Issue 5 Friday 29 April 2022

Acting Principal Sonya Wilson

Dear parents and carers

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope you had a restful holiday and that this term is less eventful than the last.

All Education Queensland schools are required to have a Student Code of Conduct and for this document to be reviewed each year. As part of our review in 2022 we have revisited the use of the Traffic Lights as a way of providing students with feedback on their behaviour. Read the article below by our PBL Coach Charlotte Minty that explains changes to this mode of feedback to our students.

Through the Student Code of Conduct, supportive discipline is an important part of the work undertaken at school each day to help students develop and extend their capabilities in self-management and personal responsibility. At times, disciplinary consequences are a necessary part of supportive discipline – part of a planned approach to helping students understand behavioural expectations and learn more acceptable ways of interacting and engaging with others. The whole school program; Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL), teaches and reinforces the desired social and learning behaviours. This is considered Tier 1 teaching, and incorporates the social and learning behaviours taught  in the classroom and the playground.

At times, despite our Tier 1 teaching, students require additional support and this often involves disciplinary consequences. Discipline is an educative process, and includes rules and strategies applied in school to manage student behaviour. It can also include practices used to encourage self-discipline.

Consequences have three main forms:

• Natural – these occur as a result of the behaviour exhibited by the student and are not applied or introduced by an adult. For example, a student who forgets to bring their swimming togs to school on the day swimming class occurs, will not be able to participate in that lesson.
• Logical – these are implemented by adults, and are related to the behaviour. For example, a student who accidentally bumps another student’s desk and knocks their books and pencils onto the floor, would be asked to stop, apologise and help return the equipment to the desk.
• Corrective discipline – these are designed and implemented by adults. These consequences aim to decrease the problem behaviour. Examples of in-school corrective discipline may be; time out to calm down and reflect on behaviour, teacher/student conference to determine impact of behaviour and to document this,  to track and monitor patterns of behaviour which impact on student learning. Consequences determined by the school administration, will relate directly to the behaviour and will be proportionate to the student’s misbehaviour.

A small group of students who present with persistent behaviours are supported through the schools’ Student Code of Conduct Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviour responses.

In Tier 2, students may also join focused groups designed to explicitly teach students ways to manage their behaviour and to develop social skills. Tier 3 engages with specialist staff, often the Guidance Officer and outside agencies, that support the student, family and school to address behaviour concerns. This might include Behaviour Advisory Teacher, Paediatrician, and Psychologist.

An important part of the school’s Annual Implementation Plan for Carbrook in 2022 is to strengthen the school’s processes for support in Tier 2 and 3. The purpose of strengthening these processes is to promote a safe and secure learning environment to all students. I look forward to continuing to report developments of our PBL processes.

PBL Charlotte Minty

Change to PBL Visual Displays in Classrooms

Next week, students in all classrooms will participate in discussions with their class teachers around the removal of the ‘Traffic Lights” from classroom walls. It has long been part of our PBL practice to refer to these charts in order to reinforce and remind students of required behaviours in the classroom.

As the PBL team reviews these practices and focuses on the implementation of PBL policies with fidelity, it has been decided that student’s names will not be visually displayed on the traffic lights within the classroom. Student behaviours will continue to be documented through minor data tracking recording sheets to track and monitor patterns of behaviour which impact on student learning.

Students will still be redirected, if engaging in behaviour that impacts on their learning and the learning of others. Positive behaviours will continue to be reinforced and acknowledged.

Teachers will also engage with students privately to reflect on behaviour when needed.

The expectations of desired learning behaviours linked to the traffic lights (green – expected behaviours) will be explicitly taught and reinforced with students.

Students at Carbrook State School will continue to be provided with regular movement breaks throughout the day, to assist with engagement. They will continue to have access to sensory tools within the classroom when required.

As a staff we are continually working towards providing our students with  tools and strategies to  ensure communication is the default  problem solving tool. 😊

Deputy Principal Kerry-Ann Reese

NAPLAN Online 2022

Students in Years 3 and 5 will be required to undertake the NAPLAN testing online in May.  At Carbrook State School the NAPLAN testing will occur from 10 May to the 16 May inclusive. No testing will occur outside this testing period at Carbrook State School.

Students participated in a practice test on 21 April. This provided the school with an opportunity to fine tune any technical and logistical needs, as well as familiarise students and teachers with the online testing process.

Parents and caregivers of children in these NAPLAN year levels will need to be aware of important information relating to privacy. This  can be found on the NAPLAN Online Queensland website’s parent information page.

To familiarise yourselves with the NAPLAN style tests, visit the public demonstration site and read more about NAPLAN Online.

NAPLAN testing is for everyone, and all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN testing. Adjustments can be provided for students with a disability to enable them to access the tests on an equivalent basis to students without a disability.

Carbrook State School will work with parents/carers and students to identify, on a case by case basis, reasonable adjustments required for individual students with a disability to access NAPLAN. Please contact your child’s teacher to arrange a meeting to discuss the adjustments available to your child.

Parents or carers may withdraw their child from the tests. Reasons for this action may include  issues such as religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing. It is recommended that withdrawal be considered in consultation with the school. Formal notification must be received by the school Principal by Monday 9 May, prior to testing.

The Naplan testing schedule for 2022 is as follows:

Year 5 students will be using their one-to-one laptops for the testing. Students will be required to have their laptops charged every day for testing.

What your child brings to school for their learning day?

At Carbrook State School we ask parents to assist the school in setting your child up for a successful day at school. This starts with packing in your child’s bag something to lock their eyes into before school while waiting for the first school bell. This could include:

• a book to read
• drawing pad
• word search book
• colouring book

Children are not permitted to bring in toys or items such as trading cards ie pokemon cards.

In addition, please ensure children have a water bottle, hat and enough lunch to sustain them for the day.

Your support with this, is greatly appreciated.

Academic Performance Team Leonie Barnham

THE IMPORANCE OF ORAL LANGUAGE.

What is Oral Language?

• Information Sharing
• Telling Others How You Feel
• Advice
• Persuading Others
• Entertaining
• Sharing Ideas
• Remembering

Oral language is the system through which we use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas, and feelings. Developing oral language, then, means developing the skills and knowledge that go into listening and speaking—all of which have a strong relationship to reading comprehension and to writing.

Talking to your child helps expand vocabulary, develop background knowledge, and inspire a curiosity about the world – all of which help with learning to read.

Reading and talking with children play an important role in developing their vocabulary. Typically, more words are used in written language than in spoken language. The more you read to children, the larger vocabulary they will develop. Research has shown children learn new words by:

• Hearing a word over and over.
• Hearing words spoken by the important people in their lives: Mum, Dad, brothers and sisters, grandparents.
• Hearing words in a meaningful context – during conversation at dinner, in the car, while playing and while reading.

"Rephrase and extend your child's words, ask a clarifying question (tell me more about the lizard you saw), model more complex vocabulary or sentence structure (yes, I can see you’ve drawn a train station with all the passengers waiting to board the train), and ask open-ended questions," says Susan Hall and Louisa Moats of Straight Talk About Reading.

Importance of Reading

Good readers have a diverse vocabulary. They ask questions when they are unclear about what a word means, they use the context of a conversation or the happenings in a book to decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words and they use varied vocabulary in referring to familiar objects (this bird is big, but this elephant is gigantic).

How can you help?

Parents and caregivers have an important role to play in children’s literacy development both before and after they start school. The foundations of literacy – phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language – begin to develop in the early years of life, before children begin formal reading instruction at school.

A child’s experiences and home environment during their early years of life have a strong and measurable effect on their literacy skills before they reach the classroom.

Engaging children in play-based literacy activities encourages the development of phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language, as well as other knowledge essential for learning to read.

Parents can also enhance their children’s vocabulary and oral language through informal activities, such as providing access to books and educational toys, reading books together, and trips to the library or museums.

One of the most effective things parents can do is TALKING with children, listening, and answering their questions.

Once children start school, parents continue to foster reading development by maintaining shared reading activities, ensuring children have reading material at the appropriate levels and following their progress.

Ideas to enhance Oral Language Skills

1. Create or learn songs to expand your child's vocabulary. Use songs to describe your daily routines, periodically adding new verses that include new vocabulary words.

1. Read stories such as The Three Bears or Three Billy Goats Gruff. Act out the stories using small, medium and large stuffed animals. Find other items in your home that are large, medium and small. Use pantry items, pots and pans, cutlery. Ask your child to classify the items according to size.
2. Play "I Spy" with your child using words that describe an object's position. ("I spy something on the carpet, in front of the couch, next to the dog.") Expand this activity by playing "Simon Says" using directional words. ("Simon says put your hand above your head.")
3. Keep a journal. Spend some time every night discussing your activities from the day. Introduce new vocabulary words by elaborating on the day's activities. Write down your child's experiences of the day.
4. Have your child write/dictate cards to loved ones- birthdays, Christmas, other special occasions.  Encourage them to expand on their vocabulary and add more detail to their verse. 
5. Cook/bake together.  Unpack recipes.  Discuss the words of the recipe- whisk, blend, grate, fold, sift etc. Write some recipes of your own.
6. Create memory books.  Use photos of family experiences.  Write what occurred- use lots of detail and expressive and descriptive language.  Read these regularly.  Share with friends and family members.
7. Read together every day.  Reading aloud is a great way for children to absorb new words.
8. Include Non-Fiction when reading.  Children love reading and learning about the world around them.  This is a great way to fill background knowledge on a vast array of subjects.
9. Explore the world around you.  A simple walk around the neighbourhood can provide a plethora of opportunities to discuss insects, signs, people, occupations etc.
10. Play ‘I Spy’.  Simple, but effective.
11. Help your child become supermarket literate.  Read signs, notices, quantities, prices. Find big, bigger and biggest items.  Compare and contrast familiar items.  Discuss fruits and vegetables that may be unfamiliar.
12. Family stories.  Tell your child stories.  Relive childhood memories.  Have relatives tell their stories.  Compare life and lifestyles of the past. 
13. Talk, talk, talk.  Everyday conversations fill your child with language and vocabulary.  Talking also builds relationships, confidence, imagination and enquiry.

Young children are actively absorbing spoken language and experiences to make sense of the world around them. Engaging in rich conversations about everyday things and reading lots of stories are two terrific ways to help young children strengthen oral language skills and comprehension. 

SEP Fiona Broquesa

Maths Consolidations

SEP Teachers have been involved in Maths Consolidation Sprints again this semester. This is a fun lesson, using hands on resources and maths games to support students to engage in mathematical concepts that require consolidation. The students really look forward to these lesson times and enjoy working with the materials.

Photos from the lessons last term:

First Break Changes

SEP has been closed at first break in a trial for this term. Students who benefit from a quieter play environment at first break will have access to the quiet area, where they can do colouring-in, drawing, Lego, dress-ups etc.

SEP is still open at second break for students.

STEM Sheri Walls

Last week in STEM, students in years 1-4 were introduced to the engineering design cycle.

To learn more about the process, students were given the task of creating a paper airplane. We had lots of fun taking our planes outside and trying to fly them. Students found that they needed to make changes to their original plane. Some changed the style of wings, while others changed the way they launched their plane. Students were given time to reflect on the process after testing their planes.

STEM Gallery

Student Council Tegan Simone

Academic Committee

This term our school will be participating in National Simultaneous Storytime on the 25^th of May. 

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

This year’s text is called ‘Family Tree' by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh. Mrs Barnham has been working hard planning and preparing activities around the text for the students to engage with. The Academic Committee will be helping prepare and run activities leading up to the day.

Cultural Committee

Term 2 brings a lot of important cultural events in our calendar. Thursday May 26^th marks National Sorry Day which is at the start of Reconsolidation Week. The Cultural Committee’s goal is to share information about the importance of Sorry Day at an age appropriate level. They want to grow our school’s involvement in significate First Nation’s days. 

The National Reconciliation Week 2022 theme, “Be Brave. Make Change.” is a challenge to all Australians— individuals, families, communities, organisations and government—to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can make change for the benefit of all Australians.

Community Committee

This term the Community Committee will be holding Carbrook’s Got Talent. After the positive feedback from last year regaring  video viewing the event in  classrooms, we decided to continue with this model again. The competition opens Monday 9^th May. We are hoping to see a range of talents this year including juggling, skateboarding or cheerleading, just to name a few. More information about the competition to come.

Physical Committee

Carbrook will be participating in a community fundraiser this term called Jump Rope for Heart. Jump Rope for Heart is a fantastic physical activity and fundraising program that has been run by the Heart Foundation for over 36 years. It’s a great way for your child to keep fit and learn new skills. It also helps raise funds for vital heart research and educational programs.

Students will be skipping during lunch breaks and in class groups. During this time, you can share their online fundraising page with family and friends to help raise money for this great cause.

We will hold our school Jump Off Day on the Friday 17th of June. This will mark the end of the program and is an opportunity for everyone to come together to skip and show off their newly learned skills.

Keep a look out for more information sent home through emails and flyers. The program starts Monday  9^th May. Thank you for supporting the Jump Rope for Heart program!

4A Erica Witt

Lest we forget …

Albert Einstein once said that education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.  One thing, that the students of 4A do particularly well is ‘think’.  They question what they don’t understand, share what they do, and never stop reflecting on the world around them.  This was particularly evident as we approached ANZAC Day. 

Many of the students have firm opinions on what constitutes a fair and just world.  As rightly they should, given they are the future leaders of tomorrow.  And while there was a general consensus that war was not always the best option, there was also a resounding reverence when it came to respecting those that had paved the way for a better tomorrow.  Yes, they knew the facts.  Most had heard of Simpson and his donkey, the beaches of Gallipoli, and understood the sacrifices made.  But what was interesting was their ability to empathise with the people and places of the past. 

This was evident as the class brainstormed the term ‘digger’ for this term’s poetry unit.  What had a digger seen, heard, tasted, smelt, and/or felt?  The answers came thick and fast, and it wasn’t long before the whiteboard mirrored the extent of their imagination.  From there, students continued with the POWER writing process – plan, organise, write, edit, and revise.  They selected key elements and began shaping their thoughts.  The aim was to write an acrostic poem using the word ‘digger’.  The process included a first draft, an edit, a handwritten revision, and finally a typed submission.  It wasn’t an assessment item, just an introduction to the unit but they gave it their all to produce some rich poetry.  Their submissions were mounted onto a ‘thank you for your service’ poppy and are now proudly displayed on the classroom wall.

4A Gallery

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 14

Next

P&C Bec Allpress

Flyers