Dear Parents/Caregivers

Thanks for your support this term. I believe in stepping issues out with parents calmly and constructively, and for nearly all interactions with CSS community this has been true.

I have loved being in classrooms this term, and out at breaks as much as I can, and students are really making the difference in making me feel welcome and proudly showing their work. My job in this aspect of my day, is to check on student engagement and step out in support for teachers too. I see the passion in the teaching by our staff and the eagerness to learn from our students still so strong late in the year, which is fantastic.

I would like also to thank our P&C for their constructive and unending support for the school led by our P&C President Tenielle Wode. Having a committed committee with such forward thinking, makes the meeting something to look forward to, and I am fortunate to have continued that experience at CSS.

Kind regards

Pete Stansfield

Principal Teacher

Calliope State School

It is with a heavy heart each year that we farewell staff. Our staff form an integral part of the Calliope State School's family, and we are always saddened by their departure. 

This year we have 7 teaching staff leaving us:

• Rebecca Crapp (Deputy Principal Inclusion) has been appointed Principal of Benaraby State School.
• Suzanne Betzien (Student Learning and Wellbeing Teacher) will be joining Tannum Sands State School
• Kelly Sellin (Year 5/6 Teacher) will be taking Long Service Leave for 2023
• Bridie Turpeinen (Prep D Teacher) will be joining Kin Kora State School.
• Micaela Richter (Prep C Teacher) will be joining Boyne Island State School.
• Emma Britstra (Year 2B Teacher) Spring Mountain State School.
• Kate Terry (1D Teacher) TBA

We wish all the teaching staff leaving in 2022 all the best and a safe move. 

Instrumental Music- Strings

2022 has been a huge year for Instrumental Music! In Term 1 and 2 all of our Instrumental Music students performed for our friends and family at Calliope SHS. This was a great chance for us to show everyone what we have been working on during the term. We also performed in Fanfare during Term 2. Fanfare is a biannual competition for Instrumental Music ensembles in Education Queensland. Our String Orchestra received a Silver award and represented our school very well!

In Term 3, our String Orchestra and Beginner String Ensemble went and performed at the Gladstone Eisteddfod. This was a great opportunity to showcase the skills that we have been developing throughout the year. The String Orchestra received a Highly Commended and all groups played extremely well. We also had a small ensemble compete and received a highly commended against a large number of groups. We also played at the Calliope Arts Spectacular.

Throughout Term 4, the 2022 beginning students have been playing as part of the String orchestra on a Thursday morning. This allows students to apply the skills taught in lessons but also learn to play together and listen to each other to create music which is in time and in tune with one and other. We now have 28 students in the Calliope State School Orchestra and are making an impressive sound! We will all be playing at the Calliope Christmas Carols on Friday the 25th of November and can’t wait to show you how great we sound!

Thank you to all of our parents who drive us to rehearsals and concerts, remind us to bring our instruments every week and encourage us to practice at home! We could not do it without you!

The Gladstone Instrumental Music Trade Show and parent information evening is on this Wednesday 5.30-8.30pm at Clinton SS Hall.

Each year, significant time and effort goes into classroom placement for students in the upcoming year.  While every effort is made to take special requests into considerations there is no guarantee that all request can be accommodated. Parent requests will be closed from 9am Wednesday 23.11.2022.

Welcome to Week 8! This week's PBL focus is ‘Problem Solving ’. The lesson focuses on students using the Zones of Regulation when issues arise both in the classroom and playground.

Comparison Data:

Congratulations to 6C who had an amazing attendance rate for Week 7. Their attendance rate was 95.55% for the week!

Also, congratulations to the 5 other classes which were at or above our school attendance target of 94% for Week 7.

Remember, every day you are away is a learning day lost.

We have many talented students at Calliope State School who continue to achieve big goals outside of school in their chosen sports. Our Year 6 student Seth is a very humble achiever and we have only just learnt that he was chosen in a small selection of Go-Kart racers to represent Australia and compete overseas in Las Vegas. We look forward to hearing how he goes and hopefully getting some photos to post.

Some of our talented dancers, Madeleine, Poppy, Paige and Emily, have recently participated in the Dance Kix concert and shared some of their photos of their big day. You look great girls! And it sounds like you had a lot of fun!

Last week we started a basketball competition for the keen basketballers in Year 5 and 6. These are students who shoot hoops most lunch breaks and were keen to get some games in. This has proven to be a very exciting competition with the students loving getting the whole hall basketball court to compete against each other. Students had to make their own teams of five and name their teams. It was very cool to see one team even produce their own label. We are fortunate to have two very confident basketball referees to help us run the games. Thanks Parks and Sienna! It’s been fierce competition and a lot of fun! The competition will continue to run over the next few weeks.

Is your child starting Prep in 2023?

If your child is born between 1/07/2016 - 30/06/2017, they are eligiable to be enrolled into Prep in 2023.

Please contact the office ASAP on 4975 8333 for arrange an Enrolment Pack and organise an Enrolment interview. 

Planning for classes is underway and it is important that we have all our new Prep students enrolled and on our system, ready to be allocated to a class. 

For further information, please contact the office. 

Week 8, how did this happen? Where has the year gone?

As we approach the pointy end of the year, we thank all those who have supported and lent a hand to the P&C throughout the year. We have worked hard to raise funds to support the children of our school and the parents with reduced costs for buses to events and camps, celebrating the schools 150^th year of education to the community.

P & C Meeting 

Next Meeting: Tuesday 07/02/2023, at 6pm in the Administration Conference Room. If you would like to add anything to the agenda or send apologies, please email secretary.calliopess@gmail.com. This will be the first meeting of the new year and we encourage parents to come along and discuss (as long as it’s in the agenda) their ideas for the new year. We welcome all parents and new members, by the way, you can be a member without taking on a role.

AGM Meeting

Will be held on the 07/03/2023, at 6pm in the Administration Conference Room. At this meeting all positions will be declared open, and a new executive voted in. We also have the opportunity to create working groups. We encourage all parents to come along and take part in this important process. If there is no executive voted in there is a long and difficult process of closing the P&C and an even harder one of starting it back up again.

Tuckshop News 

We thank Miss Lisa, her trusty side kick Miss Mel, and all their amazing helpers for all their hard work this year in preparing and providing food to the children of our school. They have done an amazing job and we are grateful. However, we still need you!!! With only 2 weeks of tuckshop left Miss Lisa really would appreciate extra sets of hands, especially Friday as this is Miss Lisa’s busiest day; it is always a rush to get your child’s food ready and packed on time so an extra pair of hands would be appreciated. If you’d like to lend a hand, please contact Miss Lisa via our Facebook page or pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au  

Parents are reminded that ice creams and ice blocks need to be collected from the tuckshop by the students with their paper bags. Without your help, the tuckshop will not be able to continue to run as it does. 

Taste Buds Fundraiser 

Taste buds are a variety of yummy spice blends, savoury salts & rubs and versatile mixes and the best part is you can order online, and they are delivered straight to your door. Remember to use the code Calliope at checkout to fundraise for your kids. Feel free to share the link with friends and family. More information on the Calliope State School P & C Facebook page or Visit https://tastebudsfundraising.com.au/?ref=Calliope 

Uniform Shop 

The Uniform Shop is open via appointment only; if you need to make an appointment, please email the uniform shop email address below. Otherwise, orders can be done on QKR. *Please note that orders can take up to 3 business days to fill after the day of order.* These items are then taken to the office, and the students are contacted to collect them. If you haven’t received your uniform order, please check, if it has been three days, that it’s not in your child’s school bag (we all have that one child :p ) and that it’s not in the classroom. If you have any concerns contact us via our Facebook page or email uniformshop.calliopess@gmail.com   

QKR

Please remember to change your children’s class details at the start of the year on QKR so that we can ensure your child’s tuckshop and uniforms go to the right classrooms and children.

Volunteer Reminder 

I would like to take this moment to remind everyone that we are volunteers, we are parents, we are employed by other organisations or companies, and that, unfortunately, although it would be amazing, we do not have endless hours in the day. Please, when contacting us be patient, be polite and be kind. We know it may be frustrating not getting a response straight away however please understand you are not being ignored, we just may be busy and will get to it as soon as possible. If you would like to help lighten the load and volunteer, please reach out we would love to have you on board. 

Please don’t hesitate to stop us and say hi and ask questions.  

Your P&C Team, 

Tenielle, Kate, Bec & Geoff. 

Head lice are common in children (particularly between the ages of 3 - 11 years) and have nothing to do with personal hygiene or cleanliness. 

While head lice don't carry disease, their bites can cause itching and skin irritation. 

To reduce your child's risk of getting head lice, you can ensure long hair is tied up, discourage the sharing of brushes and combs and minimise head-to-head contact with others.

Remember, anyone can get head lice. These critters have no preferences for hair colour or type, age or ethnicity.

 Year 7 (2023) Enrolment Interviews 

Starting high school at Calliope SHS in 2023? It is time to book your enrolment interview now!

If you require assistance or need to book an interview, call Calliope State High School on 4975 9777 between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Book in your Summer Holiday Program with Helping Hands Calliope today and secure your spot!

Friendships are made at our Summer Holiday Programs. Building friendships and creating new ones is what we are great at.

Some of the activities on offer with Helping Hands these holidays,

• Excursion to FunZone in Rocky
• Excursion to Gladstone Cinemas
• Laser Tag Incursion
• Science Adventure

Plus many more! 

Book now https://bit.ly/hhn-summer-program-2023 or find out more by contacting Aimee on 0409 267 755 or emailing calliope@helpinghandsnetwork.com.au