22 July 2021 - Term 3, Week 2

News from Mrs Vecchio

Dear Parents

What better way to start the new term than by celebrating the achievements of our students!

The Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival was won by Sturt with House Captains Anna and Lucas accepting the winning shield.  We also saw exceptional achievements by 2021 age-champions.

James T completed in the Queensland Schools Cross Country Championships, achieving equal 21^st in the individual event with 64 competitors from 12 regions … an outstanding result.

James’ Met West relay team also made the winners podium in second place.

This was a five person x 1000m relay team event and James ran the second last leg. 

Congratulations to the Ironside instrumental music students who were selected by audition from hundreds of applications across South East Queensland for the SHEP program at the Queensland Conservatorium. This is a special opportunity for wind, brass, percussion, and string students to work in an intensive environment of musical excellence with their peers, under the leadership of a team of eminent conductors from the Conservatorium. Accolades to: Isabelle E, Barbara F, Adam M, Iago P, Zelfilia W, Atara W, Jack Y and Josh Y. 

Alankrita M and Hugo S were awarded the Medal of Service, an award that recognises their time and commitment to the Library, volunteering for at least two shifts a week for over 70 weeks! They work in a great team and are excellent role models for other library monitors.

The latest recipient of a library Life Member badge was Jaimie K – congratulations on your great work, Jamie.

School Opinion Survey
Thank you to all who have already completed the Parent/Caregiver Survey. If you have not had a chance to complete the survey yet, please note that the online surveys will remain open until Friday, 30 July 2021. This is your opportunity to provide feedback about what our school does well and how we can improve.

To have your say, check your email for an invitation from the Department of Education titled School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2021.  Can’t find your invitation?  If your family has more than one parent/caregiver, check that they haven’t received the invitation and/or check your junk email folder.

Research Project
Ironside community members recently participated in a Children’s Outdoor Activities Survey. Regardless of whether or not you participated, if you would like to see the preliminary results and perhaps give feedback about your opinions, please click the link below (open to all families, friends, staff and the community). 

The link to the synopsis is on the second page before the participation consent button that accesses the short findings feedback survey - you do not have to be a participant in the first survey to provide feedback (all responses anonymous). 

If you have questions, contact the researcher, Linda Osborne: lp.osborne@hdr.qut.edu.au 

Link to the feedback survey: https://survey.qut.edu.au/f/195836/3f53/ 

Huge thank you to our P&C and the large group of volunteers who helped at Saturday’s working bee. More than 40 adults and 30 children worked together to help beautify our grounds.  They also enjoyed a well-deserved barbeque at the end of a highly productive day.

Thank you everyone!

This week, Prep classes celebrated being ‘one hundred days smarter’ since starting school.

Students had great fun exploring the number “100” through fitness challenges, mathematical activities, art and craft and make-believe play.  The joy of play-based learning was clearly evident in all the Prep classrooms.

VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS
Ironside State School have again decided to make only one request for voluntary contributions this year,  rather than the normal two.

Please see the form below for further details of how to contribute. 

We’ve enjoyed a positive start to the second semester of the school year and sincerely.  appreciate all members of our school community who are supporting COVID-safe practices.

Kind regards

Larissa Vecchio
Acting Principal

Ironside Stars of the Month - Year 3-6

The Pocket - Early Education & Childcare

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News from Mr Murdoch

Newsletter – Term 3, Week 2, 2021

Dear parents and caregivers,

Welcome back!  It has been a chilly start to the term.  Our junior school students have settled back into routines marvellously.

REVISION: Bridge Builders - Skill of the week: Behaviour is a choice

Taking responsibility for the choices we make is a sign of maturity. The primary school years are an ideal time to introduce both an understanding of possible choices and the skills needed to show that children have control over behaviours. Simply put, children can either choose to be friendly or they can choose to cause a conflict.

We need to provide clarity for children in what choices are friendly and those that cause conflict. We must not assume that children understand the differences. It is vital to teach the language of friendly and conflict choices, so that these can be discussed as they arise.

With younger children, it is extremely important to help them understand by modelling appropriate language, tone and body language.

“Empowered for Life”; Jocelyne Chirnside

2022 Prep Enrolment Process

1. Pre-Enrolment Information

• Prep Information Video: Our pre-enrolment Prep information video is now accessible on the school website. The purpose of this video is to provide an overview and general information in regards to the enrolment process and what you and your child can expect in the first year of school. 
• ISS Website https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/Enrolments/Prep/Pages/Prep.aspx

1. Enrolment Applications (from Term 3)

• Prep 2022 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 and the parents’ acknowledgment that they must reside in the catchment for the duration of their child’s enrolment.
• Ongoing checks that students reside in catchment.

1. 2022 Enrolment Interview

After your application has been reviewed and approved by our Enrolments Officer, you will be sent a link register for an enrolment interview. Four days have been allocated to this process.

Further details about our Prep enrolment interviews are available on the school website.

https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/enrolments/prep/2022-prep-enrolment-information

If you have any questions regarding the enrolment application and required documentation, please contact enrolments@ironsidess.eq.edu.au.

Around the classrooms – Prep: 
PREP – Celebrate 100 Days of Learning!

After 100 days of counting down, on Wednesday (21 July) all of our Prep students enjoyed reflecting on and CELEBRATING their learning. Every classroom organised a day of you guessed it – 100.

Some students had fun counting out one hundred fruit loops to create necklaces, others crafted crowns galore, some accepted the challenge of building a tower out of one hundred cups and others loved writing about what they would like to have one hundred of. A myriad of exciting and engaging activities was organised.

For all to see there were way more than 100 smiles on the faces of Preps and their smiles stuck around all day long.

To all of the students in Prep, CONGRATULATIONS on your learning, you have so much to celebrate!

Prep

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Around the classrooms – Year 1: 
Year One students have been working on retelling stories that they read. Students have been focusing on sequencing the important events in a story and providing detail in their sentences. 1C students Audrey L, Anna Z and Jasmine K chose to retell a Fairy tale that they read in Prep.

Year 1

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Around the classrooms – Year 2: 
In Year 2 we are learning about materials and properties. Some materials we found in our classroom are: wood, metal, plastic, fabric, paper, wool and glass. We have been practising describing objects in the classroom by their materials and properties.

“It is made of metal and plastic. The metal is flat and sharp. The plastic is hard. It is scissors.”

News from Mrs Lee

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope you all had an enjoyable break.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of the Year 3 and 4 students and learning about the Units of Inquiry they are engaging in this term.

This week at Ironside, the Year 3 and Year 4 classrooms have been involved in ‘Provocations’ designed to develop a sense of wonder in our students and generate a desire to know more.  ‘Research clearly shows that when people are curious about something, they learn more, and better.’ (Engel, 2013).

At Ironside State School we believe curiosity lies at the heart of the inquiry classroom. Our teachers invite learners to share their questions and often use these questions to help drive student learning.  

In the Year 3 HASS Inquiry, students will be investigating:

How do people and places shape a community over time?

As a provocation to this unit of inquiry, Year 3 students imagined they had taken a trip back in time – Destination-Colonial Brisbane.

Teachers and students used an imaginary device to travel back to a time when Brisbane was first colonised and take a photo of the area that is now South Bank.

On their return to the present day, students then completed a ‘Thinking routine’ called SEE, THINK, WONDER, writing comments to answer the following questions.   

1. What do you see?
2. What do you think about that?
3. What does it make you wonder?

From this provocation, Year 3 students are now curious to find out…

Great Guessing!
During the vacation, James Mackay’s Ward with the assistance of the Toowong Rotary Club held a ‘Monday Funday’.  One fun activity was a “guess the number of MnMs in the jar” competition. More than 400 students and parents from many schools had a guess. There were 1334 lollies in the jar and two students from Ironside were the closest, both guessing 1327. The winners Stefan M (Year 3) and Chiara B (Year 4) are now happily enjoying their sweet success.

Assemblies are held on Friday mornings 9:15 – 9:45am, with the Term 3 schedule as follows:

Looking ahead – Dates to note for Year 3 and 4...
Week 3:
Thursday 29 July – YEAR 3 SCIENCE INCURSIONS (SCHOOL HALL)
Week 8:
Monday 30 August – YEAR 4 ICAS MATHEMATICS COMPETITION
Tuesday 31 August to Thursday 2 September – YEAR 4 CAMP TANGALOOMA

News from Mrs Bairstow

YEAR FIVE NEWS
Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre Excursion
Our seven Year 5 classes are working their way through attending the PEEC as part of their studies in HASS.  The students have been incredibly curious about the story that unfolds throughout the day.  They have been keen and mindful explorers of Pullen Pullen Creek and have loved pretending to be children in an 1897 classroom.  A few more classes are yet to attend and are looking forward to the immersive and enriching experience.

YEAR SIX NEWS
Michael Jeh, Life Skills Sessions
For several years, Michael Jeh has been a valued guest speaker at Ironside, who visits our Year 6 students and leads them through a workshop -  ‘Life Skills’ - which aims to develop knowledge and skills about self-concept in the context of a changing social world. 

The 90 minute workshop will be run during school hours on Tuesday 3 August.

Topics covered during the workshop include:

• Safe and unsafe social media and online behaviours
• Successfully navigating adolescence and the transition to high school
• Coping with peer pressure and bullying
• Acknowledging how bystander behaviour contributes to bullying
• Being a kind, resilient and positive teenager

The Life Skills program also offers a Parent Information Evening to give parents information and tools to support their children through developmental changes and challenges.  Michael will be running this session the on the night prior to the student workshop.  Parents are invited to attend this session on Monday 2 August at 6pm in the School Hall.

We have always had glowing feedback from students, parents and teachers in relation to the content and delivery of Michael’s work.  For further information and testimonials please go to www.michaeljeh.com.

The total price for both student workshop and the parent information evening is $13.  This will be invoiced to families after Michael has completed the program.  If you wish for your child to NOT participate in the student workshop, please email your class teacher directly and your account will be adjusted accordingly.

Date Claimer for Graduation
While final arrangements cannot be confirmed until later this year, families are advised that Year 6 graduation celebrations will take place at school on Tuesday 7 December.  In 2020, due to the impact of Covid, we moved to a  daytime format for our awards and farewell ceremonies – and this is likely to be the model for 2021.  We can’t be certain of the particulars, we are mindful of giving families adequate notice to arrange their work commitments so they can share in the special moment with their Year 6 students.

Yearbook parent volunteers requested
Traditionally, students leaving Ironside receive a yearbook, which is a remarkable souvenir of their time here.  It is a compilation of memories throughout the years, and celebrates special memories and moments from the students’ final year in primary school.  This is coordinated by parent volunteers, with the assistance of the Year 6 teaching team.  If this is a project that you would be interested in helping with, please contact me at jbair51@eq.edu.au

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS
Our Term 2 fundraiser was a resounding success.  Our “Dress in Your Team Colours” day raised $1397 which has been donated to Beyond Blue.  Thank you for supporting our Student Council’s initiative and passion for a worthy cause.

Our Term 3 event is something new and exciting for Ironside.  A SILENT DISC-GLOW.  Buy your tickets now on QKR before they all sell out!  Half of the available tickets are sold already!  Details below and in the attached document.

CONGRATULATIONS DYLAN
Dylan (6C)  was selected on to the Brisbane Metro Little League division 2 team to attend the Australian Little League Championships, held in Lismore in June.

They played a series of games against other teams from around Australia, advancing through to the semi-finals and then the grand-final. They ended up coming away winning silver, after a really tough grand final game where they got pipped in the last minute. It is the first time a Brisbane Metro Little League team has won a medal at the Australian Championships, and they did everyone proud.

News from Instrumental Music - Strings

Glow in the Dark Silent Disco

Community Providers

Ironside Debating Team

The debating program is an excellent enrichment activity. During the sessions, we learn to speak confidently, write clear speeches, and understand all the aspects to debating!

We have had two debates so far and we have learnt so much from them. In the first debate on 10 June the year six teams both met challenging opponents. However, it is not all about winning. We have learnt many skills from that round, and we will keep striving to improve. The grade five teams received a successful outcome from the first competition. Even though they had won, they still took their feedback from the adjudicator gratefully.

In the second debate on 15 July all teams applied their feedback constructively. The competitors were more difficult, though everyone showed great sportsmanship. An important point was that none of the feedback was overlapping from the two rounds, which showed that our debaters had taken their feedback seriously and had improved.

The debating teachers have helped our four teams tremendously. Without their assistance, encouragement and positivity, we would be far way from where we are now. So we would like to say a big thank you to Mr Henderson, Miss Pagliaro, Miss Faithful, Mr Aprille and Ms Todd. And of course, thank you to all the assiduous student debaters who have represented our school with pride.

By Alankrita and Jessie
The Debating Team

QACI Discovery Workshops

Ironside SS P&C Working Bee

P&C would like to thank the many hard-working families that turned out for the Working Bee event on Saturday, 17 July. We cleared and mulched the garden beds along the front of school (near Grassy Patch).

We plan to continue the grounds work on Saturday, 21 August, with another Working Bee two weeks before Spring Fair. We would love to get another amazing turn out, so please save the date!

Kind regards,
Ironside State School P&C

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News from Tuckshop

Tuckshop volunteers in 2021 term 3 and term 4
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 the school organisation;
• Generate income used for the benefit of students of the school; and
• 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 term 3 and term 4, please contact Olivia 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. Our volunteer days in term 3 and term 4 are from Monday to Fridays, from 9:00am to 11:00am or 1:00pm to 2:00pm. We are open from 8:00am so welcome if you could come early.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Tuckshop Team

Ironside Spring Fair Fashion Parade

Ironside Spring Fair Art Competition

Community Information