BOOK WEEK

This week we are celebrating Book Week along with the rest of Australia. This year’s theme is Curious Creatures, Wild Minds and it has prompted some interesting conversations about what this might mean. We have wondered if the creatures are themselves curious and want to find out about their world or if perhaps they are curious creatures because they are unusual or different in some way. Whatever our interpretation, our library has been decorated with curious creatures and wild minds from literature, the art world and our natural world. Students are being encouraged to explore, observe, wonder, question, investigate, imagine and read to find out about their world.

And of course we are reading all of the amazing shortlisted books from the Early Childhood, Picture Book and Younger Readers categories!

This Friday your child is invited to dress up as their favourite book character. Please make sure that their costume is sun safe and appropriate for school.

  

Welcome to Week Three! By now you would have received a Classroom Newsletter from your child’s teacher outlining the curriculum being covered this term, specific classroom routines and expectations, and upcoming events. If you haven’t yet received this, please contact your child’s teacher. Each term the class teachers provide this information as part of our home/school communication plan and we thank our teaching staff for their work each term in sharing this information.

Book Week

This week we are celebrating Book Week. The theme is ‘Curious Creatures, Wild Minds’. Students are invited to Dress Up on Friday 23 October as their favourite

book character or something to match the theme this year. Costumes can be worn during the day if they are sun safe and meet the school dress code, or alternatively students can change into their school uniform after they have shared their costume with the class. We look forward to seeing the many creative and unique outfits!

This year the staff have recorded their Book Week production of ‘We’re stuck!’, one of the shortlisted books. We will be sharing the performance with students during the week. Thanks to Mr Rowe for work in producing the video.

Jewellery and swimming

This term we have started swimming. It is a timely reminder that the only jewellery to be worn at school should be earrings (studs or sleepers) and a watch. This is in line with the school guidelines. Watches and earrings are not to be worn during swimming lessons and it is recommended that they are not worn to school on the student’s swimming day. If they are worn on swimming days, it is the student’s responsibility to remove them and store them safely.

If there is an exception and your child needs to wear their earrings for a particular reason, please contact the class teacher.

2021 Prep Transition - School Tours/Parent Session

Next week, our school will be offering Information Sessions and School Tours for our new parents as part of our Prep Transition process. Bookings are essential as each will be a small group due to current restrictions. Tour and Information Sessions s are available for families who have already enrolled for 2021. Tours are
available before and after school on Monday 26 October and Wednesday 28 October.

Please phone 4975 8333 or email admin@calliopess.eq.edu.au to make a booking.

Are you leaving in 2021?

The school’s Leadership Team is currently working with our Regional Human Resource Team to accurately determine our 2021 staffing requirements based on our predicted student enrolments. If you are leaving Calliope State School at the end of the year or know someone who is intending to enrol with us, we need to know as soon as possible so this information can be taken into account.

Mental Health Week

Last week our staff and students participated in a huge variety of activities throughout the week to recognise and celebrate Mental Health Week. Thank you to Mrs Ind for all her work in organising the week and to the staff for supporting the activities with students during the lunch breaks.

Reading Goals

Reading continues to be our focus area in Term 4 across the school. Students have identified reading goals with their class teacher and are working on them each day in a variety of ways. Ask your child about their current reading goal and the strategies they are using to achieve it.

Have a great week!

Raelene Norris

Deputy Principal

Welcome back! This term students are over in the pool for PE lessons. Please remind your child to pack their swimmers each week. All students MUST wear a swimming cap. They are available to purchase from our uniform shop or at Kmart and Big W in town. Please remind students that jewellery is not permitted in the pool - this includes earrings, watches, exercise watches, including fit bits. Students are responsible for removing this jewellery and storing them safely, if it is worn on swimming days.

Congratulations to Prep C and 6D who had an amazing attendance rate for Week 2. Their attendance rate was 98% for the week! Also congratulations to the 10 classes which were at or above our school attendance target of 94% for Week 2. Remember, every day you are away is a learning day lost.

Welcome to Week 3 – the term is already going fast. The PBL lesson this week is on: Responsible – Sending and Receiving Buddy Room. At Calliope State School one of our calm down options for students is to attend a Buddy room where the student has 10- 15 minutes away from class. This is to help them make better choices and we can help them achieve this by doing the following:

- Explaining that it is not a punishment rather a time out;

- Ensuring the student knows the Buddy Room teacher and has a relationship with them;

- Physically showing each class what their Buddy Room looks like and where the desk is; and

- Welcoming the Buddy Room student into our room.

The more anxiety we remove around Buddy Room the easier it will be to have the student comply.

Fantastic Fun Friday was on last week and over 200 students attended a Disco Party DJ’d by Mr Carlson. Below are some of the pictures from the event.

Thanks.

Brian Rowe

Student Welfare Teacher

You are invited to contribute to the new Student Code of Conduct.

On Thursday 22^nd October at 4.00pm there will be an education and contribution session to the new Student Code of Conduct for 2021. All schools are moving from a Responsible Behaviour Plan to a Student Code of Conduct in January of 2021 and we would like your input. To attend, please book through the front office on 49 758 333. Due to Covid restrictions we are limited to 9 people per session with more sessions to come.

On Monday 19October Firefighter Graham and Firefighter Nick came to educate our Prep students about fire safety. This is a part of the Health curriculum, staying safe.

The firefighters taught us how to “get down low and go go go” and how to “stop drop and roll” if our clothes catch on fire. They have also asked that ALL families have a safe evacuation point, like our mailbox, the shed or a big tree, so we know where to go after we leave the unsafe house to meet our family.

We had a lot of fun learning about fire safety.

We are well and truly full steam ahead through the final term of 2020 and our P&C have a few things planned. Our guidelines during the Road Map to Recovery through COVID-19 are being adapted so we can do more. Keep an eye out on our Facebook Page and read our weekly newsletter to see what we are up to this term. 

Last week our ‘resident bin rat’ emptied the can cage outside our school and cashed in all the recyclables. Thank you to everyone who donates their cans and bottles to our P&C. This easy to do donation made us $186.70!!! This money will be used to help fund school and P&C projects.

Subway Day

Prep – Year 2: Monday 2^nd of November 2020

Year 3 – Year 6: Monday 9^th of November 2020

Subway will be making subs for our students. You can personalise your bread choice, meat, and toppings to suit your children, PLUS a cookie and popper or water is included with the meal deal too!

Orders must be made via the QKR! App by MONDAY 26^th of OCTOBER please. We cannot accept late orders.

If you are unable to purchase via QKR, please contact the P&C on our Facebook Page or email pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au

Democracy BBQ

On Saturday 31st of October, the State Election polling booths will be in the school hall. We have your breakfast and lunch sorted with our Democracy BBQ. We will
be selling bacon and egg burgers, sausage in bread and drinks from 7am – 1pm. Come to school, submit your vote, and support your local P&C. It will be a COVID Safe event and we will have cash and EFTPOS facilities available.

Please share our posts on Facebook to help spread the word through our community

Tuckshop & Uniform Shop

We will be open Tuesday – Friday each week until the end of the year. We are still cashless so all orders via the QKR! app please.

Uniform Shop is also only available via QKR! Once you have placed your order, please allow 3 business days for your order to be processed and delivered your child’s classroom. We are all volunteers with other responsibilities, but we will do our best to get your orders to you, as soon as possible.

Contact us via Facebook or via pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au for any queries. We are always happy to help.

Next General Meeting – Tuesday 10^th of November at 6pm in the Conference Room. If members cannot attend, all apologies must be emailed please. If you would like to become a member of the P&C, to have your say about what we are doing to support our school, come along to a meeting. New members are always welcome, and we would love to see you there!

Your P&C Team

Tenielle, Sian, Bec & Kate