MacGregor State School eNewsletter

From the Principal

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

‘Away for the day’ – mobile phones and wearable devices

On 6 July 2023, Minister Grace announced that all state school students will be required to keep their mobile phones ‘away for the day’ from the beginning of Term 1 2024. This announcement also extends to wearable devices like smartwatches, which can be worn, but must have notifications switched off, so that phone calls, messages and other notifications cannot be sent or received during school hours.

This will bring consistency across the nation, with all other states and territories agreeing to consistent restrictions on the use of mobile phones in government schools from the start of 2024.

The decision to implement a consistent, statewide approach is based on the advice of Ms Cheryl Vardon AO, former Queensland Family and Children’s Commissioner, who completed an independent review of Queensland’s approach to mobile phones earlier this year.

The review included consultation with key education stakeholders, such as principals, school staff, students and families from each education region, as well as field experts and a review of recent research on student use of mobile phones and personal devices in schools.

The adoption of this statewide approach will support schools to maintain a strong focus on educational achievement, and student wellbeing and engagement, by:

providing optimal learning and teaching environments, free from the distractions caused by personal use of mobile phones and wearable devices
supporting schools to create safe and supportive learning environments that prioritise student engagement and wellbeing
encouraging increased face-to-face social interactions between students
promoting the health and wellbeing of students by providing opportunities for social interaction and physical activity during break times
reducing the potential for students to be exposed to the negative impacts of the digital world resulting from unsafe or inappropriate use of technology, such as cyberbullying, accessing harmful content or breaches of personal privacy.

For MacGregor State School the implementation of ‘away for the day’ in 2024 will not require any change, as we already implement the policy that restricts the use of mobile phones for students during the school day.

Additionally, a departmental website and targeted social media campaign delivered to school communities will highlight the important role that parents and carers play in students’ safe and responsible use of mobile devices, both during and outside school hours. Details of this will be shared in future newsletters.

If you have any questions about student use of mobile phones and wearable devices during school hours, please contact mobilephones@qed.qld.gov.au.

Yours in equity and excellence,

Lee Gerchow

Prep and Year One

Welcome to Week 6!

Thank you to 1C and 1D for putting together a wonderful display of their learning in the Tuckshop area. Please take the time to check it out and celebrate the learning with your children.

The highlight of last week was the Year 1 incursion – Wild Rangers, Wildlife Encounters.

Exploring living things in different habitats was a great way to engage our learners in the Science curriculum. Students learned about the differences between healthy and unhealthy habitats and how a habitat provided for the needs of living things. They examined the external features of animals to understand how those features were used for protection. The joy and excitement during the activity were priceless, and we hope that the children shared their experiences with families at home.

The transition process from kindy to school is crucial for a child’s development and success. Not only it ensures that children feel supported and prepared for the challenges of starting school, but it also sets the foundation for their academic, social and emotional wellbeing.

This week I had the privilege to visit The Oak Tree Academy, an Early Childcare Centre in our catchment, to meet some of our future learners and build positive relationships between the centre and our school. We are confident that through this collaboration, we will create a seamless and consistent experience for our learners, helping them feel prepared, secure and excited about starting school.

Step into Prep

As part of our Successful Transitions strategy, we have collaborated with MOSHC educators to deliver four well-attended and successful cycles of Step into Prep sessions for our 2024 Prep families. These sessions have been met with great enthusiasm and have proven to be instrumental in helping our young learners integrate into the school environment. Not only have our future Prep students had the opportunity to meet and bond with their new friends, but they also have been able to engage in fun and supportive activities in a relaxed setting. During these sessions, our parents and carers were provided with valuable information, covering topics such as P&C involvement, MOSHC services, and how to best support and prepare their children for the exciting journey of starting school. We look forward to seeing our new little learners on 24 November – our 2024 Prep Orientation morning.

Year Two and Three

Out of this world learning in 3D with Mrs Tan

Students in 3D have been on a whirlwind adventure with their learning this term. Hands on activities have allowed the students to actively engage with learning and explore different ideas and concepts. Across maths, science and HASS the students have enjoyed these challenging learning opportunities and have been very excited to share their findings.

Sharing ideas and working together as a TEAM in HASS.

Using concrete materails during maths lessons, helps to challenge their thinking, problem solve and be creative and flexible with their ideas.

Hands on learning during science lessons, is a fun and exciting time when the students get to explore new concepts in a supportive and collaborative way. This dynamic approach allows the children to tackle their work in an innovative way, engaging with their peers to share ideas.

Students in 3H had an amazing time in our Math lesson with Ms Eldewik, during the Outdoor Learning Day, diving into the world of symmetry with a hands-on twist! We collected vibrant leaves and transformed them into stunning artworks, exploring symmetry in nature. Learning has never been this fun!

2D support Day For Daniel

Students in 2D showed their support for a great cause, the ‘Day for Daniel’ annual event. This focuses on the safety of all children in our community. By wearing the colour red our school got right behind this great initiative. The students in 2D were more than happy to participate and spread this message. Children’s safety is everyone’s business!

YEAR 2 WATER WARRIORS INCURSION

Connecting to the real world with their learning, the students in Year 2 recently watched an interactive performance from Urban Utilities Water Warriors. This is an engaging presentation, that highlights the importance of protecting our water ways and conserving the water that we use in our lives on a daily basis. The students from 2F with Mrs Hill were able to take what they learnt from the presentation, back into their classroom and have some insightful conversations.

Year Four and Five

I had the pleasure of spending part of my weekend at the Qld All Schools Touch tournament. These students from Year 4, 5 and 6 have been working hard over the past 2 terms building upon their touch skills with Mr Austen and Ms De Loryn. A huge thank you to both of these Teachers who have
given up several weekends and their own time to support these students at these tournaments.

Year 4 went on an excursion to the Rochedale Landfill and Waste Management site. Here the
students went on a tour of the landfill site and participated in an audit of waste and discussions
around sustainability.

Year 5: Captains for 2024

The process of voting for Captains is upon us. On Friday 10th November, our short-listed 10 Students will deliver their 3minute speeches for School Captains. There will then be a window of time for Staff and Students to vote for their preferred Captains. During Week 7 and 8, the remainder of Captain roles will be short-listed and students will go through their processes for their chosen captain roles. Parents will be notified if their child is short-listed and the process they need to follow for speeches or interviews.
Please remember, we can’t all be successful at winning a Captains role, and having the conversation at home around disappointment is important. However, it is also important the students know they have all done exceptionally well and are all leaders in Year 6.

Sustainability Captains

The Sustainability captains have attended their WAVE conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. The students engaged in a range of activities, including selling their plants at a stall to raise funds for next year. They were supported throughout the day by their leader Ms De Roche.

H.O.D. Update

On Thursday 2nd November, we celebrated Outdoor Learning Day.

Outdoor Learning Day is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day.

On two days of action each year, teachers take children outdoors to play and learn. When teachers take learning outdoors, they report some powerful impacts: Children’s behaviour improves, whole classes are excited to learn, and individuals who feel inhibited by the curriculum often thrive in an outdoor environment.

This year was the first time we have taken part and it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces out and about during the day; students, teachers and teacher aides all enjoying the sunshine and an opportunity to take just one lesson outside. There was a wide range of learning opportunities from reading a story, to measuring activities, evaporation experiments, Music, art and craft and games.

We asked some Year 3 students what they liked about learning outside:

“I like nature and it makes me feel calm.” – Austin

“I like how I’m in the wild, the fresh air. It feels fun to do art and craft outside.” – Alice

“I like the nature and enjoy the fresh air, it helps me to connect to nature.” – Rebecca

“It’s fun to learn outside because you learn more things about nature.” – Yoyo

“Prep A measured the length of dinosaurs, chalk drawing (& tree painting!), made and flew paper airplanes to see which would fly longer and leaf creations and spray painting.   We got 100% approval from our students.  They loved it. “ - Miss Campbell and Ms Murphy

Learning Engagement Team Update

ABC BOCCIA!

Exciting news on the Inclusive sport front. On Friday the 10^th of November past student and ABC news reporter Sarah Richards will be visiting Macgregor State School with the ABC news film crew to record a story about Boccia as an All Abilities inclusive sport currently being played at Macgregor State School.

We are always looking for opportunities to offer multiple inclusive pathways for our students. Currently we are advocating to raise the profile of the inclusive game of Boccia to move it from an intra school sport to an inter school sport, where all students of all abilities can compete against cluster schools.

The news story will be shared on two platforms, both online and television.

Watch this space for more updates on when our Boccia sport stars are set to air on ABC news!

Sports Update

Last Friday 3^rd November the Inter and Intra School sport seasons finished. Amazing to see so many students taking part in weekly sport. The benefits to taking part in a program like this are huge for our students, not just physically but emotionally and mentally also.

Congratulations to the following teams that have been awarded premiers in their respective sport and division.

- Jnr Boys Touch Team 3
- Junior Boys Volleyball
- Senior Girls Volleyball Team 3
- Jnr Girls Basketball Team 2
- Intermediate Girls Basketball Team 2
- Senior A Boys Basketball

QLD All Schools Touch Championships

Over the weekend the students in the Touch Football Excellence program took part in their final event for the year, the QLD Primary All Schools Touch Championships. This event was held over 3 days at Redlands Touch Football and had a mixed bag of weather conditions for the students to play under.
All of our teams did a tremendous job during the event. Our three younger teams showed just how much they have developed in the game of touch since the beginning of the touch excellence program. They learnt plenty of lessons during the event that will help them moving forward.

The highlight for MacGregor was our Girls and Boys A teams. Both of these teams qualified for the Championship Division finals (Top 16 teams in their division). This is the first time since we started taking part in the event that we have had both teams qualify for the Championship in the same year. Both teams finished the event in =9^th position. SUPER PROUD

A massive thank you to Mrs de Loryn who assisted with supporting the teams during the event. Her support was a massive reason for their success. Thank you also to Mrs Keating, Miss Eadie and Mrs Weldon who came to support the students at different times, the students loved seeing their teachers there supporting them.

World Kindness Day is celebrated on Monday 13^th November.

World Kindness Day is a global event dedicated to promoting the importance of being kind to each other, to oneself, and to the world. It's a day when people all around the world come together to perform acts of kindness, spreading love and positivity in their communities.

At MacGregor State School, we believe that teaching kindness and empathy is fundamental for our students' personal development. We encourage our students to participate in acts of kindness, both in school and at home, not just on World Kindness Day but every day. Imagine the impact we could make if every Australian performed an act of kindness on this special day – we could have 25 million acts of kindness in a single day!

Please see below a selection of books recommended by Random Acts of Kindness to inspire our students and help them understand the importance of kindness. These recommended books emphasise values such as kindness, honesty, cooperation, and more. They are suitable for students at different grade levels.

As we prepare for World Kindness Day, let's make an effort to spread kindness and love throughout our community, reinforcing these essential values in our children.

Hello from our Chappy Mr T.

What Does a Chaplain do?

Hope everyone had a great week and counting down to Christmas and the end of 2023.

This edition, I'll give a brief description of what I do at school since some students think I'm a teacher 🙂 A chaplain in a State School is not a religious instruction teacher. That job goes to volunteers who come to school once a week to specifically teach religion.

My role as a chaplain is to provide social and emotional support to students. Help students to build their social skills through group activities, listen to their fears and problems, identifying their strengths and talents and helping to overcome their weaknesses. A trusted person whom the students can talk to if they are having a bad day. I make myself available around school during lunch breaks to say hi to all the kids and play games/activities.

I also work with teachers, deputy principals and guidance officer to help in classroom work, check in with a student, and collect food hampers for families. Of course, I also run Breakfast Club.

I want students to grow as a person and reach their potential. I'm here 3 days a week (Wed, Thu, Fri) and can be reached via email- bthie14@eq.edu.au.

MacGregor State School Peace Code

Revision of Respect:

• What does Respect mean
• How can we show respect
• Why is being respectful helpful

Performing Arts

MUSIC EXCELLENCE RECITAL

The students in our Music Excellence program performed in their final recital for the year last week. This was a stunning evening showcasing amazing talent.

Each of the students performed a solo piece, followed by a combined piece played by the MEX Orchestra conducted by Mr Mossley.

It was also great to see members of our music staff performing with the students in the MEX Orchestra. Mrs Rosewarne, Miss McIntyre and Miss Eadie all working with the students in their final performance piece.

Special thanks to the teachers who attended and assisted on the night or who were active audience members supporting the students.

For invitation and registration assistance with QParents, please contact Marcia Crichton at mcric14@eq.edu.au.

We appreciate your support in adopting this new process as we aim to streamline and enhance the way we manage permissions for our school activities.

Mac Shack News

Volunteers Needed

The Mac Snack Shack needs your help to keep our tuckshop running smoothly and efficiently. We are looking for volunteers who can spare a few hours a week to assist in the tuckshop. No experience necessary, just a friendly smile and a willingness to learn. Please follow this link to sign up – https://msspc.org.au/tuck-shop/

Online Ordering

Flexischools continues to be the fastest and easiest way to place orders. You can sign up online at https://flexischools.com.au/parents or download the Flexischools app. Orders must be placed before 8.30am for same day orders. Alternatively, you can order up to a month in advance.

Summer Menu

The summer menu runs for term 4 2023 and term 1 2024. The tuckshop will continue to make our most popular daily specials, Pasta and our Bento Box. New daily specials will be available, as well as some new items added to our regular menu. Check out the new menu here https://msspc.org.au/tuck-shop/

Uniform Shop

Deadly Choices

Deadly Choices Junior Good Quick Tukka Program Takes Off This Term!

This term, over six weeks, our First Nations students are participating in the thrilling and informative Deadly Choices Junior Good Quick Tukka Program. This program is all about taking a hands-on approach to understanding the importance of good nutrition, making healthy food choices, and supporting others to do the same.

Our young learners have already had a blast creating a variety of nutritious and tasty treats. From delicious fruit kebabs to crunchy vegetable sticks paired with nutritious dips, and even sweet rice cakes, each week has been a culinary adventure.

And the fun doesn't stop there! This week, we're diving into the world of making healthy wraps. Our students are not just learning about healthy eating but actively participating in preparing these scrumptious dishes.

What's even more heart-warming is witnessing the teamwork and responsibility shown by our students. They have not only cooperated brilliantly but have also taken on the roles of presenting their food creations. Hygiene practices and their dedication to cleaning up duties have been nothing short of unbelievable.

The Deadly Choices Junior Good Quick Tukka Program isn't just about food; it's about empowering our students with the knowledge and skills to make wise food choices for a healthier future. We couldn't be prouder of their enthusiasm and willingness to embrace these lessons. Together, we're making better choices for a healthier tomorrow!

MacGregor P&C

"The MacGregor State School P&C 2023 Movie Night will be held on Friday 24th November at the School Oval! Follow the link below to secure your tickets and join us for a night of fun and excitement as we celebrate the end of the school year with our children and raise money for our School."

Click here to purchase tickets.

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Brianna K. (Year 4) who competed last weekend at the annual Queensland Figure Skating Competition and won the State champion title in Elementary girls division.

Congratulations to Martin X. (Year 4) who competed in the 2023 Brisbane Individual Age Championships at Calamvale Community College and placed second inthe players born in 2014 division

Congratulations to Candice B from 3A who has won 1st place in U9 pre-open Jazz solo in the Royale Performing Arts Challenge.

MacGregor State School Newsletter 2023 Edition 9