issue 6 - 2021
TRANSCRIPT
T o r q u a y S t a t e S c h o o l N e w s l e t t e r P a g e 1
Issue 6 - 2021
From the Principal
Term 2 week 2
Welcome back for Term 2. There’s lots on this term, so be so be sure to keep up to date through the newsletter, notes home and our Facebook page. Some things on the list are Public Holidays, NAPLAN for Years 3 and 5, Athletics Carnivals, Book Fair, P&C Mother's Day stall, a performance for students by the Pine Rivers SHS and
more! P&C Committee. It is great to see our P&C swinging back into action. Please support the Mother’s Day stall which will be held from Tuesday 4 May to Friday 7 May before and after school at the tuckshop. They would also welcome any help and support by attending the next P&C meeting on Wednesday 12 May at 3.15pm. School Start and finish times. Some parents have reported being confused about our start times. Here is a
reminder 😊
o At 8.30am a bell will go and students who have arrived at school may take their bag to their classroom and
go to play.
o An end of play bell goes at 8.45am. Students to head to their classrooms.
o 8.50am Teachers will begin to mark the morning roll and teaching begins.
If your child arrives to the classroom after the roll is marked, they will be directed to get a late slip from the office. Education Queensland requires us to monitor lateness and follow it up with parents, so any lost time is recorded on your child’s records.
Our recommendation is that children arrive at school by 8.30am and not any earlier (unless they are bus children). They have time to unpack their bags, see their friends, have a game or two and start the day feeling settled and in control. Children who are late not only feel unsettled and left behind once the day has started, but it also impacts on the learning of all other children in the class when teachers have to continually stop and start. Being punctual is an important habit to have for self-management and also demonstrates consideration of others,
so please help children practice this every day by being on time. Of course, we understand there are unavoidable and valid reasons for being late, for example - a dentist or doctor appointment, or a broken-down bus. However, sleeping in or not being ready are not valid excuses and do not teach your child good time management skills. Let’s all get off to a good start this term with everyone aiming for an 8.30am start to the day. We finish our school day at 2.50pm. If you collect your child from school, please be prompt.
School Crossings. Some time ago the transport department installed the traffic lights at the corner of Tavistock and Torquay Terrace and removed the previously staffed school crossing on Torquay Terrace. Please ensure that you always model safe road safety behaviours. Crossing Torquay Terrace anywhere else other that the traffic lights is not teaching your child how to be safe on our busy roads. It may save you a couple of minutes, but this does not compare to the reality of a child’s life. When using the traffic lights to cross, please
make sure that you are helping your child and others to wait for the signal to cross.
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Currently some parents and children are stepping onto the road when they hear an audible crossing signal, but
in some instances they are attempting to cross the wrong road. Sadly, there have been many occasions when there have been near misses and potentially very serious accidents. Please double check that the walk sign is lit
before crossing. Thanks to the many families who are using the lights correctly and whom are helping others to do the same.
Kind regards, Heidi Dallimore – Principal
From the Deputy’s Desk NAPLAN online - weeks 4 and 5. Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will participate in NAPLAN this year with the school moving online during the testing period. The tests will be conducted daily from Tuesday 11 May through to Thursday 20 May. Year 3 and 5 students will alternate their testing day as we use the computer lab to conduct the testing. If you have any questions about NAPLAN please contact your child's teacher to discuss.
Parents / carers can request a withdrawal from the test for your student. Please speak to the class teacher to discuss and get appropriate documentation to be completed prior to Friday 7 May 2021.
Uniforms. Please remember to wear the appropriate uniform to school. Jumpers are to be royal blue or TSS logo jumpers. We have a second-hand uniform shop with plenty of jumpers for sale (very cheap). Also a reminder of appropriate jewellery.
Behaviour Focus. Whole body listening has been a focus for the past fortnight and for the next fortnight we will be focussing on being in the right place at the right time. High School Enrolments. Year 6 students have had information sessions from both Urangan State High School and Hervey Bay State High School. Information packs have also been sent home. Please consider starting the enrolment process for 2022. Students must be enrolled in a high school by the end of Term 3 to be able to
participate in High School transition days which will occur in Term 4. Word of the week is Determined! ‘Determined’ is how you feel when you know you are going to try your very hardest, even though it may be really hard work or take a lot of time or effort. If you are determined you might clench your muscles, focus your eyes on your goal, think positive thoughts and say to yourself – “I can do this!”. Think about
a time when you were determined and if that helped you to do well. Synonyms for determined are decided, resolved, unwavering, intent, insistent, single minded, resolute, strong willed, purposeful and persevering.
Yours in education, Phil Theofanes - Deputy Principal
P&C
Our P&C are holding a Mothers’ Day stall with lots of gifts available to purchase for our amazing mums.
The stall will be open at the tuckshop on
Tuesday 4 May to Friday 7 May
8.00 – 9.00am
and 2.30 – 3.15pm
Cash & EFTPOS available.
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Term Planner
Thursday 29 April USHS Year 6 Academic and Cultural Enrichment Day
Friday 30 April Crazy Hair Day
P-3 Parade 2.20pm
Monday 3 May Public Holiday (Labour Day) – School and Helping Hands are closed
Tuesday 4 May District Cross Country
Book Fair starts
Mother’s Day stall starts
Friday 7 May 4-6 Parade 2.20pm
Monday 10 May Premier’s Reading Challenge begins
Tuesday 11 May NAPLAN Online commences – Years 3 & 5
Wednesday 12 May P&C AGM 3.15pm in the staff room. All welcome
Friday 14 May National Walk Safely to School Day
P-3 Parade 2.20pm
Friday 21 May Public Holiday (Show Day) – School closed
Monday 24 May National Reconciliation week
Wednesday 26 May National Sorry Day
Thursday 27 May Pizza Popper Day
Friday 28 May P-3 Parade 2.20pm
We use this social media to share with our community many of the everyday activities that occur within our school.
It is a great way of staying in touch with all that is happening in and around our school.
Visit us on visit and see what is new at https://www.facebook.com/TorquayStateSchool
A word from the SEP Here at Torquay, we embrace everyone at our school.
Click this link to watch a short film for the Basingstoke and District Disability Forum raising awareness of all disabilities - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJssu_PAw4w Dylan Alcott is a Para-Olympian for Australia in basketball. He talks about his experiences growing up disabled in
Australia. He does use some low level swear words but he has a powerful message about achieving your goals and accepting your disability. I hope you enjoy his story.
Click this link to watch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvNOzJ7x8qQ
Dylan Alcott wasn't always a Paralympic champion. He grew up disabled, but it might not be what you think. In this engaging and funny talk, Dylan tells us what it's really like growing up with a disability. Dylan Alcott OAM is a Paralympic gold medalist, World Champion, Grand Slam champion and world record holder for both wheelchair basketball ...
Regards, Mieka English – Head of Special Education
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Please report any absence Absence Line 4194 4366 or QParents App
Absences (past, present and future) can be quickly and easily recorded through the QParents app! Alternatively, phone our absence line on 4194 4366. If you receive a text message, please reply as soon as possible. If you receive an absence letter, please enter a reason and return the letter so we can remove the unexplained absence from the student’s record.
All late arrivals and early departures are required to be signed in & out by a parent/carer/guardian at the Office.
Crazy Hair day – Friday 30 April
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Bookclub – Issue 3 Due date: Monday 10th May 2021
To view the current issue go to: https://www.scholastic.com.au/media/6036/bc321.pdf or get a copy from the office. Every time you place an order with Scholastic Book Club, Torquay State School will be rewarded. For example, for every Book Club order, Scholastic gives back 20% of the total order spent as Scholastic
Rewards. We then use these rewards to purchase resources for the school. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/LOOP or you can send the order and payment to school with your child.
Library – Book Fair
Book Fair is on next week Tuesday 4 – Tuesday 11 May. The theme this year is "Reading is out of this world".
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Author of the Month
Anh Do (born 2 June 1977) is a Vietnamese-born Australian
author, actor, comedian and painter. Anh Do and his family fled to Australia as refugees in 1980. He arrived in Australia aged two, on an eight metre fishing boat with 47 other Vietnamese Refugees cramped in like sardines. Anh was sick from de-hydration, water had run out days prior, and one person had already died.
He has hosted his own shows including Anh Does Vietnam, Anh’s Brush with Fame, and his Olympic special, Made in China with Anh Do. Anh authored the award-winning autobiography The Happiest Refugee, and has made regular appearances on Thank God You’re Here, Spicks and Specks, Rove, Dancing With The Stars and The Footy Show.
Despite a challenging start, by the time he was 30 years old, Anh Do held a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Law. An accomplished writer, actor, and film producer. A talented cook and artist, he used his skills to develop television shows Anh Does Vietnam and Anh’s Brush with Fame.
We love Anh Do and have many of his books in our library. They will be on display this month.
KindyLinQ KindyLinQ is a FREE play based group.
Anyone from the community is welcome. You do not need to have a child enrolled in Kindy or attending school. Here are some pictures of what we have been doing over the last few weeks.
Mrs Walker and
Mrs Bryce
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Parent and Community Code of Conduct – Supporting Learning, Wellbeing and Safety in our School
We welcome parents[1] and other members of our diverse community into schools across Queensland. Working together with their school community[2], school staff support the learning and wellbeing of every student, and
are entitled to a safe work environment. Parents and other visitors to our school can support safety by ensuring their communications and conduct at the school and school activities is respectful. To support schools as safe and respectful workplaces, a Parent and Community Code of Conduct (PDF,
386KB)has been developed to sit alongside the Student Code of Conduct (Elaine, add the link to our Code of Conduct on our website) and the Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service (for staff). The Parent and Community Code of Conduct (PDF, 386KB) aims to support schools to clearly communicate the conduct expected of parents, carers and visitors to school sites. We particularly ask parents to monitor their tone and language in electronic communication. Teachers (and
others) become extremely upset when starting or finishing the day with an email containing a disrespectful tone
or lack of compassion and understanding. We ask our parents to be polite, to act as positive role models, to recognise and respect personal differences and use our school’s communication process to address concerns. [1] The term ‘parent’ refers to parents, carers, guardians and people who exercise parental responsibility for a child. [2] The term ‘school community’ refers to staff, students, parents, local business and community organisations
and visitors to the school.
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School Watch Number: 131 788
Outside School Hours Care
https://www.helpinghandsnetwork.com.au/torquay-state-school/ Phone 0475 824 340
We say: Not now, not ever, together
The Queensland Government is committed to the elimination of domestic and family violence. The Government’s Third Action Plan highlights that by taking action and working together, we can end domestic and family violence in our
communities. Our school is committed to modelling and building relationships that are based on equality and respect, free from violence and abuse. You play a critical role in teaching respect.
More information and access to support services for domestic violence are available on the Queensland Government website.
Uniforms
Our Uniform Shop is open for second hand school uniforms - Tuesdays 8:30-9:00am Thursdays 2:30-3:15pm.
New uniforms are available from Sauers Clothing Supplies, 1/5 Torquay Rd, Pialba. School hats are $12 and are available from the Uniform Shop. Please note Queensland Education’s “No Hat No Play” policy – if students do not have a hat they must remain under cover for play time.
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*** Community Information ***