Dear Queenscliff Parents and Carers,
District Cross Country
On Tuesday 14 May 2024, a group of QPS students represented our school at the District Cross Country at Eastern Gardens. Students competed against schools in the Geelong district and we were impressed by their tenacity, determination and enthusiasm on the day. The competition was fierce with impressive runners from a range of schools in Geelong and surrounding areas. We are so proud of all of our students who competed on the day. Congratulations to the following representatives:
Loretta Boyd
Xavier Grainger
Alice High
Charlie Hugh
Oliver Kent
Nyah Lapham
Zuri Lapham
Thomson Macmillan
Nienke Martino
Beau Mieszkowski
Henry Morris
Marcel Sayegh
Ruby Stanley
A special congratulations to Xavier Grainger who placed 7th in the Under 9 and 10 boys age division. He has qualified for the Western Metropolitan Primary Cross Country Regional Event on the 20th June at Brimbank Park in Keilor East. We wish Xavier all the best!
Education Support Staff Day
Thursday 16 May was Education Support Staff Day, and it was a day we acknowledged and celebrated the tremendous work of our Education Support Staff at Queenscliff Primary School. Our ES Team are extremely dedicated, hardworking, flexible and knowledgeable individuals who play an integral role to the daily operations of the school and support our students to thrive and flourish in the classroom. Today we hosted a special morning tea to show our appreciation for our ES Team.
Thank you to Mrs. Tansy Young and Mrs. Cherry Wake for their outstanding work in the School Office supporting families and teachers and providing care to our students in sick bay with a smile.
Thank you to Mrs. Chaya Lewry, Mrs. Kirby Young. Miss. Charlotte Mckenzie, Ms. Anna Shiels and Mrs. Stuart Mandley who provide daily support to our students with their learning in classrooms. They show compassion, understanding, patience and flexibility each and every day to ensure that our students' learning needs are met and teachers are supported to deliver their curriculum programs.
Thank you to Mr. Kent Stonehouse, Mrs. Karen Elliott and Mrs. Liz Graham for their work in maintaining the school and its grounds so that our students, families and teachers have a clean, beautiful and nurturing learning environment. The behind the scenes work they do ensures that our school is an environment that promotes the wellbeing of our students, staff and families.
I am so grateful for our Education Support team at Queenscliff Primary School. Over the coming weeks, I encourage QPS families to show your gratitude to our ES team by saying ‘thank you’ when visiting our school or writing an email of appreciation.
Covid Safe Practices
Over the past two weeks, we have had a significant number of cases of Covid with our students, families and staff. With this in mind, families are encouraged to be vigilant in noticing symptoms and undertake Covid safe practices at home. If your child displays Covid symptoms and tests negative, as a precaution, we encourage you to keep them at home until symptoms are no longer present.
If your child tests positive to Covid, they are to remain at home for 5 days or until symptoms are no longer present. Parents and carers are to contact the school office to inform the school of these results or communicate via Compass.
For the coming weeks, students are encouraged to bring and wear masks at school during classroom learning. We encourage families to pack 2 or 3 spare masks in your child's school bag in the event they lose their masks. Sanitisers are in all classrooms and students will be reminded by their teachers to sanitise regularly throughout the day. Staff will be encouraged to wear masks during class as a measure for Covid safe practices.
Thank you for your support in maintaining and supporting the health and wellbeing of our school community.
Werribee Zoo Excursion
On Thursday 16 May, our Prep to Year 2 students and staff went on an excursion to Werribee Zoo. The students, teachers and parent volunteers had perfect weather conditions for the day as they explored the zoo. Students learnt about the features of living things, identified similarities and differences in physical features of animals and explored the concept of habitats and how animals adapt to their environment. Thank you to Mrs. Jackie Morris, Mrs. Teyha Robertson, Mrs. Laura Atkins and Mrs. Kirby Young for coordinating the excursion and to all of the parent volunteers who assisted on the day in making the excursion a success. I know our Year 1 and Year 2 students were very excited to write about animals they saw at the zoo in their narratives this week.
Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) will be held from Monday 27 May until Monday 3 June 2024. NRW is a time for us as a community to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will —and must —continue. Throughout NRW, our students will participate in a range of learning activities and workshops exploring First Nations culture and history as well as achievements of First Nations individuals in our community.
Reconciliation Round - Queenscliff Football and Netball Club Presentation
Saturday May 18th 2024 was the Indigenous Round in the local BNFL. As a part of this special round, the Queenscliff Football Netball Club was invited to participate in a traditional exchanging of gifts with Torquay Football Netball Club. Qunnie Wilmot, Harriet Jones, Clem Vistarini and Macy Murphy took part in creating a special piece of artwork to exchange as a gift on from our Queenscliff Community. Their artwork was inspired by First Nations artist, Maria Watson. It was a beautifully bright representation of Respect, Fair Play, Community and Reconciliation.
In the gift exchange, the Queenscliff Football Netball Club received a possum skin, inscribed with traditional symbols burned into the skin, along with same messages of Respect, Fair Play and Reconciliation.
For a short time, we will display the possum skin in our school foyer before returning it to the Queenscliff Clubrooms.
We are so grateful that our students were able to take part in such a special traditional practice.
QPS Art Show - Save the Date
Our school will be hosting an Art Show on Thursday 8 August 2024. Parents and carers are encouraged to save the date so that they can attend this special event. Every student will have art showcased in the show reflective on their learning in our Visual Arts specialist program delivered by Mrs. Kelly Caldwell. The theme for this year's show is ‘Coming Alive’ and will showcase art from our students in a range of mediums and forms. Our Art Show will be open to the public from 11am to 2pm and then open to families and students from 3pm until 7pm. The show will be hosted at the local community church on Learmonth Street. We will be seeking parent volunteers to assist in the setup and packdown of the show and in providing baked goods for sale. Further information about the show will be provided to families later in the term.
National Simultaneous Storytime
Tomorrow, our school will participate in National Simultaneous Storytime at 12pm with the reading of the book Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker. National Simultaneous Storytime is an event to celebrate and promote literacy and a love of reading. All across Australia, the same book will be read at the same time in schools, libraries and childcare centres. Bowerbird Blues will be read over the loudspeaker at school as our students follow the story by viewing pages from the book on their classroom interactive displays.
Queenscliff Netball Courts
Queenscliff Football and Netball Club recently had their netball courts pressure cleaned in preparation for the season. Following this, children in our community have drawn on the courts and caused damage to them from riding scooters, skateboards and roller skates. The courts have signs on display encouraging community members and children not to ride, scoot or skate on the courts. We are incredibly lucky to have such great facilities in our community, and it is important that we look after them together. We encourage families to remind their children who visit the courts of these expectations when visiting the area. Thank you for your support.
QPS Snowsports
Queenscliff Primary School are entering the Victorian Interschools Championships for the first time this year at Mount Buller. All skiers and boarders are welcome to represent QPS in the Snowsports Championships. As a guide, students entering the Snowsports competition should be able to safely ski or board a blue run from Years 4 to 6 and a green run from Prep to Year 3. Former race or competition experience is not necessary and assistance will be provided to students and parents with events, courses, rules and racing tips. All students must travel to and from Mt Buller with their family or an approved guardian, and stay with them for the duration of the event. Families are required to arrange their own travel and accommodation for the Victorian and Australian Interschools. No QPS staff will be in attendance to support supervision for the duration of the championships.
If you are interested in your child representing QPS in the Snowsports competition, please email our Parent Coordinator, Louise Garland - lougarland@hotmail.com
Year 3/4 Camp Parent Information Webinar
Our Year 3/4 students will be going to Camp Kangaroobie on Monday 17 June to Wednesday 19 June. Our school is hosting an online Camp Parent Information webinar on Monday 27 May at 4pm. The webinar will provide information to families about the camp, including an itinerary, how to prepare your child for camp, staffing and items to pack. For those families who are unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded and distributed to families via Compass. A link to attend the webinar will be sent to families via Compass.
If you have any specific questions or topics you would like explored during the webinar, please complete the survey link below.
Lightning Premiership Football and Netball
Today our Year 5/6 students are representing our school at the Lightning Premiership for Football and Netball at the Shell Road Reserve in Ocean Grove. We wish them all the best as they compete against other primary schools in the Bellarine. Thank you to Mrs. Melissa Fitzgerald for coordinating the whole event for all of the schools and for organising football and netball clinics during PE to assist our students in developing skills for the day. A special thank you to Ken Lugsdin and Laura Clarke for volunteering your time to run these football and netball clinics with our students.
Peer Observations - Quality Teaching Model
As a measure of professional development and to improve teaching and learning, our teachers have commenced their peer observation rounds this term using the Quality Teaching Model. Teachers and leadership have been divided into teams of three or four and are carrying out observations of each other’s lessons using the Quality Teaching Model. Teachers observe each other teach and then use the evidence-based framework for best practice to provide feedback to each other. I have been so impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication our teachers have shown to improve their practice by participating in peer observations this term.
Assembly
Parents, carers and friends are invited to attend our Week 6 Assembly on Friday 24 May at 9am on the basketball courts. We will have students sharing their learning from 3/4F, Art, PE and Japanese.
Year 2 Parent Teacher Interviews
The Year 2 Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Monday 17 June and Tuesday 18 June 2024. Bookings for Parent Teacher Interviews are open now via Compass for parents/carers to book an interview with Mrs. Laura Atkins and Mrs. Morgan-Lee Hickey.
School Council
Last Monday 13 May, I enjoyed meeting with our School Council for our Term 2 meeting. We discussed key operations of the school and correspondence from families and the parent community. Our next School Council meeting will be held on Monday 17 June 2024.
Nyatne baa Gobata
(Thank you and take care)
Mat McRae
Principal
