1. education
2. school

26 March 2015
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE ….
Dear Parents/Carers
No 05
Specific Behaviours we are focussing on:
 Allowing others to join in if asked
 Taking turns and playing by the rules
 Eating only your own food
Congratulations!
Next term we will welcome a new Deputy Principal to
Andergrove SS until the end of 2015. Mr Hansen has
accepted a promotional acting Deputy Principal position
at Eimeo Road SS until the end of the year. This
promotion acknowledges and rewards Mr Hansen for the
exceptional job he has performed at our Andergrove SS
for the past five years. We wish him all the best for his
new position!
Parents can support their children to follow these
expectations by encouraging them to be inclusive, take
turns and playing by the rules when playing games at
home.
Our new Deputy Principal will be announced shortly. Mr
Wolfenden will assume the coaching role of the school
Rugby League team.
Our Andergrove Ant Attendance Trophy winners for the
past fortnight are:
Week 7: PK and 6S
Week 8: 3C and 5P
Let’s Read project
Thank you to the parents who are encouraging their
children to read at home each night
and are signing their child’s
homework reading log.
Thank you for your support in ensuring every day counts.
Regards,
Sandra Grant.
Every Day Counts
So far our attendance rate for
the term is % 93.3 which is right
on our school target. Good stuff!
SCHOOL NEWS
Congratulations to our top three
reading classes so far this term:
1. 4Y
2. 6S
3. 4SC
Homework Club
Families are reminded that homework support is available
from 8.15-8.45am Tuesday to Friday mornings in the
Reading Room for students who need assistance with
their homework or simply just time to complete the tasks.
If your after school time is very hectic and homework is
difficult to complete, please ensure that your child arrives
to school at 8.15am so they can complete their homework
with one of our two rostered staff.
Our School-wide Positive Behaviour program
Each fortnight we also have a whole school focus on a
particular behaviour skill. This fortnight the following
topics are currently being discussed and addressed in
classrooms:
Rule of the Week:
 Always be respectful to others in the playground
and eating area.
Year 3 Vision Screening
Thank you to Buck & Todd for providing free vision
screening to our Year 3 students. Parents are reminded
that further tests which may be recommended for some
students, could be completed at any optometrist service
provider free of charge under Medicare.
Please note: We recommend to any parents that have
been encouraged to purchase coloured lens glasses for
their child to speak with our Learning Support Teacher,
Mrs Morris, who is one of the EQ teacher training
facilitators for Dyslexia. Research has indicated that
dyslexia will not be ‘cured’ by the wearing of coloured
lens glasses, only the vision difficulties the student may
have.
School evacuation and lockdown drills
Parents are advised of the following signals and
processes for emergency situations at school.
For safety reasons, if you are on site and hear
a. Continual bell ringing- Please stop your planned
actions and accompany staff and classes across
to the oval until the school is deemed safe for reentry.
b.
c.
Bell ringing in sets of 3- Please go to the nearest
classroom and follow the lockdown processes as
directed by the class teacher.
Stay inside the classroom until the ‘all safe’
signal is given through the school intercom.
NAPLAN (National Assessment Program for Literacy
and Numeracy) testing of Year 3 and Year 5 students in
the areas of Reading Comprehension, Spelling, Writing,
Punctuation & Grammar as well as Numeracy will again
be administered in 12-14 May.
Parents who would like further information about these
tests and/or would to withdraw their child from these tests
due to philosophical or religious reasons, please see your
child’s class teacher or Mrs Grant. All students in Year 3
and 5 will participate in these tests unless a parent
request to exclude their child from the tests are received.
ANZAC DAY Services
Our school service will on Friday 24 April in the hall from
2.15pm. All families are welcomed to attend this special
parade.
Our school will once again participate in the Mackay
Anzac Day March from Sydney Street to Alfred St on
Saturday 25 April. Students are requested to meet staff at
8.10am wearing their school uniform and a hat.
Students will then march with staff (and interested
parents) around to the Alfred St side of the Mackay
Entertainment Centre. Parents are requested to pick up
their child immediately after the march is completed,
approximately 15-20 minutes later. Children may then
accompany their parents to the formal service in the park
(or go home).
Free Parenting Program on offer!
1-2-3 Magic: Learn to manage difficult behaviour in
children 2-12 years old
Do you feel like you need to put the fun back into
parenting? Do you feel like you are talking too much and
no-one is listening? Next term the school will be offering
the 123 Magic (children 2-12 years) program for parents
and carers who would like to learn:
 How to discipline without arguing, yelling or
smacking
 How to sort behaviour
 How to handle challenging and testing
behaviours
 Choosing your strategy, the three choices
 Using emotion coaching to encouraging good
behaviour
 7 tactics for encouraging good behaviour
Parents will work through a 1-2-3 Magic & emotion
Coaching Parent workbook at no cost. Places will be
limited so please hurry to register your interest with Mrs
Heath at the administration office. The program will run in
Week 3, Monday 4th May from 9am – 12.30am to allow
children-free time for parents (child minding provided if
required).
As a parent of 3 young children myself, I see this program
as an effective, simple approach to hassle-free discipline
and keeping the house calm! I look forward to working
with you this term.
Colleen Gauci
Guidance Officer
Lost Property
Families are asked to check the lost property basket that
is located outside the senior toilets (toilets closest to the
library block) before end of term. There is quite a
collection of lunch boxes, drink bottles and hats.
Unclaimed items by the end of the term will be donated or
disposed of.
STUDENT OF THE WEEK
(Week ending 13/3/15)
PrepK Fayth S
3H
PrepN Mariah C
4Y
1/2H
Danielle H
5/6C
1RC
Kira J
5P
2S
Connor H
6R
3C
Ethan F
6S
Chelsea R
Kacee S
Jasmine G
Malakai F
Shakira G
Dylan C
STUDENT OF THE WEEK
(Week ending 20/03/15)
PrepK Tailam S
3C
PrepN Luke C
4SC
1/2H
Chontai R
4Y
1RC
Nathan C
5P
2/3A
Maska G
6R
2S
Miya O
6S
Ava G
Brock C
Louise H
Kelsie B
Nghia N
Mitchell C
Shave for a Cure- Thank you
Thank you to the families who supported our Shave for a
Cure fundraiser. Mr Casey raised approximately $1000
through the raffle and Crazy Hair Day donations while
Holly T raised approximately $1400. Thank you to local
Hairdresser, Renee Kunst, for donating her time to shave
Holly’s hair.
STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS
‘Guess the Easter Egg’ Competition
2016 Canberra Fundraiser
For 50c a guess, students may nominate their guess of
how many eggs are in the jar. The student with the
closest guess will win the entire jar of Easter Eggs.
Student Council members will be available in the
Tuckshop covered area in the morning before school or
you can have a guess at the Beach Disco Friday night.
The winner will be announced at the Easter Hat Parade.
Hot Dog Mondays – 2016 Canberra Fundraiser
Hot Dogs & Poppers will be available for sale from the
Tuckshop every MONDAY starting from the first Monday
of Term 2. Orders must be written on a brown paper bag
and be handed into the Tuckshop before 9am. No other
Tuckshop items are available for sale on this day.
Hot Dogs $3.50 each
(with/without tomato/bbq sauce)
Poppers $1.80 each
(Apple/Tropical)
P-3 Colouring Competition
Students in P-3 are invited to participate in an Easter
colouring-in competition. Entry fee is 50c. The colouring
page is available from the P-3 class teachers or Mrs
Short directly. The competition closes Wed 1 April.
MUSIC NEWS
Choral Festival
Congratulations to our 14 students who performed beautifully
at the Mackay Choral Festival on Monday night with over 300
other choral singers from a range of Primary and Secondary
schools. Special thanks to Mrs Surha for preparing the
students for this event and organising their participation
COMMUNITY NEWS
P & C NEWS
P&C Term 1 Fundraisers
1.
2.
Easter Raffle- Tickets due back Fri 27 March
Hot Cross Buns Drive- Orders due back Thurs
26 March
3. School Disco-Beach theme- Fri 27 March
The return date for the Easter Raffle tickets has been
extended to Friday 27th March, and the raffle will be
drawn on Wednesday 1st April, 2015.
Disco
This term’s disco will be held on Friday 27 March. This
term’s theme is ‘Surf’s Up’. Students and parents are
encouraged to wear beach wear. Food, drinks and glow
products will be on sale. Entry is $3 per child.
P-2 students: 5.30- 6.45pm.
3-6 students: 7.00- 8.30pm.
Rules and expectations
 Students come to the disco to dance- not play tiggy
or chasing/ running games where other students may
get knocked over.
 All students must be supervised by an adult.
 No student will be allowed to leave the hall without an
adult.
 Students with two or more orange cards or a red card
for this term will not be invited to attend. These
students will be informed before the event.
 No food or drinks in the hall. Side areas will be
opened up for the consumption of food and drinks.
 Only current Andergrove SS students are invited to
attend.
The P&C are seeking parent helpers to assist with selling
food, drinks, glow products or raffle tickets. Helpers are
also sought to set up and clean up afterwards. If you are
able to assist for an hour or so, please complete the
attached slip.
Pioneer State High School – Positions Vacant
Pioneer State High School has positions vacant for
Teacher Aides to work in classes with students in
Inclusive Education in the classroom. These students
may have one of a range of disabilities. The total number
of hours available will be a mix of permanent and
temporary hours per week. These are part-time positions.
Interested applicants are required to collect an
information package from the school office, between
8.00am and 3.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Applicants must address the Selection Criteria in the
application package. You will need to be familiar with the
conditional notes detailed in the package and address the
5 selected points in the area headed “How You Will Be
Assessed”. Preference will be given to applicants with a
Cert 111 Education Support. Your application must
consist of an original document and two(2) other copies.
The successful applicant will be required to make
application for and be able to obtain a Suitability Card
from the Public Safety Business Agency. Applications will
remain current for 12 months.
Applications close 3.00pm on 2 April, 2015 and must be
addressed to: The Business Services Manager
Pioneer State High School
PO Box 8279
Mt Pleasant Qld 4740
Queensland Government & Mackay Regional Council
Active towns – walk run ride
The whole family can learn bike safety, basic bike
maintenance and road rules at a free two hour PCYC
facilitated school holiday bike education class. Bikes and
helmets are provided, or you can bring your own.
Monday, April 13
9am-11am Victoria Park SS
Tuesday, April 14
9am-11am Marian State SS
Wednesday, April 15 9am-11am Victoria Park SS
Thursday, April 16
9am-11am Sarina SS
Friday, April 17
9am-11am Victoria SS
Numbers are limited, reserve your spot now!
Call PCYC Mackay on 49423296 to book. For further
information visit – mackay.qld.gov.au/activetown
DATES TO REMEMBER
2015 TERM 1
March
 Fri 27: P&C Disco- Beach theme: ‘Surf’s up’
April
 Wed 1: Easter Raffle Drawn.
 Thurs 2: 9.30am P-3 Easter Parade in hall.
 Thurs 2: Last day of term. Reward Day activities.
Term 2
April
 Mon 20: First day of term
May
 Tues 5: 6pm P&C meeting
 Tues 12: NAPLAN testing starts and concludes on Fri 15
 Wed 27- Fri 29: Year 6 Kinchant Dam camp.
June
 Tues 2: 6pm P&C meeting
 Mon 8: Public Holiday- Queen’s Birthday.
 Mon 22: Twilight Concert- Choir, Recorder Band, Strings and Woodwind, Brass,
Percussion instrumental music group
 Thurs 25: Mackay Show holiday
 Fri 26: Last day of term. Report cards distributed.