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Last week of a huge term
Can I thank families and staff for your tremendous efforts during a disrupted start to 2022. I reflect on what we have achieved and how children have been so responsive to the teaching and learning that has occurred. Some of the highlights included the Year 6 Camp, Leaders Induction, Badge Parade, Cross Country and PBL Celebrations. It is outstanding to see the resilience of staff and students to ensure we finish the term strong. During the first few weeks of next term we will be busily preparing for the Full School Review which will occur in the forth week of the term. The leadership team has prepared a timetable for the three days to ensure our staff, students, parents and community members get the opportunity to voice their feedback back to the work happening in our school. We look forward to the feedback from this process and the guiding steps for the next four years.
Congratulations Karen Weekes
This week I was formally notified that Karen Weekes was the successful applicant in the interview process for the Acting Deputy Principal role here at Bowen State School. Karen will be extended in the role until the end of term 2 with possible extension. Please join me in congratulating Karen for her success in securing this position.
Enjoy a great Easter Break!
In closing I would like to wish all our families and staff a restful and relaxing Easter break. I hope all families enjoy the beautiful weather and have some quality family time to rest and recharge the batteries. I am looking forward to the commencement of term 2 and all the great learning here at Bowen State!
Looking forward to sharing more great stories around the teaching and learning next term. Until next fortnight have a great Easter Break.
Christien Payne
Principal
I believe in: Hard Work Honesty Transparency
I am excited to continue as Deputy Principal for Term 2. The last fortnight has been quite busy with staff participating in planning for next term and professional development. I have been teaching in some Year 3 to 6 classrooms which has been a highlight. The flexibility of staff and students as well as student engagement in learning has been impressive.
At parade this week, we acknowledged students with 100% attendance for the past five weeks with an attendance wrist band. While illness has been a challenge for staff and students some celebrations have been-
- Highest whole school attendance on a single day was 93%.
- Highest weekly class attendance:
-Week 3 - PD with 100%
-Week 4 - 1J with 95%
-Week 5 - 1T with 94%
-Week 6 - 6R with 98%
-Week 7 - 1T with 99%
-Week 8 - 1T with 96%
-Week 9 - 5J with 95% - 6R has 8 students who have 100% attendance this term.
- Whole school average attendance for Term 1 is 89%
At the start of Term 2 students in Year 4 to 6 will be electing class captains to be part of our 2022 Student Council. There will be a special parade on Friday 6th May to present the Cultural, Environmental and Class Captains.
Congratulations to our students, staff and families for your resilience throughout Term 1. You are all what makes Bowen State great!
Karen Weekes
Deputy Principal
We would like to encourage students to use a lock while storing their bikes and scooters and please use internal bike racks.
Today we had our Easter Bonnet Parade and PBL Monster Raffle. We would like to thank all families for your generous donations for the raffle. Because of this, we were able to offer a Major Prize, a Second and a Third Prize as well as a Second Chance Draw. Check out the photos below of the amazing Easter Bonnets!
For millennium’s more than 2,600 first nation peoples from countries around the world have used Yarning Circles as a way of sharing stories, discussing issues, ways of knowing, learning and communicating. Who would have known that in the 21st century researchers are now utilising and acknowledging this exchange is used for many methodologies and theories that support human development, social constructs and mindfulness.
Term 1 commenced with a real focus on our Yarning Circle and the significance this will have on our students and staff. We began Term 1 with all of our amazing staff undergoing some upskilling around Inclusion and Differentiation, it was just awesome to see how passionate Bowen Sate School is about every student feeling included in every aspect of their learning careers.
Should any parents like to know more about this exciting forward focused learning our staff are happy to explain.
Term 2 has many exciting dates to remember we have NAIDOC scheduled for the Thursday last week of Term 2. This year we have some amazing parents who bring to our school another layer of Cultural understanding around our First Nation Torres Strait Islander peoples. I am very excited to let you all know that we will be increasing our Collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Artefacts, these will be displayed in the Library Showcases along with our other remarkable items. The school is also excited to be including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Games for all students Tuesday and Thursdays each week.
Bowen State School is very proud to have a Sports and Recreation Officer from Girudala who will be working at the school a couple of times each week. Won’t give away the details, watch this space there will be more info in the Guidance Officers Term 1 Report.
It is with great pride that I mention all our parents who have really done it tuff again this year. We have seen practically all our students return to school despite the fear of COVID, I really want to congratulate our families for their belief in our school and how we have done everything to make Term 1 as positive an experience as possible.
I would like to remind parents that should you find you do not have any fruit etc for the children especially since we have had COVID and Floods and there is often nothing much to buy at the supermarkets, its tricky when payday falls on the day the shelves are bare. Please remember that we can feed our students Breakfast and Lunch at school. All we need is for the students to let us know and we will organise things discreetly for them.
Ending this report with the information that we should see the completion of garden, signage and Gabion Boxes with more Native Trees planted as the garden and riverbed part of the Yarning Circle will be completed early in Term 2. Watch this space for the news that we have received funding for the Shade Sails so that our students can fully utilise the Yarning Circle as a significant part of the school cultural studies.
Thank You for all your support we truly can be so proud of all our students.
CEC Karenne
On Monday 21st March, we celebrated Harmony Day, and all the different cultures we have in our school. Check out the video & pictures below!
Friday 22nd April - Bowen State School ANZAC Commemoration Service
All members of the community are welcome to join with us as we remember those who have served our country in times of war. The ceremony will start at 2:00pm in the Poole Street Hall.
Monday 25th April - ANZAC Day Community Service.
All Bowen State School Students are invited to participate in the ANZAC Day March on Monday 25th April 2022.
Students are to assemble outside the RSL Sub-Branch in Williams Street at 8:50am. They are to be dressed in full school uniform, including sensible walking shoes and a broad brimmed hat. It is also advisable to bring a water bottle.
The march will commence at 9:15am and move along Williams Street to Herbert Street, then up to the Cenotaph where the ANZAC Service will take place.
Our school captains will lead Bowen State School students. Many teachers also march in the ANZAC Day Parade with the students. We extend an invitation to all family members to accompany the students and everyone is very welcome to march with the school.
For interested members of the school community, an ANZAC Day Dawn Service is to be held at the cenotaph in Herbert Street at 5:50am. Parents are to accompany interested students to this service.