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WELLERS HILL STATE SCHOOL Strive to Succeed

Principal: Mrs Vicki Caldow

Deputy Principal: Mr Jack White Deputy Principal: Mrs Louise Hart Deputy Principal: Taku Hashimoto

Deputy Principal: Kerin Gordon School Captains: Gaya Jeong, Jack Somerville, Chau-An

Tran, Harley Wilson

Telephone: 07 3249 1333

Fax: 07 3848 0228 Web: www.wellhillss.eq.edu.au

Email: admin@wellhillss.eq.edu.au Student Absence Line 07 3249 1333 option 1

Or SMS 0427934553

Wednesday 8 May 2019

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and Caregivers

As part of the school review at the end of 2018 the key improvement strategy; was the following:

• Develop and implement a whole-school communication strategy that uses a broad range of contemporary channels and includes collaborative process, clear expectations for relational and timely responses to actively engage internal and external stakeholders.

As a result of the data gathered, through consultation with parents and staff, the Wellers Hill State School Communication Plan has been developed. I encourage you to read this document, which will be used to guide effective communication between school, parents, students and community. Fact sheets will be available on our school website to inform all stakeholders of the types and means of communication available between home and school. Please see our website (week 4) for the WHSS Communication Strategy.

We all know that to have a significant impact on student outcomes, communication needs to be focused on student learning and wellbeing. It must also be a genuine exchange of information and ideas between the student, the school, the home and the community.

The school has a responsibility and commitment to help our parents understand the 'language of learning' including the terms used by teachers in the classroom with students to communicate learning goals and expectations. This will assist you to discuss learning with your child at home and to effectively communicate with teachers using a common language.

Quality partnerships require a reciprocal commitment from staff and parents to work together to improve student learning and wellbeing. Learning is not limited to the classroom. The beliefs, expectations and experience of parents are powerful determinants in students' achievement. Effective partnerships can help to raise parents' awareness of their ability to improve their children's learning and wellbeing. Understanding the school, home and community contribution to student learning helps cultivate a holistic learning environment. Please ensure that you communicate your child’s needs and concerns to their teacher in the first instance and if further assistance is required to the Deputy Principal’s or Principal.

WHAT’S ON AT WELLERS Thurs 9 May, 9 am – 10.30am Prep Mother’s Day Event 10 & 13 May St Helena Island – Year 4 Tues 14 May- Fri 24 May NAPLAN online testing period P & C Day 24 May 21 May Prep Puppets Come Alive 27 May Year 6 Federation & Beyond 27 May Year 3 We are all Australian

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Line Managers are as follows: P-3 Louise Hart – Deputy Principal 3/4 Kerin Gordan – Deputy Principal 5/6 Jack White Deputy Principals 6 Taku Hashimoto – Deputy Principal Specialist Teachers (Music, PE, Languages, Instrumental Music) Chris Kelly Head of Curriculum I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the development of the Wellers Hill communication strategy. Please remember that sometime calendar dates are incorrect or put on our systems with differing dates, a simple call or email to the school can alert us to this and we can fix it immediately. Thank you to everyone for your support in continuing to make Wellers Hill a great school. Have a fabulous week. Vicki Caldow Principal Minimum age requirement for social media accounts Each social media site and app has its own criteria for minimum age requirements. Popular apps such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat require a user to be at least 13 years of age to create an account. For more information, parents can access the eSafety Commissioner’s advice on how to navigate key online milestones.

Queensland guidance officers From 29 April to 10 May we’re highlighting the important work of our guidance officers. Guidance officers are highly valued members of our school community, forming strong and productive relationships with staff, students, parents and external support agencies. Guidance officers respond to a variety of complex issues in our school and bringing a broad range of skills and knowledge to the role. Support offered by guidance officers includes providing advice and counselling on educational, behavioural, vocational, personal, social, family, and mental health and wellbeing issues. Let’s celebrate our guidance officers Lisa Blake (on leave) and Rob Symon for the support, guidance and inspiration they provide.

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It takes a village — thank an unsung hero Thank an unsung hero in your village who is making a difference in a young person’s life with the It takes a village campaign. The Community Council of Australia is giving people the opportunity to nominate a grandparent, family member, sports coach, charity worker, fellow student or community member who is helping a young person dream big and achieve their education goals. Businesses can also get involved by becoming a partner or supporting a charity making a difference in your village.

Preventing domestic and family violence by building respect May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month. School communities play a critical role in modelling healthy relationships based on respect and equality. It’s a good time to view Our Watch’s short #BecauseWhy videos, which encourage us not to limit anyone’s potential on the basis of gender.

Winter sun is still dangerous Even in winter, UV levels in Queensland remain high enough to damage skin. It is important to stay sun safe all year round by applying sunscreen every day. Apply water resistant, broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside. Make sunscreen part of your morning routine. Find more tips at the Feel Good Facts website

https://bit.ly/2KWjmqD

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Out and About app now on Android The department’s most popular app, ‘Out and About’ is now available for Android devices as well as Apple. Aimed at students in Prep to Year 2 and written in Q Beginners font, this free app helps students master the first 100 sight words to which they are typically introduced. http://deta.qld.gov.au/about/app/out-and-about.html

NAPLAN ONLINE 2019 This year, students in Year 3 and Year 5 at Wellers Hill will be sitting the Naplan test online. To assist parents and students to familiarize themselves with the test there is a demonstration site that will take you through the test and give you an insight into what the students will be experiencing. This is a public site and can be accessed by anyone at anytime please feel free to give it a try. The link to the site is: https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING – CONFLICT RESOLUTI ON One of the most valuable learning experiences children take from school is conflict resolution. We all experience conflict in life and we tend to deal with it by drawing on the skills and behaviours we began to acquire during our school years. There are a number of things parents can do to empower children in being effective negotiators and problem solvers. They include:-

• Show support but remain impartial

• Encourage your child to take ownership of the problem- use the “High Five”, and remember the four school rules:- Be a learner, Be responsible, Be respectful, Be safe.

• Encourage your child to rate the event on a “Grand Scale”, where a big event would be

something like a cyclone blowing your house down and a small event would be something like misplacing your book or forgetting to watch a favourite TV show. This often allows your child to see the event more realistically and to realise that most playground incidents will be forgotten in a very short period of time.

• Ask your child to try to imagine the situation from the other person’s point of view; this may help

your child to understand how he/ she may have unknowingly contributed to the problem, or to be more understanding when someone else appears to be behaving badly.

• Lead by example and demonstrate appropriate problem solving behaviour in daily life. Think

about how you want your child to approach misunderstandings and disagreements as an adult and start helping them to acquire the skills of conflict resolution and negotiation now.

ROSIE’S - Friends On The Street Mackenzie M in Year 4 has come up with a wonderful idea to help those less fortunate than ourselves - Rosies – Friends on the Street is a not-for-profit organisation with over 900 active volunteers across Queensland. Rosies provides unconditional acceptance and friendship to those who are marginalised within our community - especially those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or simply lonely. Each month 240 Rosies’ teams hit the streets, the courts as well as youth detention and women’s correctional facilities. By sharing their time, a cuppa, a snack, some basic toiletries and blankets, volunteers help those who are socially isolated feel supported. You never know when life may take a turn for the worse. How can you help? It’s simple donate a small item such as those listed below: There is a box in the Chappy’s room in which you can put your donations. A small gift can go such a long way. Well done Mackenzie.

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Items: Cup noodles Toiletries (small bottles – hotel bottles are perfect)

- Feminine Hygiene Products - Deodorant - Razors - Shaving cream - Shampoo - Conditioner - Soap - Paw paw cream - Tissues and wipes - Zip lock bags

Sun Safe Team – Winter Sun Is Still Dangerous Even in winter, UV levels in Queensland remain high enough to damage skin. It is important to stay sun safe all year round by applying sunscreen every day. Apply water resistant, broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside. Make sunscreen part of your morning routine. Find more tips at the Feel Good Facts website https://bit.ly/2KWjmqD

UV levels in winter can still cause skin damage. So, apply sunscreen every day. Find more tips at the Feel Good Facts website https://bit.ly/2KVFC3S

Winter Clothing Brrr, Winter is on the way! The issue is, of course, that we experience winter most acutely in the mornings. As the temperature steadily rises students peel off the outer layers, and while most place them in their school bag and enjoy the winter sunshine; unfortunately, children - being children – do not always see the need to look after their items of clothing. The result is that these items find their way to the growing lost property bin, located in the hall. This being the case, please remember to mark your child’s property clearly with a marking pen. A new jumper, hat or pants can so easily be reunited with its rightful owner as long as you have marked the tag which can be found in most school uniforms. We will return as many of the named items as possible during term but there are still many unnamed items to be collected. Please take the time to come and see if any of these items belong to your children. If the clothing is clearly named there is a good chance it will be returned – unnamed NO chance.

CAPTAINS’ CORNER

Hello everyone, As many of you know the Year 6s are going to camp from the 8th-10th of May at Noosa North Shore Camp Retreat. The week after camp the Year 6 students have the opportunity to pay a visit to Brisbane State High School’s musical on the 24th of May. On that same day the music badges will be handed out. This week the Year 5s also had a Gold Rush/Eureka Stockade incursion. Harley Wilson, Jack Somerville, Chau-An Tran,Gaya Jeong

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GOOD NEWS

Congratulations to Caedan M who during Easter holidays competed in the Queensland Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) Championships at Chandler in Level 7U division. As he is now competing in the Senior competition, he was required to complete two routines for each of the six apparatus: Rings, Parallel Bars, Vault, Pommel Horse, Floor and Horizontal Bar (12 routines all up). He is the youngest competitor in his level, competing against boys that are up to two years older than him. Caedan won the gold medal (first) for his Floor and Parallel Bars routines. He won silver for his High bar, Rings and Pommel, giving him the silver medal for all round gymnast. He has been selected in the Qld MAG team to compete at the National Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne in May. Caedan is in year 6 at WHSS and currently trains 20 hours a week at the Qld Gymnastics High Performance Centre at Chandler. We wish Caedan all the best as he has been selected in the Queensland Mens Gymnastics team to compete at the Australian Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne. Go Caedan!

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MUSIC NEWS

ALL MUSIC STUDENTS Save the dates for Semester 1:

Term 2 Month Week Event Groups Involved May Fri – Sun 31st – 2nd (June)

6 State Honours Ensemble Program

Selected Senior Strings & Band Students

June Thurs 6th 7 Music Night All Groups Thurs-Fri 27th – 28th

10 Southside Junior Strings Workshop Coorparoo State School 327 Old Cleveland Road

Yr3 Strings Students

Save the dates for Semester 2 :

Term 4 Week Event Groups Involved October TBA TBA Music Fest – Strings All String Groups TBA TBA Music Fest – Bands Junior and Senior Bands November Sat 2nd 4 Music Fest – Choirs Junior and Senior Choirs

Thurs 21st 7 Music Night All Groups

Choirs New Boys Choir! All boys in Senior Choir and all Year Four Boys in Junior Choir are invited to join a new boys choir!! The choir will be less formal in style with guitar accompaniment and popular repertoire. Come along with your song ideas! This choir will rehearse on Thursdays at 2nd break. Levies All Choir levies have been sent to parents via email – please let the office know if you have not received an invoice. Mrs Gillian Kristensen gkris11@eq.edu.au INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC – BAND Well done to the Senior Concert Band on their fine performance at the school ANZAC Ceremony. A special mention to Aiden.M for his moving performance of The Last Post and Reville on trumpet. Week 3 Lesson & Rehearsal Changes Due to the long weekend and year 6 camp, Intermediate Band will rehearse on Friday 10th May 7:45am and year 5 students will also have their lessons on Friday 10th May as well. Rehearsal Time – start 7:45am A reminder that Junior Band, Intermediate Band and Senior Band all start rehearsal at 7:45am. Students are required to arrive prior to that time in order to set up their instruments and be seated in the rehearsal room. It would be greatly appreciated if all band families can assist their child to be ready to play at 7:45am to maximise rehearsal time. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - STRINGS I have really enjoyed returning to Wellers Hill this term after being away on maternity leave. I look forward to working with the students over the coming year!

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Intermediate Strings Rehearsal Intermediate strings rehearsal which was formally at 7:45am on Wednesday mornings will now run at 1:25pm on Wednesdays. Students will need to bring their lunch down to the strings room at 1:25pm. Senior Strings Rehearsal Senior Strings practise starts at 7:45am, so students need to arrive before this time in order to have sufficient time to unpack their instruments, set-up and get their instrument tuned. It is disruptive to the rehearsal if we need to stop for latecomers to tune their instruments. In the instance that a rehearsal is cancelled, an email will be sent to parents prior to 7am. Please make a habit of checking your email account prior to Senior Strings Rehearsal on Tuesday mornings, in case the rehearsal has been cancelled. If you have recently changed your email address, please let me know by emailing jpric211@eq.edu.au Southside Junior Strings Workshop All Year 3 string students are invited to attend this excellent workshop which will be held on June 27th – 28th at Coorparoo State School. A form was sent home and emailed to parents last week. Both the form and the payment must be returned to the office by May 31st. Students always improve greatly in their playing at this workshop but most importantly, leave with a greater love for playing! So please enrol your child to attend.

Practise Booklets All students should now have a practise booklet in which they are to record their practise tasks and weekly practise. It also provides information on the instrumental music curriculum and assessment criteria. Happy Music Making! Wellers Hill State School Music Teachers

SPORT NEWS

Term 2 - Week 3

The current calendar for term two is below. Some dates may change along the way and new events added but if you follow the newsletter each week you will be sure not to miss out. Sports Dates for Term 2 Aquathon (Biathlon) (Yrs 4, 5 & 6) > 31st May – Week 6 Senior Gala Day (Yrs 4, 5 & 6) > TBC (In the event of a postponement due to weather, etc., we will investigate an alternative date. Senior Pilot Athletics/Running Club During Term One we trialled an Athletics/Running program before school to aid in the athletic development of our students. This is an extra-curricular activity for students in Years 4, 5 & 6. The running program will be offered on a Monday and Wednesday morning from 7.45 – 8.30. With the great turnout during Term One, we hope to continue for Term Two although slight changes may be made depending on other commitments. If students are interested make sure they register their name with Mr. Grennan. Permission letters needs to be returned before students can participate.

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Senior Athletics Carnival Well done to all our Senior Athletics Age Champions who were presented with their medals at parade last week. District Sports Trials Information regarding district sport trials will be published in the school newsletter as it comes to hand. We make up just one school of more than 30 schools in our district so spaces at trials are limited to five students, maximum, per school. As such, not all students who ask to go to district trials can be considered, with preference given to 12 year old’s first (as per district school selection policy) and those with more experience including club representative teams. Please keep an eye on the newsletter to find out what trials are occurring so that you do not miss out. Mt Gravatt District Boys Rugby Union Trials Mt Gravatt District trials for Rugby Union are coming up this term. If you play Rugby at a very high standard , and are born in 2007 or 2008 , please see Mr Grennan for more information. Please note that school nominations are limited with preference given to students turning twelve as per Mt Gravatt District Sport policy. District Athletics Carnival Last week we had 37 students qualify and compete at the District Athletics Carnival. Wellers Hill performed very well at the event with large number of students making finals in their respective events. Six of our students shared a total of fourteen medals between them which is a fantastic return. Congratulations and good luck to Nicole B, Zoe B, Kimberley B, Tyler B, Bill G and Lashitha T who have made the Mt Gravatt District team to compete at the Regional Athletics carnival this term. AFL Queensland School Cup This year we hope to compete again in AFL Q Cup. We would like to participate in both the Boys & Girls competition. Squad numbers are restricted due the Q Cup rules so trials may be held. Both teams are open to any students in Years 4, 5 & 6. If anyone is interested in trialling for one of the teams, can the register their interest with Mr. Grennan at first break on Monday 13th May. Gala Day Planning for the upcoming Gala day is underway. We will be participating with Upper Mt Gravatt State School across both campuses and competing in a number of sports. Our school will be split into the four houses and teams will be multi aged and mixed. Students will have an opportunity to select two preferences for Gala Day. Each student will be allocated to a preferred (either 1st or 2nd choice) sport. We will be participating in a mixture of both traditional and non-traditional sports and are leaving no stone unturned to make it fun for everyone!!! Years 4-6 Swimming Lessons For the beginning of term two students from Years Four to Six will be participating in a swimming program during PE lessons. Teachers will be liaising with parents during the term to ensure there is always parent supervision at each swimming lesson throughout the entire term. With Years Four, Five & Six, a minimum of one parent watching from the pool deck is sufficient.

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Students must wear a cap and sun shirt in the pool at all times. All items that are brought to school for swimming lessons such as school clothes, goggles and towels, should be clearly marked with the students name and class. Students are responsible for bringing and applying their own sunscreen. If a student is unable to swim on any given day, they need to bring a signed letter from their parents or medical professional explaining why. If students forget their swimmers or do not bring them on three occasions or more (without an acceptable reason) during a school term, they will have to attend a restitution session in their own lunchtime.

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DATE CLAIMERS and DUE DATES FOR PAYMENTS Year Level Event Due Date Amount

4 St Helena Island 10 & 13 May Now $33.50 Prep Puppet Come Alive 21- May 15 May $7

6 Federation & Beyond – 27 May 24 May $5.10 3 We’re are all Australians 27 May 24 May $5

• Preferred method of payment is via BPoint – log on to: http://www.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete

Quote- CRN Number and Invoice No. located at base of the invoice.

• Eftpos payment at the school office.(Card and Cardholder present)

• Phone payments can be made via Qld. State School Bill Paying Service on 1300 631 073. Quote- CRN Number and Invoice No. located at base of the invoice. Due to a change in the Department of Education’s policies, the school can no longer take credit card payment over the school phone.

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UNIFORM SHOP Wednesday 1:30 to 3.30 p.m.

Friday 8.00 to 10.00 a.m. Deb Love Telephone 3249 1361 School uniformshop@wellershillpandc.com.au

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Please ensure the school has up-to-date information regarding emergency contacts so that you can be contacted promptly if required.

Parkrun Parkrun is on Saturday. There is a large contingent of Wellers Hill families both past and present who participate in Parkrun at Stones Corner and we would love to see you there. It is as simple as registering via the link below then turning up. The people who run it do a great job and everyone is made to feel very welcome. I will guarantee that there will be someone there that you know. Details: Where: Hanlon Park Corner of Junction St and O’Keefe St Stones Corner When: (Almost) Every Saturday at 7:00am Cost: Free Fitness Level: Very fit to “Can I Ride My Bike?” Link: http://www.parkrun.com.au/stonescorner/

COMMUNITY NEWS

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