Dear Parents/Carers,

YEAR 3 TO 6 ASSEMBLY

Next Thursday March 17 at 2.00pm on the top oval, we will be resurrecting the time capsule that was buried at the school 50 years ago and presenting it to students on assembly. This will build some excitement in the weeks and months to come where we discover what's inside and plan what to put back in the capsule for Craigslea students to discover in 50 years' time. At this event we will launch an art competition. Children will have the last two weeks of the term to do an artwork on the theme  Craigslea State School-50 years-Learn for Life which will form part of our mural that will be on the besser block walls on entry to the school and near the tuckshop. 

At this assembly we will be presenting the School Captains, Vice-Captains, House Captains, Music Captains, Tech Crew, Senior Leaders and Student Councillors with their badges. Parents/carers of those students are welcome to attend this assembly to pin the badge on their child. Some students who are new to our school and other students who are still working on achieving their badge, will have an opportunity to receive their badge early next term. Senior Leaders and Student Councillors your child will receive a note on Friday March 11th to bring home if they are receiving their badge at this assembly. We'd ask parents to bring a chair to the assembly (if they wish to sit) and set up their chairs along the bottom oval path at the end closest to the bottom oval.

HARMONY DAY

On March 24 we will hold a special costume parade for Harmony Day/Say No to Bullying Day at 9.15am on the top oval. Parents/carers are welcome to attend. Children can wear national dress or orange to represent harmony and anti-bullying. A number of activities will take place in the classroom and playground during the day. 

STORMS

The last few weeks have certainly challenged us all. The school sustained ceiling damage across a number of blocks and there were thick layers of mud in drains and in many of the eating areas. Teachers and teacher-aides (some family members roped in) responded to the call to make the grounds suitable for children returning on the Wednesday. Shovels, gurneys, brooms and hoses were put to good use and it was a much better environment for students by lunchtime. On the Thursday, we were concerned about some anomalies in our electrical system so we moved 8 classes as a precaution whilst we had the site checked. Soon after we had the children settled, parents/carers started phoning and arriving at school and then we became aware of the Premier's announcement. It appears some schools in Brisbane were given advice to recommend parents/carers to collect their child if they could before the advice for Brisbane was changed. Thanks for the patience everyone exhibited that afternoon. I have a close friend at a school on the Sunshine Coast who lost her car in flood waters in the school car-park whilst she was focused on evacuating children from her school, so clearly it was an important message for some schools just not ours where the sun shone for the rest of the afternoon for the most part! At present, we are unable to use the Prep fort and sandpits and the Year 1 fort as sand and bark has been washed away and we are awaiting its replacement. Year 1 are currently rotating play between the hall and the top oval until this is rectified. 

STAFFING

We continue to struggle with staffing in the current COVID situation and this will be a challenge for a while yet I'd expect. These difficulties coincide with a teacher shortage in metropolitan Brisbane where some days it is impossible to obtain a quality replacement. This term we have opted to replace with a Targetted Learning Teacher from our staff (who is familiar with our students, school systems and philosophies) if the absence is less than five days, so that we can maintain some consistency. This is not ideal as it withdraws some support and extension opportunities from students. Additionally, Queensland Health insists that students are sent home if they are displaying symptoms. I recognise that this is inconvenient for parents/carers who are trying to work but it is the unfortunate reality for families across the globe at the moment. Many of our teaching staff are in the same boat when we get calls to collect our children from their schools if they develop symptoms during the course of the school day.


P AND C AGM/GENERAL MEETING

At 6.30pm next Monday March 14, there will be our school's P and C Annual General Meeting and then the general meeting afterward. This meeting will receive nominations from those who wish to be considered for the vacant positions of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and various sub-committee positions. Come and join our school's P and C and learn all the great things they do to improve our school. 

Have a good week,

Kathy

PBL & Social-Emotional Learning

 Zones of Regulation

Feelings are innate; they make us human and are part of the fabric of life. Our feelings are windows into the thoughts and perspectives we hold toward a situation, a person, or an event. The core focus of Zones is to positively support the acquisition of self-regulation skills, especially in school-age children as they learn to work together as a group.

The Green Zone

The green zone is used to describe when you’re in a calm state of alertness. Being in the green zone means you are calm, focused, happy, or ready to learn. This is predominantly the state you want your child to be in. It’s also the state most needed in the classroom in order to learn.

The Yellow Zone
The yellow zone describes when you have a heightened sense of alertness. This isn’t always a bad thing, and you typically still have some control when you’re in the yellow zone. Being in the yellow means you may feel frustrated, anxious or nervous. But, it could also mean you’re feeling excited, silly, or hyper – which is okay in the right situations.

The Red Zone
The red zone describes an extremely heightened state of intense emotions. When a person reaches the red zone, they’re no longer about to control their emotions or reactions. This is the zone kids are in during meltdowns. Being in the red zone means you’re feeling anger, rage, terror, or complete devastation and feel out of control.

The Blue Zone
The blue zone, on the other hand, is used when a person is feeling low states of alertness or arousal. When you’re in the blue zone you may be feeling down – sad, sick, tired, or bored. You’re still in control, as you are in the yellow zone, but with low energy emotions.

All the zones are natural to experience and we focus on teaching students how to recognise and manage their zone based on the environment and its demands and the people around them. The Zones also provide a neutral and simple language and a systematic framework, improving communication for students.

NAPLAN ONLINE

Our students in years 3 and 5 will be undertaking NAPLAN testing online between 10 - 20 May this year.  This assessment platform brings many advantages, including a test design that offers test items tailored to students' knowledge and ability. We encourage all parent to visit the NAPLAN Public Demonstration Site.

Parents and caregivers of children in these NAPLAN year levels will be emailed additional information very soon. 

Please access additonal information about NAPLAN by clicking the link below: NAPLAN - Information for parents & carers

We will keep you up-to-date in the lead up to May, but if there is anything you need in the meantime you can contact Sarah Abdy - Deputy Principal (sabdy2@eq.edu.au).

Sarah Abdy & Natalie Marhinin 

Year 1 are exploring the features and needs of plants and animals in their investigations.