Weir State School Newsletter

Term 4 Week 1

Principal's Pen

WELCOME TO THIS EDITION & WELCOME BACK – In opening, I would like to thank the Weir State School community for a fabulous term 3.  Can you believe it’s the final term of 2019?  We have a very busy term ahead and there will be a sense of urgency and achievement within our school as we all go about getting the job done to finish our year off well. Our Year 6 cohort will experience senior camp and be part of a fond farewell as they round out their primary schooling years this term and enjoy their graduation. Please keep a close eye on our Skoolbag APP, weekly newsletters, social media and notices being sent home for updates on happenings around our great school throughout the final term of his year.

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS AND FAMILIES – Last term we had a number of families join our school and I would like to extend the hand of friendship to our new families and welcome them to our wonderful school. It’s great to see our school community growing with people choosing to join our great school. Please join me in welcoming our new families.

MAJOR SCHOOL PROJECTS – Throughout the final term of the year our school will be experiencing some major projects which are outlined as follows:

  • Extensive renovations and building works to Block 5

  • Extensive repairs and upgrades to our whole school irrigation system

  • Major drainage and excavation works to be scoped for the year of the school

All projects have been given very clear timelines with all completion of works finalised before the beginning of the 2020 school year.

UPDATE OF ADDRESS & CONTACT DETAILS PLEASE – If your contact details or address changes could I please ask that you inform our office immediately. Many times we need to make contact with parents and details are imperative for quality parent and school communication. Please ensure your details are current and up to date. Thanks for your prompt action to ensure student safety.

2020 ENROLMENTS - Now we’re into term 4 it’s time to think about enrolments for 2019. If you are planning to leave our great school at years end, please let our office know as this helps us build a clearer picture of our class and school makeup for 2020. Likewise if you know any family looking to enrol their children please recommend our great school and the many things it has to offer. We would love to have new families join our school as our Weir family continues to grow. Exciting times are ahead for our great school and community.

GETTING ORGANISED FOR SCHOOL - Whether your child is just starting school or the children are returning after a couple of weeks holiday, getting into the swing of things  can be a challenge!  Listed below are some simple strategies that can be useful to get everyone back into the routine of school days!

Ensuring your child has had adequate rest is very important. Is your child getting to bed at a reasonable time? Children’s need for rest can vary at times and warm summer nights and lack of structure can affect your child’s sleep patterns. It is important to set an agreed bedtime, and stick to it where possible. If your child is wakeful, encourage them to read quietly in their bed or listen to some quiet, restful music.

Setting a regular pattern of events in the morning can impact on how smoothly and happily everyone gets ready for school. Here are a few ideas that other parents have found useful which can save a lot of last minute headaches and fuss:

The night before:

  • Check that your child’s school clothes are clean and ready for the next day. Encourage them to place their shoes with their clothes in readiness.
  • Are there any additional activities happening (eg. sport, library?) Have your child place the necessary items in their school bag.
  • Lunches can also be prepared or semi prepared. Children can help with this.
  • Bags can be packed (don’t forget sunhats!) by your child and placed in a regular spot ready for the next morning.

 In the morning:

  • Using an alarm will ensure everyone is out of bed with plenty of time to get ready.
  • Be positive! Grumpy parents make for grumpy children. Encourage and give positive feedback. Set them for success!!
  • Keep the TV off!  If the TV is to go on, only allow it to go on after your child is absolutely ready to go!
  • Provide a healthy breakfast eg. cereal, milk, juice, water, toast and spread, fresh fruit. Kids are like cars …they run (behave and learn) better on good fuel.
  • Encourage children to get ready by themselves: cleaning teeth, brushing hair, packing school bag, making bed, helping them only where needed.
  • Leave the house on time. Setting the kitchen timer can be a help here. Tell the children that when the alarm goes you will be leaving for school; make sure you are ready yourself!

                                                                       

This week’s proverb – “ Dreams become reality when we come together to make the impossible happen  ”

Thanks for reading  

Mr B  - Acting Principal

  

From the Deputy's Desk

Welcome Back… It’s been great welcoming back our wonderful students and their families to Weir for what shapes to be an exciting term. While there will be a little settling in period for us all, our expectations around behaviour and learning will still remain HIGH. We will support and encourage all students to meet our High Expectations and your support at home is most valuable. Thank you for all you do to support the school in supporting your children and we look forward to a successful and fun filled term.

Prep 2020 Transition Program… Over the course of the term, we will be holding various Prep Transition events, welcoming new and current families to the school as we prepare to usher in a new group of Preppies in 2020. Please, if you have any questions regarding 2020 Prep Enrolments, please see the ladies in the office and they’ll be happy to help.

Uniforms… Please encourage your child to utilise the uniform borrowing system available at the office if needed. We have spare shirts, shorts, skorts and hats for students to borrow. While we have leniency in regards to aspects of our uniform, we will be insistent on students borrowing uniform items if they come to school in board shorts, denim shorts or a non-school uniform shirt. Thank you for your support around building STRONG school pride by encouraging your child to wear correct school uniform.

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Brain Food… Term 4 is always busy and can be more demanding than most terms in regards to learning and engagement at school, so developing healthy eating habits is an important lesson that we aim to promote at Weir.

It is vital that children understand the importance of nutrition in developing physical and mental fitness as well as providing the energy they need to participate actively in life. Food and drink are vital for children to grow and develop, but the types of food that children consume, is important.

At Weir, we encourage students to think about the types of food and drinks they eat in a typical day. Children are often keen to eat healthy foods when they understand that their body needs these foods to grow and develop. Some classes have brain food snacks to promote healthy eating built in to their school day. This gives students an opportunity to keep energy levels up. At various times during the day, students may take a brain food break where they can consume some food or drink that is healthy and will provide an energy boost. The snack must be healthy – fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts or dried fruit are all examples of brain food. Students enjoy the chance to nibble away while working, but are also learning the benefits of healthy eating habits.

All students are also encouraged to keep up their intake of water with individual water bottles permitted in classrooms. Children need to drink plenty of water, even in cooler weather, to keep their bodies functioning well. This will be of particular importance as the weather most certainly heats up throughout the term.

Our curriculum encourages students to think about their own food choices and to realise the importance of healthy eating. We acknowledge that families provide the pivotal role model for children as they learn about food choices, but at school we also need to compliment and encourage the work of families. The end result is healthy children; what more could we all want!

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Mr Coey’s Joke of the Week…

Q: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?

A: Nacho Cheese!

Learning for Life

Learning for Life - Referral Form


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Student Attendance

Students enrolled in an Education Queensland school are required to attend school on every school day. Schools regularly monitor student attendance and are proactive in identifying, notifying and assisting students who are at risk of not meeting attendance requirements.

 Our school target for attendance is 92%.

Students with attendance levels below 85%  have been placed on a 5 week attendance improvement plan. 

Prep 2020

The Arts News

Some of our very talented Weir students are pictured below in yesterday's Inspire Educational lift-out.

PE News

  • Season 1 and 2 Interschool Sport – Please make sure you have paid your bus fees.  Unpaid fees may restrict participation in Season 3 Sport.

  • Season 3 Interschool Sport – Basketball and T-Ball.

  • Fourth round of sport this week.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming Lessons - Due date extended to Friday 11th October

Year 1, 2 and 3 students will be participating in a 5 lesson Learn-To-Swim and Water Confidence course in Term 4, 2019.  Each lesson is of 30 minute duration.

The course will be conducted by the qualified staff of Love2Swim School. Students will be placed in ability groups and taught water confidence and basic strokes. If your child is not confident in the water and has difficulty swimming, this is an excellent opportunity for them to improve in these areas with controlled and organised activities.

Venue:  Love2Swim School. 29 Hudson St, Kirwan.

When:   Starting Week 2 and running through to Week 4 of Term 4, 2019. Lessons will be between 11am and 2pm.

Dates:   Monday 18th, Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th, Friday 25th and Monday 28th October.

Travel:  Students will walk from Weir State School to Love2Swim School and return, supervised by their class teacher.  A parent helper will assist. If you are able to assist as a parent helper please let your child’s class teacher know on return of the permission note.

Equipment:  Please ensure your child brings; enclosed footwear, sunscreen, hat, towel, plastic bag, one-piece swimsuit, goggles (optional).

Students who do not have the correct items will not be allowed to attend the lessons.

Cost:   The cost for the 5 lessons is $10 per child. All notes and payment are due by Friday, 11th October, 2019.

Forms:  Please complete all sections of the attached medical and permission forms and return both to the office

*Students NOT Swimming: Students not attending the swimming program - remain at school and are supervised by other year level teachers.

Please contact Mrs Francis if you have any questions regarding any of the above points.

Permission Note


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Australian Olympian visit – Last term, we had a visit from Sandy Holden, current Australian Softball player. She talked to the students in Year 4, 5 and 6 about her career as a teacher and an Australian Softball player.

Soccer Gala Day at Kirwan Primary School -Friday 13th September.  The girls won and the boys were runners up.  Well done.

Blackhawks Under 10 Rugby League Carnival – Friday 20th September.  Runners up.  Well done.

KIRWAN STATE HIGH SCHOOL

2019 NATIONAL SCHOOL BOYS RUGBY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Weir State School is very proud of the Kirwan State High Bears football team who recently became National Champions!

The staff were thrilled to see past Weir students Ragsy Wavik, Abai Chatfield and Xavier Chatfield as part of their team. Well done boys.

Another fun fact is the Bears coach Todd Wilson is our very own Arts teacher Mrs Wilson’s husband and he is also our acting Deputy Principal, Mrs Thompson’s brother!! 

Weir State School