14 June 2023

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Pride

2023 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) Focus Areas:
Educational achievement
Wellbeing and engagement
Culture and inclusion

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,

Welcome to a slightly chilly Week 9 of Term 2. We now have just 7 school days left in Semester 1. School will conclude for this semester on Friday, 23 June and re-commence for Term 3 on Monday, 10 July. I encourage every student to remain in full and regular attendance at school every day they are well enough to do so.

This week we look forward to students showcasing their talents through the Music Gala Concert on Thursday afternoon, our Athletics Carnival on Friday and Choral Fanfare (hosted at William Ross SHS) on Saturday. Parents/caregivers are most welcome to attend both the Music Gala and Athletics Carnival at our school and don’t need to register prior – we proudly look forward to showcasing our students’ considerable (and diverse) talents with our school community. Please refer to additional information about both the Music Gala and Athletics Carnival (including program and tuckshop arrangements) later in this newsletter and in updates on our school Facebook page.

North Shore SS STEM Sports Event last Friday – congratulations to our team!

Last Friday, four of our students (Ava, Ruby, Tessa and Kenzie) competed at the STEM Sports Event which was held at North Shore State School. The team collaborated to build a sustainable house that had to meet the sustainable development goals. Students designed and built a Tree house that focused on the 'Life on Land' sustainable goal that allowed humans to co-exist with the current forest environment. The students focused on building a tree house that produced zero carbon emissions. They aimed to meet the zero hunger, no poverty, quality education, clean water, and affordable clean energy sustainable goals as well. It was a creative design which resulted in the group winning the 'Original and Creative Design' award. Well done, Team Willows, and a very big thank-you to Mr Menzies for all his work in coaching and mentoring the students in the lead up to their participation.

2023 School Annual Report – available for viewing from Monday, 19 June

Each year by June 30, schools are required to publish a ‘School Annual Report’ listing the major school achievements for the previous year against mandated system categories. This is to be made available for viewing from the school website. Please consult our school website from next Monday if interested in viewing this.

Holey Moley Day

On Monday, our Year 4 students hosted ‘Holey Moley Day’ during first and second breaks. Congratulations to the students (and Technology teachers, Mr Menzies and Mrs Munro) for their coordination of such an awesome event. The Year 4 students had been working hard on preparing for this event all semester in their Technologies lessons and their efforts were well received by their peers.

Semester 1 2023 Student Reports – to be emailed in Week 10 from Wednesday, 21 June

The Willows State School will be emailing Report Cards again this semester. To ensure all parents and caregivers receive their child/children’s Report Cards, it is important that the school has your current email address recorded in OneSchool. If you are unsure that the school has your correct current email address, please ring/email the office to confirm.

Report Cards will be emailed to all parents/caregivers recorded as receiving correspondence.

Report Cards may get lost in a ‘Junk’ folder. To help avoid this, you can add the address from which report cards will be generated - Application.ONESCHOOL@qed.qld.gov.au to your list of safe senders now.

This year there have been some changes to reporting comments for the learning areas. Each learning area will now state the expected aspects of the year level achievements standard that all students have engaged with during the semester. Your child’s rating will indicate to what standard they have completed summative assessment tasks related to the aspects of the achievement standard.

Cooler Weather Uniform

As the cooler weather starts to creep, in students have commenced wearing jumpers and trackpants to school. Please ensure all clothing is clearly labelled with your child’s name so that any misplaced pieces can be easily returned to their owner. Our school dress code lists plain navy blue jumpers/trackpants as the preferred colour for winter clothing. Jumpers with the school name and logo are also available for purchase from The School Locker if desired.

FREE Teen Triple P Online Program - Raise Resilient and Confident Teens

All families with children aged from 10 to 16 years can now get free, expert parenting tips and strategies via the online Teen Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. This free program, funded by the Queensland Government, provides ideas on how to positively support your teen’s emotional well-being, social skills and more.

• Create the best environment for your teen’s development
• Know how to promote new skills and respond to their behaviours and emotions
• Improve your relationship with your teen
• Raise happier, more confident and capable teens

You choose what works for you – adapt to suit your family, your values.

To start your free program today visit:

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

• year of schooling
• category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
• level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

• formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
• consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
• develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal

If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact the school. Data submission in Queensland state schools is required to be finalised early in Term 3.

Term 2 Silver Rewards

As part of our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Whole School Reward System, at the conclusion of every term a Silver Rewards celebration is held to acknowledge the exemplary behaviour of students. There are clear guidelines around who is eligible to attend these events. Students are ineligible to attend if they have received a ‘Major’ behaviour incident referral during the term.

75 Star Rewards sessions are also held twice per term – at the conclusion of Weeks 5 and 10. To be eligible to attend students must have accumulated 75 Stars on their Star Chart – star stamps are provided by teachers for following school rules, expectations and routines.

I look forward to seeing the majority of our students eligible to participate in both of these year level rewards sessions next week.

Lost Property

Getting towards the end of the term, please view the lost property box located in the Main CPA if you are looking for your child’s lost items of clothing, lunchboxes or drink bottles. All unclaimed items are disposed of at the end of each term. Ensuring all property brought to school is clearly labelled with your child’s name greatly assists in minimising frustration around lost items for you and your family.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Final Term 2 Fortnightly Rule Focus

Over the final two weeks of Term 2 our PBL school focus will be: ‘Right Time, Right Place, Right Pace.’

At The Willows State School, we expect students to ensure that they are in the right place, at the right time using the right pace. Following our school rules of being Safe, Respectful and Responsible whilst in the right place (during learning and play time), at the right time, using the right pace (walking on concrete and around buildings) is also important.

Whilst teachers explicitly teach lessons around the fortnightly focus at school, your continued support in also reiterating our PBL focus messages with your child is much appreciated.

Have a wonderful cooler Winter week. Our final newsletter for Term 2 will be issued on Wednesday, 21 June.

Warm regards,

Michelle Donn
Principal

General News

UPDATE ON SCHOOL PHOTO DELIVERY

Advanced Life School Photography has advised that they are making every effort to have the school photo packs delivered to us in Week 1 of Term 3. As soon as the photo packs arrive, they will be distributed.

For enquiries on individual circumstances, families can contact Advanced Life School Photography direct through their general enquiries page on their website:

PEEK AT PREP

Upcoming Events

Year Level Parade Times

Positive Behaviour Learning

P and C News

Crazy Sock Fundraiser

Thank you for everyone's support ordering socks on Sockable for our Crazy Sock Fundraiser. We sold 242 socks and raised a profit of $584! All orders were distributed to the students last week with plenty of time for Crazy Sock Day today.

Tuckshop on Athletics Day

This Friday will be a busy day for our tuckshop. Please place orders on Flexischools at least one day in advance. We will have extra food available for purchase over the counter for our parents attending the Athletics Carnival including sandwiches, wraps, hot pies, sausage rolls and water.

Volunteers in the Tuckshop

The Willows State School Tuckshop operates 5 days per week by paid staff members employed by the P&C Association. Volunteers are always welcome and are necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the Tuckshop on a daily basis.

How to apply?

• Email the P&C on pandc@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au or speak to the Tuckshop staff.

Requirements

• See the office staff about the mandatory volunteer training
• Current volunteer Working with Children (Blue Card) - we can assist you to apply for this.

Operations Manager

The Willows State School P&C is seeking a permanent part-time Operations Manager to work with our team to ensure the smooth and efficient running of our Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) and Tuckshop services.

This is a permanent part time position of 30 hours per week, based on negotiation with the successful applicants upon appointment. Remuneration will be as per the P&Cs Association Award - State 2016.

How to Apply:

The application has now closed but we are still in the process of interviewing for the position and will consider new applications if emailed this week.

Please forward a current resume and a letter of application outlining your experience and knowledge of the key selection criteria to the P&C President at pandc@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au . Include at least two employment referees.

Job advert posted:

Next P&C Meeting

Our next P&C meeting will be Tuesday, 20 June at 6pm in the TCBC Conference Room. All are welcome to attend.

PE News

INTERHOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL SCHEDULE

Defence News

HELLO TO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

The end of the term is fast approaching and holidays will soon be here. Remember to check out Geckos Defence Family Centre website or Facebook page for their Holiday Activities to see what’s coming up and book in early so you can secure a spot for your child. They also have an awesome playground to visit for a fun morning. Maybe you could take the family for a drive and visit Charters Towers for the day, check out the Information Centre for lots of fun activities for all ages. There are many day trips in our local area so get out there and explore this amazing place on our doorstep.

This week at Kids Club we have been making Stress Balls with rice. Students have an item to hold and squeeze when they feel worried. It has been a lot of fun. Students are loving the Chill Out Zone for a space to chill, relax and have some quiet time with a friend.

Defence Families Australia are official advisors to Government and Defence. DFA is an advocate for ongoing improvements in policy and practical support. The advocacy goals in the document reflect actions or changes to the Defence support sector and Defence policy which would benefit families. I have attached the document from the recent meeting held this year. It is definitely worth a read.

A Defence School Mentor Position has become available at Cathedral School. If you are interested, use the link below for more details and the job description. It closes on Friday 16th June.

Defence School Mentor/Teaching & Learning Assistant Job in Townsville, Northern QLD – SEEK

STUDENTS NEED TO BE AT SCHOOL EVERY DAY, LEARNING IS IMPORTANT. Thank you to those families who have informed me that they will be away for an extended period over the coming months due to exercises/training. I am aware that this time is going to be quite hectic for some families and some students will be worried/sad as a parent will be away. Please send me an email cwhee36@eq.edu.au so I can provide support at school. 😊 Always contact me with any worries/concerns that your children may be experiencing. Attached below is the DMFA flyer with all that is happening with Defence this month. A MUST READ.

If you have posted into location in the last 18 months, you can access Education Support through defence for tutoring. The member must complete these forms and they can be accessed at ADF Pay and Conditions Manual or you can contact DMFS Helpline on 1800 624 608 for more details. This scheme gives students access to 14 hrs of tutoring for Maths and English which must be applied and used within 18 months of posting into a new location. Give me a call to discuss further. Flyer below with details.

Open Arms has released their Group Programs for January to July, so check out their website at OpenArms.gov.au for all the details. Kookaburra Kids is in Townsville. This organisation supports kids living in families that are affected by mental illness. For more details on activities contact Hannah Galliner on 0484 544 451 or check out the website www.kookaburrakids.org.au

For what’s coming up - DON’T FORGET to Register NOW to receive newsletter and updates at dmfs.townsville@defence.gov.au or follow them on Facebook.

Geckos Family Centre-North Queensland is at Lavarack Barracks and is open to drop in. There are weekly organised events plus a huge brand new playground area outside. Stop in and meet the friendly staff for a chat and a cuppa. Follow them on Facebook 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

DATES TO REMEMBER

ADF EQUIP ABSENCE SUPPORT PROGRAM – Tuesday 20th June

Where: Geckos Family Centre

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/637007997067

*Numbers are capped at 10 students

BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS – Wednesday 14th to Friday 16th June from 9.00am-4.30pm

*See attached flyer on how to register

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 - 1800 624 608 - Need Help give them a call

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 – office is at the Nathan Business Centre or 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 is currently under renovation

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 or contact Hannah Galliner 0484 544 451/1300 566 525

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

15TH JUNE IS NATIONAL BUDDY DAY! BE A GREAT BUDDY THIS WEEK.