3 September 2020 - Term 3, Week 8

News from Mr Johnson

Dear Parents,

I hope this short week is treating you well.

2020 LITERARY COMPETITION – AWARD WINNERS
Congratulations to Madeleine M (5E) and Nemi D (6E) for being award recipients within the short story section for Years Five and Six. The IEU (Independent Education Union) and the ETAQ (English Teachers Association Queensland) Literary Competition is highly subscribed across the state each year. To be recognised as one of the seven award recipients within the section is a wonderful achievement. Congratulations Maddie and Nemi, we are very proud of you.

THIS FRIDAY – 4 SEPTEMBER PUPIL FREE DAY
This Friday, 4 September, is a pupil free day (PFD). This is the corresponding day to what was previously, the pupil free day in October (Term 4, Week 3) every year.

The scheduling forward of this PFD is due to the move to the new ATAR system.

Ironside Staff have worked this flexible day as a part of our January Staff Professional Development Days. Therefore, there will be no teaching or non-teaching staff on site.

Ironside OSHC is running a full day program. This will resemble a vacation care day. I understand bookings are still available. Ironside OSHC 3870 9849.

PARENTS TO REMAIN OFF SCHOOL SITE (WITHOUT A PRIOR APPOINTMENT)
A reminder to parents (particularly those whose children carry musical instruments) that we are continuing to remain off site as one of our COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Our young people are capable of carrying their instruments from a school entry point to their room or rehearsal space.

Please continue to support us as we do our best to follow the rules and guidelines placed on us for the health and wellbeing of everyone in our community.

IF YOU ARE SICK – STAY HOME!
I need to stress to families that the ‘previous normal’ of students heading to school if mildly unwell and “seeing how you go” does not apply in the current COVID-19 context.

I understand there is a clear difference between some anxious tummies, allergies etc. However, if your child displays cold or flu like symptoms – cough, fever, runny nose, aches, lethargy etc. They need to be at home. In these present times we need to ensure both the health and wellbeing of the individual as well as the group.

CAR SIGNS – A HUGE HELP!
If you collect your child using a vehicle please have the A4 paper sign with their first name, surname and class printed and displayed in the windscreen. The signs are predominantly for the benefit of staff. While we’re ‘pretty good’ we are yet to retain individual child and aligned family transport vehicle information!! Your help with this is very much appreciated.

All the very best for the week ahead.

Stay safe and well.

Week 7 -Merit Certificates

News from Mr Murdoch

Dear parents and caregivers,

Prep Swimming:  TERM 4
This year our Prep students will be participating in a Water Safety Unit in HPE classes in Term 4.  Prep classes will do a 4 week block of one hour swimming lessons.  Dates and classes are listed below:

Students will be assessed at the beginning of the term, and placed in small groups based on ability.  Georgie Parkes Swim School provide instructors to support the HPE teachers. 

Lesson times will be advised by classroom teachers at the beginning of the term.  All students must bring the following items to every class in order to participate in swimming lessons;

• Swimmers
• Swimming shirt or rashie
• Swimming cap (lycra swimming caps are our preferred option as the children can put these on themselves)
• Goggles should be worn for comfort, but are not compulsory for participation

Please support your student by helping them learn to put on their own swimmers, rashie, cap and goggles on over the next few weeks.  It is an important aspect of their personal development to take care of their belongings, and to be able to dress themselves for swimming lessons.  Things like shoelaces can be difficult for little fingers so we can certainly help with those.

We are looking forward to having our smallest Ironside students learn some valuable water safety lessons.

2021 Prep Enrolments
Just a reminder that we are accepting enrolment applications for 2021. Receiving these applications and information now means that we are able to forward plan and make balanced determinations relating to class placements that best support our new Preppies. 

If you have a little person (born between the 1 July 2015 and the 30 June 2016) who is starting school next year, could you please make contact with our Enrolments Officer at enrolments@ironsidess.eq.edu.au.

Similarly, if you know of someone with a child eligible for Prep in 2021, who meets our enrolment management plan criteria, please encourage them to contact the school to discuss the application process.

Pre-Enrolment Information

• Prep Information Evening: Typically, this is a general information session about our Prep program and enrolment process conducted in our school hall.
  Due to the social distancing measures and health restrictions currently in place, this presentation is now available online.
• ISS Website contains up to date enrolment information and Enrolment Packs https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/Enrolments/Prep/Pages/Prep.aspx
  

1. Enrolment Applications (from now)

• Prep 2021 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.

1. Enrolment Interview Days
   (Four enrolment days)

• Interview: The enrolment interview will take one hour and will consist of:
• Parents (10mins) – Meeting with Deputy Principal (Prep - Year 2).
• Parents (30mins) – School tour with Mrs Tina de Wolfe de Wytt (small group)
• Children (60mins) – Engaged in a series of age appropriate activities under the guidance and observation of a Prep Teacher for the purposes of determining equitable class allocation.
  Due to the social distancing measures and health restrictions currently in place, we ask that only one parent attends the interview.
  

REMINDER: Staff Professional Development Day:  Friday 4 September
Please be advised that Friday will be a pupil free day.  The staff professional development day previously scheduled for Monday 19 October 2020 was moved to Friday 4 September 2020.

News from Mrs Vecchio

SHORT STORY WRITING COMPETITION – YEARS 4 - 6
Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 are invited to write a short story of between 1000 and 1500 words on any subject.
The winner will receive $100 and have their story published on the StoryLinks website.
Entries due:                        9 October 2020
Shortlist announced:      19 October 2020
Winner announced:       1 November 2020

Send your entries via email to storylinksau@gmail.com The winner will be announced at 3 pm on Sunday 1 November during Australia Reads at a free public session online via ZOOM. The best stories entered will be read aloud.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY -
It must be fiction and all your own work.
Include your name, address, age, school/home school, email address and phone number.
The competition is open to all children living in Australia.
Note: all entries will be checked for plagiarism.

LANGUAGES NEWS
Spanish language teacher, Signora Maria Cesar, is inviting Year 4 students to register for the virtual Spanish Speech Contest. Year 4 Spanish language students who are interested in representing Ironside State School with pride, need to complete the following guided speech themselves and send it back to Signora Cesar via email mcesa0@eq.edu.au

Following receipt of the written speech, Signora Cesar will explain the recording of the video and the next steps.

There are two categories in the contest with a different speech text for each category:

1. Non-background speaker category – Speech #1
2. Background speaker category - students who have had between three months to two years of "in country" experience or who have a Spanish-speaking parent can compete only in the background speaker category - Speech #2

Text for Speech #1 (non-background speaker category)

Text for Speech #2 (background speaker category)

Feel welcome to contact Signora Cesar if you have any questions via email mcesa0@eq.edu.au.

Entries close on Friday 11 September.

YEAR 3 into YEAR 4 - 2021 LAPTOP PROGRAM PAUSE
As detailed in previous newsletters, 2021 will be a ‘pause’ year in the one-to-one laptop program so that the school can reassess the program in line with the digital demands of the Australian Curriculum.

Leveraging Digital has been identified as a pillar for the next strategic cycle 2021 - 2024. As a measure to prepare space for the work ahead, there will be no one-to-one laptop option for the 2021 Year 4 students.

Ironside State School has previously instigated a ‘pause year’ when we structurally changed from running ‘laptop’ and ‘non-laptop’ classes in 2018. This pause in 2021 for the current Year 3 cohort will provide us the time and space to make strategic and sustainable changes within a developing school policy framework.

Parents are reassured there will be sufficient devices, including desktops, laptops and iPads, available for access by all students in Year 4 2021.  We are working to ensure high-quality teaching and learning continues using school ICT resources which are continually being upgraded and expanded.

LIBRARY MONITORS – LIFE MEMBERS
Four more Year 6 students have been awarded Life Member badges in recognition of their dedicated service to the Library.  Congratulations to Kate (6B), Romi (6C), Poppy (6C) and Gemma (6E) for their commitment to our school and our readers.  Their work is valued and important!

FATHERS DAY READING
With Fathers’ Day being celebrated this Sunday, our Library is sharing a video that encourages dads to read to kids:  https://youtu.be/iSdpArSIsqQ.  It stars Frank Woodley so you know it's going to be fun!

Families may also enjoy watching some complete picture books being read aloud here by some famous Australians: John Williamson, Paul Kennedy and Sam Thaiday.
https://www.penguin.com.au/articles/2790-read-aloud-videos-by-dads

And finally, some fun book related activities:
https://www.penguin.com.au/activities/2789-fathers-day-activities-and-a-poster

News from Mrs Bairstow

2021 SENIOR SHIRT DESIGN COMPETITION
A reminder to all current Year 5 students that you have the opportunity to be the designer of the Year 6 senior uniform for 2021.  Your teachers have given you the templates to create your designs on.  Be creative and keep to the theme of Ironside’s school spirit.  Entries close on Friday 18 September.

STUDENT COUNCIL – RUOK!?
Please help support the Student Council in raising funds and awareness for RUOK? Day.
The Student Council are passionate about raising awareness of mental health, particularly considering the difficult circumstances of 2020 for much of our community.  
We can’t collect gold coin donations because of Covid – but that won’t stop us from doing good work for a good cause.  
Students are encouraged to wear YELLOW on the following dates:
Years 2 – 6:  Thursday 10 September (This is RUOK? Day)
Prep & Year 1:  Friday 11 September  (This date is different to accommodate the Year 1 Cross Country event)
Please help us to raise funds as you normally would, by making a ‘gold coin’ donation for wearing free dress on these special days.  Any amount is appreciated and will help the Student Council in contributing to our wider community.
Donations are now open on QKR! and will close on Friday 11 September.

How to make a donation:

1. Log in to the QKR! App and click on the P&C Menu:

2. Choose the RU OK? option:

3. Follow the prompts to make a donation:

Community Providers

To enquire about advertising please send an email to news@ironsidess.eq.edu.au

Cleaner Position

A cleaning position is available at Ironside State School.   Initially the position will be for 17 hours per week during school hours until the end of 2020.  It is very likely that there will be an opportunity to continue in 2021 if available for early morning and afternoon shifts.  There may also be the opportunity for extra relief work when other cleaning staff are absent.  

A Working with Children Blue Card is required (the card can be applied for post interview if successful but work cannot commence until card has been received).

Please send resumes and expressions of interest to Business Manager, Christine Delaney on cdela126@eq.edu.au for further detail.

P&C Fundraiser - Entertainment Book

The NEW 2020 | 2021 Entertainment app is now available for purchase, so you can save money AND help raise funds at the same time (20% / $14 per membership will go to the P&C).

Let’s support our local community and our school’s P&C Projects! 
**Order online at http://www.entbook.com.au/2y22817.

If you need further information, please email Treena:  ISSEntertainmentBook@gmail.com .

Community Information