13 October 2021

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Welcome back to school for the last and one of the busiest terms for the year. With many excursions, incursions and notes going home, please keep a look out on ClassDojo, the school website calendar and your children’s bags (sometimes hidden at the bottom) for important information to ensure your child can participate. The website is being constantly updated to ensure parents are aware of the events and when forms are due.

School Zone Road Rules

The City of Gold Coast wants to ensure that motorists comply with school zone road rules at and around schools to achieve a safer environment for children and the broader school community. These rules also help to optimise traffic movement and safety. Please take extra care and obey the signed parking rules when parking on the roads and streets around the school.

Tuckshop Opening

It was fantastic seeing the Tuckshop reopen last week. The tuckshop has had significant improvements with repairs, painting, equipment upgrades and new items to benefit the students. The P&C have been working with the Queensland Association of State School Tuckshops to review the menu. If you have any feedback for the tuckshop, please email tuckshop@worongaryss.eq.edu.au

Park Safe Vehicles - Licence Plate Recognition (LPR)

As part of the City Parking Plan 2015 to improve parking behaviour on the Gold Coast, City Parking Officers will soon patrol the city (including key school zones) using vehicles, clearly badged as “Park Safe” vehicles. These vehicles use Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) which is camera technology fitted to Park Safe vehicles to ensure motorists are parking safely.

Park Safe will operate on school days at student drop-off and pick-up times focusing on pedestrian areas around schools. If a vehicle is found to be parked illegally the City will issue an infringement notice to the registered vehicle owner by post.

Offences to be aware of:

• stopping 20 metres before or 10 metres after a sign posted crossing
• stopping 20 metres before or 10 metres after a bus stop
• stopping within 10 metres of an intersection or corner
• stopping within a bus zone (bayed area)
• stopping on a footpath or nature strip within a built-up area
• stopping in a way that restricts access to a driveway
• stopping on a yellow painted line
• stopping in a loading zone
• double parking for any period of time.

Park safely and legally to avoid a fine.

For more information visit the link below.

STEM Update

The school is currently in the design phase of the $350,000 STEM Building upgrade as an election commitment. This building refurbishment is shaping to be very modern, multipurpose space to support a Makers Space in one room and Robotics Space in the other. This is very exciting times!

Congratulations to students who participated in STEAM Cup with Worongary State School finishing in the top 3 schools. Worongary State School has been invited to complete in the GC Primary STEM Cup Final hosted by Griffith University. Congratulations Mrs Pikunic and students on a fantastic achievement and best of luck in November!

Principal Tour - New Enrolments

Last term, I held a Principal Tour for new families.  I again would like to offer a tour of the school on 18 November 2021 @ 3.15 pm for new families or those who missed our last one.  If you are interested in participating in a tour of the school, please contact the office.

Classes 2022

Teachers and administration will be preparing for classes shortly. Classes are decided on many factors to support the learning of all students at Worongary State School. If you have a 2022 class request based on your child’s educational needs, please send an email directly to principal@worongaryss.eq.edu.au with your request. Please note that not all request may be possible and all requests will be made on a needs basis.

Life Education

Life Education is providing the TALK ABOUT IT program focusing on sexual health and relationships. The TALK ABOUT IT program includes information on reproductive health incorporating physical and emotional changes associated with puberty, relationships and the concept of self. It has been developed in response to the need for increased and consistent education in the areas of sexuality, identity & relationships, and aligns with the Australian Health and Physical Education curriculum.

TALK ABOUT IT is designed to help students understand and cope with this important phase of their lives, in order to develop a positive attitude towards their own sexuality. While providing them with information on how to look after themselves during this stage of their development, Life Education recognises that the physical components of sexual health are strongly linked to the emotional and social aspects.

The Life Education team will be presenting, two modules, to students in Year 5 & Year 6 over 6 days, from Friday 8th – Friday 15th October. To support all students to access the program the cost of participation will be covered by the school.

Regards,
Adam

PREP 2022 ENROLMENTS

Do you have a child or friend/neighbour whose child is celebrating a birthday (turning 5 by 30 June, 2022) and lives in the Worongary State School catchment area?

If so, then now is the time to be contacting us to secure a place in our supportive transition to Prep program – ‘Get Set for Prep!’.

Regards
Shiree Salazar
Junior Deputy Principal

Save the Date

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 4 Week 2

Theme – Going to Big school

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

National Outdoor Classroom Day – 2021

Preps, year 1 and year 2 had a fantastic day on the last day of term 3 when they participated in the National Outdoor Classroom Day. Studies have shown that, by working outdoors, children learn to appreciate nature more and improve their spatial and social skills. Student engagement in lessons increases and there is a greater retention of knowledge. We saw all of these things while the children worked, played and enjoyed their morning in the great outdoors! A big thank you to Bunnings Nerang who donated $50 towards equipment for the day and Woolworths Nerang for donating a cool ice-block to finish off a fantastic morning.

It’s on again!! Our annual Book Fair

(slightly delayed due to you-know-what 😊 )

(Class viewing only – Tues 19th to Friday 22nd)
SALES start – MONDAY 25 October
25 – 29 October – 1 WEEK ONLY
Cash, credit card, EFTPOS
In the LIBRARY

Speaking Out Competition

In week 9 all students from prep to year 6 participated in our yearly speaking out competition. All students created and delivered a speech to their class. The finalists enjoyed the experience of a judging panel and an audience of their peers.

We were blown away by the amazing work that was presented.

Public speaking is such an important skill and this opportunity to shine is always a highlight of Term 3.

Well done to all finalists and best of luck to the winners in years 4-6 as they head to the next round of competition.

THE NERANG ALLIANCE OF STATE SCHOOLS

Public Speaking Competition

The following information is required for the ‘Speaking Out Competition’

The Years 4 to 6 topics listed below (AB Paterson with the time lengths) are the selected topics for the Nerang Alliance ‘Speaking Out Competition’

TOPICS:

SPEAKING TIMES:

From Music Room

TERM 4 CONCERT!

Wow! Term 4 is here already!!!!

Instrumental Music and Choirs have all started back rehearsing for our Concert on Tuesday November 9 commencing at 3:30pm in the Hall (Week 6). Save the date! All students in the Instrumental Music programs and choirs will be performing. It would be great to see all students in their Music shirt for this event!

WELCOME BACK MS AUCHERE

In Term 4, we welcome back Ms Auchere as our Band teacher. Ms Buchanan did an incredible job in her absence and will be sorely missed by all.

After meeting all the students and hearing them play, Ms Auchere has amalgamated the Beginner and Senior Bands to make one mega-band for the remainder of this year! This will allow for the younger students to be mentored by our Seniors and create a rich, full sound. The Mega band will rehearse each Tuesday before school. The expectation is that all children are in their seats ready to play at 7:45am.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC 2022

In the coming weeks, contracts will be sent home with all students in the Instrumental Music Program. Each year the paperwork needs to be completed. It is really important that this is completed and returned to school as soon as possible so your child’s place in the program can be secured.

If your child is not continuing in 2022 please inform their Instrumental Music Teacher via Dojo.

Students in Years 2 & 3 that have submitted an Expression of Interest form will meet with the Instrumental Music Teachers over the next few weeks to try different instruments for size and suitability. Contracts will then be sent home.

Rehearsal Schedule Term 4

Advanced Strings Monday 7:45am
Mega Band Tuesday 7:45am
Senior Choir Wednesday 8:00am
Junior Choir Thursday 8:00am

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

Konnichiwa,

In the next 2 weeks we will be learning about family members and I encourage students to use the vocabulary at home- mum( haha) or the polite word is okaasan and dad (chichi) otoosan is the polite form.

Please encourage your child to read some hiragana in this letter and they are using it in class. There are 46 in total and is the basic alphabet to learn.

We are learning to discuss family members dis/likes.

Let’s try - Mum likes bonsai – Person wa object ga suki desu. Okaasan wa bonsai ga suki desu. Ga suki means ‘to like’.

Students gave me feedback from last term and they said they enjoyed the games with flashcards, the bonsai exhibitions and posters on Japan as prizes, which I will continue this term. We play games that incorporate movement, acting, speech, teamwork and traditional Japanese gestures to help retain information.

The attention to detail is reflected in many areas in Japan as food and the arts, as you can see below.

Thank you.

Kim Rochelle-Brown
LOTE Teacher
Worongary State Primary School

P&C NEWS

WE’RE BACK

The Tuckerbox Tuckshop has finally re-opened its rollers! It was great to finally see it back.

Thursday 7 October it was open exclusively for teachers & staff of Worongary State School and on Friday 8 October we opened for our students. What an awesome day to see the kids again, their smiles, their “Woahs, Wows, Ohhs and Ahhs” and just sheer excitement.

We welcome our newest member to our school,
Jessica Luxford. She comes from years of experience
in food service, holds certification in food & hygiene handling,
Covid 19 Training, Certificate III & IV in Hospitality and a
Diploma of Management.

Jess held a Senior Cook position at Currumbin Wildlife
Sanctuary prior to coming to WSS. She has a strong focus on
exceeding expectations and actively engaging in delivering
quality & safe food, consistency and while maintaining a
motivating and positive team environment.

Congratulations on becoming part of the team!
The whole WSS P&C and WSS school welcomes you and
we look forward to a successful journey with you!

The operation of the tuckshop for term 4 is subject to change at any time. This means on occasion we may have some days where we are closed to accommodate certain operational needs. The menu is currently reduced and is also subject to change as we trial new healthy options and obtain feedback from the students.

We have some fresh, new menu items and some classic favourites. Our tuckshop now makes 75-80% of menu items on site- some utensils, including the oven, have never had such a workout!!

We now have an all-natural Slush Puppie slushie machine in house.

• Fruity, all-natural flavours
• No artificial colour
• No added sugar.
• Based on 99% apple juice
• Meets the QLD Governments Smart choices-

Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for QLD Schools…. And it is delicious!

The kids were so excited, that the first day, the machine completely sold out before filling all the Over-the-Counter orders. Luckily, we were literally ‘saved by the bell’ and had to halt service.

Volunteering - Tuckshop

The WSS 'Tuckerbox' Tuckshop has gone 99% online as per recommendations from Education Queensland to comply with 'living with Covid' and moving forward into the future. Therefore, we no longer will be accepting over the counter orders or cash for any breaks except for purchasing items from the frozen 'Chill out Treats', Breakfast and 'Devine Delights' menus at second break ONLY.

We still have protocols which we have had to implement when handling this Over the Counter (OTC) Cash. This is to ensure the safety of our Employee/s and any Volunteers we have assisting within the tuckshop operations.

So, how do we order from the new Tuckshop Menu?

Getting Started.

1. Open your App store and search for QKR! (see above icon).
2. Download the free Qkr! ...on your iPhone or Android device and launch the App.
3. Register your details.
4. Use the magnifying glass to search for Worongary State School and tap to select.
5. Add Your Children's Profile.
6. Select day/date you would like order
7. Select first break or second break options
8. View the menu and add your items to cart.
9. Pay for items using selected payment options
10. Order will be fulfilled on the selected date

NOTE -

1. All orders must be placed by 08:30am to allow for reports to be printed and prepping to begin. No orders will be accepted after 8:30am
2. If your child happens to be sick on the day you ordered tuckshop: You must ensure it is cancelled prior to 8:30am on that day for your order to be placed as credit. This credit will remain on the app until your next order from the tuckshop is placed.

Volunteers

We would still love to have some more volunteers to assist at the tuckshop during 9am- midday on most days. If you can spare an hour or so, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, we would greatly appreciate anything you can offer. We would love to bring back the sense of community and build relationships between our school community, staff, and P&C. If you are interested in being part of the team, please email tuckshop@worongaryss.eq.edu.au and we will send you a volunteer information pack. You will be required to have completed the WSS School Volunteer Mandatory training (available on the WSS Website) and a free food handling course that is outlined in the information pack. This is compulsory to ensure compliance to health and food safety requirements. If you are a parent of the school, you are exempt from requiring a blue card.

World Teachers Day - 29 October 2021

Our teachers make a difference every day, educating and inspiring our children. This year, we say a massive thank you every day and especially on World Teachers’ Day. We would like to highlight the importance of acknowledging and showing appreciation for our teachers. Over the past, especially the last 2 years, they have shown the school community their passion, their adaption and adjustment to continue to teach our children. We, as parents, have only experienced ‘a drop in the ocean’ on how to be one of these amazing teachers. They helped to keep some normality to our children’s education experience.

World Teachers' Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and thank Queensland teachers for their important role in our communities and for the positive impact they have on the lives of students.

This year we say thank you on World Teachers’ Day, to highlight the importance of acknowledging and showing appreciation for (our) teachers.

Uniform Store

We have received our shipment of WSS embroidered wide brimmed hats. This shipment arrived on the last day of term 3. We were super excited to be able to open our tuckshop again in term 4, especially when we get our uniform order late October. However, during the last big storm on Friday 1 October, the uniform store experienced damage to the roof and therefore was subjected to the elements/ wrath of the storm and it has become flooded. We are working with the school to try and get the damage fixed and ensure there are no remnants of water damage to our cupboards, roofing and flooring. We are happy to report that the limited stock we currently have on board has not been damaged. We are trying to have it up and running again by the time the large order arrives. If by chance this doesn’t occur, we have been liaising with WSS on another suitable area we can open a pop-up uniform store. We will keep you informed.

You can still order some items online through, https://schoolshoponline.net.au/default.aspx and these will be processed Wednesdays or Thursdays and given to your child’s Teacher to hand out.

We are still on track to receive our uniform order for the end of October. We hope to be able to provide extra opening hours to help accommodate our school community’s needs.

GRADUATION

Last chance to order graduation keepsakes for 2021.

If you wish to order a graduation Keepsake, please go to the link below to make your purchases. For personal delivery to your child's classroom, please ensure you write your child's name and class number in the notes section. If this is a surprise gift, please ensure you advise us also in the note section and we will contact you via phone.

ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED PRIOR TO FRIDAY 15th OCTOBER 2021. No late orders will be accepted, as this would greatly jeopardise the on-time distribution.

CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE COLLECTION

This terms containers for change collection starts this Friday 15th October.

Friday October 15th
Friday October 22nd
Friday November 5th
Friday November 19th
Friday December 3rd

If you require any collection bags to store at home in-between pick-ups, please don't hesitate to collect a bag from the P&C member on the allocated morning of collection, or alternatively contact Pandc@worongaryss.eq.edu.au

Signing off

The WSS P&C team would like to say a big thank you to the staff, teachers, friends & family, and our school community for your kind words of appreciation, positive comments towards our commitment and of the current menu. We really do appreciate it, you have no idea how much it means to us and provides us with a much-needed pick me up, especially given the hurdles we try to overcome. It honestly helps us to continue and adds fuel to our passion in ensuring our children have the best schooling experience. Thank you

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