27 July Newsletter

Dates to Remember

Principal News

Welcome back for the commencement of Semester 2. We are in full swing for the term already, with our student semester 1 report cards sent out to families on the last day of term 2.

Please ensure you share the report card and comments with your child, discussing their developmental and academic levels this year so far. It is also a great time to set new goals and work together with the classroom teacher as a team to ensure that every child has potential to be very successful in the future.

If you wish to discuss your child/children’s report card further, please contact the classroom teacher in writing via email asking to organise a suitable time. You may also contact the school, either by phone or at the Administration Office personally and arrange for a teacher to contact you to arrange a suitable meeting time.

Please note that Teachers are not usually available to respond to emails during teaching time or whilst on playground duty. Teachers will usually access their emails on their rostered scheduled daily. They will aim to respond to a parent or carer as soon a practical during the school week.  Please don’t seek to discuss in detail a student’s academic progress learning expectations or behavioural issues by email. These are best addressed in person or over the phone. Use email to arrange a suitable time with the teacher to discuss these matters. When agreed between the teacher and the parent or carer (following a meeting or telephone conversation) email may be used as a form of ongoing communication.

We will offer parent teacher interviews at the end of this term – Tuesday 5 September via face to face and online during week 9 which ever your preferred option maybe.

It is important that as a team we work together as parent and educator for the best outcomes for every child. Regular contact and communication are key to a successful relationship.

“It takes a whole village to raise a child”

African Proverb popularised by author Jan Cowen-Fletcher, 1994

This Semester we welcomed the following new staffing appointments

• Mr Jeremy Went Deputy Principal – Year 5 and Year 6 in the absence of Ms Helen Derrington
• Miss Ji Choi – new 4A teacher
• Mrs Omeshni De Alwis – new 5G teacher
• Mrs Sabrina Blaas – replacing Melissa Heustis who is on holidays for Semester 2
• Ms Hyewon Chang – new String Instrumental teacher
• Mrs Renee Hubner – Inclusion Support
• Miss Monique Pike – Inclusion Support

Term 3 Events – Upcoming Events

• Interschool Sport – week 3 for year 5 and year 6
• Year 6 Camp – week 4 – Monday 31 July – Wednesday 2 August
• Prep to Year 3 Sports Day – week 4 – Wednesday 2 August – Year 2 and Year 3 -9:00am to 11:00am and Prep to Year 1 – 11:45am to 1:15pm
• Year 4 to Year 6 Assembly – week 5 – Wednesday 9 August – 2:00pm
• Science Week – week 6
• EKKA public holiday – week 6 – Wednesday 16 August
• National Day against bullying and violence – week 6 Friday 18 August
• P&C Disco – week 6 – Friday 18 August
• Book Week – week 7
• Book Character Dress up Parade – week 7 – Monday 21 August (time TBC) – Get your Costumes Ready – theme this year is Read-Grow-Inspire
• Pupil Free Day – week 8 – Friday 1 September (* no school for students)
• P&C Fathers’ Day Stall – week 8
• Early Educators Day – week 9 – Thursday 7 September
• Parent Teacher Interviews – week 9 – Tuesday 5 September
• Learn to Swim program for year 1 – week 9 and 10
• Year 4 to Year 5 Assembly – week 9 – Wednesday 6 September
• Prep to Year 3 Assembly – week 10 – Wednesday 13 September
• Grandparents and Friends Day – week 10 – Friday 15 September

School Opinion Survey

Thank you to all of those who have already completed the Parent/Caregiver Survey. If you have not had a chance to complete the survey yet, please note that the online surveys will remain open until Friday, 18 August 2023. This is your opportunity to provide feedback about what our school does well and how we can improve.

To have your say, check your email for an invitation from the Department of Education titled School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2023. 

Can’t find your invitation?  If your family has more than one parent/caregiver, check that they haven’t received the invitation and/or check your junk email folder.

Until next time,

Prep, Year 1 & Year 2 News

Thank you to everyone that supported our school by attending our Under 8’s Day celebration. The students had a wonderful morning filled with lots of developmental play, all thanks to our dedicated teachers and amazing community groups. We would particularly like to thank the following for donating their time or resources to support our event:

• Grand Avenue State School P and C Association
• Councillor Charles Strunk
• Forest Lake Coles
• Fruit Barn Forest Lake
• Forest Lake State High School Volunteers
• Durack Fire & Rescue Station
• Volunteers from the Forest Lake Baptist Church

Playgroup – Come and Join Us!

Grand Avenue State School is running a play group for children aged 0 – 5 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 9am and 11am. Please stop by the STEAM room (behind the old community hub space) to join us for games, songs and lots of fun!

Do you have a child born between 01/07/2018 – 30/06/2019? Enrol now for Prep in 2024!

Middle School Moments

News from Year 3

The grade threes are excited about the new topics they will be learning this term in English, Maths, Science, Health, Technology and HASS. This is what the students had to say.

This term in Health, we are learning about how we can help the environment by being more sustainable with our rubbish. We can help the environment by recycling. Milla 3A

In arts, we are learning about Tiny Worlds and we get to work together to create our own Tiny World. Elysia 3A

In English, we are learning about how to write a procedure. It is going to improve our writing of a procedure. Science is going to be fun this term, we get to do lots of experiments and learn about solids and liquids. Enoch 3A

In technology, we are learning how to recycle and how to make something out of the recyclable materials. Riley 3A

We are learning about fractions. In fractions, we learnt what the symbol looks like and what it means. We have been looking at halves and quarters. Annabelle 3A

In HASS this term, we are learning about maps and how to read and understand the map. Hinemaire 3A

Ngutana Lui – Year 3

On the Tuesday 18 July the grade threes experienced various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activities and stories as First Nations representatives from the education centre, Ngutana-Lui came to visit. Bernadette explained how the Indigenous people use their environment to support them in many ways such as lemon leaves for medicine. She also demonstrated how to weave, and we had a turn a weaving our own bracelet. 

Robert explained to us the importance of music to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and taught us how to dance to a song called ‘Rainbow Serpent’ by moving our feet, arms and hands to create the motion of a snake. We took off our shoes, stomped and slid our feet to the beat of eight as he clapped sticks and sang the song for us to dance to. 

Corey told us traditional Aboriginal stories and how they used games as educational tools. We learnt about how the Willy the Wagtail is different to all the other birds because he was a cheeky boy. 

Eric taught us how to do traditional and modern aboriginal artwork. We then painted a kangaroo using traditional colours by making dots with special sticks.  

To finish the experience, we listened to some traditional songs being sung to some traditional instruments. One instrument was made using wood and animal skin. 

Materials and Design with 4B

Year 4B has been exploring materials and design.
They were given some materials  - aluminium foil, paper bags and plates, pegs and tape - to design a hat.  They had to consider the brim being sturdy and the amount of sun it would keep from the face and neck.
They also had to consider how to hold these materials together to ensure their creation would stay together.

Year 4 Litter Busters

This year, year 4 has been learning about how to look after our local environment and the animals that live in it. This term, Brisbane City Council provided our school with some litter kits to help clean up the rubbish in our school grounds. On Monday, 17^th July, 2023, 100 litter kits arrived. These kits contained claws to pick up the rubbish and bags to put the rubbish in.

During week 2 of this term, each year 4 class was designated an area to clean. Our class, 4C, was responsible for the area near the tuckshop (MPA) and around the year 2 and year 5 blocks.

We found a lot of rubbish in the gardens too. Most of the objects found belonged to general waste, with the majority of items being plastic wrappers, especially from popper straws and chip packets. Some unusual rubbish included electric wiring, a teddy bear and squishy toy, a laminated sheet, hair ties, 3 school hats, a sharpener, a water bottle lid, a school note, a small soccer ball, 7 lead pencils, a thumb tack and a bag buckle.

We sorted the rubbish and discovered that there was very little recyclable waste. Popper boxes, a plastic bottle and one squashed aluminium can were some of these.

We were extremely shocked to find this amount of rubbish in our small area. Our class will visit the same area later in the week, and we hope we don’t find any rubbish at all.

Student Comments

Cleaners – We can really see the difference. Thank you for doing this. It would be great if all the classes in the school had a turn at picking up litter.
Year 6 teachers – Well done, Year 4. You are doing a great job!
Year 4 students – I wish we had the claws and bags at our school all the time. I’d pick up litter every day.

Year 5 & 6 News

Year 5 News 

What an exciting term of learning ahead for the Year Five students.

Caregivers be warned.  The students will be refining their persuasive skills in our English unit so don’t be surprised if your student tries their skills on you - their persuasive techniques may just be too strong to resist!

The students will be examining key events related to the development of British colonies in Australia after 1800.  A key event which will be focused on is the Gold Rush.  An exhilarating day will be had when the student’s venture off on a Gold Rush expedition to try their hand at panning for gold and striking it rich.

After discovering gold and becoming rich, the students will be able to put into practise their new financial knowledge learnt in Mathematics.  Budgeting (income and expenses) and the process of goods and services will be explored.  The students will be able to contribute to the planning of the class end of year party by calculating the costs involved.

Some students may like to spend their gold windfall on a trip into space to discover more about their favourite planet after learning about the solar system in Science. 

Taking care of their health will be very important so in Health, the students will explore the concepts of health and wellbeing and the importance of healthy habits as a preventative measure. They will identify good habits and how they contribute to overall health and wellbeing. 

Lots of interesting and relevant learning will be had by the students this term in Year Five.

The 5A Students are Looking Forward to:

I am very excited to be learning about persuasive texts this term so that I could use these skills in my daily life when trying to convince my sister to give me her lollies.  Also, I will be able to use these skills to show people my point of view in a formal yet interesting way.  Ada

I’m looking forward to learning about financial matters so then I can know how much money I need for some items and how much change I’ll get in case the worker gets my change wrong.  Kelly

This term will be amazing.  I can’t wait to learn about the interesting solar system.  In English, we will be looking at persuasive texts, how fun! In health, we will be learning about well being, health and healthy habits.  I want this term to never end!  Measina

I am looking forward to learning about the gold rush and going on our excursion to dig for gold.  Also, I am looking forward to our science unit learning about space and the solar system.  Additionally, I think that I would enjoy the maths financial unit because I like calculating expenses and money.  These are the three main subjects I am looking forward to this term.  Amelia

I am so excited to learn new things about gold rush and finding gold and to discover some olden day news.  Sienna

Year 6 News! 

We are thrilled to share the electrifying adventures of our young scientists at Grand Avenue State School as they recently embarked on an exciting journey into the world of electrical circuits. Over the past few weeks, our curious minds and nimble fingers have been engaged in a series of experiments that have sparked wonder and ignited our passion for science

Our science lessons transformed into a buzzing workshop of innovation as students rolled up their sleeves to explore the fascinating realm of electrical circuits. Under the guidance of our dedicated teachers, we are learning about the basic components of circuits, such as batteries, wires, switches, and bulbs. The joy of constructing our first simple circuits, where a lightbulb lit up for the very first time, left us awe-struck.

As we delve deeper into electricity throughout our Street Science incursion, we encountered the challenges of series and parallel circuits. Working collaboratively in teams, we arranged bulbs and switches to comprehend the differences between the two types of circuits. We observed that in a series circuit, when one bulb burned out, the entire circuit was affected. In contrast, in a parallel circuit, each bulb functioned independently, even if one bulb malfunctioned. This taught us the importance of problem-solving and cooperation, as we collectively found solutions for any circuit hiccups.

Year 6 Quotes

Damian - I am enjoying making circuits to try and get the lightbulb to turn on. I am enjoying trying different ways of seeing how I can get them to work. 

Nehaya - Experimenting with putting other objects into the circuit to see if we can still get the lightbulb to glow.

Lachlan - I enjoyed investigating materials to see which are conductors and insulators of electricity.

Student Council

2023 Awards Ceremony

We enjoyed celebration the acheivements of many of our students at our mid year awards ceremony.  The students were awared academic awards – bronze, gold or silver - based on results from their semester 1 report card.

Each class also nominated a STAR student who embodied our values of Successful learning, Taking responsibility, Acting safely and Respecting Everyone.  It was a lovely evening to recongise these students.  Many staff and of course parents celebrated right along side them. 

Our end of year awards ceremony will be held in December.

Academic Award Winners!

STAR Student Award Winners!

Student Support Update

This is just a short message for new (and existing) members of the school community to meet our Students Services team! We have two Guidance Officers, Kylie Sweeting (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri) and Sabrina Blaas (Mon, Wed) and our lovely Chaplain, Sophie (Mon, Wed, Thurs). We also have our amazing therapy dog, Poppy!   

If you have any concerns around your child’s wellbeing, please feel free to reach out to the school to see how we can assist. We can provide short-term counselling for students. We also offer a variety of targeted programs where students learn various strategies and skills to boost their wellbeing. Please feel free to contact the school if you wish to meet with one of the support staff to discuss your child’s wellbeing.  

We have a number of supports outside of the school that may also be able to help.

KidsHelpLine. KidsHelpLine is a telephone counselling service for children who are as young as 5 can access (parents are more than welcome to dial the number and have an initial chat with the counsellor to explain the situation. Their number is 1800 55 1800. All counsellors are fully trained and can provide further referrals if needed. For more information go to the link below.   A chat is also offered for children who prefer to type instead of talk.

Parentline. Similar to KidsHelpLine, ParentLine is for parents (and carers) who need to talk to someone. It is a confidential service. Wait times to connect with a counsellor can take some time, as with KidsHelpLine so you are always able to request a callback. Their number is 1300 30 1300 and their website is linked below:

ACCORAS. If you prefer free face-to-face support, ACCORAS is a government run family support service. Eligibility to connect with ACCORAS is found on their website. Currently, at the Inala office, they are running a program called ParentsNext which is a free service available for parents. This program can also provide financial support to cover the costs of study, car-related expenses and equipment. For more information go to: 

CGen News

Grand Avenue was well represented at the Creative Generations on Stage Spectacular in Week 1 of Term 3 at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre. The students had attended weekend rehearsals over the past few months and performed in four shows in front of thousands of audience members. Their smiles and energy were contagious.  Grand Avenue had some students selected in the feature dance category as well some dancing in massed items. Congratulations to all students who participated and thank you to parents for your support of this great program.

STEM Day at Pallara State School

A Day of Challenges and Triumphs!

We are excited to share the success of our school's participation in the STEM Challenge at Pallara State School, which took place on 21 July. One student from each of our Year 5 and 6 classes was nominated by class teacher to participate. Our 16 talented innovators put their skills to the test, showcasing their passion and dedication in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. 

Students completed in teams of four. Throughout the day, our students enthusiastically participated in six challenges that put their problem-solving abilities to the ultimate test:

1. Robot Ninja Warrior: Students programmed robots to move through an obstacle course, displaying precision and ingenuity.
2. Crypto Conundrum: Our young code-breakers decoded cyphers, unveiling clues to solve the mystery number case.
3. Esports Superstars: Students unleashed their gaming talents, racing in Mario Kart and showcasing their best moves in Just Dance on the Nintendo Switch.
4. Eggstronaut Landers: Applying engineering prowess, teams designed and constructed a protective lander to shield their Eggstronaut when dropped from increasing heights.
5. Lift-Off!: With creativity and scientific knowledge, they designed aerodynamic rockets and launched them from rocket launchers.
6. Robot Sumo: Engineering brilliance shone through as students built and coded their ultimate sumo robots to battle against opponents.

Our participants immersed themselves in hands-on experiences, reinforcing the importance of STEM education and its real-world applications.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Pallara State School for organizing this outstanding event. Their hospitality, provision of materials, and support made the day even more memorable for all involved. We also thank the generous sponsors who provided prizes and resources for the day: Stile, Bunnings Warehouse, Modern Teaching Aids, Milton Dick MP, Leeanne Enoch MP, Cr Angela Owen and the Pallara State School P&C Association. Thank you to parents and carers of our students for their support in transporting students to and from the event.

Lastly, a big congratulations to our remarkable FIRST PLACE WINNERS Team 2: Vonal, Alosha, Shaurya and Ivy. These students demonstrated exceptional talent and determination. They were presented with individual medals and a school trophy. They have also won a Lego Robotics Kit valued at over $600 from Modern Teaching Aids for the school which will be delivered next week.

Well done to all our students: Brandon, Rishabh, Amirah, Bailey, Hayden, Caitlin, Jethro, Sasha, Alosha, Ruby, Penelope, Shaurya, Kelly, Jafari, Ivy and Vonal.

We look forward to more such enriching experiences and opportunities to showcase our students' brilliance in the future.

Chess News

This term's interschool chess tournament will be held at Ipswich Grammar School on Tuesday 5 September. Students who have attended tournaments this year will be invited to attend. Those who do not meet this criterion, but would like to be considered, should see Mrs Szczepina at Chess Club on Wednesday at First Break to complete a Chess Passport. 

Chaplaincy News

Chappy Sophie has just launched an incredible lunchtime haven for our young ones, aptly named "Kids Space"! It's an enchanting realm where our students can let their creativity soar and have a blast with an array of open-ended activities, captivating board games, and inspiring creative endeavours.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Kids Space has been abuzz with joy as our students immersed themselves in various delightful activities. From crafting mesmerizing-stained glass window decorations to engaging in laughter-filled rounds of twister and card games, the fun never stops! They've also been transported to magical worlds through captivating books and have even showcased their artistic talents by sculpting stunning masterpieces out of playdough.

To ensure everyone gets the most out of this enriching experience, different days are dedicated to different activities, tailored to suit various age groups. Check out the schedule in the image below to see when your child's class can join the excitement!

But wait, there's more! Chaplaincy is taking the lead in organizing two fantastic upcoming events - the much-awaited Disco on August 4th and the thrilling Movie Night on August 18th. And guess what? We'd love to have our amazing parents involved! We're calling on all our fantastic parents to lend a helping hand at the BBQ for the Disco and/or Moie Night. Not only will you have a fabulous time, but all the funds raised will go towards enriching the Kids Space and supporting an exciting student gardening project.

If you're eager to join in on the fun and contribute to the well-being of our school community, reach out to Chappy Sophie today via email at sophie.board@suchaplaincy.org.au. Let's make these events unforgettable moments for our students, with your invaluable support! 

P&C NEWS

Diary Dates Term 3

Disco: Friday 4 August
Meal Deal Day: 8-10 August
P&C General Meeting: 15 August
Movie Night on the Oval: Friday 18 August 
Father’s Day Stall: 29-31 August 

Term 4 - Planning:

Family Portraits: 10 & 11 November
Disco Under the Sun: 25 November
Meal Deal Day. Date TBA
Whole School Fun Run – Splash & Dash. Date TBA

Term 3 Disco 

Our Favourite DJ – ‘Bop til you Drop’ is back again!
When: Friday 4 August
Sensory: 4.30pm – 5.15pm 
Years P-3: 5.30pm – 6.30pm 
Years 4-6: 6.45pm – 7.45pm

We need your help to run this disco – 

Link for disco -

Canteen Ekka Meal Deal

 Movie Night – On the Oval 

Movie Night: 18/08:

Father’s Day Stall

Get ready to spoil Dad or that Special Someone. Who’s your Hero!

Father’s Day Stall: 29-31 August 

Class timetables will be shared closer to the date

Uniform Shop News 

The uniform shop will be temporarily relocated to the P&C Room (next door) during renovations. This is planned for late August/ early September. Dates will be advised as soon as we have our team of volunteers organised. Flexischools ordering will remain unchanged however, opening hours will be limited for the week.

Volunteers:

We have some awesome events coming up this term and we need your help to make them a success.

Term 3 Disco: 4/08:

Movie Night: 18/08:

Sports Day BBQ: 2/08

We need every bit of help we can get to ensure these events run smoothly. If these times or days don't suit you, please reach out to our exec and let us know and we'll make something work.

We are still looking for volunteers to help paint the Uniform shop. The P&C Room is now complete, thank you to the volunteers who helped over the holidays. If you have some availability this term, please email p&cSecretary@grandavenuess.eq.edu.au.

We look forward to seeing you there. Many hands make light work!  

OSHC National Educators Day 

The P&C would like to ask our community to recognise and Celebrate our Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) for the National Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) Educators’ Day 26 July 2023. This year’s theme is “At the Heart of the Community”.

If you or your child would like to show their support and be involved, we encourage you to click on the attached link and create a special message for our OSHC Educators and hand deliver them!

Our OSHC Coordinators, Mrs Anita Noiesen and Mrs Karen Brown and, the awesome team continue to provide a service for our children and families with a focus on running a program to keep our students engaged and active.

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.  

Your input:  

Do you have any feedback, comments, suggestions or ideas? We would love to hear them! Please email p&cpresident@grandavenuess.eq.edu.au   

Next General Meeting:  

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.

OSHC News

Date Claimer

Friday 1st September is a Pupil Free Day and OSHC will be operating a Vacation Care program. The older grades will be heading off to Ecopark Fishing World and the younger grades will have 2Bent Rods (incursion) at the Centre.

Bookings will be taken from 21st August 2023 - we will email all families a program and booking form.

On Wednesday 26 July we celebrated OSHC Educators Day!

It’s a day to celebrate educators who work so hard in our industry! OSHC is lucky to have so many passionate, professional and motivated educators to continue to deliver high quality education and care to children!

At Grand Avenue OSHC we are fortunate to have such a team. You are all amazing people that bring such a wide range of skills and knowledge to our centre, helping create an amazing space for all our children and families. 

Anita and Karen
OSHC Coordinators

PS. There were donuts!

Community Notices

2024 Year 7 Enrolments at Forest Lake SHS are OPEN.
Collect your enrolment pack from our office or from Forest Lake SHS and follow their process.
Once FLSHS receives your enrolment paperwork you can book into an enrolment information session.  The next session is on Monday 21 August.
Year 6 students hoping to enrol in their Programs of Excellence, can find more information about tests, trials and auditions through the link below.