14 October 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Important dates coming up

P&C Movie Night - 14 October - CANCELLED due to wet weather
World Teachers' Day - 28 October
Day for Daniel -28 October - wear something red
Remembrance Day - 11 November
P&C Disco - 18 November
Last school day for 2022 - 9 December

Term 4 2022

Welcome to Term 4 for 2022. This will be an important term for learning and also transitions into 2023. In the learning space, teachers are continuing the teaching and learning programs for the year and also assessment and reporting for Semester 2. In the transitions space, this is about the important transitions for our 2023 Prep and 2022 Year 6 as well as 2023 student leadership positions. We also prepare our students for their transition to their new year level after the Christmas break.

We will also have our traditional end of year and Christmas events at the end of the term. There is so much for us all to look forward to.

P&C Movie Night cancelled

The P&C have cancelled the Movie Night due to ongoing wet weather. I thank the committee for the work that has gone into the Movie Night.

Tuckshop Stairs and Ramp

The accessible rampway plus stairs under construction at the western end of the tuckshop has been completed. This provides a very convenient place to drop off students close to the Tuckshop. Students are also able to walk into the school from the Coomera Springs estate straight into the centre of the school.

This area is used for arriving and departing the school and is otherwise out of bounds for students and is not a play area. The tuckshop area has an eating area close to the stairs (third photo). Students may eat but not play in this area.

NAPLAN Student Reports

Student reports for NAPLAN testing conducted earlier this year in Year 3 and 5 have recently been sent home. We congratulate all students who completed NAPLAN and celebrate their learning.

This is the first year for an ‘on- line’ ‘threaded’ testing format for NAPLAN. This means that depending on how the students answer the questions determines whether they are presented with higher or lower questions. This ensures that each student is answering questions at a level that is appropriate for the individual. For some students, it meant less frustration and for others, it meant that they could reach higher level questions and achieve at higher bands than ever before.

NAPLAN is a very well-designed test but has some limitations. Parents are asked to bear in mind some of the limitations of NAPLAN when reading the NAPLAN student report. NAPLAN is a point in time test which can be influenced by how the student was feeling on the day of the test. The semester student report on the other hand represents a whole range of assessment across the semester and not so much influenced by the individual circumstances of the student on one day. NAPLAN is also intended as feedback to the school rather than as any form of high stakes testing for individual students at a primary level. We celebrate all that makes each individual student unique and capable and NAPLAN is only a small part of this.

We celebrate the achievements of our students at all levels. We also use the results to find ways that we can continue to improve as a school.

Student attendance may resume as normal

Restrictions and periods of isolation due to COVID - 19 have now significantly been wound back. Students should now attend school each day unless unwell or isolating (Changes coming for isolation requirements as well). As we emerge from the Omicron wave and winter colds and flu, we should continue to see attendance at school return to as close to normal a level as possible. We are also resuming our monitoring and processes to ensure good student attendance at school. Please do not hesitate to contact the school with any concerns for sending students to school at this time so that support can be provided.

Current COVID Measures – COVID Normal

Please see the following most up-to-date guidelines:

• From 9 September 2022, isolation periods for COVID-19 positive cases will reduce from seven to five days following a positive test IF you have no symptoms on Day 5.
• The vaccination mandate for staff, contractors and volunteers is no longer in place
• Students should attend school each day unless unwell or isolating
• Face masks no longer required in school settings
• Mass gatherings and events can resume
• Restrictions on parents, carers and visitors eased
• All assemblies, incursions, camps and excursions can recommence
• We continue our day cleaner to continually sanitise high touch areas during school hours
• Students who choose to wear face masks will continue to be supported
• We maintain a supply of face masks to support staff and students who request
• Anyone who is unwell or with symptoms to isolate away from school and get tested
• We maintain a supply or RATs for unwell staff and unwell students to take home (until supply is exhausted)

Celebrate Success

We are really impressed with the achievements of our students across a range of fields.

We celebrate the great achievements in recent weeks in our slideshow in this newsletter. This fortnight, we highlight Year 4 Beach Day and Gala Sports Day.

Chris McMillan
Principal

Prep 2023 Enrolments Now Open

2023 Prep Enrolments are now open!

Little ones born between 1 July, 2017 & 30 June, 2018 are eligible to start Prep in 2023!

Download an enrolment pack from our website or pop in and see Vicky and Janine in the office.

Attendance

We want your children at school

All schools in Queensland are committed to providing safe and supportive learning environments for all students to address their educational needs.

Research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance is associated, on average, with higher student achievement. Additionally, attending school every day helps children to build social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience. Attendance means not only attending school every day, but also arriving at school on time and remaining at school for the entire day.

From our close observations, students who are continually late, often become anxious about walking into a class that is already settled, hence creating a situation where the student would rather not come to school. The risk of missing instructions for core lessons is high and therefore is often disruptive to other students’ learning and settlement when a student enters the class late.

Under the law, you must make sure your child is enrolled and attends school on all school days, unless there is a reasonable excuse. Schools are mandated to monitor attendance of students and follow up with parents and caregivers for any unexplained absences.

At Coomera Springs State School, we aim for 93% Attendance Minimum. 93% Minimum means:

1. No more than 13 days off every year
2. No more than one day off every month
3. Over the course of primary school, 93% minimum attendance means missing 3 ½ days over 1 Term
4. Over the course of 13 years of schooling, 93% minimum attendance means missing 169 days of schooling – that is nearly one full year of learning
5. We believe that no more than 13 days of absence from school every year is more than reasonable for a healthy student

How to Report a Student Absence at Coomera Springs

Just a reminder that all absences must be reported to Administration by any of the following methods:

• Leave a message on the school absence line Ph: 5519 5300 – dial 1
• Email Administration admin@coomeraspringsss.eq.edu.au
• Reply to the SMS message – please state your child’s name and reason for absence

You may also email your child’s class teacher, however Administration must be advised in order for your child’s absence to be recorded with the correct code.

Your assistance in following our absence procedure is greatly appreciated.

1 : 1 iPad Program

We are in the process of reviewing our 1:1 Student iPad Program at Coomera Springs, and would love your input please. We are likely to make some changes in 2023 in order to make sure we are meeting the needs of our young learners whilst preparing them for the 21st Century.

Whilst we will not be introducing 1:1 iPad classes in our Year 1 Cohort in 2023, Year 1 students will still have opportunities to engage with digital literacy and access iPads during school time through our class sets. We have made this decision for a number of reasons:

1. It creates challenges in class formations when there are only two classes in the cohort – we are restricted on how we can redistribute students to different classes from year to year.
2. We are restricted when new students enrol as to which classes they can be placed in.
3. We would like to take some time to review our program thoroughly and ensure we are continuing with best practice in digital literacies.

There will be no changes to our current 1:1 students or classes – there will still be 1:1 classes in Years 2 - 6 – but there will be no Year 1 iPad classes in 2023. We are still taking EOIs for students currently in Year 1 – Year 5 who wish to participate in the 1:1 program in 2023. This paperwork will be out shortly.

We have put together a short survey and would very much appreciate your input on this topic. You can find the survey here: 1:1 iPad Survey - it should only take a few minutes to complete. Any questions you have can be submitted via the survey – we will compile and send responses to our parent community, unless your question is an individual one.

News from our Sports Department

Gala Day

On Tuesday 11th October our Year 4, 5 & 6 students participated in their third and final Gala Sports Day of the year. The students had a choice to play either Soccer, Netball, Touch Football or Tee Ball and were very lucky to be treated with exceptional weather on the day. Our students competed exceptionally well across all three cohorts showing fantastic effort and represented our school with pride. It was great to hear feedback from all other PE teachers and supporting staff praising Coomera Springs State School’s positive behaviour.

Luke Dempsey-Ceh
Sports Coordinator

News from our Music Department

Instrumental Music EOI forms due Friday 14th October

For the parents who attended our Information Session on Monday, and those who have made enquiries by email, thank you for your interest in our Band (Yr 4 2023) and Strings (Yr 3 2023) Programs.

If you would like your child to be considered for a place in Band or Strings please ensure that you have returned your Expression of Interest form to the school office – EOI forms due Friday 14th October - if you missed seeing this until it was too late, please return them ASAP next week. Hard copies of this form are available from the office, or an electronic copy can be emailed to you. If you would like to receive an electronic copy of the EOI form, or if you were unable to attend the meeting but would like further information about applying for Band or Strings please email Mrs Alison Murray amurr51@eq.edu.au

Music COE Program EOI forms due Friday 14th October (Year 4 2023)

It was great to see so many parents in attendance at our Information Session on Monday, and we have also had several enquiries come in by email. If you would like your child to be considered for the COE program please ensure that you have returned your Expression of Interest form to the school office - EOI forms due Friday 14th October - if you missed seeing this until it was too late, please return them ASAP next week. Hard copies of this form are available from the office, or an electronic copy can be emailed to you. If you would like to receive an electronic copy of the EOI form, or if you were unable to attend the meeting but would like further information about applying for the Music COE please email Mrs Alison Murray amurr51@eq.edu.au

Footsteps to Fame

Footsteps to Fame Grand Finals – Friday 21st October

Senior Division (Year 4 - 6) commencing at 9am

Junior Division (Prep - Year 3) commencing at 11:45am

Parents and supporters of our grand final performers are invited to attend - it will be a wonderful showcase of the amazing talent we have at CSSS!

Alison Murray
Music Coordinator

News from the Guidance Officer

Supporting young people with change and transition to secondary school webinar

The flyer below is aimed at parents/carers of Year 6 students who are interested in learning more about supporting their children with the transition to high school. The free webinar will take place over Zoom on Tuesday 8th November at 7pm.

Click here to register Headspace

The BRAVE Program

Parenting can be challenging and lots of children experience anxiety which can present as feeling nervous or worried about a whole range of things. The BRAVE Program was developed by a team of researchers at the University of Queensland and is a free, online, self-directed program that helps children with anxiety difficulties learn to manage their worries. There are age appropriate programs, and separate programs for parents designed to complement the program aimed at children. In the parent versions of BRAVE, parents receive training in the same strategies, so they can help their child use what they have learned in the program.

BRAVE is an acronym for the anxiety management strategies covered in the program and each letter refers to a different strategy:

Body Signs - Training in the detection of the physiological symptoms of anxiety (heart racing, fast breath, sweating, tummy ache)
Relax - Calming down one’s body signs using relaxation techniques
Activate Helpful Thoughts - Training in coping self-talk and cognitive restructuring (changing unhelpful ways of thinking to helpful ways of thinking)
Victory Over Fears - Incorporating strategies for overcoming fears using exposure and problem solving (breaking down worries into small steps to overcome)
Enjoy Yourself - Learning about positive reinforcement and self-reward

BRAVE Self-Help is made up of 10 sessions (each session is 30-60 minutes duration) for children while the parent programs are shorter. This program is free and may be done in the privacy of your own home.

Go here to find out more and register Brave

Sean Atiifale
Guidance Officer

P&C News

Meeting

The next General Meeting will be held on Friday 11 November 2022 at 3.15pm in the School Staff Room (Resource Centre).

Kelly
P & C President

Uniform Shop

Tuckshop

Frankie’s Tuckerbox

The Tuckshop is open Monday - Friday and offers a range of healthy choice options. Please click here for the 2022 Tuckshop Menu.

Orders can be placed at the tuckshop between 7.30am and 9am or online via flexischools (We prefer online ordering).

Please use separate bags for each break for each student if ordering at the Tuckshop counter. Please clearly mark the student’s name, class and break on each bag.

Lost or forgotten lunches will be replaced with a jam, vegemite or honey sandwich and a piece of fruit at a cost of $4.00. Payment can be made over the phone by Eftpos or the bill will be sent home with the student so it can be paid next day at the tuckshop.

All counter orders will incur a 20c processing fee.

PHONE ORDERS ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED

All orders on Thursdays and Fridays can now only be placed through Flexischools. NO BAG ORDERS OVER THE COUNTER WILL BE TAKEN.

For further enquiries please contact:

Coomera Springs State School – Tuckshop
tuckshop@coomeraspringsss.eq.edu.au

School Calendar 2022

Click here to view 2022 School Calendar

School Directory

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