BBBLACKWATERLACKWATERLACKWATER NNNORTHORTHORTH SSSTATETATETATE SSSCHOOLCHOOLCHOOL Newsletter No. 2

20 February 2019

NEWSLETTER William Street BLACKWATER 4717 PO Box 327 BLACKWATER Q 4717 Email: admin@blackwaternorthss.eq.edu.au Web Site: www.blackwaternorthss.eq.edu.au

From the Principal

4980 5333

4980 5366

(absences only)

Fax: 4980 5300

Dates To Remember

Hello Everyone

What a busy start to our term we have had so far. We are nearly at the end of week four and we are falling into the rhythm of school. Students and staff are working to the best of their ability to ensure teaching and learning is

happening at all times.

I would like to thank parents for following our safety processes put in place to ensure that all students are entering and exiting the school in a safe manner, including closing of the gates to all carparks. Students can be erratic in what they do particularly when leaving school grounds, whether on a bike or walking etc, so we appreciate your vigi-lance when picking up your children. If you are concerned with any students’ safety please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Playtime is always a highlight for all students, however, play is an important part of not only social development but also their physical wellbeing. Due to the hot weather, par-ticularly at second break, our school has been enacting the hot weather policy by allow-ing students to remain indoors with the air-conditioning so no heat exhaustion is experi-enced by our students. Another initiative that Blackwater North SS has enacted is the change to the second eating/play routine. Students now play first and then eat. This allows all students to calm down after their play period, eat and be ready for learning. The exception to this are the Prep’s who remain with the old timetable of eat first and then play.

This afternoon we are holding our parent information session – this year we are trialing a new process by having all cohorts set up in the hall, so parents are able to walk around to the various cohort tables and find out infor-mation that pertains to your child/ren.

On Friday, we will be holding our student investiture to present our student leaders with their badges. This ceremony will be included within our normal parade procedures and we would appreciate your support of our new leaders.

School absenteeism and truancy can impact significantly on students' learning and wellbeing.

Research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance is associated, on average, with higher student achievement. Additionally, attending school every day helps children to build social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience.

Under the law, you must make sure your child is enrolled and attends school on all school days unless there is a reasona-ble excuse. Schools must monitor attendance of students and follow up with parents and caregivers any unexplained ab-sences.

If your child does not want to go to school, or is missing school without you knowing, contact your school immediately for assistance and support.

Schools will:

* Monitor student attendance

* Notify you if your child has an unexplained absence as soon as practicable on the day of your child's absence and contin-ue to follow-up with you as practicable.

* Use effective teaching strategies to engage your child in learning

* Help you with strategies to encourage your child to go to school

* Provide support for families.

Parent Information Afternoon 3:15-4:15pm Hall

Wed 20 Feb

CH AFL Trials Wed 20 Feb

CH Netball Trials Thurs 21 Feb

Cross Country Wed 27 Feb

P&C AGM 6pm in staffroom

Tue 5 March

School Photo Day Mon 11 March

P—2 Athletics Carnival

Tue 12 March

Yr3-6 Athletics Carnival

Wed 13 March

Shave For A Cure FREE DRESS DAY Gold coin donation

Fri 15 Mar

Last Day T1 Fri 5 April

PARENT INFORMATION AFTERNOON : WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 3.15—4.15 IN THE HALL

TUESDAY - YEARS 4-6 THURSDAY - PREP-3

8:00—8:40AM (you must arrive by 8:15am) in F block computer lab

You can find detailed information in this area including:

Regular school attendance (DOC, 304KB)

Anxiety about going to school (PDF, 291KB)

If you are looking for more information click the link below.

https://education.qld.gov.au/initiatives-and-strategies/initiatives/every-day-counts/for-parents-and-community

Lastly, the start of a new year is also a great time to talk up the great work of our Parents and Citizens Committee. We are always looking for new members to join our hard working team. The criteria for membership is the will to see your child attend a great school. A school that has energy, great facilities and resources and an eye for improvement. If this sounds like you, we are meeting on Tuesday night, the 5th of March in our staffroom at 6:00pm. It would be great to see you there.

Have a great fortnight in learning and achieving. Yours in Learning Karryn Brunetto

Everyone welcome

Come along a support your child’s education by being involved in their school

DEPUTY DIRECTIONS with Nicole Woods

"Be A Buddy Not A Bully" This reminds me of the importance of friendships from an early age. It started me thinking about my friends and how I have some of these from my early years at school still to this day. We all remember our first childhood friends. The ones we woke up excited to see inside the school gates. Play dates filled with adventure, confidences and laughter.

For children, making friends is a vital part of growing up and an essential part of their social and emotional development. Attributes such as social competence, self- esteem and self-confidence have all been found to be positively correlated to having friends. Studies have found that friendships enable children to learn more about themselves and develop their own identity. And as children mature, friends are able to reduce stress and navigate challenging developmental experiences, especially during teenage years. But it is not only the social and emotional benefits; friends can positively influence children’s health.

Studies have shown that children who played frequently with active friends were far less likely to mention barriers for not exercising, such as low self- esteem, feeling self- conscious or lack of enjoyment. However it is not always easy for children to know how to manage friendships and learning how to keep and make new friends involves a number of skills young children need to learn and develop. For some children these skills come very naturally, easily moving to and from friendship groups, sharing new experiences and opening up to new people. For others the world of friendships can be much harder to navigate.

It is beneficial for children to manage and build their own relationships even though as parents and carers we may want to take responsibility or interfere. But there are ways we can help our children navigate friend-ships, become more confident and to build their social skills.

Help your child to develop positive social skills from an early age. Help them to understand the importance of sharing, taking someone else’s feelings into account and listening to each other. These can be supported through organising plenty of opportunities for your child to meet lots of different people.

Demonstrate to your child how friendships work by letting them see how you behave with your friends Help your child find other children with similar interests, such as through a swimming club, dance class, footy team

or theatre group – children choose friends based on similar and shared hobbies For older children who may be feeling shy or anxious offer them some ice breakers to start conversations with others and role play what they may say to someone Help them to find new areas of interest or help to boost their confidence in everyday situations.

Sometimes you might be faced with your child having a falling out with their friend. Arguments are a natural part of friendships, however sometimes it can be hard for children to manage and understand them. If your child has fallen out with a friend take some time to have a conversation with them about how they feel and how their friend might be feeling. Share some advice and help them to understand there are always ups and downs. Offer some next steps and follow up when they get back from school.

MANDATORY TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS WEEK 5

This training is compulsory for any

persons volunteering in school activities i.e. classroom support, tuckshop, sports days etc.

Tuesday 26 February 9:30—10:30am Thursday 28 February 9:30-10:30am

Friday 1:00-2:00pm

Please sign in at the office on arrival.

Uniform Shop Opening Hours: Tuesday 9-10am Thursday 9-10am

Friday 9-10am

WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF

STUDENTS WITHOUT A LIBRARY BAG.

NO BAG

NO BORROWING

It will be a FREE DRESS DAY and/or CRAZY HAIR DAY with a gold coin donation to the Leukaemia Foundation

(remember—NO SPRAY CANS allowed at school).

If anyone is considering fundraising or having their head shaved on the day,

you can collect a sponsorship pack from the office or Mrs Anderson. All students will require their parents signed permis-

sion to have their head shaved.

We look forward to seeing you all brightly coloured on parade next Friday as we once again come together to sup-

port this most worthy cause.

Keep checking

your kids for

ticks!

In this fun activity, students in 4A were working on weathering and erosion stations. They completed different simulations to see what happens to soils and rocks when impacted by the elements.

A NOTE FROM YOUR

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER

School photos are almost upon us again! The school has engaged MSP Photography to create our school

records this year and you are invited to purchase prints of your child.

On photo day, every student will be photographed regardless of whether you are purchasing or not.

Your child will bring home a personalised order envelope from the photographers. Please take care to read

and follow all the instructions carefully. This will ensure your order is processed smoothly and efficiently

and will help you to avoid any late fees.

You will have the option to order online or with cash in your student’s envelope. Please take care to follow

the instructions carefully.

Additional order envelopes are available from the school office for separated parents, blended families

and grandparents. You will need to collect these on or before photo day and give it to the photographer on

photo day. Be sure to write “Mum’s order” or “Dad’s order” on top of your envelope.

To order a sibling or friends photo, please collect Sibling and Friends Order Envelope from the school

office on or before photo day, or order it online at least 24 hours in advance. Please note: Sibling photos

are only for siblings who all attend the school.

If your child has been photographed in a special group (i.e. sports team or leadership team), order

envelopes will be available in the weeks following photo day. Please watch this newsletter for information

when they will be available.

As school staff are unable to help with photography enquiries or payments, please direct your questions and

comments directly to MSP Photography by phoning 4921 3355.

Thank you for your co-operation and we look forward to a great photo day.

Keep smiling!!!

MONDAY 11 MARCH