91 Gore Street, Murgon QLD 4605 T: (07) 4169 8333 F: (07) 4169 8300 E: principal@murgonss.eq.edu.au Murgon State School www.murgonss.eq.edu.au

Murgon State School acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Wakka Wakka people, of the country on which the school is located and pays respect to their Elders past and present.

Principal’s Message

Diary Dates:

Wunjuada, Welcome! Term 1, Week 9 • 29th March 2019

“Every day in every classroom every student is learning”

Explicit InstructionExplicit Instruction is the signature pedagogical approach to teaching and learning at Murgon State School. The first 2 books shown below are the evidence based approach used at MSS in 2019 for school improvement and the 3rd book is our signature pedagogy used in all classes.

“Consistent and explicit teaching of Modelled and Shared Reading using a whole school approach”

2019 Sharp and Narrow

At least 12 months growth for one year’s schooling

Above: From the top of Q1, looking towards Runaway Bay over Surfers Paradise - Somerset Storyfest 2019

Dear Parents and Carers,

March 20th was the International Day of Happiness and this year’s theme was Happier Together, focusing on what we have in common, rather than what divides us. Everyone wants to be happy - and life is happier when we are together. New research released to coincide with the International Day of Happiness reveals that when we feel good about ourselves physically, it can lead to us taking greater care of other areas in our life, shifting momentum to a happier you. There was ‘happier together’ being demonstrated by the Earlyacters as they went about their fundraising tasks last week. It certainly makes me happy to see our students working together, having fun with a global purpose.

At each of the activities I visited, the words of encouragement were accompanied by good manners and a positive mindset. As Term 1 draws to close, I reflect on the happy faces and chattering children enjoying the company of friends and stretching their connections to others they may not have had time to meet before.

I would like to thank our families for making time to meet with teachers in the last two weeks. A positive and strong relationship between home and school is vital for success. I encourage all families to continue to build on these relationships to identify opportunities for growth. I know that our students have been looking forward to sharing their data and the bonus 50 VIVO points!

Yours in Education

Libby Meikle

Principal

Term 1

Week 10 Cross Country Rewards

Thursday 4 April Earlyact End of Term Social Event

Friday 5 April Last day of Term 1

Term 2 Tuesday 23 April School resumes for Term 2

Week 2 Inter-House Athletics Carnival

Deputy Principal’s Message

Connect with us

Homework Club

Friday is School Banking Day

Murgon State School

Homework club runs each morning from 8:00 to 8:30am.

Homework club is now for any and all students from Prep to Year 6.

If you would like your child to become a Student Banker please call into the local Commonwealth Bank and start up an account for them.

OU

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IES: At Murgon State

School we expect:

✓ Attendance – our target is for 95% student attendance

✓ Reading – our target is for all students to meet the Regional Benchmarks in reading

✓ Explicit Teaching – 100% of classroom teachers implementing the Explicit Instruction Pedagogy.

Somerset Storyfest

Wednesday 20th through to Friday 22nd March, I was fortunate to travel to Somerset College, on the Gold Coast, travelling with Miss Mobbs and 15 delightful Year 5 students (Issac C, Che’Isa C, La Cruz C-L, Shyeakah F, Bree G, Zoe H, Michael K, Lexy N, Ella P, Lucy R, Reuben S, Joeseph S, Zoe S, and Gemma W). After our 4 hour bus trip we arrived at Somerset and attended the Illustrator Battle. What an awesome experience for the children to see four illustrators go head to head in a draw off! We then had a session with the wonderful Kim Kane, who loved the fact it was only our students in her session. The students got involved in a play to tell one of her stories before it was back on the bus and off to the Titans High Performance Centre. It was great to see a number of current and future players. Then we went back to Somerset for the Prologue Party, a night filled with wonderful entertainment and a great dinner.

It was a late start on Thursday, so the students enjoyed some down-time enjoying the facilities at the BIG4, bouncing on the big air cushion, feeding the animals in the petting area and playing some basketball. Then is was back to Somerset to listen to Cristy Burne. She had the students’ attention from the time she walked in until they walked out - an amazing author. Our last author/illustrator for the day was Oliver Phommavanh, an extraordinary young man who told many tales of his life growing up. We piled back onto the bus and travelled to Surfers Paradise to visit the Q1 Skypoint. The students were fascinated with the height of the building and the speed of the elevator, as it zoomed to the very top. Once on the observation deck, we were able to see all the way from Coolangatta, on the border, to beyond Runaway Bay in the north. From there we went to Bond University, where we had a tour. The highlight of the tour for everyone was our time in the Moot Court, where students were able to participate in a short court proceeding. From Bond, we returned to our accommodation, where students and staff were keen to get into the pool and try out the slide.

An early start allowed us to travel back to Somerset, where we had a fantastic session with Ben Wood. Now it was time for a tour of the Somerset facility. We went down to the running track, where the students were put through their paces by the school’s conditioning coach, a former Olympian. The students enjoyed their time in the Gym, working out on the rowing machines. Our final author/illustrator was Lucas Proudfoot, an Indigenous artist who told stories of his upbringing and his travels. He also had students join him on stage and help him play a number of instruments. After this final session, it was time to say goodbye to Somerset and the wonderful staff who had supported us throughout our stay.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brad Walker, Carrie Smith and their team from Somerset College, for organising such an inspiring event and asking Murgon State School to participate. You showed us a fantastic time and nothing was ever an issue. A big thank you also needs to go to Louise McAlpine from the BIG4. Our accommodation was very nice and

both breakfast and dinner was something to behold, no person left the dining room hungry.

Finally, I would like to thank Laurie our bus driver for looking after us so well during our three day tour.

Nigel Wiggins, Deputy Principal

Be Respectful , Be Safe, Be a LearnerNewsletter 29th March 2019 • Page 2

Murgon State School

Firstly, thank you to the families that have taken the time to attend 3-Way Interviews so that I could share the amazing work that has been happening in Prep M during Term 1. If you have not had a chance to attend a 3-Way Interview, please see me to arrange a time. Students have had fun learning all about positional language in Maths over the last two weeks. Students played “Simon Says” to demonstrate their knowledge. We are now on to our final unit for this term – 2D shapes.Students completed their unit on the story “I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean” this week. I was very impressed at how much knowledge the students have gained about sea animals over the last eight weeks.As next week is the last week of Term 1, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a restful and relaxing Easter break and I look forward to seeing everyone again after the holidays.Mrs Susan Mollenhauer

Prep M Prep/1 D

Please remember to continue to return your Health-e-Piccaninnies screen forms. If you need a replacement note please see the office to collect one. Returned forms receive a green slip for responsibility and can be exchanged for an iceblock at the office. Hearing health is important and a child’s hearing should be checked regularly. Please remember to

continue to read and engage with learning over the holiday break. The local libraries have some great programs throughout the Easter break for families. Have a great end of term. Mrs Heather Litzow

Head of Inclusive Services

Inclusive Services

At Murgon State School we ensure that students’ read every day. We also ask parents to help us by reading with their child at home. When students encounter a word that they do not know most people automatically try to sound it out. Another strategy you could try with your child is what we call Reading On.

Reading on is a strategy that all learners can use when faced with a difficult word or group of words. You can say to your child “If you’re unsure of a word, skip over it, read on and come back to it or look for other clues in and around the text to help you.”

As part of their homework, each child is expected to ‘read’ at least 4 nights per week.

Mrs Leanne Gilmour, Master Teacher

Reading On

Zander is under his chair

Bidgy is between the chairs

Elizabeth is in front of her chair

Cataleya is on top of her chair

Greetings from Prep /1! We have had a great fortnight with lots of learning and heaps of fun. We celebrated Harmony Day, we wore orange in support of No Bullying Day and we even had a purple day to raise money for Polio. Every Friday we are very lucky to have our Year 5/6 buddy class come down to our room to help us. We love their visits…The older students might read to our class or help them to learn to log in to the computers. Last Friday they even helped write words to make up our own song. A big THANKS to 5/6 S.Our Preps are mastering making patterns in Maths and the Year 1’s are working on number relationships. Our ‘Watch Out Big Bro’s Coming’ unit is coming to an end, as we finalise our assessments for this Term.A big congratulations to Marlehiri, Dale, Iris, Chloe and Trinity for all working so hard on your High Frequency words and moving up to the next group. A big thank you to all of the parents who took time to come in, meet me and discuss your child’s progress. I am thoroughly enjoying teaching the class and look forward to the year ahead.A very happy March birthday to our lovely Mrs Shelton, Iris and Lucas!Mrs Nardia de Bruyn

Be Respectful , Be Safe, Be a LearnerNewsletter 29th March 2019 • Page 3

Murgon State School

We have really been getting into our Maths this term. Everyone is enthusiastically giving all our new addition and subtraction strategies a go, even though it is sometimes easier to revert to the well-loved counting on/ back strategy. When adding larger and larger numbers it going to be much more efficient to use the jump or split strategy. During our Maths time we work through 3 rotations, not just improving our Maths skills but also our ability to work independently in groups. This is a key skill that is linking beautifully with our problem solving. Each week Miss Kay gives us new open-ended question and we need to give as many possible answers as we can, explaining how we got there. It’s a lot harder than it sounds but we are improving a lot!Miss Sarah Kay

3 K

Wow! Can you believe the term is almost over?Year 2 and 3 have had a jam packed few weeks, completing lots of assessments and consolidating learning. I would like to congratulate students for all their hard work this Term. We still have lots of exciting things happening next week. On Thursday, Rewards for Lower School will be held for those who are eligible. Also, Cross Country will commence Thursday morning. Please make sure students arrive to school on time, prepared with a hat and water bottle for the occasion. I would also like to say a big thank you to Edith Fackrell for volunteering her time during Reading Rotation activities this Term. It has been a pleasure welcoming you into our classroom and we have enjoyed sharing our reading journey with you. Have a safe and Happy Easter!Miss Teilha Keehn

2/3 K

It was fantastic meeting with so many parents/caregivers during the past two weeks. 3-Way Interviews were a fantastic opportunity for you to view the work that your child has completed over the term and discuss their progress. We have definitely finished Term 1 on a high in 4R. We completed writing our new chapter for “The Twits”. Students should be very proud of how far their writing has progressed over the term. We have also had a number of students improve their reading level. Don’t forget to keep reading over the holidays! Mrs McDonald and I would like to wish everyone a very safe and enjoyable break. We look forward to seeing everyone in Term 2. Congratulations to following ABC Award Recipients: Week 7 – Phoenix George Week 8 – Tionnah PurcellMrs Sarah Ridder

4 R

Only one week to go! The 2D students cannot believe how fast the Term has gone and how much work they have produced over the past 9 weeks. It always amazes me how much each student progresses in their reading levels in such short amounts of time. We have just completed our latest PM testing round and look forward to meeting with Mrs Meikle to move our names on the School Reading Data Wall. A big thank you to the parents and caregivers who attended 3-Way Interviews. Students were very happy to be able to share their successes with family members and of course receive their 50 VIVO’s! Wishing you a safe and happy Easter Break.Mrs Courtney Dyson

2 D

Jo-Kayla, Victoria and Alisha-Ann playing Dodge ball with Matty Bowen

We have been taking our time in Maths this fortnight to ensure we really understand this important topic. We’ve spent every second focused on the task at hand. Telling the time is an essential skill and we have even built our own clocks to help us practice. Please take the opportunity to discuss time concepts with your child, including what time they go to bed and how long it takes to get to school. Keep practicing your lecturettes as we begin presenting next week. I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday break! See you in Term 2.

Miss Kayla Bellingham

1 B

Be Respectful , Be Safe, Be a LearnerNewsletter 29th March 2019 • Page 4

Murgon State School

Paint, clay, boxes, mesh – just to name a few of the items scattered around the room last week so students could get creative and produce their Art assessment task for Term 1. The focus of our mixed media sculpture was to design an artwork that incorporated a variety of objects, both found and natural, on a topic of choice. Students created sculptures that have made statements about issues such as whaling, turtles caught in abandoned nets, deforestation, loss of koala habitat and cyber bullying.

Mrs Tracy Flavel

Throughout this term in Arts, we have been designing and creating shelters that could be used around the school to provide a place to play undercover. The designs need to be both practical and visually appealing, using the design features we have been learning throughout the term. Last week we began making sculptures using papier-mâché, which turned out to be a lot more fun than anyone expected. We have been looking at how different materials can be combined to create a sculpture, in this case being the hardening of paper when combined with our modified glue. Our models are beginning to look like fully functioning shelters, now all we need to do is add our artistic flair and we are good to go.

A reminder: Canberra trip invoices went out on Tuesday with a list of dates that payments are due. If you have any questions about this then feel free to see me.

Mr Harry Sinclair

5/6 S

6 F

This fortnight has been busy and exciting. 15 Year 5 students had the opportunity to attend Somerset College’s Storyfest. This was a three day event, which enabled students to engage and interact with a number of Australian authors and illustrators. On our journey to the Gold Coast, students also ventured to Q1, Bond University and the Titans training centre to name a few stops.

Students who remained at school were busy getting creative in Visual Arts. They constructed their animal models using newspaper and sticky tape. This was interesting and enabled them to consider the shapes involved using another type of media, before starting their clay sculpture.

Miss Madison Mobbs

5 M

Newspaper creations

Students at the Track and Field, Somerset College

This Term in Maths students have been very busy! We started the year working on whole numbers. We looked at even and odd numbers and place value of numbers. We slowly moved into addition, subtraction, and mental strategies to help us calculate answers quickly. Now, being later in the term we are looking at length, area and perimeter. Students have been very busy measuring things in our classroom and working hard on finishing the term strongly.

Reminder: : Lecturettes start next week so make sure you are practising.

Mrs Kait Burton

4/5 B

Be Respectful , Be Safe, Be a LearnerNewsletter 29th March 2019 • Page 5

Murgon State School

Term 1 is fast drawing to a close which means we will all be off and running in the annual Cross Country event. Below is the order in which the age groups will begin and the distance which they will be running. The first group will start at 9.00 am. I will also aim to send students home with a map of the course for parents to read over with them.

5 years & 6 years - 500 metres

7 years, 8 years and 9 years - 1 kilometre (1 lap)

10 years – 2 kilometres (2 laps)

11 years and 12 years – 3 kilometres (3 laps)

13 Years – 3 kilometres (3 laps)

I am pleased to be able to share with you all the success of some of our students who competed recently in district soccer and rugby league trails. A big congratulations to the following students who have been selected in the South Burnett teams to compete at the regional Wide Bay trials in Term 2: Lucy Dyson – Soccer, Dallas Berline – Rugby League, Damon Cooper – Rugby League.

HPE

Earlyact Last Wednesday, 20th March, we held our annual polio fundraiser – ‘Paint-A-Pinkie for Polio’. Rotary International works tirelessly to continue to completely eradicate polio globally. Thanks you to our whole school community, for once again contributing their time, energy and money into such a worthy cause. We again raised enough money to purchase hundreds of doses of the polio vaccine.

Our next exciting activity is our end of term social event. Each term we have a social event in place of a final meeting. This provides a great opportunity to acknowledge the effort that our students put into our great club.

It’s a great achievement and I know you will join with me in wishing them all the best at the next level of competition.

The Tuesday and Thursday morning athletics training sessions continue to be a success and I hope the students who have attended regularly are starting to benefit from taking part. With the Inter-house athletics carnival almost upon us I am hoping the students will experience personal improvement when they compete. I look forward to sharing that day with you all.

As this is the last newsletter for Term 1, I take this opportunity to wish you all a relaxing holiday break and a very happy Easter with friends and family.

Date claimers: • Term 1, Week 10 - Cross Country • Term 2 , Week 2 – Inter-House Athletics Carnival

Mr Dean Searles

Students have joined lunchtime activities in large numbers in recent weeks due to the

inclement weather. Recycled materials are running low however we will replenish them

after the holidays. Additionally students from the senior classes have been exploring robots

and dismantling appliances and students from the lower school

have been using the laptops and the BlueBots. Assessments across

all year levels in Science will be finalised next week.

Ms Carmen Godbaz

From the STEM Centre

Be Respectful , Be Safe, Be a LearnerNewsletter 29th March 2019 • Page 6

Murgon State School

School Holiday Activities It all starts here…

South Burnett PCYC Branch

Contact South Burnett Murgon Branch E southburnett@pcyc.org.au

Monday 8th Tuesday 9th Wednesday 10th Thursday 11th Friday 12th

8am-9am Fitter For Life $5 per person.

8am-9am

Fitter For Life $5 per person.

8am-9am

Fitter For Life $5 per person.

9am-10am Tiny Tots.

$5 per person.

9am-10am Tiny Tots.

$5 per person.

10am-11am Gym Fun

$5 per person

10am-11am Cupcake

Decorating $5 per person.

10am-11am Parkour.

$5 per person.

10am-11am Candle

Decorating. Bookings essential

$5 per person.

11am-1pm Nature Art with RESTART Free

1pm-4pm Indoor Sports

& Games. Free.

1pm-4pm Indoor Sports

& Games. Free.

1pm-4pm

Table Tennis. Free.

8th April – 12th April Week 1

*Bookings: For Bookings please contact the South Burnett PCYC either by phone

p: 4168 1889 or email e: southburnett@pcyc.org.au

School Holiday Activities It all starts here…

South Burnett PCYC Branch

Contact South Burnett Murgon Branch E southburnett@pcyc.org.au

Monday 15th Tuesday 16th Wednesday 17th Thursday 18th Friday 19th

8am-9am Fitter For Life

$5 per person.

8am-9am Fitter For Life $5 per person.

8am- 1pm Colour Run Murgon Rail

Trail. $10 to

register. GO

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10am-11am Gym Fun

$5 per person

9am-10am Tiny Tots.

$5 per person.

10am-12pm Chiggy

Skateboarding workshop free @

Murgon Skate Park.

10am-11am Easter Crafts

$2 per person.

10am-11am Parkour.

$5 per person.

1pm-4pm Indoor Sports

& Games. Free.

1pm-4pm Indoor Sports

& Games. Free.

1pm-4pm

Table Tennis. Free.

15th April – 18th April Week 2

(Closed 19th April)

*Bookings: For Bookings please contact the South Burnett PCYC either by phone

p: 4168 1889 or email e: southburnett@pcyc.org.au

Classroom Rewards

From time to time teachers’ choose to reward students with lollies and ice blocks. If you do not wish your child to be rewarded in this way, please complete and return the form below.

I do not wish my child/children ___________________________________________________________ to receive lollies/ice blocks as rewards.

Signed _______________________________ Date _____________

Community News

Be Respectful , Be Safe, Be a LearnerNewsletter 29th March 2019 • Page 7

Murgon State School