31 January 2023

Newsletter Articles

MESSAGES FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM

Welcome Back

We had hearts full of joy to welcome everyone back this term! The sun was shining, and smiles were big as everyone returned with stories of holidays spent with family and friends. It was wonderful to see everyone wearing uniforms with pride and enquiring after each other, as well as asking teachers and staff about how they spent their break. We were all reminded of how lucky we are to be part of this learning community that shows genuine care and concern for each other.

Welcome to our new students and families who have joined the Pomona School family this year. We also welcome new staff to our school:

Tammy Milligan – Business Manager
Leesa Vacher – Head of Curriculum
Joel Grimish – ARTS Teacher
Chris Bartley – Year 4/5 Classroom Teacher
Naomi Norman – 1LS Classroom Teacher (Team teaching with Leslie Saunders)

Thank you to all of the staff and families of Pomona for such as warm welcome to my first week here. My name is Tammy Milligan, over the years, I have relieved in various roles in school offices, as well as in private businesses. I look forward to working here at Pomona State School. It is a beautiful school, set amongst some idyllic countryside.

I am so lucky to be joining the Pomona SS team this year. My name is Leesa Vacher (Ms Vacher) and I am the new “Head of Department – Curriculum”. I am currently based in Mrs Harch’s office and ever so slowly learning everyone’s names. I am in my 19th year of education and have shared some wonderful experiences. My previous position was with our regional office as a Principal advisor for teaching and learning. While I enjoyed the role, I missed being a part of a school. I have been warmly welcomed here at Pomona and am looking forward to working with your children and their teachers. 2023 is promising to be a great year!

Absences

Don’t forget to get in touch with us to let us know if your child will be away from school for any reason. Leave us a message on the absence line and we will ensure your child’s attendance record is updated without having to call you to check in to ensure all is well.

Being On-Time for School

Being on-time and ready to learn each day is critical to make the most of the amazing learning opportunities we offer each day. It also helps to model time management, organisation skills and honours the importance of learning and school for your little ones.

Being late on a regular basis can really add up in a surprising way! We may not notice five or ten minutes each day, but across the course of the year, this can impact learning and your child’s ability to settle in, connect with their friends, and feel ready for their day. Not only are there the minutes lost whilst not here, there is more time lost while someone who is late, settles in for the day and orients themselves for what comes next, whilst the rest of the class moves on with their learning.

ADMINSTERING MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

If your child requires staff to administer medication to your child 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.

REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS AT RISK OF ANAPHYLAXIS

If your child is at risk of anaphylaxis, it is important for you to provide the school with your child’s emergency medication and their ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan, completed by your doctor. This Anaphylaxis Action Plan provides the instructions for the school to administer your child’s medication in an emergency, which is specific to respond to their health condition.

If you have any concerns about your child’s health condition, please contact the school.

REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS AT RISK OF ASTHMA

If your child has asthma and requires assistance to administer their medication, it is important for you to provide the school with your child’s emergency medication and their Asthma Action Plan, completed by your doctor. An Asthma Action Plan provides specific instructions for the school to administer your child’s medication.

We recognise that some students are capable of managing their asthma without adult assistance. If you are confident that your child can confidently, competently and safely self-administer their asthma medication, let the school administration know. The school will record your decision. Please note that if your child requires assistance in an asthma emergency, staff will provide Asthma First Aid.

If you have any concerns about your child’s asthma, please contact the school.

Uniform Expectations

As we welcome our students to an exciting new school year, these first few weeks are also critical for ensuring that our high expectations in work, behaviour and uniform are conveyed to all students consistently. Uniforms are available for purchase from the tuckshop via the Qrk app. A new addition to the uniform is girls’ shorts, available in sizes 12, 14 & 16. These are shorter in the leg length and offer a different shape/style to the unisex shorts.

A big thank you to all of our parents for your wonderful support in this area.

School Resource Scheme

Students will have received a School Resource Scheme (SRS) letter. Please complete this letter and return to the office or your child’s class teacher. Invoices will be sent shortly for payment. In 2023 the SRS is $80, this can be paid in one payment or spilt over 3 payments.

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club will be running again this year on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning before school. All students are welcome to come along to breakfast club. Toast, fruit and Milo will be available for students, served from the kitchen area at the hall. Food items are kindly donated by Waves of Kindness and the students are served breakfast by a group of dedicated community volunteers. Wayne, our Schools Officer extraordinaire has been coordinating breakfast club with the volunteers and Waves of Kindness for the past year as Chappy Paulette had retired from her Chaplaincy role at our school.

Chappy

Chappy Paulette retired from our school Chaplaincy role in 2022 and we have been on a lengthy recruitment led by Scripture Union to find a new Chappy for our school. In early December 2022 the search was finally over. Chappy William Fratter has been successful in becoming our new school Chaplain. Chappy has been busy over the Christmas break completing his induction with Scripture Union and has now joined our school.

For Term 1 Chappy Will is at our school from 9am – 2pm Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Students and families can find Chappy Will in the Library.

Upcoming Events

Leadership Induction – Week 4

On Monday 13th February our 2023 Leaders will have their leadership induction at the Whole School parade commencing at 2:15pm. This will be our first whole school parade for the year.

Year 5 & 6 Surf Awareness Program

Students in Year 5 and 6 we will be attending Noosa Surf Club as part of our annual Surf Awareness Program. The program will run for FOUR lessons – FRIDAY 17 and 24 FEBRUARY, FRIDAY 3 and 10 MARCH. Using qualified surf lifeguards, the aim of the program is to give students the skills to be able to approach a beach with confidence and understand surf conditions. Students will be involved in beach and board activities. Information and consent forms will be coming home shortly with all students in years 5 and 6.

Meet the Teacher

Each of our class teachers will be offering a Meet the Teacher session in the coming weeks. This is a great time to connect with your child’s class teacher, find out what students will be learning in Term 1, procedures and expectations for the classroom and when specialist lessons are occurring.

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.

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&C NEWS

Welcome back! We hope everyone had a great summer holiday.

Next meeting:

Thursday 9th Feb at 3.30pm in the School Library

We look forward to seeing new and existing members!

TUCKSHOP

Volunteers needed for Wednesday and Friday mornings between 8.30am - 11am.

Please let Sherryl and Tina in the Tuckshop know if you can assist in anyway.

P.E - TERM 1

Hello to all new and returning families for 2023. PE swimming lessons start in week 3 of term 1 and run through until Easter holidays. Classroom teachers will hand out swimming notes on the first day of school. Please have them signed and returned to your child’s classroom teacher by the end of week 2.

Swimming times are currently as follows:

As always, students will need: Togs, swim shirt, swim cap, towel, bag for wet clothes and no earrings or 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 complete the mandatory training forms that are available in the office.

Students turning 11 and 12 in 2023 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. (they must already play the sport – these are rep trials) 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.

Proposed dates for Pomona State School sport carnivals for 2023 are:

Cross Country – Tuesday the 2nd of May (Week 3 of term 2).

Athletics Carnival– Tuesday the 13th of June (9-12 year old only) & Wednesday the 14th of June (Whole school) (Week 9 of term 2).

Pomona Swimming Carnival –Tuesday the 14th of November (5-8 year olds) and Wednesday the 15th 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

NOOSA DISTRICT SCHOOL SPORT TRIALS CALENDAR 2023

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB

The best gift any parent can give a child is the love of books and the joy and benefits of independent reading for fun. Children who read at home, or are read to, have a head start on reading success in school. As in previous years, our school will be participating in Scholastic Book Club this year. Up to twice a term, during the school year, I will send home the Book Club catalogue with a different selection of books offered for all ages. You’ll find award-winning books and bestsellers, as well as old and new favourites. I recommend them because the books span a wide range of children’s reading levels and interests and are inexpensive (some books cost as little as $3).

It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school and the books will be delivered to class. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/loop or by using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. There is also the option of paying by cash. An order form, which is on the back page of the catalogue, can be dropped into the school office in an envelope, along with the cash payment.

There is also the option of purchasing books as gifts, details of which are below.

Owning your own books is something special! I hope that you will encourage your child to order books this year. Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classroom, however there is never any obligation to order. I know of no better way to encourage reading than to allow children to choose the books they want to read.

Sandy Nicholson
Library Aide

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS WITH CATHOLIC CHILDREN REGARDING THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION IN 2023

Dear friends,

Preparation for the sacrament of Reconciliation will begin with a Parent Meeting on 15th February.

Children in Year 5 and above who have received Confirmation and Communion will be given opportunity to receive the sacrament in March.

To enrol your child for Reconciliation please contact the parish office and we will send you an enrolment form. Please note that an enrolment form must be completed for each sacrament a child receives.

CONTACT DETAILS
Phone: 5447 1188
email: admin.ndcp@bne.catholic.net.au

AT THIS TIME WE ARE SEEKING ENROLMENTS FOR RECONCILIATION ONLY. ENROLMENT FORMS MUST BE RETURNED BY 9TH FEBRUARY 2023.

Kind regards,
Fr Jason Middleton, Parish Priest

DEMONS AFL SIGN-ON AND INFORMATION DAY