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Sunset State School Newsletter
13 May 2009
Dear Parents
As you may have heard the Queensland Teachers Union has called a strike for next Tuesday the 19th of May. A Departmental letter will be sent home as soon as it is made available. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
ur whole school approach to promoting attendance was featured in the North West Star today – I have already received one phone call congratulating our school on the positive and proactive approach to encouraging student attendance. I am thrilled with the students enthusiasm towards the program and am delighted to report that seven out of the eleven classes that we have in years 1 – 7 have won the trophy over the past nine weeks. Attendance at school is primarily the parent/guardians responsibility but our program demonstrated the passion and commitment that our staff has to deliver a quality education for your children.
ur grade 3, 5 and 7 students have been participating in the NAPLAN tests over the past two days. The students have done an amazing job of participating and trying their hardest – tomorrow is the final day of testing as the students complete the numeracy test. We expect that the test results will be sent to our school in September this year, and an individual NAPLAN report for each student
will be sent home. These confidential reports will show your child’s results against key national information in each year level.
Our school will use the information in a number of ways, primarily to better identify students requiring additional support, and to identify strengths and improvement areas in teaching programs.
While the NAPLAN report is an important measure of how all students are performing, it is important to remember that it is only one aspect of the school’s assessment and reporting process.
It does not replace the more extensive and informed judgements made by our highly skilled and experienced teachers.
It is important that students receive ongoing support at home throughout the year in developing literacy and numeracy skills. For tips and information please visit www.education.qld.gov.au/parents/map
ongratulations to the students who have been selected in Spinifex State College’s Gifted and Talented program.
The students will travel to Spinifex Junior Campus one day a week to participate in their program which will commence during the week of Monday the 25th of May. The program presents a wonderful opportunity for the students to be exposed to the high school curriculum, familiarise themselves with high school routines and meet teachers and administration members as well as new friends prior to entering Grade 8. We look forward to hearing all about the program.
e are fortunate at Sunset to have a small but dedicated group of parents that keep our P&C moving forward. A big thank-you to Kathy Hujanen, Lisa Kyle and Melinda Haack who organised and ran our Mothers Day Raffle. Kathy and Lisa volunteered hours of their valuable time to seek donations from the Mount Isa community – their work resulted in an extremely impressive group of prizes. Congratulations to the following winners:
1st Prize – Beauty Package donated by Pharmacy First won by Dylan Zwoerner
2nd Prize – Hair Package donated by Bella Obsessions won by Dylan Zwoerner
3rd Prize – Hair Package donated by Dye with Style won by Debbie Gulliver
4th Prize - $50 voucher donated by Overlander Hotel won by Carol Bilby
5th Prize – Gift Set Candles donated by Loot won by Todd Sloan
6th Prize – Wall Hanging and Candles donated by Kajavii won by Arama Campbell
7th Prize – Half Facial donated by Spoilt Rotten won by K Campbell
8th Prize – Wine donated by Buffs Club won by Cecil Sarmardin
9th prize – Vase and Baskets donated by Isa Home and Garden Centre won by Sue Sarmardin
10th Prize – Back Pack donated by Playtime won by Debbie Baker-Peri
11th Prize – Body Lotion donated by Country Care Pharmacy won by W. Beaton
e will be calling our P&C AGM before the end of this month – please consider joining our P&C – our numbers have dwindled yet again and we will be at risk of loosing the service of our tuckshop without an active P&C. Please stay tuned for the announcement of the AGM.
Yours in education
Aderyn Chatterton
G.A.T.E
The Gifted and Talented Education Program is up and running at Sunset State School. There are 22 students from Years 3-6 involved in the program. Each student is involved in a 1 hour, small group session once a week, where they have the opportunity to explore their creative minds.
To date the students have been working on developing their individual, creative thinking skills, where they have had to ‘THINK OUTSIDE THE SQUARE’, as well as redesign a product. Group discussions have been based around using de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’(ask your child, they will know all about this).
The students’ minds are constantly being challenged and some wonderfully original and innovative ideas are being expressed. I look forward to sharing more with you as the term progresses.
Vanessa Perkins G.A.T.E Co-ordinator
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Last week was the first round of the Interschool Touch Football Competition. Sunset started well with Sunset Black recording two wins and Sunset Gold a draw. Sunset Black defeated both Townview Red and St Kieran’s 3-1. Sunset Gold drew with Townview White 0-0. Well done to all the players involved.
BOYS UNDER 12 MT ISA SOCCER CARNIVAL
Sunset Boys Under 12 Soccer Team competed in the Mount Isa School’s Soccer Carnival on Friday May 1st. The team began their first match very well; however, they were very unlucky to lose 1-0 to St Joesphs. The team then showed a great fighting spirit with victories in their second and forth games which gave them a great chance of making the semi finals. Unfortunately, other results didn’t go their way and they bowed out in the group stage. Throughout the matches, there were some standout performances. Well done to all the boys for a great effort and exceptional behaviour representing the school.
BREAKFAST CLUB
A reminder to students that the Breakfast Club is operating each morning in the SEU from 8.00 am to 8.25 am.
Dear Families
We would love you to come to our Jurassic Book Fair.
Join the fun and help encourage your child’s love of reading. Our Jurassic Book Fair is on May 25 to May 29 and will be open for viewing and sales, so you can visit as a family.
Every sale at the Jurassic Book Fair benefits our school. So join us in making our Jurassic
Book Fair a big success for our school.
Mrs Jenny Potter
Teacher-Librarian
TERM 2 2009 KEY DATES
May
Thursday 7th & Friday 8th May – School Photos
Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th May – Yr 3/5/7 Testing
Book Fair – 25th May to 29 May
FAMILY READING CHALLENGE
Attached to this Newsletter you will find a poster “Make Every Minute of Every Day Count!”. We encourage parents to read with their children every day for 15 minutes and to let children make their mark on an egg each day you read together. Read with your kids and everyone wins!
NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME DAY
Sunset will be participating in National Simultaneous Storytime Day on May 27 in the Library during the Book Fair. Community and School Libraries around the country will be reading “Pete the Sheep” to children at 11.am on this day!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The more we talk to our kids the brighter they will be. Children need to hear a thousand stories read aloud before they begin to read to themselves. (That’s three a day for one year or one a day for three years). Reading aloud and talking about what we’re reading sharpens children’s brains and helps develop their ability to concentrate at length, to solve problems logically and to express themselves more easily and clearly.
COMMUNITY SOFTWARE PLAN FOR 2009
Our school is participating in the CSP (Community Software Plan) featuring the Australian-Made Maths Made Easy series along with all the regular EdAlive favourites. This will be the only CSP for 2009, so don’t miss out! As well as the CSP saving, all titles are also eligible for the new 50% Education Tax Refund.
Please consider making an investment. As part of the CSP our school will receive a FREE Unlimited School Site Licence for an EdAlive software title of our choice. If we receive a strong response donated by families we will also receive a FREE school version of the computer Classroom title of our choice. Return you orders to the school by Friday 22 May. The leaflet has been handed out with this newsletter.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Saturday 16 may at the Food For Less car park from 6pm to 8.30 pm. Children up to 17 years of age can come and participate in T Ball, Basketball, Touch Football and much more. Free BBQ thanks to Rotary. This is a free event, drug, alcohol, smoke and bully free environment which is fully supervised.
P & C NEWS
Thank you to all our lovely families who bought tickets in our Mothers Day Raffle.
We had some happy mothers with all the prizes we received.
I'd like to thank the following business for donating to our Mothers day Raffle,
Country Care Pharmacy Play Time
Isa Home and Garden Buffs Club
Spoilt Rotten Kajavii
Loot Overlander Hotel
Dye With Style Bella Obsessions
Pharmacy First
A super special thankyou to our two devoted P&C members Kathy Hujanen and Lisa Kyle, who hand delivered nearly every donation letter we had. Thank you ladies, without you we would not have had such a successful raffle.
Regards
Melinda Haack, P&C President
Parents, caregivers and other members of our school community are encouraged to provide feedback on Professor Geoff Masters' recommendations for improving education outcomes in Queensland's primary schools.
His final report, A Shared Challenge: Improving Literacy, Numeracy and Science Learning in Queensland Primary Schools, was presented to the Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh and Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson on 1 May.
Professor Masters' report contains five key recommendations to improve the performance of Queensland primary schools in literacy, numeracy and science.
They are:
1. That all aspiring primary teachers be required to demonstrate through test performances, as a condition of registration, that they meet threshold levels of knowledge about the teaching of literacy, numeracy and science and have sound levels of content knowledge in these areas.
2. That the Queensland Government introduces a new structure and program of advanced professional learning in literacy, numeracy and science for primary school teachers.
3. That additional funding be made available for the advanced training and employment of a number of 'specialist' literacy, numeracy and science teachers to work in schools (and/or district offices) most in need of support.
4. That standard science tests be introduced at Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 for school use in identifying students who are not meeting year-level expectations and for monitoring student progress over time.
5. That the Queensland Government initiates an expert review of international best practice in school leadership development with a view to introducing a new structure and program of advanced professional learning for primary school leaders focused on effective strategies for driving improved school performances in literacy, numeracy and science.
You can read the final report and have your say on the recommendations by visiting the Queensland Education Performance Review website at www.education.qld.gov.au/mastersreview
The consultation period closes on Friday 29 May.
INFLUENZA A (SWINE FLU) AND GOOD HYGIENE TIPS
Queensland Health has advised it is "business as usual" for schools after the confirmation of Australia's first case of the new strain of Influenza A (otherwise referred to as Human Swine Influenza) on Saturday 9 May 2009.
Good hygiene practices while coughing or sneezing, and regular hand-washing, are major factors in preventing the spread of any infection including Influenza A.
However as parents and carers of young children, we all understand how difficult it can be to get kids to wash their hands at the correct times – and to do it properly!
A helpful information sheet about sanitary hand-washing techniques is available at
www.education.qld.gov.au/health/pdfs/healthsafety/hand-wash-solutions.pdf
HOOK IN 2 HOCKEY
Mount Isa Hockey Association invite you to our Juniors “Come and Try” afternoon on Saturday 23 May at 1.45 pm at the Mount Isa Hockey Grounds, Sports Parade. Cost is Free. Please bring your own shin pads if you have some. We’ll provide hockey sicks, coaches and umpires. Jenna Burke, Mount Isa Rodeo Queen Entrant, will also hold a BBQ during the afternoon. Please contact Megha Patel (0409 284 031) for more information.
AUS KICK
Those wishing to try Auskick (Australian Rules Football) can contact Michael King on 042 098 0516.
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