11 November 2021 - Term 4, Week 6

News from Mr Johnson

Dear Parents,

Remembering Iggi C (6B)
Last Thursday our school community was deeply saddened by Iggi’s unexpected passing. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with his mother, father and young baby brother at this time.

My role at this time is to inform our school community that in accordance with the family’s wishes, there will be no public ceremony beyond the immediate family.

I understand that this may be the first time a number of our students have had to deal with grief and loss this closely and personally.

Included below are links to a number of resources, that if required, can assist families in working proactively through grief and loss.

Kids Helpline:
Explains (in simple dot points) how children might experience grief and the common responses they have.  https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/supporting-child-through-grief-and-loss

Good Grief:
PDFs/ fact sheets on supporting children/ adolescents. 
https://www.goodgrief.org.au/grief-resources

https://www.goodgrief.org.au/sites/default/files/Factsheet%20-%20Children%20Grief%20Web.pdf

R U OK?
https://www.ruok.org.au/education

Taking children through "The Continuum of Feelings".

https://irp.cdn-website.com/22b3e3c9/files/uploaded/RUOK_OK187_ActivitySheets_Year6_210x297_Final_LR.pdf

Headspace:
Mental health resources for friends and family to support a young person. 

https://headspace.org.au/friends-and-family/mental-health/

Supporting a young person through grief and loss

https://headspace.org.au/friends-and-family/understanding-grief-and-loss-for-family-and-friends/

Raising Children:
Resources for pre-teens. https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/mental-health-physical-health

Dealing with grief (how to talk about it and how to help children cope)- https://raisingchildren.net.au/for-professionals/mental-health-resources/abuse-trauma-violence-and-grief/grief

Better Health Channel:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/grief-and-children

WILBUR AND NISO SMITH FOUNDATION – Congratulations Aaron D (6B)
Aaron D (6B), one of our School Captains, was announced as the winner of the 2021 Wilbur Smith – Author of Tomorrow Award. This is the second consecutive year that Aaron has had a story shortlisted. Aaron has also had other stories commended in this category in both 2020 and 2021.

Congratulations to Aaron on winning this award in 2021 for his short story ‘Burning’.

One part of Aaron’s prize was a voucher for the school library to increase its collection. The photo below is Aaron with the graphic novels for girls and boys that he chose with Ms Roche for the Ironside Library.

We are both proud of Aaron’s achievements as well as grateful for his selection and donation to the school library.

A link to the information from the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation in included below.

2021 Shortlist | Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation (wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org)

TEACHING TEAMS 2022
Included for your information below are the 2022 Year Level, EAL/D, Specialist and Leadership Teams.

Prep Team (5):
Robynne McLachlan, Olivia Bryant, Chris Lord, Cathy Gordon, Eddie Dobinson.

Year One Team (6):
Nik Taufatofua, Kristen Curtis, Sarah Cummings, Josie Donaldson (0.6) / Gillian Bishop (0.4), Dee Burns (0.6) / Robyn Chiffey (0.4), TBC.

Year Two Team (6):
Mariela Morris, Sara Beeston, Annabella Eaton, Leesa Palmer (0.5) / Emma Zonca (0.5), Sam Rosinski, Robyn Behr.

Year Three Team (6):
Leonie Evertsen, Heather White, Susan King, Andrea Ward-Isles, Rachel Clarkson (0.4) / Lou Thao (0.6), Bryan Chow.

Year Four Team (6):
Michael Bierhuizen, Gary Lake, Michael Cortes (0.6) / Annika Sauvage (0.4), Alex Burt, Libby Strong, Malindi Trehearn.

Year Five Team (6):
Christina Maxwell, Neil Malcolm, Rachel Beattie, Beth Preston, Jamieson Aprille, TBC.

Year Six Team (7):
Brett Perrier, Sharyn Pinkerton, Liz Fairhall, Adele Todd, Maggie Pagliaro, Danielle Faithful, Tim Shepherd.

EAL/D
Kylie Sommerfeld (0.8) / Rachel Clarkson (0.6)  (Term 1),  Annabelle Houlahan (0.6)  (Terms 2/3/4).

Specialists
Student Support Coordinator – Julie Short

STLANs – Terri Avis (0.6) and Jeanette Borg (0.8)

GEM – Jamie Henderson

Guidance Officer – Jessica Ballantyne (0.6)

Teacher Librarian – Cath Roche

PE – Jeremie Clarke-Okah and Megan English

Music – Marianne Huxley and Victoria Keomahavong

LOTE – Ngaire Aboud and Maria Cesar (0.6)

Visual Art – Tara Wightwick (0.6)

Leadership Team

Principal – Damian Johnson

Deputy Principal (P-2) – Scott Murdoch

Deputy Principal (3/4) – TBC

Deputy Principal (5/6) – Jennifer Bairstow

Head of Curriculum (P-2) – Shelley Drew

Head of Curriculum (3/4) – Alice Cowan-Dillon

Head of Curriculum (5/6) – Shelley Lee

Business Manager – TBC

Mrs Larissa Vecchio – Retirement
You will notice above that the Deputy Principal position in Year 3 and 4 is TBC. Mrs Larissa Vecchio will be retiring at the end of 2021. Larissa has made an invaluable contribution to Ironside State School. The influence of her leadership and time at Ironside will be long lasting. The recruitment and selection process for this position is currently underway in the state-wide advertising phase.

Ms Christine Delaney – Leave
Our Business Manager Christine Delaney is taking leave for 2022. Christine’s mother, her son AND rapidly growing handsome young (first) grandson live in Victoria. Given the year we have had, Chris has requested to take next year to be closer to her nearest and dearest. Chris will be returning in 2023 (if not earlier). The expression of interest to act in Chris’ position is currently at the shortlisting stage of the process.

Jill Mallett – Retirement
Mrs Jill Mallett has made the decision to transition to retirement, starting with some Long Service Leave for 2022. Jill is and has been a wonderfully dedicated classroom teacher and Student Services Coordinator at Ironside. We wish her all the very best for the next chapter.

Mrs Robyn Cool – Retirement
Mrs Robyn Cool has decided that the time to start her next chapter has arrived! Robyn is a wonderful teacher whose expertise in the lower primary years will be missed. Robyn rounds out a long and proud family history with Ironside as her (late) mother Mrs Margaret Mungumery also taught at Ironside.

Mrs Deb Warren – Retirement
Mrs Deb Warren will be moving into retirement after some leave at the start of 2022. We wish Deb all the very best for her next chapter which is well deserved.

Mrs Sea Kilby – Maternity Leave / Relocating
Mrs Kilby will be relocating with her family for the foreseeable future to North Queensland. Mrs Kilby’s husband will be taking up his position at Cairns Base Hospital. We wish Sea all the best for both the safe arrival of bub, along with a smooth transition to her family’s new location.

Miss Rachel Stevens – Leave
Miss Rachel Stevens has requested leave to pursue other professional interests in 2022. Rachel has been a valuable member of the Year 2 and Year 5 teams during her time at Ironside. We wish her all the best for the future.

State Cricket Carnival – 2021
I will be absent from school on Monday and Tuesday next week as I will be in Bundaberg undertaking my role as the Chair 10-12 Cricket (Queensland School Sport). The Boys state carnival commences on Sunday in Bundaberg with the Girls Carnival on the Sunshine Coast also starting on Sunday.

Charlie Mc (6A) is a member of the Met West Boys Cricket Team heading to Bundaberg. We wish him a fantastic state carnival.

All the best for the week ahead. Stay safe and well.

Spring Fair Platinum Sponsor

Spring Fair: Gold Silver & Bronze Sponsors

Ironside Awards

News from Mrs Vecchio

LIBRARY NEWS
Congratulations to the following Library Monitors for achieving their Medals of Service:
Karis (6A), Aika (6A), Jamie (6A), Clemance (6C), Scarlett (6C), Camille (6E).

The Medal of Service is an award that recognises the generous amount of time and commitment given to the Library. These students are excellent role models for other Library Monitors. Also recognised for their dedicated service by being awarded a Life Badge are:
Makayla (6B) and Madeleine (6E).

Library Time-lines:
Library borrowing ended on Thursday 11 November (Week 6).
All books need to be returned by end of Week 7 – Friday 19 November. 

Book Fair:
All Ironside students and parents are invited to the Term 4 Book Fair, which opens online on Friday 12 November.  In person browsing and purchasing at the Book Fair begins on

Monday 15 November until Friday 19 November, 8:00am – 3:30pm.

Please refer to p. of this newsletter for full details and links to the online site.

LANGUAGE CHOICE – YEAR 4 2022 – DUE FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER
During 2021, Year 3 students have engaged with both languages offered at our school – Japanese and Spanish. Although a full semester experience of Japanese and Spanish was not possible due to interruptions to face-to-face teaching, we trust students are able to make an informed choice. Choosing the preferred language of study for Year 4 2022 is an important educational decision as it sets a solid foundation in place prior to commencing formal studies of the chosen language in Year 5 and Year 6.  The following information may also assist parents and students in making their choice:

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.

Preference forms need to be returned to your child’s class teacher by Friday 19 November.
Reminder – In Year 3 and Year 4, students receive a rating for their effort only in Language study on the end of semester report card.  Formal assessment and achievement ratings are assigned to students once they are in Years 5 and Year 6.

SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
It is wonderful to welcome parents to our school assemblies, Fridays 9:15 – 9:45am:

Please note, changes to COVID-19 restrictions could impact on the assembly schedule.

LOOKING AHEAD … KEY SCHOOL DATES 

News from Mrs Bairstow

MUSIC PERFORMANCES
Please see below a summary of our end of year music concerts and galas.  Specific information for each evening is being sent to parents from the teacher in charge.  We look forward to celebrating the students’ musical achievements with you.  All events are being held in the school hall.  We hope to see you there.

YEAR 6 – CAMP WARAWEE
We are looking forward to the opportunity to get some fresh air and enjoy each other’s company at Camp Warawee next week.

Teachers attending are:

            - Mr Perrier

            - Ms Pinkerton

            - Mrs Fairhall

            - Ms Todd

            - Ms Faithfull

            - Mrs Chiffey

            - Mr Clark-Okah

            - Mr Henderson

            - Mr Aprile

            - Ms Short

            - Mrs Lee

Our Guidance Officer, Mrs Jessica Ballantyne, and I will also be visiting the camp across the three days to offer support and share in the experience with the staff and students.  Mrs Lee and I visited the camp earlier this week, and we can assure you that Ironside will be warmly welcomed by the YMCA staff.  The facilities are excellent, and the setting is beautiful and peaceful.  I will be meeting with all Year 6 students tomorrow afternoon to give some final messages and reminders about camp.  Parents are encouraged to use this weekend to double check the supplies list, so we are all ready to go on Wednesday morning.

GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS
Please see below a summary of the planned celebrations for our Year 6 students:

YEAR FIVE LEADERSHIP PROCESS
As the end of 2021 approaches, it is time to focus on the leadership journey for our 2022 Year 6 cohort.

A Year 5 student nominating for election into school leadership positions must have consistently demonstrated leadership qualities throughout 2021. 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 modelling of the Ironside Way through exhibiting the STAR values of being Safe and Kind, Treasuring Diversity, Acting with Integrity and being Respectful. 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.  

Covid has required us to reimagine some events, and we are grateful to Multi-Sports Physical Education Programs for Schools, for donating their time and staff to help us run a fun leadership day to commence our leadership selection process.  This company usually runs Dance Fever for our Year 6 students, but this needed to be cancelled due to the impact of our quarantine period on our planned events and activities.  They kindly offered an alternative activity free of charge, and we acknowledge and appreciate this kind gesture.

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 2022.

As outlined by the table above, the process is now underway.  The students and teachers had a wonderful day solving challenges together in a way that encouraged them to demonstrate leadership in fun and interactive ways.  We are grateful to Multisports for donating their staff’s time for this day.  This company usually runs Dance Fever, but due to extenuating circumstances we couldn’t proceed this year.  Multisports offered this complementary day to Ironside in recognition of our challenges throughout the quarantine period.  We are grateful for this generosity, and it was well received by our students and teachers.

We ended the day with a Q&A session with the current school leaders:  Aaron, Alankrita, Narra and Madeleine.  I’m reminded every year of the extraordinary people that our students are in this session.  All four demonstrated insight and maturity well beyond their years.  Their answers were thoughtful, considered and helpful.  Well done captains – we continue to be very proud of you.

Students who are interested in a leadership position in 2022 need to return the form they received on Monday – to Mrs Bairstow by tomorrow.  You can either return the form to the front office, or email it through to jbair51@eq.edu.au

Year 5 students will be advised next week if they have been shortlisted to deliver a speech to the cohort.

LOST PROPERTY
Despite being cleared only a few weeks ago, the lost property shelves are again overflowing.  Please encourage your children to check for lost items.  Parents are also welcome to check.  The lost property shelves are located on the verandah leading to J Block (Year 4 classrooms, overlooking the oval).  The easiest access is to go to the rear door of the hall (upper floor entrance), and veer to the right on to the veranda.  There are signs in the area to direct you to the area.

Ironside Book Fair

Ironside's Family Fun Day

Community Providers

Choir Date Claimers

Year 1 Choir Performance - Week 8, Friday 26 November during Assembly

Year 2 Choir Mini-Concert - Week 9, Friday 3 December (approx start 10:20am)

P&C Fundraisers: Silent Auction & Entertainment Membership

Ironside State School P&C Silent Auction

This year, Ironside P&C are taking fundraising online with a silent auction that will end on Ironside's Family Fun Day, Saturday, 20 November 2021. Bid on vouchers, hampers and goodies from local and regional businesses and other donors who are generously supporting Ironside.

All funds are going towards the Oval Rejuvenation Project.

Biddings ends 3pm on Saturday, 20 November 2021.

https://www.32auctions.com/Ironside2021 

Thank you for supporting your P&C.

Ironside Swim Club

Ironside P&C -Position Open in Tuckshop

In the Community