Term 4 - 2024 Week 7 Newsletter

Principal's Message with Mr Ionn

Finishing Strong

The final stretch of the school year can be both exciting and challenging, as students wrap up learning, and say goodbye to their current year level, especially for our Year 6 students. I encourage everyone to stay focused and maintain a positive attitude as we head toward the finish line. Together, let’s finish the last four weeks with a sense of accomplishment and pride in everything we’ve achieved. Let’s finish strong!

At this time of the semester, teachers have been in the depths of summative assessment. I often refer to this time for our warriors as when the ‘rubber hits the road’. This is when students are working hard to demonstrate their progress and achievement against the learning areas of the Australian Curriculum.

Sounds of Spring

It was a pleasure to attend our 2024 Sounds in Spring concert, the annual event showcasing the musical talents of our choirs and bands under the guidance of our Instrumental Music and Performing Arts teachers. The notion of the show must go on was put to the test, as performers navigated through an evening storm – but all came through with great aplomb.

Farewelling Leesa Scott

Wynnum State School farewelled our friend and colleague Leesa Scott at her service on Monday.

A large number of staff attended in person or viewed the service from the live stream at the school. This was only achieved by the great support from Wynnum State High School providing teachers and other members of our cluster group in support. I also wanted to give a shout out to Mrs Leanne Ryan for looking after the front counter to ensure all our admin staff could attend. She did this on her day off from her usual admin duties at Lota State School.

Leesa will be sorely missed in our team and will always be in our hearts.

School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI)

Families with school-aged children who do not have current internet access at home, may be eligible for the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI). To ensure all students have equal opportunity for online learning, the SSBI offers eligible families free NBN broadband access. For more information or to check your eligibility, call the National Referral Centre (Monday to Friday) 1800 954 610 or visit the SSBI website.

2025 Enrolment Confirmation

Enrolment numbers determine school funding, including how many teachers we have. This is why it is imperative that if your child/children are NOT going to be attending WSS in 2025, please notify the front office ASAP. Also, if you have a Preppie for next year, please let us know, so the enrolment process can be completed, and your little Wynnum Warrior can come along to the Prep Transition Sessions and Meet the Teacher sessions!

Save the Date!

Please refer to the Term 4 calendar below. Please note that some events may be subject to change. We recommend regularly checking our newsletters and Facebook updates for any revisions.

P-2 Science with Mrs Crowe

Year Two physicists tested how the ‘pull’ force of gravity works against the ‘push’ force of air resistance. Each scientist tested their own paper helicopters (long blade and short blade) many times. Plastic ‘spinners’ and’ parachute men’ were also investigated to fully observe and compare physical movement and the forces involved in flight.

Some of our enthusiastic scientists were even able to gain extra height, observing gravity working against friction and air resistance in spectacular ways! Enjoy the action photos below!

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Guidance Officer Message with Nathaly Manning

Dear Parents and Community,

As social media continues to be a significant part of our children’s lives, it brings both opportunities and challenges that can impact their well-being and safety. At school, we educate our students on safe online practices, but it’s crucial for parents to be engaged as well to protect their children from potential risks such as cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content.

Social Media and Cyberbullying

Many young people face social pressures and conflicts online, sometimes resulting in cyberbullying. This can lead to emotional distress, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Remember that a child’s brain, especially in the teenage years, is still developing, and they may need guidance to make safe, responsible decisions online.

Understanding Online Risks

While the internet is a valuable tool, it’s also essential to be aware of the potential risks. Children can accidentally or unknowingly access harmful content or engage in risky behaviour without fully understanding the consequences. This can affect not only their mental health but can also have lasting effects on our community.

How Parents Can Help

As parents and guardians, monitoring your child’s online activities is a practical and essential way to keep them safe. Here are some proactive steps you can take:

1. Open Communication: Have regular discussions with your child about their social media use and the impact of their online actions. Share the importance of treating others respectfully and kindly, online as well as offline.
2. Set Boundaries: Set age-appropriate boundaries for social media usage, including guidelines on what platforms are acceptable, screen time limits, and online behaviour expectations.
3. Know Their Contacts: Be aware of who they interact with online and encourage them to only connect with people they know in real life.
4. Checking In: Take a moment to check how your child is coping with the content they encounter online. Open conversations and mindful monitoring go a long way in helping them feel secure, supported, and resilient.

Resources and Support

For further resources on online safety, please visit eSafety Commissioner ( https://www.esafety.gov.au/ ) for information on protecting young people online. If your child or family needs support, below are some services to keep in your contact list should you need support at home:

• Police / Ambulance – 000 (emergency)
• Lifeline provides 24hr telephone counselling for people in crisis or emotional distress on 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline is a free 24hr counselling service for Australian kids and young people 1800 55 1800
• Parentline provides confidential counselling for parents, from 8am-10pm, 7 days a week 1300 301 300

For parents looking for additional tools to support their children’s mental well-being, Smiling Mind can be a valuable resource. This free mindfulness app provides guided meditations that help children and teens build resilience, improve focus, and navigate challenging emotions. It is also a positive way to counteract the mental effects of cyberbullying and online stress. Visit Smiling Mind (https://www.smilingmind.com.au/ ) for more information and to download the app.

Students are also encouraged to speak to their classroom teacher, who can also refer them to the wellbeing teacher for additional support if required. Working together, we can create a safer online environment for our students and community.

Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe online.

Have a wonderful fortnight.

Nathaly

Student News

GIVE BACK, GIVE GOLD, GIVE GRATITUDE

Go ’Free Dress Day’

Hello Wynnum Warriors

Time has flown by so fast, we can’t believe that it is already nearly the end of Term 4!

The Student Council have been involved in many Events this year: including Free Dress Free Play, Prep 100 Days of School, Team Australia Olympics, Pyjama Day (proceeds to Pyjama Day Foundation), Wynnum Idol VIP raffle, Day for Daniel (proceeds to Daniel Morcombe Foundation), as well as assisting the P&C with the Mother/Father’s Day stalls and Winter Disco, receiving 10% of their profits.

Student Council have raised a total of $2822, to date.

It has come to our attention, that on Monday, 2 December …. will be our very last Student Council fundraiser for 2024.  GIVE BACK DAY!  For a gold coin donation, students are invited to come to school in their sun safe free dress.

There will also be a special surprise for students in the Auditorium.

Jessica & Emma

P&C News

P&C News Colour Run 2024 .... And the winners are: Thank you to ALL our Wynnum Warriors who enthusiastically supported our 2024 P&C Colour Run. A massive $26,163 was raised (gross total). This was only possible because of our dedicated community working together. 

Winners of our PRIZE draw are: Ava PRBH, Charlie PRBH, Isiah PRRM Lucinda 1LHTom 2SC, Stirling 2TF, Benjamin 2WA, Alice 2HAKeith 3BL, Lara 3SS, Ollie 4KS, Olive 4KS, Harley 4KS, Ashlynn 4AW, Thea 4AW

Winners of our MEGA PRIZE draw winning a Tangalooma Prize Package or a family ARRO Jet BOAT package are: Ollie 1CLLachlan PRMH Indigo 3MA *winners have been notified and the exact prizes they have won via email used to create the online profile. 

Congratulations to our TOP 3 FUNDRAISING CLASSES!

Prep RM won a Pizza Party, Prep MH won a cookie party and Prep BH won a Zooper Dooper party.

Colour Run Volunteers A huge thank you to all of our volunteers for their incredible hard work and dedication! We know how challenging it is to find time to volunteer in the middle of modern life’s busy demands, and your commitment truly means the world. We’re also deeply grateful to everyone who encouraged us along the way—whether by cheering us on, offering a helping hand, or simply spreading the word. Every act of support, big or small, helped make this event possible, and we couldn’t have done it without each one of you. Your encouragement keeps us inspired, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on the event! Please share your feedback to our email: wynnumss.pandc@gmail.com so we can keep making each gathering even better. Together, we continue to build a stronger community. Thank you for being a part of it!

Adventure Play at Wynnum State School!

We are so incredibly fortunate to have the support of Outsiders: Play Advocates and Parent/Vice President Angus Gorrie leading the "Big Launch" for the Wynnum State School Adventure Play space! 16 classes, their teachers and teacher aides explored the space today and played hard! We look forward to seeing the other half of the school explore tomorrow before it is open as a staple offering! Thank you to our community who supported the Adventure Play Parent info sessions earlier in the year, and those who have donated time and items to the space.

Uniform Shop Extended Hours

The uniform shop will be open for extra hours Tuesday 26th and Thursday 28th November 8am - 9am and 2:30 - 3:30pm both days. 
The January hours are still to be confirmed on the days 22nd, 23rd and 28th. Pick up optionsWe offer flexible pick up arrangements when ordering through Munch Monitors. Please select your preferred pickup location whether Mega-Bite Cafeteria any morning of the week or PCYC any afternoon. Orders are filled each Tuesday and Thursday and delivered to the chosen location. Any questions please email wynnnumss.pandc@gmail.com

Final General Meeting

We invite all to join our last P&C general meeting of the year to celebrate all we as a community have achieved in 2024. Thursday 21st November, 6:30pm at Wynnum Bowls Club. The club have donated the outdoor BBQ area for us to enjoy and refreshments will be available for purchase. 

Employment Opportunity

Are you ready to lead with passion in a dynamic and welcoming community? Wynnum State School P&C is seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Retail Manager to oversee our Mega-Bite Cafeteria and Uniform Shop. If you have experience and a commitment to excellence, we would love to hear from you. Please see the attached advertisement. All applications are received in confidence and handled with care. 

2025 Student Book packs!

Online ordering is now open for the 2025 Student Book packs.

www.kookaburra.com.au/login

Username: WYNNU006

Password: student5

Celebration Ceremony Invitation

2025 Prep Enrolments Now Open

School Facebook Page

Please visit the page via this link https://www.facebook.com/WynnumStateSchool  and click Like!

Qparents

Have you downloaded the Qparents app?

QParents is a secure, online portal that has been created to provide parents/carers of Queensland state school students with 24-hour access to their child's information.

Qparents allows you to securely access information about your child and communicate directly with your child's school.

Features of Qparents:

• attendance details
• report cards
• invoices
• payment history
• excursion permissions

Currently we have roughly 80 percent of parents/carers on Qparents. If you haven’t already made an account with Qparents, new invitation codes have just been emailed home.

Any further questions please contact the school office.

Absentee Line

To notify the school of your child's absence, please text your child's name and reason for absence to 0429 467 361.

2024 School Term Dates

School Bus Services

Reminder that we have a bus service that runs from Wynnum State School. Below is a link to both services.

https://jp.translink.com.au/plan-your-journey/timetables/bus/T/815

https://jp.translink.com.au/plan-your-journey/timetables/bus/t/819/outbound/2022-05-31

A Go Card will need to be purchased to be able to utilise this Translink bus service. The following link lists retail outlets of where to purchase a Go card https://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/go-card/locations 

Community News