2024 Week 4 or Term 4, Week 11 (December 9 to 13)

Every 6 – 7 years, our school academic calendar requires a recalibration and in doing so we have an extra week added to the school year.  Normally we have 10 weeks of learning per term, amounting to 40 weeks for the year.  This year we have 41 weeks in the academic calendar.  This is being resolved in 2024 by making Term 4 and 11-week term.  This is what is being called Week 41 (or Week 11 of Term 4).  Calliope State School will be open for all students in Week 41 (or Week 11 of Term 4), but we wanted you to be aware of some changes during this week. 

All school learning, programs and events will be completed by Friday 6^th December.
At Calliope State School, that means by Friday 6^th December, we will have completed:

• All learning necessary for the year
• All ceremonies (e.g., Year 6 Graduation, End of Term Parades and Open Classrooms)
• All prep and high school transition days
• Allocation of 2025 classes and classroom transition activities

Report Cards will be sent home via email on Thursday 12^th December. 

In Week 11, from Monday 9^th December, we will be taking this opportunity to have an enhanced focus on student wellbeing activities through alternate programs.   It should be noted:

• Students may not necessarily be supervised by their regular teacher
• Students will be combined into diverse groups varying ages depending on the students who are present at school
• There will be no formal learning of the Australian Curriculum
• Activities will comprise of tasks that a multitude of age groups can participate in
• Groups of teachers will be taken offline to work on deep planning and preparations for 2025 in line with the Australian Curriculum
• Uniform is still expected to be worn each day
• Tuckshop will be open Tuesday to Thursday

 Calliope Community Christmas Carols

It’s that time of year again – Christmas Carol time!

Calliope State School students will be performing as part of the Calliope Community Carols. 

Our year level cohorts will be singing a Christmas Carol and there will be performances from our String Ensemble and Concert Band. 

This is a community event, and parents must be responsible for their own children.  There will be no adult supervision provided by the school.

Locking up Bikes and Scooters

Students are highly encouraged to ensure their bikes and scooters are locked to the racks each day when they arrive at school. 

Prep Enrolments 2025

Prep Enrolments for 2025 are now open! 

Enrolment packs are available from the school office.  If you haven’t already booked in a time, please book one as soon as possible through our school office.

Intentions for 2025

If you are intending on leaving Calliope State School in 2025, please let our friendly office staff know, as we are in the planning stages of our classes for next year.  Please email our office staff at admin@calliopess.eq.edu.au

What's Happening in November & December at Calliope State School

2025 Leadership Position Speeches

A number of Year 5 students have submitted Student Leadership Applications for the 2025 Leadership positions this term. A panel of Calliope State School staff met to shortlist nominees for the positions of School Captain, Sports Captain, Music Captain and Visual Audio Captain. Students have now been notified of the outcome of their application and short-listed nominees will be preparing their election speeches to be held next week. Parents and caregivers are invited to attend the speeches.

School Captain speeches will occur on Wednesday 20^th of November, starting at 9:30am.

The speeches for Music, Visual Audio and Sports Captains will be held on Thursday 21^st of November, from 2pm.

Presentations of the speeches will occur in the Calliope State School Hall.

Sports Captain speeches will occur in the following places, as students view and vote for their Sports House.

Fitzroy – Undercroft
Oxley – Tuckshop
Flinders – Hall

Year 4 and Year 5 students will vote after the presentations of the speeches.  All votes will be collected and counted. 

The successful 2025 Leadership position applicants will be announced at the End of Year Parade on Thursday 5^th of December.  All parents and caregivers are welcome to come to this parade.

We wish all of the short-listed nominees well in their speeches next week.

Congratulations to 3C who had an amazing attendance rate for Week 6. Their attendance rate was 98.06% for the week!

Also, congratulations to 1 other class which was at or above our school attendance target of 94% for Week 6.

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

PBL focus this week is ‘Impacts of Being Physical’. Students will be practising using their personal bubble and why it is important to stay out of other people's bubbles. At home, practise staying in their own bubble while moving about the house. 

GEM Focus

This week students will be thanking someone for something they do that makes you feel good. At home, have family discussions about who they are grateful for and what makes them feel good.

 The Imperfect Podcasts – Janelle Booker

In this long-awaited Academy of Imperfection, we chat to psychologist Janelle Booker, who specialises in ADHD and Highly Sensitive Person trait.

There is SO MUCH to learn (and love) about an ADHD brain.

We learn how ADHDers are often extremely creative, innovative, and talented, and in the right conditions, absolutely thrive.

However, ADHDers may struggle with executive functions such as time keeping, organisation and emotional regulation, which can make daily life really hard and 

exhausting.

People with ADHD can be more susceptible to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, as well as dopamine boosting activities such as risk-taking behaviour, addiction and disordered eating. This is why seeking the right diagnosis and treatment plan can be really impactful.

With school as a battleground, and friendships sometimes hard to maintain, Hugh, Ryan and Josh chat through how neurotypical people can be better allies and support systems to ADHDers, as friends, partners, employers, and parents.

On a HSP note (not the snack pack, unfortunately), The Resilience Projects bets a few of you might resonate with Janelle’s explanation, especially since 15-20% of the population have the Highly Sensitive Person trait. To watch the full episode follow the link - https://bit.ly/3NPDDf7

Positive Behaviour Comparison Data

Swimming Carnivals are on Week 9!

Please be aware, several classes have changed day and time for lessons in this week. Please see below the timetable for Week 9. Prep to Year 3 will participate in their own cohort mini swimming carnivals and Years 4 to Year 6 will participate in a combined event. All students will need to wear their school uniform on their swimming carnival day and change into their swimmers at school. Students are to wear swimming caps and appropriate swimming attire with a sun shirt. Prep-Year 2 classes will not have their normal PE lesson in Week 9, only their swimming carnival.

Parents are welcome to attend. Parents and spectators will be required to stay behind the cone barriers or can sit on the hill.

Prep students will participate in rotational novelty events. The Year 1-3 carnivals will start with races followed by rotational novelty events. A sign out book will be at the pool to sign students out early.

Dress standards – All students are required to wear appropriate togs, sun shirt and sunscreen to be applied beforehand. If going home on a bus students will need to change back into school uniform.

Hi Families,

You're probably wondering, didn’t I read that last week? The answer is YES.  Reminding you our final major fundraiser this year will be our Holly Jolly Markets held Saturday 7^th December 2024. We are needing donations from our school community to make this a successful fundraiser. If you have any items to donate, please drop them off to the Uniform Shop Friday mornings between 8.30-9am or email communication.calliopess@gmail.com to arrange drop off.

All money raised, goes back to the children for 2025 to help cover costs for buses (excursions, camps, etc), cost of resources for the children such as readers/books, performances and assets like tables, fridges and microwaves.

Without volunteers and the endless task of fundraising, subsidising these events and other resources for our children would not be possible and this will then fall back on to the families to cover the costs.

If you have a spare hour or two, we would appreciate any help. As they say many hands make light work and we are all striving for the same outcome – providing resources, safety, respect and happiness for the children of Calliope State School.

So this is a great chance to declutter in time for Christmas and give back to the community as well.

 

Uniform Shop

Are you prepared for the 2025 schooling year? Why not get in early with your uniform order for next year? The uniform shop will be open every Friday until the end of school, with some opening hours over the school holidays. To make life less stressful and hectic, you can place your orders now for 2025. Further information about the uniform shop school holiday opening hours will be posted on the P&C facebook page.

We are urgently seeking volunteers to help pack orders weekly/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

P&C Meeting

Well that’s a wrap for our P&C meetings for 2024. We will be back when school commences in 2025, followed by the AGM in March. Keep your eye out on our facebook page for details.

As every year, we welcome new and old families to come along to our meetings and see for yourself what it’s all about and you don’t have to be a member to help around the school. Fresh faces, many hands and new ideas are what a growing school community strives for to make it successful. The only people who benefit from a successful P&C are our children.

If you are interested at all, you can contact us on communication.calliopess@gmail.com for our Communication Officer or pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au for our Executive team.

Tuckshop News

The amazing Miss Lisa will be working hard till the second last day (Thursday - Week 11) to provide food for our kids, this means we still need you! Miss Lisa can always use an extra set of hands or two each tuckshop day to make sure your kids get their food as quickly as possible at break times. Friday 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  

In Week 10, Tuckshop will be open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with Thursday being closed. This is due to the P&C supplying a sausage on bread, Zoopa Doopa and piece of fruit to every child at Calliope State School.

In Week 11, Tuckshop will be open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with Friday being closed. 

Thank you to Miss Lisa, Miss Mel and all your helpers for your hard work over the year.

 Warm Regards

Geoff, Angela & Lisa

Join us for our first Harmony Connect morning tea in Gladstone on Saturday the 30th of November.

A wonderful opportunity for our community to connect with culture & each other, all while enjoying morning tea & some craft activities

Saturday, 30th of November

10am- 12pm

Nutchee Building, Philip Street, Communities & Families Precinct.

~ Free!

This session is tailored for adults, children are welcome to attend under caregiver supervision.

For more information or to register, please reach out to us at cams@strongcommunities.org.au or 0455 483 916.

Please see attached Calliope State School book list for 2025.  There has been a slight change to the original list communicated.  The only change is the reduction in the amount of A4 Botany Book 18mm ruled for Prep.  Thankyou