2 August 2024

Dates to Remember

Principal News

As we reflect on the first semester, I am delighted to share with you the wonderful progress our students have made in terms of engagement, attendance, and academic achievement. Our school community has shown remarkable resilience and dedication, and I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together.

Student Engagement: Building a Vibrant Learning Community

Student engagement is at the heart of our educational mission. This semester, we have seen an incredible level of participation in both in-class and extracurricular activities. Our students have demonstrated curiosity, enthusiasm, and a commitment to their learning journeys. From active participation in classroom discussions to involvement in clubs, sports, and the arts, our students have truly embraced the opportunities available to them.

We are particularly proud of the initiatives taken by our Student Council and various student-led groups, which have organized events that foster community spirit and encourage peer collaboration. These experiences not only enhance learning but also help our students develop essential life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and creativity.

Attendance: The Foundation of Academic Success

Consistent attendance is crucial for academic success, and we are pleased to report a significant improvement in our attendance rates this semester. Regular attendance ensures that students do not miss out on valuable instruction time and are able to fully participate in their educational experiences.

We appreciate the efforts of both students and parents in prioritizing attendance and understanding its importance. To celebrate this achievement, we will be recognizing students with exemplary attendance records at an upcoming assembly. Their dedication sets a positive example for the entire school community.

Academic Achievement: Celebrating Excellence

Academic excellence is a cornerstone of our school’s vision, and we are thrilled to recognize the outstanding achievements of our students. This semester, we have seen remarkable performances across all grade levels and subjects. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to provide high-quality instruction and support, and our students have risen to the challenge with determination and hard work.

I am especially proud to announce the recipients of our Semester 1 Academic Awards. These students have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their studies and have achieved remarkable results.

Prep – Year 6 - Bronze Achievements 205 achieved
Prep – Year 6 - Silver Achievement 185 achieved
Prep – Year 6 - Gold Achievement 25 achieved

These achievements inspire us all and exemplify the values of perseverance and excellence.

You can find out more about our Academic Achievement criteria on our website 

Looking Ahead: Continuing Our Journey

As we move forward into the second semester, we are excited to build on these successes. We will continue to focus on fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive. Our commitment to academic excellence, student engagement, and regular attendance remains unwavering.

Thank you, parents and guardians, for your ongoing support and partnership. Together, we create a nurturing environment that allows our students to reach their full potential.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's progress, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher. We are here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Upcoming Events:

• National Day against Bullying and Violence – Monday 12 August
• P&C Ekka Fun Day – Wednesday 14 August
• Public Brisbane Ekka Holiday – Wednesday 14 August
• Book Week Parade – Theme Magic – Tuesday 20 August 1:45pm

New Assembly Schedule:

For Grades P-3: Assemblies will be held every even week on Fridays in the Auditorium
2 August - 2:00pm
16 August - 2:00pm
For Grades 4-6: Assemblies will be held every odd week on Fridays in the Auditorium
9 August - 2:00pm
23 August - 2:00pm
6 September - 2:00pm

Let's continue to work together to make this school year a successful and memorable one for all our students. Thank you!

Until next time,

Year 5 Leadership Nominations

Our year 5 students are busy starting their leadership portfolios and getting their nominations in for captain positions in 2025. Our first leadership day will take place on Tuesday Week 5 (6 August) and students who have nominated for a position will be invited to this event. Copies of the nomination form and more information about the student leadership process can be found on our website.

Year 4 Esport

Just Dance Trial afternoon

Forest Lake State High School are running a Just Dance Esport event at Grand Avenue State School on Tuesday 6 August in the STEAM room from 3pm – 4pm. This event is open to Year 4 students. If you are interested in attending or would like more information, please email twall167@eq.edu.au

Year 6 Camp Maroon Dam

Our Year 6 students are enjoying their start to the Year 6 camp at Maroon Dam. The students have not let the cold dampen their spirits as they scale a high ropes course, canoe in the dam, participate in orienteering and camp out with a dinner cooked over the camp fire. A very big thank you goes out to Miss Ellie Beech for organising a very thorough camp experience for our children that I am sure they will remember for years to come.

Teachers are Learners too!

This term, we have a new Speech Language Pathologist, Erin Boreham.

We are very lucky to have Erin join our team as she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our school. A strong focus in our prep year is building oral language development through our outdoor education program. Erin worked with the prep teaching team this week on ways to enhance vocabulary through play experiences.

This term, there is a strong emphasis on enhancing maths and science vocabulary while the children play.

These are called tier two vocabulary words, which are high-frequency words that occur across a variety of domains and are more complex than basic, everyday words (tier 1) but not as specialised as domain-specific words (tier 3). Examples of tier 2 words include "compare," "analyse," and "evaluate." These words are important because they enhance students' comprehension and ability to engage with academic content, thus supporting overall academic achievement.

Enhancing oral language and vocabulary is a crucial precursor to strong reading skills because it forms the foundation for literacy development. Oral language skills include listening comprehension, the ability to understand and use vocabulary, and the capacity to construct and interpret sentences. When children have a rich vocabulary, they are better able to decode and understand new words they encounter in print. Additionally, strong oral language skills contribute to phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words—a critical component of learning to read.

Additionally, children who can express themselves clearly and understand spoken language are more likely to engage in discussions, ask questions, and seek clarification, all of which support their reading comprehension. By building a robust oral language foundation, we equip children with the tools they need to decode text, comprehend stories, and engage with academic content, setting them up for long-term reading success.

Parents can support their child's oral language development by engaging them in conversations, reading together regularly, and introducing new vocabulary during everyday activities. It's important to read to your child in the language you feel most comfortable with.

There are resources where you can find many books in your home language from the Brisbane City Council. This is a link to library collections in different languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Encouraging children to express their thoughts, ask questions, and describe their experiences can help strengthen their language skills. Playing word games and singing songs that include rhyming and repetition are also effective ways to enhance vocabulary and phonemic awareness.

Celebrating Principals’ Day

This year, August 2 is the day that we take a moment to celebrate and recognise the contribution of our school principal, Mrs Racheal Jones. Over the last three years, Mrs Jones has been the driving force behind our thriving school community. Her leadership, dedication and unwavering commitment to our learners has had such an influence on countless students, teachers and families. If you see Mrs Jones around, please don’t hesitate to stop and thank her for being our awesome principal!

A Buzzing School Community

Grand Avenue has been buzzing with activity over the last fortnight. Our recent events have been incredibly informative and interesting with Life Education sessions, the always amazing Street Science and a performance by the talented Forest Lake State High School band.  It has been exciting to watch our learners so engaged in all sessions. 

Upcoming Events

As we look forward, we have many exciting events on the horizon. One of the highlights is Book Week in week 7. This year’s theme, ‘Reading is Magic’ promises to be enchanting and inspiring. Our fantastic Head of Department-Curriculum, Melissa McLennan is busy planning for all sorts of fun and educational activities throughout the week. We encourage everyone to start planning their costumes to make this year’s Book Week the best one yet!

Until next time,

PBL NEWS

Melissa McLennan 

Across the Desk of the Guidance Officer

LIBRARY NEWS

Borrowing Bag

Students in Prep, Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 are required to bring a bag for library borrowing.

One can be purchased from the uniform shop, but it does not have to be a Grand Avenue labelled bag. Please ensure it is sturdy enough to protect our books.

Borrowing Period

Books are loaned out to students for a one-week period. Students have the opportunity to borrow weekly during their library lesson and can also return and borrow books when the library is open during lunchtime play.

The borrowing limits are as follows:

• Prep and Year 1: 1 book
• Year 2: 2 books
• Year 3: 3 books
• Year 4 to 6: 4 books

Returning Books

Students must return their books before they are able to borrow new ones from the library. As they are a shared school resource, an overdue note will be provided for books that are not returned.

Book Club

Issue 5 is out now! To purchase from the book club catalogue, use the book club loop club.

Olympic Spirit

Grand Avenue students were getting into the Olympic spirit this week. They watched and cheered for the Australian competitors and teams and had fun completing Olympic activities. Go Australia!

STARTACULAR LIBRARY NEWS

CHESS NEWS

Music News

TERM 3 MUSIC EVENTS

Dates to Remember

Forest Lake State High School Concert

On Tuesday 29^th of July, my class went to see students from Forest Lake High School perform for us. It was a lovely musical concert. They had a String Orchestra and a Senior Concert Band. All of the songs were really good but my favourite was the last song, because it was a song I was familiar with.

The song’s name was “You’re Welcome”. I really enjoyed it. I really thank the students of performing for us. It was a truly fantastic and amazing experience.

By Tanveer Shergill 6D

The Forest Lake State High String Orchestra and Concert Bands performed for Grand Avenue State School on Tuesday morning. As the performance started, my eyes lit up with a spark of joy, excitement and drama. I really liked the concert because it gave me a sense of happiness rushing though my body. I definitely will be desperate to embark on the wonderful world of the Forest Lake State High School String Orchestra and Concert Band next year.

By Esanda Withana 6E

2025 Instrumental Music Recruitment

In the next two weeks, notes about joining the GASS Instrumental Music program will be going home to all students in year 2 and 3. Please read them carefully and discuss the possibility of joining our Strings or Band program with your child.

Year 2 students have the chance to join our Strings program next year.

Year 3 students have the chance to join our Band program next year. We do not teach piano or guitar.

Playing an instrument is one of the best ways to help keep your brain healthy. Playing music can…

• Improve memory
• Stimulate creativity
• Teach patience
• Increase time-management skills
• Enhance coordination
• Boost confidence
• Improve listening skills
• Improve social skills

Having fun can also be good for you! As soon as you receive the form, fill it in and return it to the black letter box in the music room straight away.

Alisen McLeod
Classroom Music Teacher | Instrumental Music Co-Ordinator
Experienced Senior Teacher | Grand Avenue State School

Term 3 – After School Activities

OSHC NEWS

This week at OSHC we have been celebrating the 2024 Olympics Games. Children have been tracking the medal tall, checking 8 different countries.

They have made some Olympic torches, Olympic crowns and some paper plate Olympic rings.

We have word searches and colouring sheets available.

Planning is underway for the next Vacation Care and we are looking forward to having some different incursions coming to visit.

Educators’ Day

We celebrated Educators’ Day on Wednesday 31^st July. Children and Families have been asked to leave our Educators a special message of appreciation.

We celebrated with cupcakes and balloons before school finished on Wednesday afternoon.

P&C NEWS

Welcome to the latest P&C News!

It was exciting to see our new digital sign go up in the front of the school last week. The P&C were able to raise the funds to pay for this new addition, which will modernise the look of the school, using newer technology to notify the community of current events.

We have also provided funding for the new playground that is currently in the final stages. If you’d like to see the plans, please come along to our next general meeting on Tuesday 20^th of August at 6pm.

It was wonderful to see all the children enjoying the activities at Under 8s Day this year. The petting zoo was a particular hit! Thanks to all the parents and carers who came along to join in the fun.

We are once again assisting with the 1-2-3 Magic and Emotion coaching workshop in Term 3. We heard some fantastic feedback from last term! Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out. Email Ashleigh on axgra3@eq.edu.au to secure your place. We are also looking for a volunteers to assist with child minding, if you are able to assist please contact Ashleigh.

Important Dates to Remember:

14^th August – Ekka Fun Day
20^th August – P&C General Meeting @ 6pm
27^th & 28^th & 29th August – Father’s Day Stall
6^th September – Term 3 Disco

We are looking for volunteers for all of the upcoming events, so if you can spare a couple of hours to assist in making these events a success, please click on the sign-up links below.

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!

Community News