2021 Term 1, Week 6 Newsletter

Principal's News

Term 1 Parent Teacher Interviews

It is a requirement that schools offer parents opportunities to discuss their child's educational performance at the school with their child's teacher.  Interviews provide a chance for parents to learn about your child's achievement and progress for each learning area, and build the school-parent partnership to improve student learning.  The intent of Parent-Teacher Interviews is for parents to understand:

• the learning expectations for the student
• the student’s achievement against expected standards;
• how well the student is engaging with the expected learning; and
• how the student may be able to improve.

Term 1 Parent Teacher Interviews will occur at the following days and times.  A SOBS Interview link with schedule will be emailed to you in due course.

• Monday 29 March.   2:00pm - 5:30pm, Bottle Tree Hall.
  • Year 34D.  Mrs Kathryn Denning.
  • Year 4CN.  Mrs Danielle Cameron & Mrs Megan Neylon
  • Year 45E.  Miss Millie Edwards
  • Year 5CH.  Mrs Lauren Haron
• Monday 29 March.  3:30pm - 6:00pm, Bottle Tree Hall.
  • Year 6M.  Mrs Annie Murphy.
  • Year 6S.  Mrs Lucyann Stevens.
• Tuesday 30 March.  2:00pm - 5:30pm, Bottle Tree Hall.
  • Prep B.  Mrs Tanya Bendall
  • Prep S.  Mrs Toni-Ann Smith
  • Year 1K.  Miss Kate Kearnan.
  • Year 12HA.  Mrs Tracey Hayes
  • Year 2H.  Mrs Delma Hafey
  • Year 3S.  Miss Kelsey Symes

NAPLAN Online 2021

As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

NAPLAN Information sessions will be held at the same time as Parent-Teacher Interviews, Monday 29 March & Tuesday 30 March.  For parents/carers of students in Years 3 &/or 5, you will have a chance to meet with the Principal to discuss NAPLAN and NAPLAN online, either before or after you have your interview with your child's teacher. Laptops will be set up for you to "have a go" at the online assessment should you so choose! 

Friday 19 March - Our school will be recognising:  National Day of Action Against Violence & Bullying, Harmony Day and World's Greatest Shave.

A HUGE morning planned!  Thanks to our Student Leaders and Student Representative Council for planning these events!

• Come dressed in ORANGE to show your support as we take action against Bullying and Violence
• Come dressed in ORANGE as we recognise Harmony Week
  
• Wear CRAZY HAIR and bring a GOLD COIN donation in support of the Leukeamia Foundation
• Participate in, or listen to, our SCHOOL CHOIR as they SING to our school community

Parents are invited to attend a special school community parade at Bottle Tree Hall from 9am - 9.30am.

The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is an important day in our school calendar to join with other schools across Australia to say ‘Bullying. No Way!’  At our school, we encourage students to take hold of the issue and talk about what works. Together we can make change. Everyone has a role to play in supporting young people in dealing with bullying and helping to energise positive discussions about the issue.  Help our school community deliver a powerful message that bullying and violence are never okay. 

Curriculum News

Religious Instruction (RI) Lessons

Religious Instruction is commencing from Week 6 for Years 1-3 students whose parents have provided permission.
RI days will be Tuesday for Year 2H and Thursday for Years 1K, 1/2HA, 3S and 3/4D. 
Students not participating in RI lessons will engage in learning with their class teacher.

* If you would like to update your childs details to have them included or excluded from RI, please notify a member of the admin team.

School Council News

Schools and students make a huge contribution to Clean Up campaigns – so much so that they have their own dedicated Schools Clean Up Day.

Students and Staff at Pittsworth State School take great pride in our beautiful grounds and facilities.

With this in mind, this Friday 05 March, PSS students, lead by the Eco Club, will participate in Clean Up Australia Day. From 2.30pm - 3.00pm, all students will have the opportunity to clean up a designated area of our school. Students will be provided with gloves and other equipment to be safe and hygienic.

Student News

Aussie of the Month

Do you know a student who should be considered for “Aussie of the Month”?

Email admin@pittsworthss.eq.edu.au with the child’s name and a paragraph stating why they should be considered.  Relate your reasons to the purpose & values of this award.

School News

Head Lice detected at school

Head lice are small, wingless insects that live in the hair on your head and can be challenging to eradicate. They can only survive in human hair, need to feed from the scalp several times a day and can only survive up to two days off the person's head. Though not dangerous, head lice are a common problem for children between the ages of 3 and 11 and have nothing to do with personal hygiene or cleanliness and do not carry disease.

Head lice can crawl onto your scalp when your head touches the head of someone with head lice and, although rare, they can be transferred through a hair brush or hat.

A good method of checking your child's head is by parting the hair in small sections and checking for lice and nits with a fine-tooth comb close to the scalp, behind the ears, and around the nape of the neck. Good lighting and magnifying glass may help this process, If you are still unsure, and your child is constantly itching and complaining, speak to your health care provider or pharmacist.

Treatment should only be applied when live lice are found on the head. If more than one person in your family has been infested, treatment should be applied at the same time to break the cycle.

Here are two methods of treatment:

1. Conditioner and combing technique (non-insecticidal treatment)
Conditioner stuns lice and blocks their breathing pores. This, together with the slippery effect of the conditioner, makes it easier to mechanically remove the lice. This treatment method is equally as effective as insecticidal or other chemical treatments but genrerally requires longer treatment times. However, it may be preferred as a cheaper alternative to insecticidal or other chemical treatments.

Step 1: Generously apply conditioner to dry hair to cover the scalp and the full length of the hair.
Step 2. Untangle the hair with a wide-toothed comb.
Step 3. Place a fine-toothed headlice comb flat against the scalp and draw the comb through each section of hair from the roots to the ends.
Step 4. Wipe the comb after each stroke onto a tissue or paper towel, checking each time for head lice or nits.
Step 5. Comb each section of hair at least five times.
Step 6. Wash the hair as normal.
Step 7. Scrub both combs with an old toothbrush to remove an eggs or lice that may be present.
Repeat the conditioner and combing method every second day to remove young lice as they hatch. Continue for ten or so consecutive days until no lice are found.

2. Treatment with synthetic or natural insecticides or other chemicals
There are different forms of treatment of which you can get from the chemist without prescription. All preparations must be applied strictly according to the manufacturer's instructions and none of them should be used on children under two year s of age, except on medical advice. If a product doesn't seem to work, speak with your chemist about a product with a different active ingredient.

• No chemical treatment kills all the eggs.
• A second treatment should be applied 7-10 days after the initial treatment to kill the young lice that have hatched from the eggs remaining from the first treatment.
• Do not apply the treatment more than once per week as more frequent applications could lead to scalp problems and have little or no effect.

Nits are the most difficult to kill. The most effective way to remove eggs is to actually pull them off the hair using your fingernails.

Prevention: 
There is no need to use pesticides around your home, as lice cannot survive more than a day or two away from the scalp. The following recommendations will help to prevent reinfestation:

• Regularly check the child's scalp for signs of lice.
• Teach your child to avoid head-to-head contact during play and other activities.
  

Sports News

Cross Country - start training folks!
This year's Cross Country will be held at Bridgman Oval on Friday 26 March.  Parents will be allowed to spectate:  a Covid Safe Plan will be in place.  The distances children will be running for Cross Country are outlined below:

* 5/6 Years - 500m
* 7/8 Years - 1.0km
* 9 Years - 1.5km
* 10 Years - 2.0km
* 11/12 Years - 3.0km

Gore Highway Cross Country.  Wednesday 31 March (unfortunately, any Year 5 student selected will miss out as this is the same date as the Year 5 Emu Gully Camp.  Times will be sent directly through to Inner Downs for consideration and possible pre-selection).

Inner Downs Cross Country.  Friday 23 April, Highfields.

Senior Swimming Carnival Results

AGE CHAMPIONS:

MURPHY FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD: Jayeffe
HOUSE POINTS:
Condamine  - 753
Leslie - 913

Overall House Winner- Leslie

Junior Swimming Carnival Results
AGE CHAMPIONS:

MYLONAS FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD:  Mico 
HOUSE POINTS:

Condamine -  347
Leslie - 479

Overall House Winner- Leslie

Swimming Carnivals

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Inner Downs Swimming 

Pittsworth State School was well represented on Monday night 22nd February at the Inner Downs Swimming.  The following students qualified for the Darling Downs Meet to be held at Gatton on Wednesday 3^rd of March.

Mervyn:            9yrs Boys 50m Freestyle,        Time: 45.96 sec
Tanika:              50m Butterfly,                          Time: 50.16 sec
Aleisha:             50 Backstroke,                         Time: 47.42 sec
Jayeffe:              50m Freestyle                           Time: 39.15 sec

Inner Downs Sports Calendar

Parade

Award Recipients Monday 01 March
The Arts: Jackson
Science: Hamish, George, Lucas, Louie, Arabella, Oliver, Harper, Lilly
Maths: Arabella
Numeracy: Rafe, Amelia, Tanika, Zachary, Josie, Madi, Ava, Ella, Cohen
English: Romily, Georgia, Grace, Hannah, Ruby, Noah
Literacy: Rowan, Lyla
Behaviour: Darzel, Gracie, Cameron, Kai, Keisha
Teachers Award: Matthew
Student of the Week: Ty, Eden, Carter, Naomi, Baxter, Kadmeil, Heidi, Austin, Archer, Banjo, Charlotte, Curtis, Dylan

The Arts

The Arts

Choir:  All boys and girls in year one to year six are invited to join the school choir.  Rehearsals for choir are held on Wednesdays in Bottle Tree Hall, starting at 8.00am.  

CGEN:  Students who have nominated to participate in this year’s Creative Generation – State Schools Onstage will be required to attend rehearsals with the Pittsworth Cluster participants every Thursday morning (7.30am – 8.30am).  Students participating in CGEN are also required to be members of the school choir. 

Please note: Students and parents will be notified when music arrives and rehearsals can begin.  

 Donations, please!:  Do you have any old scarves at your house?  We need some donations to use for holding djembes (drums) while standing.  Please leave scarves in the school office for collection.

Date Claimer:   

13-17 July    CGen   

20 - 21 August – ‘We Will Rock You’

Why should we teach the arts?

Involvement in the arts nurtures inventiveness as it engages children in a process that aids in the development of self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation. Arts activities help children to gain the tools necessary for understanding human experience, adapting to and respecting others’ ways of working and thinking, developing creative problem-solving skills, and communicating thoughts and ideas in a variety of ways.

Chappys Corner

School Chaplaincy at Pittsworth SS

FAQ about Chaplaincy - with Chappy Jodie!

What does a School Chaplain do?

At Pittsworth State School, Chaplaincy is all about relationships and helping everyone feel a sense of belonging.

Chappy Jodie runs activities at Break Times that promote friendship skills such as getting along with others, sharing, speaking with kindness, taking turns, and acceptance of everyone, no matter what they look like!

During class times, our Chappy is often working to support teachers with group activities or running social skills programs, and sometimes she is sitting outside chatting one on one with a student.

Do School Chaplains offer counselling?

A School Chaplain is a ‘helper’, not a counsellor. Chappies come from all kinds of life experience and backgrounds, but regardless of their credentials, their primary responsibility is to be available to help students work through social and emotional problems that seem overwhelming and help them regulate their feelings. Sometimes that involves looking at coping strategies, or guiding students through problem solving, and it always involves lots of listening and reassuring.

How can my child access the School Chaplain?

Chappy Jodie is at our school every Thursday and Friday. She starts her day at Breakfast Club, all students are welcome to pop in and say ‘Hi!’ as they grab some fuel for their brains. Chappy Jodie is also available each break, often sitting with the kids during food time or running activities that all students can access.

Teachers are often the first to connect the dots when students are not coping socially or emotionally at school, and Chappy Jodie has regular catch ups with teachers to find out the best ways to support students in each class.

Parents/carers, however, do know their child the best, and a quick conversation with our office or administration team will help get the ball rolling.

How can we support Pittsworth SS Chaplaincy Program?

School Chaplains have some funding from the government but do rely on community support. When programs or activities are being run, the costs of running those programs are often covered by the Local Chaplaincy Committee (LCC).

We are looking for more representatives from the community to be involved in the LCC, please contact the office for more information.

Want to support our school's Chaplaincy program? Donations are always welcome and appreciated, thank you.

Banking Details
BSB 084-004
A/C 83369 4350 60

Enter the specific ID for our Pittsworth State School Chaplaincy program.
Pittsworth State School 17853
Enter your SURNAME as a reference.

Breakfast Club
Thanks to Chappy Jodie, Mrs Murphy & Mrs Stevens, Breakfast Club is held each Thursday and Friday at the Bottle Tree Hall Kitchen from 8:30am:  all students are invited to Breakfast Club!

Chaplaincy Fundraiser - Pittsworth Show
Would you like to support the Pittsworth & District Local Chaplaincy Committee?  The Chaplaincy Committee have the chance to manage the front entrance gate at the Pittsworth Show on Saturday 06 March. If you would be keen to volunteer two hours of your time, please contact the Chaplain at PSHS or PSS, or a member of the Administration Teams.  Thank you!

Library News

Book Club

Welcome to our first Book Club for 2021!!

Melissa Morris is our school's Book Club Organiser! All Scholastic Book Club orders earn 20% in Scholastic Rewards for our school to help purchase additional learning and literacy resources.  Book Club Order Forms will be sent home Tuesday March 2!

Please note, orders to be placed on-line only and are due to be finalised by March 17 at 5pm.

Free Prep Vision Screening

Good vision is important for a child’s educational, physical and social development. Vision screening checks for common eye conditions that may impact your child’s ability to see and therefore impact their learning and development.

A Registered Nurse will be visiting the school on Thursday 22^nd April to conduct vision screening for children in their prep year. Your child does not need a Medicare card in order to participate in screening.  If you wish to have your prep child participate in this free vision screening program, please complete a consent form by Monday 22nd March.  Online or paper consent forms are available and will be distributed to you. Parents do not need to be present for screening, however if you would like to be, please contact the school to arrange this.

If your child’s vision is screened, you will be advised of the results in writing. If a vision concern is found, you will receive a phone call from the nurse to discuss referral to an eye health professional for further assessment. If a vision concern is identified and your child requires glasses, eligible health care card holders may be assisted with free basic glasses through the Spectacle Supply Scheme.

Participation in vision screening is not compulsory. If you do not wish for your child to participate in screening, please complete the consent form and indicate that you wish to decline screening.

If you have any questions, please contact the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program on 1800 687 372.

P&C Patch

Fundraising

Does the smell and taste of freshly baked cookies give you a warm fuzzy feeling?

The P&C are excited to be hosting a Billy G’s Cookie Dough drive this term.

There are fantastic incentives and prizes on offer for every student who places an order! The larger the order, the more valuable the prize will be. So please share with your family, friends and neighbours!!

The student with the most orders will go in a draw to win an Apple Prize Pack valued at $3,300 and our committee will also have the chance to win the JB Hi-Fi Fundraising Committee of the Year Award and walk away with a $5,000 gift card.

The P&C have a goal to enhance the school environment. So we will appreciate your support, whether it be small or great, as it will all help this goal become a reality!

To simplify the ordering and payment process, all orders will be placed and paid for online.

A catalogue and instructions on how to order will be sent out to parents via email and Facebook this week, so please keep your eye out for these.

HOW TO ORDER: To order you need to create a Fundraising Page. Creating a fundraising page is easy!

1. Go to cookiedough.com.au to create your Fundraising Page. Click on the “Register Now” button and fill in your information as a parent/guardian.
2. Choose your goals and create a unique avatar! Then click on “create Page”
3. Fill in your child’s details and then place your order using the “Order Now” button. You can share your fundraising page with your family and friends via the “Share” section so they can start buying their own yummy cookie dough. How Easy!

This is a very exciting time for our very enthusiastic P&C and we hope you will join us in supporting this project.

Next meeting

The next P&C meeting is 7pm next Thursday the 11^th of March at the Pittsworth Function Centre. We welcome you to join us!

P&C Bank Account Details:

Pittsworth State School P&C Association
BSB: 064427
Account: 00900460

Tuckshop

Tuckshop is available on Mondays and Fridays.

School Management

Volunteering at PSS

Any volunteer MUST complete mandatory training before being allowed on school grounds.  This includes volunteering in the tuckshop.  Prior approval by the Principal is required for all volunteering. 

Volunteers can complete online & submit certificate to school via email to: admin@pittsworthss.eq.edu.au  

https://qed.qld.gov.au/workingwithus/induction/queenslandstateschools/Documents/key-messages-guide.pdf

Office Hours
The school office is open daily from 8.30am - 3.30pm with the exception for Visitors who are required to sign in upon arrival.

Late Arrivals
Parents/Carers, if your student is late to school, please escort your student to the office to sign your child in and to obtain a Late Slip.

Communication with Parents/Carers
All letters and consent forms are emailed to parents.  Thanks for making sure that your current email address is listed with the school.  

We currently email:

• All consent forms, notes and letters
• Semester Report Cards
• Fortnightly Newsletter

Information is also available to parents online:

• Pittsworth State School Website
• Facebook
• Qschools APP (free download, make PSS your favourite)
• SMS 
• Email

IMPORTANT TIP:
When you are emailing your consent forms back to the office please:

• email to: admin@pittsworthss.eq.edu.au 
• TIP: If you receive your emails on your Mobile Phone you can complete, sign the form and email it back to the school's admin email address. Use: ADOBE ACROBAT (use the fill and sign icon)

Emailing the Office
Please do not email any member of the administration team directly, particularly Mrs Kelly.  In the event that staff are not in the office your email will remain unread. Please email all correspondence to:admin@pittsworthss.eq.edu.au

Student Absence

• Phone the Student Absence Line 4619 8366
• Text your student absence to 0429 320 360
• Email your student absence to admin@pittsworthss.eq.edu.au
  
  

Visitors to our School
All Visitors to our school, including Volunteers and Parent Helpers, are required to electronically Sign In at the office and obtain a Visitors Lanyard which is to be worn at all times whilst on school grounds.  You are then required to Sign Out at the office prior to leaving the school grounds.

QParents

Features of QParents
QParents provides secure, online access to student information such as:

• Attendance details - Record & update absences
•  Report cards - current & historical available
• Pay your School Invoices at the click of a button
• Payment history

You are also able to update your child's details including address and medical conditions, submit reasons for unexplained absences, notify the school of future absences, and make online payments against school invoices.

If you require more information, visit https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/about

Returning Forms
For planning purposes, permission slips/notes, must be submitted to the office by the due date; late forms will not be accepted. 

Keep Your Records Updated
Have you recently changed your Phone Number, Address or Email Address? Please contact the school to update your records.  

Medication at School
School staff can only administer medication that:

• has been prescribed by a qualified health practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist, optometrist, but not a pharmacist)
• is in its original container
• has an attached pharmacy label (must have doctor and student’s name listed)
• for over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol or alternative medicines, a letter from a Doctor and the medication with a Chemist Tag is sufficient
• An Administration of Medication Form is required to be completed and handed in to the office with the Medication.

Time Out - Keeping Kids Healthy

Some medical conditions require exclusion from school to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among staff and children.  Take time to read the Timeout Poster attached to this newsletter.

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/426820/timeout_poster.pdf

Lifeline Rural Family Support Program

Community News

FairPlay is Now Open!

What's the program about?

Parents, carers or guardians can apply for a voucher valued up to $150 for their child or young person, which can be used towards membership, registration or participation fees with registered activity providers.
For more information visit:
https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/fairplay

Compliments or Complaints