NEWSLETTER - Ironside State School

Ironside State School
NEWSLETTER
4 August 2016 / Edition 13
2 Hawken Drive
St Lucia QLD 4067
Telephone: 07 3258 3111
DATE CLAIMERS:
Week 4, Term 3
4.8.16
Sakai Students arrive
5.8.16
Sakai Welcome Ceremony
(9am)
5.8.16
Year 6 Parent Graduation
Meeting (2pm)
9.8.16
Sakai Farewell Party with
Host Families (6pm)
10.8.16
EKKA HOLIDAY
10.8.16
Sakai depart for
Cherrabah Resort
12.8.16
Sakai depart for Japan
15.8.16
Prep 2017 Enrolments
commence
16.8.16
to
18.8.16
Yr 5&6 Life Education
17.8.16
to
18.8.16
‘Sticks & Stones’ Brainstorm
Production Performance
17.8.16
2017 Instrumental
Recruitment Session
(6:30pm)
18.8.16
State Finals Fanfare Chamber Stings Orchestra
19.8.16
Ironside School Disco
STUDENT ABSENCE LINE: 3258 3160
[email protected]
Facsimile: 07 3258 3100
Web: www.ironsidess.eq.edu.au
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
I hope the last week has been treating you all very well.
NATIONALLY CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA (NCCD) –
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY
Collecting data on school students with disability helps teachers,
principals and education authorities in schooling support the
participation of students with disability on the same basis as students
without disability.
All Australian Governments have agreed to work together on the annual
collection of data on school students with disability.
In 2013, 10% of Queensland state schools participated in the first year of
implementation.
In 2014, two thirds of Queensland schools will
participate and all schools will collect data from 2015.
Please be reassured that the Department will not provide to another
organisation any data that can identify an individual student. The only
data being collected at the school level, to be reported nationally, is
the:

number of students in the school who are provided with an
adjustment to address a disability;

level of adjustments we provide for those students; and

broad category of disability.
Information and fact sheets are available.

Department’s website:
http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/disability-data-collection.html

Australian Government Department of Education website:
http://education.gov.au/nationally-consistent-collection-data-schoolstudents-disability
For more information please click on this link - National Consistent
Collection of Data - School Students with Disability.
Continued ...
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CAPITAL WORKS – UPDATE (FROM HUTCHINSON BUILDERS)
Construction activities scheduled for Friday 5th August 2016 will include a major concrete pour. This will result in
congestion to Central Avenue for approximately 7-8 hours from 5 am onwards.
Access to all neighbouring residents properties will be maintained at all times, which will be managed by the
professional traffic control contractor; Get Directed Traffic Control.
Hutchinson Builders and more specifically, the team on this project are openly contactable to answer any
questions or concerns that you may have at any stage of the project. This contact will be through the
administration (Principal).
IRONSIDES NEWEST PARALYMPIAN
A MASSIVE congratulations to Katja Dedekind, who at 14 years of age has booked
her ticket to represent Australia in the pool at the Rio Paralympic Games in
September. This is a superb achievement at any age let alone as a teenager. I know
that you will join me in wishing Katja (and family) all the very best for the exciting
chapter ahead. We will be cheering and following you with support and excitement.
JAPAN STUDY TOUR
I’d like to express my sincere thanks to all our families who have already hosted
Japanese Study Tour guests from Haga and Akashi. Thank you in advance to the parents and community
members about to host our final exchange students from Sakai. This tradition of 30+ years at Ironside is a credit to
both Ironside and the Japanese schools involved. These traditions of excellence only continue through the goodwill
and support of you. This program is a major positive point of difference between us and ‘the rest’! Thanks for all your
continued and ongoing support.
LOST PROPERTY
I’d like to extend a very big thanks to the volunteers who again have given a very generous amount of time in
organising and working through the current load of lost property. The amount of lost property continues to be an
issue. Please maintain the conversations with your children about their responsibilities with personal belongings.
EKKA SHOW HOLIDAY
Next Wednesday is the (Royal Queensland Show) EKKA holiday. I’m sure that the mid-week ‘sleep in’ will be well
received.
All the very best for the week ahead.
Damian Johnson
Principal
NEWS FROM MS RUDDICK
CLASS PARENT REP
Our next Parent Rep meeting will be held on Wednesday 31 August commencing at 2pm in the staffroom.
YEAR SIX PARENT GRADUATION MEETING
The next Year 6 Parent Graduation Working Party Meeting will be held at 2pm on Friday 5 August in the
staffroom.
Continued ...
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INTERNATIONAL BREAKFAST AND CONCERT
If you would like to have a food stall for this special Ironside event, please contact me either by phone (3258
3111), by e-mail ([email protected]) or call in and see me at the main office. Also I am looking for more items
for our International Concert. Performances can be from Ironside students or adults. Please refer to the
attachment.
LOST PROPERTY
The amount of lost property is not getting any better. Please encourage your child to look after his/her
belongings. Congratulations to the following classes who did not have any lost property returned to the
classrooms last week:
Prep L, 1Z, 3T and 6J
Let’s hope that our students start to take better care of their belongings.
JAPAN STUDY TOUR 2016
Thank you to the staff and families who billeted our second group of Japanese guests from the Kobe University
Primary School in Akashi. Everyone had a wonderful time even though the time visiting Ironside was cut short by
24 hours due to the late arrival of their flight from Japan. Please enjoy the photos that are included in this
newsletter and also the photos on display in the foyer of the Main Office. Our third school arrived from Japan
today. The Tomiokahigashi Primary School is in Sakai. There are fourteen students and seven adults in this group.
Please join us at 9am Friday 5 August for Ironside’s Welcome Ceremony in the Hall.
WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
There will be a whole school assembly on Monday, 8 August.
STRING CUSHION CONCERT
Congratulations to Ms Weekes and the strings students who performed at the String Cushion Concert last night.
Thank you parents for your support.
Janice Ruddick
Deputy Principal
NEWS FROM MRS VECCHIO
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT NAPLAN REPORTS
All Year 3 students who sat the 2016 National Assessment Program Literacy & Numeracy (NAPLAN) should have
brought home their individual report. Overall, we are very proud of their efforts and achievements especially in
the areas of Reading and Numeracy. Congratulations to our students and teachers.
MATHEMATICIANS IN SCHOOLS
Starting next week, we welcome to Year 4 our Mathematicians in Schools - Professor Darryn Bryant and Dr
Barbara Maenhaut from the School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland. Prof. Bryant and Dr
Maenhaut will lead four sessions with groups of students, over the next couple of months, which will run during
school hours. The focus of the sessions is on creative and abstract mathematical thinking, rather than
procedural calculations. The students will encounter interesting and challenging mathematics not usually seen
at school, including some discussion of unsolved mathematical problems.
Mathematicians in Schools is a national program supporting long-term professional partnerships between
practising mathematicians and teachers across Australia. Ironside has been part of this program since 2014. We
are fortunate to have two mathematicians within this program, who are additionally, parents of current Ironside
State School students. Sincere thanks for your support and interest!
Larissa Vecchio
Deputy Principal
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NEWS FROM MRS BAIRSTOW
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS – ONLINE BOOKING
For the Term 3 round of Parent Teacher Interviews, we are trialling an online booking system for parents and
teachers with the aim of streamlining the process for all. This is the only way you will be able to book an
interview with teachers this term.
Parent Teacher Interviews are being run in the following blocks:
Years 5 & 6: Weeks 6 & 7 (Monday 15 August – Saturday 27 August)
Prep – Year 4: Weeks 8 & 9 (Monday 29 August – Saturday 10 September)
Each teacher is not available for the entire two week block, but within that period of time they have ensured
that there are more than adequate timeslots available to cater for all students in their class. Due to family
commitments, some teachers are or are not available on Saturdays. This is totally dependent on their personal
circumstances; however, we appreciate that any time outside of school hours is the teachers’ own time and
their commitment to this important communication process is acknowledged and appreciated. If you are
unable to attend in one of the timeslots provided, please contact your child’s teacher to negotiate a mutually
suitable time. For the most part though, it is expected that parents book according to the times made
available on the booking website.
The Year 5 & 6 interviews are able to be booked NOW. Because the Prep – Year 4 interviews are later in the
term, parents will be able to book them from next Thursday.
To book your parent teacher interview with your child’s teacher, please follow these instructions:
1. Go to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/
2. Access the Ironside SS booking page by:
a. For interviews with teachers in Years 5 & 6, enter the following case-sensitive Event Code: nqfwx
b. For interviews with teachers in Prep – Yr 4 – your Event Code instructions will be in next
week’s newsletter.
3. Follow the prompts to provide your email address, your name and your child’s name.
4. Select your child’s teacher from the drop down box.
5. Select one of the timeslots available with your child’s teacher. Press Go.
6. A confirmation email will be sent to you.
7. If you need to cancel or reschedule your booking, you can do this by following the link in the email you
have received.
This process is new to all of us, so we are learning together and we are happy to help with any questions or
issues that arise. The system comes very highly recommended from other schools and parents. We anticipate
that when everyone is familiar with the site, it will streamline the process and be a time effective tool to better
facilitate communication between home and school. We will seek feedback on the process early next term, to
determine if it is a system we will continue with into 2017.
LIFE EDUCATION VISIT
Year 5 & 6 parents, please look out for a letter (link - Talk About It Parent Letter) and a flyer (link - Talk About It
Parent Information) coming home today which details the Life Education visits scheduled for this term. The
lessons being conducted will focus on the physical, social and emotional changes experienced during puberty
and helping students understand and cope with this important phase of development.
Jennifer Bairstow
Deputy Principal
Continued ...
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NEWS FROM THE OFFICE
EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS
A reminder to all parents to regularly update emergency contact details for your children with the
administration office.
LIBRARY NEWS
WANTED – Guinness World Record Books
The library would be grateful for any donations of the Guinness World Records (any year) to help replace our
very well used selection.
YEAR 5 NEWS
RESOURCES REQUIRED
The year 5's require resources for an upcoming poetry workshop.
* Old magazines
* Old books that can be drawn on or ripped apart
* Junk mail
Thank you for your support.
Year 5 Teachers
Purchase tickets
here
Continued ...
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NEWS FROM STUDENT COUNCIL
Semester 2 Student Council members will be presented with their badges at assembly on Monday 8th August.
Semester 1 Student Council members will also receive their certificates.
Continued ...
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BounceBack! Student Wellbeing Curriculum:
We are excited to announce that students in all year levels at Ironside are now participating in specialist social and
emotional learning/wellbeing lessons, based on the well-renowned BounceBack curriculum - an award-winning
positive education program. The creators of this program are both educators and psychologists who share a
common goal to support children and adults to develop a stronger sense of wellbeing and to be more resilient,
confident and successful. Students in Years P-4 will engage in this learning during their specialist 'Student
Wellbeing Education' class each week with Mrs Savage, while students in Years 5-6 will do so during their weekly
specialist 'Health' lesson with Mr Bierhuizen. You can read more about BounceBack and the unit of work that all
students across the school are currently exploring in these classes - RELATIONSHIPS— on the following pages. We
encourage you to review this information included. Parents and carers, you can help your children get the best out
of their involvement with BounceBack if you reinforce the key messages they are learning.
Further information about the program can be found at www.bounceback.com.au and via the Parent Information
link.
Year 6 ‘LifeSkills’ presentations with Michael Jeh
Thank you to the many Year 6 parents and carers for joining us at this engaging and informative presentation
earlier in the term as part of our program to support students to successfully transition to high school and navigate
the many and varied challenges of adolescence. Special thanks to the Year 6 teachers who also attended the
evening parent session and for your support with organising the student sessions throughout the day.
‘Sticks and Stones’ anti-bullying performances—17th/18th August
We are eagerly awaiting the opportunity for all students and teachers to be entertained by the marvellous
performers of Brainstorm Productions, to explore some very important anti-bullying learning through the show
titled ‘ Sticks and Stones’. Students in all year levels will be attending this hour long performance on one of the
above dates. Parent information/permission notes and invoices ($5 per student) will be sent home soon (click on
‘Sticks and Stones’ link for online copy). This is important learning for all of our students—a serious topic presented
in a fun and entertaining way.
Kidsmatter parent info sheets
Don’t forget, Ironside is a Kidsmatter school. If you would like copies of Kidsmatter info brochures on a range of
topics to support mental health and wellbeing (including topics such as anxiety, ADHD, Autism, coping with stress,
friendship skills, managing feelings, building confidence, when parents separate, managing anger and many more,
contact your child’s teacher or email me if you would like information emailed to you.
Put a Smile on your Mind!
Throughout the year, many students have been introduced to a variety of mindfulness activities, with the goal of
supporting students to develop strategies to improve their ability to focus attention and ‘calm’ their mind,
particularly in response to challenging situations. One such resource that students have particularly enjoyed using is
www.smilingmind.com.au (also available as an app). We invite parents and carers to also put a smile on your mind
by trying one of these short and relaxing mindfulness activities using this free resource.
Tracey Jenkinson—Wellbeing Coordinator ([email protected])
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P & C NEWS
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UNIFORM SHOP
Opening hours from week 5
Wednesday 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Friday 8:15am – 10am
Order online for delivery straight to your child’s classroom https://schoolshoponline.net.au/ironside/index.aspx
Don’t get caught out in the cold! We have received the last stock of Micro fibre tracksuit jackets for 2016 in size
6, 8 and 10 priced at $45.
Boomerang hat program has officially started! Visit the uniform shop to get hats or jackets
embroidered with first name and first initial e.g. Libby H. for $7. Can’t guarantee kids won’t still
lose items but they have a better chance of coming back with an embroidered name.
We will, we will rock you! Get into the spirit of Friday afternoon sport for seniors with the new
sports kit. Shirts/jerseys will be loaned to every player. To finish off the look there are white
shorts embroidered ISS $22 and striped blue and white socks $12. The new athletics shirt (left
image) is available for purchase $20.
Support your school with the Ironside sticker, only $2 a pop!
The uniform shop is always happy to receive returns or exchanges. Please ensure your item is unwashed, unworn
(except for trying size) and has tags in place.
Second hand uniforms low. Happy to receive music uniforms too! Please leave your donations at the uniform
shop door if we are closed.
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This fortnight we urgently require volunteers for
Thursday, 4 August and Thursday, 11 August
Please contact me asap if you are able to come in for just two hours from
8.30am until 10.30am and help out.
TUCKSHOP AND HOMEBAKE ROSTER 2016
Our superstar volunteers for week 5 and 6 of Term 3 are:
(Please contact us asap if these details are out-o- date / incorrect)
Tuckshop:
Homebake:
TERM 3: Week 5
Mon
8/8
Audrey Joubert, Lisandra Tiru
Natali Hillcoat, Tina Macht
Tues
9/8
Pat Ng, 1 volunteer required
Kelly Sedgman, Neroli Anderson
Wed
10/8
PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Thurs
11/8
Kokila Perera, Chetna Sood, 2 volunteers
required
Andrea Webb-Jolly, Lana Johnston
Fri
12/8
Annette Hepburn, Kathryn Page
Beth Garvis, 1 volunteer required
TERM 3: Week 6
Mon
15/8
Audrey Joubert, 1 volunteer required
Lisa Forster, Connie Fuchs, Kara Cambell
Tues
16/8
Catriona Donoghy, 1 volunteer required
Kara Cambell, Kelly Sedgman
Wed
17/8
Fiona Himstedt, Ling Ni
Lina Jolly, Lotte Turley
Thurs
18/8
Fri
19/8
Akiko Ueno, Maki Mogis, Masaka Harada,
Junko Kuwabara
Qiauyan Huang, Olivia Hua Qin,
Joanna Julizar
Amanda Evans, 1 volunteer required
Julie Crowe, 1 volunteer required
TUCKSHOP MENU
Theresa Ryan and Michelle Wigg
Ph:
3258 3111 and asked to be patched through to the tuckshop
Email: [email protected]
Tuckshop Convenors
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Purple Tree Piano Tuition in St. Lucia offers
excellent piano tuition to students of all ages
and levels (beginner-AMus). Ms Laura Tiong is
a warm and encouraging teacher who
produces excellent results in students' AMEB
exams. Her students find piano learning fun,
creative, nurturing and achievable!
Please
contact
Laura
at
www.purpletreepiano.com or 0433 981 226 to
schedule a free trial lesson.
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