Calliope State School eNewsletter

Staffing

Our Principal, Ms Moira Mackenzie has extended her leave, and will return on August 26^th.

Our Deputy Principal, Mrs Naomi Hughes will be Acting Principal during this time.

Mrs Sheree Mastromonaco will continue her Acting Deputy Principal position.

Health lessons will continue to be taught by Mrs Kerry Palmer.

Port to Park

Thank you to all the families who joined in the Port to Park run on Sunday. Your support is appreciated as some funds will come back to the school. Students are invited to wear their yellow Port to Park shirts to school on Monday 26 August.

Book Week 2024

This week is the Children’s Book Council of Australia Children’s Book Week.

The theme is Reading is Magic.

Book Week parade will be held on 23^rd August and all children are encouraged to dress up.

All costumes must be sun safe and have closed in shoes.

Road Safety Week

Queensland Road Safety Week (QRSW) is state-wide campaign held between Monday, August 26 to Friday, August 30, aimed at raising awareness in regards to road safety and promoting safer driving habits.

A number of activities are being held during the week by our wonderful staff and Queensland Police Officer, Bry Kerr.

Student Free Day – 30 August 2024

All parents and caregivers are advised that Friday 30 August is a Student Free Day.

The school will be closed on this day.

R U Ok? Day – September 12

Students are encouraged to wear yellow on Thursday September 12^th to raise awareness for this cause.

Prep Enrolments 2025

Prep Enrolments for 2025 are now open!

Enrolment packs are available from the school office.

Smoking and Vaping on School Grounds

Smoking is banned at all Queensland state and non-state schools (school facilities), and for 5 metres beyond their boundaries and at all school carparks, including carparks located on adjacent council land that is intended for school community use.

The law applies at all times-during and after school hours, on weekends and during school holidays. It includes the use of all smoking products, including electronic cigarettes and vapes.

The law applies to all persons at schools including students, teaching staff, parents and guardians of students, other employees of the school, visitors and persons providing a service or volunteering, clubs and organisations accessing school facilities.

Friday 30 August	Student Free day
Wednesday 4 September	Teacher Aide Day
Thursday 5 September	Prep-Yr2 PBL Celebration Teddy Bear Picnic
Tuesday 10 September	P&C Meeting
Wednesday 11 September	Yr3-6 PBL Celebration -Obstacle Course
Thursday 12 September	R U OK Day - Wear Yellow
Friday 13 September	End of Term Parade & Open Classroom

Parents, we have seen a lot of students attending Calliope State School, wanting to borrow spare hats. Could we ask that you speak with your child around using their hat and when finished placing it in their bags so the hat doesn't get lost. Could you also check that your child has a named hat for school. Thankyou with your help in this matter.

CSS_Student_Dress_Code_.pdf

CSS_Student_Dress_Code pdf 293.63 KB

Congratulations to 4/5D who had an amazing attendance rate for Week 6. Their attendance rate was 90.62% for the week!

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

In HASS, we are learning to describe and represent the features of a familiar place. This term students will observe the familiar features of our classroom and our community. Individually the students made a model of a place in our community. EG: Drakes. We put these models together and made our town. We then regrouped and discussed what was missing. The students noticed there was no rubbish truck or a café included. So we went back as a group and made these for our town.

We then combined Science with our HASS and decided to incorporate a flood in our town to see what impact the flood would have on the animals. How would their needs change after a flood using our town as a back drop? Mrs Hallinan made a lake with the hose and then overflowed it, to show how a flood happens in a town.

PBL Lesson this week

We are focusing on our School Creed. Students will be revising the meaning of the School Creed in classes this week.

Gem Chat

What are you most looking forward to this week? In The Resilience Project, it is important to show gratitude to help our mindfulness.

The Imperfects Podcast

Follow the link to watch The Imperfects Podcast on The Resilience Project Website - https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/podcasts/

‘The Inspired Unemployed’ began when a couple of tradies, Jack Steele and Matt ‘Falcon’ Ford, began an Instagram to catalogue the skits they were writing and filming overseas.

Since then, Jack and Falcon have launched Australia’s fastest selling beer, collaborated with Fendi and Louis Vuitton, have 2 million followers on Instagram, launched a podcast exclusive to Spotify AND star in their own TV show The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers. Life, from the outside, seems pretty much perfect.

In this Vulnerability House we chat with Jack Steele about his fear of losing relevance. Extremely generous in his vulnerability, Jack opens up about his terrifying panic attacks, anxiety over not being productive; his ADHD diagnosis; and what it’s like to live and work with your best mate, while still trying to be, well, best mates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxAx0kOOAo8

Positive Behaviour Comparison Data

Action Type	End of Term 3 2023	End of Week 5 Term 3 2024
Positive Behaviour	836 positive behaviour records	283 positive behaviour records
-Awards (Teacher Aide Certificate, Cool Kid Certificate, Classroom Cool Kid, Principal’s Award)	295 awards	140 awards
-Good News Letter	32 letters	53 letters
-Contact Home (Positive email home, positive phone call home, e-postcard)	60 contacts home	18 contacts home

Pie and Lamington Drive - Reminder

Year 4-6 collection day will be Wednesday 28^th August 2024. You must collect your order during bakery hours 5am – 4pm on this day only.

Thank you to those families who helped with our fundraiser. We raised a grand total of $4400 !!!! Well Done! As always, this money will help with paying for buses (school camp & excursions), improvements around the school and educational material.

Father’s Day Stall/ Fundraising

This month we will be holding the Father’s Day stall on Wednesday 28^th August 2024. There won’t be any pre order packs available this time sorry. If you have some free time that day, we would love a hand to help with the stall. These days are always fun. Please send our communication officer Crystal a message via Facebook or email letting us know your availability.

Senior Shirts

The Year 5 cohort have voted on the senior shirt design for next year. For the families of the current Year 5 going into Year 6 next year, a letter will be sent home next week with all the information on how to order. If you have any questions at all, please email the Uniform Coordinator at uniformshop.calliopess@gamail.com.

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will be closed this Friday. All orders will be packed on Thursday, so if you need any uniforms, please place your order by Wednesday 8pm this week.

We are urgently seeking volunteers to help pack orders fortnightly on a Friday for 1 hour (8:30-9am). If you are available and have completed your mandatory training, please email uniformshop.calliope@gmail.com

Our objective is to continue this great work and keep kicking goals in all areas of strategic planning, fundraising, school improvements and community engagement. We would genuinely love to hear from the school community with any thoughts or ideas you have on how we can all work together to keep making progress in these areas. You can contact us on communication.calliopess@gmail.com for our Communication Officer or pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au for our Executive team.

Warm Regards

Geoff, Jason, Angela & Lisa

2024_Calliope_SS_Recruitment_Note_signed _pdf 730.44 KB

Myth Busting: Attachment in Parenting

Myths tend to circulate around parenting methods. It’s something so many people care very deeply about, so it’s only natural there is often speculation around what the “best way” to parent is. We are firm believers at Strong Communities that there is no such thing as a perfect parent, and that parenting is a journey that will look and feel different for every single family. As long as safety is a priority in the home, doing what works for you personally as a parent and your family will always be the best option.

Secure Attachment is something you’ll hear about frequently in our programs, a concept that has been researched and studied for decades. Parenting with an attachment lens means that the caregiver focuses on meeting their child’s emotional needs, to be not only supported to explore their world with confidence but also be welcomed back in for comfort and reassurance when necessary.

Here you will find 5 common myths about attachment in parenting, compared to what parenting through a secure lens might actually look like:

#attachmentparenting #mythbuster #strongcommunities

Get ready for BOOK WEEK at our Calliope Supported Playgroup this Monday! Join us for exciting adventures, imagination, laughter and literacy fun you won’t want to miss!

Dress up or bring along your favourite book and let your child’s story-loving heart shine!

Date: 22nd August

Time: 9:15am - 11:15am

Location: Calliope SS in the instrumental music building & Prep outside play area Take a look at the fun activities that everyone will enjoy:

Lion Masks - Inspired by ‘Dear Zoo’

Rainbow Fish Collage - Inspired by ‘The Rainbow Fish’

Sensory Spaghetti Play - Inspired by ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’

Weaving Spider Webs - Inspired by ‘Charlottes Web’

Fizzy Bombs Sensory Play - Inspired by ‘Room On The Broom’

Make Your Own Bookmark
Playdough
Water Sensory Play Tub
Group Story Time
Music Time with Singing & Dancing and MORE

We also supply a free morning tea for all attending.

Our friendly facilitators are dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive environment where all families feel welcome and supported. Keep an eye out for them in the ‘Be Kind’ shirts and always reach out if in need.

No registration required | We will sign you in upon arrival.

Did you know that you can apply for an exemption for your student if they are needing to take leave from school for a period of more than 10 consecutive school days for an exceptional circumstance?

Please read the attached information sheet below for more information relating to this. The exemption form is also attached. These forms are also printed and available from the office.

If you are wanting to apply for an exemption, you will need to complete the form and have a discussion with your classroom teacher or organise a meeting with the Deputy Principal of the year level your student is in. You can do this by phoning the school office. They will then discuss the exemption with you and make the decision as to whether the exemption will be approved or not.

Exemption Form Policy Information

CalliopeSS_Exemption_Form_2024_Application_for_exemption_for_a_child_or_young_person_enrolled_in_a_queensland_state_school.pdf

CalliopeSS_Exemption_Form_2024_Application_for_exemption_for_a_child_or_young_person_enrolled_in_a_queensland_state_school _pdf 149.32 KB

ARTICLES FOR OUR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER: If you wish to publish a NOT FOR PROFIT COMMUNITY article in our school newsletter you can do this by sending an email to admin@calliopess@eq.edu.au with all the relevant details. This will then go through our approval process prior to publishing.
REMINDER TO PARENTS: Reminder to parents and visitors to the school to drive carefully when accessing the front entrance of the school. Please drive slowly, abide by the speed limit, normal road rules and be mindful of your surrounds. We appreciate your attention and understanding.
COLLECTING YOUR STUDENT EARLY FROM SCHOOL: We realise that, on occasion, students may arrive late for school, or need to leave early; it is hoped that these occasions can be kept to a minimum so that the learning of the student, the class and the routine of the school is not unduly disrupted. In the event that your child is late or leaves early, please ensure that the correct procedure is followed to sign in/out by going to the Administration building signing out on the iPad, collect a slip and present it to the classroom teacher.
These processes are in place so that the teachers and school staff are aware of the movement of students at school. This is for the protection and welfare of all staff and students. It is important to look at the impact that late arrival and early departure have on a student/s education and those around them. It is not only disruptive to learning that is occurring in the classrooms at the time of arrival and departure, it is all time that accumulates to missed opportunities for learning. A student who is arriving late or leaving early by 15 minutes twice a week will miss, in total, the equivalent of 4 days of school across the year.
RETURNING CALLS TO THE SCHOOL: We ask parents to assist us by checking their message bank before returning calls to the school, to establish which staff member has phoned. Due to the high volume of staff within our school it is not possible for us to identify who may have called you. Please call the member on their direct number if they have provided this as this will free up the office phone lines.
MESSAGE TO STUDENTS: As you know, schools and classrooms are very busy places!

To ensure our students are fully engaged in their learning, and our office staff are able to complete their multitude of daily required tasks, we ask that parents communicate clearly with their child at the beginning of each day where you will be picking them up from in the afternoon.

As you can imagine it is extremely difficult for our office staff to field scores of phone calls asking for messages to be passed on to children regarding pick-up information.

Should you need to contact your children throughout the day, please do this via the office. These should be emergency situations only. Messages received after 1.45pm may not be acknowledged by the class in time, so please ensure children know their pick-up arrangements.

QParents

QParents is a secure, online portal that is free for all Queensland state schools to use and provides parents with quick, easy access to their student information including:

student and parent contact details
attendance details
report cards – all report cards (past & present) are available to view and upload
invoices and payment history
Online consent management

The student information displayed in QParents is surfacing information that is already recorded and managed in One School. The benefits of using QParents for schools and parents include:

a faster, more efficient way to communicate with parents regarding student information
a secure, convenient and automated process for parents to pay school invoices
significant time and effort savings for both your school and parent community
an innovative online communication tool that’s free of charge for both schools and parents to use.

How do I register for QParents?

You will be sent an email inviting you to register for QParents. You will then be able to register via the secure QParents website: qparents.qld.edu.au using the unique invitation code contained in the email. You will require each child’s unique EQ ID and you must verify your identity by providing 100 points of identification. If you cannot verify your identity online, you should contact your child’s school for assistance. The school will review your registration and approve your account. You will then be able to access the QParents app.

Please note: if you have not received the QParents invitation email, please send correspondence through to admin@calliopess.eq.edu.au with your full name, student/s full name & DOB to request your QParents invitation.

Navigating the online world with our kids can be super tough for parents. Knowing what apps are appropriate, managing screen time, and addressing the issues that come with social media use can be complex to say the least. Schools and families play a collaborative role in ensuring that kids can access the internet in a safe and healthy way. Below are some top tips from Rebecca Sparrow, who works with students, schools and is a member of the Queensland Government’s Anti-Bullying Taskforce.

BEFORE YOU HIT SEND – SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FOR PARENTS

By: Rebecca Sparrow

STEP 1. BASIC ONLINE DO’S & DONT’S

Don’t use your child’s photo or real name when setting up apps or certain social media accounts.
Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know in real life.
Don’t agree to meet up with people you don’t know in real life.
Don’t chat to randoms online – even if you think they’re kids. Social media and gaming apps are stalked by adult predators looking for children to groom.
Don’t give out your address, school or phone number online to anyone. And don’t share your passwords!
Most importantly – check the privacy settingson the platform or app you are using (see tips below)
Follow Susan McLean– Cyber Safety Expert, Dr Kirsty Goodwin – Cyber Safety Expert and Code9 Parent on Facebook to get regular updates on the latest dangerous and dodgy apps and safety tips for your tech devices.

STEP 2. SECURE YOUR DEVICES

You want to stop strangers from finding out where you live, work or go to school which they can easily do from the photos and videos you post. Turn off Geo-Tagging on your camera. Otherwise, geographical information is added in the form of metadata to photos, videos, SMS, websites. Go to LOCATION SERVICES and turn it off for your camera and any apps that don’t need it.
TURN OFF Frequent Locationswhich can tell anyone who picks up your phone where you live.
If your device gets stolen or your friends decide to play a prank by hacking your account you want to be able to stop them from accessing your device! Have a pin number on all your devices. And don’t tell your friends your pin numbers or log in details.
Again to stop people accessing your accounts – set up Two-Step Verification On Accounts: Facebook: Account > Settings > Security > Login Approvals Apple Google Twitter
Set up restricted viewing on Google, YouTube, your Mac or PC.
For younger kids (10 and under) Use YouTube Kids, Kiddleor Safe Search Kids (powered by Google). Remember: no amount of net filtering replaces parent supervision!

USEFUL LINKS

Social Media Platform Safety Centres: FULL LIST of contacts

FACEBOOK: Basic Privacy Settings and How Can I See What My Facebook Profile Looks Like To Other People? YOUTUBE TUTORIAL

INSTAGRAM: Privacy & Safety Tips for Instagram

SAFE SEARCH ENGINES FOR KIDS: YouTube Kids, Kiddle, Safe Search Kids

Who’s Chatting to Your Kids?: https://www.police.qld.gov.au/policelink-reporting/reporting-cybercrime/children-and-the-internet/whos-chatting-to-your-kids

The advantages of helping kids navigate the digital world – The Atlantic

15 Useful iPhone Hacks including setting ‘Do Not Disturb’ on your phone so you can’t receive messages while you’re studying

More iPhone hacks including getting more storage

How to save data on your iPhone: the small hack that can make a difference to your data use.

USEFUL APPS

HELP ME The Denise and Bruce Morcombe Safety App. Download this app for 99cents and any person can call for help at the push of a button. “The ‘Help Me’ button sounds a warning and allows you to send off an SMS text to two (2) nominated ‘safety’ numbers, as part of your Trusted Safety Network. Included in the text are GPS co-ordinates from where the text was sent, so the sender can be located or a last known place of contact is indicated.”

OurPact Free parental control app that limits screen time and access to apps and sites.

Colour Therapy Popular free colouring-in app

Canvsly: a clever app to help you digitally store your children’s artwork

YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

Set up a Google Alert for your name and email address so you can keep track about what’s said about you on-line.

The resume is dead: your next click might determine your next job – The Guardian

Your digital footprint matters – Huffington Post

CYBERBULLYING

The most important thing to remember if you are being cyberbullied is that you’re not alone and there are adults who can help you.

Keep evidence of the bullying (save emails, take screenshots of messages or posts), delete and block the bully and report the problem to the Safety Centre of the platform or app (you can find a full list here). And most importantly tell an adult you trust. And keep telling adults until someone does something to help you.

Office of the eSafety Commissioner

How To Take A Screenshot On Any Device

Report Cyberbullying: Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner

Legal Aid Queensland: Laws surrounding cyber-bullying and what to do about it.

The National Children’s and Youth Law Centre, can provide free legal advice for anyone under 18, or anyone acting on their behalf.

Bullying No Way website for kids, teens, parents and teachers

HOUSEHOLD INTERNET AGREEMENT / PARENTAL CONTROL APPS

FREE OurPact parental control app that limits screen time by blocking internet and app access.

How To Find Hidden Apps on Your Child’s Phone

RESOURCES FOR YOUR TEEN WHEN THEY NEED HELP

ReachOut

Headspace: National youth mental health foundation