29 January 2025

Principal’s Pride

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,

Welcome to the 2025 school year

It is with great pleasure that I welcome everyone to the 2025 school year at The Willows State School. I trust that the summer holiday season has provided an opportunity to relax and refresh whilst spending quality time with family and friends. A very special welcome to our new students and families – thank you for choosing The Willows State School – we will continue to strive to provide a quality education in a supportive school environment where Excellence is the Standard.

It was wonderful to see the large number of families who took the opportunity to deliver school booklist items to classrooms last Thursday afternoon and participate in BYOx laptop onboarding as had been advertised through school newsletters and our school Facebook page.  It certainly made the first day of school a little smoother for everyone.

2025 Staffing Update

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome new and/or returning staff to The Willows State School in 2025:

Returning Staff: Melissa Dinnison, Reagan Harvey, Tanya Heidenreich
New Teaching and Support Staff:  Jasmine de Jong, Shayal Chand, Isabella Thomas, Kate Lawler, Jasmine Wawryzniak, Sarah Bowmaker, Grace McIntosh

Student Leader Positions – 2025

Congratulations once again to our Student Leaders for 2025. We are looking forward to formally inducting our new student leaders into their leadership positions at an Investiture Ceremony to be held on Monday, 17 February in our TCBC Hall.

I look forward once again to working with the entire student leadership team and Student Council in 2025 to gain important ‘student voice’ into our school processes and direction.

Congratulations to our 2025 Student Leaders:
School Captains: Arya and William
School Vice-Captains: Sophie and Jordan
Music Captains: Adam and Evie

Thunder Captains:  Aleeya and Halle
Cyclone Captains:  Tyler and Bridget
Lightning Captains: Weston and Harper
Heatwave Captains: Harleim and Eva

Curriculum, Teaching & Learning in 2025

This year our school’s explicit improvement agenda will continue to focus on enhancing reading and writing standards for all of our students whilst delivering quality education in all learning areas of the Australian Curriculum – English, Mathematics, Science, Technologies, The Arts, Health and Physical Education and Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS).  2025 is also the first year we will implement the new Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum for English, with Version 9 for Mathematics having commenced in 2024 at TWSS.

The first two weeks at The Willows SS is a key time for teachers to build relationships and establish classroom and school rules, PBL routines and expectations with students. It is vitally important that students return for the new school year as soon as possible and remain in full and regular attendance if well enough to do so.

Our annual ‘Parent-Teacher Meet & Greet’ will be held on Tuesday, 18 February from 3:15-4:15pm.  This will be a great opportunity to meet other parents and staff whilst also learning more about what your child will be learning.  Please note that Term 1 Curriculum Overviews for all year levels will also be distributed through the school newsletter in the next few weeks.

Administration of Medication in Schools

If your child needs to take medication at school in 2025, please provide the office staff with:

• a completed and signed Consent to administer medication form;
• the medication in its original container; and
• medical authorisation (e.g. the pharmacy label***, or a letter from the doctor, or a completed and signed health action plan).

For further information, please refer to the Information for parents/carers and health practitioners.

If you have any specific queries, please contact the school office.

***Please note over the counter medication can only be administered by school staff if it meets the above requirements. The pharmacy label must include the student’s name, doctor’s name and dosage if not included in an individual health plan.

USUAL Supervision before school PROCESSES

The main gates to the school grounds on both Sandstone Drive and Bilberry Street are unlocked each day at 8am. Any student in Prep to Year 6 who enters the school grounds from 8:00-8:15am must go to the Main CPA (directly behind the Administration Block) to wait quietly where there is adult supervision. There is no playing on school equipment prior to school. From 8:15am supervision of students is split into different areas: Prep to Year 2 are transitioned to the Junior CPA and Year 3 to 6 students are transitioned to the TCBC Hall.

Modifications for the first 2 weeks for Prep to Year 2 ONLY

For the first week of school ONLY, Prep students can head straight to Prep classrooms after 8:15am in the morning for supervision prior to school.  In Week 2, Prep students will transition to the usual school process of Main CPA supervision from 8:00-8:15am and Junior CPA for supervision from 8:15-8:40am.

In Week 1 and 2 ONLY, Year 1 and 2 students will remain in the Main CPA for supervision from 8:15-8:40am. 

From Week 3, all Prep to  Year 2 students will transition to the Junior CPA for supervision from 8:15am.   

Supervision after school – Stop, Drop and Go

School concludes each day at 2:55pm. Families making use of our Stop, Drop and Go drive-through zone in Bilberry Street are requested to ensure all traffic rules and regulations are followed to ensure safety for all students, community members and staff. This area can get very busy and your patience and support is appreciated. Staff supervise children waiting to be collected in an undercover area in the school grounds. From 3:25pm, any students who have not been collected will be delivered to the school office.

Equity and Excellence – state-wide Education Strategy continues

The Department of Education officially launched a new state-wide education strategy, Equity and Excellence: Realising the potential of every student in February of 2023.  Equity and Excellence builds on the successes of the past and leads into the future with a clear vision for a progressive, high-performing education system.  It links to the national commitment to equity and excellence in education outlined in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration – that all children and young people are confident, creative lifelong learners active in their community. The three priority areas of Equity and Excellence will continue to inform the focus of The Willows State School 2025 Annual Implementation Plan:

Educational achievement
Wellbeing and engagement
Culture and inclusion

The 2025 Annual Implementation Plan will be shared broadly with the school community and uploaded to our school website once ratified by the P&C and School Supervisor.

This year we will also engage with a School-led Review as part of the four-year strategic planning cycle of the department.  Further information will be shared over coming weeks as it is essential we have the input and voice of all key stakeholders within our school community.

Class Arrangements – Pre-Day 8

As of today, we have 850 students effectively enrolled and distributed across 35 Prep to Year 6 classes. School funding and staffing arrangements will be definitively finalised after the Department of Education Day 8 Enrolment Census on Thursday, 4 February. Parents are reminded that all class arrangements are considered temporary until that time. Any class changes necessitated by DoE Day 8 processes will be communicated to parents in writing and occur as soon as is practicable after the census date. 

Free Kindy is available now!

Kindergarten, known as kindy, is a part-time educational program for children in the year before Prep. Kindy is now free for eligible-aged children who attend a government-approved program offering free kindy. Kindy is 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year, delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher.

Families can use the online free kindy finder to find a government-approved kindy program in their local area.  For more information visit www.qld.gov.au/FreeKindy

Attending kindy in the year prior to commencing Prep assists children to have a strong start to their education.

2025 Voluntary Contributions - $40 per student and $80 per family

The costs of providing instruction, administration and facilities for the education of students enrolled at a school are met by the State Government. Voluntary financial contributions are used by the school to provide an enhanced educational service and to supplement resources available for student learning, recreation and comfort.

The Willows State School has maintained a consistent level of voluntary financial contributions for the past few years, approved by the P&C. Please see the Parent Information Sheet regarding Voluntary Financial Contributions later in this newsletter.  If you wish to make a voluntary financial contribution to the school, please pay at the school office.

Congratulations to Numayer Hossain

During the school holidays, we were notified that Numayer had been successful in having his illustration chosen for Phillip Thompson MP’s Christmas Cards. Congratulations to Numayer on his achievement!

Home-School Communication

Our school newsletter, Willows Pride, is issued weekly each Wednesday of the school term.  The newsletter is emailed, uploaded to the official school Facebook page and uploaded to the school website: https://thewillowsss.eq.edu.au/. It is vitally important that the newsletter is engaged with as it is our primary source of communicating key school messages, events and timelines.

P&C

The first P&C Meeting for 2025 will be held on Wednesday, 19 February. Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. All parents are most welcome to attend.  Your support is vital to ensure fundraising initiatives can occur. The P&C is also a forum in which you can contribute ideas to the enhancement of the school. 

All executive positions will be declared vacant at the P&C AGM to be held on Wednesday, 12 March at 5pm.  The AGM will be followed by a P&C Meet and Greet in the TCBC.  The March General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 19 March at 6pm.

P&C Operated Tuckshop – some key messages from our Convenor, Katrina Weston

TWSS Tuckshop is up and running for the 2025 school year! The tuckshop operates Monday to Friday for both lunch breaks each day. The menu has been updated on the Flexischools app, with an updated 2025 menu also becoming available on the school webpage next week. The preferred method of ordering is through the Flexischools app, which cuts off at 8.30am for the main menu and at 9.30am for the limited late ordering menu.  Don’t forget to update your child’s details on the app, with their 2025 classroom allocation and any food allergies.

The tuckshop can also accept over the counter orders in the mornings from 8am with cash and eftpos facilities both available if needed.

Transition statements for 2025 Prep students – school transition email address

All parents of 2025 Prep students are requested to share their child’s Kindergarten Transition Statement with the school should they not already have done so through organising permission with their kindergarten to share. Transition statements provide very useful information about children’s progress and support needs and assist teachers in planning to cater to their students. Kindergarten Transition Statements can also be emailed to: transitions@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au

Student Absences – Every Day Counts!

School attendance is compulsory under the Education Act. If children are going to be absent from school for any reason parents are requested to inform the school by phoning 4799 1333, emailing or sending a message. If your child is absent from school on any given day and we are unaware of the reason for the absence an SMS will be generated asking you to contact the school regarding your child’s absence. 

Leadership Team Staffing Change – Term 1

During Term 1, I will be taking on a School Improvement Coach role within North Queensland Region for three days per fortnight. This means I will be absent from our school site Tuesday on odd weeks of the term (3, 5, 7, 9) and Wednesday every week.

Staffing changes will be as follows on those days:

• Patricia Winter will be A/Principal
• Jackie Nosworthy will be A/Deputy Principal 3/5
• Bernadette Barra will be A/HoD-SS

Each of these staff members has had previous experience in the roles they will backfill.  Thank you in advance for your support of their efforts across the term.

Have a wonderful week – our next newsletter will be issued on Wednesday, 5 February.

Warm regards,
Michelle Donn
Principal

Upcoming Events

Year Level Parade Times

General News

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A SCHOOL CROSSING SUPERVISOR?

FAMILIES FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Positive Behaviour Learning (Safe, Respectful, Responsible)

Welcome back to the start of 2025, I hope you all had a wonderful vacation with your children. We are looking forward to starting the new year and working together to make 2025 a successful year of learning.

FORTNIGHTLY FOCUS

The Fortnightly Focus we are starting 2025 with is ‘My Class is My Community.’

As your children settle into their new class, the routines and expectations will be taught with a focus on ‘Safe, Respectful and Responsible’.

Students will play games and complete activities that will help promote positive relationships with their class community.

2025 STUDENT FREE DAY POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING STAFF SESSIONS

In the Student Free Days staff collaborated and developed ways to promote safe and inclusive learning environments for your children. Key words from the learning were collated into this wordle. The larger words highlight the important elements of our Positive Behaviour for Learning school. We loved that all staff are committed to this process and that the words positive, consistent, routine, celebrations were valued by all. Staff are excited to meet their new students and create an engaging environment that reflects these values.

MORNING DUTY ROSTER

For the first two weeks of school, student will be split differently -

FUEL FOR SCHOOLS

Some children don’t have access to the basic items they need when starting school. Fuel for Schools Ltd is committed to ensuring local Townsville Primary school and high school students have access to essential schooling items such as backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles and new socks. The charity program also focuses on helping kids start their day right by providing a nutritional breakfast to assist with cognitive function and improve their wellbeing.

The Willows sends a big thanks to Paddy from Fuel for Schools Ltd for donating 15 backpacks for the start of 2025. We also order weekly for our breakfast club from Fuel for Schools and this will continue in 2025. I know the students love the nutritional breakfast choices provided to us from Fuel for Schools.

Defence News

Hello ADF Parents,

Welcome to our school community. My name is Correna Wheeler and I am the Defence School Mentor (DSM) at The Willows State School. This year the DSM position in Townsville is celebrating 30 years, being later introduced to government and non-government Primary and High schools around Australia. I am proud to say that I was fortunate to be selected for the position in 2006 and this year will be my 20th year as DSM at The Willows State School.

The DSM is a member of the school staff, funded by Defence. The role is designed to support the children, families and members of the ADF as they transition in and out of the school community. Both the Department of Defence and the Department of Education recognise the impact that the mobile military lifestyle can have on the academic and social development of some children. This mobility can impact family life, and a range of programs have been developed to assist and support ADF families.

Some aspects of my role include:

• Welcoming new families and helping them to settle into our school and local community. Providing information and being a point of contact. Hosting a Welcome Morning Tea at school for all new and existing families to facilitate the building of new friendships/network. Host a Welcome Party for all new defence children to attend, assist with integration into new school community.
• Integrating new students in the classroom and playground if they require support socially, emotionally or academically.
• Provide access to Defence Room, a safe place for students to attend at break times and bring a friend/s to socialise.
• Provide information and support to educate school staff on the unique needs of military families.
• Parental absence support for children and parents during deployments, training and service related absences.
• Linking families to support services and program when required.
• Planning special activities to commemorate Anzac and Remembrance Days.
• Farewell and prepare students to leave our school and move on with social activities and skills. Host a Farewell Party for defence students leaving our school and a Year 6 Pizza Party to share with friends.

All staff at The Willows SS are very supportive of our ADF students and of the programs that are designed around their needs. Through craft, stories, letter writing, photo displays, art projects, games, and support activities, the students build their resilience skills and stay connected to friends and family. Our very special service bears Mr Green, Mr Blue and Mr Grey are supportive and well loved by the students of all ages and play an important role in the day to day challenges that a defence student may experience.

As a spouse of a (now retired) ADF member with 2 children, 5 postings and several deployments I understand the unique challenges that military families face. It is my aim to assist your children to develop socially, emotionally and academically, to not just survive but to thrive as they receive a quality education at The Willows State School. It is my absolute privilege to support the families of those who sacrifice so much in the service of our country.

My hours are Monday to Thursday 8.00am-3.30pm. My contact details are cwheel36@eq.edu.au or call the school office on 4799 1333.

I look forward to working with you and your children.

Warm regards,
Correna Wheeler      
Defence School Mentor
The Willows State School