27 April 2018

Newsletter Articles

Across the Principal’s Desk…

Welcome Back

Welcome back to school for term two. We hope that everyone had a fantastic break and children are excited about the learning term ahead. There are many events throughout this term, so please keep an eye out for the weekly updates and dates to diarise from the P&C and of course the newsletters.

Student Free Day Learning

Last Monday, the staff were engaged in professional learning relating to Student Support, Inclusion and Differentiation. The Inclusion Team presented and we then collaboratively discussed our whole school approach to curriculum provision, using a variety of support structures, to cater for the learning needs of all students. This included those in need of learning/behavioural support; those who have educational needs arising from disability; those who are gifted and talented; and those learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D), or a combination of these.

Once again, it was a testament to our teaching and support staff that they continue to embrace professional learning to provide the best possible learning outcomes for your children.

ANZAC Day

With Term 2 well underway, Anzac Day ceremonies held centre-stage this week. We live in the most wonderful country that provides us with all the opportunities we can to achieve, due in large part to the sacrifices of those many wonderful servicemen/women. As the future generation, it was fitting that we reflected on the caring, courage and determination that the original Anzacs showed the world, on Anzac Day 103 years ago at our own Assembly on Tuesday and also at the Windsor Historical Society service on Wednesday morning. Our school ANZAC Assembly was a genuinely moving experience. With a sense of pride and emotion I saw the enormous respect and reverence shown by our students, from Preps through to our senior students who participated and carried forward the meaning of this significant day in our Australian culture. I was very proud of our students’ conduct and dignified contribution to this solemn event. The playing of the bugle from a window high in the main school building, left the students and adults standing in silence - the sounds, making all reflect on the lives of men and women who served in wars and conflicts past and present. My sincere thanks to Mr Matt Keong for co-ordinating the school‘s ANZAC Day Ceremony.

Thank you also goes to all parents, students and staff who volunteered and gave of their time to support our students participate in Windsor Anzac Day service on Wednesday. We had over 70 students who attended! The spirit of ANZAC, with its qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity and ensures the legacy of the ANZAC spirit is not forgotten but grows with vibrancy across new generations.

Below is a copy of Matilda T and Emma C’s poem titled ‘Lest We Forget’, that I read during our school’s ANZAC Day ceremony on Tuesday.

Lest We Forget - By Matilda T and Emma C – Year 6

Poppies we wear pinned on our shirt,
To commemorate the soldiers underneath the dirt.
The ANZAC’s have fallen, young and old,
The ANZAC’s sad story is still being told.
Lest We Forget.

Poppies are a symbol of bravery and blood,
For the ANZAC’s who lay, still in the mud.
Even with the small rations that they were given,
The ANZAC’s stood strong and would not give in.
Lest We Forget.

The field had flowers that were lined up in rows,
Where the battle commenced friends against foes.
The soldiers tried their best but it did not go well,
As thousands of ANZAC’s were hit by a shell.
Lest We Forget.

The ANZAC’s landed at the bay,
Fighting dark night, fighting light day.
Up on the hill, there came the Turks,
In a few seconds there were blood soaked shirts.
Lest We Forget.

The ANZAC’s at Gallipoli could only guess their fate,
With the war ongoing it became a stalemate.
They fought for us and died for us so we shall shed our tears,
Every one of the lives lost have taken away our fears.
Lest We Forget

Young James Martin* died in the war,
A few days after he arrived on the shore
But we shall acknowledge his and every one of the soldier’s sacrifice
To ensure the freedom of the people, to ensure paradise.
Lest We Forget.

Shots rang out, men’s agonised cries, then silence,
They were gone, more lives taken, more violence.
Blood, sweat and tears was the sight after war,
And because of the ANZAC’s pain and death, would be no more.
Lest We Forget.

ANZAC Day – A Poem By Caitlyn H – Year 3

We will be on top of you as we speak
You will be below us as you sleep
You served your country and you care
Advance Australia Fair
You gave your lives and your blood
As you walked through the mud
We won’t forget even if you’re gone
Your ANZAC spirit still lives on
As Duffy and Simpson kept on riding
The Turkish kept on fighting
We won’t forget you as you lay
“Lest we forget” is what we say.

Thank you for the contributions we’ve received so far!

STUDENT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT

Drop off and Pick Up

In any school, the set down and pick up of students is always a challenge. Prep students need to be dropped off and collected by an adult each day and parking is at a premium around the school. Please do not leave your car unattended in the STOP, DROP and GO Zone. Police will be out in force regularly (and they were on Tuesday). The best way to go is to park within walking distance a few streets away and do the pick-up and drop off that way.

Our STOP, DROP and GO Zones are a 2-minute drop off from 8-9am and 2:30-3:30pm every school day.

Crossing the Road

As you would know, we have supervisors from Queensland Transport Road Safety on our crossings before and after school at the peak times. You must follow their instructions. They are in charge of the crossing when on duty. Please ensure that you take responsibility for teaching your child where to cross safely. If you are interested in becoming a crossing supervisor, please contact the school office as we are always needing more!

Walking or Riding to School

We do encourage as many of our students and parents as possible to walk or ride to school. With this comes some significant responsibility to ensure your child is ‘road aware’ at all times. Please speak with them about wearing a helmet, even if riding a scooter.

Have a great fortnight,
Grant Baker.

RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR & CODE OF CONDUCT

THE NINE VALUES OF GOOD CHARACTER

THE NINE VALUES OF GOOD CHARACTER IN ACTION!

Parents, you may like to work through the 9 Values checklists with your child/children (see below) to establish their strengths and also the values they’d like to work on.

GO FOR GOLD!

Bronze…Silver and Gold!

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 who work through the Early Years program) 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 1-6 may begin their applications for Silver in Term 1, Week 5 beginning Monday 19th February 2018. Class Teachers will present them with the criteria sheets.

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

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION REMINDER

This term, you have received a copy of the 2018 Religious Instruction update letter and permission slip to inform you about the religious instruction (RI) arrangements in 2018. This document can also be opened by clicking the link at the end of this article. Religious Instruction for 2018 commenced on Tuesday 6th February and began for Term 2 on Tuesday afternoon of Week 2.

Please find a link below to our Religious Instruction Letter and Permission Slip which includes further details.

UNDER 8’s DAY 2018

On Thursday May 24th, the children in Prep to Year 2 will be participating in an activities morning to celebrate Under 8’s week. This day is dedicated to celebrating the early years of school and the theme this year is ' Children Exploring Language and Culture'. Parents of children in Prep-Year 2 are invited to come along and have some fun with your child while they take part in the morning. The cost of the day will be $5.00 and parents will be invoiced to cover the costs of the morning.

Some of the fun and exciting activities that will be running on the day include face painting, a jumping castle maze, fruity necklaces, a local guest author…and lots more!

This year, the children are invited to wear free dress. Due to the nature of some of the activities, it would be great if they could come dressed in clothes that they can get messy in. This year there will be a cake stall running to help raise funds for P-2 resources. After all the fun activities you are invited to share morning tea with your child at school. A Coffee Van will also be on-site throughout the morning.

As teachers are responsible for a particular activity, children will require supervision. To ensure the day’s success we need as much parent assistance as possible. If you are able to come along on the day to assist your child or a small group of children, please complete and return the form sent home by your child’s teacher. The festivities will begin at 9am and will finish at 11am (first break). We look forward to seeing everyone at the festivities.

STUDENT COUNCIL DISCO…80s theme!

The Student Council welcomes everyone back to Term 2 with a Disco this Thursday, 3rd May. This Disco helps to raise money to support student council projects at the school and various charities including our World Vision sponsor child.

Tickets are available in the Early Years Precinct, before 8:50am or at the door. ($5.00 single ticket; $10.00 family ticket-2 or more).

The Disco times are as follows:

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 the Year 3-6 Disco, but must collect students promptly at 8:30pm.

Food and drink will be on sale at the Disco and the DJ will also be selling glow products. This term, students will be able to choose from a sausage on bread and/or a slice of pizza. Pizza toppings will include cheese, meat lovers and ham/pineapple. A slice of pizza will be $2.00 per slice.

NAPLAN

In Term 2, our Year 3 and Year 5 students will sit the NAPLAN tests. The dates of these tests are outline below:

The 2018 NAPLAN Information for Parents and Carers brochure is available to download below and further information about the NAPLAN tests is also available on the NAPLAN website.

NAPLAN is important, but also a very small part of two hundred days in a school year. Some children may feel anxious or worried about the tests due to the hype surrounding them.

Much has been said and written about NAPLAN. In our experience, if parents or teachers over emphasise the importance of NAPLAN to children, there is great potential for children to become excessively stressed and likely not complete the tests to the best of their ability. Our students complete tests/assessments very regularly, so why treat these tests differently? Please help us reassure the children about the testing, build their confidence and trust in their ability to do well.

Like ACARA, we certainly do not recommend the use of any commercial products, such as booklets and practice tests, to help your child prepare for NAPLAN tests. None of the commercial products currently on the market are endorsed by ACARA and the use of these or services by coaching providers are not recommended by Windsor SS nor ACARA. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that the tests are just one part of their school program and to encourage them to simply do the best they can on the day.

Some students may feel anxious about NAPLAN, but it’s up to the adults in children’s lives to help keep NAPLAN in context. It’s a test that is only taken four times in a child’s schooling life – over three days, there are four tests that take around one hour each. NAPLAN tests what students should already know from their everyday learning, and there are no prizes or repercussions for doing well or not so well in the tests. NAPLAN doesn’t test everything that happens in a classroom – it isn’t intended to – but it does look at the critically important areas of literacy and numeracy – skills that your child will take with them to their adult life. (Robert Randall, ACARA CEO, 2017)

Follow this link to the NAPLAN website for additional information.

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL

Walk Safely to School Day!

Friday 18th May is Walk Safely to School Day. Walk Safely to School Day is an annual, national event when all primary school children are encouraged to walk to school. It promotes road safety, health, and the environment.

To celebrate Walk Safely to School Day, our school is encouraging everyone to wear “Crazy Socks” when they walk to school!

Being part of the Active School Travel program, we are already leading by example and encouraging our students to actively travel every week. Being part of a national day also shows our students they are part of a much bigger, international movement encouraging healthier habits and a greener environment. Active School Travel is one of the easiest ways to incorporate physical activity into everyday life for all children.

So join in the fun, be active and healthy, and walk to school with your child on Friday 18th May!

Walking Wheeling Wednesday EVERY Wednesday! Let’s get active Windsor!!

The classes with the most Active Travellers last fortnight are:
Week 10: 3rd 3B, 2nd 1B and 1st: 6C
Week 1: 3rd 4A, 2nd 1B and 1st 3C
Congratulations!

Classes that deserve to be highly commended are 4A, 5A, 1A and 3C!

Children can claim their AST prizes by presenting their AST passports at the office after checking by their class teacher. Don’t forget to choose an active way to travel to school that keeps the cars off the road!

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!

Have you registered for QParents yet?

QParents is a secure app that provides parents of Queensland State School students with a new and exciting avenue of communication with your school. Join the thousands of parents who have already registered to gain 24 hour direct access to your child’s information and communicate with school easily and efficiently.

Don’t have time to go in to school and pay an invoice? Have a family holiday coming up and need to let the school know you’ll be away? Want to have access to your child’s report cards quickly and easily? With the QParents portal, you have access to everything via a single, clear student dashboard.

You can also request updates or changes to student details such as providing reasons for past unexplained absences, advising the school of future absences, notifying the school of changes to student address and medical conditions and viewing and paying outstanding invoices.

Please contact the office on 3866 4333 if you require any further information or assistance.

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.

Musical 2018! Peter Pan Jr.

Students who successfully achieved a part in the 2018 School Musical, Peter Pan Jr, have started rehearsals each week leading up to the event.

Rehearsal take place in the Hall on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 3pm-4:15pm.

Only students participating in the musical are permitted to attend rehearsals. Alternative care arrangements for supervision of siblings must be made. Any student present at after school Musical rehearsals, who is not a cast member, will be sent to the office and parents contacted to collect.

CELEBRATE MOTHERS DAY WITH HIGH TEA

The Windsor State School Mother’s Day Celebration High Tea is about to kick off ticket sales. Have you saved the date? For the first time the event will be held on Saturday! We want to appreciate all our Windsor mums, including those who work through the week.

When: Saturday 12 May 1:00 pm
Where: Clovely Estate, 210 Musgrave Road Red Hill

Come join us for an indulgent afternoon away from it all at the beautiful Clovely Estate. Enjoy a champagne on arrival, and be treated to a 9-piece high tea. Best of all, relax in the company of our fantastic Windsor Mums, meet new friends or catch up with old ones. Such a lovely way to celebrate our beautiful school and the wonderful mums that help make it so special.

This is always such a lovely event, with a fantastic guest speaker, and the opportunity to win amazing raffle prizes sourced by our dedicated P&C volunteers.

Ticket Info:

Event tickets are $50 per person. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10

All tickets are on sale from April 2 via Try Booking.

For more details and updates as they come to hand, visit the P&C News and Events Page here.

WindsorFest

Save the Date…

Make sure you put Saturday 15th September 2018 in your calendar for a great family day out, making sure we all have fun in the year of the cooling solution!

Did you use the holidays to have a clean out?

We’re on the lookout for:

• 2ND HAND KIDS CLOTHING
• 2ND HAND KIDS TOYS
• 2ND HAND BOOKS

Please consider donating any items in good condition to the Second Hand Stall at WindsorFest.

Collection boxes have been placed at the Constitution Road entry. PLEASE donate and help make WindsorFest a fundraising success for our school!

Website

Check out our website or our facebook site in the links below for more details and information about the event.

Thank you!

The WindsorFest committee would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the school community who have eagerly volunteered for stall convenor roles, ensuring that all P&C run stalls will be well looked after. With such great community spirit already evident, WindsorFest 2018 is gearing up to be a fantastic, fun-filled event. If you are keen to be involved but are yet to find a suitable role, volunteering on one of these stalls is a great way to ensure the success of the fair. A call out for volunteers will occur in the coming months.