16 March 2022

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

During my movements about the school this week, it has been very welcoming to receive comments of support as I transition from my substantive role as Deputy (Prep to Year 2) to act in the Principal role for the remainder of the term, whilst Mr Adam Brandt takes approved leave.

This role provides me with the opportunity to venture beyond the Prep to Year 2 classrooms, and last week I was fortunate to engage in learning conversations with students in Year 5 and 6 around various topics. From the purpose and place of maths mentals in their learning through to learning about the work of artist Gustav Klimt and his famous mural, The Tree of Life, and how its’ branches that twist and twirl create a tangle of strong branches, vines and fragile threads which are an expression of life’s complexity. Most fitting at a time when we have ridden a very different start to our school year with COVID restrictions, flooding and other extreme weather events, seeing us experience very different times as we start the year. Also, a reminder to us all about working together in positive ways so we can support each other during these trying times. A quality which is most evident in our Worongary State School community through the generosity of donations for our Flood Appeal. Thank you to our wonderful community in working in positive ways.

The Tree of Life inspired by Gustav Klimt as an expression of life’s
complexity as we work together to support others in a positive way.

World Class STEM Update!

The last edition of the Pipeline, Mr Brandt communicated well wishes to the Worongary State School (WSS) Robotics Team who were off to Adelaide to compete in the Nationals VEX IQ Robotics Challenge.

It is with great delight to celebrate that the WSS STEM team, comprising of Kai P (6A) and Noah S (6B) were successful in taking the Design Award which provides them with an official invitation to the VEX Worlds 2022, being held in Dallas, Texas - May 3-12.

A very special acknowledgement to our STEM teacher Mrs Michele Pikunic who has extraordinary skills, knowledge and passion for all elements of STEM. We truly appreciate all her guidance and support in preparing these students for this tremendous opportunity.

Stay posted for more updates!

School Assemblies – back in the School Hall

With the recent Government ‘Back to School’ plan and COVID restrictions being lifted on 4 March, our assemblies have resumed in the school hall after a brief period being held digitally within all classrooms.

Our assemblies have moved to a fortnightly cycle with:

• Prep to Year 2 occurring on a Monday between 2:15 – 3pm (unless otherwise advised)
• Year 3 to 6 occurring on a Tuesday afternoon 2:15- 3pm (unless otherwise advised)

Parents/carers of students will be advised and invited to attend these assemblies in person when their child is receiving an individual Learning Vine award or if they are performing in a special performance.

We look forward to recommencing our face to face celebrations.

National Day of Action – this Friday 18 March 2022

This Friday, to show our support of the National Day of Action and support a kindness culture, our student, staff and parent community are invited to wear orange. Students will participate in learning as part of our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) focus this week to assist them in identifying what bullying is and how to respond. There are further resources that parents can action in this edition of the Pipeline.

Cross Country Prep to Year 6 Monday 21 March 2022

This annual event will take place at the starting line on our school oval next Monday 21 March, commencing at 9:15am and concluding at 1:40pm. Parents/carers are welcome to attend and be part of this community event and are asked to be mindful of Government social distancing guidelines.

Students in Prep to Year 6 will require appropriate footwear for physical activity, a house coloured shirt to show their house spirit, their Worongary hat and a water bottle to stay hydrated.

Please refer to correspondence emailed out on 8 March with the order of events and running tracks outlined.

Any weather events impacting the event will be communicated via Class Dojo.

Hat Parade - Prep to Year 2 Last day of Term 1

To welcome in the mid semester break, the Prep to Year 2 students will engage in a parade and share joyful songs they have been learning as part of their weekly music lessons. Parents/carers will be invited to attend this event on 1 April between 2 – 3pm. Further information will be distributed directly to families via email over the coming weeks.

Parent Teacher Interviews

A strong partnership between school and home is vital to ensure their success this year. It is therefore important that as parents/carers we engage in our child’s learning and take up opportunities to attend Parent-Teacher interview opportunities to discuss progress and what their next learning steps may be in order to master their next learning goal. Interviews will be held in the second week of Term 2 with booking invitations to coincide with the next Pipeline edition. Please note that although our teachers will share with parents/carers obvious strategies to support their learning, the other focus will be how they have settled into the learning routines and habits so far this year.

NAPLAN – Year 3 and 5 students

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment completed in Year 3 and 5.

As outlined on the NAPLAN website NAPLAN is a nationwide measure through which parents, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine whether or not young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.

NAPLAN results allow parents/carers and educators to see how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time – individually, as part of their school community, and against national standards.

The tests provide an important contribution to monitoring and evaluating the performance of schools and school systems in these fundamental capabilities. They also provide schools, states and territories with information about how education approaches are working, the areas to be prioritised for improvement, and those schools requiring support in the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy.

The results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress.

NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. Each teacher will have the best insight into their students’ educational progress. Parents/carers can use NAPLAN reports, along with other school assessment reports, to discuss their child’s strengths and areas for improvement with their teacher.

NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality.

The assessments are undertaken nationwide, every year, in the second full week in May.

NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four areas (or ‘domains’) of:

• reading
• writing
• language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
• numeracy.

You can find an easy to understand infographic that gives useful information on the NAPLAN tests and their benefits here (PDF 810 kb).

To get a sense of the ‘look and feel’ of the tests and to understand what types of questions are asked, visit the 'NAPLAN' section of the ACARA website to access a selection of past NAPLAN test papers and answers.

For more information about the move to deliver NAPLAN in a computer-based environment, go to NAPLAN Online .

Regards,
Shiree Salazar
Acting Principal

Save the Date

CROSS COUNTRY 21 March 2022

ORDER OF EVENTS

FROM THE MUSIC ROOM

YEAR 5 & 6 STRINGS WORKSHOP- ROBINA STATE HIGH SCHOOL

On Wednesday March 30 our Year 5 & 6 Strings students will be attending a half day workshop at Robina State High School. This will be an exciting opportunity for our students to experience musical life at Robina! If your child is interested in attending and has not registered for the event please Dojo Miss Jones.

MUSICIANS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Musicians of the Week.

Junior School – 2A

Senior School – 3C

END OF TERM 1 PARTY – CHOIRS, STRINGS & BAND

To celebrate our hard work in Term 1, we will be having an end of term ‘Milk, Cookies and a Movie Party’ in the last week of Term. Students in the Choirs, Band and Strings are invited to come and have some snacks and spend time being social with their musical friends! Any donations of fresh unopened milk to assist with catering will be gratefully received on the morning of the event.

ENSEMBLE MUSIC @ WORONGARY

• Worongary Voices (Singing Years 3 – 6) Wednesday mornings 7:45am - 8:45am, Band Room
• Worongary Piccolos (Singing Years 1 – 2) Thursday mornings 7:45am – 8:45am, Music Room
• Band Ensemble (Years 5 – 6) Monday mornings 7:45am – 8:45am Band Room
• String Ensemble (Years 4 – 6) Tuesday mornings 7:45am – 8:45am Band Room

FIXED LESSON TIMES – INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

After seeking feedback from the classroom teachers and the students, the Instrumental Music programs – Strings and Band are operating this year using a fixed timetable. This means that the students will have their group music lesson at the same time each week. We hope that this is a positive change and we will monitor this process and seek feedback again at the end of this Semester.

DOJO COMMUNICATION

Dojo is the main tool of communication that all Music teachers use. If you cannot see these regular messages please contact Miss Jones or Miss Auchere via email
kjone416@eq.edu.au aaauc0@eq.edu.au

Ms Katheryn Jones kjone416@eq.edu.au
Instrumental Music Teacher Strings and Classroom Music Teacher

FROM THE JAPANESE ROOM

Konnichi wa

Hello!

Students in years 5 and 6 celebrated an important day in the Japanese calendar on the 3/3 called ‘Hinamatsuri’ or Girls Day. This annual event honours girl and wishes health and happiness with dolls of the Emperor and Empress, special cakes, dressing up in kimonos and celebrating with your family. Families display their dolls which can be passed down over the years and I have seen some over 400 years old! They can be made from wood, gold or porcelain and are all unique.

Students received puzzles, culture sheets and authentic materials from Japan that I have collected over the years.

Special cakes for the day

Students are also learning about the geography, cities and history of Japan as part of their cultural components in LOTE. Did you know there are over 3900 islands that make up Japan???

Yr 6 are encouraged to learn and practice their hiragana, and charts are in their books and around the classroom.

Numbers, greetings, pets and colours can all be practised in the written and spoken form.

Many students are doing well in the ‘quick quiz’ section and receiving posters as rewards. Yoku dekimashita ( well done)

Yr 5 are asked to recall the sounds of hiragana, verbal greetings, recognise pets, numbers and act on instructions.

Thank you for your support in LOTE.

Sensei

Kim Rochelle-Brown
Senior Lote Teacher
Worongary SPS

Volunteer Mandatory Training

We are excited to welcome back our volunteers into the school. All volunteers will need to be fully vaccinated and show proof of their vaccination status. There is a face to face training session being held in the hall computer labs on Friday 25th March 2.30 pm. In this session we will log on together, address the key messages so you can complete the declaration guide. You can also complete this training online in your own time by following the link Key messages guide (PDF, 893KB)

As part of our end of term 1 celebrations we will be holding a Prep -Year 2 Hat Parade. Children are invited to make at home their own special hat to wear on the day! It could be a traditional bonnet, bunny ears, decorated sun hat, baseball cap or your child’s favourite dressing up hat.

The students will be parading their colourful creations around the hall and then each year level will perform a song learnt during Music with Mrs Jones.

The Parade is on Friday 1st April 2-3pm – Venue to be confirmed at a later date.

Keep an eye out for more information in the next newsletter.

We ask that you observe social distancing requirements whilst in attendance at this event and ensure you do not attend if you are feeling unwell.

We request that children bring their finished hats to class on the morning of the parade. We look forward to seeing all their creations!

Sienna Willis
Acting Deputy Principal

Will your child be ready for Prep?

Enrol them in a
Queensland Government Approved Kindergarten Program near you

This program is for children in the year before Prep who are at least 4 years of age by 30 June in the year in which they are enrolled to participate in the program. It is delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher.

The Queensland Government Approved Kindergarten Program plays an important role in preparing children for Prep.

Children learn many skills and concepts during the year and some are listed below:

• They learn the social skills necessary for them to interact appropriately in the school playground and make friends.
• They learn how to listen and follow directions.
• They learn how to co-ordinate and control their body and participate with strength in physical activities.
• They learn basic concepts which are the foundation for reading, writing and numeracy.
• They learn how to master their fine motor skills necessary for writing and using scissors.
• They learn how to express their ideas and feelings in an appropriate manner.
• They learn resilience.
• They develop confidence and a love for learning.

The Government encourages every child in this age group to attend a Government Approved Kindergarten Program for at least 15 hours per week in preparation for Prep. Children of non-working families are also eligible for at least 36 hours of child care per fortnight so that they can participate in the program. The Government gives an additional subsidy to reduce out of pocket expenses for families who have a health care or pension concession card, making the cost more affordable. Children of Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander heritage are also entitled to this extra subsidy.

Look for this sign at a long day care centre near you.

From the Guidance Officer

Managing children’s anxiety in times of stress

Most of us would prefer that children are not exposed to the awful things that happen in our world. At the moment, the media is awash (excuse the pun) with images of the devastating floods, warnings about incoming storms, and the war in Ukraine. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to keep them from it. They will see it on screens, hear about it from friends, and feel the stress of their parents. And this is after two years of Covid news and stressors!

It is important that we be honest with our kids about what is happening (staying as unemotive and matter of fact as possible) while also assuring them that they are safe and that the adults are taking care of things.

Resources

There are many resources available to us to support our children through times of stress/disaster.

QLD Health have developed a range of cute picture books for children about a variety of natural disasters and anxiety-provoking situations. Great to use to start a conversation about how they are feeling.

And then: take care of you!!

Remember: in an aeroplane, adults are asked to put the oxygen mask on themselves first before helping the children or elderly. If you are not okay, you can’t help your loved ones!

Right now many of us, our families, friends, and colleagues are being impacted by the flooding in Queensland and New South Wales. This, combined with the past two years of living through a pandemic, can have a cumulative effect on our wellbeing.

It is natural to be feeling anxious and like everything is out of our control, but remember there are strategies we can use each day to help manage uncomfortable feelings and there are many supports available if we need a little more help

Beyond Blue’s guide on how to look after your mental health after natural disasters may be helpful.

Or Click HERE for simple things you can do to build your resilience (your ability to bounce back), and maintain a sense of control over your life to help you live in a positive and meaningful way

And … as always … Remember to Breathe!

The South East Region are seeking applications for Cleaners to join our casual cleaning pool.

The South East Region covers schools within Redlands Coast, Logan City, Gold Coast and the Scenic Rim.

If successful, applicants will be engaged in single or split shifts. Start and finish times will vary, however, will be between 4.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

EXCURSIONS

P&C NEWS

UNIFORM STORE

Orders Online & Uniform Store hours

The uniform store is open every Thursday between 8:00-9:30am throughout the school term. Online ordering is able to be conducted through QKR! App at your leisure. To give the school community a better understanding of this process, any orders between 7:01am Thursdays through to 7am the following Thursday, will be included in the report issued to WSS P&C by the QKR! App systems. This order report will be issued to the WSS P&C at 7am each Thursday, the orders will be collated on a Thursday and available for collection from the tuckshop on Friday between 8:30-9:30am by parents or alternatively, a notice will go to the student’s class to collect throughout the day (Friday) as directed by their teacher.

We would like to advise that the uniform store has an abundance of available general uniforms and there is no limit to purchasing at this stage.

Winter uniform ordering is being conducted soon and hopefully will be here prior to winter arriving. However, never fear, we do have some stock available now.

Year 6 Senior Shirts 2022

After working collaboratively with the Leadership team to ensure that the rear design adheres to the student safety, protection, privacy policies and also meets current media consent, we are happy to announce that the WSS P&C have obtained confirmation and approval for the Senior shirts design to go ahead.

Year 6 Senior Shirts 2022 are now available for pre-order between now and 31st March 2022 through the QKR! App. Pre-order available now until 31st March 2022. The Senior shirts are deemed as part of the uniform policy and are able to be worn daily and multiple purchases are available. The WSS P&C Uniform store has samples available for trying on, to ensure you know what size is most suitable for your senior student. **Note: It is the responsibility of the parent/ caregiver/guardian to ensure that the correct sizing is ordered. There are no refunds, exchanges or purchasing of senior shirts throughout the year and are only available for purchase during the pre-order dates.

Once the pre-ordering has been finalised, the shirts will be available within 7 weeks and will be provided to the student in their classroom. Due to the increasing costs for manufacture and supply, prices of the senior shirts should have gone up to $45.00 each. However, the WSS P&C are honouring the $40.00 each price for 2022 only.

The Senior Shirts are printed fabric (sublimated) and will have 'Senior' written across the back with the students first name and last initial under their class column. This will be the norm for all future senior shirts and complies with the student Privacy & Protection Policies.

TUCKSHOP

Paul & Caitlin would like to pass on a big 'thank you' to all, for welcoming them into the school community. They have hit the ground running like a well-oiled machine and are loving being a part of the WSS School. Fridays have always been the busiest day in the tuckshop, If you can spare any time from half an hour to the whole time required on the odd occasion, we would love to have some help between 9am and midday. Duties include: placing stickers on paper bags, packaging the 3c's or snack packs, popping popcorn or doing some slinky apples. Please come and see Paul & Caitlin with your availability. We appreciate any help you can offer.

WSS Tuckshop Pantry Drive & WSS Flood Donation Collection

Due to the amazing WSS Flood Donation Collection, we have placed a hold on our very first WSS Pantry Drive for our tuckshop until Term 2. We understand that our locally affected community and neighbours and other impacted areas, require our help during this trying time. We appreciate whatever support you can do for the WSS Flood Donation Collection. It has been an overwhelming response that during these tough times throughout our community that we can dig even deeper to help. Thank you!

WSS P&C

We have had a bit of disruption within our P&C Executives: Across the board we have had family concerns, operations, broken bones which has left us a little winded for term 1. However, we will be back into the full swing of things again in Term 2 2022. Apologies for any delays in our regular P&C activities.

FUNDRAISING

Containers for Change Initiative We have only 1 more collection date for Term 1 Friday 25 March 2022. BE PART OF THE CHANGE! We are raising money to build our STEM Library in the STEM innovation centre soon to be at our school. CAN YOU BE PART OF THE CHANGE in our school, for our environment and for our student’s knowledge.

Do you know....

If every student in WSS donated 5 eligible containers per collection, we could have;

671 students x 5 items=3355 items
3355 items x 10c = $335.50
$335.50 x 5 collections per term = $1,677.50 per term
4 terms per year = $1677.50 x 4= Total $6,710 towards extra items for our school.

Term 2 Fundraising

Stay Tuned for specific Dates:

Mother’s Day Stall
Mother’s Day Raffle
Disco
Containers for Change

AGM (Annual General Meeting)

Our AGM is normally held in March of every year, however due to the above circumstances, it will be delayed until Term 2.

Every year all P&C Executive Positions are vacated and new ones are elected or possibly re-elected. We will advise, with at least 14 days’ notice, of when the AGM will be held.

At the AGM the WSS P&C Assn:

• Receive and adopt the associations’ audited financial statements
• Report activities of the previous year to the members
• Accept new and renew existing memberships for the association
• Elect a new executive committee
• Confirm continuance of existing subcommittees and/or establish new subcommittees
• Appoint an auditor for the coming financial year
• Adopt the Student Protection Risk Management Strategy
• Adopt a new version of the Constitution if needed
• Award life membership to the P&C – if any.

How is an election conducted?

If there is only one (1) nomination for a position, the nominee will only be elected if he/she receives the votes of a majority of the members present. If there is more than one (1) Nomination for a position, a secret ballot is held with the nominee who receives the majority of votes elected to office. The meeting should appoint persons standing for positions to act as the returning offices for the secret Ballot.

Positions available at the AGM

An executive committee consists of the following;

• A President
• At least Vice President (can be more than one)
• A Secretary (We are looking for a Meetings Minute Secretary & a Standard Secretary)
• A Treasurer
• Any additional officers as decided by the Association.

For more details of what each Position holds, please go to our Worongary State School P&C Association Facebook Page.

Who should join the P&C?

• Those who want to make a difference, make new friends and get to know your school leadership team.
• Those who have great ideas on how to make our school better and are committed to action and implement them.
• Those who want to 'give back' to the community and be part of an organisation that does.

Then we would love to meet you!

P&C Committee Myth #1

Joining a committee is just for mums & Committees are full of cliques who all know each other.

Busted - It is definitely not 'just for mums', we welcome and encourage dads, step-parents, grandparents, teachers, school staff and any community members who may not have children at the school, but may live in the area and are interested in taking part. The committee is for everyone who has an interest in what happens at the school. We are lucky to have a group of parents who return each year, but the membership is constantly changing as kids may graduate or families move from the area. We have parents of the committee who have been at the school for more than five years and parents who are in their first year at the school. You are always welcome to join, attend and bring a friend.

Stay up to date!

Worongary State School P&C Association

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