Wednesday, 16 February 2022

Acting Principal, Sonya Wilson

Principal’s Address

A warm welcome to returning and new to Carbrook State School families. We are delighted to see our Carbrook Community expanding to include new families.

It was with great excitement and some level of relief that we finally welcomed our students back to school this year. It had been a long wait and we were ready to hit the ground running. I want to congratulate all students, staff and families for such a smooth start to our 2022 school year. I appreciate the way parents and caregivers have partnered with us to keep our school community safe. The safety and wellbeing of students, staff and our community are our highest priority and this has required changes to some of our procedures.

Before school

To avoid students gathering in large groups, changes have been made to the before school routines. Students to arrive from 8:30am where they will be supervised in four separate areas rather than gathered in the undercover area. Year 6 students wait in the quiet area, Years 4 and 5 outside their classrooms, Years 1, 2 and 3 in the undercover area and Preps outside their classrooms. To ensure that we have staff available for before school supervision, in these four separate areas, we have requested that students arrive at school from 8:30am. The YMCA offers before school supervision, should it be required.

Eating breaks

Students eat their lunches in the same designated areas as before school to avoid large gatherings.

Cleaning

Additional cleaning has been arranged for the high traffic areas, playgrounds and shared resources.

Health and Hygiene

Regular hand washing and hand sanitising is occurring, particularly before and after eating, and after going to the toilet. Teachers have reinforced the messages of regular hand washing and sanitising.

Masks

Masks have been recommended for students in Years 3-6 and are available at school as required. Students have been informed that the wearing of masks is a measure to slow the spread of the COVID infection, in line with hand washing/sanitising practices that they are already accustomed to. At no time will any child be made to wear a mask if their family have chosen for them not to. Please ensure you have had this conversation with your child and your family and make sure your child is clear on this decision. Also, talk with your child around personal choice so that they understand and appreciate the choices that other children and families are making. We wish to avoid any potential conflict that may occur.

Communicating Positive COVID Cases to families

It is an expectation that each time a case is reported to the school that this information will be communicated to families. To maintain confidentiality the year levels and classes will not be identified. Each message will come with a reminder to monitor for symptoms and to stay home if unwell. Thank you to parents and carers for your support and diligence with regular communication when students are staying home.  We appreciate being informed also if they are a close contact or unwell.

Curriculum information evenings

Due to the continuing restrictions limiting visitors to school, our teachers will not be able to provide their traditional face-to-face Parent Information Evenings which would normally take place at the start of the school year. Instead, each classroom teacher will provide families with digital information to ensure the year is a successful one. This information will arrive by email on Friday, 18 February. Whilst this is not our preferred method to begin communications with families to start the school year, at this point in time it will be our next best available option. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Heart of Carbrook Day

As we strive to maintain as much normality for our students in these uncertain times, the Heart of Carbrook Day 14 February was celebrated by students and staff alike. Please view and celebrate the gallery of photos.

Yours sincerely

Sonya Wilson

Heart of Carbrook

Heart of Carbrook Gallery

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“4B engaged in a hands-on, bright and engaging Heart of Carbrook activity.  This is a version of a stained-glass Heart for a window. Students cut out pieces of cellophane and tissue paper and layered them against a sticky contact paper backing to create a mosaic heart design”.

Deputy Principal, Kerry-Ann Reese

Early Start

What is Early Start?

The early years of schooling (Prep to Year 2) are a significant time for your child as they develop the foundational literacy and numeracy skills for success in future learning and later life. Due to the rate of learning and development that occurs within these years, schools continually monitor your child's literacy and numeracy progress to meet their individual needs.

Schools use Early Start data to track progress and measure growth in literacy and numeracy. Teachers administer Early Start with students at four points in time – On-entry to Prep, end of Prep, end of Year 1 and End of Year 2.

How will Early Start benefit your child?

Teachers administer the Early Start activities one-to-one with students then enter the responses into OneSchool, the school data management system. This provides teachers with information to assist with curriculum planning for their students' learning needs.

By administering Early Start, your child's teacher gets a clear picture of what your child knows and understands. They use this information to make decisions about teaching and learning, and to monitor progress over time so that your child's needs are met.

Your child and the Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum is designed to teach students what it takes to be confident and creative individuals and become active and informed citizens. It sets the goal for what all students should learn as they progress through their school life – wherever they live in Australia and whatever school they attend.

What are the learning areas of the Australian Curriculum?

From the first year of schooling to Year 10, students develop knowledge and skills in eight learning areas: English, Mathematics, Science, Health and Physical Education (HPE), Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), The Arts, Technologies and Languages

Year Level Newsletters

You should have received a year level newsletter emailed from your child’s class teacher. This newsletter outlines what your child will be studying in the learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. The purpose of this newsletter is to assist you as parents in understanding what your child is learning about. We encourage you to read this newsletter each term.

We understand that parents, families and carers have the most influence on their children. When families are actively involved in their children’s education, children usually enjoy school and achieve better results. We encourage you to read this newsletter with your child and look at ways to support your child at home with their learning.

SEP, Fiona Broquesa

SEP Open Times

Before School - 8:30am

First Break Play time – different activities planned for each day

                                                          Second Break Play time – games room

OLEY (Oral Language for the Early Years)

The OLEY program will commence this week in both Prep classes and aims to help students increase their oral (spoken) language skills. The development of oral language is crucial to a child's literacy development, including listening, speaking, reading and writing. Good oral language skills will assist students to have greater classroom participation and has been strongly linked to successful development of reading and writing skills.

The OLEY program has been designed as a whole class program, which may be implemented with both small and large groups, or with individuals in classrooms. It has been developed as eight one-hour sessions, which once introduced, may be revisited regularly for additional practice. Each session is based on an element of the Early Years Curriculum, and consists of an initial whole class activity, followed by several small group activities. The activities are all presented as games and other highly motivating activities.

The OLEY program also assists in identifying those students who may require additional support. A follow-up intervention program is then tailored to the individual needs of these students.

Sensory Tools

Just a reminder that there is a sensory tool kit in every classroom space, so there is no need for students to bring their own tools to school. Rules around sensory tools remain the same:

APT, Leonie Barnham

Welcome to 2022. 

This year we welcome Kylie Smith, Peta Green and Sarah Turgeon to the Academic Performance Team.

These staff members, together with myself, will be providing intervention and enrichment to students across the school.  The team will be implementing research based and evidence-based practices to inform their work in classrooms.  This work is based on data that has been collected on students and informs the best and most appropriate intervention or enrichment needed for each individual child. 

The on-entry testing has started for those students who have commenced at Carbrook State School in 2022.  This testing provides teachers with an overview of the student’s capabilities in Literacy and Numeracy, providing them with a base line to make informed decisions around their learning.  Carbrook State School’s process of on-entry testing, also gives parents a snapshot of their child’s Literacy and Numeracy on-entry to our school, and provides them with data to discuss with the class teacher when they meet on completion of assessment. 

This term we will be continuing with our focus on Literacy, particularly reading and reading comprehension. One of the single most important things you can do with your child is reading.

Pre-readers learn to love the sound of language before they even notice the existence of printed words on a page. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word.

Even after children learn to read by themselves, it's still important for you to read aloud together. By reading stories that are on their interest level, but beyond their reading level, you can stretch young readers' understanding and motivate them to improve their skills.

Two exciting events that will be happening this year are the National Simultaneous Storytime 2022 and Book Week 2022.

The National Simultaneous Storytime is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association.  Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by Australians is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, homes and children’s facilities all over the country and the world.  The NSS will take place this year on Wednesday 25 May at 11am, and will feature ‘Family Tree’, a book written by Josh Pyke and beautifully illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh. 

Book Week 2022 will run from August 20 to 26, with a theme this year of ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open…’  Again this year, we will be celebrating Book Week, focussing on Australian authors and illustrators.

Myself, and the rest of the Academic Performance Team are looking forward to working in classrooms to assist teachers with their intervention and enrichment programmes, and providing opportunities to ensure every child is succeeding.  

STEM, Sheri Walls

This week we have been so excited to be back at school and having fun in STEM! The year 1 and 2 students were the first classes back on Wednesday. We discussed what STEM means and some of the reasons why STEM is important. The students were given a collaborative challenge this week – Can you get the gingerbread man across the river? They were given some Lego and the creativity was amazing! There were submarines, robots, boats and ziplines just to name a few. I am looking forward to catching up with the other year levels as the week progresses.

STEM Gallery

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PBL, Deidre Klatt

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Over the first few weeks, teachers and students will be working collaboratively on establishing expectations, in the form of class “rules” or a pledge. These will be based on our schoolwide expectations of:

Be Responsible
Be Respectful
Be Safe, and
Be a Learner.
At the beginning of the year, it is important for students to practise the routines and transitions that will occur in daily school life; to know and understand what behaviours are appropriate, as well as where they eat and play at lunchtimes, what they can do if they feel sad or lonely, and where will I go at the end of each school day.
It is more important than ever for our students to feel welcomed, safe and that they belong, so for the first few weeks, that is our core business here at Carbrook State School.

Prep A, Claire Clark and Sarah Turgeon

1A, Camilla Davis

In Term 1 we are learning to navigate Information Reports and non-fiction texts. The children enjoyed learning about different animals and their habitats this week. Declan’s favourite was the cheetah cub “Look how cute and fluffy it is!” Zane really enjoyed learning about eagles, their chicks and nests high up in the trees. Jett enjoyed reading about the African animals and the little zebra and this sparked a wonderful discussion about savannahs, deserts and oases. The children made great connections to what they have seen and read.

1A Gallery

1/2 Shu-Fen Lo

We have learnt to sit and line up safely and respectfully in week 3. We are responsible, respectful, safe and we are happy learners at Carbrook State School!

1/2 Gallery

4B, Chloe McKenzie and Peta Thomas

This week, the Year 4 students received their student computers in readiness for a year of digital learning. The computers sat on students' desks, like a gift under the tree on Christmas morning. As the classroom doors opened, the eager students burst in, their fingertips tingling with excitement for the moment they were able to unzip the sleek black laptop cases to reveal their brand-new learning tool.

After navigating through the initial set up, 4B students were able to access set learning material and complete a few tasks while 4A had the opportunity to explore a world of coding and problem-solving in the Minecraft Education app.

Students reflected on their first day of digital learning, many excited about using this new tool in the classroom.

‘This week has been an amazing week. I feel very welcomed into this new grade. I find using the laptops very fun, easy, cool and interesting. There’s so many cool things you can do and learn about. Everything is stored in OneNote, and now that we have it set up, it is easy to use.’

- Ava H

‘Being in Year 4 is awesome because we get a computer and it is much easier to type than it is to write on a piece of paper.’

- Sam B

‘I feel excited to be using the laptops and a little bit nervous too. I really love the little laptop pen!’

- Metia D

4B Gallery

Senior Leaders 2022

Welcome Senior Leaders
Our new Year 6 Senior Leaders have shown that they are an enthusiastic group who are very keen to start their final year at Carbrook State School. Since returning, there have been many bright smiles, happy reunions and friendly words being shared between Year 6 students and teachers. On their first day back, the Year 6 cohort received their senior shirts and were given the opportunity to put on their new uniforms. Students absolutely beamed with pride when they returned to class wearing their new shirts. It was a great way to start Year 6 and we can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store for this group of students.

Transport

Flyers