Volume 12 - 6 August 2021

From the Principal

“Fall seven times and stand up eight.”

 – Japanese Proverb

At Leichhardt State School, we value Perseverance as one of the key virtues you need to succeed. The Japanese proverb states this beautifully – it does not matter how many times you fall, make sure that you keeping getting back up!

This week of lockdown has hit everyone hard: families, schools and our society. However, it seems that things are improving and I hope that our students will be back with us from Monday. I will have more information about what next week will look like on Sunday and will communicate that information with you. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always email us via admin@leichhardtss.eq.edu.au.

As I have shared with you earlier in the year, the Education Improvement Branch completed the Leichhardt State School review in Term 1 2020. The school worked very hard on meeting the targets around improving students’ reading levels and our school culture over the last year and a half. We have now met all the targets we set out to achieve: our reading data is improving consistently and our school culture has improved immensely.

The Regional Positive Behaviour for Learning team facilitated a process where Leichhardt State School staff were asked about their views on how well the positive culture is encouraged at school on a daily basis. Our staff were very positive about our students’ behaviour and the respect they are showing to their teachers and teacher aides. Our behaviour data is improving, especially the suspensions data – we had over 100 suspensions in 2020 and just 9 in 2021. This improvement is the product of the great work we do with our students and parents. This data shows that as long as we care and listen to each other, we can do anything. Thank you.

Please stay safe and well! Look after yourselves and your loved ones! We’re in this together!

From the Business Mangager

Covid19 and attendance

This has certainly been a week full of challenges for all South East Queenslanders and in our own community we have faced challenges of our own.

My mum always taught me that within a negative, there is always something positive; usually in the form of a lesson that can be learned, or a realisation to be found. Covid19 has shown us that strength, resilience, empathy and community spirit are all very strong within Leichhardt.

I would like to give a special thanks to the non teaching staff at Leichhardt State School. They have worked tirelessly this week to ensure that well-being calls are made; that students attending school are taken care of; that all of your calls to the school are answered, that attendance data is monitored, and that our grounds are clean, sanitised and tidy.

It has been a huge schoolwide effort and we are so proud of the way our school community has responded to the recent lockdown and Learning @ Home plans. 

If you have any positive feedback or messages that you would like to send to our staff, please email them to me at bm@leichhardtss.eq.edu.au

I would be honoured to pass messages on to our staff on your behalf.

Camp payments

We have had a great response with many Year 6 camp payments flooding in. 

A friendly reminder to Year 6 parents and caregivers that all payments for camp are due by the last day of this term, Friday September 17th.

From the HOSES

Change can be quite challenging in many different ways for people with disabilities. The changes that occur during remote learning combined with the uncertainty of a virus in the community can have a very big impact on all of us.

Our students rely on the routines of school, the ongoing adjustments that are constantly made and the focused support that is available, in order to manage their day and be successful learners. When all of these things are changed at once, it can be very unsettling. We need to keep in mind that the most important thing to focus on is wellbeing. Our children need to feel safe and protected. Some children will need to have strict routines followed at home to make them feel safe, while others will not cope with this. As long as we focus on the wellbeing of our children during remote learning they will continue to learn through the experiences they have at home each day.

If engaging with the school work you have been provided is too much for your child, choose to do some different activities with them;

• Cooking
• Board games
• Craft
• Building fortes
• Lego
• Puzzles
• Gardening
• Sorting
• Make your own playdough and create different creatures with it
• Physical activity and outdoor games

All of these activities involve learning in different forms and allow children and adults to interact positively, have some fun and strengthen relationships.

While it is important to take time to recognise and acknowledge what is happening and how this is making everyone feel we need to make sure that our children are not overexposed to the constant news, updates and pandemic talk. In times of change and hardship it is easy to become overwhelmed by the negative things that we face. You can take some control over this situation by recognising positives, talking about the good things and find ways to have fun.

Some helpful websites are:

Beyond Blue

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Smiling Minds

https://www.smilingmind.com.au/

From the Guidence Officer

Parents and children both have to look after their wellbeing during this learning at home time. Here are some ways to do this. Please contact the school or your GP if self-care isn’t enough and you need more help. We may be able to apply to Family and Child Connect to get you additional support.

Reading @ Leichhardt

Reading is everywhere.  Reading is everyone’s business.

Throughout this week we have loaded on facebook photos of our ‘learning@school’ students reading in their favourite spot at school. If your child has media permission, we would love for you to send in a photo of your child reading in their favourite spot at home so we can share this with the school community.  Please send in photos to Mrs Finlay at the following email address:  efinl9@eq.edu.au.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Only 21 days to go until the end of the Premier’s Reading Challenge!  I hope your child has been reading every day at home and recording their reading on the Premier’s Reading Challenge form.  If your child does not have a form, please let Mrs Finlay (Head of Department:  Reading  efinl9@eq.edu.au)  know and she will organise for one to be sent out to you.  Once your child completes the challenge, and if they have media/facebook permission, please send in a photo (to the above email address) of them with their reading record form.  We would love to share this achievement on facebook.

Reading Eggs Awards for July

Well done Leichhardt students on your great engagement with Reading Eggs in July!  Below are the students with media permission who have received an award.  Please note that students will receive their awards on return to school.

The student who read the most books from the Reading Eggs library in July was Lilly from 5A!

The student who completed the most lessons on Reading Eggs was Micah from 1A!

The student who completed the most lessons on Reading Eggspress was Kirra-Jane from 4B!

The award for classes engaging the most with Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress lessons go to…..

The following students are congratulated for their efforts in achieving GOLD READING EGGS AWARDS!

Please encourage your child to engage with Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress.   Remember, at the end of this month we will be celebrating the August Reading Eggs Awards!

Win A Visit From An Author!

If your child has 5 books that they absolutely love and can tell you why, they can enter in the ‘Win A Visit From An Author’ competition.  There is only 21 days to go until this competition ends!  If your child would like to enter, simply email or phone Mrs Finlay (Head of Department: Reading efinl9@eq.edu.au  3813 3222) with the 5 titles of the books they love and a sentence about why they enjoy each of the books.   

PBL News

Positive Behaviour for Learning

At Leichhardt State School we like to focus on positivity to encourage learning and wellbeing.  Our students learn about our values and expectations daily during connect time in their classes.  Teaching children these values and expectations are very important particularly through these uncertain times.

Values:   Gratitude, Respect, Teamwork and Perseverance. 

Expectations: We are kind, we are safe, we are learners.

This week we will focus on the value gratitude and expectation we are kind.

Gratitude and showing kindness are a powerful and an important lesson to teach children. Evidence shows that being grateful boosts our ability to learn and make good decisions. Positive emotions balance out negative emotions. People who often feel grateful and appreciative are happier, less stressed, and less depressed. Gratitude is like a U-turn on complaining or thinking about what we don't have.  Everyone can benefit from trying to practice gratitude every day.

An easy way you can start feeling more grateful, and appreciative of the good things in your life:

• Notice good things, look for them, appreciate them.
• Savour, absorb and really pay attention to those good things.

An attitude of gratitude is a positive way of looking at life. Gratitude can increase our children's happiness, teach them to be more empathetic, and help them to be more thankful for everything they have. A fun activity for children of any age is to create a gratitude journal. Gratitude journaling is an authentic writing opportunity that also helps children academically with handwriting, spelling, and sentence structure.

Here are some tips how to start this:

• Pick a Journal. Before your kids start a gratitude journal, they'll need to have an actual journal, exercise book, or notebook to write in.
• Give them a sentence starter. E.g. Today I am grateful for…. Today I appreciated….
• Incorporate journal writing in to your kids' routines.
• Have your kids think about what they're thankful for.

It is also important, as adults, we are modelling gratitude. Some phrases we could use:

• I am grateful for your help.
• I appreciate you.
• I appreciate you taking the time to do that for me.
• I value your thoughts.
• I wanted to thank you for….
• I truly appreciate what you have done today.

Thank you for your hard work supporting our children during these uncertain times.  We appreciate the positive engagement that has been made with the school.

Joy Anforth

Head of Positive Behaviour for Learning

STEAM News

STEAM News at Leichhardt

This term, for science, our students in Year 5 have begun learning about the Solar System. The students investigated  which direction the Earth spins on its axis and orbits the Sun.  They also learnt about how our First Nations peoples use astrology for direction, hunting and traditional stories. Our Year 6 students have been researching different forms of energy and describing how energy is transformed or transferred in an electrical circuit.

In Arts the students have continued their Dance lessons, students have been looking at the elements of dance, the dance of different cultures, learning a group dance and creating their own dances.

Last week in Dance, students have been looking at some of the elements of dance, in particular the different levels that dancers use to make their performances more interesting. They have watched performances and identified the different elements.   Some classes have also been looking at dances from around the world.

For Technology in Year 5 and 6, the students have started their Oz Harvest food technology lessons. They prepared a delicious fruit salad with Greek yoghurt.

From Student Services

Help Us To Keep Your Information Up-To-Date

Staff from Student Services are currently contacting parents to update our OneSchool records for all students.

If we have not already contacted you, we will, over the coming days, either by phone or email. Alternatively, if you have been meaning to update any information on your child’s One School record, please contact Nic at ncurw1@eq.edu.au

It is very important that we have current medical details and emergency contacts for our students. This enables us to best care for every student, every day.

Keeping Everyone Well During Covid

During these times of uncertainty, it is important for us all to support one another as best we can.

Our school is here to support you and your child as much as possible during this and any period of lockdown.

To assist our school community in accessing support and knowledge around Covid, I have included below some useful information and links to Government websites.

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19 

This website contains factual information around hotspots, testing, contact tracing, etc.

https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/covid-19-family-information/

This website provides information specifically for young families. There are several resources you can share with your children.

If you are having trouble accessing the internet I have taken a couple of important pieces of information from the websites above that may be useful to us all in the school community.

What should I do if my child develops symptoms of COVID-19?

If your child develops any COVID-19 symptoms, particularly fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, they should be tested.

Children may also experience other symptoms, such as runny nose, headache, loss of smell, loss of taste, nausea or vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, diarrhoea or a loss of appetite. Symptoms can vary depending on each case.

If your child has any symptoms, you can visit your nearest COVID-19 testing centre or ‘fever clinic’.

If you are unsure, or if your child has a sudden onset of any COVID-19 symptoms, you should contact your local doctor or
call 134 COVID (134 268) for health advice.

You should also keep your child isolated until their symptoms have cleared up.

If you think they need to see a doctor, you should go to the GP or local emergency department. Remember to phone ahead so the practice or emergency department can make appropriate safety preparations and protect other patients.

It’s important that you don’t delay taking your child to hospital if they are sick.

Local Testing Information

If you or a household member requires a Covid test, local testing places in Ipswich are:

• 4Cyte - Ipswich

              Address: 15 Burley Griffin Dr, Ipswich, 4305

• 4Cyte – Ipswich

              Address: 60 South Street, Ipswich 4305

• Ipswich Hospital Fever Clinic (Court Street)

              Address: Court Street Ipswich

• Booval - Pathology service: Sullivan Nicolaides

              Address: 18 South Station Rd, Booval,

• Kambu Respiratory Clinic

              Address: 3, 160 Brisbane Rd, Booval, 4304

Alternatively, your GP, 13 Health or 13 Covid can provide you with up-to-date information on other testing centres.

Can my child return to school after a Covid test?

Children who have been tested because they have fever or respiratory symptoms should stay at home and only return to school after a negative test result has been received and they are feeling well and symptom free.

If your child has been tested because they are a close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 you should continue to keep them isolated for 14 days even if they have a negative test result. You must follow instructions given to you by the public health unit.

Do I need a referral for a Covid test?

Due to increased demand, private testing and respiratory clinics will not require a GP referral until midnight Friday 6 August 2021.

How can I help prevent my child getting COVID-19?

Physical distancing, good hand and respiratory hygiene are the most effective preventative weapons we have in the battle against COVID-19.

Teach your children to:

• Wash their hands with soap and water often and thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) to prevent viruses entering their body. This includes after being out in public, before eating, and after going to the toilet.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow (and wash their hands, and put the tissue in the bin afterwards).
• Try not to touch their face.
• Try to stay at least 1.5 metres away from people who are coughing or sneezing. (Even if they don’t have COVID-19, they might have germs you don’t want any way!)

Don’t let fear put your child’s health at risk

If your child is feeling unwell and you think they need to be seen by a doctor, especially in an emergency, there is no need to be concerned about the risk of them picking up COVID-19 in a hospital, practice or other healthcare facility. Strict infection control measures (including personal protective equipment like masks and gowns, intensive cleaning routines and isolation procedures) are in place to protect everyone – children, families and staff. If your child requires urgent care or has an important procedure or treatment due, do not delay bringing them to hospital. Similarly, if your child is on prescribed medication as part of their treatment or homecare, it is important that they continue taking their medication.

Be assured, the paediatric medical community is working tirelessly to ensure that all children with acute and/or chronic conditions are treated effectively and safely.

Other Important Phone Numbers

Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14

Parent HelpLine: 1300 30 1300

Ipswich Hospital: 3810 1111

13 Health (13 43 25 84)

13 Covid (13 42 68)

Finally, please remember Student’s must not attend school if they have any Covid like symptoms and if you or anyone in your household have any symptoms, Get Tested and stay at home.

Nic Curwen (Ms C)

Student Services

Community News

Covid-19 has reminded us all just how fast life can be turned upside down. One day our children are going to school, the next we are home-schooling them. One person continues to go to work, whilst another has to work from home, whilst fighting for internet bandwidth to make their zoom meetings. For those of us that like structure, life right now can seem chaotic and challenging. And for those that like some peace and quiet whilst the kids are at school (however brief it may be), our sanity is challenged time and time again. So what can we do?

Planning our day can be helpful. We know that children have the most energy in the mornings, so maybe take them for a walk around the block. Get them to look up into the trees and describe to you what they can see. A quick game of eye-spy helps them to focus on the world around them, or make a game of scavenger hunt where they can turn their collection into a piece of artwork at home. After lunch can be allocated some quiet time to read a book, have a nap, or play a game. And of course, help them to get their schoolwork done as well.

Plans can be great, but sometimes even the best plans go astray. During this lockdown, try to be flexible. Children will take their lead from us, so if we stress, they will too. And if you are stressed, there are places to find help, such as Lifeline, the Salvos, and even your children's teachers. It is not a sign of failure to ask for help...in fact, it will help your children to know that it is ok to tell others when we need assistance. And that is one of the greatest lessons we can teach our children.

Pastor Rob.

From Play and Learn Discovery Playgroup

The play & learn discovery group had it’s first session in the school library last Friday & it is a wonderful space to have the group.  The children enjoyed reading books from the shelves, playing in the tepee & the toys as well.  We went outside & played in the sandpit, painted some boxes so we can construct our own dinosaur & played with playdough.

Seeing we are in lockdown, there is no playgroup this week.  However, I have delivered come craft resources to families for them to use while we cannot be together.  I look forward to seeing what creations they come up with.

In the meantime, look after yourselves, stay safe & hopefully we will see each other again soon.