PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

READING CHALLENGE: I’ll never forget the excitement surrounding the announcement of the winners of last year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge, (or the dozens of photos of clouds snapped through the plane window!) as Jayde and Courtney flew to Brisbane to receive their class prize from the Premier.

Well it’s that time of year again! This year the challenge is extended to all students from prep to year 7 and runs from 28 May until 05 September. The challenge is to read 20 books over this 14 week period.

With our help we’ll be encouraging all our students to pick up a book and be a part of the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Books read for the M-S Readathon, Home Reading program, or just for general enjoyment all count towards the total.

MATHS/SCIENCE SURVEY: In recent years there has been a significant reduction in the number of secondary and tertiary students choosing to study maths, the enabling sciences and engineering. As a result, Australia is suffering a critical shortage of professional scientists and engineers. This is a major issue for our future prosperity as a nation.

In order to develop a better understanding of student attitudes towards maths and science our school has been asked to participate in a series of 3 short surveys (years 4 to 7 only) over a 12 month period.

I encourage you to provide permission for your child/ren to participate in these surveys via the separate letter accompanying this newsletter.

VALE DOUG MACKENZIE: It was with great sadness that we heard of the passing of Doug this week.

Since his daughter Michelle commenced working at Hampden as an office trainee several years ago, Doug had become a friend of the school, assisting with building projects and ‘visiting us from the South Pole’ on Christmas break-up evenings.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time of great loss.

Howard Frost

Principal.

SPORTS CONGRATULATIONS: Damian Volker has been successful at the recent Calen District Tennis trials and will now compete at the Mackay level. Good luck, Damian!

Rosie Dittman has returned with a silver medal from her recent competition and is now looking towards participation at the national level.

Congratulations to you both.

BLACK & WHITE DAY: See the insert for details of our Student Council’s term 2 charity fund-raiser.

YEAR 7 SHIRTS: Year 7’s wishing to have their shirts printed should have them in by next Friday.

SPORTS PRACTICES: These are continuing each afternoon in preparation for Hampden’s Sports Day in a fortnight.

Children unable to participate require a note from home.

SURF SAFELY: The “Surf Safely” program is an initiative of the Qld Police aimed at providing information to young people addressing the issue of internet safety.

Hampden will be supporting and promoting this initiative.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“Always do what you say you are going to do. It is the glue and fibre that binds successful relationships.” – Jeffrey A. Timmons.

Hello everyone

Our ants were playing possum! This week they have built tunnels, moved sand, found the water and the food, and settled into life in Prep/Year One! The antlions have shifted their traps and enjoyed some juicy prey. The worms are munching through apple and banana peels and are ready for some new manure to eat.

We compared the features of two imaginary creatures – The Jigaree and The Very Blue Thingamajig. Now we are pretending to be scientists who find a creature no-one has ever seen before. We are drawing a diagram of the animal and labelling its unique features to present at a ‘scientific convention’.

Soon we will create an environment similar to the creature’s natural habitat so that other scientists can observe its habits and characteristics.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT TO THE P & C MEETING 19 MAY, 2008

Questacon Maths
Sports Day update
Workplace Health & Safety Report
Financial Report
Tree Day 2008-05-15 Teacher Replacement Scheme

P & C MEETING

A reminder – P & C Meeting to be held this Monday 19^th May. All welcome.

FOOTY BARS

We still need people to help for the bars this weekend. Please contact me on 49540498 or 0427611372 if you can spare a few hours on Saturday. Our next bars are on the 7^th & 14^th June.

Karen Gee

WEEKLY CLASS AWARDS

Year 6/7: Sports Award – for selection in the Mackay District Rugby League team: Cody Morrison, Sean Gee. Excellent Worker Award for CWA project: Tiffaney Wales. Citizenship Award for being excellent school ambassadors while at sporting trials: Jack Cahill, Tiffaney Wales, Kimberley Wales, Ben Wales, Jordan Perna, Andrea Perna, Chelsea Perna, Damian Volker, Michael Ormonde, Cody Morrison, Sea Gee.

Year 4/5: Public Speaking Awards – Lachlan Thompson, Shannon Leahy, Darcie Cahill, Jayde Mellross, Jake Balsillie, Chelsea Perna, Winston Dwyer.

Year 2/3: Jack Mitchell, Riley Cruickshanks, Ryan Olsen, Douglas Pridmore – Reading Award. Shacarnie Scuderi – Clean Up Award. Lillyann Burgess – Drawing Award.

Prep/Year One: Show and Share – Lee Olsen, Joshua Baines, David DePaoli, Jacob Munchow, Rowan Leahy, Kaleb Ellard, Blake Edmonds. Tidy Tidy Box – Adam Perna. Using the Tricky Words Pockets – Rowan Leahy, Joel Ashcroft, Jake Lisle, Alicia Keast, Jack McLeod. Maths Award – Ashlyn Burley.

Wow! Four Milestone Award achievers this week, and they’re all boys!! Good on you, fellas!

Congratulations to:

Adam Perna (10 awards) Star Student

Joel Ashcroft (35 awards) Awesome Achiever

Jayde Mellross (100 awards) Successful Centurion

Jack Cahill (215 awards) Wonderful Worker

COMMUNITY NOTICES

WANTED TO RENT – URGENTLY

Farm house for self employed single mother w/10y/o child. Reliable and have excellent references. Kuttabul and Leap area preferred but will look at surrounding areas. If you can help please phone 49540911 or 0407591995.

KUTTABUL RURAL FIRE BRIGADE

Notice of AGM

To be held at the Hampden State School

Tuesday 20 May 2008 at 7.30pm

Contact: Wayne Peach 0427120499 for further details

By Madelaine Burley

One day two kids named Julie and Peter set off to the river. They lived in a village, so they had to get there own water for their family. They had a really small family. They came back at dinner time. Then the next day they went to the river again.

And they saw a wolf. Julie and Peter ran and ran and they stopped. “That was close” excitedly exclaimed Julie. “Look, apples” said Peter. “You don’t want those apples” said a voice and out of the shadows came an old lady. They thought that they’d seen her before and they ran as fast as they could “Where are we” scaredy said Julie. “Isn’t it obvious the wicked old lady, the wolf, we’re in a forest of fairy tales” said Peter.

“Which way do we go” said Julie. “North, no wait, west, no south. We’ll just go south.”

The Winter Storm by Courtney Perna

Once a town named country land was in for strife. They found out that a cyclone was coming tomorrow.

When they were having a big beach party it came. It was bigger than a dust storm. It had hit country land. They ran as fast as they could go, so did the people with a broke leg. They all wondered why the cyclone came a day early. It was a mystery to be solved. A couple of minutes past. A man named “Power” was walking into the cyclone. Everyone wanted to see “But” the windows were covered with snow. It had never over snowed in country land. Of course it’s too hot. It was like a miracle they thought. The man could make the cyclone go away with a potion. He who was brave, he put the potion on the cyclone and it went away.

He was a hero, and it snowed in country land. But he had a lot of orders to write. They all still wondered why the cyclone came a day early as well. Power had an answer. They all said why, because it was going to snow the next day. “Wow”, they all said.

The Weather Machine by Alyce Volker

One windy day in a deep, dark, scary forest a little girl named Andrea went for a walk after breakfast. Andrea lived in a family of five. In that family of five there was Brad, Catey, James, Mikely and Andea.

Andrea always wanted to change the weather. She went to look for pieces of metal but she didn’t have any luck. When she went too far and she couldn’t find her way back to the camp site. She couldn’t believe it. You couldn’t either. It was a car. It had keys and everything you would want. “Here I come mummy. Wow! This is the best ride ever. Which way do I go now?” “I don’t know”, said the speaker. Andrea was very lost but she got what she wanted.

She stopped and decided to make the weather machine right here and right now. She was very pleased. When she finished the fabulous weather machine she said, “Maybe I should change the weather to hot and sunny on a beach. Then her brain switched on for a moment. “In a deep, dark, scary forest at a camp site with my family”. “Whoptidy doo! It worked!”

Issue no. 15, 15th May 2008

Issue no. 15, 15^th May 2008