Carbrook State School eNewsletter

Principal Mark Winrow

A very warm welcome to the 2024 school year. A particularly warm welcome to those who, like me, are new to the Carbrook community – I am confident you have already found it to be a supportive community, committed to your kids. Personally, I am delighted to join Carbrook and work alongside a team of professional, genuine, compassionate and wise teachers, teacher aides and support staff. From the moment I walked through the gate, I have been greeted with genuine warmth and enthusiasm. It already feels like home. I can see why you chose our school for your child’s education and wellbeing.

I have joined Carbrook after 12 years as Principal of Boonah State School (with one year Acting Principal at Ipswich East State School). Personally, I am motivated by the uncontrollable pride children feel when they learn, or can do, something new, and I am committed to the engagement and wellbeing of the children, staff and families in the community I serve. My dream for Carbrook is to build on the outstanding work which has taken place here over many years and look for new ways to support the people in my care to be the best they can be.

It is my hope, that over time, I will know each of the children, staff and families. This will take time, but I encourage you to introduce yourself (probably more than once before it sinks in). I have a deep seated philosophy of putting people before paper – so my door is always open. We need to work together to ensure our most prized possessions (our children) reach their potential. A good education seeks to develop more than curriculum knowledge in children. At Carbrook we will work together on developing caring, curious, collaborative and courageous children who lead our community in the right direction for years to come.

New Routines

You may have noticed, or heard about, some small changes which have been made to daily routines. Our school is open to students and families from 8:30am. Students who need to arrive before 8:30am should access the YMCA OSHC service for their safety as we do not provide supervision before 8:30am. Upon arrival from 8:30am, students are expected to sit in their relevant undercover area. Children are invited to sit with their friendship groups, or with soon to be friends. This change has been made to enhance and support student safety, enhance the school’s family feel and give children greater opportunities to socialize outside of class and learn some regulation skills.

The other change which has been implemented is a swap of our play and eating time during breaks. The children will now play before eating at each break. There are a number of evidence-based reasons for this change:

Children need free play to recharge their brain after prolonged instruction
Children are more likely to eat their lunch after play as they are hungry and not racing to play
Children are more likely to return from the play area in a timely manner with the promise of food
Eating time is an effective method for students calming and returning to baseline to successfully transition back to learning time in the classroom

Thank you for your support of these changes. Teachers have been magnificent in teaching these new routines to your children.

Be Responsible Reminder

One of our school wide expectations is to be responsible. One way in which we support the children with this expectation is by asking for sporting equipment (eg bats & balls), toys and collectibles (eg trading cards) to be left at home. As a school, we supply the children with ample equipment to ensure they have a range of opportunities to explore their interests and talents. We cannot guarantee that the precious items children bring to school are not lost, broken or misplaced, meaning the responsible choice is to leave them at home. We do understand that from time-to-time children may be requested to bring in special items for show and tell. On these occasions, children are required to hand them to their teacher at the beginning of the day and collect them from their teacher at the end of the day to keep them safe.

Parade

My favourite time of each week is our weekly parade, held each Monday at 2pm in the hall. It is my favourite time because I am gifted the opportunity to see every smiling face at once and celebrate the amazing achievements of our children and staff. Parents are strongly encouraged to come along to parade and celebrate the week with us. There is a lot to celebrate at Carbrook.

Take care of yourself and others over the fortnight ahead.

Mark Winrow

Principal

Deputy Principal Kerry-Ann Reese

It is so great to be back at Carbrook, connecting with our wonderful families and staff again. The partnership between families and school staff is an extremely important part of ensuring student engagement and success during their schooling.

I am looking forward to working with Principal Mark Winrow and our teaching staff to ensure that 2024 is an amazing year of learning. Our wonderful teachers are knowledgeable, approachable and only too happy to work with you to support your child. Please ensure that you contact your child’s class teacher and discuss any concerns or needs with them.

When visiting classrooms this week, I have been pleased to see settled learning environments where students have been getting to know their new teachers and classmates. I have enjoyed hearing students talk about how they are going to work together to build their classroom culture and engage in learning together.

This year, we have made some changes to ensure that students are engaged and ready to learn.

1. Before school – when students arrive at school at 8:30am, students in Years 1, 2 and 3 are permitted to sit anywhere in the undercover area allowing them to interact and foster positive relationships with their peers from other classes and grade levels. Students in Years 4,5 and 6 are permitted to sit outside their Year Level Blocks. Students will be supervised by staff until the first bell.

From 8:30am, children will have access to uno cards, books and other games to play until the bell goes and learning commences for the day.

2. During school - at first and second breaks, students will be permitted to play first and then return to their year level blocks for eating time. We trialled this in Week 1. The children were very keen to get out and play and they transitioned to eating time with ease and were settled to return to class after eating time ended.

Heart of Carbrook Day

It has been a tradition at Carbrook, to celebrate the importance of positive relationships in our school community on Wednesday 14 February each year. We use Valentine’s Day as the anchor for this day, where we acknowledge the people we care for in our school community. We invite students to wear RED on this day to show support for the importance of being a kind and caring member of the community so we can all feel safe and supported at school.

On this day, children will engage in activities promoting positive relationships. In addition, the children will participate in a drama incursion “Thoughts have feelings too” organised and funded by the school. The theme of this drama incursion is resilience presented through comedy.

The performance piece is 45 mins long, followed by 10 mins Q and A. The timetable for the show will be as follows:

Parent Information Session

On Tuesday 13 February, teachers will be hosting a parent information session. This session will provide you with information regarding the curriculum your child will be engaged in for the year, expectations regarding learning and engagement and upcoming events.

Parents are invited to the following sessions:

Prep – Year 3 - 3:30pm – 4:00pm

Years 4 – 6 - 4:00pm – 4:30pm (including the class 3/4)

We look forward to sharing important information about your child’s learning journey this year.

QParents

Qparents

In today's digital age, staying informed and connected with your child's educational journey is more important than ever. This is where QParents, a convenient online platform, comes into play. We want to remind all parents and guardians about the benefits of signing up for QParents and how it can enhance your involvement in your child's education.

What is QParents?

QParents is an innovative online portal designed for parents and guardians. It offers a secure and efficient way to access real-time information about your child's education and school life. This platform bridges the gap between home and school, allowing you to stay updated with your child's progress, attendance, report cards and more.

Why Sign Up for QParents?

Instant Access to Student Information: QParents provides immediate access to your child's attendance records, grades and timetable.

Stay Updated on School Events: QParents is a one-stop shop for all school-related information, including upcoming events, newsletters and important announcements.

Convenient and Secure: With robust security measures in place, QParents ensures that your child's information is protected. The convenience of accessing this information from any device, anytime, is an added advantage for parents on the go.

As we navigate a rapidly evolving educational landscape, staying engaged in our children's education is crucial. QParents is more than just a portal; it's a tool that empowers parents to be active participants in their child's learning journey. If you haven’t already, we strongly encourage you to sign up for QParents today. Embrace this opportunity to be a part of your child's educational experience in a more meaningful and informed way.

For any queries or assistance with signing up, please do not hesitate to contact Sheri Walls, swall153@eq.edu.au

Head of Department Curriculum Liz Cook

Welcome back to another school year at Carbrook. As I mentioned in my last newsletter article, this Year I will be undertaking the role of Head of Department – Curriculum. This role allows me to work closely with teachers to dive deeper into the Australian Curriculum to ensure quality teaching and learning experiences for all students with engaging and aligned assessment, in order for teachers to make informed and consistent judgements of student progress and achievement.

Last year, as a school we focussed on the learning area of Mathematics. In 2024, we will shift to looking closer at English with all year levels from Prep – Year 6. We will also spend considerable time familiarising and planning for the implementation of Version 9 Australian Curriculum for the learning areas English and Maths next year.

At the end of last week, your child's class teacher sent this term’s curriculum newsletter via email. For those new families to our school, this document outlines an overview of learning your child will be experiencing in Term 1. If you have any questions or concerns in relation to this, please make contact with your child’s class teacher to discuss further where I can support in the conversation if necessary. I have attached a copy of each curriculum newsletter below for your reference.

Warm regards,

Liz Cook

Prep_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

Yr_1_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

Yr_2_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

Yr_3_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

Yr_3_4_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

Yr_4_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

Yr_5_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

Yr_6_curriculum_newsletter_Term_1_2024.pdf

iHub

STEM Sheri Walls

Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day is a global initiative that brings together communities, families, schools and organisations from more than 160 countries to help create safer online spaces. The eSafety Commissioner leads the initiative in Australia. They educate people about online safety risks, like online abuse, how to be safe online and where to go for help.

At Carbrook State School, we know that online safety education and awareness is more important than ever. This Safer Internet Day, Tuesday 6 February 2024, we’re encouraging you to take three simple actions when approaching online safety: Connect. Reflect. Protect.

Connect - Connect safely by keeping apps and devices secure and reviewing your privacy settings regularly.

Reflect - Reflect on how your actions online may affect others or your safety.

Protect - Protect yourself and others by visiting eSafety.gov.au to find out how to stay safe online and report online abuse.

Our school is committed to this cause and during Technology lessons commencing next week, students will be participating in various activities to educate them about the responsible use of the internet. We believe that awareness is the key to prevention and we will focus on topics such as cyberbullying, privacy, online etiquette and the importance of a digital footprint.

We urge you, as parents, to participate in this initiative. Engage in open discussions with your children about their online activities, guide them in setting healthy boundaries and encourage critical thinking and empathy towards others online.

Together, we can make a significant difference in ensuring the internet is a safe, respectful and nurturing space for our children.

Music Melissa Dillon

Welcome back to 2024. We have another exciting year ahead in the music department. We have started the year strong with all classes participating in singing, beat and rhythm activities. Ask your children about the challenge they received this week – keep the beat in your feet, the rhythm in your hands and sing your song all at once!

Choir News

Students in Years 3 to 6 are invited to join the Carbrook State School choir. We will be rehearsing on Tuesday at first break (11:00 – 11:20). Our first public performance will be the ANZAC parade held in early Term 2. This is a free program offered to our students.

Instrumental News

We welcome back Mr Luke Bushell (Strings – Fridays) and Ms Hayley Frost (Band – Thursdays). Both Strings and Band will start their lessons in Week 3. Forms and invoices will be received shortly. To ensure students receive their hire instrument as soon as possible, please make these payments and return forms promptly. No instruments will be able to go home until forms and fees have been paid. Timetables for both of these programs will be on the Music Room window and Mrs Dillon’s office window (other side of the music block).

We look forward to your ongoing support of our students this year.

Please feel free to contact Mrs Dillon at mbudd20@eq.edu.au if you have any concerns or questions.

PE Melissa Dillon

Welcome back.

We are looking forward to another big year in the sporting department. Our first save the date is for our Annual School Cross Country held on 6 March 2024 (weather pending).

Year 5 and 6 students may be provided with an opportunity to participate in a local Gala Day with Loganholme, Daisy Hill, Kimberley Park and Shailer Park State Schools. Currently there is no further information regarding the venue or sports choice. At this stage we are looking at attending this event in Week 10 of this term on Wednesday 27 March 2024.

District Sports Trials – 10, 11 and 12 years only!

Pacific District School Sport provide opportunities for students to represent at a District and Regional level through sporting teams. To take advantage of this opportunity, students with experience in their respective sports are invited to nominate for trials through our Sports Coordinator, Mrs Dillon.

To be eligible to trial:

be participating in regular matches and training in their respective sport (this is not suitable for beginners)
born in 2012, 2013 or 2014
email their intent to nominate including:
- Student name
- Class
- Sport
- Positions played (if applicable)

Please ensure to take note of the trial due dates as NO late nominations will be accepted.