PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

ENGQUEST: The Year 6/7 children have been fully engaged in this year’s EngQuest (Engineers Australia) design and construction challenge tasks, and are now completing their “write-ups” in preparation for their oral presentations. Each group will “present” and demonstrate their constructions on parade over the next three weeks.

Each group has prepared their own computer generated summary of their activity, complete with photos, to share with you weekly. Today we begin with one of our two ‘catapult groups’ – Anthony, Michael, Tim, Billy and Kody. Following on will be the Newspaper Dome, Straw Bridge, House, Catapult No. 2 and Bamboo Tower groups.

Once again I would like to thank parent volunteer Kylie Leahy for her weekly visits to co-ordinate, assist and inspire our future engineers as they worked their way through their tasks.

NEXT FRIDAY: The first Friday in September (05^th) is shaping up to be almost as big as the footy finals to be played around the country!

The Student Council have two events happening, namely the “True Colours” free dress day, and their term 3 disco in the evening. The year 6’s are running this disco and their theme is MASQUERADE.

Two special visitors to the school will also be here on Friday morning. Acting Executive Director of Education, John Wessell, will be making his semester visit to discus the schools progress to date and plans for the future, and Jump-Rope-for-Heart co-ordinator Karen Uhlmann will also drop in to talk to the children about our school’s participation in term 4.

To top the day off Marian State School will be here from lunchtime to play sport against our 4-7’s.

Friday’s don’t come any bigger than that!!

Howard Frost

Principal

SWIMMING BAGS/PENCIL CASES: The student Council members will be selling these each Tuesday for $9 and $6 respectively. With “swimming season” almost here, the swimming bags would be a particularly timely purchase.

WRITERS WORKSHOP: We were able to add 3 year 4’s to our ten other selected students for yesterday’s Writers Workshop with poet Mandy Tunica at The Leap Hall.

All 13 seemed suitably impressed with what they had learned when they returned, and I look forward to some future creative writing from them.

INTER-SCHOOL SPORT: We had another successful sporting outing to Walkerston last Friday. Tomorrow we travel to Mirani to play soccer, netball and touch football.

SCHOOL CAMP NEWSLETTER: Edition 3 of the “Townsville Tabloid” has been distributed today. Attached to it are medical/permission forms to be returned by the September holidays, and camp invoices.

Although the invoices state payment is due in 14 days, parents have until the week prior to departure i.e. 01 November, to have these paid. Weekly part-payments is another popular method of paying camp fees.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.” (William Arthur Ward)

We were going to investigate the number seventeen this week. However, before we began our investigations we brainstormed seventeen and found out what we already knew.

Here is our list

1) Seventeen begins with ‘s’

2) It’s a three syllable word … sev-en-teen

3) It’s made up of one ten and seven ones

4) 10 + 7 = 17

5) It’s an unfriendly number

6) It’s an odd number

7) It comes after sixteen

8) It comes before eighteen

9) It is between sixteen and eighteen

10) It’s a big number (bigger than 10)

11) 16 + 1 = 17

12) 18 – 1 = 17

13) 19 – 2 = 17

14) 20 – 3 = 17

15) 21 – 4 = 17

16) 17 = 10 + 5 + 2

17) 17 = 10 + 2 + 5

18) 17 = 10 + 6 + 1

19) 17 = 10 + 1 + 6

20) 17 = 10 + 3 + 4

21) 17 = 10 + 4 + 3

(Perhaps we’ll learn about doubles instead!)

ROCK POP MIME

A great effort was put in on Sunday by all our Rock Pop Mimers – dancers, backstage and prop department, and costume design. Well done everyone – a very productive session!

Mrs Insch and Mrs Burns have been sewing up a storm during the week in the EEC Withdrawal Room (you’ll be able to tell if you venture in there). Any assistance you can offer on Sunday would be gratefully accepted.

We are waiting for news from Mackay City Council regarding our use of the Canelands Soundshell for a practice. More news later.

WEEKLY CLASS AWARDS

Year 6/7: MUSIC AWARD for the members of the school Recorder Group: Ben Wales, Cody Morrison, Jack Cahill, Jordan Proctor, Andrea Perna, Chelsea Perna, Jordan Perna, Kimberley Wales, Tiffaney Wales.

Year 4/5: INITIATIVE AWARDS – for bringing along items for ‘I SPY’ for Technology. Alyce Volker, Abbey Medway, Ben Perna, Layton Morrison, Nick Perna, Jake Balsillie, Lachlan Thompson, Darcie Cahill, Demi Cruickshanks, Chelsea Perna. SCIENCE EXPERIMENT AWARDS – Darcie Cahill, Jayde Mellross, Ben Perna.

Year 2/3: Neat Tidy Tray – Lillyann Burgess, Jack Mitchell, Douglas Pridmore, Nicholas Lake, Zayne Lisle, Josie Faltinsky, Cate Cahill, Andrew DePaoli. Neat Chair Bags – Josie Faltinsky, Lillyann Burgess, Mikeely Morrison, Kade Starrett, Andrew DePaoli, Zayne Lisle.

Prep/Year One: Year One students – for working together to design an obstacle course for Playgroup. Jacob Munchow – research skills. Joel Ashcroft – balancing and equalising. Zoe Hall, Jordan Watkins, Emilee Burgess and Samara Mitchell for helping Year Ones with the obstacle course.

We have some real high flying achievers to recognise in our Milestone Awards this week, and they’re all girls!

Congratulations and keep showing this great school citizenship!

AMEE INSCH (150 awards) HAPMDEN HERO

DARCIE CAHILL (200 awards) BRILLIANT BICENTURION

JORDAN PERNA (215 awards) WONDERFUL WORKER

COMMUNITY NOTICES

FOUND in the school playground a blue SAGEM mobile phone. Please contact the office for further details.

MS READATHON: The MS Readathon sponsorship return date of AUGUST 30 is fast approaching. Please return any outstanding sponsorships as soon as possible.

COMMUNITY SOFTWARE PLAN: Our school is participating in the CSPplus (Community Software Plan Plus). This expanded version of the CSP explains the benefits of the new Federal Government 50% Education Tax Refund for your family and gives a great opportunity to harness it for our school community.

The new leaflet contains a wide range of educational computing resources including notebook computers, printers, accessories and great new software titles. For every dollar you spend with the CSPplus our school will receive 15% in CSPplus Discount Dollars that we can use to purchase computers and software for our school. Please return your orders to school by Friday 5 September 2008.

Sign On

Saturday 13^th September, 2008

9am - 1pm

At the Pioneer Swim Centre,

Malcomson St, North Mackay

Meet our representatives and coaches

While enjoying our free sausage sizzle

First club night will be

Thursday 9^th October, 2008

We cater for all swimmers from 12.5 m beginners

to National levels.

Come and enjoy the friendly atmosphere in the 50m outdoor pool.

Issue no. 28, 28th August 2008

Issue no. 28, 28^th August 2008