2024 Term 2, Week 7 Newsletter

Principal's News

Under 8's Day

Another successful school - community Under 8's Day was held on Wednesday 22 May with 200 children, all under the age of 8, participating in interactive learning experiences!

A HUGE THANKS must go out to a number of locals who ensured that our day was full of learning, fun, and connection with friends & family!

1. As always, Chris Mills and AXEL were a huge hit:  thanks to QAS!
2. Mark Lindenberg, Lindenberg & Co, for letting us climb on their tractor for the day!
3. Thanks to Toowoomba Regional Council Libraries, Ness, Bronnie & Amy, who organised for Monty the Birdwatching Platypus & Jason Rodgers, "Did you spot it?", to present a wonderful show to children
4. Pittsworth Millmerran Landcare, Rebecca Kirby, for her work in the kitchen garden
5. Sunset Superbowl for the use of the 10 Pin Bowling kits
6. Griffith University School of Medicine - Rural Stream:  Kay Brumpton, Kaitlyn Anderson & 4 medical students
7. Mr CanSing!!  
8. Our wonderful teachers and teacher aides for planning and facilitating a great event!  

It was wonderful to share this day with community and having St Stephen's Prep - Year 1 classes join us, as well as Pittsworth Kindy, Pittsworth Community Child Care, Back Plains State School and all other mums, dads, grannies, pops & bubs!

School Review 11 - 13 June 2024

Every Queensland state school undergoes a review at least once every 4 years:  our review is scheduled for 11 - 13 June 2024. This review will play an important part in how the department supports our whole school improvement agenda. The review process will provide us with quality feedback, tailored to our context and needs.

I will use the review findings to work with our school community and my school supervisor to develop clear actions to
move the school forward from 2024 through to 2028.

A team of three reviewers will look closely at our performance data and speak with a wide range of staff, students, parents and
community members to get an accurate picture of the school.  Feedback from parents and the community is an important part of school reviews, with everyone encouraged to have their say.

A final review report will detail key findings and recommended improvement strategies to maximise student outcomes. 

Parade

Staff have decided that it would be valuable to hold our school parade when the School Review Team is present:  our parades showcase and celebrate our school community and we have the chance to "show off" our school.

Parade will be held on Tuesday 11 June from 9am - 9.30am in Bottle Tree Hall.

There will be NO PARADE Monday 10 June:  thanks for sharing this message with family and friends.

Semester 1 Report Cards

Students are busily completing assessments in class.  Semester 1 Report Cards will be emailed by Friday 21 June 2024.

Keeping Our Kids Healthy

If your child is unwell, please keep them at home until they are well enough to return.  Even if the illness is not contagious, please keep them at home until they are well.  

Some medical conditions require exclusion from schoool, childcare centres and other settings to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among staff and children.  Timeout Poster.

Carbal Hearing Tests

To give our children the best start in life, it is important that they have good hearing and healthy ears!

Carbal Medical Services offers hearing health checks for students at PSS.  Doing so is your best chance of preventing Ear Disease; which can lead to loss of hearing forever if left unchecked.  

Register your child today to receive a hearing test in early Term 3.  Phone 1300 379 558.

Curriculum

Farmfest

Farmfest is Queensland's largest and most successful annual commercial agricultural business event.  Elders FarmFest plays a vital role in Australian agriculture, showcasing and demonstrating a vast range of new products and services, highlighting new technology and innovation and providing information to professionals on the land.

Each year, a number of students are absent from school in order to attend Farmfest with family. 

Given the educational significance of this event, and its value in supporting our "future farmers", attendance for one day at Farmfest will be regarded as a "School Activity" (student is participating in an authorised school activity for educational purposes) which is a reasonable excuse for not attending school and thus will not be counted as an absence.

If your child/ren will be attending Farmfest for one day this term, please advise the school through the normal student absenteeism processes.

Buddies Growing Young Gardeners Program

"Buddies" has a long history with Pohlmans, the Major Sponsor who supplies seedlings to our school.

Thanks to their support, Buddies Growing Young Gardeners Program continues to provide the oppoprtunity for PSS students to learn to become Young Gardeners.

Year 6 Sunshine Coast Camp

Year 6 students are invited to attend the Year 6 Sunshine Coast Camp from Wednesday 4 September to Friday 6 September 2024 (inclusive). Camp Information Pack and Consent Form has been emailed home.

Important Due Dates:

• Payment of $435 is due by Monday 12 August (Payment Plans are available, please contact the office)
• Student Medical Form is due by Monday 12 August
  

• Parent and Student INFORMATION SESSION, Tuesday 09 July,
  5:30pm - 6:15pm, PFC

Term 2 Important Dates

Sporting News

Track and Field Carnival Dates

• Senior Carnival:  Friday 7 June (9 – 12 yrs born 2012-2015)
  
• Gore Highway Athletics:  Wednesday 12 June
• Inner Downs Athletics: Tuesday 13 August 
• Junior Carnival:  Thursday 29 August (5 -8 yrs born 2016-2019)

Senior Carnival

This week, students will be competing in the 800m event. Next, Tuesday and Wednesday, students will compete in the 1500m event.  The Senior Carnival will be held on on Friday 7 June.  Click on the link below to see the carnival program.

We look forward to some strong competition from students as they have all been very focused during PE lessons this term.

The Bridgman Oval Canteen will be available for senior students and spectators, thanks to the P&C:  please see the P&C Patch for a Menu.

Keep an eye out on Monday 10 June for letters and information regarding the Gore Highway Athletics.

Age champions and the winning team will be announced on Parade on Tuesday 11 June. 

Gore Highway Athletics is Wednesday 12 June on Bridgman Oval.  

Inner Downs Trial Fees

As the IDZ Trials are currently underway, we would like to bring to your attention a matter of utmost importance regarding the nomination fee. The IDZ Sports Contact has advised some students are attending trials without having paid their nomination fee. They wish to emphasize the critical nature of timely payment to ensure the smooth conduct of the trials and maintain fairness in the process.

To facilitate the payment process, we kindly request all participants to utilize the Qkr! app. It is imperative that the nomination fee is settled by the designated date. Failure to adhere to this deadline will regrettably render students ineligible to partake in the trials. It is the parent's responsibility to ensure payment is made by the due date.

Please see the Guide below for detailed instructions on utilizing the Qkr! app. 

NO fee paid by due date = No trial for students

2024 Darling Downs School Sport

Parents/Carers please contact Ms Will for further information regarding these events. These events will be open to students that are interested and have experience in these sporting events. Nominations come out a few weeks prior to events so please let Ms Will know closer to the event if your child is interested.

Students will only be nominated for Cross Country and Track & Field if they have made qualifying times.

Ms Will’s email: bwill641@eq.edu.au or phone 4619 8333.

The Arts

Choir:  All students in year one to year six are invited to join the school choir.  Rehearsals for choir are held every Wednesday in Bottle Tree Hall, starting at 8.00am.   Please note that there will be no choir rehearsal on Wednesday 19 June due to school musical filming.

Visual Arts:  Students in Prep to Year 2 have been creating drawings using warm and cool colours – as well as incredible self-portraits.  Older students have created plans and are currently completing assessment artworks (due Week 8).

Singfest:  Congratulations to our incredible singers, dancers and drummers who provided an incredible showcase of talent at this year’s Singfest event in Millmerran.  The behaviour of our Pittsworth students was exemplary and everyone was impressed by the high quality of our performances. Thanks to Sonya and Deb Stephens, Colleen and Hayley Greenwood and Melanie Dillmann for your very practical support of our amazing students: Mila, Abi, Matilda, Addison, Heidi, Haylee, Ollie, Mitchell, Nate, Alex, Phoebe, Emily, Gracie L, Lilly, Rocky, Anastasia, Caitlyn, Mirabelle, Lexie, Arabella, Ari, Zara, Romily, Darby, Savannah S, Millie, Charlotte, Max and Savannah Y.

CGen:  We continue to enjoy our early Thursday morning rehearsals with the Pittsworth Cluster Massed Choir singers … and last week a number of our students attended the CGEN rehearsal at Mt Cotton State School.  It was a very long day, but so worthwhile.  Thank you to the wonderful parents who provided transport so our students could attend this important rehearsal. Our next big Brisbane rehearsal will be at Chandler on Sunday 9 June. Only seven weeks until Show Week! 

School Musical: ‘Lost Paradise: The Garden that Time Forgot’ … what a wonderful opportunity to show our Pittsworth community the skill and talent of our young performers! Rehearsals have been so much fun – especially the full cast and crew rehearsals using some makeshift sets.  Congratulations to the students who are already memorising their lines!

Costumes: Please check the attached document to plan costumes, hair and makeup for the school musical.  ALL  participating students are asked to send a photo directly to Beth Wheeldon (bwhee1@eq.edu.au) for approval of costumes, hair and makeup. Costumes must be finalised by Friday 7 June.

Sets: The Production Committee is working hard behind the scenes to design and create our school musical sets.  We currently require donations of plastic plants, vines and greenery. All donations can be left at the school office.

Filming and Photo Day: Wednesday 19 June [NO choir!]

Selected students have been notified about being filmed during the school day (and having individual photos taken). All other cast and crew members are required for photos after school. (These photos will be used in the official program and for promotion of the musical.)

Upcoming cast and crew rehearsals to be held in the Pittsworth Function Centre:

Friday 31 May                           1.15pm – 3.00pm

Thursday 6 June                       3.00pm – 5.00pm 

Thursday 13 June                     3.00pm – 5.00pm 

Thursday 20 June                      6.00pm – 9.00pm * FIRST rehearsal with the band!

Date Claimer:          

9 June – CGEN Chandler Rehearsal

19 June – School Musical Filming and Photo Day

17 – 20 July – CGEN Show Week                                                                                                                                                        

16 August – ‘Lost Paradise: The Garden that Time Forgot’ school musical performance

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 10

Next

Singfest

SRC News/Eco Club News

Student Support Services

Does your child need winter clothing?  Through generous donations provided by community members, our Student Support Team, including our Chaplain, can support families with providing winter clothes, uniforms, and other necessities.

Please contact a member of the admin team, your child's teacher, principal or chaplain, if you need to access necessities for you and your family. 

P&C Patch

TUCKSHOP

Please note the following changes to Tuckshop in the coming weeks.

• Friday 31^st May – Tuckshop open FIRST BREAK ONLY. Students will have one lunch break for the day from 11.30am - 12.30pm
• Friday 7^th June – Senior Athletics Carnival. The Tuckshop will be open to JUNIOR STUDENTS, FIRST BREAK ONLY.  Senior Students will be able to purchase food from the carnival canteen.  See the carnival menu below.
• Wednesday 19^th June – MEAL DEAL DAY. Orders close Friday 14^thThe regular menu will not be available on this day.
• Friday 21^st June – TUCKSHOP CLOSED

We need your help!  We are still looking for parents/carers to volunteer to help in the canteen throughout the day. If you are able to assist at any stage during the day, even if just for an hour, please contact psssecretary@outlook.com or Karla Trott. 

We are also looking for homebaked goods to sell at the carnival.  These can be dropped into the carnival canteen on carnival day.

Book Club

Book Club Issue 4 is out now.  Orders close Thursday 6 June.  On-line ordering only, no cash to school please.

Become a Member of our P&C!

Would you like to make a difference in our school?  Would you like to see more community/family events in our school?  Would you like to have a say in how P&C funds are spent? Then become a member of the P&C.

If you have ideas or have ever considered joining, whether your child is in Year 6 or just starting out in Prep, now is the time.  New members are always welcome!

Please contact psssecretary@outlook.com or submit a membership form to the office to be accepted.

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.   Once completed it lasts for the calendar year.

P&C MEETING

Our next meeting will be Thursday 11 July in the Pittsworth Function Centre starting at 6:30pm.

Mandatory Volunteers Training 

P&C Bank Account Details

Have you downloaded the Qkr! App to order tuckshop?

Quick, easy, no more looking for cash!

Tuckshop open Wednesdays and Fridays

School Management

Headlice

We have had multiple cases of Headlice at the school recently. Please check your entire household for headlice TODAY & commence treatment if required to help prevent spreading.  Please see below information.

Community News