Term 1, Week 7 2025
Acknowledgement of Country
Ironside State School acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to the Elders past, present, and emerging for they hold the traditions, culture, memories and hopes of Indigenous Australia. The Turrbal Aboriginal Nation, who spoke the Jagera Language, roamed these lands.
Welcome to Term 1, Week 7 2025
Hi Everyone,
Well, if you had have told me one week ago, that I would be writing you a newsletter this week beginning by acknowledging that we have just been hit by a cyclone, I would have said that is impossible!
I genuinely thought we had left our cyclone days (and crocodile days) behind when we left North Queensland!! Anyway, thankfully our school sustained minimal damage and a large part of that is because our dedicated staff pulled together to secure it - thank you team! See below for some pictures from yesterday.
I sincerely hope all of you came through it without much damage and destruction. I have been through so many of them and also floods, I know the pain of it. Please communicate with us about what you are going through, so that we can do what we can to provide adequate support. I know that it is the aftermath where the real agony begins, and we want to help people through it as a community.
It was painful to have to postpone our Student Leader Induction, but we have rescheduled it to Friday the 28th March, as we are hoping to have regained some more normality by then.
Please note that this Friday 14th March is a whole school Merit Assembly.
Due to the weather event, NAPLAN has now been scheduled to start next Monday the 17th March. All of the families in Year 3 and 5 have been sent communication about this. Please let us know if you haven’t received that.
We managed to get in a scheduled Lockdown Practice before school closed which the children were all prepared for and they did an excellent job. Please remember, these are rarely required but we do need to practice for them.
Coming up:
- Poetry Activities in the library all week - Monday 10th March - Friday 14th March
- Peer Mediator Training - Tuesday 11th March
- Year 2 Planetarium excursion - Wednesday 12th March for 2A, 2D, 2M and Thursday 13th March for 2B & 2C.
- Whole School Merit Assembly, Friday 14 March 9:15am in the hall.
It is important to note that Religious Instruction is now starting in term 2 for various reasons and we look forward to welcoming the team then.
Peer Mediator Training happened today, and I thank the children who are undertaking this training and are giving up lunchtimes to make our school a better place - thank you kids! Thank you also to our Guidance Officer Mrs Jessica Ballantyne and our teachers Ms Billie Barker and Ms Hannah Ersser, who are leading this training.
Year 2 are so very lucky because their excursion to the planetarium is going ahead - how wonderful!! Thank you to the Year 2 Teaching Team for organising this wonderful learning experience.
It is hard to be so upbeat when I know a lot of people are doing it tough at the moment but one thing I have learned throughout disasters, is that those of us who can, have a responsibility to support those doing it tough, through keeping all of the regular plates spinning as much as possible.
Have a truly fabulous week!
Yours in Education
Angie Kelly
Important Term 1 Dates
NAPLAN 2025
As part of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), students in Years 3 and 5 will participate in assessments scheduled between Monday 17th and Monday 24 March 2025. These assessments play an important role in monitoring student progress in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy.
Key Information:
- Assessment Window: The NAPLAN Online test window spans nine days, commencing on Monday 17 March and concluding on Monday 24 March 2025.
- Test Sequence: The assessments will be conducted in the following order:
- Writing (Year 3 students will complete this on paper)
- Reading
- Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar, and punctuation)
- Numeracy
NAPLAN 2025 Timetable:
Familiarising Students with NAPLAN:
To help students feel comfortable and confident, teachers will provide opportunities to engage with the NAPLAN online platform before the assessments. Students will participate in practice tests that allow them to experience the types of questions and navigation tools used in the assessments. Due to the TC Alfred the NAPLAN practice test has been pushed back to Thursday 13th March.
If you would like to explore NAPLAN questions with your child, sample tests and demonstration materials can be accessed at the NAP website: www.nap.edu.au
Accessing NAPLAN Test Papers and Answers:
For additional understanding of NAPLAN-style questions, past test papers and answers are available on the ACARA website. While reviewing these can be beneficial, please note that NAPLAN tests are designed to measure general literacy and numeracy skills rather than memorised content.
Preparing for NAPLAN:
NAPLAN assesses skills students have developed over time and excessive preparation is not necessary. The best way to support your child is by encouraging good reading, writing and numeracy habits as part of everyday learning.
Simple ways to help include:
- Encouraging a positive attitude towards NAPLAN and learning in general.
- Ensuring your child gets plenty of rest before test days.
- Providing a healthy breakfast to support concentration and performance.
Participating in NAPLAN:
All students in Years 3 and 5 are expected to participate in NAPLAN. However, parents and carers may choose to withdraw their child for religious or philosophical reasons. If you wish to discuss withdrawal or exemption options, please contact the school as soon as possible.
Further Information:
For more details, refer to the "NAPLAN Online – Information for Parents and Carers" brochure, available here.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher
School Zone Safety
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
School zone signs are displayed as you approach the school and shows both the speed limit and the times you need to reduce your speed around the school. Children's crossing are identified by children crossing flags, which are displayed near crossings before and after school hours.
When the crossing is supervised, you as a motorist must:
- wait until all pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders have crossed the road and the crossing supervisor has returned to the footpath
- abide by the direction given by the School Crossing Supervisor.
If the crossing is unsupervised, you as a motorist must:
- give way to pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders on or entering a children’s, pedestrian or marked foot crossings
- give way to pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders on or entering a road you’re turning into
- give way to pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders on a slip lane
- give way to pedestrians in a share zone
- travel at a speed allowing you to stop safely at a crossing if needed
As a driver, it's important to make sure you give way to all pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders such as skateboards, e-scooters. You must also give way to pedestrians using a motorised mobility device such as a motorised wheelchair or a mobility scooter.
Some of our most vulnerable road users are children getting to and from school, so it’s important to slow down and abide by the crossing rules, as it won’t make much difference to the trip time, but it could very well save lives.
Visit the Street Smarts website to find more information about what to do at pedestrian and children crossings.
Library News
Upcoming Events
T2 21/5 National Simultaneous Storytime
T3 21/7 Year 5 Dr Sam Lloyd author visit incursion
T3 Week 6 Book Week costume parade - date to be confirmed
Music News
Year 5 Melodrama
You may have heard some excited chatter about melodrama from our Year 5 students! This term in Drama, they have been exploring this expressive and exaggerated performance style, where heroes are noble, villains are wicked, and emotions run high!
As part of their learning, students will be recreating a melodrama as part of their assessment later this term. They will be assessed on their ability to use voice, body language, facial expressions, and their connection with the audience to bring their characters to life.
To enhance their performance, students are welcome to use costume items or small props from home - but this is completely optional and will not affect their grade. I have encouraged students to use old items from home or even create their own, and not purchase anything new. Remember that this is completely optional.
I look forward to seeing their dramatic talents shine! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. ✨
Marianne Huxley | Specialist Teacher | mehux0@eq.edu.au
Ironside Lunchtime Clubs
💙At Ironside State School we offer a variety of lunchtime clubs.
These allow our students to learn new skills, make new friends and meet our staff to build additional connections.
🗣️ Talk to your child about which activities they’d like to participate in next week!
🎤 💃 🧘 🎶 ♟️ 🧵 👨🎓👩🎓
P&C News
📢 P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Tuesday, 25th March
Our AGM is coming up on Tuesday, 25th February at 6:30 PM in the school staff room, and we’d love for you to join us! This is your chance to elect the new P&C executive team,
At the AGM, there will be:- The adoption of the updated Model P&C Constitution- The endorsement of the 2024 Auditor’s Report- The endorsement of the Student Protection Risk Management Strategy- The adoption of the 2025 Strategic Plan and Budget, and- Nominations and election of the 2025 Executive Committee, positions include:
- President (Tugrul Durali)
- Secretary (Michael Archbold) - Treasurer (Matthew Chung)
- Assistant Treasurer (vacant)
- Vice President of Fundraising (Phoebe Anderson)
- Vice President of OSHC (vacant)
- Other positions, to be discussed and decided at the AGM, include:
- Parent Representatives Coordinator
- Mother's Day working group
- International Breakfast working group
We encourage all interested parents, carers, and community members to consider nominating for a position. Your involvement helps us to achieve great things for our students and school.
How to Nominate:-
Nominations will be taken at the AGM. Any two current members can nominate another member for an Executive position.
- If you are interested in nominating someone who cannot attend the meeting, a written nomination signed by the nominating members and the candidate must be submitted to the Secretary prior to the AGM:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VS0pt14-3i6B8lT1fl4UaJGwWDctw9wN/view?usp=sharing-
While not mandatory, you may wish to consider the role descriptions for Executive positions
There is no expectation that everyone who attends the AGM will then join as a member. If you are interested in observing what happens at a P&C meeting, please come along. Similarly, being a member doesn't mean that you must attend all meetings. Membership form can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T9660oKY1oFGkIqQgf4-0000gRMIQxy5/view?usp=sharing
AGM & P&C Meeting:
- Tuesday, 25th March
- Location: Ironside State School Staff Room
- Time: 6:30 PM
New Tuckshop Specials Menu
Schools Officer Position - EOI
Through an EOI process, we are looking to recruit a highly motivated Schools Officer (Grounds and Facilities) to support the business operations across the school on temporary basis until June 2025. The Schools Officer will oversee a range of duties as agreed by relevant staff and the Principal, Business Manager and/or nominated delegate.
You must be able to meet Blue Card requirements and clearance of a criminal history check for this position.
To learn more please contact the Business Manager, Vanda Nocon - via vnoco1@eq.edu.au or 32583111.
Advertising
For all advertising enquiries please email: communications@ironsidess.eq.edu.au
