2024 Term 2, Week 9 Newsletter

Principal's News

Early Years Outdoor Learning Environment & Playground Renewal

In a joint statement published on Thursday 30 May 2024, the Government announced 277 state schools sharing in over $68 million to upgrade their playgrounds and tuckshops. 

This included $98,338 for Pittsworth State School’s Early Years Outdoor Learning Environment & Playground Renewal.

The outdoor learning environment and playground, a “nature play space”, will invest in the support of children’s wellbeing, including emotional, social, psychological, physical, mental, spiritual & cultural wellbeing, and create community connectedness to ensure that our early years students start strong, are active and happy. The renewal and enhancement of the playground will encourage participation in school sports, further develop gross motor skills, get more kids to be active more often, all starting with the fundamentals of imaginative & collaborative play.

It is anticipated that the Outdoor Learning space will be completed by December 2025.

Complete this survey:  Have Your Say!  

What would you like to see incorporated into the Early Years Outdoor Learning Space?  Click on the link above and take 30 seconds to share your ideas!  Thank you!

Proudly funded and supported by the Queensland Government

School Review

Our school is undergoing it's quadrenniel school review this week:  thank you to those parents and carers who have spoken with the reviewers and provided them with feedback relating to the performance of our school. 

The recommendations from the review will guide the next four years of strategic planning, 2025 - 2028. 

THANK YOU to our Cleaning Team for the incredible hard work that you do every single day at our school!  Monday is "School Cleaners' Day" and we acknowledge Wendy, Helen, Karen, Amanda, Marion and our relief staff:  thank you!  

SRC DISCO

Please be advised that the SRC DISCO will now be held on Tuesday 09 July, the second day of Term 3.

Date changes were required due to an unexpected opportunity for Years 5 & 6 students to attend in Toowoomba.

DJ Jazzy is still booked (thanks to the P&C for sponsoring) and the theme of "what I want to be when I grow up" remains the same.

DETAILS:

* Theme: "What I want to be when I grow up"

* Dress UP:  Students can come to school already in their disco themed clothes, OR, students can change at second break or after school.

* $$$:  bring cash to purchase some red foods!  Popcorn, chocolates, treats!  A "treats list" will be emailed next week.

Semester 1 Report Cards

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

QParents users will be able to view and download report cards online as soon as they are published. If you haven't joined QParents yet, please check your emails as invitations have been re-sent home.

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

Prep Technology Project

In Science, Prep students investigated natural and man made environments, the needs of living things, natural and man made materials & their properties.   

Preps had the opportunity to create a garden ornament that was suitable for the outdoors.   To give purpose and to acknowledge children’s prior learning, a decision was made to create different environments such as a rainforest, the outback  and an ocean rockpool in our own Prep back yard.  Creating the ornaments was a task shared with parents who were able to help create the ornaments after the choice of materials was made by the children.  Students then chose what environment their ornament belonged in and placed their creation in that particular habitat.  

Cobb & Co Excursion Yr 34A, 34PD, 34BR

Years 34A, 34PD and 34BR are invited to go to the "Cobb and Co Museum" on Monday 29 July.

Information has been forwarded to all parents & carers.  Consent and payment of $15.00 is due by 15/7/24.

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 & Student Camp Information Session.  Tuesday 09 July, 5.30pm - 6.15pm.  Library.

Term 2 and 3 Important Dates

Sporting News

Senior Track and Field Carnival Results

Friday started off a frosty day, the oval was covered in ice and looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, until the cloud came over and the temperature seemed to plummet!

The students were outstanding, even battling through the cold.  I heard many students cheering each other on, giving high-5s and showing fantastic sportsmanship. Great effort done by all. A lot of competition this year which was fantastic to see and our age champion points were tight.

Thank you to all our wonderful staff, our P&C and tuckshop ladies for running the canteen, and all the parents/carers and grandparents. It was lovely to see so many turn up and support our students.

Leslie was the winning house!

Congratulations to Leslie for winning the carnival and even though Condamine didn’t win, every student put in a fantastic effort!

Age Champions

New Records: William G for 10yrs 800m – 2:44:56min and Reva C for 9yrs Discus – 13.71m

Congratulations to all students who attended the Gore Highway Athletics Carnival. Information will come out in the next week regarding IDZ Athletics nominations. 

Track and Field Carnival Dates

• Inner Downs Athletics: Tuesday 13 August 
• Junior Carnival:  Thursday 29 August (5 -8 yrs born 2016-2019)

Primary Schools Gala Netball

See below flyer and advise Ms Will by 19 July if your child is interested.

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

Music Banners

Well done to the SRC for raising money to purchase new music banners!  Pictured are Mr Stockwell's Strings students, "showing off" the new banners!

IMPORTANT ARTS DATES FOR WEEKS 9 & 10

• Thurs 13 June – Musical rehearsal 3pm – 5pm full cast & crew
• Wed 19 June – Musical filming & photo day 
• Thurs 20 June – 6pm – 9pm, musical rehearsal with cast, crew and band

SRC News/Eco Club News

Student Support Services

Chappy Corner 

I would like to inform the school community that I have finally received my post graduate chaplaincy certificate. All last year’s work has finally paid off. What this shows is no matter your age or lack of experience you can still learn new skills and achieve education milestones. Pittsworth students if Chappy can do this the sky is the limit for all of you.

Chappy Steve

P&C Patch

Tuckshop

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

• Wednesday 19^th June – MEAL DEAL DAY. Orders close Friday 14^th  The regular menu will not be available on this day.
• Friday 21^st June – TUCKSHOP CLOSED

Thank you to everyone that has volunteered in the tuckshop this term.  It was wonderful to see some new faces.  We couldn’t keep running the tuckshop without our volunteers, so we are incredibly thankful to all who have helped.

Senior Athletics Carnival

A massive thank you to everyone who helped with the canteen on Friday.  It was a great success.  We had an amazing response to our call for homebake, as well as new faces in the canteen.  Special thanks to Krystal, Karla, Hanna, Sonya, Peta and Megan for their time on the day.

Pittsworth Sprints Fencing

PSS P&C will again be assisting with setting up the fencing for the Pittsworth Sprints this year.  Please keep an eye out for further details

Join Our Committee!

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 today! 

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 July 11^th 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

School Holiday Sewing

Pittsworth Crafty Quilters are offering children in grade 4, 5 and 6 the chance to learn BASIC HAND STITCHING.

Monday 1st July 2024. 9am to 12pm. Cost $5 per child. Each child will receive their own kit to take home. Each child is to bring their own snack and drink please. Parents are encouraged to attend or be close by.
Notify Barbara Walker (President) 0414320683 of child's name and age.
Payment to Pittsworth Crafty Quilters BSB 638 010 ACCT 12279 692 by 17th June please.

On Wednesday 3rd July, we are offering a MACHINE SEWING DAY from 9am to 3.30pm where children in Grades 4, 5 and 6 will learn machine care, basic stitching and make a bag.
Contact and registration as above.
Thank you very much. Hopefully we will get lots of budding sewers.
Barb Walker, President