24 February 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents/Carers and Community

Can you believe that we are at the midway point for the first term already? Time flies when you are having fun! Our learners, each and every day are certainly showing that they are excited to be at school and working hard to progress and achieve. This is seen across each and every year level and class, well done teachers and students!

Our Student Leaders have now been formally recognised and received their badges. The Investiture ceremony was certainly well attended and highlighted to me the strong links between home and school that exist at our school. I look forward to seeing our student leadership team work on the various projects and ideas that will benefit our school, local community and wider community. Thankyou to Mrs Winter for organising this special ceremony and congratulations to Mr Schmike and the Senior Choir who performed – an outstanding showcase of musical talent!

The parent information evenings were well attended in most year levels. I thank our teachers, support staff and leadership team for providing high quality and informative presentations and spending the time with our parents to give an overview of the year ahead. Thankyou parents and community for attending these and showing your support of our students and teachers.

Our P and C met last week and it was great to see so many interested parents and community members. The group is an active part of our school and in the upcoming meetings I am looking forward to working together to provide the extra-curricula and fundraising events on offer. I am also looking forward to working with our P and C to provide the ongoing financial and inkind contributions that add value to each and every child’s education. In the past our P and C have contributed significantly to the resources of your child’s learning. Examples of this include: Wireless Internet contributions, purchase of computers and software, updating and installing playground equipment, providing us with a ‘state of the art’ tuckshop and installation of our fans in the TCBC. Please make sure you like the Facebook page to keep updated and remember all contributions, no matter how big or small make a great school!

Our Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) and Responsible Behaviour Plan (RBP) have now been endorsed through our P and C. These documents will be uploaded onto our website and outline important information about our school and its’ direction.

The Responsible Behaviour Plan (RBP) is a lengthy document outlining the ways in which behaviour is managed at our school in accordance to the policies, procedures and legislation. At our school our focus is on preventative and proactive behaviour management through explicit teaching and reinforcement of ‘The Willows Way’ – Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner. At times, reactive approaches and disciplinary procedures must occur (suspension, exclusions). These are necessary to ensure that the teaching and learning environment is safe and free from frequent and/or highly disruptive or unsafe behaviour. Further information can be found at our website. In the next year our school will move towards formalising the behaviour management through Positive Behaviour Learning and working in consultation with our Regional Partners for training and structuring our committee.

Our Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) will also be uploaded to the website by the end of February. This document outlines our annual commitment to the 4 focus areas identified: Reading; Writing; Australian Curriculum; and Positive Behaviour Learning. Directly relating to this document is the Investing For Schools Agreement ($281 000) granted to support early and ongoing intervention.

At The Willows State School we have high expectations that students will achieve a C or better in their curriculum subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, Geography/History, LOTE, Music, The Arts, Technology and Health and Physical Education). We also have high expectations that our students will be able to read and comprehend. North Queensland Regional Benchmarks for Reading by the end of year have been set for a number of years. These Benchmarks are the goal for every learner and teacher to achieve (minimum) by end of each year:

Prep – PM Benchmark 8
Year 1 – PM Benchmark 16
Year 2 – PM Benchmark 20
Year 3 – PM Benchmark 24
Year 4-6 – Age Appropriate

These levels have been identified through a regression analysis (research study) by North Queensland Region over several years. They indicate that these are the minimal levels of student reading required to access the curriculum in the following years. Through daily reading in the early years using a four lesson sequence the focus is on Learning to Read. As students’ progress in reading fluency and in comprehension, the focus becomes on Reading to Learn and is integrated in subjects such as Science, History, Geography etc. Over the coming terms, our Master Teacher and learning support teachers will be providing parent workshops to help you support reading at home.

In the interim, you can get involved by ensuring that your child/ren are reading each night – this does not need to just be books sent home, it can include books that your child loves to read or listen to with you!

Our years ahead are about building upon the solid foundations of our school, the proud traditions and working together to make our school an outstanding state school. Thankyou for being a part of it!

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

YEAR 6 CAMP

Just a reminder to parents/guardians of students going on the year 6 camp that final payment was due on the 22nd of February. Students without full payment will not be able to attend so please contact the office if you have any concerns. All medical forms should be returned and all students have a list of requirements to start packing.

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 Tuesday, Thursday and Friday On Monday the lab is open from 8.15am. This lab time will be available for the rest 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.

SCHOOL DISCO

Our first school Disco will be week 9 Thursday the 23rd 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. We will again be hosting our disco in the TCBC. Entry is $3 and food and drinks will be available at the TCBC kitchen. Our theme is yet to be decided by the student council. If your student has a great idea please encourage them to share it with their class representative. More information about the theme will be in the next newsletter.

P&C NEWS

What a great start to the new school year! Our first P&C meeting for the year was in mid-February, and it was fantastic to see lots of new faces join us. We welcome those who want to sit and listen, through to those who want to help out with the occasional job, or even dive in and join our executive team. Hope to see you all back, and anyone else who can come along. We also welcomed and met with our new Principal, and look forward to working with her and the school leadership team in 2017.

Our next meeting will start with a short Annual General Meeting (AGM), where our 2017 executive positions will be elected, and it will be followed by our usual monthly meeting. Come along!

The fun run is coming up in a month's time. This is a favourite event in the year for our students, and is an opportunity to raise some funds for the school. Sponsorship forms will be sent home shortly, with a little incentive: the highest fund raiser in the junior and senior schools, will take home a $100 voucher at a sports store! Anyone who raised more than $10 will also receive a prize.

A big thanks to those who purchased their 2017 book packs through the P&C online system with Kookaburra. Kookaburra have made a donation of over $5000 to the P&C as a result of this. These funds will go straight back towards projects directly in the school. We are proud that the 2017 booklists remained a very simple and competitive process.

Our tuckshop staff have been working hard on a great new menu for 2017, especially our monthly specials. These are in line with the Healthy Choices requirements that are gradually coming in for school tuckshops. New volunteer faces are always welcome - pop on in and say hello if you can spare a few hours a week to help out.

If you haven't yet popped down to the office to pay your voluntary levy, please find time to do this. This levy remains in the school and is allocated to a number of projects that do make a difference to our school.

See you at our AGM and meeting - 15/03/2017, 6:30pm at the Outside School Hours Care building at the school!

If you haven't already liked our Facebook page, jump on now and like it to keep up to date with school events, see our monthly tuckshop specials, and join in the conversation! (Search for The Willows State School P&C.)

Regards,
P&C Committee

STUDENT WORK SAMPLES

Prince Seb twisted and turned the precious gold and topaz ring that had been in his family for hundreds of years. He knew that he must protect the ring, for many wished for it. If the beauty was in the wrong hands it would be perilous for they would have the power to destroy his kingdom. Wolf let out a low growl as he approached Prince Seb’s side. Seb was as brave as a lion and as strong as steel. But if you looked closer you could see that he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was gazing out at the city which, although once splendid, was now in chaos, resting precariously on the great king’s carved stone head that was ready to topple. Seb wondered how he could fix this alone. There was an evil presence stalking the borders of Sebier, Seb’s home. The evil stopped anything from coming in or going out, meaning that no help could come. Seb walked fearfully down to the city gates to send off another raven with a message for help. As his hand touched the gate’s latch he felt a vibration through his hand like an earthquake shaking a city. “The ogre,” Seb muttered as he stroked his friend, Wolf, who he loved like a brother.

Mitchell M 5AND

DEFENCE NEWS

Hello to all Defence Families

A HUGE Thank You to all who were involved and participated in the Swimming Carnival last Thursday. I could tell by the smiles on so many faces that a great time was had by all. What a pleasant day it was with a little rain that just added to a fabulous day. Great to see so many parents present. Much appreciated.

EDUCATION ASSISTANCE SCHEME

All defence families can access financial assistance for education costs incurred as a result of postings. Students may be entitled to up to 14 weeks of tutoring in any subject that has been identified by the school as representing a gap in learning. We may reimburse fees for tutoring required to fill any gaps in understanding or curriculum caused by changing schools. Please see me if you would like a copy or you can ring the Helpline for updates 1800 624 608

Are you on the DCO mailing List?

Join DCO Townsville mailing LIST NOW if you want to receive all updates from DCO.

Contact them directly at dco.townsville@defence.gov.au or phone 07 4753 6539.

If you have any enquiries or require assistance, the Defence Family Helpline will continue operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be contacted on 1800 624 608 or email defencefamilyhelpline@defence.gov.au.

Townsville Gone Troppo Newsletter

DCO Townsville's Gone Troppo Newsletter is available to view on the DCO website and click on the latest edition to download.

DATES TO REMEMBER

“ALL THAT WE CARRY” play to be held at Riverway Arts Centre on 23rd-25th February. Tickets on sale from the centre. The play is MA15+.

FAMILYSMART DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM for partners of military personnel. For all Townsville based defence partners, who are or soon will be, affected by absence due to a deployment, exercise, course or posting. These are very informative sessions.

Held over 4 consecutive Thursdays commencing 2nd March 5:30pm-7:00pm

RSVP: Karly Rubins 07 4753 6539 by 23rd February

Familysmart Program.doc

VVCS 123 MAGIC PROGRAM IS COMING IN MARCH. Great program highly recommended. Flyer attached.

VVCS BEATING THE BLUES PROGRAM for depression management. Designed to develop strategies to manage depression. A 2 day workshop, for more information call 1800 011 036.

THE LOST DIGGERS OF VIGNACOURT EXHIBITION will be on display at The Pinnacles Gallery from 24th February-30th March. Curators talk Exclusive Tour. RSVP- 07 4773 8871 or email pinnacles@townsville.qld.gov.au.

CONTACTS

Defence Community Organisation is available to all Defence members and their families.

Contact Defence Family Helpline operates 24-7 on 1800 624 608.
Mates4Mates (Family Recovery Centre) 40 Anne Street – 4771 9600
Support and Mental Health Services for ADF Families
Townsville Community Mental Health- 4433 3000
Centacare-4772 9000
Relationships Australia-1300 364 277
Veterans and Veterans Families – 1800 011 046 (eligibly criteria applies)

DFA Defence Families of Australia – 1800 100 509 National Delegate for Northern Queensland - nth.qld@dfa.org.au

Remember I am available anytime from 8:00am until 3:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Parents are very welcome to stop by L Pod or contact me via email or phone. Students can call into L Pod throughout the day.

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

Look forward to meeting you

Correna Wheeler