newsletter-2015-04-02 - MacGregor State School

370 McCullough Street
MacGregor QLD 4109
Website: http://macgregorss.eq.edu.au/
Email: office@macgregoss.eq.edu.au
Phone: 07 3323 4333
Fax: 07 3345 8701
Subscribe to Online Newsletter! http://macgregorss.schoolzinenewsletters.com/subscribe
2 April 2015
FROM PRINCIPAL
HOLIDAYS
Thank you for working with us during Term 1 to make sure your
childs opportunities for learning are maximised. On behalf of all
our staff I wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable two
weeks holiday. School starts again Monday 20 April.
ANZAC COMMERATIONS
I look forward to commemorating the service of our ANZACs
and all defence personnel at our ANZAC Ceremony on
Thursday 23 April at 9:30am in our Hall. We will also be
marching as a school on Saturday 25 April at 8am from Turton
Street, Sunnybank. We will march behind our school banner.
Students must be in full dress uniform for both events.
NEW CLASSROOMS
We are entering a very exciting period of significant upgrades to
our facilities. Over the holiday break you will notice temporary
fencing going up around areas of our school. At the front of
our school our electrical upgrade will begin. At the rear of our
school temporary fencing on the Junior Oval will mark the start
of our classroom upgrade. I will be sharing details of our new
classrooms at our next P+C Meeting. If you have any questions,
please let me know.
BREAKFAST CLUB
From start of Term 2 our Breakfast Club will operate every
Thursday. All students are welcome to attend at MacGregor
Place for a yummy and healthy breakfast. Get ready for a great
day of learning with your friends and remember to say thank
you to Chappy Jules for her organisation.
We are always looking for parent volunteers to assist with
Brekky Club. Please contact Jules if you can help.
MAYFEST- CAN YOU HELP?
Each year our P+C holds Mayfest- a multicultural celebration
for our extended school community. We encourage you to get
involved not just as a participant but also as a volunteer. Here
are some ways you can help make this year’s Mayfest another
huge success:
• We are looking for physically strong parents and
children to assist with setup before the event (Friday
and Saturday morning) and clean-up afterwards
(Saturday night). Please email me if you can help.
• Talk to your child’s classroom teacher and ask how
you can help prepare for the day and on the day.
• Purchase some Raffle Tickets sent home with your
child; and take some to work, family and friends.
• Donate some good quality items for resale.
• Attend on the day with family and friends and have
fun!
When we all work together, we all achieve more. Keep an eye
on our eNewsletter for more details.
STUDENT RESOURCE SCHEME 2015 – 60% off
Once again we are offering all parents the convenience and
cost saving of a voluntary Student Resource Scheme in 2015.
The scheme offers you the opportunity to pay a one off fee
which covers your child for all their additional requirements for
the year; at a discount of more than 60% if you had to purchase
the items yourself. This year the Student Resource Scheme will
again cover Mathletics and Literacy Planet online resources, the
MacGregor Year Book, cooking and art and craft consumables,
plus school supplied student workbooks. I strongly encourage
you to participate in the scheme.
All parents must return the mandatory Education Queensland
form to indicate their choice. If no information /payment is
received by the 3rd April 2015, students will have their
Mathletics and Literacy Planet passwords cancelled.
UPDATE STUDENT DETAILS ON QParent APP
Parents are requested to use the QParent App if there are any
changes to your child’s details. It is important for our Front
Office staff to be kept up to date so our contact with and
responses to you are timely and accurate.
OFFICE HOURS
The Administration Office will be open from 8.00am to 4.00pm
Monday to Friday. The telephone system will be switched over
to night switch at 4.00pm. Please ensure that all enquiries are
during office hours.
Regards
Mike Ennis
Principal
The.principal@macgregoss.eq.edu.au
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MACGREGOR
CELEBRATION & RECOGNITION
STRINGS & CHORAL CONCERT
On Thursday evening 27 March, students from the strings and
choral program performed a concert of wonderful music.
Students from Senior Strings, MacGregor Strings, the String
Quartet, Cantabile Singers and Bella Voce, performed an
outstanding repertoire of music for a large audience.
Congratulations to the students and their teachers, Mrs
Caroline Ryan, Miss Catherine Milligan and Miss Eloise McIntyre
in ensuring the students were well prepared for their first major
performance of the year.
His victory in this prestigious tournament was achieved through
his ongoing commitment to his chess combined with a
phenomenal performance on the day. Tiran won 8 games out
of 9 against strong competitors.
A total of 64 players competed in the tournament. Tiran
improved his overall Queensland Junior Chess rating by 23
points.
We extend our congratulations to Tiran and wish him well for
future competitions.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THE
HEADS OF SCHOOL
JUNIOR TOILETS
Staff have noted a number of adults accompanying their
children into the Junior toilets. Please be aware of the delicate
balance of assisting your child and at the same time respecting
the right of other young children to use these facilities without
adult intrusion.
QParents
Congratulations must also go to Sophie Shan and Krissy Teng
who performed solos at this performance. Both girls displayed
an immense level of skill and performance and should also be
congratulated on their achievements.
All parents should have now received an email invitation and
letter, advising of how to sign up to the new QParents App.
The QParents website will allow parents of Queensland state
school students to access information about their child and
to communicate directly with their school. Our school target
has been revised and is now set at getting 75% of our school
community registered.
MACGREGOR CHESS SUCCESS
I am pleased to inform you about the success of McGregor
State School students in Chess.
Congratulations to all the participants who represented our
school at the South Brisbane Interschool Chess Competition
held at Stretton on Thursday 19 March.
Chess Grade A - Nadula, Alexander, Tiran and Jordan took 3rd
place ahead of 11 strong teams and won Bronze Medals.
Chess Grade B - competing against teams from 10 schools,
Thomas, Aryan, Sean and Siddharth achieved outstanding
success and received Gold Medals.
Chess Grade C - Mason and Varish played well and we look
forward to them achieving chess future success in future
tournaments.
There are vacancies available in our chess teams and we
encourage all students to nominate to play in interschool chess
tournaments and to practice frequently so that we can continue
this success and enter competitive teams in all three divisions.
Please see Mrs Burke if you are interested.
TIRAN’S CHESS SUCCESS
I am very pleased to inform you that MacGregor School
student, Tiran (5F) has commenced his preparations for the
Australian Chess Championship 2016.
Recently Tiran played in the Gold Coast One Day Chess
Tournament and achieved an outstanding result.
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Using the QParents App will give you secure online access to
information such as:
• attendance details
• report cards
• timetables
• payment details.
You will also be able to update your child’s details and let the
school know of changes to normal routine, such as when your
child is unwell or has to leave early.
QParents won't replace the traditional ways you and your
child's school communicate—it will just provide another option.
How will I get access?
You will only be allocated an account if your child's school
signs up to QParents. One parent will then be nominated by
the school principal to manage the student's information and
that person will need to register with QParents to access the
information.
Your school will supply the registration requirements to you.
You will need to undertake online identity verification and
provide personal information like your name and mobile phone
number. See the Privacy Statement and Terms and Conditions
in QParents for further details in information collection and use.
What personal information is stored about me?
Personal information including:
• full name
• user name
the student's information and they can also delegate access to
a student's information to another parent or carer.
Where does the information about my child come
from?
The student data displayed in the QParents application is
information which the school already collects, records in the
school student management IT system. This data is used to
communicate with you about your child's education.
Information recorded includes the bi-annual report card,
timetable, finance invoices, attendance details, etc.
Do school staff have access to my QParents
account?
School staff do not have access to your QParents account.
They do however currently manage the information that is
released to your QParents account from the school student
management IT system.
How up-to-date is the information that is presented
in QParents?
QParents will present all relevant student information that is
recorded in the school student management IT system .This
means that as soon as a record is added or updated by school
processes, it will be available to QParents. QParents will display
the latest possible information for the selected information sets
that are made available by the student's school.
• your nominated password
What details can I update in QParents?
• student number you are associated with
The QParents Account Owner can submit the following student
details to be updated:
Are all stored to ensure correct matching of your data to your
nominated students and to enable account management
• change of address
Which devices will I be able to use to access the
site?
• change of date of birth
You will be able to access QParents through a:
• details of unexplained absences
• smartphone (iPhone, Windows or Android)
• tablet (iPad, Windows or Android)
• personal computer.
Who looks after the student information presented in
QParents?
The Department of Education, Training and Employment is the
custodian of all state school student information. The student
information is stored and managed in the department's school
student management IT system, which is hosted in a secure
Queensland Government facility.
Will you use my data for advertising products?
No, as a Queensland Government Agency we are not permitted
to distribute your information for advertising purposes.
Who will be able to access my child's information?
The school will identify one parent or caregiver as the QParents
Account Owner (QPAO) and send that person a unique
invitation code to register with QParents with all the details on
how to register. Once registered, the QPAO will have access to
• additional / changed medical conditions
• details of absences, including current and future days
away from school.
Note: All data changes that are submitted through QParents
must be reviewed and approved by school administrators
before being applied to the relevant records in the school
management IT system, as is currently the process when
requests for changes are made in person, via the phone or
through a paper-based request.
RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION AT MACGREGOR
STATE SCHOOL IN 2015
MacGregor State School offers religious instruction for 30
minutes per week. Classes in 2015 will begin in Week 1 Term
2.
The program consists of a non-denominational Christian
program facilitated by volunteers from various Christian
communities; and Buddhism classes with the support of
instructors from the Buddhist Education Services for Schools
Inc. All facilitators complete Student Protection and Code of
Conduct training and possess a current Blue Card.
The Christian program is a Bible based curriculum, which
discusses Biblical stories and Christian themes.
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Buddhism classes focus on Buddhist beliefs, values and the life
of Buddha.
Children attending Christian instruction groups will need to
purchase the Infant Christian Religion Workbook (Years 2 and
3) or the Lower Primary Christian Religion Workbook (Years
4 and 5) at a cost of $3:60 from the school’s Uniform and
Stationery shop.
Children will be allocated to Christian, Buddhist or
Non-Religious groups. In making this decision staff will refer
to the details provided in the enrolment form or information
previously provided by parents.
If you have any further inquiries about religious instruction
please contact the Dean of Students or phone 3323 4333.
MACGREGOR STATE HIGH SCHOOL “JAC
PROGRAMME"
Applications for Scholarships 2016 for the MacGregor State
High School “Junior Aspiring CAD Programme” are now open.
The programme is designed for Junior Secondary students who
show potential in the Performing Arts and have a passion to
achieve their best.
Entry is by audition only.
Applications are available from the office.
UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS
ANZAC ASSEMBLIES
ANZAC assemblies will be held at our school on Thursday
23 April. Two assemblies will be held, the first at 9.30am for
students from Years 3-6 and the second assembly will be at
11.35am for students from Prep to Year 2.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Thank you to the parents who attended the recent parent
teacher conferences. The connection between home and
school is very important. Meetings such as these allow the
teacher and parent/s to communicate important information
about the children.
Thank you for being about the children’s learning at our school.
ENRICHMENT & EXTENSION
POWER DOWN DISPLAY
On Wednesday 25 March, in support of Earth Hour, seven
volunteer classes from Prep to Yr 3 raised awareness of global
warming with an impressive torchlight display in the school hall.
Macgregor classes throughout the school also joined in the
spirit of Earth Hour by “Powering Down” their classrooms for
half an hour last Friday as they reached for their switches in
an effort to turn off all excess electrical items. Not only was
success achieved in reducing our carbon footprint but more
importantly, MacGregor children gained a better understanding
of their reliance on power and how it can be used more wisely.
Thanks go to all those children and teachers who participated.
Students will be required to wear their formal day uniform on
this day.
Parents are welcome to attend.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
School holidays are fast approaching. Holidays start on Friday 3
April and students return to school on Monday 20 April. Please
mark these dates in your diaries.
We wish all of our families a safe and enjoyable break and look
forward to seeing you back at school in Term 2.
FROM THE HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
EASTER CELEBRATION EVENTS
Students in Year 2 recently invited their parents to come into
school for the first celebration day of the year. Parents arrived
full of excitement to see what their children were doing at
school and to participate in some fun activities.
Special thanks to our wonderful Year 2 teachers for organising
such a wonderful morning.
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NUDE FOOD TUESDAYS ... COMING TO YOU
SOON!
Also next term, stay tuned for the return of
NUDE FOOD, only this time Tuesdays will
be our targeted day. In the meantime, keep
those
environmentally
responsible
lunchboxes rolling in as we know children at Macgregor always
look forward to the tasty and healthy treats that their families so
lovingly prepare for them.
RECYCLING
If during the Easter break you suddenly realise you have
accumulated an unwanted supply of spent ink cartridges,
batteries or old mobile phones, simply send them along to
school for recycling. Yes! We are still collecting with proceeds
from all recycled materials going to the school.
SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
PEACE CODES
Our school has three expectations of students:
Be Safe, Be Responsible and Be Respectful
A range of strategies are presented to the students to develop
an understanding of how they can ensure they meet these
expectations on a daily basis.
Pathways to Peace are one set of strategies that we use
actively in our school.
The goals of Pathways to Peace are:
• To create safer, better communities for all concerned.
playing piano or swimming, by enduring the sacrifice involved
and focusing on the outcome, it builds character in our
students.
Ron Berger states “Excellence is transformational. Once a
student sees what s/he is capable of, that student in never
quite the same. There is a new self-image, a new notion of
possibility, a new appetite for excellence”. (From An Ethic of
Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship). Students learn
from applying themselves to their music or sport, the life skills
of goal setting, persistence and the transformative power of
pursuing excellence. That has got to be worth doing!
INTERMEDIATE STRINGS PERFORM ON
ASSEMBLY
Students from Intermediate Strings performed on our last
Junior Assembly for Term 1. These students have been playing
together and learning their instrument for the past twelve
months and have achieved a very high standard.
• To establish more peaceful settings in which to live
our daily lives.
• To provide strategies, tools and techniques to create
peaceful relationships and peaceful ways of
interaction.
• To provide practical resources to assist individuals to
relate and interact peacefully.
• To develop resilient, productive individuals with
positive views of self and of the future.
Using a common language between home and school assists
in developing these skills and strategies with the children.
The images below can be printed out and made into fridge
magnets or small postcards that can assist parents re-enforce
these concepts at home.
Congratulations to these students on a wonderful performance.
SCHOOL MUSICAL
PERFORMING ARTS NEWS
MUSIC AND SPORT ARE IMPORTANT!!!
This last week or so I have been quite sick and without a voice.
Very frustrating! But this gave me the time to read the book
Miss Milligan gave me called “Learning Strategies for Musical
Success” by Michael Griffin. I started reading and immediately
thought of our MacGregor students.
With all the business of “doing” music we forget just how
important music (and sport) are to the development of the
whole child. Mastering an instrument or learning a piece of
music provides children with the opportunity to persist and
overcome challenges. Without struggle, there is no growth.
Talent without persistence remains just potential. We need to
be careful not to give in and say ‘close enough is good enough’.
By embracing the challenges of learning a task, whether it’s
There will be NO rehearsals this Thursday 2 April.
K BLOCK NEWS
STAFF CHANGES
Mr Bryant who has been working as an SEP Teacher for the last
2 years is relocating to Bundaberg with his family. On behalf of
the students and families of K Block, we would like to thank Mr
Bryant for the outstanding contribution he has made whilst at
MacGregor State School. There are many wonderful attributes
we will remember about Mr Bryant such as his energetic and
enthusiastic attitude, his great sense of humour, his animated
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fishing stories, the unforgettable Batman outfit on the Fun Run
days and finally the impact he has had on the education of the
students on his caseloads.
We welcome Mr Craig Stoeckel to the K Block team in term 2
as Mr Bryant’s replacement.
CROSS COUNTRY
Opposition
Team
Win/Lose/
Draw/Bye
Senior Girls Touch
Football
West End
Win
Senior Girls Touch
Football
Rochedale
Lose
Intermediate Girls
Touch Football
West End
Win
Intermediate Girls
Touch Football
Rochedale 2
Win
Senior Netball
Rochedale
Win
Senior Netball
Wishart
Win
Junior Soccer
Wishart
Win
Senior Soccer
Wishart
Win
Congratulations and well done boys and Girls!
Our kids supported by the SEP had fun doing the cross
country. They did a fantastic job completing a large circuit. We
had kids competing with walkers, power wheelchairs, scooters
and even a 4WD buggy. Hannah Cunnington and Tyler Henzel
deserve a special mention for their determination in completing
the course with a winning attitude.
Dylan Rice came 3rd in his age group completing the whole
course against his peers. Well done Dylan!
We managed to have a few giggles on the way.
(Insert pics on the camera returned to Helen’s desk)
SPORTS NEWS
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Winter Sport Team
Winter Sport Team
Opposition
Team
Win/Lose/
Draw/Bye
Junior Girls Touch
Football
Holland Park
2
Win
Junior Girls Touch
Football
Holland Park
1
Lose
Junior Girls Touch
Football
Mackenzie
Lose
MAYFEST
We are always looking for parents/ grandparents to volunteer in
the tuckshop/ bookshop.
Once a week, month or term, you would be very welcome.
Come and meet other parents in our school community.
Please see Angie in the Tuckshop.
FORGOTTEN LUNCHES
Q. What happens if my child forgets their lunch?
A. The child will be asked to go to the school office where the
parent will be contacted by phone.
The tuckshop will provide a smart choice lunch at the parent’s
request.
A smart choice lunch is…
Morning tea - home made muffin and a piece of fruit.
Big lunch - salad sandwich.
Total cost to parent is $6.00, to be paid the next school day.
We hope this is helpful to parents and keeps the focus on
positive education outcomes.
Thanks for your support in this area.
Regards,
Angie and the Mac Snack team.
UNIFORM & BOOK SHOP NEWS
UNIFORM & STATIONERY SHOP OPENING
HOURS
MONDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY 8:00am to 9:00am
For parents new to the school the Uniform & Stationery Shop
stock the full range of uniform requirements all year round. In
addition to uniform items, we also offer a full range of stationery
items, school hats and bags, swim caps and all uniform items
necessary for the performing arts program.
Current uniform and stationery price lists are available to view in
the Document Store on the school website in the Uniform and
Stationery Shop folder.
SECOND HAND UNIFORMS
The Uniform Shop has a supply of quality second hand
uniforms available to purchase on Friday mornings from 8:00am
to 9:00am.
We have a wide range of girls dresses priced at $20 each. Boys
green shirts, grey shorts, sport uniforms and winter pullovers
priced at $10 each. Winter jackets are priced at $20 each.
TUCKSHOP NEWS
FLEXISCHOOLS
If you are new to the school we have an online ordering system
for the tuckshop/book and uniforms. Ask for information about
how to get online.
Stock and sizes of uniforms change each week, so check the
rack outside the Uniform Shop if you require a particular item.
HOMEWORK / LIBRARY BAGS
A shipment of the new style Homework / Library bags (Green
Folders) have arrived at the Uniform & Stationery Shop priced
at $9.00.
If you have any spare time we would love to hear from you.
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