28 George Street Email: [email protected] Gordonvale QLD 4865 Phone: 07 4043 3666 Subscribe: https://gordonvaless.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe Fax: 07 4043 3600

17 February 2021 worry – you won’t be handed a job at the first meeting. At the AGM in March we elect the executive positions for the year. From the Principal Have you noticed the grounds looking green and lush? All the regular routines of our school are up and running. Last week we commenced Over the holidays we installed an irrigation system to keep the Spelling Mastery, Guided Reading and grassed play areas in top shape. Along the George St front of Religious Instruction classes. These the school we’ve had to do some significant restoration work, programs will continue throughout the year, levelling and laying turf. Digging the trenches for the irrigation only interrupted by public holidays and lines was a bit tricky in this part of the school. Tree roots and special events like sports days. Spelling old building rubble was brought up to the surface and had to Mastery and Religious Instruction programs be removed. While the new turf establishes, we do have the require children to move into different groups in different area closed to play. You may see sprinklers working early in classrooms. Thank you families for purchasing the spelling the morning or in the evening. That’s to give the turf the best mastery books for your children, enabling them to participate in chance of taking root quickly. Our Senior students are enjoying this worthwhile program. Thank you also to our volunteer RI playing on the oval, which has not needed irrigation. Thanks to teachers who deliver lessons to our students every Friday. the P&C who secured a $35000 Community Gambling Benefit Fund grant that made this possible. We are concentrating on helping children meet our expectations for how they transition from class to group. At Stop, Drop and Go … This zone is a 2 minute the end of play breaks we have 2 bells, one 5 minutes before standing zone. children must be lined up to return to class. We are concentrating on the expectations for moving from the In the afternoons we roster staff in the Stop, Drop and Go zone playground to class line up areas, quickly, calmly and via the to assist the flow of traffic and most often, it moves through in toilets and drink taps at the end of play breaks and being an orderly way. If you are the last car in the rank though, please in line on time. Children will know that their teacher applies check that you have enough space to join the queue and be consequences for being late. inside the designated zone marked by yellow lines. There is a No Standing sign at the entry to help you know what is in the P&C Stop Drop and Go zone and what’s outside. If you are in the NO STANDING area, you prevent buses from turning into the Our P&C will hold its first meeting next Monday, 22 February, service road. commencing at 3:00pm in the A block computer lab. This is the first meeting of the year where we’ll spend some time talking Please follow the same protocols in the mornings when we do about plans for 2021 and preparing for the Annual General not have staff rostered on. Remember, the Stop, Drop and Go Meeting which will be in March. Come along and meet the zone is a 2 minutes standing zone at drop off and pick up group, children are welcome too. They are welcome to do times. If you need to leave your car, please park in a designated homework or use the computers while we meet. And don’t parking bay. Have a great week Litter We hope your children are enjoying being back at school and Our students are conscious that all litter that is dropped onto have settled into their classes. At the end of next week they’ll the ground and not placed into a bin, eventually floats down have completed half the term ! If you have an issue and would drains and pollutes our water ways. We encourage all of our like to talk with someone other than your child’s class teacher, students to place litter in the bins provided around the school. we’re here to help. Ms Jen Maher is looking after the Prep to We have a weekly class award on Friday’s parades for ‘Litter Year 3 part of our school and I’m overseeing the year 4 to year Free Legends’. Our school captains walk around at eating times 6 part. Please let our office staff know which part of our school throughout the week counting any lunch boxes that are litter you’d like to talk about so they can put you through to the right free. The class with the highest amount of litter free lunches person. wins the Lorax. The Lorax will remain in their class for an entire week. Our Litter Free Legends for Week 3 were: Michael Grose is a parenting educator and we feature articles from Michael’s website in our fortnightly SCHOME. This week, 3rd place - Prep C, 3C with 14 litter free lunches Michael’s article is titled, “Helping your child become the best 2nd place - 1C with 17 litter free lunches student they can be”. It’s a brief read that affirms the great And our winners, in 1st place, 4B with 20 litter free things that parents do and might point you to another. lunches Regards - Mr Lloyd Perkins, Principal

News Flash!

QLD Target Handwriting books and Spelling Mastery Books are available from the Office. You can help reduce litter in our school by minimising the amount of packets/wrapping that are in your child’s lunch box. Kindest regards – Ms Davis, HOD Behaviour Positive Behaviour for Learning Admin News Positive Behaviour for Learning rule of the week Just a reminder that both Junior and Senior playgrounds are out of bounds before and after school. This is a safety Our Week 3 rule of the week was ‘I regulation as there are no school staff on supervision. participate in all activities’ students have been busing participating in all activities. It was an exciting week of activities for our Five Citizens students with a school camp visit on Thursday and Religion, Spelling Mastery, Our school vision is centred on creating active and Maths Mastery and Reading groups all informed citizens for the 21st century. Our vision identifies starting up once again for the year. five key areas for building the citizenship skill of our students. Informed, Creative, Eco, Democratic and The rainy weather has not stopped our students from Healthy. participating in lots of activities at lunch times. I block games room has been the perfect spot to escape the rain for Year 1-6. Students have enjoyed playing board games and watching ‘Flushed away’. Our PBL rule of the Week for Week 4 is around safety, ‘I move safely around the school’. We encourage our students to walk on concrete and around buildings, walk with the rest of their class in two lines, to avoid jumping onto garden beds and swinging on poles.

2 • not hurt anyone else with my hands, feet or words Informed Citizen • not eat or drink while in bus lines • not play games while waiting in bus lines • follow the instructions of the adults on bus duty Warm regards - Miss Kerry, Mrs Coutts and Miss Reichardt.

Classroom News! Year 5 5A and 5B have been exploring animal and plant adaptations in Science and students have had many opportunities to show their knowledge and teamwork skills. Not only are they engaged in writing lessons, they have also become predators using their beaks (tongs) to hunt their prey (toothpicks) in various environments (coloured cardboard). This exciting task links teamwork, science and a touch of maths together to create a rich understanding of natural selection. This will lead students to creating their own creature for their assessment that will have specific structural and behavioural adaptations to survive in their chosen environment. We look forward to seeing Bus Travel their exciting creations! Everyone when travelling on a bus has certain rights. Along with the rights are responsibilities. At Gordonvale State School we have a document [Being a Safe, Respectful Commuter] that lists these rights and the accompanying responsibilities. Over the next few issues of SCHOME will we look at the rights of students and their accompanying responsibilities. Kind regards - Miss Garate (5A) and Miss Ghuman Students have six rights when travelling on buses. Students (5B) have the right to: Year 6 • safe and comfortable travel Year 6 News • be treated with courtesy Week 3 has certainly flown by. Most classes are now starting • travel free from verbal and physical abuse some form of assessment. Every day really does matter in • expect their property to be safe learning. • board and disembark safely Bucket hats are part of the school uniform, so that we can do • enjoy the bus ride. outdoor activities for learning, we require every student to have one. If they do not have one could you please find a bucket hat The right to safe and comfortable travel has these that they could have, thank you. accompanying responsibilities: The visit from Daradgee Outdoor Education Centre was a great • always act in a safe way success. Students worked on team challenges, had a lesson • always use kind words to everyone on the bus on what is at the camp and had questions answered by the including the driver staff. Camp deposits are due next Friday 19th February. This will then allow us to finalise numbers and send home all • sit in the seat I choose or have been told to sit in paperwork required and the final amount outstanding. Thank • cooperate with and do what the driver says you to Noel, Steve, Amanda and Josh (aka Mr Reid) for While waiting in bus lines students are expected to: spending the day with us, we really appreciated it. • go straight to bus line from class • go to the toilet before I go to bus line • sit quietly in bus lines • stay in my bus line or where I have been told to sit • speak kindly to others using my quiet voice

3 If you have any concerns or questions please contact your It was a delight to have Andre, supported enthusiastically by child’s teacher. our local Queensland Police force who helped make the day happen, visiting our little community and lighting up the school Have a great week. for a few hours. He was certainly “King of the Kids” for a day: Students for 5 gotcha’s answer this our Gordonvale State School kids to be precise. Riddle: What is it that is always coming but never arrives? Now we will pass on our message – all schools should Yours in learning, encourage Andre Moore’s Big Feat to visit and share an exciting and rewarding day. Mrs Miss Miss Miss Mandy Sarah Sukhi Kayla Medhurst Williams Johal Marino 6A 6B 6C 5/6

HPE From the MCG (My Classroom & Regards – Mr Hull, PE Teacher Grounds) Andre Moore – King of the Kids Chappy Corner It was the second day of October way back I was just reflecting on the year that was, in 1999. The newly formed and how the world that we know has had headed down south for their inaugural changed so much. The word COVID has NBL game against the been implanted deeply in our minds. We Melbourne Tigers at Melbourne Park. The Taipans lost the can only continue to move forward, accept match, but Andre Moore got Cairns hearts racing by scoring the the past and hope for better things to clubs first ever points. A dramatic and historic moment for the come. fledgling club. It is wonderful to see the children at school It is 22 years later now, and Andre has long retired from the embracing the new school year with enthusiasm, they will be a game he loves. He has the memories, but his passion hasn’t generation that knows how to adapt, a good character trait to changed. These days, with his Big Feat Basketball Experience have. program, Andre travels the country promoting the game and Students have enjoyed various lunch activities, with Totem a healthy lifestyle to kids from north to south from the Pacific Tennis, Kinnetic Sand, colouring, Naughts and Crosses in my Ocean to the Indian Ocean. cool room always popular. Born in , Illinois and first drafted to the American NBA by the back in 1987, the 206cm gentle giant (that’s 6’ 9” in the old imperial scale) left the Windy City on the shores of Lake Michigan to call Australia home in 1990 – though he still keeps that unique American accent. Last week, Andre Moore visited our school – Gordonvale State School (south of Cairns) – to talk to our kids about basketball, healthy lifestyle choices, his own background and anything else I enjoyed watching the Year 6 students being challenged in the enthralled students asked about. Then, he got the kids out teamwork activities and seeing the Year 2s shooting hoops onto our basketball court to get serious – shoot some hoops. with Andre; we have some potential basketballers here at our school. Almost 200 of our students were able to spend time with Andre, and a large number of them impressed the legendary basketballer by making the shots. He could already see the next generation of basketballers – future Taipans? – growing and developing before his eyes. His smile was infectious, a product of his own friendly and happy nature as well as pride and excitement at seeing these kids take on the game he loves, and that they are beginning to love. Andre Moore is part of a rare breed. He made his career and life directions through his commitment to basketball. Now, more than anything, he wants to pay back the game that “made” him by giving back his experience, knowledge and skills so that kids across Australia – but today, here in Gordonvale – the opportunity to shoot for the stars as he did all those years ago.

4 SUPA Club Monday is our “Off the Grid” day when no computers are available. Last year I was running SUPA Club during lunch times, this year I will be running it after school on a Tuesday from 3pm – 4pm Tuesday to Friday at first break students in Years Four to Six here at school in D14. (See flyer attached) SUPA Club is for any may use the computers and at second break students in Years student interested in learning more about God and the Bible in Two and Three may use the computers. Students in Year One a fun interactive way. Students will need permissions signed by are able to use computers at second break from Term 2 to their parents to attend this; students can collect them from the the end of the year. A reminder that we follow cyber safety office or me. Students attending After School Care are able to suggestions in our library – if you don’t know your login and attend, as we are happy to walk students over to After School password, you cannot use another student’s. Care once finished. Parents will need to let them know that is Some of our games that we have for students to use at lunch what is happening. Any questions don’t hesitate to ask. breaks are very popular. Great merriment can be heard Kind regards - Chappy Wendy throughout the library when these games are being played. We also have a 500 piece jigsaw – Solar System – set up for students to work on a lunch breaks. School Banking We have new furniture for students to use in the library. That Welcome to School Banking for 2021 was our surprise. At the beginning of the year, we received new tables, stools and chairs. The tables have wheels. If we decide to change the tables’ arrangement, it will be much easier to move them. We’ve been seeing a number of books in need of repair, where there has been an attempt to repair them before returning the books. If you discover a book in need of repair, please return it to us, where our resident ‘book surgeon’ Mrs Curcuruto will carry out the required repairs. Happy reading - Miss Reichardt and Mrs Curcuruto

Dates to Remember – Term 1 2021

School banking will commence on Thursday, March 4. February Please note there are strict regulations guiding the school Life Education Wednesday 17th February banking process, one very important step is that deposit books MUST be handed to your child’s teacher, where they Year 6 Leaders Camp Thursday 25th February – Friday 26th will be sealed in a special banking bag for collection and February processing. NO deposit books are to be handed in to the March school office. We will be adhering to these regulations, so Whole School Parade Friday 5th March we kindly request your assistance as well. School Photos Wednesday 24th March Looking forward to seeing some savvy savers work their way towards some great awards Year 6 School Camp Monday 29th March – Thursday 1st April Thank you. April Last Day of Term 1 Thursday 1st April

Public Holiday - Good Friday 2nd April News from the Library Friday

The library is now is use. Class borrowing has been finalised and we have classes coming in to borrow at their times. Students are visiting us at lunch breaks. A reminder that this is our computer use program at lunch breaks:

5 Attendance Award Litter Free Lunches

Congratulations and thank you for keeping our school and planet litter free! Week 2 – Term 1 Congratulations and well done for making every day count! 1st – 1C – 21 Lunches Week 2 – Term 1 Lower School – PREP C – 99%

Upper School – 5/6 – 95.7%

2nd – PREP B & 1A – 15 Lunches 3rd – PREP C, 1B & 4B – 14 Lunches Week 3 1st – 4B – 20 Lunches

Week 3 Lower School – PREP A – 96%

2nd – 1C – 17 Lunches 3rd – PREP C & 3C – 14 Lunches

Upper School – 4B – 93.3%

6 Student awards go to… Community Notices

What When Where

HOOK IN2 Friday 26th February and Pezzutti Park HOCKEY 5th March Click here to download the 2021 Sign On Day – Friday Big Sign On Day Flyer 19th March Week 3, Term 1 Cairns Hockey Association, Cairns North Alicia PREP A Safety Play Baseball with Saturday 20th February & Walker Road Sports Precinct, Burruumgay PREP A Safety the Cairns Reds Saturday 20th March Edmonton 9am – 12pm Click here to download the Cairns Bonnie PREP B Learning Reds Baseball 2021 Poster

Wahlin PREP B Learning Edmonton Enrol Now for 2021 19 Hartill Street, EDMONTON Community Remi PREP C Learning Click here to download the Enrol Kindergarten! Now for 2021 Flyer Michael PREP C Learning

Sasha 1A Learning We want to hear from you Charlotte 1A Learning

Allan 1C Learning Your input as parents and carers of Gordonvale State School students is greatly valued. If you have any feedback or ideas Ky-Lisha 1C GOTCHA! on how we can communicate better with the Gordonvale State Astrid 2A Learning School community, or have a good news story to share,

Hooper 2A Learning please contact Admin by email at [email protected] Ava 2B Learning Shekynah 2B Learning Advertising in the SCHOME Annalise 3C Learning

Chaz 4A Learning If you would like to advertise your business in the SCHOME, please contact Jude Dawson, Schoolzine Advertising Accounts Kalistra 4A Learning Manager. Amos 5A Respect Jude Dawson Freya 5A Respect Ph: 5414 2363

Layla 5B Learning Mob: 0432 538 927 Email: [email protected] Muwun 5B Learning

Daniel 5/6 Learning

James 5/6 Respect

Mathias 6A Learning

Dacari 6A Learning

Charley 6B Learning

Michael 6B Learning

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