24 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear parents, friends and students,

Last Friday it was the sixth Bullying – No Way, National Day of Action against bullying and violence.

The Australian Government’s definition of bullying to be used in addressing bullying is below.

Bullying is when one person (or a group of people) with more power than someone else tries to upset or hurt them. This power can come from being more popular, stronger or part of the group. They might repeatedly try to hurt the person physically, socially isolate them, or say and do mean or humiliating things to them.

Bullying can happen in person or online and it can be obvious or hidden.

If someone behaves in a mean or aggressive way on one occasion it isn’t bullying, even though it is not respectful or acceptable. A fight or disagreement between two people of equal power or status isn’t bullying.

Understanding and discussing this definition with your children is worthwhile as young people often freely use the term bullying when they experience difficult and unpleasant interaction with others and this can be misleading for everyone.

The recent P&C meeting was very well attended with 20 people turning up to be part of this important community group. We managed to fill most all the positions except the President. It’s vital that we get that position filled. The outgoing executive and president have all indicated their willingness to help the new person ease into the job. There are many workers on our P&C this year which makes the president’s job a great deal easier than it has been in recent years. Please consider this role or supporting the P&C through volunteering your time at an event this year.

Safety is something we talk about regularly at school with the students. We discuss personal safety, safety with movement, road safety and in general, ways to keep ourselves out of hospitals. Leading into a holiday break, we emphasise this even more.

With the recent wet weather it’s important for me, as principal, to once again point this out to the minority of parents who disregard the road safety signs and messages around our school the importance of safety.

We have had an increase in the number of parents driving into the school to drop off their children in the cul-de-sac near the office, despite the sign explicitly stating that only delivery vehicles are to go past that point. This continues to be a very dangerous practice and I personally observed some very poor driver behaviour that resulted in two cars almost colliding the other morning inside the school grounds.

I have also been in contact with the police about the cars driving up onto the traffic island where the buses park. This is illegal and requires drivers to reverse back out across the footpath that exists there making it very dangerous for pedestrians, the vast majority of whom are students. Let’s all be mindful of the safety of our students.

I trust that everyone has a wonderful Easter break.

Jeff

VOLUNTEERS

Thank you to all the volunteers who help out in the classroom, library, tuckshop and other areas of the school.

The P&C endorsed a Student Protection Risk Management Strategy at the AGM on the 8th March 2016.

There is a new volunteer sign-on book in each pod, tuckshop and library. If you are volunteering at the school you must sign in and out in this book each time you volunteer at the school. In the front of each book, there is a Student Protection sheet. Please ensure that you read this. The Code of Conduct training needs to be completed each year. Please contact the office staff if you have not completed this training for 2016 so they can organise a time for you. The training session takes no more than 20 minutes.

If you are a Grandparent, Step-Parent or you are NOT a parent at the school (or exempt) you MUST have a Blue Card before you can volunteer in any area of the school or school activities. Please contact the office if you require a Blue Card form.

SCHOOL DISCO

This term’s school disco was a great success. We had some fantastic costumes for our tropical theme. This was the first year that we have hosted the event in The Carol Buchanan Centre and it turned out to be a fantastic venue giving students plenty of room to dance and have fun. As always we thank DJ SCHIMKE for his crowd pleasing performance. Popular dances, the limbo and the ball throw were among the popular games for the night. A huge thank you also for our Canteen staff and the many parent volunteers who contributed on the night. It was great to see so many parents in general staying and enjoying the night with their children. Thank you also to the large number of teachers that gave up their time to help supervise and assist on the night.

CYBERSAFETY

LIFE EDUCATION COMING BACK TO THE WILLOWS STATE SCHOOL

The Willows State School has always welcomed the Life Education Mobile Learning Centre and it will be visiting our school again this year from the 11th to the 22nd of April. Healthy Harold will be engaging students from Prep, Year 1, Year 3 and Year 6 in some exciting and memorable learning experiences, which are aligned with the Australian Health and Physical Education Curriculum.

Life Education is about prevention through education – providing your child with important knowledge, skills, confidence and self-esteem to help them live a healthy, safe life. The mobile classrooms make the program accessible, exciting and memorable. They use up-to-date technology and teaching methods, and engage the students through interactive games and activities. Healthy Harold the giraffe, their much loved mascot, helps to deliver their message to primary school children.

What your child will learn…..

Prep – In this session, the class use realistic props to help Harold pack a healthy picnic lunch and on their way to the picnic respond to new situations and dilemmas about health and safety. It looks at ways to seek help from trusted adults, the benefits of physical activity, how to spot safe and unsafe behaviours and environments and choosing healthy food options.

Year 1 - In this session, the class take a mystery tour with Harold. An animated video magically introduces them to internal body parts such as the heart and lungs. They explore safety at the park and on the beach, and talk about how people feel in different situations.

Year 3 – Harold offers to share with the class his diary entries about one week at school. This platform provides the opportunity to explore relationships and friendships, influences on food choices, benefits of physical activity and the definition of a drug.

Year 6 - This session focuses on cybersafety, cyber ethics and building positive relationships with friends online and offline. The students explore a range of issues such as password security, risks of sharing personal information, how to communicate respectfully both online and offline and strategies to handle bullying including cyberbullying. Please note that year 6 students also have the option of doing a second program for free if they participate in the first. This second program is called ‘On the Case’. It is about the effects of smoking, history and law, myths and facts, influences and pressures.

Students attending the program pay $7.00 and this money was collected Term 1 as the program starts the first week of Term 2.

BUS IT SAFE

The Bus it Safe program will be at our school in Week 2 of Term 2 (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday). This is a free program designed to teach key safety objectives:

• How to wait safely for a bus
• How to board a bus safely
• How to behave safely on the bus
• How the consequences of unsafe behaviour impacts on both the driver and other passengers
• Brief overview of the Code Of Conduct for students travelling on school buses developed by DTMR & DETE
• The dangers of blindspots for both students and the driver
• How to get off the bus safely

The lesson is conducted in the bus with the driver present creating an interactive realistic learning environment for the students. This year the program will be delivered to Prep, Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5.

IT’S COOL TO BE AT SCHOOL!!

Did your child come home this week with a blue and pink wristband?

That means their attendance this term has been between 95 and 100%. Every day counts, whether your child is in Prep or Year 6! To promote increased attendance and acknowledge those students who attend 95 – 100% each term, a colourful ‘Cool to be at School’ wristband will be given to students. This term our wristband is blue and pink, and was given out this week. Students should wear them each day next term and at the end of Week 10 those students with 95 – 100% attendance for Term 2 will receive the next colourful band (yellow…?). Please make sure your child doesn’t lose theirs over the holidays!!!

The Attendance Class of the Term…….the class with the most wristbands……….goes to

4EVA

Congratulations! 4 EVA had 21 wristbands distributed to students.

CHAPPY CHAT

Welcome to the end of term! It’s been a quick one but hopefully a good one for you. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected by the Queensland Nickel job situation. Please let me know how I can be supporting you at this time.

We celebrated Harmony Day on Monday and Chappy sold orange ribbons and cupcakes to celebrate the wonderful diversity amongst our students and 4EVA did an amazing rap. Thanks everyone for being involved, I can’t wait to see what the money raised will go towards in our school to remind us of harmony everyday.

Our end of term sausage sizzle will be held on Thursday 24th March. Thank you in advance to those who will be able to help out or who buy a sausage on the day, your help is much appreciated and the fundraising is valued and needed. Money from the sausage sizzle will go toward funding Chappy to continue at The Willows four days/week.

Happy Easter!

Ever wondered why we give Easter eggs/rabbits to each other? Well according to tradition the egg symbolises new life. This is tied with the first Easter which Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on a cross, rose back to life. In Jesus defeating death, we are now offered new life with God, so we can have hope for the future, even in hard times.

I hope and pray that as you enjoy your chocolate and breathing new life into yourself and your family and friends that you might take a moment and reflect on the hope that is offered in a world that isn’t always so hope-filled.

Enjoy your break and stay safe.

SINGLE PARENTING - By Professor Matt Sanders

“Single parents often think it's tougher to discipline a child without a partner's support. But your approach should be the same as if you were parenting with someone else.

It's vital to have a game plan and be consistent. Kids quickly get used to routines – at bedtime, at mealtimes, or when it's time to get out of the house in the morning. Put positive and predictable routines in place, and life won't have to be full of big battles over little issues! Many single parents also worry about the lack of other males or females in the household. Mothers may feel this more strongly when they're raising a son alone. Fathers may feel the same when they're raising a daughter. Single parents may want to look for ways for their children to get to know other men or women. It could be a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a trusted family friend or a sports coach. A mentor can support a child throughout their life – and set a great example, too.”

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

Triple P is for every parent!

Chappy will be running a Triple P program soon. If you have questions or are interested, please email Chappy Libbie at lkutu0@eq.edu.au. Triple P doesn't tell you how to be a parent. It gives a choice of strategies you can adapt for all types of situations and problems.

Thank you, have a wonderful and safe Easter break.

Chappy Libbie

PREP - YEAR 2 SUPPORTING READING GROUPS: PARENT INFORMATION SESSION

Do you wonder what your child does in reading groups?

The Willows State School is offering an information session designed to help parents support the teaching of reading in the classroom. Even if you are unable to commit to volunteering, this session will teach skills required to best support your child with home reading.

We will discuss how each of the 4 reading group sessions run throughout the week in each class.

Who: Jodie Gausden
When: Thursday 14th April
Time: 2pm – 3pm
Where: K Pod, oval end.

P&C UPDATE

AGM

We had a fantastic turnout of parents to our last P&C meeting which included our AGM. Congratulations to the following people who took on Committee Positions.

• President - VACANT
• Vice President - Tanya Eddy
• Treasurer - Nicky Smith
• Secretary - Ali Cavanagh

I have stepped down as President and would like very much for someone to fill this position, as the Committee, and therefore the Outside Care and the Tuckshop cannot operate without a President. After 11 years on the P&C and 5 as President, I would welcome the opportunity to act as a mentor and provide the necessary support. If you are a community minded person and enjoy working as a member of a team on a range of projects with a desire to learn more about your child’s school, please contact me via email kardkallison@bigpond.com or phone after school on 0413960491. This position will need to be filled at the next meeting on Tues 12 April, 7 pm in the OSHC building.

Fun Run

The Annual Fun Run was conducted this week. Congratulations to all students who participated and tried their hardest to reach their personal goals!!! Many thanks to the PE staff for organising the day and to those parents who helped throughout the event. Thank you to those people who returned their forms by last Friday. Children who raised over $10 will receive their free ball after the Easter break, and we look forward to announcing the winner of the iPod Touch for the highest fundraiser. As the fun run forms are individually named we would appreciate your efforts in returning these ASAP. We will keep you updated on where the monies raised will be spent. Thanks must go to Nicky Smith for her efforts in organising this event for the P&C, distributing letters, forwarding updates to staff and counting money.

Mother’s Day Stall

Maria has kindly offered to run the Mother’s Day Stall for us this year. This stall will coincide with the Labour Day Holiday so it will run from Fri 29 April - Fri 6th May. If you can assist in any way with this stall, please email Maria on mariarayment@hotmail.com. Depending on volunteers the stall operates over the week, with classes booking in for half hour time slots, and children able to access it through their lunch breaks. It is an enjoyable event with many opportunities to meet up with other parents, so book yourself in for an hour, a session or a day!!!

House Shirts

Order forms have been distributed for printed house shirts. These will not be a compulsory item, but will be available by order only. Please return these by Wednesday 13th April (first Wednesday back after school holidays). There are no exceptions. Another order will be placed towards the end of the year. If you do not have a form please pick up one from the office immediately.

If you would like to try on a sample shirt, please go to Struddy’s Sports, Linear Industrial Park, 12/585 Ingham Road, Mount St John. Their contact phone number is 4774 4288. They are open Monday-Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 12:00pm.

Thanks for your continuing support

Regards

Kylie Allison

TUCKSHOP NEWS

Wow how fast did that term go? We would like to thank all of the Volunteers that have helped out during the term.

Big or small, we appreciate all the time you have given to lend a hand. Hope all families have a fantastic holiday and we look forward to seeing you all back for a great term 2.

Cheers

Tuckshop Ladies

GO TOWNSVILLE FIRE

The JCU Townsville Fire successfully defended our Wattle Valley WNBL championship after clinching a 10-point victory over Perth in the second of the best-of-three Grand Final series on home soil. Winners two years running. Natalie Novosel who visited our students last year for Year 5 leadership day played a fantastic game and some of our students were thrilled to be able to congratulate her and get her autograph at the end of the game. She asked them to say hi to all of the students at The Willows.

DEFENCE AND MOBILE FAMILIES

Welcome to All Families,

Your Defence Aides wish everyone a safe and happy Easter holidays and look forward to another dynamic term.

ANZAC DAY CEREMONY

This year our annual ANZAC Ceremony will be held in The Carol Buchanan Centre, Friday 22nd April from 2pm. Families and guests are invited to attend our special event. The students involved in creating a special ceremony have been working very hard to make this a very professionally run ceremony. We hope to see you there.

The March will return to Thuringowa this year and we would love to see all our students, especially our student leaders attend for what is a fabulous morning. The march will begin from The Willows Shopping Centre carpark on Thuringowa Drive from 10am, Monday 25th April. Students will be expected to wear full school uniform and hat. Please bring a full water bottle. The march will proceed down Thuringowa Drive to the Cenotaph outside the Council building; a short ceremony will take place with the event finishing around 11.30am. If you would like further information please contact your Defence Aides.

COWBOYS ANZAC GAME 23RD APRIL-

An exciting opportunity for some of our Defence students.

The Cowboys wish to show their support to Defence Families by having a guard of honour during the game on 23rd April. This is available to 20 children with preference given to children with a deployed parent. If you are interested please contact MAJ Amanda Gibbs via email amanda.gibbs@defence.gov.au

It is first in first served.

TABLE TENNIS

Rain, unfortunately inhibited most of our games this fortnight. However, by Friday it was dry enough to get in 5 games. What exciting games they were. We had some very loud spectators cheering and encouraging players and some great rallies. Games were very, very close with Jake, Daniel, Malachi and Jack coming out on top. The finals next term promise to be very exciting.

COLOURING COMPETITON

Wow!! Thanks so much to all the students in Prep-Year 2 for taking the time to be part of the Competition. There were over 140 entries. What a great turn out!

All sheets from Prep and Year 1 are displayed in the Junior CPA and the Year 2’s are displayed in the Main CPA. Prizes will be delivered to students this week.

The Winners in Prep are Kasey A PYWOO and Rehan F PYARM. Runners-up are Georgia B PYROW and Hudson O PYROW.

Winners in Year 1 are Zoe N 1HAM and Darcy H 1HAM. Runners-up are Taylah G 1HAM and Marshal P 1RAB.

Winners in Year 2 are Indianna M 2DIM and Brock C 2RAB. Runners-up are Ava A 2OBR and Jack T 2RAB.

CONGRATULATIONS and well done to all who entered.

A special thanks to all the helpers who assisted in this activity, including Jordan, Mia and Tyson 6BIR, Paige and Riley 4 ALE and Matt and Lucas 5DIB. What a lot of fun. We look forward to holding another for all years next term.

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. Find attached 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

Over the last 3 weeks we have been doing Easter activities. Great fun has been had by all. Kids Club is held every Monday and Tuesday during FIRST break on the verandah of the Outside School Hours 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. They are welcome to bring a friend with them.

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

DFA Defence Families of Australia – 1800 100 509

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
Happy Easter to All