7 May 2025

Principal’s Pride

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,

Welcome to the beautiful cooler weather of Week 3, Term 2.

Please ensure all school communication channels continue to be engaged with, whether that be hard copy letters sent home, class or school newsletter emails and/or official school Facebook page posts to keep up-to-date with all activity arrangements occurring in the near future, to avoid disappointment for your child.

In just under two weeks, we will also be acknowledging our students for their first 75 Star Rewards for the term – I hope to see all students continuing to work hard to attain participation in their year level’s positive recognition activities.

P&C Mother’s Day Stall – THIS WEEK – Tuesday, 6 May-Friday, 9 May

Our wonderful P&C are once again conducting a Mother’s Day Stall for our students to be able to purchase gifts for the special female caregivers in their lives. Gift prices are very competitive and offer great value for money. All profits go towards school fundraising projects which include playgrounds, shade structures and classroom resources.

All Prep to Year 5 classes are timetabled to attend the stall with their class. Year 6 students are encouraged to attend the stall during breaks. Siblings may also wish to attend during break time together. This year, payment can either be made with cash or vouchers purchased through your child's tuckshop account on Flexischools. Your support of our P&C Fundraising efforts is much appreciated.

May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month.

Not now. Not ever. Together

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of its employees, students and families, and is working to eliminate domestic and family violence (DFV) in all its forms.

Nobody should have to tolerate domestic or family violence. Those affected are encouraged and supported to seek help.

Specialist DFV advice is available from DVConnect  on 1800 811 811 (Womensline) and 1800 600 636 (Mensline).

The Department of Education has a role to play in contributing to Supporting Outcome 2 of the Queensland Government’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2016-2026 —Respectful relationships and non-violent behaviour are embedded in our community, through the implementation of Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) in schools.

You will find a range of supports for employees, parents and students experiencing DFV in the department’s ending domestic and family violence section.

DATE CLAIMER: National Walk Safely to School Day

• Friday 16^th May 2, 2025 – Week 4 Friday
• Students will assemble at the Junior League Carpark from 8:00-8:15am – there will be no supervision until 8am so student cannot arrive before.
• At 8:15am we will walk to school, using the supervised crossing then continue walking to the ‘Stop, Drop, Go’ gate and complete a lap of the oval before going to their designated duty areas.
• As they enter the gate Mrs Donn will give the students a sticker and Mrs Bala is currently sourcing some fruit donations that they can have at the end.

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE

Premier’s Reading Challenge is happening again! We sent home reading logs for all students in Prep to Year 2, and we strongly encourage any interested students in Year 3 to 6 to come to the library to collect a reading log if they would like to participate. All reading logs are to be returned to the library by 23 August to be eligible for the challenge.

DATE CLAIMER: School-led Review – opportunities for parents to provide input into the future 4-year direction of The Willows SS

In last week’s newsletter, when explaining the School-led review process, I mentioned that across the course of this term there will be a number and range of opportunities for staff, student and parent/caregiver input into our School-led Review.

Some currently planned opportunities for parent input include:

• Evening Forum - Wednesday, 21 May 5pm-6pm – prior to P&C Meeting in D Pod
• Survey: Friday, 23 May – P-2 Under 8’s Day (school afternoon session) – feedback sought informally by school staff utilising a QR Code
• Afternoon Forum - Thursday, 12 June – 3:30-4:30pm – prior to Music Gala

If you missed participating in our short five question ‘snapshot’ survey about our school at Three Way Conversations at the end of last term, your responses to the questions in the QR code below would be much appreciated.  The survey will remain open for the next few weeks.

TWSS NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS

During Week 1 of Term 3 (14-18 July) we will be celebrating NAIDOC Week with a range of activities. 

Our school NAIDOC Week Committee has commenced initial planning and is seeking the support of any parents/caregivers who have skills in playing traditional indigenous instruments, as we would be keen to share their talents with our students and school community, either through video footage or as a live performance at school during NAIDOC Week.  If you are interested in assisting with any aspect of our NAIDOC Week celebrations, please contact the school on 47 991 333 or email admin@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au

QPARENTS SIGN UP

As part of our school’s continual progression towards online consent management The Willows State School is providing our parent community with the opportunity to register for QParents. Thank you to the parents who have already completed this process. 

The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents and legal guardians of Queensland state school students to interact with their child’s school. Registered parents will have secure, online access to their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The benefits of QParents - Convenience and time savings for parents

QParents allows parents to connect instantly with their child’s school to access and manage their child’s student information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Academic report cards
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details

Registering for QParents

You will receive an invitation email or letter from us containing your unique invitation code. Simply follow the instructions in that email or letter to complete the QParents account registration process. Initial registration and addition of students to your account must be done on a desktop or laptop computer. Once registered, you will then be able to access QParents using your mobile device (via web browser or by downloading the iPhone or Android App).

If you do not want to register, you may advise us not to send you any more invitations, and your child’s student information will not be available to anyone through QParents. Or, if you want another parent to be the QPAO, you can advise us and we will send them an invitation email or letter with their own unique invitation code.

Identity verification

To obtain full access to student information, as part of their QParents registration users must complete an identity verification process. QParents offers two options for identity verification – online and offline.

For fully online verification (the fastest option), you will need to verify 100 points of the following identity documents online:

If you cannot verify 100 points of the above ID documents online, you may still register for QParents, but you will need to attend the school to verify documentation in person after you have registered online.   Our friendly office staff are able to assist with this.

Full instructions on how to verify your documents and what you may need to bring to the school will be provided as part of the invitation and registration process.

Please note that QParents does not maintain copies or records of any identity documents used for account verification, either online or offline.

ATTENDANCE

We all know that every day counts, so does every minute…

Have a wonderful week. Our next newsletter for Term 2 will be issued on Wednesday, 14 May.

Warm regards,
Michelle Donn
Principal

Upcoming Events

Year Level Parade Times

General News

UNDER 8’S DAY – Friday 23 May

Positive Behaviour Learning (Safe, Respectful, Responsible)

FORTNIGHTLY FOCUS

The new fortnightly focus for Week 3 & 4 is ‘Follow Instructions - First Time, Every Time’.

EXPECTATION: At TWSS students follow instructions of all staff at our school First time, Every time. Following instructions keeps students safe and shows respect to our school and staff. Students will reflect on what ‘Following instructions - first time, every time’ and focus on the consequence that may occur when instructions are not followed.

ICY CUPS FOR SALE WEDNESDAYS

• Icy cups will be sold on Wednesday at 2:55pm from the TCBC kitchen for the Year 3 to 6 students and Junior CPA for the Prep to Year 2 students.
• Icy cups are 50cents each and all money raised goes to Student Council.
• Student Council is raising funds for signage across the school to build on the school community spirit.

The Pulse (PE News)

Season Sport

We had a great start to Season Block Sport with all four Willows Teams coming away with a win.

Netball

The Mixed Team played Weir and defeated them 21 points to nil. The Senior B Girls Team played Bohlevale and won 2 points to nil.

Rugby League

The A Team played Bohlevale and won 60 points to 6. The B Team played Kirwan and defeated them 18 points to 8. Well done to all players on their successful start to the season.

Cross Country

Interschool Cross Country Training began last week with the selected students training on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8.00am-8.40am. The Interschool Cross Country is on Tuesday 20 ^May (Week 5). Please note the Interschool Cross Country is an after school event at Bicentennial Park, Queens Road, Hermit Park and transport is provided by parents.

Defence News

Hello and welcome to all Defence families/caregivers and students,

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MUMS. Wishing you a very relaxed and special day to share with your family. On Sunday, take this time to stop, say I love you and spend the day with those who mean the world to you because YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO THEM.

A reminder that if you are going away soon for training, please send me an email/call so I can support your children here at school as they may experience challenging days and I understand how this time can impact their emotions and learning.

The Partner Employment Assistance Program (PEAP) is again available to partners to claim reimbursement up to $1500 per financial year for a variety of employment services. More details and how to register are on the Defence Website or you can ask me for a flyer. 

Kookaburra Kids is in Townsville, this organisation supports defence kids living in families that are affected by mental illness.  For more details on activities contact Hannah Galliner on 0484 544 451 or check out the website www.kookaburrakids.org.au

For what’s coming up in Townsville for Defence Families see attached flyer or register to receive their newsletter and updates dmfs.townsville@defence.gov.au or follow on Facebook.

Education Assistance Scheme is available to access for tutoring within 18months of posting to a new school. This is available for all primary and high school aged children who may require support in Maths and English. Contact the DMFS Helpline on 1800 624 608 for all details on how to apply. Just complete the form online at ADF Pay and Conditions Manual and send an email to the teacher. With approval your child can have access to 14 hrs of tutoring for both Maths and English through a private tutor. Contact me with any questions. Flyer below with details.

ADF FAMILY HEALTH PROGRAM - Did you know that ADF families can access funds to maintain a healthy lifestyle? The ADF Family Health Program provides reimbursement for physiotherapy, dental, specialist appointments and more of up to $800 a year per dependent! Get one now! For more information on how to register, visit Home - ADF Family Health Program

Families with Special Needs you can access support through the Defence Special Needs Support Group (DSNSG) or call 1800 037 674.  For more information on assistance measures go to the website or email specialneeds.families@defence.gov.au

Did you know that you can walk into DMFS office (Private and Confidential) at Nathan Business Centre Corner Ross River Road and Nathan Street during business hours to speak to a Social Worker/Councillor or you can phone Open Arms on 1800 011 046 to make an appointment to discuss your concerns further? Remember it is OK TO ASK FOR HELP. We all a need support at one time.

Geckos Family Centre-North Queensland is at Lavarack Barracks and is open for parents and families to drop in. Organised daily activities on offer. Follow them on Facebook or phone them on 07 4411 7031 for more details.

TO BE UP TO DATE WITH “WHATS ON IN TOWNSVILLE” CHECK     whatson.townsville.qld.gov.au

UPCOMING EVENTS/DATES TO REMEMBER

ADF Equip-Parental Absence Program

When:             Wednesday, 14 May
Time:              12:45pm-2:45pm
Where:           L Pod

For ages 9 to 12 years old, limited vacancies available. The program will be a 2hr session held during last session at school, facilitated by DMFS staff, Social Worker and DSM. Young children are given the opportunity to learn from each other, develop friendships and discover healthy ways to cope with the unique challenges of the Defence Lifestyle/Parental Absences. For more information contact Correna on 4799 1333 or email cwhee36@eq.edu.au

TOWNSVILLE DEFENCE CARNIVAL – Celebrating National Families Week

When:             Friday, 16 May
Time:              5.00pm-8.00pm
Where:           Geckos Family Centre, Lavarack Barracks
Tickets:           via Eventbrite

DMFS Townsville and Geckos Family Centre are coming together to celebrate the Defence community in North Queensland!

Join them for one of the biggest and most fun events of the year, exclusively for local ADF members, their partners, and immediate families. Best of all, entry is FREE!

Choose your zone: enjoy the Friday night footy action on the big screen in the adult zone, or bring the whole family for a fun-filled carnival experience in the family zone.

With a variety of food options—sausage sizzle, food vans, popcorn, and snow cones—and drinks available at the bar, you can settle in for a great evening. Bring your picnic blankets or camp chairs and enjoy the atmosphere while the DJ drops the beats and keeps the vibe alive.

It’s a perfect opportunity to hang out with friends, reconnect with old mates, or meet some new faces, all while getting to know the Geckos and DMFS Townsville teams.

As part of National Families Week, we are celebrating every kind of family - whether your part of a traditionally family, a couple, or single member with mates, you are the heart of Townsville's defence family.

This NFW we honour the diversity and strength of Defence members and the family unit. It's a time to connect, reflect and celebrate the unique bond that holds defence families together.

Let's all come together and celebrate what unites us!

IMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILS

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 - 1800 624 608 - Need Help give them a call    

DMFS Office at Nathan Business Centre on Ross River Rd, call 07 4430 3879  

Open Arms support former and current serving ADF personnel and their family members can use the service – office is at the Nathan Business Centre or call 1800 011 046 www.openarms.gov.au

Mates4Mates – Townsville FRC 4771 9600 townsville@mates4mates.org

Café now Open from 9am-12.30pm every day, you are welcome to attend for a chat and to have a look around.

The Oasis Townsville for Ex-ADF Community in Townsville  hello@theoasistownsville.org.au

Dirty Books Café – 1 Staging Camp Avenue, Oonoonba – 07 4759 8777 is currently under renovation

DFA (Defence Families of Australia) – NQ Delegate Larissa Ostermann 0418 796 561 nth.qld@dfa.org.au

DSNG Defence Special Needs Group - 1800 037 674  www.dsng.org.au

Beyondblue.org.au www.australia.gov.au

Geckos Family Centre Nth Qld Lavarack Barracks - Contact for enquiries on 07 4446 1238 or follow on Facebook

Kookaburra Kids Charity Organisation Mental Health Service - 1300 566 525   www.kookaburrakids.org.au or contact Hannah Galliner 0484 544 451/1300 566 525

Defence Holidays NQ at Lavarack Barracks (opp the Gym) - 07 4725 3842 admin@defenceholidaysnq.com.au

Please phone any time for a chat on 4799 1333 ext 323, Monday to Thursday 8.00am – 3.30pm Monday to Thursday or email me cwhee36@eq.edu.au  

My office is open for a private conversation and cuppa anytime or alternatively phone me any time on 4799 1333 ext 323, Monday to Thursday 8.00am – 3.30pm Monday to Thursday or email me cwhee36@eq.edu.au

Have an awesome week!

Correna Wheeler
Defence School Mentor

***HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY***

Community News

KIRWAN SHS – Important Dates for Year 6 into 7 Transition