PRINCIPAL UPDATE

My contract here at the school has been extended until the end of Term 3, September 17, 2021. I look forward to continuing to working with the Calliope State School community over the coming months. here at the school.

EVERY STUDENT INCLUDED

One of our priorities this year, in line departmental requirements, is ‘Every Student Included’. Over the coming weeks I am going to break down and share the departments requirements as outlined in the Inclusive Education Policy.

Below is the commitment as stated by the department and shared by all State schools across Queensland:

EVERY TEACHER EXCELLING 

Our other priority this year is ‘Every Teacher Excelling’. State schools are guided by the requirements outlined in the ‘State Schools Improvement Strategy: Every student succeeding’. The work that we are doing at Calliope State directly aligns to this strategy. We are working collaboratively to ensure that we have a collective, consistent understanding about what the strategy requires us to achieve:

Every student succeeding… means that every single child and student can access a world-class education.

Every student succeeding… means that our focus is on child and student needs.

Every student succeeding… means that we talk about success: success at learning and success also in terms of wellbeing.

The strategy supports individuals and teams to focus on the success of our children and students through:

• priorities, which provide direction for the ‘right’ work
• principles, which are shared ways of working
• measures, which inform monitoring and help identify potential areas for improvement
• focus areas, which locate strategic activity
• processes of the School Improvement Model, which support planning, monitoring, reviewing and communicating with stakeholders about student and school improvement.

STUDENT WELLBEING CENTRE

I am currently working with staff to repurpose the Student Wellbeing Centre and how it will be used in our school. This space will be a place where ALL students can go before school and during the breaks. It will be a safe, supported, calm space where the students can engage in a variety of activities throughout the break. It will also be an area where students can eat their lunch if they choose to.  More detail to come.

ROAD SAFETY

National Road Safety Week (NRSW) will be underway between the 16 – 23 May 2021. This year’s overall theme is ‘Pledge to Drive so others Survive’. Please show your support in getting the messages out there to your friends and family. Log on to roadsafetyweek.com.au for more information.

WALK TO SCHOOL DAY

This Friday, 14 May, we will be holding a Walk Safely to School walk. Staff will meet families on the walkway near the Bowls Club (across the road from Drakes) at 8.30am and walk together to the school. All families are welcome to join in.

NAPLAN

This week our Year 3 and Year 5 students are participating in NAPLAN.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

Parents and carers support your child/ren by reassuring them that NAPLAN is just one part of their school program, and by reminding them on the day to simply do their best.

DAY FOR DOLLY

Last Friday Calliope State School took part in Do It For Dolly Day. Do It For Dolly Day is a nationwide day promoting inclusiveness and kindness.

Below I have included the link for the Parent Hub that provides a variety of resources to support in teaching children about online bullying. To help make your life a little easier, the Dolly’s Dream organisation have done the research for you and pulled together the most trusted information from around the internet about online safety and bullying. https://dollysdream.org.au/parent-hub

TOYS AND SPORTING EQUIPMENT

Students are not permitted to bring toys or sporting equipment to school. Bringing such items to school can lead to the items being lost or broken at school. They also interfere with the student’s ability to focus on learning during class time.  At both breaks the students are provided with sporting equipment to play their favourite games. Please ensure your child leaves all of their equipment at home that is not specifically going to be used for learning.

LUNCH BREAKS

Please remind you students that during breaks, they are able to take time out of play and eat if they need to. If they are unsure where to go to eat their lunch, encourage them to ask the teacher on duty or their classroom teacher before they go to lunch.

Regards

Coralie Ditchmen

Acting Principal

This week our Year 3 and Year 5 students will participate in the NAPLAN Online sessions. Attached to this week’s newsletter you will find the NAPLAN privacy statement, a NAPLAN information sheet and the Calliope State School NAPLAN test session timetable.

NAPLAN is a nationwide measure through which parents, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine how well young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.

•  NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process. NAPLAN does not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. A child’s teacher will have the best insight into the child’s educational progress. NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality.
•  NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning through the school curriculum. Children can prepare for NAPLAN through learning the curriculum. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.
•  The assessments allow parents to see how their child is progressing against national standards in literacy and numeracy and over time. Along with other school assessment reports, NAPLAN supports parents in discussing with teachers their child’s strengths and areas for improvement.
•  NAPLAN results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress.
•  NAPLAN can support school improvement by enabling teachers to monitor their students’ progress over time against the national measure, to identify strengths and areas to improve in teaching programs, and to set goals in literacy and numeracy.
•  Both paper-based NAPLAN and NAPLAN Online test the same range of skills in literacy and numeracy taught through curriculum content. Student results continue to be measured against the one NAPLAN assessment scale, and students answer the same number of questions in both NAPLAN tests – paper and online.
•  Students and parents wishing to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN Online can visit the public demonstration site on the NAP website. Some past NAPLAN papers are also available.
•  The number of adjustments available aim to encourage participation in NAPLAN Online for as many students as possible.

If you have any concerns around NAPLAN for your child, please make contact with your child’s classroom teacher.

Kindest Regards

Rebecca Crapp

Deputy Principal

This term has been speeding past already.

3B started the term with a visit to the Star Lab, which was out of this world. The students went into an inflatable dome where the whole roof and walls had videos projected on to them, it was an amazing experience and a great way to introduce our science unit on space.  

The fun continues in technology where we are taking old t-shirts and giving them a new lease on life by turning them into bags. We haven't got to the creating stage yet but some of the designs are spectacular (we may have some future fashion designers).  

In our art lessons we are focusing on media arts and creating commercials. Students are looking at how to create an advertisement based on protecting the environment. We are using stop motion to create our advertisement. 3B think that their commercials will be good enough to put on television.  

Lastly in our busy term we have started NAPLAN today. As their teacher I was so proud of their effort in their writing. They showed great ideas, wonderful editing and lovely handwriting.  

PBL Data Term 2 Week 3

Parent and Community involvement

Parents and the wider community play an important role in creating a safe and supportive school environment. Schools benefit when school staff engage in regular positive, respectful interactions with students and their family. Schools involve parents and the school community in developing the Student Code of Conduct. This helps to align the behaviour expectations of the school to community expectations and means everyone shares an understanding of what is expected. Successful schools clearly communicate their expectations for student behaviour to students and their parents at enrolment and throughout the student's enrolment. Data, information and strategies are consistently shared with all parents. Schools implementing Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) actively seek input from parents and the community. Parents may take turns being on the PBL leadership team or may be involved in surveying other parents about the ways the school supports student learning, wellbeing and behaviour.

When parents and school staff work together, student outcomes are improved. For example, studies have shown that school attendance, academic results and student behaviour and wellbeing are improved when schools work collaboratively with families. Families can be involved in PBL implementation in many ways. For example, parents may be involved in creating a matrix for expected behaviours at home aligning with the school’s expectations. Families have the best knowledge of their child and are therefore important partners in the development of individual support plans for students.

Last Monday we had our Port Curtis Rugby League boys travel to the Capricornia trials. They played two days of tough competition. Congratulation to Carter for being selected on the Capricornia team. What a massive achievement!

Last week during lunch breaks we held our High Jump Finals for the 8 to 12 year olds. The students jumped some impressive heights and Mrs Betts was proud of their great sportsmanship. The high jump results for 2021 were-

12 Year Old Boys- 1^st Cooper (119cm), 2^nd Kyden, 3^rd Tyrese

12 Year Old Girls- 1^st Holly (111cm), 2^nd Mia, 3^rd Jazara and Krystal

11 Year Old Boys- 1^st Tyler (120cm), 2^nd Zeik, 3^rd Carter, Rhys and Kobi

11 Year Old Girls- 1^st Jordan (118cm), 2^nd Alissa, 3^rd Charlotte

10 Year Old Boys- 1^st Lleyton (105cm), 2^nd Kellan, 3^rd Lachlan

10 Year Old Girls- 1^st Sienna W (103cm), 2^nd Halle, 3^rd Sienna P

9 Year Old Boys- 1^st Urijah (93cm), 2^nd Nathaniel, 3^rd Ethan

9 Year Old Girls- 1^st Makenna and Jacinta (102cm), 2^nd Ruby, 3^rd Nevaeh

8 Year Old Boys- 1^st Zackery (97cm), 2^nd Harry, 3^rd Riley

8 Year Old Girls- 1^st Eden (84cm), 2^nd Ivy, 3^rd Peyton

Thank you to everyone who purchased from our Mothers’ Day Stall last week. We hope all Mothers, Grandmothers, carers, & special people were spoilt in celebration of all the wonderful things you do.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser

TRAILRIDE – Saturday 22^nd of May 2021

Are you going to the Ubobo Reloaded 2021 Trail Ride this year? We are super excited to be catering for this event again. Pop by to support our school if you are there! Even better, if you have an hour or two spare, put your hand up to help out. Contact us for more details. We need as many volunteers as possible please.

Tuckshop News

Tuckshop operates both breaks, Tuesday to Friday each week. Order through the QKR! app.

WE NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE. Our tuckshop is looking for parents or community members to help prepare our kids meals each day. If you or someone you know can volunteers some time, please chat to Lisa in the Tuckshop, or email us at pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au

Uniform Shop Update

Uniform Shop will be open on Friday mornings, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please message our Facebook Page or email uniformshop.calliopess@gmail.com to make your appointment. Uniform orders made on QKR will be filled within 3 days of ordering by our volunteers. Thank you for your patience as we distribute your orders.

Upcoming Rotary Events:

Next General Meeting:

Tuesday 11th of May (TONIGHT). Don’t forget everyone is welcome and you can become a P&C member at any meeting throughout the year.

Agenda items include:

· Trail Ride

· Trivia Night

· Robotics Team Shirts

· The Schools’ Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)

Your P&C Team

Tenielle, Kate, Bec & Sian