Term 1 Week 7
Principal's Report
Dear Coolum Community,
What a week we have had! I sincerely hope that you and your extended families have remained safe during our recent weather events. Thank you for your patience as we navigated the ever-changing conditions. Despite the changes in plans and routines, our students have remained focussed on their learning. Year 1 students have been writing descriptive passages, and it has been a delight to see some examples of these from 1B this week! Well done! This resumption of routines and learning has supported our students to feel safe and secure back at school. Let’s hope we have a very uneventful weather period for the remainder of the term!
Over the past 2 weeks, we have had a behaviour focus on Playing by the Rules and being a Good Sport. The key messages for students are:
- Play by the agreed rules of the game you are playing.
- Rules for games are made up by the majority and sometimes you need to be flexible.
- Accepting the outcomes and being a good sport means understanding you won’t always win, but you can be gracious in defeat.
- Following rules will make you easy to play with
- Not following rules makes you difficult to play with.
Students will sometimes not make the best choices in the moment, so it is important for us to teach them and work through the expectations when they are in a controlled and calm environment. If students do make a mistake, we look for a consequence that will be a learning opportunity for them, rather than a punishment. At Coolum SS we regularly look at student data in academics and behaviours to identify trends or a need for support. Communication with families is a key part in this and students benefit when parents and the school work together to best support students.
The recent weather event identified to us how important it is for us to have the correct parent contact information to communicate quickly. If your details or your child’s Emergency Contact people or information have changed, can you please contact the office to update these.
We have plenty on the calendar in the coming weeks, such as NAPLAN for our Year 3 & 5 students, Parent Teacher Interviews, the P&C AGM and Cross Country. On our school website, you are able to access our school calendar and see details of the events listed (such as permission slips etc). This and our Facebook page are great places to keep track of dates and the happenings in our school. https://coolumss.eq.edu.au/calendar-and-news/events-calendar
Take care,
Shannyn
Deputy Principal's Report
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Parent-teacher interviews will take place in Week 9 this term. (March 24-28) Keep an eye out for an email from the school with the booking code that will be required on the website schoolinterviews.com.au
This is a great opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and ask any questions about their learning. Each interview runs for 15 minutes.
We look forward to connecting with you and celebrating your child’s achievements and areas for growth.
NAPLAN
A reminder that all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in Australian schools are offered the opportunity to complete NAPLAN tests (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy).
Year 3 the tests will be Wednesday March 12, Thursday March 13 and Monday March 17.
Year 5 the tests will be Wednesday March 12 (then off to camp!) Monday March 17 and Tuesday March 18.
There will be catch up tests till March 21.
There are four tests in total – Writing, Reading, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. All tests are around 40 – 50 minutes in length. The tests are all done online via a secure NAPLAN browser (except for Year 3 Writing Test which is completed on paper).
Parents are provided with their child’s results later in the year.
Remember, NAPLAN is a point in time test and checks what students are normally learning in the classroom. It does not assess all the extra things that make up each of our exceptional and unique students we have here at Coolum State School.
CAMPS
Year 5 and Year 6 Camps are almost upon us with Year 5 camp this Wednesday to Friday and Year 6 camp on Monday to Wednesday next week. The excitement is building as the students talk about all the great things they will be doing on camp. The teachers do an amazing job to create a fun filled adventure for everyone and I thank them wholeheartedly for the enormous amount of time they give to ensure a successful camp for everyone.
Before your child leaves for camp, it may be beneficial to have a conversation about what to expect. Talk about the daily schedule, the physical activities, and the potential challenges they might face—like missing home or feeling exhausted after a busy day. Also, to discuss good strategies to help with this. Reassure the children that it’s normal after exciting action-packed and challenging days to feel tired and a bit emotional sometimes, and to seek help from a teacher or friend if they need it. Finally remind them that camp is a fun opportunity to try new things and make great memories!
Thanks so much with your support with this.
School Council News
Coming up in week 10 - Free Dress Day to raise money for our favourite animal charity, keep an eye on Face book for more information.
And, don't forget. 6N are collecting ring pulls from cans. Drop them off with your teacher or bring directly to 6N.
Thanks everyone.
Environmental Team News
Our Environmental Team are working hard to reduce plastic use in school. They noticed when everyone helped with the Clean Up Schools Day that the main thing they found was small pieces of plastic from popper straw wrappers, muesli bars and other plastic packets.
Next week we will be holding a Plastic Free Lunchbox Survey on Tuesday. The class with the smallest amount of plastic in their lunch boxes will win the trophy.
Our suggestions to reduce plastic might help.
- Use beeswax wraps instead of clingwrap!
- Buy large bags of chips and tip them into small re-useable containers.
- Use aluminium foil which can be reused and recycled.
- Instead of yoghurt pouches and sachets, buy a big tub of yoghurt and pour it into small re-useable containers.
- Use a lunch box with sections.
Good luck The Environmental Team
Notice Of Annual General Meeting
RideScore Active Schools
Do you live close to school?
- Does your child have a bike or scooter?
- Would you like your child to get an active, healthy and fun start to the day?
- Would you like a system that tells you automatically when they have arrived or left school?
If you answered YES to these questions, then RideScore is for you!
We are one of 11 Sunshine Coast schools that are enjoying RideScore Active Schools Program funded by councils Transport Levy.
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 will be open to students who are able to ride a bicycle or scooter to school.
Participating students receive a personal sensor (beacon) to attach to their bicycle or scooter. The school bicycle storage facility has a Bluetooth reader that detects the signal from the beacon and sends a notification to the nominated contact to inform them that the student has arrived at/or departed the school.
Each trip is recorded by the RideScore app, providing incentives when the students reach their milestones. Earn great prizes:
- 20 Trips – Mystery prize
- 70 Trips – Movie ticket
- 120 Trips – Bli Bli Aqua Park voucher
Activities will be planned throughout the school year to promote and encourage riding and scooting, including fun events and bicycle skills classes for all year 4 students.
This program was developed in 2022 with a Federal grant funding from the Move it AUS program, with the support of Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and Stockland.
How do I register?
Step 1 - Download the app (search ‘RideScore’), complete your registration details
Step 2 – Receive your sign on bag (posted within 1 week) that will include:
- Your child’s beacon & instructions on how to pair and fit
- A scorecard (your app will also keep a live score)
Step 3 – Start riding and scooting!
Visit the RideScore website for more information, great resources and safety tips.
CDC Queensland Bus information
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.
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 .
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.
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