Term 4, Week 6 Newsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

Principal's Message Term 4, Week 6

Hi Everyone,

Didn’t the SPRING FAIR deliver???  What a truly fabulous community event, I loved it!!  I remember our incredible Spring Fair committee saying to me that they just didn’t know if they could pull it off.  Well, with their amazing organisation and inspiration and lots of donations and help from volunteers, it was a truly wonderful day.  The kids just loved it and that is what it is all about!! 

There was so much to do  -  there was all manner of entertainment in the hall and you could sit enjoy the delicious food from the absolutely delicious International Food Stalls or a sweet treat from the Sugar Wonderland or popcorn or fairy floss; there was treasure to buy, you could get your face painted, there were games galore like dunking a teacher, pluck-a-duck, chuck-a-duck, laughing clowns, knock-em-downs, there were plants and incredible homemade crafts and jams and preserves, you could enjoy a scone and iced tea while relaxing in the air-conditioning and looking at the cakes from the cake competition, you could get involved in hair-raising rides like giant slide racing, laser skirmish, jumping castles, tea cup ride, chair planes and a fast spinning thing that made me ill to look at, you could also enjoy a pool party and there was even more -  it was honestly endless!

Thank you to the P&C Spring Fair Committee - Mrs Phoebe Anderson, Mr Michael Archbold, Mrs Barbie Reeve, Ms Sonja Bennetto and Mr Matthew Chung, staff and all volunteers and those who donated - it was such a team effort!! 

I was so busy that I only could take a few photos but please see the gallery below.

While I am talking all things P&C and community and volunteers.  Thank you to those wonderful people who put on the Democratic BBQ on election day.  It is a lot of work but a great opportunity to generate some funding for our P&C.

Thank you to Mrs Shelley Lee who has gotten the 2025 Japanese Tour organisation underway.  It is exciting that this tradition is living on!

Congratulations to all of the children who received a P-2 STAR Award at Friday’s assembly!  I have seen a video of the Year 1 Choir, and they were brilliant!  A big thank you to them and also Mrs Marianne Huxley.   This Friday’s assembly will be a Year 3-6 Merit Assembly, and our Junior Strings are showcasing their talent!

Our last Prep Enrolment Day for 2025 happened on Friday but that does not mean families cannot still enrol.  If you know of anyone wanting to enrol at Ironside for 2025, please ask them to contact us as soon as possible. 

Congratulations to our Debating Team who were fabulous yet again!!  Thank you so much to their wonderful coaches Mrs Dannielle Faithfull and Mr James Tait.

 This Friday our 9-Year-Old Boys Futsal Team is in the Australasian Champion of Champions Tournament!!  That is an important mouthful of an event!!  All the best to the boys, we are all behind you!!  Thank you to Mr Jeremie Clarke-Okah who has coached the team and organised it all - we cannot wait to hear how they went!

Last Friday was Tuckshop Day!  The daily efforts of our tuckshop workers and the volunteers who support our students and our school does not go unnoticed.  We should remember to say please and thank you every day, but on Tuckshop Day, we wanted to acknowledge these wonderful people!  Our tuckshop provides a great service that helps out families who have to juggle many different tasks at the start of each day and some good food helps the students learn and play through the day.

We don’t take their hard work for granted and it is great to see parents putting up their hands and getting involved with our school. Thank you everyone.

Have a wonderful week!

 Yours in Education

Angie Kelly

PS Pick-ups and drop-offs, can we work together to make them safer?  The answer is yes.  For a few weeks I will highlight something that can help keep our children and ourselves safe.  This week I want to focus on using crossings and lights.  It is so important to model pedestrian crossing and crossing at lights to children.  If you teach children to walk between traffic, they may do this when you aren’t there and many of them are not as tall as you and so they can’t see as much as you can.  Please teach your children to use crossings and traffic light crossings.  Walking between traffic is dangerous.  Let’s work together to stay safe.

Spring Fair Photo Gallery

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Important Term 4 Dates

News from Mr Weston-Murdoch

Dear parents and caregivers,

School Values and Expectations:  Weeks 5 & 6

Our focus for this fortnight is:  Act with Integrity

Bridge Builders – Skill of the week (Weeks 5 & 6): REVISION

Bridge Builders® is a school-wide proactive program aligned to the Australian Curriculum (Personal and Social Capabilities), implemented sequentially from Prep–Year 6. Students are explicitly taught to apply conflict resolution strategies, communicate using a common language and build their confidence to solve interpersonal problems.

Bridge Builders® at Ironside State School is a whole school approach that promotes resilience and self-worth. It encourages students to respond appropriately and challenge conflict behaviours and to develop positive and safe relationships. It is embedded into the everyday life of the school.

To support families with younger children, Ironside State School provides access to the Bridge Builders Online Program.  This program is designed to help students with resolving everyday conflict and will be implemented during the course of the year with students accessing material both during class, and outside of class time.

Throughout the year, students have engaged in the Bridge Builders program to develop age-appropriate conflict resolution skills. Classroom teachers will continue to revise these skills and strategies for the remainder of the year.

At Ironside State School, we take an educative approach to incidents of 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.”

 “Empowered for Life”; Jocelyne Chirnside

This term in Prep has been very exciting so far. We are doing lots of experimenting in science, exploring how objects move and what affects this. Our buddies have been helping us test out different theories by making ramps and different structures. We have also been looking at different type of texts and last week we wrote and made a recipe! It was super yummy!

Year 1 students experimenting and making fruit punch! 

Year 2 students dove into the exciting world of transformations—flip, slide, and turn! Working collaboratively, they used playdough to bring their understanding to life. By manipulating their creations, following a set of instructions, students explored how different movements change shapes and positions. This hands-on approach not only enhanced their critical thinking skills but also fostered teamwork and communication.

Kind regards,

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

News from Mr Corbett

Dear Parents, 

Here's a small update from some of our year 3 & 4 students.  

Hope you have a great rest of the week! 

Kind regards,
Thomas Corbett
Deputy Principal (Years 3 & 4)

4D’s Cyber Safety Live Stream Session

Last week, 4D had an engaging experience learning about cyber safety through an interactive live stream! Working in groups, students explored the important topic of balancing "screen time" with "green time."

Using iPads, they collaborated to answer quiz questions, discuss challenges, and brainstorm solutions together. This hands-on approach not only reinforced their understanding of healthy online habits but also encouraged teamwork and communication.

Class 4D’s Spotlight Presentations

In 4D, Thursday and Friday mornings are an exciting time for students to showcase their passions and interests. Each week, students take turns giving short presentations on a topic of their choosing, allowing them to practice their public speaking skills and share their experiences with the class.

Recently, Elias captivated the class with his presentation on the QLD Futsal Championships, offering insights into his experiences and achievements at the competition. This opportunity is a wonderful way for our students to develop confidence, build a sense of community, and celebrate each other’s unique talents and interests. Well done, Elias!

Silent Reading Time in 4D!

This term, Class 4D has embraced a daily quiet oasis with their dedicated silent reading time! Every afternoon, students eagerly settle into a comfortable space, diving into a variety of books that spark their imagination, curiosity, and love for reading. This period is designed not only to enhance literacy skills but also to provide a calm, reflective moment in their busy school day. It's wonderful to see each student connecting with stories and building a lifelong passion for reading!

Year 3 Students Explore Local Wildlife Conservation

Last Friday, November 1, Year 3 students had the opportunity to engage with Lucy Paul, an Education Support Officer at Ironside and a dedicated volunteer with the Powerful Owl Project. Lucy visited the school library to share her experiences in protecting the Powerful Owl, an iconic local species, perfectly complementing our HASS unit on ecosystems and conservation.

Students learned about the important role of the Powerful Owl in our ecosystem and discovered ways to support wildlife conservation in our local area. This session offered a unique, real-world connection to environmental stewardship, inspiring our students to consider how they, too, can make a positive impact on our natural surroundings.

Exploring Erosion in Our Local Area

Starting last week, our students became local explorers, venturing out into the community to deepen their understanding of erosion as part of our Beneath Our Feet Science unit. Walking the Tarcoola Bush Track by the Brisbane River, they observed firsthand how natural forces shape our surroundings.

Throughout the excursion, students identified both natural and man-made features that help slow or prevent erosion, applying their classroom knowledge to real-world settings. This hands-on experience sparked insightful discussions as students discovered how vegetation, rocks, and human interventions all work together to protect the landscape.

News from Mrs Bailey

Dear Families,

Please enjoy updates from senior students and teachers below.

In Week 2 of this term, we had the privilege of sending 20 of our students to a STEM convention, where students from 21 schools competed against each other.
Our students had the opportunity to showcase their passion for STEM. They have put in so much hard work over the past few months!

Under the Design and Engineering Technology category, we had:

1. The Carbon Snatchers
2. EcoHaven
3. EKN Industree Bot

• This team received an award under the Communication category despite being away at camp!

• This team received an Encouragement Award and an award under the Sustainability category.

• This team received the Overall Award for Design and Engineering Technology.

Under the Digital Technology category, we have Stem 4 Kids

Under the Scientific Investigation category, we have Algae Alliance: Dedicated to a Flowing Future

• This team received the School-Nominated Award.

Well done STEM-ers!

Bryan Chow & Marianne Huxley

STEM Coordinators

Special guests James Mackay (Toowong RSL Sub Branch) and Maggie Forrest (Australian National Flag Association) taught our senior leaders about flag protocols. Congratulation students, the process has been seamless!

Year 5 students are focusing on teamwork and leadership skills this term. In workshops with Mrs Bailey students worked on ‘REVAMP-ing’ their teamwork skills, explicitly focusing on skills including Relationships, Engagement, Vitality, Appreciation, Meaning and Positive emotions.

We thank all the wonderful Year Five students who gave their time and talent to create a design for the 2025 Year 6 Senior Shirt.  All submissions were incredible! 

Congratulations to Alice and Charlotte whose design was selected by the Year 5 student cohort. 

We can’t wait to see students wearing their Senior shirts with pride next year.

In Science this term, Year Five students have been busy learning about solids, liquids and gases.  We are continuing to conduct investigations into properties of matter and how different substances can behave in different ways.  

Upcoming Event

Save the date! 

This month our Year 3-6 Strings, Band & Chorus will be performing at the Ironside State School Gala Instrumental Music Concert. 

When: 25/11/24

Where: Brisbane Boys College

See below for more info! 

Library News

Book fair is coming!

Mark your calendar, our much-loved Ironside Book Fair is coming! Our book fair aims to promote a love of reading, provide students with access to quality books, and raise funds that support expanding and enriching our library for all students.

To get started just follow 3 easy steps: 

1. Head to https://www.thebookwarehouse.com.au/book-fair-from-home/ 

2. Select 'Ironside State School' from the drop-down list

3. Enter your child's name and class. 

Purchases can also be made at the library from Monday 11th November until Friday 15th Novem

Friday Fun

We love our fun Fridays in the library. Our activities provide students of all ages with opportunities to be mindfulness and creative, fostering collaboration and problem-solving skills in a safe and supportive environment. Incorporating mindfulness practices helps students develop emotional regulation and focus, promoting overall well-being as they navigate the challenges of school and life.

Library Monitors

Your commitment, huge smiles and friendliness to all make the difference in our library. You are one of the reasons the Ironside Library is such a wonderful, warm and welcoming space for all. Thank you for your service!

Annika Sauvage & Cath Roche

Teacher Librarians

RE News

Christian RI and Catholic RI joint Christmas puppet show

On Friday 29 November all students with current consent to be in either Christian RI or Catholic RI will be attending a Christmas puppet show called ‘The Peace of Christmas’ during their usual RI lessons time as follows:

Years 4-6 9.50am-10.20am Friday 29 November

Years 1-3 10.20am-10.50am Friday 29 November

The professional puppet company Quiz Worx will be visiting the school to perform this special free assembly. Parents, carers and younger siblings are very welcome to attend the puppet show which will be held in the Year 4 / 5 eating area.

Students are consented into RI based on the written instructions of parents/carers. Apart from Catholic RI and Christian RI, the other options for RI at Ironside SS are Buddhist RI, Hindu RI and Islamic RI. Parents are welcome to check their student’s current RI consent or to change that consent at any time by emailing the school. Students who are not consented into one of the available options for RI will be supervised in a separate area during RI.  

Advertising

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

NEW MUSICAL THEATRE CLASSES AT IRONSIDE STATE SCHOOL!

Speak Up Students love drama, poems, songs and are excited about performing! In this program students will develop their confidence, grow their communication skills and unleash their creativity. 

Teachers create a supportive and nurturing classroom that balances the bold performers with the quieter achievers, ensuring everyone has a chance to learn & grow.

Join us for Term 4 as we jump straight into our Annual Concert season, where we'll work on musical theatre skills and drama technique through, improvisation, poetry,

and scenes from musicals!

For ages Prep - 2 and 3 - 6. ENROL NOW

Dear Ironside Families, 

We're excited to announce a new class in term 4. Please head to our website or click the link below for more information. 

Class Type: Coding
Day: Tuesdays
Dates: 8th October to 3rd December
Times: 3:15pm to 4:30pm

Please find the booking link HERE

Our choir and Junior Strings teacher, Mrs Kellie Wilson, is performing in the Supercalifragelisticexpialidocious production of Mary Poppins, with Queensland Musical Theatre. Mrs Wilson is playing the role of the cantankerous housekeeper, Mrs Brill. 

Her two young children are also performing in the show, at Twelfth Night Theatre, in November.

Should you be interested in attending, bookings can be made here:

https://premier.ticketek.com.au/Shows/Show.aspx?sh=POPPMARY24