22 June 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

The winter bite is definitely strong now and the end of term is upon us. One week left to go and this is our final newsletter for Term 2. We hope that everyone has enjoyed a productive and busy term and we wish each family a great break ahead.

2018 Sports Days

Thank you to both Mrs Hodder and Mr Dempsey for their organisation of our 2018 Athletics Carnival. It’s a big job when you have a school of 900 to accommodate, and luckily good weather was on our side this year.

Many thanks to all of the parents who were able to make it along and cheer our students on. It was great to see such positive behaviour and sportsmanship from our students.

Crazy Hair Day

Our student council will be hosting CRAZY HAIR Day on Tuesday 26th June. All money raised will be donated to support the Leukaemia Foundation.

Students will need to bring a gold coin and we are very excited to see some crazy and interesting hairstyles.

School Council Parent Rep

As an Independent Public School, we run with not only a P&C Association, but also a School Council.

The purpose of a school council is:

School councils drive the involvement of the community in setting the school’s strategic direction and tone as well as endorsing important decisions such as strategic plans and budgets. This module is designed to provide information about the effective management of school councils including their purpose, their relationship with other governance and advisory bodies in the school, their establishment and constitution and how they can help develop the school’s strategic direction and key partnerships. This module can also be used to provide information about key school council roles and responsibilities to principals and new and prospective members.

School councils are also an essential and mandatory component of accountability in schools participating in the Independent Public Schools initiative.

This module has been developed as part of the support package for IPS schools but has been made available to support any school that chooses to establish a school council.

Purpose

Education Queensland recognises that good decision-making often occurs at a local level through direct engagement with the needs and aspirations of the school community.

School councils are the primary mechanism for ensuring these needs and aspirations are addressed. School councils contribute to the strategic leadership of the school and act as the bridge between the school and its local community including staff, parents, governments, community groups and local business and industry.

With the freedom to respond to community needs and through the use of local expertise, school councils are well-positioned to embrace innovation to maximise student learning outcomes.

School councils play an important role in reviewing and/or approving school-based innovations such as:

• working autonomously with local businesses, industry and other community organisations, leading to innovative models for sponsorship, industry and infrastructure partnerships
• contributing strategically to the shape of curriculum offerings that suit the needs of students, for example: International Baccalaureate programs, extracurricular programs, gateway programs and centres of excellence
• using local flexibility over finance and human resources to ensure resourcing and staffing plans meet local needs
• the development, use and sharing of facilities and resources.

Independent Public Schools

In particular, the principal of an Independent Public School has autonomy to:

• participate with local councils, industry and their community to plan joint facilities
• contract and manage their own maintenance using QBuild or contractors. School councils may have input into the principal’s deliberations, but may not enter contracts
• develop and implement a Strategic Infrastructure (Assets) Plan directly with central office. School councils may provide input to the principal.

School councils offer Independent Public Schools the opportunity to draw on the professional networks and expertise of members to complement the educational expertise that already exists in the school. Schools can use this opportunity to develop innovative partnerships and educational programs to achieve the best outcomes for students.

Fostering Innovation

School councils foster innovation when they:

• monitor the school’s strategic direction
• approve and monitor the implementation of:
  - school plans and policies of a strategic nature
  - other documents affecting strategic matters, including the annual estimate of revenue and expenditure for the school.
• advise the school’s principal about strategic matters.

The school council must perform its functions in a way that achieves the best learning outcomes for the school’s students.

We require one additional parent representative for our school council. If you are interested in nominating for this position, please contact me on mgill35@eq.edu.au

The Use of Social Media

At Coomera Springs State School we take our responsibility to maintain the health and safety of our students and staff very seriously. This responsibility includes issues related to online choices and behaviours.

Participating in the online environment can be a positive experience, but there are also a broad range of concerns that may need to be considered, including online privacy and information protection, online etiquette, digital citizenship and knowing how to get help to deal with online issues.

As you may be aware, comments posted online about people and organisations may impact permanently on their digital reputation. This includes teachers, other staff, students and the school. There can be very real negative consequences from online posts – relationships between school staff, students and parents can be permanently damaged.

Facebook and other social networking sites are generally not private communities and, depending on an individual’s privacy and security settings, comments may be read by many people and remain online indefinitely.

If you or your child are posting information online about the school, staff or students, I ask that you consider the ramifications of these comments on the school and any individuals in the school community. As a rule of thumb:

• Public discussion is most effective when it is conducted in a polite and respectful manner;
• Before posting, it is important to consider whether those people you are posting about want information, including photos and comments regarding them and their children, posted on Facebook or on other sites. Perhaps ask the people involved in the post for permission before you publish something or tag someone online;
• Rather than airing complaints or grievances in a public forum like Facebook, come and talk to the school first about how to resolve your concerns;
• Remember that as a parent you have a responsibility to supervise and regulate your own children’s online activities at home and their impact on the reputation and privacy of others.

For further information on managing cybersafety, please go to;

If you have any concerns you would like to discuss further, I invite you to make an appointment with me.

Parking at School

Over the last six years I have written many articles regarding the safety of students and the school car park.

As a large school, this will continue to be an issue for us and one that does not have any immediate resolution that sits outside of driver choice and following the law.

We are very lucky in that we have two car parks available to our community. This a lot more than most schools have. We are unlucky in that the number of spaces available does not meet the need of our size school.

Many of our students also live close by and have the opportunity to walk or ride to and from school, and we see each day the many families that utilise this option.

With the limited spaces available, drop off and pick up times are problematic and this is compounded by our school being on a double carriage way road that does not allow parking along the yellow lines.

Each day we do witness a lot of illegal parking activity that is putting not only our students at risk, but also our families driving in and out of the school. Line of sight can be impacted, which can compromise students getting to their car safely.

The administration team does stand out at the school gate each afternoon. We are there to ensure safety. However, we are not able to direct traffic as we are not trained traffic controllers and doing this would place us individually into a litigious situation.

I have taken to physically standing in the bus zone to prevent parents from continuing to stop here to collect students, yet each day through driver choice it is still happening.

As a community, I continue to remind you that each decision you make will either keep our students safe, or place them at risk. I emphatically encourage you to do the latter.

I also remind the community that I have not ever issued a permit, or permission to any parent to park in the bus lane. This is council owned land and I do not have that ability to provide a permit.

School Review

In week 1, Term 3, our school will be undertaking its Quadrennial School Review. This is a process that every school in Education Queensland undertakes. What it entails is a panel of three members who will be in attendance at Coomera Springs for three days, 18/19/20 July and they will be having conversations with staff, students and community members around particular aspects of the school. There are a total of nine domains that are assessed.

There is the capacity for the reviewers to chat with parents. I am unsure as to whether this will be a random selection. However, if you are interested in being a part of this review, you can email me mgill35@eq.edu.au and we have the ability to timetable some parent representatives in.

Please see attached the PDF document to provide you with some more information regarding this review process.

Creating Momentum for Positive Change

Parent Article - By Michael Grose

Currently, I’m reading about Sir John Monash, the first Australian-born general to command Australian troops in World War 1. He was an amazing figure, as unlike his foolhardy predecessors, he refused to sacrifice troops as cannon fodder in the fields of France. He is widely attributed with turning the tide of the war to the Allies’ way through his assiduous planning and attention to detail.

Equally pivotal to his success was his ability to change the mindset of the troops from defensive to offensive. This was no mean feat as they’d been stuck in trenches for months. The troops he inherited in 1918 hadn’t experienced military success of any note for over two years. Monash engineered a series of continuous mini-raids on the enemy so that his troops could feel success again.

Monash knew about the secret power of momentum. The more they succeeded in battle, the more his troops wanted to experience success. He built a culture of success in his forces by starting small and then harnessing the power of momentum. This powerful momentum principle applies equally to families as it does to the battlefield. Here are four areas you can harness momentum for positive change:

Developing Independence

If a child is very reliant on others then consider to creating opportunities for them to resolve small everyday problems themselves. Let them experience what it’s like to be a problem-solver. For instance, rather than resolving a child’s sibling conflict issues give him or her clues and ideas to help them get their own way with a sibling. They may not experience success every time but little by little they begin to see themselves as capable of resolving their own problems.

Building Confidence

Self-esteem can be boosted in similar ways. If your child lacks confidence to mingle and meet new friends consider helping him or her experience social successes in smaller, more intimate settings. For instance, encourage him or her to invite one friend at a time to your place, as it’s easier to form friendships singularly in familiar territory. Also encourage your child to spend more time in activities that they do well in so that they experience confidence more often and for longer. Self-esteem is usually built little by little.

Being Cooperative

Cooperative behaviour can similarly be built through momentum. Often uncooperative kids receive a great deal of B-grade, negative attention (plenty of reminders, lots of nagging, being yelled at) for their lack of cooperation. Catch them being cooperative in small ways (cleaning away dishes without being asked, being kind to a sibling, using manners with an adult) so that they experience what it’s like doing the right thing.

Helping Others

Help your kids experience the appreciation of others that comes from their small acts of kindness, generosity and help. Feeling appreciated for their small contributions (loaning a toy to a friend) and acts of selflessness (giving up a seat in the bus to an elderly person) can be just the tonic some kids need to see themselves as positive contributors to their families and other groups.

Small changes create the momentum needed that leads to significant behavioural changes. The opposite to momentum is inertia, which means nothing much will change in your family regardless of how much you remind, challenge or hassle your kids.

Get some movement in the direction you want (better behaviour/more cooperation/more helpfulness/greater confidence) and let the magic of momentum take over to get significant changes you want to see in your kids or family-life.

Kind Regards
Martine Gill
Principal

Upper Coomera State College’s Signature Programs

Upper Coomera State College’s Signature Programs are open for application for Year 6 students entering Year 7 in 2019.

Be one of a select few, to be accepted into these exclusive Academies:

• STEM Academy
• Creative Arts Academy
• Sports Academy

Get in quick. Applications close soon! For more information and to download an application form, please go to:

Alternatively, come and see us at Upper Coomera State College to grab an application pack.

Pimpama State Secondary College 2019 Principal’s Tour & Enrolment Information Night

For more information and to register please go to:

HoSES News

Hear to Learn Hearing Screen

Hear and Say Paediatric Hearing Services will be visiting our school on Thursday, 26 July and Friday, 27 July 2018 to conduct hearing screeners with some of our students at Coomera Springs State School.

If your child received a consent form for this service, please return the form to the school office as soon as possible to ensure your child does not miss out on this opportunity.

National Consistent Collection of Data - 2018 Update

Collecting data on school students with disability helps teachers, principals and education authorities support the participation of students with disability in schooling on the same basis as students without disability.

All Australian State Governments have agreed to work together on the annual collection of data on school students with disability.

All Australian schools participate in this annual data collection every August. You may recall this taking place last year at Coomera Springs State School.

The data provided to the Australian Federal Government is aggregated data only (no student details are provided). Please be reassured that the Department will not provide to another organisation any data that can identify an individual student. The only data being collected at school level and to be reported nationally is the:

• number of students in the school who are provided with an adjustment to address a disability.
• level of adjustments we provide for those students.
• broad category of disability.

While only data that cannot identify your child will be submitted outside of the Department, if you do not wish for your child’s details to be included, please let me know prior to 20 July, 2018.

Information and fact sheets are available to help you make a decision from the Department’s website:

Australian Government Department of Education website:

Alternatively, if you have any queries about the collection or use of this data I encourage you to contact me directly via email at cmcle38@eq.edu.au

Connie McLean
Head of Special Education Services

Chaplain’s News

A few of you may be aware of this, but most people won’t. I have made the decision to finish up as Chaplain here at Coomera Springs at the end of the term. This is a bitter sweet decision as this has been such a great school community to be a part of, and I have felt nothing but welcomed in with open arms. I have been given the opportunity to take on more time at Upper Coomera State College and I have also taken on university study to become a teacher. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support over the last three and a half years. You have helped to make me feel part of the team from day one and I have always been encouraged by the kind words that everyone gives when they run into me.

Thank you
Chappy Ben

PE Department News

Athletics Carnivals

Thank you to our school community who came to cheer and support our students at the Athletics Carnivals this year. It was a big three days where all students had fun and achieved some fantastic results.

Congratulations to the Age Champions:

  2009 age champions - Keisha H - Jeval P
           2008 age champions - Chelsea G-S - Oliver W
       2007 age champions - Brianna T - Jordee B
2006 age champions - Lydia F - Jacob R

We also had some amazing individual results with some students breaking school records:

Congratulations to our overall point’s winners……. TUGAI house!

July School Holidays

Check out the Gold Coast City Council website for some school holiday activities

Mrs Hodder
PE Teacher and Sports Coordinator

Music Department News

Footsteps to Fame

A reminder that entries for “Footsteps to Fame” will close at the end of this term – please contact your class teacher for further information on how to sign up – entries are being taken in your year level. We can’t wait to see the talent on show next term!

Music Showcase Evening

The CSSS Music Showcase Evening will be held on Wednesday 1st August at 5:30pm in our school hall. This will be a very exciting evening of music and entertainment. All of our Instrumental Music ensembles will be performing, as well as our Junior Choir, Ukulele Band, Drumline and Music Centre of Excellence Classes! This is a great opportunity for parents of potential Instrumental Music students to come along and see what the program has to offer. Our whole school community is invited to come along and enjoy some wonderful entertainment – gold coin entry with light refreshments provided!

Parents of Music Performers, a note has been sent home this week – the return slip is due back before the holidays. Also, please be advised that the Senior Showcase Choir will not perform at the Music Showcase Evening, however they will be performing at the junior and senior school assemblies on Friday 27th July.

Term 3 Eisteddfod Performances - Date Claimers

Please take note of the dates and times for our Term 3 group performances at the Beenleigh Eisteddfod (Senior Strings) and the Gold Coast Eisteddfod (all other groups). The times shown below are either section start times or the time we have been asked to arrive by – it is impossible to predict exactly how long the sections will go or what time our students will be on stage. Students will receive permission notes in the coming weeks with full information including their meeting time at school (which will be much earlier than the times below).

Wednesday 25th July – Senior Strings at Logan Entertainment Centre (arrive by 11am)
Tuesday 7th August – Junior Choir at HOTA (10am start time)
Thursday 9th August – Senior Showcase Choir at HOTA (10.30am start time)
Tuesday 14th August – Intermediate Strings at HOTA (9am start time)
Monday 20th August – Junior Band at HOTA (9am start time)
Tuesday 21st August – Drumline at HOTA (2.30pm start time)
Thursday 23rd August – Senior Band at HOTA (6pm start time)

Music Shirts

Our performing ensembles look amazing in their Music Shirts. If your child is in Band, Strings or Choir; now is the time to order your Music Shirt for 2018 – available from the uniform shop for $30. Music Shirts can be worn to school on Thursdays in 2018. Prep parents please be advised that the Music Shirts are available from Size 4 upwards.

PLEASE NOTE: All students performing in the Music Showcase Concert on Wednesday 1st August will require a Music Shirt for this performance.

Alison Murray
Music Coordinator

Library News

Week 10 was the last week for borrowing books. All home readers and library books are to be returned next week (week 11) before the holidays. If you have any problems locating your child’s books, please let me know. Any books which may have been damaged, can you please return them to me so I can either fix them or remove them from our system so your child can continue borrowing books next term.

Borrowing will recommence first week back in term 3.

Happy Reading!

Sue Marriott
Teacher Librarian

P&C News

P&C Meeting

Our next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday 8th August at 3:15pm in the resource centre next to the library.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sharon Sharp
P&C President

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is now open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8.15am – 9.00am. We would like to continue to operate on a Friday but need volunteers for this to happen. If you are available to help for an hour every Friday please email Ange at csssuniforms@gmail.com

Tuckshop

We are open from 7.30am until 3:00pm for all your breakfast and lunch needs.

Frankie’s Tuckerbox Menu

The tuckshop is open Monday - Friday and offers a range of healthy choice options. Please refer to our Tuckshop Menu for more information.

School Terms for 2018

School Directory

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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).

Community Notices

Gold Coast Health Oral Health (Dental) Services

The Mobile Dental Clinic will be servicing Coomera Springs State School from the 7th June until the 4th October. Please refer to the attached Oral Health Service Provision Schedule for further details.

To arrange an appointment for your child, telephone The Oral Health Client Service Centre on

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.

For children to be eligible for free public oral health services they must:

• Be Queensland residents or attend a Queensland school; and,
• Be eligible for Medicare*; and,
• Meet at least one of the following criteria:
  - be aged four years or older and have not completed Year 10; or,
  - be eligible for the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule; or,
  - hold, or be listed as a dependent on, a valid Centrelink concession card

* Eligibility for Medicare includes holders of green or blue Medicare cards but excludes yellow Medicare cards which are issued to visitors from countries with reciprocal health card agreements.

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

Grandparents Support Group

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