8 December 2021

Newsletter Articles

Date Claimers

Principal’s Report

A very successful 2021

Our school’s 2021 focus area of English has been incredibly successful with students positively engaging and producing some outstanding writing from years Prep to Yr 6. Students have also achieved outstanding results right across the school in all key learning areas. I congratulate all staff including the leadership and support of our Deputy Principal and Literacy and Numeracy Coach. Our school review held earlier in the year clearly showed that our school is performing incredibly effectively in all areas. This result is not achieved easily, and is one, I as principal am extremely proud of as it includes students, staff and our community working together to creative a very supportive, inclusive, engaging and achievement focused school.

Student engagement and behaviour throughout the school this year has also been outstanding and our staff and Positive Behaviour Learning (PBL) Team lead by Jodie Kyte, Debbie Darcy, and Jo Dykes are to be congratulated. It has been great to have a parent representative (Ellenor Sayer) as a valued part of our team to ensure our parent voice is being heard.

Thank you to our P&C who have been magnificent and have contributed so much to our school this year along with over $70 000 in resources that have been used to benefit your children every day. A special thanks to our P&C executive who have continually sacrificed their time to ensure our school is forever improving. They have ensured that our students are catered for effectively and our parent voices and ideas are heard. Creating the P&C Webpage and Online Store this year has been no easy task for our executive but has been extremely beneficial to all families. Thank you also for the tremendous work done by our Volunteers, Tuckshop Convenors, Uniform Shop, Mother’s and Father’s Day Stalls, Shopping Bags, Colour Fun Run, Country Fair and Book Club Coordinator. A huge thank you to all P&C members and those parents who are leaving us this year that have been great supporters of our P&C over many years, you will be missed.

Mandatory Vaccination for Workers in Schools

On Tuesday 30 November, the Premier announced a new public health direction requiring mandatory vaccination for workers and volunteers in schools and early childhood settings.

This means that all workers or volunteers entering our school will need to have at least one vaccination dose by 17 December 2021 and be fully vaccinated by 23 January 2022.

Who is required to be COVID-19 vaccinated under the new directive?

Anyone who works in, undertakes an educational placement in, or volunteers in a school, early childhood centre (such as a kindergarten) or childcare centre is considered a worker in an education setting.

This includes:

• teachers
• teacher aides
• cleaners
• administration officers, business managers, school’s officers, IT staff, agricultural assistants, and all school support staff
• an employee of a company that supplies services to an education setting, such as plumbing, electrical and building services
• a contract teacher or early childhood instructor engaged for relief work
• volunteers who assist in delivering support activities and services in education settings such as tuckshop, reading programs, etc.
• chaplains, entertainers or support workers visiting education settings
• university students on practical placement, school work experience or traineeship in education settings including early childhood education and care settings
• psychologists or therapists providing support for individuals in education settings
• a dentist in a school dental clinic
• identified staff within regional and central offices who are required to be present in a school as part of their work duties, i.e. where attendance at a school is necessary to fulfil the requirements of their job.

Farewell to staff leaving

Students, staff and parents will greatly miss all of our staff who won’t be returning to our school in 2022.

Lindy Hicks has been teaching for over 26 years with Education Queensland in a variety of school’s including Buderim, Kawana Waters, and Woombye and will retire at the end of this week. Lindy originally worked in our Special Education Program on arrival at Maleny SS in the year 2000, however she will be best remembered by hundreds of our students and families for welcoming them into Prep. Lindy is the ultimate professional teacher and has a way of connecting and engaging with all of her students and differentiating for each of their individual needs. She is very supportive and caring and has given so many of your children the absolute best start to education possible. Lindy is incredibly professional in everything she does and has been a huge support to all our staff being the custodian of our social club for many years. Lindy’s dedication, work ethic and care for her students over such a long period cannot be overstated, it is simply inspiring and will be greatly missed.

Shelly Carol-Widen has been working as a teacher aide for 26 years, originally commencing in Kenilworth in 1995 , then Conondale in 2009 before joining us at Maleny where she has stayed for 13 years and has been a permanent fixture in our library for many years. Miss Shelly as she has been fondly known has been welcoming students into our Library for years with her beautiful smile and caring manner. The most popular table in the school is surely Miss Shelly’s Craft Table. Every day Miss Shelly organises activities, collects resources, sets up materials and patiently helps students to make creative works of art at lunch times all the while ensuring our library is stocked, catalogued and engaging for students to enjoy. We have numerous students that race to the library just to get a prized seat at Miss Shelly’s Craft Table. Shelly your genuine care and support for our students is inspiring and your skills at keeping our library operating so smoothly will be greatly missed. We wish you all the best in retirement and look forward to seeing you again in the future.

Katherine Gentile or Mrs G as she is commonly known also will not be returning in 2022.

Mrs G is our energetic and very vibrant music teacher who has been on a contract with us now for 2 years. Katherine has engaged, motivated and given our students a variety of musical opportunities to participate in. As our specialist music teacher Mrs G has taught every student in the school, teaching and giving them opportunities to learn a variety of new instruments. Mrs G has collaborated beautifully with our IM teacher and has managed our choir on assembly, at concerts and community events such as the Maleny Show. Mrs G has also fostered our very first Rock Band who performed their very first public gig at the Maleny Show this year. It is a very special talent to be good at music and an even greater talent to be able to share your passion and teach people how to enjoy, understand and play music. That’s exactly what Mrs G has been able to do. We will all miss Mrs G very much and I know that Mrs G is also very sad to be leaving us.

Tammalee Johnston (Maternity Leave)

Tammalee Johnston is expecting her second child in January and will take the first semester off to enjoy being with her new bundle of happiness. We are all very excited for Tammalee and wish her all the best. We look forward to Tammalee returning to Maleny SS in Semester Two.

Class Formation 2022

One of our most important and difficult tasks at this time of year, is devising our school’s class structure and staffing for 2022. This year is certainly more challenging than in the past with rent and housing prices soaring (rental and housing shortages in our area like we have never seen before) in addition we have the uncertainly of interstate and overseas enrolments occurring with Covid restrictions thrown into the mix. This leaves us great uncertainty around exact enrolments. New families are still enrolling in all year levels at our school (and will continue to do so until the start of next year) and some families depending on employment and sale of properties etc. may be leaving us. Our school is staffed and funded on a set allocation according to student enrolment numbers calculated on day 8 of 2022. Hence enrolment estimates and predictions need to be made now for organisational purposes to commence the year but class formation may need to be adjusted next year. Ideally, we aim to put a structure in place that will remain the same over the Christmas break. It is for this reason that we are holding off as long as possible in releasing our 2022 class formation and structure.

Teachers have spent a considerable amount of time making sure that classes are composed with a balance of factors in mind, including legitimate parent preferences. There are many variables involved and the change of just one student can have a domino effect that affects other students and the balance of the class. Now that classes are formed, there will be no room for changes to be made. Please respect this process. As parents the best skill we can assist our children to develop is resilience, which means facing issues rather than avoiding them.

At this stage we look like having 15 classroom teachers in 2022 (we currently have 16). Should our enrolments grow over the holidays and we don’t lose any families moving away, this could possibly grow to a 16-class model, which would be beneficial and mean some disruption to classes in the first few weeks. We are getting very good at handing change and unpredictable circumstances and have already prepared just in case this eventuates.

School Reports

Parents will be emailed students Semester Two Report Cards this week. Please discuss your child’s progress with them and seek any clarification if required with your child’s teacher. Remember a ‘C’ academic rating means your child is achieving the outcomes expected of a child at their year level. The majority of children will generally fall within this rating.

Congratulations Year 5 Campers

Our Year 5’s had a wonderful time at Mapleton Camp last week. I congratulate them for receiving some wonderful praise from both Maleny staff and Camp staff on their conduct and behaviour.

Year 6 Graduation and Farewell

Our special Graduation Ceremony for Year 6 students was on this Tuesday beginning at 9:30am.

Our Year Six Graduation Dinner (students only) was at the Maleny RSL Tuesday evening.

It is always a proud moment to farewell our Year 6 students. I wish all of our students the best at High School and for the future. We will also sadly miss many of our Year 6 mums and dads, grandparents and guardians who have over the last seven or more years been a great asset to our school in many different capacities. Thank you also to our School Leaders, Sports Captains, Music and Sustainability Captains and Student Council representatives for showing such initiative and enthusiasm in their roles within the school this year.

Thank You to our Volunteers

We have numerous volunteers who assist in important areas such as reading, swimming, tuckshop, LAP (Learning Assistance Program) tutoring, arts, classroom help, religious education, excursions, P&C activities, sporting teams, mentoring and a host of other activities on a daily basis.

This year we sent our appreciation in the form of a card with a heartfelt thank you from staff and students. A huge thank you to Trish McKay who coordinated this activity.

Anyone interested in becoming a much-valued volunteer in 2022, please contact the school on 54998333.

Register for Prep now! Don’t wait.

It is essential that parents who have not contacted the office to register their child for Prep in 2022 do so now. Please do not assume we know you are coming. Registration can be completed in a one-minute phone call (Ph54998333) or an email to admin@malenyss.eq.edu.au.

Note: all students will require a birth certificate before commencing Prep in 2022. I look forward to meeting with you soon. If you know a family in the area that has a Prep eligible student for 2022 please encourage them to contact us immediately.

Uniform Shop 2022 Opening Times over the Holidays

Mon 17, Wed 19 and Fri 21 Jan 2022
9:00am – 10:00 am

Volunteers are required to assist sell uniforms, please leave a message for Desley at the office. Remember all helpers are volunteers giving up their holiday time to assist families to get organised for the start of the year. Thank you for showing them your appreciation.

Donate old uniforms

Good quality used uniforms are needed by our uniform shop. This includes hats, black shoes, shirts, jumpers, sports shirts etc. Please drop these into the office or uniform shop.

We ask parents of Year 6 students if they are in the position to gift any quality uniform items back to the school to assist future families. Your generosity is very much appreciated.

Purchase Black Shoes and White Socks to start the 2022 School year

Please ensure your children help to make our school look and feel great in 2022. It is an expectation EVERY student in every year level will have BLACK SHOES (joggers) and WHITE socks to commence the year.

Leaving our school or have a 2022 student enrolling

Our staffing formula is based on student day 8 2022 enrolment numbers and as such it is crucial that 2022 students enrol now to assist us with our class structure organisation. It is also crucial that if families are leaving next year they alert us as soon as possible.

Attendance this Week

Children are expected to attend every day this week including Friday. Please ensure you call the absentee line if your children are away, especially Friday this week, as the additional work caused by parents that do not do so puts incredible pressure on Desley in the office at a very busy time of year.

Tuckshop 2022

Once again, tuckshop will open 3 days a week from the start of Term 1 next year – Tuesday/Thursday/Friday.

If you can volunteer next year please see the office or get in touch with our convenor, Gunnar.

School Watch

Thank you for keeping an eye on our school over the holidays by reporting any suspicious activity on 131788.

2022 Welcome Back to School

School Commences on Monday the 24 January 2022 at 8:50am. Please ensure your children have their required equipment from their appropriate book list (booklists are available on our website) and the correct uniform to ensure they enjoy a successful start to the year.

2022 Booklists

Students will bring home a hard copy of their 2022 booklist this week. If this gets misplaced in the new year you will find all 2022 booklists on our School Web page

A Wonderful Maleny Team

As this is the last Newsletter for the Term, I would like to acknowledge and extend my sincere thanks to the great school team of staff behind me. This is my ninth year at Maleny and I am excited that once again we have added value and have a school that continues to improve in all areas each year. Thank you to all staff for your dedication, professionalism and support of our children and families. We have had a tremendous 2021 and produced some amazing outcomes, thank you for the positive contributions you have made to our school, and each and every student, every day.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Enjoy the festive season with your family and have a safe and relaxing break. I look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year.

Thank you for your support in 2021, have a wonderful holiday we are excited to welcome you back in 2022.

John

From the Deputy Principal

Emailed Student Reports

Just a reminder that at the end of each semester we email student reports. Please make sure that you have updated your email address details with the office if they have changed. Reports only get emailed to the addresses that are in our data base system provided to us at enrolment. Reports have been emailed out Tuesday evening of the 7th December.

Please add: Application.ONESCHOOL@qed.qld.gov.au to your safe senders to ensure report card emails aren’t sent to your Junk folder. This is the address that will appear in your inbox and not the school’s email address.

Congratulations – Christmas Artwork Competition

Congratulations to the following students who entered the Glass House Electorate Christmas Artwork Competition.

Elise G, Cara C and Jake S all received Highly Commended certificates and Michael C came third overall, winning a $50 movie voucher and a certificate.

Paula Heiniger – Deputy Principal

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)

Have a great last few day!

This fortnight’s new Focus Rule was a Be Respectful rule, with the Buzz Phrase “Keep your Hands and Feet to Yourself”.

That means:

• I keep my hands and feet to myself
• I solve problems with my head not my hands – think first, move away, breathe, report
• I let go of what I can’t control
• I use calming strategies when I feel upset
• I use the high 5 to help solve problems
• I move away and re-set
• I play fairly
• I am a team player and show good sportsmanship
• I use positive talk to myself, my peers and adults

The rocket is now full so it’s time for the 20 mins free play reward for all students. Well done to everyone!!

Happy Holidays.
PBL TEAM

Prep A & Prep B

Transition to Year 1

The Preps have been busy preparing for their transition to Year 1.

They have had lots of fun playing in the Junior Playground and have explored the play equipment, forest area and sandpit. They have loved running on the huge expanse of grass on the Junior oval.

They are becoming familiar with the toilets and bathrooms and have gotten a little wet trying to master the bubblers.

They are getting used to eating in two straight lines for snack time.

They are getting ready to meet their teachers and visit their classrooms in the last week of school.

The children are writing letters to their new teachers with information about themselves and what will help them to settle into their new learning environment.

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

Students of the Week

From the Office

Payments

Payments can be made by any of the following methods.

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.

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop's regular hours are Friday mornings between 8.30am and 9.00am. Payment options are EFTPOS, cash or cheque at the uniform shop only. Alternatively, uniforms can be purchased via the P&C online store.

Flexischool ordering is now only available for Tuckshop.

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 8:30-9:00am on Fridays, bring along a friend and be part of our happy team

School Holiday Open Days:

Monday 17, Wednesday 19 & Friday 21 January 2022 9am - 10am

From Our Tuckshop

The Tuckshop is open three days a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

If you can help, please see Gunnar at the Tuckshop. Your support will be much appreciated.

FlexiSchools is our preferred ordering system and is simple and easy to use.

To register go to:

Community News

Please follow the link below to the Maleny Sports and Rec Maleny Events Calendar

P&C’s Qld - Click through to view their most recent editions of Parent Talk -

The Maleny branch of the Sunshine Coast Libraries is participating in the State Library of Queensland Summer Reading Club. Keep up your reading over the summer holidays by participating in this great activity. Parents and carers can sign up children to participate in the online club that has heaps of activities to keep you busy reading before the new year begins. Visit Sunshine Coast Libraries at the link below or the Summer Reading Club site at the link below for more information.

Landsborough Cricket Club wants you!!

Registration now open. To register click the link below:

Artist impression drawing of the Maleny Indoor Aquatic Centre

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