21 October 2019

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S PRIDE

Welcome to Term 4 at The Willows State School. This term is a 10 week term with many date claimers across Prep-6. Please keep updated through our school Facebook or the QSchools App.

CELEBRATING TEACHING AND LEARNING

Each week, we are continuously monitoring and celebrating student progress and achievement at our school. It is always exciting to look back to the start of year or the start of schooling and see just how far students have come. The 3 Way Conversations are a fantastic opportunity for students, parents and teachers to connect and discuss all aspects of learning.

The last fortnight the following highlights out and about in our classrooms include:

• Observing reading in our lower school. To read alongside learners on high levels of text (18) who were effectively self-correcting, re-reading for meaning and able to comprehend the narrative with high accuracy was fantastic to observe…Preps are smashing it! Keep going!
• Goal setting with students in a number of our classes is always a great celebration when students are able to articulate the goal, show where they have achieved it multiple times across multiple learning areas is exemplary.
• Tier 2 interventions across our school gaining significant traction. Congratulations to all support staff in the programs of Younger Smarter Stronger, Girls with a Purpose, Brain Talk, Oral Language Program, Before School Reading and our lunchtime and leadership programs running consistently throughout our school year. This has been a big piece of work this year and we should feel proud of the levels of support we are providing to our students and their families.
• Every classroom on track in their teaching and learning – very settled classrooms and excellent explicit teaching of our schoolwide focus and schoolwide expectations – great work everyone!
• Enrolments galore! Our school reputation continues to strengthen and our numbers are growing. Thank you to our school office team and leaders for settling new families in efficiently. Lots of positive feedback about our great school!

CELEBRATING COMMUNITY SUPPORT

It is fantastic to welcome you all back and I congratulate and thank our parents/carers for the outstanding support that you provide to support our school. I particularly would like to thank our P and C who has again contributed significantly to the learning resources and school upgrades at our school. Every student at our school benefits from the strong fundraising efforts of our P and C team and of course the parent support of events and fundraisers at our school.

For the past three years our P and C has contributed significantly to our school through a total of $450 000 to upgrade our school technology, playgrounds, learning spaces and resources. This is a phenomenal effort on behalf of every family at our school. I would like to personally thank the Executive Committee: Jason Curtis, Damien Helander, Wanda Austin and Rachel Ratten along with all active members on our P and C for their contributions, their support and their commitment to our school vision and strategic plan.

CELEBRATING STAFF SUCCESS

At The Willows State School our staff are continuously developing and learning. We do this through a range of professional learning at school and through departmental opportunities that are available throughout the region and the state. As a school any professional development adds to the strength of our amazing team of teachers and in turn provides our learners with high quality education.

Please join me in congratulating the following teachers been identified, offered and accepted a scholarship to undertake Early Careers Mentoring Training to support teachers in their 2-6 year career development - Mrs Jackie Nosworthy, Mrs Lee-Ann Drovandi-Milne, Mrs Nadine Outtrim, Mrs Kayleigh Ginard and Mrs Samantha Carter. Our team undertakes 5 days of fully funded professional learning in partnership with North Queensland Region and the Queensland Institute of Educational Leaders (QELI) over the next 12 months. Additionally release time is provided throughout the program to develop a school based project and network system.

I would also like to congratulate the following teachers who have been identified, offered and accepted the role of Beginning Teachers Mentors. Miss Kylie Dibnah, Miss Amanda Scuderi, Mrs Sarah Platt and Miss Carly Smith will be engaging in a 2 day program to support beginning teachers within Department of Education.

A fantastic start to Term 4, thank you to our school community for your positive contributions to make our school a great school.

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

GENERAL NEWS

Notes and payments

Please encourage your student to return their permission forms and notes directly to the office at the student windows. All payments should be paid direct at the office and not to the class teacher. This ensures that all money is receipted and families are issued with receipts immediately.

Payments can be made at the office every day between 8:00am and 3:30pm, using cash, debit or credit cards.

Direct deposits can be made using the following details:-

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.

Update of Student Records

It is important that we have the most up to date student records for your child/ren. This includes addresses, contact phone numbers for parents and emergency contacts, and media consents. We are currently updating our student records and all students have received forms to take home for completion.

• Update of Student Records
• State School Consent Form (Media Consent)
• Third Party Website consent forms

Please complete and return all forms to the office ASAP.

Any queries can be directed to the office 4799 1333 or office@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au

Planning for 2020

Is your student returning to The Willows State School in 2020? Forms were sent home last week regarding this. Please return the form, or contact the office via phone or email to let us know if your student is intending on continuing at The Willows State School in 2020.

Academic Excellence Awards – Each Semester (data generated through reporting periods)

School Bus Service

Sunbus would like to make parents/guardians aware should they have a student that has;

1. Moved address throughout the year;
2. Moved School during year; or
3. Are moving to a separate campus at School (Ryan Catholic College) or to another separate high school,

They will no longer be registered on our data base and passes will not automatically be sent out in 2020.

It would be appreciated if your school could insert the following notice into your newsletter prior to the end of the school year:

BUS PASSES 2020

Sunbus would like to remind parents/guardians that the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Sunbus remove any student who has moved address or school during 2019 and will therefore not automatically receive a 2020 bus pass.

You will also need to reapply if the student is moving from year 6 to a separate High School.

To re-register students in 2020 please either:

• Contact Sunbus – 4771 9802
• Download an application from the website below
• Ask your school bus driver for an application form
• Come into the Sunbus depot at 451-459 Woolcock Street – take the service road to the left of the Welcome to Townsville sign (heading into town). Just past Hastings Deering, take the first long driveway on the left

Forms can be returned as follows:

• Sunbus PO Box 546 Aitkenvale QLD 4814
• Handed to school bus driver
• Scanned or photographed (pages 1-3 only) and emailed: tsvschoolsadmin@tagroup.net.au
• Safety Net forms must have copy of CURRENT signed Health Care, Pension, Veterans Affairs Card – front and back attached.

NOT DISTANCE ELIGIBLE?

If your address is ineligible for a distance bus and you have either a Health Care, Pension or Veterans Affairs Pensioner card you may be eligible under the Safety Net scheme. Please contact Sunbus to discuss.

Don’t have a concession card? Students can still be issued with a part bus pass – just download a bus Travel Assistance form as above.

PREPAYING PART PASSES

For students who pay a fare to travel to and from school Parents/Guardians can now prepay fares for a minimum of ten weeks. Only weekly fares are eligible as this is not a tap and go system.

Parents are advised that should a student misplace a topped-up bus pass Sunbus are unable to provide a replacement card or refund any outstanding monies loaded onto the bus pass, unless the student is either changing schools, address or leaving Townsville. In which case, the card must be returned to Sunbus.

Kind regards

SHAY HEATHCOTE
Schools Administrator
TOWNSVILLE SUNBUS

Lost Property

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

We have several pieces of jewellery that have been handed in. If your child has lost a piece of jewellery, please see the office.

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 3 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.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Positive Behaviour Learning

Well Being

Narelle Thomas
Guidance Officer

Defence News

HELLO TO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

Welcome back to term 4, hope everyone had a very enjoyable holidays. Only 10 weeks until Christmas. There are lots of things planned for this term starting with The Army Museum has developed a Remembrance Day Art Comp with prizes included. Students at school will have the chance to make or draw a piece of art associated with Remembrance Day and it will be displayed at the Museum. Farewell parties for all defence students leaving the school due to posting and Year 6 defence students will be held in week 8&9 of term. Invitations will be sent home with students. Remember to let the school know if you are posting/leaving this year. Register with me now for the upcoming Kidsmart Deployment (week 4&5) and Relocation Sessions starting in week 8&9 (details below). Farewell Packs will also be delivered to all defence students before they leave the school. Any questions regarding postings and deployments please contact me anytime during school hours.

POSTING should be through to members and families by now. If you know you are going to be leaving the school at the end of the year, please complete the form sent home and return to school. You can contact me with the details so I can support the student with the transition to a new school and make sure they receive their Farewell pack before they leave. Any questions about schools please contact me.

If you have a partner who has or will be Deployed and your child is not coping with the change please send me an email or call me to discuss your concerns. This time can be very traumatic for a child who is missing this special person. I can talk to them and we can put some ideas and strategies in place to assist with coping at school and home. It is important to recognise their concerns and to acknowledge to them that you are there for them anytime. Emotions run high, with parents away and on deployment. This can be an emotional rollercoaster for many children. 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. Also talk to the teacher.

Our last Deployment program was a huge success, 18 students attended. So I am holding another Kidsmart Deployment program in Term 4 WK 4&5, Tues 29th Oct and Tues 5th Nov (2 sessions ONLY after school) please give a call or email me. I will also be holding a Kidsmart Relocation Program later in Term 4 WK 8&9 Wed 27th Nov and Wed 4th Dec (2 sessions ONLY after school). If you are being posted and worried about how this will affect your children please register your interest NOW. This program touches on strategies and coping skills with moving to a new school and making new friends. PLEASE REGISTER BY CALLING OR EMAILING ME NOW.

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 families 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). Will keep you posted with activity dates and camps. Donations and volunteers are also welcome. Lots of fun. FREE activities.

www.defencecommunityhub.com.au is an amazing on-line resource with loads of information for defence members and their families if you are trying to find clubs, groups, activities for children, and what to see and do on their new and present location. A MUST DO.

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

DATES TO REMEMBER

Thurs 17 October An ADF partners event: LinkedIn workshop, Townsville 9:00 am – 11:00 am

ADF partners are invited to join us for an information session about creating and managing your own LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a business and employment-oriented social networking service. It is becoming increasingly popular as a tool for employers seeking to recruit new staff. Come along for coffee and a biscuit, and learn tips and tricks for using LinkedIn to help with your career. This event is not suitable for children. Book at DCO website.

Sat 26 October My Dad and Me: Christmas comes early, Townsville 9:30 am – 11:00 am

An ADF families event: Geckos Family Centre Lavarack Barracks Townsville, QLD

This event is only for Australian Defence Force members, partners and their children.

Townsville ADF dads and their kids (toddlers to teens) are invited to join us for our final ‘My Dad and Me’ catch up for the year. We will have a busy morning full of Christmas craft and creating Christmas treats. Get into the festive spirit by dressing in your favourite Christmas shirt and please bring a plate to share for morning tea. Remember your hat, sunscreen and water bottle if you would like to play outside. ‘My Dad and Me’ is a Townsville event open to all our ADF dads, serving and partners, and their kids, from toddlers to teens. Grandads are also welcome to attend, but this is a mum-free zone!

Thurs 7 November The Ceramic Pantry 12-16 Fulham Rd Pimlico, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

An ADF families event: Christmas coffee and ceramic art, Townsville by Defence Community Organisation – Townsville

ADF families are invited to join us for a Christmas celebration with a twist of art at Ceramic Pantry. We’ll meet up for our regular coffee catch up and spend time creating a ceramic masterpiece. Let the kids create works of art to use as Christmas gifts for the grandparents.

This is a self-funded activity. Attendees are responsible for the cost of purchasing their own food, drinks and ceramics. Ceramics including mugs, coasters and platters start from $8. There is a great range under $20. Children are welcome.

To ensure we book enough seats for everyone, RSVPs are essential. Please note the earlier start to allow plenty of time to find your inner Picasso. Book all above events on below site

Thursday 31 October Dinner with a Difference: Trivia Night-Contact DCO

Friday 8 November Another Almost Amazing Race-Contact DCO

Geckos at Lavarack Barracks 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 every 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 NOW for all the upcoming events in your local area.

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

Kookaburra Kids Tvl-Louisa Calvert 1300 566 525/0410 896 923

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.

Happy Holidays
Correna Wheeler

DSM Defence School Mentor

BE THE REASON SOMEONE SMILES TODAY

Music News (The Pitch)

Prep News

Prep News

In English we are learning to write letters. This week we have been focusing on starting a letter with a greeting and signing off with our name at the end. We have to write to a character in a book. This week we created our own monsters

Pen pals.

Maths

Maths this term involves us working with numbers up to 20. We are looking at number words, numerals and counting teen collections correctly.

Technology

Technology involves us designing and creating a spinner. We have been exploring how different types of spinners work. These spinners are called thaumatropes and some of them did spin fast enough for the bird to look like it was in a cage.

PBL

Our focus for Week 1 and 2 is to Be Proud. PYRAB have won the sloth several time at eating time this week. This means we all have been looking after the appearance of our school by picking up rubbish and also eating quietly. We have looked at what makes us happy and wrote notes to our friends to tell them that they are wonderful!

Year 1 News

Year 1 News

At The Willows State School we are Safe, Respectful and Responsible.

On the last day of Term 3 the year 1 students who had ‘No Majors’ during the term celebrated their success with a disco.

Term 4 Curriculum

Year 3 News

The Arts in Term 3 saw the year 3s learning to be dramatic (Drama). This term in Visual Arts, we are learning to explore how found objects can communicate meaning in three-dimensional artworks. So far, we have explored other artists’ incredible imaginations. Children have begun to collect found objects, small enough to create an artwork into plaster the size of a take-away food container. Here are some examples of materials which will create future masterpieces.

Year 4 News

During the last week of Term 3, students from 4MIL and 4NOS had to repurpose a plastic bag to make a kite. This evolved from discussions on sustainability. Students had to identify appropriate materials and techniques that would be needed to make their kite. They had to plan and sequence the major steps in their production in a logical sequence. Once the kites were completed, the students spent an hour on the oval testing their kites and flying them. We then had to return to the classroom where the students had to evaluate their ideas, identifying what worked and what they could do to improve or refine their kite. A fun day was had by all!

Year 5 News

For Year 6 2020 the following positions will be available:

Structure:

• School Captains 2 positions
• Vice Captains 2 positions
• Publicity Officers no more than 2
• Student Services no more than 2
• Environmental Officer no more than 2
• Music Captains no more than 2
• Each Sport Team up to 4 (16 total)

The Student Council 2020 will be led by School Captains and other Year 6 leadership positions. There will be no Student Council Captains or Student Council Representatives in Year 6.

Year 5 and 4 classes will have a Student Council Representative in 2020.

Year 6 News

Year 6 OUT Newsletter Term 4

Year 6 have been very busy with our Design and Technologies Unit. Our task, called ‘Harvesting Good Health’, presented us with a challenge to design a service that provides an edible plant that can be used to create a healthy food product. The service will involve the design of the plant’s packaging and include a fact sheet outlining the nutritional benefits of the plant, a recipe that features the plant’s produce and care instructions to make sure we can sustain a healthy plant.

Have a look at some of our amazing work.

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

Kids and Influenza

My Time

Indigenous Carers Needed