17 May 2019

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

That was a very fast (and fabulous) fortnight at The Willows!

Congratulations to all of our team. The 411 parent/student/teacher 3 way conversations is an absolute credit to the high quality teaching and learning that occurs each and every day at our school. It is fantastic to be able to showcase our student work, display the significant student support services and offerings. I also would like to thank Kate Haines for organising the Student Leaders who provided VIP service to our school community and helped the night run smoothly. The student leaders were fantastic ambassadors. Thankyou to all parents who supported 3 Way Conversations.

Congratulations Bill Armit!! Mr Armit was presented with a special recognition today from not just our amazing school but Townsville School Sports for his dedication and commitment to football (soccer) for 20 years! Mr Armit is 1 of 6 educators to become Life Member Townsville Sport! Great job Mr Armit - all past, present and future students, staff and parents appreciate you.

I am equally proud of the sporting achievements of our school. I can not thank the teachers who work with our students enough. The Bill Nettle Cup success was not about the win but the improvement in the student sportsmanship was something I was most proud of and we should be celebrating this success with our team. Thanks Brad, Adam and Aaron for your dedication to not only the skills of the game, but the values underpinning good sportsmanship that you model and expect of our players. This was also reflected weekly at the fields during inter-school sport and I thank Nadine and Cameron for working with our teams to make this successful…celebrating the game and being a good sport again featured on a weekly basis.

Our Netball teams were nothing short of outstanding in their games and off the court. Our girls played in the finals this week and played their hardest coming away with runner up and we could not be prouder of their efforts. Thankyou Carleen for your support and high standards of sportsmanship.

Our team is a large one and when we work together and celebrate our progress, effort and achievement, we are a mighty team. Our Year 3 and 5 students and teachers did a fantastic job this week with NAPLAN! Congratulations to everyone involved, we are continuously proud of our students learning.

Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that I advise you that Jesica has been selected as one of 40 finalists across the country in Interrelate’s “Say No to Bullying” Poster Competition for Australian primary schools.

The Willows has been congratulated on being involved this year and helping students to be upstanders and create a positive culture. Jesica + 2 extra guests will be invited to attend an Awards Ceremony to announce the winner and receive their prize in person at

Government House in Sydney in June 2019.

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

GENERAL NEWS

Woolworths Earn and Learn

Woolworths earn and learn program provides our students with lots great resources. Bring your stickers to school or put them in our school boxes at Woolworths.

Willows Warriors

VOLUNTARY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION

General Information:

• A voluntary financial contribution operates at The Willows State School. Parents/caregivers are strongly encouraged to participate as your contribution makes a direct difference in the resources available for your child/ren. It assists us to provide them with an enhanced range of learning materials and equipment.
• The purpose of the contribution is to enhance the level of resources available so that maximum student outcomes can be achieved by providing Library and Reference Books, Home Reading Books, Art and Craft Materials, Sporting Equipment and Classroom Technologies.
• All contributions to this scheme are gratefully received and make a significant difference to the education opportunities of all students.
• Payment does not cover items such as general stationery, admission to sporting venues, excursions and transport costs.
• Payment is now due to enable us to be a great school for your child/ren and every cent will be used to support your child/ren this year at The Willows State School.
• The Willows State School has maintained the current contribution of $40.00.

Specific Conditions:

• Parents who are experiencing financial difficulties may make a Payment Plan with the Business Manager to pay the contribution via regular instalments. All discussions will be held in confidence.

How can you pay your contribution?

Payment can be made at the office every day between 8:00am and 3:30pm, using cash, debit or credit cards. You may also pay your contribution by direct deposit into the school bank account.

Details are as follows:

The Willows State School
BSB: 064 823
Account: 1022 1460
Reference: (Student's surname and Roll Class) e.g. Brown 2BOU

Important: If you use the direct deposit option, please ensure you USE A CLEAR REFERENCE. We will be unable to receipt your account if we don’t know who the deposit belongs to.

We thank you for your support of our voluntary contribution scheme. Please read the following information about the scheme. Please don’t hesitate to contact the office if you require any further information.

Barbara Anderson - Business Manager

SCHOOL WATCH

We need everyone to look out for after-hours crime in our school. If you see anything suspicious, please don't attempt to intervene.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

The following document outlines the curriculum for Term 2 for all year levels

We hope that you have enjoyed the many articles from all of our year levels showing you our curriculum, teaching and learning in the classroom. The first newsletter for next term will include a curriculum overview for term 3.

UPCOMING EVENTS

PBL News

Has your child reached their 75 stars for the midterm reward? Ask them how they are going and they should be able to tell you the reasons why they are receiving stars during the day. As a Positive Behaviour for Learning School, The Willows staff and students are proud to celebrate successful learning and behaviour.

Well Being

CREATING HEALTHY CHILDREN

Watching our kids at lunch time tells us that kids like to be active. Physical activity is important for healthy growth and development. It also increases social skills and friendship skills, as well as can improve mental health and wellbeing. With all these disasters happening of late exercise will give children the stamina to cope.

The earlier we involve kids in physical activity the more likely it will become a part of everyday life.

We now know that :

• Children need at least 60 minutes to several hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day
• Spending more than two hours a day using electronic media (TV, computer, internet) is unhealthy and detrimental to a child’s wellbeing.

The type of activity undertaken is important.

• Moderate activity will be equal in intensity to a brisk walk, or a bike ride
• Vigorous activities will make kids `huff and puff’ eg. football, soccer, ballet, running, swimming laps.

But any activity that sees your child expend energy is good!

Getting your lethargic child into sport may take some effort. Here are some tips:

• Offer organized sport (team game) or some sporting activity you and they could do together (eg. play football in the park, biking, walking)
• Begin with moderate intensity activity – say 30 minutes per day and steadily increase time and vigour
• Make it fun for both of you – while you both get fit together
• Use firm love to turn off the electronic devices
• Moderate the amount of food eaten – putting on weight is mostly to do with An imbalance of calories and exercise ie. food intake being more than energy output
• Increase the amount of healthy nutritious foods

We all want our kids to be healthy and happy. Healthy and happy kids are more likely to live life to the fullest. Isn’t that what we want for all our children?

(Adapted from Active Kids are Healthy Kids – Aust Govt Dept of Health and Aging)

Defence News

HELLO TO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

Hope all Mum’s were spoilt on their Special day. It was great to see so many parents and students at the 3 way conversation. I was fortunate to meet many parents and be able to have a chat in a relaxed environment about any concerns or issues that may be arising within the defence family. Some parents have informed me that a partner is going away on courses/deployment and this may have some effect on the children. If this has happened or is happening soon to your family please contact me for a chat through the school or email me the details. This information is important to the extra support that I can offer here at school and to assist in the positive learning and emotional wellbeing of the child at school. We can work together to make this transition as smooth as possible.

You are all invited to attend “BIGGEST MORNING TEA” on Wednesday 23rd May in L Pod from 9-11am. Please bring some change for a donation to Cancer Research and a raffle. Look forward to seeing to there.

There have been some changes to the EAS forms for families to access tutoring for students who have posted in to a new school. You can ring the Defence Family Helpline 1800 624 608 or you can collect the forms from me. Also extra paperwork is required in the form of reports from leaving and gaining schools. Please contact me for more information.

Still trying to find clubs, groups, and activities for children, what to see and do, you must look at the link below, this is an amazing on-line resource for defence member and families to find information on their new location.

Biggest Morning Tea @ Geckos

Help the crew at Geckos to raise much needed funds for Cancer research by popping in for the Biggest Morning Tea.

Morning tea will be provided. Everyone is welcome

• Gold coin donation and Bring some spare change for raffles

When: Friday 24 May from 10.00am – 12.00pm
Where: Geckos Family Centre, Lavarack Barracks

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

DATES TO REMEMBER

RSL Queensland Employment Program for Partners. RSL Queensland has launched a new Employment Program to help the partners of current and former Defence members find meaningful employment

Are you a Defence partner and looking for work?

The nature of Defence service can present employment challenges for the partners and spouses of current and former service personnel. Families move extensively while Defence personnel are serving. As a result, partners’ careers are often interrupted, making it difficult for them to find meaningful employment. Tailored to your specific needs, the Partner program will help you open the next chapter in your career.

Changes to Partner Employment Assistance Program

IMPORTANT INFO: Guidelines have recently been updated. Eligible ADF partners can now access PEAP funding within 2 years of a posting

Posting soon or just posted to a new location, or is your ADF partner transitioning on medical grounds? The Partner Employment Assistance Program (PEAP) can help if you are looking for work or changing jobs. PEAP aims to help eligible Australian Defence Force (ADF) partners with the immediate difficulties of finding employment when they are relocated with their partner as a result of their partner’s service.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM COVER If you’re an eligible ADF partner, you can apply for funding assistance of up to $1,500 to access professional employment services and re-registration costs. Professional employment services can include: development of a personalised résumé and/or résumé coaching, identification of transferrable skills, employment options and job placement advice, job search techniques and strategies, development of an online employment profile, application and selection criteria coaching, preparation and presentation coaching for interview. Professional re-registration costs include: mandatory fees for professional reregistration where required when moving interstate under state or territory legislation.

ELIGIBILTY The program’s key eligibility requirements are that you are a recognised ADF partner and are accompanying your partner on posting to a new location. ADF members must have received their first posting notification following completion of their initial training. Applications can be made following the receipt of a posting order and should be lodged within 2 years of the effective posting date.

PEAP Application form -

Completed Forms can be sent to: DefenceFamilyHelpline@defence.gov.au

DON’T FORGET to Register for 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 Contact for enquiries on 4411 7031

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.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Correna Wheeler
DSM
Defence School Mentor

P and C News

General Meeting

Our next meeting will be held 11 June 6pm in TCBC Conference Room.

The role of the P&C includes helping people come together, making suggestions to/asking questions of the Principal, getting to know each other, feeling that you can contribute to the school & having fun during this precious time of your child’s life. The more members we have actively participating in the P&C association the better we can achieve our objectives.

Please consider coming along to a P&C meeting and getting involved – it’s a great way to meet new people and really contribute to your child’s school experience.

Entertainment Books

Entertainment Books are once again available through the P&C!

These are great value - a fantastic way to check out most popular restaurants, attractions, shopping, travel and more, and save money along the way.

Available in book or digital memberships, so you can just flash your phone and save! The books are not being stocked at our school this year, so should you want the book, postage can be arranged through Entertainment Book.

Order through the P&C directly at this link -

School Playgrounds

How awesome do the new playgrounds look? We are super proud to have played a part, donating a whopping $245,000 for their installation, along with new shade covers and soft fall.

Mother’s Day Stall

A huge thank you to our volunteers, you were awesome!

We hope our Willows Family mums (and other special female) were spoiled rotten, and enjoyed their gifts that were chosen with love by the kids at our stall.

Seven families were lucky enough to have a raffle prize winner bring home some extra goodies. These students were:

1st Prize - Zoey 3FAH
2nd Prize - Avalon 5DIB
3rd Prize - Matilda 5DIB
4th Prize - Jett 4MIL
5th Prize - Liam 2FAU
6th Prize - Baiden 5ASH
Mystery Prize - Khai-Emma 2MCA

2019 Fun Fair – 16 August

We have the wheels in motion to organise this year’s bigger and revamped Fun Fair! 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!

There will be something for all the family, so keep the date free - Rides N Slides, Pop Up Food Trucks, Market Stalls, School stalls, Cake Stall, Glow in the Dark Disco, Entertainment, Bar, Cafe Quiet Zone and more! Lots of new concepts, but we will also revisit a few old favourites.

We are 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 spread the word and contact us if you are interested. Contact us at willowspandc@gmail.com for an application form.

We will once again be holding our ever popular Tombola stall. Tombola is a great stall where you buy a ticket, and have a 50% chance of winning a jar of goodies!

We'd love if you could start collecting glass jars (and their lids). Any size jar is fine, big or tiny, it's all part of the fun. Removing the label would be a great help to us too, and please ensure that the jars and their lids have no smell (i.e. no garlic jars please!)

Perhaps you might also start collecting knick-knacks to fill the Tombola jars. Ideas are: stationery items, chocolates (Freddo frogs, other varieties), USB sticks or small electronic goodies, chalk, novelty games, hair ties, costume jewellery, puzzles, basically anything that will fit in a glass jar. Any foodstuffs will need to remain inside their packaging within the jar.

We will also be holding a Children’s Second Hand Book Stall. If you are having a clean out of your kid’s book shelves, please consider sending the books to us. Please note – children’s books only, no adult fiction.

If you are ready to send in any goodies, please send these to our OSHC.

Thank you!

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 by sending a pm to the page. Alternatively, you can contact us via email at willowspandc@gmail.com

See you round!

Prep News

This term we are learning to make connections between numerals and quantities up to 10. This week PYROW have been reading number names and making quantities to match using dough.

In English, PYROW have begun writing the sequence of events for their retells. We have been looking at The Little Red Hen story. We always make sure we are using capitals, finger spaces and full stops in our writing.

In Geography, PYROW have been representing the features of our school grounds through drawings.

In Visual Arts, PYROW have represented getting ready for bed (actions) through their line drawings.

Year 1 News

Learning intent: To describe the effects of physically changing a material to make a boat that floats. To make a prediction, participate in a guided investigation and record and share observations.

This term in science we are looking at how we can change materials to make a boat that floats. This week in 1MCD we went outside to engage in an inquiry process where the students had to see if they could change their chosen material and make a boat that would float. The students then had a go at drawing their boat and explaining what changes they made.

Year 2 News

This term in Math, Year 2 are working on 2 digit addition and subtraction, addition of money and time.

This week we have been learning to tell time to the half and quarter hour. We have been linking this learning to what we know about fractions.

Success Criteria – We will know we are successful when we can identify and make analogue and digital time to the half and quarter hour.

Year 3 News

This term in Science, Year 3s are learning to explain the cause of everyday observations on Earth, including night and day, sunrise and sunset, and shadows, and use diagrams and other representations to communicate ideas. They will be presenting their knowledge to the class.

Here are some students using their measuring skills to measure the length of shadows at 3 different times in a day. They collaborated in groups of 3: a shadow maker; a shadow marker; and a shadow measurer. Students were fascinated to see that the position of the sun, the person and the time of day, influenced the direction and length of the shadow. The measurement guided inquiry in maths last term certainly paved the way for crossing over their measurement skills to science.

Year 4 News

YEAR 4 TERM 2 COMPUTER LAB VISITS

This term, Year 4 will be making frequent visits to the computer labs as we need to use computer skills to complete 2 pieces of assessment.

ENGLISH: We need to learn to use a word processing program to publish a traditional story, which we will be drafting in a few week’ time. This will then be orally presented to the class.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: We need to learn to use EXCEL so we can record data into a spreadsheet. This data is based around the environmental factors affecting the rubbish we are disposing of at school.

Below are some photos of 4MIL and 4NOS in the computer labs. We are using the Microsoft Word program to practise our typing skills for the publishing of our future story.

Year 5 News

Amazing Artistic Abilities!

Throughout the semester Year 5 students have been exploring artists’ use of animal representations and the relationships to the environment. Students have then used this knowledge as inspiration for a sculptural artwork. During the past few weeks, many students have been busy sculpting and painting to create their own masterpieces, reflecting their personalities and environmental influences!

(Left to right: Peyton, Charlee, Peppa and Mackenzie’s amazing achievements!)

Year 6 News

Year 6

English

Learning intention – We are learning to create a multimodal advertisement and explain how it persuades the viewer.

Visual Arts

Learning intention – To explore artworks that inspire the making of a mixed media sculpture that expresses a personal view about a social issue and communicates meaning through display.

Community Events & Notices

Experiences of Parenting

Are You A Parent of a Child Aged 2 to 12?

The Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland is conducting research into parents’ opinions about parenting and parenting programs. If you have a child between 2 and 12 years, we would love to hear your views on parenting and the services that are available to you as a parent. You will need to complete a short survey. To find out more or to participate please visit the link below:

My Time

Triple P’s Power of Positive Parenting FREE SEMINAR

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