ARD visit in Week 4

Last week we hosted the first ARD visit for the year. We used the opportunity to visit the Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms. I have included some great feedback from Helen the ARD.

“Thank you for your time at our recent school visit. I really appreciated seeing the great work that is already occurring in classrooms. The Prep class and the articulation of learning on the 12th day of Prep is outstanding! Year 1 and 2 are well on track and I truly think the consistency of expectations and key practices is strengthening each time I visit. Well done to you and your team for driving the improvement agenda for our Bowen students.”

E Block Upgrade

This year E Block is going to have a internal upgrade including the creation of a refurbished Prep space and new STEM Science Technology Engineering Mathematics room. The project has gone out to quote and hopefully starting in Term 2 this year. I have attached some concept drawing and designs. This will be a powerful space for all students to access later this year.

Inclusion Scan and Assess

Next week will host 10 regional staff for 2 days during North Queensland’s first inclusion scan and assess. This opportunity will provide findings to give suggestions to continue to strengthen our priority groups and Inclusion journey. The team will be speaking to parents, staff and students during the two days. I welcome the regional team and look forward to this opportunity for our school staff and students.

We are very excited to share that our school will be partnering with the North Queensland Region of the Department of Education to participate in a reflective process to celebrate and explore ways that we can further strengthen our approach to inclusive education. As you know we are committed to ensuring all students are welcomed in our community and afforded the opportunity to learn alongside their peers, receive the support they need to achieve and to learn in a safe and supportive environment. This process will help us to identify future opportunities to continue to ensure that all of our students are afforded these opportunities moving forward.

A small regional team will spend two days Wednesday 22 Feb & Thursday 23 Feb in our school and engage in conversations with our leadership team, teachers, other staff and a small number of students and parents. You will be notified if your child has been identified to participate in a short group conversation with the team and other students. Should you be keen to chat with the team please do not hesitate to contact the office.

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

Our whole school attendance currently sits at 90%.                         

Congratulations to 1M for having the highest attendance with 97.5%.

Fantastic to see these classes having 100% attendance on one day:

Monday 6th- 1M, 3D, P/1L

Tuesday 7th- 3A, 3D, P/1L

Wednesday 8th- 2/3R, P/1L, PD

Thursday 9th- 3D, P/1L

Friday 10th- 1M

Tuesday 14th- 2M, 4C, 5B

Wednesday 15th- 2/3R, 2W, 4C, P/1L

Thursday 16th- 2M, 3D, 4C

Friday 17th- 1M, P/1L

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

What a very proud moment for our school community and families on Friday, 17^th February, when we recognised our 2023 School Leaders and Senior Student Leaders at a special parade. We congratulated those students who have stepped up to commit to a school leadership role and recognised the important role all Year 6 Students provide to younger students. To all of our 2023 Leaders, if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. So, capture the hearts and minds of others and empower our younger students to make our school a better place.

Best wishes to these students!

The year two students have been collecting and organising data in preparation for their assessment where they also need to create picture graphs and answer questions about the data.

 In addition, we have been focusing on poetry in English and creating entertaining and interesting alliteration phrases.

In English, 3D have been learning about persuasive texts. Students have been writing short persuasive paragraphs with a focus on including modal verbs and adverbs and including evaluative language to make the reader be persuaded by their opinion. They have also been identifying persuasive devices in the books I Wanna Iguana and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

6S has been hard at work to start the year. In English, students have been developing skills to engage, impact and effect readers by cleverly incorporating a purpose, developing a specific voice (tone), using ‘show don’t tells’ and senses. The sizzling starts that have been created as part of our ‘short story – narrative’ unit have been of outstanding quality. As readers, we have delved into analysing, inferring and critiquing many of the same aspects (engaging, impacting and effecting readers) in a range of texts. We have also begun comparing similarities and differences between texts, including character traits, plot structures, themes and issues. Take a look at the samples attached for a taste of what impressive learning has been happening in 6S or come into our classroom and see for yourself!