8 March 2022

Newsletter Articles

ADMIN NEWS

WELCOME BACK!

Welcome Back to 2022! After a delayed start it was wonderful to see everyone settle in to the year, adjust quickly to school days and launch straight into learning. The latest round of wild weather has been a speed bump in the road for our adventures in learning and produced some very challenging times for members of our community. We have seen a community rally together in support of each other and have worked hard to ensure our community of students and learners have felt safe, experienced as much ‘routine’ as possible and had the chance to talk and listen to all that has happened around them to make all feel as ‘normal’ as possible right now.

Even with the un-conventional start to the year, we have already been learning, connecting, collaborating and enjoying time in our school community. Here’s a sneak peek into some of the happenings this term…

STUDENT COUNCIL

Our Student Council has begun its year of hard work and efforts to fundraise for our school and very worthy charities. They will have free dress days and other events in store for us this year; stay tuned for information as we go!

PREPS

Our Preps have settled in beautifully and work is well underway to develop the skills of a beginning writer. There are art activities tied in to the letter shapes and sounds being taught, and early writing opportunities are happening to explore basic punctuation and sentence structure. Preps are even meeting their big buddies as part of our Buddy Program. The program aims to support younger learners feel safe and comfortable around the taller members of the school, and provides our ‘big kids’ with the chance to be the teacher and supporter for a smaller someone.

WELLBEING TEAM

Our newly formed Wellbeing Team (comprised of staff members) is hard at work looking at our School Opinion Survey responses from last year, along with feedback from teachers and students and are constructing an Action Plan for our whole school community. The Plan will map out our journey this year to support staff wellbeing, examine our behaviour management practices, incorporate explicit wellbeing teaching and language for learners, and provide opportunities for all families to access research, information and ideas around bolstering the wellbeing of each of its members. Later in the year we will look at forming a student Wellbeing Team to ensure we have the voices of our learners present in all we do.

MEET THE TEACHER

Meet the Teacher timeslots will be scheduled for weeks 8 and 9 this term. Teachers will publish an interview schedule with times and dates for you to find a time to come in and hear about how your child has started the year. Please be mindful that we have had fewer than 20 teaching days so far this year, so information about wellbeing and social and emotional development will be paramount in these discussions.

H-TEAM

Later in the term, we look forward to welcoming the H-Team performers to present a live theatre performance to us about resilience, healthy behaviours and anti-bullying messages. Look for notes which should have come home!

TUCKSHOP

The tuckshop is busy with orders and learners are enjoying their food lovingly prepared each day by our amazing Tuckshop team. Use our Qkr App to order and pay online for all things related to tuckshop sales, uniform sales and later P&C fundraising events too.

This year looks to be full of opportunities to grow, learn and play. We look ahead with enthusiasm at opportunities to share what we are doing, involve families in the learning of their children, and celebrate both small and large successes along the way. As ever, we look forward to staying connected as a School Community and ensuring there are strong connections between home and school. Afterall, it takes a village to raise our children, and we feel privileged to be working with you to support your children to grow and learn.

PARENT LIBRARY

Did you know we have a parent library section in our school library? Our parent library is a great place to access excellent literature about a wide range of issues and you are most welcome to come and take a look at the titles we have and make suggestions to add more! This week, we feature the Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg Books that we have in the parent library section. In particular, Real Wired Child. Carr-Gregg discusses internet safety, has advice for how to minimise risks without limiting your child’s access to quality digital and online learning tools for toddlers through to teenagers. Feel free to come and take a look at this title and many more. We would love to start conversations about the challenges of parenting we’re all facing, and how we as a community can respond and respect each other as we go.

PROCEDURES FOR…….

UPDATING PARENT/CARER CONTACT DETAILS

Please ensure our office have your correct contact details – telephone numbers (for us to contact you – particularly important in the case of an emergency with your child), and email address (for invoices, newsletter, etc). Please also ensure that your child/ren’s emergency contacts are up to date.

ADMINSTERING MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

If your child requires staff to administer medication at school, please contact the school office in the first instance to discuss your child’s requirements.

Please note, school staff will only administer medication that:

• has been prescribed by a qualified health practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist)
• is in its original container
• has an attached pharmacy label. Pharmacy label must show prescribing doctor’s name.

Office staff will ask you to complete and sign Section 1 of the Administration of medication at school record sheet.

School staff are bound by these regulations and we hope that all parents will acknowledge and cooperate with these rules.

HEAD LICE

The presence of head lice is a very common childhood occurrence in the community. The primary responsibility for the management and treatment of head lice in students belongs with parents.

As a school we notify parents via a letter if a parent has reported to the school that their child has head lice. This letter is sent to all the students in the class.

Students who are suspected of having head lice or eggs present in their hair are not excluded from class or school. However, if notified by the school, a parent may choose to remove their child from school to administer immediate treatment to their child.

REGULAR ATTENDANCE

EVERY DAY COUNTS – the message is the same in 2020. The simple fact is, the more regularly your child attends school, the more they learn. Aside from illness and bereavement, for example, attendance is expected every day. Keep an eye out on Facebook for regular videos from Education Queensland. If for any reason your child will be absent from school, please ring our 24/7 absentee line on 54 808 260 prior to 8.45am.

STAFF MEETING DAY - TUESDAY

Parents, please be advised that on Tuesday afternoon I request that all teaching staff attend a meeting which starts at 3:00pm. Staff will leave their rooms quickly once the bell rings to signal the end of the day. If you have anything urgent to discuss with your child’s teacher please leave a message at the office for that teacher

UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS

Clothing. Clothing should fit neatly and be sun safe. It must be suitable for full participation in all curriculum areas and the playground. It should not be inappropriate.

Hair. Hair should be clean, tidy (brushed or combed) with no extreme colours (natural colours) and tied back if below the collar. Fringes must not interfere with a student’s vision at any time.

Jewellery. Students may wear one set of stud or sleeper earrings and a watch. All other jewellery is considered to be a danger to the child’s safety and must be left at home. Students will be reminded to remove unauthorised jewellery worn to school.

Uniforms are available for purchase from the Tuckshop.

DATE CLAIMERS

P.E - TERM 1

SWIMMING

Hello to all new and returning families for 2022. PE swimming lessons started this week and will run through until the Easter holidays. Classroom teachers have handed out swimming notes. If you have not yet done so, please have them signed and returned to your child’s classroom teacher as soon as possible. As we will miss out on a few of our swimming weeks due to the later start to the school year, some lucky classes will get to swim twice per week this term.

Swimming times are as follows:

As always, students will need: Togs, swim shirt, swim cap, towel, bag for wet clothes and no earrings/jewellery. Sunscreen is provided. Please clearly label your child’s swimming gear and uniform with their name to prevent change room mix-ups. We do have spare swimmers in case a student forgets their own, however, spare swimming caps are few and far between and failure to bring their own swimming cap may mean your child doesn’t swim. Please make sure your child has their own swimming cap each week.

As always, parental assistance during lessons is a huge help for us and means your child gets more time in the water. We mostly require assistance for the preps and year 1 students so please feel free to come down and get wet if you have a child in these year levels and are free on their swimming day. Please also be aware that volunteers must be able to show proof of vaccination and have completed the mandatory training forms that are available in the office.

DISTRICT SPORT TRIALS

Students turning 11 and 12 in 2022 are eligible to trial for district sports. (sometimes students turning 10 are also eligible pending sport and ability). I have attached the trials calendar. If your child currently plays any of the sports available and is of a VERY high ability, please encourage them to come and see me for a permission note to trial for their sport. (must already play the sport – these are rep trials not come and try days) I will also put a copy of this calendar in year 4-6 classrooms for your student’s information and speak to them about it in PE lessons.

Unfortunately, regional sport has decided not to run the district swimming trials as we usually would (Covid). The regional swimming carnival will still go ahead at this stage; however, students will need to provide their swimming times to be compared against regional standards to be eligible. I will speak to the students who will need to provide times ASAP once school returns.

PROPOSED DATES FOR 2022 SPORTS CARNIVALS

Proposed dates for Pomona State School sport carnivals for 2022 are:

Pomona Cross Country – Wednesday the 4th of May (Week 3 of term 2).

Pomona Athletics Carnival– Tuesday the 14th of June (9-12 year old only) & Wednesday the 15th of June (Whole school) (Week 9 of term 2).

Pomona Swimming Carnival –Tuesday the 15th of November (5-8 year olds) and Wednesday the 16th of November (9-12 year olds) – (Week 7 of Term 4).

Please keep in mind these are draft dates at this stage and will be confirmed closer to the events.

Mr. Byrne – HPE

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB

Issue 2 of Scholastic Book Club has been distributed and should have come home with your children last week. If you did not receive one, please have your children ask their teacher for another one. Orders for this issue are due in by Thursday 17th March. This Issue is filled with lots of great bargains and books for every taste and age. Encouraging your children to choose a book from Book Club is a great way to inspire them to take an interest in books and read regularly. Ordering is easy and below is a link to a parent guide which will help you order online. Alternatively, you can fill in the form on the back of the catalogue and send it along to the school office with cash.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require more information on Scholastic Book Club.

Sandy Nicholson
Library Aide

JOIN THE P&C VIDEO MEETING IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME!

Our first P&C meeting for 2022 is on this week, here are the details -

When: This Thursday 10th March at 3.30pm in the school library.

Should you not be able to attend in person, but would like to be a part of the meeting, please join us on Zoom. It is very simple and you can join in from the comfort of your own home. Below are the Zoom details.

Where: Link in via Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 470 864 6594

Attending the P&C meeting to sign up as a member, is a great way to get involved in the school community, learn more about the programs that are being run in the school for students and to hear a detailed report each month direct from the Principal, Alyson Covey.

The school needs volunteers to help run fundraising events. Whether you can help a little or a lot makes a big difference as funds raised contribute to the school's essential services and a safe, fun, nurturing environment for our children. Come along to see if there are any small jobs that might suit you to help out.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is also coming up, so if you're interested in being more involved in the school this Thursday would be a great opportunity to find out more about the P&C Executive Committee Roles.

Many thanks and we look forward to your involvement.

Pomona State School P&C Committee 2021/2022

CAMP AUSTRALIA

LANDCARE

Please join us for our upcoming workshop:

Landcare Australia Bushfire Recovery Community Planting Day and Education walk- Cooloothin Creek

When: 8:00 AM, 12 Mar 2022

Where: Cooloothin Creek

Landcare Australia Bushfire Recovery Community Planting Day and Education Walk- Cooloothin Creek

Please join Noosa and District Landcare at Cooloothin Creek for a walk and talk to learn about the habitat values and rehabilitation works that are being completed by Noosa Landcare as part of the Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grants. The morning will include a walk and talk and planting of native tube stock.

Wear enclosed shoes and long-sleeved clothing. Bring hat, sunscreen and water.

Tools and equipment will be provided.

Meet at the end of Riverpark Drive, Ringtial Creek. Look out for the Landcare flag for meeting location.

These works have been supported by the Australian Government's Bushfire Recovery Program for wildlife and their habitat.

*Each attendee must have a booking. If your membership is for example, Allan & Anne Smith, you must make a booking and add the other person as a guest. This allows us to monitor the attendee numbers correctly under the covid regulations.

Your booking is complete when you receive a confirmation email.

Will you be attending?

Register   Not attending

Kind regards,

Jaymie Suares
Administration Assistant
Noosa & District Landcare

Ph: (07) 5485 2468
PO Box 278, Pomona Qld 4568
Station Street, Pomona

office@noosalandcare.org
www.noosalandcare.org