17 February 2023

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

We are four weeks into Term 1 of 2023 and I am delighted to say that our students have embraced and excelled in all aspects of school life. A particular mention must go to our new Prep students who are showing great interest in their learning and most have settled in quickly to the routines of school life. Thank you parents for assisting us with a very smooth start to the year.

Traffic Around the school

Unfortunately, as Principal, I have no jurisdiction over traffic around the school. My role is to encourage and engage with the school community to request that parents are aware of and follow the road rules and school rules relating to driving, parking, drop off and pick-ups around the school. It is the parents' responsibility to know and please follow the road rules.

I understand the additional construction work at the Special School has added to our traffic congestion but it is vital we don’t add to this by not following our Walk-Up and Pick-Up Zone protocols.

Walk-Up Zone-:

• If you walk, or park and walk, please collect your child/children from the Walk-up Zone which is located on the grassed area outside the Prep Building. Please wait outside the gate and your child/children will be escorted to you.

Pick-Up Zone-:

• If you are driving to collect your child/children, please enter the Pick-up Zone, remain in your vehicle and your child/children will be escorted to you.
• Please do not get out of your cars to assist your children as we have staff happy to ensure they get safely into your vehicle.

Before School Routine-:

For those new to the school and a friendly reminder to others, please note that all students from Year 1-6 are to sit in the Hall Undercover Area BEFORE SCHOOL.

The routine will be as follows;

• No student should be arriving prior to 8.15am.
• Children are to go straight to the Hall Undercover Area WITH THEIR BAGS as soon as they arrive at school. No child is to go to their classroom first.
• All Children will sit in the HALL Undercover Area in their class groups until the bell goes at 8.40am ready for Meet and Greet.
• NO Devices will be used before school and must remain inside your child’s school bag until they go to class.

Year Level Parent Information Sessions

Thank you to the parents/carers who attended our Parent Information Sessions on Wednesday, it was wonderful to see that strong partnership between home and school continuing. I would also like to acknowledge my teachers for preparing and presenting at these sessions. I am certain that the snapshot of information they provided about school priorities and the classroom routines, procedures and units of work will give you some insight into your child/ren’s education for 2023.

Every day at School Counts

Every day at school is so important for student learning. Please help us support your children by ensuring their full and regular attendance so that we can give our maximum effort to every student in every lesson, every day. There is a direct correlation between absenteeism and student outcomes. The right thing to do for your child is to have them at school on a regular basis to ensure they are learning.

Attendance Facts (something to think about)

Just a little bit late for school doesn’t seem like much but

Outside School Hours Care Update (Afterschool Care YMCA)

Under the current OSHC terms and conditions, OSHC service agreements with commercial providers have a maximum term of nine (9) years. It is a requirement of the Education Department that a commercial service must be competitively tendered at a minimum of every nine (9) years. This provides a competitive opportunity for all Providers on the Pre-qualified Panel of Providers of OSHC Services (PQP101234) to tender for services when an agreement term has ended. Regular testing of the market for OSHC services, via public tender, is conducted to ensure that schools continue to achieve the best possible outcome for students and users of the service.

After 9 years with the YMCA our current agreement expires on the 06/04/2023, therefore according to the terms and conditions we are to conduct a thorough tender process as outlined above.

Julie-Anne McGuinness – Principal

WHAT’S HAPPENING

NAPLAN Online 2023

This year, NAPLAN Online will be taking place earlier than previous years, from 15th March- 27th March. Year 3 and Year 5 students will complete the NAPLAN Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy tests on laptops, excluding the Year 3 Writing test which will still be delivered using paper.

NAPLAN assessments provide parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for and students are not expected to do so. Students can see the types of questions and experience the types of skills both at school and home by visiting: www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Students can access various typing programs online to assist with their typing skills and navigation of keyboard. Two popular ones are:

Nitro Type

Tux Typing

Tux Typing install link can be found on the student sharepoint page.

To find out more information about NAPLAN Online, visit

SCHOOL PHOTOS 29th and 30th MARCH

FINANCE NEWS

How does finance work at Musgrave Hill State School?

An Invoice is created for an excursion offering the opportunity to all students.

The finance system sends the invoice from an email address. This email address will not answer any queries.

If you have a query about an invoice:

1. Ask your child if they have a note or information
2. Email the Teacher
3. Email admin@musgravehillss.eq.edu.au

After the excursion, if your child did not attend, an Adjustment Note will be issued. This is telling you the invoice has been removed from your child's account.

If you have paid and were unable to attend the excursion a refund form must be filled in within 2 weeks of the excursion date.

A statement will be sent out at the end of each month. This is for your information only.

If your account has a positive amount, this amount is payable to the school.

If your account has a negative amount it means you are in credit. We are holding extra funds for future events.

Please Note: We will no longer be accepting cash payments in the office. The office will now only accept EFTPOS.

Janette Connolly – Business Manager

ASSEMBLY AWARDS

Friday 3/2/2023

BROADWATER DISTRICT SPORTS TRIAL DATES

Dear Families

Please see below the list of all the Broadwater District Sports trial dates and age group requirements. Please note that all district sports are played at a high level and all nominations are subject to school approval. Announcements will be made at meet and greet to come and sign on for the sports in the week leading up to the nomination due date. Any questions please email Mitchell Goldman at mgold75@eq.edu.au with any questions you may have.

GOLD COIN CHALLENGE

Welcome to our first Gold Coin Challenge update for 2023! You will notice that things are going to run a little differently this year. For those students among us that are only joining The Hill this year, here’s a little snippet to outline what these precious Gold Coins are, why you want them, and what it means if you get them.

Here on The Hill, we like to make sure we are making good choices and looking out for each other, that’s what makes our school, The Hill, the BEST to be at. So, each fortnight, there will be a Fortnightly Focus that all the students are trying to demonstrate.

If students are spotted following the school rules or demonstrating the fortnightly focus, a staff member may give them a Gold Coin.

When you get a Gold Coin, students need to make sure they pop them in the House Boxes located in the Prep area, office foyer or Tuckshop during break times.

These Gold Coins are then counted and at each assembly there will be a fortnightly House winner and then an overall update of which House is in the lead for the Term. At the end of the term, the winning House will be rewarded with a special activity just for that House.

Fortnightly Focus weeks 2 & 3 = showing correct behaviours in our eating areas.

This is how we do it ..

• We make sure we walk to the eating area
• We sit and talk quietly while we eat
• We put our rubbish in the bins
• We keep our area tidy
• We zip up our lunchboxes
• We stop, look and listen when the teachers blow the whistle
• When told, we put our lunchboxes away and walk off to play.

Which House has done it best this fortnight ...

DOLPHIN

Well done Dolphin! Let’s see if Koala or Pelican can chase you down this next fortnight!

Fortnightly Focus weeks 4 & 5 = returning sports/play equipment at the end of break times.

KINDYLINQ

We are very excited to announce that KindyLinQ is back in 2023 at Musgrave Hill State School. This free program is perfect for families with children 2-5yrs old. Contact the office on 56445555 to register now.

TUCKSHOP NEWS

Lunch orders still need to be made via the Qkr! App by 9.00am each day. You can also use the ‘Musgrave Way Award’, simply attach the $5.00 award to a note with your order, if your order is more than $5.00 you can make up the rest. Please make sure your child lets their Teacher know or remind them to drop it off to me in the Tuckshop when they arrive at school.

If your child is away and you have placed a tuckshop order please call and let me know, if I’m not available please leave a message.

Children can come to the tuckshop at play time for both breaks to order ice blocks, muffins, chips and drinks. Here are the prices:

Chips - $2.00
Flavoured Milk - $2.50
Water - $2.00
Assorted Poppers - $2.00
TNT’s - $1.50
Calippo - $2.50
Icy Twist - $2.50

A big thank you to everyone that supported our ‘Aussie Day Treats’, we sold over $300.00 worth. Please keep an eye out for more speciality days throughout the year. For all the Prep parents please make sure to let your teacher know that you have packed money for them to use at the tuckshop, this way someone can bring them up so they don’t miss out. The specialty days will have items that are priced between $1.00 - $3.50. I will make sure a picture of the items are posted on Class Dojo.

If you have any enquiries at all please don’t hesitate to give me a call 07 5644 5555

Uniform News

Uniform orders are now placed on the Qkr! App, please allow 24 hours for delivery. The items ordered are placed in the Teachers pigeon hole and handed out in class. If you have not received your order within 2 days please call the uniform room and let me know.

Uniform opening hours – The Uniform Shop is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 1:45 - 2:30pm for parents to come and purchase goods in person or look at sizing.

The first shipment of our senior shirts have arrived and been handed out. If you missed out or are new to the school and would like to order, you can purchase on the Qkr! App or at the tuckshop via EFTPOS. The order will be finalised on Friday 10th March at 2:00pm and sent to the distributor. This is our final order for the year so please make sure you don’t miss out.

Keep an eye out for notes in your child’s bag. I will also be placing some information on class dojo.

We are currently out of Size 8 Polos but should receive a delivery within the next couple of weeks.

Thank you once again for your support.

Sally McWilliams – Tuckshop/Uniform Co-ordinator

MUSIC PROGRAM

Dear Musgrave Hill community!

Instrumental Music has started again in 2023!

We have 2 programs here at the school - strings and band. Please take note of this important information.

Strings is on MONDAYS with Miss Williams

Band is on WEDNESDAYS with Mr Ugarte

Timetables have been drafted and shared with teachers.

Lessons over the last few weeks have been about getting into the learning routines and music theory plus some practical elements specific to Instrumental Music.

For students hiring instruments, once enrolment and hire agreement paperwork has been returned, then they can take the instrument home.

Year 6 strings students are attending Southport State High School Strings excellence day on the 20 February. This is so the students can get to know the high school teachers and gain an understanding of how the program works.

We hope that all students are excited about learning an instrument in 2023.

Stephanie Williams – Strings Teacher

A WORD FROM OUR CHAPLAIN

Hi MHSS Community,

Brekkie Club has returned this year and will be on both Tuesday and Thursday mornings each week.

It starts at 8am and finishes at 8:30am, and the location is the hall deck.

All MHSS students are welcome to come along.

A special thanks for the local organisations who continue to support Brekkie Club

• SOPO Club Southport
• Woolworths Smith Collective
• Southport Church of Christ

and the team of volunteers who help make it all happen; Chanta, Leanne, Kerry, Sue, Allison, Pam, Juanita and Trevor

Chappy Andrew

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”

Free Dental Treatment

The Dental Van is currently located at Labrador State School for Musgrave Hill students to attend and children from 4 years old to Year 10 students.

Ring 1300 300 850 to book your child in.

ACTIVITIES AFTER SCHOOL AT MUSGRAVE HILL

High Performance Sports Academy

Broadwater Netball Club

UPCOMING EVENTS