Website: https://eskss.eq.edu.au School landline: 07 54244111 Absences: 07 54244160 [email protected][email protected][email protected]49 East Street, Esk, Qld 4312 August 21st, 2020 Hello Everyone, August 31 see the new law regarding Blue Cards commence. This new law has significant implications on our community as a whole. There are some professions that are exempt from needing a blue card, due to the regular criminal history checks that automatically occur behind the scenes eg. Teachers, Nurses etc, but most adults would not have found it necessary to obtain one. This new legislation means that anyone in our community who works (even in a temporary capacity) with children will need a blue card. The impact of this has really hit home lately as we planned our excursions and wanted to work directly with community volunteers. Teachers have been reaching out to parents regarding Individual Learning Plans (ILP) for some students. The ILPs frame a conversation around strategies and adjustments that will be put into place to assist that student to position themselves to achieve C gradings in English and Mathematics. A ‘C’ grading means that the student is able to demonstrating learning against the required achievement standard and is therefore performing at the level expected for their age. The annually scheduled parent | teacher interviews were cancelled this year due to Covid, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have an interview. You child may not need an ILP, but if you would like to discuss your child’s progress with a teacher, please make an appointment. Teachers enjoy talking about the success of their students. Next week, staff will participate in classroom profiling as part of the Collegiate Engagement Framework. Teachers invite a profiler into their classroom to observe how the classroom runs. The profiler captures the data around staff and student interactions and looks specifically for the behaviour management techniques being used. While it may be uncomfortable to undergo the observation process, the confidential feedback significantly supports teachers – gives reassurance around what is done well, but also provides a safe space around areas for further development, and to discuss those difficult moments. Yet another example of the professionalism and commitment of the staff here at Esk. -- Mrs Roslyn Waldron ♪ ♫ Music ♫ ♪ – Mr Smith We hope you can come to the Music Parade on the last day of Term 3 to see the Preps up to Year 4 perform their assessment works and songs that we have been doing in Classroom music this year. All classes have been assessed in the various areas of Australian Music Curriculum including Performance, Composition and Responding. We did Composition at the start of the year and there were some surprising and creative soundscapes produced. The kids returned some really insightful responses when we did our Responding assessment. Responding is a lot like music appreciation where the kids pick out the different instruments they can hear and describe why the composer included them and also how the composer put expression and meaning into the music to describe a story or event. They also describe the shape and style of the music including all the elements of music. We have been doing Guitar and Glockenspiels and Marimbas and Xylophones and Singing and also Instrumental Music. I need to say how wonderful the kids’ voices are. Such beautiful, strong singing and they are even doing harmonies as well. We have heaps of Year 4 Instrumental beginners who are sounding great and have big, confident sounds. We have so many good kids in Instrumental Music this year that we had to make two bands; a Beginner and a Senior Concert Band. Beginner band will perform at the Music Parade on Rewards Day. Mums and Dads please come to pin on their new band badge. The Year 5’s and 6’s have a special sports event on Rewards Day so we will have to hear their music at another time.
Transcript
Website: https://eskss.eq.edu.au School landline: 07 54244111 Absences: 07 54244160
August 31 see the new law regarding Blue Cards commence. This new
law has significant implications on our community as a whole. There are
some professions that are exempt from needing a blue card, due to the
regular criminal history checks that automatically occur behind the
scenes eg. Teachers, Nurses etc, but most adults would not have found it
necessary to obtain one. This new legislation means that anyone in our
community who works (even in a temporary capacity) with children will
need a blue card. The impact of this has really hit home lately as we
planned our excursions and wanted to work directly with community
volunteers.
Teachers have been reaching out to parents regarding Individual Learning
Plans (ILP) for some students. The ILPs frame a conversation around
strategies and adjustments that will be put into place to assist that student
to position themselves to achieve C gradings in English and Mathematics.
A ‘C’ grading means that the student is able to demonstrating learning
against the required achievement standard and is therefore performing at
the level expected for their age. The annually scheduled parent | teacher
interviews were cancelled this year due to Covid, but that doesn’t mean
that you can’t have an interview. You child may not need an ILP, but if
you would like to discuss your child’s progress with a teacher, please
make an appointment. Teachers enjoy talking about the success of their
students.
Next week, staff will participate in classroom profiling as part of the
Collegiate Engagement Framework. Teachers invite a profiler into their
classroom to observe how the classroom runs. The profiler captures the
data around staff and student interactions and looks specifically for the
behaviour management techniques being used. While it may be
uncomfortable to undergo the observation process, the confidential
feedback significantly supports teachers – gives reassurance around what
is done well, but also provides a safe space around areas for further
development, and to discuss those difficult moments. Yet another
example of the professionalism and commitment of the staff here at Esk.
-- Mrs Roslyn Waldron
♪ ♫Music ♫♪ – Mr Smith We hope you can come to the Music Parade on the last day of Term 3 to see the Preps up to Year 4 perform their assessment works and songs that we have been doing in Classroom music this year. All classes have been assessed in the various areas of Australian Music Curriculum including Performance, Composition and Responding. We did Composition at the start of the year and there were some surprising and creative soundscapes produced. The kids returned some really insightful responses when we did our Responding assessment. Responding is a lot like music appreciation where the kids pick out the different instruments they can hear and describe why the composer included them and also how the composer put expression and meaning into the music to describe a story or event. They also describe the shape and style of the music including all the elements of music. We have been doing Guitar and Glockenspiels and Marimbas and Xylophones and Singing and also Instrumental Music. I need to say how wonderful the kids’ voices are. Such beautiful, strong singing and they are even doing harmonies as well. We have heaps of Year 4 Instrumental beginners who are sounding great and have big, confident sounds. We have so many good kids in Instrumental Music this year that we had to make two bands; a Beginner and a Senior Concert Band. Beginner band will perform at the Music Parade on Rewards Day. Mums and Dads please come to pin on their new band badge. The Year 5’s and 6’s have a special sports event on Rewards Day so we will have to hear their music at another time.
Important Dates: August 28 – TSHS orientation day for enrolled Y6 students 31 – P&C Meeting 2:30PM in the Library September 3 – School Photo Day 4 – Student Free Day 11 – Field events for the older students. 14 – Sports Carnival 18 – Somerset Cup Years 5&6 18 – Special Music Parade 18 - Rewards Day 18 - Last Day of Term
Support Your Child’s Learning National Science Week This week is National Science Week. I have included some activities below for children and families. Check out the website https://www.scienceweek.net.au/week-long-events/ for more details. Enjoy!
Young Scientist Paper Planes
Challenge Wednesday 12 – Friday 28 August Do you know your darts from your gliders? Do you understand aeronautical engineering and origami? Don’t worry – for the Young Scientist Paper Plane Challenge, none of this is needed – all you need to do is make a paper plane! You’ll need an A4 sheet of paper, and an adult to witness your throw, but if you’re in K – 12, you can use your paper plane to compete against people all over the world. There will be medals awarded in different age categories for both longest distance and longest airtime throws. Sign up online to check on the rules and how to enter, and make sure to get your entry in by 28 August.
Fun for the whole family…
Bush Blitz Scavenger Hunt Saturday 15 August – Sunday 20 September Looking for more reasons to get outside, at least to your backyard this weekend? Then this is for you! The Bush Blitz Scavenger Hunt is a scavenger hunt with a twist – you’re looking for specific types of animals and plants. You can join in just for fun or as part of a competition to win cool prizes. Open to all ages, you can join in by yourself, with your friends or family. The competition opens on Saturday at 12:00 pm, so head over to the website to check it out. Who knows, you could even discover a new species.
SCINEMA International Science Film
Festival Community Screening Saturday 1 – Monday 31 August Interested in science? Like watching movies? Have access to a screen and the internet? Then do we have an event for you! SCINEMA is the largest science film festival in the southern hemisphere and you can watch the best science cinema from around the world for FREE this month in the comfort of your own home. There are films for everyone in the family to enjoy.
- Mrs Andrea Oxenford – STLaN/Special Needs Teacher
Chatting With Chappy
Making Memories
Remember the VHS recorder and watching videos? Some readers
might, but others will wonder what I am talking about. My
husband and I have been taking a trip down memory lane at night
lately pulling out our collection of videos and getting
comfortable on the lounge with dessert. We’ve been enjoying our
favourites – Annie Get Your Gun, Hello Dolly, Operation
Petticoat, a selection of John Wayne and of course all those very
culturally and politically incorrect Doris Day movies from the
1950’s. Now I am really exposing my age and stage of life.
There’s something very comforting and easy about creating
family traditions. Our three sons have grown up and left home,
but there’s still scope to create new family rituals no matter how
old we are. For the older generation of readers it is never too late
to begin doing something together with the significant other in
your life. Simple family rituals, like watching old movies, taking
daily walks and eating together, are often the most memorable.
And for those with a young family and boundless energy, the
scope of new family traditions to make is inexhaustible. It is
those very rituals that unite families together and provide the
fodder for conversation when you gather together and talk.
Today, whenever our adult sons come home, we delight in
sharing and laughing about all the memories we regularly made
together as a family.
What new and simple rituals can you begin this week that will
provide lasting memories for your children when they are older?
Chappy Jennifer
Friday 4th September
Pupil Free Day
All staff will be undertaking Professional Development
