Term 1, Week 8 2025

Acknowledgement of Country

Welcome to Term 1, Week 8 2025

Hi Everyone,   

Isn’t normality and routine wonderful??!!  That’s a rhetorical question in my view.  It is great to have our staff and children back.  Again, please let us know if you are doing it tough in your world, we are here to support each other.

Due to the cyclone, our Year 3 and 5 students had NAPLAN testing delayed, but it kicked off today.  Well done to all of our children who are sitting these tests.  Keep having breakfast and a good sleep each night - that should be our habits every day though so that won’t be anything new.  Once again, well done to all of the children and teachers. 

Thank you to all of our teachers who are having meetings with parents and caregivers this week and thank you to all of the parents and caregivers who are making it in to hear about your wonderful children.  These are really beneficial meetings if you have time to make them.  We look forward to seeing you here.

Congratulations to all of our children who received Merit Certificates at assembly on Friday, you should be very proud of yourselves! 

Thank you also to our Chamber Strings and their teacher Mrs Trudy Weekes, your performance on assembly was just so moving.  I managed to capture it on film, which you'll find at the end of this video newsletter.  It isn’t great visual quality, but their outstanding music will move you too.  Thank you for your commitment to bring us this incredible music. 

There is no assembly this Friday due to NAPLAN but the following week we have our Student Leader Investiture, how exciting!

Coming up:

• Poetry Activities in the library all week - Monday 17th March - Friday 21st March
• No assembly due to NAPLAN.
  

World Poetry Day activities are still continuing in the library this week, amongst many other great lunchtime activities right across our school - make sure you look at the lunchtime activity timetable below in the newsletter and talk to your children about what is on offer.

Have a truly fabulous week!

Yours in Education

Angie Kelly

Important Term 1 Dates

Around Ironside

5A’s Learning Journey: Building Bridges, Exploring the Cosmos, and Teamwork

This term, students in 5A have been busy expanding their knowledge and skills across English, Science and teamwork activities.

In English, students have taken on the role of podcast creators, planning and presenting episodes to share their insights, opinions and ideas about the literary texts explored this term. It’s been a fantastic way for students to develop their communication skills while reflecting on the themes and messages within their reading.

Meanwhile, in Science, curiosity is reaching astronomical heights! Students are creating factual posters that highlight key features of our solar system, including planets, stars and the scientific advancements that have shaped our understanding of space. As young scientists, they are learning to ask thoughtful questions, plan investigations and conduct fair tests by identifying variables to change and measure. Their findings will be communicated in a range of multimodal texts, from data sheets to media reports.

Beyond academics, 5A has embraced the power of teamwork. Through various team-building activities, students have been strengthening their collaboration and problem-solving skills, proving that great learning happens when we support each other.

It has been a stellar term of learning, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for 5A!

Ms. Alexis invited her students to write a newsletter article reflecting on their term so far. They shared that Term 1 has been fantastic, with Ms. Alexis creating a welcoming and positive learning environment while balancing fun and learning. They described 5A as a friendly and supportive class, with students like Sophie, Isabella, Aly, and Henry expressing their appreciation for their teacher’s generosity and dedication.

At Ironside, kindness is at the heart of our STAR values and the students of 5A have shown this in the most thoughtful ways. A special thank you to Isabella and Luciana for their creativity and generosity in baking a delightful Cookie Monster cake; it made a birthday celebration even sweeter!

Acts of kindness, big or small, help create a positive and supportive school community. Whether it’s a kind gesture, a helping hand, or words of encouragement, 5A continues to demonstrate the values that make Ironside a wonderful place to learn and grow.

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:

1. Writing (Year 3 students will complete this on paper)
2. Reading
3. Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar, and punctuation)
4. 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 13^th 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

Upcoming Events

UQ Book Fair 2025

Dear Ironside Parents/Caregivers,

The University of Queensland (UQ) is excited to announce the return of our UQ Book Fair for 2025 from 2 - 5 May and after some outstanding entries into our bookmark competition last year, we warmly invite our local primary schools to get involved again.  

The UQ Book Fair is an annual fundraiser organised by volunteers, with all proceeds contributing to UQ student scholarships and important research.

We’re reaching out to invite the creative kids within your school to submit their imaginative designs for the back of our bookmark. The winning designs will then be professionally printed and distributed throughout the community by the local Council. We encourage your students to unleash their creativity and submit their unique designs. The more inventive, the better!

I have attached the competition design entry form, which includes instructions on how to submit their entries, before Thursday, 2 April 2025.

Two designs will be selected for the official UQ Book Fair bookmarks, with the talented young artists receiving a $30 book voucher each to be redeemed at the Book Fair. All designs will also be displayed in the foyer during the Book Fair, and we encourage students and families to attend to see their artwork on display!

We would also love if you could share with your school community that the Book Fair's family fun day is on Saturday, 3 May. This year, for the first time, we're expanding our usual Saturday activities into a bumper day out with dozens of free talks, tours and kid-friendly pop-ups - families in our local community won't want to miss it!

We appreciate your support in encouraging your students to participate. 

Regards,

The University of Queensland

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.

HPE News

Dear Parents,

The Ironside State School Junior Swimming Carnival (Year 1 & 2) is happening in week 10. Please see the poster below and add it to your calendar!  

Jorma Bushnell (PE Teacher) 

Library News

A Legendary Visit: Year 4 Meets Mark Greenwood

The Library was buzzing with excitement as our Year 4 students welcomed award-winning Australian author Mark Greenwood for a special visit. Known for bringing history to life through his captivating stories, Mark shared his passion for uncovering real-life adventures, from lost treasures to legendary figures.

Students were enthralled as Mark revealed the fascinating research behind his books, showing how he pieces together clues to tell compelling tales. His storytelling brought characters like Lasseter and Jandamarra to life, inspiring students to think like detectives as they explore history. A highlight of the session was Mark’s insight into the writing process—how curiosity, persistence, and a love of storytelling help turn ideas into books. Students eagerly asked questions, keen to learn more about his discoveries and writing secrets.

This visit was not only a wonderful opportunity to meet a renowned author but also a fantastic way to inspire young readers and writers. A big thank you to Mark Greenwood for sharing his time, stories, and enthusiasm with us.

March Mysteries

Over the past few weeks, the Library has been filled with intrigue as students explored the mystery genre. From classic whodunits to thrilling adventures, we've delved into stories filled with secrets, clues, and clever detectives. 

Who knows? We may have some future detectives in our midst!

QSLA Library Competition

Congratulations to all our talented students who participated in our QSLA Library Competition. Your creativity and passion for storytelling shone through in your entries, and we are so proud of your efforts. The Ironside Judges selected one P-2 and one 3-6 submission, which have been sent to QSLA—good luck!

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

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

Parent Representatives Starting This Week!
We’re excited to announce that Parent Representatives will be starting up this week! The delayed start this year was due to a change in process, but we’re confident this new approach will be much smoother moving forward.

We still have a few classes without parent reps, so if you’re interested, please consider volunteering! It’s a great way to stay connected and support our school community.

https://forms.gle/GXzhVV8EHDqLuf8RA

P&C AGM – Next Tuesday (March 25, 6:30 PM)
The P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM) is happening next Tuesday, March 25, at 6:30 PM. This is an important opportunity to get involved and help shape the year ahead. We are calling for nominations for key positions, including:
• President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• VP of Fundraising
• VP of OSHC
• Parent Rep Coordinator
• International Breakfast Coordinator
• Mother’s Day Coordinator

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VS0pt14-3i6B8lT1fl4UaJGwWDctw9wN/view?usp=sharing

If you’ve ever considered joining the P&C, now is a great time! We’d love to see new faces and fresh ideas. For more details, please contact us at pandcironside@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Advertising

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