Reading in Our School

The effective teaching of reading related to the Science of Reading has been a school-wide focus for our staff’s professional learning over 2023 -2024. Last year we built the capacity of most of our Classroom and Inclusion Teachers to use a systematic synthetic approach to phonics for the teaching of decoding (reading words) and encoding (spelling), using the Sounds-Write approach. Over next week and the first fortnight in Term 2, we will have trained our three new or returning teachers in this approach. You can find more about Sounds-Write on our school website under the Curriculum tab: https://wondallheightsss.eq.edu.au/curriculum/teaching-and-learning .

The Department of Education has also made a commitment to improve the Teaching of Reading across our state, building the capacity of all teachers and teacher aides through professional learning opportunities this year and into the future. This is encompassed in the Commitment to Reading Statement.

The Department of Education and P&Cs Queensland are holding community twilights to provide information on Queensland’s Reading Commitment and supporting reading at home.

• Topic: Supporting children’s reading at home
• Dates: 21 February and 13 March 2024
• Time: 6:30pm – 7:15pm
• Audience: Parents and Carers of Prep to Year 2 students
• Registration: https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/KLCA5Y/

When registering, parents will be provided with the opportunity to submit questions they would like answered.

Later this term, we will also be holding sessions for our Early Years families about the teaching and learning of reading at Wondall Heights SS. Look out for a date claimer for this session.

Instrumental Music

Our Instrumental Music program has commenced for 2024 with the return of our IM Teacher Ms Caroline Finlay and our Senior Band students having their first lesson today.

There is always a keen interest from our students to express their interest in joining the program. Offers to join the program are based on a number of factors including (but not limited to) the completion of a musical aptitude test, assessment of student ability and suitability, the balance and blend of instruments in each ensemble and the limited number of places available in the program. Unfortunately, not all students who apply for the program can be accepted.

Offers for our successful Junior Band students to join the program will be sent home this week. Our Junior Band will be invited to begin their first lesson next week with a one-hour lesson before we begin our regular timetable in Week 6.

Senior Band rehearsals will commence next Wednesday morning from 7:50am in the Hall (please note, not in the Music Room as previously emailed, due to the space being used for Sports Aerobics on Wednesday mornings).

QParents

Invitations to sign up for QParents have been sent out to parents via email earlier this term. In some cases, parents have been invited in previous years but not signed up, in which case they may not have received an invitation for all children enrolled in our school this year. Parents already with a QParents account can add other children to their account. For further information about QParents, visit https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/landing