PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

BIG WEEK: It’s been another HUGE week in the life of Hampden State School these past seven days!

Not only have we had the Rock-Pop team continuing to build up momentum, and the choir preparing for the Eisteddfod, but we enjoyed a wonderful display of computer skill on Wednesday night as well!

And to top it all off we had two special successes as well. Please read on!

WE HAVE A NEiTA TEACHER!

The NEiTA Foundation (National Excellence in Teaching Awards) has congratulated our school on having a teacher nominated for an ASG Inspirational Teacher Award.

Annette Medway was nominated by members of our community and this week was presented with a NEiTA Certificate of Nomination at school assembly.

The purpose of these prestigious awards is to honour and recognise inspirational teachers, highlight the work, not only of individual teachers throughout Australia and New Zealand, but also the team contribution of all teachers in every school and centre.

Annette is now eligible for consideration for a National ASG Inspirational Teacher Award and grant. Congratulations Annette, thank you to the nominators, and ‘well done’ to all our teachers for doing a great job!

GREEN HEALTHY SCHOOL: On Wednesday I had the honour of attending the 2008 Green & Healthy Schools awards presentation ceremony, accompanied by our four Student Council executive members.

The awards covered the Whitsunday, Isaac and Mackay regions and were presented for 10 different categories.

Whilst Eungella State School scooped the pool, we were more than happy to collect two awards – the Litter Prevention Award and the Young Legends Award.

One or two of our students will now be invited to Brisbane for the State finals later in the year.

COMPUTER PRESENTATIONS: The library was packed on Wednesday evening with parents and others as the year 4-7 students demonstrated some of the more interesting computer skills they had been developing this year.

Photo-Stories, Claymation, I Spy, Comics, Pick-A-Path E-Books, Japanese, and Assignments were all highlights of a very enjoyable and eye-opening evening.

Thank-you to the dozens of parents in attendance for your participation – it made it all worthwhile for your children, and for Andrea Collings and Rosie Dittman who spent a great deal of time and energy to ensure the success of the night.

COMMUNITY FIRST-AID COURSE: Saturday 25^th October has been confirmed as the date on which we will be hosting a first-aid training day here at Hampden.

If you’ve been thinking about gaining your first-aid certificate or simply need to complete a CPR refresher, mark this date on your calendar.

Full details will be provided next week so expressions of interest can be registered.

Howard Frost

Principal.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Don’t let people look down on you because you are young; see that they look up to you because you are an example to them in your speech and behaviour, in your love and faith and sincerity.

SCHOOL CAMP: The next edition of our school camp newsletter, the “Townsville Tabloid” will arrive home next week.

Accompanying this newsletter will be invoices for each family. Fees for this year’s camp have now been calculated at $240 per person.

STUDENT COUNCIL SHOP: The Student Council has purchased school pencil cases and swimming bags for re-sale to the students at $6 and $9 respectively. They will operate a “shop” each Tuesday for this purpose.

WRITERS WORKSHOP: Ten year 5-7 children from Hampden have been selected to attend the Cluster Writers Workshop this Wednesday at The Leap Hall.

Acclaimed poet Mandy Tunica will be assisted by Regional Consultant Sue-Hamilton Smith to conduct these stimulating workshop sessions.

A free bus has also been arranged to transport the children to and from The Leap.

MS READATHON: The 30^th August is the completion date for any students who have been participating in this year’s MS Readathon.

EEC NEWS

We are investigating action words this week. Action is happening everywhere we look – outside, inside, in magazines and newspapers and books – and we need words to communicate these actions.

Prep/Year One looked in magazines and newspapers for ‘action’ pictures and we noticed something very interesting. The New Idea and the newspaper mostly had pictures of people performing actions. We couldn’t find pictures of animals or machines doing much at all. We decided this was because people who read the New Idea and the newspaper like to see pictures of, and read about what other people are doing.

In the newspaper we found pictures of people cycling, riding, swimming, jumping, canoeing, celebrating, shouting, cheering and running. In the New Idea we found pictures of people and babies sleeping, sitting, smiling, modelling, helping, marrying and kissing!

We thought carefully about where and what we had observed Mum and Dad reading. Here are our observations:

1) Dad reads magazines in the toilet

2) Lots of Mums and Dads read magazines in the doctors surgery

3) Mum and Dad always read the newsletter as soon as I bring it home in my homework pouch (A+ answer!)

4) Mum reads my home reading to me every night

5) Dad reads the newspaper on the lounge

6) Mum and Dad read me bedtime stories

With Fathers’ Day coming up soon we’ll be talking about what actions dads do at home and at work.

Our Royal Procession to the Library on Wednesdays is developing momentum, thanks to Stephanie Burgess who ‘whipped up’ two flowing robes and jewelled crowns for our King and Queen, Mrs Taylor who contributed a Jester’s hat, Alicia Keast who brought in a royal trumpet, David De Paoli’s Grandmother who donated her beautiful beads (we’ll treasure them) and a drum from our Music resources. Each week we try to add another ‘very important person’ to our procession as our knowledge of court life grows. Thus far we have a king and queen, ladies-in-waiting, trumpeters, royal announcers, drummers, and jesters – it’s a grand procession!

ROCK POP MIME

Thank you Kerri-ann Cahill, Suzanne Perna, Michelle Leeding, Joanne Burley, Stephanie Burgess, Stephanie Cruickshanks, Janie Dwyer, Therese Thompson, Helane Chidgey, for all your help over the last two Sundays sewing. It has been a great help. Hope to see you all again on Sunday. If there is anyone else who would love to help please come – 9.00am till 11.00am.

Thanks Lorraine & Julie

We had the last of the Mackay Cutters’ home games last Saturday night, and now we are entering the final series for the local competition. The final series will be held for the next three Sundays culminating with the Grand Final held on Saturday 13^th September. We are in real need for volunteers to ‘man’ the bars at the games as it raises substantial funds for our P&C, if you are interested please see Karen Gee or Howard Frost. If serving grog at the footy isn’t your scene we are also looking for people to join school grounds maintenance roster as it is now coming out of winter and the grass is starting to grow again, all the equipment supplied and doesn’t take long. A First Aid Course has been tentatively booked for the last Saturday in October so if any one is interested please see Howard Frost to reserve a seat at the course.

Cheers

Rex Munchow

P & C Secretary

WEEKLY CLASS AWARDS

Principal’s Award: Lee Olsen (Prep) – Science Award

Year 6/7: Helping Hand Award: Tim Patchett, Billy Brown, Dexter Edmonds, Kody Erixon, Paul Wiggett, Michael Ormonde. Organisation Award: Jordan Perna. Honesty Award: Tiffaney Wales. Sports Award: Jack Cahill.

Year 4/5: Science Experiment Awards – Madelaine Burley, Amee Insch, Courtney Proctor, Layton Morrison, Nick Perna, Abbey Medway, Jack Sorensen.

Year 2/3: Melissa Burns – Tower of Doom. Corey Paskins – Climbing Maze. Ryan Olsen – Teamwork. Jack Mitchell – Teamwork. Josie Faltinsky – Design. Cate Cahill – Poetry Recital. Andrew DePaoli – Capital Letters.

Prep/Yr 1: Prep class awards for letter formation. Joshua Baines – honesty award. Joel Ashcroft, Rowan Leahy, Latarni Thompson – A great retell.

The boys are showing the way in the Milestone Awards this week.

Congratulations to JACOB MUNCHOW (20 awards) who is now a CHAMPION STUDENT, and having reached 50 awards JOEL ASHCROFT becomes a LEARNED LEGEND. To round off the trio, TIM PATCHETT is recognised as a GALACTIC GENIUS with 180 awards.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

DATE CLAIMER:

First Aid Course at Hampden State School

Saturday 25 October, 2008-08-22 Full details in next week’s newsletter.

Issue no. 27, 21st August 2008

Issue no. 27, 21^st August 2008