4 August 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Some very important messages to share with you this week:

P&C Meeting Time Change

Our P&C meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month. The start time of our meetings will now be at 3.15pm. We believe this time will attract more of our parent community as it is a lot more friendlier to school and home life.

Our meetings are held in our staffroom (the same building as our Library). We look forward to seeing you there on Wednesday 9th August.

Absenteeism

In many of our newsletters I have written about the importance of school attendance and how every day counts for a child in learning. This week the administration team have looked at all of the absences of our students across the school that exceeded 10+ days in Semester One. This total ranged from 10 days to over 5 weeks’ worth of absenteeism. That is an extremely high number and will absolutely have an impact on the learning of a child.

Whilst there are times that parents have provided a reason, we still need to look at these reasons and determine whether they are in fact reasonable.

Parents and caregivers must send children to school every school day under Queensland law unless there is an acceptable reason such as:

• illness
• doing work experience
• competing in school sporting events.

If your child is going to be absent from school, you must let the school know why the absence has occurred within two school days of their return. If possible, it is best to advise the school beforehand.

Avoid keeping your child away from school for reasons such as:

• birthdays
• shopping
• visiting family and friends
• if they sleep in
• looking after other children
• minor check ups or care, such as haircuts.

Routine medical or other health appointments should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.

Establishing good routines around school can assist with regular school attendance. These include:

• have a set time to go to bed
• have a set time to get out of bed
• have uniform and school bag ready the night before
• have a set time for starting and finishing breakfast
• set a time for daily homework activities
• speak about school positively
• send your child to school every school day including their birthday and the last day of term from Prep.

If you are experiencing difficulty in sending your child to school, contact the school principal for advice and support. As we have looked at all absenteeism across the school, we have identified those students with concerning numbers and letters will be sent home to parents outlining responsibilities, as well as the process required to be undertaken should the same level of absenteeism continue.

Before School Eating

We have noticed a lot more of our students are frequenting Hungry Jacks and the surrounding shops before school and purchasing some very questionable items for breakfast. Obviously that morning meal really does have a strong impact on how a child starts the day, and the healthier and more filling the option, the better that start is for a child.

So to assist our families here, our wonderful P&C will be starting a basic breakfast menu. Please note that this is a trial at this stage, therefore the menu is being kept simple with prices low.

I really do encourage our families to help our students start the day on a healthy and full tummy that fuels the body and mind for a day of learning and fun.

Have a wonderful week.

Kind Regards
Martine Gill

Our Admin Team

Drumbeat and Fun Friends

Drumbeat and Fun Friends have started at Coomera Springs!!! Both programs are delivered by the lovely Tracey, who in conjunction with the Wesley Mission Queensland and Communities for Children (Northern Gold Coast) working to support students to be happy, resilient, and cooperative individuals.

Drumbeat promotes social understanding and connection through a team drumming experience. It is fun, safe, creative, engaging and rewarding. Participants lift their self-esteem, learn to work cooperatively and are exposed to the therapeutic and recreational benefits of music. The Fun Friends Program is developmentally tailored to assist children in building resilience, confidence and self-esteem and to learn important skills and techniques to cope with feelings of fear and stress.

1:1 Student iPad Information Sessions

Thank you to all parents that attended the 1:1 Student iPad Information session. It is wonderful to see so many families opting to benefit from this initiative and make the commitment to provide their child/ren such a powerful educational tool.

A huge thank you also to our Student Tech Guides who showcased some of the skills and knowledge they have acquired being part of the program. Our students taught our parent audience members how to program robots such as Wedos and Sphero, they lead an exploration into Space with Google Expeditions, showcased their file management prowess with Showbie and created some mind-blowing movie trailers with iMovie.

If you missed the information session please visit the below links and keep your eyes peeled for the details of the Term 4 information session.

Visit our 1:1 Student iPad Program Webpage for more details-

Enrol in our 1:1 Student iPad Program iTunes U course

(link will work if accessing via ios device with iTunes U downloaded)

- Enrolment Code: FAB-DMK-FNL

Prep enrolments for 2018 are now open

We are now taking enrolments for Prep for 2018!

If your child is born between 1/7/12 and 30/6/13, please see the ladies in the office for an enrolment pack. Details of our first parent information session will be coming soon!

Born to Read

Mark your calendar and get ready to celebrate READING!!!!!

Coomera Springs State School, is organising a massive ‘Born to Read’ afternoon to promote the importance of reading and celebrate those who love to read. The afternoon will be held on Wednesday September 13th 2017 beginning at 3:00pm at Coomera Springs State School. It is set to be the biggest celebration of reading at Coomera Springs yet. Make sure you don’t miss the fun, mark the date into your calendar now and prepare to have a blast.

Is your business interested in being involved with BORN TO READ?

We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to choose how you would like to be part of our celebrations. There are a number of ways you can select to become part of the event. You may choose to:

• Enjoy the stalls and activities as a general member of the public
• Be a financial sponsor (be included in our physical promotion and social media promotion campaign)
• Set up a stall at the event
• Hold a demonstration on the main stage
• Have your business contribute items to our raffle

If you are interested in offering sponsorship, contributing to our raffles and/or setting up a stall please email bmorr133@eq.edu.au or contact the school office to speak to Deputy Principal Ben Morris.

Under 8’s Day Celebration

Students in Prep to Year two enjoyed participating in a number of fun learning activities on the 21st July to celebrate this year’s Under 8’s Day.

Thank you to all of our wonderful teachers for helping with the organisation and supervision of our students.

There were smiles all round!

HoSES News

Bunnings Garden Project

On the 18th August Kylie from Oxenford Bunnings will be visiting our school to work with our students through the Schools Sustainability Program. They are kindly donating all of the plants as well as their time and resources to help plant a variety of flowers, fruits, herbs and vegetables.

Expression of Interest forms will be going home this week to all students in the SEP. If you are interested in your child being included in this hand on activity please return the form to your child’s teacher or case manager before the 16th August. There will also be opportunities for your child to be involved in maintaining the school garden and harvesting the fresh fruit and vegetables.

Breathe … and stay calm

If you need a quick and easy technique to help your child stay calm in a challenging or stressful situation, you might like to try the 5 4 3 2 1 Grounding Exercise and tune in to your 5 senses.

Take a deep belly breath to begin…

1. LOOK: Look around for 5 things you can see and say them out loud eg. I see the computer, I see the window etc
2. FEEL: Pay attention to your body and think of 4 things you can feel, and say them out loud eg. I feel my feet warm in my socks, I feel the pillow I am sitting on
3. LISTEN: Listen for 3 sounds eg. The sound of traffic outside, the sound of a bird, the sound of the ceiling fan. Say the three things out loud.
4. SMELL: Say 2 things you can smell or that are your favourite smells.
5. TASTE: Say one thing you can taste eg. Toothpaste or say your favourite thing to taste.

Take another deep belly breath to end.

It’s helpful to practice these strategies at times when your child is settled and calm so that they can slip into their use at other times when they need to calm themselves. We sometimes tell our children to “calm down” without ever giving them strategies on how to deal with stress and anxiety.

PE lessons - Baseball

This week, some classes have had the opportunity to participate in modified baseball lessons run by Baseball QLD. This has been great for our year four students who are competing in Tee-ball for Gala Sports Day later this term. Students have been practising throwing, fielding and batting during game play.

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Years 4, 5 & 6 Gala Sports Day – Tuesday 29th August (week 8)

Year Four are playing Tee-ball at Viney Park, Yaun Street, Coomera

Year Five and Six are playing Touch Football at Coomera Sports Fields, Beattie Road, Coomera

The competitions will be split in to year levels and boys/girls teams.

Eisteddfod News

Following on from the fantastic performances at our school Music Showcase Evening, the following CSSS Music ensembles will be performing at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod this term!

Week 6 Intermediate Strings, Senior Strings
Week 7 Junior Band, Senior Band
Week 8 Junior Choir

Permission notes for these excursions have been given out this week, and are due back STRICTLY by FRIDAY 11th AUGUST. Please ensure these notes are returned on time, to help us with planning supervision for the excursions.

Music Shirts

Our performing ensembles look amazing in their Music Shirts. If your child is in Band, Strings, Ukulele Band or Choir now is the time to order your Music Shirt for 2017 – available from the uniform shop for $28.

Music Shirts can be worn to school on Fridays in 2017.

Prep parents please be advised that the Music Shirts are only available from Size 6 upwards (it is not possible to make the shirt in a smaller size as the process would alter our design). Prep students in the Junior Choir should purchase a Size 6 shirt and wear it tucked into their formal bottom half.

Kids at Sea (Sindbad Sails Again)

Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th of September, 2017

At the Upper Coomera State College Performing Arts Centre

Reserve Rd, Upper Coomera

Commencing at 6:00pm Sharp

Tickets

$13 Adults
$9 Children (aged 12 and under)

Available from the CSSS school office on Wednesday and Thursday mornings 8.15-9:00am

beginning Wednesday 16th August 2017

Position Available

We are currently looking for someone to work in our Tuckshop on a term short basis (Approx. 6 weeks) this person will need to have the following skills:

Food handling experience
Cash handling Experience
Barista trained
Blue Card preferred

The hours will be approximately 2 hours in the morning before school and 2 hours 2 days in the afternoons.

If you would like more information or are interested in applying for role, please send your resume and cover letters to coomeraspringspresident@gmail.com

Applications close on Wednesday 9th August at 9am.

Tuckshop Winter Menu

Please remember that Thursday’s and Friday’s are flexischool orders only.

Volunteers Needed

We are again asking our parent community for anyone who has some spare time to help.

We are needing volunteers to help with:

School Banking (Tuesday mornings)
Frankie’s Tuckerbox ( any time between Mon-Fri)
Frankie’s Fabrics Uniform Shop (Mon, Wed & Fri mornings 8.15 – 9am)

If you can spare some time please contact Kylie at the tuckshop or the uniform shop.

P & C meeting

Our next P & C Meeting will be held on Wednesday the 9th August 2017 at 3:15pm in the resource room next to the library.

School Directory

Community Notices

Pimpama State Secondary College Enrolment’s 2018 now open

Helensvale State High School 2018

Gold Coast Health Oral Health (Dental) Services

****Please note: The dental van is no longer at CSSS, you will need to phone the Oral Health Client Service Centre # 1300 300 850 to make a time to receive a free dental check-up & any follow up treatment required.

To arrange an appointment for your child telephone:

The Oral Health Client Service Centre

Number: 1300 300 850 Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm (Excluding Public Holidays)

Child Dental Benefit Schedule Vouchers are accepted. When your child’s $1000 cap is reached, there will be no out-of-pocket expenses provided your child meets *eligibility criteria.

* Eligibility – All Queensland resident children aged four years or older who have not completed year 10 of secondary school.

Further information on public funded oral health services can be accessed via URL:

UC Physio

UC Physio offer physiotherapy services including musculoskeletal, paediatric

(Babies and children often require specialised assessment and treatment that can’t be effectively assessed unless the clinic is specially set up to look at these i.e. developmental delay, movement disorders and neuromuscular conditions), women’s health (pre & post-natal), neurological, pre and operative rehabilitation and respiratory conditions. We are able to offer a range of exercise programs that improve and maintain physical strength and function.

Level 1, 21 Coomera Grand Drive, Upper Coomera QLD 4209

Phone: 55 618 111 Fax: 55 618 344
Email: admin@ucphysio.physio

Kurrawa SLSC Nippers Sign on

As summer approaches so does the 2017/2018 Nipper Season! For children and adults on the Gold Coast, knowledge about water and beach safety is invaluable and nippers are a fantastic place to start learning all about Surf Life Saving. Nippers (5-13 years of age) doesn’t only teach children about water and beach safety, but it also assists them to make new friends, gain confidence, further develop important life skills and be part of a Team and Community.

This season the Kurrawa SLSC Junior Activities Committee along with our Board of Management have again come together to offer a pricing structure that will make it more affordable for families to sign up to nippers. The fees are just $40 per child and $60 for up to two adults (1 adult must join). See the advertisement below for more details.

Coomera Cubs Baseball

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