Wynnum State School eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Face Mask Announcement

I’m sure everyone has been keen to follow the latest updates in relation to CoVid-19 and the recent easing of face mask restrictions due to Queensland reaching 80% single-dose vaccination. I personally am doing a happy dance, and no longer have to subject non-Broncos supporters to my Broncos mask!

Schools, not unlike other organisations and businesses will be watching carefully how we manage our daily lives when the borders open up. As a school we will be ensuring we respond in a manner that supports all learners moving forward in adapting to this new environment of living with CoVid-19.

School Opinion Survey 2021

School Opinion Surveys canvass the views of parents/caregivers, students and school staff from every state school on what our schools do well and how they can improve. In 2021, our school engaged in 3 different confidential surveys for:

Parents/Caregivers
Students
School staff

This year we surveyed 166 parents; 184 students and 65 staff members.

The Survey results have been released, and I wanted to share a snapshot of the most positive items and the least positive and what our next steps might look like to improve confidence in our ability to be the best we can be (click on image to enlarge).

The first bit of data that stands out is the glowing endorsement of staff associated with keeping our site maintained. Well done! Moreover, the most positive feedback says something about expectations, values, equity and relationships, all very high in confidence across the three groupings.

There are threads of feedback that will spark some immediate discussions in terms of 2022’s plan for improvement. Enabling greater information in regards to assessment falls in line with our work to deliver the Australian Curriculum with fidelity. Communicating all these components can be done in our communication channels from 2022.

We have also taken note of the feedback to gain greater input from the community. This will come in the form of more internal surveys on topics and some structured forums throughout the year.

Behaviour ratings tend to be the lowest in any school survey, especially from students. However, when balanced with the outcome of students informing us of 97% satisfaction with “the expectations and rules are clear at my school”, this often is a commentary on their peers, rather than an approach.

Nonetheless, as an educational leadership team, we unpack all of the findings and work to strategies ways to improve the confidence of this community.

Tuckshop Day

Tuckshop Day is held on the first Friday in November to recognise and give a special thank you to all tuckshop workers and volunteers across Queensland state schools.

It also highlights the important role tuckshops play in school life. Providing nutritious food and drinks means families can have one less task to worry about at the start of their day and helps students to concentrate and learn well in class.

We celebrated this day on Friday 5 November – and said a very special thank you to our wonderful tuckshop team during a precinct assembly. We don’t take their hard work for granted – and would encourage even more parents to put up their hands and get involved with our school. Thank you everyone!

Remembrance Day Thursday 11 November

Remembrance Day was enacted last week as we do each year: this year in alignment with what the Returned Services League (RSL) theme of ‘Remember to Remember’: a commitment to pausing for just one minute to remember those who gave their lives in service to their country, those who returned home injured or ill, and those who bravely serve our country today and then to reflect.

Mark Ionn
Principal

Habit of Mind and Loving Literature Link with Ms Connell

The Habits of Mind are a set of 16 thinking skills that intelligent thinkers use to solve problems in which the answer is unknown. Created by Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick, these thinking skills or habits, are present in the best decision makers. This fortnight’s Habit is Creating, Imagining & Innovating.

By allowing yourself to go beyond your perceived boundaries, you can discover and generate new approaches you never thought possible. This Habit helps us examine each potential approach from different angles and accept criticism – both positive and negative – to help refine a solution.

The online book to bring this Habit to life is Never Let a Unicorn Scribble by Diane Alber. Click on the video link below to see how the main character solves the problem of a unicorn eating her crayons in an imaginative way to find an excellent solution. Enjoy!

Sport News - Junior (Years 1-3) Swimming Carnival Friday 26 November

Years 1 - 3 Swimming Carnival Order of Events:

Year 1: 9:00am to 10.35am (approximately)
Event 1 Year 1 Boys freestyle
Event 2 Year 1 Girls freestyle
Event 3 Noodle relays in classes across the pool

Years 2 and 3: 11:15am to 12:45pm (approximately)

Event 1 Year 3 Boys 50M/25M FREESTYLE
Event 2 Year 3 Girls 50M/25M FREESTYLE
Event 3 Year 2 Boys 25M FREESTYLE
Event 4 Year 2 Girls 25M FREESTYLE
Event 5 Year 3 Boys 25M BACKSTROKE
Event 6 Year 3 Girls 25M BACKSTROKE
Event 7 Year 2 Boys 25M BACKSTROKE
Event 8 Year 2 Girls 25M BACKSTROKE
Event 9 Year 3 Boys 25M BREASTROKE
Event 10 Year 3 Girls 25M BREASTROKE

Sport News - Senior (Years 4 -6) Swimming Carnival Monday 29 November

Years 4-6 Swimming Carnival Order of Events:

Time: 9:00am to 12:45pm (approximately)

EVENT 1 Open Boys 1OOM INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
EVENT 2 Open Girls 1OOM INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
EVENT 3 Boys 9 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 4 Year 4 Boys 25M FREESTYLE
EVENT 5 Girls 9 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 6 Year 4 Girls 25M FREESTYLE
EVENT 7 Boys 10 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 8 Year 5 Boys 25M FREESTYLE
EVENT 9 Girls 10 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 10 Year 5 Girls 25M FREESTYLE
EVENT 11 Boys 11 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 12 Boys 12 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 13 Year 6 Boys 25M FREESTYLE
EVENT 14 Girls 11 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 15 Girls 12 years 50M FREESTYLE
EVENT 16 Year 6 Girls 25M FREESTYLE
EVENT 17 Boys 9 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 18 Year 4 Boys 25M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 19 Girls 9 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 20 Year 4 Girls 25M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 21 Boys 10 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 22 Year 5 Boys 25M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 23 Girls 10 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 24 Year 5 Girls 25M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 25 Boys 11 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 26 Boys 12 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 27 Year 6 Boys 25M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 28 Girls 11 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 29 Girls 12 years 50M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 30 Year 6 Girls 25M BACKSTROKE
EVENT 31 Boys 9 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 32 Year 4 Boys 25M BREASTROKE
EVENT 33 Girls 9 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 34 Year 4 Girls 25M BREASTROKE
EVENT 35 Boys 10 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 36 Year 5 Boys 25M BREASTROKE
EVENT 37 Girls 10 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 38 Year 5 Girls 25M BREASTROKE
EVENT 39 Boys 11 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 40 Boys 12 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 41 Year 6 Boys 25M BREASTROKE
EVENT 42 Girls 11 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 43 Girls 12 years 50M BREASTROKE
EVENT 44 Year 6 Girls 25M BREASTROKE
EVENT 45 Boys 9 years 25M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 46 Year 4 Boys 25M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 47 Girls 9 years 25M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 48 Year 4 Girls 25M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 49 Boys 10 years 50M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 50 Year 5 Boys 25M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 51 Girls 10 years 50M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 52 Year 5 Girls 25M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 53 Boys 11 years 50M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 54 Boys 12 years 50M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 55 Year 6 Boys 25M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 56 Girls 11 years 50M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 57 Girls 12 years 50M BUTTERFLY
EVENT 58 Year 6 Girls 25M BUTTERFLY

Library Buzz with Mrs Sutton and the Library Team

Iona Visits

A sincere thank you to the 2021 cohort of Year 11 Iona students who have been visiting WSS from Term 1. As part of their community service with other schools in our area these regular visits on Tuesday afternoon provide rich interactions for our Year 1 and 2 students. The benefits for all students are immense. We have received confirmation on their continued visits for 2022 on Tuesday afternoons, so are thrilled to know they will be back. I’ve heard we may even see some old Wynnum Warriors back in our midst!

Wynnum Manly Leagues Club and Ms O’Farrell’s Prep Class

On Monday afternoons assembly, we gave a warm Wynnum Warrior welcome to Peter Smith, Board Director, and Katie Laws, Communications and Marketing Manager, from Wynnum Manly Leagues Club. WSS has had a strong connection to the leagues club for a number of years through the community grants program. This year our P & C secretary Antje Taylor applied for a grant to buy decodable readers for our Prep and Year 1 students as we make reading a priority in our school and Learning to Read is where we start. We were thrilled to be successful in securing $2000 for the purchase of over 500 books.

To show our appreciation and gratitude, our Preps and Year 1s enjoyed creating seagulls in honour of the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club and the vista of a colony of seagulls fluttering on the assembly was magnificent. Each seagull shared the message about this generous gift of books.

To finish the assembly and to put a smile on our dials, the prep students from Ms O’Farrell’s class performed a cardio drumming spectacular, to the music of ‘We Will Rock You!’ Who knew pool noodles, a chair, some great music and 24 talented performers could have so much fun and be entertaining and healthy! Thank you PRMO!

This week is the last week for student library borrowing. Time to get one last read in before we start the end of year stocktake process.

So…keep on reading Wynnum Warriors!

Mrs Sutton and the Library Team

Scholastic Book Fair

Where: Wynnum State School Library

When: Wednesday 24 to Monday 29 November

Time: Before school 8:30am – 8:50am
After school 2:45pm – 3:15pm

Science News with Mrs Crowe

Our Year 3 Physicists have been investigating ‘Heat Transfer’. Each scientist Strived for accuracy and Gathered data through all their senses as they used a thermometer to measure the temperature of a range of water, from boiled to iced. Observing the red liquid rise and fall quickly on the thermometer’s scale was very engaging!

Year 2 Physicists also experienced much Wonderment and awe as they tested how the ‘pull’ force of gravity works against the ‘push’ force of air resistance. Each scientist tested their own paper helicopters many times and also used plastic ‘spinners’ 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 and observe gravity working against air resistance in spectacular ways! Enjoy the action photos below!

Sounds in Spring

To be able to have students performing live at Sounds in Spring this year was a delight. If you were a part of the audience, you were no doubt treated to an entertaining performance from the both Junior and Senior Bands and Choirs. The evening program also included small instrumental ensemble performances with a solo performance on piano from Isla Nagle. A special thank you to our wonderful instrumental music teachers Vivienne Thomas and John Cosic who do such a great job imparting all things music into our talented little musicians at Wynnum. All in all the students had a great time entertaining their family and school community. Thank you parents and caregivers for supporting your child and the music program.

Wynnum State High School Band Visit

The morning of Thurday 4 November, Wynnum State High School sent their Middle School Band to perform in Mega Central as part of their Band Tour. The students absolutely loved it, especially special performances from Mr Cosic and Mr Ionn.

Maths Matters with Mrs Lentakis (Numeracy Coach) and Mrs van Fleet (Maths Intervention teacher)

What’s going on: Mrs Lentakis has been working with Year 2 students on building their understanding of multiplication and division. Most importantly, it is about interpreting authentic everyday situations into Mathematics.

Tell me more: Learning is most effective when students represent, meaningfully talk about, and then connect with the mathematical symbols. The diagram below is often called the Rathmell triangle after the man who first wrote about it. It is a very good guide for teaching all new mathematics. It focuses on the following three steps:

Mind your language: Here are examples of meaningful language for multiplication and division:

How can we read 3 x 5 =?

How can we read 12 ÷ 4 =?

3 groups of 5

3 rows of 5

3 jumps of 5

3 multiplied by 5

3 times 5

12 shared into 4 equal groups

12 divided into 4 equal groups

12 shared into groups of 4

12 divided into groups of 4

Cupcake Day with the Student Council

The Student Council will be hosting their annual fundraiser on Wednesday 24 November. This year the students have decided to run a CUPCAKE DAY. We are very excited to be selling these yummy, delicious treats for all students to purchase. The Student Council will be in Mega Central from 8:30am till 8:45am each morning in both Week 6 and 7 for students to pre-order with payment for their cupcakes. The price will be $4.00 per cupcake. Monies raised is going towards the end of year legacy gift to the school from the 2021 Student council. We look forward to this awesome day!

Touch Football with Mr Singleton

Brisbane Primary All Schools Touch

On Saturday 23 October, two boys and two girls Wynnum State School teams competed in the second touch football competition for the season. The girls teams played five games each, with a grand final for the top two teams. Unfortunately both girls teams, although improving after each game, were not able to win any of their games. The girls had an opportunity to play against high quality opponents and find areas of their game to work on at training.

Both boys teams played three games followed by semi-finals or playoffs. The senior boys team won all three of their games, qualifying first for their semi-final. The junior boys team won one of their games, qualifying fifth for their playoff game. The junior boys drew their game finishing sixth on the day. The senior boys won their semi-final 10-1, progressing to the grand final. The grand final was played against Stretton College. The boys were nervous in the first half, with the scores close but we were in front 3-2. Half time allowed the team to refocus and this was evident as the Wynnum Warrior spirit shone through with a comprehensive victory 8-3. This was a great moment for a number of the boys, as Wynnum SS are now the 3 x CHAMPIONS of this tournament. Great effort everyone!

Wynnum State School Boys Touch Football Champions!

Qld Primary All Schools Touch

On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November, two boys and two girls Wynnum State School teams competed in the final touch football competition for the year. On Saturday all teams played three games to qualify for Sunday’s finals. Both girls teams played in the morning and emphatically improved on their last tournaments performance by winning two of their three games each. Out of the 56 girls teams that competed, the senior girls qualified in 16^th place and the junior girls in 26^th position. The boys teams began their day after lunch and finished in the evening. Unfortunately the junior boys were placed in a challenging draw and lost their three games. The senior boys won all three of their games and continued their good form by scoring 41 tries and only conceding 2 tries in their three games. Out of the 59 competing boys teams, the senior boys qualified in 3^rd place and the junior boys in 47^th position.

On Sunday morning all four teams played in their divisional finals. First the junior boys played Villanova B and competed well but were outclassed by a more experienced team. Next up were the senior girls who drew the top ranked team Coorparoo. This was always going to be a challenging game for the girls as Coorparoo had not yet conceded a try. Although the girls were beaten on the score, they matched their opponents effort levels. This was seen as a disappointing ending for the senior girls but they were able to score a try against Coorparoo, who were crowned the Champions on Sunday afternoon. Following this was the junior girls played Faith Lutheran. This game was great to watch as the junior girls only had 6 players for the 30min game. Given the speed of the game and the heat of the morning, the girls played exceptionally well to compete with their opponents. The games was extremely close with the girls narrowly losing 4-3 in the dying minutes. A brave effort girls!

The final team to begin their day was the senior boys, who played Earnshaw College for a place in the quarter-finals. The games was fast and competitive, with the senior boys defending their way to victory 3-2. They now progressed to the next round against Mater Dei College, Toowoomba. Again, the boys demonstrated great team work to win 7-4 and progress to semi-finals and the final four remaining boys teams. The next opponents were Algester SS, three time winners of the tournament and the only team that has knocked us out of the last three finals. With everything on the line and a healthy rivalry with our opponents, the game was extremely tense from the beginning. The boys scored first and held a lead until the final play of the first half where a close call allowed Algester to score and level to 1-1 at halftime. In the second half they scored first to lead 2-1, before we hit back to level up at 2-2. With time running out the boys had an opportunity to score and hit the lead only to drop the ball over the line. Unfortunately, fatigue was setting in and Algester were able to score another close try with only minutes remaining. The game finished in a narrow 3-2 lose. Although devastated with being knocked out by Algester again, the senior boys and the three other teams, represented Wynnum SS with great pride and determination reminding all of our opponents that we are all WYNNUM WARRIORS!

The Senior boys team after qualifying
for the Semi-finals on Sunday morning.

Half time words of encouragement from Mr Singleton

The Senior Girls Team after their awesome effort!

The Senior Girls with Mr Singleton after the game

Year 5 Gold Rush Excursion

On Tuesday 9 November, the Year 5 new chums arrived at the Mirrabukinni goldfields, dressed in their old-fashioned garments. Year 5 experienced a day in the life of a gold digger and caught a wild case of gold fever ‘Eureka!’ The new chums learnt how to pan for gold, bake damper, haggle with shopkeepers and erect their own tents with fellow new chums.

An exciting day was had by all, we thank Eureka goldfields staff and the Year 5 teachers for organising this amazing adventure.

Summer and Amelia (Year 5 students)

2022 Resource Kit (Book List) orders - Final Reminder due 26 November

2022 Resource kit lists were sent home to all students earlier in Term 4. Year level lists are also available for download on the school website. Orders need to be returned by 26 November 2021 to SOS or the school office.

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.

P&C News - School Disco 25 November

The Parents and Citizen Association, along with the Student Council, would like to invite
Wynnum State School families to our Country Disco. Come along for an evening of fun, food and music. A flyer along with permission form has been sent home this week.
ADMISSION PRICES: $5.00 per student (youger non-school age siblings receive free entry). Payment is to be made at the Cafeteria.

Students who pre-purchase their ticket will receive a VIP wristband through their homeroom on the day of the Disco. All students who have prepaid will be registered at the gate. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the gate on arrival. Don’t forget to bring some extra money as the Student Council will be selling some cool glow in the dark merchandise.

If you are available to help in preparations for the Country Disco, please contact Sophia (P&C President) on 0426 863 070. We love our helping hands!

P & C News - Uniform and Tuckshop Update

A big Thank You to the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club for their generous grant to help us upgrade and purchase new home readers and library books with the objective of enticing our students to read and helping them to increase their literacy skills.

Our students expressed their gratitude to the Leagues Club by presenting a poster to Mr Peter Smith, Leagues Club Board Director and Community Grant Committee member, and Katie, the Communications and Marketing Manager at last week’s assembly.

P&C Secretary, Antje, accepting the cheque from the WMLC

Thank you poster presentation to the WMLC representatives

Wynnum Wahoos Swim Club

Our Wynnum Wahoos Swim Club is in full swing! Despite the grey weather in the last couple of weeks, we are seeing many smiling faces coming out of the water with PBs (personal bests) as well as PRs (pool records) on the board.

If you did not have the chance to join the Wahoos this term, you may want to consider joining in Term 1 of next year!

For any questions, please contact: Paul Sheather (wynnumwahoos@gmail.com)

Tuckshop & Uniform Shop updates

It is great to see that our healthy choice selections have been on the rise since the implementation of the plush toy giveaway. We encourage all students to make healthy food choices and congratulate those who have been lucky winners of the prizes so far. To enter into the draw, our students only need to purchase a healthy fruit or vegetable choice and our lovely Tuckshop ladies will enter the student in the draw.

As most of you would know, our Tuckshop relies heavily on volunteers from our parents and carers to allow us to provide the food to our students. Unfortunately, in the past weeks, the Tuckshop has been light on volunteers which at times has impacted the running of the Tuckshop. We apologise for any inconvenience that may have caused to our students but would like to do another call out to all parents and carers to please consider volunteering at the Tuckshop. If you think you could possibly assist a couple of hours a week or even a month, please contact the ladies in the Tuckshop on 0449 804 427. They will very much appreciate your assistance!

Dates for the opening of our Uniform Shop during school holidays have been confirmed. The Uniform Shop will be open 17 & 18 January from 8am-12pm and 20 & 21 January from 1pm-5pm.

If you have any pre-loved uniforms, especially polo shirts, which are still in good condition, please consider donating them to our uniform shop, so that someone else can enjoy them. Thank you!

Online program to help families of children with eczema

Every day, thousands of Australian children suffer the effects of eczema, and families struggle with managing eczema and children’s behavioural and emotional adjustment.

Healthy Living Triple P is an adaptation of the successful Triple P - Positive Parenting Program, offering practical ideas and support for parents of children with eczema. This innovative online program is designed to help parents manage their child’s eczema more easily, help children cope with their eczema and emotions, prevent and manage difficult child behaviour, and reduce the impact of eczema on families.

Over the next few months, parents of 2-10 year old children with eczema are able to access Healthy Living Triple P free of charge as part of a research project through the Queensland Children’s Hospital, Griffith University, and the University of Queensland. For more information, please visit us at https://exp.psy.uq.edu.au/eczema/, contact Dr Amy Mitchell on (07) 3735 6462, or email healthyliving@uq.edu.au.

School Holiday availability for Assistive Technology Assessments at Montrose

During the year many families face frustratingly long wait times for NDIS-funded assessments or equipment. Local provider Montrose Therapy & Respite Services is aiming to make life easier for our families by offering increased appointment availability for those needing assessments.

If your child has upcoming equipment needs, then now is the ideal time to book in and skip the waiting lists. Montrose therapists are friendly, highly-engaged and experienced in assessing and prescribing equipment for a wide range of disabilities and situations.

Montrose is also offering Short Term Therapy Service to families on waiting lists with any NDIS provider. This service gives you access to a therapist who can provide much-needed support to address immediate concerns and goals while you await ongoing therapy.

Montrose is a registered NDIS provider. Other funding available to help families access Montrose services includes Medicare (Chronic Disease Management), GP Mental Health Care Plan, Helping Children with Autism (HCWA), Better Start and Private Health Insurance.

Montrose service centres are located across South East Queensland, providing a welcoming and supportive experience for their young clients and their families.

If you are interested you can contact Montrose on 1800 193 362 or go to www.montrose.org.au

Community News

Bayside United Football Club - Expression of Interest and Trials for 2022

Bayside United Football (Soccer) Club are holding the first of two trial sessions this coming week.

1) 1st Session: Monday night 15 November U8-U9 (born 2013 - 2014) at 5-6pm at Don Randall Oval, 34 Andrew Street Lota. 2nd session will be held the following fortnight on Monday night 29 November.

2) 2nd Session: Monday night 15 November U9-U12 (born 2012 - 2010) at 6:15-7:15pm at Don Randall Oval, 34 Andrew Street Lota. 2nd session will be held the following fortnight on Monday night 29 November.

Players of all abilities both Girls and Boys are welcome.

We are also holding sessions for the older age groups U13-U16 on 22 November and 6 December for those students with older siblings.

1) 1st Session: Monday night 15 November U13-U14 (born 2008 - 2009) at 5-6pm at Don Randall Oval, 34 Andrew Street Lota. 2nd session will be held the following fortnight on Monday night 29 November.

2) 2nd Session: Monday night 15 November U15-U16 (born 2006 - 2007) at 6:30-7:30pm at Don Randall Oval, 34 Andrew Street Lota. 2nd session will be held the following fortnight on Monday night 29 November.

Interested Players can sign up using this google form - https://forms.gle/ugqS1RXNRG27715N6

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Term 4 Week 7 - 18 November 2021