14 June 2019

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

How the Term has flown. 2 weeks left until the holidays but still some more to do until then.

Sports Day

Friday 21st of June is the date of our annual Sports Day. Students from all sports houses have worked hard to master their March Past performances so I encourage as many parents and families as possible to come and enjoy what is going to be another fantastic day. I would also like to take this opportunity to remind those who come for the day to ensure you remain within the assigned spectators designated areas. This will allow the carnival to run more efficiently and ensure the safety of all involved. A gentle reminder that Sports Day is not an opportunity for children to have the day off. Participation is just as important if not more important than competing. I thank you for your support in this matter.

Report Cards

At Musgrave Hill State School, formal reporting of student progress takes place three times a year. Parent/Teacher Conferences are held in Term 2 and end of Semester Student Report Cards are distributed in Terms 2 and 4. Student Report Cards for Semester 1, 2019 are currently under development ahead of intended distribution on Wednesday, 26 June. Report Cards will be distributed electronically (via email) as this is more efficient and effective – while also having a significant impact in reducing the environmental footprint of our school.

To ensure that parents/carers receive their child’s report card, we need your family contact details to be accurate. Where students reside in two homes, it is important that all family members have the correct information listed, so both parents/carers will receive a report card via email. The email addresses on file are currently being used to distribute our school newsletter each week – so if you are not receiving the newsletter, or you would like to change the email address, you will need to update your details with the school. Further, to ensure you receive your child’s report card, it is recommended that you add the following email to your safe sender's list so the report card email is not sent to the junk folder: application.ONESCHOOL@dete.qld.gov.au

Report Cards-: ‘C’ is something to celebrate!

I put this information in the newsletter every year around report card time because I believe it is important to share the follow information with you to eliminate any confusion there may be surrounding the allocation of achievement. I encourage parents to pay particular attention to the effort grades for each subject and support their children to continually try their hardest at school.

The level of achievement your child receives in each area of their report is determined by how well they have achieved the required national standard, not on how well they have achieved compared to others in their class.

Mums and Dads/Carers sometimes feel disappointed if their child has one or more ‘C’s on their report card. This can be because they understand a ‘C’ to mean ‘average’. However, a ‘C’ does not mean average. A ‘C’ is something to celebrate!

Achieving a ‘C means that a student has achieved the required standard for their year level as outlined in the Australian Curriculum. In general, it means that students can remember and understand learning considered essential for their age. Students who achieve A’s and B’s are usually required to demonstrate some kind of ‘higher order thinking’, like applying learning to design a solution to a challenging problem. Getting 100/100 on a test does not guarantee an ‘A’, unless the test includes questions that requires the more advanced thinking associated with an ‘A’ standard in the Australian Curriculum.

Of course, it is FANTASTIC when a student achieves an A or a B, and ALL of our children are encouraged to strive for excellence. That said, you can feel justly proud if your child achieves a ‘C ‘and should let them know that they have performed well.

Students receive a ‘D’ when they require support and have not yet achieved the standard for their year level, however, are working towards it and continue to learn and develop. Students who receive an ‘E’ are experiencing difficulty and require significant intervention and support. Whatever rating your child receives, the effort rating and the teacher’s comments will tell you how hard they are trying and describe the progress being made.

One of our School values is Excellence and we encourage all students to strive to achieve to their potential. For some students, regardless of their level of achievement, their rating is a result of them applying themselves and working extremely hard. When this is the case, these students should feel proud of their efforts and be congratulated.

We trust that you will find the information in your child’s report card informative. We welcome parents to discuss any aspect of the report card with the relevant teacher or administration.

Prep Enrolments 2020

If you have a child that is eligible for Prep in 2020 and have not yet enrolled, please contact our office immediately to ensure a placement as our Prep classes are Filling Fast. Eligibility for Prep requires your child to be five years of age by 30 June in the year they intend to commence Prep. If you are aware of families that have Prep aged children for 2020, can you pass on this information to them. We do not want any families disappointed.

School Annual Report

Our School Annual Report will be uploaded on our school web site next week. This report is a summary of Musgrave Hill SS for 2018 and the results of the annual School Opinion Survey. If you are interested in reading it, please go to our web site or ask for a hard copy at the office from next week.

Julie-Anne McGuinness - Principal

ASSEMBLY AWARDS

Monday 3/6/2019

Monday 10/6/2019

TUCKSHOP NEWS

Athletics Carnival

We have a Meal Deal available for the Day

Little Lunch - $3.50

• freshly made fruit salad
• muffin
• water

Big Lunch - $6.00

• sandwich – ham & cheese, tomato & cheese, egg & mayo or chicken, cheese & mayo
• chips – sea salt, salt n vinegar or honey soy chicken
• popper – assorted flavours
• ice block – assorted flavours

An order form has been sent home with each student. Simply complete and return to the tuckshop, you can order via Qkr! or come and see the ladies in the Tuckshop. The cut off time for ordering is 9.00am on Tuesday 18 June. Please note there will be no other orders available on the Day and the Tuckshop will be closed however we will open at 11.00am to serve little lunch and sell snacks and again at 1.00pm to serve big lunch and sell snacks.

Uniform News

We have a very limited number of sports polo shirts so please get in quick before sports day.

Sally and Rachele - Tuckshop and Uniform Convenors

P & C NEWS

Wear your PJ’s to School Day

On the last day of this term, Friday 28th June we are having a “Wear your PJ’s To School Day”. This is to raise money towards our new playground so please bring a gold coin donation. If your child is planning on playing on the oval that day they must wear covered in shoes and bring a hat. It could be a little bit colder so maybe bring your dressing gown as well!

Melissa Holland - P&C President

SPORTS TALK

Athletics Carnival 2019

It’s that time of year again – Athletics Carnival!!! I cannot wait to see what will be created next Friday, in terms of both sporting achievements and the sheer shenanigans between the Houses’ that has fuelled the fire for what has become the hotly contested March Past Trophy. Be sure to arrive at school by 8:30am to grab your posi so as you can sit back, relax and watch the spectacle unfold! March Past is set to begin by 9:00am.

You should have received a program by now. Please note that for Prep – Year 6, the carnival will be a full day event next Friday, 21st June with all students expected to participate. Please also note that students in years 4, 5 and 6 commence finals for 400m and 800m events on Thursday 20th June. These will begin at 12:00pm sharp.

For carnival day, please come dressed in house colours
Wear those colours loud and proud!!

Representative Teams Semester 1

As the semester is drawing to a close, I thought it timely to provide an update of the oustanding sporting achievements that some of our students have made this year. I cannot begin to express how proud I am of each and every one of them. The dedication and commitment to training and bettering themselves as athletes and the sportsmanship they show is second to none. I wish them all the very best of luck with their future competitions.

Taylor W

• Broadwater Cross Country Representative
• South Coast Cross Country Representative

Aiden T

• Broadwater Cross Country Representative

Jaya L

• Broadwater Basketball Representative
• South Coast Basketball Representative
• QLD Basketball Representative
• Broadwater Cross Country Representative

Agapetos L-F

• Broadwater Rugby Union Representative
• Broadwater Rugby League Representative
• South Coast Rugby League Representative

Brandon B

• Broadwater Rugby League Representative

Reilly S-C

• Broadwater AFL Representative

Run Club

Class Run Club posters have been created and will be on display throughout each classroom. These posters will enable any student (or parent) at any time to have a quick check to see exactly how they are travelling and which run club badges they have achieved. Classroom teachers are sent updates fortnightly for students to update the posters. It is hoped that this new system will enable the message to get home quicker as to which run club badge your child has reached. Thank you for your patience whilst this new process is getting under way.

A reminder that Run Club is on every Thursday morning, before school, starting at 8am.

Mrs Halsall – PE/Health Teacher

CONVERSATIONAL READING WORKSHOP

On Thursday 30th May we held a Conversational Reading Workshop at our school. It was fabulous to see so many families in attendance. Conversational Reading is an approach to reading that focuses on increasing vocabulary and real-live face-time with children. The approach is aimed at children 0-8yrs old.

When reading at home families are encouraged to ask their children questions on 3 levels; SEE, SHOW and SAY. The questions can vary depending on the age and needs of the child. Some examples are below.

Students from our school and neighbouring Early Learning Centres had the chance to make their own SEE, SHOW, SAY bookmark while parents learnt about ways to use this approach to reading at home.

At the end of our session each student chose a free book to take home so they could continue their conversational reading journey.

Some of the surprising things about this approach for families include:

• It can be done in the family’s home language.
• You don’t have to read the book from start to finish.
• It is okay for your child to be moving about while reading.
• You can follow your child’s interests.

If you missed this workshop keep your eye out for our next parent information session.

Mrs Pearce

CLASSROOM CAPERS – 6 ONYX

This term in Science, we have been learning about States of Matter and Chemical Change. The properties of solids, liquids and gases were investigated and there was much interest in materials that behave like both a liquid and a solid, such as ... slime.

We discovered that slime is a colloid and we can make it from a natural polymer called Guar Gum. What makes polymers interesting is how they act. Some are rubbery, like a bouncy ball, some are hard and tough, like plastic and some are sticky and gooey, like ... slime.

Our method for making slime

• Add 1 tablespoon of Borax powder to 1 cup of water. Stir until powder dissolves
• Label this "BORAX & WATER MIXTURE"
• Add 10 drops of food colouring (green is good!) to 4 cups of warm water
• Slowly stir in 2 teaspoons of guar gum
• Label this "GUAR GUM & WATER MIXTURE"
• Pour 1/2 cup of the guar gum mixture into a clean red plastic cup
• Add sparkles (glitter) or worms (small pieces of rubber band)
• Add 1 teaspoon of the Borax water mixture
• Stir without slopping slime everywhere
• Enjoy your fresh slime

Mr Waugh – Classroom Teacher

THE ARTS

It has been a very busy term! We are finishing off all our assessments and before we know it we will be heading into Term 3 – Drama and Music. How fast is this year flying by!

Keep an eye out for our Visual and Media Arts displays at the Poetry Café in Week 9. There will be art from the different year levels on display. I hope you enjoy.

Gold Coast Show Arts Competition

The Gold Coast Show is rapidly approaching and students are encouraged to enter works if they wish. The Gold Coast Show is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their work and allow them to feel a sense of achievement on seeing their work on display. There is a fee payable for works entered. Entry into the Youth categories is independent of school activities and is therefore up to the student/caregiver to arrange. I have attached the Arts Schedule and the Entry Form for 2019, which has all the relevant dates and delivery of works information.

Kerrie Doolan – Arts Teacher

A WORD FROM OUR GUIDANCE OFFICER

Helping kids become resilient

Definition: ‘Resilience – the ability to cope in times of stress or hardship.’

As parents we work to equip our children with the tools they need to solve their own problems, to respond to difficulties, to feel good about themselves and others, and to perceive the future in a hopeful and confident manner.

It would be great if all children arrived with a Do it Yourself Manual but here are some ideas to help your child become resilient.

Brooks and Goldstein talk of 10 key principles for resilience:

• Be empathetic – teach understanding of how another person might feel, recognize your own feelings
• Communicate and listen effectively – and respond to what your child is saying
• Love your children in ways that make them feel special and appreciated – let them know you love them unconditionally.
• Accept your child for who they are and help them to set reasonable goals – goals for today, and goals for the future. It’s good to work towards something.
• Help them experience success in whatever they show competence in (even if it’s collecting bugs).
• Focus on positives, reword negative talk – sometimes the positive may be hard to see, but it’s there. Always end a conversation with something positive. Instead of saying `don’t do ….’- say what you want your child to do.
• Help them to understand that ‘mistakes’ are just things yet to be learnt.
• Develop responsibility, compassion and social awareness by providing opportunities where your child can contribute or give back to others.
• Teach your child to solve their own problems and make appropriate decisions (What’s the problem? What are the choices? Which is the best choice? Try it. If it doesn’t work review your choices.) This also helps them to take responsibility for their actions.
• Discipline in a way that promotes self-discipline and self-worth. Punishment is one form of discipline and often a least effective form as it teaches the child what not to do rather than what to do, and can often build resentment. It is difficult to teach your child a better way to behave when you yourself are angry and upset. So be calm, tell your child what you want them to do, and praise your child for doing the right thing. Have though, a plan in place for dealing with noncompliance, but STAY CALM. Your child is watching you and will copy how you behave.

In following these principles we will contribute to help our children be resilient, to be emotionally healthy, and equipped to successfully confront challenges, and bounce back from setbacks.

Adapted from ‘Raising Resilient Children’ by R.Brooks and S. Goldstein

Joy Wheeler – Guidance Officer

CARER SUPPORT SERVICE

COMMUNITY NEWS

“This is a service provided when space permits. The school acts solely as a messenger and is not actually recommending any activities advertised”

Soccer X

Starting in Term 3, Soccer X will be running a 9 week After School Soccer programme at Musgrave Hill State School every Monday from 3 - 4pm beginning 22 July. The programme is available to students from Prep – Year 6. Children will be split into groups according to age. All sessions will be run by qualified coaches who hold blue cards. The sessions will be fully inclusive & fun based, catering for all abilities. For more information and online registrations please visit

Accessible Football Program

Girls Sport Academy – Keebra Park High School

UPCOMING EVENTS