Volume 9- 11th June 2021
From the Principal
A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.
Gratitude is one of the four school values at Leichhardt State School. The idea behind it emphasises our belief in the power of positive thinking about what we have in life and what we are able to achieve. Our educators aspire to provide world-class education to our students and teach them about the power of being grateful for the things we have. When we are grateful, we are positive in our thoughts and deeds.
As principal, I am grateful for the opportunity to work at Leichhardt and make a positive difference to how our students perceive schooling at such an important stage in their lives. As a mother, I am grateful that my children are happy, healthy and have developed a love of learning.
As you read this newsletter, I encourage you to think about what you are grateful for today and every day. Ask and encourage your children to tell you what they are grateful for every day. In this way, you are teaching them to focus on the positives and dream big dreams for the future.
One of our big dreams came true on Tuesday this week, when Leichhardt State School hosted a very successful Readers Cup. This was the first time the Readers Cup was held at our school and organisers are planning to come back in 2022! Mrs Finaly’s organisation and preparation of students for the competition was exceptional and she is already planning bigger and better things for next year! Remember that Reading is everywhere! and Reading is everyone’s business!
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been reflecting on our Senior School students’ progress and have been impressed with the maturity with which our students have engaged with multiple specialist teachers. We look forward to collecting and analysing the data at the end of semester to see what the students did really well, and where they still need more support. It is through this constant reflection and analysis that we are able to continue to make improvements in all areas of school life.
This week, we made a decision to close the grassed area as a pick-up and drop-off zone. This decision was made due to the concerns for student safety. More information is in the newsletter; however, I just wanted to say a big thank you for your support. We had no issues stemming from implementing the changes and we all feel much better knowing that our students will be safe walking through that area on the way to the gates.
On Wednesday, I visited The Ipswich State High to explore ways for working together to provide the best learning opportunities for our students. Once these plans have been finalised, I will share more information with you. In the meantime, the high school has sent enrolment packs for all parents who are interested in enrolling their children there in 2022. Please see our staff at Administration Office if you wish to collect an enrolment pack.
The Positive Behaviour for Learning is becoming a key part of our culture, with more and more of our children meeting the expectations of Be Kind, Be Safe, Be a Learner. This week’s Gotcha winners are:
Cody, Nitalia, Austin, Colton, Chace, Melicia, Kaiden, Aussieas
From the Deputy Principal – Mrs Tracey Phillipps-Lewis
Upcoming Events
We have some exciting things happening during the remainder of the term including:
- 15th June - Junior (Prep – Year 2) Athletics Carnival
- 17th June - Senior (Years 3 – 6) Athletics Carnival
- 18th June - Parent Teacher Interview bookings open
- 23rd June - Reports emailed home
- 25th June - Mind Body Day
Absences
Attending school every day matters!
Parents have a responsibility to ensure their child attends school every day. As you are aware, notes have been sent home regarding student unexplained absences. These notes will go home twice a term to ensure our records are accurate.
When your child is absent, you must inform the school as soon as possible stating the reason and expected duration of the absence. Absences relating to birthdays, shopping, refusing to attend school, visiting friends are all classed as unauthorised absences and, as such, are considered approved absences.
If your child is persistently unwell, it is recommended that you provide a medical certificate.
If you are having difficulty getting your child to school, please contact the office and let them know of the situation and a member of the Leadership Team will be in touch.
Reporting
This term we will be providing you with a report on your child’s progress for Semester 1. Your child will be given an achievement level and an effort level for the subjects that they have been taught over the last six months. Your child will also receive a behaviour mark and a behaviour comment; however, there will be no overall comment provided as agreed with the P & C. To find out more details about how your child has been going at school, there will be an opportunity to meet with teachers on Tuesday 20th July, Week 2, Term 3.
Reports will be emailed by 3:30pm on Wednesday 23rd June 2021. Parents who have not provided an email address will be mailed reports. If you require a hard copy of your child’s report in addition to the email, please email the school on admin@leichhardtss.eq.edu.au.
Parent Teacher Interviews
On Tuesday the 20th July, school will finish at 1:15pm to allow for Parent Teacher Interviews from 1:30pm until 4:30pm in the Hall. Interview bookings will be for 6 minutes to discuss your child’s progress.
Bookings for interviews will be available from Friday 18th June through SOBS. More information will be emailed to parents prior to this. The link to SOBS will also be posted on SchoolStream and on our school website.
Parents of students in Year 5 and 6 will need to book interviews for individual subjects and the different teachers.
From The Business Manager- Ms Laura Kelly
Thank you to the Ipswich City Council
I would like to extend a very big thank you to the Ipswich City Council who have awarded us two separate grants through an extensive application process.
The grants that we have secured are:
The Major Funding Grant- This will be used to implement our much anticipated LED sign project “Community Through Communication”; and
The Environmental Sustainability Grant- This will be used towards building our new garden project “Growing Goodness- Gardening For Student Well-being”. This project will consist of garden beds containing fruits, vegetables and bush tucker plants for students to enjoy growing!
Last week, Miss Kelsie and I were invited by the council to pick up some stationery and educational items from a section of the Ipswich Library that has now been closed. We were lucky enough to attain some fantastic items for our school and we are so very grateful to the Council for their support. The looks on children’s faces were priceless when they saw new headphones, small robots and mats to sit on!
Carpark
Due to ongoing safety concerns for our students, it has been decided that the grassed area, in which we have been allowing parent parking, will now be closed indefinitely. This will be effective immediately.
Parking is available on Larsen Street.
Families are welcome to enter the area through the Samford Rd gate by foot to access the school grounds.
Parking in the grassed area will now only be available to our staff and active P&C members.
We thank you for your understanding.
Reading @ Leichhardt
Reading is everywhere. Reading is everyone’s business.
It has been another huge week of reading success at Leichhardt State School.
At Monday’s Assembly, Elyssia from 2B, shared her love of reading with the audience as she read, ‘Old Macdonald Had A Farm’. Students were not expecting the interesting twist at the end of the story, when a bear joined the farmer’s animals!
From the number of reading awards given out at Monday’s Assembly it was very evident that reading is definitely everywhere at Leichhardt! Chance (Yr 2), Gerard (Yr 2), Jewelistah (Yr 2), Shaunak (Yr 2), Zakk (Prep), Marry-Elizabeth (Yr 1), Ryker (Yr 1), Isabella (Yr 1), Sierra (Yr 1) and Dahlia (Yr 5) all earned certificates for their high engagement with reading eggs.
Special ‘Star Awards’ were presented to Ruby (Yr 3) and Lyllith (Yr 4) who had read the most books on Reading Eggs. A ‘Star Award’ was presented to 2B for reading the most books on Reading Eggs for the month of May.
Students have been working hard learning about the comprehension strategy, Question-Answer Relationship or QAR. In Week 7 a number of classes completed a QAR Quiz and it revealed that we have a number of QAR Legends and Stars at Leichhardt State School. Below are pictured some of our QAR Legends: LJ (Yr 5) and Jaxx (Yr 4). Lilly (Yr 5) also received a QAR Legend certificate.
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Below are pictured two of the QAR Stars: Connor and William from Year 4. Liam, in Year 4, also earned a QAR Star award.
Parents and carers please remember to continue encouraging your students to keep working on the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Below are pictured Skye (Yr 4) and Jahnarrah (Yr 3) with their completed Premier’s Reading Challenge forms. Well done girls! But as shown by Zakiya (Yr 3) and Cody (Yr 3), you can keep reading even if you have finished the record form. Zakiya and Cody have completed multiple Premier’s Reading Challenge record forms and in doing so won the weekly Premier’s Reading Challenge certificate for their class. Well done, boys!
Readers Cup Competition
I would like to acknowledge the amazing work of our Readers Cup students in preparing and competing in Tuesday’s Readers Cup competition. Nineteen teams from the region competed in the Challenge. Both private and public schools were well-represented. While we did not place in the competition, the Leichhardt State School Teams were absolutely brilliant and truly showed the values of teamwork and perseverance. They were also respectful and grateful (two of Leichhardt State School’s other values) for the opportunity to participate in the competition and meet the author, Remy Lai.
The officials were so impressed by our students and the venue that they have asked if Leichhardt State School can host the competition next year. Well done, Leichhardt!
Please note that one team member is not pictured below as he does not have media permission.
Learning @ Leichhardt
1B
With great excitement, we constructed our dinosaur shields this week! We added horns, bony plates, spikes, menacing eyes and lashing tails to prepare ourselves for dinosaur defence. Students have really enjoyed their science unit this term and many have shared their fascinating prior knowledge with their teacher and classmates. We are big dinosaur fans in 1B!
4A
Celebrating Samoan Language Week
4A shared their learning of the Samoan language by counting from one to ten in Samoan with Leichhardt. I am proud to share the Samoan language with students and the community at Leichhardt State School thank you Mrs Bogicevic.
Seeds Grow Grow Grow
4A have had two projects in Science. They have been observing seeds growing and collecting valuable data. They have been enjoying their time watching the journey of their seeds coming to life.
Seed Dispersal Project presentations
They have learnt the many different ways that seeds get transported. This is referred to as Seed Dispersal. Some students started their seed dispersal journey with Mrs Bogicevic in the forest and now presenting on Wind, Humans and Animal Dispersal.
4B
Over the last few weeks 4B students have been learning to 'bump up' their writing. The students have been using the criteria to reflect on examples of work as well as their own writing. They have found using 2 stars (2 things that were done well) and 1 wish (1 thing that could be improved) has helped them to further develop their writing. These photos show the 4B working together to provide feedback about an exemplar text.
Sports
Junior Sports Day (15th of June) and Senior Sports day (17th of June) are both being held next week on our top oval. The students are encouraged to wear their house colours on the day and bring a hat and water bottle. A program for both sports days are attached below. The students have been working very hard on their events during P.E lesson so it would be great to see parents and caregivers come and support their children on the day.
PBL News
This week our focus value has been teamwork and our expectation of the week was being kind. Our students have been learning about working together in a positive manner by understanding ways to encourage and support others. They have practiced this in a number of environments as well as sharing random acts of kindness.
Congratulations to the following classes who have won the 'Leo Attendance' award for week 7.
Junior Winners:
1B - 87.8%
2B - 83.7%
Senior Winners:
6A - 93.7%
4A - 86.7%
Elders Morning tea
Leichhardt State School was proud in hosting an Elders Morning Tea last Wednesday in the Deadly Room. We would like to thank our community Elders for their continuous support and inspiration. Sincere thanks to Kambu Health, Ipswich PCYC and Sharon who all came to show their support and have a yarn with students, staff and the Elders.
We hope to have such gatherings regularly as this is key in supporting a culturally safe environment for our students, and allows us an opportunity to share with the Elders what we have achieved and what we are working on. These events give our staff at school an opportunity to hear our local Elders’ voices and opinions, and continue to work together to Close the Gap.
Thank you, Aunty Marly, for bringing us all together!
P&C Tuckshop
The Tuckshop will be open to parents/ Caregiver with a Special sports day menu. Keep an eye out on the P&C facebook page and schoolstream for the menu to come out.
https://www.facebook.com/LSSpandc/
We welcome all parents and carers to join our schools P&C page to see updates from the P&C and Tuckshop. You don't have to be a member to join the page but we are always keen for more members and volunteers to join the team if you're interested. P&C meetings are held on the last Wednesday of every month at 12.45 in the staff room.
Play & Learn Discovery Group
Hi everyone,
This week at the Play & Learn Discovery group, we are learning about the colour brown by reading The Very Cranky Bear & making bear puppets. We will also have Play dough, the parachute & chalk to play with.
Thursday 17th June – Learning about the colour Grey
Thursday 23rd June – Rainbows. Celebrating all colours including rainbow coloured cup-cakes & fairy bread during morning tea.
When: Every Thursday through the school term
Where: The Deadly room from 9-11am
Who can come: Families of all types with children 0-5 years old.
What happens at the group? The children get to learn & discover new things through play. We sing songs, read stories, play with play dough, make craft, play in the sand pit, paint & so much more.
How much is it? The group is free with morning tea for parents/carers & children included.
If you would like more information, contact Channon Schiemer from Mission Australia on 0475 798 198.
Saver Plus
Saver Plus is a great savings program for families with children at school where savings will be matched each month for 10 months (a maximum of $500). The program can also help with budgeting & managing money. If you would like more information, there are flyers at the office.
