12 December 2016

Newsletter Articles

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Principal’s Report

End of Year Fun!

Wow what a fantastic year of great outcomes and new initiatives on behalf of the staff and the Leadership Team at our wonderful school! The year has been busy with many new systems and processes trialled this year. My idea around many of these initiatives was in response to many parents giving me feedback about “bringing the fun back for our children.” I am glad to report a great buzz around activities like our Rewards Days, our Musical, the sports carnivals where we can wear house colours and dress up and so on. We still have plenty of work to do in some of these areas but I think a large cultural change has occurred this year bringing children to the forefront of everything we do and making sure we consider them as the most important part of our school is paramount.

I think my most recent enjoyable experience was being able to see the "Edens Got Talent” show and being actively involved in the show myself through students electing me to be up there engaging with them. I won’t be rushing off to commence a dance career but what I hope I modelled was that wherever you are in your skill set. It is about confidence and a willingness to give anything a try. My talent – limited, my enthusiasm outstanding, my outcome…….. well let’s just say there’s plenty of work to be done!

I have a genuine love of the Arts and the performances I saw that day were fantastic and even included a self composed song and a number performed by our newest trial – the Edens Landing Rock Band!

None of these things are possible without a brave, bold and measured level of leadership and support from all levels of our organisation. I must thank my Leadership Team and our wonderful teachers for their commitment to children and to our Family!

Have a Great Break!

I have had one of the most challenging and complex years of my long career as a Principal and it has been here at Edens Landing State School. It has involved many new learnings for me and many new experiences as a Principal. Our school is a great school and we have great people here who love and care for children. My Leadership on behalf of our Family is about how we continue to grow this wonderful school together to be not just a great school but a world class outstanding school! I won’t rest until we get there because your children are in many ways as important to me as my own. I want for this school and our children to see what I would want for my own. Principal leadership to achieve this is about developing and nurturing strong teams of people to collectively ensure that the ideas, strategies and processes we use in our school community to value add to our children’s education are given everything they need to flourish.

The 2017 focus will include growing our programs, growing the structures we have for developing our school and reviewing where our school is at right now and where we as a community want to leverage our school to be in 4 years time. I look forward to seeing you in 2017 and wish you a very safe and happy break.

I would like to recognise my Executive Leadership Team, who have worked tirelessly this year:

Cheryl Gibson, Rachel Pope, Anthea Grant, Tamra Murray, Karen Collishaw, Rachel Odgers.

I want to thank them for the many hours of work they have done well in excess of the required hours for their roles. I want to thank them for their support of staff and students and their focused strategic consideration in everything they do, to ensure the best outcomes for children and families at our school. Sometimes the work is long and hard but our team are well focused on what counts and highly supportive of their staff. It is these qualities that will see a continued growth of the outcomes we are achieving as a school family in 2017.

Thank you to the teachers, my team, the students and the many parents who have welcomed me and allowed me to be a part of your family this year. I am truly blessed and very mindful of the privilege you allow me every day in leading your school.

Mr Andrew Cummings
Principal

Deputy Principal’s News

Eden’s Landing Students Rise to any Challenge in 2016

This year has seen our wonderful students achieving outstanding results in many ways. Every day we see students working hard to be the very best they can be, in their learning, in their behaviour and in their effort. On top of their school work, our students have risen to every challenge we have put before them over the course of 2016.

Kokoda:

This year our school was once again involved in the Kokoda Challenge, an annual event organised by the Kokoda Youth Foundation. This event raises money for local youth and aims to raise awareness of the Kokoda campaign in 1942. In honour of the Kokoda Spirit, this 15km or 30km event winds through some of Brisbane’s toughest terrain. Our school is the only Primary school given permission to enter students of such a young age.

Due to the nature of the event, students followed a training schedule for months before the event to ensure participating students were in top physical condition to complete the event. This training schedule was led by Mr Hopkinson, supported by his dedicated crew of Mrs Alterator, Mr Sperritt and many parents who proudly support this program.

Our students all participated and all but one were successful in completing the challenge. The one who didn’t make it to the end, fought hard to complete the course but injury required him to stop before further injury resulted.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

It is no surprise to anyone in our Edens Landing family, that we value reading. It is an important life skill that we constantly reinforce with our students. One of our initiatives was to challenge our students to have 100% complete the premiers reading challenge this year.

The Premier's Reading Challenge is an annual state-wide initiative for state and non-state schools and home-educated students up to Year 9, as well as children (aged up to five years) enrolled in an early childhood centre, and individual home readers.

The Premier's Reading Challenge is not a competition but aims to improve literacy and encourage children to engage in reading for pleasure and learning.

We were very proud to be told that our students were successful in achieving their goal, with 100% receiving a certificate for their efforts.

Arts Expo

Once again the amazing students of Edens Landing State School were asked to create a piece of art work to place in our Arts Expo, and they certainly delivered. This event showcases our Arts curriculum, across all strands, including music, visual arts, media and drama. We had a wide variety of art work, which included wearable art, paintings and even some origami flowers.

Our Expo was very well supported by our school community, with many people coming to purchase afternoon tea from Chef Chris, and then visit the displays and watch the live shows. It has become one of our much anticipated events on the school calendar.

Musical

Who could forget our incredible musical this year? The students did an outstanding job with their presentation of “The Jungle Book.” This all-time favourite story leapt to life as our students took to the stage in their incredible makeup and costumes.

There are many benefits to musicals and other artistic ventures, with one of the most obvious benefits of performing arts being the development of skills in confidence and self-presentation. A child must learn how to present him or herself in front of an audience, be it big or small. They develop the ability to converse with adults in a mature manner. Participation in the arts allows them to grow their self-esteem and self-confidence, developing poise and learning to overcome anxieties.

Year 6 Graduation

On Tuesday night our departing Year 6 students had their Graduation Night. They spent the night enjoying each other’s company, dancing and getting their awards and graduation packs. What a handsome group they were.

The awards this year went to:

These are just a few of the wonderful achievements of our students this year. There have been so many we would need many pages to record them all. Thank you to all of the parents and carers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbours, who have helped us through the year to achieve the great heights our students have reached this year.

Welcome to the new families joining the Edens Landing Family next year, good bye to our departing families, please come and visit us often, and I look forward to seeing everyone back next year.

Please enjoy the break with your lovely children, and be safe in your holiday travels.

Regards
Mrs Cheryl Gibson

P&C News

Annual General Meeting

20 February 2017

Positions vacant:

• President
• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Fundraiser co-ordinator

Please come and support your school

School Banking

Will start 1st week of Term 1 2017 on Wednesday

Christmas Carols

A huge thanks to those who helped with set-up/pack-up – greatly appreciated!

Uniform Shop News

Uniform Shop Open Day

9am to 1pm on Friday 20th January 2017

Tuckshop News

FlexiSchools for 2017

In January FlexiSchools will remove all class lists from their system and when you log in the first time in the New Year you will be asked to choose your child’s class for 2017. When I receive the 2017 class list in January I will send it to FlexiSchools. I will update information on our P&C Facebook page when I have confirmation that the new classes are on the FlexiSchools site.

I would like to take this time to thank all my wonderful volunteers that came during the year to help. Your continued effort and time does not go unnoticed and I and the children appreciate everything you all do. Without volunteers the tuckshop would not be able to operate.

Tuckshop will be operating from the first day of school in the new year.

Wishing you all a happy and safe break and see you all in 2017.

Annette Honnery
Tuckshop Convenor
Ph: 3508 7999
tuckshop@elsspc.org.au