Term 2 - 2023 Week 7 Newsletter
- Principal's Message with Mr Ionn
- SAVE THE DATE!
- Prep - Year 3 Celebrations of Learning
- Wellbeing Connection Afternoon program 2023 (Previously named E & E)
- Teaching and Learning with Ms O'Donoghue (Head of Curriculum)
- Library Matters with Mrs Sutton and the Library Team
- Lost Property
- P-2 Science & Technology with Mrs Crowe
- Year 5 Overboard & Underwater Excursion
- Student Council Pyjama Day (23/06)
- P&C News
- School Facebook Page
- Absentee Line
- 2023 School Term Dates
- School Bus Services
- Registrations for Sharks Camp 2023 - July are now officially open!
- Community News
Principal's Message with Mr Ionn
PBL Results
As discussed last fortnight, I am happy to share the results our community input response to our strategy of Wynnum State School becoming a Positive Behaviour for Learning or PBL school.
I have already shared the overwhelming support from all staff at 98%. The community survey returned a full 100% support. Thank you for your voice and input. We will now begin the process of creating a school-based PBL team, starting with nominations from staff members, including an internal PBL Coach in order to forward with the submission.
National Reconciliation Week – 27 May-3 June
The theme for National Reconciliation Week in 2023 is ‘Be a voice for generations.’
Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, to build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.
We have many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at our school. Our Wynnum Bajara is an important reference group to ensure we embed reconciliation into our delivery of our learning across the school.
Parent and Community Code of Conduct
Parents and other visitors are reminded that schools are safe places and that there is a state-wide code to ensure communications and conduct at the school and during school activities is respectful.
Approaching other students in the school grounds to discuss concerns with them is not appropriate in any school. Please refer to the Parent and Community Code of Conduct and request a meeting to discuss any concerns about your child’s education – allowing staff time to prepare and appreciating our time may be limited.
Winter Health Issues in Schools
Influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial viruses, can result in significant disruption to schools. There are things you can do to help protect yourself and your children:
- Get vaccinated is the most effective way to prevent children and adults from getting flu, becoming seriously ill with flu or passing it on to others.
- Stay at home when sick – see the Timeout brochure
- Practice good hand hygiene wash hands regularly with soap and water or use alcohol-based cleanser
- Practice good respiratory hygiene cough or sneeze into a tissue or your arm, throw tissues away and clean hands
- Clean surfaces regularly
- Ensure good ventilation.
SAVE THE DATE!
Prep - Year 3 Celebrations of Learning
We know you have been saving the date of Thursday 22 June as the special day for family members to come to school and enjoy seeing each class from Prep to Year 3 share some of their Semester One learning. During each year level Celebration, there will also be recognition of those students who have received a Habit of Mind award this semester. The Celebrations will be held on the MEGA main stage and we hope to see you there!
Celebration Times
9.10-10.00am - Year 2 Celebration
10.00-10.35am - Prep Celebration
11.20-11.50am - Year 1 Celebration
11.50-12.45pm - Year 3 Celebration
Wellbeing Connection Afternoon program 2023 (Previously named E & E)
Currently, planning is in progress for the courses/experiences/activities that will be offered for students in Years 4 – 6 for 2023. The program is scheduled to commence on Friday 11 August (Week 5 Term 3). It will run for a period of five Friday afternoons up to Friday 15 September (Week 10, Term 3) due to the student free day on Friday September 1.
The Wellbeing Connection Afternoon process, for students, is a learning experience in itself – one of listening, decision making, communicating, negotiating, problem solving and completing forms.
Monday 12 June (Week 9, Term 2): Students will view Proposed Activity videos in Homerooms. They will be informed of the need to discuss and negotiate the options they are interested in with their parents. An email will be sent to parents re selection process with the Wellbeing Connection Afternoon proposed activities list attached.
This wellbeing connection afternoon project is designed not only for students to participate in the learning experiences/courses, but to be an active participant in the decision making process from preference selection to final choice, including any problem solving throughout the entire project.
Tuesday 12 June (Week 9, Term 2): Homeroom teachers will revisit the Proposed Activities and answer/clarify any questions.
Monday 19- Friday 23 June (Week 10, Term 2): Preference excel document will be completed by students and teachers in Homerooms (three activities in order of preference).
Monday 17 July (Week 2, Term 3): Students will view Activity Rolls. Information will be placed on Q Parents or hard copies can be collected from the office.
Friday 4 August (Week 3, Term 3): This is the final date for permission to be completed on Q Parents.
This unique program is a great favourite with our students. We thank you in advance for your support of this process of student selection, prompt return of permission via Q Parents and making sure all monies are paid on time.
Teaching and Learning with Ms O'Donoghue (Head of Curriculum)
What have the Preps been up to?
Students in Prep have been engaging with the Sounds-Write program since the beginning of the year. Sounds-Write brings to life the evidence from the Science of Reading and helps students to link the reading of sounds to the writing of sounds.
In Semester One, Preps concentrate on navigating a variety of books. For instance, where a sentence begins and ends, that there are spaces between words and finding the sounds within short words. They listen to stories, talk about stories, think about what they like or don’t like in stories and orally retell a story they have heard.
When our students begin to write longer texts, the teacher models how to do this and shares texts such as fairy tales so students can innovate on stories using their own ideas. We wanted to share the excitement we experience when we watch our students begin their writing experiences.
Library Matters with Mrs Sutton and the Library Team
Well, if sloths had to go to school, they would certainly never make it on time. Living in treetops in Central and South American tropical forests, can you believe these lethargic animals spend much of their lives in the canopy, snoozing for up to 20 hours a day?
Fortunately, our Wynnum Warriors were able to drag themselves out of their warm beds last Wednesday for some slothful fun to celebrate the National Simultaneous reading of the story, The Speedy Sloth.
Just after morning tea our students settled in, along with another two and half million students, to hear the author Rebecca Young, read her book from Taronga Park Zoo. 
Our Student Council declared the day to be a free, lazy and slothful dress day for all, so who could not resist throwing on their trackie, oodie, pj’s or like Mr Ionn, wear his flanno for the day.
The library was the place to be at both breaks with many activities on offer. The student council members, along with Mrs McGowan and the Library team, enjoyed the stream of students immersed in making and creating all things ‘slothful!’ Do check out some snaps from the day and some very creative paintings from our Preps to Year 2 students.
Gold coin donations have been counted up and…a stunning $700 was raised for the day. $500 has been generously donated by the student council for library resourcing. We are most grateful, thank you.
Readers’ Cup Challenge update…
Our Year 6 team, Somhairle, Pepper, Ainsley, Harrison and Rowan are in the final days of preparing for this team event on Monday 5th June at Manly SS. We wish our warriors well and look forward to sharing news of their experience next newsletter.
Just keep reading…
Mrs Sutton and the Library Team
Lost Property
At Wynnum SS we aim to minimise property losses and to return misplaced items to their rightful owners as efficiently as possible. There is a central collection point for lost property located in MEGA Central, where children and adults can look for missing items. Parents and students will be regularly encouraged through school newsletters and Facebook reminders to name and label all personal items including clothing, books and stationery. We ask that misplaced or lost items are brought to the lost property stand as soon as possible.
- Parents or students seeking lost items should check the lost property to claim items.
- Unclaimed but named items will be returned to their rightful owners every week after each clean-up of the lost property (distributed to class pigeon holes).
- Unclaimed and unnamed items will be displayed outside the Auditorium at the end of each term.
- Other unclaimed items will be disposed of appropriately by donating them to charity (e.g., St Vincent de Paul/ Salvos) at the end of each term.
P-2 Science & Technology with Mrs Crowe
WORLD BEE DAY at WSS was an absolutely wonderful celebration of the spirit of our young Wynnum Warriors, displaying their deep interest in scientific investigation and their love of BEES!
Our P-2 Science Lab BUZZED all day with true Wonderment and Awe, as early year classes explored the myriad of hands-on experiences, to learn about both Australian native bees and European honey bees!
Continuous Questioning and Problem Posing and Gathering Data through all Senses occurred at every BEE station. Our Preps (in their gorgeous hand-made bee hats) to Year Two entomologists tasted a range of honey from the local area, observed authentic native bee equipment, investigated First Nations people’s ways of finding and using ‘Sugarbag’ honey and engaged in Bee related educational puzzles, games, books and coding with Bee bots. Interested students from Years 3-6 visited during the breaks to enjoy learning more about the importance of Bees for our survival. Enjoy these photos!
What is a mixture? Year 2 have been investigating solids and liquids as they combine in different ways to make a mixture. To demonstrate their understanding, all Year 2 chemists created a page detailing their chosen mixture, it’s substances or components and its purpose. The individual pages were then collated into a class book “Mixed Up Mixtures” to keep in each home room for reading extension. Look how proud the class representatives are to receive their class book of “Mixed Up Mixtures”!
I will be on leave from week seven until the end of Term 2. Ms Lauren Urquhart will be teaching P-2 Science/Technology. Lauren will complete the final investigations for Chemical Science for Term Two.
This will be the final newsletter article for P-2 Science this term. In Term Three we begin investigating Earth and Space Science. Design Technologies will be the focus for Semester Two for all P-2 classes.
Year 5 Overboard & Underwater Excursion
Environmental scientists ahoy! What better way to learn about our stunning Moreton Bay than venturing aboard MBEEC’s vessel Inspiration, to participate in the ‘Overboard and Underwater Program’. Year 5 students observed how the physical environment impacts living things, collected data to explain human impact and considered how this information could be used to inform environmental management practices.
The plankton trawl from the stern of the vessel revealed both the microscopic organisms of the marine world and microplastics. The onboard microscopes and iPads were used to identify the plankton species from the trawl. Mapping the land use and drainage system around the foreshore area, students observed the potential sources of marine pollution. Using the Tangaroa Blue Rubbish Audit, students recorded their findings for submission to the Foundation as part of the ongoing data collection from this area.
We are all realising the impact that plastic pollution is having on our marine environments. Explore this site at home to see the journey plastic has from our local area into the ocean gyres.
Student Council Pyjama Day (23/06)
Please help us reach our fundraising goal today so more kids in care can receive the support they desperately need.
Kids in care often bounce from home to home and to different schools which adversely affects their ability to learn and thrive. Without support, poor educational outcomes can lead to disengagement in school, mental health issues, unemployment in the future and poor life choices.
By donating to our fundraiser, you will help to change the life trajectory of a child.
Together, we can help to break the cycle of disadvantage experienced by kids in care through continuous stable support and nurturing relationships.
Money raised through this fundraiser will allow community mentors called “Pyjama Angels” to be recruited, screened, trained, and then matched with a child in care.
Together they read books, play educational games, do home-work and so much more. Most importantly, they empower children with learning, life skills and confidence to reach their full potential.
So this Pyjama Day June 23, we will be wearing our PJ’s and raising funds to support kids in care. You can play a part too, by donating today. Every bit counts!
Thank you for supporting our Pyjama Day fundraiser.
https://fundraise.thepyjamafoundation.com/fundraisers/wynnumstateschool
P&C News
Get ready for the WSS trivia night!
The P&C are hosting a school trivia night Saturday 10 June so gather a table and throw open your costume cupboard. It’s a fun, relaxed way to meet other parents and raise funds for the school at the same time.
The theme this year is ‘Around the World’ and you’re invited to decorate your table - there will be awards for best-dressed table!
Tickets will be available from Munch Monitors from 23 May. Book a table of 8 by 30 May for the special price of $120 - afterwards a table costs $150. Single tickets $20 (and we’ll find you a table!).
Drinks available for purchase on the night and platters available for pre purchase with your tickets. We’ve already received incredible prizes for the cent auction!
Note. This is an adults only event
Also a reminder that the AGM will be held on the 8th of June at 6pm.
School Facebook Page
Please visit the page via this link https://www.facebook.com/WynnumStateSchool and click Like!
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.
2023 School Term Dates
| QLD school term 2023 | QLD school term dates |
|---|---|
| Term 1 QLD | Monday 23 January 2023 - Friday 31 March 2023 |
| Term 2 QLD | Monday 17 April 2023 - Friday 23 June 2023 |
| Term 3 QLD | Monday 10 July 2023 - Friday 15 September 2023 |
| Term 4 QLD | Tuesday 3 October 2023 - Friday 8 December 2023 |
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
Registrations for Sharks Camp 2023 - July are now officially open!
Sharks Camp is a four-day volleyball camp designed to cater for athletes of all skill levels. With elite development opportunities available and pathways into club and state level volleyball, this camp has something for everyone!
The Dates:
4th July | 5th July | 6th July | 7th July
We usually hit capacity pretty quickly, so if you're interested sign up today to secure your spot!!
Check out our website for more information!
Community News
