21 April 2022 - Term 2, Week 1

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to our second term for 2022. I hope that you all had a restful and relaxing Easter holiday break.

ANZAC CEREMONY

On Friday at 9:15am Ironside will hold our 2022 School ANZAC Service.

This will be the first occasion this year, that we’ve had the opportunity to bring the entire student population together. ANZAC Day is a fitting purpose for our first whole school assembly for the year.

Parents are welcome to attend the ceremony, with the understanding that space will be at a premium.

*Poppies will be on sale in the Oasis before school. Prices range between $1 and $5.

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION – New Inner West Primary School

On Wednesday, I sent communication to the community regarding the consultation phase for the new primary school proposed for the former Toowong Bowls Club Site (Perrin Park).

Ironside will be hosting two (2) ‘drop in’ community consultation meetings regarding the proposed new school development. These will be:

• Thursday 28^th April, 6pm – 8pm Ironside State School Hall
• Saturday 30^th April, 9am – 12pm Ironside State School Hall

A copy of the link sent to families is included again below.

220210_Building_Future_Schools_Inner_West_A3L_to_A4P_v22.FINAL_approved_version.pdf

ADMINISTRATION OFFICER (A02) – Ironside SS

At the end of last term, Ms Megan Clark was successful in securing an Acting Business Manager role at Brookfield State School until the end of 2022.

Megan has done a magnificent job at Ironside and will be missed. We all wish her well with her opportunity at Brookfield State School.

Her departure presents an opportunity for a full-time (acting) A02 Administrative Officer position within our front office.

If this is an opportunity you, or someone you know would be interested in being considered for, please send a cover letter outlining recent or past experience to Mr Paul Logan, Business Manager. His email is ploga12@eq.edu.au

Welcome back to the new term. Stay safe and well.

Yours Sincerely,

Damian Johnson, Principal.

Bridge Builders – Revision of Skills:

For the first week of this term, we will be revising the skills and strategies we learnt throughout Term 1.

These were:

1. Behaviour is a choice.

2. Understanding the nature of conflict.

3. Understanding our feelings and calming down.

4. Calming down our body and mind

Next week we will be learning about the first step in our bridge to resolve problems – Asking them to stop.

These lessons and activities are available through the Bridge Builders Online program.

Remember, at Ironside, we take a positive, solutions-focused approach and stay low on the ladder of inference.  In all interactions, please be mindful of assumptions being made or getting caught up in emotions, particularly around the perspectives of younger children.

The best thing parents can do when conflict is reported at home is to apply an adult lens and filter the information: Step back, listen, investigate if necessary or see this as an opportunity for personal growth.

How we respond as adults and manage emotions in this space plays a critical role in developing and building a child’s resilience.

There are systems, structures and processes in place to support individuals and the general population, both academically and socially.  Your classroom teacher should be your first point of call. Conversations of this nature also need to remain between you and the classroom teacher. They are the people who know your children best and what has occurred during the day.

Reminder:  Arrivals and Departures 2022 – Prep, Years 1 & 2

Students may arrive at school from 8:30am onwards and will be supervised by school staff.  Students are to wait in their dedicated waiting areas. 

• Prep - Prep Precinct (outside classrooms)
• Year 1/2 - Under G Block

PREP Arrivals:

Using the entrances at either Swann Rd or Hawken Drive, parents and Prep students may make their way to the Prep Precinct from 8:30am.  Parents, we ask that you observe our “Hug and Go” stations, and let our Preppies independently make their way to the classroom.

Students are to place their bag on the bag rack and organise their belongings as per the classroom routines. Teachers and Educational Support Officers will be there to assist children, particularly in the first weeks of school.

Each classroom teacher will have their own routine and expectations before the school day starts i.e. putting bag on rack, placing water bottles and ‘crunch’ containers in the appropriate spot.  Your classroom teacher will practise these with the students.

Your part in this process is to allow your child to manage these little routines on their own and to ensure conversations are had with your child about what they need to do.  These conversations and preparation are vital to ensure your child’s readiness for routine changes later in the year.

If your child is experiencing difficulty or uncertainty, remember we are here to help and support.

* The playground equipment is not to be accessed during this time. Prep students are expected to wait in front of their classroom.

* It is important for parents to leave this work to the students and teachers. Should your child seek your assistance, direct them to listen and follow the teacher's instructions.

School starts promptly at 9:00am. A bell will ring (this is a standard school bell), signalling to students that they should be ready to enter the classroom and start their day. Upon hearing this bell, it is expected that parents promptly vacate the Prep Precinct and school grounds.

PREP Departures:

At the end of the school day, Prep students will be waiting in the Grassy Patch for parents, known adults or siblings to collect them.

Students will be in class lines. Signs and markers will help to locate and collect your child.

Parents, known adults or siblings are to speak to the supervising adult and state who they are collecting.

* This is a matter of student safety and needs to be conducted in an orderly manner. Patience during this process will be greatly appreciated.

Things to note (Prep):

• If your child attends before or after school care - the OSHC educators will ensure that students they arrive and depart class safely
• For students that access the care provided by Playhouse - the educators will ensure the safe arrival and departure as per their advice
• If your child attends a program provided by an external provider after school (dance, tennis, etc.), the duty of care remains with the parents accessing this service
• Students are to be collected promptly by 3:00pm at the end of the school day

In the event of inclement weather, Prep students should have a raincoat in their school bag. Umbrellas are a hazard to other Prep students. Students with umbrellas will be asked to close them due to safety concerns.

Religious Instruction

Religious Instruction will commence on Friday, 29^th April. This is an option available to all students in Years 1-6.

Faith groups who are offering RI at Ironside are:

- Catholic

- Combined Christian

- Islam

Students will be enrolled into the RI group aligned with the information provided on the enrolment form at the time of enrolment.  Should you wish to change the RI group that your child attends, please submit this advice in writing to: pdave16@eq.edu.au AND sfaus0@eq.edu.au It is possible to change groups/cease attendance at any time.

Languages @ Ironside

Students at Ironside are fortunate enough to have a choice around which Language they choose to study in years 4-6. I intend to keep you updated with the fantastic things that are happening in both Spanish and Japanese lessons at Ironside. I’ve included a little insight into the languages’ curriculum below.

Rationale

Languages enable communication in our increasingly interconnected and interdependent world by engaging with the linguistic and cultural diversity of the world and its peoples.

Aim

Languages provide opportunities for students to understand:

- themselves as communicators by communicating in the target language

- the relationship between language, culture and their learning.

MICHAEL JEH – LIFE SKILLS SESSIONS – YEAR 6

 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 5 May.

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 Tuesday 5 May 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 CELEBRATIONS

Families are advised that Year 6 graduation celebrations will take place at school on the evening of Tuesday 6 December.  Students receive their Year Books on the following day for signing.  There is a Year 6 pool party and games day scheduled for Thursday 8 December, during school hours.

YEAR  BOOK  PARENT  VOLUNTEERS  REQUESTED

Traditionally, students leaving Ironside receive a Year Book, 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 Year 6 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

Please note there WILL NOT be any Parent Group this week due to our ANZAC ceremony taking place in the school's hall from 9:15am this Friday.

Everyone is welcome to join us in the hall from 9:15am.

We will recommence our Parent Group in the EALD Room next week! 

For further information, please contact me via email at:  ksomm2@eq.edu.au.

Kylie Sommerfeld

(EALD Coordinator)

Finally, CONGRATULATIONS goes to our 2022 age champions.

What an outstanding effort!

The top three 10-12yr old students listed below as well as the 4^th - 6^th place finishers will now go on to represent Ironside at the Northern Eagles District Cross Country on Wednesday,                                                                  April 27^th at Limestone Park in Ipswich.

Well done & good luck!

Mr. Clarke-Okah

HPE Specialist

ANZAC Day Ceremony

ANZAC Day Ceremony at Ironside will be held on Friday 22^nd of April 9:15am in the school hall.  At this ceremony this year there will be contributions from 4 different musical groups.  Senior Band, Chamber Strings and Voci Musicali, Chamber Strings and Year 3 singers, and Chamber Strings solo.  It is going to be a lovely ceremony with many children putting in time and effort to honour this important day.

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.   

Year 1 & Year 2 Choir News

Year 1 Choir (Piccole Voci) & Year 2 Choir (Voci Dei Bambini) are commencing in Week 2.

If your son or daughter loves to sing and perform, please encourage them to come along to their year level choir group rehearsal time, to sign up and become a member of the choir.

The Year 1 Choir is called Piccole Voci, meaning small voices. This group rehearses on Tuesdays during first break, in the Junior Music Room.

The Year 2 Choir is called Voci Dei Bambini, meaning voices of children. This group rehearses on Wednesdays during first break, in the Junior Music Room.

We have a great time in our rehearsals, and the kids learn varied repertoire that is both fun and challenging. Both groups aim to perform at least once per term, usually at our school assemblies.

Year 4 – Band Recruiting 

Our parent night for new parents to the band program will be held on Wednesday 27th of April – 6pm in the school hall.  We hope to see you all there to hear about how to get the most from this amazing program.  

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!