Every child, every day, learning to be their best Telephone: 3813 5222 Corner Omar and Keogh Streets, West Ipswich Qld 4305 Facsimile: 3813 5200 Absences: 0366_absences@eq.edu.au Email: 0366_admin@eq.edu.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ipswichwest Website: www.ipswichwestss.eq.edu.au

October 2018

Newsletter

2017: 93.2% 2016: 92.6% Standard: 95%

From The Principal I look forward to working alongside our school community for another term! Term 4 is always a busy one so keep an eye on the dates for your diary, found in the newsletter and on our school Facebook page. Please note that Monday, 22 October is the annual designated Student Free Day so the school will be closed.

Welcome 2019 Prep Students Our Pre-Prep student transition sessions commence on 23 October and run for four weeks. This transition program will help our Pre-Prep students and their parents/carers become comfortable and ready for starting school next year. A number of important school community representatives will be attending these sessions to enable parents and carers to become more familiar with school life. We look forward to welcoming you to Ipswich West! Celebrating our Success Our students work very hard to be the best learners they can be and our outstanding teachers are constantly looking for ways to help them progress their learning. We feel very privileged to partner with families to give students the best education possible. 2018 NAPLAN data has been released. I am very pleased with our results this year: 45.6% of Year 3 and 36.8% of Year 5 students have achieved in the Upper Two Bands for Reading—our highest ever percentage. Our Year 5 Writing Upper Two Band result was 12.8%—which is also the highest ever. I am really proud that our students did their very best in those challenging tests. Whilst we celebrate this success, we are mindful that NAPLAN can only reveal what our students have achieved in the areas of numeracy and literacy—as a snapshot, it is unable to measure our students’ full potential, who they are, and what they can achieve on an individual and personal level. Thank You and Farewell On Monday 5 November at 10.00am, we will be holding a Special Farewell Assembly in honour of Mrs Whiting, Mr Wilson, Mrs Moore and Mrs Gough. We look forward to thanking them for all their efforts in helping Ipswich West become its best over the years. School Leaders Our Year 5 students will be given the opportunity to apply for school leadership in 2019. In the coming weeks students will be given a leadership application card to complete as the first step to demonstrate their competency and suitability for school leadership. As a key component of leadership is being organised, all students will need to have their cards completed by the due date to be considered. Pick Up Zone and Storms We are anticipating a large amount of storms in the coming weeks and as such we will be scheduling a meeting to discuss the contingency arrangements for the pick-up zone during storms. In the meantime, if we deem it unsafe for students and staff to be on the street we will close the pick-up zone and students will gather in the undercover walkway near the Prep building where parents can collect them after parking. If the pick-up zone needs to be closed, signs will be placed to advise vehicles and we will send a school-wide SMS and Facebook post. By following these steps, we hope to ensure everyone is safe and informed to deal with this scenario. Zan Branford Acting Principal

2019 ENROLMENTS If you have siblings starting Prep next year please complete enrolment forms as soon as possible. Enrolment forms are available on our school website or from the school office. If your family is leaving our school next year, please let your child’s class teacher or the office staff know as soon as possible, so that we have accurate numbers for next year’s class arrangements. You can email the admin staff at 0366_admin@eq.edu.au. Thank you.

ADMIN OFFICE The office phone will go straight to the message service from 12.00pm to 1.00pm each day so that the office staff can have their break. Phone messages are checked periodically so please leave a message or call back after 1.00pm.

A big THANK YOU To Danny Payne at Sign Groove for providing our awesome signage and to Rob McKenzie at Ipswich Metal Recycling for disposing of our freezer! We appreciate the

ongoing support from our school community—helping Ipswich West to be its best.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Tues 16 Oct Fire Ant Tracker Demo—in the library—Prep-4/5L Wed 17 Oct 2.00pm P&C Committee Meeting—in the courtyard Thu 18 Oct First Tuckshop in Term 4 Fri 19 Oct Swimming starts (lessons to be paid in full—$50) Mon 22 Oct SCHOOL CLOSED (Student Free Day) Tue 23 Oct Permissions due for Concert Band Performance—

Jacaranda Festival—Instrumental Music Students 23 Oct-15 Nov 10.00am Pre-Prep Transition (4 weeks on a Tue, Wed

or Thu) Wed 24 Oct Permissions due for Day for Daniel Walk—Prep-3/4S Thu 25 Oct Permissions due for Choir Performance—Goodna

Jacaranda Festival—Choir Students Fri 26 Oct 9.45am Day for Daniel Walk (wear a red accessory,

donations please)—Prep-3/4S Permissions due for Health Talks—Years 5 & 6 5.10pm Choir Performance—Goodna Jacaranda

Festival—Choir Students Sat 27 Oct 8.45am Concert Band Performance—Jacaranda

Festival—Instrumental Music Students Mon 29 Oct Health talks—in the library—Years 5 & 6 Mon 5 Nov 10.00am Staff Farewell Assembly —in the undercover

area Fri 23 Nov RSVPs due for Thank You Afternoon Tea Thu 29 Nov Last Tuckshop in Term 4 Fri 30 Nov 2.00pm Thank You Afternoon Tea (by invitation)—in

the library Thu 6 Dec NO TUCKSHOP—Spring clean (volunteers needed) Fri 7 Dec Swimming Carnival—Leichhardt Swimming Pool Orientation Day—Bremer State High School—Year 6 Mon 10 Dec Orientation Day—Ipswich State High School &

Rosewood State High School—Year 6 6.00pm Graduation Dinner—Brothers Leagues Club—

Year 6 Tue 11 Dec 9.00am Award Ceremony & School Leader

Induction—in the undercover area Wed 12 Dec Water Play Reward Day (for positive behaviour) Thu 13 Dec NO TUCKSHOP 9.00am End of Year Concert—in the undercover area Fri 14 Dec Last Day of Term 4 Tue 29 Jan 2019 First Day of Term 1 Recurring Events Assembly 8.45am in the Undercover Area Mondays—Years 3-6 Tuesdays—Prep-Year 2 Uniform Shop 2.45-3.15pm Mondays 8.30-9.00am Fridays Computer Coding Mondays—second break Gardening Club Monday-Wednesday—first break—Years 3-6 Sport Monday-Wednesday—first & second break Breakfast Club 8.00am Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

(volunteers needed) Music Bus Tuesdays Japanese Cooking Wednesdays—second break, fortnightly—Year 6 Japanese Club Wednesdays—second break, fortnightly Senior Choir Thursdays—second break & Fridays—first break Tuckshop Thursdays—resumes 18 Oct, ends 29 Nov (volunteers

needed) Park & Walk 8.15am Fridays (Omar St Park)—ends 7 Dec Interschool Sports Fridays—ends 9 Nov—Years 5 & 6 School Banking Fridays (no banking on last day of term) Swimming Fridays—starts 19 Oct, ends 7 Dec

JAPANESE COOKING The eleventh and twelfth Japanese food offering for the Year of the Dog will be on Wednesday 17 and 31 October respectively. Miss Collins, our Japanese language teacher, along with the help of some year 6 students, will be making the following: 17 October: White chocolate green tea cookies. Special offer: The first student to email Miss Collins and tell her the word for 'green tea' in Japanese will win a free serve! (tcoll78@eq.edu.au)

31 October: Yakisoba (chicken and vegetable noodles). Special offer: The first student to email Miss Collins and tell her what the word 'yaki' in 'yakisoba' means in English will win a free serve! (tcoll78@eq.edu.au) These treats will be available at second break for $1 each.

SWIMMING PROGRAM The HPE swimming program will be conducted in Term 4 on Fridays at the Leichhardt pool for 7 weeks. Lessons run for approximately 30 minutes, commencing Friday 19

October until Friday 30 November with a swimming carnival being held on Friday 7 December. Completed permission forms were due at the office by Friday 21 September (last day of Term 3). The total cost for the lessons will be $50. This must be paid in full before lessons commence on Friday 19 October. This program is instructional and will support children who are not confident in the water and further develop skills for those children who are. Students will be instructed in small groups and assessed at the end of the year as part of their HPE reporting. It is expected that all students will participate unless a medical condition prevents this (medical certificate to be supplied).

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED! Helpers are needed in areas such as breakfast club, gardening and assisting teachers with classroom activities, tasks and excursions—please see your class teacher if you can assist in any way.

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK (FOR SEPTEMBER) Prep Holly, Luis, Ava, Drew, Jessica W, Corbin P/1 Denman, Matthew, Oala, Wanomi, Grayson,

Ceana, Megan, Rubee 1K Bella-Ann, Dakota, William, Caleb 2 Brianna-Rose, Daymen, Hugo 3/4S Patryk, Zeven, Elinor 4B Elli Louise, Benedict 4/5L Cheryl 5/6J Samaya, Riley, Dempsey GARDEN Jet-Ray, Brady 100% ATTENDANCE ON AT LEAST ONE DAY 2, 2/3H, 4/5L, 4B 150 STAMPS—BIG PRIZE! Jessica S, Bella-Rose, Lindsay, Ava, Monson, James S, Celia, Luis

Congratulations and thank you for helping our school

PARK AND WALK TO SCHOOL (REGULAR EVENT)

Park & Walk will continue up to and including week 9 this term. Please meet Ms Carlotta at Omar Street Park at 8.15am each Friday and walk to school as a group. Participating students and those students who walk to school from another direction will have their names placed into a raffle to win some great prizes. **Please note: This event will be cancelled if raining. Any cancelled events will be advertised on our school Facebook page in the morning.**

CITYHOPE CARE HAMPERS OF HOPE APPEAL Once again, our school is participating in a food collection appeal and asking for donations of non-perishable items to be donated during Term 4. All donations will be delivered to Cityhope Care to make up hampers for families in need over the Christmas break. All food donations can be dropped off in the collection box in your child’s class and the administration office. We thank you for your kind generosity and support!

FIRE ANT TRACKER EDUCATIONAL SESSION AND DEMONSTRATION On Tuesday 16 October, we are fortunate enough to have Mandy and her loyal fire ant tracker dog Aka, coming to the school to deliver an educational session and demonstration to some of our classes. This is a free interactive presentation that addresses the effects and hazards of fire ants and inspires children to take an interest in current environmental issues. If you would like to come along, please see the timetable for class sessions: 3/4, 4B and 4/5L: 9.00am–9.45am in the library Prep, P/1, 1K, 2H, 2/3H: 10.00am–10.45am in the library

HEALTH TALKS (YEAR 5 & 6 STUDENTS) On Monday 29 October we are fortunate enough to have Ms Trink Tonks coming to our school to present health talks to our Year 5 and 6 students*. Trink is a registered nurse, based at Bremer State High School so will become a familiar face to our Year 6 students who are enrolled at BSHS in 2019. The health talks will be broken up into two groups of female and male students to lessen any embarrassment. Ms Carlotta, our Community Support Worker will be with the students during the talk. The presentations will cover important topics such as: body changes, personal hygiene, emotional changes, puberty and menstruation. Sexual health will not be covered in the presentation. Please complete and return the permission slip to your child’s teacher or the office by Friday 26 October. Year 6 female students will be given a sample pack of sanitary products from Cotton to take home.

DAY FOR DANIEL WALK 2017 On Friday 26 October, we are hoping that all of our students from Prep to Year 3/4S* and any available parents and carers will participate in the walk. Leaving school at 9.45am, we will join the rest of the community walkers on the corner of Waghorn and Limestone Streets, walk up Waghorn Street and turn right onto Brisbane Road before taking the lane off Brisbane Road that leads to McDonald’s and head back to school. The walk takes approximately 21 minutes. Students are asked to wear a red accessory along with their regular school shirt and shorts/skirt so that they can still be identified as Ipswich West students–this helps ensure their safety. They might wear red socks, a red wristband, a red ribbon, red wings, etc. Please do not send students with red dyed or sprayed hair as our uniform requirements include hair neat, tidy and its natural colour. Please complete and return the permission slip to your child’s class teacher by Wednesday 24 October. There is a Daniel Morcombe Foundation donation box in the administration office if you would like to donate to this dedicated and wonderful charity. All donations are greatly appreciated. *Please note 4B, 4/5L, 5/6J & 5/6T will not be participating due to swimming lesson commitments.

P&C NEWS Thank You: The P&C would like to thank Theresa Byers for all her hard work as Secretary in 2017 and 2018, and we welcome Anita Robertson into the role of Secretary.

End of Year Fundraising Events: Please come along to our next meeting to suggest and discuss exciting end of year fundraising events.

Uniform Shop: Operating hours are Mondays 2.45pm-3.15pm and Fridays 8.30am-9.00am.

School Banking: Just a reminder that School Banking Day is every Friday! In Term 4, two new reward items from our Super Savers range become available to redeem:

Slushie Maker Cup

Zoom Flying Disc

Next Committee Meeting: Wednesday 17 October at 2.00pm in the office courtyard. All welcome! Agenda items can be emailed to president.westipswichpnc@gmail.com.

TUCKSHOP For those who would like to help, but can only spare an hour, please just come in...we have a new cappuccino machine, so coffees are on the house for volunteers! Please note there is no tuckshop in the first week or last two weeks of Term 4. On 6 December we will be spring cleaning the tuckshop. Volunteers are welcome for 5 mins or the whole day. Lunch will be provided. First Tuckshop in Term 4: Thursday 18 October Last Tuckshop in Term 4: Thursday 29 November

From Carlotta Graham Community Support Worker

**STUDENT FREE DAY** Please note: There is a student free day on Monday 22 October. The school will be closed on that day.