KSS_Newsletter_W1T3
Principal Update
Welcome to our first newsletter for the term! We look forward to sharing with you all that is happening at our school, along with celebrating the achievements of our fantastic students. Each week, we will share an update from different areas of the school, along with any important messages.
My first important message is around attendance. Recently, notes went home to families of students who had unexplained absences. Please ensure that this is completed and return to your child's class teacher as soon as possible.
We are very lucky here at Kingston SS to have the help of many volunteers who work along side our Chaplain, to provide breakfast for our students. This occurs in the Hall each morning, with breakfast also being shared with our Preps/ Year 1 class who are waiting with their parents/carers down in the area. This service starts at 8:30am, when the Hall is opened and students are able to enter for supervision. We are noticing that some students are here before this time. We kindly request that students do not arrive at school before this time, as they are not supervised. Students who are waiting with their parents/carers are also requested to enter the school after this time. We will be reviewing the gate opening times to align with this in coming days and the updated times will be shared via this newsletter.
Currently, in Semester 2, students are accessing a range of learning areas as outlined in the Australian Curriculum. Some of these subjects are taught within their class by their class teacher. Some are taught by specialist teachers. Kingston State School currently offers Technologies (Design and Digital), Languages (Japanese) and Health and Physical Education. We ensure that all areas of the curriculum are solidly covered as mandated in the Australian Curriculum. We are really excited to showcase the work of our students, and staff, within our newsletters as we move through the year.
As you are aware, construction has been happening at our school for a very long time! Our new administration building and FamilyLinq hub is completed as we eagerly await sharing more details with you about the official opening. In the meantime, something VERY exciting and beautiful is hiding behind these fences. Stay tuned for more news on when we can unveil this.
Have a great week, everyone.
Robyn Marshall
Principal
Head of Department - Curriculum Update
Welcome back!
Term Three brings with it lots of fun and exciting events in the area of teaching and learning.
NAIDOC Week
This week is NAIDOC Week and this year’s theme is “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”. The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year our school community will celebrate NAIDOC Week in week 3. Our jarjums will participate in a range of learning opportunities that celebrate culture and actively promote Reconciliation. A shout out to Mr Toma and Miss Smoothey for their work in organising these events.
Science Week
In week 6 we will celebrate National Science Week. Students will have the chance to participate in a range of fun and engaging activities and competitions so look out for information on this.
Book Week
One of our biggest celebrations this term is Book Week. Held over week 7, it will be filled with ‘magical ‘ activities all week. This year’s theme is “Reading is Magic” and we look forward to celebrating the magic of reading with your children.
Our annual Book Week Character parades will be held on Wednesday, August 21st. The Prep – Year 2 parade will commence at 9:30am and the Year 3 – 6 parade will commence at 11:30am. Both parades will be held in the hall.
This year we will also hold several sessions for our school community on the changes to how we teach reading at Kingston. These practical sessions will provide you information on how reading is taught in our classrooms and how you can support your children as they develop and grow as reading. We look forward to welcoming you all for these events.
We will be sending home more information on our Book Week events in the next couple of weeks.
We look forward to seeing you all at these events.
Tabitha Jos
Head of Department - Curriculum
Social Emotional Wellbeing Update
Please read the overview below from our Social Worker, Jessica to learn more about the social worker role here at Kingston State School.
Deputy Principal Update
Our students have had a wonderful start to Term 3. The behaviour focus, Read Set Return, has helped to remind students of our school expectations. They have been working hard with their teacher to review what it looks, sounds and feels like to be a safe and respectful learner at school. Our classrooms have been calm, with students in engaging in learning.
We are excited to see the progress that has been made in the nature play space beside the Year 1 and 2 building and look forward to it opening soon.
One of the many celebrations from Term 2 was our Year 2 students attending an excursion to the SparkLab in Brisbane. Thank you to the Year 2 team for a successful day and providing the following report.
What a WONDERful Day at the Sparklab!
The Year 2 excursion was certainly a day to remember! There were so many things to do and see that it's hard to list it all in one place. Fortunately, our students have written recounts about the day, highlighting their favourite parts.
The bus ride was an adventure. The children were bustling with energy, just chomping at the bit to get to the Science Centre and Museum. Once we got there, it was a short walk into the venue. We saw huge dinosaurs, an army tank, and friendly faces as our guides.
The Sparklab had all sorts of features for the children to experience, from the smoke machine to the black light display. There were weird and wonderful ways to make and hear sounds, and even an arch-stacking team activity.
The museum was a hit—so many beautiful examples of our native wildlife. There were even some skeletons from exotic animals overseas and, of course, dinosaurs! The children loved the LEGO dinosaurs, too!
We had an awesome day, and the students should be commended for their excellent behaviour. A calmer and more content busload of children has rarely been seen.
Many thanks to our parent helpers on the day.
Mrs Kara Steers
Deputy Principal
Sparklab Photos
P and C Update
