MacGregor State School Newsletter 2024 - Edition 18
From the Principal
Dear Parents & Caregivers,
Year 5 Camp
This week I have had the remarkable privilege of spending time with our Year 5 cohort on Camp at Maranatha, Yandina. I have to say that this was one of the most relaxed and pleasant camp experiences I’ve enjoyed in a very long career in education largely due to how amazing your children behaved and conducted themselves. They embraced all challenges and activities and problem-solved in real time, supporting each other in what was for some, the first time away from home. Congratulations parents on raising such fine young humans – I’m really looking forward to these students being our school leaders next year!
I would like to thank Mrs Sandi Keating and the AMAZING MacG Team of staff members, without whom this wonderful experience would not have been possible.
Week 11
As you are aware, this school year is 41 weeks in duration with 11 weeks in Term 4. We have been aware of this for quite some time and have already made plans for events and activities that occur in the final week, just as we would normally do in any other year.
The department’s instruction about the final week of school has been consistent throughout the year:
Every school will remain open for students until the end of the school year, including week 41.
In the final week of school, schools may wish to take this opportunity to implement an enhanced focus on student engagement, cultural and wellbeing activities through alternative programs.
This is the approach being taken at MacGregor State School.
We are aware that many families will have chosen to depart for holidays or travel overseas and our attendance is likely to be significantly less than usual in Week 11, thus most of our usual end-of-year ceremonies and activities will occur before the end of week ten.
Every child who presents at school in Week 11 will be made welcome and be engaged in meaningful activities as in any other week of the year and we aim to ensure that the children present at school enjoy a wonderful end to the term.
Yours in Equity & Excellence,
Mr. Lee Gerchow
Principal
Prep and Year One
Thank you to 1F (with Mrs Davey) and 1E (with Miss Sartor) 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.
Celebrating our Learners and their Efforts
On Monday, we held our last assembly for the year. It was wonderful to celebrate the progress, efforts and achievements of our learners. Congratulations to all the boys and girls who have received their awards.
Our Prep F learners (with Mrs Skipage and Mrs Cameron) have been retelling familiar stories including details from the beginning, middle and end.
In art, our 1G learners (with Mrs Morton) have re-created Gerald the Giraffe just like Pablo Picasso using cubism. Their favourite part of art was working outside in nature.
1H (with Miss Dawson) have been revising and displaying two-digit numbers in a variety of ways. They have made some scary place value posters, modelling their knowledge of partitioning tens and ones.
1F learners (with Mrs Davey), in Maths, have been learning about different kinds of patterns. Look at their amazing growing patterns!
1J learners (with Ms Kim) shared their creative work.
Successful Transitions
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, we are running our last (fourth) round of Step into Prep session for our future little Preppies. We cannot wait for them to join us in 2025.
The collaboration between Early Learning Centres and the school are crucial in this process. On Wednesday, our dedicated MacGregor State School Early Years Network team met together to discuss the needs of our future Prep learners to ensure processes are in place to make the transition as smooth as possible. As part of this process, we were able to visit some Early Years centres to meet our future learners and see the facilities.
The Garden Club
The Garden Club, facilitated by Miss Dawson and Mrs Morton, have been working hard to weed, water and grow some wonderful plants. Everyone is welcome and we are seeing many Year 1 students lending a helping hand and a green thumb or two. We have grown lots of tomatoes, mint, rosemary and parsley. We are looking forward to our second harvest of lettuces. This activity is open to all students every Friday at second break!
Year Four and Five
What a fortnight it has been. Last week I went to an amazing PD led by Dr Ross Greene on Collaborative Proactive Systems around behaviour. This seminar talked about how to find the cause of the problem rather than treating the behaviour. I have also spent 3 days away with the Year 5 students on their camp which was time well spent with our future school leaders.
Last week our Year Four students went to Lone Pine to explore in depth their Science curriculum and saw many different animals and learnt about introduced species to Australia and how these impacted other animals. We learnt about the destruction of habitats and how this will affect the food web in those ecosystems.
Year 5: Camp was an amazing experience and as promised, next week, we will share photo’s across the 3 days to parents.
School Captain Speeches: Congratulations to our 13 short-listed students. They all presented well and we hope to have the final 4 selected at the end of next week.
Sustainability Captains:
Yesterday, Mrs Cowan and myself went along with our 4 Sustainability Captains – Ishaan, Sarah, Bethany and Claire to ‘The Wave’ Sustainability Conference. We got an insight into activities other schools lead for their sustainability projects which has given us great inspiration. Over the year has been a host of competitions and MacGregor was place 1st in the Urban Utilities Treatment Plant Design Competition.
Year Six
School communities continue to share important messaging regarding online safety both at home and at school. Parents – we continue to seek your support in ensuring transparent and open conversations regarding what your child is doing online. Things can get out of hand very quickly – knowing your child can count on you for support and guidance is critical in them feeling safe to speak up.
On assembly last week, we shared these simple but powerful images with our Year 4, 5 and 6 students asking them, which they thought was the image that reflected safety when online. Is this something you can have a conversation about at home?
Each fortnight we continue to share the work of the e-Safety Commissioner in supporting all aspects of healthy online behaviours.
Did you know that the e-safety Commissioner’s website provides resources in many different languages? This enables as many families as possible to be supported by research based, current and user-friendly guidance for families, kids, teens and educators.
For more information (and in multiple languages) go to: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
Date Claimer! Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Year 6 2024 Graduation! We are currently in the planning process but one thing we can confirm is Wednesday 4th December is our formal graduation event. We have had a slight delay with finalising our event details – I will be forwarding Year 6 families an update as soon as we are ready! Please be assured, you will have plenty of time to purchase tickets once we release final details.
Our next Parent Committee Meeting is on Monday 18th October from 5.30pm in the Administration Conference Room
Year 6 Guard of Honour – Prep to Year 5 School Farewell for our departing Year 6 students
Following on from the success of last year’s whole school Guard of Honour, we will be farewelling our Year 6 students on Thursday 5th December from 2pm with a whole school guard of honour with students from Prep to Year 5 participating in this lovely farewell gesture. Year 6 parents are welcome so make sure you keep up to date with emails and newsletters so you don’t miss out on important details.
Wet + Wild Reminder and Seeking Volunteers!
Thank you so much to the families that have already responded to the Wet + Wild excursion details on QParents!
Seeking Volunteers: If you are parent wishing to support us on the day to ensure all students have a safe and enjoyable time, please let me know via return email (jbail154@eq.edu.au)
We will be holding a Volunteers Information Session on Wednesday 27th November from 3.30pm for any parents who are available to support this day.
School Captain's Update
My name is Joseph
My school captain position is ICT Captain
I have been at MacGregor SS for 7 years.
My favourite activity outside of school is Boys Brigade
Something I love the most about MacGregor SS is the playgrounds and the volleyball and tennis courts.
My favourite sport is basketball
In Year 6 I am most looking forward to Wet ‘n’ Wild
We can make our school a better place by cleaning up the rubbish
My favourite movie is Super Mario Brothers (for now).
My name is Katie
My school captain position is Dance Captain
I have been at MacGregor SS for 6 years
When I finish school I like to practice my studio dances.
My favourite sport is dance
In Year 6 I am most looking forward to being a good captain by helping others if they don’t know something.
We can make the world a better place by picking up litter even if it isn’t yours.
My favourite movie is Spirited Away.
My name is Evelyn
My school captain position is School Captain
I have been at MacGregor SS for 7 years (since Prep)
My favourite activity outside of school is going out with my family (riding my bike, fishing)
Something I love the most about MacGregor SS is the performing arts program
My favourite sport is touch football
In Year 6 I am most looking forward to the Canberra trip
We can make our school a better place by no bullying and being kind.
Name the Crane *Competition*!
As a valued stakeholder, Health Infrastructure Queensland and Metro South Health is inviting MacGregor State School to participate in our Name the Cranes competition designed to engage local students and build community excitement around our latest QEII Hospital Expansion Program.
What’s the competition about?
The Name the Crane competition is a fun educational initiative where students get the chance to submit their creative names for the construction cranes being installed at QEII Hospital early 2025.
This competition aims to create a buzz about the project, celebrate progress, and connect with the community in a meaningful way.
Why participate?
- Educational opportunity: Students can learn about construction, engineering and the project in an engaging way. There is a fun colouring sheet [attached] which students can have fun together.
- Community engagement: This is a great chance for students to feel involved in a local development project.
How to get involved?
It’s easy to enter, simply decide on your name and go to: https://www.metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/hospital-and-health-centres/qeii-jubilee-hospital/qeii-expansion/qeii-hospital-name-the-crane-entry-form
to complete the entry form. A promotional poster is also attached for your information.
The local community will name two cranes, and our QEII Hospital volunteers and staff will name the other two cranes. The winning names will proudly fly high on the cranes throughout the project. Plus, the four winners will get to sign the steel beams.
Entries close on Tuesday 19 November.
This is a great way to be part of building for our future!
Inclusion Team Update
Making reasonable adjustments for students
One of the most rewarding parts of the Inclusion staff role is being able to make reasonable adjustments for students to enable them to be included in all activities alongside their same-aged peers.
WHAT IS AN ADJUSTMENT?
An adjustment is a measure or action (or a group of measures or actions) that is personal to a student and may change over time. The adjustment is implemented to ensure that a student with disability is provided with education on the same basis as a student without disability.
- An adjustment is a response to an identified barrier the student is experiencing to accessing and participating in education. It can be made across the whole school, in the classroom or for individual student need. The adjustment is considered reasonable if it
- supports a student with a disability to participate in education on the same basis as other students
- takes into account the student's learning needs
- balances the interests, including the safety of all parties, such as the student with disability, staff members and other students.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR MAKING A REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT?
- Before making a reasonable adjustment, under the DSE, schools must
- consult the student (if possible, with regard to age and individual circumstances) and their parents or carers
- consider whether an adjustment is necessary to enable the student to participate on the same basis as other students
- if necessary, identify a suitable reasonable adjustment or adjustments
- make the reasonable adjustment.
It is important to acknowledge that it is not just one person that is involved in the process of making reasonable adjustments for students in order to access activities and be included. It takes a team of dedicated, compassionate and enthusiastic staff members to create inclusive experiences for our students.
I would like to acknowledge the amazing team that went on year 5 camp this week and were key stakeholders in creating a truly inclusive camp experience for one of our students here at MSS, Mr Erik De Grier our EQ Physiotherapist, Mrs Tracey Pahor and Mrs Amelia Helu our Teacher Aides, Mrs Sandi Keating DP 4/5 and Mrs Renu Gill Year 5 Teacher. Thank you for all your dedicated planning, attention to detail, care and compassion.
Sports Updates
Calling all VOLLEYBALLERS!
Be a part of one of the fastest growing sports in the world, volleyball! At Sharks Volleyball we offer a range of programs and opportunities to get YOU involved!
Our programs include training and gameplay to help you Get your Edge on your volleyball skills and knowledge!
Check out our program here!
Weekly Junior Session – Weekly training during the school term for ages 10 to 18.
Exclusive Mid-Term sale available!
Beach (Volleyball) Sessions – Weekly training ON THE SAND! Ages 10 to 18.
Currently only available on the Gold Coast. Starting 11th November!
Holiday Pass – Affordable school holiday program for ages 8 to 18
Youth Social Volleyball – Weekly Social Gameplay, for ages 13 to 18
Kelp Roots – Grassroots incursion style program for ages 6 to 12.
Private Sessions – Training session tailored to your specific needs, all ages.
Sharks Camp – 4-day holiday training program, ages 10 to 18.
Visit our website to find out more information on these programs!
www.sharksvolleyball.com
Finance
We have implemented QParents for payment and consent for SRS, excursions, incursions, camps and extra-curricular activities.
- A consent will be loaded to Parent QParents account with a specific due date. If you do not have QParents, it is parent responsibility to contact administration to obtain a paper copy and complete/return.
- Parent will be notified of the SRS/excursion/incursion/camp/extra-curricular activity via email.
- On the consent due date, an invoice will be generated to Parent who has completed the consent, this will be sent via email.
Payment amount will also be loaded to QParents. If a consent is not received by due date, children will not be able to participate in the SRS/excursion/incursion/camp/extra-curricular activity and will not be invoiced.
- Payment will be due by a specific date which will be specified again on the invoice.
- If payment is not received by the due date, despite signing a consent, children will not be able to participate in the SRS/excursion/incursion/camp/extra-curricular activity.
- As a courtesy, generic reminders will be emailed to Parent prior to the due date.
If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please do not hesitate to contact the Finance office.
Message from our Guidance Officer
Dear Parents / Carers
Last week, I had the privilege of attending a workshop by Dr. Ross Greene, a renowned expert on children’s behaviour. I wanted to share two powerful takeaways that I believe might resonate with you:
- Kids Do Well If They Can ❤️
This is a belief I hold strongly—and research backs it up! Every child wants to succeed and behave well. If they’re struggling, it’s usually because they haven’t yet developed the necessary skills.
Next time your child is having a hard time, try asking yourself:
“What expectation am I placing on my child that they’re finding difficult to meet?”
This simple shift in perspective can open the door to understanding and growth.
- Lucky vs. Unlucky Behaviours
Dr. Ross Greene introduced a concept that helps explain why some behaviours get different reactions, even when the underlying struggle is the same.
Let’s say two children are finding maths difficult:
Child 1: They quietly cry at their desk. This is considered a “lucky” behaviour because it signals a need for help in a way that invites empathy.
Child 2: They push books off their desk and tip their chair. This is seen as an “unlucky” behaviour because it disrupts the environment, often leading to consequences.
Both children are facing the same frustration, but Child 2’s actions might result in punishment, even though what they really need is support.
By viewing “unlucky” behaviours as signs of skill deficits rather than intentional defiance, we can focus on solving problems collaboratively—working with our kids to understand their struggles and build the skills they need.
Shifting our mindset from consequences to collaboration takes time, but the impact on our children’s emotional growth and confidence is worth it.
Hello from our Chappy Mr T.
Opportunities and personal growth.
I was fortunate to participate in the Yr 5 Camp this week. There was lots of fun and adventure. I was helping out in the mid ropes activity over the 3 days and saw many students helping each other out to reach a tree. They extended their hand to help other reach a tree, help each other to untangle their rope and encouraged each other when someone froze and wanted to give up half way through the course. Once they started the rope course, they were committed to finish even when some cried non stop to the finish line.
It was great to see a young person grow in confidence and self esteem at the finish, and the feeling of accomplishment. Its amazing what a young person can do when given the opportunity do something new.
Uniform Shop
Prep 2025
Uniform fittings underway, please see link sent by school admin to book an appointment.
Prep Packs available - save 10% on the cost of uniform with our special essentials packs (order form available in Prep Enrolment Pack)
Prep Uniforms will be available to order/purchase on the Prep Orientation Day, 22nd November 2024.
New Design School Backpack
We have a new design school backpack available for $75.00 each. They are very robust and have ample space to fit everything the student requires. They also have a lifetime warranty covering any faults (does not cover general wear and tear).
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 Four Menu 2024
There is a new menu for term 4 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/
P&C News
Join Us for the 2024 P&C Movie & Community Night – Friday, November 22nd!
Bring the whole family to a fantastic evening under the stars on the oval! This year, the movie is FREE, so come along and enjoy a fun-filled night with delicious food, inflatable attractions, and more. The festivities kick off at 4pm with exciting activities for the kids, and the movie will start as the sun sets. Be sure to secure your ride pass early through the link below to make the most of the inflatable fun!
We can't wait to see you there – a perfect way to end the year and support our school community!
https://events.humanitix.com/22-11-2024-mss-p-and-c-movie-night-on-the-oval
