107 Graham RoadMorayfield QLD 4506Subscribe:Subscribe: http://morayfieldeastss.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email:Email: the.principal@morayfieldeastss.eq.edu.auPhone:Phone: 07 5428 8444

Fax:Fax: 07 5428 8400

21 April 201621 April 2016

From the Principal

WELCOME

Welcome to Term 2. I trust all students and their families hada fantastic Easter vacation and are looking forward to anotherexciting term of focussed learning. My name is Lorna Cogle andI am thrilled at my appointment as Principal of Morayfield EastState School. My initial impressions of this school are that thestudents are very polite, respectful and fully engaged in theirlearning, that the staff are incredibly dedicated, hard workingand strive to meet the diverse learning needs of each and everychild, and that the school is very well organised. I have had thepleasure of meeting many parents before and after school lastweek and I look forward to meeting many more in the comingweeks.

Whenever a new Principal starts at a school, many schoolcommunity members will ask “I wonder what will bechanging?”. I would like to stress it is very much business asusual at Morayfield East State School. As I have mentionedabove, this school is very well organised and it would be sillyto change school policy and organisation just for the sake ofchange.

ATTENDANCE

Full time regular attendance is critical for children to succeedwith their schooling. It is most important that all children attendevery day, arriving on time and staying for the full school day.

An occasional day off every now and again does impact on yourchild’s learning and it is such a shame when children are unableto do their best at school dude to absenteeism. Obviously ifyour child is sick, he/she does need to stay home to recover.When this happens, I ask that you call the Front Office on

54288444 to inform the school of the absence, the reason forthe absence and the anticipated length of the absence.

Our current overall school attendance is 92.2%. Thisattendance percentage is to be celebrated but let’s all try toraise the percentage higher! The attendance percentages foreach year level are as follows:

Year Level Attendance Percentage

PREP 93.4%

Year 1 92.6%

Year 2 91.9%

Year 3 92.4%

Year 4 90.6%

Year 5 92.8%

Year 6 92.2%

FACILITIES NEWS

I am very pleased to report that the Department of Educationand Training (DET) will be further improving our water supplies.Additional fire hydrants are to be installed to ensure we are asready and fully prepared for any fire emergency. It is anticipatedthat work will start on this project within the next two weeks andwill be completed by the end of Term 2.

RegardsLorna Cogle

Deputy Principal’s Report

Upcoming Excursions in P-2

In the coming weeks both year one and year two will beparticipating in some outstanding learning experiences outsideof our school environment. School excursions provide anopportunity for students to make connections between whatthey are learning in class to real world experiences and area rich source of stimulation for future learning. If you wouldlike your child to participate, please ensure you have providedpayment and a permission form to the office no later than thedate communicated on notes previously sent home.

Junior Parade Performances

All parents and school community are welcome to join us onJunior Parade on Friday mornings at 9.00am. Please see belowsome, not to be missed, performances we are excited toshowcase throughout the term:

Age Appropriate Learning Opportunity forMorayfield East SS

MESS has been lucky enough to be accepted into a researchproject exploring the characteristics of age-appropriatepedagogies (teaching techniques) for the early years and arange of age-appropriate teacher approaches. There wastangible excitement at the two day professional development,including prep teachers from 17 schools across our region, aswe were led through what felt like a spotlight on ensuring weare responsive the specific needs of our early years children.

With support from Griffith University, our Prep Team will beparticipating in the action research project to explore theeffectiveness of the following pedagogies: agentic (ensuringstudents have a voice in their learning), collaborative (learningbeing social and co-constructed), language rich and dialogic(learning occurs in an environment which is rich in languageand dialogue). They will be exploring the following teacherapproaches: Play-based approach and Inquiry learning.

More information on the project will be offered later in the termvia our parent café. Please keep an eye on future newslettersand our Facebook page for dates.

ANZAC Day March

The 101th Anniversary of ANZAC landings at Gallipoli isMonday 25th April. We are asking for students to march in theCaboolture Parade, showing pride in their school and country.Students will need to be on King Street by 9.00am. Studentsare to wear school uniform, please bring along a hat and waterbottle. Following the march the School Captains will stay on for

the full ceremony. Morayfield East State School are asking foras many of our students as possible to be a part of history. Ifyour child would like to march, please notify the office on 54288 444 a.s.a.p.

NAPLAN 2015 (National Assessment ProgramLiteracy and Numeracy)

Two Weeks Left!!

What will be tested and how?

NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every childto progress through school and life, such as reading, writing,spelling, grammar and numeracy. The content of each test isinformed by the national Statements of Learning for Englishand mathematics, which underpin state and territory learningframeworks. Questions are multiple-choice or require a shortwritten response. The writing task requires students to write atext in response to a prompt. To give you an idea of what thetests look like, sample questions and a sample writing task areavailable on the NAP website:

http://www.nap.edu.au/

How can I help my child prepare for the tests?

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that studentsare already learning through the school curriculum. Teacherswill ensure students are familiar with the test formats and willprovide appropriate support and guidance. If you have anyquestions about your child’s preparation for NAPLAN, youshould make a time to speak with their teacher. The best wayyou can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassureyour child that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their schoolprogram, and to urge them to simply do the best they canon the day. The use of services by coaching providers is notrecommended.

What happens if my child is absent from school ontest days?

Wherever possible, schools will organise for individual studentswho are absent at the time of testing to complete missed testsat another time during testing week. Individual students are notpermitted to sit tests after Friday 13th May 2015.

The 2016 test timetable is as follows:

Tuesday 10 MayTuesday 10 May Wednesday 11thWednesday 11thMayMay

Thursday 12thThursday 12thMayMay

Year3

LanguageConventions40 minutes

Writing40 minutes

Reading45 minutes

Numeracy45 minutes

Year5

LanguageConventions40 minutes

Writing40 minutes

Reading50 minutes

Numeracy50 minutes

• Year 1 travelling to Pine Rivers Heritage Museum on4th or 5th May

• Year two travelling to Caboolture Historical Village on5th May

• 29/04/16 Year 2 performing “Octopus’s Garden

• 6/05/16 Year 1 performing “Three Little Birds”

• 13/5/16 Year 3 performing “You’ve Got a Friend inMe”

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More information can be found at the NAP (NationalAssessment Program) website below, the parent informationpages on the website below or at the school.

http://www.nap.edu.au/

http://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support.html

Date Claimers

22April

Whole School ANZAC Parade – 9am, everyonewelcome

27April

Payment due for year 1 excursion - $11.50

28April

Payment due for year 2 excursion - $10.50

29April

Gala Day

3May

Mother’s Day Stall

4May

Mother’s Day Stall

Pine Rivers Museum – 1AP, 1LU & 1PY - $11.50

5May

Pine Rivers Museum – 1LT & 1LS - $11.50

Caboolture Historical Village – Year 2’s - $10.50

10May

CBA Incursion – Year 1 – no cost

16May

Fire Education Incursion – Year 1 – no cost

17May

P & C Meeting

24May

Osprey House – Year 6 – Cost $4.50

Fizzics Education Incursion Classes 3CG & 3LD –Cost $13.00

25May

Fizzics Education Incursion Classes 3KC, 3RK, 3CC& 2/3LB – Cost $13.00

27May

Under Eight’s Day

From the Office

Relief Teacher Aides

Morayfield East State School is seeking Casual Teacher Aidesfor employment in 2016 to support their literacy and numeracyprogram across all year levels (Prep – Year 6 inclusive). Hoursand days of work will vary, however a working day will bebetween the hours of 9.00am – 3.00pm. The positions aresuitable for university students who wish to work part time whilestudying. If you fall in this category you can provide the daysyou are available to work by semester, when you have yourtimetable.

Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate a highlevel of literacy and numeracy competency. If you are interestedin one of these professionally rewarding positions, you will needto provide a two page Résumé that includes the contact detailsof 1 referee. Preferably this would be from your last supervisor,however if you are looking to return to the workforce, a personalprofessional referee is suitable also. Applicants must be reliable,present professionally and have the skills required for theposition. Please email your Résumé and a cover letterexpressing an interest in the role to Katrina Blakekblak63@eq.edu.au . Where possible include the days you willbe available to work this could be Monday – Friday or onlycertain days however the hours of work will be during class timeas mentioned previously.

ANZAC Day stickers

ANZAC day silk stickers are available for purchase through theschool office. They will sell for 50c each and we only havelimited stock.

Sports Report

Caboolture District Trials

Caboolture District Trials are coming up for touch football (boys& girls). Notes have been handed out. See Mr Messer for moreinformation.

Gala Days

Our next gala day is Friday 29 April (week 3). Our teams are stilltraining in preparation for our second day of fixtures. Softballand soccer will again travel to Bribie Island with AFL at theMoreton Bay Regional Sports complex and rugby league atPeterson Rd.

Caboolture District Cross Country

Caboolture district cross country will be held on Thursday 5May at Station Rd Burpengary (home of the Burpengary Jetsrugby league).

Students who finished in the top 7 should be training at runnersclub before school. Permission notes will be sent home soon.

Morayfield East State School Cross CountryResults

On Wednesday 23 March we ran our whole school crosscountry. The day began with year 4-6 students in the morning

• Every Friday parade for Prep, Years 1 and 2 at9.00am in the school hall. Everyone welcome

• Every Friday parade for Years 3 & 4 at 1.00pm in theschool hall. Everyone welcome

• Every Friday parade for Years 5 and 6 at 2.00pm inthe school hall. Everyone welcome

• Tea and coffee is provided prior to our weekly9.00am parade for all parents. Please come alongand catch up on the school happenings

• Everyone is invited to a Parent Café which is aninformation session for all parents every Friday afterJunior Parade

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session displaying a great competitive spirit as they battled forpoints and ribbons and positions in our school cross countryteam. In the middle session our year 2 and 3 studentscontinued the entertainment with some super athletic displays.After second break it was over to the year 1 and prep studentsto tackle their courses with all that enthusiasm and energy theypossess.

At the end of the day Namoi were crowned Cross CountryChampions for the second year in a row.

RESULTS

Namoi 1280

Mangiri 975

Yarrah 972

Willunga 924

12 Years Boys

Brock Young Yarrah

Scott Stuart Yarrah

Cody Gardner Mangiri

Julian Mirupasi Namoi

Colby Coogan Willunga

12 Years Girls

Myonie Worthington Yarrah

Shavanie Sweatman Yarrah

Tahlia Casey Willunga

Kiara Casey Willunga

Rachael Taylor Yarrah

11 Years Boys

Jasper McGilvray Namoi

Connor Larkin Namoi

Kieran Lee Namoi

Zander Arnott Willunga

Riley Stickler Yarrah

11 Years Girls

Josie Rossallen Namoi

Jessica Turner Yarrah

Emily corry Willunga

Georgia Young Yarrah

11 Years Girls

Abby Pettet Namoi

10 Years Boys

Brodie Thompson Yarrah

Cooper Watson Yarrah

Joshua Kunert Namoi

David Vardy Yarrah

Jake Nelson Namoi

10 Years Girls

Rikki Turner Yarrah

Kymberly Blackmore Willunga

Mia Betts Willunga

Chelsea Kyle Namoi

Summa-Lee Tremayne Yarrah

Year 4 Boys

Jake McVeigh Namoi

Byron Alcorn Willunga

Jaxsen Tremayne Yarrah

Year 4 Girls

Eva Steers Yarrah

Akeela Porter Namoi

Koyuki Mackintosh Namoi

Year 3 Boys

Levi McCoombes Namoi

Jacob Inglis Mangiri

Benson Masoe Yarrah

Year 3 Girls

Macenzie Gurney Mangiri

Melita Sharp Yarrah

Jaydah Evans Mangiri

Year 2 Boys

Marley Betts Willunga

Declan Alcorn Willunga

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Year 2 Boys

Dion Robinson Yarrah

Year 2 Girls

Jorja Finely Mangiri

Imogen Leach Namoi

Tracey-Lee Poila Namoi

Year 1 Boys

Kai Smith Yarrah

Hamish Arnold Willunga

Kyan Leitner Yarrah

Year 1 Girls

Ayden Porter Namoi

Melanie Nelson Namoi

Madi Hollis Mangiri

Prep Boys

Marley Midire Namoi

Quade Evans Manigir

Noah Farrell Mangiri

Prep Girls

Janey Hawkins Mangiri

Dakota Page Namoi

Mikhaela Hart Willunga

Student Support ServicesPlease find within the newsletter, information regarding someNDIS information sessions that are available in this area in thecoming months and information regarding the processes. Forfamilies who may be eligible to access this funding, these areworthwhile opportunities to engage in to find out more aboutNDIS.

M.E.S.S. embraces the SWPBS (School Wide PositiveBehaviour Support) model for teaching and reinforcing positivebehaviour across our routines. Each week, classes engagein explicit teaching of socially appropriate behaviour models.GOTCHA's are a part of this process where students arerewarded for positive behaviour. When we hit our target of6000 GOTCHA's we will be having a crazy hair day--watch thisspace for when we reach success!!!!! Our GOTCHA award forthis term is an Aussie World Voucher to be awarded in the

last week of term. As an aside, research around SWPBS hasidentified that this model of behaviour support is considerablysupportive of an inclusive model for students, specifically thosewith ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), as it builds a positiveculture across the school at a universal level. Our SWPBS teammeet fortnightly and share information with staff to ensure thatthis culture is embedded into our daily routines.

Centre for Enriched Learning

Student Learning

Note-taking is a life-long skill students will continue to usethrough-out their educational journey. In the year 4, 5 and 6classes, students and teachers will be introducing the Cornellstrategy of note-taking and supporting student to identify thecritical information, gather research aligned with the lessonlearning goal and summarise what they have learned.

The purpose of this strategy is to provide a consistent format forstudents to allow them to develop independence and fluencyin the skill. With each class and year level utilising the sameformat, students are then able to concentrate on the contentand knowledge to be gained rather than continuously learningnew structures. The theory state that note-taking andsummarising increases students comprehension and ability toretain the information they collect.

Note-Taking in Action

Year 5’s this week have done amazing work at practicing theskill of Cornell Note-Taking whilst building their knowledge ofpesty animals in Australia to support their work in writing apersuasive newspaper article. They have been researching bothsides of the arguments about rabbits to allow them toconfidently persuade their reader by having clear, strongreasons and facts as to why rabbits are a pest or a privilege?

Well done 5MT for your great work on note-taking. It is fantasticto see you practise this strategy in other curriculum areas. Keepup the great work; you are all doing a fantastic job!!

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Community Notices

Get your whole family active andeating well

The PEACH™ (Parenting, Eating andActivity for Child Health) program is NOWOPEN FOR REGISTRATIONS for groups running in school term2.

Enrolments are closing soon - Groups commencing theweek of 18 April.

The program is FREE for families with a primary-school agedchild and is run in the local community within a school term andafter school hours.

Where: QUT Caboolture CampusWhen: weekly from Thursday 21 April – 4.30 – 6.00pm

The program covers:

Kids love the PEACH™ program as it helps build theirconfidence and make new friends. It is run by trained PEACH™facilitators and aims to help the whole family lead healthier lives.

The PEACH™ program is run by the Queensland University ofTechnology and funded by the Queensland Government.

The program will only be available in term 2, 2016 so registernow.

LAST OPPORTUNITY to access the FREE program - don’tdelay! Ask us about PEACH™ Online.

Free call 1800 263 519 or

http://www.peachqld.com.au/

Explore Moreton Bay Region

Explore the Moreton Bay Region on foot or by bike this Maywith the Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Explore Moreton Bayprogram. Participants can experience a variety of free and lowcost Cultural, Eco and Active Recreation walks and events, aswell as a variety of cycling adventures. There are activities foradults, families and the whole community to enjoy from Sunday1 May to Sunday 29 May 2016. For more information and tomake you’re booking visit

http://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/explore

PARENT CAFE

As the ANZAC service is this Friday the 22 April we will startParent Café in week 3 this term. I thought our first ParentCafé for the term was a great opportunity to welcome our newPrincipal, Lorna Cogle. I have asked her to provide the inputfor Parent Café on Friday the 29 April. Please come and hearLorna’s Top 5 Habits to Help Kids Succeed.

Friday 6th of May I have asked Deb Butterworth, the school’sGuidance Officer to provide us with some positive disciplinestrategies. Later in the term I have asked Jade Hurst to comeand talk to us about how to grow self-discipline in your child. Ihave also asked someone from Child Safety to talk to us abouthelping your child develop protective behaviours later in theterm.

If you have a topic you would like to see at Parent Café, pleaselet Chappy Gail know.

Feel free to join us at Parent Café. The Parents who come area welcoming bunch and they would be delighted if you joinedthem to share food, coffee, stories and encouragement. ParentCafe is straight after Junior Parade. I hope we see you there.

Guidance News

Worries and Anxieties - Helping Children toCope

Even in the best of situations, all children experience someanxiety in the form of worry, apprehension, dread, fear ordistress. Occasional nervousness and fleeting anxieties occurwhen a child is first faced with an unfamiliar or especiallystressful situation. It can be an important protection or signal forcaution in certain situations. In fact there are specific expectedfears that accompany each stage of child development.

Anxiety: Normal and Necessary

From toddlers to teens, life's challenges may be met with atemporary retreat from the situation, a greater reliance onparents for reassurance, a reluctance to take chances, anda wavering confidence. Typically these concerns will resolvewhen the child learns to master the situation or the situationchanges. Incorporating their newfound abilities, whether it ismastering a new school, the neighbourhood pool, taking tests,encountering dogs, kids move on from their fears and haveno lasting ill-effects. Parents can facilitate a child's successfuladjustment to a new challenge by: (1) being accepting of thechild's concerns, (2) listening to the child's perceptions, andgently correcting misinformation, and (3) patiently encouraginga child to approach a feared situation one step at a time until itis becomes familiar and manageable.

Typical Childhood Fears

Infancy

In response to a growing ability to differentiate familiar faces(parents) from unfamiliar, stranger anxiety (clinging and cryingwhen a stranger approaches) develops around 7-9 months andtypically resolves by end of first year.

• Nutrition – lunchbox and snack ideas, reading labelsand ingredients, dealing with fussy eaters, makinghealthier takeaway choices, making healthy eatingaffordable and tips on planning ahead.

• Physical activity – the benefits of exercise, how tobe more active as a family, physical activityrecommendations for children, how to reduce screentime and help with setting goals.

• Parenting – setting boundaries, planning for change,managing resistance to change, role modelling andhow to be balanced and consistent.

• Family focus – the program recognises that eachfamily is different and so our facilitators work withindividuals to come up with a plan that suits them.

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Early Childhood

As a healthy attachment to parents grows, separation anxiety(crying, sadness, fear of desertion upon separation) emergesaround one year and improves over the next 3 years, resolvingin most children by the end of kindergarten. As children'sworlds expand, they may fear new and unfamiliar situations,and real and imagined dangers from big dogs, to spiders, tomonsters. Children from age 3-6 are trying to master what isreal and what is not, and until this is resolved, they may havedifficulty with costumed characters, ghosts, and supernaturalbeings. While trying to master fears of what could be they maystruggle with the dark, closets, and under the bed. As a childlearns how to manage and put aside these fears, their ability tosleep alone will be secured.

School Aged Children

Each year, with access to new information, children begin tofear real world dangers-fire drills, burglars, storms, illness, ordrugs. With experience, they learn that these risks can existas remote, rather than imminent dangers. In middle school,the growing importance of social status leads to socialcomparisons and worries about social acceptance. Concernsabout academic and athletic performance, and social groupidentification are normal. Learning about various physical andmental health diseases in school may lead to some temporaryconcerns about risk and safety. Teenagers continue to befocused on social acceptance, but with a greater concern forfinding a group that reflects their chosen identity. Concernsabout the larger world, moral issues and their future successesare common.

Suggestions for Helping

When You Should be Concerned

Anxiety is considered a disorder not based on what a child isworrying about, but rather how that worry is impacting a child'sfunctioning. The content may be "normal" but help is neededwhen a child is experiencing too much worry or sufferingimmensely over what may appear to be insignificant situations,when worry and avoidance become a child's automaticresponse in many situations, when they feel constantly keyedup, or when coaxing or reassurance are ineffective in movingthem through. For these children anxiety is not protecting them,but rather preventing them from fully participating in typicalactivities of daily life-school, friendships, academicperformance.

Problem Anxieties

Unremitting anxiety lasting for weeks or months at a time cancause physical distress in the form of headaches, stomachaches, nausea, vomiting and sleeplessness, Difficulty sleeping,reluctance to go to school or elsewhere outside of the child'scomfort zone, crying jags, tantrums and clinginess arecommon. Anxiety can also interfere with a child's concentrationand decision-making. An anxious child's thinking is typicallyunrealistic, catastrophic and pessimistic. They may seekexcessive reassurance and yet the benefit of that reassuranceis fleeting. Irritability and anger can also be red flags for anxietywhen a child becomes frustrated by the stress of worry, orworn down from sleep deprivation. For some children, feeling"different" from other kids can be an additional source ofconcern.

Free Health Checks

Last term, some families received a letter about free healthchecks at school for children organised through the MoretonAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service.We now need to finalise the number of students who wish toparticipate. If you have not yet returned your forms and signedconsent to the school office, could you please do so as soon aspossible? Should you require more forms, please contact theschool office.

Deb ButterworthGuidance Officer

Parent and Community EngagementTeam

The staff at Morayfield East State School support all studentsto become successful life-long learners. Over the past termteachers and students have been working together to planlearning goals to support every student’s educational journey.At Morayfield East State School, our staff know that learninggoals promote growth in student learning. Research indicatesthat when students are told the learning goal of a lesson and

1. Build skills and self-confidence to defeat anxietythrough coaching children to be brave and face theirfears e.g. “look around for a friendly face when yougo to football training/karate/swimming lessons”

2. Rather than avoidance, allow children to face theirfears in stages e.g. try a new activity for an hour tobegin and gradually increase the time. By breakingthings down into smaller stages, children feel thatthey are more in control. Lack of control is behind agreat deal of anxiousness in adults as well aschildren. Letting children escape new or fearfulsituations only strengthens their fears.

3. Be empathetic not sympathetic: Empathy shows youunderstand how they feel without letting them off thehook e.g. by saying something like “I know how youfeel but I also know you can do this”. Sympathy canbe unhelpful by leading you to pay excessiveattention to the fear as well as allowing avoidance.

4. Create opportunities for independence. Buildingchildren’s self-help skills and their independenceoutside of the home builds competence - the enemyof anxiety. Focus on building children’s strengths andassets to help them overcome fears.

5. Model bravery. If you want children to be brave, thenyou need to go first. Your calmness, patience andwillingness to work your way through new situationshas a calming effect on children as well as showing

them how fears of unknown, new social situations,and even specific fears such as going to the dentist,can be handled positively. It’s worth noting that mostkids grow out of their anxiety given attentive, braveparenting.

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the purpose behind it, there is a higher success rate in studentachievement.

To acknowledge the commitment and hard work of our staff incontinuing to implement this strategy, among the other amazingthings they do, we would like to encourage parents andmembers of the community to celebrate and thank the staff atMESS for making a difference in your child’s life.

Each week one staff member will receive the Morayfield EastSuccess Story award on each parade. This staff member willbe chosen from the nominations submitted either via email toapack13@eq.edu.au or from placing the below nomination forminto the box in the Centre for Enriched Learning each Thursdayat 3pm with the award being given at the Friday parade.

Let’s celebrate the great things that the staff at Morayfield Eastdo!

Staff Celebration

Morayfield East Success Story

The staff member who has done something great is________________________________.

What great things has this staff member done?

Amanda PetersonAmanda Peterson

Mrs Peterson was the first teacher to receive the MorayfieldEast Success Story award on parade last week. She receivedher award for how she uses learning goals with her students in1AP.

Chappy ChatI am a chocoholic. Tragically I am also diary intolerant so I amstill suffering the outcomes of eating too much milk chocolateover Easter. I’m relieved all the milk chocolate given to us atEaster has now been consumed or given away.

Obviously then, like most people, I struggle with some aspectsof free will. Despite the downside I believe free will is part ofGod’s plan for us. Inviting Him to help us make good choicesseems to end much better for me than the alternative. Mostof us in watching young families at the shops (or being in ayoung family) and particularly around the checkouts, know agood decision making model may be a helpful tool to promotefamily harmony.

It is part of our role as parents to help our children learngood decision-making skills. This is not to say we have to beperfect at it ourselves- just willing to talk about the decisionswe make and the resultant consequences, one way or other,we encounter. I think it’s useful to have a clear model in yourmind about how you make decisions and how feedback can begained thought the outcomes we experience, in all dimensions.Learning from our decision making practices can be a criticallife lesson!

The Kids Matter website offers five easy to follow tips forparents to help their children develop decision making skills andgain a good decision making mind map. The Kids Matter’s tipsinclude allowing children to practice making choices; talkingabout everyday decisions; supporting children to usedecision-making steps; asking questions that promotethoughtful decisions; and encouraging children to setachievable goals. You can find the entire article via:

http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/families/enewsletter/five-tips-help-children-develop-decision-making-skills

I hope as you and your family find ways to make the most of thedecisions you have in your lives and you are enriched by them.

CHAPPY ACTIVITIES

Ice Creams for Chaplaincy

Some community financial support to have a chaplain availablefor students at the school is needed. I try to keep fundraising inthe school to a minimum. It will be greatly appreciated howeverif you will allow your children to purchase a Chappy Ice Creamfor Thursday 28 April. You will need to pre-order these IceCreams by Tuesday 26 so we can have them ready for the day.

The Ice Creams we have chosen are not normally availableat the Tuckshop. Lisa has agreed to selling Chocolate PaddlePop Shakey Shake Cups for this fundraiser. You should havereceived a letter about this fundraiser on which there was anorder form. I have pasted the order form below in case youneed another form.

Chappy Week Colouring In and Poster MakingCompetition

I have planned a colouring-in competition as usual for ChappyWeek this year. As the school is celebrating its 25th anniversaryI thought it would be good to ask our older students to makea poster about the type of hero they hope to become. Heroescan be everyday people who sometimes do things that makea positive difference to others. They can be mums and dads,nurses, firemen, teachers etc. Please encourage your childrento enter the competition. There will be prizes as normal. Entrieswill need to be received by me by Thursday 12 May.

• Tells me what the WALT of our lesson is.

• Tells me what I have to do to be the best I canbe.

• Shows me how I am getting better at what WeAre Learning To do.

• Gets excited when I reach my learning goal.

• Other____________________________________________________________________________________

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Helping Hope Happen – fundraising dinner

Caboolture and Morayfield Chaplaincies now host an annualmajor fundraiser dinner to raise the much needed funds to havechaplains available to students in the local schools. This is anopportunity to partner with local business and people who havefunds to generously donate to support chaplaincy.

If you would like to go to this major fundraiser or know someonewho you think I should invite, please let me know. It is onMonday 23 May.

Date Claimer

The Chappy Fun Run is Sunday 4th September. Please put thisin your family diary. It is a fun event and most fun when youshare it with lots of friends.

I hope Term 2 is filled with blessings for you and your family.Kind regards, Chappy Gail.

(Chaplaincy programs are provided on Tuesdays, Thursdaysand Fridays. You may contact Chappy Gail via the schooloffice or email her gpipe4@eq.edu.au)

------------------ (Tear Here) ------------------

Chocolate Paddle Pop Shakey Shake Cup Orders -Place orders with tuckshop by Tuesday 26 April.Thank you!

Name: ____________________________

Class: _____________

I would like to order ___ x Chocolate Paddle Pop ShakeyShake Cup @ $2.50/ea. container to be delivered to mychild’s class on Thursday 26 April.

Total paid $ __________

Curriculum Corner

“Enrichment for students” - InternationalCompetitions and Assessments for Schools(ICAS)

The International Competitions and Assessments for Schools(ICAS) are independent skills-based assessments with acompetition element. Unlike NAPLAN they are not mandatoryand we welcome participation by any/all students in years 2 to6. These assessments provide students with a measure of theirown achievement in an external assessment situation.

This week students from Years 2 to 6 received a letter invitingthem to participate in these assessments. ICAS is unique, beingthe most comprehensive generally available suite of academicassessments and school tests for primary and secondaryschool students.

The ICAS suite is developed by Educational AssessmentAustralia (EAA), UNSW Global Pty Limited*. For over 30 yearsEAA has been delivering ICAS to Australian students. EachICAS test is designed to assess students’ academic ability in

aspects of Digital Technologies, English, Mathematics, Science,Spelling and Writing.

To reinforce our school priorities for 2016, we have chosenthis year to participate only in Writing, English, Spelling andMathematics. Registration for participation must be received atthe school office by Friday 29 April 2016.

Regular updates to this information will be provided as weapproach the different test dates.

General information about ICAS is available by visiting the EAAwebsite

https://www.eaa.unsw.edu.au/

P & C NewsWelcome to Term 2. We hope everyone had a fun and safeholidays.

Next Meeting

The next P&C meeting for this term will be on Tuesday 17 May@ 3.15pm in the School Hall. Please come along to check outwhat we are up to, get involved or just for a coffee and a chat.Children are welcome also.

Term 2 P&C Fundraising Events

The P&C is continuing to raise funds for the playground project.Our first fundraising event for the term will be the Mothers’ Daystalls held on 3 & 4 May. There will be many gift ideas for mum,stepmum, grandma, or guardian ranging in prices from $2 to$10.

We are also having a Tea Towel Fundraiser in celebration of theschools 25th Anniversary. Students have this week been busydrawing their self-portraits to go on their year level's unique teatowel. They would make a great gift and be a lasting mementoto remember classmates. Order forms can be printed off ourfacebook page or collected at the tuckshop. Prices are $15each or if you order more than 1 they are $14 each. Final ordersare due by 31 May. All funds raised from the sale of these teatowels will go towards our playground project.

Other events to look out for this term are:

Under 8s day – 27 MayChinese Meal Deal – 21 JuneSchool Disco (Superheros) – 11 June

Forms have gone out this week for the Tea Towel Fundraiser,Meal Deal and Under 8s day. If you need extra forms please seeLisa at the tuckshop.

To make our fundraising events a great success, we do needvolunteers so if you would like to help at any of the above eventsfor 1 or 2 hours please see Lisa at the tuckshop to put yourname down.

Uniform & Tuckshop NewsSenior Shirts are due back in approximately three weeks keepan eye out on Facebook for updates. As soon as they arrive

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we will hand them out to the students to start wearingstraightaway.

Unfortunately we are still waiting for delivery of our regular poloshirts which are now due in by the end of May. We apologise tothose who are waiting on shirts and will be in contact as soonas they arrive.

We have spare sports shirts available for sale, various sizes andcolours - $15.50 each

Have you ever wondered what the P&C does?Who can get involved with the P&C?

What does your P&C do?

P&C’s is an integral part of all school communities. We areinvolved in many areas of the school’s operations andfunctions. We work closely with the school Principal and schoolcommunity to facilitate the development and furtherimprovements of the school, by promoting parent participation,encouraging close cooperation between parents, students andstaff and promoting positive community support.

We also get to be involved in all the fun stuff like school discosand any other fundraisers throughout the year to raise moneyto further improve school recourses.

Who makes up a P&C?

EVERYONE - The P&C is made up of volunteers, people justlike you – parents, caregivers, teachers and community mindedpeople who want to help and be involved with their school. Withnew faces comes new ideas and new enthusiasm, everyone iswelcome to come and join and be involved.

Being involved with the P&C is a great way to keep informed, tocontribute to our school community and to make new friends.Your contribution could be as large or small as you canmanage, but your ongoing support of the P&C is invaluable.

Literacy Coach News

Writing at Morayfield East State School

This term, our students will be working on persuasive writing.

When writing to persuade, students are required to write theiropinion and to draw on personal knowledge and experiencewhen responding to topics. Students are not expected to havedetailed knowledge about the topic. Students are encouragedto use any knowledge that they have on the topic, but notto manufacture evidence to support their argument. In fact,students who do so may undermine the credibility of theirargument by making statements that are implausible.

Beginning writers are taught how to use structured scaffolds.One such scaffold that is commonly used is the five paragraphargument essay. However, when students become morecompetent, the use of this structure can be limiting. As writersdevelop their capabilities they are encouraged to move awayfrom formulaic structures and to use a variety of differentpersuasive text types, styles and language features, asappropriate to different topics.

http://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/writing/writing.html

Seven Steps to Writing Success

Step 3 of the Seven Steps is called Tightening Tension.Movies and ads can be very good at building tension. Goodjokes also have you waiting for the punchline. Keep an eyeout for some good examples. One way to describe buildingtension in a story is the pebble, brick, boulder analogy. As anauthor, it’s best not to leap right to the main problem. If youstart describing a small issue (the pebble) then a slighter biggerissue (the brick) then the big issue (the boulder), your reader willbe dying to keep reading to find out what will come next. Youcan try this when you are telling stories at home, or ask yourchild to tell you a story where you build the tension.

Writing competition

Well done to everyone who entered thiscompetition. We are patiently waiting tohear about the results.

Fun Facts: The word writing may have hadits origin in the Olde English word, writan, which meant toscratch.

Only two words in the English language end in – gry. Do youknow what they are?

Answer: Angry and hungry.

On the Web: Sentence Clubhouse: you build a clubhouse by:answering is it a question, a statement, a command or anexclamation? Then completing the writing with punctuation.

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/clubhouse/index.html

If you are looking for help on reading at home, this website offersome great FREE resources:

http://www.readingrockets.org/newsletters/extras

Quote – it is always advisable to have at least one back upplan.

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I look forward to sharing tips to support you child on theirwriting journey. Please email me if you have any questions.

Michele ChaplinLiteracy Coach mchap39@eq.edu.au

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