8 October 2020 - Term 4, Week 1
News from Mr Johnson
Dear Parents:
This term we will develop our classes for 2021.
The mental models that underpin the class formation process at Ironside are:
- Students need to leave Ironside with 125 other friends in the cohort not just 25;
- A balance of gender, academic, social emotional and behaviour is best in every class;
- Current teachers (with appropriate parent input) are best placed to make future class formation decisions;
- The school is the final decision maker in the process.
Parents are asked to provide their input into this process only if they wish to do so. Parents can contribute to the process in the following way:
- Complete a 2021 Parent Submission Form - one form per child 2021 Class Placement Considerations Parent Submission
- Return the form, separate email for each child, to the email address: parentsubmission@ironsidess.eq.edu.au by FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER.
ONLY information provided on the proper form will be considered.
ONLY forms returned to the email address will be actioned. (Please do not hand in a hard copy to teachers or the office.) The email address is the point of truth for this data collection.
LATE FORMS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
What you put in writing will be seen by teachers and used by the teachers in the class formation process.
Your child will be asked to nominate ‘friends for consideration' to be placed with in their 2021 classroom.
You will also find a link below to a form for Student Departure notification or late 2021 return. If your child (in Prep to Year 5) will not return to Ironside State School for the 2021 school year, or will not return on the first day of the school year (27 January), please complete the form and return to the school office by Friday 13 November 2020. Please do not complete this form for Year 6 students:
Student Departure (or late return) Notification Form.
All the very best for the week ahead. Stay safe and well.
Futsal Champs
Ironside State School was represented at the 2020 National Schools Futsal Championship (Queensland) in the U11 boys' team last week.
Lucas A, Maxim L-P and Yujin B represented Ironside and were joined by boys from other schools to make up one of the U11 teams in the Queensland City region. (While the championship was originally planned to be national, due to border closures it became a Queensland only tournament with teams from six regions).
Winning eight games out of eight, the boys qualified for the semi-finals which they won to take a place in the grand final. This was a well-matched and very exciting game, also because it was the first time in the tournament that the boys found themselves behind in the score at one stage. They pulled out all stops to win the Championship for U11s by a narrow 7-6 margin!
News from Mr Murdoch
Dear parents and caregivers,
Welcome back! We hope that everyone enjoyed the mid-semester break.
REMINDER: Term 4 Prep Departures
Just a reminder that this term, Prep students are independently making their way to their departure gates at 3:00pm. Classroom teachers will work with neighboring classes and dismiss students in a coordinated manner.
Over the past ten weeks, Prep students have been supported in this process and are aware of school expectations. Siblings will continue to meet at the family designated departure gate and members of staff will continue to supervise these zones in the afternoon.
This is an important next step in the development of their independence and prepare them for the routines of Year 1.
2021 Class Formation: PREP classes
Parents, please be advised that the communications and process relating to class formation in 2021 only applies to our current Prep – Year 5 students (future Year 1 – Year 6).
Parents of future Prep students do not need to complete the 2021 Class Placement Considerations Parent Submission Form.
As discussed during the Prep enrolment process, we use the information provided by you on the Parent Questionnaire, in conjunction with the observations our teachers record during the interview. We also draw on the knowledge from your ECEC when forming Prep classes.
This combined information and collaborative approach ensures balance across classes and the best start to school possible.
News from Mrs Vecchio
It’s lovely to welcome everyone back to school for an exciting Term 4!
TERM 4 CURRICULUM OVERVIEWS
Class Teachers will soon be emailing to parents their year-level Term 4 Curriculum Overview. Curriculum Overviews provide information about the concepts, skills, knowledge and understanding being covered in each Learning Area. Look out for this important document and please let your child’s teacher know if you haven’t received it by the end of next week. Class Teachers or Head of Curriculum Year 3 & 4, Mr Peter Davey, are available to answer any curriculum questions. Mr Davey can be contacted on pdave16@eq.edu.au
YEAR 3 into YEAR 4 2021 – LANGUAGE STUDY CHOICES
“Languages” form part of the Australian Curriculum and a mandatory learning area in Queensland schools. Quality Languages education enhances students’ understanding of their own language and culture, and assists them to reflect on their identity and place in the world. It provides insights into the languages and cultures that shape their own and others’ beliefs, values and attitudes.
During 2020, Year 3 students have engaged with each language offered at our school – Japanese and Spanish. Year 3 students now need to choose their preferred language of study for Year 4 2021. Although a full semester experience of Japanese and Spanish was not possible due to interruptions to face-to-face teaching, we trust students and parents are able to make a somewhat informed choice.
Choosing the language of study for Year 4 2021 is an important educational decision as it sets a solid foundation for further learning. The language studied in Year 4 is the language that students continue to study in Years 5 and 6.
Language teachers Aboud Sensei and Signora Cesar have provided the following information that may assist parents and students with their discussions and decision-making:
Why study Japanese?
Japanese is the official language of Japan, Australia’s northern neighbour in the Asia region. It is also widely used by communities of speakers in Hawaii, Peru and Brazil, and learnt as an additional language by large numbers of students in the Republic of Korea, China, Indonesia and Australia.
Japanese culture influences many areas of contemporary Australian society, including the arts, design, technology, fashion, popular culture and cuisine. Japan has been a close strategic and economic partner of Australia’s for more than 50 years, and there is ongoing exchange between the two countries in the areas of education, trade, diplomacy and tourism. Japan is an important nation within Asia and a significant contributor to economic, political and diplomatic relations in the region.
Why study Spanish?
Spanish is a global language spoken by approximately 500 million people around the world. Spanish evolved from Latin in the Iberian Peninsula during the first millennium, and travelled from Spain to the Caribbean and to North, Central and South America as a result of the expeditions of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Today, most Spanish-speaking countries are multilingual, and the indigenous languages of these countries are co-official with Spanish.
Since Spanish belongs to the family of Romance languages, derived from Latin, it has many lexical and structural connections with English as well as other European languages. As a result of this relationship, knowledge of Spanish can facilitate the learning of other languages from the Romance family, such as French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, and Romanian.
Language choice forms are due back to Class Teachers by Friday 30 October.
News from Mrs Bairstow
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC:
RECRUITMENT FOR CURRENT YEAR 1 STUDENTS (STRINGS) & CURRENT YEAR 3 STUDENTS (BAND)
If your child is currently in Year 1 or Year 3, and is interested in applying for a position in either the Strings or Band programs respectively, please be aware that the selection and recruitment process for 2021 is now underway.
We began with a concert, during school time, for Year 1 and 3 students to give them an idea of the instruments in the program, and also a concept of what it looks and sounds like to be a part of our Instrumental Music Program.
Students were encouraged to remind their parents to check their emails, which were sent to all Year 1 and Year 3 parents on Tuesday. This email included information about the program, a link to a parent information video: https://youtu.be/stDastFTu-s, and a link to register your child’s interest in the program. This is the only way to engage in the selection process. If you have not received an email, and would like to follow up, please contact me at jbair51@eq.edu.au
This is a highly successful and sought after program. While it is a very large student intake, we always get more applications than any ensemble could cater for. So it is very important that parents are aware of the processes and deadlines. In fairness to everyone who would like the opportunity, we need to adhere very tightly to deadlines. The deadline for registering an application is Monday 19 October.
YEAR 6 GRADUATION
We have coordinated a plan to ensure that the Year 6 students and their families can celebrate the milestone of their graduation from Ironside, in a COVID considered way, without losing focus on the significance of the occasion. Many of our traditions will remain, and some new traditions will be established as we farewell our 2020 cohort. We committed to informing families of these plans at the beginning of Term 4. Year 6 parents will receive a letter early next week advising you of specific dates, times, ceremonies and celebrations – so your family can plan for these events in advance. All events will be held during school hours and will comply with restrictions (also allowing for a tightening of restrictions on gatherings, should that occur later in the term). We have gone to considerable effort to strike a careful balance between acknowledging the significance of this celebration for our students and their families within the current context. I sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding, and will have a detailed schedule to you after our 150th celebrations have wrapped up tomorrow.
YEAR 5 NEWS – BRINGING TYALGUM TO IRONSIDE
Following on from the success of the Year 6 “Bringing Canberra to Ironside” Day, the Year 5 team have started planning their at-school camp program for our students. Activities will reflect the theme of the Tyalgum Camp – focusing on fun in the outdoors, teamwork and leadership. The day will be held mid Term 4 (around the same time as the Tyalgum Camp had been booked). We are looking forward to some fun with our Year 5 students!!
RI RECOMMENCING TOMORROW
Religious Instruction will recommence in Term 4. Times for RI are scheduled on a Friday at the following times:
9.50am Years 4-6
10.20am Years 1-3
Students participate in RI based on parent consent on enrolment information or written communication to the school at any other time. Parents can update their preferences for their children in relation to RI in writing to jbair51@eq.edu.au or administration office at any time.
We have been advised that Buddhist classes will recommence in 2021.
Community Providers
To enquire about advertising please send an email to news@ironsidess.eq.edu.au
Strings Outstanding Commitment Awards
Ironside Swim Club
2020-2021 SEASON
Commences Friday 16 October 2020
Ironside State School Pool
5:30pm doors open 25M swimmers (5:45pm start)
6:30pm for 50M swimmers (6:45 pm start)
Ironside Swim Club meets every Friday night throughout term 4 and term 1. However due to COVID we will be operating at a limited capacity with restrictions in place for swimmers and parents.
What’s new?
We will not be offering a free swim or tadpole swim this term so if your child cannot swim 25meters please continue with swim lessons and join us in the New Year.
Only one adult per family will be allowed in the pool area and swimmers must exit the pool via the basketball court when their events have been completed.
The canteen will remain closed for the term however you can bring food for your child to eat on the sidelines
Annual participation fee has been reduce to $25 per swimmer
What remains the same?
Ironside swimmers will continue to get the opportunity to participate in a confortable, friendly environment in timed 25m for 50m races in various strokes.
Swimmers receive points for participating and improving their times.
The club is affiliated with Swimming Queensland (SQ) for those who want to join SQ and compete in other meets as Ironside Club Members.
We are not a learn to swim school, contact – gpswimschool@gmail.com
Register now via the “Qkr!”App!
For inquiries email: ironsideswimclub@gmail.com or refer to the Ironside State School website https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/extra-curricular/clubs/ironside-swim-club
Tuckshop
Dear Parents and Ironside Community,
Welcome back to school for Term 4.
Kindly reminder:
Tuckshop will open from 8:00am to 11:30am during term 4, still only open for online orders, and will close at first break – 11:30am.
We ask that you please tell your children when you have ordered Tuckshop for them. Some orders have been left unclaimed, and when we deliver their order, we often find they were not aware they had an order coming.
We also please ask that you remind your children that Tuckshop is not open for over-the-counter sales at first or second break. Children are coming to the window with cash to spend and are disappointed to find (or remember) that we are not yet open. We also want to make sure your children have brought enough food to eat at both breaks.
If you are calling to confirm your birthday order or for a general enquiry, please try to avoid calling between 10:00am to 11:00am, if at all possible. This is our busiest time getting orders out to the kids.
Many thanks for your help and understanding.
Tuckshop Team
Community Information
