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End of a term like no other
Can I thank parents, staff and students for all of your combined efforts in a term like no other. We entered week 1 in very unusual circumstances but with simple platforms of communication and additional information to keep families informed, we were able to lessen the impact to some extent. Can I thank our teachers for their innovative ways of communicating and remotely checking in with students and families. To the parents for your patience and perseverance throughout this tough period of time. Now students have returned staff have supported the consolidation of new work and feedback to learners with heightened urgency. We are working hard right up to Friday 2:50pm to collect the evidence ready to report early in term 3.
Term 3 will commence with still many restrictions. Bowen State School will continue to be guided by the region and Director General in line with the expectations. As always, we will inform our families along the way of changes as they occur. Our strategic focus for term three will remain on improvement of student outcomes in reading and maths problem solving. Our staff are regularly and collectively measuring the impact of their teaching and planning the next steps for students. As a staff, we understand the high importance of the right, timely and specific feedback for your child. Our school releases staff weekly within their day to host these regular, powerful conversations with the leadership team. Why we do this? Because we want to ensure that 100% of our students are successful learners.
Pick of the Crop
Pick of the Crop is a school-based nutrition program to increase Queensland children’s vegetable and fruit intake through provision of a snack during a daily morning brain-break. This will be supported by learning activities aligned with the curriculum and community connections
Our school has been selected to host a government health and wellbeing project to promote the healthy eating of fruit and vegetables commencing in 2021. Next term we will be recruiting a health and wellbeing Queensland project funded teacher to commence this 12-month contract, to promote healthy eating though out the primary schools in Bowen and wider communities. As the base school, we will host the person employed and benefit from close contact with the suggested learning opportunities. These include school vegetable garden, working with local farmers, cooking classes and direct real life links into the curriculum. Once the person has been appointed they will commence a scan and access of the needs of our school and other schools in the community.
Safe travels
Can I wish all our families a safe and healthy holiday break. If you are travelling, stay safe and looking forward to all the stories from our students once we return next term.
I believe in: Hard Work Honesty Transparency
Christien Payne
Principal
Annual School Opinion Survey
This year, the annual School Opinion Survey has been changed to look at how schools responded to the Coronavirus crisis, as well as a small number of the regular School Opinion Survey questions that more broadly reflect the entire year. The survey is for both parents and students and we would appreciate it if as many of you as possible could provide us this feedback. Each survey is expected to take less than 5 minutes to complete.
You can access the survey at:
- Parent survey – https://survey.qed.qld.gov.au/form/Parents-HaveYourSay.aspx
Attendance on the move
Although there has been a few bugs going around of late, our whole school attendance rate is on the move in the right direction. Since last fortnight, our whole school attendance rate has shifted +1.2% to 88.2%. Although that figure is still a fair distance away from where we want to be as a school, it is still very pleasing to see a shift in the right direction. So thank you to all parents for doing your part and getting your children to school.
Current Whole School Attendance Rate
Lastly, thank you to all of the parents and caregivers of our children here at Bowen State School. This has been an extraordinary term with frequent changes occurring inside and outside of the school gate on a weekly basis. Whether it be pulling your kids out of bed to get going in the morning, doing your best to explain concepts (that you probably only just learned yourself reading the resources) or becoming computer technicians in using online applications, we could not have survived this term without you. The support you have given your children and us during this time has been very much appreciated by the school.
Enjoy your holiday break, spending time with your loved ones and see you all next term.
Jeremy Callaghan
Deputy Principal
We would like to congratulate our newest Merit Badge recipients, who were presented with their badges on Friday 26th June 2020. The purpose of a Merit Badge is to promote and recognise students that display outstanding behaviours at all times. Their exemplar behaviours reflect our School Wide Positive Behaviours. At Bowen State School we are Learners, Respectful, Responsible and Safe.
Smiley Badges
Preps: Willow, Jeliane, Mary, Mavis, Bluebelle
Year 1's: Mila, Isaac, Lu'Dontae, Ella, Bentley, Archer, Savana, Ruby, Javarne, Jaylah
Year 2's: Chloe, Matthew, Xena, Riley, Danyan, Maggie, Lydia, Evie, Blake, Dejana, Seleena
Year 3's: Murphy, Lauren, William, Lola, Sean, Noah, Dylan, Aaliyah, Isabel, Alkira, Ivy, Caelin, Max, Locklan, Tobias, April, Keegan, Ada, Taylor, Chris, Alexis, Jadon, Inndika
Silver Badges
Year 4's: James, Brandon, Chelci, Eita, Blake, Georgia, Matiu, Mia
Year 5's: Selena, Mia, Jake, Chloe, Macey, Kelly, Naomi-Rae, Heidi, Ayla, Tahnaya, Phillip, Megan, Sophie, Hayden, Benjamin, Abby
Year 6's: Lenny, Bre
Gold Badges
Max, Charlotte
Congratulations to all of our PBL achievers from Week 9, Term 2
Lara, Max, Dylan, Phoenix, Maya, Gerald, Lakeisha, Lily, Sean, Mia, Blake, Heidi, Benjamin, Kaedyn, Peter, Hailey
Mr Christien Payne, Principal and Mr Jeremy Callaghan, Deputy Principal
PL
In science we have been learning about living things and their needs. To help support the students learning we made our own grass head. We were very excited to see the grass beginning to grow and that we are meeting its needs. We have also been talking about how the natural environment can affect living things. The children created their own volcanos and added dinosaurs and trees. We then watched the lava erupt seeing what happened to the environment and its surrounding.
1/2 I
This term we have been writing descriptions of characters. Year One students had to write a description of the Rainbow Fish from the end of the story. They had to describe his appearance, actions, and traits. Year Two students compared the Rainbow Fish and the Pout-Pout Fish. They had to explain which one they liked the best and why – using images and language from the text. We made Rainbow Fish and Pout-Pout Fish along the way.
4H
Students in 4H have been writing their own traditional tale. They have been enjoying learning about different morals and researching historical events. Traditional tales aim to teach children vital life skills. Students will then present their traditional tale to a younger audience.
5B
This term in 5B we have been learning about writing a persuasive. Students practiced writing many persuasives each week and focused on language and structural features of a persuasive. To engage students in the unit students wrote a persuasive to convince Mrs Bailey, one of our lovely volunteers that they deserved a pair of her warm homemade slippers. Many students participated in the challenge and received a pair of slippers. At the end of the unit we had a ‘slipper fun day’ where we practiced slipper sliding in the hall which was lots of fun.
GO Update
Staff Wellbeing
You may have heard your kids talking about a ‘random act of kindness’ day that the staff participated in last week. Students were involved in supporting an ‘anonymous date with a mate’ where staff had to secretly spoil another staff member throughout the day. It was a lot of fun! Students involved had an absolute ball and have requested they get to do something similar so watch this space next term. Below is a photo of some staff revealing their identity to their mate.
Breakfast club
I’d like to formally introduce Mrs Sjanie (Shawnie) Medhurst our Breakfast/Lunch club co ordinator. Breakfast club will continue next term via the second tuckshop window from 8:10-8:40am. Students take themselves to the tuckshop to collect fruit and lunch on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays they see Chappy for Pancake breakfast and collect lunch from our Student Support Team office G10.
Happy holidays, enjoy some fun in the sun. You will see me out looking for whales over the holidays.
This week has seen our young learners at ECDP, working on their pre writing skills, Music in a group situation and fine motor skills with the activity of stacking up towers. Aligning our focus for each individual child with the EYLF our students have been.
Learning Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
- 1.1 Children feel safe, secure, and supported.
Learning Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
2.3 Children become aware of fairness.
Next Term will be starting back on Monday Week 2 of Term 3, We look forward to seeing you all back after a nice vacation.
Parents and Caregivers are invited to participate in this year’s School Opinion Survey and have a say about schooling during the COVID-19 lockdown. You are also given the opportunity to provide feedback about our school more generally.
Participation in the survey is anonymous and you are encouraged to take this opportunity to have your say. The survey form has been designed so that it can easily be completed on a computer or smartphone. The online survey will be available until Friday, 17 July 2020, and should take less than five minutes to complete.
To access the survey, please click on the link below or copy and paste it into your web browser:
Parent survey – https://survey.qed.qld.gov.au/form/Parents-HaveYourSay
Please contact the school if you have any questions about the survey.
Instrumental Music
After a rough (Covid19) start to the year the IM program is running (almost) back to normal with lessons and band rehearsals. Could those who haven’t paid their fees/instrument loan please contact the office to arrange payment.
Lessons and band rehearsals will start during week one of term 3.
