MacGregor State School eNewsletter

From the Principal

Dear Parents & caregivers,

Student & Community Safety
We continue to receive complaints about parents driving and parking in an unsafe manner when dropping off or picking up their children at school. The safest place to do this is the Drop n Go zone in front of the admin block. As with most large schools in busy urban locations, the school has no designated parent parking areas.

Most issues appear to be in the Sunny Park carpark and in the streets surrounding MOSHC, with drivers speeding, double parking, blocking access for other vehicles and parents allowing their children to walk through busy traffic areas unaccompanied or neglecting to use the pedestrian crossings.

As one parent said to me recently ‘it is not a case of IF someone gets injured but WHEN’.

The school has no jurisdiction in these areas nor any capacity to patrol or supervise in a public carpark.

Please ensure that if you insist on using the Sunny Park Carpark as a drop off and pickup zone for either the school or MOSHC that you behave in a safe and considerate manner – your child’s safety and that of others is at stake.

Yours in Equity & Excellence,

Mr. Lee Gerchow
Principal

Prep and Year One

Welcome to Week 6!

It is hard to believe that we are already in the second half of Term 3.

This is the time of the year, when we commence our planning processes in preparation for 2025. Very soon, all families will receive the invitation to indicate whether your child is returning to MacGregor State School in 2025. Please ensure you respond promptly as this information is vital for our staffing and class formation for next year.

Last week, we started our 2025 Prep Enrolment interviews for our prospective Prep learners. We cannot wait to welcome our next cohort of little people! This is a reminder to all families who reside in the catchment area or already have children at MacGregor State School, to submit enrolment applications for eligible children to commence Prep in 2025. If you have questions about the enrolment process, please do not hesitate to contact the school or visit our website.

Thank you to **Prep C** and **Prep D** for putting together a display of learning that is happening in their classrooms. Children are always very excited to share their successes, so please take the time to stop by and admire the efforts of our Prep learners.

Hands-on learning in Early Years

We strongly believe in the power of hands-on learning and its capacity to enhance understanding. Our young learners are encouraged to actively participate in activities that enable them to connect classroom learning with real-life situations. By doing so, we aim to foster a love for learning that extends beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Please join me in celebrating learning in Prep B with Mrs Richard-Preston and Ms Davey.

As part of learning in Science, Prep B made their own binoculars and explored the school environment to observe objects made out of different materials. They recorded their findings using the iPads.

As part of STEM, Prep B built their own slides and experimented with different materials.

Prep B are explored and compared the capacity of containers.

As part of English unit of work, Prep B learners practised their speaking skills by interviewing friends.

Reading with Year 5 Buddies

As we were in the midst of the Olympics, Prep C joined their Year 5 Buddy Class for a fabulous Friday afternoon of Mini Olympics. During the week, they made medals for their Buddies, and the Year 5 Buddies made medals for Prep C in return. The students participated in 4 rotated activities which included Stick Javelin, Tennis Ball Shot Put, Bean Bag Toss and Egg and Spoon race, and had lots of fun.

Prep D, with Mr McDonnell and Mrs Lee, explored the materials and made some shoes to see how long they would last and whether the paper would be a suitable material to use for this purpose.

Year 1 Excursion to Botanical Gardens and Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

Last week, our Year 1 learners travelled to Brisbane Botanical Gardens and Sir Thomas Planetarium. They explored the Temperate Garden Lagoon and its surrounds. They engaged in activities to identify and explore the natural, managed and constructed features of this place, and collectively created a map highlighting and recording these features. They also attended a show in the Cosmic Skydome to explore the night sky, our Solar System, Galaxy and beyond. Thank you to all the families and all the volunteers on the day for your support with this event. I hope our Year 1 children shared their excitement and learning with you at home.

A reminder to all families who reside in the catchment area or already have children at MacGregor State School, to submit enrolment applications for eligible children to commence Prep in 2025. Your prompt response will assist the school with staffing and class planning for 2025. If you have questions about the enrolment process, please do not hesitate to contact Marcia Crichton (mcric14@eq.edu.au).

Year Four and Five

On Tuesday I attended a PD with Mrs Hirini – HOD – Curriculum and Mr Holloway – HOD- Technology around the implementation of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum. Whilst it was slightly daunting at how much work we need to put in, it reassured me how lucky we are at MacGregor to have such a large staff of committed and enthusiastic people who will come on the journey with us. During the day I spoke to other School Leaders who work in much smaller spaces and discussed the extra workload on them.

Next week I am absent on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to shadow a School Review at a school in Logan.

Year 4

Payment for our excursion to the Waste Recovery Centre is now due. Please ensure you make the $10 payment to allow your child to go. This excursion supports the HASS unit the students are currently working on.

Year 5

The students have been told if they have moved to Stage 2 of the leadership process and will start their 5-week project. We are aware some students will be going on holidays, so they will have until Term 4 Week 2 to complete.

Camp: I am in just finalising all the paperwork and should have the Online Consent ready to send out on Monday.

Inter/Intra-School Sports pick up arrangements

If your child participates in Inter-School sports, on occasions the buses return after the bell. All students regardless of time are taken to the Tuckshop area and the sporting teachers dismiss them from here. If you are picking your child up, it is best to wait in the Tuckshop area. If buses are delayed by more than 10minutes after the bell, we will send a text message to alert you.

Intra-School Sport: Students rotate each week around 5 teacher activities. Your child will take their bags to the supervising teachers’ classroom for that week. At 3pm your child will be dismissed by this teacher so will not be at their normal classroom.

Year Six

Week 7 at MacGregor State School has been incredibly exciting! There is so much to celebrate as our Performing Arts team continue to exceed expectations with the 2024 Fanfare State Finals – congratulations to the performers, the specialist teachers and may I extend a sincere acknowledgement to our parents of the Wind Symphony ensemble. We know that it takes a community to raise a child and this is a heartening example of how the hard work, dedication, attendance, practice and support comes together for an outstanding outcome.

Next, we have the final planning underway for the very exciting 2024 Canberra Trip! I think it will be very tricky for our students to focus on learning next week as they count down the sleeps until the board their jet plane to Canberra. For those not attending, we have a flexible week of learning and all parents have been email information regarding our plans for Week 9.

And, of course we lead into the week of the MacGregor State School 2024 Musical! Yet another example of how our community of specialised teachers, leaders, students and parents come together to provide unique opportunities for our students – what a great school we are so fortunate to be a part of!

Year 6 Winter Food Drive

Next week, our School Captain’s Winter Food Drive continues for three more mornings – Monday, Tuesday and Friday morning our Captains will be eagerly awaiting donations – please know that even one item can make a huge difference! Thank you for your support so far – keep the donations coming!

‘Who is your shepherd?’

Students in 6C certainly know who their ‘shepherds’ are! By shepherds, we mean, ‘WHO ARE THE ADULTS KEEPING WATCH OVER YOU WHILST YOU ARE ONLINE?’

This is a conversation that Year 6 classes have been having intentionally each week this term and 6C just wanted to share their thoughts and efforts when thinking about this very important topic – thank you Miss French and 6C!

Sunnybank State High School STEM Challenge

Thank you to the families of our 18 STEM Challenge participants who supported this day at Sunnybank State High School on Thursday 1^st August. Participants received a certificate and personalised name tag from the team at Sunnybank State High School to say, ‘Thank you!’. Students who missed assembly will have their certificates and tags presented at the next Year 4-6 Assembly.

A special thank you to Mrs Alida O’Brien for supporting our students on the day – you are a STEM GEM!

Online Safety Messages for Families – ‘Mind the Gap’

‘Digital parenting needs to evolve as children grow so that young people are well prepared to respond safely to harmful online content’ (e-Safety Commissioner)

Like all aspects of child development, a balanced approach is critical to ensure our children know that they are supported at home and at school as they navigate life’s challenges with a focus on online wellbeing and safety. This latest reading published and released via the e-Safety Commissioner’s website is a powerful message in the need for us all to be educated on what is really happening online for our young learners.

A key finding of this report that stands out as concerning is that ‘significant numbers of children have had negative online experiences’:

Close to half of the children surveyed were treated in a hurtful or nasty way online in the past year.
A quarter of the children had themselves treated someone in a hurtful or nasty way online.
One in ten children have been the target of hate speech online.

For the full report, please visit the e-Safety Commissioners website: https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/mind-gap

H.O.D. Update

Street Science

We are excited to be partnering with Street Science in 2025 to support our implementation of Science across the school.

A lovely surprise to receive some delicious cupcakes during Science Week.

Sewing Club

We are so fortunate to have our lovely Granfriends come each week to share their knowledge and love of hand sewing with some of our Year 4 and 5 students. Sewing Club has been running at MacGregor for 16 years with Mrs Inez Langfield being with us from the beginning. Mrs Dulcie Hume joined the team about 3 years later and Mrs Marina Bruno more recently. We are so very grateful for their willingness to work with our students so diligently every week.

Inclusion Team Update

Deadly Choices healthy alternatives to take-away

This week the Deadly Choices group discussed the Healthy diet pyramid and eating a balanced diet from the five food groups. We looked at healthy alternates to fast food items. It was great fun to make healthy pizzas and feast on them for a healthy afternoon snack. Please see the link below for the recipe: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/healthy-pizza/

Performing Arts

Finance

Message from our Guidance Officer

Kids Whining + 7 Strategies

In our parent forum, a question came up about whining, so I wanted to share some strategies 😊

Kids don’t whine to intentionally irritate us (though it can certainly feel that way). They whine because…

They feel helpless or powerless.

They are seeking connection.

Their complaints might be masking an underlying emotion that needs to be expressed.
1.Empathy plus a boundary.
“I know. It can be hard being told what to do. You wish you could make all of your own choices. I get that.”

2. Rephrase complaints as a ‘want’ or a ‘wish.’

When your child says, “I’m borreeddddd,” try responding with, “You wish this was more interesting.”
If they protest, “But why?! I want to stay at Megan’s house…”
Try, “I hear you, you wish you could sleep over at Megan’s on Saturday... I get it.”

3. It’s okay to disagree.

When they say, “But Mummmm, I want another chocolate,” you might respond with:
“I hear you. You are allowed to not agree with this decision.”
Explain the reasoning behind the “no” so children truly understand.

4. Define whining.
Requests to “stop whining” are unlikely to work until we teach children what whining looks like and sounds like. Model it, discuss the difference, practise, and praise.

5. For little ones, use play and humour.
“Oh my goodness… how did the whining voice get in here? I need to go put it in the bin… phew, it’s in the bin. Okay, sorry—you wanted to play one more game? Let’s talk about it.”

6. Offer alternatives.
“I know you want more chocolate, but we’re all done for today. How about ____ or _____ instead?”

7. Encourage a ‘strong’ voice.
“Try asking that again with your strong voice.” While this is a helpful strategy, it’s important to know your child, as it could turn into a power struggle.

Hello from our Chappy Mr T.

As always, I'm contactable via email - bthie14@eq.edu.au

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.

Term Two Menu 2024

There is a new menu for term 2 2024. The tuckshop will continue to make our most popular daily specials. New daily specials are available, as well as new items added to our regular menu. Take a look at the new menu here https://msspc.org.au/tuck-shop/

Uniform Shop

Interschool Sports is underway - don't forget the Uniform Shop sells Football/Soccer Socks - sizes 9-2 (S), 2-7 (M) & 7-11 (L), $14 per pair. We also sell the White Mesh Sports Cap for $18.

Golden Jubilee Merchandise still for sale - Umbrellas ($30), Tea Towels ($10), International Cookbook ($15), Pin Badge ($12) and MSS Lion Mascot Keychain ($15).

Our second-hand rail still has lots of Winter uniform for sale. Donations are always accepted and much appreciated.

Volunteers - if you would like to help out in the Uniform Shop, we would appreciate the help on a Monday between 8:00-9:00am (your child/ren can sit in the shop until school time), also volunteers to be on standby for Wednesdays & Fridays in case of sickness would be much appreciated. If you are able to assist, please email the Uniform Shop on uniformshop@msspc.org.au.

Thankyou.