24 May 2024

Dates to Remember

From the Deputy Principals

Unlocking the World of Reading: A New Approach

At Grand Avenue State School, we are dedicated to nurturing the academic growth of our students. One of the fundamental skills we prioritise is reading, the gateway to knowledge and imagination. In our continuous quest to enhance literacy skills, we've embraced a research informed approach to teaching reading that focuses on phonics—a method that equips children with the tools to decode words and unlock the magic of reading.

Phonics: The Foundation of Reading

Gone are the days of rote memorization and guesswork. Our commitment to effective literacy instruction led us to adopt Heggarty's program and Sounds Write, two renowned phonics-based methodologies that have revolutionised the way we teach reading. Phonics instruction breaks down language into its smallest units of sound, or phonemes, empowering students to understand the relationship between letters and sounds. Through systematic instruction and practice, children develop the skills needed to decode words fluently and accurately.

Empowering Parents as Partners

As parents, you play a crucial role in your child's reading journey. Here are three simple yet powerful ways you can support and foster reading development at home:

1. Create a Reading Routine: Set aside dedicated time each day for reading. Whether it's before bedtime or during a cozy afternoon, establish a routine that fosters a love for reading. Encourage your child to select books that pique their interest and engage their imagination.
2. Practice Phonics Together: Reinforce phonics skills outside the classroom by incorporating playful activities into daily life. Play "I Spy" with letter sounds, sound out words on signs or labels, or create rhyming games that make learning phonics enjoyable and interactive.
3. Model a Love for Reading: Children are keen observers, and they often emulate the behaviours they see in adults. Be a reading role model by demonstrating your own enthusiasm for books. Let your child see you reading for pleasure, whether it's a novel, newspaper, or magazine. By showcasing the joy and value of reading, you inspire your child to develop a lifelong passion for literacy.

Together, We Can Build Strong Readers

At Grand Avenue State School, we believe that every child has the potential to become a confident and proficient reader. By embracing the power of phonics and fostering a collaborative partnership between school and home, we empower our students to embark on a lifelong journey of learning and discovery through the pages of a book.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to your child's education.

Year 2 Excursion to Cooneana Heritage Centre: A Step Back in Time

Our Year 2 students recently had an exciting and educational excursion to Cooneana Heritage Centre. This trip provided them with a unique opportunity to learn about life in the olden days.

Our learners explored various historical exhibits and participated in interactive activities that showcased the way people lived, worked and played in the past. Students got to wash clothes using a washing board and soap and use a box mangle that squeezed out the excess water. Students were also able to explore Cooneana Homestead, a home that was built in the Ipswich region in 1868. Learners were surprised to see that there was no heating or cooling or TV!

This hands-on experience helped bring history to life for our young learners and connected our HASS unit to real-life learning. Our learners returned to school with a deeper appreciation of how much daily life has changed over time.

Teachers Engage in Sounds Write Training for Enhanced Literacy Instruction

At Grand Avenue, we are committed to providing our students with the highest quality education through evidence-based programs. Over the past three weeks, our newest teachers participated in professional development training for Sounds-Write, a highly effective synthetic phonics program that we use in our classrooms.

Sounds Write is an expertly structured synthetic phonics programme based on the science of reading and will ensure our learners will develop strong literacy skills. By investing in this professional development, we reaffirm our commitment to enhancing our students’ learning experiences and academic outcomes.

If you are looking at how you can support your child at home, Sounds-Write offers free courses for parents and carers that will help get your learner off to a great start. You can access this amazing resource here: https://sounds-write.co.uk/support-for-parents-and-carers/

Until next time,

Congratulations to past Grand Avenue State School students

I was grateful to attend the Forest Lakes State High School Year 7 leadership investiture this week to congratulate past GASS students on their new leadership roles at high school. We are so proud of the amazing work that our past and current students do. You really are STARS!

STEM Challenge

Thank you to all the year 5 and 6 students that nominated for the primary schools STEM challenge. We are now full and are excited to take our teams back to this annual event and hold on to the winner’s trophy again for another year. Keep an eye out for future STEM events taking place in Terms 3 and 4.

PBL Update

Teachers and students each week learn more about our STAR values with a weekly PBL lesson. These lessons are based on school behaviour data and target areas of need within our school. Here is the lesson topics for the remainder of Term 2:

Spell-A-Thon

Student completed their spell-a-thon on Wednesday 22 May. It was so great to see so many excited faces. Students were sent home with a sponsorship form and have until Wednesday 5 June to return sponsorship forms and money (if not paid online). There are some great prizes up for grabs! Winners will be announced at the Week 8 whole school assembly.

Year 4 News

In 4E we have been learning about materials and their properties and characteristics. We tested 3 different types of materials to see how absorbent they are. We also tested different types of plastic to see which one would stretch the most. We know how important it is to choose the right material for the purpose of an item. We make sure our investigations are fair and safe.

Year 5 News

This Term, our Year 5 students have been particularly enjoying exploring shape and light in our classrooms!

In Maths, we’ve been busy building 3D shapes and identifying their properties. The students' displayed creativity and problem-solving skills, as they constructed unfamiliar shapes and described their features.

In Science, we’ve turned our attention to light and its amazing properties! This week, our focus has been on understanding how we can see colour and the intriguing concept of refraction. We completed an investigation where the colour from our drawings magically disappeared, due to refraction!

Preparations for our 3-day camp in Week 8 are underway, and the students are brimming with excitement for this next adventure. Stay tuned for more updates!

Year 6 News

Year 6 have been busy in their classes. Here are some recent highlights from 6A about Term 2.

I really enjoyed this term’s English and preparing for our assessment because we got to watch ads like Sham-Wow and make lots of posters- that was really fun. I also liked in advertisements how we got to have fun when we were learning and we got to judge videos based on how effective they were.  Elena

I enjoyed having cross country and the whole school assembly and the advertisements. It's very exciting to do our English assessment hopefully we have other fun activities throughout the terms!! Lesa

Something I've enjoyed doing this week is our English assessment and learning fun new maths skills. Isabella

I enjoyed our English unit this Term. Alex

My favourite thing I did was the cross country run because it just made me feel so refreshed. Malachi

I liked doing long jump in PE. Alexander

I liked cross-country, Science, Maths, interschool sports and PE. Georgia

I've been enjoying practicing for the district teams in sport. Abby

Chess News

Term 2 Interschool Chess Tournament at Grand Avenue

The Term 2 Inter-School Chess Tournament for Brisbane West Primary Schools was held last Thursday at the Grand Venue, with over 100 enthusiastic participants from six different schools. The event was marked by numerous hard-fought games and strategic maneuvers, showcasing the impressive skills of young chess players.

Winners and Notable Performances

Gold Medal - Individual Division B: Vedang Nandaki

Third Place - Division A (Team GASS 1):

Eleanor Berting

Blake English

Luka Djapovic

Naksh Nidhin

Congratulations to all the participants and winners for their outstanding performances and sportsmanship. The tournament was a great success, reflecting the high level of talent and competitive spirit among the students. We look forward to more exciting chess battles in future events!

Library News

Back by popular demand, Book Club is back at Grand Avenue!

This week your child will be bringing home a Book Club brochure. Ordering is done exclusively via the Loop app by parents, just click on your child’s name.

We will not be accepting cash payments!

Every order earns FREE books and learning resources for our school!

How it Works:

Sign Up: Download the Loop app and register your child for the Grand Avenue Book Club.

Browse and Purchase: Explore the wide selection of books available through the app and make your purchases.

Enjoy Reading: Your child will receive their chosen books directly, ready to dive into new adventures and stories!

Benefits of Joining:

• Convenient access to a diverse range of books for all ages and interests.
• Support our school with every purchase, helping us to provide even more resources and opportunities for our students.
• Encourage a love of reading and lifelong learning in your child.

Orders are due by 7th June.

National Simultaneous Storytime!

Today was the Day we went Searching for Blue.... Today Grand Avenue participated in the national Simultaneous Storytime.

This is an annual event when primary students participate in listening to and enjoying a story read to them on the same day across the country. This event is organised by the Australia Library and Information Association and it aims to promote the importance or reading to young children.

Music News

EALD News

Can you help?

We are looking for….. Cultural dance teachers!

Grand Avenue SS would love to have parents or members of our community who would be willing to come and teach dances from different cultures. Our school is proudly multicultural and we would like to offer our students the opportunity to learn dances from our diverse community.

If you think you can help or would like more information, please contact Louise Blair by email: ljbla2@eq.edu.au. We look forward to hearing from you!

Active School Travel

Park and Stride

You’ve probably heard of ‘Park and Ride’, but what about ‘Park and Stride’?

Our Active School Travel program encourages students to walk, cycle, scoot, car pool and catch public transport to and from school, but some parents still need to drive their children to school as part of their journey to work or other activities. Or you may live a long distance from the school and can’t actively travel all the way from home.

Even though you might need to drive to school, you can still participate in our Active School Travel program by walking or riding PART of the way. Use our Active Travel map to find your Park and Stride starting point. Make sure it’s at least a few blocks away so your child can put their hand up in class to say they walked or rode on their active travel day.

Park and Stride allows everyone to be part of Active School Travel at Grand Avenue!

Even walking or riding a short way sets the pathway for a healthy, active lifestyle.

Over the last couple of weeks we have seen an increase in the number of students actively travelling to school, which is fantastic. So far this term we are sitting at 42% of our students actively travelling. We have a school goal of 50% each week, so lets keep encouraging our kids to be active each day; Active School Travel is one of the easiest ways to incorporate physical activity into everyday life for all children, and it gets kids brains ready for learning.

PBL News

Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge has been underway for the past few weeks, and runs through until August. In order to qualify for recognition in the reading challenge, students in Prep to Year 4 need to record at least 20 books that they have read, and students in Year 5 & 6 need to record at least 15 books.

A Reader Record form was sent home at the beginning of the challenge. This needs to be completed, signed, and returned to school at the end of the challenge on 23 August, 2024.

We look forward to recognising the efforts of all of our students with a certificate from the Premier in October.

P&C News

Welcome to the latest P&C News!

Anzac Ceremony

The P&C were proud to take part in the day before Anzac ceremony at Grand Avenue school and the Forest Lake parade last month. Students had the opportunity to walk alongside parents, grandparents, carers, family and friends in the parade down the esplanade, and laid the wreath on the war memorial. We reflect on the honour, privilege and duty we hold in commemorating Anzac Day and those who served.

Term 2 Disco

It was wonderful to see all the smiling faces and dance moves at our term 2 disco - it was a very successful night, enjoyed by all. We would like to thank all the volunteers for their time, we couldn’t have done it without your help! Also a big thank you to our school Chaplains for putting on the BBQ and serving our families.

Mother’s Day Stall

Students enjoyed participating in our Mother’s Day stall this month. We hope all the recipients enjoyed their gifts!

Meal Deal

Thanks to everyone who supported the meal deal this week. We’d love to hear your feedback on this. Please email P&Csecretary@grandavenuess.eq.edu.au with any feedback.

P&C Conference

Our P&C President, Vice President and Secretary attended the P&C QLD conference on May 17 & 18. This was a fantastic opportunity to learn all things P&C, from the basics to idea sharing to excel the P&C to the next level. Thanks for the opportunity provided to the P&C to attend to extend our knowledge, network, and brainstorm new ideas.

Important Dates to Remember:

31^st May – Movie Under the Stars

18 June – P & C General Meeting @ 6.30pm

4^th-6^th June – Donut Day

14^th August – Ekka Fun Day

P&C Day

Today is P&C Day! Thanks to everyone who support us! We hope you enjoyed your coffee this morning.  P&C Day is an opportunity to thank your school's dedicated P&C members/volunteers for the tireless work they do each year to improve educational facilities, resources and student outcomes in Queensland state schools.

Movie Under the Stars

The preparations for our “Movie Under the Stars” night are almost complete. We will share the movie once it’s confirmed. Gates will be open from 5pm to 8pm on the school oval. As always, we’re looking for volunteers. Your time is greatly appreciated, even if you can only spare a couple of hours!

If you're interested in joining the P&C, please reach out to us. We all know that many hands make light work, and it's also a fantastic opportunity to join a great group of people who strive to increase community participation and support our school.

Thanks for your ongoing support of the P&C Association!

Save the Date 

Facebook:  Like and follow our Facebook Page to keep updated with information on upcoming events. Feel free to share this with family and friends and others in our Grand Avenue Community.   https://www.facebook.com/gasspandc  

Next Meetings:  

All are welcome to attend our General Meetings. They are held the third Tuesday of the month during school term. If you would like items added to the agenda, please email p&cSecretary@grandavenuess.eq.edu.au. Want to become a member? Membership Forms can be found on the School Website or email the Secretary above for a form.

Community News

Sharks Camp July registrations are now open!  

Join us and our team of talented coaches for a four-day volleyball camp designed to cater to athletes of all skill levels. The camp includes opportunities for new players to find a love for the sport and pathways for elite development for experienced players looking to get into club and state-level teams.

About the Camp

The Dates:
2nd July | 3rd July | 4th July | 5th July

Location: 

South Brisbane - Mansfield, 4122

Gold Coast - Southport, 4215

Age Group:

Grade 4 - 12 students

Time:

9.00am to 4.30pm!

4 Days. 300+ athletes. Heaps to learn. 

Check out our website for more information! 
www.sharksvolleyball.com/sharks-camp

Parking at Grand Avenue

Recently, the Brisbane City Council met with members of the Grand Avenue community regarding managing the traffic around our school. As a large school in the Forest Lake area, the considerable volume of traffic must be continually monitored to ensure that there is effective flow, especially during peak times, and that the Parking Compliance team will monitor the area and may issue fines to vehicles that do not observe the posted traffic regulations.

Some key points that the council raised were:

• Illegal parking in designated disability parking spaces
• Illegal parking across local residents’ driveways
• Illegal parking, or banking traffic through intersections
• Illegal parking, or banking traffic across school crossings
• Parking in areas contrary to their designation

The map above shows the current parking zones around our school.

If you are using the Loading Zones (marked in red) on either Grand Avenue or Centennial Way:

Parents and carers are only permitted to stop for up to two minutes if they are dropping off and picking up students.

If students are not ready to be collected, motorists must leave the zone and re-join the queue. To ensure students are ready to be collected, motorists are asked to arrive at least 10 minutes after school has been let out (School concludes at 2:45pm)

Motorists must listen to any instructions given by school supervisors to ensure the smooth and safe operation of the zone.

If you notice any problems with access to our school and parking, please contact the Brisbane City Council’s FIX IT service by taking a photo and sending details of the problem, including the location and your name to: 0429 2 FIX IT (0429 234 948). The BCC aim to acknowledge your message and provide a reference number within two working day.