10 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear parents, students and friends,

As we rapidly approach the end of the first term of the year, we are continually working with the students to raise their performance across all key learning areas.

Our staff collaboratively plan units of work so that there is consistent understanding of the assessment and what students are actually required to know and do. Staff undertake a great deal of professional development around this practice and for those of you who have visited your child’s classroom recently the learning walls are evident in all rooms. These walls help students understand what is required of them during the unit of work and they are designed to make your children assessment literate. Those of you who have children who are secondary students will have seen the assignment task sheets that high schoolers bring home that show what the task is and the Guide to Making Judgements (GTMJs) sheet that comes with it. These GTMJs show what is required to get an A/ B /C etc.

Here at The Willows we do the same but we have those GTMJs on the walls of our classrooms and they are explicitly referred to as a way of keeping the goal of student achievement in the forefront of our students’ minds. Our staff provide A level exemplars so that the children can all see what a really top example of work looks like. We do this because a student aiming for an A can drop to a B or a C but if the student was only to be shown a C standard piece they cannot fall up to an A.

This does not mean we ignore those students who struggle academically, in fact is required of teachers to differentiate their teaching so that all students can access the curriculum at their level. The complexity of teaching a class of 25 or thereabouts, starts to become clearer when we take all of this into consideration.

Hence, our classrooms are dynamic learning places with so much going on it can be hard for parents to keep up with the language of assessment our students use. If you would like more information about what your child is doing, feel free to make an appointment with your child’s teacher. That way the teacher can be available and give you their full attention as it is not always possible for a teacher to easily speak with you first thing in the morning without prior notice.

A great thing happening in our school right now is the advent of our first Student Newspaper. This has been well received by the students and is the product of some tremendous work by our school leader publicity officers. Congratulations Layla and Madeleine on a job well done!

On the sporting front, the Bill Nettle Cup is on in a few weeks’ time along with the netball. This year our students will all be wearing the new school representative sports strip at these events as well as on Thursday interschool sport. These have been funded by the P&C and the students think they look great.

Have a great week.
Jeff

ASSEMBLY

The next assemblies are ….

• Senior Assembly (3-6) on Friday the 11th of March
• Junior Assembly (P-2) on Friday the 18th of March
• Friday the 25th is Good Friday
• First Friday back for term two will be a Senior Assembly (3-6) Friday the 15th of April

YEAR 6 CAMP

Just a reminder to parents/guardians of students going on the year 6 camp that the second payment of $100 is due on the 23rd of March.

• An initial non-refundable deposit of $50 by the 4th of December 2015. (This will secure your child’s place)
• A second payment of $100 will now be due on the 23rd of March 2016.
• A final payment of $90 will now be due on the 10th of June 2016.

SCHOOL DISCO

Our first school Disco is on this Thursday the 10th of March. The junior disco will be for students in Prep, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3. This will go from 5 to 6.15pm. The senior disco will be for students in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6. This will go from 6.30pm to 8pm. This year we are hosting our disco in the TCBC. Entry is $3 and food and drinks will be available at the TCBC kitchen. Our theme is tropical as all proceeds will go to OXFAM who are presently in Fiji assisting communities to access clean water and sanitation. Communities in the direct path of Cyclone Winston in Fiji have experienced catastrophic damage. At least 43 people have died and entire villages have been destroyed. More than 53,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centers around the country.

ASSESSMENT AND ACCESS TO COMPUTERS

Many of our students are completing assessment at the moment to finalise their results for term 1. The Library Computer Lab will be available for students to access from 8am to 8.40 every morning until the end of the term. If your students need a little more computer time to complete work or needs assistance with assessment please encourage them to attend. This is available for all year 3 to 6 students.

OUR STUDENT NEWS

Congratulations to our publicity officers and their team for releasing our first edition of The Willows Student News. All classes have a copy and there are some copies also available in the library. The students have done a fantastic job. They hope to put out a publication every month. Presently students are thinking about a possible name for their publication. Any ideas are most welcome. Send to student council via the suggestion box located in Mrs Winter’s office.

FUN RUN INFORMATION

The Fun Run is only 2 weeks away. It is being held at the school on Wednesday, 23 March. Students are keenly preparing for the big race. Ask your child what their goal is for the Fun Run this year. Every student has been issued with a Fun Run Sponsorship form to raise money for our school. We appreciate your efforts to support our students. Please remember that ALL sponsorship forms must be returned.

VOLUNTEERS

We need volunteers to help at the Fun Run to be Course Marshalls. Mr Tod is keen to hear from anyone who is able to assist. You can email him on ctod1@eq.edu.au, write a note or come and see him at the PE Office at the Main CPA.

The marshalling times for each event are listed below. We hope you can come along and watch. BYO hat, umbrella and chair!

Yours in Sport,
Cameron Tod & Cathy Pilcher
HPE Teachers

MISSED PHONE CALLS

If you miss a call from the school, please check your messages before calling back so that office staff can redirect your call to the correct person. The main school number is displayed on all phone calls made from the school regardless of where in the school they are made. Staff will leave a message for you, if you have this option set up on your phone.

CHAPPY CHAT

Hello! I hope Term One is going well for you.

I have had a great start to 2016 and have been able to meet most of our new students, teachers and have also been chatting with more parents, which I love.

Here is what is coming up for Chappy:

Harmony Day

Say No to Bullying Day is Friday March 18th and Harmony Day is the following Monday so let’s celebrate by wearing orange to school on Monday 21st March, Week 9.

Please bring a gold coin donation. The money raised will go toward an important charity.

Chappy will also be selling orange ribbons for 50c and orange cupcakes for $2 each outside the TCBC Kitchen. There may also be a special performance from 4EVA!

End of term Sausage Sizzle

The end of term sausage sizzle will take place on Thursday March 24th at 1st Break. The school office will send out order forms soon. Please no late orders. Sausages will be $2 each. Sausages are Gluten Free. Gluten Free bread is available if ordered beforehand (please note on order form). Any volunteers to help cook/serve are very welcome, or to help count orders on the Tuesday beforehand. Thank you.

GETTING OUT THE DOOR ON TIME - By Professor Matt Sanders

For many families the morning rush hour is the most stressful part of the day. So how can you and the kids get out the door on time? The key is organisation.

Get yourself ready first, before your child. To avoid last minute rushing prepare some things the night before and go to bed at a reasonable hour so you’ll wake-up early enough.

I also recommend against having the television on in the morning. Better to make sure the children are dressed before breakfast. Perhaps when they are fully ready you can turn the television on then.

Let your child know ahead of time that you’ll be going out and explain exactly what the day’s activities will be and their time requirements.

Younger children can learn the importance of organisation by doing things for themselves. Teaching children to get dressed by themselves is a chance to practice independent skills and it also saves you time.

You may like to try the “beat the clock” game. Your child’s goal is to be ready before the alarm clock sounds off. If your child wins, he earns a small treat or reward, such as a favourite snack in his lunch box.

Tell your child exactly what tasks he must do to be ready to leave and thus win the reward. Make sure you set the timer for a reasonable amount of time and avoid giving repeated instructions or nagging your child to hurry up.

Often it will only take a two-week period of beating the clock before the rewards and the clock are phased out. Remember to always praise your child’s achievements in learning better organisation.

Professor Matt Sanders is founder of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program®. To find out more about Triple P in Queensland go to: www.triplep-parenting.net

Triple P is for every parent!

Chappy will be running a Triple P program sometime soon. If you have questions or are interested, please email Chappy Libbie at lkutu0@eq.edu.au

Thankyou, have a wonderful day.
Chappy Libbie

BOOK CLUB

Book club brochures were handed out last week. If you have not received your brochures please check with your child’s teacher.

Scholastic now offer 2 easy ways to place your book club orders.

1. Order and pay for your purchases online before the due date for free delivery to your child’s classroom.
   Any orders received online after the due date will be charged a delivery fee and delivered direct to your home address.
2. Complete the order form attached to the book club brochure and return to the school as below:
     • place all orders in a sealed envelope clearly labelled Book Club
     • write your child’s name and class on the envelope and on each order form
     • place envelope in the money slot in the Front Office before due date
     • payment can be made by cash (correct money please), cheques made payable to Scholastic or by credit card via phone payment.

Book Club orders close this Friday 11th March.
No late orders will be accepted.

Thank you

DEFENCE AND MOBILE FAMILIES

Welcome to All Families,

A Special Thank You from Correna to all the parents who attended our first Morning Tea for the year. Thank you also to Kellie from Australia Military Bank for the goodie bags. It was wonderful to see so many new and familiar faces. It was great to see people arranging coffee dates and getting to know each other. I appreciate the information that was completed and I will endeavour to follow up with the requests. Hope everyone had a great time and please feel free to call into L Pod for a chat and cuppa at any time during the week. If the room is empty please leave a message and I will contact you when I return. We are available every day at school.

It is hard to believe that the term is half over. Most students have settled into their new classes and if you have any concerns please contact the teacher and let us know so we can assist also.

Some parents are away at the moment. Please let the teacher and us know so we can be there to support the student in the time.

Don’t forget about the EAS Scheme to assist students with tutoring when transitioning from a previous location to a new school

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

What a wonderful event we had last Friday. More than 70 girls from years 5 & 6 came along to L Pod to celebrate IWD and raise funds for United Nations Women’s causes. The event raised more than double than in previous years. We are pleased to announce a huge donation of $120 to the UN Women Fiji Relief Fund. While enjoying some lovely cupcakes the girls took part in some challenges surrounding our theme ‘Women of Science’. We also spoke about the United Nations Millennial Sustainable Goals and came up with a few of our own such: “Make sure the ENTIRE Pod is clean”, “dispose of waste responsibly” – Cadence 5 THO and from Zara 5ASH “Be a good person” and “Try 100% and more”. Prizes were awarded for completed challenges and correct answers with first prize going to Cadence 5THO who impressed us with her vast knowledge of world events and literary talent. Congratulations and thank you to all the girls for attending. It was truly an enjoyable event.

GUESSING COMPETITION - To raise further funds for our cause the IWD committee spent each break selling guesses for our ‘Guess the Purple Lollies’ competition for 50c a guess. We had many and varied guesses, however, Heidi’s (5 THO) guess of 145 was ultimately the winner. Congratulations.

IWD COMMITTEE - A special thank you to Briearna 6FAY, Megan 6AND, Kellie-Anne 6 SAN, Bella 6FAY, Catherine 6AND, Alexsandra 6HOL, Zoe 6SAN, Jorja 6BIR and Bailey 5KRO. These girls gave up break times over two weeks and worked tirelessly to raise funds for the event. Thank you and well done. You all showed true leadership and community spirit.

TABLE TENNIS

The table tennis competition began last week with some great games already. More than 80 students have signed on which will keep us busy well into Term 2. The students have shown great sportsmanship and thank you to Michael C, Patrick W, Bailey M and Sean S for offering their break time to umpire.

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, caused 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.

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 as information cannot be forwarded due to the privacy regulations. Attached please find the mailing list authority form.

SMART PROGRAMS – GECKOS

Please peruse the attached flyer for the upcoming FamilySMART deployment, SMARTRelocation program, KidSMARTDeployment workshop along with DCO North QLD Workshops. These programs are held at the GECKOS facility on Lavarack Barracks.

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 encourage them to come along and have some fun.

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

P&C UPDATE

Our AGM was held on Tuesday night. A report regarding office bearers and the business discussed will follow. We look forward to a dynamic year ahead with the support of all Willows families!!!

The Fun Run will be held on Wednesday 23rd March, which is approaching fast. Please encourage your children to ask for and collect sponsorship for this event ASAP so that forms can be returned and collated. Forms are due back on the 18th March. Let’s see if we can smash last years’ totals!!! Spares are available from the office. Volunteers will be needed on the day, so please look out for requests leading up to the event.

We are currently looking for a parent to assist us with running the Mother’s Day Stall. If you are looking to help us out, but can’t make it to meetings, this may be the job for you. Please email me at kardkallison@bigpond.com or phone me on 0413960491 if you can assist us. Plenty of support available!!

Please consider coming along to a meeting and offering up some support to our hardworking committee. Jobs of all shapes and sizes available.

“What do I get out of it?” you might ask.

I would answer.. ”lots of great friendships and the satisfaction of seeing new facilities at the school as a direct result of what we have achieved, with plenty of laughs along the way! A fantastic way to feel a part of this great school community.”

Looking forward to your support for a great 2016!

Upcoming meetings- save the date!!

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