Term 4 - 2023 Week 6 Newsletter

Principal's Message with Acting Principal Ms Connell

As Week 6 draws to a close, we here at school are in the throes of summative assessment.  This is when students are working hard to demonstrate their progress and achievement against the learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. That might not sound very exciting but our teachers have made it very exciting with creative and engaging assessment activities. I have especially enjoyed many delicious ‘end products’ of procedural writing across the younger year levels, including working out what to wear to a Dragon Taco Party I am attending on Friday…

I head off now to attend the wonderful Sounds in Spring concert, our annual event showcasing the musical talents of our choirs and bands under the guidance of our Instrumental Music and Performing Arts teachers. First stop though is the tuckshop, is to collect my dinner, organised by our amazing P&C in partnership with local business The Small Crop. Fabulous!

School Camps 2024

Camp organisation and attendance has always been a voluntary, extra-curricular activity for staff. We are both grateful for the volunteering that has taken place in the past and respectful of the majority decision that each year level team has made in regards to camps for next year.

In 2024, Year 6 will be the only ‘sleep away’ camp, with years 3, 4, 5 having school-based camp experiences focusing on attributes such as character, teamwork and leadership.  

The school leadership team welcomes the opportunity to share a more detailed explanation of the many factors contributing to the reduction in sleepaway camps in the session before the P&C meeting. Thank you to the P&C for facilitating this, from 6.00-6.30pm on Thursday 16 November in the school admin block.

Save The Date!

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

Bajara Committee – all are welcome

Quandamooka Bajara is from our Jandai language which was once spoken throughout the Aboriginal Nation of Quandamooka. Quandamooka means from Moreton Bay and Bajara means footprints.

Each term we have a group of people from across the school, including parents, teachers, outside agencies and local area school colleagues, who meet and discuss the ways in which we can share First Nations experiences and cultural understanding across the school.  We reflect on how we are sharing information and planning our celebration or commemoration days.

For example, last Term we had some students and Ms Gibbs attend the Minjerribah camp on Stradbroke Island.  It was a place that shared cultural stories on Quandamooka country, where students engaged in activities and languages and built friendships with students from our local area.

We would love to see as many parents as we can at these meetings.  The times and dates will be shared on Facebook and in the Newsletter.  If you would like to become a member, please email Ms Nina Gibbs ngibb26@eq.edu.au.  We understand you may not be able to make every meeting but are looking forward to welcoming you to our group.

Students not returning in 2024

Please make contact with the office if you know your child will not be returning in 2024 (excluding year 6 students). 

Prep 2024 Enrolments!

2023 Celebration Ceremony

Library Matters with Mrs Sutton and the Library Team

The very last and exciting issue of Scholastic Book Club, No 8 will be ready to distribute this week.  Great books and gifts for reading through the summer holidays and festive season!

Being the last issue for the year, we ask our families to place their orders on time, which will be…the 22^nd November.  Mrs Lakeman will be placing the orders promptly, so we receive our books in good time before the end of the school year.  Please mark if books are gifts, so your book orders can be held back for parents to pick up from the library.

A few more dates to highlight as we move into the final weeks of Term 4.

Week 7 beginning 13^th November will be the last borrowing week from the library for our students.  Our final day for all students’ library books to be returned, will be Friday the 24^th November.  Ms Sellars will be following up with emails to families who still have outstanding books after this time. 

Just keep reading Wynnum Warriors…

P-2 Science and Technology with Mrs Crowe

Technology is terrific! Design Technology has been the focus for Semester Two. Year One and Two designers engaged eagerly in ‘Step Four: Create’ during their lessons this week.

Year One ‘Playground Designs’ were all unique. Each designer was very proud of the work they had completed on their planning page and of how their model turned out when working with the modelling clay (or the Stem playground kit). Look at some of the amazing variety of models in these photos!

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Year Two designed ‘Recyclable Rafts’. Using a range of waterproof natural and recyclable materials, each designer followed their plan to build their own raft with much problem solving and persistence. The float test certainly challenged many young designers! They learnt firsthand that design plans often need many modifications! Discussion about how their raft could be reused or recycled was an important reflection after completing the task. Enjoy these images!

Leadership Update with Ms Clark

As the Y5 Leadership Program comes to an end, the Y5 teaching time have been impressed by the pool of candidates for this year. These aspiring leaders have demonstrated an increased sense of maturity, responsibility and initiative throughout this process. We have observed growth, both in social and learning behaviours of these students.

It is my pleasure to congratulate the WYNNUM STATE SCHOOL Elected School Leaders for 2024. We thank you for the support and understanding you have shown during this time, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for our leaders. CONGRATULATIONS!

Many thanks.

Year 5 Gold Rush Excursion

Eureka! On Thursday October 26^th year 5 trekked our way to the Eureka gold fields as part of the introduction to our term 4 History Inquiry unit. This excursion had students embrace the colonial lifestyle during the Australian gold rush era. Students got to play different roles within the Eureka Creek Township in which they panned for gold, hunted for dangerous and elusive bushrangers, made damper in the town bakery, experienced the bartering system at the town General store before heading to the Claims office to trade their gold in for cash. Year 5 learned more and had an amazing time engaging in hands-on learning on the goldfields.

Written by Molly 5GW

Procedure Writing with Year 2

Written by Paolo 2SC

How to wash a Dirty Darcy 

Materials: 

• hose/water 
• four buckets 
• two towels (one small and one large) 
• dog shampoo 

Method: 

1. Grab four buckets and fill them up with water from the hose. 
2. Dip the small towel in one of the buckets so you can rub it all over Darcy. 
3. Squirt some dog shampoo all over Darcy’s back and rub it so it gets into Darcy’s fur. 
4. Rinse Darcy with the clean water from the other buckets until some of the dog shampoo is falling off. 
5. Repeat rinsing Darcy until all buckets are empty and the shampoo disappears. 
6. Use the large towel to dry Darcy all over. 
7. Stop when Darcy is dry. 
8. Enjoy your clean, dry, with no dirt on him, cute Darcy!! 

Guidance Officer message with Mrs Manning (Guidance Offier)

It is hard to believe that we only have a few more weeks of school left for 2023!

Transitioning students, both at the end and the start of the school year, is a delicate process that significantly impacts their academic and emotional well-being. As the academic year concludes, it's essential to provide closure, celebrating achievements and fostering a sense of accomplishment. Recognizing their growth and emphasizing the positive experiences helps ease the transition into a well-deserved break. On the flip side, the commencement of a new school year calls for a thoughtful approach to alleviate potential anxieties. Establishing clear expectations and routines from the outset contributes to a smooth transition, allowing students to embark on the academic journey with confidence and enthusiasm.

As the school year comes to a close and the holidays beckon, there are simple yet impactful ways you can prepare your children for the upcoming academic adventure. Encourage a love for learning by incorporating educational activities into the holiday routine. Whether it's reading together, exploring museums, or engaging in fun, educational games, these experiences can be both enjoyable and enriching. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine helps regulate sleep patterns, ensuring your child is well-rested for the challenges of the new school year. Additionally, fostering open communication about any concerns or excitement regarding the upcoming school year allows you to address any apprehensions and build anticipation. Most importantly, let the holidays be a time of relaxation and bonding.

Enjoy the second half of the last term and if you have any questions or concerns; please make sure you contact the school.

Just a reminder of the details of services you or your family can access if needed:

• Police / Ambulance – 000 (in the case of a medical 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

Have a great fortnight.

Nathaly Manning

Guidance Officer

National Fairy Bread Day

Friday 24 November is National Fairy Bread Day.  To celebrate this awesome day the tuckshop will be offering a fairy bread meal deal.  Please see attached poster for all the details.

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.

P&C News

P&C Meeting Reminder: Join Us on November 16th!

Get ready for our last P&C meeting of the year! 📢 Save the date:

Date: Thursday, November 16th 📆✨

Meeting Time: The meeting officially starts at 6:30 pm, but our school team will be available from 6 pm to answer any questions you may have regarding the decision-making process for the WSS Camp 2024 schedule.

Don't miss out on the chance to stay informed and be a part of our school community's discussions. Your presence and input are highly valued.

Wynnum Wahoos Swim Club

Explore all the details in the attached flyer. To sign up, go to: https://my.swimlynx.com.au 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️

Uniform Shop Extended Hours

To make sure our new families are uniform-ready for next year, we're extending our uniform shop hours. You can visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 am to 9:30 am and 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, in addition to our usual hours. We offer cash and EFTPOS facilities, as well as a space to try on uniforms. 🛒💳👚

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

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 

Community News