Term 2 Week 10
Principals Update
As we wrap up another busy and successful term, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our students, staff, and families for your ongoing support and commitment throughout Term 2. It’s been a term full of learning, growth, and community spirit, and we’re incredibly proud of the efforts made by all.
Looking ahead, report cards will be sent home on the first Friday of Term 3 (Friday 18th July), providing an update on student progress with regards to academic achievement, behaviour and effort. Parent–teacher interviews will be held on Tuesday 29 July, and we encourage all families to take this opportunity to connect with teachers about their child’s learning. Booking details will be sent home early next term. These meetings are also important so teachers can share learning information with families that we cannot capture in a report card, specifically literacy progress.
We’re excited to share that this year, for the first time, Winton State School has submitted nominations for the TEACHX Awards. This is a prestigious, statewide recognition program celebrating excellence in education. Written nominations have been submitted for the first round, and the next stage involves a judging panel shortlisting finalists. Regardless of the outcome, we are immensely proud of all the incredible staff at our school. They go above and beyond every day, and they truly deserve every bit of recognition. The flyer below shows the teachers who our staff group nominated this year.
A big thank you to our Year 5/6 class and Mr Bahr for delivering a very exciting CO₂ Dragsters Race to cap off the term! Students designed, constructed, and painted their own dragsters before launching them in a high-speed race event. We were fortunate to have members of our local QPS attend and measure the speed of the cars, with the fastest recorded speed hitting 61 km/h. Congratulations to James Parker, our Grand Champion!
We also say a heartfelt farewell and thank you to Bronwyn Searle as she finishes up her time with us. Bronwyn has made a valued contribution to Winton State School and we wish her all the best in her next adventure.
Term 3 will bring a few staffing changes as Campbell Evans takes leave. During his absence:
Victoria Smith will teach Year 3/4,
Aaron Bahr will teach 11/12 Agricultural Practices,
Mandy Smith will teach 11 Science in Practice, and
Hannah Calcino will take on 11/12 Sport & Recreation.
We’re also thrilled to announce that Amanda Sciascia has been successful in her application to step into the Head of Department – Primary role while Campbell is on leave. Amanda’s dedication, experience and leadership will be a great asset to the role.
To kick off Term 3, Cricket Queensland will be visiting the school on Tuesday of Week 1. All students will participate in cricket workshops throughout the day—an exciting opportunity to build skills and have fun. This visit is also perfectly timed ahead of the Central West Cricket Trials, happening in Week 3 in Longreach.
And don’t forget, Central West Athletics Trials will be held here in Winton in Week 2. While it’s a bonus not having to travel, it requires significant support from our staff to help run the carnival smoothly. As a result, some classes will be merged on the day to ensure efficient supervision at both school and the carnival.
Wishing all of our families a safe and relaxing holiday break. We look forward to seeing everyone back, refreshed and ready for a fantastic Term 3!
Year 3/4 Learning Update
3/4 Report
Students have had a very successful term in 3/4! It has been a pleasure to watch the students develop and build in confidence in their ability through not only each subject but outside the classroom as friends and active young people in the community. In the last few weeks, students have completed a diary entry, an informative text, research around their favourite animal and its life cycle as well complete a timetable for a fitness plan. They should all be very proud of the work they have completed and look forward to continual success throughout the rest of the year. Have a safe and happy holiday 🙂
Mrs Smith & Mr Evans
English: We concluded our Informative Text unit with presentations in front of our class and parents. Each student chose their own topic to "Teach the Teacher". They gathered information and created engaging presentations using their iPads. Every student has worked hard this term to use language features, text structure, and visual features to make their informative texts as engaging as possible.
PE: Post-Athletics carnival, students have enjoyed playing mini games and small group rotations.
Art: This term, the Yr 3-4s have focused on making collaborative artworks. In pairs, they created Dinosaur landscape collages, which they turned into interactive soundscapes. The classroom has been abuzz with excitement as they made sound effects using found objects to accompany their artwork stories. Another fantastic term with this wonderfully creative class.
Year 5/6 Learning Update
Grade 5/6 Term 2 Wrap-Up
What a fantastic ten weeks it’s been in Grade 5 and 6! Students have enjoyed a term full of learning, laughter and hard work. They’ve completed a range of assessments, including calculating the cost of camp and planning fundraising activities, recording a podcast analysing themes and characters from Holes, and showcasing their understanding of the solar system and space exploration.
A highlight towards the end of the term was a video meeting with Year 6 students from A.B. Paterson College, where our students shared insights into their daily lives and compared school experiences.
Wishing all students and families a safe and happy holiday. I look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for Term 3.
Mr Clarke
PE: Post-Athletics carnival, students have enjoyed playing mini games and small group rotations.
HASS: Yr 5-6 HASS finished their term of Civics and Citizenship with a terrific whole class debate about banning social media for under 16s. Students took on roles as teachers, students, psychologists, government officials, and tech company gurus to learn about different perspectives. They were amazing.
Art: In Art, they also finished their cake sculpture unit, displaying and photographing their “cakes” to resemble famous cake and confectionary artist, Wayne Thiebaud’s paintings. Students made their sculptures from cardboard, plaster bandage and toilet paper. It was REALLY fun!
Year 7/8 Learning Update
PE: Post-Athletics carnival, students have enjoyed playing mini games and small group rotations.
HASS: Students demonstrated their knowledge of landscapes and landforms in their exam on Monday Week 9. Post-Assessment, students have been investigating a range of case studies about protecting landscapes and significant landscapes in Australia.
English: Students presented their persuasive speeches on the benefits of social media for teenagers at the beginning of week 10.
Science: The 7/8 Science class completed work on the Physics Unit of the Science Curriculum (v8.4) in Term 2. They completed a practical assessment involving the design and testing of a balloon racer powered by pumping/blowing of air into balloons. The various designs are shown below. These balloon racers were also tested for speed and distance and the highest speed was 1m/sec and greatest distance was 4m. The Year 7/8 Science students should be commended for their effort, application and creativity in relation to their balloon racer designs.
Math: Students completed the unit of Shape and Measurement of the Maths Curriculum (v9.0) in Term 2. The Year 7/8 Maths class has completed an assessment relating to a “pretend” tennis court and enclosure area being constructed within the Winton SS schoolgrounds using a series of building and environmental criteria and involving concepts relating to mathematical concepts of positioning, angles, perimeter of shapes, area and volume as well as costing this design using a series of costings. Each student as part of this assignment was required to position their tennis court/tennis enclosure area on a Google Maps satellite image (latest and currently available image) of the Winton SS schoolgrounds shown below.
Year 9/10 Learning Update
English: Students submitted their analytical essays on satire on Friday Week 9 and have now commenced their novel study of the iconic Australian novel - Tomorrow when the war began by John Marsden.
Science: The Year 9/10 Science class completed work on the Physics Unit of the Science Curriculum (v8.4) in Term 2. They completed a practical assessment involving the reflection and refraction of light using the Hodson’s Light Box.
Math: The Year 9/10 Maths class completed the unit of Shape and Measurement of the Maths Curriculum (v9.0) in Term 2. They completed an assignment involving creating and using a mathematical model to identify the best viewing angle and distance to watch a film at the Winton Outdoor Cinema. This assignment focussed on creating a mathematical model using mathematical concepts such as angles and geometry within triangles, scaling, trigonometry and Pythagoras Theorem and analysing and processing errors.
Visual Art: Year 9 Visual Art studied Vincent Namatjira’s painting, Past, Present, Future (2021) and responded with their own paintings using similar techniques and themes of influential people and the land we live on. In small groups, they painted large canvases that featured people who were influential to them and set them in a Winton landscape. Using similar colour palettes and playful images like Namatjira, they have certainly made everyone in the art room smile. Every visitor to the art room has commented how cool the paintings are. Congratulations Year 9s.
Year 11/12 Learning Update
General Maths: The Year 11 General Maths continued work on Unit 2 and by the end of Term 2, the Unit 2 work required is about 40% complete. Unit 2 of the General Maths syllabus consists of a significant component of Algebra with Matrices, Trigonometry and Statistics also prevalent. It is envisaged that Unit 2 work will be completed by the mid-term in Term 3 and an exam will follow.
Biology: Students continued work on Unit 1 and by the end of Term 2, the Unit 1 work was fully completed. A practical assessment (FIA2) involving cell osmosis by reviewing osmosis on potatoes and other vegetables was completed. Results for the FIA2 will be available by the end of Week 1 in Term 3. Students have shown some effective scientist skills and enthusiasm in completing this task. The Unit 2 “Maintaining the internal environment” will begin during week 1 in Term 3 and focus on what is necessary to keep the human body healthy.
Essential English: Yr 11 Essential English students have started their next unit about Texts and Human Experiences. I am so impressed with the vulnerability students are showing in their discussions of other peoples’ challenges and achievements and in their own personal reflections. So far, they have analysed songs from Ed Sheeran and Creed’s With Arms Wide Open, and learnt about the lives of Jonathan Thurston, Jim Carey, Keanu Reeves, Ahn Do, and Archie Roach. We are learning about autobiographical and biographical writing and will analyse and review the film, Lion, next term.
Visual Arts: Yr 12 Visual Art students have been experimenting with art techniques and mediums to transform original artworks into new ideas. They will research an artist and create a folio of transformations in Term 3.
Science in Practice: Students have started learning about Ecology, primarily biotic and abiotic factors, food webs and chains, ecosystems, and the various biogeochemical cycles. Next term they will use this information to conduct field surveys of local freshwater areas and gather data.
Agricultural Practices: We finished the term by creating a 'no-dig' or 'lasagne' garden bed in the orchard. The students put layers of cardboard, compost, and bark chip mulch down and then watered it in. As each layer breaks down, a rich culture of microorganisms will provide essential nutrients for the plants that we plant in here.
Sport and Recreation: This unit is focused around coaching and officiating soccer. So far, students have engaged in the basics of soccer, learning to dribble, pass, and intercept the ball. Some students have found that not being able to use your hands is quite a challenge! Next term they will conduct their own coaching sessions and, as the term progresses, officiate games.
Community Dodgeball
Thanks to everyone who attended our recent emergency services & community dodgeball event. It was lovely to see so many students, parents & community members join us for a BBQ in a relaxed environment where we can connect outside the classroom. Stay tuned for the next event in term 3!
What a Term!
