17 February 2021

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Thank you again for such a smooth start to 2021.

Our enrolment numbers have been confirmed as 674 from Years P-6 as at Friday 5 February (Day 8). This is always a nervous period as we wait until the 8th day of the school year to confirm our staffing allocations for that year. We will be continuing with our predicted plan of 28 classes for the school year with no need to reconfigure classes.

NAPLAN 2021

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four areas (or ‘domains’) of: reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy

Worongary has previously commenced preparation for completing NAPLAN Online with support of the regional office NAPLAN Online Team. Worongary will continue where it left off and participate in NAPLAN via the computer-based environment in 2021. The period of NAPLAN Online is between 11–21 May. The tests will be completed in a particular schedule. The NAPLAN Online test window is nine days. Day 1 is a Tuesday and Day 9 is the Friday of the following week. Further information will be distributed in due course. In the meanwhile, you can watch a short clip: Understanding NAPLAN Online (2m11s) or visit https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment for further information.

Congratulations Mel Smith!

I would like to congratulate Mel Smith (our PE Teacher) on her position at Keebra Park SHS for semester 1 working with the Girls Sports Academy and the PE department. Our replacement PE teacher is Mr Bodhi Jay and I welcome him to our school.

Swimming Carnival

What an amazing effort by the students and staff to complete the 2021 Swimming Carnival with the inclement weather. At the Nerang Pool, the roof and covered areas were vital to keep the children out of the elements during the day. There were smiles on the students and staff right to the very end of the day. Congratulations to all for their efforts and putting up their hand to compete for their sporting house.

Updating Contact Details

It is important that school staff have up to date information on our system. Please inform the office if you have had any changes to:

• address
• phone numbers (home or work)
• custody orders and/or
• current medical requirements
• email address
• emergency contacts

Regards Adam Brandt, Principal

Are you wishing to volunteer at school?

At Worongary State School, we value community involvement and appreciate the volunteers who come into our school to help in classrooms, run extra-curricular activities, and volunteer in our tuckshop.

If you are looking to volunteer there are a number of ways you can get involved:

• Class Teacher requests for volunteers
• Connecting with the P&C
• Advising the School office

Before volunteering, it is important that our community members know the expectations of conduct and students protection. These elements are compulsory for any person, whether a staff member, contractor or volunteer, to know and understand.

There are two avenues you can take to complete this mandatory training:

1. Hardcopy: please visit our school office to collect a copy of the Mandatory All -Staff Training Program
2. Online: you can download the Mandatory All-Staff Training Program-Key Messages Guide through the following address: https://qed.qld.gov.au/workingwithus/induction/queenslandstateschools/Documents/key-messages-guide.pdf

Mandatory All-Staff Training program - Key messages guide

Volunteers, contractors and visitors must complete this process annually and be able to present the Record of Completion anytime they are visiting a departmental site.

Instructions:

• access the Mandatory All -Staff Training Program (either online or a hardcopy)
• review the information
• complete the declaration and fill in your details on the Record of Completion section which you will find on the last page of the guide
• the supervisor, manager or principal of the location you are visiting with verify the completed declaration and finalise the Record of Completion with a signature and date (and school stamp if you are visiting a school)
• retain the verified Record of Completion section. It will be recognised at schools and departmental sites for 12 months.

Check with the supervisor, manager or principal at the location you are visiting for guidance and the additional information, as per the induction list above, you need to be aware of while working at their department site.

Further information: Key message fact guide

Regards Shiree Salazar
Deputy Principal

Save the Date

Behaviour

Hello to our WSS Families

Your children have settled in well to our new school year. Our new Preps are enjoying the vast range of activities and are just such attentive listeners at assemblies. Our Year 1 and 2 students are sharing their play areas and establishing new friendships. Our Year 3 children have embraced being in ‘Senior School’. Our Year 4 and 5 students are making some fantastic choices and are developing skills to be on task while working in a range of group dynamics. Our new Year 6 students have embraced being the student leaders of our school.

The Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) program was adopted at Worongary State School in 2010. It has assisted our school to create positive learning environments by developing proactive whole-school systems to define, teach, and support appropriate student behaviours. PBL was developed by leading behavioural experts to reduce problem behaviour and increase academic performance. At Worongary State School we implement evidence-based approaches to managing student behaviour to support current issues.

With a strong emphasis on data-based decision-making, the program is evaluated regularly and practices are adjusted to make sure the process is achieving effective results with positive behaviour support focussed on teaching appropriate behaviour to all students in the school.

Each edition of the school’s newsletter will contain our Term’s Behaviour Focus as well as the specific rules we will be explicitly focusing on during the next few weeks. We seek the support of all parents/carers to speak to your children about these rules and reinforce how they can positively contribute to our school’s learning environment.

Despite the glorious sunshine, we strongly urge our students to attend school every day. The link below has some fantastic resources you can view with your child about the importance of coming to school each day.

At 8.30am each week day areas are supervised by staff. Our students in Years 3-6 are requested to sit quietly in Central Games, our Year 1 and 2 students in Junior Covered Games and our Preppies outside Prep A and B. There is an opportunity for our students in Years 1-6 to attend organised activities in our ‘Good Start Program’.

Our first bell goes at 8.50 this gives our students then to be engaged in learning by 9am.

Please remind your children to check for their school hat is in their bag each day ‘hat on play on’ rule. Please also remind your students that all mobile phones must be handed in to the office before students go to class.

Have a fantastic fortnight.
Thank you for your support.
Ms Kaia.

HEALTH ROOM

Over-the-counter medications

The Department recognises that all medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) medications, e.g. paracetamol or alternative medicines, may be drugs or poisons and may cause side effects. As such, schools are required to receive medical authorisation from a prescribing health practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist, optometrist, but not a pharmacist) to administer any medication to students, including those bought over-the-counter.

Whilst parents may administer OTC medications to their child without medical authorisation, they are aware of the child’s complete medical history, and are able to provide ongoing, direct supervision for the course of the child’s illness. Due to these circumstances, a parent is also more likely to recognise if their child is having adverse effects and requires immediate medical attention.

The student’s prescribing health practitioner also has the knowledge of the child’s medical history to determine the appropriate OTC medication to administer and is therefore able to determine dosage and provide advice regarding potential side effects or interactions with other medications.

For these reasons, OTC medications will only be administered to students at school if medical authorisation has been received.

SECOND-HAND UNIFORMS WANTED

We are in desperate need of second hand polo shirts in sizes 10, 12 & 14 for our senior school students. If you are having a clean out of your child’s wardrobe, we would very much appreciate your hand-me-downs. We have plenty of smaller sizes for our junior school students should they need them.

UNDIES

We are always in need of undies – especially for little girls. Any hand-me-downs would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS
Kath Welch

From Read and Grow Update

You’re invited to attend our FREE Read and Grow Program with your 3-5 year old children

Starting: Term 1 Week 3 (9 February to 30 March)

Come along and meet other parents and children – all welcome, even if not attending Worongary State School

During the session, we read stories, sing songs and complete activities learning about pre-reading skills in readiness for starting school.

Due to COVID restrictions, you MUST book prior to attending as we have a maximum number of 10 participants we are allowed. Please email to book your place NOW!

Katie Huggard: khugg2@eq.edu.au

Regards Katie Huggard, Prep Teacher

From Music Room

Music primes the brain for learning’

Professor Sarah Wilson 2017

Music at Worongary has had a fabulous start to 2021! Well done to all our Instrumental Music students who have arrived on time to lessons and with all the necessary equipment. Well done to all the students attending choir rehearsals with such a positive attitude and an eagerness to learn.

MUSICIANS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to 2D, our first Junior Musicians of the Week. Due to sporting events not all of the Senior School have had a Music lesson yet this year. We hope to award the first Senior Musicians of the Week in Week 5.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC BAND AND STRINGS

Our Band teacher has made some adjustments to the Band Lesson timetable to maximise student learning. Please check Dojo for the updated timetable. Class Dojo is the easiest way to communicate with our Instrumental Music teachers.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE!

If your child is interested in a place in the Instrumental Music Program, please Dojo Miss Jones with student name and preferred instrument. The Instrumental Music Teachers we then look at ensemble balance, lesson sizing’s and available instruments to see if we can accommodate your request this year.

ENSEMBLE REHERSALS SCHEUDLE FOR TERM 1

ADVANCED STRINGS (YEARS 4 -6) rehearse before school MONDAY 7:45am starting Week 4
ADVANCED BAND (YEARS 5-6) rehearse before school TUESDAY 7:45am starting Week 4
JUNIOR CHOIR (YEARS 1 & 2) rehearse before school THURSDAY 8am
SENIOR CHOIR (YEARS 3,4,5,6) rehearse before school WEDNESDAY 8am)

“Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.”
Sarah Dessen 2015

Yours in Music
Ms Katheryn Jones kjone416@eq.edu.au

P&C News

Containers for Change

School Banking

AGM

Swimming Carnival

Exciting News!!

“Cool School” Initiative Projects

Tuckshop News

Opening Hours

Monday-Friday: 8:30am-2:00pm
Closed: Entire last day of each Term

Volunteering is central to the effective operation of our Tuckshop and we are currently looking for an appreciated helping hand or two – even 20 minutes of prep in the morning can be a life saver.

When volunteering in the Tuckshop, you can expect to assist with a variety of tasks, including but not limited to: customer service, cash handling, food hygiene, food preparation, stocking shelves, and washing up. You will find that the Tuckshop is a great place to learn new skills and it’s also an easy way to meet other parents of the school. Best of all, your child will enjoy seeing you there and you’ll even get a free cuppa, good times, and lunch if you stay all day.

Please feel free to come visit or give me a call on the number above with any questions. For those wanting to secure a set day and/or time, we currently have flexible availability and are ready and excited to add you to our roster.

Thank you for your interest in our school community - we value your support in any way.

……..See You At The Tuckshop……..

Frozen Treats

We have plenty of yummy, healthy frozen treats available to help the children get through the hot days we’ve been experiencing. Examples are:

• Tubs of Frozen Grapes for $1.50 each
• Icebergs for 50c each (cubes of frozen yoghurt/custard and fruit)
• Packs of two Frozen Orange Wedges for 50c

These items are all available at Second Break via online and manual ordering and can be purchased over the counter at both playtime breaks for students in Years 1-6 with a denomination of $5.00 or less.

[*NB: Ice cold bottles of water can be purchased at any time for $1.50]

Over Counter Sales

The Over Counter Sales menu is available for 15 minutes at First Break and Second Break play time for students in Years 1-6 and can get very busy. If you are giving your children money to purchase items at this time, we ask that you please have a chat with them about the menu beforehand so they are aware of what’s on offer at this time and what they can buy with their money. This will enable us to keep the queue moving and minimise the wait time.

All items are priced at $3.00 or less so our float is accordingly minimal. Denominations larger than a $5.00 note will not be accepted at this time. Please also note that children are only to buy for themselves and are not permitted to buy for friends.

UNIFORM SHOP

Opening Hours

Monday: 8:00am-9:00am
Friday: 8:00am-9:00am
Direct Dial number: 5502 4485

Seniors Shirts for Year 6

The Seniors Shirts have now been ordered and are expected to arrive early in Term 2.

Pre-Loved Uniforms

We currently have a decent supply of pre-loved uniforms in stock. If you’re struggling to keep up with the washing and would love some extra items to get you through the week, come up and see what’s available. Our pre-loved clothing rack is overflowing and we would love to free up some space.

Kind regards,
Michelle Lee
Tuckshop/Uniform Convenor

School Plus

School Plus Worongary finished a successful Vacation Care period with a number of fantastic theme days, Incursions and Excursions. Highlights included excursions to Nerang Cinemas & Bounce Trampoline park as well as Minute to Win it Day, Space Day & Technology Day.

Our lucky Vacation Care Hamper winner was Lorelai! She was happy to share this with her brother Gus.

A number of new Prep children have commenced and are settling in beautifully into the service. Our School Plus Belonging Tree is growing with photos of new preps. Preps have also been a focus as we have been working with the children to give them a thorough orientation to the service, they have also been completing a School Plus Prep booklet that has photos of staff, service, routines as well as pictures to colour and match.

Following on from late 2020 educators have been exploring what our Code of Ethics looks like in action. This was brainstormed in the last Staff Meeting and since a pictorial display has been created to ensure we are living our ethics.

We have also been using group times in Before & After School Care to brainstorm ideas with the children around activities and experiences they would like to participate in throughout term 1, 2021.

We have also brainstormed equipment Wish lists with the children and have begun purchasing new games, resources, and sporting equipment to meet the needs of our growing service.

We are looking forward to another fantastic year at School Plus in 2021 and to work in partnership again with Worongary State School. Book now for Before and After School Care!

Maria and the School Plus Worongary Team

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