2 February 2024 - Term 1, Week 2

Acknowledgement of Country

Ironside State School acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to the Elders past, present, and emerging for they hold the traditions, culture, memories and hopes of Indigenous Australia.

News from Mrs Kelly

Hi Everyone,     

I need to start by saying how thrilled I am to be here at Ironside State School.  Thank you so much to everyone for welcoming me into this very special community.  It has been clear from the moment I arrived that I am part of something unique and wonderful here.  The children, families, staff and wider community are just beautiful; what an honour and a privilege it is to be leading this great school.

If you are a new family to Ironside State School, I sincerely hope that you are settling in and are feeling like me, welcomed.  It is hard to shake that homesickness at first but it is the support of others that gets you through these times. 

I am not the only new staff member and I would like to welcome the many staff that have joined our school community this year.

Prep  -  Ms Sheree Hoac and Ms Essie Horn

Year 1  -  Ms Sophie Morrison and Ms Simone Fitzgerald

Year 2  -  Ms Caitlyn Hall

Year 3  -  Ms Joanne Abell

Year 5  -  Mr Nathan Reardon

Year 6  -  Ms Jade Bowser, Ms Billie Barker, Mr Nick Trethan

Support Teacher  -  Ms Natalie Killorn

Visual Arts & Drama Teacher  -  Ms Michelle Pokoj

Technical Officer  -  Mr Josh Coates

From left to right: Michelle Pokoj, Nathan Reardon, Sophie Morrison, Billie Barker, Jade Bowser, Natalie Killorn, and Nick Trethan.

Also included are people who are not new to Ironside State School but are acting in new positions  -  congratulations to Mr Brett Perrier, who is the Deputy Principal overseeing Year 5 and 6 and Ms Elizabeth Graff-Valizadeh who is our Business Manager (replacing Ms Chris Delaney, who is on leave for the remainder of 2024  -  thank you to her and may she have a great break).  Mr Perrier is replacing Ms Jenny Bairstow who has gone over to be an acting Deputy Principal at Holland Park State School, we wish her all the very best in her new position.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of new people on staff, many in key positions and many who are teaching for the very first time.  Though change is exciting (and daunting), it also requires a lot of patience.  I want to thank you in advance for being incredibly patient with me as I learn all about how Ironside works and all of the great things that are happening here. 

I always talk about being school ready and to be school ready, in my mind there are 5 things:

1. Full School Uniform

2. Broad brimmed hat and sunscreen

3. Healthy lunchbox (minimal packaging)

4. Well rested

5. Be at school every day possible and on time.

To be on time though, the first thing I am getting my head around is the bell times, if you need a reminder of them too, here they are:

     8:55am - Getting ready for class

      9:00am - First session begins

      10:50am - Eating time

      11:00am - Play time

      11:25am - Getting ready for middle session

      11:30am - Middle session begins

      1:30pm - Eating time

      1:40pm - Play time

      1:55pm - Getting ready for afternoon session

      2:00pm - Afternoon session begins

      3:00pm - End of school day

I know many of the children here are accessing the wonderful services of Outside Hours School Care (OHSC).  If your children need to be at school before 8:30am, please be sure to contact OSHC to enrol them, so they can enjoy the activities and care provided. 

At 8:30am onwards our school supervises different areas.  Our Preppies can be down in their own area and Year 1 to Year 3 can safely play under G Block or on the front grassy patch.  For our children in Year 4 to Year 6, they can be on the oval or under the library basement. No matter what year level you are in, I believe you can head to the library and enjoy reading a book  -  what a great option!

After school I have been out and about right across the school, seeing how everyone gets home.  Over time I will think about how we can enhance the systems in place even further to make home-time run more smoothly. One thing I ask of everyone, is to remember that for safety reasons, it is important for children to go home as soon as possible after 3pm, unless they are enrolled in OHSC or are part of an after school activity being run on the grounds here at Ironside State School.  Thank you for supporting us to keep all of our children safe.

COMING UP THIS FORTNIGHT

• District Swimming -  Monday 5 February
  
• Life Education (Year 4-6) -  begins Monday 5 February
• Life Education Parent Information Session -  Monday 5 February.
• Information Sessions -  Wednesday 7  February (Prep, 1, 3, 4) and Thursday 8 February (2, 5, 6)
• Merit Assembly (Friday 9 February -  P-2) (Fri 16 February  -  3-6)
• School Review -  Tuesday 13 February until Friday 16 February
• Volunteer Induction -  Friday 16 February  -  10am

There is a lot coming up in the next 2 weeks.  All the best to those children heading off to district swimming, I have no doubt you will give it your all!

I am pleased to see that Life Education is kicking off for our Years 4 to 6 and I thank the presenters of this and the organisers in advance.  As a parent, I have also always found their parent information sessions very helpful too. The session for parents is Monday 5 February at 6pm in 5A.

Class Information Sessions are a wonderful way to know what is happening in your child’s class.  I am hoping that you can make it but also know that it can be hard to get to these.  Please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you can’t make it and are looking for specific information.

ASSEMBLY

I really enjoyed our first whole school assembly together in the first week of school.  It was lovely to see our school captains ready to take on this responsibility straight away and for the rest of the school to be so respectful when sitting and listening.  I can’t wait to see what happens at the Merit Assemblies and be involved.  I have to apologise for not being at this morning’s assembly.  I am actually away today and Monday, as all of our belongings have finally arrived and we are moving into our new place.  We have been living in AirBnBs for the last couple of months.  It is so tough for so many people at the moment who are struggling to find accommodation, I am very grateful that we have secured somewhere to live.  I do not like being away from school and I am grateful to Mr Scott Weston-Murdoch for being the principal in my absence.

SCHOOL REVIEW

We have a full School Review coming up in Week 4.  This is where four trainer reviewers will come into our school and talk to children, staff, parents and our wider community to understand all of the fantastic things happening at Ironside State School and suggest ideas that could improve our overall school.  As a new principal to the school, this is a wonderful opportunity for me to understand Ironside State School more thoroughly.  A School Review also helps and informs our School Strategic Plan which shapes our next four years  -   very exciting times ahead.

VOLUNTEERING

Thank you to everybody who has always been volunteering in our school, you make our school a better place.  Please make sure you have noted that the Volunteer Induction is Friday 16 February at 10am.  This is a really important session. Thank you again for changing our school and our community with the time and expertise you share.

A group of volunteers who will be being inducted are our Religious Educators.  I want to thank them for the lessons they are providing across our school for those children whose families want them to attend.  This simply could not happen without these volunteers.  Please see the section of our newsletter, devoted to the various religious instruction that is on offer.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO ME

There are some things that are incredibly important to me as the principal of the school.  I want to share some with you.

• I am a huge believer in clear communication, so that we all know what is happening. Please note my email address is akell58@eq.edu.au  if you need to give me some specific feedback.
• Positive relationships are paramount -  children, staff, parents, families, the wider community.  Everyone is welcome at Ironside State School.  Every child, family, volunteer and staff member is valued.
• I believe we should love learning and being challenged - both children and staff.  An outstanding education is one where you reach just beyond your grasp and that you are supported with the next steps to improve. 
• Every child should have at least one friend at school and feel they belong and are safe. Schools should be a place of joy and kindness
• I know the importance of the natural and physical environment. We need to strive to have excellent facilities that are beautiful and maintained  -  rubbish put into bins and belongings named and cared for and school equipment treasured.  We are custodians of our planet. 
• Lunchtimes are an incredibly important time for children, they need to be fun, safe and a variety of activities available.

I look forward to spending time in classrooms getting to know the children, seeing their bookwork and experience the excitement of learning an engaging curriculum.  My experience at Ironside State School already, is that I am witnessing very talented kids, being educated and raised to be exceptional adults; what a privilege it is to be here.  There is so much school pride at Ironside State School and rightfully so.

Beautiful kids, beautiful families, beautiful staff equals a beautiful school.

Here’s to a fantastic 2024!

Yours in education,

Angie Kelly
Principal

P.S.  The climate is changing.  Coming from North Queensland, my previous school had an extreme heat policy but Ironside hasn’t had one in the past.  We are putting one together as extreme heat may become more of a feature of  the beginning of our school years.  My apology that I did not have this ready before school began.

News from Mr Weston-Murdoch

Dear parents and caregivers,

Welcome back!  It has been so lovely to see how our Prep – Year Two students have settled back into school routines nicely.

As a school, we would like to take a moment to extend a warm welcome to those that are joining the Ironside community this year – particularly our newest of students, the Preps. 

For some, in these early weeks of school, it can take a little longer getting to know new teachers, classmates and routines.

The start of a new school year involves a big change for your child. It is normal for children to have strong feelings as they start to think about these changes, such as excitement about the prospect of going to school as well as nervousness about what lies ahead.

Prep children may also be feeling sad or angry about leaving early childhood education and care. This includes letting go of relationships formed with educators and other children, as well as a change to their familiar routines. Some common feelings children have during transition to school can include:

• excitement
• sadness
• anger
• anticipation
• fear or anxiety

Understanding and helping your child to handle the feelings associated with starting or returning to school will help to reduce their stress and can provide them with positive coping strategies. 

PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS: TERM 1, WEEK 3

Parent Information Sessions will be conducted in Week 3. 

These sessions are an opportunity for parents to meet their classroom teacher and obtain a general overview of the academic year ahead.

Wednesday 7 February

3:30pm – Prep (classrooms)

4:15pm – Year 1 (classrooms)

Thursday 8 February

4:15pm – Year 2 (classrooms)

Parent-Teacher conferences will be provided later in the term and this will be your opportunity to discuss individual academic progress in more detail.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES - PREP, YEARS 1 AND 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 or utilise the appropriate supervised play space.

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 practice using 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 Prep playground is not to be accessed during this time.

* It is important for parent 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.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES: STOP, DROP, AND GO ZONES

Please be mindful of our STOP, DROP and GO zones which are located on Hawken Drive and Central Avenue. These zones are designed to keep traffic moving during peak times in the mornings and afternoons.

These zones are clearly signed and parents are to remain in their car during arrivals and departures.

Parking in the STOP, DROP and GO zones is a hazard and safety issue to students and other members of the community.

For more information: https://ironside.wistia.com/medias/v2wprtgjp4?wvideo=v2wprtgjp4

YEAR 1 PARENTS 

One of the systems we use at school to keep students safe is the wearing of a yellow bucket hat in Prep.  This helps to keep Prep students easily identifiable in the playground to make sure they are in the right place.

We kindly request that you purchase the appropriate blue hat used by our Years 1 – 6 students at your earliest convenience.  This will avoid confusion in the playground.

These hats are readily available for purchase at the uniform shop or via the Qkr app.

Thanks in advance for your co-operation with this matter.

https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/facilities/uniform-shop

New uniforms can be ordered online via the online app Qkr! http://qkr.mastercard.com/.

Please note the Uniform Shop cannot accept cash.  Payment can be made by EFTPOS in store and via use of the Qkr! app (online).

BRIDGE BUILDERS

Bridge Builders® is a school-wide proactive program aligned to the Australian Curriculum (Personal and Social Capabilities), implemented sequentially from Prep–Year 6. Students are explicitly taught to apply conflict resolution strategies, communicate using a common language and build their confidence to solve interpersonal problems.

Bridge Builders® at Ironside State School is a whole school approach that promotes resilience and self-worth. It encourages students to respond appropriately and challenge conflict behaviours and to develop positive and safe relationships. It is embedded into the everyday life of the school.

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

In relation to incidents of conflict at Ironside State School, we take a positive, solutions-focused approach and stay low on the ladder of inference.  When incidents are discussed at home, please 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 always be your first point of contact.

PREP, YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2 PARENTS: BRIDGE BUILDERS ONLINE

To support families with younger children, Ironside State School provides access to the Bridge Builders Online Program.  This program is designed to help students with resolving everyday conflict and will be implemented during the course of the year with students accessing material both during class, and outside of class time.

In the coming weeks, teachers will be sending unique licence keys and invitations to access this program at home.

AROUND THE CLASSROOM - PREP 

In Prep D this week we have started learning about sorting objects. We identified shapes, playing singing games to remember their names, and talked about how many sides and corners they have. In small groups, we then explored shapes by making them out of playdough and using the pattern blocks to make designs. We used our shape magnifying glasses to search for shapes in the classroom and recorded our findings on our white boards. Mrs Pearl helped us to make some artworks using shapes to print on paper. We had lots of fun talking, learning and playing to consolidate our knowledge of shapes and their attributes before we move onto sorting them into groups.

AROUND THE CLASSROOM - YEAR 1

Thank you to the Year 1 parents for settling the children so well over the first 2 weeks of school and remembering our Ironside Way rules from Prep.

The children have been busy settling into rules and new routines, as well as enjoying ‘getting to know you’ activities.

AROUND THE CLASSROOM - YEAR 2

Students in Year 2 have been learning about their class mates and building relationships, through fun games and icebreakers. They particularly enjoyed ‘Snowball fight’ in which students had to write four things about themselves, scrunch up the paper into a ball, throw them at one another, pick up a ‘snowball’ and share the information about that person, to the whole class. They were surprised at how many things everyone has in common.

Kind regards,

Scott Weston-Murdoch
Deputy Principal P-2

and the P-2 Team

News from Mrs Cowan-Dillon

Dear families,

Welcome back to Ironside and to the start of the 2024 school year!

The students in Year 3 and 4 are already impressing their new teachers, welcoming our new students and eagerly diving into learning.

PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS

Parent Information sessions will take place in classrooms for Years 3 and 4. All parents are welcome to attend. If you are unable to attend, information that is shared on the night will be sent home via classroom teachers by the end of next week.

Year 3: Wednesday 7 February 4:45pm

Year 4: Wednesday 7 February 5:15pm

INQUIRY LEARNING IN YEARS 3 AND 4

As inquirers, we develop ways of working known as “Learner Assets”. We strive to be Collaborators, Researchers, Thinkers, Self-Managers and Communicators.

Students in 3A have started reflecting on what it means to be Collaborators, Researchers, Thinkers and Self-Managers in their classroom:

GUEST SPEAKERS IN WEEK 4

In Week 4 of this term, our Year 4 students will have some special guest speakers from Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) coming in to talk about beach and water safety. The program aims to change behaviours and save lives through education and increased understanding of vital beach safety messages in a fun and interactive environment, and will provide valuable information to students to use in their upcoming Technology project. This is a free program for all Year 4 students and will be taking place on Wednesday the 14 of February.

Kind regards,

Alice Cowan-Dillon

Deputy Principal 3-4

News from Mr Perrier

WELCOME BACK!!

We have had a wonderful start to our term in the upper school.  We are excited to see our Year 6 students in their Senior Shirts, smiling and ready for the fun and challenging year of leadership ahead.  We are also excited to welcome all of our six Year 5 classes into our sector.  We are enjoying getting to know you, and we are confident you will flourish throughout the year.

PARENT INFORMATION SESSION – Week 4

Please note the structure and location of the Parent Information Sessions for Years 5 and 6 this evening Thursday February 8.

Year 5 Parent Evening – 5pm – 6pm

          Venue - Hall

          5pm:   Welcome to the upper school – mindsets and what you can expect

           Venue – Classrooms

          5.30 - 6pm:  Meet your teacher, classroom routines and expectations.

Year 6 Parent Evening – 6pm – 7pm

          Venue - Hall

          5pm:   Welcome to the upper school – mindsets and what you can expect

           Venue – Classrooms

          5.30 - 6pm:  Meet your teacher, classroom routines and expectations.

We look forward to seeing you there.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Firstly, official congratulations to our School Captains for 2024: Alice M, Madeleine D, Mason D and Barnabas H.  I am sincerely looking forward to working with these students as they pave out their own leadership paths in 2024.

We now need to elect and select all other leadership positions to fill our Student Council, and beyond.  House Captains, Student Councillors, Class Representatives and Bridge Builders will all be voted in and selected over the next week. Nomination forms have been provided to students and we look forward to them delivering a one-minute speech to their classes and houses for voting.

The Leadership Induction and badge presentation ceremony is set for assembly at 9.15am on Friday March 1.  When all leadership positions have been filled, families will receive a formal invitation.  As with all of our assemblies, parents are always welcome.

LIFE ED – SEXUAL HEALTH AND RELEATIONSHIPS EDUCATION

Sexual Health and Relationships Education for our Year 5 and 6 students through Life Education Queensland begins on Monday February 5 and will run throughout the school until Tuesday February 27. The information here aims to help you understand the content of this session. The school recognises that you are the primary educator of your child on issues surrounding their sexuality, however we believe we can work together to help children stay safe by encouraging healthy attitudes. The “Talk About It” program by Life Education includes information on puberty incorporating physical growth and emotional changes, relationships and the concept of self.  It is designed to help students understand and cope with this important phase of development. 

The program is designed to assist young people develop a positive attitude towards their own sexuality and provides them with information on how to look after themselves during this stage of their development.  The lessons being conducted will focus on the physical, social and emotional changes experienced during puberty and helping students understand and cope with this important phase of development. The program covers content from the Health strand of the Australian Curriculum and topics covered are include Puberty, Evolving Friendships, Discovering Identity & Human Reproduction.  The following link provides and outline of the “Talk About It” program, and details how the program is aligned to the curriculum standards: 

https://lifeeducationqld.org.au/our-programs/talk-about-it/

We are fortunate to have Rachel Stevens, a former Ironside teacher, now working for Life Education conducting the sessions which have been tailored to the needs of our school and students.  Classroom teachers will always be present in the room during sessions as well.  Parents who wish to withdraw their children from these modules have been asked to contact their teachers directly, and alternative supervision arrangements have been made.

Year 5 students will partake in two modules entitled “Who am I?” and “Evolving Friendships”.  The cost for this will be $32.

Year 6 students will partake in three modules entitled “Discovering Identity”; “Surviving Puberty” and “The Journey of Human Reproduction”.  The cost for this will be $42

We will be offering a Parent Information Session on Monday February 5 at 6pm for interested parents in the 5A classroom. (Top of L Block)

STUDENT DIARIES

All students in Years 4 – 6 have been provided with a 2024 Ironside Student Diary.  Students are encouraged to use this as a tool to support the skills of organisation and time management.  Each teacher will require students to use these diaries in different ways.  Some like them to be sent home daily, others use them more as a support at school.

Have a lovely weekend!

Kind regards,

Brett Perrier

Deputy Principal 5-6

bperr18@eq.edu.au

Important Term 1 Dates

Religious Instruction

RI AT IRONSIDE STATE SCHOOL

Ironside State School offers five religion classes should you wish your child to attend. Students select the Religious Instruction preference during enrolment. If you would like to change this at any time, written notification is required. Please email - enrolments@ironsidess.eq.edu.au or your child’s teacher with any written request.

The available classes are:

• Catholic
• Christian
• Islamic
• Buddhist
• Hindu

Please find information from the groups below that is available on the Multi-Faiths RI website. Hindu does not have information on this site yet, so we will be providing further information in future newsletters.

TITLE OF AUTHORISED PROGRAM: CATHOLIC RI

A variety of curricula can be used approved by the local parish priest or a bishop which usually go into some detail about Catholic religious tradition and practices rather than a general instruction on the Bible and basic Christian beliefs provided in a co-operative arrangement. Catholic belief is based on both Scripture and tradition.

Outline of Catholic RI’s Aims and Goals:

• To help students
• To know that we are all of mankind, that we all have a divine spirit within us and to know that God is within us all
• To love God with all our heart and mind and soul
• To love our neighbour, to show love, honour and respect to ourselves and to all around us
• To forgive others and to treat others as we would like to be treated
• To be familiar with the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes
• To be informed about Catholic liturgical practices and religious services
• To be familiar with basic Catholic beliefs and the fundamentals of Catholic religious doctrine
• To become familiar with Scripture and the Person of Jesus Christ.
• To know about special feast days associated with liturgical seasons of the year including Easter and Christmas
• To become aware of and appreciate the Sacraments and Prayers of the Catholic Church

Students are invited to participate in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Confirmation.

Outline of lesson Structure:

Catholic IR lessons are based on the person of Jesus Christ and biblical teaching and may include bible stories and parables, drama, music, craft and prayer.

TITLE OF AUTHORISED PROGRAM: CHRISTIAN RI

The aim of Christian RI is to inform students about the basic beliefs of the Christian faith from a non-denominational perspective.

The providers of Christian RI use authorised program materials and resources and are committed to best-practice programs that have been reviewed by independent curriculum experts. The program GodSpace is used across Years 1-6 at Ironside SS and further information about GodSpace, including lesson structure can he found here. The independent review of GodSpace can be found here . 

Participating faith groups: Local Christian Churches come together to offer Christian RI on a cooperative and non-denominational basis. These local churches may, amongst others, include Anglican, Australian Christian Churches, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Brisbane Chinese Alliance, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

Outline of lesson structure:

Christian RI may involve a variety of up-to-date teaching methods including storytelling, prayer, music, drama, craft, activity books, games, quizzes, video clips and puppet shows. Program resources are written by professional educators and are age-appropriate.

TITLE OF AUTHORISED PROGRAM: ISLAMIC RI

Outline of your Faith Group’s Aims and Goals 

Our vision is for children to gain foundational knowledge and a practical understanding of Islamic values. Islam is a complete way of life that is centred around the concept of God-consciousness, as shown by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the final prophet and messenger sent by Allah (God). 

We aim to develop students into happy, healthy and functional individuals who contribute to society based on the timeless wisdom from Islamic scripture and insights from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family and companions. As the modern age takes its toll on everyone through various stresses (economic, political, social, cultural), our program is tailored to help them manage and rise above the modern day struggles whilst ensuring they remain true to the core ethics of One God, his final Prophet, and the development of a tolerant, value-based society as encouraged by Islamic scripture. 

Outline of lesson structure: 

Our modern pedagogical approach enables us to deliver a curriculum structured around the foundational areas (6 Pillars of Faith) of Islamic education, including: 

Term 1: Back to Basics: 5 Pillars of Islam 

Term 2: Who is Allah (SWT)? 

Term 3: Guidance through the Prophet Stories 

Term 4: Guidance from Allah 

Understanding that actions are linked to beliefs. Faith must be accompanied by beneficial action. There is no rote-learning; instead, concepts are taught in a dynamic and engaging way that is relevant to the Australian context. Students are encouraged to ask questions as this shows they are processing the lessons and seeking a deeper understanding.  

Alongside faith-based lessons are practical steps to develop life skills like time management, maintaining healthy relationships, and respectful communication. There is also a focus on morals and values that are the basis for a harmonious and socially cohesive society. Principles of fairness, equity, sharing, respect and understanding are core to each lesson, which resonates with all students regardless of how strongly they identify with the faith. 

Please note: The order of topics is rotated every year; however, the concept remains the same. To stay up to date with our Term Assigned topic. Please feel free to explore our website: https://www.isre.org.au/resources/ 

TITLE OF AUTHORISED PROGRAM: BUDDHIST

Aims and Goals

Our vision is for children to gain a foundation in Buddhist ethical values, being aware of the consequences of what they think, say and do. This will help them to develop skills that will benefit their personal lives and therefore also the wider community and society.

Our aim is for the children to lead happy and healthy lives by sharing values and life skills with them based on the wisdom of the Buddha and using contemporary pedagogy.  The children will not remember the contents of Buddhist text books, nor remember lists, but will understand the heart of Buddha’s wisdom to live well for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Outline of lesson structure:

We employ a modern pedagogical lesson planning structure, using a logical, step-by-step approach, taking into account the current level of understanding of the children. In other words, age-appropriate.

News from Chappy Thu

Dear Families,

Welcome to 2024! I hope you all had a wonderful break filled with family, friends and fun! My family and I spent one week in Bargara, a small coastal town near Bundaberg where we learnt all about turtles (my son even touched one whilst snorkelling!), visited Lady Musgrave Island, relaxed on the beach, visited a macadamia farm and my husband even had the opportunity to blend his own rum. My children will be in grade 6 and 8 this year and I am blown away by how fast the time with them is passing. I know it won’t be that much longer before they will be off doing their own thing, so I am deeply grateful for the time we still have together.  

Although the holidays were fantastic, I have also thoroughly enjoyed being back at school and connecting with all the students again, both old and new. This year, the school has very generously provided a space for chaplaincy and I have named it Chappy Central. It is a beautiful classroom in B Block, between the computer lab and tennis courts. Over the past two weeks it has been filled to the brim with holiday stories, laughter and new friendships! It will also be the location for our upcoming Chaplaincy Team meeting, which everyone is invited to (Invitation below).

In even more exciting news, I will be at Ironside for FOUR days this year! Tuesday to Friday! It is more than I could ask for and I am so thankful to the school staff, the P&C and the whole Ironside community for the support in making this extra day possible. I look forward to having more time to provide activities, programs and events for our amazing community.

CHAPPY SQUAD

Applications for the Chappy Squad came in with great enthusiasm during Week 1 and I am proud to announce that 120 students have been selected. Week 2 has been filled with training sessions for all the members. Students from years 4, 5 and 6 completed their training on Wednesday and the remaining year 3 students completed training today.

24 Captains and Deputies have been chosen along with six new team names. Congratulations to the following students:

CHAPPY ACTIVITIES 

Chappy Activities will resume in full swing next week! The Squad and I are looking forward to providing fun and inclusive activities for everyone.

And that’s all from me for now. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Until Next Time,

Chappy Thu

tklet0@eq.edu.au

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

8am to 4pm

HPE News

HPE AND SPORT INFORMATION

Welcome to another year for Ironside HPE and school sport.  With plenty of activities going on throughout the year, Mr Bushnell, Mr Davis and myself thought we would put together a HPE Presentation that will be available at anytime to help everyone understand what's going on in HPE, what representative trial dates are coming up, etc.  The document  can always be located on our school website at the following address:

https://ironsidess.eq.edu.au/co-curricular/sports

We are all looking forward to another year working with your children in the HPE and sport space.

IRONSIDE FUTSAL INTENTION TO TRIAL

If you have a student born in 2012, 2013, 2014 or 2015 who are interested in trialling for this year's Ironside futsal teams, please follow the link to complete the following survey to provide your details to Mr Clarke-Okah so we can lock in trial dates.

2024 Ironside Futsal Intention to Trial Form

Trials will be either before or after school in Weeks 4 and 5, depending on the number of students interested in trialling. Dates for each team's training session will be provided at a later date. Please remember, after the teams are selected, no students will be added to any of the teams unless players leave the school. If this is the case, then only those students that are new to the school, or have previously trialled, will be permitted to take their place. Ironside has been very successful in previous years with our futsal teams so we are looking forward to another great year in 2024. Email Mr Clarke-Okah at jclar577@eq.edu.au if you have any questions. Nominations will close on Wednesday, February 7. 

QParents - Online Parent Portal

School zone safety – advice for motorists, parents and carers

With school back for 2024, we need to keep safety top-of-mind when travelling through active school zones and around our school community.

School zone times have been standardised in Queensland to help motorists remember when to slow down. The standard operating times for most school zones in Queensland are 7–9am and 2–4pm, with some operating all day between 7am–4pm.

Speeding remains a significant concern, contributing to fatalities and injuries, and police will be on the lookout for speeding motorists. Keeping below the signed speed limit in school zones helps keep everyone safe. This simple adjustment may have minimal impact on travel time but has the potential to significantly contribute to saving lives.

Children's crossings are identified by children's crossing flags, displayed near crossings before and after school hours. 

When the crossing is supervised, you, as a motorist, must:

• Wait until all pedestrians, bicycle riders, or personal mobility device riders have crossed the road and the crossing supervisor has returned to the footpath.
• Abide by the direction given by the School Crossing Supervisor.

Please keep our children safe by staying alert, slowing down and obeying our school crossing supervisors who are there to help kids cross the road safely.  

You can also help children become more road safety aware by:

• Showing them how to look for vehicles coming in and out of driveways and discourage them from playing behind parked cars, or with toys or balls when walking to school. 
• Ensuring your child knows the safest route to and from school. This is usually the way with the least traffic and the fewest roads to cross and teach your child to always walk on footpaths. 
• Showing your child how to cross at traffic lights when the green 'walk' sign is showing at pedestrian crossings when vehicles have stopped and at supervised school crossings when the supervisor has signalled it is safe to do so. 
• Accompanying children when walking or riding to school until they are old enough to understand road safety (usually around 10 years or older). 
• Teaching your child if they catch the bus to never cross in front of or behind a bus; wait until the bus goes before crossing the road. 
• Making sure wheeled devices (bicycle, scooter, skateboard, or rollerblades) used to travel to school are well maintained and that the appropriate protective and safety gear (for example, helmet, visible clothing, knee and elbow pads) are used. 

Visit the Street Smarts website for more information about what to do at pedestrian and children crossings.

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