12 May 2021

Newsletter Articles

LEADERSHIP TEAM REPORT

SHOW HOLIDAY

Due to the public holiday this Friday there will be no parade this week.

Student Congress

At the end of last term Mrs Seed and I met with the nominated students to hear their views on some topics from around the school. It was an excellent discussion with some very insightful ideas put forward. From this discussion I have committed to implementing a few of the ideas. Below is a summary of the topics and outcomes:

1. Interschool Sport - Students discussed the pros and cons including being healthy, fun, missing school work, time commitment, staff knowing the sport to referee but most interestingly the bulk of discussion was around whether students on Bronze should attend. The agreement was they could be given a chance to go but really needed to earn it and should be achieving indicators in Silver to warrant their attendance. We also agreed there is more discussion to be had around Jones Hill taking part.
2. Wellbeing - Students discussed the idea of having a buddy bench and agreed this was a really good way to support students struggling with friendships in the playground.
   It was agreed two were needed, one in the upper playground (near the handball court) and one in the lower playground (near the new playground).
   Students will have a roster to support the benches so someone using them is not left alone. This will tie in well with the leadership positions being established.
   Students are investigating the best design for the benches but we have committed to install two of them.
3. Toilets - Students discussed the smell and lack of wash facilities in the toilets as well as behaviour of some students.
   It was agreed to trial automatic air fresheners in the senior toilets and investigate automatic flushing systems to avoid the lack of flushing they are experiencing!
4. Uniform Exchange Program - This was suggested by one of the students to help families who cannot afford to buy uniforms so all students can feel included.
   The proposal was to buy second hand uniforms and then sell them cheaply to families.
   It was discussed that families often donate their unwanted uniforms to the school and we distribute them to families as needed. It was also discussed that we receive gift cards from Lowes each year which are also used to help families.
   It was however agreed to start a push to have more families donate unused uniforms and to make our community aware of the need.

I think you would agree that we have some very community orientated students who have great ideas. I am really looking forward to the next Congress meeting and what other ideas the students want to discuss.

RUGBY LEAGUE GALA DAY

Recently, the Jones Hill year 5 & 6 Rugby League team competed at the Rugby League Gala Day. The team has been training hard all year for this event. Mr Littler and Mr Rentz were very proud of their effort, behaviour and for being good sports. The team enjoyed the day, had some very close games and continued to develop their experience and skills.

CROSS COUNTRY DISTRICT TRIALS

Jones Hill students competed at the District Cross Country trials last week at the One Mile Soccer ovals. We were very proud of their performances, perseverance and commitment to training and racing. Congratulations to all the Jones Hill competitors. Special mention to these students: 1st (2011 Boys) – Mitchell, 2nd (2011 Girls) – Lily, 4th (2009 Girls) – Florence.

YEAR 4 PINBALL ARCADE

4MD have been learning about forces in Science and part of their assessment was to construct a pinball machine. The students had a great time and finished last Friday with a Pinball Arcade, where they all had the opportunity to play each other’s pinball machines, explain how the forces of gravity, friction, push, pull and elasticity work and have some fun. Congratulations 4MD, your scientific knowledge and pinball machines were amazing and impressive.

NAPLAN Online

Year 3 and year 5 students will be participating in the NAPLAN Online testing this year, in the areas of Writing, Reading, Language Conventions and Numeracy. The testing will be conducted over two weeks, 11th – 21st May.

The following timetable shows when the students will be participating in the NAPLAN Online assessments. The assessments will be completed in the computer lab in the library. Please refer to the timetable below for NAPLAN Online times.

Social Distancing Restrictions

Although students are able to be near each other in classrooms, we are still under the direction from Qld Health to adhere to social distancing rules for adults. Therefore, we are restricting adult contact in school, by asking parents/carers to not enter classrooms and to drop off and pick up children in safe locations, outside the school gates or as arranged by the teacher. Thank you for your assistance in helping to keep everyone safe.

Hygiene Measures

We will continue to implement consistent hygiene measures to keep our students and staff safe. The following hygiene procedures are in place at school.

• regular handwashing and hand sanitising, particularly before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
• encouraging students and staff to cough or sneeze into their elbow
• increased cleaning of school classrooms, particularly high frequency touch points including water fountains or bubblers
• regular cleaning of play equipment and materials
• individual water bottles for personal use

Kind Regards,

James Watt - Principal
Stacey Seed – Deputy Principal

EVENTS CALENDAR

FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER

Hi Everyone,

2022 YEAR 5/6 CANBERRA TRIP

Canberra Meeting

Thank you to everyone for attending the first Canberra meeting. There will be more meetings held in the future for those who could not make it last night. We have approximately 73 students who would like to attend the trip in 2022. The students will be invoiced for a deposit of $300 next week. This deposit will be due for payment before the end of this term. Payment plans are welcomed. If for some reason your child cannot attend the trip and you have paid fully, you will be entitled to a full refund, minus the $50 airfare deposit, if you cancel 30 days prior to travel. If you cancel less then 30 days prior to travel, it will result in the loss of the total final payment.

Cancellation by an individual paying passenger after final payment has been made must be received in writing from the travelling school, but no less than 30 days prior to the commencement of travel for a refund of the Land Content to be effected. We suggest that all passengers take out Travel Insurance.

Further information will be sent home next week with each invoice.

Canberra Fundraising Meeting

There will be a fundraising meeting on Tuesday 18 May, at 5:15pm in the school library. This is a great opportunity for parents to reduce the price of the trip and the buses required to take the students to and from the airport.

Canberra Trip

From 19/06/22 to 24/06/22 Jones Hill School is planning a school excursion to Canberra. This excursion will be available to the students who are currently in year 4 and year 5. This excursion was first run in 2016 and was very successful with students coming away full of amazing memories and life-long impressions of our national capital’s past and present. This trip is highly educational as well as a lot of fun. The students will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of Australia’s origins, political history and layers of government with visits to Parliament House, the War Memorial and the Royal Australian Mint. There will also be a chance to visit the National Gallery of Australia, the National Zoo and Aquarium, Questacon, enjoy a trip to the snow fields and the Sydney Opera House just to name a few.

In order to give parents the best opportunity to pay for this excursion we will begin payment plans as of this term, Term 2, 2021. This will allow all families the chance to participate. It is hoped that parents and students will fundraise to help reduce the cost for all students. With increasing pressures on accommodation facilities we are required to book now and pay a deposit.

The cost of the trip in 2020 was $1300. We are hoping that this trip will cost less because more students will attend as there is a bigger cohort and parents can fundraise for the entire year.

If you have any questions at all regarding the Canberra Trip 2022, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 54890555 or admin@jonehillss.eq.edu.au.

Expression of interest letters were sent home last week with year 4 and 5 students. Please return these as soon as possible. A copy of the letter is available in the link below.

NEW JUNIOR PLAYGROUND

The new playground is now up and running! Years 1-3 are very excited with their new play area and have certainly been very active on the new play equipment.

KOALA KIDS OSHC SERVICE

To enrol your child for OSHC please click on the link below.

For further information contact OSHC Koala Kids – email: oshcare@jonehillss.eq.edu.au

or phone 0482675161

PREP 2022

If you have a child attending Prep in 2022 and would like them to attend our school, please contact our school administration staff. This may be done by phoning us on 54890555, calling into the office or via email on admin@jonehillss.eq.edu.au. Our staff can answer all of your questions and are happy to help. By adding your child to our current waiting list you will receive information regarding our Prep Transition Programs and information sessions.

TEDDY BEAR’S PLAY DAY

We would like to invite our 2022 Prep students and a family member to join us at our Teddy Bear’s Play Day. It will be held on Tuesday, May 18 from 9am to 10am in the Jones Hill State School Prep playground. Activities include: games, craft, storytelling and much more. Please remember to bring your Teddy Bear, water bottle and a hat. Please also remember to follow COVID safe practices – sign in using our QR Code, use provided sanitiser and social distance.

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE

The Premier’s Reading Challenge aims to improve literacy and encourage children to read for pleasure and learning.

The challenge commences on Monday 10 May and closes 27 August.

Every student who completes the challenge will receive a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier.

Record how many books your child has read on the Reader Record Form and return to the teacher before 27 August. For more information about the Premier’s Reading Challenge, please visit:

MATHS

Above the line/below the line is a working mathematically activity that suits years 2- 6.

Instructions:

On the board/screen, draw a horizontal line. Display sets of numbers above and below the line e.g. explain that all the numbers above the line have a common property, and all numbers below the line are common in some way.

Allow students to work with elbow partners or in table groups to discuss. Share their conclusions.

Confirm the properties, e.g. numbers above the line are bigger than 50. Numbers below the line are less than 50.

Optional extension:

Explain that:

• each number above the line has a ‘partner’ below the line
• each pair of numbers are connected by the same ‘rule’.

Allow students to again work in groups to discuss, suggest, test, confirm and justify their ideas.

Call on groups to suggest matching pairs of numbers and to identify the rule that connects them, e.g. 78 and 22 is a pair, because they add to 100.

Extension ideas:

• asking students to suggest other numbers that would fit above the line and below the line
• ask student to create their own above the line/below the line puzzles.

Guiding questions:

• How are the numbers similar and different?
• Does your pattern rule work for all pairs?

Here are some examples:

SWPBS

Classes are focussed on demonstrating respect in the classroom. This involves displaying respect in the way we talk, work, transition and act.

Ways to show respect:

1. Be kind and courteous – greet other people in a friendly manner
2. Listen to others – listen to the teacher – one voice at a time
3. Be polite – use good manners such as please and thank you
4. Be considerate – patiently wait your turn, think about how the other person is feeling
5. Be a helper – offer someone help, a friendly smile and kind words

GUM TREE CAFÉ NEWS

We hope you are all enjoying our new menu. We are sure as the weather starts to cool down that the Butter Chicken and Rice and Potato Pie will become regular favourites.

Please note we have a made a small charge to our new menu – Chicken Nuggets will now be Chicken Chippies (6)

Orders may be made online or using the paper bag systems.

A reminder that we require two days’ notice for Birthday Buckets. These have become very popular. At only $20 they are a great way to celebrate your child’s special day.

The Gum Tree Café operates every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday first break only. There is no Tuckshop on Mondays.

Richelle and Trina – Tuckshop Convenors

RELAY FOR LIFE

All students are invited to join our 2021 Relay for Life Team.

There have been a few small changes to the way relay will run in 2021. The 2021 Gympie Regional Relay for Life will be held on Saturday October 30 from 12:00pm to approx. 9:00pm. This year it will be held at Gympie South School.

To register please follow the link below.

Please note students from Prep to Year 3 will require a parent or guardian to supervise them on the day.

Student Registration Pricing Structure.

Super Early Bird (before August 6, 2021) - $10
Early Bird (before October 22, 2021) - $15
Week of Relay & on the day - $20

For more information please contact Mrs Hurren (email jhurr5@eq.edu.au).

P&C NEWS

P&C DISCO

The P&C will be holding a disco on Friday June, 4 from 6pm – 8pm. This will be a capped event due to COVID restrictions. Tickets will be pre-sold and available from the office. No parents are allowed to attend. More information regarding Meal Deals will be available shortly. Volunteers will be needed, if you would like to volunteer for the night, please contact the office on 5489 0555.

MOTHER’S DAY STALL

Thank you to everyone who supported our Mother’s Day Stall. We hope you all had a wonderful day and enjoyed receiving your gifts as much as your children enjoyed buying them.

JAPANESE CORNER

Minna-san Konnichiwa (Hello everyone),

It is time we talked public holidays in Japan. As you can imagine, the Japanese don't really celebrate the same public holidays as we do. That’s right, there is no Labour Day, or Easter and of course there is no ANZAC Day, even Christmas is a school day in Japan. Instead, Japan has very different public holidays such as Respect the Aged Day, The Emperor's Birthday, Sports Day and Green Day (Environment Day). Yes, these are all public holidays in Japan.

Last Wednesday, May the 5th was Children’s Day in Japan. Those families that have children in their family usually fly big kite/streamers called 'koinobori' outside their house. Children also get to eat 'kashiwamochi' which translates as sweet bean paste wrapped in rice cakes and is traditionally served on an oak leaf. It is actually more delicious than it sounds. Pictures are below.

Have a SENSEI-tional Week Four.

Stay Japanesey

From

HOT SHOTS TENNIS EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

Gympie and District Tennis Association Coach Brett Cottrill will commence Hot Shots Tennis program from Monday 17th May and Tuesday 18th May at Jones Hill State School. Groups will be held on Monday (17th May start) (years 3to 6), Tuesday (18th May start) (Prep, years 1 and 2) lunchtimes from 11.00am to 11.40am for a MINIMUM BLOCK OF 7 WEEKS. Costs will be $85.00/pupil, $160.00 for 2 children or $210.00 for 3 children in the same family

To register for the program please contact Brett Cottrill on 0417746795 or return the completed form back to the office by Monday 17th May.

Name………………………………..Age…………. Grade………...

Parent/Guardians Signature………………………

Email………………………………

Phone/s…………………………………..

We accept the Fair Play Sporting Vouchers.

Please make cash payment or cheques payable to Brett Cottrill.

Direct Deposit: B A COTTRILL. BSB 014585 ACCT 583359786 including students name as reference.

Note: After school Hot Shots games and Fixtures have recommenced at The Reg English Memorial Tennis Centre Cartwright Rd Gympie from 3.30pm to 5.00 pm.

NOTE: Monday group have 1 remaining lesson from term 1 on Monday 10th May.

NOTE: Friday group will be changing to Tuesdays for the new term. 1 lesson also remaining to complete term 1 on Friday 30th April.