Term 4 Week 4
Principal's Report
It’s Carnival Time!!!
A huge thank you to the Coolum community for your support of another Coolum Carnival!! Everything is coming together for a wonderful night thanks to our fantastic school staff and the ever supportive and tenacious P&C and parent volunteers. The support from our local businesses to run stalls, donate goods and equipment, we thank you! We can’t wait to see the smiles from the kids coming off the rides. There are heaps of prizes ready for the raffles, pluck a duck and pick your nose with winners proudly displaying their winnings with everyone’s favourite, the pig races holding centre stage. Coming into school these last few days we have been treated to the sweet smell of sugar from the fairy floss and the office of cakes ready for the cake competition. The money raised from this event will go towards a new playground for the older students. Many students have been involved in the design of the playground and are looking forward to seeing it eventuate. Thank you again to all of the people who have already volunteered and are ready for tomorrow nights festivities. See you there.
Student Leadership
Our year 5 students are currently working towards their application for 2024 leadership positions. They are currently reflecting on their involvement in the school and community in recent years, their own skills, attitudes and values and seeking support for their significant role models as they prepare for their speeches and interviews. It is amazing to see the growth in these students during this process as they grow to understand themselves, and the people around them. We truly have the best students.
2024 Student Enrolment
Our Prep enrolments are filling fast again for next year. If you or your friends are yet to complete an enrolment application form, can you please contact the school. Shortly, we will be forming classes for next year and it assists us in this planning. For those moving onto high school, don’t forget to get your child’s enrolment application form in. If you are leaving the Coolum community, please do let us know to also aid in the planning. Classes and class teachers won’t be available until the week commencing 15 January 2024.
Mobile Phones and Electronic devices such as smart watches.
We understand that mobile phones fill a need for some families, especially in relation to the occasional issues that arise before or after school with safety and communication. There are a number of issues associated with mobile phones at school. These include security, interruptions to class programs, inappropriate use or overuse. Due to these issues, we prefer that students do not bring mobile phones to school. The school holds no responsibility for lost or stolen phones. If a student has a wearable mobile phone device such as a smart watch, the phone component must not be used while the student is on the school site.
If, however, you do require your student to have a mobile phone at school the following procedures apply:
- Your child must secure their phone in their school bag for the entire day.
- Students who breach this requirement will have their phone held in the front office.
- Should you need to get in contact with your child, this should be done through the Front Office. One of our Front Office staff will get the message to your child.
Parents have informed us they appreciate the stance the school has to take on mobile phone use and actively support the above school procedures.
Digital literacy refers to the skills needed to live, learn and work in a society where communication and access to information is dominated by digital technologies like mobile phones. However, the benefits brought about through these diverse technologies can be easily overshadowed by deliberate misuse which harms others or disrupts learning.
In consultation with the broader school community, Coolum State School has determined that explicit teaching of responsible use of mobile phones and other devices is a critical component of digital literacy. The knowledge and confidence to navigate and use these technologies safely while developing digital literacy is a responsibility shared between parents, school staff and students.
From the start of 2024 there will be a state-wide ban on the use of mobile phones and mobile devices such as smart watches in schools.
Anthony Ryan
Principal
Prep S News
We are all super excited for our prep excursion coming up on 2 November. We are going to see Pevan and Sarah live at Kawana Venue 114. We have received a letter from Pevan and Sarah informing us of the songs they will sing and how to be good audience members. We had lots of questions so everyone wrote a letter back. Here are some of the questions and comments from Prep S students;
Eli: ‘What is your favourite song?’
Bailey: ‘How many shows have you done?’
Annabelle: ‘I like the pirate song.’
Phoenix: ‘I like the chicken show.’
Isla: ‘Are you going to give us anything?’
Riley: ‘I have a cousin called Sarah.’
Bodhi: ‘Are you going to wear your pink dress or your orange dress?’
Cleo: ‘I like the kindness song.’
Jonathan: ‘How many shows have you done?’
Maverick; ‘Do you have a go-pro?’
Frankie: ‘Do you like to paint and colour in?’
Kai: ‘How long have you been doing this for?’
Ella: ‘Do you like painting?’
Fynn: ‘Is Pevan real?’
Ivy: ‘How many songs and videos have you made?’
Charlotte: ‘Are you going to do the song Can you walk like me?’
Laeki: ‘How many songs do you sing?’
Sascha: ‘We are performing ‘Be Kind’ on parade soon.’
Zoe: ‘Have you been to Japan? I have. I like your videos, especially the kindness song.’
Indi: ‘How many songs have you done?’
Zeke: ‘Do you like drawing animals?’
Tyson: ‘Why do you call children cubs?’
How lucky are our students at Coolum State School. We have multiple opportunities to engage in learning across all curriculum areas. This real-life experience at Pevan and Sarah will be a highlight for all our Preps to experience. Thank you everyone for supporting our Prep Program.
Miss Storm
Teacher of Prep S
Music News
Our Senior Concert Band ventured down to Brisbane yesterday afternoon, to perform at MusicFest. MusicFest is an Education Queensland event where excellence in performance and education are celebrated. MusicFest enables school students to perform structured, appropriately set, music scores where all groups are rated against other ensembles at their level through expressed performance indicators. But more than anything, Music Fest is about fine music-making in a fun, educational, yet joyful performance environment! And our Senior Band certainly delivered a fine, fun and joyful performance! Supported by our Junior Band members, who provided a very supportive and enthusiastic audience, our Seniors were presented with a GOLD AWARD for their outstanding performance!! A huge congratulations to all band members, and of course to Mrs Guest, for once again leading our musicians to such success!! And a big THANK YOU to Ms Sharise and Mrs Mackay for their encouragement and support in making sure our excursion ran smoothly and all students were amazing representatives for our school.
Japanese News
Japanese Word of the Week
写真を撮ってもらえますか？(shashin o totte moraemasu ka?) : Can you please take a picture (for me)?
This phrase is used when you want to ask someone to take a picture of/for you. Don’t forget to say “Arigatou gozaimasu,” or “Thank you,” to the person who takes the picture for you.
Brad Yaxley
Japanese Teacher
Urgent Job Vacancy
Dental Van News
The dental van will be arriving at Coolum State School on Monday 13 November, 2023. We will be offering a free dental check-up and subsequent dental treatment to all students in Year 6. All other grades including preps will be offered treatment throughout Terms 1, 2,3 in 2024.
Medical History/Consent forms will be sent home with your child in Year 6. If you would like your child/children to access the School Dental Service please return the completed form to the school office by Friday 27 October 2023.
For all enquiries please contact the staff in the dental van on 0418 889 478.
Other News and Events...
Reporting your child's absence
If your child is absent from school it is important that you notify us as soon as possible. To report your child’s absence please either complete the short form available on the website at https://coolumss.eq.edu.au/our-school/absences or telephone us on 5471 9300.
Absences may be reported both on the webform and on the telephone in advance for planned absences.
We thank you for your assistance.
QParents
Did you know that the QParents portal is available for Coolum State School? QParents enables schools to offer parents secure access to information about their child. Parents can communicate directly with the school and update their child’s address and medical conditions and submit reasons for absences.
QParents is available to all families and not just our new families! If you would like to receive your unique invitation code and child's EQ ID please email us info@coolumss.eq.edu.au to request this.
Contact details
Have you changed your mobile number recently? Have you moved house?
It's important that we hold up to date contact details for you and your nominated emergency contacts. If you would like to update your details please pop in to the Administration Office or email us at info@coolumss.eq.edu.au .
RideScore Active Schools
REGISTER NOW!
- Do you live close to school?
- Do your children have a bike or scooter?
- Would you like peace of mind knowing your children have safely arrived at school?
If you answered YES to these questions, then RideScore is for you!
What is RideScore?
RideScore is an incentive-based program delivered by Sunshine Coast Council and We Ride Australia to increase active travel to and from school. The program is open to all students who ride a bike or scooter to school, as these can easily be fitted with beacons.
Participating students will receive a personal sensor (beacon) to attach to their bike or scooter. The school bike storage facility will be fitted with a Bluetooth reader that detects the signal from the beacon and sends a notification to the nominated contact that the student has arrived at or departed the school gate. Please note that the beacon is not a tracking device, it only records school arrivals and departures.
Data is collected by the online platform, enabling incentives to be offered at certain milestones.
Activities will also be planned throughout the school year to promote and encourage active travel, including cycling education classes for all Year 4 students.
How do I register?
Step 1 - Download the RideScore App (Search for ‘RideScore’ in the App Store or on Google Play)
Step 2 – Receive your sign on bag (will be distributed via the classrooms) that includes:
- Your child’s beacon & instructions on how to pair and fit
- Bike Lock
- Scorecard
- Road Safety Information
Step 3 – Start riding or scooting
Step 4 – Visit the RideScore website for great resources and safety tips
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