5 March 2025

LEADERSHIP TEAM REPORT

As I write this newsletter, we are preparing for weather related to Cyclone Albert. We will continue to keep our community updated through our SMS system, QParents and Facebook.

I wish everyone well during this time.

Our school term continues to progress well and students are busily working towards assessments.

Over the last few weeks, we have installed additional water coolers for students along I Block and the prep buildings. These became operational this week and students have been enjoying the ability to have a cold drink, especially with the warm weather and humidity we have been having.

Further below you will see the; ‘ThinkUKnow’ presentation being offered to parents. This is a great opportunity to learn about the online/digital world our children are dealing with. I highly recommend coming along if you can as there will be some valuable information for parents.

Year 1 Wildlife HQ Excursion

Year 1 Wildlife HQ visit scheduled for Thursday has been postponed as the Zoo is closing to take care of the animals. We hope that all the animals are able to stay safe in this weather event.

Parent Teacher Interviews

This term, teachers will be sending home information for parents about parent/teacher interviews. Information given in interviews may sound a bit different with the updated Australian Curriculum. 

When discussing reading progression, Teachers will be referring to our scope and sequence for phonics and reading development rather than what PM reading level students have achieved.  As outlined in the previous newsletter, the Australian Curriculum has been updated to reflect a Systematic Synthetic Phonics approach. 

This approach teaches children how sounds and letters link together to form words that we can read and write. It provides students with a reliable strategy for decoding unknown words and discourages guessing.

What does the term systematic synthetic phonics mean?

• Phonics is the understanding that letters and letter combinations represent speech sounds.
• Systematic means that letters and sounds are taught in a planned order.
• Synthetic refers to the process of synthesising or blending the sounds and letters to decode (read) words, and the segmenting or pulling apart of sounds and letters to encode (spell) words.

Using a systematic synthetic phonics approach, children are taught the letter-sound correspondences that represent all 44 sounds in English, gradually, over time. Students are first taught the most common and consistent letter-sound correspondences (for example: the letter ‘b’ in ‘ball’; the letter ‘v’ in ‘van’) before being taught the less common alternative letter-sound combinations (for example: the many ways we can represent the sound ‘ay’ — bay, break, tail, sleigh and so on).

Your child will practise their word reading skills by using decodable texts. Decodable texts contain only the letter-sound correspondences that your child has already learned. They may also contain some high-frequency words that the teacher has taught simultaneously.

Decodable texts are important for beginning and struggling readers as they provide immediate practise of their new skills in segmenting and blending, and their understanding of letter-sound correspondences, to build automaticity, fluency and confidence.

Once children have read words by blending the sounds together many times, they may remember the word and be able to recognise it immediately by ‘sight’. Over time, children will be able to recognise many words without decoding them.

Sports Representative Update

Well done to all Jones Hill students who represented the school yesterday at District trials for Touch Footy and Basketball.
Congratulations to Cohen and Edith on being selected in the Gympie District Basketball teams.
Congratulations to Bonnie and Isla on their selection in the Gympie District Touch team.
These four athletes now move on to represent Gympie at the upcoming Wide Bay trials.

ThinkUKnow

Jones Hill SS will be hosting a ThinkUKnow presentation on 11 March at 6pm in the library and all parents, carers and teachers are encouraged to attend.

ThinkUKnow Australia is an evidence-based education program delivered nationally to prevent online child sexual exploitation.

ThinkUKnow Australia is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police, Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The program is delivered in collaboration with policing partners New South Wales Police Force, Northern Territory Police, Queensland Police, South Australia Police, Tasmania Police, Western Australia Police, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.

The presentation will be delivered by a local law enforcement member and an industry volunteer. The presentation is pro-technology and addresses topics including self-generated child abuse material, online grooming, sexual extortion, and importantly encourages help seeking behaviour.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about young people and the online environment, and how you can help them to be safe and responsible users of technology.

For more information, you can visit www.thinkuknow.org.au or contact Stacey Seed on
54 890555.

Blaze Hockey

Recently Jones Hill State School participated in the Blaze Hockey Cup. Our teams did extremely well and had a great day. Well done to our new players who all tried very hard and improved with each game, and congratulations to our more experienced players who were supportive and encouraging all day. A big thank you to Mrs Munn for all of her organisation of the teams and Mrs Verrall and Mrs Dunn for coaching the students. All students proudly represented the school and showed wonderful Jones Hill spirit and sportsmanship. 

Book Fair Come, Stay and Read a Great Tale

Our first Book Fair for 2025 will run in the library from March 10 to March 14. Book Fair will be open every morning from 8.00am to 8.50am, every first break from 11.15am to 11.40am and every afternoon from 3.00pm to 3.30pm. So please come join us and read a great tale!

Junior Press Photographers

As part of their Senior Leader Role, six of our year 6 students have become Junior Press Photographers for the school. The students will travel around the school taking photos of activities, students, staff, wildlife and our beautiful school. Each week these photos will be added to our School Gallery below, added to Facebook and the school sign on McIntosh Creek Road. The students are doing a great job, with lots of lovely photos of our smiling students. We look forward to seeing their skills develop and the wonderful work that they will do.  We hope you enjoy their first week of photography.

Canberra 2026

Our year 5 students who will be travelling to Canberra in 2026 are starting off their fundraising with a Non-Uniform day on Friday, March 7.  Wear your favourite T shirt and shorts and bring a gold coin donation. A reminder that clothing needs to be sunsafe and students must wear closed in shoes and school hats.

Kind Regards,
James Watt - Principal
Stacey Seed – Deputy Principal

EVENTS CALENDAR

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 121

Next

STUDENT AWARDS

The following students will receive awards for displaying the school values of Respect, Learning, Safety and Relationships.  Parents are welcome to join us at parade. Parade will be filmed and uploaded to Facebook.

Class Behaviour Awards

PM: Ahmad; PR: Matthew; 1B: Bentley; 1F: Bailey; 1D: Harper; 1/2S: Hudson; 2A: Liana; 2C: Eliana; 3B: Mila; 3C: Arianna; 3D: Dakota; 4B: Madison; 4K: Sophie; 5E: Mila; 5S: Jacey; 5/6C: Jakobie; 6B: Zayden; 6K: Luke; Japanese 6K: Bonnie

Token Awards

20: Tokens – PR: Mia; 1/2S: Hudson, Kai, Amity; 2A: Abby, Sammy, Liana, Eloise, Milla; 3C: Charlotte; 3D: Ella, Aria, Dakota, Abigail Avery, Alyssa; 4K: Jackson, Isabella, Carter, Katelyn, Cameron, Kahleesie, Jack, Isla, Willow, Blake, Knight, Ava; 5S: Amity, Bridgette, Chloe, Marli; 5/6C: Cooper

FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER

Hi Everyone,

CANBERRA 2025

The second last invoice for the 2025 Canberra trip will be generated and sent home this week.  

QPARENTS

If you haven’t already joined QParents please register now.  QParents will help streamline your student/s attendance, invoices and consent management in 2025.

Through the QParents App you are able to:

• Record Student Absence
• View Report Cards
• Check and Pay Invoices
• Provide Digital Consent for Various Activities

QParents is easy to set up when following the step-by-step guide (see link below).  To set up an account you will need; your Students EQ ID number (this can be located on previous invoices, report cards or by contacting the office) and 100 points of ID. If required, please see our office staff who will be happy to verify your ID in person.

Koala Kids OSCH Service

NAPLAN QUESTIONS

Have a go at answering these NAPLAN Questions.  Drop off your answers to the office (put in the Gold Box) to go in the draw for a prize. 

NAPLAN

Year 3 & 5 students will be participating in The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.

As students’ progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy.

NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

Further information
Visit ACARA’s For parents and carers webpage for further information, including how student results are reported.
NAPLAN information for parents and carers brochure (PDF, 213.7 KB)

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Group and portrait photographs can be purchased by following this link - 

Or visit: www.advancedlife.com.au   And enter online order code: FWQ 37K K51

• No Sibling photos will be taken on this day
• Students will need to wear full school uniform.
• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately

If unable to order online please return envelope orders (one per child) to the photographer on the day.

GUM TREE CAFÉ NEWS

Richelle and Trina – Tuckshop Convenors

GYMPIE DISTRICT SCHOOL SPORT

Gympie District School Sport invites students turning 10 (born 2015), 11 (born 2014) or 12 (born 2013) to trial for District Sport teams.  Please be aware the following conditions apply when nominating:

• No late nominations will be accepted.
• Only students who regularly participate in the sport should nominate, they should have a high skill level (for their age) and an understanding of the sport.
• All transport to and from the trials is the parents' responsibility.
• A receipt of nomination / medical form will be given to the students when notes are handed in at the school office – this must be taken to the trials and given to District Officials.

Please see Mrs Munn in the office for more details or email admin@jonehillss.eq.edu.au

Calendar of Trial dates

Week 6
AFL, Netball, Softball TRIALS Wednesday 5/03/2025
Rugby League BOYS. Soccer, Hockey, Tennis nominations due Wednesday 5/03/2025

Week 7
Rugby League BOYS, Soccer, Hockey TRIALS Tuesday 11/03/2025
Squash, Golf, nominations due Thursday 13/03/2025

Week 8
Squash TRIALS Wednesday 19/03/2025

Term 2 Week 6
Cricket nominations 30/05/2025

Week 7
Cricket TRIALS Wednesday 4/06/2025

Week 8
GIRLS Rugby League nominations 13/06/2025

Week 9
GIRLS Rugby League TRIALS 18/06/2025

GYMPIE LIBRARY

MARY VALLEY BLUE LIGHT DISCO

NETBALL

2025 Netball season is back, we are excited to be running our netball competitions again this year. 

Players need to start reaching out to their coaches/ team managers from last year and to schools to ensure they have a team to play with this year.

JUNIOR COMPETITION

• All school students are welcome, girls aged 10 to 18 years old and boys aged 10 to 14 years old,
  
• Cost $220 per player.(Government Fair Play vouchers can be used)
  
• Games will be played on Mondays after school, times will be 4 pm to 7pm
  
• Registrations OPEN 24 February & CLOSE 31 March (only register if you have a team to play with)
  
• Team gradings will be held end of March (dates to be confirmed)
  
• Competition games start Monday 28 April and the season will run for 15 weeks+ finals (games will not be played during school holidays)
  
• Coaches MUST email the Association team name and ALL player names no later than 10 March. 

IF JUNIOR PLAYERS DO NOT HAVE A TEAM, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM ASAP

We will endeavour to find teams for players FORM:

WE NEED COACHES: If you have experience playing netball and would like to work with young players, please reach out. We have many players looking for teams and a coach. The association will help get started with resources. Please email us for more information. gympienetball@hotmail.com  

LADIES COMPETITION

• $220 per person
  
• This competition is for female players aged 14 years old +
  
• Games start Wednesday 30 April (approx. 15 weeks + finals)
  
• Ladies start reaching out to your friends and get your teams organised. Registrations will open at the end of March

NET SET GO

• Starter program for kids aged 5 to 10 years old
  
• 10-week program in term 2
  
• Tuesday afternoons
  
• Cost $115 per person (includes NSG t-shirt)
  

Thank you for your continued support. 

Regards
Gympie District Netball Association

GIRL GUIDES

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is the largest voluntary Movement, dedicated to girls and young women, in the world. We have over 10.8 million members in 153 countries and have been in existence for over 100 years.

Guides is an informal education program held after school for girls aged 6 - 18 years. We encourage the girls to plan and run their own program, building life skills such as Leadership, Teamwork, Confidence, Self-Respect, and Resilience. 

These skills are built while enjoying the outdoors, working in the community, earning challenge badges in whatever areas their interest lies. Our program compliments the learning at school, at home, and in other pursuits. It helps to prepare the girls progressing through school, life, and participating in their world.

We offer the opportunity to all girls and women in our community to be part of this amazing organisation right here in Gympie.

EVERYDAY COUNTS

CONTAINERS PLEASE

Keep bringing in your containers for recycling.  All plastic bottles, aluminium cans, tetra packs can be dropped off to the office.   Glass bottles can be brought in by adults only.

The Jones Hill SS community is doing their part to reduce landfill and keep our waterways clean.  Thank you to all of our families and students for supporting this very worthy cause.