15 March 2024

Important Dates

Principal’s Report

Dear East Ayr State School

Welcome to Week 8! We have started the NAPLAN testing window. Our Year 3 and 5 students are working hard to show us how their literacy and numeracy skills are developing. This testing regime is another way for us to consider the strength and success of our teaching and learning programs. It provides great information to the school about how our young people work in an independent environment. We don’t often use this approach to inform our reporting information- most of the tasks we do at school are in open conditions. This means our students have access to quality lessons, classroom resources, teacher conferencing and feedback.

I have every confidence our students will do a great job over the 4 tests. All they have to do is try their best. Our teachers have prepared them well and they have our full support. Yes we have high expectations but it’s certainly not at the expense of their wellbeing. At the end of the day, it’s just one set of tests at one point in the year. There are lots of other ways that we measure achievement and success. I’d like to wish all our Year 3 and 5 students the best of luck over the next couple of weeks- let’s make sure they feel good about their efforts.

Triple M- A Special Visit

I’m looking forward to sharing the photos of this event. Triple M came to East Ayr State School to enjoy and showcase our amazing community. They brought coffee for the adults, donuts for the kids and some fun games. Our Year 6 handball legends beat Kate Gaze at handball and won the school $1000! This will be used to make our school a better place to be.  It was a great opportunity to make school fun and to add to the social opportunities we have.

Parent – Teacher Interviews

Have you made your bookings yet?

It’s time to check in with your classroom teachers about the progress of your young people. We do this to work together and to plan the next steps for success. At the end of the day we want exactly the same thing- strong achievement and wellbeing. We get there quicker when we work together.

P&C Association- It’s AGM time

Please join us in the school Library from 7PM on Monday 18 March for this important event. All positions are open and vacant. We are looking for dedicated people to drive our school forward and ensure we keep on improving. A position on the committee could be on your radar or just a seat at the table at our monthly meetings. We welcome all contributions and are happy to have your help.

Have a great week.

Regards
Chris Wicks- Principal

P & C News

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the P&C. Thank you to all the students and families who supported the first disco. There was a great turnout at both discos, and everyone had lots of fun. A big thanks to a few groups of people – the parents who worked, cooked and baked on the night, the staff for supervising and Mr Wicks and Mr Ricketts for giving your time to set up the event. We are looking forward to organising the term 2 event. 

We are in the process of finalising the Picture Product orders, there are still a couple of templates to come in this week, so hopefully they will be sent away today and should be returned early-ish next term. We will keep you updated. 

Long sleeve shirts arrived and handed out a couple of weeks ago. We still have a few extras in stock at the chook pen. If you would like to purchase one, please see Natasha ASAP. We probably won't do another order until mid-late term 3. 

The P&C have a school jumper that is encouraged to be worn to school. These are a pre-order item, and we don’t keep any in stock. Information and order forms will be sent home at the end of this week (week 8), with orders due back by the end of week 9. I would like to place the order in week 10, so they arrive mid Term 2 before it gets cool. Jumpers will be $40, button up design, with our school emblem embroidered on them.  

Term 2 is almost here, we have a couple of events planned – Mother's Day stall, Disco and Colour Run fundraising will begin. More information will be shared closer to these events.  

Our next P&C meeting is next week, week 9, on Monday 18 March, 7pm in the library. It is our AGM followed by a general meeting. Please don’t let that turn you away, there is no pressure to take on a position. Everyone is welcome, we would love to see some new faces attending. Come along, bring a friend and get involved in the behind the scenes of your student’s education. 

Thanks
Corryn 

General News

North Queensland Representatives

Congratulations to Maddison and Lewis for gaining selection in the Northern Region Swimming Team. Maddison and Lewis will travel to Brisbane where they will compete at the State Swimming Championships from 25-28 March. Well done and all the best at the state championships Maddison and Lewis.

Burdekin Representatives

Congratulations and well done to the following students who have been selected in the Burdekin Boys and Girls Basketball Team: Mia, Darci, Emily, Bella, Kelsey, Allie, Flynn, Adelle, Linc, Ethan, Dakota. Thank you to Mr Craig Mathews who is the coach of the Burdekin Girls’ team 

These students will participate in Townsville at the NQ Basketball Trials on Tuesday 26 March.

All the best of luck at the NQ Basketball trials.

11-12 Rugby League Trials Information

Date – Monday 18 March and Thursday 21 March
Time - 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Venue - Burdekin Touch Fields
Age Eligibility - Students born 2013, 2012 (No 10 or 13 Year olds)

East Ayr Easter Eggstravaganza!

As part of our end of term celebrations, the students in Prep, Years 1 and 2 will be involved in an Easter Hat Parade. The parade will take place on Thursday 28 March.  Parents and friends are invited to assemble by 9:10am so that the students can parade their hats and present a song or poem beginning at 9:15am.

Last week a note was sent home with all Prep, Year 1 and 2 students with information about this event. When a decision is made about the venue for this event, this information will be sent to parents

We are looking forward to this day. Hope you can join us in the celebrations.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN (National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy) has commenced. Year 3 and Year 5 students have completed the writing and reading tests and next Monday 18 March and Tuesday 19 March students will complete Conventions of Language and Numeracy. Students who are absent for tests will have the opportunity to complete catch up test over the next week.

QParents

Thank you to over half of our community for registering to QParents!

If you are having trouble with your registration, please contact the office on 47830222, staff are more than happy to assist.

We are aware that there are some issues with registering on iPhones or iPads. Please use a computer or an Android device. If you don't have access to another device please come to the office with your ID documents, where staff can help you register.

As of Term 2, East Ayr SS will be using QParents for all excursion consents and invoicing. Please ensure you are registered so you do not miss out on important information. If you have any concerns or are having trouble registering, please contact the office on 47830222 for assistance.

Students of the Week

Class Awards

PE Awards

Science Awards

Wellbeing

Have reasons for the things you say and do

In weeks 9 and 10, our classrooms will be focusing on a new Liferaft – “Have reasons for the things you say and do”. When a child is asked for a reason for their behaviour, a default response for many kids is to shrug their shoulders or say “I don’t know”. If you don’t know why you’re doing something, then don’t do it because it’s most likely wrong. Becoming self-aware and socially aware of our words and actions leads to better relationships. If we treat people well, we start to build their trust and all good relationships are built on trust. The old maxim “think before you act” asks us to become the master of our feelings, not the victim. This fortnight, we will be challenging students to reflect on the reasons for their words and actions.

Saving childhood

Healthy and confident young people need to feel like they can be successful. And real success comes from having to work hard, fail and try again. In his blockbuster Atlantic piece out today, “The Terrible Costs of a Phone-Based Childhood,” Let Grow Co-founder Jonathan Haidt says our culture gets it all wrong when it comes to kids: We “under protect” them in the virtual world, and over-protect them in the real one. While it’s a lengthy read, Jonathan offers four strategies that will improve the outcomes for young people:

1. No smartphones before high school
2. No social media before 16
3. Phone free schools
4. More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world

Strategies 1 and 2 are up to parents/carers. If you are sceptical or feel like “that’s impossible!”, the article will give you some food for thought (I don’t have a kids that age yet so I am not yet dealing with the pressures many parents are feeling around smartphones and social media 😊). At East Ayr SS, we are helping with strategies 3 and 4. We have a phone free school. And recently, many of our classrooms have ditched homework in weeks 9 and 10 and replaced it with Let Grow Projects. These are independence building projects where students do things without adult supervision. Learn more here.

or watch this - 

The Sciences

Chappy’s Chat

NAPLAN

We have a busy period coming up for the last 3 weeks of Term 1!

Years 3 and 5 will be all-engrossed in doing NAPLAN tests – WAHOO!! 

Oops..….maybe it is not quite a wahoo thing, but NAPLAN gives our students a chance to show just how knowledgeable they are.  All of Australia’s Year 3 and 5 classes do these tests and we get to see how we rate in the national scheme of things.  The letters stand for National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy…...sounds just like the old fashioned “3R’s” to me!

NAPLAN started Wednesday 13 March  and goes through to Thursday 21 March , so in this period let’s be nice and quiet around the school, to give our 3’s and 5’s the best environment for them to work in.

Triple M Radio Station visited us today.  They had a variety of activities and fun things for us to do, as they broadcast from our school from 7am to 9am.

Also over the next 3 weeks we have a variety of sports happening, which will involve quite a number of students.  So we will be busy!

And then Easter!

It all sounds like fun, but remember: We are still coming to school to learn, to make friends, to be good and to do our homework and to make our teachers happy and to……….

Chappy John

Notices