29 April 2020

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

New Students

A special welcome is extended to Mila (SD2) who joined the Kurwongbah School community recently. We hope you enjoy your time at Kurwongbah and we look forward to parent support with P&C and class activities.

Student of the Week

Top Kurwongbah Kids

Congratulations to the following students who have recently received Top Kurwongbah Kids Awards by showing our School Values:

TERM 1 WEEK 8

TERM 1 WEEK 9

Date Claimers

Contact Details

It is important that the school have the correct contact details. If you have changed your mobile phone number, address or email address, could you please complete the attached form and forward to the office. Please be also aware if you have a change in emergency contacts.

First Aid News

To reduce the potential spread of viruses and germs at Kurwongbah State School, we request that you do not send any students to school displaying a fever or cold/flu like symptoms. Students will be sent home should they display a fever or cold/flu symptoms.

First Aid Room
firstaid@kurwongbahss.eq.edu.au

Chappy News

Put YOUR mask on FIRST!!!

When issuing the safety instructions on an airplane, the flight attendant will instruct you to “put your oxygen mask on first”, before helping others. This can strike some as selfish, especially those of us who are parents as our normal instinctive response is to put our child’s safety before ours. However there is a very real – and life-saving – reason for this instruction and it’s very simple – no oxygen mask, no ability to breathe. Essentially, if you want to help others, you need to ensure you are helping yourself to breathe first. Only then will you have ability to stay focused and alert, assisting those around you.

Whilst it may not be as imminently catastrophic as an airplane disaster, the current life situation we find ourselves in requires a similar response. Simply put, we need to be making sure we have our “oxygen mask” on first, before we can be effective in supporting others through this time. For all of us, our masks come in different shapes and sizes, but they all have the same purpose at heart – provide you with what you need physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, so that you can provide that for others. Or simply, take care of you and you can then take care of others.

Some of us are already really well versed in the art of self-care and we know that we must practice it daily to stay on top of things. It isn’t about being selfish, and focusing just on yourself, but it is about looking after you and making sure that you are getting what you need to maintain wellbeing. Some of us, however, are not doing so great at taking care of our needs and we wrestle with the idea of “taking time out for me” because it just feels plain wrong. Our kids need us, our partner needs us, our work needs us, our parents need us, our dog needs us…the list goes on and we just don’t have time to stop for our own selfish needs – the world is going through a crisis you know!

The thing is though…that right now is exactly the time when it is most important that you are giving yourself permission to take care of you. Without caring for your needs, you will find yourself depleted, empty, stressed, frustrated, irritated with those around you, eating unending blocks of Lindt chocolate, binge-watching bad Netflix dramas, playing endless meaningless iPad games and living in your pj’s for days. Ok, that may just be me, but I am sure you each have ways that you can identify when your internal resources are getting dangerously low.

It may be that you are doing well and your mask is on, but if it’s not, if you don’t even know where it may be, perhaps some of these tips might help you to find it:

• Take some time away from the screens and go “cloud watching” – lie on your back outside, relax and watch the sky. Take the kids as well – they will love to find all sorts of weird and wonderful pictures in the sky!
• Goof around in the car on the trip to school (if you are an essential worker!) – play a song really loudly and sing in your worst voice. Younger kids will love the silliness, older ones will groan at how lame you are, but when your littles see you laughing and being silly, they (and you) will feel a whole lighter and the world will seem to be a happier place.
• Take a nap! Even a 15 minute power nap can do wonders for your soul. If you have kids at home, just tell them as soon as you wake up you are all cleaning the toilets and bathroom – they’ll leave you alone for HOURS!
• Write out your thoughts – especially the really blah ones that are weighing you down – and then throw the paper away. Sometimes the action of binning the paper can release the negativity and release peace to your mind.
• Have a good stretch – release all the tension in your body and stretch it out. Sometimes doing this in water can be even more life-giving – if you have a good bath or a pool, have a go. You would be amazed how that can reinvigorate the inner you.

It doesn’t take much but it can have an amazing impact. Try finding your “mask” today. It could mean the world of difference to how you get through this season we are in.

We are all moving through this time together and we have all had to find a “new normal”. If you or your little ones are finding things a little more challenging, please don’t hesitate to reach out for support. As your school Chaplain, I am available Wednesday and Friday’s at school, or I can be reached on email at carlye@chappy.org.au.

Take care of yourself and your family and let’s make this season one where we can thrive!

Chappy Carly

STEM & Enrichment Education News

Kurwongbah’s Makerspace

Makerspaces inspire creativity, problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking. Creating a simple version of a Makerspace at home is easy with some basic items you might already have.

Here are just some ideas to start the process – provide building sets like Lego, Duplo or K’Nex, play dough, boxes, cartons, paper towel rolls and any other craft items, a variety of paper types, fabrics, threads and ribbons, timber dowels, straws, alfoil, felt pens, tape, scissors and crayons. Add in technology like a tablet or iPad, robotics or a Makey, Makey and students can make their own movies, commercials or gadgets.

For more ideas and information see –

• http://makerspacesaustralia.weebly.com/what-is-a-makerspace.html
• https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/families/advice/set-up-a-makerspace

Enrichment and Extension Support for Online Learning

Currently, enrichment and extension for Mathematics for Year 3-6 are sent through to class teachers and where applicable entered into the power points that students are accessing for online learning each week.

Year 6 students, who are participating in, ‘The Hermitage Science Plant Competition,’ will be still completing this task by June and further information about creating their entry will be sent to students in the next few weeks via email and class Dojo.

Solid Pathways Update

Solid Pathways are re-starting sessions at home from Week 3 for students enrolled in the STEM program already. Students will be using the virtual reality platform called, ‘iSee.’ to access learning. A timetable of sessions has been sent via email to Parents. Please contact Mrs Rowley for more information if you need.

Premier’s 2020 Coding Challenge

The 2020 Premier’s Coding Challenge is on again! This challenge offers great prizes and an excellent opportunity for students to create some interactive and innovative coding to raise awareness of cyber safety and help Queenslanders by providing tips to improve their cybersecurity. Entrants from Year 3- 6 can develop an app, game or animation, and they must submit a short video showcase with their entry. For more information visit the website below,

Scratch and Scratch Jnr

Enhance your child’s computational thinking and creativity using the program Scratch. Scratch is an online community where children can program and share interactive media such as stories, games and animations. Scratch uses code blocks and children learn to think creatively, reason systematically and practice the four parts to computational thinking. (Decomposition, pattern matching, abstraction and algorithms)

The ScratchJr app is for children, aged 5-7 and students can program their own interactive stories and games on a tablet. They learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer enhancing their computational thinking and developing digital technology skills. See the links below for more information:

• https://scratch.mit.edu/
• https://www.scratchjr.org/

Year 5 Robotics Enrichment

The Year 5 Enrichment group participated in a STEAM activity last term creating an Animal Robot to interact in a created fantasy environment. Students worked in teams to create pathways, bridges, waterfalls and rapids, volcanic tree forests and a cave home for their animal robot to interact in. Students used NXT robots and started to create a program code for their robot to navigate through the course. Students will have the opportunity to complete the activity in the Makerspace during breaks when they return to school.

Makerspace Term 1

Senior students created robots for the Sumo Robot challenge and used the holographic Merge Cube to investigate the Solar System using virtual reality. Ozobots were also popular as well as designing and creating using Makerspace items.

Book Club News

Hi Families!

I hope everyone is doing well under the circumstances. Book Club Issue 3 is still going ahead but only online orders will be accepted - no cash orders.

When orders arrive, I will organise a day where we will set up a drive thru pick up system to collect books out the front of the school. We will let you know a date and time soon. Happy Ordering!

How Book Club Helps Your Child’s School

Every time you place a Scholastic order, your School is being rewarded! For example, for every Book Club order you place, Scholastic receives 20% of your total order spent to your school as Scholastic Rewards. This allows the school to purchase books and resources for your child’s classroom and the library, helping students reach their highest potential.

How To Order

Order online via LOOP. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Loop orders are due by Friday 8th May. You can place your child’s order at the LOOP website or by using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Julie Collins
Book Club Coordinator

School Banking News

A message from Commonwealth Bank

The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the School Banking program will remain on hold. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed with any updates including how we will be managing Dollarmite rewards for students.

In the meantime, here are some handy online resources for parents who wish to maintain momentum with their child’s financial education:

• Start Smart: these resources have been created to improve children’s money management skills, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer Financial Literacy Framework.
• The Beanstalk: offers videos and fun activities for children to learn about money.

P&C News

Tuckshop & Uniform Shop

Due to the current situation surrounding the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, the Tuckshop and Uniform Shop will remain closed until further notice.

The Kurwongbah State School P&C Association, have made this decision in line with the Queensland Education Department recommendations that only essential staff be on site, and the decrease in demand from the community for these services.

The Kurwongbah State School P&C Association, remain committed to providing services and support to the Kurwongbah State School community in the future. Parents will be advised when services are recommencing in Term 2. We thank all parents for their support for the P&C during Term 1.

Containers for Change