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Welcome to Term 4 - Term 4 dates 03/10/2022- 08/12/2022
Swimming - parent helpers needed! Please let Mr Bloxsom know if you can help.
Save the Date - 30/11 Arts Showcase, 6/12 Year 6 Graduation
Notice of Intentions - need to enrol for 2024? Family moving? Please let the office know.
2024 School Leaders Applications- Due Friday this week (Week 1, Term 4)
Welcome to Term 4
We welcome all of our returning and new families to Term 4. This term is 10 weeks in duration with 8 December, the last day of the school year. Term 4 always goes quickly and we have lots of exciting things for our students to engage with before the 2023 school year is over. Remember to stay up to date by checking our newsletter, Facebook page and school website.
Celebrations from our School Review
Leaders and staff proudly refer to the ‘Wondall way’ to describe their high expectations and school-wide strategies for successful student learning and engagement. Students articulate the importance of attending school to learn. They speak enthusiastically about their teachers and how they make learning fun. Parents describe a strong sense of community and high levels of confidence in the efforts staff make to provide a quality education for their children.
Swimming
The pool is looking fantastic and ready for swimming to commence in Week 3 for all year levels. Swimming will occur on your child’s normal PE day, with some adjustments around excursions and other events. All students are expected to participate in swimming lessons as it is part of the school curriculum. If your child has a medical condition preventing them from swimming, please ensure a note is sent along. Parents will be notified if your child doesn’t swim. Students will need to bring the following for swimming: swimmers/togs, rash shirt, swimming cap, towel (optional: goggles). During swimming sessions, we will provide for them a bright coloured cap to put over their own swimming cap to assist with easy identification in the pool.
To help facilitate our swimming lessons, we urgently need parent helpers to act as ‘supervisors’ on the pool deck and in the pool. At this point in time, we have no one to help. Without volunteers, swimming lessons may need to be adjusted for safety reasons, so please help if you can! Supervision will be covered in 3 sessions a day and we would appreciate your help. Due to the requirement to be actively moving and scanning the pool, we ask that no younger children attend with helpers. All helpers will be required to complete the Mandatory Training document and also review the risk assessment.
If you can help (please!), there is a session sign-up sheet in the front office foyer, or call/email the office (3906 6444 or admin@wondallheightsss.eq.edu.au) or Mr Bloxsom (sblox5@eq.edu.au ). For more information about swimming, see further information in the PE section.
Save the Dates!
The Performing Arts clubs (including Choir, Drama, Dance and Instrumental Music) are preparing to dazzle the audiences with a show stopping showcase event.
When: After school, Thursday 30 November (Week 9). More details to come!
Year 6 Graduation
Our 2023 graduation for Year 6 students and their families will occur on 6/12 at 9am in the hall.
Notice of Intentions- 2024
We are commencing our planning for 2024 classes and it is appreciated if you can notify the office ASAP if your family is NOT returning to Wondall in 2024 (current Prep-Year 5 students only). 3906 6444 or admin@wondallheightsss.eq.edu.au
In catchment students can currently enrol at the office during office opening hours for all year levels.
Out-of-catchment students can join the waiting list, please contact the office.
If you are in-catchment and wishing for your child to attend Prep in 2024, please ensure you have completed your child’s enrolment at the school office to receive an invite to our Prep Transitioning events.
Please contact the office directly, if you have any questions about the enrolment process.
Year 5 Student Leadership Applications
2024 Student Leadership applications close this Friday 6 October at 3pm. Student applications are to be handed in to the office and shortlisting will be conducted from there. Students who have been shortlisted will be asked to complete a short A4 poster that outlines the following: (50 words)
- Student Name and photo
- Reasons outlining why they would make an excellent leader
- What positions they are applying for and why
Please have these posters emailed or printed out (1 copy) by morning of Tuesday 10 October next week so that Mrs Cocciolone can display them in the Arena for students to view.
If you do not have access to a printer, posters can be emailed to Mrs Cocciolone. acocc2@eq.edu.au
PBL-Positive Behaviour for Learning
Wondall learners reset and reconnect for Term 4. The school’s aim is to focus on re-establishing rules and routines in order to build relationships and set clear expectations throughout our whole school. Staff and students participate in watching videos created by Wondall students that demonstrate how to be a Wondall Learner.
Parents, ask your students what activities they have been completing in class this week relating to our PBL focus.
Synthetic Phonics Update
This term we continue to invest in building the capability of our amazing teaching team with two more groups attending Sounds-Write Training in Weeks 2 and 8. This will see the majority of our teachers trained, ready for a full implementation of this program from Prep-Year 6 in 2024.
Thanks to the generosity of our P & C, we are updating our home reading resources for the early years for 2024, to ensure that students are able to practise reading decodable texts as part of our home reading program, alongside Sounds-Write in our classrooms.
This week as part of our staff meeting, our teachers will continue to engage in our professional book study, reading and discussing ‘The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading’, building our capability to teach reading across our school, aligned to Australian Curriculum Version 9 English which we will begin to implement in 2024.
Book Fair
Following a busy Book Week in Term 3, Book Fair returns to our Library this term! Book Fair will be open from Wednesday 18 October until Tuesday 24 October. All classes will have a time scheduled to visit Book Fair, browse the books and complete a wish list. Book Fair will be open for purchases before and after school, and during the lunch breaks – information about times will be sent home closer to the date.
A flyer for Book Fair has been sent home this week. When considering a purchase from Book Fair, please remember that Book Fair and Book Club are separate entities. If you choose to make an online purchase for Book Fair, please follow the prompts on the back of the flyer if making a pre-purchase, or the prompts on the back of the wish list during the Book fair.
TERM 4 SWIMMING – STARTS WEEK 3!
Swimming commences for all classes in Week 3 this term. Most classes remain the same for the swimming timetable with some moves to accommodate happenings this term. Please check with your classroom teacher for your swim days. We are in high need of volunteers as without help swimming can’t run. If you are a parent and you weren’t able to help in Term 1 but can in Term 4 you will need to read the MAST and sign the last page to volunteer. If not a parent, in addition to this you will require a blue card. If you helped in Term 1 you do not need to fill out anything again.
If helping we would prefer you offer a session if possible either morning 8.50 - 10.50, middle 11.30 – 1.00 or afternoon 1.40 – 3.00. We will have helpers in and out of the water so please specify if not able to be in the water. Recommended attire for helpers, long sleeve shirt, shorts over togs, and hat. Remember our kids emulate what we do and if we sun protect, we imprint that on them as well.
Swimming runs for 6 weeks until the end of Week 8. Years P-2 do races in their final lesson to finish their swimming. Years 3 – 6 trials for the carnival swims in their final lessons and have carnival swims in Week 9 on Tuesday November 28. This carnival will run similarly to last year and will have Age Champion races in the morning, Years 3 & 4 in the middle session (non-AC races) and Years 5 & 6 in the afternoon session (non-AC races).
Please refer to Mr. Wright’s further information in regards to swimming this term.
DATE REMINDERS
Week 3 Friday Year 4 Interschool Basketball (All Day)
Week 4 Thursday Years 5 & 6 Interschool Basketball (All Day)
Both days are at Brisbane Bayside State College, Network Drive. All students start their day at Wondall and finish their day at Wondall unless arranged at least one day prior with admin for legitimate reasons.
QLD 11-12 YEARS GIRLS SCHOOL STATE RUGBY LEAGUE
Congratulations to Willow M who was a member of the Metropolitan East team that recently played their State Championships. Her team earned bronze at the event. Well done Willow on your efforts!
METROPOLITAN EAST SCHOOL REGIONAL TRACK AND FIELD
Congratulations to Sienna H who competed in the Metropolitan East Track and Field Carnival towards the end of last term. Sienna finished 7th in the 100m and 3rd in the 200m. Well done Sienna and we look forward to your future achievements.
KONNICHIWA,
The Years 3-6 students enjoyed their reflex skills at playing KENDAMA.
A kendama is made up of the ken (stick) with a point at one end, three cups, and the tama (ball) with a small hole in one end. The cups on either side of the sarado (cross piece/cup body) are called the ozara (big cup) and kozara (small cup). The ball is connected to the stick by a roughly 40-centimetre (16-inch) piece of string. The pointed end of the stick is the kensaki (spike) with which the player can attempt to spear the ball. On the reverse side is another cup called the chuzara (medium cup). The round hole in the ball is just the right size for the spike.
The game is basically played by tossing the ball and attempting to catch it in one of the cups or to spear it with the point of the stick. Although it may sound simple, there are a nearly unlimited number of specific tricks for doing so.
| EVENT | DATE |
| Year 6 Bus Buzz | 5th October |
| Book Fair | 18 -24 th October |
| AST Walk - Day for Daniel | 27th October |
| Prep Excursion - Sarah & Pevan performance | 30th October |
| Grandparents Day | 3rd November |
| Habitat Heroes | 22nd November |
| Habitat Heroes | 23rd November |
| Bento Boxes Year 6 | 27th November |
| Yr 3 - 6 Swimming Carnival | 28th November |
| Arts Afternoon Performance | 30th November |
| Learning Celebration | 30th November |
| Year 6 Graduation 9am | 6th December |
| Party Day | 6th December |
| Step Up 2pm | 6th December |
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 fortnight there is a chosen winner and this is announced at assembly!
