Leichhardt State School eNewsletter

From Our Principal

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families who have enrolled their children over the past few weeks. We are grateful for the privilege to teach your children and help them become the best they can be – academically, socially and emotionally.

Thank you to all our parents who completed the School Opinion Survey. We value your opinions and ongoing support to ensure Leichhardt State School provides the best educational opportunities for our students. As always, please do not hesitate to see me if you have any additional feedback.

Today, we celebrated Bullying No Way Day, with a special assembly and different activities throughout the day. Our students and staff wore orange and enjoyed talking about the power of positive relationships and kindness in our interactions with others.

I will be going on leave on Thursday 24 August for three weeks and I am pleased to inform you that Joy Anforth, Deputy Principal – School Culture, will be replacing me during this time.

Thank you for your support and partnership!

From Our Deputy Principal - School Culture

Mrs Anforth - Deputy Principal - School Culture

Importance of children drinking water

Drinking water is incredibly important for primary students, as well as individuals of all ages, due to its numerous benefits for overall health and well-being. Here are some key reasons why drinking water is crucial for primary students:

Hydration: Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining proper bodily functions. Water helps regulate body temperature, aids digestion, and supports circulation. Proper hydration also helps children stay focused and attentive in school, promoting better learning and cognitive function.
Brain Function: The brain is highly sensitive to dehydration. Even mild dehydration can lead to difficulties in concentration, memory, and cognitive performance. Providing students with access to clean and safe drinking water throughout the day can help improve their ability to learn and retain information.
Physical Performance: Water is vital for maintaining energy levels and supporting physical activity. Proper hydration helps muscles function efficiently and reduces the risk of cramps, fatigue, and heat-related illnesses during physical education classes or playtime.
Digestive Health: Drinking water aids in digestion by facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract and promoting the absorption of nutrients. It also helps prevent constipation, a common issue among children.
Immune System Support: Water plays a role in maintaining a strong immune system. Staying hydrated helps the body flush out toxins and supports the production of immune cells, which helps children fend off illnesses.
Prevention of Headaches and Irritability: Dehydration can lead to headaches, mood swings, and irritability in children. By ensuring that primary students drink enough water, you can help prevent these discomforts and create a more positive learning environment.
Dental Health: Drinking water, especially fluoridated water, helps maintain good oral hygiene by rinsing away food particles and bacteria that can lead to cavities and other dental issues.
Healthy Habits: Encouraging children to develop the habit of drinking water at an early age sets the foundation for a lifetime of healthy hydration practices. This can lead to better long-term health outcomes and reduced risk of chronic diseases related to poor hydration.
Behavior and Attention: Proper hydration can contribute to improved behavior and attention span in the classroom. Children who are adequately hydrated are more likely to be engaged, participate actively, and exhibit fewer disruptive behaviors.
Preventing Overconsumption of Sugary Drinks: Promoting water consumption can help reduce the intake of sugary beverages like sodas and fruit juices, which are high in empty calories and can contribute to obesity and dental problems.

Educating Leichhardt State School students about the importance of drinking water and providing them with convenient access to clean and safe water sources throughout the school day can have a positive impact on their physical health, cognitive function, and overall well-being. Teachers and parents can work together to in still healthy hydration habits and make drinking water a natural part of children's daily routines.

National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence

Growing connections for the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence

On Friday 18 August 2023, Leichhardt State School participated in the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA).

The NDA is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative for schools and provides an opportunity to connect with students, staff and our school community to implement workable solutions to prevent bullying.

The 2023 NDA theme, Growing connections, promotes the importance of school, family and community connections in building safe and supportive learning environments where all students can belong, feel accepted and respected.

Research has shown that strong school connections and positive relationships can help to prevent bullying. When students feel a sense of belonging and connectedness at school, they are more likely to enjoy school, to trust and respect their teachers, and be concerned about and help others (Australian Education Research Organisation 2023).

At Leichhardt State School we will help grow connections by encouraging students to wear orange and participating in lessons promoting inclusiveness, respect and community belonging for all students.

If you have concerns that your child is being bullied, please contact the classroom teacher in the first instance. You will be referred to the Principal if a satisfactory outcome is not achieved. If you believe the behaviour constitutes a crime, or is a serious incident of cyberbullying, please refer to the Bullying. No Way! website for information on how to report to other authorities and accessing wellbeing help.

For more information about the NDA and bullying prevention, visit the Bullying. No Way! website.

From Our Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Mrs Finlay - Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Celebration of Learning @ Leichhardt

Monday’s Week 5 Assembly celebrated students’ achievements in Reading and Maths with the July Reading Eggs and Mathseeds Awards being presented to proud students. Pictured below are just some of the award winners.

Also at Monday’s Week 5 Assembly, Jasper and Mia (Prep) each received a Term 3 Sight Word Goal award for being able to read 52 sight words with automaticity! Well done, students!

At the Week 5 Assembly, Ivan (1A) received the First 100 Sight Word Goal award for being able to read the first 100 sight words with automaticity. Well done, Ivan!

Premier’s Reading Challenge

With less than two weeks to go, it is wonderful to see students working hard to complete the challenge. At Monday’s Week 6 Assembly, the below two students were acknowledged for successfully completing the challenge. Well done, students!

Science and Language Excursion

On Thursday the Year 5s and staff visited the Planetarium and Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha. Students enjoyed completing a nature trail activity in the gardens before entering the Planetarium to experience the Cosmic Skydome. Students thoroughly enjoyed the full-dome, immersive space show on the solar system, further consolidating their classroom learning.

The visit to the Planetarium also provided the opportunity to learn about Skylore, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Astronomy, strengthening the links between their learning in Science and Language classes.

From Our Head of Department - Teaching and Learning

Miss O'Connor - HOD - Teaching and Learning

We had many nominations for our bookwork competition which was wonderful to see. Congratulations to our winners! Skylar (Prep), Skylar O (Year 3), Annabella M (Year 3). We look forward to having another competition in the near future.

Students continue to work on their organisation of belongings (pencil, ruler, rubber) for each class. Their pride in their bookwork is building beautifully, which is developing such great skills for lifelong learning. It is so important that students are learning strategies to revisit and add to their learning of key concepts and this is something we continue to build on, in particular in our senior year levels.

From Our Community Support Coordinator

Ms Ferguson - Community Support Coordinator

Hello from the Community Support Coordinator, here are a couple of suggestions if you are needing some assistance with food.

Ipswich Food Barn - First food hamper $35, fruit/vegetable packs

Ph. 07 3496 1514

Harvest Rain Christian Centre - Food parcels & grocery hampers, welfare, financial assistance

Ph. 07 3812 0109

Beacon Community Care Service - Food parcels in Brassall area

Ph. 0423 835 302

Catalyst Care Ministry Food Hampers are available for local delivery for $15. Care Ministry Food Hampers are now also available from our Catalyst Care Shop, open in the Kid's Zone area at Catalyst Church Ipswich on Thursdays from 2-4pm and Sundays after 9am service. 3813 4999

Community Garden

Ms Ferguson, Aunty Marly and the Garden Crew would like to share a few photos of the work we have been doing in our Community Garden Project. We have been growing beans, spinach, fruit trees and have some lovely flowering plants for colour. We work hard weeding and watering every Wednesday and Friday.

Prep 2024

From Our Teachers

Year 1

Year 1 have been lucky enough to have Ipswich State High School students visiting them each Tuesday. They have enjoyed reading stories and writing the alphabet as well as having some great discussions. We are so appreciative of the time the I.S.H.S students shared with us. It was lovely for the students to exchange cards and we were treated to a song from the highschoolers.

Writing our alphabet each day and practicing sight words is so important for our students growth in reading and writing. We encourage them to do this each day!

Year 3

In Science our Year 3 students are learning about night and day. We decided what better way to learn about how First Nations Peoples use their knowledge of the moon and tides than to ask Aunty Marly!

Our students were really engaged as Aunty Marly explained the initiation ceremonies, the different seasons and what it meant for hunting and agriculture, Emu in the sky, bush tucker, medicinal plants and navigation. We also learned about wet burning and how beneficial it is for our land and country.

This tree has honey on the stem. You have to beat the birds to it though! – Isabella 3A

We learned that one of the trees is a medicine tree. You can rub it on your chest and throat if you are feeling unwell. – Isabella 3A