Dr Carmel McGrath

Strategic Planning

At the end of 2019 the school produced and presented its 2020-2023 School Strategic Plan to the P&C.  This plan was developed through a collaborative process with both in school and external consultants.  Below is a copy of the overview of the vision and 4 main pillars which underpin our next 4 year plan include:

Once the plans are endorsed, they will be available on the website.  I will also share both plans in more detail with the P&C executive and at the P&C meeting this term.  Our priorities will reflect our pillars of Curriculum, Innovation, Inclusion and Well-Being.  This year’s Explicit Improvement Agenda is improvement in reading and writing in the upper 2 bands of NAPLAN.  Community collaboration and involvement is an integral part of each pillar.

2020 Investing For Success (I4S) plan

Traffic Around Our School

Thank you so much to everyone who has been helping improve the smooth running of our drop off and pick up areas. The Brisbane City Council has notified that council officers will be conducting patrols around our school over the next term to ensure safe parking.  Parking fines may be issued in cases where illegal parking is observed.

Arriving: Just a reminder that when parents are dropping students off at the Heal Street entrance, the driver should remain in the car and students should get out of the car by themselves and then go straight into the school.  Staff are on duty to monitor and assist in the transition process. 

Leaving: Students should also enter the car from the curb side only as entering from the driver’s side has caused a great deal of concern for student safety. Unfortunately, we still have some drivers encouraging this unsafe behaviour.  We ask that drivers do not get out of their vehicles in these pick up or drop off zones.  If you feel you must, please try to arrive early and find a park in an alternative area, but please beware of yellow lines.

Kay Bradley

Parent/Teacher Interviews Date Claimer

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, our Parent Teacher interviews will be held on:

Wednesday 6 May   3.15 p.m.– 4.30 p.m. 

Thursday 7 May      2.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m.

N.B. No interviews can be booked at present.

Celebrating Birthdays

Some students like to involve their classmates in celebrating their birthday at school.  Teachers are happy to facilitate these requests but do require notice.  If food is to be shared at school, teachers need to check the medical records of their students in case there are students with allergies in their classroom.  They may need to confirm ingredients with you and then contact parents of students who could be affected.  Parents then may choose to send different ‘treat food’ for their child.

As you can appreciate this process takes time and is important to keep all our students safe.  

Therefore, we would appreciate at least a day’s notice if you are intending to send food for a birthday.  If notice has not been given it will not be possible to share food with other students. 

B.L. FOCUS OF THE WEEK

Be Responsible

 Follow the school rules

Use ‘Deal or no Deal’ strategy if you need help

Be in the right place at the right time.

Play by the agreed rules

Tell the truth

Congratulations to all our 2020 Student Leaders.

 Last Friday, Prep B and Prep M headed off on a bus to the Sensitivity Unit at Craigslea State School. There the children experienced what life is like for those with an impaired sense. They were challenged to play games and complete activities wearing goggles and masks hindering their vision. They tried to negotiate moving obstacles which impaired their movement and stability. They manoeuvred wheelchairs and felt their way through a darkened tunnel. They all came home exhausted, as were the adults, but with a sense of gratitude for their capable bodies.

Treat yourself (by not having to make lunch)

and your kids (to a delicious & healthy lunch)!

FAQ’s

How do the prep students get their tuckshop orders and when?

The preppies orders are hand delivered to their classrooms at 11am each tuckshop day.

What days does the Tuckshop operate?

Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday come rain, hail or shine.

Can we place tuckshop orders online?

Yes you can, in fact it’s our preferred way. 

It’s easy, just go to www.flexischools.com.au to register and to see our school’s menus for each day.

When do orders need to be placed by?

If you wish orders can be placed well in advance and right up until 8am that tuckshop day.

Can we order tuckshop over the counter?

Of course, the handwritten paper bag system is still available at the tuckshop counter each tuckshop day.

Counter orders to be placed by 9am please.

Do you have EFTPOS?

Yes we do!

Can I help?

Yes please….we are currently in desperate need of people to supply homebakes.

This can be a slice, biscuits, cupcakes, etc.   We are a nut free school, so no nuts in the homebakes please.  Also please avoid icing as it tends to stick to the bags.  Brownies are a definite favourite!!   If you would like to supply us with homebakes from time to time or need further information please email me - Michelle Gerrard at hello@nfsspandc.com.au 

Will my kids love getting tuckshop?

Without a doubt.

We pride ourselves in providing the students with a variety of fresh, tasty and nutritional meals, most of them made in-house by Rachael!    Along with our regular menu, we also offer the following special meals:

• Monday

Fried Rice – pork or vegetarian (made in-house with the freshest ingredients, delicious!)

Sushi & Bento Boxes – chicken, avocado or tuna

(Please note sushi needs to be pre-ordered by 8am on the Friday prior, see pre-order tab on Flexischools website once logged in, or order over the counter by 9am on the Friday prior)

• Wednesday

Pizza – Cheese or Ham & Cheese on a 7” base (very popular with many repeat customers!)

Pasta – Bolognaise or Napoli (made in-house - gluten free pasta option also)

• Friday

Sausage Sizzle (a crowd favourite!! High quality beef sausage from The Standard Market James St served on a wholemeal torpedo bun)

Chili Beef or Chili Veg on Rice (made in-house with a hint of spice & chili, perfect for young taste buds!)

Don’t forget….Friday at second break, we sell a variety of icy poles, ice creams and frozen yoghurts ranging in price from 50c to $2.00.  The students come up to the counter during second break with their money to purchase icy poles themselves, happy days!

Thank you and bon appetit

Hi prep to Y4 students,

Welcome to your 2020 Chinese lesson and I hope you love it.

Preppies will learn how to say hello in Chinese and we will also learn a few Chinese songs. Get ready and make sure you practice a lot.

Y1s started with learning about the story of Chinese New Year and how Chinese celebrate New Year. We will learn about sports and games in Chinese for this term.

Y2s started with learning a Chinese New Year song and then numbers 1-10. They will working on talking about their age.

Y3s and Y4s smashed Gongxi Gongxi song at the beginning of the term and now working on numbers in Chinese. They will work on giving information regarding the age and months of the year.

This is going to be a busy term. Let’s go!

Liz Lee

P-4 Chinese Teacher

During Term 1, students will be developing skills and exploring challenges in the following areas:

Prep – fundamental movement skills of catching, throwing, through active participation in activities, games and movement challenges. Safety rules and directional language.

Year 1 – swimming lessons focussing on water confidence and elements of freestyle.

Year 2 – progressions through freestyle plus backstroke technique in swimming lessons, developing distance and endurance.

Year 3 – swimming lessons developing breastroke kick fundamentals, and refining freestyle and backstroke, plus learn to dive fundamentals.

Year 4 – will refine the swimming strokes of freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke, develop beginning skills in butterfly and solve safety and survival challenges.

Year 5 – refining all strokes for swimming, increasing endurance and distances swum, with detail to streamlining for dives, plus survival skills (treading etc.)

Year 6 – all swimming strokes, increasing endurance and distances swum, race start techniques refined for breastroke and backstroke, survival strokes and skills, and fundamentals of reach rescues.

All Years – prior to Term 2 cross country races, students in all years will be familiarised with this event and the course.

Preps will be working on keeping the beat while learning songs and playing games.

Year 1 will be learning rhythms through games and songs and beginning to notate music.

Year 2 will continue to develop their voices and basic music notation.

Year 3 will practice singing, start to play the xylophone and learn treble clef notes.

Year 4 has started playing the recorder and learning.

Year 5 has further developed recorder skills and started to play the Djembe (African hand drum).

Year 6 have started to play the keyboard while further developing musical knowledge.

Friday 28 February

Friday’s clean up Australia from the Environment project club. Thanks to our project leaders Siri and Sophia for organising the team of 26 year 6 students to give up their playtime on Friday and co-ordinate a very successful litter free school . 

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED

Please register yourself to help at our fundraising sausage sizzle at the upcoming election on Saturday 28 March.

We require 6 people to join the Lions Club volunteers to do 3 hour shifts.

This is a great opportunity to raise some dollars for our wonderful school.

Email president@newfarmpandc.com.au

We would like to thank our sponsors for their continuing support for 2020.