Welcome to Week 5.

This week I had the pleasure of sharing a morning tea with some of our wonderful volunteers to our school.  Volunteering is the heart of Australian communities.  Thank you to every person who volunteers at our school.  You contribution makes a huge impact on all our students.  May 19 marks P&C Day.  Members of our P&C work tirelessly each year to improve educational facilities, resources and student outcomes.  A huge thank you to both the outgoing and incoming executive of our P&C and all members.  You have a huge impact on our school.  To volunteer at any Queensland State School, Mandatory Training is required to be completed each year.  This is done to ensure our volunteers understand Departmental Code of Conduct and to ensure the safety of all our students.  We hold sessions each term and they take about 30 minutes.  Please consider joining our P&C or volunteering at Calliope State School.

Student Code of Conduct

Each week I will focus on an aspect of Calliope’s Student Code of Conduct.  This week the focus is on Consideration of Individual Circumstances.

Staff at Calliope State School take into account students’ individual circumstances, such as their behaviour history, disability, mental health and wellbeing, religious and cultural considerations, home environment and care arrangements when teaching expectations, responding to inappropriate behaviour or applying a disciplinary consequence.

 In considering the individual circumstances of each student, we recognise that the way we teach, the support we provide and the way we respond to students will differ. This reflects the principle of equity, where every student is given the support they need to be successful. This also means that not everyone will be treated the same, because treating everyone the same is not fair when each student has different needs. For example, some students need additional support to interpret or understand an expectation. Others may benefit from more opportunities to practise a required skill or behaviour. For a small number of students, the use of certain disciplinary consequences may be considered inappropriate or ineffective due to complex trauma or family circumstances. These are all matters that our teachers and principal consider with each individual student in both the instruction of behaviour and the response to behaviour.

Our teachers are also obliged by law to respect and protect the privacy of individual students, so while we understand the interest of other students, staff and parents to know what consequence another student might have received, we will not disclose or discuss this information with anyone but the student’s family. This applies even if the behavioural incident, such as bullying, involves your child. You can be assured that school staff take all matters, such as bullying, very seriously and will address them appropriately. We expect that parents and students will respect the privacy of other students and families.

 If you have concerns about the behaviour of another student at the school, or the way our staff have responded to their behaviour, please make an appointment with the principal to discuss the matter.

Equity and Excellence

What does Equity and Excellence mean for our school and community?

 In the short term it means that we keep doing the great things that our school is well known for with Everyone at Calliope State School working together to ensure that every day, in every classroom, every student is learning and achieving.

 The strategy from the system, combines with the insights from across our local school community and evidence from our school review to inform our school strategic plan and the actions we take each year to implement that plan. Equity and Excellence is a strategy that will unfold over a number of years.

 We will monitor our school plans during 2023 and make updates as we gain further insights about what Equity and Excellence can mean for our school.

 We will be continuing our whole school conversation about:

• student achievement (particularly in English and mathematics)
• attendance
• and student disciplinary absences.

The data we gather in these areas is designed to inspire conversations about what is working well and where can we be doing better. Which students are thriving and which students would benefit from further support in order to reach their potential.

 There is a range of exciting system initiatives that will bring benefits in the longer term as we continue to explore digital innovation in teaching and learning, and effective collaboration between schools and other community services.

 Connections to First Nations culture enrich the learning of every student and strengthens all of our work. We value First Nations culture and voice in our approach to learning for all students. Embedded throughout Equity and Excellence there is a focus on outcomes for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student.

 As a system we are maintaining our commitment to students, schools, parents and the community to working together to maximise student learning and wellbeing. 

 As a school we will continue work together as a community to review our practices and continue to improve to achieve the best outcomes for all our students.

Upcoming Events Calendar

Some reminders of upcoming events from the calendar include –

Week 5 - Thursday, 18 May – Rotakids Fun Activities @ first break

Week 5 - Thursday, 19 May – Walk Safely to School Day

Week 6 - Wednesday, 24 May – National Simultaneous Storytime (the Speedy Sloth)

Week 7 – Reconciliation Week

Week 7 – Sport’s Days

 (For more details on these events see information included this newsletter)

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National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 23nd successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

 The event takes place online.  This year NSS takes place on Wednesday 24 May 2023. At Calliope State School, this will take place at 11.15am in the library. 

 ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime 2023