26 November 2020 - Term 4, Week 8

News from Mr Johnson

Dear Parents,

SCHOOL CAPTAIN SELECTION PROCESS
It is that time of year where we work in partnership with our Year Five’s to determine which four students will the School Captains and Vice-Captains for 2021.

This process is led by the students as they identify who among the cohort, possess and demonstrate leadership qualities befitting of a school leader.

From this student voice capture Mrs Bairstow and I invite approximately ten girls and ten boys to deliver a speech to their cohort. The Year 5 teachers and students, along with Mrs Bairstow and I, had the joy and privilege of listening to these (19) students on Monday.

I want to publically acknowledge and thank the students below for their bravery and willingness in putting themselves forward for student leadership in 2021.

Following the speeches presented, the Year 5 cohort indicated two boys and two girls (Captain and Vice-Captain) on a ballot. From this information Mrs Bairstow and I will shortlist further, inviting four to five girls and boys respectively, to an interview. These interviews will happen next week. At the conclusion of the interviews the school Leadership Team, in partnership with the Year 5 Teaching Team review all the information to announce the School Captains and Vice-Captains for 2021. I look forward to sharing this news as soon as possible.

SCHOOL COUNCIL AND P&C
I would like to take the opportunity to thank both our P&C Association and School Council for another productive and supportive year. The final meetings for both organisations were held this week.

Through Mr Tuan Ha, P&C President and Mr Andrew Hoyling, Council Chair – I extend to all members of these vital and valuable school community organisations my thanks and appreciation.

All the very best for the week ahead.

Merit Certificates - Week 7

News from Mr Murdoch

Dear parents and caregivers,
* Reminder:  Prep 2021 - Meet Your Teacher
Parents, please note that we will be conducting our ‘Meet Your Teacher’ event on Monday 7 December.

As the name suggests, this is an opportunity for our future Preppies and parents to meet their classroom teacher, classmates and see the classroom. It is also a great way for families to connect before the new school year begins.

Due to COVID restrictions on adult gatherings we will be running three Prep ‘Meet Your Teacher’ opportunities on the day.  This limits the number of adults onsite at any given time, and gives families the opportunity to share the moment with their children.  Each child will be able to have two adults attend this event.

I will make contact in Week 9 and provide Prep parents with more details closer to the date.

Around the School
Prep:
On Thursday, Prep students participated in an end of year sports celebration. We all had the opportunity to engage in a range of activities such as obstacle course, scooter boards, running races, water play and more! It was lovely morning and a fantastic way to celebrate a fantastic year of PE in Prep.

Thank you to Mrs English for organising the best day!

Year 1:
Year One students are learning how a good poster may be used to both inform and convince their audience. Students have explored the importance of a detailed title, pictures that position our audience and simple information or instructions. 1A students (Lagaia K, Nika N, Misheel B, Dian T, Ella J, Harrison B, Frank C, Astrid M, Toby S and Emma Z) have created these posters with an audience and purpose in mind.

Year 2

News from Mrs Vecchio

Congratulations! 
Special mention this week to Oscar B (4B) who received a high distinction for the AMEB Grade 2 violin examination.

Run-a-thon and Swim-a-thon Results
Last week, members of the P&C Executive were very excited to present the following results from the 2020 Run-a-thon and Swim-a-thon:

Most money raised by a class: 1B.

Highest participation rate by a class:
Prep A and Prep F - both had 100% participation!

Most laps swum per year level: 
Year 1 - Zara F (1D)
Year 2 - Mustafa A (2E) and Emerson D (2E)
Year 3 - Rosie Z (3A) and Samuel H (3C)
Year 4 - Hailey S (4F) and Charlotte R (4G)
Year 5 - Jonah E (5E)
Year 6 - Leo Z (6F)

Most money raised by an individual: Aria J (2G)

Most money raised by a Prep class: Prep C

Most money raised by a Prep student:  Jack H (Prep C)

Huge thank you to all of the parents who assisted with this event!

News from Mrs Bairstow

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC NEWS
What a wonderful day of music yesterday was – with our first at school Instrumental Music Gala.  The students relished the opportunity to perform for their peers and teachers, and created music that was simply amazing!

A sincere and special thanks to one of our parents, Michelle Catimbang, for volunteering to film and edit the entire day!  This is incredibly generous and will be appreciated by many families.  When the videos are completed, we will advise Instrumental Music families by providing an email link to the You Tube channel.

Thank you to Ms Weekes, Ms James, Ms Todd,  Mrs K and Mr Thornley for their hard work and commitment in leading these talented students to achieve such brilliant outcomes.  This work is reflected in the huge number of our students who have been selected for the State Honours Ensemble Program (SHEP)  It is being held at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music on 5-6 December.  There are usually over 2000 applicants, and the list of Ironside State School is nothing short of impressive.  Congratulations to all, and we trust you will enjoy the experience!

 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 and 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 You Tube 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 You Tube channel is only available when provided with the direct link and cannot be accessed through the search function on You Tube or Google.

2021 STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROCESS
Nineteen (10 boys and 9 girls) shortlisted students delivered outstanding speeches to the Year 5 cohort on Monday.  The quality of the speeches is indicative of the amazing leadership and maturity of our student body.  Student votes have been collated, and there will be 4 boys and 5 girls progressing through to the interview stage.  All 19 students will be notified in person, and in writing, of the outcome tomorrow.  Interviews will take place next week, and from that point, the four school captains will be determined and announced to the community.

Community Providers

Swim Carnival Information

• The 100m freestyle races will be taking place on Monday afternoon starting at 1:30pm for all students that signed up for that race.

• Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we will not be able to invite parents to come and watch the carnivals this year due to an inability to practice appropriate adult social distancing with the exception of the parent volunteers helping out on the days.  We thank you for your understanding with regards to this matter.

News from Ironside P&C

NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2021, 6:30pm in the staffroom.
AGM followed by General Meeting.
ALL WELCOME.

Save the date Saturday 4 September

Every second year the Ironside P&C holds the Spring Fair. This is the major fundraising event for the P&C. With rides, side show alley and international foods it’s the highlight of the kids calendar! It’s a great community event too. Many hands make light.

The P&C invite expressions of interest to CONVENE and or be the Covid Safety officer for the Ironside State School P&C Spring Fair in 2021.

Please email pandcironside@gmail.com

Vacancy P&C Business Operations Manager

Position: Business Operations Manager (Casual)

Hours: 12 hours per week including attending the P&C Executive and General Meetings mostly during term time.

Context: The Ironside State School P&C Business Operations Manager will perform administrative and support tasks for the P&C as directed by the P&C President. The Business Operations Manager will be responsible for promoting the P&C’s aims within the school and the wider community.

Objectives:

• To ensure the P&C are maximising revenue streams through their businesses (tuckshop and uniform shop) and grant opportunities;
• To provide support and continuity for the P&C Executive members, Staff and Sub-Committees; and
• To create an appealing environment for current and potential P&C volunteers.

Requirements:

• Book-keeping skills and experience using Xero;
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office programs;
• Holding (or able to successfully apply for) a valid Commission for Children and Young People Blue Card is a requirement of this position;
• Excellent interpersonal, written and reporting skills;
• Ability to become an expert user of the school’s online ordering system QKR!; and
• Familiarity with Workplace Health and Safety requirements and regulations.

The position will be remunerated as per the Parents and Citizens Association Retail Award Level 1 Operations Manager. For further details and a position description, please email Sarah Henry shenr78@eq.edu.au

To apply, please enclose a cover letter and resume and email to P&C President - Tuan Ha at pandcironside@gmail.com

Applications will close on Wednesday 9th December 2020 at 3pm.

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will be closed for January 2021.

If you need any new uniforms please organise them now!  Orders made via Qkr! will be delivered to students' classrooms on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with the final delivery date for the year being Friday 4 December 2020.

If you need to visit the shop to check sizing you can make an appointment via https://issshop.simplybook.me . The last day for appointments this year is Wednesday 2 December 2020.

2021 Tuckshop Volunteers Needed

Tuckshop Volunteers in 2021

Volunteers are always needed to assist in the school Tuckshop. 

Helping at the Tuckshop gives you the opportunity to:

• Meet other parents and meet members of the teaching staff
• Interact with your child and their peers at school
• Become familiar with school organisation
• Generate income used for the benefit of students of the school
• Provide students with nutritious food at a very reasonable cost

We welcome Mums and Dads, carers or grandparents to lend assistance in the Tuckshop.  Volunteering is a great way to get involved in our school community.

If you might like to volunteer for the Tuckshop in 2021, please contact Olivia at 3258 3111, option 2 or email to oqin0@eq.edu.au. We will contact you to find out what day(s) might work best for you. We are looking for parents and guardians who can help one day per week, one day per fortnight or one day per month. At this stage our volunteer days in Term 1 are from Monday to Fridays, from 9:00am to 11:00am. We are open from 8am so you are welcome to come in early.

Looking forward to meeting you,

Tuckshop Team

Community Information