11 February 2016

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear parents, friends and students,

Government schools are funded and staffed according to the effective enrolment they have on Day 8 of the school year. Our official Day 8 enrolment was 1006 which is up slightly from last year. We have decided to have 41 classes this year and last Friday we moved into that configuration. I would like to extend my thanks to the families of students who moved classes as a result of the higher than expected enrolments. Through the creation of extra classes our school has been able to run all straight classes from P-6 which is quite rare in primary schools.

Our school enrolment breakdown last Friday was;

Safety for our children is of utmost importance to us as a staff and as a community. We all have a role to play in this as well. Parents are requested not to drive their cars into the school grounds to drop off their children as this does create a dangerous situation within the school grounds. The Stop, Drop and Go area has a waiting time of two minutes. To ease congestion if your child does not come out when you arrive, please drive off and circle back allowing other parents to pick up their children.

Our dynamic staff are on the job of working with your children to lift their achievement through focussing on their skill sets particularly around reading comprehension. The regional benchmarks of reaching PM level 8 in prep, level 16 in Year 1 and level 20 in Year 2 are the minimum standards that we aim for. Our reading acceleration program is fine tuned to drill down into the skills the students need to comprehend the meaning of text at the word level, meaning we do not assume that all children understand every word they read. Further to that as part of building a broad vocabulary, we look for words of similar phonetic construction to deepen the student’s knowledge and use of familiar and unfamiliar words.

The updated entrance on Sandstone Drive is wider for ease of stroller access. Hopefully with a bit more rain this year our trees will begin to shoot up and provide shade on the aluminium seats located just inside the gates. Not too nice to sit there now but it will be lovely in winter.

Our STEM (Science Maths Engineering and Maths) team is busily engaging with the curriculum to map out the areas for possible STEM integration across the year levels.

We are meeting with JCU and EQ representatives as part of the Global Tropics Future Young Scholar program as well as working with a STEM coach from the department.

This all adds up to an exciting and dynamic start for our foray into this new area which also aligns with our vision for “Education excellence for an information age”.

As we get more involved the newsletter will convey what the team is doing.

ATTENDANCE

Every student in our school is important to us and we are committed to providing personalised education suited to their needs. The very first step in that is maximising learning time and we believe that if students attend every day and every learning minute of the day we are improving their opportunities for academic success.

Students can come to school from 8am. If they arrive at 8am they go to the Main CPA. At 8.15am year 3, 4, 5, and 6 students are escorted by at teacher to TCBC. Students are expected to be at school in the classroom ready to start work at 8.45am. Students who are late to school are encouraged to complete any work missed in their own time. Please note that lateness and early departure have an impact on student learning.

THE WILLOWS WAY IS 100% ATTENDANCE.

Just a little bit late doesn’t seem much but did you know…….

LEARNING STARTS AT 8.45AM

ASSEMBLY

School Assemblies are a great way to get together for a common purpose. At The Willows we use assemblies to communicate information, to share achievement, to reward the efforts of our students and staff, to make links with our community and to talk about “The Willows Way – CARLA”. Every Friday we have an assembly in the TCBC at 2.20pm and parents are welcome to attend. We alternate our Junior (P-2) and Senior (3-6) assembly every week.

Next Assemblies are:

Senior Assembly (combined with Investiture ceremony) Friday12th of February
Junior Assembly Friday 19th of February
Senior Assembly 26th of February
Junior Assembly 4th of March

YEAR 6 CAMP

Last year our Year 5 students were given details about this year’s Year 6 Camp to Echo Creek.

Students will be away for 2 nights and 3 days and will participate in the following activities: low ropes and team building, laser tag, freshwater snorkelling, challenge course, under the stars movie night and damper by the fire. All of these activities are run by camp staff and our teachers will also do the team building and goal setting activities. Students will travel by bus and they will be housed in bunk style accommodation with meals included.

This camp will be in Term 3 2016. There will be two groups going.

Group 1 – Leave 18th of July return 20th of July 2016.
Group 2 – Leave 20th July return 22nd of July 2016.

The cost of the camp is $240 and we must finalise numbers in the next couple of weeks. To assist with payment we are offering the following payment plan method.

• An initial non-refundable deposit of $50 (This will secure your child’s place)
• A second payment of $100 due on the 23rd of March 2016.
• A final payment of $90 due on the 10th of June 2016.

If you have not secured your place for camp please do so as soon as possible with the initial deposit. Camp forms are available from the office.

UNIFORMS

Students at The Willows State School take pride in representing the school community by proudly wearing the school uniform, as represented in the photo below.

Our school colours are gold, jade and navy. School t-shirts are available from a number of distributors such as: Tropic T-Shirts, Georgio Clothing, Cueldee, and Lowes.

Students wear navy shorts (taslon, cotton/polyester, open weave basketball type) or skirt/skort as appropriate. Girls wear shorts or skorts for physical education classes and other sports activities. School jackets are also available from some distributors.

School hats must be a brimmed hat that matches the school colours and can be purchased through the school tuckshop. Visors, caps and inappropriate slogans or pictures are not permitted.

All students must wear lace-up or velcro closed-in shoes with short socks at all times while in the school grounds and for all sports activities.

NEWSLETTERS

An e-newsletter is issued each fortnight, odd weeks. Parents can subscribe through this link to access the newsletter.

Using the e-newsletter will reduce paper, power and ink costs - reducing our carbon footprint and creating less C02. It is an interactive html newsletter. The link to the newsletter is sent by email each fortnight.

The e-newsletter also provides a service feature of e-news flashes, event bookings, dynamic calendar and online forms. A dynamic calendar is a great way to let parents know what’s on and can be filtered by class, so parents can quickly see what’s related to their child.

The move to a digital newsletter is in keeping with a trend for increasing numbers of schools and will allow us to better communicate with you as parents and will provide an enhanced method to showcase talents of our students.

2016 INVESTITURE CEREMONY

We proudly invite FAMILIES OF STUDENT LEADERS and parents of students in Yr 3 to 6 to join with us in celebrating the Investiture of our student leaders of 2016. The Ceremony will be on Friday the 12th of February in the TCBC commencing at 2.15pm. This year will be the start of our new Willows Family tradition with parents/guardians pinning badges on our leaders. Already our leaders have started to think about their goals for term 1 and we have talked about leadership standards. Our Captains, Vice Captains and Student Council Captains have attended the Grip Leadership Conference so that they could network with other student leaders in Townsville. In the next newsletter they will report on what they learnt.

OUR STUDENT PUBLICITY OFFICERS

Hello,

Our names are Madeleine Errington and Layla Wells and we are your 2016 Publicity Officers.

Our new role is to put The Willows State School out to our community and the public. Every fortnight we will be publishing a student newspaper to notify the student body on the latest news and events. We will be writing about many wonderful things happening around our school. Every senior and junior assembly is hosted by the school principal, Mr Jones and the Deputy Principals, Mrs Winter, Mrs Souter and Ms Grey. We will also present some of this news at assemblies. Over the next few weeks we will be put our journalist team together. We are very excited about this project and can’t wait to share our stories and photos with others.

Your Publicity Leaders Madeleine Errington and Layla Wells.

OUR STUDENTS LOVE THE NEW SIGNS

2016 has brought great new signs around our school. G Pod has become a Performing Arts Centre. This will be the central place for our talented students to excel in Music.

CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS - CODE OF CONDUCT INFORMATION SESSION

Parents and carers who volunteer in our classrooms must complete a Code of Conduct information session annually. This year the session is being offered on Thursday 25th February at 2:30pm in The Carol Buchanon Centre (TCBC) conference room. Please contact the office if you require further information.

DEFENCE AND MOBILE FAMILIES

Welcome to All Families,

Welcome to our new Defence families. It is always a highlight of the new year meeting our new families and getting to know all of the wonderful new students. I think I almost know all the new students names already, except for the Preppies – there is just so many of them! Our new and previous students are settling in well and it is great to see such resilient children.

Your Defence Schools Transition Aides (DSTA) are Mrs Correna Wheeler and Mrs Louise White. Our room in L Pod is located behind the After School Care Building. Parents are most welcome to drop by anytime to say hello.

WELCOME MORNING TEA

Families will be invited to attend our Welcome morning tea. This event is tentatively booked for Week 5. Invitations will be sent out shortly.

There is lots of information in this newsletter so, before your head begins to spin remember we are here to help. No issue is too large or too small and if we are unable to offer an immediate remedy we can point you in the right direction. Many of our new families are unfamiliar with the Defence Schools Transition Aide (DSTA) Program, so I have added an information sheet along with some photos to give you an understanding of what we do. Further information and resources can be found via:

IN-SCHOOL DEFENCE AIDES AND MENTORS

To minimise the impact of the mobile lifestyle on children’s edition, Defence Community Organisation provides funding for embedded support staff in schools that wish to build capability to support children from military families.

Under the Defence School Transition Assistance (DSTA) Program in-school Defence Aides and Mentors support Defence students when transitioning from school to school and during times of parental absence. Aides and Mentors help schools, families and children to develop strategies to help families successfully integrate into the school community.

This program is a reflection of the commitment by Defence to support its members and their families and recognises the partnership between education authorities, Defence and schools.

IN-SCHOOL SUPPORT

Defence Aides and Mentors are based within primary and secondary schools across Australia for the purpose of providing support to the children of mobile Defence families.

Aides and Mentors’ activities include:

• assisting children and families to integrate into the new school and local community
• coordinating appropriate welcome and farewell activities
• smoothing the transition from school to school and between different education systems (including minimising the impact of relocation on learning outcomes)
• monitoring the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of Defence students
• helping students develop self-confidence, self-reliance and resilience
• referring students to services, or school and community programs that meet their needs
• enhancing awareness and appreciation of the unique Defence lifestyle in schools and communities and
• providing support to children during times of parental absence

SPOUSE PASS FOR LAVARACK BARRACKS

Please find attached forms to obtain a spouse pass to enable entry to Lavarack Barracks. This will allow spouses to attend functions, activities and services on base. Simply download and fill in the attached application form and follow these instructions:

1. Contact Pass Office to make a booking 4411 8812

2. Contact Geckos on 4411 1741 to arrange for them to greet you at the gate

Alternatively, see Louise or Correna in L Pod for assistance and forms.

DCO INFORMATION

Sign up for the DCO mailing list to ensure you receive a Calendar of Events, the Gone Troppo magazine (a must have) and any relevant DCO information for our Defence Families. It is essential to be on the mailing list otherwise information cannot be forwarded due to new privacy regulations. Find attached the mailing list authority form.

AUTISM QUEENSLAND WORKSHOPS

A presentation for families supporting individuals with ASD.

TUTORING

Education Allowance Scheme – Remember it’s never too early to begin tutoring, you have 18 months from your posting date to take advantage of the Education Assistance. Don’t leave it until it’s too late. Tutoring can begin at any time of the year for students so be sure to take advantage of this scheme before your 18 months ends.

Well done to all those students who have got straight into tutoring. We know you will be well rewarded for all your hard work. Remember to get tutoring started soon so you do not miss out on entitlements. This assistance is very valuable for your children. Most children find it builds confidence and they enjoy it very much. This scheme is aimed at minimising the disruption to a child’s schooling, as a result of a defence posting. Reimbursement can be provided for tuition for primary and secondary students within the first 18 months of enrolment at the new school. The entitlement is 14 weeks at 1 hour per week per subject. Forms are available online or from the DSTA here at school. There is a list of teachers available for tutoring before and after school. Please ask your teacher or email your DSTA for further details.

KIDS CLUB

Kids Club is held every Monday and Tuesday during FIRST break on the verandah of the Outside School Care building.

Kids Club is filled with exciting activities ranging from colouring in, board and card games, trucks and cars, and various craft activities each week.

Kids Club is a great way for children to get to know each other in a friendly, supervised environment. Please remind students of the change and encourage them to come along and have some fun.

GARDEN CLUB

We are cleaning out the pots to get ready for replanting. Digging and ripping out the garden are always lots of fun, though it is very hot. Therefore we will be taking our time and will not replant until near the end of term. Hopefully water restrictions will ease and we will be able to water regularly. The passionfruits are still growing wildly, and we will be asking shortly for donations of seeds and plants.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Each year we hold a morning tea to celebrate IWD and raise funds for a particular United Nations Women’s cause. This week the committee of Year 6 girls will decide how our event will be run and what cause we will fundraise for. This event will be held on 4th March at 11am for young women in Years 5 and 6. It will be a gold coin entry. Further information will be given to the Years 5 & 6 girls closer to the event.

DEPLOYMENTS AND ABSENCES

Please make sure you let your Teacher, the Office and DSTA know if you have a member away. We like to ensure all students are supported during what can be a challenging time and allow them the chance to share their experiences with other students going through similar events. Additionally, if you are having difficulties or would like a chat, come in and see us or contact us via phone or email.

Your Defence Aides are located in L Pod behind the Outside School Building and families are most welcome to drop by any time for a chat. The lovely ladies at the office can direct you or give us a call if you would like our assistance. Again, please make contact as we are here to help in any way we can.

CONTACTS

Defence Community Organisation is available to all Defence members and their families. Contact can be made on 1800 624 608 24 hours.

Veterans and Veterans Families – 1800 011 046 www.dva.gov.au/vvcs
DFA Defence Families of Australia – 1800 100 509 www.dfa.org.au
National Delegate for Northern Queensland - nth.qld@dfa.org.au

Remember Louise and Correna are available morning and afternoon. Parents and students are very welcome to stop by L Pod or contact us via email or phone as listed below.

The Office on 47 991 333 or via e-mail - Louise on lwhit325@eq.edu.au or Correna Wheeler cwhee36@eq.edu.au

Kind Regards
Louise White and Correna Wheeler

STUDENT BANKING NEWS

Student banking will start Tuesday week 4 (16/2/2016). Each student in prep classes should have received a banking pack. Those prep students who have not yet received a banking pack and any other students who would like to start banking please pick up a pack from the office.

The theme for student banking this year is Outback Savers and we’ll be joining the Dollarmites on a wild adventure through the Canyon of Savings.

The School Banking program continues to encourage good savings behaviour by rewarding students with thrilling reward items. For every 10 deposits made through the program, students can redeem a reward from our Outback Savers range. The first two reward items released in Term 1 include Flying Snake Tails and Wildlife Writer Sets.

This year, we’re giving students the chance to win a family trip for up to two adults and three kids to explore Australia Zoo and meet Bindi and Robert Irwin, plus:

• A full day Platinum Zoo Adventure Tour, where you’ll get to pat wombats, cuddle koalas and feed wallabies, all while your personal photographer captures every incredible moment.
• Domestic return economy airfares to Sunshine Coast, Qld, 4 nights’ accommodation, 5 days’ car hire and $1,000 spending money.

Students who make 15 or more School Banking deposits by the end of Term 3, 2016 will automatically receive an entry into the competition. For more information contact:

P&C UPDATE

Thank you to those parents who turned up to our first P&C meeting for the year. Please find below a table with the meeting dates for Semester 1. Our aim is to build up numbers in attendance so that jobs can be shared across a few more shoulders. We really need your assistance in this matter as without a significant increase in our numbers some of our regular fundraisers and commitments will need to be reduced. We know with your support we can continue to upgrade facilities and support worthwhile projects around the school and within the classrooms... so come along and have your say!!!

All meetings are held at 7pm in the Outside Hours Care Building adjacent to the teachers’ carpark.

TUCKSHOP NEWS

What a flying start to the new school year. We have had a fantastic response to the Birthday Cupcakes.

We are so very excited to be able to offer this to families. Thank you to our volunteers that have returned this year they include Michele Walker, Donna Ross, Allanah Collett and Christine Neeb. We look forward to seeing some new faces in the tuckshop. Between the 16th February and 20th February we are going to have Roast Beef and Gravy Rolls available for $4.00, so be sure to get your order in. School hats $12.50 and library bags $7 are available from the tuckshop.

Cheers, The Tuckshop Ladies