10 March 2022 - Term 1, Week 7

Flood Help

Last Friday a number of Ironside students led by parents Rob W and Sonja B provided some wonderful community service and support. This took the form of morning tea and conversation with those involved in the clean-up and recovery from flooding.

Included below are some photos from last Friday. Sincere thanks to all who were involved.

Leadership and Administration Team Retreat

Next Thursday (from lunchtime) 17^th March through to lunchtime Saturday 19^th March the Leadership and Administration team will be meeting off site for team work and professional development.

Deputy Principals, Heads of Curriculum and our Business Manager will be off site from morning tea Thursday. Our Administration Officers and Enrolment Officer will be off site from morning tea on Friday. 

Ms Julie Short and Ms Cath Roche will be the responsible teachers within the office and library during our work off site. They will be capably supported by our year level coordinators if required.

The front office will be managed by Mrs Nicole Kent-Moore for the middle and afternoon session on Friday. It will also be closing promptly at 3pm.

I’d like to ask that any non-essential front office business be either completed in the early part of next week or held over until Monday 21^st March.

Please be mindful that any email / phone communication with Deputy Principals, Heads of Curriculum our Business Manager or me, will have a slower than usual response time. You can expect any follow-up to be made Monday or ASAP after. 

School Council Meeting

Our next School Council meeting will be held this coming MONDAY 14^th MARCH, 5:30pm in the staffroom.

This is a very tight turn around from the current School Council election that is currently underway. I will publish through schoolzine, the declaration of result ASAP after the closing of the voting period.

The voting period closes at 12pm this FRIDAY 11^th MARCH.

Ironside State School Athlete Development Program

I am delighted to announce an exciting new partnership between Ironside and the Fitter Futures team to offer Ironside’s budding young athletes and sportspeople an opportunity to train with, and learn from, some of the best youth coaches in the industry.

The Ironside Athlete Development Program offers select Year 5 & 6 students the chance to improve their overall athleticism by developing key components of fitness that are important to young athletes regardless of the sport they play.  It will help students improve their movement, strength, fitness, agility, balance, stability and co-ordination, whilst also developing resilience, confidence and knowledge about how to train and look after your body and mind.  The program, based on the world-leading “Brand X Method” and specifically designed for youth, is designed to help students thrive not only in the sports they love, but also in life.

For more information please see the Ironside State School Athlete Development Program Charter below, and visit https://fitterfutures.com.au/

To apply for a place on the Ironside ADP, please complete the form at IADP Application Form.

Please contact me at jhend263@eq.edu.au if you have any questions.

This is a wonderful opportunity to develop as an athlete and a person and we look forward to hearing from all of Ironside’s keenest sportspeople!

Children do choose their behaviour but they do not choose their feelings, and it is their feelings and thinking that influence them the most. This highlights the importance of teaching children to understand their feelings and to be given skills in calming down.If your child sees you expressing your feelings in a positive way, over time they learn to do the same. Be sure to model appropriate ways to express feelings to your child. Children are like sponges – they soak everything up.

Our thinking can change our feelings, behaviours and the words we say. Listening to our self-talk and thoughts when we are upset and avoiding unhelpful, toxic thoughts and instead thinking helpful positive thoughts can be a very powerful calming tool.

 “Empowered for Life”; Jocelyne Chirnside

Around the classrooms – Prep: 

In Prep we have been learning enjoying listening to and singing Nursery Rhymes.

Nursery rhymes are traditional songs or poems that are especially enjoyed by young children. Sometimes specific actions or dances are associated with the rhyme. Learning such verses assists in the development of early vocabulary and counting skills. At Prep we have been learning actions and words to rhymes like Incy Wincy Spider and counting along with rhymes such as 1 2 3 4 5 Once I Caught A Fish Alive and we use them to be CREATIVE!

FUN FACT -Did You Know- Mary Had A Little Lamb was written (1815) after a little girl name Mary found a lamb and was allowed to keep it as a pet. One day the lamb followed Mary to school. Mary snuck the lamb inside and hid it in a blanket. The lamb was not discovered until Mary’s teacher called Mary up to the blackboard and the lamb emerged from underneath the blanket and followed her to the front of the classroom!

Year 3

Students in Year 3 have been listening, viewing and reading a range of short stories to explore the authors' use of descriptive language. They have been reading a range of texts and answering questions using comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning of the text. One of the texts they have been looking at is Amelia Ellicott’s Garden.

Year 4

Students in Year 4 are investigating the author's language using The Twits novel written by Roald Dahl. Students have been reading The Twits and examining and analysing the language features and techniques used by Roald Dahl. They will be creating a new chapter for the for an audience of their peers.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Communication has been sent out by the school office regarding Parent-Teacher interviews. Bookings will close on Thursday 10^th March.

Why are parent-teacher interviews important?

Parent-teacher interviews are a great way to establish and maintain respectful, collaborative relationships between teachers and parents and carers regarding a student’s academic achievement, learning and wellbeing.

They provide a formal opportunity for teachers, parents and carers to discuss student achievement and responsible learning behaviour, share children's progress, and establish goals for improved learning and achievement in future.

It also gives teachers the chance to understand a little more about the students in their classrooms.

LIFE ED – SEXUAL HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIPS EDUCATION

With the disruption of the floods, Life Ed lessons have been scheduled to replace the missed lessons on the following dates:  15, 17 and 21 March.  Year 6 parents will be receiving via email, a survey provided by our Life Ed educator – which is intended to support open conversations in the home around puberty.  We hope you find this resource useful for your family.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PHOTOS

School photos are scheduled for Wednesday 20 April.  We acknowledge that with the disruption to the recruitment process for Band, it will be difficult for families to have Music Uniforms purchased by this date.  We are currently negotiating with MSP (School Photo Company) to try to arrange an alternative photo session for Strings and Band students only.  Stay tuned and we will update you asap.

Our first Chat and Cuppa for 2022 will be held this Friday (11^th March) in the EALD Room.  Everyone is welcome to join us from 9am until 10:30am as we take this opportunity to reconnect with each other.  For further information, please contact me via email ksomm2@eq.edu.au.

Kylie Sommerfeld

(EALD Coordinator)

We are coming off a week in which the weather has caused widespread damage and disruptions to the lives of many in the community.  School grounds and playing fields were not spared from the destructive force of the floods last week.  That being the case, the sporting district has decided to delay the start of interschool sport to allow classroom teachers to catch up on curriculum, to allow the playing fields time to dry out and be assessed before use and to allow those schools who were hit the hardest time to organize their sporting teams and competitions.  A meeting will be held on Friday between all the schools to determine an appropriate date for interschool to commence.

The weather has also caused some changes to some Northern Eagles district trial dates.  Please find the updated list of district trial dates below.  These dates, as well as the full Northern Eagles district sport calendar,  are available to view on the Ironside website sports page.

Thank you 😊

WestCent District Music Program 

The WestCent District Music Program nomination forms are coming back to teachers. Please remember the nomination forms will be due to your instrumental teacher (either directly or via the office) by the 31^st of March. 

This program is an opportunity for students to play in large ensembles consisting of students from 20 different local area schools.  It runs for a full week in term 3 – July 25-29^th. Auditions will be completed at school via video very early in term 2.   

Audition material is now available and students should begin practicing.   If you are in Year 4-6 and in the instrumental program and working at curriculum level 3 or higher and haven’t received the audition material please contact your teacher. 

Queensland Symphony Orchestra Excursion 

Our Year 6 Band, Strings and Choral students are going to see the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in concert on Wed the 4^th of May (Term 2 Wk 3).  This will be an excellent opportunity for students to hear this amazing orchestra in an educational concert designed for students.   

  Forms will have been sent home via email from your teachers and are due back to the office by Friday 25^th March. Please send these forms back now. 

Year 4- Band Recruiting

‘Testing’ for the Instrumental Music Band program is happening this week on Mon 7^th, Tuesday 8^th and Friday 11^th March.  This is the last chance to have your child tested to enter the Instrumental Music Program - Band.

Offers will be emailed on Friday 18 March and are to be returned to the office by 25 March.  

We will hold a parent information evening for successful applicants to introduce them to the program - date to be advised. 

If you child has missed the testing list and is in Year 4 please contact Ms Allely at lmall8@eq.edu.au. For further information, please contact Mrs Jennifer Bairstow at jbair51@eq.edu.au 

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!!!

Tuckshop Volunteers Needed in 2022

Volunteers are always needed and welcomed to assist at Ironside’s Tuckshop, which is run by Ironside P&C. 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 layout and organisation of school
• Provide students with nutritious food at a reasonable cost
• Help generate Tuckshop revenue for the P&C used to benefit Ironside students

We welcome mums, dads, carers, and grandparents to lend assistance in the Tuckshop.  

Volunteering is a great way to get involved in our school community.  

REQUIREMENTS

Department of Education Queensland mandates that proof of COVID-19 double vaccination is required for all volunteers working at school. P&C requires all rostered Tuckshop volunteers to complete a 1.5-hour food and safety course (at no charge to you) before volunteering. The online course can be completed at your own pace.

If interested in volunteering at the Tuckshop, please email convenor, Olivia Qin, at pandctuckshop@ironsidess.eq.edu.au. Volunteers are generally rostered one day per week, one day per fortnight or one day per month. Volunteer hours are Monday to Fridays, 9:00am to 11:00am. Tuckshop is open from 8:00am, so you are welcome to come before 9am.  

Thank you for supporting your Ironside Tuckshop! 

If you are interested in your child attending or require additional information please email contactus@ironsideoshc.org.au

The Ironside State School tennis championship 2022 was held during week 2. Congratulations to Aimee Wigan who won the girls championship and to Ben Khalili who won the boys championship. Runners up were Dana Blansky and Alex Davies. The scores in the finals were 6 - 2 and 7 - 5 respectively. Thank you to all those children who participated and played so well and congratulations to all for the spirit in which each match was played.

Information from Michael Berkman's office

Hi, My name is Michael Berkman, and I’m your local state MP. You may have heard that in late 2021, the State Government announced that the preferred location for the new westside school is the old Toowong Bowlo next to Perrin Park.

I’m pushing to make sure the State Government and Council deliver pedestrian, cycling and public transport upgrades alongside the new school. 

It should be safe and pleasant for families to walk, ride or get the bus to school. Any school generates some localised congestion at pick up and drop off time, so my priority is to minimise the number of families who are forced to drive. 

That’s why I’ve just launched the “New School Safe Streets Survey” to find out what improvements you want to see in the local area.

I’ll be compiling a list of your suggestions to put forward to the relevant State Government and Council authorities. It’s important that the voices of locals are heard throughout this consultation process and I’ll work hard to make these suggestions a reality.

You can access the survey here. If you need context on the location of the new school, you can find the details here.