Teaching and learning

As we enter the end of our fifth week of the term I would like to thank our dedicated and committed staff for continuing the teaching and learning here at Bowen State School. Staff have been reflecting on the key work and what has made a lift for the students here at our school. During our Staff Meeting time and Year Level meetings we have collated all our evidence ready to share with the school reviewers in the upcoming full school review in Term 2. Our school budget has been finalised for the year, and classes have now been set. I would like to thank Erica our School BM for the hard work she has been undertaking to support the allocation of targeted funds in the budget this year.

Community support

I would like to thank families for supporting our school during a very difficult fortnight of COVID cases in our school. As per the daily table we have seen a massive decline leading me to believe we have had our spike and now are pleased to see the cases dropping significantly. Thank you to the staff and leadership team who had worked tirelessly to manage daily changes to staffing to ensure we could continue to deliver the curriculum smoothly. I am proud of the resilience in the students. They have demonstrated their love of being at school and hunger for the learning is inspiring.

With the reduction of restrictions starting after tomorrow we look forward to more whole school events such as playgroup, parade, reading hub, disco’s, camps and the removal of mask requirements. We will continue to ensure the additional cleaning occurs here at school and hand sanitiser and masks will still be available for staff and students if they wish to wear one. When the department releases the new guidelines we will communicate with families.

ARD Visit

Yesterday we hosted Helen McCullough for the first ARD visit for the year. We enjoyed meeting new staff and visiting the Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms. We shared our journey so far for the full school review and our resources and activities with staff to date. We saw calm, engaged students with welcoming classrooms and happy students. Helen was most impressed with the responses from the students about their learning and the alignment of whole school practices. We saw the confidence in the students to share where they are sitting in the unit of work and their next lift. Helen kindly linked into our virtual staff meeting to congratulate everyone on the visit. We look forward to the “next steps” for our school when we receive feedback on what she saw and heard.

School Grounds

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Relief Groundsman, Terry, for his hard work and commitment to get our school looking smart and tidy to start the year. Terry has been working hard on the internal gardens and ensuring the outside perimeters of the school are mowed and snipped regularly. The Gardening Club students have really appreciated the additional support to get the gardens going and a safe and clear space to prepare our vegies. The school is going to engage with a local tree lopping company to conduct a heavy prune of the larger shrubs and hedges enabling easier maintenance in the future.

Looking forward to sharing more great stories around the teaching and learning this term. Until next fortnight have a great couple of weeks.

Christien Payne
Principal

I believe in: Hard Work Honesty Transparency

It has been quite a different start to the year for myself as acting Deputy Principal and for our staff and families as we navigate our way through the term. I would like to thank all of our families for your efforts to communicate with us about your child’s attendance. We appreciate you replying to the absence SMS via phone or text and for being prompt to collect unwell children when our office staff phone. Together we are ensuring all of our Bowen State School community is safe and well.

During my visits to classrooms, it has been pleasing to see the great work being produced by all of our students. I have enjoyed the students in 3J and 4S sharing their great bookwork with me.

Applications for our 2022 Sport House, Environmental and Cultural Leaders closed on Monday. Thank you to all of those Year 6 Students who put in the time and effort to apply for these positions. We had an overwhelming number of students put their hands up and apply, which is fantastic. Applications are now being taken through the selection process and will be finalised over the next 2 weeks. Students and families will find out results at our special Leadership Awards Parade to be held on Friday the 18th March at 9am in the School Hall. Please join us and our special guests to celebrate our newly appointed 2022 School Leaders.

Karen Weekes
Acting Deputy Principal

Our teachers, teacher aides and students continue to work hard in all areas of the curriculum and now we are accelerating the key work we committed to do in our explicit improvement agenda.

Strengthen high quality teaching in Reading and Writing across the Australian Curriculum through Intentional Collaboration, Stronger Alignment and Greater Precision

Each fortnight, staff are given time to be involved in professional conversations with their year level, to identify teaching strategies based on individual student data and then set goals to help move the students to the next stage of their learning. This process is followed in all year levels across our school.

In 2022 we will continue to encourage the development of the whole child in academic, sporting and cultural avenues. Throughout the year, we offer numerous opportunities to support and enhance learning experiences for your children including:

• Year level excursions & camps
• After school sporting activities
• Arts Council performances
• Environmental programs.
• Gardening Club
• Juggling Group
• Leader Opportunities-Bowen Buddies, Reading Hub Helpers,
• Classroom STEM activities

Year 1 students have recently had a visit from Dam & Allison from Paluma. They were encouraged to think like scientists as they were learning about “Healthy Habitats”.

We also know how important it is for our kids to feel good about themselves, to have friends and be engaged in their learning at school. We have allocated time each week to discuss these important skills during our PBL Lessons. Please take the time to ask your child what they have been doing at school and engage in the conversation with them.

Maxine Hillery
Head of Department-Curriculum

Being the middle of the term with fatigue starting to set in, assessment happening and hot weather some of our resilience is a little low as we experience these stressors.  The way we talk to ourselves is the most important.  Many of us have been practicing positive self talk.  Ask your child at home to complete this activity.  We want out little people to be so confident and resilient that they can cope with stressors put on them. 

• Be Respectful
• Be Safe
• Be Responsible
• Be a Learner

Lessons are now in full swing for both beginning and continuing students. Reminder that all Instrumental Music students who played last year are now able to join band. We rehearse on Thursday mornings before school from 7:50am in the Music Hall. See you there.

Amanda Mattiske
Instrumental Teacher