9 June 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Yours in education,

Leanne Odorico
Principal

Parade Presentation

Over the last two weeks we have had some wonderful music performances from our School Choirs and String Ensembles. After almost 18 months with lots of rehearsals and no live performances it was great to have our students back on stage and performing.

Thanks to Mrs Curcuruto and Mrs Rashada for all the work you do with our students to perform to such a high standard. This Friday the Junior and Senior Bands will be performing on parade.

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 2 WEEK 7

Top Kurwongbah Kid – Term 2 Week 7

Date Claimers

Due Dates for Payments

Mid-Year Night Of Music

Well done to all the students who performed last night at the Mid-Year Night of Music. With no music nights in 2020, it was a great night of entertainment that showcased the hard work of our students and our dedicated music teachers. For many students it was their first time on stage after many rehearsals. Thank you to the parents who ran the canteen and the staff who helped in various ways to ensure the night was such a success.

Thank you to everyone who donated a raffle/lucky door prize. Without a group of supportive parents and staff these music events could not go ahead. Thank you to the parents and friends who came and supported our students.

Attendance Every Day Counts

It is week 8 already and we are in the middle of our assessment and reporting phase of the semester. Attendance at school every day is important but especially when teachers are trying to finalise units of work and assess the semester’s work.

Attending School Every Day Is Important

Continual absences from school limit your child’s ability to perform in comparison to other children who attend regularly.

If a child misses 1 day each fortnight this equals:

• 20 days per year, which is 4 weeks per year, which is nearly 1.5 years of schooling across 13 years of schooling (Prep to Year 12)

Attending school every day is important!

We are currently tracking at 91.6% attendance across the school.

Airconditioning Update

Last week Administration Staff attended a start up meeting with the company who will be installing air-conditioning across all of our classrooms which currently do not have air-conditioning. This week, preliminary work will start with upgrades to electrical switchboards and the laying of concrete slabs for the air-conditioning units. Providing everything goes to plan the first air-conditioner installations will occur from Friday 18th June with work continuing over the school holiday period and into Term 3. During the installation process students and classes will be temporarily relocated to alternate classrooms until the work in each building is completed. This information will be communicated to students, staff and parents as each stage of the work is scheduled. We look forward to having fully air-conditioned classroom across our school before the hot weather commences later in the year.

Free Dress Day

Please be advised our next Free Dress Day will be on Friday 18th June. The theme for the Free Dress is Crazy Sock Day. Students can still wear free dress to complement the crazy sock theme. Students are required to wear sun safe clothes and the school hat should still be worn if playing outside in the sun.

All money collected will go to supporting Chaplaincy Projects in our school.

Colour Run

Our end of Term 2 celebration will be a Colour Run for Years 1-6. Permission forms have been progressively issued to students and are to be returned to the class teacher (not the office). Participation in the Colour Run is not compulsory. If your child is susceptible to respiratory irritation then they should not participate. All students need to wear eye protection of some form. Some examples include sunglasses or swim goggles. Safety Data Sheets are attached for additional details regarding the powders used during this event.

Uploading Media

Please be aware that if you take any photographs or videos of a school activity, they CANNOT be uploaded or shared with others on social media. We do not want to prevent you taking photos or videos of your child, however we need to be mindful of privacy issues and the safety of individuals.

Kurwongbah Kids Playgroup

We welcome parents and their young children to our Kurwongbah Kids Playgroup, held every Friday in the Sports Hall.

Book Fair News

A huge thank you to our school community for supporting our 2021 Book Fair. Sales were amazing! We sold $5400 worth of books and stationery items, which means that you have enabled the library to keep $800 worth of books for students to borrow and a further $1200 worth of rewards for the school. The P&C volunteers were invaluable and without their support this exciting event could not have happened.

2022 Prep Enrolments

We are now taking names of Prep students for 2022. Children who were born between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017 are eligible to commence prep in 2022. Parents are invited to contact the school office (34814333) if they are intending to enrol their child at Kurwongbah for Prep in 2022. Enrolment forms will be sent out in Term 2 and interviews conducted in Term 3. Please contact the school for further information.

Dogs at School

Parents are advised dogs are not permitted on school grounds. We have a number of parents who walk dogs to school with their children. Please consider there are many children and possible adults who are not confident with dogs. If you are not able to control your dog or the dog acts aggressively towards other dogs a child or adult may be harmed. Consider carefully the implications of creating an unsafe situation.

Voluntary Contribution

Voluntary Contribution is a vital part of the Kurwongbah P&C’s commitment and helps to fund reading books, maths & science consumables, art consumables, digital resources, sporting equipment and positive behaviour learning program resources.

You can make a financial contribution to the school by completing the attached form and forwarding with payment to the school office. The contribution equates to $1 per week for the 40 weeks of the school year.

Inclusion News

National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

We are in the midst of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disabilities. Long title I know, but a good chance for the Australian Government to seek a clearer picture of the educational needs of our students. In State Education in Queensland, we have six categories as part of our Educational Adjustment Program that supports schools with staffing for part of their inclusion work. These categories are Intellectual, Physical, Visual and Hearing Disability, Speech Language Impairment and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

If we then look at National and International definitions of ‘Disability’, we see a much larger range - we see presence of disease, absence of organs as well as social emotional categories. The definition for Australia is:

The National Definition of Disability (Disability Discrimination Act – 1992)

Disability, in relation to a person, means:

1. total or partial loss of the person’s bodily or mental functions; or
2. total or partial loss of a part of the body; or
3. the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness; or
4. the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing disease or illness; or
5. the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the person’s body; or
6. a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction; or
7. a disorder, illness or disease that affects a person’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment or that results in disturbed behaviour;
8. and includes a disability that:
9. presently exists; or
10. previously existed but no longer exists; or
11. may exist in the future (including because of a genetic predisposition to that disability); or
12. is imputed to a person.

To avoid doubt, a disability that is otherwise covered by this definition includes behaviour that is a symptom or manifestation of the disability.

This is the definition that the NCCD looks at and has the function for partially informing the Australian Governments support for State Governments support for students. Over the last eight years, schools have increasingly participated in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data. Kurwongbah commenced participation in 2015 and continues to do so.

Please be reassured that the Department will not provide on 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.

While only data that cannot identify your child will be submitted outside of Education Queensland, if you do not wish for your child’s details to be included, please let the principal, Leanne Odorico, know.

Information and fact sheets are available to help you make a decision from the:

• Department’s website: https://education.qld.gov.au/about-us/reporting-data-research/data/disability-data-collection

Alternatively, if you have any queries about the collection or use of this data I encourage you to contact the Head of Inclusive Practice, Cameron Brown, directly. It is also an important recognition here, that Inclusion is for all, and not just Students with Disabilities. Inclusion is about ensuring equitable access for all to education, on the same basis as like peers.

Cameron Brown
Head of Inclusion

Inclusive Practices

People communicate in many different ways, some people use their voice, others use a device or a computer that speaks for them, and some people use sign language to communicate. In our Kurwongbah school community, we have students who use a variety of methods to communicate and it is important that we celebrate this diversity and actively work to engage and learn more about different methods of communication.

Recently some of our Prep students have begun to learn sign language with our visiting school Speech Language Pathologist Kathryn McGrath. We will share these signs and symbols through our newsletter so that our wider community can learn the signs at home too.

Kathryn McGrath
Speech Language Pathologist

STEM & Enrichment Education News

Makerspace Lunchtime Timetable

RoboRave Australia 2021 Competition

On Sunday 30th May, 12 students from Years 4-6 attended the RoboRave Australia competition at Sippy Downs on the Sunshine Coast. Over 250 teams competed from university and high school to primary students in a variety of robotic challenges. Kurwongbah competed in the SumoBot Lego competition, where 2 robots try to push each other out of the ring. 2 Middle school teams (Year 6) and 2 Elementary Teams (Year 4-5) battled their robot in a round robin event with over 50 teams in their division.

The Shredders (Miller, Quillan and Hendrix) made the top 6 in their Middle school division for the play offs and Fearsome Fighters (Connor, Zebulon and Nathan) also made the playoffs for their Elementary division.

Kurwongbah won the RoboRave Champion School (showing the true meaning of RoboRave to work as a team, show sportsmanship and support and encourage others) winning a trophy and a Spike Robot. Thank you to our STEM and Enrichment Teacher Mrs Rowley for assisting the students in their preparation and for the parents and families who attended with their children on the day.

RoboRave

KSS Techgirls

Year 6 students in the KSS Techgirls have been working with their mentor, who is a lecturer in cyber safety and networking in Western Australia, to develop an App to help primary students transition successfully into high school. They are creating this app with mental health and well-being in mind. Students are currently designing their logo and the sections for their App as well as creating a business plan for their entry. They will be learning how to use App inventor to coding and create their App. Well done KSS Techgirls on your efforts so far!

Premier’s 2021 Coding Challenge

The 2021 Premier’s Coding Challenge is on again! This challenge offers great prizes of coding and robotics kits and an excellent opportunity for students to create some interactive and innovative coding to raise awareness of digital wellbeing.

This can include themes such as:

• work and study life balance
• postural considerations of using technology
• personal security and safety online
• adhering to social media ethics and protocols.

Entrants from Year 3 -6 can develop an app, game, animation or website, and they must submit a short video showcase with their entry.

For more information see the teachers in the library or visit the link below for more details.

Entries close on the 17th September 2021.

Music News

Mid Year Night Of Music

Thank you to everyone who came and supported us at the concert last night where the Kurwongbah music students put on a great evening of musical entertainment. A special thanks to the P & C who organised the BBQ and canteen as well as the staff who helped with the door, raffle and supervision.

Senior Concert Band

The Senior Concert Band will perform on parade this Friday, 11 June. Parents and carers are invited to attend parade for that date and remain at the back of the hall. If you are sick or unwell please do not attend. You will need to check in by scanning the QR code which will be located outside the hall.

Choral Fanfare Regional Finals – Performance Group and Middle Singers

The Finals will be held on Wednesday, 16 June at the Caloundra Events Centre commencing at 9.30am. All students will need to arrive at school in full performance uniform at 7.00am. The bus will leave at 7.15am sharp. The activity consent form is due this Friday, 11 June. For the Primary Session there will only be 120 available and everyone will be asked to leave at the end of the session to allow room for the next group of choirs and parents. Tickets are free but need to booked using this link

Physical Education & Sports News

Pentathlon 2021

Our Year 3-6 Pentathlon events are scheduled to take place during Week 9. There has been a change to the dates previously advertised. The new dates are as follows:

• Year 3-4 Pentathlon Monday 14th June
• Year 5-6 Pentathlon Tuesday 15th June

The program for this event is attached below. We encourage full participation in either the Age Championship or House Championship. Parents and family are able to attend this year to watch students as they compete. If entering via the Frenches Road gate then parents are asked to use the QR code to register their details. Another QR code will be positioned at the base of the oval ramp.

Prior to the full day of events we will have our 800m race. This will take place during the last session Friday 11th June. Pre-nominated students are to participate in this event.

School Banking News

School Banking to end Thursday 24 June

With school banking ending on Thursday 24 June, this is also the final day for any reward redemptions. If you do not receive a redemption slip, please write your request on a piece of paper and put it inside the bank book for processing. Please note any rewards ordered on 24 June will be delivered to your child in the first week of Term 3.

If you are unsure of how many reward points your child has, please email kssbanking@gmail.com.

School banking rewards for 2021

The following rewards are currently available for redemption to eligible children:

• Scented Stackable Highlighters
• Icicle Slapband Ruler
• Snowy Origami Set
• Scratch Art Cards
• Water Skimming Bounce Ball
• Polar Pencils & Pencil Toppers
• Terry Denton’s Activity Book
• Treetop Stationery Kit
• Tomato Seed Kit
• Emoji Wallet
• Mini Soccer Ball
• Treetop Handball
• Snakes & Ladders Game

Book Club News

Hi Families!

Just a reminder that Book Club is on Friday 11th June.

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 spend 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

The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school and the books will be delivered to your child’s class. You can place your child’s order at the link below or using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Cash orders can be handed into the library. Simply fill out the order form on the back of the catalogue, place the form and the exact cash amount (no change given) into an envelope or clip seal bag and drop off to the LIBRARY ONLY!

Julie Collins
Book Club Coordinator

YMCA OSHC

Hello families!

We have just published our winter program for the upcoming school holidays and we have plenty of exciting things happening here at YMCA. If you would like a copy of our program or to find out how to enrol, please email us at akb@ymcabrisbane.org and we’d be happy to help.

With the weather cooling down we are finding some children are forgetting to bring their hats to YMCA and are missing out on playing outside at times. Please remember to pack your child a hat every day, even if it is a non-school hat for OSHC.

We’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions, so feel free to email us or drop by the YMCA office for a chat.

The YMCA Kurwongbah Team
Phone: 0448 244 060
Email: akb@ymcabrisbane.org

P&C News

The next P&C meeting will held tonight (Wednesday, June 9th) at 6:30pm. We will be discussing the strategic plan so encourage parents and community members to attend and help guide the direction of the P&C for the coming years.

We were also very excited to share that we have been successful in our application for funding through the Community Gambling Benefit Fund to the sum of $15,929 for the purchase of 17 new laptops! This is such a big win for the children and the school, and we are so happy to have been able to facilitate this.

Fundraising News

P&C Beefy’s Pie Drive

The P&C are currently organising a Pie Drive through Beefy’s. The selection of pies available includes savoury and sweet, meat and vegetarian, family sized and individual, as well as a selection of gluten free. Order forms will be sent home with the eldest child shortly, and we are working to have the option to order available on Qkr! Orders will need to be placed by Friday June 11th, and our expected collection date will be Tuesday June 22nd between 2pm and 6pm from the Tuckshop. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the fundraising team at fundraising@ksspca.qld.edu.au.

Tuckshop News

Tuckshop has now fully transferred over to QKR as its online ordering method. Cut off time for orders is 8am. Please ensure that you check your child’s profile to ensure the correct class is listed. This will ensure your child’s meal is in either the correct esky (for our Junior School) or waiting at the tuckshop for collection (Middle and Senior classes). Please note changes were made to classrooms after launch to match the school class names.

Ice Block Orders

Ordered ice blocks need to be collected from the tuckshop during play time. Please ensure your child is aware that an ice block has been ordered and remind them to come to tuckshop during playtime to collect, ensuring appropriate time for eating is allowed.

Volunteers Required

Tuckshop require volunteers to assist on a Thursday morning and Thursday afternoon. If you have a spare hour, we would love your help. Please contact us with your availability.

Term 2 Meal Deals

• Jaspaa’s Eat Me Box $6.50
  Beef pie, Brownie and Drink
• Lucas’s Energy Meal $6.50
  Sausage Roll, Brownie and Drink
• Makayla’s Softball Meal $6.50
  Cheese Pizza, Brownie and Drink
• Chappy’s Hot Diggety Dog Meal $6.50
  Hotdog, Brownie and Drink
• Waldo’s Pizza Box $7.00
  Ham and Cheese Pizza Slice, Garlic bread and Drink
• Miller’s Baseball Meal $7.00
  Hotdog, Pikelets and Drink
• Zoey’s Mundi Meal Deal $7.00
  Chicken nuggets, Banana Muffin and Drink
• Annie’s Tasty Toastie Pack $6.00
  Ham and Cheese Toastie, Brownie and Drink

Daily Specials

Pizza Wednesday

• Margarita pizza $5.00
• Ham and Pineapple $5.00
• Mega Meat $5.50

Thursday Special

• Aiden & Chelsea’s Roast Chicken Special
  Roast Chicken, Baked potato, Vegies, Gravy and Garlic Bread $5.50

Ordering

The preferred method of ordering is online via the QKR app, as all details of in stock items are available. We also accept over the phone orders and cash orders over the counter.

Cash

Tuckshop is once again accepting cash sales via the bag system and for over the counter items in break times.

Phone Orders

Parents can place a phone order, by phoning the tuckshop directly on 3481 4337 and paying by credit card. Cut off for phone orders is 9:00am.

Online Ordering

Parents can order via the online QKR app. Cut off for online ordering is 8:00am. Please ensure you have your child’s correct class, so your child’s meal is prepared and ready in the correct collection place.

Allergies

We currently cater for many students with allergies. If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact our team and we will be able to give you up to date information regarding our products.

Tuckshop Hours

Sandra and Carol
Tuckshop Convenors |
3481 4337
tuckshop@ksspca.qld.edu.au

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is currently accepting phone orders Monday and Thursday 8.30am – 10.00am or email orders, please include phone number. These will be packed and delivered Mondays and Thursdays.

Parents are welcome to the uniform shop however we still must maintain social distancing with only one family at a time in the shop.

Payment methods accepted Eftpos, credit card, direct deposit, and cash. You can also now order your uniforms online via the Qkr app.

Please see attached order form and price list.

Winter Orders

Our winter Jackets have arrived in Port at Freemantle so we should receive them this week. You can place your order now and pay when it is ready.

We have size 8 and 10 Jackets in stock now. Polar fleece jumpers, vests and long sleeve Jade Polos are available now in all sizes.

Second-hand Uniforms    

Don’t forget that you can sell your second-hand uniforms through the Uniform Shop with 50% from the sale going to the P&C, which is spent providing better facilities for your children.  We have parents waiting for second-hand uniforms.

Ordering Through Uniform Shop   

The following options are available:

1. Email Orders
   Email your order through to uniformshop@ksspca.qld.edu.au. This will be processed next time the Uniform Shop is open.
2. Phone Orders
   You can phone the Uniform Shop during open hours and pay by Credit Card.
3. Qkr! Online Orders
   Download the Qkr! App, or use the web-based version of Qkr at https://qkr-store.qkrschool.com/store

The preferred payment options are by Eftpos either by email order or over the phone by credit card or direct deposit.

Uniform Shop Hours

Delivery days are Monday and Thursday.

Thank you
Kay Mitchell & Kristi Milligan
3481 4323
uniformshop@ksspca.qld.edu.au

Containers for Change

Community News

Murrumba Academy Programs 2022

Be part of Murrumba State Secondary College in 2022 - 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 25, 2021. Enrolment documentation can be found via our College website below or by phoning the College directly on (07) 34 90 3222.

Do you have a child who is interested in one of our Academy Programs?

Murrumba State Secondary College offers a number Academy Programs which are tailored to foster and enrich students’ academic, cultural and sporting abilities with a focus on enhancing specialised skills and capabilities. At Murrumba, we offer 5 Academy Programs in the areas of High Performance Music, Football, Spanish, Dance and Engineering Excellence. Students within our Academy Programs have the unique opportunity to broaden their knowledge and expertise in a chosen field, by studying alongside like-minded peers in an innovative and enriching environment. If this sounds like something your child would be interested in, please indicate this on the Expression of Interest Form when registering your intention to enrol your child in 2022. If you would like to find out more information relating to our Academies, please feel free to contact Head of School, Shannon Carter scart145@eq.edu.au who will be more than happy to assist you with your queries.