29 October 2020 - Term 4, Week 4

News from Mr Johnson

Dear Parents,

FUTSAL CHAMPIONS
Our 10yr Boys have been highly successful in their recent tournament. Following on from their Regional success in August, the 10yr Boys have been identified as the ‘Queensland Champion of Champions’ by the Australian Futsal Association. A mark of their calibre is how they won their Grand Final game 9-2.

Mrs English and Mr Cortes have been instrumental in steering this team, over a long period of time towards this achievement. As Mrs English said today – “These boys have been training since February, their success is no accident ’.

I would like to congratulate the boys, highlight the work of our two staff members and thank the parents for seeing the boys to training and supporting their commitment. This is a title very well deserved.

P&C OCTOBER MEETING – NOW NEXT WEEK TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER
Next Tuesday the 4 November is the P&C Meeting for last month.
Due to the storms on Tuesday afternoon this meeting was rescheduled.

The Ironside P&C meets in the staffroom commencing at 6:30pm. Meetings are concluded by 8:30pm at the latest. The P&C is a warm and friendly environment, new members are welcome.

CONNECTIONS
I wanted to thank and acknowledge our families and school community for being accepting and understanding of the concept of ‘less connection’ during this time.

As a system we have had no further directions around the changing of COVID safe strategies.

Please remember that our school is open to you. Our ‘non-negotiables’ are knowing who is/has been on site and when. You are welcome to be here, providing you enter and exit via the office, signing in and out.

We are currently thinking and planning around managing the start of next year with the current level of information and clarity we have.

At this time please keep the following at the forefront of mind:

• We are here and you are welcome;
• Sign in and out through the office;
• Use the sanitiser provided on arrival and departure;
• Maintain appropriate social distance.

In relation to outside school hours providers/activities – It is their responsibility to plan for, monitor and maintain appropriate COVID strategies.

All the very best for the week ahead. I hope your yards and lawns are soaking up this much needed rain, while avoiding any storm damage.

Stay safe and well.

Certificates & Awards

News from Mr Murdoch

Dear parents and caregivers,
Around the School

Prep:
This term in Prep the students have started art classes! We have been experimenting with different artistic techniques and making some beautiful pieces of artwork. Our first piece of work is called ‘Patterned Animals’.

This project introduced the kids to the key elements of art – line, shape and colour. They completed a guided drawing of a cat using oil pastels, then selected a variety of geometric and organic shapes to create patterns within the drawn outlines. Students learnt how to make a wax-resist painting by applying watercolour dye to their drawings.

Below are Ryan, Sara and Emma from Prep D with their artwork.

Year 1:

What is Weather?
Celebrating 1C Culminating Activity: Water Cycle Diagram
Drawn and labelled by Sahanah N, Danh M, Miku G and Enoch W.

In 1C, we have been making real world connections and developing our language and research skills using the K.W.L process:

• What we already know?
• What would we like to learn?
• What we have learned?

Throughout this unit, we used the following sources of information to help us to understand the water cycle.

Big Storm. Written by Will Mc Kay
https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/unite/earthandsky/book?BookId=1406

Can You See the Wind? Written by Rachel Martinez
https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/unite/earthandsky/book?BookId=22

The Water Cycle Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWb4KlM2vts

The Qld Government Environment. Department of Environment and Science
https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/a-z/koel

Queensland Weather and Warnings. Brisbane Forecast
http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/forecasts/brisbane.shtml

128 km Brisbane (Mt Stapylton) Radar Loop
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR663.loop.shtml

Hurricane/Cyclone. The Dr Binocs Show. Educational Videos for Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2__Bk4dVS0

Year 2:
This term in 2E we have been analysing the rhyming pattern and syllables of poems and then writing our own versions. This one was written by Rebecca F and Lunasha M.

News from Mrs Vecchio

Year 3 Language Choice for Year 4 2021
Final reminder to all Year 3 parents that their child’s ‘language of study’ choice for Year 4 2021 – Japanese or Spanish – is due tomorrow.  Please ensure you have returned the form to your child’s class teacher.

Futsal Champ
Congratulations Theo (4B) - captain of the winning Ironside 10 year old Futsal Team who won the recent state finals 9 – 2.  As team goalkeeper, Theo played every minute of every game and was selected as one of the “top five” players of the tournament.    This is an achievement worthy of special mention – bravo Theo!

CELEBRATING WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY 2020
Celebrated in more than 100 countries world-wide, World Teachers' Day was established by UNESCO in 1994 to recognise and respect the role of teachers in society.

World Teachers' Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and thank all of our staff for the important role they play, caring for the hearts and minds of our children. This year, more than ever, we need to acknowledge the work of our amazing staff – working individually and collectively to find solutions and create new learning environments for  students to allow education to continue through the COVID crisis.

In Queensland, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day this year on Friday 30 October. At Ironside, we’ll start the day by paying tribute to our educators with a special breakfast hosted by the Leadership Team and supported by the P&C.  We are proud of our Ironside staff!

News from Mrs Bairstow

YEAR 6 BOOK WEEK CELEBRATIONS
The Year 6 students are currently studying how authors develop their voice and style in narrative writing.

Who better to give an insight into the skills and processes than a published and very successful author?  We were very fortunate to welcome Nick Earls to start off our day of celebrating all things literature.

Thank you Nick!  Your address was entertaining, engaging and so wonderfully aligned to our studies.  It was an amazing opportunity for us to learn from a master.  You have inspired many young writers today!

While none of them are published authors, the Year 6 teaching team also entertained the group with a “dramatic” reading of Maca the Alpaca and were accordingly dressed to impress!

Year 6 Sydney Canberra camp – Monday 12 to Friday 16 July, 2021
Thank you to parents who were able to respond to our survey last week on whether your child is likely to attend the Year 6 Sydney Canberra camp in 2021.  We received approximately 50% return.

Survey responses we received did indicate that the majority of students do wish to attend and that parents are willing to pay a non-refundable deposit of $75.00 now in order for us to secure the best possible price on airfares.

We believe, given the current COVID situation and the continuing relaxation of associated controls, that the trip is likely to go ahead.  We will therefore now invoice all year 5 parents who, have either indicated that they are prepared to pay a deposit of $75.00 or have not yet had the opportunity to respond to our survey.  Deposits are due by this Friday 30 October 2020.   

We are not in a position to provide a final cost for the camp at this stage but, as an indication, last year the cost was $1,200.00 per student.  Please note that we are only able to accommodate 120 students, any deposits received after the first 120 will be advised and will be waitlisted. 

If we do not receive enough deposits at this stage it will again be necessary for us to investigate the affordability of the camp.  If it is necessary to cancel because of lack of interest, your deposit will be refunded.

If the trip proceeds, a further deposit of $200.00 will be invoiced and payable at the beginning of the 2021 school year with the balance payable mid-March 2021.

YEAR 6 GRADUATION
We are pleased to see that the risk of community transmission of COVID appears to have reduced. That said, it is still vitally important that we remain vigilant and cautious as a school and continue to implement some measures to reduce risks of escalating transmission in the future. We have made our decisions regarding end of year celebrations, in line with current guidelines & recommendations set by Education Queensland and the Health Department.

Friday 4 December:  Guard of Honour; Awards Ceremony and Pool Party
While parents are not permitted onsite, the Awards Ceremony will be professionally filmed and edited, and uploaded online for families to view in their own time.

Students are encouraged to arrive at school in smart and comfortable attire in readiness for the Awards Ceremony.  This does not require formal attire, nor casual clothes.  Students should wear an outfit that they will feel special and comfortable in.  Generally speaking – collared shirts, dress trousers or shorts, comfortable and appropriate dresses and footwear is recommended as a guideline.  Parents should also note that, these clothes will also only be worn for the morning session, prior to the pool party.

Monday 7 December:  Shirt signing and Year Book Day
Students will receive their Year Book and are able to bring in a school shirt (and a pen) for friends and teachers to sign.  Students MUST have a clean, unsigned school uniform for the Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday.  Special thanks to Bec Byrnes and her committee of volunteers who are still working hard on collating a Year Book that will be a wonderful souvenir for all students.  Families will be invoiced for the Year Book in the coming weeks.

Tuesday 8 December:  Graduation certificate presentations
We recognise and appreciate that graduation from primary school is a milestone to be celebrated and shared with families.  Due to COVID restrictions on adult gatherings we will be running six graduation ceremonies – one for each class.  This limits the number of adults onsite at any given time, and also gives families the opportunity to share the moment with their children.

Each child will be able to have two adults to attend the ceremony at the time listed below for their class.  Please be respectful of this requirement in the knowledge that we are making decisions in the interest of achieving fairness to all families, while maintaining a safe environment for our staff and students.

We will also be filming and uploading the Year 6 Dance that the students are working on this term, with the assistance of Dance Fever.  As with the Awards Ceremony, this will be available on the school’s YouTube channel.  This channel has been established in accordance with the requirements outlined by Education Queensland’s Strategic Communication and Engagement Department who advise and approve social media access and content for schools.  The content on Ironside’s YouTube channel is only available when provided with the direct link and cannot be accessed through the search function on YouTube or Google.

YEAR 5 NEWS – BRINGING TYALGUM TO IRONSIDE
I am happy to announce that the Year 5 team will be “Bringing Tyalgum to Ironside” on Monday 9 November.  This will follow the commencement of our 2021 leadership selection program which will officially commence in the week prior.  A detailed letter, with timelines around the process, was sent home with students earlier this week.

2021 STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROCESS
As we plan towards launching our “Bringing Tyalgum to Ironside” school leadership camp, it is time to focus on the leadership journey for our 2021 Year 6 cohort. The aim of many of the “camp” activities is for children to build confidence, to strengthen connections with peers and to demonstrate an understanding of what qualities make a good leader.

A Year 5 student nominating for election into school leadership positions must have consistently demonstrated leadership qualities throughout 2020.

At Ironside State School, student leadership positions are held in high regard.  The process for student leader selection is therefore rigorous and the criteria is specific in nature.  The student leadership election process has been structured to provide a clear and supportive procedure which is outlined in the following information.

To be considered for a leadership position at Ironside students must have demonstrated consistent modeling of the Ironside Way through self-discipline, emotional resilience and maintaining responsible behaviour to a very high standard. They must also have demonstrated competent public speaking skills in both formal and informal contexts.  Duties of the Captains and Vice Captains include; holding executive positions in the Student Council; welcoming and hosting school guests; organising and running school assemblies; and representing Ironside at community events. 

The following timelines will guide the nomination, application, interview and election processes. 

As representatives of Ironside State School, all of these leadership roles involve and require mentoring, guidance and the maintenance of very high standards of conduct to which other students can aspire to. 

We trust that parents will support their children’s involvement in the nomination and election process in accordance with the guidelines set by the school’s expectations.  We look forward to engaging in the process with the students and working with the successful applicants throughout 2021.

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS

YEAR 1 and 3: INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC – 2021 RECRUITMENT PROCESS UNDERWAY
The deadline for applying to enter the 2021 Instrumental Program was this Monday.  Thank you to those parents who submitted their child’s interest online.  A testing timetable for the Strings and Band program has been sent home for this week. If you can’t find your child’s name, or have missed the information and they are in Year 1 (applying for the Strings program) or Year 3 (applying for the Band program), please contact the relevant teacher as soon as possible 

Ms Weekes (Strings): (tweek23@eq.edu.au)

Ms Lisa James (Band) (lmjam0@eq.edu.au)

Next week, parents will be informed via a letter sent home, if their child is:

1. Being offered a position in the program for 2021
2. Being offered a position in orchestra only.  This will only be relevant to students who engage in private tuition outside of school.
3. Being offered a position on a waiting list.
4. Not being offered a position in the program.

If your child is offered a positon, you will also receive an email which will prompt you to accept / decline the offer and complete associated online forms.  It will also include a link to a new power point presentation, which welcomes your family to the program and guides you through detailed information regarding instruments and routines.

HOW TO ORDER YOUR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PHOTOS
MSP took a number of Music Extra Curricular photos over our photo days Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October.

These photos will be available for purchase post photo day.

After MSP have finalised proofing these groups they will issue new order forms to each student who had their photo taken as part of these groups.

The order forms will be sent home with the students and will include:

• A list of the groups available for your student to purchase
• Multi order discount information
• Order closing date
• A new shootkey so you can place your order online.

There are no proofs of these photos and you will only see a sample image online with the name of the group.

Any orders placed after the close off date will incur a $10 late fee.

Community Providers

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

2021 Year 6 Senior Polo

Community Information