Last Friday we saw our 2024 Senior Leaders and Learners inducted during our Year 6 Induction ceremony.  I would like to take the opportunity to thank our special guests:

• Mr Paul Olsen
• State Member for Callide, Mr Bryson Head
• Deputy Mayor of Gladstone, Cr Kahn Goodluck
• Calliope State School P and C President, Mrs Heidi Jackman
• Calliope RSL, Mr Daryl Saw & Mrs Robyn Marshall
• Calliope Rotary, Mrs Sue Beale
• Principal of Calliope State High School Mrs Gerowyn Lacaze

I would also like to thanks Mrs Christine Johnston and all the Calliope State School staff whose efforts in putting this ceremony together were tremendous. 

The ceremony was a very special community example of our school’s explicit improvement agenda of connections and engagement.  Congratulations to our 2024 Year 6 Leaders and Learners.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.

As students’ progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important education.

 Calliope State School will be implementing NAPLAN during the set testing window in Week 8 and 9 of Term 1.  Below is the timetable:

There will be no NAPLAN testing outside of the dates and times listed on this timetable.

Further NAPLAN parent and carer fact sheets have been attached to this newsletter and sent home with all Year 3 and Year 5 students. 

If you have questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher or the school office.

Australian Curriculum – Version 9

In 2024, Calliope State School are implementing Version 9 Australian Curriculum English.  Our teachers have worked hard with our Deputy Principal; Curriculum, Naomi Hughes, during 2023 to familiarise themselves with the refreshed English curriculum.  During Term 4, 2023, our teachers planned for 2024 and are currently implementing their first revitalised English units of work.

For further information about the Australian Curriculum, please visit:

https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/f-10-curriculum-overview

https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/parent-information

Mobile phones and wearable devices

Queensland state school students are required to keep mobile phones and wearable devices switched off and 'away for the day' during school hours and while attending school activities, such as representative school sport, excursions and camps.  At Calliope State School, students are to sign all mobile phones into the school office when they arrive at school and collect after school, before they go home.  If  wearable devices are able to be disabled (they cannot receive or make calls or texts during the school day) the smart watch is able to be worn as a watch for the day.  If these functions cannot be disabled, the students will need to sign them in at the office.   

As a parent or carer, you play an important role in supporting your child to engage with technology in safe and respectful ways. Parents can support schools to implement the 'away for the day' approach by:

• talking with your child about the requirement to have their phone switched off and away for the day,
• using the school's preferred communication method to contact your child during the day, such as phoning the school office
• encouraging your child to report to a staff member in the first instance if they become unwell or experience an issue during the school day
• raising questions about the school's local implementation approach with school staff
• establishing routines at home to help your child balance their use of devices and screen time.

Mrs Naomi Hughes

Acting Principal

Some reminders of upcoming events  include -

Week 6

01 March – School Clean Up Day

Week 7

04 March – School Photo Day (Sibling Photos and Prep to Year 4)

05 March - School Photo Day (Sibling Photos,Year 5 to Year 6 incl 4/5D, Leadership Photos today)