Leichhardt State School eNewsletter

From The Principal

Welcome to Week 9 of Term 3 at Leichhardt! It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 9 weeks since I joined this wonderful community. After a thorough interview process, I was honoured to be offered the role of principal, and I am thrilled to have accepted it. I am genuinely excited about the opportunity to work alongside our dedicated staff and engage with the vibrant Leichhardt community. Here’s to continuing our journey together with enthusiasm and commitment. Thank you for your warm welcome and support so far—I look forward to what we can achieve together in the weeks and months ahead.

School review

Earlier this year, our Leichhardt State School community participated in a comprehensive whole-school review. A review team visited our school, conducted in-depth interviews, and examined various processes and documents. They prepared a detailed report, which will guide our strategic planning over the next four years.

In Term 4, our staff will delve into this report to analyse its recommendations. We will then develop and implement strategies designed to address the identified areas for improvement and to build on our strengths. This process is crucial for our ongoing growth and success, and I’m confident that, together, we will continue to make positive strides for our school community.

Three of the positives highlighted are as follows:

Students speak highly and warmly about the care and dedication of teaching

staff. They note they have built relationships with a variety of staff across

different roles within the school. The school is known for having passionate

teaching and support staff that are driven to provide learning opportunities for all

students.

Parents and caregivers share that staff actively engage with families to foster a

strong learning partnership that values and celebrates the attendance and

academic achievement of their child. They comment that ‘Every student gets a

chance here and they (staff) never give up. At Leichhardt you don’t just get a

school, you get a family’.

Leaders convey they are passionate in their drive for school improvement. They

articulate a strong belief in staff being able to enact the improvement agenda.

Leaders share a collective belief that further school improvement is possible.

Parade times

We have decided to trial a change of our school’s assembly time, we usually have our assembly on Monday morning at 8:45. We will be trialling the following

Week 9 – 9:50am to 10:20am (possible time for term 4)

Week 10 - 9:20am to 10:20am (Assembly and Talent show) for final week only

All parents and carers are welcome to attend.

Thank you, and I look forward to working with you

From The Deputy Principal

Attendance

As we approach the end of the term, it's important to emphasize the impact of regular school attendance on your child's academic progress. Reports will be emailed home on Wednesday of Week 10, and Parent-Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Week 3 of Term 4. If your child has missed school, they may not have the opportunity to fully demonstrate their learning and progress in these reports. We strongly encourage you to ensure that your child attends school regularly, so they can showcase their achievements and make the most of their educational experience.

Attendance @ Leichhardt

The Week 7 Assembly saw 4B take out the Senior Attendance Lion with an average week attendance of 87.21%. Only 2.79 % of the 90% target! Congratulations, 4B!

3B took out the Junior Attendance Lion with an average attendance percentage of 85%. 5% off the 90% target! Well done, 3B!

Courtney and Briana (4B) proudly holding the Senior Attendance Lion for the 4B class.

Chelsea and Dominyk (3B) proudly receiving the Junior Attendance Lion for 3B.

The Week 8 Assembly saw 4A take out the Senior Attendance Lion again with an average week attendance of 87.5%. Only 2.5% off the 90% target! Congratulations, 4A!

3A took out the Junior Attendance Lion with an average attendance percentage of 81.25%. Only 8.75% off the 90% target! Congratulations, 3A!

Sylar and a class mate (4A) proudly holding the Senior Attendance Lion for the 4A class.

Carmen (3A) proudly holding the Junior Attendance Lion for the 3A class.

Consistent school attendance plays a vital role in your child's growth and development. Regular participation not only enriches their academic journey but also helps build essential social skills and establishes a robust foundation for their future achievements. By prioritizing their attendance, you are actively supporting their educational progress and fostering a sense of responsibility and structure that will benefit them throughout their lives. We appreciate your dedication to emphasizing the importance of education. Together, we are committed to creating a brighter and more successful future for our students.

Book Week Parade

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents and carers for your incredible support for the Book Week Parade. Your enthusiasm and involvement helped make this event a memorable experience for our students. From the creative costumes to the shared love of reading, your participation truly brought the spirit of Book Week to life. We appreciate your dedication to fostering a love of literature in our school community and for helping to inspire a lifelong passion for reading in our students!

The Premier's Reading Challenge concluded on Friday of Week 7, and we are thrilled to celebrate the efforts of all our participating students. Certificates for those who completed the challenge will be awarded during Week 5 of Term 4. We are especially excited for our Term 4 Monday Week 5 Assembly, where we will recognize and celebrate the students who have gone above and beyond, reading as many books as possible during the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Their dedication to reading is truly commendable, and we look forward to honouring their achievements!

If your child completed the Premier's Reading Challenge but has not yet submitted their reading form, please remind them to do so this week. Forms should be submitted to Ms. Amy in the Student Reception Office for processing.

A Huge Thank You to Dymocks Children’s Charities!

After our exciting Book Week Parade in Week 7, every student at Leichhardt State School received a special gift—a free book, courtesy of Dymocks Children’s Charities. The students were thrilled to choose their own books! A big shoutout to Ms. Carolin for expertly coordinating the order of over 300 books and ensuring each child got the book they selected.

From The Head of Teaching And Learning

Miss Everingham - Head of Teaching and Learning

Year 5 and 6 reminders

To assist our Year 5 and 6 students for high school, students have been taking more responsibility for their supplies, such as their pencil case and ruler, between classes. Please remind your student to ensure their ruler, pencil case, complete with lead pencils and an eraser, are in their bag each morning before they leave for school. Thank you, Miss Greenwood, for creating our posters to remind students to organise their belongings.

With the warmer weather quickly approaching, we encourage all students to apply sun safety

wear a broad-brim hat,
apply sunscreen,
have a water bottle and
seek shade – under a building or tree

‘Best Class on Parade’

Over the last few weeks, we have returned the ‘Best Class on Parade’ Trophy. The trophy goes to the best class who demonstrate SHELL during Parade and leave the hall the quietest.

S – sitting quietly

H – hands together

E – eyes facing the speaker

L – listening ears on

L – legs crossed

Congratulations to the following classes;

Week 7 – Ms Payne – 3B

Week 8 – Ms Nieass – 4A

Who will be the winning classes for Weeks 9 and 10?

PBL news!

Week 7 PBL focus was all about keeping safe, using kind words and thinking about our actions.

Please continue to have conversations with your child/ren about using kind words and showing respect by thinking before acting.

Here are some verbal responses that students have been practising at school:

“Please and thank you”
“You are welcome”
“May I?”
“That is great work”

Here are some action responses that students have been practising at school:

Handshakes, high-5, fist bumps, etc. at the beginning and end of every day
Helping an elderly person with a task (e.g. picking something up, helping them walk)
A smile. Simple and easy!
Following instructions, the first time they are given

This week’s focus has been persevering in students’ learning and identifying strategies to bump up their work.

Please continue to have conversations with your child/ren about persevering in the learning to get the best result for them.

Here are some strategies that students have been practising at school;

Raise your hand and ask your teacher for help “excuse me, can I please have some help?”, “what can I do to improve my work”.
Ask a friend for help
Go to your learning wall or bump it up wall and bring your writing book to see what else you can do
Take a drink break “excuse me, can I please have a drink break” then return to learning

Students have continued working as a team, to keep school and personal property safe. This includes storing and charging our devices and placing our school bags in a neat manner.

High Five

Students are encouraged to use the ‘High Five’ when needed. This is reviewed every assembly as well as in class and in the playground, in order to support our students in making good behaviour choices.

I would like to thank our families for partnering with us around Positive Behaviour for Learning. The Department of Education has outlined the benefits for students of family-school engagement including: improved academic outcomes, stronger relationships with adults and peers, better social skills; and improved mental health. When families and schools work together to reinforce positive behaviours, students benefit from clear expectations and consistent reinforcement both at home and in school. This collaboration helps to create a cohesive approach to behaviour management, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility for students' well-being and success.

If you would like any more information regarding PBL in practice, family engagement. Please visit this link below.

Positive Behaviour in Practice Family Engagement

Sports News

Touch Football Report

Last Friday our 4 touch football teams made their way down to Jim Finimore Oval to play our first round of touch football games, with all 4 of our teams taking on Ipswich Central State School.

Our Junior Girls played exceptionally well winning 3-2 with all tries scored by Jewelistah. Our Senior girls went down 3-1 however all our girls tried their best in very hot conditions.

Our Junior Boys went down 7-3. The boys showed some exceptional skills in attack, however struggled at times when defending. Our senior boys had a fantastic 6-4 win. All our students showed amazing teamwork when defending to continue to deny Ipswich Central chances to cross our line

Our next game is Friday of week 9.

Indigenous Games Carnival

Our Indigenous games carnival will be on Wednesday the 11^th of September. Students will need to wear their house colours on the day. There will be an opening ceremony at 8.30 with games commencing at 9.15am.

Instrumental Music

In the instrumental music program, we currently have vacancies for 4 Trumpets and 4 Trombone players as well as anyone interested in learning the drums. Any one in years 4-6 are eligible.

From The Teachers

Prep

The students in Prep B have settled into their new room. They are very excited about eating their lunch at the picnic tables with Prep A. This week, the students have been presenting their retell of the events that occurred during our NAIDOC week celebrations. They have drawn pictures to help them remember the sequence of events. The students are then taking turns to present their retell to the class. It is fantastic to see how their level of confidence has increased throughout the year.

In Mathematics, students continue to work on addition, subtraction and division. They have been engaged in a range of hands-on activities to help them consolidate their understanding. Penguin subtraction was a very popular activity. Please feel free to pop in and see the student's penguin creations on displayed on our wall.

Reminders:

As the weather warms up, please ensure your child brings a water bottle each day. The bottles are kept in the classroom for easy access, and we are encouraging frequent drink breaks throughout the day.
Please remember to return your child’s swimming consent form.

Year 1

Grade 1 had the fire department come to Leichhardt State School to teach us about fire safety and show us all the parts of a fire truck.

We learnt how to Stop, Drop and Roll, who to call and what to do in an emergency.

Our homework is to learn our home address so if we ever need to phone 000, we can provide them with our location.

Year 4 Respectful Relationships with Mr Scott

Topic: NO! Go Tell.

Recalling Safety Strategies

We’re encouraging all students to take a moment to think about the safety strategies they've learned.

NO! GO, TELL
Recognize, React, Report

These strategies are essential for staying safe and making sure our students know what to do if they ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Understanding NO! GO, TELL

Last week, we were focusing on the NO! GO, TELL strategy, an important tool to help keep students safe. Here’s how it works:

NO: You have the right to say NO if someone is making you feel scared, unsafe, or uncomfortable.
GO: If they don’t stop, GO to a safer space or take steps to protect yourself.
TELL: As soon as you can, TELL a trusted adult from your support network about what happened. If the first person doesn’t help, keep telling others until you get the help you need.

Your Rights and Responsibilities

We reminded students, everyone has the right to be respected and to feel safe. We also have the responsibility to take care of ourselves, and others have a responsibility to help us when they can. Let’s all work together to ensure a safe and supportive environment for everyone.

Here are the awesome year 4 team with their posters.

Year 6 HASS

Within Humanities and Social Sciences this term year six students have been learning about Aboriginal Land Rights and specifically the protest song 'From Little Things Big Things Grow' written by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody. Students have also been learning about Federation, specifically reasons for and against Federation.

Electives

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From The P&C

From The Community

Children’s Gallery at the Ipswich Art Gallery

Walking Together

Journey through the landscapes, stories and traditions of First Nations peoples in this all ages, interactive exhibition.

Engage with tactile materials inspired by traditional crafts, participate in hands-on activities and experience rich cultural heritage. Walking Together is designed to foster understanding, respect, and connection with the world's oldest continuous living culture.

Dates	Saturday 03 August to Sunday 03 November
Times	10am — 5pm daily
Cost	Free
Booking	Bookings are not required for general visitation to the exhibition. Groups larger than 10 people DO require a booking.
Age	All ages welcome

Walking Together: Toddler Time

Join us for play-based explorations of our current exhibition, Walking Together - designed especially for our youngest artists!

Toddler Time includes hands-on activities, song and sensory play designed to engage and nurture artistic expression and build connection.

Friday mornings between these dates:

Friday 16 August - Friday 13 September 2024
1 hr sessions from 10:00am – 11:00am

Bookings are not required for families and individuals, just drop in!

Dates	Friday 16 August to Friday 13 September
Times	1 hr sessions from 10:00am – 11:00am Friday 16 August - Friday 13 September 2024
Cost	Free
Booking	Bookings are not required for families and individuals.
Age	Recommended for toddlers up to 4 years.

Dinosaur Discovery

These School Holidays, prepare to embark on a prehistoric adventure like no other at Tulmur Place, Nicholas Street Precinct Ipswich, with Dinosaur Discovery! From Monday 16 September to Sunday 29 September 2024, the city will transform into a land where dinosaurs once roamed, offering an experience that’s thrilling, educational, and unforgettable.

Upcoming Dates:

Monday 16th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Tuesday 17th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Wednesday 18th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Thursday 19th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Friday 20th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Saturday 21st September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Sunday 22nd September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Monday 23rd September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Tuesday 24th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Wednesday 25th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Thursday 26th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Friday 27th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Saturday 28th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Sunday 29th September 2024 at 10:00 - 21:00

Fusion Arts Inc. and Ipswich Civic Centre presents…

Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice as she navigates the curious world of Wonderland on a journey of self-discovery. This 60-minute stage adaptation of the classic Disney animated film and the Lewis Carroll stories makes a triumphant return to the Broadway Junior catalogue, with an updated script and score made specifically for today’s young performers.

When young Alice finds herself in a strange world where everything seems upside down, she must find her way home…and find herself along the way. As she travels through Wonderland, she encounters all of the iconic characters that audiences have come to love: including the ever-tardy White Rabbit, the grinning Cheshire Cat, a cool Caterpillar, the wacky Mad Hatter, and the hot-tempered Queen of Hearts.

Join Fusion Arts Inc and their cast of 110 Ipswich children as they take you on Alice’s journey through Wonderland!