8 March 2019

Newsletter Articles

CONGRATULATIONS 2019 STUDENT LEADERS!

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents, Carers and Community

INTERHOUSE SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Congratulations to all participants at our recent Interhouse Swimming Carnival for Years 3-6 (and some of our 2’s who were eligible based on age). Swimming Carnivals form part of our extra-curricular activities at The Willows and I congratulate and thank our P.E Teachers Mrs Deuble, Mrs Pilcher and all of our staff who contributed to the success of this event. It was fantastic to see across our students, parents and staff team spirit, fun, participation and friendly competition. The overall winner of our carnival was our mighty green house CYCLONES and team spirit…red hot HEATWAVES. Congratulations to all teams and to all students who have qualified to participate in the InterSchool Swimming Carnival.

PARENT VOLUNTEER INDUCTION

Last week we hosted our first Parent Volunteer Induction Program and this was attended by 60 willing participants! This is outstanding and I thank you in anticipation of your voluntary service to the students, staff and our teaching and learning programs at our school. I would also like to congratulate Mrs Winter and Miss Anderson and thank them for co-ordinating this mandatory requirement for our volunteers. Further information will be provided about upcoming opportunities to attend one of these sessions. Please keep an eye on our Facebook Page for further information or alternatively please contact our front office to register your interest.

2019 CLASS ARRANGEMENTS – DAY 8 (7 MARCH FOR STATE SCHOOLS IN NORTH QUEENSLAND)

School funding and staffing arrangements will shortly be able to be finalised after the ‘Day 8’ Enrolment Census which has now been postponed until 7 March due to the recent extreme weather event. Parents are reminded that all class arrangements are considered temporary until that time. Any class changes necessitated by ‘Day 8’ processes will be communicated to parents in writing.

FLOOD RECOVERY UPDATE

We are currently waiting on supplies to carpet our learning areas. The Main Covered Play Area toilets have now been restored. We are working to have our Main Hall (TCBC) ready for our Investiture Ceremony this Friday. Thankyou for your ongoing patience, support and understanding as we work with our contractors to restore our school.

PLAYGROUND UPGRADES UPDATE

As you are aware in 2018, our P and C Association donated $250 000 towards playgrounds at our school. These areas are currently taped off and as soon as the Building Act Compliance and Playgrounds are ready, the work will commence. We are looking forward to having the playgrounds ready for our students.

Community spirit is an important part of our school and it was an absolute honour to receive an email from the Principal, Mrs LeBrese of Windaroo State School in South East Queensland. The school community of Windaroo held a free dress day and have kindly raised and donated to our school $1227 to assist us with our recovery of school resources. What a fabulous way to finish a school week and I thank the staff, students and parents of Windaroo State School for their kind words, show of support and exceptional community spirit to help our great state school. Connections with Windaroo are being made through our Chaplaincy Program and Chappy Adam will be coordinating a letter exchange in the coming weeks. Thankyou Windaroo!

Please stay connected at The Willows and thankyou for your ongoing support of our students, staff and school!

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

GENERAL NEWS

BEFORE SCHOOL PROCEDURES

It has been wonderful to see all of our students going straight to the Main CPA in the morning at 8am and we appreciate your support regarding this.   Students should not be arriving to school prior to 8am unless they are going to before school care.    At 8:15 am students in years 3 to 6 move to TCBC.  Prep to year 2 students go to Junior CPA.  Please assist us to encourage your student to: 

• Sit quietly
• Listen to the speakers
• Follow instructions
• Keep noise to a minimum
• Use the paths to access various parts of the school.

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

ATTENDANCE – THE WILLOWS WAY IS 100% ATTENDANCE

Our student’s academic success is very much reliant on active participation and it is great to see our students arriving to school on time and staying for the whole day. We understand that some appointments occur during the school day so please ensure you are coming 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. Parents/Guardians are most welcome to attend.

VOLUNTEERS

Thank you very much to those volunteers who attended our induction session on Monday the 25th of February. We will have another induction session on Monday 18th of March at 2pm in the Knowledge Centre. Please bring your blue card and/or driver’s license for identification. Reminder that as a visitor to our school you will need to sign in at the front office. Any questions please contact Barbara Anderson (Business Manager).

PARENT INFORMATION SESSION

We believe that communication is very important and we encourage our parents to be positively involved with their child’s learning at home and at school. We normally start the year with our Parent Information Sessions but due to our weather we have had to postpone this event until week 8. On Wednesday the 20th of March all classrooms will be open from 3 to 4.30pm. At this time you can see examples of your student’s learning, connect with the classroom teacher and receive some important information. This is a perfect opportunity for you to discuss ways that you can support your student at home with their learning.

CYBERSAFETY IN QUEENSLAND SCHOOLS

Cybersafety refers to online behaviour that is safe, appropriate and responsible. To help prevent cybersafety incidents, students are taught how to use technology appropriately and responsibly and behave in ways to enhance their own safety.

The Cybersafety and Reputation Management team plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the department's reputation with regards to cybersafety and reputation management issues. The team have developed programs to help primary students understand and remember what they should and shouldn't do online:

The Cybersafety and Reputation Management team from the Department of Education will be visiting our school on the Tuesday the 2nd of April. Cybersafety relates to our Technology and Health curriculum and all students in years 4, 5 and 6 will be participating in this visit. The team will also be holding a 30 minute parent session on Tuesday the 2nd of April from 12.45pm in TCBC conference room. This is a great opportunity to have all your cybersafety and online do's and don'ts questions answered by the Departments specialised team, as well as find out more about the trending online platforms your children are using.

Letters will be sent out to all students in year 4, 5 and 6 on the 11th of March with information about this session. It will also have a slip for parents to complete if they would like to attend the parent session.

2019 NAPLAN Testing Brochure

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

From 14 to 16 May 2019, Year 3 and 5 students will be sitting the 2019 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Tests. These nation tests provide information on how students are performing in the content strands of numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar. Please find the brochure link below with more information about NAPLAN for your perusal.

NAPLAN testing will be conducted on paper in 2019. It is imperative that all Year 3 and 5 students arrive at school on time and prepared for the tests.

Please ensure that your student has the following materials that all participating Year 3 and 5 students will require to complete the NAPLAN tests:

• 2B or HB pencils
• An eraser
• A sharpener

To enquire about special provisions or exemption from NAPLAN for you student, please contact Claire Franklin (Head of Special Education) before 3 April 2019. Should you have any further queries regarding NAPLAN, please contact Mrs Patricia Winter (Deputy Principal Years 3/5) or Kym Clay (Head of Curriculum).

Yours sincerely
Helen McCullough
Principal

UPCOMING EVENTS

Positive Behaviour Learning

The Willows State School strives to create a safe and positive learning environment for all students. As a school community we work together to enable students to engage in learning through our Positive Behaviour for Learning Plan (PBL). The primary goal of this plan is to promote consistency in our high standards fostering our school rules of being Safe, Respectful and Responsible. The students learn about PBL through fortnightly lessons that target our behaviour expectations. These lessons also feature at our whole school and year level parades. The school has signage in each area to inform and remind the students of The Willows expectations.

Students, classes and cohorts are continually acknowledged and rewarded for displaying Safe, Respectful and Responsible behaviours throughout the year. Please regularly ask your child if they understand the expectations in different locations around the school and celebrate the rewards your child receives.

Students have a goal to collect 75 stars each 5 week cycle and then will be able to attend that 5 week cycle reward activity. Also if they have had no major behavioural incident in the term they can attend an end of term celebration. The teachers and students are currently deciding on the mid-term and end of term celebrations for their cohorts.

Our school expectations are printed on signage around the school for teachers, students, parents and visitors. This is so we have a calm and consistent environment conducive to learning.

Parents play a crucial role in helping their children be successful in school. When schools and parents work together as partners, students reach even higher levels of success. It’s vital for parents to support their child’s education. One of the most effective ways to do that is by using Positive Behaviour interventions and supports.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Bullying No Way – National Day of Action
Friday 15 March 2019

Schools across Australia are together taking a stand on the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence on Friday 15 March 2019. The theme for the 2019 National Day of Action is “Bullying, No Way! Take action every day.”

On this day schools take action to empower young people to be part of the solution when addressing bullying in their school community.

The Willows State School is united against bullying and will be conducting a range of activities to help address bullying. School communities across the nation are involved and we have been given access to a wide variety of resources to help teach ways to create safer communities for everyone.

In the lead up to the National Day of Action students are creating a personal flag about ways to stop bullying. These will be displayed at the front of the school on the National Day of Action. We are also making school banners with contributions from across the school. The students will receive a wristband to wear at school on this day and then taken home as a reminder that we do not condone bullying at our school - No Way! Students will also be given pocket cards to help them with strategies to combat bullying.

We are holding a Whole School Parade from 2:20pm on Friday the 15th of March 2019 and our parents, families and the wider school community are all invited to attend.

Let's Take a Stand Together. Bullying No Way!

Well Being

From The Guidance Officer

The importance of sleep in school aged children.

We all know how sleep affects our life – a good night sleep makes life’s dilemmas easier to cope with while a bad night’s sleep (or limited sleep) makes us grumpy, lethargic and mostly no fun to be around. Sleep problems in kids don't just drive parents batty, they also affect children's health and development, including academic performance, growth and even immunity.

Sleep researcher and psychologist Dr Sarah Blunden, from the Centre for Sleep Research at the University of South Australia, Melbourne (2010), stated that sleep problems – which can be medical or behavioural – can affect memory, attention, thinking ability and behaviour including mental health issues. For children there are also studies that link bed wetting with sleep problems.

Sleep for school-age children

When children sleep well, they are more settled, happy and ready for school the next day. Good-quality sleep helps children concentrate, remember things and behave well. This helps them to be a successful learner.

At primary school age children need 10-11 hours sleep a night. They’re usually tired after school and might look forward to bedtime from about 7.30 pm.

Some children fall deeply asleep very quickly when they go to bed. Others sleep lightly, fidgeting and muttering for up to 20 minutes, before getting into deep sleep. The first few hours of sleep are usually the most restful. Most dreams happen in the second half of the night.

How to help children sleep well

A good night’s sleep is about getting to sleep, staying asleep and getting enough good-quality sleep. Here are some ideas that can help your child get the sleep she needs.

Bedtime routine

A bedtime routine is very important at this age. It helps your child wind down from the day.

A bedtime routine might look like this:

• 6.45 pm: put on pyjamas, brush teeth, go to the toilet.
• 7.15 pm: quiet time in the bedroom with a book and a bedtime story or quiet chat.
• 7.30 pm: goodnight and lights out.

Relaxing before bed

After a big day at school, your child might still be thinking about many of the day’s events and worries. If they are still thinking or worried when they go to bed, it can cause a restless night or bad dreams.

You can help your child settle and relax for sleep by playing gentle music or a reading story together.

Good sleep habits

Your child/children might sleep better at night if they:

• keep regular sleep and wake times, even on the weekend
• computers, tablets and TV are turned off an hour before bedtime
• have a quiet and dimly lit place to sleep
• avoid caffeine in tea, coffee, sports drinks and chocolate, especially in the late afternoon.
• Encourage your child to fall asleep on their own (even from age six months - put babies down when drowsy rather when already asleep)
• Use reward systems (star charts culminating in a lucky dip or favourite outing) to motivate preschool and school-age kids, especially if they are getting out of bed or coming into your bed at night
• Install a hall or night light if your child is scared of the dark
• If all else fails see a GP who can refer you/ your child to a medical specialist, sleep physician or psychologist to investigate why you or your child struggles with sleep.

So what is enough sleep?

• Toddlers need 12 to 14 hours sleep daily
• Primary school kids 10 to12 hours.
• Adolescents need about 8½ to 9½ hours of sleep per night

Research suggests without this amount of sleep, children don't function as well. They're more irritable, aggressive, hyperactive, fidgety, and can't concentrate or remember information, compromising learning, and exhibiting delayed response time. They get sick more and have an increased risk of accidents.

Adapted from:
ABC Health and Well Being – Kids Need a Good Night’s Sleep by Helen Carter
KidsHealth

Until the next edition
Narelle Thomas

Defence News

HELLO AND WELCOME ALL DEFENCE FAMIIES TO 2019

The TVL Expo was a great resource and lots of families attended. I met many new families and lots of conversations were had on the day. It was a fabulous morning and if you have any questions or require information about defence organisations please give a call or email me. It has been another busy week here at school. I have been out and about the school meeting new defence students and catching up with returning students. There have many smiling faces who are enjoying their time at school. Kids Club has also been very busy with many students calling in to make craft and meet new friends. We have also been busy making bracelets and playing board games, as well as chatting about what is happening at school. My door is always open to adults if there are any concerns you wish to discuss. I will always make time to talk with you and work through the concerns. Please contact me through the school office or come to my room in L Pod or e-mail me cwhee36@eq.edu.au There are many defence activities coming up over the coming months so please check my Dates to Remember below.

KIDSMART RELOCATION PROGRAM (starting Wed 27th March)- is a 4 week program for primary aged kids to help them manage posting and relocation. It is held here after school starting Wednesday 27th March from 3:00pm-4:30pm in L pod. The workshop is delivered by DCO and myself. It covers things like helping children cope with feeling stressed or anxious. Some tips for handling emotions and learning relaxing techniques. Kids will learn how to manage change, stay connected with friends and meet new people. For more information and to register please contact me on 4799 1333 ext 323. Great fun afternoon for kids. Afternoon tea provided.

Rex D Dog Welcome Packs are available for the first time from Defence Housing in Townsville. If you have just arrived and would like a pack for your child, please contact them.

Moving schools can be a difficult time for children and parents alike, so be patient as it will take time to adjust to a different environment. Remember to listen and talk with children about their feelings for the new school. They may have some worries and questions about their new school and it is important to talk them through. This will assist with their transition and provide them with resilience skills which they may use in future years. Any concerns talk to me or you can contact the Defence Family Helpline 1800 624 608 and Open Arms Office 24/7 (ex VVCS) 1800 011 046.

DATES TO REMEMBER

27th February-Kidsmart Relocation Program held at school from 3:00pm-4:30pm for 4 weeks.

7th March-Coffee Connections at the C Bar from 10:30am-12:00pm, call 4753 6539 to register

9th March-Big Splash Pool Party, Kirwan Aquatic centre 5:00pm-7:00pm, call 4753 6539 or dco.townsville@defence.gov.au for more information

12th March-Marketing Yourself Partner-Employment Workshop, Geckos Family Centre, 9:00m-2:00pm, call 4753 6549 or dco.townsville@defence.gov.au

30th March-My Dad and Me Playgroup-Geckos family Centre, 9:30am-11:00am, call 4753 6539 or dco.townsville@defence.gov.au for more information

DON’T FORGET to Register at DCO mailing list NOW for all the upcoming events in your local area.

GECKOS AT LAVARACK BARRACKS is a place for defence members, partners and families to build friendships, socialise and access information to assist with the challenges of the defence lifestyle. Open most days with lots of events organised. A great place to meet other defence spouses and the younger ones can play together. Host of events and activities are organised.

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 1800 624 608

Open Arms call 1800 011 046

DFA (Defence Families of Australia) Chandelle Derham 0418 796 561 nth.qld@dfa.org.au

Geckos Family Centre-Nth Qld Lavarack Barracks

Defence Holidays NQ 07 4725 3842 at Lavarack Barracks opp Gym admin@defenceholidaysnq.com.au

If there are any changes with the home dynamics, please be sure to contact the class teacher/or myself so we can best support the student at school. I am available to talk anytime at school. My hours are Monday to Friday 8:00am-3:30pm, phone me on 4799 1333 ext 323, or e-mail me cwhee36@eq.edu.au anytime.

My aim is to assist to empower students at school by developing RESILIENCE, CARING AND TRUST. Students with these life skills will be ready for the future.

Have a great day
Correna Wheeler

DSM
Defence School Mentor

P and C News

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Our AGM will be held on 12th March, 6pm in the TCBC Conference Room. We welcome anyone to come along to be part of our P&C. As part of this meeting, all executive positions and sub committees will be declared vacant and elections will take place. An ordinary meeting will follow.

Our meetings are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6pm in TCBC Conference room. Any date changes will be published on our Facebook page.

And yes, you can bring the kids!

Perhaps you might be interested in…

• attending meetings once a month (and you can just sit and listen if you want to!)
• helping at functions or volunteering in our tuckshop
• applying for grants
• helping with our Fun Fair
• an executive committee role (President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer)
• a subcommittee role (Tuckshop, OSHC or Fundraising)

Perhaps you have a special area of interest or skill that could be useful? Or maybe you have some great ideas? We’d love to hear from you!

If you are thinking of attending a meeting for the first time, why not bring a friend? It is always easier to have some support in a new environment.

Why join the P&C?

P&C members make a difference by:

• consulting on school policy
• financial planning and budgeting
• managing on-site businesses through sub-committees
• assisting with school functions
• applying for grants
• building school communities
• making the school a happier and more connected place

Get the inside story on what’s really happening in the school (not the gossip). Our Principal usually is available at meetings with other members of the school admin team to answer questions, and teachers regularly attend our meetings too.

Did you know that children who have actively engaged parents have better education outcomes?

• Working with your P&C provides you with valuable work experience and new skills.
• Volunteering improves your health and wellbeing.
• Joining your P&C creates life-long friendships

School Banking

We would like to thank Kelly who has volunteered as our School Banking Co-ordinator. We do, however, need a second volunteer to help with processing and counting banking each week.

The program requires School Banking Co-ordinators to facilitate the banking and distribution of School Banking rewards. This only takes a small amount of your time one day a week and the Commonwealth Bank will provide support in how to run the program. Your help with the program will greatly benefit students as they develop vital saving skills and also help our school with fundraising.

School House Shirts, Hats and Water Bottles – available from our Tuckshop!

School House polos are available in various sizes in all house colours for $30. For any new families to our school (and our new Prep 2019 families), these are not a compulsory shirt, and if purchased are only to be worn on Wednesdays and official school sports days.

Water bottles are available in all house colours - $5 each.

These hats are a brand new style with an adjusting toggle (as sold at The School Locker) available in four different sizes in all house colours on the reverse side - $15 each

Tuckshop – Volunteers needed!

The Willows State School Tuckshop operates 5 days a week at both break times & offers a light breakfast.

Volunteers are always welcome and are necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the Tuckshop on a daily basis. If you can help, please see our super convenors, Rosie and Nadine, at the tuckshop.

Fun Fair Planning

We have the wheels in motion to organise this year’s bigger and revamped Fun Fair on 16th August! It is a team effort and isn’t possible without volunteers. If you are available to help with either the planning or assistance with little jobs along the way, please get in touch!

We are also wanting to hear from market stall holders who may be interested in holding a stall at the Fun Fair. We are also after entertainment options, such as performers or sports demonstrators. Please contact us if you are interested.

Contact us!

Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with school and P&C events. (Search for The Willows State School P&C.) You can contact us sending a pm to the page. Alternatively, you can contact us via email at willowspandc@gmail.com

See you round!

Prep News

Prep Visit to Life Education Van

Some Prep classes have visited the Life Education Van and enjoyed learning about healthy food and sometimes food, as well as being kind.

In our reading groups we have been learning about concepts of print – letters, sounds, words and making sure we point to each word as we read. We were making one of the words from the text. We found out if we took one of the letters away it made another word.

In Maths we have been learning about making patterns. We know that a pattern repeats itself over and over again.

Science

This week we have been learning about our clothes and activities in different types of weather. This is Prep Zonta painting what they would wear and do in different weathers.

English

We have been making connections to stories we read by thinking of what they remind us of. These photos show the children building with blocks and boxes just like Clancy and Millie built with boxes in the story.

Year 1 News

Year 1 English

Throughout the term, you might hear your child mention ‘Big Rain Coming’. This is because in Year 1 we are learning to comprehend and respond to this imaginative text.

Students are exploring the different events that happen throughout the text and seeing how they can make a connection to events in their own life. One of the main events students have made a connection with is the recent rainfall in Townsville and linking how it made them feel to how the kids in the story felt when it finally rained. Students will know if they are successful, when they can identify what happened in the beginning, middle and end of the text.

The next time you are sitting around the dinner table, ask your child about the text and see what they can tell you. I am sure you will enjoy hearing about “Old Stephen, pointing to the dark grey clouds in the south and said, “Big rain coming” or how the dogs at Roberta’s camp dug up holes to keep cool”.

Year 2 News

Maths in Year 2

In our first maths unit for the year, students had to collect and represent data, relating to a specific question asked.

To be successful, the students were required to survey ten of their classmates, to collect some data. They then had to represent the data accurately in a picture graph. The final aspect of the task required the students to analyse and compare the data, enabling them to answer some questions.

The students really enjoyed surveying their classmates and had fun making their picture graphs.

Year Two Assembly

Every Tuesday at 8:45am, the year two classes have their weekly assembly in the Junior CPA. This is a time to celebrate the children who are making appropriate behaviour choices, demonstrating great learning and attending school every day. Each class will give out three awards: Excellent Behaviour, Excellent Learning and Excellent Attendance. All children wait in anticipation to see if they are one of the lucky students receiving an award.

Parents are welcome to attend our assembly. We look forward to seeing you there!

Year 3 News

Year 3 Visit the Life Education Van

Over the last couple of weeks, some of the year 3 students and teachers have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to engage in learning with a visit to the Life Education van. Lots of learning around bullying, nutrition and emotions occurred. The students were extremely engaged when reading Harold’s diary, before then discussing the different emotions he may have been feeling as he experienced a variety of situations. It was great to see some enthusiastic students sharing their stories about times when they have felt excited, proud, sad, angry and nervous. “I feel excited at Christmas time!” was one response. “I feel proud when I do lots of writing in my school work,” was another and also, “I feel proud when I help animals!”

The concepts touched on during this incursion align nicely with the current year 3 Health unit – Good Friends. In this unit, students are learning to recognise strategies for managing change and identify influences that strengthen identity and also investigating how emotional responses vary while understanding how to interact positively with others. It is evident that the year 3 students at The Willows State School already have a strong understanding of interacting positively with each other as they play and learn together so successfully each day.

Year 4 News

‘Lenny the Lining up Lion’

In Year 4, ‘Lenny the Lining up Lion’ is awarded to the class that does the best job during the week at keeping their eating area clean and lining up at the end of eating time. Lenny then joins that class for the next week and observes the learning that is taking place. He then comes back to the Year 4 Assembly and joins the following week’s winner.

The first winner for the year was 4NOS. These are some photos of Lenny joining 4NOS in the library this week and then watching us read our books in silent reading time.

Can you find Lenny in every photo?

Year 5 News

Sensational Science!

Year 5 students have been extremely busy learning to analyse how the form of living things assist them to function in their environment.

The students are examining many plants and animals and their adaptations to enable them to design two contrasting creatures (eg: desert and forest). Students will then be required to describe the structural features and adaptations to allow survival in the environments provided. They will also use environmental data and scientific language when suggesting explanations. Students will use a slideshow to present their creature and information.

Did you know? Under two layers of fur, a polar bear’s skin is black! This assists the polar bear with absorbing heat to enable it to withstand the extreme climate conditions of its natural habitat.

Did you know? The comb-crested jacana has huge, broad feet and claws to distribute the bird’s weight and enable it to walk on floating vegetation.

Did you know? During long periods of dry weather, the water-holding frog buries itself in the sandy ground then produces a water-tight cocoon using its external skin, allowing it to retain moisture. For added nutrition, it then eats the external skin! Mmm!

Students working on gathering information to assist with their “Creating a Creature”

Students conducting an investigation on camouflage

Year 6 News

Week 6 News

Although we have had a tricky start to 2019 the year 6 cohort are very settled and in full swing with their learning. They are learning how authors influence a reader in English to the significance of Henry Parkes in History. Some classes are involved with prep classes helping them to read during buddy reading sessions. The swimming carnival was a great success this week with our leaders show casing the skills with younger students and their peers. All students who attended enjoyed participating in this event. Student Council representatives have been selected and we look forward to the Investiture Ceremony in the near future. The year 6 teachers look forward to working with parents and care givers of our students this year.

Community Events & Notices

Hosting Opportunity