PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

LOOKING AHEAD: Term 4 has only just begun however we’re already in planning mode for 2009, as class staffing, specialist teacher circuits, learning support arrangements, budgeting and a whole host of other managerial and curriculum related issues have to be planned for.

Enrolments for prep for 2009 are open, so if you know of anyone with a prep child for next year please have them contact us.

Going by information we currently have, our 2009 enrolments appear likely to be in the low 80’s, similar to current enrolments, with each class likely to have around 20 students. This is a fortunate position for us given that the official student-teacher ratio is 28:1.

CALEN SPORTS ASSOCIATION: For many years the Calen Sports Assn has offered subsidies (currently $60) to assist the families of students selected in representative teams to meet travel and uniform expenses. In 2007 these subsidies totalled just under $1000.

No other Mackay region sub-district sports associations offer such subsidies, and from 2009 the practice will also cease for our students.

This decision was made in part due to the inability of the association to raise funds and the increasing burden of funding for supply teachers when trials are run, but also because alternate funding sources are now available.

QCATs: Yesterday the year 6’s completed QCATs (Qld Comparable Assessment Tasks), one of five components of the Qld Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework.

QCATs are not tests – they are assessments which ask students to use relevant knowledge and skills to respond to a meaningful problem. Ultimately they will provide information to inform discussion about student learning.

This Monday “Student Free” day all year 6 teachers from the Calen Cluster schools will meet at Hampden to moderate these assessments.

Howard Frost

Principal.

STUDENT FREE: A reminder that all schools in Queensland have a “Student Free Day” this Monday 20 October.

The monthly P & C Meeting scheduled for this date will still take place that night, however.

WRITING WORKSHOP: Mark Svendson will be the special guest author at Wednesday’s workshop organised by the Calen Cluster of schools.

Hampden has been allocated 10 positions for this day, and those children selected have received information and a permission slip to be returned ASAP.

A free bus will again be provided for this workshop.

CHOIR-EISTEDDFOD: Kath Woodruff and Robyn Sheedy will have a final rehearsal next Thursday with our choir, in preparation for their Eisteddfod performance the following morning.

All choir members received an information sheet today which contains very important details regarding times, transport, uniform, etc, some of which is different from last year.

Please contact the school if you have any problems so we can assist.

BOOKCLUB: The current edition of “Bookclub” is due tomorrow (Friday) for those intending to order.

R.P.M. PRESENTATIONS: We were all very proud of our Rock-Pop-Mime team’s performance and the hard work which went into this year’s wonderful performance.

A reward/presentation afternoon is planned for the team and “support staff” next Thursday 23^rd, after lunch.

ACTIVE AFTER-SCHOOL: We have had an excellent response to both the gymnastics and the soccer sessions planned for Monday and Tuesday afternoons.

The Term 4 activities kick off this coming Tuesday with soccer.

FIRST-AID: At this stage it appears as though we’ll have enough starters to run our proposed first-aid course on the new date of 15 November, however a final decision will be conveyed in next week’s newsletter.

H.R.E.: The year 6/7 class has now completed the sexuality component of the HRE program for 2008.

Thank-you to Bronwyn Wiseman and Kathy Frost for their assistance this year. (Both are original committee members from when the program was established.)

We think most students have a satisfactory understanding of the course, unlike this student from “elsewhere”!

Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?

A. He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

MIRANI S.H.S. YR 7 ORIENTATION: The first Parent Information Evening will be held this Tuesday evening, 21^st October, from 6 – 8pm.

Orientation Day1 (Electives Focus) is the following day, Wednesday 22^nd.

All year 7’s intending to enrol at Mirani have received additional information already this week.

SCHOOL PHOTOS: As previously advised, our school photographers will be here on Wednesday 29 October to take our class photos.

The usual ordering envelopes (student and sibling) have been distributed today, for return before the 29^th.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Just living is not enough … One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower. --- Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author and poet

P & C NEWS

The P & C monthly meeting will be held this Monday 20 October. All welcome.

WEEKLY CLASS AWARDS

Year 6/7: Improvement Award – Paul Wiggett for spelling. Initiative Award – Kody Erixon, Anthony Leeding, Jack Cahill, Michael Ormonde, Billy Brown, Tim Patchett for initiating and organising the “Remote Car Rally”.

Year 4/5: Listening Awards – Abbey Medway, Winston Dwyer, Jayde Mellross, Courtney Perna. Helping Award – Anthony Wiggett. Research Award – Shannon Leahy.

Year 2/3: Dylan Edmonds – Reading. Riley Cruickshanks, Cate Cahill – Maths. Shelby Mackelvie – Listening. Harley Proctor – Handwriting – Exits and Entries. Shelby Mackelvie, Ryan Olsen, Zayne Lisle – Honesty.

Prep/Year One: Speaking awards: Adam Perna, Lee Olsen – Speaking to the whole school. Blake Edmonds, Joel Ashcroft, Jake Lisle, Ahslyn Burley – A persuasive speech.

It’s been a long wait for some boys to make their appearance on the Milestone Award page in the newsletter, but what an effort today!!? We have four boys to recognise as Milestone achievers, as follows:

LEE OLSEN (20 awards) CHAMPION STUDENT

RYAN OLSEN (50 awards) LEARNED LEGEND

JACK MITCHELL (120 awards) MILLENNIUM MASTER

ANTHONY LEEDING (215 awards) WONDERFUL WORKER

COMMUNITY NOTICES

THANK-YOU

Hampden State School wishes to thank the Mackay RSL Sub-Branch for their generous donation to the school of 20 chairs and two tables.

FOR SALE: 1 male and 1 female Jack Russell x Foxy. 8 weeks old, wormed, vet checked: $200.00 Phone: 4958 8802 or 0427 190575

MARIAN MARKETS

Church Grounds Marian

Sunday 19 October 8.00am – 12 noon

Plenty of great stalls.

Sausage sizzle & refreshments available.

Roll up! Rollup! Narnia the Musical hits the stage at Mirani State High School Hall for two thrilling performances. Saturday 1^st November at 7pm and Sunday 2^nd November at 2pm. Tickets are on sale at the school office. Adults $10, Children $6 and Family of 4 $30. Don’t miss out.

Olafur Eliasson’s The Cubic Structural Evolution Project

Wednesday 5 November, 4pm – 5.30pm

Artspace Mackay

To be opened by Nicholas Chambers, Curator of Contemporary International Art at the Queensland Art Gallery.

Olafur Eliasson’s The cubic structural evolution project 2004, created from more than 300 kilograms of white Lego building blocks, is a highlight from the Queensland Art Gallery’s international collection. Like any contemporary city, Eliasson’s mini Lego world grows and reduces over the course of the exhibition as children and adult audiences participate in the pulling down and rebuilding of the Lego structure.

For more information, contact Artspace Mackay on ph: 4961 9722

Issue no. 33, 16th October 2008

Issue no. 33, 16^th October 2008