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YEAR 6 CAMP
From all reports, the Year 6 students had a fantastic time on camp last week. They were still smiling when they arrived safely back at school on Friday; albeit very tired and ready for their own bed. A huge thank you goes to our staff who gave up a large amount of their own time to plan and prepare for the Year 6 camp and to those staff who supported the students whilst on camp including Mrs Sellin, Mrs Smith-Ashton, Ms Heather, Ms Whale and Mrs Marshall.
YEAR 6 GRADUATION
We are very excited in 2021, under the current COVID guidelines, to offer each Year 6 student 4 direct relatives as guests who must remain seated for the duration of the ceremony. Under last year’s guidelines we could only have 2 relatives attend. Our graduation ceremony is still subject to social distancing requirements and guests will be required to check-in via the Check In QLD app. Students are to wear their formal shirt – either school or senior. No sports uniforms are to be worn.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards will be released on Thursday December 9 via email. Please ensure your email address is current.
CHRISTMAS MARKET STALL
Friday December 3 - Year 6 is holding a Christmas market stall in the hall. A huge variety of items for sale including Christmas jewellery, decorations, lanyards and scrunchies. Please come and shop to support our EarlyPreneurs.
Prices ranging from 20 cents to $5.
COLLECT YOUR CHILD’S MEDICATION FROM SCHOOL
Remember to collect your child's medication before the holidays and store it correctly at home. You can learn more about the storage of medications such as asthma inhalers and adrenaline auto-injectors (eg. EpiPens). Also, remember to check the expiry dates.
END OF TERM PARADE
PROTECT YOURSELF WITH THE COVID-19 VACCINE
It’s easy and convenient for everyone to get vaccinated. Anyone aged 12 years and
over can simply walk in – bookings are not required. Vaccination is our way out of this pandemic and it is the best thing we can do to protect ourselves, our families and our community. For those requiring their second dose, it doesn’t matter where you received your first dose, you can go to any vaccination clinic in Queensland. Visit the Queensland Health website for information and vaccination locations.
IS YOUR CHILD MAKING THE STEP TO PREP IN 2022?
Families are critical partners when children start school. There are some fun and helpful activities and games available on the early childhood website. Let’s work together to make the step to Prep as successful as possible.
ANXIETY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT
Anxiety in children and teenagers can start out small, but may end up affecting their daily lives. When overly worried, some kids don’t talk about it. They may even seem angry or irritable, rather than anxious or they may get frequent stress headaches or stomach aches.
But with parents’ help, children can learn how to reduce their own anxious feelings.
The new Fear-Less Triple P Online program has practical Triple P – Positive Parenting Program tips and ideas – and it’s free, thanks to the Queensland Government.
Learning more about coping with uncomfortable emotions can help you use positive methods to respond to child and teenage anxiety.
Read more about this hot parenting topic here or for more free Triple P programs, go to: www.triplep-parenting.net.
If your family is going through tough times, contact Family and Child Connect for free, unlimited, confidential advice. They are there to listen and connect you with practical support. Access to interpreters is also available. A range of Family and Child Connect resources are available, including information in other languages.
Regards
Coralie Ditchmen
Acting Principal
Our robotics group has had another busy and successful end to the year.
On the 6th of November we had four teams participate in the Gladstone Regional First Lego League engineering, building and coding competition with all placing in the top 10 against teams from near and far. The process to get ready for the competition takes months of dedication and perseverance and the hard work of our students made Calliope shine.
They brought home the Innovation Project Award, Robot Games Award and the Runners Up Champion’s Award and three teams have been invited to attend the National Competition to be held in Brisbane on 4 December.
Thankyou to our industry mentors from Rio Tinto for coming to afternoon practice each week. Engineers Jasmine Harrison and Brent Hadaway were full of information and they taught us a lot.
Our P&C purchased the robotics shirts which made us stand out and look professional, matching our tremendous reputation in the robotics community. Thankyou for the shirts and for helping with funding to get our families to Brisbane.
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We are the Vipers robotics team and we won the Research Project trophy at the Gladstone First Lego League Competition.
The judges said our invention was “a clear standout”
Through lots of research and testing we designed a robot to clean bulk carrier ship holds and decks. The Vipers 7 would magnetise to the wall to scrape and clean so that workers are not at risk up high in the ship.
It is designed to save water and reduce pollution, stopping waste from being washed into the ocean.
We are going to present our improvements at the First Lego League in Brisbane and show them what Calliope’s made of. Wish us luck!
The Vipers.
Congratulations to 6C who had an amazing attendance rate for Week 8. Their attendance rate was 100% for the week!
Also congratulations to the 6 classes which were at or above our school attendance target of 94% for Week 8.
Remember, every day you are away is a learning day lost.
At this time of the year, some students like to give their friends a Christmas card. This year we are happy for Christmas cards to be given out; however, it must be done using our school process to meet COVID Health guidelines.
Cards can be dropped in the Christmas Box in the office. Students are asked not to hand out cards. Our School Leaders will deliver the cards to the classrooms.
Food items such as candy canes are not to be included.
Welcome to Week 9!
This week’s focus is: ‘I am responsible when I show resilience in the face of change.’
The year is coming to an end and this is the perfect PBL focus to identify & discuss resilience strategies, particularly with mixed feelings around having new teachers and a new mix of students in 2022 classes.
Week 9 FFF is ‘A Christmas Movie’ and will take place on Friday. The location for each year level is yet to be advised, as it will be dependent on the number of students attending.
Year 5 and 6 students missed out on the FFF Water Play due to issues with the weather. Class teachers will identify a time slot sometime this week to run their water play session.
Hi Guys!
While we are winding down to the end of the school year, these last 2 weeks I am going to teach the students some helpful tips for their mental health!
Today we did a fun activity that helps us learn what happens when we store up anger on the inside of us. This is something everyone can do at home and why not do it over the school holidays. It’s called a FEELINGS VOLCANO. The idea is when you store up things that make you feel angry they can make us eventually explode just like a volcano. When we learn to deal with things that make us angry on a daily basis or more regular basis the feeling of anger is not as strong as a volcano erupting. This activity helps us to understand storing up anger can affect our mental health in the long term if we don’t use other strategies like talking about it, journaling or getting the support we need.
Feelings Volcano - You will need: 1 cup of Bicarb soda, 2 cups of vinegar, 4 different food colours, a funnel, 4 x plastic cups and one plastic 2L drink container. Instructions - Put the funnel into the 2L drink bottle and pour 1 cup of bicarb soda into the bottle. Then pour one teaspoon of food colouring into each plastic cup, then fill each plastic cup with ½ cup vinegar and then pour one cup at a time into the 2L plastic bottle to watch the Volcano eventually explode. The colours can represent different things that make us angry and as you watch the Volcano erupt you will notice they all come out together.
Last week’s Christmas brunch went really well. Thanks to Shannyn Ind and Lifestyle Church Calliope for contributing. All the staff had a fun time enjoying some early Christmas treats. On behalf of the community thank you so much to all the staff for their hard work this year - 2021!
Over the next few weeks we will be celebrating the end of our Seasons for Growth program and our friendship groups for the year. We will be cooking some delicious cookies and having a party to celebrate the relationships and milestones we have achieved as a group. It has been a pleasure working with everyone this year and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Drive safe and enjoy your time over the school holidays.
Chappy Sheree
Swimming Carnival Timetable - Week 9
Congratulations to our Year 3 students who participated in yesterday afternoon's swimming carnival. You all tried your best swimming a lap and then enjoyed a range of activities in the pools.
Thank you Mrs Betts and staff for all your encouragement and support. Thank you also to our parents for supporting your swimmers!
P&C News!
Christmas Hamper Raffle
- Non perishable grocery items (any foods that are tinned, boxed or packaged. We just can’t take anything that needs to be refrigerated)
- Toys
- Crafts
- Christmas decorations
- PLUS MUCH MORE
Your P&C has decided to bring our families some Christmas cheer. This raffle will be a lucky door prize at the final parade of the year on Thursday 9th of December. Each student and parent will receive a ticket as they enter the hall before parade. The lucky winners will be drawn at the end of parade.
Thanks so much for your donations and good luck.
Tuckshop News
TUCKSHOP IS OPEN ALL TERM AS USUAL. It will operate both breaks Tuesday - Friday until the end of the term. However, as stock dwindles towards the end of the year, the menu may become reduced. Please order on QKR to avoid missing out.
Thank you for supporting our school’s tuckshop this year. Miss Lisa has worked tirelessly with our team to make it a well functioning service to our students and staff. We thank her and Miss Sarah for their hard work to get healthy lunches to our kids.
For all tuckshop enquiries please email us at pandc@calliopess.eq.edu.au
Uniform Shop Update
All uniform items are to be ordered through the QKR! App. Please message our Facebook Page or email uniformshop.calliopess@gmail.com with any uniform shop enquiries.
Your uniform orders will be filled within 3 days of ordering by our volunteers.
Your P&C Team
Tenielle, Kate, Bec & Sian
We have accumlated a large amount of lost property again. A lost property box is located out the front of the office on display for parents and students to look through and reclaim any missing items. We also have lost property items in the office such as watches, glasses and jewellery if your child/ren are missing any of these items please come into the office with a description of your missing item to see if we have it. Lost property items will be donated at the end of the year if not claimed.