Ashmore State School Newsletter
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CRICOS Provider Number 00608A
20th March 2015
Deputy Principal-Leigh Josey
Twitter
Deputy Principal- Amanda Fry
P & C News
Guidance Officer
Lift Required
STL&N- Robyn Martin
Southport High School
Resource Centre
Shotokan Karate Dojo
Chaplain's Chat
Theme Park Tickets
Author's Visit
Sports News
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL- LEIGH JOSEY
EATSIPS (Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Schools)
News
Coinciding with Harmony Day on Saturday 21st March - a celebration of all cultures that
are Australia, is this festival that looks like a wonderful local event. This event at
Southport Parklands is a celebration of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Everyone is welcome
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Harmony Day
Harmony Day (21 March) celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about
inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. We will
especially celebrate this day embracing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander cultures. Please take a look at the link below, to learn more about
this day.
http://www.harmony.gov.au/
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STARS(School Thanks and Recognition of Staff)
Mrs Monique Bortnik
Monique began teaching at Ashmore State School in October 2013. In 2014 Mrs Bortnik
taught one of our Year 2 classes. This year Monique began the year as 1A’s classroom
teacher, however, when we were required to form a Prep/Year 1F class after Day 8 enrolment
figures were finalized, Monique nominated herself for the position (thank-you Monique).
Prior to this, Mrs Bortnik taught at Hillcrest Christian College.
An extra duty undertaken by Monique at Ashmore includes being Stage B Manager for Years 2 and 3 last year.
When asked what she enjoys doing at school, Mrs Bortnik explains that she loves teaching her wonderful
children in Prep/Year1F.
Monique has been happily married since 2010. When setting up for her engagement party, Monique and her
fiancé decided to save on stress and get married that night. Within hours they had organized a celebrant, rings
and a dress. They wowed their guests with their impromptu wedding. Their engagement party/wedding was
followed by a honeymoon in Vietnam. They would love to travel some more in the future.
Monique and her husband share their house with 3 cats. Mrs Bortnik enjoys spending time with her family and
friends and reading when she can.
We wish to thank Monique for her wonderful contribution at Ashmore, as a dedicated and professional early
years educator. We would especially like to thank her, for her great work as classroom teacher of Prep/Year 1F.
It always takes so much more time and effort to teach 2 year levels at once.
Ms Anna Dart
Anna commenced at Ashmore State School in mid 2012 as our Music Specialist Teacher,
following her graduation from university. Anna has continued with us since then, at times on a
part-time basis, but this year in a full-time capacity. Anna has also taught Music at Caningeraba
State School and Varsity College Junior Campus.
Besides her duties as Ashmore’s Music Specialist Teacher (Prep to Year 6), Ms Dart is also our talented Choral
Teacher working with a cross-section of choirs across the year levels (Senior Choir – Year 5 and 6; Mezzo Choir
– Year 4; Junior Choir – Year 2 and 3). Anna also plays an active role on our EATSIPS (Embedding Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Schools) Committee; and is a Queensland Teachers’ Union
Representative at Ashmore School.
Anna also runs a Creative Composers’ Club and a Ukulele Club for our students. She is also Musical Director of
our 2015 school musical.
When asked what she especially enjoys about working at Ashmore State School, Anna comments that she loves
to share her passion for music, especially singing. She also loves organizing performance events that showcase
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our musical students; and teaching our choirs.
Ms Dart grew up on the Gold Coast. She always aspired to be like her Music Teachers from primary school.
Anna’s university teaching internship was with her music teachers. Anna has sung in choirs since Year 2; and
performed in bands playing clarinet and alto sax. She played the musical lead in Jesus Christ Superstar in 2007
and has twice been a soloist in “Carols in the Park”.
We wish to thank Anna for her significant contribution to music and performing arts at Ashmore State School. Her
passion for music and performance encourages, motivates and inspires our students. We are sure to hear one
day, that she has also been a catalyst in Ashmore students aiming to follow in her footsteps!
Date Claimer – Prep Easter Hat Parade
When – Last day of term (Thursday 2 April)
Time – 9:15 am
What – Prep students will be wearing hats and/or other
adornments made at school, suggestive of Easter. They will
parade around the school beginning at Prep. Prep students
will then parade past the tuckshop, through the Mall, between E and F Block and on to the hall. They will then
sing a few Easter songs together.
You are welcome to come and join us.
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL- AMANDA FRY
Change is inevitable and a part of everyone’s life – for some almost on a daily basis.
Teaching your child how to cope with change is an essential part of parenting. As a parent
equipping your child with the skills of coping with change (resilience) is vital. As you are
the most important role model in your child’s life, demonstrating resilience yourself is very
important. The following suggestions come from KIDSPOT. This article was written by
Fiona Baker for Kidspot, an Australia parenting resource.
Helping kids cope with change
Kids like routine. They thrive on knowing what happens when. But life doesn’t stay the same – people move
houses, kids change schools, friends shift away or stop being friends, parents can separate and almost every
year they’ll probably have to face a new teacher. Parents can play a vital role in helping their kids learn how to
cope with change, arming them with valuable life skills along the way.
Coping strategies for change
According to a growing body of research, kids learn how to cope with
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change and ups and downs of life by developing resilience.
For years it was considered one of the inherent traits we were all born
with but psychologists today now know that it’s one of the most important
qualities parents can teach their kids (along with compassion).
And how do they learn it? Apparently by watching us. Studies have shown that children as young as two years
old copy the coping, stress-management and thinking styles of the adults around them. And they can sense if
parents are anxious or worried and will tend to mimic that.
Other studies have found that there is strong evidence that good early relationships with carers can help make
children more resilient. And the earlier this resilience-building is started the better.
Reinforcing this “it starts at home” message, Andrew Fuller, consultant psychologist for The Resilience
Foundation and author of Tricky Kids, says resilient parents raise resilient kids.
“When your child needs you to help them make sense of the changes that might be happening, that is not the
time to confront your own inner demons,” he says.
“It’s a handy skill for parents to learn to hold their own anxieties in check.”
Fuller describes resilience as “the happy knack of being able to bungee jump through the pitfalls of life”.
Simple tips on helping kids to cope
Give them a sense of being loved by their family and of belonging
Encourage a diverse group of friends – both for them and the family as a whole
Enjoy family rituals – like Sunday night dinner, or a weekend drive
GUIDANCE OFFICER – KAREN DAVIS
“Everyone Needs a Friend”
“Those kids at school are mean. I told them about this great game but they wouldn’t play it.
They said I couldn’t play with them.”
Children’s friendships often have their ups and downs.
When friendships are going well they support children’s
emotional wellbeing and confidence, as well as
providing someone to play with. Positive friendships
help children have fun, and also help them cope during
periods of stress and change. This is why having
friends at school is so important for children.
It is not always easy for children to know how to
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manage friendships. You can help by encouraging the following skills:
Cooperation
How to share, how to take turns, how to work together towards a common goal.
Communication
Using words to explain what you want and listening to others respectfully
Paying attention to body language, e.g., making eye contact, smiling and being able to read others’
nonverbal reactions.
Understanding and managing feelings
Being able to express feelings in ways that help others understand you.
Recognising and responding to others’ feelings.
Accepting and including others
Recognising others’ needs for respect and friendship.
When problems arise in friendships it is important not to blame children but to show them how to find a solution.
A problem solving approach is often helpful.
1. Encourage the child to describe what has happened.
2. Ask about how they felt.
3. Ask them how they think the other person might see it and how they might be feeling.
4. Get them to think of ways they could do things differently next time.
5. Encourage them to try the new approach – get them to practise with you so they feel more confident.
6. Check back with your child to see how things turned out.
Adapted from KidsMatter Component 2 “Everyone Needs A Friend”
STLaN- ROBYN MARTIN
This is a terrific resource for any parent to refer to regarding how to assist your child at home
with various areas within literacy & numeracy.
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/parents/primary
/201literacymathstips2011.pdf
RESOURCE CENTRE
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BOOKCLUB – Just a reminder to everyone that we are UNABLE TO ACCEPT CASH regarding book club
orders. We have just completed our first Book Club Order Issue 2 using the new LOOP system ( Linked Online
Ordering and Payment). This means all orders and payments are now made on line. Orders will return to the
school for distribution to students. Please make sure you note the closing time and instructions for orders which
will be displayed on posters at your classroom. This will also appear on our website and Ed studio. Choose
Option 1 – Credit card using LOOP which is on the back of the order form.
No need to return any order forms to the school.
LIBRARY BAGS – It is essential that EVERY student has a library bag each time they borrow a book. The
plastic bags from Coles and Woolies are great to use. Our library does not always have bags to lend out. One of
our library rules is NO BAG – NO BOOK. It is for the protection of our precious books as they can be very
expensive to replace when damaged or lost. Thank you for helping keep our library books safe.
CHAPLAIN'S CHAT- MARG POTTER
At the start of every school year, we have an influx of new people, mostly new students
and their families, and a few new staff members too.
We have all been the ‘new person’ at some point. Remember how anxious you felt then.
Think about the new person you might have chosen to ignore. They may turn out to be a
really good friend when you take the time to get to know them.
You can be very certain of this – the person who is kind and thoughtful to others is
never short of friends, so why not take the time to be that person.
Marg Potter - Chaplain
AUTHOR'S VISIT- KIM MICHELLE TOFT
The following are some samples of childrens' recounts after the author's visit.
On Monday at Ashmore State School 2A and 2D went to the hall to meet Kim Michelle Toft because we are
learning how to write poetry. She came to tell us about her books.
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First she read some of her book to us. One was, "One Less Fish"; the other one was "Twelve Days of
Underwater Christmas". Then she taught us a song for "Twelve Days of Underwater Christmas" and a dance to
the song. Then she showed us her draft book. Then Kim painted on silk for us. Kim had special gold paint that
she drew her pictures with. She painted a wrasse and then showed us Marburg the crocodile. The crocodile was
dead because they had taken out the insides and stuffed it with wool. One leg was bitten off.
By Flynn N
Today at Ashmore's school hall, 2A and 2D went to see a famous author and her name is Kim Michelle Toft. She
came to show us how she paints on silk. She came here to Ashmore because 2A is learning about the things she
was talking about.
I did a dance that is related to the book of "12 Days of Underwater Christmas". Another thing was she showed us
how she paints on silk. The trick for that is she puts gold paint on the silk before she paints on it. It's good that
the gold dries quickly.
My favourite part was seeing how well she can paint on silk. The painting was a fish.
By Zoe P
On Monday at the school hall, Kim Michelle Toft came to talk to 2A and 2D about her books because we are
learning how to write poetry. She is an author and and illustrator. Kim Michelle Toft uses alliteration and rhyme.
Kim Michelle Toft showed us her paintings and she started painting a wrasse picture. First she used a gold paint
to draw the fish, then she waits for it to dry, then she paints it. To paint she uses dyes.
My favourite part was when we got to see Kim paint. I also liked when we got to dance a song based on "The 12
Underwater Days of Christmas".
By Evie C
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NEWS FROM THE SPORTS DESK.. ..MARCH
Interschool Sport – Ashmore State School will be participating in the
Broadwater District Interschool Sport Gala Days (formerly Gold Coast North District),
with students from Yr4 – Yr6 able to participate. These Gala Days (4) are scheduled for
May 18, May 25, June 1 and June 15. Students will depart the school by 10:30am and
travel by bus to various venues and return to by 3:00pm.
We anticipate that costs will be approximately $45-$50.00 per student to cover transport and entry fees.
The following sports will be offered;
Soccer (Boys and Girls)
League (Boys)
Netball (Girls)
AFL (Boys)
Touch (Girls)..
A Home Sport program will be offered for those students wishing to remain at school. Home Sport is free of
charge.
Ashmore Cross Country Carnival – This will occur on the 23rd of April. The senior grades 4-7 will
start at 9:00 and the junior grades P-3 will start at 11:40. This is a House event so please wear you House shirt
and have a hat, water, and sunscreen.
CONGRATULATIONS –
The following students have attained great results in their chosen sportAlyssanrda S and Angel S and have been selected for the Broadwater District 11yrs Netball representative
team.
Mackenna B was selected in the Broadwater District 12yrs Netball representative team.
Haze T was selected in the Broadwater District 11yrs Rugby League representative team.
Fitter, Faster, Stronger – Our Fitter, Faster, Stronger program
is on 5 mornings a week from 8:00am to 8:45am. Please feel free to
join us and our passionate and qualified coaches Ant Drinkwater and
Alana George. Students from all grades and parents are welcome to
attend. New participants are encouraged. Bring a change of clothes for the wetter days. Thank you to all parent
and teacher volunteers. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Mon – Fitter (run Club), Tues – Strength (Circuits), Wed – Faster (Sprint Club), Thurs – Fitter (Run Club), Friday
– Faster (Sprint Club).
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Please contact Mr Steve Newman (PE/Sport Teacher) if you have any questions.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
P & C NEWS
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the 2014 P&C Executive for their hard work, last year’s fundraising
meant we could put down the artificial grass for the Junior Playground, so that was an excellent
accomplishment.
AGM MEETING: The Annual General Meeting of Ashmore State School P&C was held on Monday 16th
March, which is where we voted in the new Executive for the year.
We would like to welcome those parents who have been elected as the P and C Executive:
President: Ron Odle
Treasurer: Chelsea O’Neill
Secretary: Erin O’Shea
Vice President: Racquel Lyons
Thank you so much to each one of them – it’s wonderful to have such a dedicated team of parents working hard
to improve our children’s school and build our community.
P&C MEETING: The next P&C meeting of this year will be held on Monday April 20th at 1.30pm upstairs
in the Seminar Room in the Carmichael Centre. We welcome any parents who want to get involved in the school
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community. If you have any ideas or thoughts that you want to put forward then please come along. Your input
will be much appreciated.
PARENT OPINION ‘NEW ASHMORE TUCKSHOP’ SURVEY: With the advent of the
Ashmore Kitchen Garden Program this year, and in the long term interests of our children’s health, we are very
interested in offering our children and parents a healthier option for their lunches. To bring in these changes,
we will need the support of the whole school community. We invite your opinions and suggestions in the
surveys below. They are quite short and will only take you a few moments to fill in. Please fill in by April 1.
Thank you for your assistance.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8LF9Y3Y Tuckshop Menu Survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8LZFSW3 Tuckshop Volunteer Survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XMV6QWH Tuckshop Service Survey
END OF TERM SAUSAGE SIZZLE – THURS 2nd APRIL: Tuckshop
is closed for cleaning on the last day of every term so there are no food orders taken
on this day – so the P&C runs a Sausage Sizzle to celebrate the End of Term. You
can order your Sausage Sizzle online at Flexischools.com.au. There are some paper
order forms in the tuckshop if you cannot access a computer. Orders must be in by Monday 30 March.
Helpers needed!! We’ll need a great team of helpers and BBQers, please call us on 56561367 to let us
know what time/s would suit you.
(9.00 – 11.30 for Junior School & 12.30 – 2.30 for Senior School)
EASTER RAFFLE: Tickets are being sent home now. Spare books of
tickets are available at the tuckshop – winners of the prize baskets will be
drawn on Assembly on 26 March. Raffle Books MUST be returned to the
tuckshop, sold or unsold – we appreciate your assistance in this.
URGENT!We need eggs to be donated for the prize baskets, if you can
please drop them into the tuckshop soon, it would be most
appreciated.
SCHOOL RUN 4 FUN PROGRAM
To coincide with CROSS COUNTRY, Ashmore State School P&C
Association will be conducting a School Run 4 Fun Program for the
students as a major fundraiser for this term so we do ask for your
support. The event will take place on 23 APRIL. All monies raised will
provide resources for our Kitchen Garden Program for the students.
Students have now received a poster size Sponsorship Form with a
great selection of toy brands including Nike, Sony, Apple, Disney
Frozen, GoPro, Razor, Nerf and more. This form will assist with collecting sponsorship donations on behalf of the
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school.
Inside the Sponsorship Form you will find helpful tips on how to raise more money for the school as well as other
benefits such as the chance to win a Bali Family Holiday.
We ask you to seek donations on $2, $4, $5 or $10 per sponsor. Students who raise as little as $10 or more will
receive a reward prize for their efforts. The more donations you receive the better prize(s) you can choose. You
can even boost your prizes with the option to mix and match.
A new way to help your child reach their fundraising goal is through online fundraising. Students who use online
fundraising raise 5 times more! Simply go to www.australianfundraising.com.au/online, click onto the School Run
4 Fun image.
Once the fundraiser is complete, please cut out the ‘how to claim your prize section’ on the Sponsorship Form
and return along with your monies to the tuckshop on or before 30 April. Please be sure to fill out your prize
request. The individual prizes will be delivered shortly after.
We would also welcome parents and family members to attend the event day to help cheer on the students.
Happy fundraising! Thank you in advance of your participation.
Ashmore P&C
[email protected]
LIFT REQUIRED
Do you live near Chirn Park or Labrador?
Due to a change in circumstances, I am looking for someone who maybe able to pick up and drop off my 10
year old daughter to and from school. I am willing to pay.
This is a wonderful school and my daughter does not want to change schools.
If you could help, please contact me on 0411 741535- Chris
SOUTHPORT STATE HIGH SCHOOL
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SHOTOKAN KARATE DOJO
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THEME PARKS TICKET SALE
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Currumburra Road
ASHMORE 4214 QLD
07 5656 1330
07 5656 1300
[email protected]
http://www.ashmoress.eq.edu.au/
Our Sponsors
Please click on any advertisement to email the
affiliated business or view further details such as
company brochures, flyers or promotions
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