10 June 2020

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Yours in education,
Leanne Odorico
Principal

New Students

A special welcome is extended to Jack (MD2), Ben (SD2) and Chelsea (MA1) 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 2 WEEK 6

Top Kurwongbah Kid – Term 2 Week 6

TERM 3 WEEK 7

Top Kurwongbah Kid – Term 2 Week 7

Outstanding Students for Term 1

Each term, teachers nominate an Outstanding Student from their class. The nominee is a student who independently models our school values reflecting pride in themselves, pride in our school and displays care and concern for those around them.

All recipients received their award last week. There will be a special morning tea for all nominees on Friday 26th June.

We would like to acknowledge all our nominated Outstanding Students for Term 1:

Date Claimers

Due Dates for Payments

Payments

Payments are now being accepted for all excursions and music. We are not permitted to proceed with excursions at the moment. Parents will be advised as soon as excursions can proceed again in schools.

Kurwongbah State School Is Cashless

The safety, wellbeing and hygiene of students, parents and staff is a top priority at Kurwongbah State School. Kurwongbah School is now cashless.

This measure will minimise the risk of contamination by transmission when paying with cash.

There are various ways to pay for excursions / activities for your child.

Acceptable methods of payment include:

• BPOINT (preferred method)
• QParents
• EFTPOS

Please contact the School Office if you require any assistance with payments.

Absences

Absence notification process

The preferred method for reporting absences is via our SMS service on 0429 919 560. Your other means of letting us know is via our absence line (3481 4366), by QParents or by the main phone line. Please be sure you indicate the following when reporting the absence:

• Name of child (especially if there is more than one child in your family)
• Absence reason – Please indicate if your child is sick or at an appointment etc. Indicating that your child is not coming to school, does not give a true reason for the absence
• Late Arrival – If your child will be late due to an appointment, please indicate an approximate time of arrival
• Dates of absences, if longer than 1 day

When using our absence line (3481 4366), please speak very clearly. It is a requirement of the Department of Education for all absences to be explained.

Collecting Students for Appointments

Please be aware these are the lunch break times for your children:

• 1st Break : 10.50am – 11.30am
• 2nd Break: 1.30pm - 2.10pm

If you need to collect your child for an appointment, please inform either the office or your teacher as to your approximate arrival time and if necessary we will attempt to have your children waiting for you at the office. We do not have a system where we can contact children or teachers during break times.

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.

Lost Property

Please ensure you name your child’s belongings. We are receiving lots of un-named jumpers and hats at Lost Property and we are unable to return them to their owner. Don’t forget to also rename belongings if you have bought it second-hand.

The Lost Property box is located outside the Admin block. We also keep other pieces of lost property in the office eg glasses, jewellery.

2021 Prep Enrolment

We are now taking names of Prep students for 2021. Children who were born between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016 are eligible to commence prep in 2021. Parents are invited to contact the school office (ph: 3481 4333) if they are intending to enrol their child at Kurwongbah for Prep in 2021. Interviews will be conducted early in Term 3. Please contact the school for further information.

First Aid News

If your child is unwell, it is essential you keep them at home. In accordance with Queensland Health Directions, parents or carers of any child showing signs of illness will be asked to collect them immediately from the school.

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

Chappy News

Hello Kurwongbah!

WOW! What a whirlwind of a Term we have had! In fact, what a whirlwind of a year we have had! I am glad things seem to be moving towards a relatively more “normal” way of life, however I think it is safe to say that we will be all be a little more aware of how quickly life can change and that many of us will be experiencing the impact of COVID-19 for some time to come.

As a Chappy across two school communities, I have spoken to a large number of families who are experiencing challenges in various areas as well as spending a good amount of my working hours with students who have run the gamut of emotions as their little worlds have been turned upside down. Personally, as a Mum to five young lads, I have seen firsthand the impact of job loss and frustration at lack of social engagement and dealt with the emotions of my little lads as they went through the mix of online learning and being at school when I was on site.

Whilst I am certain there are those amongst us who have been able to ride the wave of the last few months successfully, and have been able to find their rhythm again, there may be those who would appreciate a little extra support along the way. To help with that, below are some ideas that may help you get back into your flow sooner. Additionally, if you have ideas that you feel might be of value to the broader school community or there is something you would like to have more support in…please do feel free to contact me and I would be more than happy to chat!

• Don’t try to get everything “back to normal” all at once! Pick a morning or night routine that you want to see flowing and master that before adding anything more to your daily plan. For my family, we make sure our mornings are as calm as possible as this sets us all up for a better and more successful day at school.
• Find some time to maintain good self-care – and add it into your daily practice. This is something we often forget as adults but can make a huge difference to our overall wellbeing. Keep up the exercise you were doing during “lockdown”, remember to enjoy your morning coffee warm, have a favourite show on standby to watch when you need to detune…or even put on some of your favourite music from when you were younger and introduce your kids to the “good stuff”!
• Emotions are still a little raw at the moment and children are especially vulnerable – even if it may not be immediately apparent. Whilst it may test us as parents and caregivers, we would do well to give our kids (and ourselves, let’s be honest!) a little extra grace at this time. I know my youngest is extra fragile right now and so he needs a whole lot more of my gentleness to get him through.
• Minimise social media and news intake as best you can. Right now our world is in a state of chaos and our children are being exposed to more than they ever have before. Be super aware of what you may be exposing yourself and your family to and try to keep the world at bay a little. It is not about being an ostrich and sticking your head in the sand, but it is about being mindful of how much your mind – and the minds of your littles – can process.
• Take advantage of our beautiful winter weather and get out and explore! Even if it is just your own neighbourhood, getting out into the fresh air will dust off the cobwebs and clear the mind.

Have a wonderful week ahead and remember to stay safe and distant!

Chappy Carly

STEM & Enrichment Education News

Kurwongbah’s Makerspace Lunchtime Timetable – Term 2

Coding and Robotics

Junior and Senior students can visit the Makerspace in the Library for coding and robotics. There are some great projects and competitions students can enter. Come and join in the fun at the Makerspace and test your skills!

Moonhack 2020

Congratulations to those students who participated in Moonhack last week. Students were involved in coding using Scratch creating and editing projects of Space Clean Up and Drone Planting. Over 34 000 students participated in the project highlighting digital technology skills, design thinking and coding.

Ipswich Poetry Competition

The Ipswich Poetry Feast is an exciting initiative of Ipswich City Council. The Poetry Feast has flourished since it was introduced in 2002 with the aim of establishing a respected and prestigious national poetry competition to encourage young and aspiring poets and raise community awareness of the creativity and skills in poetry writing. If you would like to enter, you can go online to the link below or pick up an entry form from the Library. This competition is open to all primary students free of charge with a total prize pool of over $6500. Entries must be submitted by Friday 31st July 2020.

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:

School Holiday STEM Camp – STEM Punks

Holiday Fun! STEM Punks offers a range of programs for the holidays with award winning classes led by a team of leading STEM Educators & Innovators.

The program is now open for enrolment with Early-Bird Pricing. See the link below for more information.

Music News

Charges for Singing Groups and Instrumental Music Students in 2020

Invoices were sent home at the end of term 1 for music charges. These charges were amended and had the uniform hire removed for 2020. Due to the current guidelines around banning mass and non-essential gatherings, students would only have limited opportunities to wear the Performance Uniform so we decided not to distribute them this year and waive the uniform fee for 2020. If circumstances change we will advise parents in the future. Payment can be made by cheque (payable to Kurwongbah State School), cash, EFTPOS ($10.00 and over) or by BPOINT (preferred) using the invoice that was email to you.

Instrumental Music

Instrumental lessons and rehearsals are well under way. Please ensure your child has all the equipment required for his/her lesson including a timetable for the remainder of term two.

Below is a list of arrival / start time for the different instrumental groups. All instrumental teachers will be here ready to receive students from 7.30am. Please do not send your child before 7.30am as there is no supervision. Only students participating in these rehearsals are to be on site at 7.30am. Other siblings do not need to be on site prior to 8.30am and parents requiring earlier supervision are advised to contact OSHC to discuss placements for their children.

Junior and Senior Singers

With the large number of students in our choral program there will be staggered year level rehearsals throughout the week during break times. Junior and Senior Singers start rehearsing this week at the following times:

Music Rehearsals

Below is a summary of all the music rehearsals.

Book Club News

Hi Families!

Just a reminder that all BOOK CLUB ORDERS are due next Friday 12th JUNE! Please find attached the Virtual Catalogue for ISSUE 4 below. Only online ordering will be available, NO CASH ORDERS will be accepted.

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 12th June. 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

School banking is still suspended whilst Commbank assess their options to resume. Whilst restrictions are easing, Commbank are aware of differences across schools and states in terms of home schooling and face to face learning, plus schools moving to cash-free environments, and they are looking to find a solution which works for all of us. As soon as more information is available, it will be passed on to our school community.

P&C News

Next P&C Meeting

The next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday 17th June at 6:30pm. The location is yet to be announced.

Tuckshop News

The Tuckshop continues to offer a reduced menu Wednesday to Friday, through the online ordering system QuickCliq or phone orders. There will be no breakfast or over the counter orders offered at this time as we are unable to process cash.

Ordering

Tuckshop is currently only accepting Eftpos and Credit Card payments. There will be no over the counter ordering, unless purchases are made prior online.

Phone Orders

Parents can place a phone order, by phoning the tuckshop directly on 3481 4337 and paying by credit card.

Online Ordering

Parents can order via our online ordering system. Cut off for online ordering is 7:30am.

Tuckshop Hours

Sandra and Carol
Tuckshop Convenors
tuckshop@ksspca.qld.edu.au

Uniform Shop

The Uniform shop will accept phone orders Monday to Thursday, 9:30 to 11:30 am, as well as email orders. These will be processed on Mondays and Thursdays and delivered to your child’s class. Please advise if you are unsure of the sizing and we can have your child visit the uniform shop to be sized. Fittings will occur Monday and Thursday, but staff are unable to help children dress. Payment to be made by credit card. We are not currently accepting cash.

Ordering Through Uniform Shop

The following options are available:

1. Email your order through to uniformshop@ksspca.qld.edu.au . This will be processed next time the Uniform Shop is open.
2. You can phone the Uniform Shop during open hours and pay by Credit Card.

Uniform Shop Hours

Thank you
Kay Mitchell & Carol Woodhouse
uniformshop@ksspca.qld.edu.au

Containers for Change

Community Notices

St Paul’s School Open Morning

We warmly invite you to attend our Year 7 Open Morning on Tuesday 16 June. St Paul’s School fosters students’ grasp of the basics while also growing their capacity to be innovative thinkers with a heart for servant leadership. At our Open Morning, families will have an opportunity to meet the Headmaster, learn about our specialised Year 7 program and see how their child could flourish in Secondary School at St Paul’s.

There are two sessions available: 9.00-9.45am and 10.00-10.45am.

Visit our website to register or phone 3261 1388.

Bray Park SHS – 2021 Enrolment Information

Bray Park State High School are now taking enrolments for 2021. Please find further information attached.

Murrumba State Secondary College in 2021

Be part of Murrumba State Secondary College in 2021 - An engaged community, Learning for Life!

As a first choice education provider, Murrumba State Secondary College offers an innovative, world class-education and is committed to ensuring every young learner develops a sense of belonging and is inspired to shape their preferred future. If you have a child in Year 6 who is planning to join our College next year, please be sure to register your interest prior to June 26, 2020. Enrolment documentation can be found via our College website below or by phoning the College directly on (07) 34 90 3222.

Glasshouse Region Girl Guides

Do you like having fun, having adventures, challenging yourself, developing leadership skills, doing arts & crafts and enjoying the great outdoors but above all having fun with friends in a safe environment? Then Girl Guides is the place for you!

Girl Guides provides a safe and fun environment for all girls, supporting growth and development for all ability levels.

We have units with vacancies for girls aged from 5 years (or prep) through to 17 years old, and if you are over 18 we would love you join us in a leadership or volunteer role. With 4 weeks free trial, it’s never too late to join!

Our new Glasshouse Region has units spread from Lawnton to Caloundra and all the areas in between just waiting to hear from you, so if you are interested or would like more information please contact Glasshouseregion@guidesqld.org for more details.

Keep Creative Moreton Bay School Holiday Program & Young Mic Online

Moreton Bay children and young people are invited to Keep Creative through a number of arts workshops and events that will be happening online and at your place.

Keep Creative Moreton Bay is an initiative of Creative Arts Alliance, supported by Moreton Bay Regional Council and delivered as part of the Regional Arts Services Network - RASN.

Whilst some restrictions are lifting many of our regular programs are still unable to go ahead in person - Keep Creative brings our creative programs to you!

Register your place / Receive a workshop materials kit in the mail / Join our Arts Facilitator online for your workshop.