Barkly Highway State School - Term 2 Week 2
Principal's Welcome
Another great start to a new term!
Thank-you to our families who had their children at school on day one of the term and every day this term, so far.
Any absence from school constitutes a loss of educational opportunity because students miss out on learning. Teaching and learning at Barkly Highway State School commences on day one and continues until the last day of every term.
Research confirms a strong link between attendance and student outcomes. While some student absences are unavoidable and understandable due to illness and the like, many are not. “Every day counts!” so support your children to be at school every day.
Week 2 Visitors
On Tuesday this week, the leadership team spent time with departmental visitors Director-General, Michael De’Ath; North Queensland Regional Director, Kylie Smith; Assistant Regional Directors, Grant Dale and Phil Sweeney; and State Schools, Indigenous Education, Chris Evers touring the school and visiting classrooms.
The engagement and enthusiasm by teachers and students to classroom activities were acknowledged. Classroom observations and conversations with classroom teachers during classroom visits, confirmed the improvement journey of the school that the leadership team had shared with the visitors.
Events are beginning to fill up the school term.
MOSCOW CIRCUS VOUCHERS
The Moscow Circus has provided free child vouchers for students at our school to use on Thursday 5 May.
After staff discussions and consultation with the P&C, it was decided that two independent people would complete the draw at a whole-school parade. Cheryl Gallagher and Jack Carpenter conducted the draw on the stage on Wednesday (27 April) after second break.
The voucher that children have won have conditions that need to be taken into account to activate. (See the voucher for conditions of use.)
Thank you to the Moscow Circus for supplying these for the students at Barkly Highway State School.
Deputy's Report
Celebrating Classroom Work
Year 5/6 Mathematical Inquiry Grand Challenge (Measurement and Geometry):
This Grand Challenge will engage students and deepen their understanding of applying an inquiry approach when solving problems in measurement. This challenge will be taught in collaboration with the Regional Science Technology and Mathematics (STEM) Champion, Maree Flynn and the Deputy Principal: Global Tropics Future Project from Thuringowa State High School, Wendy Bode
Our Inquiry Question is: What is the best box to hold 2 different sized items that are packaged as pyramids?
Life Education Educator Visit
Our Life Education Educator is currently here delivering lessons to our students. For more information please see the Life Education flier at end of newsletter with information on how to access the Life Education Queensland resources and information.
Queensland Engagement and Wellbeing Survey
This term in week 3 from 4 - 6 May, students will be asked to take part in the Queensland Engagement and Wellbeing (QEW) Survey.
We know that wellbeing and engagement are important parts of your child’s life at school. The QEW Survey is designed to measure how students view their wellbeing and engagement across different topics. The information we get from the survey helps us better understand and support our students.
An information letter has been sent out to parents and carers this week. If you have any questions, please contact the school. More information, including FAQs, can be found on the Education website: https://qed.qld.gov.au/publications/reports/statistics/schooling/students/queensland-engagement-wellbeing-survey
ANZAC Day Commemoration
Thank you to our students, student leaders, school staff and community for supporting our school as we commemorated ANZAC Day through the school parade held last Friday morning and the community commemorations at both, the dawn service and mid-morning march to the service at the Civic Centre Cenotaph.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ASSESSMENTS FOR SCHOOLS (ICAS)
Due to the responses received from the survey mentioned in our previous newsletter, our school won’t be participating in ICAS this year.
YEARS 3 & 5 PRACTICE NAPLAN TESTS Schedule – Tuesday 10 May to Friday 20 May:
Looking forward to receiving the results of our students’ participation in the NAPLAN assessments and the QEW Online Survey which will support us to continue to improve how we facilitate learning at our school,
Cheryl Gallagher
Building Relationships - 5/6 Blue
Every Wednesday afternoon, 5/6 Blue visit their Prep Blue buddies. This year, 5/6B students have the opportunity to build relationships with the Prep students. Our Prep buddies love having a friend read them stories and sing the colour songs. 5/6B students also have the option to be a lunchtime ‘Big Buddy’ and support the lower school in the playground. This allows the students to have an extra familiar face to play with at lunchtime. At the end of last term, we helped our buddies complete some Easter activities. The older students enjoy this special opportunity to be a leader and role model for the next students to come through Barkly Highway State School!
Chappy News
Welcome back to term 2.
As you may recall, back in March, Barkly Highway SS supported the “Bullying No Way” day events. The event went well and I just wanted to share what some classrooms and students did on the day for developing a ‘kindness culture’.
Their work was displayed in their classrooms and around the school. I would like to continue to shine a light on kindness in the hope that others will be recognised engaging in acts of kindness or kind behaviour daily. Kindness is positively related to better self-regulation and less emotional reactivity. I will be looking for those who are doing kind acts and showing gratitude, which might be difficult for some, but the more you do it, the easier it is. What better way to end your day feeling you’ve made a difference to someone’s day and in return you feel happier too.
The Rowland and Curry research (2019) found,
· After seven days of performing kind acts, happiness increases, and
· There’s a positive relationship between the number of kind acts and the level of happiness someone experiences.
Thanks for reading,
Chappy Sue
P&C Association
Barkly Highway SS P&C are saying goodbye... We are sad to say, but our pocket-rocket Tuckshop Convenor Bek is leaving us. She has been instrumental in bringing new menu options, better cleaning procedures, simplifying Tuckshop processes, and general improvements to our tuckshop, and we are going to miss her. This Friday, 29 April is her last day with us, so if you see her, please say your goodbyes. We, as a P&C executive want to thank you Bek, for all you've brought to our tuckshop and wish you all the best in your new career ventures.
Barkly Highway SS P&C are now looking for a Tuckshop Convenor. Please read the below position description, and submit your application to pandc@barklyhighwayss.eq.edu.au
SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday 10 May, P&C Meeting in the Resource Centre.
Mischa
P&C President
Girls Touch Football - Good Luck!
Yasmin: Hello my name is Yasmin Wyld-Hill
Lillian: Hello my name is Lillian Scotney
Together we represented BHSS in the North West Trials for Girls Touch Football at Kruschnitt Oval on Friday, 22 April.
Yasmin: Representing our school was definitely fun. We met girls from our touch team and all the other girls from the other schools in our district.
Lillian: It was fun playing and making friends with girls from the other regions and developing our skills.
Yasmin: We played a game of probables & possibles and then they announced the team to represent North West Region. There were 4 Mount Isa girls who were chosen. I got in!
It was a really fun experience.
The team will be travelling to the Gold Coast for the State Championships on 16-19 June.
Arrival to School
Please remind students when they leave home of a morning they are to come straight to school. Students have been seen at the pump track before school and are arriving to school after class commences at 8:25.
Events & Flyers
Want to know what's happening within the school? Check out our School Calendar to keep up to date.
https://barklyhighwayss.schoolzineplus.com/calendar/1
Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barklyhighwaystateschool