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Recent ARD visit
Last week we hosted a virtual visit with Dr Graham Foster our Assistant Regional Director. Graham heard the work around the table from various leaders and spoke to teachers about the work happening in reading. It was great to hear our staff share the “Bowen State School” approach to reading intervention in the lower and upper school. Our staff articulated the key work and professional learning and capacity building they receive to support students at this school.
Graham commended on the refined sharp and narrow work happening in mathematics problem solving and the impact of “Instructional Coaching” is having on our staff and output of student learning. We talked about the important work of ensuring attendance of students is spotlighted and supporting families to ensure their children are at school every day.
A discussion at the table was around the “next steps” in our key work to ensure all students are successful learners. We know differentiation and feedback to the learner is critical in their next lift.
Prep open morning
This Saturday our school is hosting a COVID safe prep open morning. We welcome new and existing families to join in a fun filled morning to see what prep looks like at Bowen State. We ask that families register upon arrival and abide by our social distancing and hygiene requirements on the morning. We are looking forward to seeing all our future students and families. See you there!
High behaviour expectations
Recently we have enjoyed a growth in new enrolments to our school. Some families have toured all local primary schools and have chosen Bowen State for the preferred future for their child. Something that I talk about upon enrolment is our positive culture and relationships between students and staff. I share with parents my high expectations of behaviour including zero tolerance of threats towards others, swearing and physical aggression. It is a right that all students feel safe and are spoken to respectfully by their peers and staff. I believe this message is getting out to the wider community and I encourage you to share my stance on this. We want our school to be the school of choice in this community with a solid reputation based on a safe, caring community. “Promoting positive behaviour at our school and the high expectations around this is everyone’s business”
I believe in: Hard Work Honesty Transparency
Christien Payne
Principal
Attendance Matters
With school back into the full swing of things, our attendance task force team has been very busy working with students and their families in assisting our students make it to school every day. It has been great to see families contacting the school when they are unable to get their children to school, so we can call upon the team and help out. Please do continue to contact the school if you are struggling to get your children to school as we are able to assist in so many ways.
Attendance Task Force: Mrs Upkett, Mr Paul, Mr Payne, Miss Karenne, Mr Callaghan
Absent: Chappy Beau
Have a look at our attendance data for each year level over the first 4 weeks of term 3. As you can see we are falling well below our 93% target across all cohorts. It’s not ok for students to skip school to shop, sleep in, go fishing or go on holidays. Your child is required to be at school all day every day. Give your child a chance in life and let them receive the education they’re entitled to. Everyday counts!
Don’t Forget Show Holiday Coming Up
This Friday the 14th of August is our Bowen Show Holiday which means we are not open. Be sure to use this time to catch up with family and loved ones and make the most of this break.
Jeremy Callaghan
Deputy Principal
PBL Achiever's
Congratulations to our weekly PBL Achiever's
Week 4, Term 3
Llewyn, Thaikahnus, Keturiah, Scarlett, Emmerson, Tilly, Hannah, Harlo, Logan, Felichia, Matilda, Eita, Taleisa, Charlotte, Ellah-Paige, Bailey, Tyler, Ryan
Week 3, Term 3
Jaden, Veronica, Ella, Lu'Dontae, Julie, Emma, Paul, Max, Havana,Liam, Nate, Izybella, Phillip, Maylee, Mark, Julia, Sage, Blake
1 H/P
I HP have been busy creating a character for the book Willy the Wimp. They are creating their character with playdough and writing about their characters appearance and traits as well as how their character fits in with the others. Students are practising asking and answering questions in preparation for their character interview.
In maths students are recognising coins and their value and learning to skip count in 2's 5's and 10's. Students have been using the 'maths Investigation learning station' daily to investigate numbers and their value as well as consolidate number skills.
2 D/G
This term in science, we are exploring the life stages of living things. Our class and 2M have a pet red claw 'Spike' and some plants we are watching grow. This week we studied living things that look different at birth to the adults, like butterflies and frogs. Our science unit connects well with our English unit on writing an informative text about animals.
6P
Bowen State School is one of the oldest schools in Queensland. Our year 6 cohort have been busy investigating how people record their history (time and place) using a book written by Nadia Wheatley called “My Place”.
Students have been tasked with writing their own experiences of 2020 (and what a tumultuous year it has been), in the style of the “My Place” book.
In the lead up to this task, we have written letters to fictional characters set in the past. There is a display of our writing in the school administration foyer.
Our students all experienced success with the content, layout and presentation of the final product.
Keep up the amazing work 6P!
Curriculum News
Reading around the School
Reading in the upper years engages the students in reading a wide range of texts. We are building up their skills in the following areas:
- Comparing and analyzing information in more complex texts
- Selecting and using evidence from the text to explain their responses
- Understanding how the text structure, vocabulary and images are all used by the author to engage the audience.
In 6P they are working through these skills through a process called “Inking your thinking”
During this process, students are reading, listening, discussing and writing to deepen their understanding of the texts.
Reading Comprehension Focus-Weeks 5 & 6
Inferring
When we are inferring, we are going beyond the literal information. We are using our thinking skills to work out what the author means. We sometimes have to think and search across the text, to get clues to help answer to the questions.
Make sure you are talking to your students about what they are reading at school and at home.
Maxine Hillery
Head of Curriculum
National Science Week
As part of National Science Week we will be taking part in a nation-wide experiment, called The Great Watermelon Experiment. The question to be answered is, 'How many rubber bands does it take to implode a watermelon?'
How does it work?
Students will undertake mini-lessons, based on physics and forces. These feature Dr Rob introducing teachers and students to the experiment, including:
- The practicalities of setting it all up;
- Science by collaboration;
- Balanced (and unbalanced) forces at work;
- How on earth it fits into the real world.
During Science Week, everyone finally implodes their watermelons and uploads their results (including any great pictures/video they may have).
The data will be available for everyone, to marvel at, analyse, or even just help answer the question once and for all!
Mathematical Problem-Solving At Bowen State School
Our strategic focus on problem-solving is aimed at giving students many opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge learnt in Maths lessons in a different context, or real-life situation.
Problem-solving skills are explicitly taught at every year level. Teachers model the strategy, while sharing their thinking, as they solve the problem. Students are then given the opportunity to solve a similar problem independently, or in a small group.
Students in years one and two learn to use the following strategies:
- Draw a picture
- Use a number line
- Draw tally marks
- Use a Part-Part Whole Chart
Students in year three to six also learn to use the following strategies:
- Identify a sub-task in a multi-step problem
- Interpret two-way tables
- Predict rotations
- Use number patterns
- Use multiplicative relationships (MAD T Triangle)
GO Update
Continuing on from our positive self talk last newsletter he is another great info graphic to put on the fridge to help spark, the positive self talk to help our little people achieve more success.
Talking now from a society perspective, with ever evolving COVID-19 situation things are calm and collected at Bowen State School. We continue our comprehensive hygiene cleaning and self care. We still have that awareness and are thankful that our Bowen community remains COVID-19 free. Here is a great way for out little people to connect without hugging, hand holding and hand shaking.
Enjoy the extra family time next Friday with our Bowen Show holiday. I will probably see many of you out and about at the beach.
Danielle Upkett