Term 1 - 2023 Week 1 Newsletter

Principal's Message with Mr Ionn

Welcome to the 2023 school year!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back our existing families and extend a very warm welcome to our new Wynnum State School families. I would also like to commend all students and staff for a stellar start to the school year.  It was terrific to see how quickly every class was settled, focused and into learning.  I was truly impressed by how well our Prep students were able to settle into routine – well done to our dedicated staff members and parents for the work done prior to the year to make the start so successful. 

We welcomed our new staff members at Whole School Assembly this week and look forward to our preps joining us for the next one. Whole School Assemblies take place on Wednesdays of 'odd weeks' of the term from 2.00pm, so the Preps will be attending for the first time on Wednesday 8 February. 

"Back to the Future"

Just think, 12 months ago we had a delayed start and I (and many others) remember going through a steep learning curve navigating all interactions with staff and community through online platforms such as Teams. However, just as our community focused on what is our ‘new normal’, so too are we looking forward to bringing some our signature cultural and social conventions. I am pleased to announce:

• the returning of dancing (as an activity) before school, and
• welcoming parents and caregivers in Week 4 to a ‘Meet the Teacher/s’ event (Wednesday 15 February)
• Parent-Teacher interviews in Week 8 (Wednesday 15 March)

These are just a few examples of school practices that I know many members of the community have missed and we look forward to reclaiming our strong connection with students and families.  

Before School Routine

We know students and families enter the school at different times and via different entry points. Getting a good start means being on time at 8:40am for an 8:45am start.  Being present from the very beginning of the day helps students to understand the plan for the day, prepares their mindsets for engaged learning, and enables teachers to accurately mark rolls to determine who has safely arrived at school. 

If students do enter the grounds before the start of the day, the following routine assists in knowing options and the right place to be before the first bell.

• No matter what entry point you use, if entering school before 8:30am, all students need to wait (sitting) quietly in Mega Central.
• At 8:30am, students will be released to their precinct areas. Students wishing to dance (with the emphasis on participation in dance), can remain in Mega Central to be guided by a group of student dance leaders.

Our statement of intent in 2023

In 2023, we will continue to build our professional expertise on gaining academic excellence, wellbeing and engagement, and culture and inclusion as pillars of our commitment to equity and excellence.

In order to Achieve this, in Academic Excellence:

• Embedding Professional Learning Teams
• Continue to implement Academic Case Management
• Implementing an evidence-based approach to reading and writing (P- 2 Sounds Write)

Our P-2 educators had four days of intensive training to ensure our warriors have a great start at school and involves the implementation of a proven systematic synthetic phonics approach based on the science of reading and designed by teachers, for teachers. 

In regards to wellbeing and engagement:

• Implementing enhanced staff and student wellbeing support
• Raising awareness of an evidence-based approach to schoolwide behaviour support (PBL - Positive Behaviour for Learning)
• New forms of communication – Qparents, Facebook – the continuation of parent forums, active feedback and co-constructed work on key issues.

In terms of culture and inclusion:

• Embedding a culturally safe and inclusive ecology to realise student potential
• Embedding Wynnum Bajara

I will be discussing components of this statement of intent in upcoming editions of the newsletter. 

2023 is shaping up to be a great year.

Mark

School Facebook Page

Wynnum SS has launched our own Facebook page! 

It would be benefical if we could get as many of our Wynnum Warrior families as possible onto this online social media and social networking service. We are excited to be able to deliver instant updates and important information about upcoming school events. 

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

P-2 Science & Technology with Mrs Crowe

A very big welcome back for 2023! This year, Prep to Year Two will be learning both Science and Technology in the Junior P-2 Science Lab. Year Three will now move up with the Year Four to Sixes in the Senior Science Lab with Mrs Nikki Brooks.

Our P-2 scientists will be totally immersed in Biological Sciences throughout Term One 2023.

Prep: Growing Well (Needs of Living Things)

Year One: Dinosaurs and More (Characteristics of living things and their suitable habitats)

Year Two: Watch it Grow (Life Cycles)

Our young biologists will Gather data through all Senses as they participate in investigations of the characteristics of living things and their needs for growth.

Life cycles will be actively observed, with Wonderment and Awe, through hands-on investigations of live specimens in the P-2 Science Lab. A Cricket House, Mealworm Discovery Tray, Butterfly Chrysalis and Zebra Finches for all to care for and learn from!

Preps will learn about the needs of a plant through planting seeds, and caring for their plants while observing plant growth. Preps will record plant needs on their own ‘Plant Tag’.

Technology lessons for Semester One will focus on Digital Technologies. (Semester Two is Design Technologies). All P-2 classes will engage in weekly lessons that engage students in the following learning:

Prep: Early coding with Beebots, Osmo, and Ipad programs to support early learning.

Year One and Two: Learning how to use hardware and software. Weekly practice with Laptops programs and Ipad apps that enhance class learning.

I cannot wait to engage the Prep to Two classes in Biological Sciences and Digital Technology in Term One 2023!

Digital Billboards

Message from Brisbane City Council

Over the next school term, Council officers will be conducting patrols around your school to ensure safe parking. Parking fines may be issued in cases where illegal parking is observed.

Introduction from our Guidance Officer

I am Nathaly Manning and I have stepped into the Guidance Officer role for 2023. I am excited to be a part of the Wynnum State School community and look forward to working with students, families and staff. Please feel free to come and introduce yourself when you see me trying to find my way around the school grounds 😊

I trust that you have all enjoyed the holidays and made time to recharge and connect with nature and loved ones. I hope that everyone is settling smoothly into the new school year after the long break and that everyone is working hard and also making new friends and connections within their new classes.

As a Guidance Officer, my role is to provide support and guidance to students as they navigate their academic and personal lives. I am available to meet to discuss academic goals and concerns and to offer support with any personal or social concerns. I also work closely with staff and families to ensure that each student has the support they need to succeed.

If you or your child needs assistance or has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. My contact information is: nmann55@eq.edu.au I encourage you to keep in touch and to schedule an appointment if you would like to meet with me.

Year 3-6 Science with Mrs Brooks

Welcome back for 2023! I have previously taught Year 4 and Year 5 here at Wynnum State School and I am very excited to be taking on the role of Senior Science teacher this year. I have a love for curiosity, exploring and learning and can’t wait to assist our students in being curious scientist this year.

In Term 1 all students from Year 3 – 6 will be immersed in Biological Sciences. Throughout Years Three to Six, we will ask questions, observe and conduct experiments to discover the features of living and non-living things, life cycles of plants and animals, food webs, plant and animal adaptations that assist these living things to survive in their environment and mirco-organisms in food and medicine.

To spark curiosity at the beginning of every lesson, students will be shown an image that has been taken with a microscope. They then discuss and use their prior knowledge to guess what the image might be. Can you guess what this week’s objects were?

Library Matters with Mrs Sutton and the Library Team

Library Matters

We are excited to be back!

All homerooms are scheduled for weekly library borrowing time and your child’s teacher will share this information with you.  Library staff will be informing all students of our expectations in the library during this time.  

Preps, Years 1 & 2 students are required to bring their library bags to transport our precious books to home and back.  Help your child keep their library books in good condition and store away from food and drink especially in their school bags. 

Please learn your child’s library day and encourage them to return the book weekly to loan a new one.

Our fantastic library staff and ICT technicians look forward to the year ahead. 

Just keep reading…

Mrs Sutton and the Library Team

Scholastic Book Club News…

We hope our WSS families take the opportunity to enjoy the great selection of popular titles, amazing value, and engaging content in our new Bigger, and Better Book Club News!  All students will receive a Scholastic brochure to peruse regularly throughout the year.

The library is happy to take book orders with correct money attached...or take the easy opportunity to order on line (see advert above). 

Teaching and Learning with Ms O'Donoghue (Head of Curriculum)

What is Sounds-Write?

Over the four pupil free days, our early years team (Prep to Year 2 teachers,  SEP and literacy support teacher aide, HOD-C) were involved with learning how to implement the synthetic phonics program ‘Sounds-Write’ into their classrooms.

This is an evidence-based program designed to support our current teaching of reading and spelling.  It has an agreed structure and common language that is used with students and allows them the repetition needed to develop their literacy knowledge.

If you would like to know more about Sounds-Write, please visit their website.

https://www.sounds-write.co.uk/what-is-sounds-write/what-is-sounds-write/

Sports Report with Mr Blair (PE Teacher)

Welcome back to what will be another great year for Physical Education and Sport at Wynnum State School. For those families who are new to the school, my name is Haydn Blair and I am the Physical Education specialist teacher. For Term 1, we are commencing swimming in week 2 (30^th Jan). Students are required to bring swimmers, a towel, goggles, a swim cap and a swim bag. Swimming notes were handed out to students this week. Please ensure they are returned to the homeroom teacher as soon as possible. No permission = No swimming.

During swimming, we will be focusing on aquatic safety, sculling, treading water and floating skills, different stroke techniques and entries and exits in different situations. The ultimate goal is to increase the swimming and water safety skills of all students. For the seniors of the school, we will also be performing some survival sequences and learn safety rules for a range of aquatic environments.

Below is a table displaying the days different classes will have swimming.

Bayside District School Trials is happening for some sports in early February. For those families with students who have prior experience playing sport at a representative level- either through school and or through club (must be Division 1 or equivalent), and have demonstrated a high level of performance of a wide range of skills specific to the sport, should be encouraged to apply for the district team. Below is a table where I have extracted the dates for district trials for the different sports. If your student is interested and meets the aforementioned criteria, please ask them to see me so I can nominate them. The front office staff will also help process the forms.

To keep up to date for updates of district school sport please follow the Facebook Page link below.

Bayside District School Sport
https://www.facebook.com/Bayside-District-School-Sport-111228100234264

Go the Brisbane Heat!

Haydn Blair.

P & C News

School Bus Services

Just a 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 

2023 School Term Dates

QSchools App

Don't forget to download the QSchools App to your Iphone or Android device.  The QSchools App is another great way for Wynnum State School families to receive and read our fortnightly school newsletter and also receive important notifications regarding school events.  Simply download to your phone and 'star' Wynnum State School as your 'favourite' school.  

Community News