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In Memory Of John Tippler
Thanks P&C- at the recent P&C meeting $20 000 was donated to the school to support the purchase of decodable readers.
Year 4-6 Gala Day- a day of Oztag fun for students.
School Opinion Survey- 24 July-18 August – have your say about what our school does well, and how we can continue to improve!
Public Holiday- Ekka public holiday- school closed Wednesday 16 August
PREP 2024- Enrol ASAP so you can be in the draw to win some awesome prizes and receive invites to special Prep Transition events.
Bullying No Way Day – Friday 18 August- Wear an orange shirt or accessory and join us on our AST Walk before school!
PBL- ’Wondall Learners are responsible when following lunchtime routines’ and Dougie Reward Information
Wrapper Free Wednesdays- EcoMarines
In Memory of John Tippler
It is with great sadness that we advise the Wondall community of the recent passing of Mr John Tipler. John was a passionate staff member who worked tirelessly as a cleaner at Wondall Heights State School since March 2022. He previously worked at Wynnum State High School. John was a kind and caring man who always gave 100% effort, he will be missed deeply.
On behalf of the school community, I extend my sincerest condolences to the Tipler family, friends and all who had the privilege of knowing John.
Wondall School Review
Earlier this term, we had our full school review which all state schools participate in every four years. The review was a great time to reflect on the amazing progress our school has made in recent years and also help shape our the future direction. From the review, we share the following infographic which provides a summary of the report outcomes.
As can be seen, there is much to be proud of and celebrate.
The Executive Summary report is also available for viewing on our school website at the following location:
In the coming months we will unpack the full review document collaboratively with our school community, as we work to develop our 2024-2027 strategic plan.
Thanks P&C
We would like to acknowledge and thank the P&C for their donation of $20 000 which will be used to purchase decodable readers for our students.
Decodable readers are books which allow children to practise decoding using the sound-spelling correspondences that they have already been taught, without constantly encountering words that force them to guess or seek assistance. Although these phonically controlled books are mostly targeted at early years, when children are first learning to read, they are also written at a high interest level for older readers who have not yet mastered the code.
Year 4-6 Gala Day
Yesterday, our Years 4-6 students participated in our first gala day event at Kitchener Park playing Oztag against students from Manly West and Lota State Schools. The purpose of these sporting events is to encourage the participation of all students in sports and it was great to see them all involved.
We thank the supporting staff from both our school and our cluster schools for putting the day together for our students.
Parent and Community Code of Conduct
School Opinion Survey
Wondall Heights State School is an amazing school, with great students, staff, parents and community! We are proud of our school and the progress we continue to make in enriching the learning opportunities for our students, your children. As a means to collect feedback data on our school in a number of areas, each year, all families, school staff and students in Years 5&6 will be invited to participate in the annual suite of School Opinion Surveys. The surveys will be conducted in Term 3 and will close on 18 August 2023. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what our school does well, and how we can continue to improve.
An invitation to complete the Parent/Caregiver Survey will be emailed to one parent/caregiver per family in the week beginning 17 July. The invitation will be sent from the Department of Education, not the school, and it will have the subject line School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2023. Check your junk email folders if you can’t find it. The survey can be completed as soon as the invitation is received and will take approximately 5 minutes using a computer, tablet or smart phone.
Parents/caregivers who do not have access to the internet at home are welcome to complete their survey online at the school. School computers/tablets will be available.
Public Holiday
A reminder that next Wednesday 16 August is a public holiday for the Brisbane area and the school will be closed.
Wrapper Free Wednesdays:
Parents and Carers please help support a sustainable environment by promoting Wrapper Free Wednesdays! Our Eco-Marines take time each Wednesday to observe which classes are the most sustainable in supporting this cause. Each week there is a chosen winner and this is announced at assembly!
We will be hosting another Pop-Up Storytime and Play session for enrolled in-catchment 2024 Prep shortly. To receive your invite, make sure you are enrolled ASAP!
Notice of Intention to Attend Wondall Heights State School in 2024
We are currently looking at Wondall Heights State School’s planning needs for the 2024 school year. Part of this planning is considering the number of students we will have enrolled in the school. If your child is of Prep age for the 2024 school year and you are considering enrolment at Wondall Heights State School, can you please let us know your intentions by contacting the school. This is not binding and the catchment area and enrolment requirements still apply. The enrolment process will begin in Term 3 and will be communicated shortly. Early forward planning will help to make 2024 as successful as possible, for all our students.
Enrolment Process
In catchment students can currently enrol at the office during office opening hours.
Out-of-catchment students can join the wait list, please contact the office.
A decision will be made for out-of-catchment enrolments in Term 3, you will be invited to attend the Prep Enrolment Sessions in September if you are successful in securing a place at Wondall Heights State School.
Prep Enrolment Sessions will consist of a group interview where parents will be presented information and asked to fill in questionnaires whilst their children interact with our teachers, in a group setting. From there, enrolled 2024 Prep children will be invited to multiple orientation days where they will meet our Prep staff, use our Prep spaces and begin to become familiar with each other. This Prep transition process is vital in preparing your child for a great start to school!
Please share this information with family and friends living in the catchment area!
Our focus for the next two weeks is, ’Wondall Learners are responsible when following lunchtime routines’. The objective of this focus is for students to revise the expected new lunchtime routines during play, transitions and eating times. During this fortnight we will re-establish and explicitly teach the expected routines of our recently introduced ‘flipped’ lunches. In particular, we will focus on the transitions from play to eating, appropriate use of bathrooms and play equipment.
In class, students will discuss:
- Expected lunchtime routines:
- Play: No Hat, No Play. Transition to play area promptly.
- Transition bells: Immediately after play students must use the bathroom and get a drink. Students must walk responsibly through the school to eating areas.
- Eating: Eating in designated areas.
- PBL Video outlining the expectations
- Play equipment expectations: No equipment to be brought from home. All equipment to be returned after play.
Student’s will have the opportunity to discuss, ask questions, review and demonstrate the expectations of our new lunchtime routines throughout the fortnight.
Whole School Dougie Dollar Reward
Last week we had our Dougie Dollar Reward Day! We had reached our target and students were able to wear their Pj’s and Oodies!
On Friday 18 August 2023, Wondall Heights State School is participating in the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). The NDA is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative for schools, connecting schools and communities to implement workable solutions to prevent bullying.
Planning for a safe and supportive school community requires a whole-school community approach. Whole-school responses to bullying prevention builds positive and supportive school environments by incorporating strategies for intervention at all levels, inclusive of students, teachers, parents and carers.
Three key characteristics outlined in the national definition of bullying distinguish bullying behaviours from other negative behaviours which are not bullying. The key characteristics of bullying include:
- power imbalance
- deliberate intent to cause harm, and
- ongoing and repeated behaviour.
While the following behaviours are not bullying, they may still be serious and require intervention at home and at school:
- arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance)
- single acts of social rejection or unkind behaviour, or
- isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence.
It is important for our whole-school community, including our staff, parents, carers and students to have a clear understanding of the definition of bullying to be able to correctly identify and respond to incidents of bullying. The full national definition can be found on the Bullying. No Way! website.
Sounds-Write
Congratulations to our third group of teachers who completed their Sounds-Write training in Week 4! We now have 18 teachers fully trained and implementing the program across our school. Our Pedagogy Coach, Mr Casey Flack, is a trained and experienced practitioner with Sounds-Write, and he has been working with those teachers on the implementation of the program with fidelity in their classrooms. In Week 7 our next group of teachers will be training, as we progress the program into our Years 3-6 classrooms. It was wonderful to visit a Prep classroom this week and listen to children using their decoding skills to read to me!
Parents can support their children using their decoding skills to read at home. Sounds- Write has a free parent training webinar that can be accessed at
https://www.udemy.com/course/help-your-child-to-read-and-write/
This webinar is designed to show parents how they can support their children with decoding at home using similar techniques to those used in a Sounds-Write lesson.
Book Week
This year we will be celebrating Book Week from 21-25 August. Students are encouraged to dress up to celebrate Book Week on Monday 21 August. They could come dressed as their favourite book character or in a costume inspired by this year’s book Week theme of Read, Grow, Inspire.
Premier's Reading Challenge
Last term, your child would have received a recording sheet and consent form from their classroom teacher for The Premier's Reading Challenge. If these have been misplaced, you can download new forms by clicking on the link below.
2023 Reading Challenge Record Form
Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books they’ve read during the reading period, between 8 May and 25 August.
Every student who completes the challenge and returns their forms by Friday 25 August will receive a Certificate of Achievement, signed by the Premier.
To complete the challenge:
- Prep to Year 2 – must read or experience 20 books
- Year 3 and 4 – must read 20 books
- Year 5 and 6 – must read 15 books (less books than year 3 and 4 due to likelihood of being longer and more complex)
For suggested books, or for more information about the Premier’s Reading Challenge, please visit:
| EVENT | DATE |
| St Helena Stories 5B & 5C | 14th August |
| St Helena Stories 5A & 5D | 15th August |
| Public Holiday - Ekka Show Day | 16th August |
| Active School Travel Walk | 18th August |
| Book Week Dress Up | 21st August |
| Go with the Flow 2A & 2B | 23rd August |
| Go with the Flow 2C & 2D | 24th August |
| First Contact 4C & 4D | 23rd August |
| First Contact 4A & 4B | 30th August |
| P & C Colour Run | 31st August |
| Student Free Day | 1st September |
| Learning Celebration | 6th September |
| Life Education Yr 3 | 8th September |
| Parent Teacher Interviews | 12th September |
Payments Due
| EXCURSION | DUE DATE |
| Yr 2 - Go with the Flow | 16th August |
| Yr 4 - 1st Contact | 16th August |
Upcoming AST Park’n’Stride events for Term 3:
- Friday 18 August – ‘Bullying No Way!’ National day against bullying walk (wear orange).
- Friday 8 September – ‘R U OK Day’ walk (wear yellow).
QLD 10-12 YEARS GIRLS STATE FOOTBALL
Congratulations to Evie S who was a member of the Metropolitan East football team that recently played their State Championships. Her team earned silver at the event. Well done Evie, on your efforts!
BAYSIDE TRACK AND FIELD
Last Thursday and Friday, 24 students from our school represented Wondall at the Bayside District Track and Field Carnival. We had many finalists from our events, finishing narrowly close to team selection. Congratulations to Sienna H who was selected in multiple events and will now compete at the Metropolitan East Championships towards the end of the month. Previously, some students also participated in the 1500m trial and Sienna H as well as Maya H were successful in gaining selection. Well done to all who represented our school at this event.
