COVID – Facemasks and continuity of learning

P&C Executive- Congratulations to our appointed 2022 P&C Committee

School Council – Notice of election

Parent Teacher Interviews- bookings are open now via SOBS, interviews next Tuesday evening, 29 March.

NAPLAN - 9 May – 13 May 2022 for Year 3 and Year 5

Upcoming Works - Softfall replacement

Happy Holidays- 1/4/2022 - 19/4/2022

General Reminders

Stop, Drop and Go- please do not leave cars unattended between 8am-9am or 2:30pm-3:30pm.

Bravehearts Ditto Show- 31 March for P-2 students. Thank you to the P & C for funding this.  

Thank you to our Wondall community for your support in what has been a different Term 1. When the holidays come at the end of next week, we hope you have the chance to relax and recharge with family and friends.

COVID

Continuity of learning

Unfortunately, as we are seeing reflected in the wider community, the school is experiencing an increase in our staff absences (teaching and non-teaching) due to a range of reasons. Our school is working to ensure the smoothest of continuity with learning for our students but please be advised, due to the inability to source replacement teachers, that your child’s teacher may be different or classes may need to temporary merge. 

Face Masks

Our school is working closely with the public health authorities and the Department of Education to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. We will continue to act in accordance with the advice of Queensland Health and in doing so draw your attention to the information below about mask wearing.  

For 7 days after ending isolation or quarantine, adults, staff and students (over the age of 12) who return to school after having COVID-19 or were close contacts are required to wear a face mask.

• When returning from isolation or quarantine, face masks must be worn anywhere indoors or when travelling in shared transport other than their family car.
• Face masks must also be worn outdoors if physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• Students under the age of 12 are welcome to wear one.

Further information is available in the Public Health Face Masks Requirements Direction (No. 5), and in the additional information to help people understand what the direction means.

Information on the Department of Education’s response to COVID-19 is available via frequently asked questions and further information including testing centres, alerts and symptoms of COVID-19,  can be found via the Queensland Government website.

Should other members of the school community wish to wear a face mask, they are also welcome to do this.

P&C Executive Committee

Last Tuesday, our P&C held their Annual General Meeting to appoint the 2022 Executive. Thank you to the outgoing committee for their leadership and support of the school in 2021 and congratulations to our 2022 position holders.

Executive Committee

President: Martin Watchorn

Vice President: Sarah Wilson

Secretary: Matthew Rowan

Treasurer: Wendy Willis

School Council – Notice of Election

Thank you to those who have nominated for the School Council. In accordance with the constitution, Sarah Abbot, the returning officer is giving public notice of the election of the School Council members – parent, staff teaching and non-teaching.

Final nominees for the council will be published in the first newsletter after holidays.

• Date of election: 20 and 21 April 2022
• Venue:  Wondall Heights State School Administration Building
• Commencing: 8:00am
• Concluding: 3.30pm
• You must vote in person and can only vote once
• Parents will vote for the parent representative
• Staff will vote for the staff representative.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Interviews will be held on Tuesday, 29 March, from 3:30pm – 8:00pm in the Hall.

•  Parents will need to check in upon arrival using the Qld Check In app.
• Entry to interviews will be via the foyer and exit via the opposite side (carpark side). 
• We ask that while waiting outside for your interview, you maintain physical distancing and upon entry to the hall, you use the provided hand sanitiser (or your own).
•  Whilst there is no formal requirement to wear a face mask, we do ask that in considering the health of all, you do bring and wear one during your interview slot whilst in the hall.
• There is no supervision provided for children.

Bookings for interviews is via SOBs. Bookings opened Tuesday, 15 March 6am and will close Sunday, 27 March at 6pm. SOBs can be accessed via the school’s website. Unfortunately, due to a number of teacher absences, some class interviews will not be able to be held on Tuesday night. If this relates to your child’s teacher, you will be advised via email and alternative meetings will be offered early in Term 2.

NAPLAN Online

This week, students in Years 3 & 5 will participate in a School Readiness Test (SRT) in preparation for NAPLAN in May. The SRT allows students the opportunity to use the platform and the school to identify any connection or device concerns.

Wondall Heights State School NAPLAN 2022 Schedule

NAPLAN Online allows a two-week block to complete assessments. Wondall Heights State School will complete all assessments in the first week to provide consistency for our students.   

If you wish to withdraw your child from NAPLAN Online please contact Pamela Kondys on 3906 6444 to complete the relevant paperwork.

For further information, please follow the links below:

NAPLAN Online—Information fr parents and carers

NAPLAN Online—protecting privacy agreement

NAPLAN Privacy Notice

Upcoming Works

Over the holidays, our playgrounds will have the softfall replaced.

Holidays

School holidays commence from 3pm Friday 1 April until Monday 18 April. We wish all our families a great break together and look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday 19 April.

Online Services Consent Survey

Last week a survey for each student was emailed to parents for Online Services (Third Party) Consent. This survey instrument is to inform you about the third party online services used in our school and how your child’s information, including personal information and works, may be recorded, used, disclosed, and published to the services (if you provide your consent for this to occur).

We currently use the following third party online services:

 The survey link was emailed to one parent for each student. If you believe you didn’t receive the email and Online Services Consent Survey link for your child please contact Petra von Richter at pvonr1@eq.edu.au

Active School Travel

As part of Brisbane City Council’s Active School Travel program, we surveyed our students over one week to find out how they travel to school. The survey results are back and show 70% of students are currently driven to school. 

This year, our goal is to encourage and enable more students to walk (or Park and Stride), cycle, scooter, car pool or take public transport to and from school. This will not only reduce traffic congestion at the school gate, but also improve our physical and mental health and fitness, create a cleaner environment and make streets safer.

Active School Travel’s ‘AST Crew’ of super travellers were special guests at our assembly last week. Our students learned how they can actively travel to school by walking, cycling, scootering, car-pooling or catching public transport.

We also launched our AST program with an Anti-bullying Park’n’Stride on Friday 18 March. We improved our average AST percentage from 30% across our data collection week in Week 4 to 57% on Friday! That means lots more students actively travelled to school.

Remember every Friday is Wondall Walker & Wheelies Day! We will award trophies and an awesome sport’s kit to the leading upper and lower school classes on fortnightly parades – they will get to keep and use these for the fortnight. How will you actively travel with us this week?

PBL Focus Weeks 9 and 10 – Safe

Our PBL focus for Weeks 9 and 10 is, ‘Wondall Learners are SAFE when they are in the right place at the right time.’ The objective of this focus is to provide a shared understanding of out of bounds areas and to decrease the number of out of bounds incidents. Students watched a YouTube clip called “PBL – I am Safe – Right place right time”, and participated in brainstorming activities and class discussions.

Some discussion points that were explicitly covered during the lesson are:

• What does out of bounds mean?
• Where are the out of bounds areas at our school?
• Why are there out of bounds areas?
• What are some out of bounds areas in our community?

Students are encouraged to ask for help if unsure of where they should be or if assistance is need.

Behaviour data for Week 3 to the end of Week 8 Term 1

Students at Wondall are performing exceptionally well, with 93% of students responding well to whole school supports and explicit instruction of behaviour expectations

Interschool Sport

Students started their first semester instalment of trainings on Friday last week (Week 8). Please note that forms and payments final due date is Tuesday of Week 10. Invoices for Years 4-6 should have been received to emails provided. If you require another email or form please contact our office ASAP.

When your student has been told they have been picked in a sport then seek the below protective equipment. Until that time don’t buy or send students with this gear. I don’t want people purchasing items until they know their student is definitely in that sport team.

Rugby League students will require mouthguards and long socks. Recommended optional items include: moulded boots, headgear, shoulder pads.

Soccer students will require shin pads and long socks. Recommended optional items include: moulded boots, mouthguards.

Netball recommended optional items include: mouthguards.

Fixtures against other teams will commence in Term 2 on Friday afternoons from Week 1 through to Week 8. More information on venues and playing session times will be available at the start of Term 2.

Junior (P-3) Cross Country

Our Junior Cross Country will be held on Thursday 21 April (week 1 of Term 2).

Yours in sport,

Mr. Bloxsom

Guidance Corner with Miss Bell

Fair Play Vouchers

Fair Play Vouchers 155.06 KB

ATTENTION: 2022 Prep to Year 2

Date claimer: Thursday 31^st March, 2022

Bravehearts Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure Show in the school hall from 9am. 

Proudly sponsored by the Wondall Heights SS P&C

This year Wondall Heights SS P&C are proudly sponsoring all of our Prep-Year 2 students to attend the Ditto Keep Safe Adventure Show presented by Bravehearts.

WHEN: Wednesday 31 March.

COST: This is a FREE presentation, proudly funded by the Wondall Heights State School P&C, making the information accessible to all students.

WHAT IT IS ABOUT?

• Teaching children personal safety skills is an aim of the Bravehearts Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure Show.
• The Ditto show is a live, interactive 40-minute performance starring Bravehearts’ mascot ‘Ditto’.
• It includes song, dance, and easy-to-remember messages about personal safety. These songs and messages were written by Braveheart’ professional educators and child psychologists and are developmentally appropriate for your child’s age group.

WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL LEARN

The six principles of personal safety:

1. Differentiating ‘yes’ and ‘no’ feelings
2. Recognising the bodies ‘warning signs’
3. Identifying ‘private parts’ and ‘privacy’
4. Helping children identify language and feelings associated with secrets
5. Reinforcing that there is no secret that children cannot tell someone
6. What to do if you feel unsafe or unsure

Your child will learn these essential principals through songs such as ‘Run and Tell (someone you can trust)’ and ‘Private Parts (they belong to me)’. They will also learn ‘Ditto’s 3 Rules’, which are:

• We all have the right to feel safe with people.
• It’s ok to say NO if you feel unsafe or unsure.
• Nothing is so yucky that you can’t tell someone about it.

 

As part of the program, children are each given a Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure Activity Booklet to take home. We encourage you to look at the booklet with your child, using the activities to help cement the personal safety messages from the show.

PLEASE NOTE: Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure show and accompanying resources are NOT SEX EDUCATION. ‘Private parts’ are explained as being “our mouth” (as in kissing), “our chest”, “between the legs” and “our bottom”.

 

How you can learn more

Bravehearts is extremely proud of Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure program and believes by empowering children with personal safety skills and knowledge we are providing them with the tools to stay safe. However, just as teaching children road rules cannot guarantee our children’s safety on the roads, no program can ‘abuse-proof’ our children. Parents, grandparents, care-givers, teachers, and all adults must be vigilant and informed.

If you would like to learn more about how to talk to your child about personal safety, download Bravehearts’ FREE PERSONAL SAFETY PARENTS AND CARERS GUIDE from the Bravehearts website. Just go to: bravehearts.org.au/personalsafety.

Bravehearts personnel welcome parents and staff to browse their website for further information. If you DO NOT wish your child to participate in this FREE presentation which has been proudly sponsored by the Wondall Heights SS P&C, please advise your child's class teacher via email."

 

Sherrin Bell

Guidance Officer/Provisional Psychologist