22 Date 2019

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S PRIDE

Dear Parents/Carers and Community,

Welcome to our fortnightly newsletter. This fortnight has been a fantastic one and it is great to see the stories and events more regularly on our Facebook Page. Thank you to all of our contributors and please, if you haven’t already, like our page to keep updated between newsletters. Some of the stories on the page include:

• Willows Warriors – our Pre-Prep program run by Mrs Tropea
• Adopt A Cowboy – The Year 4’s had a special visitor this week to celebrate excellent attendance
• Information about Enrolments 2020; Peek at Prep; Book Week Parade and Theme
• Charters Towers Year 5 Excursion…did they bring home Gold?
• Staff Professional Learning – getting ready for NAPLAN Online 2020, Collaborative Planning Process at The Willows
• Garbutt Magpies – our teams are ready! Good luck this Friday!
• Fun Fair Updates and Information
• School Opinion Survey Links

This fortnight we have had a sensational show of support by our school community. I would like to congratulate our school P and C committee and our school staff for working together to bring the 2019 School Fun Fair to us. The recent Fun Fair was an excellent one! Lots of planning, organisation, coordination and voluntary time was put towards the Fun Fair by a number of people over the past 24 months – the hard work paid off and the Fun Fair was highly attended and successful! I also would like to acknowledge all of this year’s sponsors and donors for their contributions to our market stalls and prizes. Great work The Willows!

TEACHING AND LEARNING UPDATES

NAPLAN Online Public Demonstration site - link for parents

In 2020, Year 3 and 5 students at The Willows SS will participate in NAPLAN Online testing. Staff and student familiarisation activities with the testing environment will occur over the remainder of this school year. Sample online mini-tests for writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy for each NAPLAN test year level are available on the NAPLAN Online public demonstration site.

These mini-tests contain example questions that show the types of technology-enhanced features used in NAPLAN Online, such as interactive navigation and features such as drag and drop. The site will not record or store responses or generate assessment reports because the purpose of the demonstration tests is to familiarise students, teachers and parents with NAPLAN Online item types and functionalities.

Parents can view the site here:

School Readiness Testing (SRT) for current Year 2 and Year 4 students will occur in mid- September. This state wide process involves familiarisation ONLY with the online platform. No data collection or reporting occurs as a result of participation in SRT. Further information will be distributed to Year 2 and 4 parents about SRT in the near future.

Investment in Reading

Reading is a key priority for every learner at our school. Over the past term our Teaching and Learning Team have been reviewing Reading at our school. As a result of this review we have invested $24,000 to update our school reading schemes and texts. The current texts will be utilised for home reading. We ask that parents be patient while we endeavour to re-align our resources. Any concerns, please contact your child’s class teacher.

SCHOOL FACILITIES AND SECURITY UPDATE

School Security

This week all families received an update about our school security fencing. Installation commences on Monday 26th August. This security enhancement has been fully funded by the State Government and we look forward to a more secure school environment. The letter has been attached also to this newsletter for anyone who may have missed this.

Safe school travel (SafeST) program

The Department of Transport and Main Roads supports safe school travel with the SafeST program and resources. The Willows SS is re-establishing a SafeST Committee and would be keen to have parental input into this. If you are interested in participating please contact the school office. We currently have Transport and Mains Roads, Townsville City Council and Department of Education NQR Infrastructure Team support.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school.

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

GENERAL NEWS

Has your student lost their glasses?

We have a number of prescription glasses that have been handed in at the office. Please check with the office if your student has lost their glasses.

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.

CHALLENGE GAMES

A fun event that I went to was the Challenge Games. It was on Thursday 1st of August at Townsville Red Track. The Willows State School Students got to go. The first thing that I did was soccer and then vortex. I enjoyed it when I was chucking the vortex and doing shotput. We had to throw the shotput as far as we could. Next we had to throw the frisbees into the net. I got seven into the net and I felt happy. After that I went to the long jump. I jumped on the sand. Next I lined up for my running race. I went in my lane. I ran the race. I came second and I felt happy. Then I went to the parachute and I ran under it. I felt happy. I played with Bella. Next I went to the wheelchairs to ride on them. Finally I got to play with the thing-a-magic where we had the net and a tennis ball and we had to fling it to a partner. I felt really happy with my day.

By Lucy

NAPLAN Online

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It has been an everyday part of the school calendar since 2008.

NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading,

writing, spelling and numeracy. The assessments are undertaken nationwide, every year, in the second full week in May.

NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four areas (or ‘domains’) of:

• reading
• writing
• language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
• numeracy.

NAPLAN tests skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time through the school curriculum.

You can find an easy to understand infographic that gives useful information on the NAPLAN tests and their benefits here.

To get a sense of the ‘look and feel’ of the tests and to understand what types of questions are asked, a full set of example NAPLAN tests is available.

For more information about the move to deliver NAPLAN in a computer-based environment, go to NAPLAN online.

As The Willows State School moves to NAPLAN Online in 2020, we will begin our preparations with a School Readiness Test. Students in Years 2, 4 and 6 will log on to the NAPLAN Online platform and complete some of the tailored testing questions. The students will not be identified during this process and test results will not be available for this reason, however the students will become familiar with the platform and questioning style during this time. This testing will take place at the end of August and beginning of September.

Tailored testing

Tailored testing adapts to student responses in real time and present students with questions that are more or less difficult based on a student’s test performance. The adaptive nature of the tests means students are more likely to stay engaged with the tests as they receive questions better suited to their ability, allowing them to show what they can do, rather than just what they can’t.

A student’s NAPLAN result is based on both the number and difficulty of questions the student answers correctly. A student who completes a more complex pathway is more likely to achieve a higher result (and a higher band placement) than a student who answers the same number of questions correctly but follows a less complex pathway.

Preparing for NAPLAN Online at home

Ensuring students are familiar with using devices, typing on them and navigating through programs is a part of students’ everyday learning and a requirement of the Australian Curriculum.

You can help your child become familiar with NAPLAN Online by accessing the public demonstration site on the NAP website. The demonstration site includes useful resources for schools to help students become familiar with the online test experience.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Positive Behaviour Learning

Growth Mindset

Mistakes help us grow

Our school encourages everyone to be a learner, have-a-go and learn from mistakes. This fortnight our focus has been ‘Mistakes help us Grow’.

Across the school all our classes have been learning how we ‘grow’ our brain every day. In a growth mindset, people believe that success is the result of effort and practice rather than just raw talent. So, people with a growth mindset work hard to constantly grow and improve. Success is earned and never taken for granted. On the flip side, setbacks are then seen as the inevitable part of pursuing any endeavor. They are treated as opportunities for further improvement. As parents, carers and educators, we don’t just want our children to be successful… we want them to enjoy the journey to that success. We want them to be successful for all the right reasons. We want them to be resilient in getting to that success and handle any setbacks on the way gracefully.

We are proud of how our students are applying this new learning in different areas of their school-life. We have seen students celebrating their mistakes and realising, that through making errors, they are learning and growing. This is The Willows Way.

Acknowledging our 75 Star students

Our students have enjoyed participating in their 75 Star class reward times recently. It was pleasing to see so many students receiving 75 stars and beyond, which was acknowledged through a variety of fun activities with their class. Everyone had a great time, playing outside, participating in games, art and craft too.

Well Being

CONFIDENCE

How Confidence Develops

For most children school means spending more time on learning and less on ‘play’. It also means more expectations of them – from parents, carers, teaching staff and also of themselves. Children typically start out with high expectations. When they see how well they do things compared to others, their view of their own abilities often changes. They learn that they are good at some things and not so good at others. They also see how others respond to what they do. These things influence their confidence in their abilities, and influence how willing they are to have a go in situations where they feel unsure.

How Parents and Carers Can Help

Confidence improves through building on small successes. Parents, carers (and teaching staff) can help by:

• explaining that skills develop with practice
• encouraging persistence when outcomes aren’t achieved straight away
• praising effort, persistence and improvement
• making sure that goals are achievable by breaking down large tasks or responsibilities into small steps
• being ready to help when necessary, without taking over
• encouraging children to have a go and valuing individual improvement

Confident Thinking

Self-esteem is an important part of confidence. Having good self-esteem means accepting and feeling positive about yourself. Confidence is not just feeling good but also knowing you are good at something. Remember: How I think affects how I feeL

Particular ways of thinking are very important for building confidence. Helpful ways of thinking include:

• believing that, if you try, you can succeed
• finding positive ways to cope with failure and being prepared to give it another go
• enjoying learning for its own sake by competing with your own performance rather than that of others.

Dealing with Disappointment

Everybody fails to achieve their goals sometimes. Parents and carers (and teaching staff) can help by:

• Acknowledging feelings, and respond sympathetically and with encouragement e.g. “You sound disappointed, but at least you had a go.”
• Helping kids focus on what they can change to make things better, rather than thinking that the situation is unchangeable or that there is something wrong with them, e.g., “What can you try that might make that work better next time?”
• Challenging words like ‘I can’t’ or ‘I’m a failure’, and letting them know that ‘giving up’ may not help them reach their goal.

Let them know you believe in them and remind them of what they have achieved.

Adapted from:

Narelle Thomas
Guidance Officer

Defence News

HELLO TO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

I was very lucky to attend the launch of the Kookaburra Kids Foundation in Townsville last week. There were many representatives present from organisations related to defence. A defence family was there to talk about the program and what it has meant to them. It sounds an amazing way for defence children to come together to meet other defence children who have been touched by mental illness. It is eligible for all defence children aged 8-18 years, who have a serving or ex serving parent with a mental illness due to military service. KK hold fun activity days and short camps ALL FREE. Kookaburra Kids gives kids a break in a fun, positive and safe environment and provides an opportunity for them to meet other kids in similar family situations and develop new friendships. Anyone can refer a child to the program either online or by contacting the local office during business hours, at the link below or Townsville Co-ordinator Louisa Calvert on 0410 896 923 (Tues & Wed 9-5 and Mon & Thurs mornings). I will keep you posted with activity dates and camps. Donations and volunteers are also welcome. Lots of fun.

Army Open Day – Lavarack Barracks – Saturday 31 August from 10am

The Annual Legacy Open Day is jam packed day of all things Army. There will be static displays from all Townsville based units, PMV rides, base tours, kids rides and activities as well as the inaugural Lavarack Mud Run. There is so much to see and do and all proceeds benefit Legacy to continue the wonderful work they do supporting ADF families.

Get Set, GO for Child Care – FREE training for eligible applicants

This program will provide participants with the opportunity to undertake CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, while receiving tailored support and guidance to increase their job search skills, work readiness and general employability. PLUS MRAEL will support successful students to secure employment opportunities upon completion of the program.

The program runs for a total of 26 weeks and will commence on Tuesday 27th August 2019. Only limited places available so ACT NOW!

Participant Eligibility

As a funded program, this project seeks to assist unemployed or under-employed workers to re-enter the workforce. Community Work Skills targets Queensland residents who either

• are ineligible for Australian Government employment services or assistance, (eg. Mums at home returning to work)
• require complementary services because they have significant barriers to learning and employment
• have accessed Australian Government services for more than six months and remain unemployed.
• Please note, current school students are not eligible for this program. Temporary visa holders are eligible for this program, so long as their visa arrangements allow work in Australia, and they are on the pathway to permanent residency.
• Prior qualifications do not make a person ineligible for this program.

This training is proudly funded and supported by the Queensland Government through its Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative

Contact MRAEL today to express your interest and to learn more about how this program can help you achieve your career goals on 1300 467 235

POSTINGS are starting to come through to members and families. If you know you are going to be leaving the school throughout/end of the year. Please contact me and the school with the details. I can support the students with the transition to a new school.

It can be an emotional time with parents away and on deployment. If you child is having difficulties with this please talk to the teacher and myself so we can work together to best support the child. Stay positive and always keep the lines of communication open and give a cuddle to your child when they are emotional. Always talk to each other and try to keep the daily routine the same. School is a safe and friendly place to come.

Kidsmart Deployment program organised for this term is full, I have had a great response from parents registering their children. But if you are still interested in your child/children attending the program I am considering holding another in term 4. Please email or call me to secure a spot. No dates have been set yet. Flyer attached.

Tutoring Assistance-There are 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, visit DCO website or collect the forms from me. Also paperwork is required in the form of reports from leaving and gaining schools. More Information go to

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

DATES TO REMEMBER

Saturday 31 August from 10am Army Open Day – Lavarack Barracks

Relocation Information Sessions

• Monday 2 Sept 5.00pm – 6.00pm Geckos Family Centre, Lavarack Barracks
• Tuesday 3 Sept 10.00am – 11.00am Lachlan Wilson Centre, Lavarack Barracks
• Wednesday 4 Sept 10.00am – 11.00am Bldg. G071 Chaplaincy Centre RAAF Base Townsville

Is your family posting at the end of the year?

The Defence Relocations Housing Manager NQ invites families to attend one of their relocation information sessions. Keep up to date with the latest information from the experts. Representatives from Toll, DHA, DCO and DFA will be there to answer your questions about all things postings. Members are encouraged to bring their partners along. Children are welcome but please note that no child minding will be provided. drhm.nq@defence.gov.au

• Thursday 5 September – 10.30am – 12.00pmCoffee Connections – Hervey Range Tea Rooms

Continuing with our Women’s Health Week celebrations, we will be heading to the beautiful Heritage Tea Rooms at Herveys Range to indulge in some of their fabulous food while relaxing in the tranquil garden. To allow time to travel, we will meet at Reading Cinemas, Cannon Park at 10.00am. If you have a spare seat or 2 and would be happy to carpool, please add details on the Eventbrite registration page. This is a self-funded activity. Attendees are responsible for the cost of purchasing their own food and drinks. Children are welcome.

Saturday 7 September First Aid Course

Geckos is offering subsidised First Aid training. You can register for either the full course which includes CPR for $60 or just the CPR course for $30.

This is a wonderful opportunity to obtain your first aid qualifications at a fraction of the cost. It is a great skill to have and; for those job hunting; it looks good on a resume. Limited spaces.

Dogs Day Out – Sunday 8 September – 9.00am - 11.00am

ADF members and their families are invited to bring their fur babies to the Bamford Lane off leash Dog Park for a Sunday morning catch up. Enjoy a chat with other dog lovers while your furry friends play. Morning tea and doggy treats will be provided

Geckos has a jam packed program of activities for everyone from single members to families. If you haven’t visited the Centre lately, head down and check out the great work happening there. From Boot Camps to Date Nights, there are some fantastic events planned. So you don’t miss out on any of their upcoming events, like “Geckos Family Centre – North Queensland” on Facebook. There are lots of activities happening through DCO and Geckos this month, so keep an eye out

ADF Member and Family Transition Seminars – North Queensland

Refreshed, family-friendly ADF Member and Family Transition Seminars are now available nationwide and are open to members and their families at any point throughout their military career. To better meet the needs of transitioning members and their families the format of the now one-day event has been changed, with members able to “pick their own adventure” and select the sessions they are most interested in learning more about.

Members keen to attend an upcoming seminar are asked to register via Campus.

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

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 1800 624 608

Open Arms call 1800 011 046 www.openarms.gov.au

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

Kookaburra Kids Tvl-Louisa Calvert 1300 566 525/0410 896 923 www.kookaburrakids.org.au

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 who develop these life skills will be ready for the future.

Have a great week
Correna Wheeler
DSM Defence School Mentor

P and C News

General Meeting

The role of the P&C includes helping people come together, making suggestions to/asking questions of the Principal and admin team, 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.

The date for our next meeting is 10th September, 6pm in the Conference Room.

2019 Fun Fair Wrap Up

Wow, how amazing was our Fun Fair?? The P&C wish to thank the teachers and staff of The Willows State School for their help and support.

Winners of the Fun Fair Major Prize Raffle:

• 1st Prize (2.5kW Daikin Cooling Air Conditioner supply & install) – Tammy Robinson
• 2nd Prize (Weber BabyQ BBQ) - Melanie Marshall
• 3rd Prize (Paronella Park Family Pass) – Nell Newton

Please support the businesses who supported us! Many many thanks go to: Rides’N’Slides, Pop Up Food Trucks, Rolly’s Electrical, Aaron Harper MP, Cairns Coconuts Resort, Bedrock Landscaping, Say It With A Biscuit, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Cakes on Carthew, The Cheesecake Shop, The Crystal Caves, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, Choi Kwang-Do, Groomers on Tavern, Cowboys League Club, Kazza’s Barber Shop, Sk8way, Inflatable Kingdom, Billabong Sanctuary, Irish Finnegan’s, Paronella Park, Mamu Tropical Skywalk, Townsville City Council, Townsville City TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacy, The Flower Station Kirwan, North Queensland Opera and Musical Theatre (“Cats” production), Dalrymple Hotel, Ninja Parc, Discount Chemist Domain, Upper Ross Hotel, Kalynda Chase Tennis, Woolworths The Avenues, Fever Fitness, Townsville Twin Cities Rock’n’Roll Dance Club, DanCentral, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Townsville Mini Golf, Kurrimine Beach Caravan Park, Angliss Meats The Willows, Lounds Seafood, Reene and Son Emporium, Twisted Balloon Entertainment, Creata Direct, Scentsy (Rose Corbett), Stomping Elephants (Nell Newton), Thermomix (Emma Butler) and Norwex (Lisa Jones).

Father’s Day Stall – L Pod – 27th to 30th August

Coming up soon is our Father’s Day Stall, which will run from Tuesday to Friday of week 7 (27th to 30th August). This year it will be located in L Pod (not the Conference Room).

Years Prep to 5 will have allocated class times to visit the stall (but they are welcome to visit in breaks with siblings or if they want more time to browse). Year 6 will not have class times, but will be given priority in break time.

An early Happy Father’s Day to our Dads!

Music News (The Pitch)

Prep News

Science

This term we are investigating materials to discover which ones can stay outside. We will be using this information to make a wind ornament.

Maths

We have been looking at addition and how it is 2 parts that we join together to get a whole.

Year 1 News

In year one we have been learning to measure and order objects based on capacity using informal units. Through hands on learning, 1MCD investigated which container would hold the most sand by going out into the sandpit. Through using their knowledge of how to measure capacity accurately, the students were able to record and consolidate their results with their classmates.

Year 2 News

In Year 2 we have been looking at writing procedures. Students have been working on using the Learning Wall to remind themselves of the previous learning, as they created a disgusting item to give to Grandma from the book ‘Georges Marvellous Medicine’ by Roald Dahl. Students then practiced presenting to their friends before performing the procedure in front of the class. To be successful, students needed to use a variety of strategies to engage the audience including facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and speaking clearly.

Year 3 News

History

In Year 3 this term, we have been learning to explain how a community changed in the past.

We have been:

• Posing questions about a natural and built environment
• Locating information from sources to answer questions
• Developing an explanation using terms denoting time
• Here is an example of writing that is occurring in 3FAH.

The students are showing their knowledge of our local areas and are contributing to our discussions with enthusiasm. One boy was heard to say, “Oh no! I’m going to miss history!” when he was to go to a meeting last week. Excitement for learning right there!

Year 4 News

Year 4 News

Year 4 was extremely lucky to have our Adopt a Cowboy Te Marie Martin visit our ‘Year Level Assembly’ this week. It was perfect timing as he was able to congratulate the weekly award winners as well as and the students who were recognised for their exceptional attendance in Semester 1.

Te Marie spoke to the students. His message for them was about the importance of coming to school and working hard as well as being kind to others as school is the place where you make your lifelong friends.

We had a group photo taken with Te Marie. Everyone is holding up a high 5 to represent the ‘Try for 5’ initiative that the Cowboys have sponsored with the school.

We were very proud… On leaving our assembly, Te Marie stated that it was the best assembly that he had been too and he had really enjoyed himself. So well done to the Year 4 students who displayed outstanding behaviour! They too were equally as excited to have Te Marie at our assembly, as he was to attend.

Below are some photos of each class receiving their awards, taken by Mr Paparazzi himself- otherwise known as the photographic genius, Mr Menzies.

Year 5 News

English

Learning Intention: To create a digital multimodal transformation of a narrative poem.

With the Appreciating Poetry component of English drawing to a close, the Year 5 English focus switches gear to transform a narrative poem Fur ‘n’ Feathers, written by A.B Paterson, into a narrative story.

Classes are currently exploring this concept and unpacking the poem in order to innovate on the famous text. Children are experimenting with language features such as extended noun groups, precise vocabulary and common colloquial sayings/ idioms, along with poetic devices like simile, personification and onomatopoeia to develop their stories.

To begin the task, 5 KRO explored another of Paterson’s poems, Waltzing Matilda. These images show the children engaged in brainstorming additional plot suggestions that could transform the classic song.

Community Events & Notices

The Smith Family
Saver Plus Program

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 https://exp.psy.uq.edu.au/parenting

My Time

Indigenous Carers Needed