2025 Term 1 Week 4 Newsletter

Principal's News

A Fancy Dress Ball:  what a fabulous way for our P&C to start a new school year! 

Our school community is invited to attend a Fancy Dress Ball to be held at the Pittsworth Town Hall on Friday 21 February from 6pm - 10pm. 

The P&C is hosting this event FREE for YOU!!!  Connect with family & friends and create some great memories for the start of the 2025 school year.

Doors open at 6pm.  Gold Coin Donation ...AND.... a free glow stick for every child!

Prizes for best costume, best dressed family and more!  Dance & party games will be played!

Licenced bar, snacks, chocolates, chips & lollies for sale.

Dress up & have fun at this family friendly, fabulous Friday Fancy Festive event!

Teach your child to read – Information Session

We invite ANYONE who is interested in teaching their child to read, to attend our Reading Information Session.

At this session, you will learn how we teach reading at school using the “Simple View of Reading” and Phonics.

We will give you strategies to help to teach your child reading at home.

Our Head of Department (Curriculum), Mrs Sharon Bendle, and our Support Teacher Literacy & Numeracy, Mrs Ronnie Macneil, will lead the sessions at the Pittsworth Function Centre.

You have a choice to attend one, or both sessions, as per details below (both sessions are the same):

• Monday 03 March, 9:00am - 10:00am
  OR
• Tuesday 04 March, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Our 2025 P&C Executive Committee

Thank you Felicity Clapham (Treasurer), Megan Smith (President), Morgan Pearce (Secretary) and Leanne Wood (Vice President).

Class of the Week

Each week, a specific class will be chosen as our “Class of the Week”.  Students will do a small parade presentation on the Monday of their chosen week, they will have the Principal visit their classroom and view / engage in learning, they will have their class photo in the newsletter, they get to go out 5 minutes early at first break on Friday, and everyone gets a special job in the kitchen garden, with the Eco Club, on Friday.

• 03 Feb:  Year 5CN
• 10 Feb.  Year 56S
• 17 Feb.  Prep B and Prep S
• 24 Feb.  Year 4E
• 03 March.  Year 1C and 1HJ
• 10 March.  Year 6MP
• 17 March. Year 34B
• 24 March.  Year 3A
• 31 March.  Year 23W and 2H

PARENT REMINDERS

• Student arrival:  Students can arrive at school from 8.30am.  There is no supervision of students prior to 8.30am.
• Breakfast Club is held on Wednesday, Thursday & Fridays from 8.30am – 8.55am for any child to attend.
• 3pm pick up:  students are expected to sit under B Block and wait for an adult to collect.  Staff supervise students until 3.20pm.
• Lions Park:  if students are dropped at school, then they are expected to enter the school grounds and not go to the park. This is for student safety & protection.  If students are at Lions Park before school, there is no supervision:  it is not the responsibility of the school to ensure student safety of children at the park, unsupervised and/or without the knowledge & consent of the parent/carer.
• No Playforts:  Children are not allowed on playforts prior to 8.30am or after 3pm, this includes siblings and younger children. No children on the Activity Net.
• Mobile phones and devices, including smartwatches, are “away for the day”.  Hand in at the office, store in a backpack, turn notifications off.  No access to phones/devices at all whilst at school.

Curriculum

Year 3 Strings Program

All Year 3 students have the opportunity to engage in an introductory Strings Program with Mr Michael Stockwell.  Mr Stockwell will teach violin to every Year 3 child for one term starting this term with Year 3A.

Lessons are approximately 20 - 30 minutes duration.  The school will provide instruments and music for every student.  Students then have the opportunity to join the Strings Program fulltime:  this is a free program for any child in Years 3-6. 

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards. NAPLAN will commence on 12 March 2025, in Term 1. Visit nap.edu.au for more information.

THANK YOU "The Lighthouse Toowoomba"

There are amazing people and organisations in this world!  

"Lighthouse Toowoomba" is a literacy centre based in the Toowoomba CBD and are always up to all sorts of wildly imaginative literacy workshops and activities.

One of the parts to this organisation is the one-way library. This involves donations of children’s books from members of the community with the simple wish to get them back out into the hands of children in our community. "Lighthouse" recently gifted 1200 books to our students with the hope that some will land in the hands of children that will be encouraged to read. Read them, swap them, start a book club, give them to siblings – we don’t mind, we just want books in homes for kids.

Date Claimer:  Term 1 Parent Teacher Interviews

• Monday 24 March.  2pm – 6.30pm
• More information in Week 6 newsletter

Sporting News

Sporting events to mark on your calendar:

• Auskick Gala Day – 5-7 February
• Cross Country training starts in week 3, Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8:30am, with Ms Will on Bridgman Oval.
• Cricket Gala Day – 26-27 Feb
• Netball Gala Day – 7 March
• Hockey Gala Day – 19 March
• PSS Cross Country - 27 March

2025 Inner Downs & Darling Downs School Sport

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 Swimming, Cross Country and Track & Field if they have made qualifying times.  Ms Will’s email: bwill641@eq.edu.au or 46198333

The Arts

Choir Camp Yr 3-6 Selected Students

P&C Patch

Tuckshop

Tuckshop is back up and running on Wednesdays and Fridays.  Orders can be placed through the Qkr! app and close at 8.30am.

We are again very short on Tuckshop helpers this term.  On Fridays, we need two volunteers to help Karla, our Tuckshop convenor.  Thank you to the people that have already put their name down.  If you think you could possibly spare a few hours on a Friday morning, please contact Karla on 0403 405 327 or email psssecretary@outlook.com

Unfortunately, we will have to reduce our menu options if we aren’t able to get Friday volunteers.

Fancy Dress Ball

We are very excited for our first major event of the year, a fancy dress ball with DJ Jazzy!

6pm – 10pm this Friday, 21^st February at the Town Hall.

Gold coin donation box and a free glow stick at the entry.  Lots of games and prizes to be won!

Licenced bar and chocolate for sale all night as well as hot food from 6.30pm – 7.30pm.

We’ve got our costumes sorted, so what will you come as?  A superhero? Disney Princess? Mythical creature?  A favourite celeb or animal?  Something sweet or something spooky?  We can’t wait to see the whole family dressed up!

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)

NEXT P&C MEETING

Our next general meeting will be held 6.30pm Thursday 13 March at the Pittsworth Function Centre.

Tuckshop Meal Deal Friday 21 March 

Go to Qkr! to order the special MEAL DEAL for Friday 21 March.

Mandatory Volunteers Training 

P&C Bank Account Details

Download the Qkr! App to order tuckshop

Tuckshop open Wednesdays and Fridays

SRC News/Eco Club News

School Management

Community News

Cost of Living Support

Families and individuals are encouraged to check their eligibility for concessions and other support by visiting:  https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/