22nd July - Term 3, Week 3

Acknowledgement of Country

News from Mrs Kelly

Hi Everyone, 

I hope everyone has settled back successfully into Term 3!  I unfortunately have been very unwell with Influenza A, I came down with it on the second day in Canberra and my goodness, I really have struggled with it.  Nonetheless, Canberra, what an amazing trip! 

To say that our Year 6 children are an outstanding group, is a massive understatement - they are simply extraordinary!  Canberra is a place with the most incredible opportunities and this camp takes advantage of so many of them.  The enhancement of learning through this camp is like nothing else; these are such lucky children, but they are also very grateful, curious, kind and very polite children.  A massive thank you must go to the organisers; Year 6 teaching team and Mrs Katie Bailey and all of the other staff who came and helped supervise, it is an epic commitment!  Thank you also to Mrs Charlotte Nielsen, who gave up her time to come and volunteer at this camp, you were a great help. Congratulations again Year 6, you are outstanding ambassadors for our school!

While we were away it was Preps celebrated 100 days at school!!  What a sweet milestone.  They are such a joyful bunch of delightful children, it is always nice being around the smallest members of our school community.

Well done to all of our children who have been competing at the District Athletics, it is a huge achievement to be selected for this level of competition.  I can’t wait to hear all about how they went.  Thank you to Mr Jeremie Clarke-Okah for getting them ready for this big event.

Religious Instruction classes commenced again last Friday and I would like to thank the teams of volunteers who come to our school to make this happen, we are very grateful for your time and talent.

Another exciting event happened on Friday and the was the STEM Inspiration Day.  Keep an eye out for a full wrap-up about this and thank you so much to Mr Bryan Chow for leading the team.

Congratulations to all of our students who received Merit Certificates on assembly in the first two weeks.

The mind-blowingly talented Chamber Strings played on assembly on Friday, thank you to them and Mrs Trudy Weekes of course. 

I believe I do not have to bite my tongue any longer, I can officially squeal CONGRATULTIONS to them, as they have made the state final of FANFARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What an achievement, I cannot wait to go and watch them perform!! There is a whole group of our children off participating in the Westcent Honours Workshop this week too and next week, children are participating in the Redlands Eisteddfod— so many wonderful music opportunities!

Here are a few snaps of the chamber strings performing at Friday's school assembly. 

I am very excited that we have got Debating Teams happening here at Ironside State School.  Public speaking is an incredibly useful skill and debating is a fantastic high order thinking activity that requires a person to bring many of their talents together, to work together as a team to successful debate a topic.   Our Debating Teams are getting an opportunity to enter their first competition this week and we wish them all the very best.  Thank you to Ms Dannielle Faithfull and Mr James Tait who coach these teams. 

Last term I announced a few staff departures from our school and this term I am welcoming staff!  Welcome to Ms Brielle Bignell (teaching 1A), Ms Tanja Settelmeier (teaching 1B) and Ms Sophie Leishman (teaching 3A).  We are very grateful to have these teachers joining our team here at Ironside State School and look forward to working alongside them.

A reminder that our next P&C Meeting is coming up on Tuesday 30 July at 6:30pm in our staff room.  Please, please, please try to make it along and be part of your children’s schooling, this is a great way to be involved!  Another great way is our Parent Group, which happens at Chappy Central, every Tuesday at 2:15pm -   come and be involved! 

I will finish by saying how saddened we are as a school community that Haga School were not able to fly from Japan due to the international IT outage, you just would not believe it!!!  Thank you to Mrs Shelley Lee and the Cultural Exchange committee who have been organising this big event and to all of the families who were hosting them, I am just so sorry this has happened - Haga School must be devastated.

Next weekend, Tomiokahigashi School will be arriving, and we look forward to welcoming them.  We have everything crossed that it goes ahead with no issues.

Have a wonderful fortnight everyone!

 
Yours in Education

Angie Kelly

Important Term 3 Dates

A message from Queensland Education

Every day Counts

Research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance is associated, on average, with higher student achievement. Additionally, attending school every day helps children to build social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience.

Further, research shows that poor school attendance is associated with:

• lower academic achievement including literacy and numeracy
  
• leaving school with fewer qualifications
• reduced opportunities for students to learn and access educational resources, further limiting achievement
• further absenteeism in higher year levels

If you're concerned about your child's attendance or absenteeism, please contact your school for further information. In the meantime, please see below for further information. 

For further resources please head to the following link: 

https://education.qld.gov.au/initiatives-and-strategies/initiatives/every-day-counts/for-parents-and-community 

NCCD

News from Mr Weston-Murdoch

Dear parents and caregivers,

Welcome back to Term 3!

School Values and Expectations:  Weeks 1 & 2

Our focus for this past fortnight has been:

(Week 1): Behaviour is a choice

Taking responsibility for the choices we make is a sign of maturity. The primary school years are an ideal time to introduce both an understanding of possible choices and the skills needed to show that children have control over behaviours. Simply put, children can either choose to be friendly or they can choose to cause a conflict.

We need to provide clarity for children in what choices are friendly and those that cause conflict. We must not assume that children understand the differences. It is vital to teach the language of friendly and conflict choices, so that these can be discussed as they arise.

With younger children, it is extremely important to help them understand by modelling appropriate language, tone and body language.

(Week 2): Nature of conflict

Conflict can be defined as a problem, a disagreement or a fight.  It can be physical, verbal or indirect, with a reference to winning or losing.  Actions that present during conflict can be grouped into behaviours that hurt physically, and behaviours that hurt emotionally – hurting feelings and creating emotional pain.  The impetus for conflict may be deliberate, accidental or perceived but, predominately, conflict has its basis in unmet needs.

In classrooms, playgrounds, homes and sports fields, children are going to wrestle with the pain, discomfort and uncertainties related to conflict.  How they respond plays a part in determining their ability to grow into confident, respectful and problem-solving citizens.

“Empowered for Life”; Jocelyne Chirnside.

At Ironside State School, we take a positive, solutions-focused approach and stay low on the ladder of inference.  When incidents are discussed at home, please mindful of assumptions being made or getting caught up in emotions, particularly around the perspectives of younger children.

The best thing parents can do when conflict is reported at home is to apply an adult lens and filter the information: Step back, listen, investigate if necessary or see this as an opportunity for personal growth.

How we respond as adults and manage emotions in this space plays a critical role in developing and building a child’s resilience.

There are systems, structures and processes in place to support individuals and the general population, both academically and socially.  Your classroom teacher should always be your first point of contact.

2025 Prep Enrolment Process

1. Pre-Enrolment Information

• Prep Information Video: Our pre-enrolment Prep information video is now accessible on the school website. The purpose of this video is to provide an overview and general information in regards to the enrolment process and what you and your child can expect in the first year of school. 
• ISS Website https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/Enrolments/Prep/Pages/Prep.aspx

1. Enrolment Applications (from Term 3)

• Prep 2025 Enrolment Pack is available on our website.
• Applicants must be currently living in the Ironside Catchment and be able to supply supporting evidence as per the criteria in the Ironside State School Enrolment Management Plan.

There is no waitlist and no cap on enrolments.

Enrolment Management Plan (from 30 June 2017)

• No out of catchment enrolments.
• No sibling policy.
• Must be intending to stay for 12+ months.
• All applications require the execution of the Ironside State School Statutory Declaration which confirms the student’s residence in the catchment and the parents’ acknowledgment that they must reside in the catchment for the duration of their child’s enrolment.
• Ongoing checks that students reside in catchment.

1. 2025 Enrolment Interview

After your application has been reviewed and approved by our Enrolments Officer, you will be provided details regarding an enrolment interview. Four days have been allocated to this process.

Further details about our Prep enrolment interviews are available on the school website.

https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/enrolments/prep/2025-prep-enrolment-information

If you have any questions regarding the enrolment application and required documentation, please contact enrolments@ironsidess.eq.edu.au.

On Thursday in Week 1, Prep celebrated 100 Days of School. This is a very exciting milestone and one we have been counting up to all year, with each class keeping a record of how many days we have been at school. Along the way, we talked about lots of different maths concepts such as ten frames, counting by tens and ones, place value and addition.

On our special day, we participated in 100-themed activities. Prep D made crowns with 10 groups of 10 stickers, drawings and sequins. We built towers using 100 cups, made things out of 100 pieces of Lego, put hundred chart puzzles together and listened to a story about 100 boxes of donuts. We went outside and did 100 exercises and in the afternoon we ate shark cakes specially made by Mrs Pearl.

We had a great day and are now wondering how we will celebrate 200 days!

In Year 1 we have started our new work exploring cultural texts. We will be working across the term to practice retelling a story by both writing and presenting it to our peers. We can use props and pictures to help us remember the important parts of the story.

This term in Media Arts, the Year 2 students are exploring and designing showbags. We will be learning about elements of design including: colours, fonts and images. Throughout this unit we will be practicing the skills of planning, creating and reflecting on their work. We begin by looking at the history of showbags and how they have changed over time.  

We are in the early stages of planning our showbag designs.

Kind regards,

Scott Weston-Murdoch
Deputy Principal P-2
and the P-2 Team

News from Mr Corbett

Dear Familes,

The students of 3A at Ironside State School are learning to handle money and give correct change. This hands-on approach helps students understand the value of money and develop essential life skills.

In 3D, students have been engaging in speaking and listening activities to build their confidence and skills in public speaking. Students presented in front of the class to model what they had learnt.

In 4E, students recently received a letter from the "Head Chair," who was speaking on behalf of all chairs and pillows. This creative approach served as a persuasive prompt, encouraging students to write compelling letters.

The Head Chair's letter outlined the daily struggles and experiences of chairs and pillows in the classroom. It highlighted the importance of treating these essential items with care and respect. The students were then tasked with responding to this letter, using persuasive language to advocate for better treatment of the classroom furniture.

Warm regards,

Thomas Corbett
Deputy Principal Y3-4
and the Y3-4 Team

News from Mrs Bailey

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to term 3! 

The start of the term has been busy with the Canberra Camp, District Athletics and Year 5 classes attending the Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre.

It was an absolute privilege to travel to Canberra with our Year 6 teachers and students. Accommodation staff and tour guides spoke highly of student behaviour, commenting on the following aspects:

• Organised: Rooms and buses were kept clean, and students were ready and on time.
• Curious: Students showed high levels of engagement with activities, answering and asking thoughtful questions.
• Kind: Students consistently thanked accommodation staff, tour guides and teachers for their time and assistance. They helped fellow students in need and maintained caring relationships.
• Resilient: Despite a few 'travel hiccups' (lost bags, misplaced jumpers, trips to doctors, etc.), moments of homesickness, and times when students were tired and cold, they were able to take deep breaths, talk to someone about it and problem-solve a way forward.

'Hats off' to you and the teachers for instilling these attributes in our senior students!

Introduction

Canberra was a great experience for everyone who went, though it was a first-time experience for many people. Our first time on a plane by ourselves, our first time in a different state from our family, our first time in Canberra! But overall, I’m sure everyone loved it, just as much as I did. We learned a lot, we had a lot of fun, and everyone would’ve wanted to go a second time. We, eight people from 6A, have decided to document our favourite bits, so that we can share it with the community (and stop people from asking us even MORE questions about camp), and also so that the grade 5’s know what they’re going to do next year.

• Sithumi Prematillake

Airport

We arrived at the airport at 4:20 am. Everyone was tired but so excited for our trip to come. We farewelled our family, proceeded through security, and then waited to board the plane. As we got on the plane, excitement rushed through our veins. The plane was fun, talking quietly to our friends around us. After we landed and exited the plane, it hit us. We were in Canberra. We were quite shocked, as it really wasn’t as cold as we all expected. After that, we got on the bus to have our morning tea.

• Winnie Muslin

Accommodation

After Day 1’s activities, we arrived at Canberra Park (where we would live for the next 4 nights). We all got told which cabin we were in, then we brought our baggage to either the Quoll cabins (which housed all the boys and a few girls) or Echidna cabins (which were all girls). In the cabins, there were toilets, showers, and two bunk beds. The dining room we went to was called Homestead, where we ate at tables of 8 and could sit with whoever we wanted. After dinner, we had dessert, which was by far the best part. On days 3 and 4, we watched movies: in Quoll, it was Despicable Me 1 & 2, and in Echidna, it was Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2.

• Isla Kalhor and Mariana Salcedo

The Zoo

One of the first activities we did on day one in Canberra was visit the National Zoo and Aquarium. We spent four entertaining hours at the zoo, visiting animals and learning about them. We interacted with many animals, seeing species we’d never seen before. We saw monkeys, giraffes, deer, rhinos, and many more. During the tour of the zoo, we also visited the aquarium, where we saw fish, seahorses, and many others. At the zoo, we ate our packed lunch while taking in the beauty of Canberra.

• Chelsea Zhang and Winnie Muslin

Australian Governor-General

On our trip to Canberra, we had the chance to meet the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, and enter her property with a tour around the outside, where we even saw kangaroos roaming around the grassy plains (we also learned it was illegal to touch the grass because they wanted to keep it neat). She had just been selected on 1st July and is only the second female Governor-General in the history of Australia. After that, we went in and talked about all the medallions that people could receive. During that, we learned that the Governor-General received the ‘Badge of Office’. We got a guided tour learning about the history of the house, like when it was built (in 1865), and the huge dining room which could fit up to 52 seats!

• Alice Zhao

Parliament House

Another activity we got to experience was one of the main highlights: Parliament House. We took the iconic photo in front of the significant building and got a tour around it. During the tour, we learned about the history of Australian leaders. We saw important areas such as the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the centre of Parliament House, where you could see the flag if you looked directly upwards. After the tour, we got to role-play as the members of parliament and pass a bill. We learned about the process of making a bill and the layout of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• Aary Raj

Questacon

When we went to Canberra, we visited a place called Questacon. We learned about science-related things, like natural disasters and space. In the Lego room, we saw a moon, a rocket, and other huge things, all massive and made of Lego. We could make a bridge or a spaceship out of Lego and so much more. There was this big slide called Free Fall, where you would hang over the slide on a bar, then let go and slide down a 90-degree drop—it was so fun. There was a big room where you could see if AI is our friend or foe. It taught us that we should not trust everything we see, as we could detect what picture is right or wrong. Questacon was so much fun, and it was definitely a crowd favourite.

• Mariana Salcedo

The War Memorial

The War Memorial is the biggest star on Anzac Parade, a place all about remembering war. We learned and saw several interesting things while at the memorial. One of many was the wall of all the fallen soldiers that fought in all wars Australia participated in. All the poppies next to the names actually gave me a little bit of hope as they were not being forgotten for their sacrifices.

Another area was the dome with the buried unknown soldier. From the outside, it’s a beautiful dome with a breathtaking glass roof, but on the inside, it’s a mysterious and dark area with the unknown soldier buried in the middle and people working all the possible jobs in the military on the walls (made of mosaic). The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is where families whose relatives were never found, and never came home, go to mourn. The War Memorial made me wonder what would’ve happened if those people had not sacrificed their lives so bravely.

• Tibet Guven

Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens were so much fun and a great photo opportunity. With the megafauna statues outside, we were taking selfies with giant wombats that’d been extinct for centuries! Despite the creatures, we also learnt a lot from walking through the moist rainforest habitat and the spinifex-filled desert. The Botanical Gardens were a nice change of scenery, as we’d been spending most of our time in museums.

• Sithumi Prematillake

Royal Australian Mint

We were supposed to go to the Royal Australian Mint factory; however, it was being renovated, so instead we went to the Mint Museum. In the museum, we watched a brief video explaining when the first-ever coins were made in Australia: the first coin was made in 1965. The video also showed us clips of the machines inside the factory. After watching the video, we also learnt that there used to be 1 and 2 cent coins (which were bronze and eventually were made into 3rd place medals in the Sydney Olympics). The 50-cent coin used to be circular; therefore, it would constantly get confused with the 20-cent coin (because their size is similar). This caused the president at the time to change the coin to a dodecagonal shape, so they would no longer get confused. We also saw some custom coins like the Vegemite coin, a Wiggles coin, the Parliament Triangle coin, football coins, and the newest one being the Bluey coins.

• Isla Kalhor

Airport

4:20 pm, Friday. We were back at Canberra Airport. It felt like forever since we were last at the airport. Canberra had gone so slow yet so quick. Everyone had mixed emotions; Canberra was so fun, but we all missed something—whether it was family, your house, or pets. We all waited to board our plane after going through security. We each bought dinner at the airport, finding it fun having the freedom to buy whatever we wanted for dinner—with some limitations. As we boarded the plane and enjoyed the flight, we couldn’t help but wait for it to land so we could go home and tell our families all the things we had done at camp (trying to remember every single detail, as they insisted we needed to), and then, most importantly, sleep. As the plane landed, we rushed to baggage claim to finally see our families.

• Winnie Muslin

Written by:
Sithumi Prematillake
Winnie Muslin
Isla Kalhor
Chelsea Zhang
Alice Zhao
Mariana Salcedo
Tibet Guven
Aary Raj

Edited by:
Sithumi Prematillake

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Warm regards,

Katie Bailey
Deputy Principal Y5-6
and the Y5-6 Team

Rosa Shepherd - Social Worker

News from Chappy Thu

Dear Families,

Welcome to Term 3! I hope you all had a wonderful June break & feel refreshed & settled into the new term. We have many exciting events coming up this term, including our annual Father’s Day Breakfast, which will be on Wednesday, 28^th August & we will have a team for the Bridge to Brisbane event too! More details to come, but if you are interested in being a part of either event, please email me at tklet0@eq.edu.au . Thank you!

Parent Group

The Ironside Parent Group is back again this term & we will continue to meet on Tuesdays, 2:15 @ Chappy Central. Our discussion topics were chosen this week, as shown below. We would love to have you join us 😊

If you are interested in getting a copy of any of the presentations given at the Parent Group, please email me at tklet0@eq.edu.au.

It’s a new Semester, which means an all-new squad with new team names & team captains too! Congratulations to all the students. I look forward to leading with them!

Congratulations also to our new captains!

Over the last week, the students have been busily preparing a welcome poster for our Japanese visitors next week. The students alternated between drawing pictures of their favourite Australian foods, animals, sports & landscapes, making origami Australia animals & making letter collages using scrap paper. I’ve been so impressed by their artistic flair & thoughtfulness!

Regular Chappy Activities will resume next week!

And that’s all from me for now. Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight ahead!

Chappy Thu

tklet0@eq.edu.au
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
8am to 4pm

HPE News

Congratulations to all our Ironside students who participated at the Northern Eagles District Trials last week.  You have done Ironside proud!  A big congratulations goes out to Samara D A for breaking the 200m district record.  Great work!!

Dates to be aware of:

• Friday sport for years 5 and 6 starts in week 5 on Friday, August 9th
• The regional athletics trials for those who have qualified will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 27^th and 28^th 
• The junior athletics carnival will be Thursday, August 29^th at Jack Cook Park.  More information to come in the near future.

Jeremie Clarke-Okah
HPE Teacher

Library News

Cath Roche & Annika Sauvage
Library Teachers

Book Week

Admin News

QKR!

Payments for excursions, incursions, camps and music events can now be paid for via the QKr! app. If you don't already have the app, please download it from your app store. 

https://apps.apple.com/au/app/qkr/id589799471 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mastercard.labs.qkr&hl 

QParents

In our continuous efforts to enhance communication and streamline administrative processes, we will be transitioning to QParents for the following areas: reporting of school absences, invoice & payments, consent for activities, and accessing school reports. 

QParents will eventually become the main hub for all these tasks. 

In order make this transition a success it’s important for all parents to be registered and have access to QParents.

Here’s what you’ll be able to do with QParents once registered:

• View and download report cards online as soon as they are published
• Provide us with a reason for unexplained student absences, anytime and anywhere
• Notify the school of a future student absence at any time
• Pay your invoices. No cash or waiting at reception required, simply log in and pay online at any time
• Forget having to fill out and deliver a paper form for consent. Instead, provide consent for excursions and events using the QParents app.

The registration process is straightforward but it’s simpler if you use a home computer or laptop rather than your mobile phone*.

* After registering you can download the QParents app to log in and use on your mobile phone.

Please see below on how to register. 

Please note, you will be asked to provide your child’s EQI number. You should be able to find this on a recent invoice. If you still cannot find this, please email enrolments@ironsidess.eq.edu.au and request it. 

STEPS TO REGISTER

1. Locate your invite code (check your email. If you don't have this, please email the above)
2. Click the following link: https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/registration/account-owner/invitation/ 
3. Follow instruction to get your ID verified. 
4. Once verified you will have full access to QParents. Now you can download the app for your phone.  

Please note, for the majority of parents, you will be able to get your documents verified online. If, however, you do not have the 100 points needed to register, you will need to come to the school to present your documents.

Invoices

BPoint is the preferred payment method for Department of Education, due to the efficiencies that automated receipting brings to schools. BPoint is an online payment system which provides schools with a secure and efficient method of collecting payments for parents/customers. BPoint allows a parent to pay their child's invoices directly from home and receive the receipt immediately.

Click directly onto the link on your invoice (example one) at the bottom left-hand corner of your invoice.  By clicking on the link on your invoice it will automatically fill in your CRN (Customer Reference Number) and invoice number.  All you need to do is fill in the amount you want to pay.  You cannot pay multiple invoices on the one link.

If you want to pay all your invoices online, you can do this by clicking the link in the box and entering the exact six-digit invoice number from your statement (example two). 

If you prefer, click the link below and follow the steps to make a payment. 

1. Log on to: www.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete External link
2. Enter your Customer Reference Number (CRN). It is always the same for your child. It can be found on the bottom left hand corner of your invoice.
3. Enter invoice number
4. Enter student name
5. Enter amount $

Thank you to all parents for picking up your items from lost property last term.

This is what it looked like at the end of term 2 :) 

A friendly reminder to label hats, jackets, bags, lunch boxes and water bottles for this term and the next. We'd hate to see so many expensive items go missing! 

Tuck Shop

Advertising

For all advertising enquiries please email: communications@ironsidess.eq.edu.au 

Dear Ironside Families, 

We're excited to announce a new class in term 3. Please head to our website or click the link below for more information. 

Class Type: Coding
Day: Tuesdays
Dates: 16th July to 3rd September
Times: 3:15pm to 4:30pm

Please find the booking link HERE

Get excited – entries are now open for Wild At Art 2024!

From now until Monday 12 August – International Youth Day – we’re welcoming entries from young artists and nature lovers aged 5-12, showcasing the importance of protecting Australia’s threatened animals and plants for generations to come.   

ENTER COMPETITION

Key things to know about Wild At Art 2024 to help young people to take part: 

• Artwork entries must be a drawing, painting or mixed media work. Remember to check out our artist instructions for helpful tips. 
• Artworks must depict native Australian plants or animals listed as threatened or extinct under state or territory law. Use the Australian Government’s Species Profile and Threats Database if you're unsure whether an animal or plant is endangered or threatened.  
• Each artwork needs an adult sponsor – a parent, guardian or teacher – to submit on the child’s behalf. If you are a teacher, you must obtain consent from the parent or guardian of the child prior to submitting the artwork. 
• Submissions are to be made electronically via the submission form here. Entries open today, and close on Monday 12 August. 
• One artwork entry per child, unless the entry is a separate entry for groupwork (open to groups of children at schools or education centres only).  

For full details on entry criteria please read the terms and conditions.