2023 Term 1, Week 2 Newsletter

Principal's News

Equity and Excellence:  Realising the potential of every student

A vision that is clear, shared, and represents what we stand for, helps to define our school community.

Every time you engage in parent teacher interviews, respond to the School Opinion Survey, pick up the phone, send an email, come in for a conversation, attend an assembly, school event, or a P&C meeting, we learn more about what role you expect the school to play within our community.

Thank you for all that you do to support our school.

The education of our children relies on a partnership between school and home and the whole local community. We must ensure that every student has the opportunity to be the very best they can be, no matter where they live or what kind of learning challenges they may face.

The Qld Department of Education strategy, Equity and Excellence: Realising the potential of every student, provides a clear vision for a progressive, high-performing education system.

The strategy identifies three key focus areas that will underpin teaching and learning in our state schools:

1. Educational Achievement
2. Wellbeing and Engagement
3. Culture and Inclusion

We will continue our whole school conversation about:

• improving student achievement (particularly in English and Mathematics)
• increasing attendance (achieving 90% attendance rate)
• and decreasing student disciplinary absences (suspensions)

What is working well?  Where can we do better?
Which students are thriving? 
Which students would benefit from further support in order to reach their potential?

Our commitment to students, schools, parents and the community to work together to maximise student learning and wellbeing remains our continual priority. 

Before School Protocols

Students are welcome to school from 8:30am daily. If students arrive before 8:30am, they are expected to sit at the Courtyard and wait until the 8:30am bell to ring. There is no supervision of students prior to 8:30am hence, for student safety reasons, we request that students are not on the school site prior to 8:30am.

For the first three weeks of school, parents are able to escort Years 1-3 children onto the school site and wait at the Courtyard area until the 8:30am bell.

There are different protocols for Preps:  Prep teachers will inform Prep parents/carers of expected protocols.

During School Protocols for Parents & Visitors

All visitors to the school during the hours of 9am and 3pm are required to present to the office and sign in:  parents, carers, visitors, contractors are not allowed to access the school unless prior permission has been granted.

Parents are not allowed to access student classrooms unless authorised by a member of the administration team.

The school gates will be open at 8.30am for students to enter the school.  The gates will then be closed at 9am (excluding the front pedestrian gate at Admin) and then re-opened at 3pm for students to exit. 

Thank you for understanding that these protocols are in place primarily for student protection purposes.

Meet our Pittsworth State School Team!

Important information for future Pittsworth State High School students

At the end of 2021, Pittsworth State High School became enrolment managed. A school enrolment management plan is introduced in a state school when it is nearing its student enrolment capacity. In order to ensure sufficient facilities are available for in-catchment students, it is a requirement to restrict the enrolments from out-of-catchment students.

View the Queensland Government EDMap which outlines the catchment areas for which Pittsworth State High School can accept student enrolments. Please refer to the Department of Education and Training Enrolment management plan for further information.

It is important to note:

• If you fall into the Year 11 and 12 catchment area and wish to enrol in Years 7 - 10 you can complete an expression of interest form and be considered due to continuity of learning.
• It is strongly encouraged to contact the school to discuss your personal situation as there are a number of exceptions and consideratio

Curriculum

Read With Me Club

Our school home reading system ‘Read with Me Club’ officially started for all students on the 1^st day of school - Monday 23^rd January 2023.

All students Prep-Yr 6 are expected to read everyday and enter their reading into their reading log (or recording sheets can be provided from teachers) to earn great incentives.

* Remember reading entries are per day, not the number of books.
Reading two home-readers or one long chapter equates to one day of reading entered!

* Prep students may enter books that have been shared with them by an adult and from Year 1 onwards students are encouraged to be the ‘reader’ of their books.

Once students reach a milestone of 25, 50, 75, 100 etc, students are to bring their reading log in to school to show their teacher and earn an incentive for reaching a ‘reading milestone’ on parade!

Positive Behaviour For Learning (PBL)

Our school is proudly a "Positive Behaviour For Learning" School (PBL).  Students are explicitly taught the behaviour expectations of our school every day.  Appropriate behaviour demonstrated is acknowledged and celebrated!  Inappropriate behaviours are discouraged and consequences apply for continued misbehaviour.

At all times, it is important to ensure the safety of all students and maintain a safe, supportive and disciplined learning environment.

Click on the link to download a "Behaviour Expectations Matrix" which outlines the key behaviours that we teach each week.  If you would like your own laminated colour A4 copy of the matrix please email admin@pittsworthss.eq.edu.au to request.

Our school is an eSmart school

As we kick off the new school year, it is important for parents and carers to have regular conversations with their children, encouraging them to reflect on their online activities. 

To help with these conversations, the eSafety Commissioner has come up with Connect. Reflect. Protect. Simple things can help make every day a Safer Internet Day.

Connect.

Help kids appreciate the benefits of technology, especially how it allows them to connect to others. Some ideas to try: 

• Encourage them to name three good things about spending time online. 
• Share examples of how to connect with kindness or respect. You could ask them how they make others feel included in a game? 

• Check before posting a photo of others. For example, before posting a first day back at school photo. This action is a great way to help grow their understanding of consent and respect online. 

Reflect.

Encourage kids to reflect on what they do online and how it impacts others. Some ideas to try:

• Try fun ways to reflect on how the internet makes them feel. You could ask: if the internet was an animal, what would it be? Talk about the different qualities of the animal and explore how this relates to how they feel about being online. 
• Talk about how online behaviour impacts how they and others feel. Naming a range of emotions can help kids manage tricky social situations online.
• Plan a ‘checking in’ routine for the year ahead. Discuss how often to check in and the best times and places to do it. For some young people the drive home from school might work, for others they might prefer a text message. 

Protect.

Make sure your child knows you are there to help them feel safe and protected online. Young people are often reluctant to seek help, so remind them that adults will listen, and they can get help. Some ideas to try:

• Help them identify trusted people they could ask for help or if they have a question about something that has happened online. This trusted person may include a teacher at school, if they want to chat with someone outside the family. They can also contact Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).
• Explore whether parental controls can help protect your family online. 
• Help your child report online abuse to the social media site, app or game, or directly to eSafety https://www.esafety.gov.au. 

Sporting News

P&C Patch

The PSS P&C wish to advise that until a Tuckshop Convenor is employed,
there will be no tuckshop until further notice.

Hi Parents and Carers,

Here is a bit about PSS P&C…

We strive to support our school, kids and staff as much as we can.  We are a very active P&C who contributed over $61,000 to our school last year!!  We would love to see as many parents and carers as possible join us in 2023...  in whatever capacity you are able to contribute!! Be that ideas, support, time, etc.

If you join the P&C you do not have to attend meetings, nor will you be coerced into a job you do not want. 
You will receive P&C emails and meeting minutes which keeps you up to date with what we are up to.  

Meetings

• Held on the 2^nd Thursday of the month.
• Start at 6:30pm
• Are held at the Pittsworth Function Centre (right beside our school)
• Can be attended in person or you can join us remotely via teleconference or Microsoft TEAMS (to be decided for 2023)
• Our meetings are enjoyable! We are a like minded bunch who work together for our school, we aim to hold our meetings in an easy going, time conscious manner. And there are normally treats.

Annual General Meeting Thursday, February 9^th at 6pm Pittsworth Function Centre, General Meeting to follow

P&C Membership forms will be sent home this week, please check your child’s bag (link below).  The eldest in each family will receive one. All P&C communications are printed on YELLOW paper. Please return these to the school office or to the P&C Secretary Louise Boyes via email psssecretary@outlook.com.  

Please note that all P&C Memberships from last year lapse so everyone who wishes to be a part of the 2023 committee will need to complete this form. 

All positions will be declared open at the AGM. Nominations for executive positions must be in writing and returned to the school office by Thursday, February 9th.  P&C Executive Officer Nomination forms will be available from the office.

We have a few executives that are willing to stay on for 2023, we are however seeking a Secretary.  Main roles include:

• Meeting minutes and agendas
• P&C Patch for fortnightly newsletters (not all this long)
• Email communications

TUCKSHOP

Things are progressing behind the scenes with hiring a new tuckshop convenor.  We are also getting our new ordering app (Qkr!) finalised.  We are hopeful that the tuckshop will be open within the next few weeks! Once we have everything organised we will send out a school wide email with all of the details.

Once we have an opening date we will be seeking to fill a roster for tuckshop helpers.  We are trialing Wednesday and Friday tuckshop from this term.  On Fridays we will be seeking two volunteers to help the convenor.  We have a wonderful base of volunteers who regularly help in the tuckshop but we would love to see more, so please reach out if you could help when the time comes.

What volunteering in the tuckshop looks like…

2.5 hrs of your time

9:00 – 11:30am (or longer if you wish)

• Counting money to make sure it matches the order/ printing and sticking on labels for online orders
• Burger/sandwich/wrap prep
• Pack orders with pre-prepared food items (muffins, milo balls, sumo cookies)
• Pack hot foods/drinks into order bags
• Wash and clean up
• Serve ice cream and ice blocks

It is that easy and the time will fly!

VOLUNTEERS – MANDATORY TRAINING
There is a small amount of mandatory training that must be completed in order to volunteer at school.   It is quite quick to complete (10-15 minutes), you will find the link and instructions below. 

P&C COMMUNICATIONS

The P&C have a mail slot in the Administration area, this is the place to drop off any forms or communications for the P&C. Alternatively, the P&C can be contacted via email: psspandc@live.com.au or psssecretary@outlook.com

P&C HAPPENINGS

The P&C have already been active in 2023, supporting the parents of some of our newest and smallest school members.  On the first day of school Christie Warburton was there to support Prep parents at drop off with the P&C’s Tissues and Treats initiative. 

P&C MEETING

As mentioned above our AGM will be held on Thursday the 9^th of February at the Pittsworth Function Centre, commencing at 6pm sharp.  There will be a general meeting directly after this. All are most welcome. 

P&C Bank Account Details:

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

Mandatory All Staff Training - click on this link to complete

School Management

Excursion Consent Forms

In 2023, we will be utilizing QParents to distribute and collect consent from parents for Excursions.  Parents who are existing QParent Account Owners will be able to give consent for their child to attend any Excursions electronically.

In the coming weeks we will be progressively inviting parents who have not previously signed up to QParents, so please keep an eye on your emails! Please phone or email the office to ask for your child's EQ ID number.

Benefits of QParents include:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Academic report cards
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details
• Giving electronic Consent for your child to attend Excursions

More information about QParents can be found at https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/about

2023 School Calendar

Bus Transport

If your child/ren catch a school bus home and there are set days they are NOT to catch the bus, please contact admin to advise the details.

Item for Tender

Please click on the link below to see details regarding the sale, via tender, for a Madison Boxing Bag.

Mandatory All-Staff Training Key messages guide 2023

Please note ALL VOLUNTEERS at our school must complete the 2023 Mandatory All Staff Training. Please click on this link to complete. Once completed please bring in the signed Declaration (page 20) to the office as proof of completion.

Mandatory All-Staff Training Key messages

Healthy Food and Drinks at School

A reminder that our school follows the “Smart Choices – Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for Qld Schools” which focuses on offering healthy food and drink choices to students.

Thank you for ensuring that the food and drinks that your child brings to school aligned with “Smart Choices”:  the most suitable drink at school, and also the cheapest, is water!

Birthday Celebrations at School

We kindly ask that you please consider the following when providing birthday cakes at school:

• Minimise food handling:  provide single/individual treats (eg. individually wrapped cake) rather than an entire birthday cake. 
• Please drop the treats to the office and a member of the Admin team will ensure your child's teacher receives the treats in a timely manner

QParents

Medication at School

For staff to administer medication at school the following is required:

• Any medication needs to have a chemist label with the name of the registered medical person who prescribed the medication on the label.
• Medication will only be administered if it has been prescribed by a qualified health practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist, optometrist, but not a pharmacist), is within date, in the original container, with a pharmacy label attached including the practitioners name on it, shows student name and current dosage.
• Submit the most recent action plan from your doctor for that student if required
• 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.
• It is a requirement that all Asthma medication be provided, along with your child’s current Asthma Action Plan, for staff to be able to administer.

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

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.

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 for them to give their teacher.

Communication with Parents/Carers
All letters and consent forms are emailed to parents. 
Information is also available to parents online:

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

Email:  admin@pittsworthss.eq.edu.au

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

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: the free ADOBE ACROBAT app (use the fill and sign icon) send the pdf version via email, don't press share as we are unable to open them this way.

Payment Methods

We accept the following methods of payment:

• BPoint (preferred method)
• QParents
• EFTPOS (in person only)
• NO CASH
• Bank Transfer 
  Pittsworth State School
  BSB 064-427
  Account 00090031
  Reference:  Student Name

Private Transport Forms

Time Out - Keeping Kids Healthy

Community News