20 October 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents/Carers and Community Members

I would like to thank each of you for your contribution and support of our school. It is excellent to see the high level of interest and engagement at our recent Three Way Conversations. It was fantastic to see students talking with their teachers and parents and proud of their accomplishments and progress to date. The academic report (written) will be issued to parents/carers later this term outlining the semester of learning.

As the term unfolds, there is much work around student leadership in Year 5 occurring. I thank Mrs Winter and our Year 5 teachers for their commitment to developing our 2018 student leadership team. As we conduct these processes, we certainly acknowledge the excellent leadership and commitment that already exists at our school with our current Year 6 students. These students have been strong in their roles and each and every day continue to commit to the responsibilities that they have undertaken. We should be feeling very proud of each of our year 6 students and our leaders. Keep this up!

Over the past couple of weeks, our school has been used to hold a range of conferences in TCBC. I would like to thank Gaynor, Anita and Megan and the tuckshop volunteers for their support and their efforts in catering for significant numbers, whilst also providing the high level of service to our students/parents/teachers each and every day. Our P and C catering option during these conferences/bookings is a great fundraiser for our students. Thankyou to our P and C for their ongoing support with this.

I would like to congratulate our teachers and support staff for their work on the gazetted Pupil Free Day on 16th October. We are never too old to learn and Pupil Free Days are designed around the professional development of staff. We had several visitors to our school providing us with training around Students Support Services, Positive Behaviour Learning, Early Start and Literacy Continuum.

Leadership at many levels is shining through at The Willows. As a school we have a number of staff who have been involved in the TechAmbassadors Program. A program designed to support teachers in the delivery of the new technology curriculum. This subject has two strands: Design Technology (currently taught and assessed) and Digital Technology (being rolled out in 2018 at The Willows). We also have had 6 of our teachers recently engage in the Beginning Mentoring Teachers Program. This program is designed to support new teachers to our school in their first years of their career. We also have several teachers/leaders identified to present parts of their classroom practice in upcoming workshops in Townsville and Bowen around Age Appropriate Pedagogies.

Furthermore, we have also had 24 staff (teaching and non-teaching) trained in the Positive Behaviour Learning training. Positive Behaviour Learning is a system. Our Responsible Behaviour Plan is designed around the key components of this and we are currently revisiting parts of this. We absolutely acknowledge the work of 2016 which has allowed us to arrive at this point where we are able to look at current language, rules and expectations and begin preparation for 2018 where full implementation of systems and structures will be rolled out. Our school is a great school with great students and we look forward to our continued journey in this area.

The work of our staff and our students is outstanding and this coming Monday we have a number of visitors to our school from Central Office and Regional Office visiting to see the school improvement work and the work we are leading at The Willows in 2017. It is a full team approach to education that allows us to be the great state school that we are…the work of our students, their teachers, the support staff, our leadership team, regional partners and of course our parents, community and volunteers are contributing to excellent educational outcomes for our children. We thankyou and we look forward to this continued support for the duration of the school year and many more to come.

Another great event for us that was planned by our Music Department last night was our Gala Night.

From time to time parents and their health professionals may need our assistance to gather information about learning, attendance, behaviour and general social/emotional wellbeing. All requests or letters to our school requesting this information must come through the office, addressed to The Principal, Mrs Helen McCullough. We look forward to assisting parents/carers being proactive and thank you for your cooperation in the process outlined.

Have a great fortnight!

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

UNIFORM/DRESS STANDARDS

All great teams have a uniform and The Willows uniform is one that we are very proud of. Please make sure that students are dressed in their school shirts and navy blue shorts/skorts each day. Every Wednesday, students are able to wear their sports shirt (purchased from our P and C). Thankyou parents/carers for supporting the school uniform dress standards at our school.

2018 ENROLMENTS

If you are leaving our school at the end of 2017, please contact our school office. Our school has strict guidelines around catchment through the Enrolment Management Plan. Currently we have a waiting list which will be referred to should our numbers allow for this. School numbers determine our staffing numbers so we thank you in advance for helping us get this as accurate as possible.

If you know families wishing to enrol at The Willows State School, please encourage them to contact the office and be placed on the waiting list for consideration in 2018.

PARENT REQUESTS 2018

Parents are able to make a time to discuss with Deputy Principal things for us to consider for class placement in 2018. Requests for specific teachers will not be taken – all of our teachers are equally qualified and excellent.

DATE CLAIMER

YEAR 5 STUDENTS PREPARING FOR LEADERSHIP

Congratulations to those students shortlisted to participate in the application writing workshop. They did a fantastic job of defining the traits of leadership and worked very well in teams.

We look forward to reading their applications. From the applications students will be shortlisted and invited to attend an interview and then selected students will present a speech to their peers. Successful student leaders will be announced at Assembly on 17th November 2017. A handover ceremony will be conducted at the Graduation Awards morning on Wednesday the 6th December 2017 and a badge pinning ceremony will be conducted in the New Year (2018).

YEAR 6 END OF YEAR EVENTS

Please find below some information regarding three events being held for year 6 students to celebrate their final days with us at The Willows State School. A permission form has gone home with students. Please be mindful of payment dates as we are approaching the end of the year and they are not negotiable.

Year 6 Graduation Ceremony

When: Wednesday the 6th of December 9.00 – 11.30am
Where: The Carol Buchanan Centre (TCBC)

We invite our families to join us in seeing our year 6 students as graduates of The Willows State School. Academic awards and the leadership handover will occur along with speeches and the sharing of lots of memories. Students will be given a yearbook and gift as they cross the stage one last time. Students MUST wear correct school uniform, shoes and appropriate jewellery and hair accessories. Students plus family are invited to attend this special occasion. Morning tea and cutting of the cakes will occur at the end of the ceremony. Photos will be taken of the students receiving their certificates and copies will be available for purchase that evening from the library. Students may leave with their parents after morning tea to prepare for their Graduation Dance. An invitation for families will be sent out later in the term.

Year 6 Graduation Dance

When: Wednesday the 6th of December 5.30 – 8pm
Where: The Carol Buchanan Centre (TCBC)

Students will dance for their parents and attending staff of The Willows State School. At the end of the formal dancing, parents will leave and the disco celebrations will commence. Finger food and drinks will be provided for the students and this is included in the overall cost. Please collect students by 8.00pm from TCBC. Please note that the dress for this event is smart casual and it is not an expectation that families spend a fortune on attire.

Year 6 Fun Day at the Barra Farm

When: Thursday the 7th of December 8.45 to 3pm
Where: The Barra Farm
Transport: Students will be transported to and from the Barra Farm by bus.
What to bring: Bag, water bottle, hat, sunsafe free dress, towel, sunscreen, togs +swim shirt for swimming, morning tea, spending money for purchase of extra drinks if they wish, closed in shoes and thongs.

Students will have a fun day together as a cohort and celebrate at the Barra Farm. The Barra Farm has barra fishing, an inflatable aqua park including jumping pillows, climbing walls, swings, hamster wheels, bumper crafts and a giant water slide. Students will need to bring their own morning tea and water bottle but they will be provided a pizza lunch & drink. The cost for this activity includes the entry, bus trip and lunch.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Every Day Counts

School absenteeism and truancy can impact significantly on students' learning and wellbeing.

Research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance is associated, on average, with higher student achievement. Additionally, attending school every day helps children to build social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience.

Under the law, you must make sure your child attends school on all school days unless there is a reasonable excuse. The school must monitor attendance of students and follow up with parents and caregivers any unexplained absences.

If your child does not want to go to school, or is missing school without you knowing, contact the school immediately for assistance and support.

The school will:

• monitor student attendance
• notify you if your child has an unexplained absence as soon as practicable on the day of your child’s absence and continue to follow-up with you as practicable
• use effective teaching strategies to engage your child in learning
• help you with strategies to encourage your child to go to school
• provide support for families

Attendance target

The Willows has a target of 95% or above attendance for all students and we’re currently sitting at 92.7%. This is a fantastic rate of attendance and we would love to see this percentage rise and exceed our target.

The school is always willing to help families with any issues that arise with your student’s attendance or learning. Please don’t hesitate to contact the class teacher or school to discuss your concerns.

It is very important that families notify the school if your child is absent. This can be done by phoning the student absent line and leaving a message 47 991366.

If you know that your family is going to absent or you know of upcoming days of absences please notify the office on 47 991333 so we can enter that data into the students profile.

Same day notifications of absences

SMS messages are sent to families that have registered for the same day notifications. This service sends a message to the parents of students that have an unexplained absence on that day. These messages are normally sent by 11am. Reply to that message with an explanation and that will explain the absence. If you are wanting to ensure that you are registered for this service please contact the office to update your details.

Exemptions from Compulsory Schooling

Students that will be absent from school for more than 10 consecutive school days require an exemption from compulsory schooling and approval from the school principal. If you are requiring information about the exemption process please contact the school office.

CYBERSAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ

“The minimum age to open an account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Kik and Snapchat is 13. For Vine, Tinder and Yik Yak it’s 17. YouTube requires account holders to be 18, but a 13 year old can sign up with a parent’s permission”.

These are really important age limits to adhere to for a number of reasons.

1. Children’s personal information is at risk. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) passed in 1998 protects every child under the age of 13. The Act requires that operators of websites and online services provide notice and obtain permission from a child’s parents before collecting personal information — such as name, address, phone number and screen name — from that child. Companies also cannot collect geolocation data that could identify the city street, and any image, video or audio files containing the child’s image or voice. Anything that can identify what the child is using, like cookies, IP addresses or the unique device identifier (UDID) for mobile devices is restricted by COPPA. But COPPA doesn’t work if a 9-year-old claims they are 13. When a social network account is created for a child under 13, or when a child uses a false birthdate, this Federal law cannot protect their personal information from being collected and shared with third party advertisers.
2. Children under 13 don’t have the hardware upstairs to make smart decisions online. Just because kids seem tech-savvy at increasingly younger ages, doesn’t necessarily mean that their brains are developing at the same rate as their digital acumen. Research shows that it takes children about 12 years to fully develop the cognitive structures that enable them to engage in ethical thinking. Before 12 it’s difficult, if not impossible, for a child to fully grasp the impact of their actions upon others, online or otherwise. Yet young children are increasingly joining social networking sites, sometimes even putting themselves in harm’s way by becoming victims of online harassment, solicitation and cyber-bullying before they are ready to respond appropriately.
3. Lying is just plain wrong. Living in a civilized society means we have some implicit agreements: we take turns, play fair, stop at red lights, and hold the door open for old ladies. And we tell the truth. Sure, giving a fake birthdate to Facebook seems like a harmless white lie, but it’s a lie nonetheless. I’d like to believe we can all agree that honesty and truthfulness, online and off, is important.

Cyberbullying is bullying that is done through the use of technology. It is a huge problem for younger students who access social media sites they shoudn’t be. Often students with uncontrolled access to technology aren’t going to tell their parents about cyberbullying for fear that they will be caught. Please monitor your child’s use of technology and keep the lines of communication open. These are good opportunities to discuss cybersafe practices.

Please don’t allow children to access social media if they are not the appropriate age. This is a matter of safety.

PREP 2018 OPEN DAYS

On 3rd November, students that will be attending Prep at The Willows State School in 2018 will be visiting our school. They will rotate through three different Prep classes and be involved in a range of activities. These will be a mixed group of children and not allocated classes or teachers for 2018. Parents of these children will be provided morning tea and an opportunity to meet other Prep 2018 parents.

Session 1: 9:05am to 10:30am
Session 2: 11:45am to 1:05pm

If you have not enrolled your Prep child for 2018, please do so immediately and choose a session to attend.

WEAR A BEAR

Let’s help The Townsville Hospital Foundation raise money for sick people in North Queensland by buying a pair of Bandi Ears for $4 and wearing them with pride.

Last year The Willows raised over $2000 which is a fantastic effort by our community and all proceeds go directly to the Foundation!

Bandi Ears will be on sale both breaks at the middle CPA starting 20th of October.

ICAS

Congratulations to the students who participated in the English and Maths ICAS tests this year. The effort and results are outstanding:

Mathematics

2 Distinction
6 Merit
6 Credit
72 Participation

English

1 High Distinction
8 Distinction
11 Credit
2 Merit
35 Participation

PARENT NEWSLETTER FROM THE GUIDANCE OFFICER

It is that time of the year where we start to think about our child’s academic achievement for the year. We begin to worry if they are not achieving at the appropriate year level, and this thinking can then lead us to start considering repeating our child the following year. As parents, we do this with the best intentions however is it really what is in the best interest of your child? This week I have included a fact sheet from the Department of Education that addresses this issue.

Parent Factsheet

Is repeating a year level the best option for your child?

When a child’s academic achievements are not as good as might be expected, parents sometimes ask whether it would be beneficial for the child to repeat a year level at school. This is an important and difficult decision that can have significant impacts on a child’s future education, and may not be as beneficial as it first seems. There may be other ways to help a child achieve better outcomes. Your child’s school will be able to assist you in considering these options.

In choosing whether repeating a year level is appropriate for your child, it is important to:

• consider strategies and support that you and the school could provide to assist your child (for example, working with teachers to provide differentiated learning)
• consider current research and conduct your own research to understand the consequences of repeating a year level
• keep in mind that school alone cannot change a student’s learning behaviours or academic achievement
• consider what additional measures you could take to support and encourage your child (for example, assisting your child with homework).

Discussions with staff at your child’s school are important for ensuring that all options are identified. You should be aware that if after considering all options, you decide that repeating a year level is the best option for your child, the Principal at the school will make the final decision about whether to approve your child repeating a year level. In making this decision, the Principal will consider the child’s best educational interests and current research on the impact of repeating on a child’s future.

Key messages from the current research

Repeating a year level (also called grade retention) refers to students remaining in the same school year level they studied in the previous year. It is mostly suggested by concerned parents or teaching staff, with the perception that repeating a year level will provide an opportunity for students to improve their academic achievements. Current research suggest that repeating a year level may not necessarily lead to positive outcomes for students, and in fact, could be detrimental to a child’s education.

The following are some conclusions drawn from research:

• Most students who repeat do not catch up academically.
• Children who repeat in primary school have a higher risk of disengaging in secondary school.
• For some students, the experience of repeating contributes to poor mental health outcomes, as they may feel a sense of shame, stigma and loss of self esteem. It could also lead to poor long term social outcomes, as students need to develop new social relationships.
• Repeating may contribute to negative attitudes towards school and learning, and decrease the likelihood that a student will participate in post-secondary education.
• Children who repeat tend to have higher rates of behavioural problems compared with non-repeating students.

It is well documented in research that parental involvement may lead to greater success for children in school. Parental involvement may include having routine, structure and time management for homework and out of school activities.

References:

Anderson et al. (2002). Grade Retention: Achievement and Mental Health Outcomes. National Association of School Psychologists.
Jimerson and Kaufman (2003). Reading, writing, and retention: A primer on grade retention research. The Reading Teacher v56(7), pp.622-635.
McGrath (2007). To Repeat or Not to Repeat? Curriculum Matters, v6(3), pp.16-23.

You are always welcome in S Pod.

Enjoy your week and your children

Narelle Thomas

SWIMMING LESSONS

Last day to pay for swimming lessons is Monday, 23 October.

The cost is $60 for 8 lessons. Spare permission forms are available from the Office.

A note will be sent home closer to week 6 with the timetable for your child’s lesson days and times.

BOOK CLUB – ISSUE 7

This is our last student bookclub for the year.

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

Scholastic 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 the order form.
• place envelope in the money slot in the front office before due date.
• Payment can be made by cash (correct money please), or cheque made payable to the school.

Book Club orders close Monday 23rd October.
No late orders will be accepted.

Thank you

Michelle
Book Club Coordinator

P&C NEWS

School Strategic Plan (2018-2021)

The P&C have now endorsed the School Strategic Plan for 2018-2021. This plan will guide the school direction over the coming 4 years, and has been developed with the input of many of our families, staff and students. The P&C would like to acknowledge and thank our Principal Helen McCullough and the school management team for involving the P&C and our school community in the way that they did. It was a great team effort from everyone involved, and it will be a fantastic 4 years!

2018 Book Packs

Next year is coming fast – do you really have time to go shopping for your 2018 book list? Order online through our 2018 Book Pack partner and have your book pack home delivered or pick up at one of two convenient locations!

Our partner’s pricing is very competitive, and a small amount goes back to the P&C for technology and computer upgrades in 2018.

Go to:

Username: thewi003
Password: studentpack

You can find more information on our Facebook page.

Sticky Labels

We are in the process of partnering with a number of sticky label online stores. If you select our school as you order, they will make a small donation back to our school P&C! See our Facebook page for details as they come to hand.

It’s a great way to make sure your children don’t lose books, clothes, water bottles and much more, while helping the school.

Next P&C Meeting

Our last P&C Meeting for the year will be 14th November, in the TCBC. This meeting will be a planning workshop for 2018 – come along and be part of it!

See you around!

DEFENCE NEWS

Hello all Defence Families.

We started our first session of the Kidsmart Relocation program last Thursday and it was a lot of fun. All the students loved Tyler the Turtle, the program mascot. We have 13 students from The Willows and 2 students from Kirwan SS attending. Jess and Naomi from DCO joined me for the session. I am very pleased to see parents taking the opportunity and encouraging their children to attend these awesome programs which are offered for free here at school. There are so many benefits from children talking to other children who may be having the same feelings and questions around moving. If you were unable to access the program this time please ask at your new school when you arrive.

REMEMBRANCE DAY Ceremony will be held in week 6 of this term. I am requesting the services of a member of our school community to be a guest speaker at our school service on Friday 10th November. If you are a defence parent/family member and would like to speak to our students about what Remembrance Day means to you, please email or call me. Thank you in advance for your support.

ARE YOU MOVING SCHOOLS? IF YOU ARE POSTING OUT OR MOVING SCHOOLS THIS YEAR please make sure you contact the office/classroom teacher and DSTA to inform of the student’s last day of school and the location to where you will be moving. This information is much appreciated by myself so I have time to give a Farewell Pack to the student. The school also appreciates this vital information for further planning. Look forward to hearing from you.

If you are finding life’s challenges overwhelming my door is always open. Don’t forget you are welcome to come to L pod for a chat/cuppa, any day from 8:00am until 3:30pm. All visitors to the school must sign in through the office. The office can phone to make sure I am in my room or you can email me cwhee36@eq.edu.au to arrange a time. Talking with others can help to put things in perspective. Students can also call into L Pod throughout the day.

Deployments are a part of the Defence Force family lifestyle. PLEASE LET THE SCHOOL KNOW IF A LOVED ONE IS GOING AWAY OR IS AWAY. The impact of a parent’s absence due to a deployment can have a huge impact on the whole family, especially children. Sometimes, children lack the language to communicate or understand their feelings and can often express themselves with behaviour that is inappropriate or out of character. At TWSS we aim to support students during parental absence due to a deployment by; engaging the children in a variety of activities that allow them to identify the emotions they may feel during a parental absence; share their experiences with other defence children who may also have a parent away; read books especially written to help children cope with deployments; and create craft items at Kids Club to help the child communicate with the absent parent. Make sure you let your child’s teacher and DSTA know if you or a partner will be away for an extended period of time. Having this knowledge will go towards supporting the student at school.

EDUCATION ASSISTANCE is important for all students. The EAS Education Assistance Scheme is available for all defence families to 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. You have 18 months from starting at a new school to access and complete the tutoring. This scheme is very beneficial for students. Please see me if you would like assistance to complete the form. Or you can ring the Helpline for updates 1800 624 608.

Are you on the DCO mailing List?

If you want to receive updates from DCO including upcoming programs, events, activities or services in the wider North Queensland community, you need to be on the mailing list. You can e-mail DCO office in Townsville dco.townsville@defence.gov.au and leave details which include name, member name, address, email, mobile/home number, children’s names or collect a form from me. I have attached a copy of the form below. You can also phone DCO on 4753 6539.

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 AND ACTIVITIES TO REMEMBER

Yoga Classes @ Geckos on Mondays 18.30-19.30 cost $5/session

Bootcamp Tuesdays and Thursdays @Geckos 18.00-19.00 cost $10/session.

CONTACTS

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

Defence Family Helpline operates 24-7 on 1800 624 608 or e-mail defencefamilyhelpline@defence.gov.au.

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 applies)
Defence Special Needs Support Group- 1800 037 674 for local delegate details

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

Have a great week and remember

MISTAKES ARE PROOF YOU ARE TRYING!

Correna Wheeler