Dear Parents/Carers,

This week the life-blood of our school returned in the form of our students. We are 600 students in 26 classes at this stage. There still can be changes up until the second week of school depending on student numbers but hopefully all should remain the same. Our start of the year has been joyful and challenging in equal measure. Our students had to face their first day by saying goodbye to Mum and Dad at the gate or outside the classroom. School staff have had to condense plans for teaching and learning into a shorter time-period whilst settling students into their new year and keeping COVID-safe. The school leadership team has had to plan and re-plan and communicate, communicate, communicate. And guess what? We have all survived, so far at least. I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and the kind messages of support myself and the staff have received. It is complex to put plans into place that are different to the ones we have done before. The feedback I have received from families has allowed us to change, adapt and tweak plans as we have progressed. 

Kindness is the key. Mutual Cooperation, Support and Teamwork are also key. I would like to think as we progress through 2022, COVID has less impact on our lives and that we are left with "the keys." As a school community, we can achieve almost anything with these as the foundation of our interactions. 

A special welcome to our Prep families and new families in other year levels throughout our school, we are privileged to be working with your children and look forward to forming a productive partnership with you. 

COVID REMINDERS

• Prep and 1 please meet teachers at the designated meeting points (see map)
• Years 2 to 6: Keep teachers informed about your child's pick up and drop off points and it works best if it doesn't change around too much. 
• If you are sitting waiting for too long in a pick up zone, come later. Parents/carers waiting for secondary students in our zone, please don't. A suggestion: pick up your secondary child first as we are there until 3.20pm. There is not enough room in the zone and it is illegal for you to be there for the time it takes for your children to come from the high school. 
• Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell. If the school calls you, collect them promptly. If they have COVID symptoms, you will be given a RAT to administer at home with instructions. If the test is negative, your child can return to school the next day if they are well and do not have symptoms. 
• Please inform us if tests are positive, so we are able to inform the area of the school effected. This will be done to ensure confidentiality is maintained. 

LEADERSHIP TEAM 2022

Narelle Green (Deputy Principal) is on long service leave for Semester 1. Congratulations to Sarah Abdy (previously our school's Head of Curriculum and Head of Inclusion) who applied as part of a statewide process to backfill Narelle for Semester 1 in the role of Deputy Principal (Curriculum and Pedagogy). Welcome also to Natalie Marhinin (Acting Principal of Ipswich North State School in 2021) who was the successful applicant for the Deputy Principal (Student Services) for the full year. There are photos of Natalie and Sarah elsewhere in their sections of the newsletter. 

I would like to warmly welcome Erin Wiles (Aspley East State School) who is backfilling Sarah Abdy as Head of Curriculum for Semester 1. 

Click here to see the range of our leadership teams roles and responsibilities. This might be helpful to parents/carers when deciding to contact one of us. 

Although many of our events are on hold until after March 4, we will still update our School App Calendar and you will receive Weekly Happenings at the end of each week,  to allow you to see what's coming up across the school or for your child. 

SZapp - Please Click here to find instructions on how to download the Craigslea State Schoolzine App for Android or Apple devices. All parents/carers are encouraged to download it as it will have helpful school information at your fingertips when you wish to access it e.g:

• Links to FaceBook, School Website, School Online Booking System (SOBS);
• School Calendar;
• Contacts for School Office, Classroom Teachers, Tuckshop, Uniforms and Bookshop, OSHC and P and C;
• Absentee Forms and Contact Information;
• Key School Documents;
• Links to Current and Archived Newsletters.       

Please take advantage of the information provided that your classroom teacher will send in their class newsletter and Parent Information PowerPoints in the next day or so in addition to the Class TEAMS meetings that will take place next week with your child's teacher. View the PowerPoint and feel free to ask any questions at the online meeting. 

Have a good week,

Kathy

Welcome to our new families to the Craigslea State School community. We look forward to educating your child. 

Congratulations to everyone for a great start on Monday!  It was lovely seeing our students return for another year of learning and growing, a little bit taller and full of stories from their summer break.  A special mention to our 2022 Prep students who have settled well into their classes. 

This section of the newsletter will be jointly written by the Deputy Principals, Sarah Abdy and Natalie Marhinin. 

             

         Sarah Abdy           Natalie Marhinin

CSS Curriculum Snapshots https://craigsleass.eq.edu.au/curriculum/year-level-curriculum-snapshots

Parent Information Sessions 

Next week, each class will be holding their parent information session via Teams.This is an opportunity for you to meet the teacher and ask general questions about curriculum, expectations, routines ect.  Prior to your session you will receive the presentation and the link.   Please make sure you download the Teams app on your device. 

See below for the session times:

Tuesday 15th February 

5:30pm Prep

6:30pm Year 1

Wednesday 16th February 

5:30pm Yr 2

6:30pm Yr 3

Thursday 17th February 

5:30pm Yr 4 and 5

6:30pm Yr 6 

These session times are also published on the Craigslea State School SZAPP. 

Active School Travel 

This year, Craigslea State School has been selected as one of 13 new schools joining Brisbane City Council's Active Travel (AST) program. 

Active School Travel promotes clean and green, active and healthy school travel modes such as walking, cycling, carpooling and public transport. Over the next three years, our school will receive a range of free resources, tools, incursions to enable active travel to and from school.  Or if you have to drive, park the car away from school and actively travel the rest of the way. That's Park & Stride. 

The AST crew will visit our school assembly to launch the Active School Travel program towards the end of term (COVID guidelines permitting).  We strongly encourage you to be part of this great initiative to change our school environment and culture. 

Start thinking how you can use your car less travelling to and from school this year!

We are looking forward to another great year at Craigslea State School!

Sarah Abdy and Natalie Marhinin

It is so wonderful to have students back on site