Newsletter 03.04.15 - Ashmore State School
Transcription
Newsletter 03.04.15 - Ashmore State School
06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter CRICOS Provider Number 00608A 2nd April 2015 Deputy PrincipalLeigh Josey Twitter Deputy Principal Amanda Fry P & C News Farewell Karen Shotokan Karate Dojo BSM Blurb Workshop for Parents Resource Centre Botanical Gardens Chaplain's Chat Music News Sports News http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 1/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter DEPUTY PRINCIPAL LEIGH JOSEY It’s Time to Enroll for Prep for our Present Families and Families in our Catchment Area I would like to ask that all present Ashmore School families, who have a Prep child eligible to join us in 2016 (D.O.B. 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011), complete an enrolment form over the holidays or in the first week back. (Note that present families can enroll their child for Prep, regardless of where you/they live.) You can collect an enrolment pack from the office, or print the forms off from our school website: https://ashmoress.eq.edu.au/Enrolments/Enrollingatourschool/Pages/Enrollingatourschool.aspx Please bring the forms to the office at the start of Term 2, together with a birth certificate which we will photocopy. *If you have friends and family in our catchment area, please share this information with them. I would like to request that they enroll too as soon as possible. I have included a link, for a map of our catchment area: https://ashmoress.eq.edu.au/Supportandresources/Formsanddocuments/Documents/Catchment%20area.pdf Only if we have available spaces in Prep for 2016, will we be able to enroll students outside of our catchment area. As families outside of our catchment will be wondering if they will be offered a position, I am hoping to have all other enrolments organized as soon as possible. Note that we will ensure Prep positions are kept available for those in our catchment area, who enroll later in the year or at the start of 2016. Please note the change to Prep Starting Age in 2016 for eligible students The age of a child, for enrolment in Prep in 2016, has been extended by a month. It was 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011. It is now 1 July 2010 to 31 July 2011. There are conditions, however, if a child’s birthday falls in this extra month (1 July to 31 July). They must complete a written application (obtainable from the office) and show that their child is ‘ready for education considering the child’s attributes’. These attributes include the following: Aptitude and ability Social and emotional competence http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 2/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter Physical development Level of knowledge and understanding The application is then returned to the school for discussion and consideration. I have included a link to further information that elaborates on the information above. http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/schooloperations/docs/parentinfoearlyentrytoprep.doc Safety Concern I would like to sincerely request that parents, carers and grandparents drop children off in the designated areas, and not directly in front of our staff driveways. Parking in our driveways holds up the traffic as staff want to drive in. It is also very dangerous for your children. Please remind your children to walk into school through the main entry, near the crossing lights and not to ever enter through our staff car parks. This is for their safety which is always our priority. Thank you for helping us to keep your children safe. Year 1 Reading Progress Last week our Year 1 students completed a PM Benchmark Reading assessment. I have just been studying their progress, from late last year to the present time. It was wonderful to see their progress during 2014 in Prep; and it continues to delight me to see their ongoing progress. Some great gains have been made, with some children improving by 7 levels. Our children will continue to make these wonderful gains with the support of parents (encouraging children with their home reading and discussing their books); and the dedication and commitment of our teachers. Australiawide Testing for Years 3and 5 (NAPLAN) On Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th May, all students in state and nonstate schools in Years 3 and 5 will be participating in Australiawide testing to assess their skills in the areas of reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. NAPLAN assesses the skills that students develop over time through the school curriculum, and provides additional feedback for parents, carers and teachers on how students are progressing in the key curriculum areas. An individual NAPLAN report will be sent home for every child in these year levels later this year. Further information is available on the ACARA website: www.naplan.edu.au Further Essential Information re NAPLAN It is important that students are present by 8.50 a.m. on these days, ready for a punctual start. Please ensure children get a good night’s sleep and good nutrition for breakfast to maintain brain function and energy across the three days of testing. Please also ensure students have the following materials at school on these days: http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 3/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter 2B or HB pencils –do not bring “Pacers” or mechanical pencils as they write too lightly Eraser Sharpener Note: Students may be withdrawn from the NAPLAN testing program by their parents/carers. This is a matter for consideration by individual parents in consultation with the Principal. Withdrawals are intended to address individual concerns including religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing. Parents/carers wishing to withdraw students from the NAPLAN testing program must complete and submit a Notice of Parent Withdrawal form (obtained from the office) as soon as possible. It must be completed and returned to Leigh Josey in the Office by Friday 8th May. The text that appears on the individual report will read “Your child was withdrawn from this test”. Please see me (Leigh Josey) if you have any questions (or phone – 56561333). Date Claimer for Year 3 The Year 3 students will be attending an excursion to "Beenleigh Town" (historical village) in Term 3. 3A/B and half of 3C will attend on Monday, 3rd August; and 3D/E and the other half of 3C will be attending on Tuesday, 4th August. Please see the permission note for more information. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW STARS ( School Thanks and Recognition of Staff) Tanya Madden Tanya began teaching at Ashmore State School in January 2013 as a Year One General Classroom Teacher. In 2014 Tanya once again taught a Year One class for her second year with us. This year Tanya is one of our highly valued Special Education Programme Teachers, teaching individual students and small groups. She also assists teachers with targeted and specific planning for these students. Prior to this, Ms Madden taught at Barkly Highway State School in Mt Isa (quite a contrast to our Gold Coast). When asked what she enjoys doing at school, Ms Madden explains that she loves spending time our wonderful children, watching them learn and develop over time. Tanya has a four year old son, with whom she enjoys sharing her leisure time. She also plays Oz Tag, tennis and volleyball. Ms Madden loves to travel and has explored Europe, especially enjoying Rome and Paris. She would next like to travel to New Zealand to visit family. We wish to thank Tanya for her wonderful contribution to Ashmore School, as a dedicated and professional member of our special education programme team. Thank you for your great efforts with our students. Ms Trudy Snow http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 4/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter Trudy began teaching at Ashmore State School in October 2013, initially as a Year 7 General Classroom Teacher for Term 4. In 2014 Trudy taught one of our Year 6 classes, as is the case this year, with Trudy presently teaching Year 6B Prior to this Ms Snow taught in Melbourne and also Invercargill, New Zealand. Last year Trudy was one of our key players including the valuable “Kidsmatter” into our school life. She has continued in this capacity this year. In 2014 Trudy was also Stage D Manager (Years 6 and 7). This year Trudy is Stage C Manager (Years 5 and 6) and Year Level Coordinator for Year 6. When asked what she enjoys doing at school, Ms Snow explains that she loves teaching engaged and motivated children who have a passion for learning. Trudy has a nine year old son, Riley. She is a true blue ‘Kiwi’ who calls ‘thongs’ by their correct name – ‘jandals’. She says she is sorry, but she backs the ‘All Blacks” too. A big thank you to Trudy for her wonderful contribution to the teaching and learning of the students in her care in 6B. A special thank you also for her significant efforts in the success of “Kidsmatter” at Ashmore. We also value her great efforts as Stage C Manager and Year Level Coordinator. DEPUTY PRINCIPAL AMANDA FRY PLAYING THE BLAME GAME It is such a part of human nature to blame someone or something else when we make a mistake. Rather than face the consequences of our actions or inactions, it seems easier to blame the system or the ‘other’ person. Children of a very young age tend to play the blame game as a way of getting out of, or avoiding punishment. As parents we hear it so often from our little ones, that we invented “Mr Nobody” who was apparently responsible for all the spills and breakages around the home. “The dog ate my homework’ was so often used as an excuse it has now become a punch line response when something isn’t done on time. As the ultimate role model for your own children, it is incumbent in you as parents to teach your children to take responsibilities for their actions. The BEST way to for this is to model this behaviour yourself. So remember, it is not the parking inspectors fault that you got a parking ticket (it’s your fault because you parked too long) and it is not the company’s fault if you missed the payment deadline and they cut off your power (you didn’t pay the bill on time) Quote from Trent Hamm The Simple Dollar “Ten Big Mistakes #4 Blaming Others: “Whenever you hear yourself blaming someone or something else for a problem, stop. Blaming others for your problems is an incredibly pernicious habit. Yes, there are bad things in life. There are bad things in everyone’slife. The people that succeed are the people that don’t waste their time looking for someone or something to blame, but instead look to themselves for a solution to the problem.” http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 5/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter COMMUNICATION We have a number of ways in which we communicate with parents and the community. Our number one source of information is our website. We try very hard to keep it up to date with upcoming events, interactive forms for electronic returns and procedures and policies. The second most important source of information is our newsletter. Our newsletter is published fortnightly and is on the website. Our teachers have a variety of ways they communicate directly with their class parents – these may include monthly newsletters, EdStudio, emails, phone calls, class notice boards, notes, letters and your child’s communication book. Once repairs are complete our large electric sign on Currumburra Rd will resume as another source of information. Our wonderful P and C have a number of large notice boards strategically placed around the school as well as an electronic sign on the tuckshop. Since our school community decided to become “paperless” as far as possible – it was initially a very steep learning curve for the whole community to find an alternate means of communication. All our data indicates that the very great majority of parents and the wider community have embraced these changes as it evidenced by the number of parents returning forms and enrolment into specific programs using the electronic option on our website. We are very aware that a number of families do not have a computer at home or access to a printer or internet. Paper copies of all forms are available to those families at the office. OUTSIDE MARKETTING AND ADVERTISING Many years ago at the direct request of parents, through the P and C Committee – it was decided to NOT allow outside companies or organisations to have direct access to our students. In the past many companies were permitted on assembly to market directly to the children. When we had a paper newsletter many companies were allowed to include their fliers inside the newsletter. Our parents at the time felt that the newsletters intent was being compromised and it was simply being used as an advertising conduit directly into their homes. Similarly they felt that the presentations on assembly put too much pressure on them to sign up and pay for whatever program was being touted. Not a week goes passed that we are not approached by one company or another to have access to your children. They either want to give them fliers or speak with them on assembly. We do not allow this direct marketing method but do allow them to advertise on our newsletter and if appropriate to leave fliers at the office for interested parents to collect. The exception to this rule is of course any charities or notforprofit organisations which we feel are appropriate for primary school aged children. These organisations may run their advertisements or information for free in our newsletter and in some cases make a presentation on assembly. This is yet another very good reason to always read our newsletter for opportunities for your children. FAREWELL TO KAREN GRAVENDYK http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 6/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter We are very sad to be farewelling Mrs Karen Gravendyk at the end of this term. Karen has been our 'Head of Curriculum' for the last few years, until this year when she was appointed 'Deputy Principal (Stage B Years 2, 3 and 4)'. Mrs Gravendyk has accepted a new position at Varsity College as 'Head of School Prep to Year 3'. This is a very exciting opportunity for Karen, although we are very sad to have her leave Ashmore. On behalf of the staff, students and families of Ashmore State School, we would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Karen for the significant and farreaching contribution she has made to the teaching and learning at our school. Mrs Sharie Callum will be joining us as Deputy Principal Stage B. Sharie has been working with us for the past month so she is already familiar to the staff and students. She comes with a wealth of experience. Please join us in making her very welcome. BSM BLURB FACILITIES Over the upcoming Easter Vacation period there will be a number of works happening around the school grounds. 1. 10 metre fire break wall around the outside of the oval that backs onto houses. 2. Gutter being replaced 3. Classroom louvres repaired/replaced 4. General painting 5. Hall floor resurfaced Please ensure that your children know not to come onto the school grounds over the vacation period under any circumstances. Staff Carpark Sign Please take special notice of the writing that says “NO PEDESTRIAN ACCESS”. Please DO NOT walk your http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 7/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter children through the carpark at any time as this is safety issue. FINANCE Student Resource Scheme – don’t forget to hand in your Student Resource Scheme forms to the office. Excursion Invoices/Payments All of our invoices are emailed directly to you (unless you don’t have an email address). There is always a reference name on the invoice which will advise you of what it is for eg: INTERSPORT (Interschool sport) PIRATE PREP (Pirate Show – Prep). Please make sure you open the invoice and look at the reference before emailing the office to ask what it is for. As you can imagine, we send out 100’s of invoices at a time and cannot reply to everyone’s request of ‘what is this invoice for’. All information about excursions along with permission letters are on our website. Just a reminder every excursion or school event that requires a payment to be made will have a set ‘DUE DATE’ that must be adhered to. If you have difficulties prior to the ‘DUE DATE’ making a payment, please do not hesitate to come and see me or someone in Administration to make other arrangements. We DO NOT accept any late payments after ‘DUE DATES’. If you pay over the internet please ensure that you make the payment 3 days prior to the due date to ensure that it clears in the schools bank account by the due date. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter. Hiring We are taking bookings for 2015 for hiring of the Hall, Carmichael Centre (includes dance room, seminar room, conference room and life skill rooms), oval and netball courts. If you are interested or know of anyone that is looking for hire facilities please pass on this information. You can contact myself on P:56561333 Messages for your children As stated in previous newsletters, it can be extremely difficult to give students personal messages from parents during the school day. To alleviate this issue we have implemented a cut off time of 2pm each day. If you require a message to be given to your child you will need to ensure that you phone the office prior to this time. Could you please advise your child of after school pick up times and locations prior to dropping them off at school as this seems to be the most common message. If you contact the office after this time we will not be able to assist unless it is an emergency. Have you changed your contact details – please advise Admin of your changes Many Thanks, Pete Business Services Manager http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 8/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter RESOURCE CENTRE Are You Cybersmart? With the holidays upon us, it’s time to revisit the importance of being Cybersmart. We’ve added some hints for parents/carers from the Cybersmart website. For more information we recommend you visit this site. There are links for parents, games for children and a range of resources to suit all ages. Cyberbullying is the use of technology to bully a person or group. Bullying is repeated behaviour with the intent to harm others. Behaviour may include: Abusive texts and emails Posting unkind or threatening messages, videos or images on social media websites Imitating or excluding others online Inappropriate image tagging. What can you do? http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 9/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter Talk to them about cyberbullying before it happens. Work out strategies to address any potential issues and reassure your child that you will be there to support them. Advise your child not to reply to any messages from a bully. Often if bullies don’t receive a response they will give up. Learn how to block a bully so they are no longer able to make contact. Keep a record of harassing messages in case authorities become involved. Put them somewhere your child won’t continue to see them. Contact the website administrator or use the reporting function to ask for content to be removed or to report harassment. Talk to your child’s school if cyberbullying involves another student. Stay involved in your child’s use of new technology. Set up your own account and learn about privacy settings so you can understand how you can best protect your child. It can be fun for you too! Check the age restrictions for the social networking service or game. Some social networking sites (such as Club Penguin) are created especially for children under the age of 13, but most mainstream sites like Facebook, Instagram and others require the user to be 13 or older. Advise children to set their accounts to private so that only people they want to see it can view their information. Encourage children to think before they put anything online. Information posted online can be difficult or impossible to remove. An inappropriate image posted today can have a long term impact on their digital reputation. Show them how to set up location services on their phone so they are not inadvertently broadcasting their location. Remind children to be careful when making new friends online; people may not be who they say they are. Never arrange to meet an online friend unless a trusted adult is with them. Report any abuse or inappropriate content to the social networking site and show children how to do this too. Learn how to keep a copy of online conversations and how to block people prior to an issue occurring. Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Discuss the kinds of sites that are ok to explore and those that are not. Consider using parental controls such as filters to help manage your child’s online access. Remind your child not to open spam email or click on pop ups, prize offers or unfamiliar hyperlinks in websites. Help your child use search engines to locate websites. Consider developing a list of favourites for younger children. Enable safe search options. Reassure your child that access to the internet will not be denied if they report seeing inappropriate content to you. http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 10/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter Remind them not to respond if they are sent something inappropriate and that they should leave a website immediately if they feel uncomfortable or worried. Report content that you think may be prohibited to the ACMA’s online hotline: acma.gov.au/hotline The longer you wait to address the issue, the more difficult it can be to overcome. So if you see an emerging problem arising from excessive use, act on it right away. Talk to your child about the concerns you have and monitor what games, apps and devices are bought or used by your child. You may like to install a filter on the laptop or computer your child is using which can be adjusted to limit the amount of time an internet connection will be available on that device. Consider implementing family agreements about the amount of time your children can spend online. You might like to have a rule where the ‘wifi password of the day’ is only given once all homework/chores/family time is done. A similar approach can be used to limit access to devices. Ashmore State School would like to announce the introduction of our new digital library. As technology changes so do resources. We now have a choice of how we access books. ALIA STATEMENT (Australian Library and Information Association) ”We predict that library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 and that this balance will be maintained for the foreseeable future”. ebooks on Computers Students and staff can now access the site from home and school. Please add this address in your bookmarks on your computer: http://ashmoress.lib.overdrive.com You can view ebooks through your web browser and pages are download as required (must have wifi). OR You can download “Adobe Digital Editions” (free) on your computer. The link is available after logging onto our Digital Library site. The ebook is downloaded to the program and is available to read. This doesn’t require wifi after downloading. There is also a link to thousands of free digital books from Project Guttenberg. All hints and resources are available on the Overdrive app under the “Help” tab. OR http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 11/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter Scan the QR code on your portable device. ebooks on iPad, Tablets or Phones Download the Overdrive app available from iTunes or Google Play. We have purchased a range of ebooks and audio books suitable for Preps to Year 6. At the moment there is a limit of borrowing: 1 item per student as our collection is small but in time, while grow. There are borrowing restrictions according to year levels. Preps to Year 4 (juvenile) and Years 5 –Year 6 (young adult) We’ve sampled each book, read reviews, downloaded resources and tested the website. Once again, it is imperative parents/caregivers know what their children are doing online and become involved in the choice of ebooks. After logging on, you can filter the range of books by selecting your interest level or reading age. You can sample ebooks and read the blurb before borrowing. You will have the book for 14 days and then it will be automatically removed from your collection OR you can return the book before borrowing another one. NO MORE LOSING BOOKS! Enjoy Ashmore State School’s Digital Library! http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 12/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter CHAPLAIN'S CHAT MARG POTTER Can you believe we are at the end of Term One already? It has been a term involving some changes in our school with staff leaving and new staff arriving; new classes formed and moving to a different classroom. Our previous principal Mrs. James has successfully navigated our way through all those changes and we thank her for the massive amount of work she has put into our school, including our current status as an Independent Public School. Thank you Mrs James! As we approach Easter this year, I would encourage you to celebrate the real reason for Easter, not just chocolate eggs or another public holiday. Visit a local church near you and celebrate the risen Saviour. Marg Potter Chaplain NEWS FROM THE SPORTS DESK.. ..MARCH Ashmore Cross Country Carnival – This will occur on the 23rdof April. The seniors (47) will start at 9:00 and the juniors (P3) will start at 11:40. This is a House event so please wear your house shirt and have a hat, water, and sunscreen. Interschool Sport – Ashmore State School will be participating in interschool sport commencing on Monday 18 May. Invoices for $45 per student have been sent out via email. Consent forms can be downloaded from the school website via the calendar and news tab, selecting news and then interschool sport. CONGRATULATIONS – The following students have attained great results in their chosen sport Julian H was selected for the Broadwater District AFL representative team. (12yrs Boys) Jackson T was selected for the Broadwater District Basketball team. (12yrs Boys) Jayden H was selected in the Broadwater District Hockey Team. (12yrs Boys) Alyssandra S was selected for the South Coast Regional Netball Team. (11yrs) Mackenna B was selected for the South Coast Regional Netball Team. (12yrs) Haze was selected in the South Coast Regional Rugby League Team. (11yrs boys) Fitter, Faster, Stronger – Our Fitter, Faster, Stronger program is on 5 mornings a week from 8:00am to 8:45am. Please feel free to join us and our passionate and qualified coaches Ant Drinkwater and Alana George. Students from all grades and parents are welcome to attend. New participants are encouraged. Bring http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 13/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter a change of clothes for the wetter days. Thank you to all parent and teacher volunteers. Your help is greatly appreciated. Mon – Fitter (run Club), Tues – Strength (Circuits), Wed – Faster (Sprint Club), Thurs – Fitter (Run Club), Friday – Faster (Sprint Club). Auskick Please see the attached newsletter for information regarding the after school Auskick program which will commence in term two. MUSIC NEWS The Music Department would like to thank all students and their families for a wonderful beginning to the year. We encourage you to practise as much as possible over the holidays to revise your musical learning from Term 1 and further develop your musical skills for Term 2. Practise is paramount to the success of all ensembles they do say, “practise makes perfect”. Term 2 Events http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 14/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter Week 1 5 Date Event Teachers April Anna 24 ANZAC Ceremony Dart May Fanfare Choral Anna 19 Competitions Dart ANZAC DAY The Senior Choir and Mezzo Choir will be involved in this year’s ANZAC Ceremony. Parents and families are welcome to attend. Please understand that this is a solemn ceremony whereby no performances will receive an applause. FANFARE Senior Choir and Mezzo Choir will be attending the biannual Fanfare competition in 2015, in addition to the Eisteddfods later in the year. They will sing in two different sections, whereby all ensembles are awarded a GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE based only on their musical ability (no comparisons are made to other school’s choirs). More information will be provided next term. Did You Know? Music education prepares students to learn: 1. Enhances fine motor skills 2. Prepares the brain for achievement 3. Fosters superior working memory 4. Cultivates better thinking skills Choral Camp – Thank you from Miss Dart I would like to thank those of you who attended the choral camp and the concert to support our senior choir students. All 98 children worked tirelessly to learn, rehearse and perfect their 9 performance pieces from memory – one song even included Auslan sign language. The sound produced by the group of advanced vocal students from across the region was astounding. It was an incomparable experience for our 10 Ashmore students to participate in. http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 15/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter I was very proud of the accomplishments of our talented, aspiring musicians. I look forward to more exciting and upcoming events with the choir students this year! Choral Camp – Through the Eyes of a Student 23 of March 2015 Dear Diary, Today I got on the bus to Mt Tamborine; I got there at 10:00am. I put my luggage outside and went inside for the overall rules. Then we had to go to the cabin (Number 13) and put our luggage and toiletries in. My cabin mates were Maddison O’C, Lillian W, Brooke P, Chelsea H, Alyssa M-S and I. There was also another Ashmore cabin which had Ashley H, Shana F, Maddison O and Myah W. Then we started our first rehearsal. We were all together practicing ‘Can You Hear me’, ’Hot Chocolate’, ‘Kyrie’, ‘Follow the Drinking Gourd’, ‘When I Close My Eyes’, ‘Breaths’, ‘FAME’,’ Make Them Laugh’ and ‘Nothing Else Matters’. After that, we had another rehearsal with Mrs C that was fully focused on my part (the alto section) while the soprano section worked together in another room. Lillian and I were the only altos from our school. Afterwards we went for an amazing scenic walk. Then we got an hour of shower time and free time. We were all looking great and ready for dinner! We walked into the cafeteria and smelt lasagne and garlic bread. It was so good!! Finally, after the amazing dinner, we had one more rehearsal, before going to bed. 24TH of March Dear Diary, Today we woke up very early (about 5:40am) and quietly had a chat about all the amazing things that we wanted to happen today. After breakfast we went into sections and began our rehearsals, where we learnt all our words off by heart. In those rehearsals, we also did Mrs D choreography to ‘FAME’, ‘Breaths’, and ‘Make Them Laugh’. It was great fun! 25th of March Dear Diary, Today we all got up way later than yesterday! For breakfast this morning we had a cooked breakfast, bacon and eggs! Then we started http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 16/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter sadly packing up our things before going to another lot of rehearsals. Our rehearsals were very good. We ate and after lunch we went to the lookout near the camp. Our Camp Principal for the day was telling us about the history of Mt Tambourine before we headed to Ormeau Woods SHS for the concert. On the bus I was sitting next to Mr W and Miss Dart. When we arrived, I went and got changed for our performance. To make our perfect performance entrance live up to our expectations, we walked in through the audience as we sang ‘Breaths’ in our three parts. It was totally amazing!! Getting on to the rest of our performance, we all sang our parts beautifully and no one messed up the lyrics so that means we had worked as a team. My favourite part of the choral camp was definitely the performance. It was so fun! Seeing my family again for the first time in three days was great. I told them all about the amazing stuff that we did and how much fun we had. By Kaitlyn C FOLLOW US ON TWITTER P & C NEWS ASHMORE KITCHEN GARDEN PROGRAM PARENT VOLUNTEERS: We are delighted http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 17/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter to announce after much planning and training, we are going to begin the Kitchen Garden Program in Term 3. In order to achieve our aim we need people who are able to make a genuine commitment to assisting the Kitchen and Garden classes. You can volunteer in the kitchen or the garden or both. It is highly desirable that volunteers commit to the same class each week and consider volunteering with us for at least one term or semester. It allows your relationship with the children to develop and also makes it easier for you to be comfortable in your environment. It also helps with planning! Volunteers are welcome to stay for the whole day or just for one class. Please read, fill out and submit the attached application form. We’d love to have you on board! PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW P&C MEETING: The next P&C meeting of this year will be held on Monday April 20th at 1.30pm upstairs in the Seminar Room at the Carmichael Centre. We welcome any parents who want to get involved in the school community so if you have any ideas or thoughts that you want to put forward then please come along, your input will be much appreciated. PARENT OPINION ‘NEW ASHMORE TUCKSHOP’ SURVEY: With the advent of the Ashmore Kitchen Garden Program this year, and in the long term interests of our children’s health, we are very interested in offering our children and parents a healthier option for their lunches. To bring in these changes, we will need the support of the whole school community. We invite your opinions and suggestions in the surveys below. They are quite short and will only take you a few moments to fill in. Thank you for your assistance. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8LF9Y3Y Tuckshop Menu Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8LZFSW3 Tuckshop Volunteer Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XMV6QWH Tuckshop Service Survey To coincide with the CROSS COUNTRY, Ashmore State School P&C Association will be conducting a School Run 4 Fun for the students as a major fundraiser for this term so we do ask for your support. The event will take place on 23 April 2015. All monies raised will provide resources for the Kitchen Garden Program for the students. Students have now received a poster size Sponsorship Form with a great selection of toy brands including Nike, Sony, Apple, Disney Frozen, GoPro, Razor, Nerf and more. This form will assist with collecting sponsorship donations on behalf of the school. Inside the Sponsorship Form you will find helpful tips on how to raise more money for the school as well as other benefits such as the chance to win a Bali Family Holiday. http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 18/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter We ask you to seek donations on a $2 or $4 or $5 or $10 per sponsor. Students who raise as little as $10 or more will receive a reward prize for their efforts. The more donations you receive the better prize(s) you can choose. You can even boost your prizes with the option to mix and match. A new way to help your child reach their fundraising goal is through online fundraising. Students who use online fundraising raise 5 times more! Simply go to www.australianfundraising.com.au/online, click onto the School Run 4 Fun image. Once the fundraiser is complete, please cut out the ‘how to claim your prize section’ on the Sponsorship Form and return along with your monies to the tuckshop on or before 30 April. Please be sure to fill out your prize request. The individual prizes will be delivered shortly after. We would also welcome parents and family members to attend the event day to help cheer on the students. Happy fundraising! Thank you in advance of your participation. ASHMORE SS INTERNATIONAL FUN FAIR : We’re looking forward to a great celebration of our school being held on Sat June 20. All funds raised are going towards the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. How can you help? 1. If you can donate a prize for the Cent Auction, contact Tracey Wentworth at [email protected] 2. If you would like to run your own stall, contact Janet MacIntosh at [email protected] or Sarah Pitman at [email protected] 3. If you know of any really good International food stalls, contact Erin McCormack at [email protected] 4. If you would like to assist in any other way, please contact Simone Hellsten at [email protected] Ashmore P&C [email protected] SHOTOKAN KARATE DOJO http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 19/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS Village Family Support Program is running three parent courses in May 2015 for parents of children of various ages. The courses cover strategies and increase confidence of parents in managing children’s challenging behaviour, while teaching children to better manage their emotions and frustrations. Attached is the flyer with details of the programs commencing Friday mornings 1 May or Saturday mornings 2 May 2015, contact Nikki at Studio Village Community Centre, located off Exit 62 for more information or to discuss your needs. Nikki, as Family Support Worker also offers individual support for those who need someone to talk to for information, http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 20/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter advice or referral, including 11 parent courses, call between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday for an appointment: phone 5529 8253, or email [email protected] Below is the link to the flyer on our website, for your information. http://www.studiovillage.com.au/CMS/?Family_Support:Current_Programs http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 21/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter BOTANICAL GARDENS ACTIVITIES Kids in Conservation: ‘Winged Wildlife’ at the Botanic Gardens Learn how to identify some the ‘winged wildlife’ at the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens. Look for special features of birds and insects that help them to survive. Be part of a bird survey at the Botanic Gardens When: Tuesday, 14 April at 9:30am till 11:00am Where: Meet at the Friends Centre, GCRBG, 232 Ashmore Rd, Benowa Who: 8 to 14 year olds Parents/carers welcome Cost: $5.00 per person Bookings essential 0449 561 674 Wear a hat, closed in shoes, sun safe gear and bring a drink bottle! Botanica Quest: Dare to Discover Dare to discover the amazing natural environment at the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens. Pick up a Nature Play Passport and complete your missions! When: Thursday 16 April with 2 sessions: 9:00 10:00am; 10:00 11:00am Where: Friends Centre, GCRBG, 232 Ashmore Rd, Benowa Who: FreeRange Kids aged 4 till 12 with their parents/carers Cost: $5.00 per FR Kid Bookings essential: 0449 561 674 Wear a hat, closed in shoes, sun safe gear and bring a drink bottle! Proudly supported by Friends of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 22/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter Currumburra Road ASHMORE 4214 QLD 07 5656 1330 07 5656 1300 [email protected] http://www.ashmoress.eq.edu.au/ Our Sponsors Please click on any advertisement to email the affiliated business or view further details such as company brochures, flyers or promotions http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 23/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 24/25 06/04/2015 Ashmore State School Newsletter http://publish.newsserv.com.au/epublisher/printfriendly.php?id=214748457363&school=ashmore_ss_stats 25/25