25 May 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Pride

2022 School Explicit Improvement Agenda (EIA):
Every Student is a Reader and a Writer – Aim for the ‘A’
Inclusivity: Everyone Counts!
Wellbeing and Engagement for All

Welcome to Week 6 of Term 2. Congratulations to our instrumental students who performed so successfully at Fanfare on Saturday. The Willows State School Senior Concert Band, Junior Concert Band and String Orchestra performed at the event achieving 2 Silver (String Ensemble, Junior Concert Band) and 1 Bronze award (Senior Concert Band). Please see our school Facebook page to view many photos and messages of support – we are very proud of all their achievements and loved the opportunity to see our talented musicians perform for their peers at our whole school assembly last Friday. Thank you to Mrs Winter for her coordination of this assembly with Mrs Coleman and our Instrumental Teachers, Ms Tina Greenfield and Ms Carla Mulligan.

This week we have a number of special events and extra-curricular activities/excursions occurring. Friday, 27 May will be especially busy with both the Bill Nettle Rugby League and Netball Gala Days, Under 8’s Celebrations for our P-2 students in the afternoon and a Year 3 Excursion to Billabong Sanctuary. Congratulations also to our students who represented the school at the NQR Interschool Cross Country trials at Bicentennial Park on Tuesday afternoon and thank you to Mrs Zonta and our Physical Education Teachers, Ms Deuble and Mr Madeley for their coordination of our team. Congratulations to Shae O’Brien who has been successful in making the Townsville Cross-Country Team.

Students are by now well and truly progressing in their units of learning for Term 2 and are working on completing assessment pieces across a range of learning areas. Report Cards for Semester 1 will be emailed home in Week 10 of this term.

Chaplaincy Week - 29 May 2022

Chaplaincy Week is an opportunity to celebrate the work of Scripture Union (SU) chaplains working in schools across Queensland and making a positive difference in each of their communities. Did you know that 67% of all Queensland schools (primary and secondary) have a chaplain? That means more than 400 000 Queensland students have access to chaplaincy support. We are very fortunate at The Willows State School to have the very talented, Chappy Brooke Sorbello, as an integral member of our Student Wellbeing and Engagement Team. Brooke’s friendly supportive presence and thoughtful work with staff, students and community members is highly valued and very much appreciated. Please join with us in wishing Brooke a very happy Chaplaincy Week!

We are also extremely grateful to our P&C Association for their contribution of funds to support the Chaplaincy Program. Without their co-contribution to federal government funding we would not be able to have Brooke’s support for as many days per week.

School chaplains also need the support of local churches and local communities to help students reach their full potential. This year the chaplains from Kirwan SS, Kirwan SHS and The Willows SS have formed the Chaplaincy Kirwan Cluster Local Consultative Committee to support their collective work and learnings.

Please view Chappy Brooke’s post on our official school Facebook page.

You can also read more about Chaplaincy services at: https://www.suqld.org.au/services/chaplaincy/

COVID-19 Positive Cases Notification to School Community

Over the past week we have continued to be notified of positive test results for COVID-19 in our school community.

May I remind you to continue to:

• monitor yourself and your family for COVID-19 symptoms that can include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting or nausea, loss of smell and/or taste.
• stay home if displaying any symptoms, or feeling unwell. You should attend your local Queensland Health testing clinics where students are prioritised to get a free rapid antigen test (RAT).
• Continue to follow all Queensland Health advice .

If students become symptomatic while at school, you will be contacted to collect them. You will also be provided with a free rapid antigen test (RAT) to administer at home.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, please follow Queensland Health guidelines for reporting the test result, isolation and quarantine.

Quarantine requirements for close contacts

• Close contacts who do not have COVID-19 symptoms no longer need to quarantine. Students who are close contacts must notify their school that they are a close contact.
• For 7 days after becoming a close contact, students over the age of 12 must wear a face mask while outside of their home, including at school, and when outdoors if unable to physically distance. Queensland Health also recommends that children under the age of 12 wear a face mask when it is safe to do so.
• It is recommended that students undertake a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the first day they leave home, and every second day (e.g. days 2, 4, and 6) until they are no longer a close contact.

Close contacts who develop COVID-19 symptoms must not attend school and should isolate until their symptoms resolve.

DATE CLAIMER: P&C Fun Fair – Friday, August 19

Please note this date in your calendar NOW. Please also view the more detailed information provided by the P&C later in this newsletter regarding year level stalls and requests for donations over the coming weeks. Your support with our Fun Fair is much appreciated.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Over this current fortnight, our PBL school focus continues to be 'Be Persistent and Resilient'. At The Willows we promote showing persistence and resilience every day through our work in the classroom and relationships with our friends and teachers. Your support in discussing these values and expectations with your child is also much appreciated.

It was wonderful to see so many of our students deservedly enjoying participating in their class 75 Star Awards activities at the end of last week. I look forward again to the vast majority of our students following our school rules and achieving this milestone at the end of the term as well.

The Willows State School Attendance Strategy – Every Day Counts! School attendance is compulsory under the Education Act. If children are going to be absent from school for any reason, parents are requested to inform the school by phoning 4799 1333, Student Absence Line 4799 1366 or emailing admin@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au . If your child is absent from school on any given day and we are unaware of the reason for the absence, an SMS message will be generated asking you to contact the school regarding your child’s absence. Students are encouraged to come to school on every day they are well enough to attend.

Have a happy, healthy and safe week. Our next newsletter for Term 2 will be issued on Wednesday, 1 June.

Warm regards,

Michelle Donn
A/Principal

General News

Peek at Prep

Prep Vision Screening at The Willows State School – 19-21 July, 2022

The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program aims to optimise the health and wellbeing of Queensland children during their transition to primary school, with a key focus on vision screening for prep students. This program is a state-wide initiative and offers free vision screening to prep students in state, catholic and independent schools.

Registered nurses based in communities across Queensland work with the support of Children’s Health Queensland to deliver the screening service and capture important data about the health of Queensland children.

At The Willows State School the vision screening process is scheduled to take place on 19, 20 & 21 July. Consent forms will be emailed to parents/carers for completion online. If you require a printed copy of the consent form please contact our office.

Vision screening is vital in early childhood, particularly for conditions such as amblyopia, or a ‘lazy eye’ which, if not detected and treated early, can lead to blindness. Vision loss can result in children struggling at school and having poor learning outcomes and can also lead to behavioural issues and difficulty with concentration. The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program provides the opportunity for visual abnormalities to be detected early and, in turn, minimise the impact on a child’s learning.

If visual abnormalities are found during a child’s screening tests they will be referred to an eye health professional for further assessment. The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program will follow-up with parents/guardians to discuss the outcome of this further assessment.

UNDER 8’S DAY

Upcoming Events

P and C News

The Willows State School Fun Fair – 19 August 5-9pm

The countdown is on to The Willows State School Fun Fair happening in Term 3! Our year levels have all nominated to caretake a different stall and over the coming weeks we will be asking for small donations from our whole school community to help each year level.

From Week 6 to Week 8 we are asking for donations for the Year 3 Tombola stall. Glass Jars (any size, clean and with the label removed if possible) & prizes for our jars would be appreciated. All donations can be given to class teachers or dropped directly to the office. Some donation ideas include but are not limited to:

• hampers
• gift cards
• bottles of wine (must be dropped directly to the office by parents)
• boxes of chocolates
• stationery
• homemade jams
• craft packs
• soft toys
• games
• gardening items
• jewellery
• cosmetics
• hair clips and ribbons
• tools
• books
• lego
• bags lollies or chocolates
• photo frames
• pet items

Thank you for all of your support! If you are interested in having a stall at the fun fair, please get in touch by emailing us at pandc@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au . All stall holders must have their own public liability insurance. There is no fee to have a stall but we are asking for a product or gift card donation.

Positive Behaviour Learning

Defence News

HELLO and WELCOME TO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

Week 6 as always has been a busy week at Kids Club and with supporting students. I would like to invite all Defence Parents/Caregivers to attend my BIGGEST MORNING TEA on FRIDAY 3RD JUNE IN TCBC CONFERNECE ROOM FROM 2-3PM. Please come along and show your support for the Cancer Council and all the amazing work they do. I hope to see lots of you there. Don’t miss this event. There is a flyer below with contact details and a link to make a donation. If you have any questions, give me a call.

Remember to come along to the Under 8’s Day this Friday and stop by and say Hi to me. I will be in the “Defence Unit,” where all the Kids and Cams are. FUN for all.

Defence Families of Australia are looking for your support. They are looking for several local families to participate in a photography project to highlight some of the unique benefits and realities of Defence family life in a natural and candid way. Each shoot may take around three hours and is proposed for June/July 2022. It sounds like fun for the family. There is a flyer attached with contact details.

If a loved one is going on training/exercise and is going to be away from the family for an extended period, it is a good idea to contact me so I may support the child while the member is away, as this can be a very challenging time for the whole family.

If you just posted into Townsville this year or in the last 18 months, your children may be eligible for Education Assistance. This is available for students who move to a new school due to a posting. You have 18 months to apply and use the Education Assistance. If you have posted in this year and would like your children to benefit from some extra tutoring, you can do so NOW. Just contact the Defence Member and Family Helpline 1800 624 608 or email education.supportprograms@defence.gov.au for the form. I have copies of the Education Assistance form at school that I can have the teacher sign and return home with student upon request. One hour of tutoring per subject (Maths and English) for up to 14 weeks can be accessed. Reports are no longer required to access this service. Please contact me if you have any further questions about the form. This is a valuable resource to assist students with their learning and therefore assist with their transition into a new school. This builds self-confidence and resilience in children. I am always available to answer any questions about your student’s transition into their new school. You can ring the Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608, visit DMFS website or collect the forms from me. For more information go to the link below.

Kookaburra Kids is a worthy organisation for children aged 8-18 years, who have a parent serving and ex serving members of the ADF with a mental illness as a result of their military service. They provide fun activity days, camps and mental health education. Go to their website at www.kookaburrakids.org.ao to read more or call Hannah in Townsville on 0484 544 451 to register. It is a wonderful way to meet new friends and have fun.

Geckos Family Centre at Lavarack Barracks is excited to announce that large renovations will occur to the internal facility from 5 May – 30 June, 2022. The internal facility will be closed for this set period over this time. All weekly groups, school holiday activities and special events will continue (at various locations). The playground will remain open for families to utilise throughout this period. Check out their Facebook page to keep up to date with the activities and events held throughout the year or phone them on 07 4411 7031 for more details.

TO BE UP TO DATE WITH WHATS ON IN TOWNSVILLE CHECK whatson.townsville.qld.gov.au , follow on Facebook or call 07 4411 7031.

DON’T FORGET to Register for DMFS mailing list NOW at MemberandFamilyHelpline@defence.gov.au or follow on Facebook for updates.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Biggest Morning Tea Friday 3rd June TCBC Conference Room 2-3pm - All Defence parents/caregivers are invited to attend. This is one Morning Tea not to miss. Small children are welcome. Please come along to support the Cancer Council and say Hi.

Please RSVP Correna on 4799 1333 or cwhee36@eq.edu.au

IMPORTANT

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 - 1800 624 608 - Need Help give them a call or contact Hannah Galliner 0484 544 451/1300 566 525

DMFS Office at Nathan Business Centre on Ross River Rd, call 07 4430 3879

Open Arms support former and current serving ADF personnel and their family members can use the service also call 1800 011 046 www.openarms.gov.au

Mates4Mates – Townsville FRC 4771 9600 townsville@mates4mates.org

Café now Open from 9am-12.30pm every day, you are welcome to attend for a chat and to have a look around.

The Oasis Townsville for Ex-ADF Community in Townsville hello@theoasistownsville.org.au

Dirty Books Café – 1 Staging Camp Avenue, Oonoonba – 07 4759 8777

DFA (Defence Families of Australia) – NQ Delegate Larissa Ostermann 0418 796 561 nth.qld@dfa.org.au

DSNG Defence Special Needs Group - 1800 037 674 www.dsng.org.au

Beyondblue.org.au www.australia.gov.au

Geckos Family Centre Nth Qld Lavarack Barracks - Contact for enquiries on 07 4446 1238 or follow on Facebook.

Kookaburra Kids Charity Organisation Mental Health Service - 1300 566 525 www.kookaburrakids.org.au

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

My hours are Monday to Friday 8:00am-3:30pm. Please phone me anytime for a chat on 4799 1333 ext 323, or email me cwhee36@eq.edu.au . I look forward to meeting you.

Correna Wheeler
Defence School Mentor

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING

Chappy News

CHAPPY WEEK – 22nd to 29th May

This week is Chappy week and I thought it was a good opportunity to share a little with you about the Chaplaincy service that is provided to The Willows State School through government funding, community donations, as well as the generous support of the school’s P&C.

Firstly, if I am yet to meet you, my name is Brooke Sorbello aka “Chappy” or “Chappy Brooke”. I have been working at TWSS since the beginning of the 2021 school year. I work within the Student Engagement and Wellbeing team from Tuesday to Friday.

I love working at this school and I am involved in a range of activities during my time here. I work within the Student Engagement and Wellbeing team, and enjoy working alongside the team to deliver a variety of wellbeing programs such as Drumbeat, Younger Smarter Stronger (YSS), Little Heroes and Kids with a Purpose. I am available for students needing extra support during break times, in the Supervised Play room. Additionally, I am able to provide specialised support to students who may need assistance engaging with school activities, or who are experiencing challenging personal circumstances.

School Chaplains are engaged with the whole school community, students, staff and families. We are in the prevention and support business; so, if you or your family members are needing any support please don’t hesitate to get in contact through the school office or by emailing me on the address below:

Email: bsorb0@eq.edu.au or brooke.sorbello@suchaplaincy.org.au
Desk located: D POD
Break times located: S POD

I look forward to seeing you around the school!

Student Council News

Engagement and Wellbeing

Student Council Reminder of Term 2 Charity Fundraising Event

Our Student Council are looking forward to our upcoming school fundraising event. PJ Day is on Friday 10 June and all funds raised will be donated to our school charity, Ronald McDonald House North Australia. It will be great to see all the staff and students come to school, dressed in their favourite pjs. The Student Council aim to raise $1000, so come dressed up and bring your gold coins.

Ensure all clothing worn is appropriate for school, sun-safe and students are wearing normal school footwear (no slippers).

Date: Friday 10 June 2022 - Gold Coin Donation

Music News (The Pitch)

Willows Warriors

Warriors have been busy reading, singing, counting, painting, making, talking and completing the obstacle course. We love being with our friends and learning new things.

Prep News

What a fun week it has been in Prep!

We have continued to work hard on our blending and segmenting sounds and transferring them to our writing. The children are getting very good at hearing the sounds in words and having a go.

In Maths, we have our sorting assessment well under way as we sort and describe different characteristics of shapes!

In Science, we have been learning about different materials to prepare to make our very own wind ornament! In Prep Val, we did a waterproof experiment to discover which materials are waterproof and which are not- ask your child about some materials that they might be planning to add to their wind ornament and I’m sure you will receive lots of fantastic responses!

Year One News

What’s happening in Year One?

The Year 1 children have been learning about describing characters in stories. At the end of the story Mr Wintergarten changes. In these photos the children have matched his traits to the actions that show this.

In Hass we have been discussing important family and personal events we celebrate and commemorate. The children have been focusing on their birthdays.

In Maths we have been giving and following directions.

Year Two News

This term in Maths, students have been learning to tell time to the quarter hour. We have been learning to tell time on analogue and digital clocks, as well as using this information to solve problems. Students have used the clocks in our classrooms to tell the time and identify when lunch breaks are. We have also been learning to identify and combine Australian notes and coins. There have been some great conversations happening in our rooms applying knowledge of monetary values to upcoming events at school. We’ve discussed Backflips for Bullying and the different ways we can make up $5.00, as well as the gold coin donation options for our PJ day.

Year Three News

Health

In Health, we have focused on individual identity and the changes that take place due to our family and environmental influences. We have investigated positive interactions and emotions related to these interactions.

This unit of work has linked to our Positive Behaviour Learning focus of Kindness.

Some of the Year 3’s watched a little story about ‘Chrysanthemum’ to demonstrate the effect of negative interactions by screwing up a heart every time someone said something nasty.

Year Four News

In 4E PRO, students have been really enjoying their learning in Science. Students have been learning about forces. Students will use games to investigate and demonstrate the direction of forces and the effect of contact and non-contact forces on objects. The game that you can see students playing in the photos below is ‘Balloon up and away”. Students have had a great time and are now in the process of creating their own game and identifying the forces used in their own game.

Year Five News

Year 5 students are currently writing a feature article to persuade and inform the audience. Students must choose to keep the flying foxes or relocate them, based on a fictional scenario. Students have commenced writing their articles and have listened to a guest speaker and conducted research into flying foxes, including how they are managed by governments. Keep up the great writing Year 5!

Two local lawyers spoke with 5D LES about their roles and responsibilities as citizens. They talked about why they enjoy their jobs and what challenges them.

Our Year 5 students learned that lawyers provide legal advice and must be confidential about clients and cases.

Year Six News

Howdy from Year 6! The weeks are rolling on and everyone between the ages of 11 and 12 are desperately looking forward to their leadership camp at APEX on Magnetic Island. Ask any of the students and they will tell you just how excited they are to spend 3 whole days with their friends and teachers having fun in the sun and learning some valuable life skills.

Leadership in Year 6 has already begun with many of our students participating weekly in a Buddies in Blue program run by our Student Support Services Team. This program asks students to spend some of their lunch time assisting the newer members of our school community to have fun playing games and managing friendships. The experience is both rewarding for the Year 6 students and the Prep students.

In 6C DAV BYOX class we have been busily working on our English advertisements. We are learning to persuade an audience to travel to a particular destination using language features, images, salience and modality. Students have selected a variety of locations around the world including Rome, Los Angeles and Bali as well as some more local places like Tasmania, The Great Barrier Reef and Townsville. Students have used their devices to add sound effects, voice overs and animations to their advertisement. Some would give Flight Centre a run for their money!

Happy Days from Year 6! Take Care!