Barkly Highway State School - Term 2 Week 2
Principal's Welcome
Welcome back, to all our students and families! I hope you had a wonderful break and everyone has now settled into the excitement of school life, learning in the classroom and playground together. Class teachers sent home their Term 2 Class Overview during week 1. Please contact your child/s classroom teacher if you did not receive this as it details the specific classroom curriculum and other school events for the term. This will be another busy term for everyone!
EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE – Realising the potential of every student
The formation of Educational Precincts is an important initiative of the department’s Equity and Excellence strategy. Mount Isa and Bundaberg were the locations of the first two Educational Precincts identified by the department.
Educational precincts are initiated to respond to complex and often multi-faceted issues or problems of practice unique to their communities. They are an opportunity to partner across government, industry and the broader community in a structured way.
The Mount Isa Precinct priorities were informed through collaboration with the nine local state school principals.
Priority 1: Strengthen engagement and attendance for young people in education
Priority 2: Support and enhance transitions for young people into Early Childhood, through and beyond school
Priority 3: Enhance and embed complex case management utilising inter-agency resources for students and families identified as requiring support
Targeted community engagement commenced with high profile members of community as well as Government and Non-Government Organisations; including contact with specific Education initiatives and Regional Office supports. Priority Working Groups were formed and have now met to discuss each area; strengths to be replicated across our Precinct and challenges identified which could result in prospective projects.
Next week, a Precinct Review, a similar process that all schools are required to have, will occur led by the School and Region Review team.
Regards,
Fiona Kropp
K-2 Deputy's News
Important Prep News
In May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).
The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.
The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years.
AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.
Some teachers have found that completing the AEDC made them more aware of the needs of individual children and their class, and that the data was useful for planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing programs.
Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.
To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families visit: www.aedc.gov.au.
If you have any questions, you can contact Yvette Wehlow (K-2 Deputy Principal ) on the school number 4437 3633 or by email: yxweh0@eq.edu.au
Mrs Roberts Report
Life Ed. Queensland (Healthy Harold) – Every child deserves to thrive
Life Ed offers a range of age-appropriate primary school modules aligned to the Australian Curriculum across Health and Physical Education Learning Area and General Capabilities.
The programs support children’s learning and development for a safe and healthy lifestyle through the opportunity to engage in play-based, experiential, and interactive experiences to foster their health and wellbeing — building on their mental, physical, and social foundations.
The Life Ed Team will be visiting us in Weeks 4 and 5.
School Photos
Academy Photography will be here this Tuesday 30 April to take school photos.
Your child would have received a personalised envelope in Week 1. Online ordering of photographs will be available for two weeks after photo day. Sibling envelopes available from the front office and must be purchased before or on photo day.
Envelopes must be returned to school regardless of whether you order – they hold a unique access code for each individual child that the photographers scan.
Library News
Book Fair is coming to our school! We will be holding our Book Fair on 27-29 May. Our students are always excited to browse through the pop-up store in the Library. On offer are usually a variety of books suitable for all ages, as well as stationary, diaries, kits and posters. Each class will have a thirty-minute slot during the week to browse the Book Fair. Students may bring a wish list home with titles and cost recorded of an item they are interested in. Please note, there is no obligation to purchase.
We will be open before and after school (further information coming), and we look forward to seeing many of our Barkly Highway families during the Book Fair enjoying time together, browsing and maybe finding a new book to purchase.
We greatly appreciate your participation in our many Book Clubs and the Book Fairs throughout the year. With the commissions we earn during these fundraisers, the school is able to purchase new resources for the school, which are then directly benefiting your children.
Also in May, we will partake in the annual National Simultaneous Storytime on 22 May. This year’s chosen book is Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker.
Library time is offered to all classes for thirty minutes on a weekly basis. While Prep-Year 3 are able to borrow one book per week, students in Year 4-6 are able to borrow two books at a time. Prep-Year 3 do need a library bag, while for the higher grades a bag is not compulsory.
Students are encouraged to return their books on a weekly basis to either change or renew their book. Students can only borrow if they don’t have any outstanding loans. Notices are being sent home in regular intervals.
Should a book be accidently damaged at home, please return it to the library regardless. As a school we would highly appreciate if a lost book is paid for, in order to replace it.
Our library is also open for students at first break during the week. Students from Year 2 - 6 enjoy computer games, with each grade having ‘their’ computer day. Books, games, puzzles, drawing or just hanging out with their friends, are daily options. We have some awesome Lego Masters designing ever changing creations and some up and coming Chess Masters amongst us.
As always, please contact us with any queries you may have.
Kind regards,
Svenja Spitzner-Lewis
HPE with Miss Wheeler
During Term 1 and the beginning of Term 2 we`ve had many of our students who were selected in the Mount Isa School Sport Association (MISSA) representative teams. These students were fortunate to travel to Cloncurry, Hughenden and even participated in Mount Isa against other regions in the North West.
I would like to congratulate the following students;
Netball: Ayva
Rugby League: Toby and Tuffy
Touch Football: Lachlan, Eli and Toby
4 Blue Classroom News
4 Blue has had a wonderful start to Term 2!
In Maths, we are looking at odd and even numbers. 4 Blue had the opportunity to create an odd and even monster which is now displayed around our Maths learning wall.
For Social Skills and Thinktank, every student this term is having the opportunity to practise their speaking skills. A few students will read the weekly PowerPoint each week. They are currently doing a wonderful job and speaking clearly and with volume.
Finally, 4 Blue explored what ANZAC Day means and the importance of it. Afterwards, they decorated and wrote a personalised message to a veteran. This will be given out at the ANZAC parade.
In the PCYC Room with Miss Alissa
Back to school!
The past two weeks have been fun filled in the PCYC room as we introduce our new theme of the room to the children which is the ocean! The room has been set up as the ocean and the children are really enjoying getting involved in the decorating and in the ocean activities. In the room, we are going to start some recycling activities with the children so we ask any families who may have any recycled materials that they do not need, to please drop them down to the PCYC room and there will be a container waiting to collect them. We hope everyone had a great school holiday and hope everyone is ready for another busy term.
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
