the many parents who braved the weather to come and support the Cross Country. Special thanks to Mr. Goddard and the entire staff who worked so well as a team to stage such a great event.

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

Is Your Child Procrastinating?

Research tells us

Recent research has focused on illuminating differences between high and low procrastinators in terms of their emotional states and patterns of thinking. Some kids who procrastinate are likely to have a fear of failure that includes anxiety about meeting the expectations of their parents, teachers, and friends, a lack of self-confidence and assertiveness skills, as well as low self-esteem.

An even larger group of students procrastinate due to the unpleasantness of the task. Rather than worrying about not being successful, these kids are turned off by the boredom and frustration they experience while working on the task. High academic procrastinators can experience more anxiety, and are more likely to attribute their success to external and fleeting circumstances rather than their own ability and effort. They often lack a strong belief in their ability to be successful at the homework they’re putting off, and appear to have less control over their emotional reactions.

Ripping up excuses

If your child keeps putting off doing schoolwork:

• It’s very likely that he or she is pretty talented at making up excuses for why they haven’t done the work.
• They’ve made up the excuse so they don’t have to feel guilty about procrastinating.
• An excuse is often a rationalisation to protect them.
• The most popular excuse is : ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’
• By making an excuse, kids lull themselves into a false sense of comfort and security by imagining the task will be done tomorrow.

Techniques to teach kids who are putting off doing their school assignments or homework

• Knock-out technique. The harder and more boring the work, the better it is to do it immediately. Help to identify the homework where this technique can apply.
• Worst-first approach. Identify the most difficult aspect of homework and do that first. Sometimes kids won’t do the easiest part of the homework due to anxiety about having to do the most difficult. Ask your child to describe what he has to do and tell you which activities are the hardest and make a start on these immediately.
• Bits and Pieces approach. Kids can easily feel overwhelmed by homework, especially if they’re a perfectionist. Encourage them to make a start, and work from there, doing more and more until homework doesn’t seem so impossible.
• Salami technique. Just as salami tastes better eaten in small pieces, so two a large project broken down into simpler pieces.
• Remember-forget technique. If your child is forgetting what to do in homework, teach her that whenever she remembers forgetting to do something, to do at least some of it immediately.
• Five-minute plan. Getting started is easier if kids work on something for five minutes. Ask them to agree to work for another five and then another five. After fifteen minutes, they’ll be well into the homework.
• Switching. Switching encourages kids to learn to take the momentum they’ve gained from doing one activity they enjoy to immediately switching over to one they’ve been putting off. Time playing an app, to time doing homework.
• Premack procedure. As distinct from Switching, the Premack Procedure (names after the scientist who discovered it) involves kids selecting an activity they really enjoy and not allowing themselves to participate until after they’ve finished their homework.
• Referenting. Kids who procrastinate tend to think about the upside of not doing work and the downside of doing it. In Referenting, they reverse this pattern by writing down all the good things that will happen from doing work and all the bad thing from not. This list may need reviewing regularly!
• Establishing a set time. Encourage your child to schedule a set time to begin work ahead of time.
• Establishing priorities. Kids need to know which aspects of homework are most important and which are least. Ask your child to write down all the work due for completion in the next week. Then write down all the things he wants to do after school and on the weekend. Place a 1 next to most important, 2 next to fairly, and 3 next to not very.
• Isolation. Remove distractions, particularly any electronic devices. If they need to use the computer, sit with them and oversee.
• Visible Reminders. These can be printed notes on the bedroom door or electronic reminders. I can do it; Do it now; Put off putting off.

And finally, it almost goes without saying that if we as parents put off doing things we find boring or frustrating, our kids will learn from our example. So, be a good example your kids will learn from – put off, putting it off.

Check out the link below for more expert parenting advice.

ROAD SAFETY

Information provided by the Department of Main Roads and Transport

How to use a supervised school crossing.

All pedestrians, both students and adults, are to wait on the footpath behind the “toe” line. When a suitable gap appears in the traffic from both directions, the supervisor will extend the STOP sign to face the traffic and proceed to the centre of the road with the STOP sign displayed.

The supervisor will ensure all traffic has stopped or is preparing to stop. The supervisor will blow TWO blasts of the whistle to indicate that it is safe for pedestrians to cross.

Pedestrians need to stay within the bounds of the red & white poles or on the white zebra markings until they reach the opposite footpath. When all pedestrians have cleared the crossing, the supervisor will return to the starting position.

For your safety, please take instruction from the crossing supervisor.

Crossing safely at a supervised school crossing

STOP - LOOK - LISTEN – THINK

WHEN USING THE SCHOOL CROSSING PLEASE REMEMBER THESE 4 WORDS TO KEEP YOU SAFE!

STOP- when you come to a School Crossing and there is a Crossing Supervisor, stop behind the yellow line. Stand quietly ready for the next step.

LOOK- at the Crossing Supervisor to see what he/she is about to do. Stand quietly and patiently while waiting for your supervisor to stop the traffic. Get off your bicycle ready to cross. When it is safe your supervisor will walk onto the road to stop the traffic.

LISTEN - for the whistle. When it is safe to cross the road your Crossing Supervisor will blow the whistle 2 times. Walk smartly, do not run across the road. Wheel your bicycle across the road.

THINK- about what you are doing, walk do not run, watch and listen to your supervisor in case of emergency. Your supervisor may put one hand up to stop you coming across the road to allow the traffic to have a turn.

Driver Obligation at a Supervised School Crossing

A School Crossing Supervisor is trained to judge the safest time to stop traffic and enter the crossing. When doing this they try not to inconvenience the motorists any more than necessary.

As a motorist, we must stop when the supervisor places the ‘Stop Sign' at a 45 degree angle into the traffic, and remain stopped until all pedestrians and the crossing supervisor has returned to the kerb when traffic is queueing (e.g.. at an intersection or entry to a car park, do not stop across the crossing environment). Whilst a vehicle is within the red and white barber pole area, for the safety of the pedestrians a supervisor cannot allow pedestrians to cross the road. Always keep the crossing environment clear.

Driver Obligation at a Flagged Unsupervised School Crossing

At times a school crossing may be unsupervised but flagged with the orange banners “Children Crossing”. As motorists, we must stop when there are pedestrians waiting to the cross the road and remain stopped until all pedestrians have reached the kerb.

If you would like more information on this or any other road safety issue, please phone Transport and Main Roads on 1300 360 135 or visit our website via the link below:

BEFORE SCHOOL

Children at school before 8:30am should be enrolled in Helping Hands, our 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.

HEAD OF CURRICULUM REPORT

Students are invited to apply the Seven Steps to a stimulus provided each week on parade and place their writing in the Writers’ Box outside the office. A range of creative writing and different texts types have certainly filled the Writers’ Box this past fortnight. Our Week 7 winners, Harry (Year 2) and Kisara (Year 5), were very entertaining when responding to the prompt “We thought we were the only ones who saw the strange events… then we saw the news report on TV…”. Thank you to Mr Vearing’s class (2B) for developing this fantastic writing prompt! Last week, we celebrated Harmony Day. The theme of Harmony Day is “Everyone Belongs” and our latest Writer’s Box challenge reflected this theme. Students were asked to write to prompt “Everyone belongs in our community, because…”, using any text type. The Writer’s Box was filled with narratives, persuasive texts, songs and poems! Our Week 9 winners were Dominique (Year 5), Amelia (Year 5) and Ruby (Year 2). Ruby wrote an entertaining story and Dominique and Amelia both wrote wonderful poems.

Use the links below to read this great writing!

Dominique with her thought provoking poem

Although not necessarily taught in the below order, the Seven Steps to Writing Success are:

1. Plan for Success
2. Sizzling Starts
3. Tightening Tension
4. Dynamic Dialogue
5. Show, Don't Tell
6. Ban the Boring
7. Exciting Endings

Olivia with her short story

Olivia (Year 6) has shown that she can apply the Seven Steps to create an engaging and entertaining short story. Through planning, editing and application of feedback, Olivia created an excellent narrative.

If you would like to know more about each of the Seven Steps to Writing Success, follow the link below for a description of each step.

Click here for more information about each of the Seven Steps to Writing Success

Roxanne O’Donoghue
Head of Curriculum

Master Teacher’s Report

Master Teacher / STLaN Update

Reading: Before School Reading

All morning reading groups have now finished for Term 1. All groups will begin again Week 2, Term 2. Thank you to all families who have regularly and promptly attended the sessions.

Don’t forget to encourage your child/children to continue to read during the holidays. Reading Eggs, Sunshine Classics, Sunshine Online and the Queensland State Schools eBook Digital Library (available via the link below) are readily available. Your class teachers would have already sent home the passwords and usernames. If you have lost or forgotten them, please contact your class teacher before Friday.

Happy reading!

Our Playgroup, the Windsoroos

Windsoroos has now finished for Term One. We will recommence on Friday 28th April (Week 2, Term 2).

Throughout the term, we have had lots of fun together. Some highlights of the term have been visiting a Prep room and having Loren White, one of our Prep teachers visiting and looking after our playgroup. We have also had Roxanne O’Donoghue, our HOC, enjoy an afternoon with us. Each week, Helping Hands, our before and after school care provider, has prepared a variety of painting activities such as string and marble painting, hand prints and painting with pastels, for us to enjoy. Faye Haas, Year 1A teacher, prepared Goop for us to experience.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and participated in our Playgroup. A special thank you to Trina Christiansen, WSS Teacher Aide, who helps prepare and set up and tidy up every week.

Below are some photos of the Windsoroos busy at work.

2017 Timetable for the Windsoroos:

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.

Shop for your School 2017

Petrol Shop for your School Evening

On Tuesday 21 March, the women of Windsor enjoyed an evening of fashion and fun at the Windsor State School Shop for your School event held at Petrol Boutique in Paddington. We thank the women who came along to this event. Your attendance at occasions like this not only helps band together our school community but helps raise money for our P&C. We hope you enjoyed your evening.

Shop for your School has been a key event on the P&C calendar for over a decade and raised well over $50,000. We would like to thank Paula, Sonia and the team at Petrol for their support of our school, donating 15% of their sales from this evening to our P&C.

The success of such events is also only made possible by the generous contribution of our Community.

A huge thank you to Lisa Brewster, Helen Thompson, Kelli Hennessey and Sonia Gold Dooney for organising this event. In addition, there were many others who made the evening a great success. Thank you to Mary-Lou Grohn who catered the food in her very own kitchen, milliner Meredith McMaster, Vel Bella for hair and makeup, our fabulous mum and teacher models, and the male Windsor State School staff who kindly served drinks and canapes. We also acknowledge the wonderful support from the school admin team. A special mention to Matt Keong, Roxanne O'Donoghue (who provided fantastic emergency assistance on the evening) and our lovely office ladies.

We would like to thank Kylie Bottomley, Crystal Cooke, Brianna Pollock, Marissa Allan, Dimity McDouall, Alex McDonald, Lee Anning, Chantelle Rapchuk, Sandy Jamieson, Kerri Gavin, Emma Luscombe, Fleur Scriven, Vicki Mackintosh, Angela Kenyon, Jen Allen, Jane Edmiston, Amanda Keane, Mikaela Jackson, Katrina Smith and Megan Angliss for stepping up to assist in many ways both on the evening and in the lead up. Also, our wonderful Ross and Jeff for their help transporting all the equipment.

A thank you also to our parent reps for your support and in particular our year 4 reps Tami Harris, Andrea Hurley, Debbie Parker, Vicki Mackintosh and Mary-Lou Grohn.

Finally, we acknowledge the amazing generosity of the fantastic local businesses who provided sponsorship and donations.

Petrol, Meredith McMaster, Belle Property, Stafford Chiropractic & Wellbeing, Laserforce Woolloongabba, Windsor Day Spa, Tiddlywinks Nundah, YMCA Bowen Hills, Haven Beauty & Day Spa, North Brisbane Dental Clinic, The Low Road Café, Chipmunks Everton Park, Flipside Circus, Brisbane City Indoor Sports, Pepe’s Newmarket, Kings’ Swim, Palace Cinema, Zone Fresh, Melt Hair, Embellish You, Elysian Skin & Body.

Tracy Mills
Vice President
Windsor State School P&C Association

Windsor Seawolves Swimming Club Season End

On Saturday 25 March, the Windsor Seawolves Swimming Club Championship, Annual General Meeting, Trophy Presentation and Dinner was held at Windsor State School. This event concluded the end of the 2016/2017 Season.

Windsor Seawolves Swimming Club is a subcommittee of the P&C and is run entirely by a dedicated and passionate group of volunteers. Thank you to the outgoing 2016/2017 Subcommittee and all the volunteers who have provided our Community with a safe, fun and inclusive environment for swimmers of all abilities. Additionally, thank you to those who have taken on 2017/2018 Subcommittee roles. The next season commences in Term 4.

Tracy Mills
Vice President
Windsor State School P&C Association