18 March 2020

Newsletter Articles

Date Claimers

Timetable for Maleny State School Swimming Program for weeks 2-9, 2020

Principal’s Report

Writing Focus is Magical in Maleny

Our focus this year is Writing with a focus on spelling within both our Reading and Writing. I have been very impressed with the progress all of our students are making in this area. Our Preppies are absolutely loving their daily writing time and it is like magic to see squiggles turn into letters and spaces beginning to appear between clumps of squiggles. Even more exciting is that now we are seeing words instead of squiggles and teachers are focusing on capital letters and full stops.

I must say I also was incredibly proud of one of our Yr 4 students Anna who independently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister in relation to her concerns around climate change. You can imagine how excited she was to receive a reply back from Mr Morrison that was read out on last week’s assembly.

Update on the changing situation in response to COVID-19

Mass Gatherings

As you would be aware, the Australian Government has announced that all organised, non-essential mass gatherings attended by more than 500 people must be cancelled from Monday 16 March 2020.

While the announcement was very clear this does not apply to schools and that there is no need for mass school closures and we will continue to be open unless advised otherwise by the Department of Education. Of course, as this is an evolving situation, circumstances may change depending on the progress of the virus. It does include activities such as school fetes, fairs, concerts and the like where they involve more than 500 people.

Our school is in the process of reviewing our forward activity schedule and will postpone our participation in any activities that meet this criteria.

Currently we will not be having whole school assemblies, participating in inter school sport or ANZAC Day ceremonies in line with government directives. School Photos will now be conducted later in the year. A final decision on our Year 6 Canberra Camp will be made before the end of this term.

As our response to COVID-19 is all about containment, I continue to ask all families to pay extra attention to health and hygiene measures employed at home with your children, particularly the use of soap and, if soap is not available, hand sanitiser. You can be assured we are reinforcing this message at school.

These directions are all about supporting a national effort to contain and slow the spread of COVID-19. Each one of us, and our school, play a vital role in this effort and I ask for your continued support in this containment effort. Students must not attend school if they are unwell.

International Travel

I also draw your attention to the Australian Government’s announcement that all people arriving in Australia must now self-isolate for 14 days on their arrival back to Australia. The Department of Education banned all staff and student international school travel last week – this ban now also includes any travel to New Zealand.

Continuity of Teaching and Learning

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, our school continues to prepare for continuity of learning and teaching.

The Department of Education has many resources available to us and our teachers will seek to minimise any disruption to student learning should our school be impacted by the virus.

Ongoing Planning

As we have already seen across the world, this situation is likely to continue for some time and is evolving. As such, as a school and as a community, we must all prepare over the short, medium and long term.

I ask that you continue to take all necessary local actions to support your child’s, and the school’s, health and hygiene and act in a protective and preventative manner to help limit the spread of coronavirus.

I will continue to provide communication as Australia’s response to COVID-19 evolves. Thank you for your vigilance and sense of clam in helping us manage this public health issue.

2020 Maleny State School P & C Annual General Meeting

As a parent you can be involved with the P & C in many ways:

• Holding an executive position
• Being a committee member
• Helping with fund raising & catering
• Attending monthly meetings

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE IMPORTANT AND VALUED

To become a member of the P & C

Please fill out a membership form available from the School Office or from the P & C Secretary

& return to the office or by email to llorac@outlook.com.au

To nominate for an executive position or position on a committee

You will need someone to nominate you for the position and a seconder. Nomination forms and membership forms are available from the secretary,

Kylie McAuliffe llorac@outlook.com.au.

NOTE: It is a requirement that all positions are held by members.

Harmony and Anti Bullying National Day of Action Free Dress $1 donation this Friday 20 March

These two events fit beautifully together and as a school we will celebrate them both over the next two weeks. All classes will be participating in a number of activities over the next two weeks to promote respectful relationships, build resilience and develop strategies to deal with bullying.

We ask students to wear bright colours as free dress (sun safe) this Friday 20 March to support our anti bullying and harmony day message. Gold coin donations will be collected and be donated to Welcome2Maleny which is a local group that supports refugees on the Sunshine Coast. Welcome2Maleny donates stationary, school uniforms and school supplies to refugee students living on the Sunshine Coast.

All classes will be participating in special activities over the next couple of weeks to ensure our children are clear on what bullying is and how harmful it can be as well as developing skills to assist them in reacting appropriately if they are bullied.

Students from years 1 to 6 will participate in a survey to identify student concerns and knowledge of using the ‘High Five’ strategy.

Harmony Day Celebrations

Harmony Day celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Our diversity makes Australia a great place to live.

Held every year on 21 March. The Day is held every year on the 21 March and coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The message of Harmony Day is ‘everyone belongs’, the Day aims to engage people to participate in their community, respect cultural and religious diversity and foster sense of belonging for everyone which fits in beautifully with our school and the Department of Education’s Inclusion Policies.

It is important everybody knows what Bullying is and what it is not.

This because the manner in which bullying is treated needs to be treated differently to get the best outcome. A similar understanding allows us to talk the same vocab and minimise misunderstandings in communication. Often anytime someone is nasty to someone else the term ‘Bullying is used when this is not the case even though the incident may be very serious.

To be classified as bullying the act needs to be: (some behaviours are hurtful and appalling but are not bullying, often because they are a one off so will be dealt with different to a bullying scenario)

• Harmful
• Deliberate
• Ongoing
• An unfair balance of power is occurring

It is important to identify the roles people play in bullying situations so that you know how to act to prevent potential bullying situations. Ask your children to explain and identify the 3 B’s in various situations you discuss or observe.

The 3 B’s

The Bully person doing the bullying.
The Bullied the person being bullied.
The Bystanders the people present when the bullying occurs.

Bystanders Make A Difference

Once the 3B’s are understood our main focus needs to be on the Bystanders behaviour. Research shows the bystanders have the most power in being able to make a difference. Bystanders will make a positive or negative difference.

NAPLAN update

Recently Paula Heiniger and myself attended NAPLAN Online training to enable our year three and five students to complete NAPLAN online this year. Previous trial schools have strongly indicated that students have been more engaged in the online tests and have seen it as positive experience.

NAPLAN Online allows branching to occur for students after they answer the first 10 questions. This means the student will find themselves answering questions at their ability level rather than struggling and having to answer questions that are well above their current ability level. Similarly students that are working above their year level ability level will be given the opportunity to challenge themselves with higher level questions.

Queensland is working with New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory on a cross-jurisdictional review of NAPLAN.

• This will build on findings and recommendations from the 2018 Queensland NAPLAN Review, which are available online.
• The review panel is now seeking feedback on the future of NAPLAN, including a number of proposals set out in an interim report released in December 2019.
• Responses to a series of consultation questions can be provided via the NAPLAN review website by 20 March 2020.

If you seek further information on the Cross-jurisdictional Review of NAPLAN, please direct any questions to: NAPLANreview@det.nsw.edu.au.

Have a Great Week John

From the Deputy Principal

Information on the Australian Curriculum for Parents

At Maleny State School we teach, assess and report using the Australian Curriculum Standards, but many parents wonder what does that mean for my child/children? For the next couple of Familygrams I am going to include some information on the Australian Curriculum at particular year level junctures.

THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM

The Australian Curriculum is designed to develop:

• successful learners
• confident and creative individuals
• active and informed young people who are ready to take their place in society.

It sets the goal for what all students should learn as they progress through their school life – wherever they live in Australia and whatever school they attend.

The Australian Curriculum with its eight learning areas provides a modern curriculum for every student in Australia. Included in the content of learning areas are seven general capabilities intended to help prepare young Australians to learn, live and work in the 21st century. There are three cross-curriculum priorities that are also a focus across the learning areas.

The Australian Curriculum is flexible so that teachers can plan the learning for all their students, also taking into account their local school community.

THE FIRST YEAR OF SCHOOL - Prep

In their first year of school, students learn through teaching interactions with others, experimentation, practice and play in the classroom and school community. Priority is given to literacy and numeracy development as these are the foundations upon which further learning is built. Opportunities to develop literacy and numeracy are found in all subjects but particularly in English and Mathematics. Learning in a classroom and belonging to a school community are key to the first year at school. Each state and territory has a different name for the first formal year of schooling such as ‘Reception’, ‘Kindergarten’ ‘Pre-Primary’ or ‘Prep’.

English in Prep

In the first year of school, students view, listen to and enjoy texts that entertain and inform, such as picture books or, rhymes. They begin to learn to read and create texts.

Typically, students will:

• communicate with others in familiar situations
• read stories with one or more sentences, pictures and familiar vocabulary
• recognise rhyming words, syllables and sounds
• recognise letters and the most common sounds the letters make
• listen to, read and view picture books, stories, poetry, information books, films and performances
• write some words
• Recognise some words and develop skills in ‘sounding out’ words
• create their own texts such as giving information orally or in writing; presenting a narrative, which may include pictures.

Mathematics in Prep

In the first year of school, students develop a sense of number, order, sequence, pattern and position in relation to familiar settings.

Typically, students will:

• connect numbers, their names and quantities up to 20
• count numbers in sequences up to 20, continue patterns and compare lengths of objects
• use materials to model problems, sort objects and discuss answers
• group and sort shapes and objects
• connect events with days of the week
• Develop an understanding of location words, such as above, outside, left.

Health and Physical Education in Prep

Students learn through active play, and practise fundamental movement skills. They learn about how their body is growing and changing, about their strengths, how to be healthy, safe and active, and about respectful relationships with others.

Typically students will:

• use their strengths to help others
• name trusted people in their community, who can help them stay safe and healthy
• describe emotions of people who are happy, sad, excited, tired, angry, scared or confused
• group foods into ‘eat always’ and ‘eat sometimes’
• move in different speeds and directions, be aware of others and follow rules
• play games from different cultures
• move in time with a partner when music is played.

Paula Heiniger – Deputy Principal

School Photo Day Postponed

Please be advised that school photos which were schedule for Thursday 26 March 2020 have been postponed.

A new date will be advised when confirmed.

From the Enrichment Centre

At Maleny State School we encourage our students to have a growth mindset. Popularised by psychologist Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is a belief that we can improve our ability through effort and time. In contrast, a fixed mindset assumes that our intelligence or talent is fixed and success is not therefore attributed to the effort applied e.g. ‘She was an overnight success!’ rather than being acknowledged for the many years of practising and hardwork.

Having a growth mindset at school means that challenges and mistakes can be seen as opportunities for growth, encouraging resilience. Instead of ‘This is too hard’, try ‘This may take some time and effort‘. Instead of ‘I give up’, try ‘I’ll use a different strategy or learn from someone’.

A growth mindset can be modelled, encouraged and taught. We can give feedback that praises effort. Rather than ‘You’re smart’, try ‘You have really improved on…’ ‘I can tell you worked hard on that because…’ or ‘You’re not afraid of a challenge!’

Contact Details – Do we have your most up to date contact details?

There are times when we may need to contact parents and carers. Do we have your most up to date contact details? If not, please contact the school on 5499 8333 so we can update our records. These details include parent/carers’ name, address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact details. Please remember to contact the school if any of these details change.

SWPBL (School Wide Positive Behaviour Learning)

Be FUN to have fun!

Be FUN (Flexible – Understanding – Negotiate)

The students really enjoyed filling 1/3 of the rocket on parade last Wednesday.

Currently we are focusing on reinforcing Positive Behaviour outside of the classroom. Our BUZZ PHRASE is “Be F.U.N to have fun”. We are encouraging students to be FLEXIBLE – willing to do what others want to do, UNDERSTANDING – try to look at things another way and NEGOTIATE – work together to make a plan that works.

Whole school reward

During play and eating times, students being F.U.N will be recognised with a sticker which is then exchanged in class for a ball in the bucket. Each class gets to tip their balls into the school ‘rocket’ on parade. Once the rocket is full, a school-wide reward of extra playtime will be enjoyed by all!

Prep A & Prep B

30 Days at Prep

Great excitement this week as we reached 30 days of prep and had another visit from our friend Zero the Hero. We built 3 skyscrapers with 10 windows on each building to see what 30 looks like in 3 lots of 10.

Living Things

We have been learning about plants and what they need to survive. We are growing sunflowers and we are keeping track of their growth in our science journals. We also made grassy caterpillars and grass heads. It was lots of fun giving them haircuts and stylish hairdos. We read the story “The Potato People” by Pamela Allen and had lots of fun making potato people. We wonder what our potato people will look like at the end of term.

Mandy Bauer (Prep A) & Lindy Hicks (Prep B)

Year 1A & 1B

Digital Technology

This semester, students are learning how to ‘code’ in Digital Technology. The first step in writing code is knowing your left and right. If you have noticed that your child does not know their left/right, we would appreciate any assistance (outside of school) in helping to reach this necessary milestone for directional language.

Writing

We are learning how to write some interesting sentences, using nouns, verbs and adjectives. A number of students have progressed along our punctuation ladder and are learning to use ! in sentences, which is resulting in some wonderful written pieces from students. If you have time, please drop in and take a look at your child’s work!

Jo Dykes (1A) and Jenny Jenkinson (1B)

Year 2A & 2B

Technology

We have been learning to log in and out of a laptop and we have been practicing typing and where the keys are. If your child has access to a computer at home, we would encourage you to let them practice typing as this is difficult for a lot of students. They will be assessed on these skills in Semester 2.

Assessment

The children have been working hard at school learning new concepts in all subjects. Assessments have begun and will continue for the rest of the term. Please see your teacher if your child is away sick so they can give you some work for them to catch up. A note is being sent home soon asking you to help your child build an item they will need for their science assessment, as mentioned in our start of year newsletter. This is an easy to construct item that can be made from many everyday materials found in most homes. Students are very excited about creating their designs, and we look forward to seeing the result.

Sarsha Anthony, Hayley Chamberlain (2A) & Libby Ferguson (2B)

Students of the Week: Week 5

Highest Class Attendance for Week

Congratulations 6A

Students of the Week: Week 6

Highest Class Attendance for Week

Congratulations Prep A

Chappy News

A Chaplain’s Role

Many people still scratch their heads when asked what a Chaplain does in the school. So over the next few weeks I hope to bring light to some of the many ways that a Chaplain is involved in a school. Not many people can say they passionately love their job but thankfully I am lucky enough to be one of the few who can. I often feel like my role in the school is to be the fun “Aunty” and the truth is that for most part, my job really is about building relationships and spending quality time with children. One of the most effective ways of doing this is playing games!! I absolutely love games and believe that there are so many huge benefits in teaching values and skills through the use of games. One particular game that I want to speak about is called the “Best Game.” A very simple concept but so effective in building a child’s self-esteem and giving them a place to be recognised and praised. Everyone is good at something so this game is all about providing an opportunity for a child to show their own unique talent. Even if it’s being able to do something weird with your body, run really fast, make a strange noise, sing, dance, lip sync…the list is endless. In summing up, part of the Chaplain’s role is to bring love, joy and hope to a young person’s life and so every opportunity I am given to make that happen is an opportunity to change the life and direction of a child. SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL Supporter/enthusiast/cheerleader. Just one of the many aspects of my role at school. Have a great week everyone.

REMINDERS…

1. Grandparent’s support group is every Monday morning from 9-10am. Please come and enjoy a cuppa and a chat
2. Breakfast Club is every Wednesday from 8am
3. Mentors needed. One hour a week with one child for one year.

Chappy Becky

P & C News

2020 Maleny State School P&C Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 29 April 2020 at 6:30pm

Uniform Shop

If you have one hour per month that you may be able to help us out in the Uniform Shop please contact the office on 5499 8333. Open from 8:30-9:30am on Fridays, bring along a friend and be part of our happy team

The Uniform Shop's regular hours are Friday mornings between 8.30am and 9.30am. Payment options are EFTPOS, cash or cheque at the uniform shop only. Alternatively, orders can be placed online at the link below by 5pm Wednesday for Friday pickup or class delivery.

From the Office

Payments

Payments can be made by any of the following methods.

1. 1 Directly into our bank account noting the invoice number, initial and surname of the student for whom you are paying. Our Bank account details are:
   BSB: 064-462 Account Number: 10080359
2. Credit card using the bPoint reference number that is located on the bottom left hand side of your invoice. Credit card payments can also be made in person at the office.
3. Cash and cheque can be made by placing the cheque/correct change in a payment envelope and depositing it into the drop-safe in the office. Please ensure that the envelope is sealed so the cash does not fall out. Please write the student’s name, class, amount enclosed and what the payment is for, clearly on the envelope.

Office hours are 8:00am to 4:00pm on Monday - Friday.

Community News

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