TERM 1 - Teaching and Learning 

As disrupted as the teaching and learning has been this term, teachers and students are still getting lots of learning in and doing their best to keep calm and carry on. By now, the routines and systems are becoming embedded and the school is generally humming along.

Teachers have worked hard under the challenging circumstances of this term, to make accommodations for absences as well as the reduced time to interact with the curriculum as intended.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Next week is a time to celebrate the learning that has been occuring over the term at the Parent Teacher Interviews. We are looking forward to sharing with you the progress of your children's learning and discussing their next steps. 

Interviews are being held in classrooms. If you are unable to attend your scheduled interview for any reason, please contact the class teacher to let them know.

PBL & Social-Emotional Learning

Craigslea State School is a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) school. PBL is a whole school approach for creating a positive, safe and supportive school environment in which students can learn and develop. This approach involves the school community working together.

PBL is implemented to improve the learning and well-being of all students in all school settings. The entire school, including the classrooms, tuckshop, oval, playgrounds, swimming pool and school grounds, are all considered part of the total learning environment.

In classrooms and at Assembly, we introduce the following fortnight’s behaviour focus for the whole school. During the next fortnight, students spend time in class discussing the expectation or doing an activity related to the expectation.

The focus for the fortnight is:

Be safe in all Environments - I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing before school.

It is important for all children to be safe whilst at school, this also includes before school.

Being in the right place means:

• Prep and Year 1 students stay with the teacher aide/s at the gate they enter through until 8:55am when they are then escorted to class. Or if parents bring them in to school they sit and wait with their parent in the Year 1 shed or just ourside their classroom.
  
  
• Year 2 and 3 students wait in the 2/3CPA and Year 4, 5 and 6 students wait in the 4/6CPA.
  
  

At the right time means:

• Our wonderful students do not need to be at school prior to 8:40am unless they are attending OSHC or a before school activity such as running club or band practice.
  
  
• There is a bell that rings at 8:50am, which is a signal to grab their bag and head off to their class, ready to begin their day.
  
  

Doing the right thing means:

• Prior to 8:40am waiting and sitting quietly in their CPA or for Prep/Year 1 with their parent. No play at this time.
  
  
• At 8:40am, when the bell rings, Year 2 and 3 children may get up and move about and play in the 2/3CPA. Year 4, 5 and 6 children may get up and move about and play in the 4/6CPA and cool courts. Preps and Year 1s can move about, as long as they stay close to their parent.
  
  
• All children can go to the hub or office to hand in notes etc.
  
  
• The area between and the Year 2 and Year 3 classrooms and the Kubbi is out of bounds.
  
  
• Running/chasing or tackling games are not appropriate play before school.
  
  
• At 8:50am, when the bell rings, we strongly encourage children to visit the bathroom and get a drink on the way to their class.
  
  
• Explicitly teaching children these expectations help us to create a safe environment for everyone before school and everyone understands that they need to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.

Active School Travel

Walking Wheeling Wednesday is coming!

Wednesdays at our school will never be the same. From Wednesday, 20 April we want everyone to think about how they travel to school as we launch Walking Wheeling Wednesday as part of our Active School Travel program.

Active School Travel is one of the easiest ways to incorporate physical activity into everyday life for all children. Research shows only 23% of Australian children are active for the recommended minimum of one hour every day.

We know that everyone is different, and there are many ways you can actively travel to school.  How will you actively travel?

Walk

Leave the car at home and walk your kids to school.  If you live too far away, drive part of the way and walk the rest.  We call that ‘Park and Stride’.

Cycle

Ride with your children to school. It is legal to ride on the footpath and remember to always have your helmet secured.

Scooter

It’s fun to scooter to school. Just like cycling, stick to the footpath and remember your helmet.

Public Transport

Catching public transport is easy once you know how.  For bus, train and ferry timetables, visit www.translink.com.au

Car Pool

Find a friend and car pool to school. It is an easy way to save time in your day and money. Talk to other parents in your child’s class or at music and sport to see who is going your way.

 So get started on 20 April and remember that EVERY Wednesday is Walking Wheeling Wednesday!

NAPLAN ONLINE

Years 3 and 5 students will be undertaking NAPLAN Online in May this year. 

We will also be participating in a national practice test on April 20.  This is an excellent opportunity to fine tune any technical and logistical needs, and to ensure the students are comfortable and familiar with the online platform.

We encourage all parents/caregivers to visit the NAPLAN Public Demonstration website

This week, all years 3 and 5 parents/caregivers should have received a detailed email about NAPLAN from the school.  Please let Sarah Abdy (sabdy2@eq.edu.au) if you did not get this email.

The year 5 students will be using their personal or a school ipad to complete NAPLAN.  If your child is using their own ipad, please make sure the NAP Browser is downloaded from the APP store.

Ultimately the best preparation for NAPLAN is the support of family and school.  It is important that all students are reassured that while we all want success for our children, it is a 'point-in-time' test which is a measurement tool only. In many ways a good night's sleep and breakfast is the best preparation. 

Kind Regards

Sarah Abdy and Natalie Marhinin