23 June 2017

Newsletter Articles

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Phone 3826 0333 or Email office@edenslandingss.eq.edu.au

Important Dates to Remember

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Principal’s Report

It is hard to believe I have been here for five weeks. As the old saying goes, time flies when you are having fun. I am so impressed with the climate of this wonderful school. The students are the friendliest group of students I have had the pleasure to work with and all the staff go above and beyond to support your children. I have also valued the welcome from the community. I am so looking forward to next term and beyond.

STAFFING

A big welcome to Ms Cathy Legg who is replacing Ms Karen Collishaw for the next five weeks whilst Karen is on leave. Cathy brings to the role a wealth of experience in working with students challenged with disability as well as working with teachers in supporting these students.

Next term, Ms Annie Schuler, class 3S is taking leave for the first two weeks. Chelses Breheny will be her replacement.

We are currently finalising a couple of other staff changes and will notify the relevant classes when we have the final details.

Next term, there will be small change in how our leadership team operates. I have adopted a streamlined approach to ensure that each deputy principal has a more manageable load. The arrangement will now be Ms Anthea Grant supporting Prep and Year 1, Ms Tamra Murray supporting Years 2 and 3 and Ms Cheryl Gibson supporting Years 4, 5 and 6. The deputies will work with their respective teachers and students in that year level.

YMCA program

Our before and after school care program, as well as our holiday program is nearing its final stages of completion. The furniture has been delivered and the final services are being sorted ready for the launch over the holidays with their holiday program. There will be and information/introduction session this Friday afternoon. This is indeed a valuable program to our school and will provide great service to our community. I would like to thank Cheryl Gibson for involvement in this program and the drive to make it happen.

Professional Learning

Last week five staff members attended a workshop on how to support our more capable reader to extend their reading capability through reading more complex texts and answering a higher more complex level of questions. This knowledge will be share with the whole staff and be embedded in the guided reading sessions.

Star of the Arts update

Classes from Prep to Year 4 have a one hour lesson a fortnight.

Semester One- The Art specialist’s role has facilitated the Visual Arts area of the curriculum.

In term the year levels have covered –

Prep –Texture
Year 1- Focus on Monet
Year 2 – Drawing the Gruffalo and painting a forest landscape
Year 3 – Sculpture
Year 4 – Designing and printing on fabric (Edens Landing 20th Year Anniversary) these will be shown at this Friday nights Bush Dance

At Second break children can come to the Art Room to undertake Activities – They vary from painting to loom bands. Some children come down to continue working on their work undertaken in their Art Lesson.

Teacher and support staff have participated in a paint workshop after school. (12 participants)

Parents have been offered the same workshop. (Sign and Facebook message) Sadly, no parents took up this opportunity. If there are any suggestions to improve this outcome I’d love to hear from you. Parent Art workshops, apart from learning or further developing a new skill, is also a fun relaxing activity and encourages connections between school and the home.

Plans are underway for this Year’s Arts Expo. A lot of the work completed in Art Lessons will be put on display then.

Facilities

I am working closely with the regional facilities team to discuss our current classroom learning spaces and more particularly to ensure that we are ready to support the projected influx from the new housing developments. I am meeting again with them this Friday and will keep you updated.

I would like to wish all the families a wonderful break and look forward to seeing you all in Term 3.

State of the Arts Report

Edens Landing State School

P & C Meeting – 19.6.2017

• Classes from Prep to Year 4 have a one hour lesson a fortnight.
• Art resources across the school at 2016 school’s end were sent to lower B Block to be stored. This has enabled the school to have a central storage place for Art resources. This includes, paper, paints, crayons, sponges, items for sewing, paddle pop sticks, matchsticks, glue …….etc.
• Teachers come to the Art Room to get the stock they need.
• Stock will be replenished when needed. At the moment there is ample stock of paint particularly.
• Semester One – My role has facilitated the Visual Arts area of the curriculum.

In term 2 the year levels have covered –

Prep – Texture
Year 1 – Focus on Monet
Year 2 – Drawing the Gruffalo and painting a forest landscape
Year 3 – Sculpture
Year 4 – Designing and printing on fabric (Edens Landing 20th Year Anniversary) these will be shown at this Friday night’s Bush Dance

• As children learn the various techniques to painting and drawing, it always amuses me with the comments the children make. I explain to children that all they need to learn is the ‘techniques’. It is like I have taught the children tricks. Their comments indicate their surprise and awe at what they can achieve. It is a wonderful thing to behold.
• Visual Art Lessons are based on the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards and also support or reinforce learning in other areas.
• The children’s response to having Art Lessons provided by a specialist has been phenomenal. Each day at school I get asked dozens of times ‘Do I have Art today?’ The children are overwhelmingly enthusiastic towards their Art lessons.
• At second break children can come to the Art Room to undertake activities – They vary from painting, to loom bands. Some children come down to continue working on their work undertaken in their Art Lesson.
• In Semester Two my role will cover the Media Arts – Using visual and audio to construct presentations. Mr Tuckett will be working in partnership with these units of work.
• Other – Year 5 & 6 children often ask why they don’t have Art Lessons.
• Teachers and support staff have participated in a painting workshop after school. (12 Participants)
• Parents have been offered the same workshop. (Sign and Facebook Message) Sadly, no parents took up this opportunity. If there are any suggestions to improve this outcome I’d love to hear them. Parent Art workshops, apart from learning or further developing a new skill, is also a fun relaxing activity and encourages connections between school and the home.
• Plans are underway for this Year’s Arts Expo. A lot of the work completed in Art Lessons will be put on display then. So, in the meantime, I have hung on to the work and not sent it home. Many children ask to take their work home but I am unable to do this for the time being.
• I have visited Mrs McBride an Art Teacher at Saint Joseph’s, to learn from her wealth of experience.
• Art Lessons also include a component of Mindset. This term the focus has been on ‘Persistence’. What it is, how important it is and also encouraging the children on reflecting on their own individual persistence level.

Warmly Gail
Principal

Deputy Principal’s News

The end of another term is upon us, what a busy term we have had. Thank you to all of the parents who have helped throughout the school, our hard working teachers and teacher aides (who put in so many hours of their own time it’s hard to count), our merry band of P&C legends and our wonderful students who have worked hard to achieve personal growth both academically and socially.

The students have worked hard all term and their effort will have been reflected in the report cards they received this week.

I hope all of our families have a restful break and I look forward to seeing everyone back safe and healthy after the break and ready for action in Term 3.

OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE (OSHC) is here at Edens Landing State School starting Monday. - Spaces still available

Spaces are filling up quickly so if you want to enrol your child (Before and after school and holiday care), please return your registration forms. If you haven’t completed a form please collect your enrolment pack from the school office. This service will start Monday for the June/July holidays. Please support this service as YMCA will be an amazing asset to our school community and the Edens landing Family. PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORMS TO THE OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

BUSH DANCE

A huge thank you to the staff, students, P&C and families who contributed to making our Bush Dance such a huge success. We have an amazing Edens Landing Family who all want the very best we can offer to our students. What an amazing evening.

Student Council

Thank you to the many, many, many families who donated chocolates for the Lob-A-Choc stall. It shows how much our families support our school and go out of their way to help. The student council appreciates this support and are excited to see how much their stall raised towards supporting our kitchen/garden program.

Rule of the Week

The rules for weeks 1 and 2 of Term 3 are outlined below. Teachers will be discussing these with their students over the next two weeks, and it would be wonderful if parents spoke with their children about the importance of each rule.

Week 9 – Be Respectful -Play fair, Take turns and use good Sportsmanship- Points to discuss with your child

The concept of fair play and good sportsmanship is one that all kids should be introduced to. It shows them how to follow the rules of a game and how to enjoy the experience of playing. It's important to learn that playing together amiably is more important than winning and losing for kids.

First off, what is fair play?

Fair play is all about learning the rules of a game and playing it without compromise whether one is playing a board game with the family or an outdoor game with friends. Children have to learn that playing together well is more important than winning. Helping others to learn the rules and giving a younger child a chance to win are all part of playing fair. In turn, children grow up to be better individuals and learn to cope with the disappointment of losing.

Fair play for children encourages them to stay focused and be disciplined. Most of all, learning how to win (and lose) makes them feel good about attempting and achieving goals. Fair play and good sportsmanship is a step towards building resilient children.

Discussions to have with children around good sportsmanship:

How do you rate your sportsmanship?

Sportsmanship is the ability to:

• Win without bragging
• Lose without complaining - or making excuses
• Treat opponents and referees with respect

Do You?

• Always follow the rules of the game
• Avoid Arguments
• Share in the responsibilities of the team
• Let everyone play by the rules of the game
• Always play fair
• Follow what the coach says
• Respect the other team’s efforts
• Give encouragement to teammates
• Follow the judgment of the referee
• End the game smoothly

Here are some sportsmanship tips you can follow

• If you make a mistake don’t make excuses learn from it and, be ready to play
• If a teammate makes a mistake make sure to encourage, don’t criticize them

Watch this very touching video with your child/ren and it will give everyone the opportunity to see a brilliant example of sportsmanship. After this girl hits her first ever home run, she tore her ACL running to first base. Just when tragedy was inevitable, something amazing happened.

Week 8 – Revisiting- Be Respectful and Safe – Move around the school in an orderly manner (including lining up).

As with all activities carried out throughout a school day, moving around the school requires students, staff and visitors to follow school expectations. By following our school expectations, we ensure that everyone keeps themselves and those around them safe from injury or harm, and that students in class are able to learn without noisy distractions from people outside of their classrooms.

Students, staff and visitors are expected to use the walkways provided (rather than taking short-cuts across our gardens/grass), walk quietly and to the left of the path. Students, staff or visitors moving around the school during our National Anthem, are asked to stand still and quiet until the National Anthem finishes, before moving on.

Yours in Education

Cheryl Gibson
cgibs2@eq.edu.au

Deputy Principal’s News

Our KidsMatter action team have met recently to analyse the survey data from our staff, students and some parents. This information is very useful in informing us about what our school needs in regards to supporting our students and families with their social and emotional needs. In semester 2 we will be conducting our surveys again and look forward to hearing from our parents and carers. Your feedback is very valuable.

Last newsletter I left some questions with you that you may like to ask you child or children when they come home from school. These questions cannot only help you gain insight into their day but also help you to understand what goes through their minds. It can be quite amazing to hear how they think. I hope you find these helpful like I do with my own children. It can give us the opportunity to talk through problems and give them strategies to help.

1. Did you learn something you didn’t understand?
2. Who inspired you today?
3. What was the peak and the pit?
4. What was your favorite part of the day?
5. Did you ever feel unsafe?
6. What is something you heard that surprised you?
7. What is something you saw that made you think?
8. Who did you play with today?
9. Tell me something you know today that you didn’t know yesterday.
10. What is something that challenged you?

Tamra Murray
tmurr24@eq.edu.au

Chappy News

Hi everyone,

Holidays are here and term 2 is over. I hope you have have a good term. The next parent afternoon tea will be the first Thursday back at 2pm out the back of G Block. Please make your way through the gate at the bottom of the stairs to the back of the building. This is a great opportunity to get to know other parents as well as myself. It is a relaxing time to come and have a coffee or tea and have a chat.

This week I have attached an article from the Kids Matter website which is a great source so information for parenting and mental health strategies. I can remember when I still had children at home struggling at times to get my children to sleep and to stay asleep. Sleep is important for many reasons, including learning and retaining information, it can affect our mental health if we are not getting enough. I hope some of these strategies may be helpful to you.

Have a safe and happy break.

Chappy Tricia

Sleep strategies for the whole family

These expert tips from Associate Professor Harriet Hiscock, paediatrician and sleep researcher, are great for managing common sleeping speed bumps or simply getting the family into the swing of a great night’s sleep.

Golden rules for kids’ sleep

Establish a bedtime routine - so they know what to expect and have time to wind down.

Keep bedtime consistent (within 30 mins), even on the weekends - big variations can disrupt their body clock and undo all your good work.

Make sure they fall asleep in their bed - snoozing off on the couch or in front of the TV can affect their routine and make them less likely to want to sleep alone.

Remove all TVs, computers and mobile devices from their bedroom - the light stimulation alone will make it harder for them to settle down.

Avoid caffeinated foods and drinks after 3pm - caffeine is a stimulant which is likely to keep young bodies awake.

Have a wind-down period yourself - show kids that a bedtime routine is important for the whole family.

When your child won’t stay in bed

Limit the number of times they can come out of the bedroom (one or two times works well).

Reward them for complying with the rules (eg a stamp or sticker in the morning).

If they keep coming out, take them back to their room with minimal fuss or arguments.

When your child won’t fall asleep alone

Identify who (eg mum or dad) or what (eg music) they need in order to fall asleep and return to sleep if they wake in the night.

If it’s you, slowly withdraw from the bedroom in stages (also known as ‘camping out’).

If it’s something else (such as music), gradually reduce the amount of time the child spends with it before going to sleep.

Looking after yourself

Go to bed soon after your child - if your child wakes often in the night, you may be up again shortly after you turn in.

Follow good sleep hygiene rules - ie limit media use in the bedroom and have time to wind down.

Limit your consumption of caffeine and alcohol before bedtime - they can lead to poor sleep.

Do some stress-busting - try things like relaxation, yoga, and mindfulness meditation as often as you can.

This article has been resourced from www.kidsmatter.edu.au

Office News

STUDENT ABSENCES:

Parents/carers will be familiar with our current SMS absence notification system which advises parent of an unexplained student absence if students are marked absent on the class roll and there is no reason entered in our system. In the event that your child is going to be absent from school please ensure this is advised to the school prior to 9:00am on the day of absence so an explained absence may be entered on our system.

Future absences may also be entered if you know in advance of dates where your child is going to be away.

How to Advise the School of Student Absences:

You can advise of absences by one of two methods –

• Phone the Student Absence Line on 3826 0360 and leave a voice message stating clearly the parent/carer name, name of the student, their class, date and reason for absence
• Email the school absence email at absences@edenslandingss.eq.edu.au

In the event that your child is going to be absent for more than 10 school days, an Exemption from Compulsory Schooling application must be completed and forwarded to the Principal for approval. These forms are available from the office.

If you have any questions about this process please contact our administration team on

PH: 3826 0333

Thank you for your continued support