Rosella Park School eNewsletter

News from the Principal

Firstly, welcome back for the start of term 2. I hope you all had a fun, enjoyable and relaxing two-week holiday break. I am confident that as a school community we can all work together to make term 2 just as successful.

Our school’s annual implementation plan is in its final stages before it is published and shared widely with the school and our community. What I can share is that for 2022 we have taken a sharper and narrower approach and have identified only 2 key explicit improvement areas. These are:

Priority 1: Know your student and how they learn – Functional Communication / Every student having a voice;
Priority 2: Know the content and how to teach it – The Rosella Way / the what and how we teach at Rosella Park School;

Late in term 1, our school obviously was affected greatly with increasing numbers of COVID cases. Unfortunately, this trend may continue during term 2. As per the departmental processes, I will provide weekly updates on Friday afternoons on the number of positive cases within our school community (staff and students). As with all correspondence previously, we continue to seek your support to help us manage COVID within our school community. The following key points are important reminders for all of us to know and follow:

What if my child is unwell?
- Any child who is showing signs of illness or feeling unwell, must stay at home.
- Children who are experiencing any COVID-19 symptomswill be prioritised to receive a free rapid antigen test (RAT) at Queensland Health testing clinics.
- If a child is showing COVID-19 symptoms while at school, the child will be isolated in a safe place, their parent or carer will be contacted to collect the child and a RAT will be provided to be administered at home.
- If the test result is negative and the student is well, they can return to school. If the test is positive, they will need to follow Queensland Health isolation requirements.
Who needs to wear a face mask?
- Face maskrestrictions have eased in Queensland and staff, children and visitors are no longer required to wear them in our workplaces, schools or early childhood services.
- For 7 days after ending isolationor ending quarantine, staff and children aged 12 years and over must wear a face mask indoors, or when outdoors if physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Changes to Quarantine requirements for close contacts:

From 6:00 pm Thursday 28^th April 2022, there will be no quarantine requirements for close contacts as long as they:

DO NOT have COVID-19 symptoms
Test negative EVERY SECOND DAY for a WEEK from the day of becoming a close contact (i.e. day 0, day 2, day 4 and day 6)
Wear a mask outside of home for 7 days
Do not visit any vulnerable settings (hospitals, residential aged care facilities, disability accommodation services, corrective services facilities and detention centres) for 7 days
Let the school know they are a close contact

Please always get tested if you have symptoms.

Last week the school celebrated the PBL rewards day from Term 1 – it was moved to the first week of this term due to so many students being away at the end of last term. A massive thank you to the PBL team, especially Mrs Buckle, Mrs Nash, Mrs Ronda and Mrs Slade for organising a fun and enjoyable experience for all of our students. We had our transitions out on a community scavenger hunt, Seniors and some Intermediates showing off their skills in “minute to win it” games, while our younger Intermediates and Juniors engaged in sensory play with a dash of water for extra fun. Not giving any secrets away, but I have it on good authority that the end of term 2 rewards day is going to be special as well – I know I can’t wait.

Until our next newsletter, please take care and remember, if you wish to seek any information or need to catch up, please do not hesitate to contact the school to make an appointment. I will do my best to ensure we can meet up in a timely manner.

Regards,

Geoff Miller

Principal

News from the Deputy Principal

PBL Rewards Day – Scavenger Hunt

The Transition students were involved in a scavenger hunt for their PBL reward day on Thursday of Week 1. This was a day that was organised for last term, however due to the impact of Covid, we collectively decided that we would postpone this reward day as we wanted as many students to access this fun day, as they totally deserved it. Thank goodness we did! It was such a fun and crazy time, with lots of competitiveness and some yummy hot chip sandwiches in the park and some great prizes in the end. Thank you to the Transition teachers and Students for making this an enjoyable time for everyone. I wonder what the next PBL day will bring ?

Cross Country Athletes

Friday of week 1 and Tuesday of week 2 we had our Multiclass Athletes attend their Cross Country events. The students not only performed amazing with most students accessing this event for the very first time, but we also had students who displayed the best sportsmanship as they were cheering on their peers and encouraging competitors to do their best to finish the race, when they wanted to give up. We had a small number of students involved in our sport team last year and now we have over 20 students with their classifications and I have a committee who are working on a further 10 student applications to be ready to compete at the Athletic events. We have an absolutely amazing group of athletes in our school and I am excited to watch this group grow and develop their skills. Get onto our Facebook site to see their progress.

ANZAC Day

I would like to thank Mrs Leeson and the Yr 12 students who organised our School Anzac Day tribute where students from each class made and presented a wreath to lay in honour of those that had fallen and those that remained at home to continue to care for those that did not go to war. Thanks again to Mrs Leeson for ensuring we had a great number of students, parents and staff at the Anzac March on Anzac Day. We had representatives across all cohorts and we also had both our school captains in attendance. Well done Rosella, you make me proud!

What are our staff learning about?

We all know that we continue to learn every single day and at Rosella, we are no different. Our staff have been involved in some great Professional Development to ensure your children get the highest possible education whilst in our care. Let me tell you a little about some of the things people have been learning about.

Function Behaviour Assessments (FBA)

A large number of staff have recently started the training for the Function Behaviour Assessments or what is commonly known as an FBA. I am so impressed with the number of staff who have volunteered themselves to be part of this opportunity as it will help to fine tune some of our current practices and make them even better. FBA's are a detailed investigation into an individual student's behaviour to help identify the cause or purpose for their behaviour, in order to support a student who is displaying behaviours of concern. Some great learning happening for our staff at the moment.

IMPACT

Mrs Davis and myself have recently started a partnership with Griffith University to lead our staff through a process of reviewing the current pedagogies (this is just a big word that basically means how we teach) within our school. This aligns with our current Annual Implementation Plan for the whole school.

DP Conference

I was fortunate enough to attend the last day of the DP Conference in Brisbane on Wednesday of Week 1 and I have come back to the school bursting with great ideas. I am so grateful to the team for allowing me to be involved in this program.

This term has certainly started off fast and we are almost two weeks in, but I am energised to see what we can achieve this term.

NAIDOC Week

Keep an eye out for information about our Naidoc Week activities coming up at the end of the term.

News from Administration

Individual Curriculum Plans (ICP)

Teachers have been providing our students opportunities to demonstrate how and where they are accessing the curriculum. The outcomes then inform learning goals for the student’s Individual Curriculum Plan. Teachers last term will have been in contact with you to discuss and approve these plans in various ways. Please ensure that the approved plan has been returned to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. Please contact your child’s teacher if you are wanting further information.

School Photos

Our school photo date is Tuesday 7th June. You would have received an email regarding photo orders being online this year. If you would like any further information for assistance in placing your order, please contact either Silver Rose Photographers directly on 3262 5788 or come and chat to Dee at the office.

Breakfast Club

We are pleased to inform you that we were successful in obtaining a grant so we can continue running our "Breakfast Club" at school. We will have healthy snacks e.g. fruit, toast, muffins for your students to enjoy on brekky club days. Breakfast club runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 - 9:00 am.

Room 1 - Junior - Mrs Thomas

This term is already moving fast. So far this term we have enjoyed our PBL rewards day activities and ANZAC Day celebrations. The students are in full swing working to demonstrate their understanding of what they have learnt about in Term 1. The staff are collecting learning evidence from busy workers. Along with work, some fun sensory and hands on activities have also been enjoyed. Our school-based physiotherapist Candy has helped us to design fun and beneficial movement activities for Physical Education that cater to everyone’s needs.

Later in the term for our Health lessons, we might be looking at an excursion to show the different places that we can do movement activities in the community. We will keep you posted. Enjoy the upcoming long weekends and enjoy family time. We look forward to an exciting term with a lot of learning and celebrations of successes.

Room 1 rewards day activities

Room 1.5 - Junior - Mrs Coulston

Welcome back to a new term, let’s hope it will be a good one. Looking ahead, the first week back was a short but a busy one. We had our celebration day on Thursday; as we missed this last term due to the impact that COVID-19 had on attendance. On Friday, we had an ANZAC parade where we were able to lay the wreathes we made in our classes. Week 2 will also be a short week because of ANZAC Day, with Monday as the holiday. Then again in week 3 we have Monday off due to Labour Day. We could easily get used to these short weeks but rest assured we are still working very hard towards our educational goals in the class rooms.

Room 1.5 activities

Room 2 - Junior - Mrs Williams

Hello and welcome to Term 2!

We have had an exciting start to the term with our PBL rewards day from term 1 being held during our first week back. Students had an amazing time exploring the different sensory activities throughout the morning. The water, sand and ball pit activities were definitely favourites and students were quite tired by the end of the day. As a school we celebrated ANZAC day on Friday. Room 2 students made a lovely wreath by painting their hands red and putting them into the shape of a wreath. A big thank you to the Transition students who put together such a lovely and respectful service. Over the next few weeks in English and Science we will be exploring the book ‘Who Sank the Boat’. This will involve a range of interactive activities including designing a boat using a range of materials, creating a farm and water scene and investigating items that sink and float. We will keep you posted on our experiences and experiments while exploring this book.

Thank you

Michelle and Laureen

Room 2 shenanigans

Room 3 - Junior - Mrs Hayne

Welcome back to Term 2. It will be another busy term.

In the first week of school the students attended the PBL rewards morning. This morning was postponed from Week 10 of the first term due to attendance being so low at the end of term 1 due to COVID-19.

Room 3 students enjoyed a sensory morning of activities including sandpit, spaghetti, water, Gelli Baf, and cereal play. There was also face painting and decorating biscuits that they took part in. We will continue to participate in the HPE activities with our cohort peers venturing out to different areas of the school throughout the term.

It was pleasing to see the students attend and participate in the school ANZAC parade where they were able to lay the class wreath they had made. On ANZAC day it was lovely to see a few of our Junior students and parents supporting the school and marching in the ANZAC day parade through the Gladstone streets for the service at ANZAC park.

From the Room 3 Team

Room 3 happenings

Room 4 - Intermediate - Ms Atkins

We were so excited in week 1 to finally get out on excursion to the library. Students were thrilled to hop on the bus and visit a new location. They especially enjoyed listening to the display by the talking puppet. We also began to explore searching on the catalogue for book topics that we enjoy. Students engaged with the activities set up at the library and independently explored the variety of literature available to them. We hope to engage with the children’s librarian and as a class borrow books to read during independent reading time in class.

Room 4 learning activities

Room 5 - Intermediate - Mrs Nash

Welcome back Room 5 Parents! What a busy term we have had already.

We had our postponed PBL rewards day, Our ANZAC Day Service and some students in Room 5 attended the Interschool Cross Country event representing the school.

PBL rewards day was great fun, full of fun sensory activities and wet play 😊 See the great photos posted on Class Dojo and also attached. Mrs Withoos has taken over from Mrs Thompson teaching Room 5 Digital technology and Design for the remainder of the year. This week she assisted the students in creating the amazing wreath which we placed at the school ANZAC service. Mrs Withoos is no stranger to Rosella Park School and has worked at the school in a relief capacity for many years. We welcome her to the Room 5 team. Sylas and Laithe recently represented Room 5 at the interschool cross country. Both did an amazing job and should be very proud of themselves. Laithe was lucky enough to make the Port Curtis team and will be heading to Rockhampton to participate in the Capricornia trials. Great job Laithe, we are super proud of you.

Once again please feel free to contact me at school via phone or through class dojo or email with any concerns or questions.

Room 5 fun

Room 6 - Senior - Mrs Buckle

Our newsletter item this month is short and sweet. With sickness falling upon our classroom at the end of last term and the school holidays we have had very little ‘normal’ learning time. In Maths we have started using our own calendars to copy our class one. So we can identify what today is, what yesterday was and what tomorrow will be.

Our class acted respectfully at the ANZAC school service. The class enjoyed our PBL Easter themed Rewards Day. Some even spent some of their Shazams at our Shazam shop last Friday.

Room 6 goings on

Room 8 - Intermediate - Mrs Maguire

Welcome to Term 2. Room 8 has been and will continue to be working hard to complete assessments for their individual goals this term. It’s going to be another very busy term as students’ complete assessments for each of their individual goals.

In literature, students have enjoyed short Disney clips that they then write about using simple language and beginning writing knowledge. They are becoming better at expressing ideas through words, pictures and increasingly more common complete sentences.

In numeracy, students have explored time, graphing, sorting and the effects of adding and subtraction to a group.

In science, students have explored materials and grouped them according to their attributes. They have continued to enjoy experiments and are using their acquired knowledge to design a hat for a chosen purpose. Students have definitely shown their creative talents for this activity.

And finally, i

n our HPE (Health and Physical Education) lesson, we have explored safe places to play in the school and habits that promote better health. Students will be preparing healthy snacks over the term and I will be asking that parents provide ingredients prior to these activities. Keep an eye out for notes coming home regarding this.

Again a busy term for all but I’m sure we will have a lot of fun along the way.

Regards

Michelle M

Room 9 - Intermediate - Mrs Pointon

Good Afternoon to all parents, grandparents and carers.

Term 2 has started in full swing. Before the end of term 1 the students, Miss Kirsty and Mrs P put their building knowledge together and tried to construct a classroom shop. With the basics of materials, we managed to have a functioning structure. With a cosmetic touch from the students over the next week or two, the Room 9 General Store will be finished. Keep your eye out for a picture in the next newsletter.

This term our students will be focusing on Every Day Life Skills. Which will involve writing a shopping list for example a dinner party, or camping trip. The use of money transactions, and customer service. In order for us to carry out this activity we need clean used grocery container items for our shop shelves.

By this I mean items, EMPTY and clean margarine containers, cereal boxes, ice-cream container, cordial bottle, plastic jam or vegemite bottles, milk bottles, egg cartons, etc.

Thanks Mrs P (Kaylene)

Room 10 - Senior - Mrs Bickle

Term 2 is here and we give a big cheer.

We are loving the fact that this term has soft-started for the first 3 weeks with Mondays being holidays and the week being short – 4 days.

The class enjoyed some healthy competition when completing the Easter activities for our PBL Rewards day. The favourite was chocolate unwrapping with chopsticks and the egg and spoon race. Good times and lots of laughter is definitely the call for Room 10 for Term 2.

Room 11 - Senior - Ms Harris

The last week of term 1 was a crazy one as many days we only had 2 or 3 students in Room 11. I was so glad on 19^th April to come back to a full class of 6. Unfortunately we were already down to 4 students again by the end of week 1, Term 2. COVID and illness keep on hitting hard. Despite this though students have been respectful and are completing their work when asked. I’m quite impressed by the quality of work students are completing even when they have missed a few lessons. Understandably it isn’t easy but they are still giving everything a go.

There has been fun in amongst the school work and illness; with a great Easter Egg Hunt in week 10 of Term 1; then PBL Rewards day in Week 1 of Term 2.

During the PBL Rewards activities students got to use chop sticks to unwrap Easter bunnies, completing egg and spoon races, building tall towers, solving word puzzles and guessing weights of jelly beans. It was so much fun for all. I did not get many photos as I was too busy having fun with the students. I have included the few photos I got for your enjoyment. Looking forward to continuing the fun and learning with Room 11.

Miss Harris.

Room 11 fun

The students of Room 12 should be very proud of the effort they put into making their individual and class wreaths. They should also be proud of the maturity and respect they demonstrated at the school ANZAC service.

Room 13 - Senior - Mrs Dunstan

Welcome back everyone ! All students had a wonderful time at the Easter egg hunt in the last week of Term 1. Our PBL rewards day was held in the first week of Term 2 due to student absences in the last week of term 1. The students had a wonderful time participating in the activities which were both challenging and fun.

This semester we will be focussing on Chemistry so we will be doing lots of hands-on experiments and expect to see some surprising results. Stay tuned for photos in the next newsletter.

Room 14 - Transition - Mr Pallett

Welcome back to term 2. I trust everyone had a restful Easter break.

The finale to Term 1 for Room 14 was presenting our repertoire of Australian and movie songs to the junior students in the library. Everyone had a great time and joined in with the singing and dancing. So successful was our concert that we repeated it for the whole school in the last week of term. I was amused when one of the songs we sang was played at the Brisbane Roar game I attended in the holidays.

In place of music this term, Room 14 are studying art and have already had a go at recreating Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece Starry Night.

Our Citizenship lessons focus on how decisions are made in communities and we have been investigating the processes and personalities involved in the forthcoming Federal election. When we were out collecting the recycling at various businesses around town, we spotted lots of the election signs and slogans we had learned about in class.

On a more serious note, Room 14 prepared a wreath for the ANZAC Day service at school. Lest we forget.

Room 14 goings on

Room 15 - Transition - Mrs Leeson

We have a busy term ahead. We began our week organising the school ANZAC Service. Each student had at least one major task. They all did an amazing job and we are super proud of them. Keira welcomed everyone to our service and read the introduction, Angel read a poem and gave a reflection, Aroha, Shayla and Abbey gave a reflection, Levi and Shayla read the address to the group. Alex represented room 15 by laying our wreath.

Angel, Jayden, Shayla, Levi and Mary-Rose represented our school at the ANZAC March. This really was a proud moment for us. Take a look at the photos and I think you will agree.

On Thursday we completed our Rewards Day Scavenger Hunt (that was postponed from last term). We had to use our brains to solve clues and gather Easter Egg tokens from around Gladstone. Some of us could be seen around town performing crazy tasks like hopping like rabbits. It was definitely a fun day and we thank Mrs Slade for putting together such a fun activity.

This week some of our students are heading out to the Cross Country event at the Golf Club. We wish them all the best.

On Tuesday 17^th May we will be attending a career expo at the University. We will update you on all the news we discover in our next newsletter.....stay tuned !