21 September 2018

Newsletter Articles

DATE CLAIMER

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents, Carers and Community

Congratulations to all students and staff involved in Eisteddfod. It is fantastic to hear and see such strong results at the Townsville Eisteddfod. Again The Willows State School has excelled in this local event and we acknowledge the hard work of students and staff.

At the time of printing this newsletter, we had the following results:

Senior Concert Band - 1st Place
Senior String Orchestra - 2nd Place
Novelty Chorus - Highly Commended
String Ensemble – 2nd Place
Junior String Ensemble – Highly Commended
Percussion Ensemble – 2nd Place
Brass Ensemble – Highly Commended
Senior Choir Championship – 2nd Place and Highly Commended
Senior Unison Section – Highly Commended
Senior Folk – 1st Place
Brass Solos – 1st Place Alex S, 2nd Place Alyssa C
Folk Singers – 1st Place
Junior Choir – Highly Commended
Woodwind Trio – Excellent performance
Junior Concert Band – 1st Place

This week we welcomed more new enrolments for the 2019 school year. Our youngest learners are getting ready for Prep and they are excited, as are we! This year upon enrolment students in Prep 2019 receive a welcome bag full of goodies to help parents/children transition into school. If you are looking to enrol, you will now need to contact the office to secure your place at The Willows in 2019. We look forward to the open day which will be held in Term 4. Further details will be provided to parents through email and facebook communication. Thankyou to our team of volunteers who assisted in the smooth enrolment process. We had lots of families and with the many staff on the afternoon were able to work quickly and thoroughly to welcome our new families. Great job!

At the beginning of Term 4 a number of staff are on Long Service Leave. Mrs Amanda Souter will be Acting Principal for me for the first 2 weeks while I enjoy the southern part of our country at a family event. Mrs Kate Haines will be Acting Deputy Principal P-1 in Mrs Souter’s place and Mrs Sam Carter will be joining the Behaviour Support and Student Services team in Term 4 and replaced by Mrs Amanda Kunne. Mrs Sarah Platt (STLaN/Library) will also be taking the full term off and there is currently a regional EOI for this position at our school to be filled.

The end of term is near, every day counts at The Willows. Thankyou parents for your ongoing support of our excellent school and we look forward to a strong and rewarding finish to the 2018 school year. See you at our Book Week Celebrations this Friday!

Kind regards

Helen McCullough
Principal

BEFORE SCHOOL PROCEDURES

All students are seated and supervised in the Main CPA from 8am.

At 8:15 am

Yr 3 – 6 students move to TCBC

Prep – Yr 2 students move to Junior CPA

Please remember your hat every day.

Students will have a quiet activity and the opportunity to have some outside movement time prior to learning.

At 8:45 am All students move to classrooms to commence learning.

To help our students we ask that parents and family members model the following behaviours at our school

• Sit quietly
• Listen to the speakers
• Follow instructions
• Keep noise to a minimum

We appreciate you being a part of our Respectful community and modelling our expectations.

The Outside School Hours Care facility is an option for families to book/use and parents/carers who have early starts and late finishing times are encouraged to access this facility.

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…….

Arriving late and leaving early can take up a lot of learning time.

Reminder that students arriving after 9am need to come through the office.

YEAR LEVEL PARADES

This year our students will have year level parades weekly and full school parades as scheduled on our school calendar.

Note the time and place for all year levels.

Prep – Monday 8.45 am in Junior CPA
Year 1 – Monday 12.50pm in Junior CPA
Year 2 – Tuesday 8.50am in Junior CPA
Year 3 – Monday 2pm in TCBC Conference Room
Year 4 – Tuesday 2.30pm in TCBC Conference Room
Year 5 – Mondays 11.40am in TCBC Conference Room.
Year 6 – Mondays 2.30pm in TCBC Conference Room.
Parents/Guardians are most welcome to attend.

APPOINTMENTS WITH STAFF

Throughout the course of any day and week, the administrative and teaching staff of The Willows have significant commitments to the Teaching and Learning of our students. If you are needing to see one of the staff, please help us by arranging an appointment time at a mutually beneficial time. This can be done by contacting our office, email or by talking with us.

LIFE EDUCATION – TALK ABOUT IT – YEAR 5

This year we are offering students the option of engaging with Life Education ”Talk About it” program regarding puberty. The school recognises that you are the primary educator of your child on issues surrounding their sexuality, however we believe we can work together to help children stay safe by encouraging healthy attitudes. The TALK ABOUT IT program by Life Education includes information on puberty incorporating physical growth and emotional changes, relationships and the concept of self. It is designed to help students understand and cope with this important phase of development. The lesson being conducted will focus on the physical, social and emotional changes experienced during puberty, and helping students understand and cope with this important phase of development.

• Define puberty and its significance in sexual maturity
• Identify and label external sex organs
• Describe the physical changes that occur at puberty
• Describe the emotional changes that may occur at puberty
• Recognise that puberty occurs at different ages and in different stages for each person
• Examine products that assist in the management of puberty (girls and boys will be split for this part of the lesson)
• Script and rehearse how to manage social situations that are awkward and/or involve unwanted pressure
• Understand and apply online and social protocols to enhance their relationships with others and protect their wellbeing
• Explore reasons for relationships changing and propose strategies for managing these changes
• Understand that a baby can be formed as a result of sexual intercourse
• Understand that a baby grows inside a mother’s womb and is usually born via the birth canal

This program will go from Monday the 15th to the 19th of October. These lessons will be taught by an experienced educator from Life Education and will be part of the Year 5 Health Unit. The classroom teacher will accompany their class and will be present to assist. The cost of this program is $10 per student.

3 WAY CONVERSATIONS

In Term 4 week 2, we will again be inviting you and your child to meet with your class teacher in a ‘Three Way Conversation’ to discuss your child’s academic progress and next learning steps. We encourage our students to be ‘Active Learners” and participate in these conversations to strengthen the child’s ownership of learning as well as our relationship with parents as partners.

At the ‘Three Way Conversation’ the roles will be:

Teacher – reports back on academic progress and discusses their next learning steps.
Child – shares achieved goals and future goals.

Parent – discusses ways to support continual academic improvement.

All three way conversations will be held in the TCBC on the following days:

P-2 – Wednesday 17th of October 3.15-8pm
3-6 - Thursday 18th of October 3.15-8pm

To book your time use our electronic booking system. Information regarding electronic booking came out last week and you will be able to book your time over the holidays and in Week 1 of Term 4.

YEAR 5 LEADERSHIP DAY

PLEASE NOTE SOME CHANGES TO THIS EVENT i.e. date and nil cost.

It is that time of the year where we are starting the selection process for our school leaders for 2019. All current year 5 students will be considered leaders and role models of the school as they become our school seniors in 2019. We do however, have some students in leadership positions i.e. School, Music & Sports Captains, Student Council Captains, Publicity Officers, Environmental Officers and Student Services representatives.

All students will participate in our leadership day on Wednesday the 10th of October (1st week of Term 4). On this day students will reflect on what it is to be a leader and will participate in several activities designed to enhance their leadership capabilities, group work skills and team building strategies. It will be an opportunity for us to identify leadership potential and we will provide students with an opportunity to reflect and set goals for their last year of primary school.

Students will need to provide their own lunch as per usual. They will need to ensure they have a hat and water bottle to participate in the outdoor activities.

After the leadership day, students will be invited to nominate themselves for student leadership positions for 2019. From this list of students we will shortlist and then successful students will be invited to participate in a workshop for leadership application writing. 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 Term 4. A handover ceremony will be conducted at the Graduation Awards morning on Wednesday the 12th December 2018 and a badge pinning ceremony will be conducted in the New Year (2018).

This is a very important process in our school year and we look forward to developing the leadership skills in all of our students and selecting student leadership positions for 2019.

Defence News

“MILITARY CHILDREN WILL SAY GOOD-BYE
TO MORE SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE BY AGE 18
THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON WILL
IN THEIR LIFETIME”

Hello all Defence Families. The last 510 poppies have been completed and were taken to the Post Office last Friday. Remember to visit the completed art installation sometime between 6th October and 11th November when it will visit Townsville and surrounding areas. Final date to be confirmed.

Geckos School Holiday program for September School Holidays is OPEN Now for bookings. Mini Golf, family fun Night, Roller-skating and a Teenage MasterChef are all on offer. Booking are essential by Monday 24th September at the link below, Enjoy.

REMEMBER IF YOU ARE POSTING PLEASE REGISTER YOUR CHILDREN TO ATTEND THE KIDSMART PROGRAM BEING HELD AFTER SCHOOL TERM 4. THIS IS A WONDERFUL PROGRM FOR DEFENCE STUDENTS TO RECEIVE STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH THE MANY CHANGES THAT OCCURR WHEN YOU ARE POSTED AND MOVE TO A NEW SCHOOL. Sessions include - Coping with feelings, tips on handling emotions and learning great relaxation techniques. It will start in Wednesday 24th October (Term 4 Week 3) from 3pm-4:45pm. Parents Welcome. PLEASE COMPLETE REGISTRATION AND RETURN TO ME.

Most of the postings are out, so if you are moving please contact me and the office ASAP. Information regarding your student’s last day of school and where you will be moving to is important to the school. This information is much appreciated by myself so I have time to visit and talk about the transition to another school and also give a Farewell Pack to the student. If your children have the defence passport please bring them in to me to be stamped before you leave. Look forward to hearing from you.

IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS

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. 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 a member of the FREE ADF Family Health Program? If you said No you should be. Just read the fact sheet below and register now to access the FREE health benefits available to all defence families.

If you want to know about upcoming DCO programs, events, and activities or information about events and 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, name, member name, address, email, mob/home number, children’s names or collect a form from me. I have attached a copy of the form below.

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 3:00pm. The office can phone ahead to make sure I am in my room or you can email me to arrange a time. Talking with others can help to put things in perspective. See you soon.

Deployments are a part of the Defence Force family lifestyle. PLEASE LET THE SCHOOL KNOW IF A LOVED ONE IS GOING 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.

Are you on the DCO mailing List?

Join DCO Townsville mailing LIST NOW if you want to receive updates from DCO. Contact them directly at dco.townsville@defence.gov.au or phone 07 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

School Holiday Fun September. Bookings Essential, all activities are $5

4th October Coffee Connection-West End Teahouse

14th October Walk to Remember

Sands in Townsville commemorates Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day with the annual Walk to Remember on 14th October from 7.00am. The Sands Townsville annual Walk To Remember allows parents, families, friends and members of our community to unite and participate in a memorial service, butterfly release and walk around ANZAC Park.

26th October The (Almost) Amazing Race

ADF families in Townsville are invited to jog, walk or even sprint their way through a series of checkpoints and challenges in a race against the clock

This event is for everyone, including families with prams, teens, couples and single members. We’ll be looking for the best dressed team with the most original name on the day, so put together your team and have some fun!

Teams of 2-5 people can be entered. Why not team up with your work mates?

Refuel after the race with a tasty sausage sizzle

Where: Jezzine Barracks When: Friday 26 October from 4.30pm – 6.00pm

More info:

Are you looking for a Job? Come and join Employment Pathways Workshops.

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)

DFA Defence Families of Australia – 1800 100 509 or visit the link below

National Delegate for Northern Queensland – Chandell Derham at 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 Have a great HOLIDAYS with family and friends.

Correna Wheeler
Your DSM - Defence School Mentor

Bushfire Arson