PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

SKY HIGH: If you’ve been to the junior soccer or hockey fields to watch your children play you’re no stranger to the fact that these fields are situated in the flight path of the Mackay Airport, virtually backing onto one end of the runway. You’ll also know how low the places appear to be as they pass over on their landing descent.

Last Saturday morning as I stood watching Stephanie play soccer the usual Virgin and Jet Star arrivals came, as did the Havilland Tiger Moth, each without causing anyone so much as to look up.

However, about 15 minutes later, came the roar of such a powerful engine that everyone immediately turned their heads skyward!! The WWII P-51 Mustang fighter had certainly caught our attention!

Developed from the “Moth” bi-planes of the First World War the, Tiger Moth was built in 1931 and was powered by a 120 hp engine, cruising at 80 knots. In contract, the Mustang which was built only ten years later, was powered by a 1695hp Rolls Royce engine and flew at over 600km per hour!

Amazingly, just a few years later again, the Germans had begun to manufacture jet-engined fighters.

This huge leap forward in aircraft technology is matched today by the extraordinary developments in computer technology, and you will have noticed the impact of this technology in all aspects of our working and leisure lives.

Unfortunately school funding for ICTs has not always been a priority for past governments, but things are starting to improve with such initiatives as the “Computers for Teachers” laptop program and the secondary school pupils laptop programs.

Fortunately Hampden’s staff and P & C have always recognised the vital role of ICTs in our vision for the best delivery of educational outcomes for our students, as evidenced by the “double A” rating given to the school by Education Qld over the past two years.

Hampden has an exceptional level of technology hardware which is continually being expanded and upgraded, and a staff dedicated to advancing their knowledge of how to use their digitally rich ICT environments to transform teaching and learning.

Where will this all end! “The sky’s the limit” as the saying goes, however as you read this I’ll be in Brisbane at an ICT Expo getting a preview of “things to come”.

And to help keep you better informed about some of the ways your children are using ICTs at school, a parent information session will be held here on Wednesday evening the 20 August, from 7.00pm to 8.30pm, in the library. Keep a look-out for the flyer.

WHAT A WEEK! So much has been happening at Hampden over the past week we’ve decided to give you a different format of newsletter this week, with most of our “School News” in coloured photos instead of text form.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!

Howard Frost

Principal.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

We must risk going too far to discover just how far we can go. Anon

ROCK POP MIME

DESPERATELY NEEDED FOR SUNDAY 17^TH AUGUST – OVERLOCKERS, SEWING MACHINES AND OPERATORS!!

We have lots of costumes cut out and ready to sew. Please come and lend a hand during our practice session from 9.00 – 11.00 on Sunday morning. All welcome. Tea and coffee on offer!

WEEKLY CLASS AWARDS

We have students at both ends of the year level range receiving Milestone Awards this week. Congratulations to Prep/Yr 1 pupils Zoe Hall (20 awards) and Rowan Leahy (35 awards) who have now joined the ranks of our Champion Students and Awesome Achievers respectively, while in Year 7 Jordan Perna (180 awards) has become a Galactic Genius. Great work everyone!

SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE

A Special Meeting of the P & C will be held at 7.00pm on Monday 18 August, 2008 (prior to the usual monthly P & C meeting) for the purposes of: (1) adopting a new constitution required as a result of the new Education Act (2006), and (2) adopting the Hampden State School P & C Association Student Protection Risk Management Strategy.

FOOTBALL BARS

This Saturday night (16^th August) sees the last of the Cutters home games BUT the finals of the Mackay league games start next Sunday. This means that there are 5 weeks in a row for the football bars, so we are calling for all hands on deck to help out for these please. Any help, whether it’s a couple of hours over most weeks or longer periods on a couple of weeks will be greatly appreciated. Please contact the school on 49540189 or myself on 49540498 or 0427611372 for more information.

Thanks

Karen Gee

COMMUNITY NOTICES

MARIAN MARKETS

Church Grounds Marian

Sunday 17 August 8.00am – 12 noon

Plenty of great stalls.

Sausage sizzle & refreshments available.

Issue no. 26, 14th August 2008

Issue no. 26, 14^th August 2008