Issue 2 16 February 2022
From the Principal's Desk
Welcome back
A very warm welcome back to all our families! It has been great seeing our school full of children again, after the unusually quiet start to the year resulting from government rules limiting attendance. Since re-opening to all students on Monday 7th February it has been great seeing every student engaging in learning in every classroom.
Class Changes
We have experienced a pleasing growth in student numbers in the lower school, in particular in Prep with 63 current Prep enrolments. The growth in our lower schools has meant we need to adjust our class structure, which will come into effect in Week 6 (Monday 28th February). This will only impact Years Prep to 4. Families whose children will be affected by changes will be notified individually, either by a phone call or a letter. I recognise that when students change teacher or classroom it can be disruptive to them, and I have tried to keep disruptions to an absolute minimum. However, I am also obliged to ensure that our classes comply with mandated teacher/student ratios and do not exceed the maximum mandated number of students. I am very confident that our updated class structure will maximise our success for the remainder of the 2022 school year.
Back to School Plan
Thank you to all the parents who have complied with the QLD State Government’s Back to School Plan by minimising their access to the school and wearing masks when entering school buildings or offices. The current rules expire on Friday 4th March. I will keep the community updated about any changes or extensions to policies to ensure that parents know the rules under which we are operating.
COVID-19
You may have received an email notification from me over the last week in relation to confirmed positive cases at our school. We have had a number of students and staff who have tested positive, all are following Queensland Health guidelines and isolating from school. May I remind you to continue to:
- Monitor yourself and your family for Covid-19 symptoms that can include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting or nausea, loss of smell and/or taste.
- Stay home if displaying any symptoms, or feeling unwell. You should attend your local Queensland Health testing clinics where students are prioritised to get a free rapid antigen test (RAT).
- Continue to follow all Queensland Health advice.
Student Illness
Can I thank parents for keeping their children home when they have COVID-19 symptoms. There have been very few students present unwell to school. Please continue to be vigilant about this as in the current environment children exhibiting any symptoms are required to be sent home.
From the Deputy Principal's Desk
From the Guidance Officer
Message from the Guidance Officer
This week, I’d like to introduce our other key Wellbeing Staff members and briefly outline some of the wonderful socio-emotional learning and wellbeing supports we provide students.
Ms Laura, Student Welfare Worker
Ms Laura has a background in Youth Work and disability support and is passionate about helping young people reach their full potential. She is in the school 11am – 2pm each day and facilitates a range of programs, such as:
- Lunch Times with Ms Laura – fun activities and games in a supported environment are offered both breaks in the Wellbeing Room. All students are welcome!
- Zones of Regulation – small group social learning program with a curriculum focused on self-regulation and emotional control.
- Highway Heroes – small group program that teaches tools for self-management and building resilience.
- Body Bright – small group strength-based program that aims to promote healthy attitudes and behaviours towards the body, eating and physical activity in children.
- Individual and In-Class Support – students can connect individually with Ms Laura (this is not a counselling service). She also works in classrooms to support engagement in learning.
Ms Kate & Therapy Dogs Yarn & Augie
Ms Kate has a background in Psychology and learning support. Since creating the Therapy Doods service her focus has been on bringing animal assisted therapies into schools and community settings. Kate and her Labra‘dood’les Yarn & Augie provide curriculum support to students and deliver small group socio-emotional learning programs, which focus on emotional regulation, relationship skills, and sensory experiences. Ms Kate & the Doods are here each Thursday and are based in our Wellbeing Room.
Mrs Brooke Bailey, Wellbeing Committee Chair
Mrs Bailey is well known as a classroom teacher at Kingaroy SS. She also Chairs our Wellbeing Committee, which focuses on implementing school wellbeing initiatives. Some of these have included school engagement with community strategies such as Mental Health Week, R U OK Day, Clean Up Australia Day, Pyjama Day, National Day of Action Against Bullying, Day for Daniel… among many others! This committee also organises the staff social club and reviews the school’s Wellbeing Framework and analyses our wellbeing data.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss how we can support your child/ren’s wellbeing at school. Email Jennifer DAVIES, Guidance Officer: jhobs35@eq.edu.au
Class News-Technologies 2022
This year in Technologies, students in Prep to Year 4 will become Technology Investigators and are undertaking activities in Design Technologies and Digital Technologies.
This semester, Preps will be learning about technologies on farms and how they help farmers. They will become little Bob the Builders and create a farm and then use a Beebot to imitate a farm technology (e.g. harvester). They will also become a Kingaroy Junior Master Chef and make a sandwich.
Year 1 will be learning about how puppets are made and move. They will then become a puppet designer and a puppeteer and create their own moveable puppet.
Year 2, 1/2D, P/6A and P/6N will be learning about toys. They will be able to identify how toys move, and the materials they are made from. Students will then become engineers and design and create a spinning toy.
Year 3 and will be learning about digital systems and the purpose of these systems. They will also become game designers and create a learning game in Scratch.
Year 4 will be learning about data and the ways we collect and display data. They will be data analysts and use Excel Spreadsheet to enter data and present their data.
5E will be learning how digital systems have a purpose and then create an information Power Point about a natural disaster.
Looking forward to a great year of investigating Technology!
Ms Jenny Eeles