Goondi SS Newsletter 31st March 2021

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

Yesterday, we held our first Parent-Teacher evening for the year.  I would like to thank all those parents and carers who attended.  This was the first time we have been able to hold a Parent–Teacher evening since COVID-19 restrictions were put into place.  These occasions are an invaluable way to support your child’s educational progress.  They allow parents and teachers to develop productive relationships and are a great opportunity to ask for clarification around any issues or areas of concern.  If you are one of those parents or carers who could not attend, I urge you to contact your child’s teacher and arrange for an after or before school interview early in Term 2.

As we reach the end of the term, one thing we can all agree on is that it has been very challenging for our whole school and community.  After the vandalism that took place on February 13^th, the effects have been felt in every corner of the school.  It has tested our staff, students and school community.  We are now at the completion of repair and rectification works.  While there has been such disruption to the school, I have been amazed by how well our staff have managed to keep things as ‘near normal’ as possible for the students.  We can now look forward to a much more focussed Term 2.  I would also like to again acknowledge the help, support and good will we received from Education Queensland, our central office in Brisbane, our own Regional Director and Assistant Regional Director, the many tradespeople that have returned the buildings to workable condition, the fantastic local state and catholic schools that supported us and not forgetting our parents, carers and wider Goondi community. 

Upon our return in Term 2, we will hit the ground running as we prepare students for more teaching and learning in every class and NAPLAN testing in mid-May.

Last week, we held our 2021 Inter-House Cross-Country event.  It was fantastic to see lots of support for our students from parents and carers, we had 133 visitors sign in using our COVID safe QR code.  As you know, support makes the day very special for the students and we thank you for this.  We look forward to our athletics carnival next term in June.    

As this will be the last newsletter before the break, I would like to invite all our families to join us as we commemorate ANZAC day on April 25^th at the Innisfail march.  Our students will assemble in school uniform opposite the RSL at 8:00am.  The march will begin at 8:30am.  We hope to see many of you there to represent Goondi SS as we take part in the march.  Please note that ANZAC day times and details may be subject to change as we are guided by the Innisfail RSL.  We will notify you of any changes made as soon as we are made aware.

Regards,

Peter Begemann

Principal

TERM 2 CALENDAR

School Events

Mon 19^th Apr – Term 2 commences

Fri 23^rd Apr – School ANZAC Ceremony

Sun 25^th Apr – ANZAC day march – Innisfail RSL

Mon 26^th Apr - Public Holiday in QLD

Mon 3^rd May - May Day Public Holiday

Tue-Thurs 11^th-13^th May – NAPLAN Testing

Mon 19^th Apr, Mon 17^th May, Mon 21^st Jun – P&C Meetings at 5:30pm

Sport Events

Fri 7^th May - District Cross Country at Warrina Lakes

Wed 16^th Jun – Inter-House 200m, 800m, shotput

Fri 18^th Jun – Inter-House Athletics Carnival

NAPLAN TESTING

In mid-May all schools throughout Australia will participate in NAPLAN testing. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit a number of literacy and numeracy tests over a three day period. These tests will occur on the 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th of May. The timetable below outlines the test areas, dates and test durations.

NAPLAN tests assess the literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning through our school curriculum and which they need to progress through school and life.  In the lead up to NAPLAN testing, our teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test formats and have the appropriate support and guidance. As parents and carers you can assist by reassuring your child that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program, and to urge them to simply do the best they can.

NAPLAN testing is aligned to the Australian Curriculum.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN testing by their parent/carer. This is a matter for consideration by individual parents/carers in consultation with the school.  Please contact your class teacher for details.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding NAPLAN testing, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the school administration.

ROAD SAFETY

A reminder to all our parents and carers to remain aware of road safety at school drop off and pick up times.  It is essential that we teach and model safe conduct around road traffic, by always using the school crossing and never allowing children to walk between parked cars at these busy times of the day.  I thank you all for your cooperation and help as we place the safety of our students as top priority. 

SCHOOL ANZAC CEREMONY

Our school will be holding an ANZAC ceremony next term on Friday 23^rd April at 10:15 in the school hall. 

The ceremony will be run by our Year 6 students and all classes will lay a wreath.  This year we are not able to extend an open invitation to parents due to COVID-19 restrictions.

ANZAC DAY MARCH

Our school will participate in the Anzac Day march on Sunday 25^th April along with all the other district primary and secondary schools. You may recall that In the past we have had a great roll up of students and we encourage all students from Prep to Year 6 to attend.  Please join us outside the RSL to take our place in the march at 8:00am on the day ready to march at 8:30am.  Please note that ANZAC day times and details may be subject to change as we are guided by the Innisfail RSL.  We will notify you of any changes made as soon as we are made aware.

ATTENDANCE

While we are not running our attendance recognition program in full this year as we continue to navigate the recovery from the effects of the virus, we are still recognising our classes that meet or exceed our attendance target of 95%. At this time, 47% of our students have an attendance rate of 95% or above.  While we recognise the need to stay home if sick or with cold and flu symptoms, please make every effort to ensure your child attends every day. 

INTER-HOUSE CROSS COUNTRY

As mentioned, last Wednesday we ran our Inter-House Cross Country. Once again we were fortunate and the rain kept away when it mattered most!  However, the day was incredibly hot at 36 degrees and the effects were felt by a number of students.  Despite a failed microphone for announcements, the event ran very smoothly and our students participated very well with almost all in Years P-6 completing the course.

The dedication and commitment displayed by our runners on the day was commendable.  The students tried their absolute best and this attitude shone through. 

Congratulations to all students.  Whether you achieved a place or not, your commitment and attitude towards the event was first class.  Well done.

Congratulations to Geraldton, the overall winning house.  In second place was Palmerston and then Johnstone in third.   

DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY

The District Cross-Country will be held on Friday 7^th May at Warrina Lakes commencing at 9:00am. Selected 10, 11 and 12 year old students from our school will compete for places in the Innisfail district team to contest the Peninsula Championships later in the term.

Student of the Week

Prep Capers

Prep A, B and C know all their Letterland characters, sounds and names, recognise letters of the alphabet and 36 sightwords.

In Maths they have learnt numbers 1 to 20 and how to represent numbers 1-10 using tally marks, fingers, candles on a cake and dice, sorting objects into categories, counting to 20 and have been introduced to Adam the Addition Ant, starting to learn the concept of addition. 

Term 1 has been fun and enjoyable and we are looking forward to Term 2.

From the Prep Team,

Ms Perham, Mrs McSwan, Ms Bird, Ms Pike, Miss Knight, Mrs Kleve, Mrs Tanti. 

Year 1 Capers

Well we made it to the last week of term!      We would like to thank all of the students for turning up each day ready to face any challenges that awaited them.  This cohort is certainly a resilient bunch!  We look forward to starting next term with a fresh room, organised resources and recharged batteries.

We would also like to thank you for your support over the term with helping the children complete home reading, sight words and spelling practice. 

Have a safe and enjoyable holidays.  We know we will!

Leigh, Hayley and Fiona

Year 2 Capers

Wow what a busy last few weeks we have had!

Maths testing has been completed and we have been revising concepts from the term.

In English we have finished our writing about under the sea. This week we will present one of our recounts as our Speaking Task for the term, our students have been practicing their expression, volume and pace with their palm cards.

In Science our assessment on mixtures is being completed and in HASS we are working on our own scale of place spinner to show how our own lives are influenced by the different scales of places around the world. 

Enjoy a well deserved break over the holidays and we will see you back in Term 2.

All our best, Miss Mollenhagen, Mrs Hollywood and Mrs Spataro.

Year 3 Capers

We have made it to the end of the term! Many thanks for your support behind the scenes; for making lunches, sending students to bed early and providing the necessary equipment they need for learning. We have had many changes to routine at school so routine at home has been important and our students, on the whole, have handled the disruptions well.  Let’s hope next term is normal.

This week we have squeezed in the last of our testing and look forward to our rewards afternoon on Thursday.

Over the holidays reading is still important for students to practise their comprehension skills. Just 10 minutes before bed time will make a big difference. Looking over test results, we see that revising time will be a huge benefit for students. Also students can keep singing their times table song.

We wish you and your families a very safe holiday and look forward to a new start next term as we make final preparations for our NAPLAN assessment.

Until next time,

Robyn, Janelle, Paula and Lizette.

Year 3/4 & 4 Capers

Term one … done!! The students worked extremely well completing their assessment tasks and are to be commended for their persistence and commitment to complete every test to the best of their ability.

Last week we welcomed Maricel Farman as our new Teacher Aide in Year 3/4B and 4A.  Maricel will be with us Monday-Wednesday working with and supporting students as required.

This Thursday is our Goondi 5 rewards afternoon and we are very pleased to have most of our students on key level and able to participate in an enjoyable afternoon watching The Matilda Movie.

The school holidays is an ideal time to restock stationery items. Please check with your child to see if he or she requires any additional items so everyone is ready to return to school fully organised and ready to learn.

Term two is shaping up to be even busier than term one. We hope that you enjoy your holiday and get to do all of the things you love, so you, and your children, are  ready to return to school rejuvenated and ready for another very busy term.

Happy Easter from Kath, Lisa, Kerry and Maricel.

Year 5 Capers

Term 1 has certainly flown by, it is hard to believe the holidays are nearly upon us.

Well done to all students who have persevered and worked hard over the past two weeks of testing to achieve their best results possible.

Please check over your child’s stationery supplies during the break and replenish any necessary stock.  This will ensure all students are fully prepared to hit the ground running at the start of Term 2.

Thank you to all those parents who took the opportunity and booked in for Parent-Teacher Interviews this week.  It was a great opportunity to touch base and discuss your child's progress.

We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing holiday and we look forward to seeing all students refreshed and ready to learn next term.  Have a lovely break all.  

Cheers for now,

Rebecca, Emily & Kerry.

Year 6 Capers

Holidays are just around the corner! The term has flown by with Year 6 students busy finishing their Science projects, visiting the ISC and completing testing.  When you read this, Parent/Teacher interviews will have been conducted and we thank those of you who attended. If you missed out and wish to see us, we will try to accommodate you early next term.

It is hard to think back to the first week of Year 6 as so much has happened. We’ve learned about electricity, the road to Federation, the heroic efforts of our ANZACs at Gallipoli and how to better prepare for our future through the use of renewable energy sources. It’s truly amazing how much fits in a ten-week program of learning. We would like to thank you for your ongoing and unwavering support throughout the term.

Looking ahead to Term 2, we see that it’s going to be a corker. We begin with our ANZAC service, move through the term to Young Performers and end with report cards.  As well as Science, we will also be studying our Geography unit for HASS and continuing with our explorations in Visual Arts. We can’t wait. Please check over stationery supplies during the break and replenish any necessary stock.

Many thanks again, Marica Cunningham, Aaron Harbour, Melanie Worth and Janette McClelland

Student Council News

Anzac Day: Next term, the Student Leaders and Year 6 will be hosting Goondi State School’s ANZAC Day Commemorative Service on Friday 23rd April at 10:15am.

Bullying No Way Day was a wonderful success with students raising about $300 for an anti-bullying charity. It was fantastic to see so many students dressed in the colours of this important cause and discussions in classrooms about the effects of bullying. Well done, Goondi!

Cross Country Results

2021  RESULTS

PREP BOYS: 1st. Connor, 2nd. Nash, 3rd. Weno, 4th. Jordon, 5th. Lakyn.

PREP GIRLS: 1st. Bella, 2nd. Aarya, 3rd. Scarlet, 4th. Elodie, 5th. Hevangeliah.

YEAR ONE BOYS: 1st. Dustin, 2nd. Izayah, 3rd. Kurbaan, 4th. Nooroa, 5th. Ngamata.

YEAR ONE GIRLS: 1st. Everleigh, 2nd. Amelia, 3rd. Chenae, 4th. Mariah, 5th. Anhad.

YEAR TWO BOYS: 1st. Jamaul, 2nd. Connor, 3rd. Lucas, 4th. Jerico, 5th. Tobias.

YEAR TWO GIRLS: 1st. Amani, 2nd. Alahni-Skyy, 3rd. Haylee, 4th. Isla, 5th. Elsa.

YEAR THREE BOYS: 1st. Noah, 2nd. Kyuss, 3rd. Lawson, 4th. Kohbi, 5th. Ethan.

YEAR THREE GIRLS: 1st. Harley-Rose, 2nd. Flynn, 3rd. Harper, 4th. Paige, 5th. Torah.

BOYS 9y.o.: 1st. Cody, 2nd. Darcy, 3rd. Callum, 4th. Elliot, 5th. Lucian.

GIRLS 9y.o.: 1st. Brooklyn, 2nd. Azalea, 3rd. Salina, 4th Leila, 5th. Hailey-Rose.

BOYS 10y.o.: 1st. Logan, 2nd. Keean, 3rd. Kai, 4th. William, 5th. Xzavier.

GIRLS 10y.o.: 1st. Taylah, 2nd. Addison, 3rd. Lauren, 4th. Sienna, 5th. Kaitlyn.

BOYS 11y.o.: 1st. Zaeden, 2nd. Ishmael, 3rd. Giacomo, 4th. Reeko, 5th. Coehn.

GIRLS 11y.o.: 1st. Tanvir, 2nd. Bailee, 3rd. Emily, 4th. Sienna, 5th. Charlotte.

BOYS 12y.o.: 1st. Mason, 2nd. Tallis, 3rd. Treye, 4th. Cohn, 5th. Austin.

GIRLS 12y.o.: 1st. Shelby, 2nd. Arianna, 3rd. Abbey, 4th. Marlee, 5th. Elise.

FINAL RESULTS

1^ST GERALDTON - 1070

2^ND PALMERSTON - 815

3^RD JOHNSTONE - 790

Art News

We have come to the end of our Visual Arts learning strand, however I would like to congratulate all students on their art making efforts as they were able to create an enormous amount of work in such a short amount of time. Considering the interruption to our working space throughout the term, the students were able to adapt and create art  around our limitations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students for their patience and particularly their dedication and focus in producing some incredibly sophisticated and resolved masterpieces. Congratulations also, to our final two extremely talented Student 'Artists' of the Week - Dylan (Year 6) and Kurbaan (Year 1). For our keen art critics and admirers - we have created a Goondi State School Instagram page dedicated to ‘The Arts’. Goondi SS Arts will be an online gallery featuring the amazing works created over the past term. For those of you with Instagram, I encourage you to visit the link https://www.instagram.com/goondiss_arts/ and please feel free to follow the account. “Art is too important not to share.”

Wishing you all a safe holiday and an extremely happy Easter!

Francesca Rosa (Arts Teacher)

P&C News

The Goondi State School P and C has hit the ground running in 2021!  At its Annual General Meeting on 22nd February the committee was confirmed: Peter Greven (President), Michael Blair (Vice-President), Louise Blair (Treasurer), and Rebecca Sapuppo (Secretary).

This year P and C will focus on three key fundraising activities; a pie drive, spellathon and Christmas raffle.  P and C has received strong support for these activities in the past, and we look forward to working with the entire school community to deliver initiatives that provide benefit to all the students.  Planning is well underway for each of the fundraisers and as they approach more detail will be provided in the school newsletter. If you are the owner or manager of a business in town and would like to donate items for our Christmas raffle, please approach a member of the P and C committee or contact the Secretary at beccasapuppo@gmail.com.

P and C recognise the distress that the recent vandalism event caused to the whole school community. As all major repair work is now complete, the P and C would like to acknowledge the enormous effort by staff, students and volunteers who worked to ensure that learning could continue smoothly in the face of such terrible damage. We are considering ways in which P and C might be able to help reduce the likelihood of similar events occurring in future.

P and C would also like to gratefully acknowledge the following businesses for their speedy and professional service completing the repair work:

QBuild

TNL Construction

Cameron's Carpet Court

Window Warehouse

Smart Crete Flooring

P and C meetings are held at 5:30pm the third Monday of each month during term time. Come along and support your school!  

Instrumental Music News

STRING ORCHESTRA STUDENTS ATTEND QSO CONCERT IN CAIRNS

String orchestra students from the Innisfail region were very lucky to have the opportunity to see the Queensland Symphony Orchestra perform at the Cairns Tanks Theatre last Friday.

Secondary and primary string students, including Matilda, Hannah, Elise, Arianna, Emily, Dakota, Angel, Piper and Ryder travelled to Cairns by bus for this first class concert, which was followed by lunch in the Botanical Gardens. QSO played a wide range of pieces including Ravel’s Bolero, music from Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet and even Panic! At the Disco’s High Hopes.  An entertaining and educational day was had by all.

Community News

Innisfail Community Support centre notices.