17 March 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure to attend the 2017 Principals’ Conference. Having all 1,239 state school Principals in the one place provides a rare opportunity for us to share ideas and discuss how we as leaders can lift our students to new heights.

Highlights for me included the Director-General delivering a powerful opening that reinforced the critical importance of having a strong team behind every leader and gave great insight into the leadership lessons that we can draw from high-performing teams.

Victoria’s Cross recipient Corporal Mark Donaldson’s story of overcoming adversity and leading with courage under pressure was an emotive and inspiring address that I found very touching as well as a cause for deep personal reflection.

If any of us doubted the influence of technology in our future economy and society, Dr Catherine Ball’s and Brent Frey’s terrific presentations would have put these to rest. They also both reminded us of the importance of preparing our students to succeed in the knowledge economy of the future.

We had an amazing line-up of some of the most respected and influential education thought leaders in Professor Doug Fisher, Professor John Hattie, and Dr Ben Jensen – all of whom brought different perspectives to the same core question about what school leaders can do to improve their students’ performance.

Having the award-winning journalist Kerry O’Brien facilitate proceedings and former Australian Women’s Netball team captain Liz Ellis as the dinner speaker injected some wonderful wisdom and wit into what was a fantastic three-day event.

The biggest messages that I walked away with after the event is that every teacher and teacher aide that walks through our gates each and every morning are on the right path of improvement.

Car Park Safety

Car Park Safety is a real concern at Coomera Springs State School. I ask that all users of our car park follow the clearly marked signs, I ask that NO cars use or stop in the bus lane and that parents use the second lane as a 2 minute drop off zone only.

A friendly reminder that our local road safety police unit and council parking officers will be out in force over the coming weeks.

Thank you for your help in maintaining the safest carpark environment as possible.

Microsoft Office

All Queensland state school students can now download multiple free copies of the latest Microsoft Office to their personal home computers and mobile devices.

Students will need to use their school email address to sign in. Students who don’t have a school login, school email account and password should contact their school's Managed Internet Service (MIS) administrator or class teacher. The teacher will help students activate their school login.

Kind Regards
Taylor Haley/Acting Principal

News from our Deputies

Bullying. No Way!

The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is Australia’s key anti-bullying event for schools and calls on school communities to say “Bullying. No Way!” and “Take a Stand Together”.

Each star woven as part of the Stars Schools Challenge represents a school’s commitment towards a bullying and violence free environment.

This Friday, the 17th, we will be wearing orange to school to show out support for the anti-bullying movement. There is no need to bring a gold coin donation – the day is about awareness, rather than fund raising. Please ensure that all orange clothing worn on Friday meets the sun safe requirements – no singlets, mid riff tops or mini shorts please.

Star Schools Challenge

As part of our involvement in the National Day of Action against bullying and violence, our school has pledged to be a part of the Star Schools Challenge! We have promised to weave and send 500 paper stars! We will be making stars here at school, and students can also make them at home. If you have any ribbons that can be used for weaving here at school, please donate them so we can weave them into stars! Watch the video at the following URL for instructions!

The One Million Stars to End Violence project needs individuals, groups and communities to join in the conversation of ending violence across the world and to weave one million stars by July 2017 which will then be featured in an installation at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).

How parents and carers can respond…

• Children and young people need to know that they are being heard, that their feelings matter and that their issue will be investigated respectfully. Bullying should be taken seriously.

Listen calmly and get the full story…

• Your calm response is important to allow your child to tell you all about the situation. After they've told you their story, ask questions to get more details if you need to: who, what, where, when.

Your first response when a child tells you of a concern can make a difference to the outcome.

• Although you may feel some strong emotions about your child's experience, try to keep calm to avoid more distress to your child.

Reassure your child they are not to blame…

• Many children blame themselves and this may make them feel even worse.
• You could say things like, 'That sounds really hard to deal with.’ or 'I'm so glad you told me. You should be able to feel safe at school; that's not fair at all'.

Ask your child what they want to do and what they want you to do…

• A critical part of your response is to avoid jumping in to solve the problem.
• While it is natural to want to protect your child, helping them to find their own solution is a better option. It helps them feel they have some power in the situation.

Learn some strategies to talk about with your child…

• These pages provide tips and ideas for different bullying situations. One idea is to practice strategies at home to help your child feel more confident.

Watch the Quick Tips for Parents videos by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg for more ideas.

Contact the school…

• Your child may be reluctant for you to do this, so discuss the idea and reassure them that the school would want to know and is able to help.
• Make an appointment to meet with your child's teacher and, if you need to, ask to talk with the principal. Contact the school immediately if you have a concern about your child's safety. Read more about Parents and schools working together .

Check in regularly with your child…

• Keep the conversation going. It can take time to resolve issues, so check in regularly with your child about their experiences and their feelings. Your ongoing support is important.

CSSS Photo Days

WEDNESDAY 22ND MARCH & THURSDAY 23RD MARCH.

• Please note that no envelopes are to be handed into the office. ALL students who have ordered photos are to bring their envelope with them on the day and hand them directly to the photographer. Please ensure that you have the correct envelope with YOUR students name on it. Please return ASAP if you do not have the correct envelope .
• Classroom teachers will advise your student of your photo day prior to these dates.

Chess Competition

On the 10th March, Coomera Springs sent a team of students from Years 3-6 to compete in a chess competition at Coomera Rivers State School. In the short preparation time the students had, the school would like to congratulate those involved for a fantastic effort and sportsmanship amongst their peers. Special congratulations must be given to Vikram Bisen in Year 6 who received the Principals Award for good sportsmanship and teaching others how to play.

How to help your child read complex texts if they are an independent reader

Some fiction texts are written to be easily read and understood. For this reason, they have uncomplicated plots, familiar characters and settings, and simple language and text structures. Other imaginative texts, however, are complex in subject matter, structure or language. This is to make readers reflect more deeply about the characters, their situations and the problems they face. These texts may use unusual perspectives or explore daunting issues. They may deal with complicated ideas or unfamiliar situations and subjects. They may also use language that is highly crafted with archaic expressions and unfamiliar vocabulary. Set out below are some ways to support children reading complex texts.

Talk to your child about the thinking that occurs as you read. The thought processes that make comprehension possible are usually automatic for adults and it is easy to forget that the processes once needed to be learnt. In this respect, reading is a bit like driving. Learner drivers need help to think consciously about the steps of ignition, moving the gear stick, easing off the brake, accelerating, steering and so on while also considering road rules and other traffic. They also need lots of practice so that the steps occur seamlessly and unconsciously. If we remind ourselves of what we went through as beginners, then we are better able to help children think consciously about how meaning is constructed in more challenging texts.

Do not tell them the meaning of the “hard words” before they have first tried to work out the meaning from context clues. Independent readers need opportunities to discuss difficult vocabulary and more complex sentence structure that becomes present in complex texts. Analyse the language and structure contributing to the meanings in the text. Discuss the thinking that goes into working out the deeper meaning and the values, attitudes and beliefs of the author. Consider the language choices of the author. Is there bias? Whose point of view is left out? What is the evidence to support this?

It is important that children are aware that the ‘people’ in the text are characters,

i.e.artificial constructions of the author’s imagination and that the author is using grammar, language and images to make the reader ‘see’ them in a particular way. The same is true with non-fiction texts, i.e. what is the author’s purpose for writing the text, whose perspective is left out and who are the intended readers of the text.

Over time, as children develop background knowledge and a deeper understanding of the organisational structures authors use to convey information. This understanding gives children access to increasingly complex texts.

Pimpama State Secondary College Enrolments for 2018

Acting Deputy Gabby Raffin/Acting Deputy Ben Morris/Acting Deputy Mel Gurney

News from our Hoses

Rotation Creation

On Thursday the 9th March Rotation Creation came out to our school to conduct an art workshop with our students in the SEP.

Using an orbital machine encased in a clear Perspex box students squirted paint through holes on the top creating a unique design on their very own pencil case.

It was wonderful to see the senior students working together helping the younger ones. We were so proud of them all, they displayed patience whilst waiting for their turn and their manners were impeccable.

News from our IT Department

Dear Parents and Carers,

Are you subscribed to our newsletter?

Do you see it off the website, emailed from the school or our Facebook or twitter accounts?
Would you like to get it emailed to you as soon as it is released…?

Please click on the link below to receive it via email as soon as it is released!

Further into the Sign Up process is the option for you to choose your association with the school (e.g. Staff, Parent, and Student)

News from our PE Department

School Cross Country Carnival

Our annual Cross Country Carnival will be held on Tuesday 28th March.

House colours are as follows:

Ballun (Blue), Kaban (Green), Tharagum (yellow) and Tugai (red).

If you are unsure which house your child is in, please contact the classroom teacher.

Families and friends are invited to come along and cheer their children on.

Prep – year 3 - 9:00am - 10:30am
Years 4-6 - 11:15am – 12:45pm.

Please note these times are approximate.

**Just a reminder the bottom car park will be closed from 10:45am to 1:00pm, as children will be running through this as part of the Cross Country track.

Commonwealth Day event

On Monday, 13 March 2017 we celebrate Commonwealth Day. This year’s theme is ‘A Peace-building Commonwealth’ and it’s especially significant because it marks the beginning of the GC2018 Queen’s Baton Relay. The relay will start at Buckingham Palace and will end at the Gold Coast in April, 2018.

Commonwealth Day is held on the second Monday in March each year. It is an opportunity to promote the Commonwealth’s shared values of peace, democracy, equality and to celebrate diversity.

On Monday morning I was joined with Kaea and Charlee- 2 of our school leaders at the Runaway Bay Sports Centre to commemorate Commonwealth Day. The Royal Australian Mint and the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018 celebrated the commencement of the Queen’s Baton Relay on Commonwealth Day with the release of two stunning low mintage collectible coins. The coins were unveiled by Minister for Education, Tourism, Major Events and the Commonwealth Games Kate Jones MP, City of Gold Coast Acting Mayor Donna Gates and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Brian Nourse along with students, principals and teachers from the 112 schools in the GC2018 Gold Coast Schools Connect program.

Students representing the 112 schools held the Commonwealth Countries and Territories flags for a photo to be shared around the world. In the pictures you can see Kaea and Charlee holding our adoptive Country – Guyana’s flag.

News from our Music Department

Instrumental Music News

A reminder that the permission slips for next week’s Intermediate/Senior Strings workshop (Monday 20th) and Senior Band workshop (Tuesday 21st) were due back to school on Wednesday 15th March.

If your child has not returned their note please do this on Monday at the latest! We are looking forward to a great day of music making for our Intermediate and Senior musicians.

School Musical 2017 – KIDS AT SEA!

Round One of auditions has now been completed! Well done to the students who attended group singing and movement auditions last week, and special congratulations for the students who prepared script for the speaking auditions this week. The teachers were very impressed by the high standard of the auditions, and now have the very difficult task of short listing students for call backs.

Students will be advised on Monday if they have a call back, for which role/s and will be given some further script to learn. Call backs will be held next week – Wednesday to Friday. Students who do not receive a call back audition will be placed into one of the Chorus groups for the musical.

If you have any questions about the audition process please email Mrs Alison Murray. amurr51@eq.edu.au

Music Shirts

Our performing ensembles look amazing in their new Music Shirts. If your child is in Band, Strings 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.

News from our P&C President

Uniform Shop Changes

We are excited to announce the grand opening of our new uniform shop Frankie’s Fabrics on Monday the 20th March. We are very excited to unveil our new bigger space. A lot ot weekends and hours has gone into getting it up and running and we cannot wait to show you all.

School Disco

Our first disco for the year will be held on the 30th of March from 4.30pm-6:30pm.

Tickets will be available on Flexischools or Frankie’s Tuckerbox from the 6th – 28th March. Please note there will be NO entry without a pre purchased ticket. Tickets can not be purchased at the door. Tickets are only for students enrolled at Coomera Springs State School. If you have any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to let us know. Please see the flyer below for more information.

5 Cent Challenge!

As most of you all know we are fundraising for air conditioning for the classrooms in our school. Our first week of the fundraiser we raised $736.50! We are so impressed with the effort by all and cannot wait to see how much we raised this week.

Congratulations to our classes 3B (junior class) and 6C (senior class) for raising the most in the first week.

Volunteers needed

Do you have a spare hour or 2 on a Monday or Tuesday? We are looking for some dedicated parents to help us with food preparation in Frankie’s Tuckerbox. If you have some spare time please pop in and see Kylie for more information.

Next P&C Meeting

Our AGM and next P&C meeting is being held on Wednesday 10th May 2017 at 6pm in the Resource Room next to the Library. At the AGM all current P&C executive positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary) will be vacated and voted in for another term. If you are interested in joining our executive or want some more information on what the roles entail please don’t hesitate to contact me on coomeraspringspresident@gmail.com or alternatively by looking on the P&C’s QLD website: www.pandcsqld.com.au

Sharon Sharp
P&C President

Community Notices

Gold Coast Health Oral Health (Dental) Services

****Please note: The dental van will be relocating from CSSS on a date to be advised in March.****

If there are parents who have not arranged for an appointment they are still welcome to do so, 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.

Hours of operation for this clinic are:

Monday – Wednesday 8.00am – 4.30 pm.

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.

Choose how to add this event to your calendar:

Apple Calendar iPhone, iPad, Mac - Download .ics file

Outlook Desktop Outlook - Download .ics file

Android Calendar Android devices - Download .ics file

Other Calendar Google Calendar, Yahoo, etc. - Download .ics file

Download Event