3 February 2021

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,

Welcome to the 2021 school year!

It is with great pleasure that I welcome everyone to the 2021 school year at The Willows State School. I trust that the holiday period provided an opportunity to relax and refresh while spending quality time with family and friends. A very special welcome to our new students and their families and thank you for choosing The Willows State School. It was fantastic to see the large number of families who took the opportunity to deliver school items to classrooms on the Thursday before school started back. This made for a smoother Day 1 for everyone. Thank you for your support.

2021 Staffing Update

I would like to take this opportunity to again welcome new staff to The Willows State School in 2021:

• Ms Elisha Dove (Year 1 Classroom Teacher)
• Miss Jayde Griffiths (Year 2 Classroom Teacher)
• Mrs Jayne Rogers (Year 2 Classroom Teacher)
• Miss Erica Davies (Year 3 Classroom Teacher)
• Mrs Melissa Dinnison (Year 4 Classroom Teacher)
• Ms Bethany Bala (Year 4 Classroom Teacher)
• Mr Gregory Anderson (Year 5 Classroom Teacher)
• Mrs Caroline Terz (Year 5 Classroom Teacher)
• Mrs Cathy Pilcher (Local Relief Teacher)
• Ms Courtney Chisnall (Guidance Officer Wednesday-Friday)

2021 School Leadership Team

Our school operates with the following governance structure. The following leaders work closely together for whole of school operations and organisation and are responsible for priority areas and year levels at our school.

Each of our leaders are looking forward to working with our parents and community in 2021.

Student Leader Positions – 2021

Congratulations once again to our Student Leaders for 2021. Students will be formally inducted into their leadership positions at the Investiture Ceremony on Friday 12 February in the TCBC Main Hall.

Our Student Leaders for 2021 are as follows:

School Captains – Chloe Cummins and Luke Louwen-Skovdam
School Vice Captains – Darcy Henderson and Seth Robinson
Music Captain – Lily Bastin-Byrne
Music Vice Captain – Isabella Collier
Cyclones Captain – Elexia Sciuto
Cyclones Vice Captain – Jake Casley
Heatwaves Captain – Katelyn Van Der Westhuizen
Heatwaves Vice Captain – Lacey Weber
Lightning Captain – Indiana Whiteaker
Lightning Vice Captain – Sarah Bauer
Thunder Captain – Tully Ratten
Thunder Vice Captain – Charlotte Hall

COVID-19 Update

Thank you for your continued patience as we adapt to the changes and challenges of COVID-19. The new normal now applies to all Queensland residents and comprises of the recommended COVID-safe practices we are now very familiar with:

• Maintaining physical distancing of 1.5m
• Maintaining good hand hygiene
• Staying home when sick

The department has produced a video to help state schools raise awareness for parents and carers of the ways in which they are able to accompany their child to school

There is no need to obtain parents’ and carers’ contact details, as these are already recorded in OneSchool and can be used by Queensland Health for contact tracing if needed.

However, all other visitors need to adhere to COVID school visitor and sign-in arrangements.

A range of Frequently asked questions have been developed with the latest information on the Department of Education’s response to COVID-19

While the ‘new normal’ allows us to go about our lives without too much adjustment, we all know the situation can change rapidly.

Thank you for all you have done in supporting your students, each other and our school community. As always, I will keep you updated on any further developments if circumstances change.

To ensure the safety of our students and staff at The Willows State School we continue to adopt the following practices:

• Increased cleaning throughout the school day including all high touch points and drink bubblers
• Wash down of our playgrounds after lunch breaks using S-Clean
  Material Safety Data Sheet - https://thewillowsss.schoolzineplus.com/_download/media/41/200520054602532/s_clean_safety_data_sheet.pdf
• Alcohol-based hand sanitiser is available for use in each classroom and shared space. The brands of sanitiser may change depending on availability of stock at the time of purchase. Students are able to bring their own sanitiser to school for personal use if preferred. Please ensure that this is labelled with their name
• Eating for all students occurs first and then play

EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

At the heart of our work is our students. At The Willows State School we have a strong direction to ensure that our students are delivered excellent curriculum, teaching and learning opportunities in our supportive school environment.

This year our Explicit Improvement Agenda continues to focus on:

For this newsletter, I would like to focus on the first Explicit Improvement Agenda – Every Student is a Reader and a Writer.

At The Willows we have a strong and proud reputation of academic success across all areas of the Australian Curriculum. Enhancing reading and writing for all of our students whilst delivering effective and quality education in the eight learning areas of the Australian Curriculum has continued to be a priority over the last 4 years and we continue to see strong student results, confidence and every student aiming to improve and progress in their learning. This is a direct result of the combined efforts at home and at school. In 2021, we look forward to continuing this work with you across the learning areas of English, Mathematics, Science, Technologies, The Arts, Health and Physical Education, HASS and Languages (French for Years 5 and 6 students).

From time to time, we receive requests for 1:1 support for students. Schools are resourced for inclusivity. This means that the support for students sits within classrooms. Our school is fully inclusive where we support all students in their learning through our strong teaching approaches and through ensuring our resources are targeted to enhance student learning within the classroom.

We also receive significant numbers of requests for non-departmental health workers to conduct therapy during learning time. These requests are considered on a case by case basis and there are strict policies and procedures around this including supervision of students during this time, space availability and student permissions of all class members in the event that observations are requested. Our school is a large school with space maximised for student learning and every available resource in classrooms working with our students. We also have access to Departmental State Registered Nurses, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Advisory Visiting Teachers. If you have any requests or concerns, please contact your child’s Deputy Principal.

Our first two weeks of school at The Willows State School is an important time for teachers to build relationships and establish school and classroom rules, PBL routines and expectations with students. It is important for students to attend each day (unless sick) and remain in regular attendance if well enough to do so.

Our teachers will be opening doors for our Meet and Greet and class information sessions on Monday 15 February from 3:15pm-4:15pm. This is a fantastic opportunity for parents to talk with teachers and get to know the classroom and school routines.

Additionally, our year levels also update our parents on the teaching and learning of our students through our fortnightly letter and a full copy of our Whole School Curriculum Plan is available on our website at the link below:

Class Arrangements – pre Day 8

As of today, we have 905 students enrolled at our school distributed across 38 classes. School funding and staffing arrangements will be definitively finalised after Day 8 Enrolment Census on Friday, 5 February. Parents are reminded that all class arrangements are considered temporary until that time. Any class changes necessitated by Day 8 processes will be communicated with parents as soon as practicable after the census date.

Home-School Communication

Our school newsletter is issued weekly each Wednesday of the school term. The newsletter is emailed so please ensure that you are signed up to SCHOOLZINE -

THE WILLOWS 2021-2023 Student Code of Conduct – now in effect

The Student Code of Conduct replaces the:

• Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students
• Statement of Expectations
• Code of School Behaviour

Queensland state schools had the full 2020 school year to develop and consult with community of the new Student Code of Conduct. The Willows State School Parents and Citizens Association was part of this consultation process along with the Positive Behaviour Learning Team at The Willows State School. As this document has now been finalised, the previous Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students no longer applies.

The Student Code of Conduct clearly sets out the student behavioural expectations of the school, support mechanisms available to assist students to develop appropriate behaviours and guidance on the application, where required, of disciplinary consequences. This document is available on our school website (under Quick Links) and has been provided to newly enrolled students and their parents.

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

GENERAL NEWS

BEFORE AND AFER SCHOOL ROUTINES

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students we ask that you are familiar with and follow our before school and after school routines.

Before School Routines

Our school gates will be open at 8am. Students should proceed to the Main CPA. At 8.15am staff on duty in the Main CPA will redirect the students to the following locations 3-6 to TCBC and P-2 to Junior CPA. At 8.35am students will be dismissed and asked to walk to class to start the day.

Note the following:

• If your student arrives between 8.15am and 8.35am they need to go to their year level area (3-6 to TCBC and P-2 to Junior CPA) where supervision is provided
• If your student arrives after 8.35am they go straight to class
• If they arrive after 9am they need to sign in at the office to receive a late slip Parents/Carers should either bring the student into the office, or phone the office on 4799 1333 to advise that their student is arriving late and give a reason for this

After School Routines

School Gates are open from 2.55pm. Students are dismissed from classrooms at 2.55pm and they are to walk, using pathways, through the school to the designated pick up gates.

Gate A – Stop, Drop, Go - If you are picking up from STOP DROP GO place your name tags on the dashboard so they are visible to staff.

Gate B – Trike Track Gate – please park and use the crossing.

Gate C – Sandstone Drive – please park and use the crossing.

Please note the following to assist us in adhering to the Departmental COVID19 guidelines:

• Ensure your student/s know where you are picking them up
• Parents entering the school to pick up students must continue to abide by COVID19 rules including social distancing
• No congregating around or in classrooms
• Making appointments with staff at mutually convenient times
• Sanitising hands
• Staying away if you show any symptoms of sickness to stop the spread and avoid school closure

Students receive WOW’s when they are modelling the school expectations.

WILLOWS WARRIORS

VOLUNTARY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION

UPCOMING EVENTS

Positive Behaviour Learning

Well Being

Hello, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Guidance Officer, Courtney Chisnall. Previously I was a Psychologist then a Classroom Teacher, both of which I loved!

I am very grateful to be in this position, following my career aspiration, at The Willows State School on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

In my spare time I enjoy cycling, exploring playgrounds, cooking, reading and playing Lego with my sons, and hiking!

I look forward to getting to know the students and supporting them to achieve excellence.

Courtney Chisnall
Guidance Officer

Defence News

HELLO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

Welcome to all new and existing defence students to 2021 at The Willows State School. My name is Correna Wheeler and I am the Defence School Mentor (DSM). I hope you have had a wonderful start to the New Year. I am available for a chat or send an e-mail. My hours are 8:00am-3:30pm, Monday to Friday. I have really hit the ground running again this year with 40 new students all starting on day 1. As week 1 was a short week, I managed to meet all of the preps and I will continue to touch base with students in years 1 to 6. It was beautiful to see their smiling faces and ask what they think of school. Over the coming 2 weeks I will welcome the remaining students. We will talk about moving, answer any questions they have about The Willows State School and support them as they make new friends. I have been visiting new students in class to say Hi and having a chat they have been telling me about their move and if they have a parent away. Please contact me if a parent is away. As part of their welcome I will walk students to the Defence Room in L Pod so they know where to come at break times if they want. Students are encouraged to bring a friend along. There are games, craft to make, colouring in, a reading corner and it is a great place to meet new friends. A fun, friendly, inclusive place to chill. Welcome to our AMAZING school.

Defence Parents Welcome Afternoon Tea will be held on Monday 15 February from 2pm-3pm in L Pod. Special Guests Jessica Stark EDLO and Meegan Lonergan FLO from DCO will be attending to talk about their roles. School representative may be present. Young children are welcome. Please RSVP me by Wednesday 10th Feb if attending and for dietary requirements. Please come along. Look forward to meeting you and having a chat.

Kidsmart Relocation Program will be held on Thursday 18 and 25 February from 3pm-4:45pm after school in L Pod. This program is designed for students who have recently relocated. Strategies for how to manage change, stay connected with friends, meet new people, copying with feeling stressed and anxious and tips on how to handle emotions and relaxation techniques are covered. It is lots of fun and a great opportunity to meet new friends. This program is facilitated with staff from DCO and the DSM.

Education Liaison Officers are part of Defence Community Organisation’s education advisory service, designed to inform, prepare and empower Defence families when they are relocating and changing schools. They are located in each state and territory and have extensive knowledge about the local schools and education systems as well as the unique needs of Defence children. You can ring the DCO office to talk to the EDLO regarding schools in your area or go to the DCO website for information. Flyer with numbers attached or call Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608.

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 access tutoring up 18 months from when you move to a new school due to a posting. Ring the Defence Family Helpline 1800 624 608, visit DCO website or collect the forms from me .More Information go to the link below:

Some parents have been sent to different locations to support borders for an unknown period of time. This can be a difficult time and if your child is experiencing some separation anxiety please inform teacher and myself so we can best support them. Conversations are an important part of a child’s learning. I have found some practical tips for starting conversations with children. Let me know how it worked for you.

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LOCATION There is an amazing online resource available for ADF members and families to find information regarding their posting location. Go to the link below for loads on information about your new location. Must see.

Deployments or going away to support Covid and this can be a very challenging time for all involved. While your partner is deployed and you are at home with the children, there may be times when you feel like a single parent. Though the situation is temporary, there are financial, emotional and day to day adjustments you will need to make as you adjust with this deployment. I have information I can give to you to assist at this time. If you inform me before the deployment starts I can support and check in with you child at school during this emotional rollercoaster. Remember the 3 “R”’s RULES, RITUALS AND ROUTINES. Also talk to the teacher. Check DCO website for more details.

RESILIENCE IS MY SUPERPOWER flyer attached. It is great positive reinforcement for children. Print out and stick to child’s door.

Geckos Family Centre North Queensland

Geckos Family Centre at Lavarack Barracks is a tri-service facility providing services, support and activities to enhance family resilience in the North Queensland Defence Community. Geckos offers a range of formal and informal activities catering to Defence members, partners and families such as playgroups, parent groups, boot camps, yoga, and sewing group. Check out their Facebook page to keep up to date with the activities and events held throughout the year: Geckos Family Centre

EVENTS TO REMEMBER

February 8th, 15th, 22nd & 1st March - Operation Reflect and Connect

Due to the popularity of our first Operation Connect & Reflect for 2021, we’ve created a second program!

Operation Connect & Reflect is a four week program for Defence partners. The program explores various art modalities, meditation and mindfulness and reflect on how these can be used as part of a self-care routine. There will also be the opportunity to connect with fellow Defence partners in a relaxed and friendly environment. No artistic experience is necessary! Light refreshments provided.

If you booked tickets for the original after-hours program and would prefer to attend this one during the day, please cancel your existing ticket/booking.

February 10th - Walk & Talk

Get 2021 off to a social and active start by joining our newly formed walking group. Where better to walk and talk than along the beautiful Strand? We’ll meet on the footpath in front of the Fish Inn at the Rockpool and the plan is to walk to Tobruk Pool and back—so wear a sturdy pair of walking shoes! There is plenty of parking available along Howitt St, and in the Jezzine carpark. While there is a lot to love about our tropical climate, no-one enjoys sunburn and insect bites, so bring a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

In the event of adverse weather, our walk that day will be cancelled.

OPEN ARMS GROUP PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Please remember to sign up to the mailing list for what’s happening for defence families at dco.townsville@defence.gov.au

TO BE UP TO DATE WITH WHATS ON IN TOWNSVILLE CHECK

Follow on Facebook or call 07 4411 7031.

DON’T FORGET to Register for DCO mailing list NOW at the link below:

dco.townsville@defence.gov.au

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 1800 624 608

Open Arms call 1800 011 046

Mates4Mates – Email: townsville@mates4mates.org or call the Townsville FRC on 4771 9600

Café now Open from 9am-12.30pm everyday, welcome to attend for a chat and look around.

DFA (Defence Families of Australia) 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

My hours are Monday to Friday 8:00am-3:30pm, phone me anytime for a chat on 4799 1333 ext 323, or e-mail me cwhee36@eq.edu.au.

School is FUN for all students by staying positive and developing RESILIENCE SKILLS AND FRIENDSHIPS.

Correna Wheeler
Defence School Mentor

STRIVE FOR PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.

Music News (The Pitch)

PE News (The Pulse)

Prep News

The start to Prep has been a very busy one. All the children have settled in well and have begun learning.

In PYROW, we have been doing a variety of fine motor activities such as tearing, drawing, and lacing.

We have learnt all about the letter ‘s’ and what sound it makes. Using the dough to make 's' things was fun.

We are also practising the writing of our names and beginning letter formations.

Year 1 News

Welcome to Year 1

The Year 1 children have started the year off well and have settled easily into class routines.

We have been learning about how to comprehend and respond to an imaginative text, also known as a narrative. We have been talking and writing about why we read narratives and their structure. In 1Tro we have been making connections to the stories we are reading.

In maths we have been learning all about teen numbers. Ask your child what they know about teen numbers. They might say:

• That teen numbers are numbers between 10 and 20.
• That all teen numbers have one group of ten and some extra ones.

Year 2 News

The year 2 classes are off to an impressive start in 2021. It has been wonderful to see the students walk in each day ready and eager to learn. Brain food is being eaten quickly as we are all getting used to having our breakfast earlier now we are back at school.

ENGLISH: For the first 5 weeks of this term, we will be working with poetry. We have begun by listening to and reading poems and looking at their structure – title, verses, rhyme and rhythm. We are trying to make our writing interesting by adding adjectives to our nouns. “The long green snake” is much more exciting than “the snake”.

As their final task, the students will be creating their own innovation of a known poem and then they will present this poem to their class.

Here are some photos of 2MIL writing rhyming words in small groups.

Year 3 News

Welcome to 2021. On behalf of all of the year 3 teachers, we welcome you to year three. We are all extremely excited to lead your students on a wonderful learning journey throughout this year. Across the cohort, students have organised their belongings, engaged in getting to know you activities and contributed to discussions about what learning looks like, sounds like and feels like at The Willows State School, with a focus on being Safe, Respectful and Responsible. Students in 3FAH shared their ideas with a peer, wrote these on a post it note before placing them on a poster to be displayed and referred to in the classroom.

In year 3 our students have begun exploring different ways to represent three and four digit numbers via a variety of planned activities. Students have been manipulating MABs, creating number sliders and completing think boards.

Additionally, within the curriculum area of English, students have begun reviewing persuasive texts and how the purpose is to influence an intended audience. Students excitedly shared memories of moments in their lives when they have had to persuade parents or siblings of their point of view. Students brainstormed other reasons that could make their point of view more convincing – listen out for some very persuasive conversations coming your way over the next few weeks! It is wonderful to see students engaged and learning.

Year 4 News

Welcome back!!!

The year 4 students have had a fantastic first few weeks getting right back into learning showing great progress already in week 1. This week 4PRO have been having a fantastic time during maths learning about multiplication and division.

Learning Intention: To recall multiplication and division facts, identify and explain unknown quantities and solve problems using appropriate strategies for multiplication and division.

4PRO had a fantastic time understanding how number sentences can either be equal or not equal using materials and working their way to number sentences. They are also learning how to show their working using a range of words and symbols.

Year 5 News

Wow! What a great start Year 5 have had to 2021. Classes are settled and routines are well underway. A quick visit from room to room clearly illustrates all the great work invested in the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) framework, as classes work together to build relationships and develop expectations within all learning environments at The Willows. Being in the Right Place at the Right Time is an appropriate focus as we embark on this new school year and consider many children in the Year 5 cohort for 2021, have never ventured very far past F Pod! New play areas and classroom locations have meant new experiences for many of our students. All classes have explored the School’s Behaviour Matrix in light of our focus and in-depth discussions have resulted around opportunities gained or lost by being in the right place at the right time.

Right place means to me:

“I remain in the right part of the school for my year level.”
“My friends and I play in the correct play areas and my teachers know where we are, that we are safe.”

Right time means to me:

“I arrive on time for class.”
“I respect my music teachers by turning up for lessons when I should and being prepared.”

Great job Yr 5! We cannot wait to see what else you have in store.

Year 6 News

Introducing the Year 6 Teachers

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves as the year 6 Teachers for 2021.

From the back left we have Miss Kylie Dibnah teaching 6A DIB, Miss Erin Edmonds leading 6D EDM, Ms Rachelle Tyers on 6B TYE, Mrs Teresa Swensen working with 6C SWE and last but not least Mr Aaron Davies joining us on 6E DAV.

Our email contacts are as follows:

Miss Kylie Dibnah 6A DIB – kdibn1@eq.edu.au
Ms Rachelle Tyers 6B TYE – rtyer0@eq.edu.au
Mrs Teresa Swensen 6C SWE – taswe0@eq.edu.au
Miss Erin Edmonds 6D EDM – exedm0@eq.edu.au
Mr Aaron Davies 6E DAV – adavi586@eq.edu.au

We also are lucky to have Ms Sarah Platt working with us as the Inclusion Teacher this year. She was on the other side of the lens when our lovely photo was taken. You are able to contact her on – splat17@eq.edu.au

Only three days in and we are already up and running, revisiting school expectations and procedures, as well as engaging students in the curriculum.

In English, we are learning to write an imaginative and entertaining short story about a character who faces a conflict and explain editorial choices made. The year 6 Teachers spent some of our Pupil Free Days writing a modelled response for this unit. We thoroughly enjoyed engaging our inner child to write a short story that was entertaining to us for sure.

In Mathematics, we are learning to interpret, compare and analyse data displays to make decisions. We have started revising data displays and creating them using ICT’s.

In Science, we are learning to plan and conduct an investigation into reversible and irreversible changes, including identifying variables to be changed and measured, describing potential safety risks, identifying improvements to methods and constructing texts to communicate ideas, methods and findings. We are looking forward to getting into some experiments very soon.

We look forward to working with you to ensure a happy and productive final year of primary school for your children. If there is anything you would like to know, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher.

Community Events & Notices