Barkly Highway State School - Term 3 Week 2
Principal's Welcome
Welcome to Term 3!
What a very busy beginning to term 3! The highlight in week 1 was the disco for our students, families and staff who braved the cold to support our P&C fundraiser targeted to support the Junior and Senior Rock Pop Teams which already are practising most lunchbreaks preparing for their performance on Friday, 14 October second week of term 4.
Many thanks to our P&C Committee, our parent helpers and staff who created a fun event for students and family to enjoy.
Semester 1 - Academic Reporting
This week, we took our next step to reducing paper usage and looking after our environment by sending home Semester 1 Academic Reports electronically via email (please check your junk folder for an email from OneSchool). The P–12 Curriculum, assessment and reporting framework (PDF, 2.7MB) specifies the curriculum, assessment and reporting requirements for all Queensland state schools’ principals and staff delivering the curriculum from Prep to Year 12.
This year, adjustments to the requirements as outlined in the Reporting Framework will be evident in Academic Reporting. If you have any questions, please see your classroom teacher to clarify the changes if necessary.
Learning Wall Artefacts
Learning Walls can be seen being developed in every classroom as new units of work are commenced.
The beginning walls displayed learning intentions and success criteria ready for collaboratively designed artefacts to make learning visible for students. A critical aspect of each learning wall is for the teacher to know their students and how they learn – so they are able to contextualise to the students in the classroom. By co-constructing with students, this ensures their engagement and ownership.
Capacity Building
This week, six of our teachers had the opportunity to attend 2-days of reading professional learning at the Centre for Learning and Wellbeing (CLaW) on Miles Street.
The early years’ teachers attended “Explicit reading instruction” to deepen their knowledge of the effective teaching of reading by planning for explicit reading instruction using student data, while considering inclusivity, age and culturally appropriate pedagogy.
While the middle years’ teachers attended “Inclusive and explicit teaching of reading in the Australian Curriculum in middle and upper primary” developing knowledge and understanding of the key components of word reading and listening comprehension and the skills that underpin both as well as monitoring and assessment of reading within a whole-school approach.
During week 1, all available teacher-aides participated in reading professional learning to build their understanding of our school’s “Focus on Reading” process.
This term is going to be very busy for our staff, students and families with so many activities scheduled.
Thank you for your support.
Fiona
Deputy's Report
REGULAR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Did you know? Research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance at school is associated, on average, with higher student achievement.
Why is regular attendance at school important?
Regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. Your child will achieve better when they go to school all day, every school day.
- They learn better
- They make friends
- They are happier
- They have a brighter future.
Please see attached article for further information on how to support your child to attend school. It provides information on these topics:
- What should I do if our family is going on a holiday in school time?
- Do I need to let the school know if my child has been away from school?
- Are you having problems getting your child to school for some of these reasons? If so, a set routine can help
- What should I do if my child won’t go to school? We are here to help.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS
As outlined in our Parent Guidelines, students at Barkly Highway State School are instructed after release from classrooms, to make their way home, leaving the school grounds immediately if they are going home independently OR moving to the gate where they are being collected, sitting quietly as no play is to occur in the school grounds at this time. (School play areas, Prep and the front fort have signs stating that they are out of bounds before and after school and parents are asked to support the school expectations in monitoring your children and how they move out of the school grounds).
Students are released from class at 2:30, however, a number of students are continuously waiting for longer periods of time after 2:30. We respectfully inform our school community, if you are unable to collect students at 2:30 the PCYC run an after-school care program which can be accessed so your children are safely supervised until you are able to collect them.
SCHOOL ZONE PARKING AND PICK-UP
Schools are busy areas, where there are often lots of children—who do not always understand the danger of roads and vehicles. Make sure to take extra care when parking on the roads and streets around the school and follow the signed parking rules at all times.
Safe entry and exit of the school grounds
We are teaching our students through our Positive Behaviours for Learning approach to be responsible when entering and exiting the school grounds by walking safely to pick up areas. Our students can leave or enter the school grounds by walking in or out of the pedestrian gates located at the Stop Drop N Go area on Urquhart Street, on Buka Street near the pedestrian crossing and on Bougainville Street.
It has been reported to the school, that there have been instances of unsafe double parking by parents/carers on Bougainville Street when they are picking up students after school with children running out from between parked cars to enter these double - parked cars.
Parents and caregivers, we ask for your support with keeping our children safe while entering and exiting the school grounds.
Safe Parking Tips
Our school offers the safety of parking at the Stop Drop N Go area. However, these parks can fill up
quickly. If you choose to park on the roads or streets around our school:
• say goodbye to your children on the school side of the road—never get them to cross the
road to our school’s entrance alone
• walk across the road and meet your children after school (never call out to them from the
other side)
• try to leave home early to avoid arriving at the busiest times
• follow the directions of all signs
• park a safe distance from all crossings
• always single park (double parking causes accidents and traffic jams)
• try parking a few streets away from the school and walking with your children
• organise a car pool with other parents—to reduce the number of cars trying to park around
our school.
Thank you for supporting the school expectations by:
- following the outlined safe parking tips above,
- monitoring your children as they enter and exit the school and speaking with them about walking in and out of the school grounds safely.
Be Safe, Learn Safe, Work safe
Cheryl Gallagher
School Opinion Survey
Thank you to all the parents/caregivers and school staff who have already completed this year’s School Opinion Survey. Our Annual Implementation Plan goal this year, is to have 95 or more parents/caregivers complete our School Opinion Survey. The image below tells us we have 17 responses received so far. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what our school does well, and how we can improve. Students in target year levels (5 and 6) will complete their survey in week 4.
An invitation to complete the Parent/Caregiver Survey has been emailed to one parent/caregiver per family. The invitation was sent from the Department of Education, not the school, and it will have the subject line School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2022. Please check your junk email folders if you can’t find it. The survey will take approximately 5 minutes using a computer, tablet or smart phone.
Parents/caregivers who experience difficulties accessing the survey can request a new survey from the School Opinion Survey team via email schoolopinionsurvey@qed.qld.gov.au
1 Gold Class News
Last week our 1 Gold class had a visit from two special characters - Captain Kitty Capacity and Lieutenant Longneck Length. They will be hanging out with us this term to teach us all about Capacity and Length and they needed somewhere to stay while they were visiting. They brought along with them some books for us to read, to give us inspiration. As a class we decided that it was most fitting to transform the back half of our classroom into a Pirates' Maths Cove. Over the course of the week, we were busy designing our ship, making a checklist of all that we will need and practicing pirate/ocean theme spelling words.
On the weekend these plans came to life thanks to some very special helpers.
The children are so excited to take ownership over this space to learn not only about Capacity and Length but also Skip Counting and Money.
Attendance/Absences
Everyday Counts at Barkly Highway State School! We take absences from school and the safety of your child/children very seriously. When your child is going to be away from school, please call 4437 3633 (we have a designated absence line), send a note or email admin@barklyhighwayss.eq.edu.au and we will record your child’s absence.
Alternatively, you can register for QParents through the school office and download the app to enter your child’s absences or explain previous absences.
If you can't contact the office to explain your child's absence you will recieve an SMS asking for an explanation (there is no cost to reply to this SMS).
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
