Changes to Close Contacts- from 6pm Thursday 28 April, quarantine arrangements change

Uniform Reminder – Don’t forget to clearly name hats and winter uniforms

Guidance Week- Thanks for supporting our school community Miss Bell

Community Wellbeing – Establish close working relationships with classroom teachers & let us know of any problems/issues.

School Photos – Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 May

2023 Prep Enrolment – Dates and Brochure available for 2022-23 Prep Transition Program. Enrol Now!

NAPLAN – Reminder NAPLAN online for Year 3 and Year 5

Election Day BBQ- volunteers are needed for the great ‘democracy sausage sizzle’

Changes to quarantine requirement for close contacts

From 6pm AEST Thursday 28 April 2022, there are no quarantine requirements for close contacts as long as they:

• do not have COVID-19 symptoms
• follow the Guidelines for Close Contacts

If your child is a close contact, please notify the office. While you are a close contact it is recommended you test for COVID-19 if you plan to leave home and mix with other people. You should test on the first day you leave home and every second day (e.g. days 2, 4 and 6) until you are no longer a close contact.

Children under 12 do not have to but are encouraged to wear a face mask where safe.

Uniform Reminders

Don’t forget that hats are an essential part of the school uniform. Please ensure your child brings a clearly named hat each day so they don’t miss out on HPE lessons and lunchtime play! Should your child bring home a hat that isn’t their own, please return it ASAP so we can give to the rightful owner.

Also, as the weather cools, students will also need a clearly named school jacket or jumper. You can buy school jumpers and jackets form the school’s uniform shop.

Guidance Officer Week

This Guidance Officer Week (2 to 13 May), it's timely we celebrate, thank and promote our guidance officers.

Guidance officers respond to some of the most complex and challenging issues in our schools, including student protection matters, critical incidents, mental health issues, and suicide prevention and postvention support.

Throughout the ongoing pandemic, and with recent natural disasters, we have seen an increase in demand for support services. Our staff play a vital role in noticing the early signs of stress or difficulties. If you think a student may benefit from some support, get in touch with our Guidance Officer Miss Sherrin Bell who is at our school Tuesday-Thursday each week.

Community Wellbeing

In this this current climate, it is more important than ever that Wondall families and staff maintain strong partnerships to best support the needs of our children. We understand that there can be unavoidable and distressing changes in family circumstances and we want our families to know that we are always available to support in which ever way we can.

Please let us know immediately if:

• there are changes in family circumstances or living arrangements – this can inadvertently affect a child’s behaviour, learning and social/emotional wellbeing;
• you are accessing medical intervention for your child – we can provide letters of observation, with your consent;
• you have any concerns – please contact us directly, social media posts are not helpful nor advisable;
• you need clarification about any school matter.

For ideas and information how you can positively engage in your child’s learning, please visit the following website - 

We also have a Parent and Community Code of Conduct that can be found on the school’s website. This ensures that Wondall Heights State School can uphold a community where communication, collaboration and school culture is valued and respected.

School Photos

School photos will be in Week 6, Term 2 – Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 May. Envelopes were sent home last week. If your child did not receive their envelope, please check directly with your child’s classroom teacher. There are spare envelopes available in the office. Sibling photo envelopes are available for collection in the office. Sibling photos will be held on both days from 8am.

2023 Prep Enrolments

Dates for Wondall Heights State School’s 2023 Prep Transition Program are as, below.

Prep transition events are important in setting your child up for success and are designed to introduce your child to the Prep environment to reduce anxiety in starting school. We recommend enrolling early and attending as many sessions as you can. The Prep transition sessions we are offering this year include:

Information Sessions

Parents can choose one session to attend. In this session, we will provide general information about the Prep year and Wondall Heights State School’s facilities and Prep Program. We will also hold an open morning in July, where our student leaders will provide tours.

Enrolment Sessions – via invite only - booking system for enrolled families only (paperwork needs to have been submitted and finalised through the school office)

Approximately 15 children attend these sessions at a time. The Enrolment Sessions are designed to create a sense of community for our enrolling children and families to meet and establish connections in preparation for 2023. Parents/carers will be provided with specific information on helping their children to become ready for Prep, whilst our staff get to know your children.

Orientation Sessions – via invite only - booking system for enrolled families only

Children are offered two sessions to attend to meet our current Prep teachers and students in order to help them transition and become comfortable with starting Prep in 2023. Parents/carers will be provided with information around Prep-readiness and Early Literacy and Numeracy development whilst their children are enjoying time in the classrooms. In the final week of school, children will be invited to an additional session to meet their 2023 teacher and visit their new classroom.

Please share our Wondall Heights SS 2023 Prep Brochure with family, friends and neighbours who have Prep aged children (born 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018) who are interested in attending Wondall Heights SS next year!

Wondall Heights SS 2023 Prep Brochure

NAPLAN Online

Next week, students in Years 3 & 5 will participate in NAPLAN online. Below is the proposed schedule for testing. This schedule is subject to change.

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:

Election Day BBQ

Who doesn’t love a ‘snag on the barbie’ and what better way to support our students, then through the Election Day BBQ! Volunteers are being called upon to help cook sausages and man the stall on Saturday 21 May, here at the school. Whether you can help for a short period of time, a few hours or all day, your help will be appreciated with all funds raised, going directly back to our Wondall students. If you can help out, please email Marty Watchorn (P&C President) at marty@wondall.com.au with your availability.

Each Friday is Wondall Walkers and Wheelies Day where we encourage all students and staff to travel to school in an active way – either by walking, cycling, skating, scootering, carpooling or using public transport. This is a Brisbane City Council initiative which aims to reduce congestion on our roads and around our school.

The school collects Active School Travel data each Friday and competes against other schools for lots of cool prizes. We also have prizes for our winning lower and upper school classes each fortnight. In April, 33% of our students were active travellers to school.

On Friday 20 May, we will be participating in the National Walk Safely to School Day by hosting another Park’n’Stride Event, please see details below.

PBL Focus Weeks 3 and 4 – Respect

Guidance Corner with Miss Bell

The role of the Guidance Officer is to:

• provide short term counselling for students,
• analyse and interpret psychoeducational assessment and individual student support,
• provide recommendations and advice to students, teachers, leadership team and parents concerning educational, behavioural, mental health and family issues and
• liaise with external agencies (GP’s, Paediatricians, Neurologists, behavioural specialists, tutors, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Therapists etc. who support students)

How can a student access the Guidance Officer?

• All students require parental consent to access support from the Guidance Officer.
• Teachers and school staff can refer a student to the Guidance Officer by the S.W.A.T Team referral process.
• External agencies and health professionals such as GPs, Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS), Child Safety, psychologists and psychiatrists can also contact the Guidance Officer if a permission to share information form is signed.

IMPORTANT! Please note that accessing the support of the Guidance Officer is voluntary and students can decline an invitation to meet with me.

Confidentiality

The Guidance Officer works within the boundaries of confidentiality. This means that I do not share anything the student discusses with me unless they disclose:

• They are experiencing thoughts or have plans to hurt themselves.
• They are experiencing thoughts or have plans to hurt someone else.
• They have been hurt / abused by someone else (eg: physical, emotional, neglect and sexual abuse).

In the event of disclosure, I will contact you, as the parent immediately, with the exception of student protection matters where there may need to be some discretion involved.

Have a lovely week.