EMU PARK STATE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Newsletter No: 16 in 2019

Web Site: www.emuparkss.eq.edu.au Phone: 07-49254333 Fax: 07-49254300

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL: Dear Parents A heads up for parents of students who will be finishing Year 6 at our school. Planning is underway for the student’s graduation evening. There will be specific information coming in the future but to ensure you are informed I provide the following information. • Graduation will be held on the 10th of December at our school hall. • The cost will be $11 per person attending. • The only children that are allowed to attend are the graduating students. My thanks to the teachers who have volunteered their time to take Year 4 students on their camping experience on North Keppel Island. I have caught up with a number of students and they have thoroughly enjoyed their experience. Our Robotics Program hit a slow point this year due to unfortunate staffing situations but I am pleased to let our community know that it is back and will be better than before. Students work with a range of fun but challenging pieces of equipment. A few pictures show just some of the new robots that have been ordered and will arrive next week. As well as these robotics our school has invested approximately $50,000 on replacing the thirty computers in our Computer Room and adding to our fleet with an additional thirty laptop computers. Wayne A MESSAGE FROM OUR DEPUTY PRINCIPAL:

This year we changed our homework policy to Reading Every Night as our only homework. This was not only done to reduce stress at home but to highlight the importance of reading. As you would be aware reading and developing a life love and passion for reading is one of our goals at Emu Park. Research shows that reading aloud and talking about what we are reading sharpens children’s brains. It helps their ability to concentrate at length, to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly. (Mem Fox) Reading with your children every night will assist them to develop all of these things and many more. I can’t think of a greater gift you can give that will last for the rest of their lives. As our signs say “Thank you for reading with your child every night”. This week our Year 4 students enjoyed a jam packed camp at North Keppel Island Envi-ronmental Education Centre. This camp is always exciting and it is a great chance to watch our students grow in different ways than they do in the classroom. Many thanks to the class teachers who gave up their own time and family commitments to ensure this camp went ahead.

This term is always a busy one for all students particularly our Year 6 students. I have listed below the many excit-ing opportunities that lay ahead for them this term so you can check your calendars and don’t miss any. There are many High School transition days. If you have not yet completed your child’s enrolment and enrolment interview please do so immediately as your child cannot attend further transition programs without a completed enrolment. Contact Yeppoon High School office for more details.

- IMPORTANT DATES -

• Friday 1 November: National Tuckshop Day - Thank you Heidi and Volunteers! • Thursday 7 November: Year 6 Excursion to Tsuruya Japanese Restaurant (11:45pm - 3pm) • Friday 8, 15, 22 & 29 Nov: LEAP into Prep - Round 2, Session 1: 9-9:45am, Session 2: 9:45-10:30am • Friday 22 November: Year 6 KCD Beach Activities • Mon 25 - Thurs 28 Nov: Year 6 Camp to Kinchant Dam, via Mackay - 3 nights • Friday 29 November: November Aussie of the Month Assembly and Morning Tea • Tuesday 10 December: Year 6 Graduation in EPSS Hall (6pm - 9pm) • Friday 13 December: P&C Raffle Drawn at Assembly (9am) • Friday 13 December: Diamond Award Assembly and Last Day of Term 4 • Monday 20 January 2020: School Office Reopens • Tuesday 28 January 2020: First Day of Term 1

On Thursday November 7 our Year 6 students visit the Japanese restaurant and participate in a traditional Japa-nese meal. This experience gives the students an opportunity to demonstrate and practice their growing Japanese language skills as well as experience Japanese culture first hand. Friday 22 November, Week 7, is the Keppel Coast Schools Beach Activities day in Yeppoon. Students participate in a variety of beach sports and activities with students from all the primary schools on the coast giving them an opportunity to meet some new friends leading into High School. Year 6 students will be off to camp at Kinchant Dam in Week 8. This promises to be an exciting fun filled week with many educational challenges and opportunities outdoors. Final payments for both activities are due November 15. Tuesday 10 December is our Year 6 Graduation night. This is always a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the end of the first part of our student’s schooling, recognise achievements’ and wish them every success in their next jour-ney. More information regarding this evening will be emailed home soon. Did you know? “The more you hug your children the more their brains develop” UME: You and ME @ Emu Park - Preparing Your child for Prep in 2020. Strengthen and encourage your child’s independence: Before your child starts school, it is important that they now know how to do particular things themselves such as: • Open their lunch box • Open food in lunchbox, i.e. peel off yoghurt covers, peel banana • Open drink bottles • Dress themselves • Put on their shoes • Go to the bathroom themselves • Wash their hands • Using tissues to blow their nose • Pack and carry their own school bag • Get in and out of the car themselves with their school bag • Ensure they can recognise their own bag, lunchbox etc. It is important to remember that even though it is easier and quicker to do these things for your child you are not assisting them to develop independence or skills they require. Get enough sleep: Most families are usually lenient with bedtime during school holidays, but it is good practice to get back into routine the week before school goes back so you are not battling with them the night before schools starts and not sleep-ing in until all hours. It is recommended the kids have the following amount of sleep: • 3-6 years: 10-12 hours – bedtime example: 7pm • 7-12 years: 10-11 hours – bedtime example: 8pm • 12-18 years: 8-9 hours – bedtime example: 9pm Your child’s VOCABULARY is a great predictor of reading success, so TALK to your children as much as you can. For more information on how to assist your child in preparing for Prep: https://www.qld.gov.au/education/earlychildhood/prep/preparing https://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/back-to-school/back-to-school-tips-back-to-school/15-tips-for-preparing-your-kids-and-home-for-first-day-of-school/ Ellen A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD OF LEAP: Hello Emu Park Community! Have you heard about Emu Park’s Student Advancement Forum? Our school is committed to improving the learning of every student. To ensure a whole school approach to student management, the Student Advancement Forum (SAF) committee meets weekly to make informed decisions about the provision of additional support for our diverse learners and the development and implementation of unique learning engagement and acceleration programs (LEAP). The SAF committee consists of the Head of LEAP, Guid-ance Officer and Deputy Principal. Classroom teachers and specialist teachers are invited to attend SAF meetings and discuss the individual needs of students and as a team. Through a collaborative approach, recommendations and action plans are established. If you have any concerns about your child’s academic, behavioural or social de-velopment, please make a time to meet with your child’s classroom teacher and voice your concerns. The class-room teacher will share their observations and professional understanding with you and together a decision can be made to present your child at the next SAF if required. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much! (Hellen Keller) Have a great week. Tiffany A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD OF CURRICULUM: We Are Open: Every Friday after parade students from our Hospitality Course will be serv-ing a variety of steaming coffees, pots of tea, baby lattes and iced coffees at Ume Café, Emu Park’s newest café.

We would love to see as many mums, dads and carers as possible to take advantage of this complimentary cof-fee, so we can practise our skills and hone our hospitality abilities. See you, after morning Parade 9.30 for a short time. Kellie A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER: I had the pleasure of attending the Year 4 North Keppel Island Environmental Education Camp this week. Students displayed resilience, effort and perseverance throughout the camp when physically and mentally challenged. We had plenty to think about in relation to how our community may be having an environmental impact on NKI and I am sure many students came away with information on how they personally could reduce their impact. In Week 7 of this term, Year 6 students are invited to the annual Year 6 Beach Activities Day on the Yeppoon Foreshore. Notes have been emailed home for this activity, which will take place on Friday 22nd November. Stu-dents will need to bring a school hat (named), school shirt (named), joggers & socks, swimmers & rash shirt, sun-screen, plenty of water and lunch. The bus will leave at 8:30am and return by 3:00pm. I look forward to spending the day with our Year 6’s and other Year6’s from the other KCD schools. Kate A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAPLAIN: Playtime Activities at Emu Park State School. The benefits are: • Students can come and engage in an activity and feel safe to do so. • Friendships are built around conversation. • Students new to the school are encouraged to come and make new

friends. • LEGO is popular; students get creative and share stories around their

creations. • Older student can read a story to a younger student or lead a group

activity. • Students can come and do something as simple as a colouring in; or

they can read a book. • These activities run every Wednesday and every second Tuesday. Chappy Cherril A MESSAGE FROM OUR TUCKSHOP: Hi everyone. Today we celebrated “National Tuckshop Day” and I was privileged to have lunch with some of the wonderful vol-unteers who have helped me throughout the year prepare lunch for our students of EPSS. I would like to say a massive thank you to each and every one of you who spare a couple of hours of your time each week to volunteer within the tuckshop. Your help is greatly appreciated and without you, the tuckshop could-n’t continue. We also thanked the ladies and gents who provide our students with breakfast on Tuesday morning at “Breaky Club”. Most of these volunteers don’t have children or grandchildren at the school but they return each and every week with an amazing variety of breakfast for the kids. So ladies and gents “thank you for all that you do”. Cheers PLEASE NOTE: ALL DRINKS (including slushies) AND SNACK ITEMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON FRIDAYS Heidi TUCKSHOP ROSTER: Monday: Anne-Marie Newton Tuesday: Rachael Hutchards Wednesday: Leah Graham Thursday: Kelli Eyles and Liz Clare HOT DOG, CHICKEN NUGGETS, PIZZA & SAUSAGE SIZZLE ROSTER: Friday 8/11: Nuggets - $3 serve: Leah Graham Friday 15/11: Pizza - $3 per serve: Leah Graham GENERAL NOTICES: P&C Christmas Raffle: The P&C are running a Christmas raffle. Tickets go on sale next Friday. Tickets are $2 each and will be available from our hardworking P&C or from the school office. Prizes are: • 1st prize: $300 Rebel Sports Voucher plus a hamper • 2nd prize: $200 Rebel Sports Voucher plus a hamper • 3rd prize: $100 Rebel Sports Voucher plus a hamper Raffle will be drawn at our Diamond Award Assembly on the last day of term (Friday 13 December). Dental Van: Oral Health Dental Forms - This is the last call for Oral Health Dental Forms to be returned to the office. If you have not yet returned your paperwork please do so.

Congratulations 5/6D on Highest Attendance for October!

Today is Tuckshop Day! Thank you Heidi & Team for all that you do.

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OPENING HOURS: Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm

Saturday 8am to 4pm Sunday 8am to 1pm.

Eagle 999 DRIVER TRAINING

$60 per lesson with every 6th lesson FREE

Call Richard on 04 37 396 846

Thank you to the Emu Park Branch of the Bendigo Bank for supporting

Emu Park State School!

Phone: 49396343

Swimming Lessons

Emu Park Pool

• Babies from 6 months of age

• Full Learn to Swim Program

• Junior to advanced squads

• Free Assessments

• Experienced Coaches and Teachers

Connolly Aqua�cs Providing an asset for life!

Phone: 4930 2205 Email: con.aqua�cs@bigpond.com

Thank you Drakes Emu Park for the wonderful ongoing support of

Emu Park State School!

Drakes Emu Park donate our Aussie morning tea each month!