2024, T1W2, Kilcoy State School Newsletter

04.02.2024

Acknowledgment of Country

This staff memo comes to you from Jinibara Land. In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples today. We are thankful to be able to work, learn and play on Jinibara land.

KSS Vision & Values

"We believe that all members of the Kilcoy State School community have the right to work, learn and play in a safe and inclusive environment."

Our STAR values are:

SAFETY - Taking Responsibility - Active Learning - Respect

Principal: Mrs Nash

Dear Parents and Carers

We have started the 2024 school year with excitement and enthusiasm, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated from the holidays. I hope you were able to spend some quality time with your family and loved ones over the Christmas period. We have missed our students and have really enjoyed seeing them again this year. 

Now that the official figures have been collected, we can confirm that we will have 11 classes for 2024, remaining in the current class make-up. 

On Thursday 15/2/24, we will recognise our 2024 Year 6 Leaders Investiture, starting at 2.15pm in the hall. Please join us to see all our Year 6 students recognised as leaders, as well as our 2024 Captains group receiving their badges. 

In Week 5 we will all Go Green for SAFETY! Wednesday 21st February. Please help us raise the profile of our school Value of SAFETY talking about what being safe means, and by sending your child to school wearing green. A little green or a lot of green, the choice is theirs! 

Olympics Unleashed with Jessica Borg

This past week, our Year 5 and 6 students had the opportunity to hear from former Tae Kwon Do Olympian, Jessica Borg, as part of the Olympics Unleashed Program. Aimed at upper primary school children, Olympians and athletes aspiring for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and beyond share lessons from their Olympic journey that every student can learn from.

Our students displayed the STAR values while Jessica shared her personal story of overcoming challenges during her Olympic journey, and the importance of finding and following your PASSION. Students learned about building resilience, setting goals, and being the best you can be in all aspects of your life.

The key messages were to ENJOY…
-    the butterflies
-    being naïve (not knowing)
-    the pressure
-    THE JOURNEY.

Kind regards, Belinda Nash.

Deputy Principal: Mrs Webster

As I begin to write the newsletter article for Week 2, the summer holidays seem long gone and 2024 is in full swing. One of the highlights of my holiday was spending time with my family. I never take that time for granted and relish every moment - well, almost every moment. We are a normal family!

Another highlight of the summer holidays for me is watching the Australian Open. I try to watch as much as I can. Every time I watch a match I am amazed at the sportsmanship on display. It is like the players leave their heart and soul on the court. Every point is a step to another win and every point counts. I always find myself wondering how they get to this stage, particularly when a young player, like Yannik Sinner, wins the Men's final. What steps have these players taken prior to this stage? A quick google search will tell you about the family sacrifice - living away from home from an early age to pursue his tennis dream, and access the best coaches and trainers. I am in awe watching the endurance, tenacity, determination and discipline. I am sweating just as much while sitting on the couch as they are running around the court. After watching the post-match interviews, it is clear that any form of success doesn't come without hard work and a plan. 

At the beginning of the year, it is important that we set students up for success; that we ensure they work hard and have a plan for success at school. This plan always includes support from parents/carers. I look forward to meeting many of you at the Meet the Teacher BBQ on Wednesday afternoon. Please contact your child's teacher first and foremost if you have any questions or concerns. They will be only too pleased to hear from you.  

Warm regards, Lisa Webster.

Celebrating progress and effort

This week, we celebrated achievements of Year 1-6 students at our Thursday afternoon parade. These parades are held each fortnight to recognise the progress our students make, and parents are encouraged to attend. Students were presented with a certificate recognising their effort in areas such as 'Acting on feedback', 'Working hard in Sounds-Write lessons' and 'Always treating others with respect'.  While we would love to recognise every student on parade- there are just so many! Each fortnight we select examples of great progress and effort to showcase to our students and community. 

It was also our Student Leaders' first real parade, and a very good learning opportunity. I was very proud to see them successfully embrace the new challenges leadership presents. 

-Mrs Nash. 

Student Recognition

New to School!

This year, we were lucky enough to have two staff transfer into our school, joining our already amazing team. If you see them around, please make them feel welcome. Mrs Mabb teaches3/4A and Miss Mac teaches 3/4B.

We have also welcomed 42 Prep Students to our cohort. We caught as many smiley faces as possible to share with you however getting all those little people in the same place at the same time is HARD! :) More pictures to come soon. 

Mrs Mabb and Miss Mac

Prep 2024

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

STLaN: Mrs Burton

It has been so lovely to welcome our students back to school this year and see how much they’ve grown over the holidays. We have many new families who have joined us at Kilcoy State School, including all of our new prep families. We welcome you as partners in your children’s learning.

My name is Karen Burton and I am the Support Teacher Literacy and Numeracy (STLaN) and English as an Additional Language/Dialect Teacher (EAL/D) at our school. My role includes working with classroom teachers, teacher aides and specialists (Guidance Officer, Speech Language Pathologist, Inclusive Education Teacher) to improve student achievement and engagement, focussing on literacy. This team approach aims to ensure that all students have access to the curriculum. Our Student Support Team (SST) which meets fortnightly, is integral to maintaining communication among teachers and specialists regarding student needs.

While the classroom teacher manages the differentiated curriculum, the STLaN collects and analyses data and consults with the classroom teacher to support all students. I assist in identifying high achieving students for enrichment programs and identifying students who are experiencing difficulty for targeted short-term intervention or long-term support. 

‘Read with Me’ - Kilcoy State School Parent Volunteer Reading Program

We Need YOU! Make a difference in your local community by supporting children’s reading.

Reading is a powerful tool to help children grow their vocabulary, language skills and imagination. It helps children to develop life-long skills that will support their future growth and learning.
Mums, dads and carers we need you to come and share your knowledge and a little of your time to help foster a love of reading in our students. Your support is valued and needed, either before school, in the morning after drop off, during class time or before pick up. 

We are so very thankful to the parents who have already signed up to volunteer their precious time to help read with our students this year. Thank you!

If you are interested, we will provide a short training session where you will learn skills to support a student before, during and after they read. For more information contact Karen Burton (STLaN) Telephone: 5422 3333 or contact your child’s teacher, or pop in and see me in the Resource Centre. Hope to hear from you soon.

-Karen Burton

Inclusion Support: Miss McCarron

Welcome back to school for 2024!

As an Inclusion Support Teacher, I am here to help students with disabilities, their families and their classroom teachers.  My role includes:

• supporting and maintaining a safe environment for students, as well as observing them closely for signs of distress or conflict
• providing emotional support and encouragement to students who are struggling academically or socially
• communicating with parents about their child’s goals and academic progress in class
• assisting and developing personalised learning plans for each student based on their needs or disabilities
• supporting teachers to co-create an inclusive environment by adapting lessons and assessment to ensure each child can access the curriculum

If your child has a disability or if you need information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
-Harriet McCarron.

P&C Association

2024!

Where did the holidays go!!

Welcome back to our new and returning families! I would like to introduce you to the current P&C committee.

DJ (President) has two children; one who has just started high school after attending KSS since prep, and one who is currently in Year 5. Amy (Vice-President) has twins attending Year one at KSS, Jess (Secretary) has two children attending KSS in Years 3 and 6. You will also see Jess in our school admin office. Ma Theresa (Treasurer) has one child attending Year 6 and one in Year 10.  Rachel (Tuckshop Convenor) has one child attending KSS in Year 5. We also have P&C members who volunteer their time helping with fundraising, at events and also in our tuckshop. 

What is a P&C?

“Parents and Citizens' (P&C) associations work in productive partnership with their school principal and the community to promote the interests of the school, and facilitate its development and further improvement, to achieve the best possible outcomes for students.

P&Cs provide feedback and advice on school policies and activities, assist in providing resources to enhance student outcomes and are involved in a variety of school activities including fundraising, school functions and tuckshops.”

Our first meeting this year will be held on the 7th of February in the school library at 4pm. We will also have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) with a date to be confirmed where all Executive Positions will be up for nomination (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer).

Membership forms will also need to be renewed (this is a yearly requirement) as well as for all new memberships. All parent involvement is highly regarded to ensure a successful year of events and fundraising. We have attached membership forms, description of the positions that are available and a nomination form, these forms can be filled out and emailed to kilcoysspc.president@outlook.com or handed into the office. 

We look forward to a successful year for Kilcoy State School and its community!

The P&C Executive team

District Sport Trials

PROPOSED KILCOY STATE SCHOOL SPORTS - TERM 1 2024

• Week 5, 6, 7, 8 : ALF Auskick Lunchtime Program (Optional extra with paid requirement: All ages)
• Week 5: District Swimming Carnival (9-12 years - selected students)
• Week 7: Valley Champs swimming Carnival (9 -12 years - selected students)
• Week 9: Tee-Ball Gala Day (Years 3 -6)
• Week 10: Interhouse Cross Country (All ages)

GLASSHOUSE DISTRICT 10-12 YEARS SPORTS TRIALS CALENDAR 2024

• These trials are not for students to come and learn how to play, they are for students who already have experience and can demonstrate skills proficiently. ​
• The majority of these trials take place after school and require parents to provide their own transport.​
• If selected, students may have to travel for training and there will be some cost involved e.g. for uniforms. ​
• Please note these dates and locations may change slightly throughout the year. Any changes will be advertised to students who have shown an interest in attending that particular sport.​
• Once the school has received information for each sport from the district convenors students will be notified and have the option to bring home a permission note if interested in participating. Parents are to decide whether their child meets the standard, fill out the relevant paperwork and return it to the school.
• Alternatively, please inform Mrs Smith (PE Teacher) if you believe your child meets this standard and would like to be considered for any of these sports throughout the year. You can email a list to jsmit1587@eq.edu.au

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE & WEATHER PERMITTING

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. If you have any suggestions for content, please forward them to admin@kilcoyss.eq.edu.au