Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to our final newsletter for 2020. A year that we’d all like to put behind us. Ironically, it delivered its last blow through the cancellation of the Junior Carnival on Tuesday. We had COVID beaten but couldn’t prevent the high school having to deliver the bad news to us before school, that the pool wasn’t able to be used that day. This was due to the need for them to urgently investigate a significant issue. Cruelly, it is up and running today but alas the end of year schedule will now push this event into early Term 1, 2021.

SENIOR SWIMMING CARNIVAL

The Senior Swimming Carnival went ahead successfully on Monday and I would like to thank the students, staff and parents for making it such a great day. A highlight was the individual and team performances of the children.  Special congratulations to our Age Champions: 

	Girls	Boys
9 Years	Megan	Darcy
10 Years	Sibonna	Lexer
11 Years	Gabriella	Joshua
12 Years	Sophie	Matthew

Congratulations to all team members of Webster House who narrowly won the carnival by 5 points with Maundrell House snapping at their heels.  Hamilton House trailed then by just one point.  

The children always love the staff race and Charlie (our volunteer starter) was the first to touch the wall. However, Jay (Grounds/Facilities Officer) is still desperately trying to cling to victory stating that “Charlie isn’t a staff member so he can’t win the staff race and that he got out the pool too early before the race is completed.”  Lol.  This event has turned into the staff Olympics!

 

PREP MEET AND GREET

Last week we welcomed our new Preps for 2021. There are over 90 children coming to join us for Prep next year which is very exciting news. The children met their teachers and classmates whilst their parents met our P and C staff and volunteers.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

A sincere thanks to Mrs Stockill for putting together our online Christmas Concert. It was epic and took even more time and effort than what a "live" concert does and we so appreciate it. The children's faces when "real Santa" ran around the classrooms in a frenzy just like he had jumped out of the screen, was a sight to see. If you haven't seen the concert, make sure you find the link in the email we sent home last week. 

SCHOOL LEADERS 2021 (will receive their badges in Week 3, Term 1)

Congratulations to the following students who have gained Captain positions for 2021. These students have had to submit a written statement, received written recommendations from staff, attend an interview and be voted into their positions by their peers.

 

School Captains:  Charlize and Jeswin

Vice-Captains:      Karees and Noah (as above)

House Captains:

Maundrell:Sibonna and Deborah

Webster: Cooper and Taylah

Hamilton: Cyrine and Jeremy

 
Music Captains: Josie, Vaoloka, Lexer and Jacob

Tech Crew will be announced on FaceBook next week as they are still undergoing their trial.

 

PROBATIONARY SENIOR LEADERS

(Candidates will receive their badges in Week 8, Term 1 after their  successful probationary period)

Leen, Demetri, Lylah, Reesha, Troy, Ivy, Magsen, Riya, Ashleen, Joshua, Fianna, Joanna, Kelsy, Ehblu, Aldin, Sarah, Christa, Hayden T, Reshvanth, Arshveer, Will, Brendan and Jess L.

This probationary period provides the opportunity for these students to demonstrate their commitment to the behaviours and responsibilities required of a leader in our school.

 

We had a large contingent of Year 5 students who applied for these roles. A number of these who did not attain a probationary senior leader period,  will be re-considered at the beginning of Term 2 based on their learning and engagement in the classroom, playground and at external school activities in Term 1.

 

If your child is going into Year 5 in 2021 and is keen to put their hand up to nominate at the end of 2021 for a 2022 leadership position, they need to start Year 5 with the end in mind. At Craigslea, we have high standards for our leaders as they are role-models to their peers and younger students. Therefore, some goal setting from the start of Year 5 increases their likelihood of success.

GRADUATIONS

6J and 6K

We have had two of our three graduations this week. Thanks to our parent organising committee for making the hall look so beautiful and all the other jobs which assisted in making the night go so smoothly. Our parents who made speeches on behalf of the parent body and the Year 6 teachers who put in an enormous effort to prepare for these important nights. However, a massive gold star goes to Libby Blom who has spent countless hours for the last three years putting together our Year 6 Year Book. In the previous two years, Libby didn’t even have a child in Year 6. Such is her generosity of spirit. Thanks so much Libby, we will miss you and the rest of the Bloms. Consider this an ad for any parents who are graphic designers out there WE NEED YOU IN 2021!!!!

 

REPORT CARDS AND CLASS ALLOCATIONS

These will be emailed early next week, as having two graduations and a swimming carnival this week has really impacted on our timelines. These two important pieces of information will be emailed separately.

 

A reminder that parents were alerted in three newsletters if they wished to tell us something about their child to assist in their class allocation and this was due on the third Sunday in October. We have done our best to use this information to assist placement, where it was possible. Therefore, once we have sent these class allocations out, we are working towards getting the school organised for 2021. Please refrain from calling or emailing on this topic next week, as it is impossible to place 600 students based on the individual wishes of parents or students. It is a complex task that takes a lot of time and thought.  We appreciate your support and trust that we have the best interests of your child in mind, within the context of over 80 to 100 students in each year level. Thinking back to our own years of primary school, you didn't get to choose your teachers and neither did your parents. Much like the workplace, real life requires you to work with people of all abilities and personalities.

 

INCOMING AND OUTGOING STAFF

Tim Young is joining us as a classroom teacher from Zillmere State School.

Sam Hendle from Mount Tarampa State School

Sophie Morley (QUT Graduate backfilling Amanda Dossetto who is on leave for Term 1)

Amy Knight is returning from maternity leave.

Allira Crowley (Sandgate State High School) is backfilling Shelly Ahuja for 2021

Stacey Franklin from West End State School

 

We thank sincerely and farewell for the time being at least:

Mrs Sue Coleman (Teacher of Prep C)

Ms Courtney Jay (Teacher of 3J: Courtney is on leave for 2021 to have her first child)

Ms Angelika De Jager: (Part-time teacher of 3HD and 4HD: Retiring after 32 years. 20 of these years have been at Craigslea)

Ms Renee Sokac (Teacher of 5JS: Renee has been transferred to Manly State School)

 

SENSITIVITY UNIT CLOSURE

Attached is a letter to inform the community of Metropolitan Region’s decision to close the Metropolitan Inclusion Centre (formerly the Craigslea State School Sensitivity Unit) at the end of this year. This will not be easy news for some.  We acknowledge the wonderful work of this unit over 30 years and the thousands of lives it has touched. Additionally, the work of Sharlene Emmanuel and her band of volunteers since 2015 in co-ordinating the activities of the unit, has been outstanding. As such this work has led Sharlene to a permanent role within the Inclusion Unit of Metropolitan Region where she can conduct this work on a wider scale from the start of 2021.

FIRST WEEK BACK ARRANGEMENTS

We are currently working out a plan for parents/carers to be briefly on-site for the first week of school and on a trial rotational basis throughout Term 1. This plan will need to:

-Ensure adults do not congregate on school grounds,

-Ensure only the allowable number of parents ( 1 person to every 2 square metres) can be in a classroom at the same time as teachers and students,

-Ensure everyone stays distant whilst waiting their turn,

-Ensure the visits inside the classroom are strictly timed so everyone is in a position to support their child and to also ensure that the teachers and students can promptly get on with settling in.

 

The plan will be sent to parents by email and on FaceBook in the week before school starts.

 

School returns on Wednesday January 27. I would like to thank everyone for their support during this challenging year and we look forward to a 2021, where we can be together more often.

 

Have a lovely break from routine,

 

Kathy Canavan