Key Summary Points

- Education Improvement Branch School Review document on our Website

- Student Code of Conduct commencing 2021 – available on our Website

- Staffing

- Year 6 Camp and Graduation

- School Watch – protect OUR school

- 2021 Leaders

- Year 6 Transition day

Our School Review

Our Executive Summary from our recent school review is a publicly available document. This has been uploaded to our School Website. We are very proud of the many aspects our school to be celebrated, particularly noteworthy is our culture of care and support for every member of our school community. Feel free to have read and celebrate with us!

Student Code of Conduct

From the beginning of 2021, we will transition from the “Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students” to our “Student Code of Conduct”. This has been uploaded to our School Website. Throughout 2021 we will be running information sessions around this.

Staffing Changes

Welcome to our incoming Principal, Moira Mackenzie, along with Ms Diaz (Year 3) and Mrs Peterson (Strings).

We say a sad farewell to a number of staff and wish them all the best in their new adventures:

Mrs Kylie Kettle

Mr Carl Green

Ms Peta Everingham

Miss Carmen Tuttle

Mrs Shay Gilliland

Mr Brian Rowe

Mr Aaron Widderick (Strings teacher)

Mrs Shelley Kerr; and

Chappy Mel

Please be sure to wish them well if you see them out and about.

Year 6 Camp and Graduation

Thanks to all our staff, students and our P&C for the amazing work that was done to put together the Year 6 Camp and Graduation. It was wonderful to be able to have our parents join us for this amazing week culminating in the Year 6 Graduation. A massive thank-you also to our parents for respecting our COVID guidelines throughout the event.

School Watch – working together to protect schools

Please keep watch over our school and help safeguard against vandalism, theft and arson. LOOK, LISTEN and REPORT any suspicious activity outside of school hours or during school holidays. If you see anything irregular or suspicious, report the issue to School Watch on 131 788. If it’s an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). Remember, we can all help to keep our school safe.

Prep Open Classrooms

It was so wonderful to be able to have our 2021 Prep students and a parent visit our classroom under the new COVID event guidelines for schools. This is a very important part of the transition process. We look forward to having our new cohort of Preps join us in the new year.

School Leadership Process

Our Year 5 students have been busy running for our school leadership positions. These have been announced on our most recent parade video. Our Year 5 leaders have already proven their value by setting up the Year 6 Graduation. If this is their start, I can’t wait to see the amazing work they are yet to do in 2021. Congratulation to all our incoming leaders.

Year 6 Transition Days

Many of our Year 6 students have been taking advantage of the two transition days offered by our local high schools with most attending Calliope State High School. Our teachers had the pleasure of visiting the transition and it was pleasing to see Calliope State School students carrying forward their values of Safe, Respectful and Responsible into the high school setting. They were able to experience a wide range of high school experiences including unpacking the school creed and working on a range of STEAM activities.

STOP, DROP, GO

The modifications in conjunction with the Queensland Police Service have seen a dramatic improvement in the efficiency and safety of our Strop Drop Go zone. A massive thank-you to all our parents who access this facility for your patience and co-operation. The most effective strategy is to wait until 3:15 before arriving so that you are in the flow of the line, rather than arriving early. If you do arrive early, please access one of the parking spaces. A reminder that we have a yellow line in the front of the Administration building. Yellow lines mean “No Parking”. Please be sure to drive the few metres extra to drop your child off in the Stop Drop Go zone.

Feedback Welcome

Calliope State School is committed to ensuring that ‘everyone at Calliope State School is working together to ensure that every day, in every classroom, every student is learning and achieving’. We want to know from our parents, carers and students, what we are doing well, and if there are any areas we can improve on or do differently.

You can give feedback at any time to a staff member, coming into the school office, or leaving a message in our Suggestion Box (in the office foyer). Please be respectful when providing feedback.

If you have a complaint we ask that you:

1) Arrange a time to speak with the class teacher as the first point of call.

2) If your concern is regarding the classroom teacher or a staff member, contact the office to speak with a Deputy Principal responsible for your child’s sector.

· Miss Raelene Norris is the P-2 Deputy

· Mrs Naomi Hughes is the 3-6 A/Deputy

· Mrs Rebecca Crapp is the A/Principal.

We ask that you refrain from using social media platforms to comment about issues or incidents involving our school. We have a great school with great students and staff and together we can continue to promote our school as a fantastic learning venue in our community. By following the above process we can work together to ensure any concerns you have are addressed in a proactive and solution focused way.

Acting Principal

Congratulations to 3A and 6B who had an amazing attendance rate for Week 9. Their attendance rate was 96% for the week!

Congratulations to 1A for being the class with the best attendance data for all of Term 4. They have managed a great 95% attendance for Term 4!

The class with the best overall attendance data for all of 2020 is 6B followed very closely by 6C. Congratulations to these two classes for topping the attendance data is such a crazy year.

Weekly Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

Welcome to Week 10 – we made it. 2020 was a crazy year for everyone, especially the part where home schooling became a thing. Before the year ends, it is important to celebrate that 93% of students at Calliope State School were in the Green, meaning they had 0-1 major behaviours.

Hopefully 2021 goes back to being a regular school year but before the students leave the PBL team would like to wish everyone a safe holiday, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All the best in 2021 to you and your family.

Take care and stay safe.

Thanks.

Brian Rowe

Student Welfare Teacher

                                           Here we are; only one day of the school year to go! On behalf of the Calliope State School P&C, we wish all of our families a very Merry Christmas. Stay safe over the break, enjoy your travels around this beautiful country and we hope that 2021 brings a lot of joy after a very different and tough 2020.

Thank you to the school teachers and staff for their endless support this year. 2020 has taught everyone so much and it has highlighted that it is paramount that our children are encouraged to be life-long learners because, us parents certainly have learnt a lot!!!! To all of the school staff, we hope that you have a restful holiday and feel refreshed and rejuvenated for 2021.

Congratulations to our Year 6 students!!! They have officially graduated from Primary School. It was so humbling to see families together last night, to celebrate your graduation. All the best for your High School adventures and we hope that you will always look back on your Primary School days and smile!! It was a pleasure to present the Year 6 students with their signature frames and pens as their graduation gift this year.

Tuckshop News

Thank you to everyone who has supported the tuckshop throughout this crazy year - it’s certainly been different!

Our tuckshop is a very busy area and I do try to keep the costs down throughout the year. However, the Tuckshop must cover all expenses & make a small profit to go towards the P&C’s purchase of equipment or facilities for the students. I say this because some Tuckshop prices will be increased next year! :) 

To help the Tuckshop continue to provide a worthwhile service to the school community, any donations of products which are used regularly & can be stored, would be appreciated! If you can’t spare the time to volunteer in Tuckshop, maybe this option would appeal to you. Items like tin tomatoes, corn, beetroot, flour, pasta, rice, sugar, choc chips, tomato paste, pineapple, snack and sandwich size snap lock bags, brown paper bags, etc.

I am working through ideas for a new Summer Menu. If you have any ideas about menu items, please send them through. I will consider items that make Tuckshop service easier, yet deliver more tasty & healthy options. Your support & comments are always welcomed!

Tuckshop will be open in Week 1 of 2021. Can’t wait to prepare your healthy lunches next year!

Thanks Miss Lisa

Tuckshop Convenor

Uniform Shop

Our uniforms have arrived at school! If you have ordered uniforms in the past week, they will be ready to be distributed before school breaks up. The Uniform Shop will be open for a few days over the holidays. Keep an eye on our Facebook Page, Calliope State School P&C for days and times. Please emailuniformshop.calliopess@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Book Packs for 2021

If you have ordered Book Packs for 2021, they will be available for pickup in January. We will post more details on the Facebook Page and contact families once everything arrives. If you have ordered via lay-by, please keep your payments up to date to pick your packs up on time.

If you have any queries, feedback, or ideas for our team, please email pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au We are always happy to answer questions or help our where we can.

In 2021 we would love to see lots of parents and community members be a part of our P&C committee. Over the holidays please consider becoming a member. Our purpose is to support our kids’ education and school life. Come on board to help us continue to achieve our goal!

Your P&C Team

Tenielle, Sian, Bec & Kate

Last Saturday the Calliope RoboTRACKS Robotics team competed in the Fist Lego League North National Championship. They competed against other primary schools and high schools as well. RoboTRACKS performed well as a team and all of their hard work and dedication paid off. They brought home another trophy for Calliope State School! Congratulations to RoboTRACKS for taking out second place for the Innovation Project Award! Such a great achievement for these six students and we wish them well in their Robotics journey next year in high school.

On behalf of Gladstone Junior Basketball Association, I would like to invite your students to
our Holiday Camp, this Thursday and Friday. I have attached a flyer for the event - no prior
basketball experience is necessary.

More information can be found on our Facebook page  ( https://m.facebook.com/gladstonejuniorbasketball/?_rdr )
or by contacting the number attached.

Thank you for your time.

Kind Regards
Tilly Gilbert
Junior Development Assistant
0448-516-318