Term 1 Week 4

Principal Update

Welcome to the end of week 4, as we approach the halfway mark of term 1 next week we realise just how fast the term is flying by.  

I take this opportunity to remind families of the Community Code of Conduct I included in the last newsletter, and focus specifically on contacting teachers.  We welcome and encourage families to keep in contact with their classroom teachers, however when seeking specific feedback/information please do so either by email or appointment.  This ensures teachers have the capacity to have a proper conversation with you, and not responding on the fly and in circumstances that are not ideal for a productive conversation. We will be holding parent teacher meetings later this term and will advertise these in the near future.

At the end of 2024 we reflected on camps and the structure of these.  The increasing cost of everything is making it difficult to run camps annually, and we also have students who have now been to the same camp facility several times.  As such, we made the decision to run bi-annual camps and this year will be year 5/6 to Magnetic Island in September (term 3).  The class has been working with Mr Clarke on activities and a program, and we will provide further information in the near future.  Our seniors will have the opportunity to attend camp in 2026.

Early next week we will be screening all our Prep to Year 10 students to measure their literacy levels after 5 weeks of the PLD program.  We also have a Speech Language Pathologist, who specialises in the teaching of reading, coming to visit us later in the week.  She will look at the data we have gathered and advise us on the intervention requirements of our students.  Intervention will commence during week 6 for those students identified as requiring additional support.  The is likely to be small groups and will occur outside their regular literacy block each morning.  It is important we make evidence informed decisions, reflective of the students current needs to ensure the work we are doing with them is what they need.

Our students are completing NAPLAN on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th March, all years 3,5,7 & 9.  They require headphones for the assessments.  We will provide headphones, however if they have some that are more comfortable for them, please label these and send them in your student's school bag.  They will be completing practice tests over the next two weeks so they become familiar with the testing platform and how to actually complete the test.  NAPLAN is a highly valuable assessment of literacy and numeracy levels, and when used alongside other data allows us to make informed decisions.  It is essential all students in the testing grades are at school on the dates mentioned above to complete the assessment.

We continue to have issues with students wearing crocs (or other sandals) to school.  For safety reasons, it is essential students have enclosed shoes on.  There are many areas of the school they cannot be in without proper shoes and may need to stay in the office for certain activities, this includes PE and playing sport at lunch.  We have some spare shoes at school for students who may need support with shoes, either regularly or as a one off.

Last week at school we had a baby brown snake in the Kindy area.  The teachers and students responded exceptionally well to ensure everyone was safe, and we are grateful for Jamie Butterworth who came and relocated the snake.  It is however timely to please remind students about snake safety, as they may come across them anytime. 

We are hosting a footy tipping competition for the coming season.  There is no cost to participate and is completely optional for all students from grade 3 up.  There are still a few weeks before the season starts, but please let us know if you have any questions/concerns.  

Our current explicit behaviour focus is 'following staff instructions without debate'.  We are speaking to students at school about this and would appreciate the same message reinforced at home.  We encourage students to think, challenge and wonder.  However, there are many instructions that are not negotiable and are expected to be followed.  If a student is concerned about instructions they are being given they can see either myself, Mandy Smith or Campbell Evans to discuss.

This week we have the NQ Cowboys outreach team visiting, they are hosting sessions at our school and a training session for the JRL players in the evening.  While the current NRL players aren't attending so close to the season starting, we are excited to have Ray Thompson joining Joe Cockshot for the visit.  This is an exciting opportunity for our school and community and we are sure the kids will have a great time.

Finally for this newsletter I really want to praise our students and staff for their embracing of the iPads.  This was a significant investment at the end of last year, and a decision that took a look of consultation and feedback.  It has not been without its challenges, however these have been on the operational side.  The kids and staff have really embraced this technology into our school, and are doing some really amazing things in the classroom.  Everyone has been respectful of the iPads and their accessories, showing pride and care for these items.  They are being used appropriately, and we are just so proud of the students (and we think they are proud of themselves too).  

Thanks as always for your support.

Take care,

Meggin

1/2 Maths

The 1/2 class practised tallying data today by playing “scissors paper rock” and using tallies to keep score!  

3/4 Technology

We have been learning about the telephone in Technology this term and last week we made our own string telephones! We discovered that to make a successful telephone, the length of the string mattered, and also if the string was touching other objects it didn’t work as effectively. 

We have been working on our portfolio and have learned about importing and exporting photos using our iPads. Next week we will be recording some video footage to include as well.

11/12 Agricultural Practices

The greenhouse is up and running once again! The boys cleaned it out, filled up the trough, added in the pH lower, and added in the nutrients. Then we potted up the baskets with a fresh batch of perlite and planted beans, spinach, lettuce, and kale. Some of the seeds have already started to sprout so hopefully we will get a bumper crop!

Gather the Girls

A big thank you to Outback Futures for facilitating another fantastic Gather the Girls event for the young ladies of Winton. We are grateful for the positive impact you continue to make in our community!

CW Netball

Well done to Maddison, Lindsay, and Maggie for their fantastic effort in participating in the CW netball trials! A big thank you to Ms Calcino for her time and support in coaching.

Upcoming Calendar Dates

Cowboys NRL Visit- 25th February 

NAPLAN- 12th and 13th March

National Ride to School Day- 21st March

Cross Country- 21st March 

WSS vs Emergency Services Dodgeball- 27th March

Community Events