Newsletter for June 2022

News from the Principal

Term 2 is fast nearing its completion and our class teachers are busy finalising reports in readiness for them to be shared with our families in week 10.  It has been very pleasing to see all of the great things that are occurring in our classrooms each day – it is even more exciting seeing these now shared with the wider community via our growing Facebook page. 

Our school’s Annual Implementation Plan is now in place and planning action plans to implement aspects of the plan are underway.  I encourage our families to visit our school’s website page (https://rosellaparkspecs.eq.edu.au/ ) if you would like to read over our Annual Implementation Plan for 2022 as well as our Investing for Success Plan for 2022.

Massive thank you to our school’s PBL team for their hard work and planning in organising our end of term PBL rewards day celebration.  We are trialling a new event – The Rosella Park Carnival.  Each class will set up a stall and all students can move around to each stall and have a turn.  The extra fun part is all students will add to their showbag with each event they participate in.  It should be a fun rewards session.  Recently, we sent out a flyer seeking volunteers for Friday 24^th to help with the carnival – if you are interested please contact the school on 4976 8333. Please note: all volunteers must be vaccinated against COVID19.

As we prepare to move into term 3, we like many schools across Central Queensland are facing potential staffing concerns.  I am currently working with the region to source additional staff.  If I am unable to source additional staff to commence in term 3, there will be a need to manage at a school level which may require staff and student movement to manage.  Before any movement occurs, I will inform and discuss with all families that will potentially be impacted.

I am pleased to share that in term 3 we will be engaging with True Relations.  This is an organisation that is in partnership with the department to deliver relationship education.  Early term 3, I will send home correspondence to all of our year 4 to 12 students and their families.  The program is tailored for each year level/cohort and material is age appropriate.  Within the correspondence sent home, I will include an opt-out section if any families have a concern.  An exciting aspect of the program is that there is a parent information session provided.  When dates are confirmed I highly encourage families to try and come along (there is no fee associated with the parent program).  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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.

News from the Deputy Principal

Term 2 is almost done and we are about to be half way to Christmas. We have had such a busy and successful term. I wish everyone a brilliant holiday and be sure to come back to school with some amazing tales of your adventures. Let’s just take a moment to recognise just some of the brilliant things that have happened in our school over the last term:-

• Miss Sally has joined our Teaching Team for 3 days per week which is super exciting. Congratulations Miss Sally.
• Our Multiclass Athlete Team has grown substantially and we are busy preparing for our next event, the Athletics Carnival in Week 3 next term.
• We have a running track on the Oval.
• We had an amazing Under 8’s Day with a brilliant Bear Hunt theme which inspired the students’ imagination and saw our older students become part of the event to support.
• We have had a famous Book Author ‘Deano Yipadee’ come to visit our school and put on some amazing shows.
• Our Anzac Parade was run by our wonderful transition co-hort under the superb guidance of Mrs Leeson.
• They have also raised $320 for the Gladstone and District Wildlife Carers.
• The student council have raised money to put towards the Leadership Camp in August.
• The P&C have supported the Student Council Camp with a donation of $600.
• Our families, as in you, have helped the P&C sell nearly 600 pies, which is a mammoth effort.

And the list goes on ……….

Multiclass Athletics

Just letting families know that if they wish to be involved in the swimming events for 2023, the students will need to be attached to a swimming club in the community. This ensures that they are able to submit event times for each of the swimming events. I am telling you this early so that you can consider this for your child’s sporting opportunities for next year. If you would like further information, do not hesitate to contact me.

Parent Meetings

We are currently reviewing the way in which we conduct our Parent Information Sessions to maximise the impact for this information. We understand the busyness of life and want to determine the best ways to connect with our families. There will be a survey on our Facebook page in the next few weeks to enable you to provide this feedback, so please be sure to connect to our school Facebook page or email me your responses via email to sslad7@eq.edu.au. The survey will focus on the following topics:

When is a good time to meet?

How much notice do you need?

Would you prefer to meet at a venue away from the school or on school grounds?

Would you like light refreshments to be provided?

What are some of the topics that you may be interested in hearing about? (Senior Education, Transition from School to work, Behaviour Management Support, Communication Support, NDIS, Centrelink, CyberSafety, Sexual Health for students with Disabilities).

Would you prefer that information is disseminated in an alternative way? (Email, Facebook, Letters/pamphlets home)?

Please let us know your thoughts on the above matters.

News from Administration

Absences:

A reminder to all parents and carers if your student is absent to please notify the school via the student absent line or respond to the SMS text message.

Illness:

If your child is sick then please be sure to keep them home until all symptoms have cleared. Students, particularly in our setting find it difficult to maintain hygienic practice when it comes to illness. To avoid the spread of illness to other vulnerable students and staff members, please keep your child at home until well.

Room 1 & 1.5 - Junior - Mrs Thomas and Mrs Coulston

The students from all junior classes enjoyed a morning of storytelling, activities and a sensory walk to celebrate our under 8’s day. The morning finished with a teddy bears picnic in the "bear cave". The students from room 1 wrote what they enjoyed the most about their experience during a writing session the next day; here are some comments they made:

Maira: “I liked the picnic and eating with the bears the best.”

Angus: “I liked the bears and monkey, I liked bringing my monkey.”

Avah: “I liked the feeling and looking walk and the ice.”

Kyson: “Making the biscuits was the best.”

Liam: “I liked the Bear story and song.”

The students from room 1.5 expressed their enjoyment by running back and forth through the ‘river’ as they let the streamers dangle over their faces. One student said they were swimming and another pointed to one of the fish hanging down and said ‘shark’. They also were actively involved in the storytelling while in the library with loads of dramatizing. All up it was a very enjoyable day.

Under 8's day fun

Room 2 - Junior - Mrs Williams

Hello families,

During Mathematics this Semester students have had fun exploring the concepts of counting using stamps, painting and a range of number activities. We have also been using a switch to activate the Maths program Help Kidz learn. Students enjoyed using the visuals to select preferred songs and then pressing the switch to activate the song. We can now access this program on the interactive whiteboard and the Ipad which is exciting. For the first half of the term we explored activities associated with the book ‘Who sank the boat’. During English we designed a boat with boxes and made a river with a blue sheet and then in Science we investigated how many animals would fit into a Lego boat before it sank. For the remainder of the term we will be looking at the story ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ which was the focus of our Under 8's day activities earlier in the term and will also involve exploring a range of interactive fun activities.

Thank you

Michelle and Laureen

Room 2 learning

Room 3 - Junior - Mrs Hayne

Room 3 students have been busy with activities and learning. The Under 8’s day with the theme of  "We’re going on a Bear Hunt" was a lot of fun. The students immersed themselves in the book reading in the Library, followed by activities in our Undercover area. The bear hunt for their teddy bears saw them go through rivers, jungles, grass and a snowstorm to find their bears.

Within the classroom Room 3 studets have worked hard with their counting, patterns, letters and sounds and in Science continuing the exploration of materials.

Room 3 learning

Room 4 - Intermediate - Ms Atkins

Room 4 students have been busy completing their units in Maths, English, HPE and Science. Students have been creating a variety of displays in our data unit in Maths. Here is a few students who conducted a survey of hair colour. We have also begun exploring number. Here is Lachlan practicing counting backwards.

In HPE we have been exploring "sometimes" food and "all the time" food. What’s your favourite healthy food?

Students have also been enjoying exploring the library on Tuesday afternoons. We have put our knowledge of information and imaginative texts to work to explore different books and topics.

Room 5 - Intermediate - Mrs Nash

Wow, it is nearly halfway through the year already.  Room 5 students are busy finalizing all their work so we are ready for reporting.  We learnt a new game this week in Math called "Incy Wincy Spider."  It looks at shape and number recognition.  We have been focusing on turn taking and following the rules when playing games.

Room 6 - Senior - Mrs Buckle

Where has Term 2 gone??  We have only three (3) weeks of learning left before we embark on a well-earned break.  Room 6 guys have been busy with their science investigations of changing materials to make a boat that would float and hold some marbles.  Ms Harris painted running tracks on the oval and students have been practice running in the mornings to wake ourselves up a little to get energised for the day. 

Riley and Blake have discovered the joys of working with the iStop Motion app on the iPad.  Tyler has enjoyed exploring word families for fun.  Carlo enjoyed making his alfoil boat and Rory attracted a young friend at lunch time.

Miss Deb and Miss Brynn have enjoyed helping the boys learn and conquer some of their goals this term. They both do a tremendous job of reminding the boys of the current PBL topics for the week and give out "shazams" to those exhibiting these traits in the playground.

On the last day of the school term (Friday 24 June), we have our PBL Rewards Day.  It is Carnival themed.  These reward activities are to acknowledge the students who have made concerted efforts to abide by the school’s behaviour expectations.  

As usual if you have any concerns please get in contact with us, we would love to chat with you. We look forward to working with you again in Semester 2. 

Room 6 learning

Room 8 - Intermediate - Mrs Maguire

Wow, where has Term 2 gone! Room 8 completed assessments for their individual goals for this term. As we have been finishing off for the term and completing all assessments for reporting this term we have declared Friday as a fun day. We cook in the morning and deliver some of what we make to special people in the school. Students have enjoyed this activity and select their favourite staff member to reward. This Friday we will be cooking bacon and egg muffins. I will send home the recipe later in the week. In the afternoon students engage in an art activity that they select throughout the week. Art is very popular with the students. In the afternoon students have choices with sporting activities that they would like to participate in which include soft play, trampoline and adventure land. I really enjoy end of term activities it’s fun and learning continues as explicit teaching around appropriate social interactions and provides further opportunities to practise targeted skills within structured, adult-supported play situations.

The rest of the week we continue with our timetable routine but activities are more interesting especially Science some cool little arts and craft experiments have captivated students’ interest with more to come. We’ve had a lot of fun this semester and I am looking forward to more exciting times next term. Students are looking forward to rewards day on the last day of school hope to see you there.

Room 8 learning

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Room 9 - Intermediate - Mrs Pointon

Hello to all the parents, grannies and carers.  Winter chill is upon us therefore we must be heading into the "sleep in on cold mornings" holidays ;)

Room 9 students have been busy with English, Science and Maths this term. Tyriq, Blair and Tehmarni are the classroom champs with excellent results in the cross country in Rockhampton. Gold Coast here they COME.

Room 10 - Senior - Mrs Bickle

We have been travelling through the term very well.  A definite highlight was our excursion to ‘Lions Park’.  We all made personal bests in the fitness run and all completing the 1km and some even reached the 2.5km – remembering that this was double for the return trip – great effort everyone.

We have enjoyed our science goal and looking at different materials and their properties and how we change these materials.  We investigated floating and sinking and designed and made our own boats.  Many of the boats were successful after some changes and modifications they all could carry 3 marbles.  

We have been viewing different stories and then having meaningful discussion around our connections to the texts, we have all got to know each other a little better. 

Moving forward we are all looking forward to the PBL rewards day and have been working hard at lunch times to receive ‘Shazams’.  We have been collecting these ‘Shazams’ and banking them up ready to cash them in to get our selected reward at the end of the semester. We are looking forward to the end half of the term and the excitement it will bring.

Room 11 - Senior - Ms Harris

Students in Room 11 have been working hard on assessments this term. All students have completed English, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education and Science assessment work. I have been so impressed by all of the students.

As a class we have been doing experiments with adding and removing heat: freezing water vs boiling water; cooling corn kernels vs microwaving them; putting chocolate in a cold bowl vs a hot bowl; putting ice in the sun vs in the shade. Students have been accurately describing what happens to the substances and many of the students are using scientific terminology correctly. For instance Joshua told me “the water went solid when I had it in the freezer then I put it in the sun and the heat made it turn into a liquid”. Tyler and Holly have engaged well with adding the concepts of particles to their Science work and I’ve been impressed by their increasing understanding of what particles look like as the states of matter change.

With Health and Physical Education students have been focusing on health messages and keeping ourselves safe when being active. They have all had experiences at school and in the community on our Park Run excursion where they have demonstrated they can be safe. We have had some very interesting class discussions about what foods we think are ‘protein’ and what is a ‘carbohydrate’ and what would make something ‘healthy’. I enjoyed Jessy’s vibrant arguments for the health benefits of fruit loops; however misguided they were; he is very good at his persuasive speech. Allie has been proudly showing me her tuna each day and telling me she is getting protein so she can keep getting stronger. Zach is very good at identifying his preferred foods and telling us describing words about the non-preferred foods we occasionally offer.

English and Mathematics have involved the usual comprehensive literacy work and general numeracy tasks. Within these subjects students have enjoyed writing for a range of purposes; and using their Mathematics skills to find information. Such as when we loaded a graph of everyone’s distances they can throw a ball, it also helped them develop a sense of healthy competition as they quickly were wanting to try again.

Along with these curriculum areas I have also been working with students on their cooking skills; social skills and personal fitness goals. I am very proud of the progress these students have made this year towards being able to cook basic foods independently and then clean up after themselves. All 6 students in room 11 can wash a bowl and a fork, dry them, and put them away correctly. Please ensure they show you this skill at home each night 😊

Socially we have had some kinks to work out in Room 11, some students prefer to be loud and others prefer quieter activities, some want to work independently and others in groups. I have been explicitly teaching students about accepting change, difference of opinion and tolerance of others. I have noticed both Joshua and Holly parroting my words at lunch times “it’s ok if he doesn’t want to” “not everyone will play the same way” “if you don’t like it you can move away” … I applaud this and hope they carry these concepts into the future.

With only a few weeks to go of term I am working on Report Cards and starting to make plans for Semester Two. Please get in touch if there is anything in particular you’d like me to cover in Semester Two; or any excursions you think we should go on. I have already been approached by one parent about taking students grocery shopping for ingredients for cooking. I will put that in my planning and you’ll see a note about it coming home next term. Thanks so much, Caroline Harris.

I will be away at a conference Monday and Tuesday of week 10; students may talk about this.

Room 11 Park Run excursion

Room 12 - Senior - Mrs Ward

Each of the students were asked to contribute to the school newsletter by sharing their favourite time of day at school. Shontae had the class laughing with her first comment.

Dylan: “I like science investigations. I like maths games.”

Rayne: “I like maths. I’m good at maths.”

Beau: “I only like art. School is boring.”

Sami: “I like art time. I am very good at doing art.”

Shontae: “I like pack up time.” But seriously… “I like time in the playground.”

Room 12 learning

Room 13 - Senior - Mrs Dunstan

Assessment is over for the Semester and Room 13 is having fun listening to and reading our favourite books and creating fabulous works of art. The students are also having fun practicing addition skills and counting out money and change from buying 'real estate' playing Monopoly. Our PBL rewards day is coming up on Friday 24th June and should be lots of fun.

Room 13 learning

Room 14 - Transition - Mr Pallett

As we approach the end of the first semester of 2022, I have been working on my students’ report cards. This has given me the opportunity to reflect on the progress they have made since the start of the year.

There is less focus on ‘traditional’ subjects in Transition and more on preparing students for life after school. Of course, English and Maths are not neglected and Room 14 students have continued to develop their reading, writing and number skills. In other areas, the aim is much more community based. In Technology, we have explored services like ATMs and self-service checkouts that the students will encounter every day. In Health, we have looked into how we can take care of our own and others’ health whilst in Citizenship we have studied the roles and responsibilities all people have in a free and democratic society.

Looking forward to Semester 2, we shall be studying online safety, improving our mapping skills and looking at building healthy and productive relationships with other people. We will also be spending two lessons a week learning how to shop for and prepare healthy meal options.

I hope that everyone enjoys a restful Winter break and returns ready to engage with the opportunities that will be available in the second semester.

Room 15 - Transition - Mrs Leeson

June already which means we are almost halfway through the year. The last month has been a busy one in room 15. The year 12 students have been busy organising their fundraising event as part of their Active Citizenship class. The students worked really well. As an individual they researched possible community causes we could support, then as a team they voted for Gladstone and District Wildlife Careers. During long co-operative discussions it was agreed by all class members to hold a pizza party. Activities associated with this project included making advertising posters, informing other classes about the party, collecting orders, counting up the slices needed and ordering pizzas, counting the money, working out the profit after expenses, organising and sorting pizza orders for delivery and cleaning up post party. All students contributed to all areas of the process. We are pleased to say that we made a profit of $320. As part of Vocation and Transitional Activities the year 12’s attended the annual EQIP Career Expo. They spent the morning exploring what work and study options are available to them when they leave school. The room 15 English class have begun accessing the community to locate, read and follow community signs and notices. Some of our friends have been concentrating on the difference between the sign for the girls toilet and the sign for the boys toilet. We also looked at the signs to locate which direction it is to the toilets. Take a look at our photos.

Room 15 learning

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Community News

Gladstone Regional Council run programs

Gladstone Community Open Day

RACQ CapRescue are excited to once again host the Gladstone Community Open Day on Sunday 31st July at the Gladstone Ports Corporation Marina Parklands from 9:30am - 12:00pm. 

The RACQ CapRescue helicopter will be stationed at the event allowing the community to get 'up close and personal', experiencing the rescue aircraft from inside with prime photo opportunities and an opportunity to meet the crew! The event will also showcase other local Emergency Services including QLD Fire & Rescue, Rural Fire Service, SES Rockhampton, and Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service.

There will be photos with the helicopter and crew, face painting, fun activities, food and more! The fun, energetic and educational day will aim to display the great work the Emergency Services do in our region.