Peachester State School

I want to commend all the staff at Peachester SS for their hard work and dedication as they work through our improvement focuses. Our staff have put in many, many hours working through the requirements to improve not only literacy and numeracy but the entire curriculum offerings whether that be inquiry-based learning or a vast array of sporting, cultural or academic pursuits.

Thank you, Peachester staff, for your professionalism, hard work and commitment to the children in your classes. I am very proud to work with you at our great school. Our vision at Peachester is for all learner to be literate, safe, happy and learning every day.

Parent Teacher interviews were/are an opportunity to discuss how students are progressing. There are three things students need to be engaged in their learning.

• Students trust and respect their teacher
• Students work at their level
• Students have friends at school

Wow! What a great term we have had!

We are so proud of all the students in the Prep /One class. The Preps have learnt all the 42 sounds that we use as part of our Jolly Phonics program and the Year Ones have been practising the sounds and using them in our writing activities. We have seen terrific progress from the students, and they have all been trying really hard.

Thank you families, - The Year One students have done a great job bringing their reading folders each day and reading every night.  The Preps will start bringing their reading folders home after the holidays.

In Science, the students have been learning about animals and their environments with Mrs Fillery. To finish off the unit the children collaged a habitat for sea animals. Their creations looked amazing and they had lots of fun making them. Thank you, Mrs Fillery!

What a privilege it is to work every day with our gorgeous grade 1-2 class.  I am always impressed with how co-operative and kind they are to each other.  Well done, team you are all so considerate of each other.

Our year ones have been learning how to follow and give directions using words forwards, backwards, through, behind, over and even clockwise and anti 

We have all also been learning to collect data and draw graphs to interpret the results.  Here we all are with our clipboards asking each other questions so we can draw the answers up as a graph.

We also love constructing with Mobilo when we get a second of free time before school or when we finish learning time.

We have also been so fortunate that Isabella knew how to weave with natural fibres and last Friday, she taught us all how to make a mat.  We walked around the school with Lavina and found some lovely long reeds to weave with.  Then it was back to classroom with Isabella as our teacher showing us all how to do it.  It was lots of fun and we would all love to do it again.  Thanks Isabella.

Finally, we have all enjoyed being crafty this week making our hats for the Easter Parade.  Well done to all grade 1’s and 2’s who have worked really hard this term and learnt to count some big numbers and also improved our reading and writing skills.   Happy and safe Holidays to all families.

What a busy and exciting term we have had in the 2/3 class.

This week we say goodbye to our class ‘pets’, the mealworms. Students have shown a great deal of enthusiasm in observing the mealworms throughout their life stages and being able to interact with them during the day. I am very proud of the care and dedication they have displayed.

To all students and families of 2/3, have a safe and happy Easter break and I look forward to seeing you all back refreshed and ready to go next term 😊

We have celebrated the end of our science unit by creating our class museum. The students bought in an item they were happy to share with the class.

Each student presented their item to the class. They were then questioned by the class if their item was living or non-living. They were also asked if their item was produced by a living thing or had it once been a living thing.

This activity was a great opportunity to reflect on the learning this term. It was also a valuable chance for students to practice their public speaking skills.

Thank you families of 3/4, for all you support this term. 

On Tuesday the 28th of March Sevennah and Sophie went for an Instrumental Music Workshop.

We got to learn four songs and perform them at the end of the day. There were 12 other schools that we got to learn with. It was very fun to see all of the different instruments other students were playing. Some of the songs were hard to play but we were really excited when we all got to perform them. Our favourite song to play was Alpha Dog because it included body percussion which was clapping. We got to learn how to play with a group and work together. Overall it was very fun to learn new things. 

 

My Highlights for the term have been:

Makenzie: This term I really loved going to softball. But I’ve also really loved going to the Grip Leadership Conference an doing cross country and learning different stuff every day. But being Ms Harrisons student was my favourite.

Sevennah: This term I really enjoyed doing interschool softball because I got to experience a new sport.

Violet: The highlight of my term was interschool softball, the G.R.I.P. Leadership Conference and getting the chance to get up on parade and talking in front of every class in the school even parents too. But most of all having Ms Harrison as my teacher.

Zayden: Science because it is fun to play and to fiddle with.

Sophie: Playing softball and learning new things. It is fun to set up parade and I love learning with my new class.

Celine: I love the new things we do and we go out to like softball and it is worth it, and I had a fun time learning new things.

Ashlee: This term I really enjoyed doing softball every Friday. Being a group with the class, and playing sports was something I didn’t want to do at first, but it's really enjoyable being around these people. The term has been bringing me lots of joy and I’m very happy with what I do here. It’s enjoyable and a great way to learn, communicate, make friends etc . Can’t wait for next term, thanks.

K-diss: this term has been the best and the thing that I like was softball and learning new subjects and I can’t wait for term 2.

Carys: This term has been amazing! I enjoyed every bit of it but I especially liked the softball. I had so much fun playing with the other students and going against other schools. I also really liked cross country, it was so much fun!

Issy: it was an amazing term. Assessments were hard but I got through it because of my amazing teacher Ms Harrison. We did things that I do weekly with my family now, like softball. Once we got our assessment done we got to do fun art.

Connor: I liked this term all the new friends and sport we played I loved how much more work we had to do. I have loved this term I have had so much fun.

Josh: I really enjoyed the cross country I managed to come third and it was fun watching everyone finish. 

Thankyou to everyone who supported and participated in this year’s very first Pumpkin Growing competition.  It was a difficult growing season – and despite this the entries were amazing and all the participants should be proud of themselves for giving it a go.  All proceeds of the sale of our seedlings, plants and produce at our seasonal market stalls go to our amazing Kitchen Garden Program and so far we have raised $500 through these events – so thankyou to everyone who has purchased, donated and grown something. 

It was our first event – so lots of learnings – next year we hope to be bigger and better with other categories that celebrate the humble pumpkin (such as pumpkin scones and pumpkin carving!) and perhaps some guest speakers on how to grow those mammoth pumpkins.

And a big thankyou to Leanne from the Peachester Fruit & Vege Shop who was our wonderful Pumpkin judge this year – something she found very challenging due to the amazing entries!

We had 3 categories for prizes this year – the LARGEST, the PRETTIEST and the WEIRDEST. 

The winner of the largest pumpkin at a whopping 26.8kg was the Schmidt family with their giant pumpkin.  Special mention to Mr Laurence for his giant pumpkin weighing 10.6kg kg. 

There was fierce competition for the PRETTIEST pumpkin category – with the judge having to decide between the cutest/sweetest pumpkins and the most perfect pumpkin.  The winner of the of PRETTIEST pumpkin went to Mrs Jennings and her father Bruce for their beautiful and most perfect ‘Jaradale’ pumpkin.  The judge commented on the colour, the shape and the size describing it as a ‘perfect example of a beautiful Jarradale pumpkin’.  Special mention again to Mr Laurence’s pumpkin – if there was a people’s choice award his pumpkin would be a winner with many of the kids commenting on how beautiful it was and some even questioning whether it was real as it was sooo perfect!

And finally, the winner of the WEIRDEST pumpkin goes to Brock for the most unusual pumpkin our Judge has ever seen. 

If you are interested in being involved in next year’s pumpkin growing competition or Market Stall - please speak with Kristy or Karen.  

On the weekend, Jack Day travelled to Townsville to compete in the Little Athletics Queensland’s State Championships.

The group had 43 people travel to Townsville, including parents and officials, with a 23-strong contingent of athletes competing in a broad range of events.  Jack competed in Javelin and put in a great effort up against some of the best in the State.

It was a great team trip with everyone staying together at a local holiday park, and managing to fit in some local tourist sites, including The Strand Water Park and Castle Hill.  The trip was organised by the club’s committee, including one of PSS's own Teacher Aides, Kim Cross.

Hello,

My name is Kelly Turner. I will be the new OSHC coordinator for 2023. I have been a Bachelor qualified and registered teacher in Melbourne for the past thirteen years and have truly loved my career. I have been fortunate enough to teach across Melbourne in a variety of community kindergartens, childcare services, and primary school and within Montessori settings. I’m a qualified Yoga teacher and Montessori trained teacher also. I have recently returned from the NT in a remote community teaching for ten months and what an experience! I loved it.

As I broaden my career and follow my passions for all things health and wellness I am currently studying to become a Naturopath. You will find me in-between the OSHC sessions studying and travelling between the Sunshine Coast and Peachester. I’m just a little busy, but loving it all nevertheless. Soaking it all up as I am a big believer that everything we learn and subsequently action will eventually in turn come around full circle bringing about enrichment into our lives.

I love all things nature based, creative and pedagogy practices that align and resonate with the child as an individual but also too; supporting the children as a collective group learning, thriving and further developing off and from one another.

The focus as I settle into this role the past few weeks has been about getting to know the children in my care and understanding the importance of setting our solid foundation of classroom rules, expectations and what the children individually resonate with currently. I love projects and creating alongside the children. I’m very excited to see what this group will begin to construct organically throughout this year. Watch this space!

You may notice slight changes to the classroom layout as we design the space with a fresh perspective, highlighting the best way forward in supporting a quality program that engages play based and mindful experiences for the children both in the early mornings and late evening.

Thank you to the staff of Peachester Primary and all the families who have introduced themselves and have made me feel very welcome. I sincerely appreciate it. I look forward to sharing this spectacular space and program insights with you all throughout this new and exciting year ahead.

Sincerely,

Kelly Turner 

Inspired by the iconic Dame Mary Gilmore, the Junior Cloncurry Prize Poetry Competition is now accepting entries from across the state.

 

This year’s theme, appropriately, is Outback Heroes, with all styles of poetry accepted.

Cloncurry Shire Council Mayor Greg Campbell said the annual Poetry Prize shone the light on the Outback and it’s stunning natural beauty, it’s larger-than-life characters and their incredible stories.

 “There is no shortage of heroes in the Outback. They may not wear capes – they’re probably in boots that have covered more miles than there are stars in our sky, hats that could tell their own cracking yarns, and look like they’ve just come off a six-month cattle drove - but that doesn’t diminish their incredible stories.”

Entries for the competition are now open and will close on 1 May 2023. The winner will be announced at a ceremony held in Cloncurry on 23 June 2023.

For information about the competition and to enter, visit our website www.cloncurry.qld.gov.au/cloncurryprize. 

 In the meantime, here’s a stirring poem we prepared earlier: artist, poet, businessman and Cloncurry Prize judge Allan Cooney was born in Queensland’s Outback. He’s been a jackeroo, barman, roustabout, labourer, ringer, salesman, footballer, station manager, pastoralist, classer, studmaster, activist, pilot, consultant, business executive, trainer, mentor, share trader and CEO. He penned The Spirit of the Outback and has voiced it to this incredible vision of the Cloncurry region. Watch and listen here www.facebook.com/cloncurryshire.council/videos/968513430223439