31 May 2019

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Last Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning we welcomed prospective families to our Prep Information sessions. It was a fantastic opportunity to introduce who we are and what we do and why Gumdale State School is the preferred school of choice in the area. I express a sincere thank you to our transitions team leaders, Mrs Zoppi, Mrs Doherty, Ms Herbert and our wonderful team of Prep teachers for sharing their passion for teaching and learning and welcoming new families into their vibrant classrooms.

This week our Year 2 and Year 4 students embarked on adventures to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and the Workshops Rail Museum on their first excursions for the year. I would like to congratulate the students on their brilliant behaviour and manners demonstrated whilst on the excursions.

We look forward to seeing many of you support our upcoming P&C fundraising event, the annual Fashion Parade on Saturday 15 June. This year’s theme is ‘The Great Gatsby’ and it is sure to be a fun-filled night.

Last but not least, a reminder about road safety. We ask that all members of our community are sensible and do the right thing when it comes to crossing the road with children – please respect the road signals and ensure to drive and park with care in the designated parking zones within the school premises.

Always our Best,

Phil Savill, Principal
Gumdale State School

What’s Coming Up

Always our Best

Reminders from the School

QParents

Features of QParents

QParents provides secure, online access to student information such as:

• Attendance details
• Report a student absence
• Report cards
• Invoices
• Payment history
• Student photo

You are also able to update your child's details including address and medical conditions, submit reasons for unexplained absences, notify the school of future absences, and make online payments against school invoices.

Registering with QParents

You will receive an email inviting you to register for QParents, containing your unique invitation code.

You can register only by using a PC with the web version of QParents, not through the QParents app. Once successfully registered, you may then use the QParents App to login and manage your account. You will need to supply an email address (that you check regularly) in order to create a QParents account.

Earn and Learn

Gumdale is collecting Woolworths Earn and Learn stickers to earn valuable school equipment. It's easy to get involved!

1. SHOP. For every $10 you spend you’ll get an Earn & Learn sticker
2. COLLECT. Collect as many stickers as you can between now and 25 June. Ask your extended family and friends to collect stickers too!
3. GIVE. Drop your stickers into the collection box in the front office or at Woolworths Manly West so we can redeem them for new equipment and school resources.

News from the Payment Desk

Office Procedure for Payment of Excursions

Three weeks after an excursion has taken place, One School will produce a Credit Adjustment for those students who have not paid. This is a system generated document which will clear your student’s account for this excursion. If your student attended and payment has not been received, you will be emailed a new invoice for this particular excursion.

Please ensure you advise the office and teacher if your child will not be attending the excursion, this will save you receiving another invoice.

Prompt payment of invoices will also ensure that additional invoices are not emailed to you. Payment due dates are stated on the excursion letter which you receive the day before you are invoiced.

Paying your school invoices

All excursions and events require payment and a permission form to be returned by the due date.

Please note that payments can be made one of four ways:

1. Online using the BPOINT Payment Gateway https://www.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete or from the invoice using the BPOINT link
2. Phone banking via BPOINT IVR (1300 631 073)
3. Online using the QParent App or
4. In person at our Administration Office during office hours (8:00am-3:30pm)

Current Excursion Invoices

From the Deputies

NAPLAN Online

We would like to extend a huge congratulations to our Year 3 and 5 students who have, over the past two weeks, completed our first NAPLAN online testing. We were encouraged by our students’ enthusiasm, calmness and readiness throughout the assessment period.

We received positive feedback from both staff and students, with many students commenting on the ease of completing the assessments on the iPads.

Prep 2020 Parent Information Sessions

It was lovely to meet so many excited 2020 Prep parents, children and families at our Thursday and Saturday Parent Information Sessions. We would like to recognise and thank our Transition Team Leaders: Mrs Amanda Zoppi and Mrs Kristin Doherty; Our Enrolments Officer: Mrs Marissa Bowen; Our Prep -1 Deputy Principal: Ms Carmel Herbert and our wonderful Prep teaching team: Mrs Paige Crichton, Mrs Ishta O’Callaghan and Mrs Lauren Dapkewitch for opening their classrooms and sharing the exceptional opportunities that our students are offered in Prep.

Tuckshop Reminder

Our wonderful friends at the Tuckshop have noticed a lot of NZ coins being passed across the counter by our students. Just a friendly reminder that only Australian coins can be used to pay for items.

National Simultaneous Storytime Event

Gumdale State School was involved in the National Simultaneous Storytime last Wednesday. This is an event that is held annually by the Australian Library and Information association. Every year a picture storybook, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

The event aims to promote the value of reading and fun of books. This year’s book was Alpacas with Maracas, written and illustrated by Matt Cosgrove.

The students at Gumdale thoroughly enjoyed reading the story with their classmates and decorating the library with fascinating alpacas.

Under 8’s Day

We are collecting cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes for Under 8's Day. Cereal boxes, muesli bar boxes and cylinders from glad wrap boxes are just a few examples. Please have your child drop them to any Prep or Year 1 classroom in preparation for Under 8's Day on 11 June.

Resource Centre

We have recently taken delivery of many fantastic new books purchased with all the rewards from last year’s Carnival Book Fair. We have a huge range of beautiful new fiction and non-fiction books. Thank you again to everyone who supported our school with their purchases.

This year our Scholastic Book Fair will be held in Term 3 on 28, 29 and 30 September. We are looking forward to another successful event... it should be Dino-mite!

School Council

The Gumdale State School Council would like to announce that the newly elected School Council representatives are as follows:

• Bridget Kinch, Parent representative
• Leah Riemann, Staff representative

We look forward to welcoming Bridget and Leah at the Term 2 Meeting.

Student Council

Student Council is fundraising with Entertainment Book! 2019/2020 Entertainment Books in digital format or hardcopy are now available. Vouchers are valid to 1 June, 2020.

The subscription contains hundreds of great value offers, ready for your enjoyment, while also helping the Student Council's fundraising efforts!

Social-Emotional Wellbeing

Last week we welcomed a team from Bravehearts who presented their “Ditto Keep Safe Adventure” show to students in Prep to Year 2. Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure Show is Bravehearts’ personal safety program for young children.

The show was fun and interactive and starred Bravehearts’ lovable lion cub Ditto, alongside a specially trained presenter. Through appropriate language, song and dance, our students enjoyed learning essential personal safety skills such as:

• Differentiating ‘yes’ and ‘no’ feelings
• Recognising the body’s ‘warning signs’
• Body ownership
• Helping children identify language and feelings associated with secrets
• Reinforcing that there is no secret that children cannot tell someone
• What to do if you feel unsafe or unsure

Children also learnt ‘Ditto’s 3 Rules’, which are:

1. We all have the right to feel safe with people.
2. It’s ok to say NO if you feel unsafe or unsure.
3. Nothing is so yucky that you can’t tell someone about it.

For more information and to read some FAQs about Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure Show click on the link below.

STEAM News

STEM Learning

Year 4

On Wednesday our Year 4 students represented Gumdale SS with amazing GROW behaviours at the Workshops Rail Museum and Ipswich Nature Centre. Photos will follow in our next edition.

Sustainability @ Gumdale

Congratulations 2R and 4S! Sustainability Steve enjoyed spending time in your classes. Keep up the great work!

Let’s work together in making Gumdale State School more sustainable!

Kitchen Garden Club

Thank you!

• Thank you Mr and Mrs Nott of Wakerley for their kind donation of a raised garden bed. We are now looking for approximately 2 cubic metres of garden soil to fill it up. If you can assist we would love to hear from you.
• Thank you Dave Gilmore from the Wynnum Manly Men’s Shed for the many strawberry and pineapple plants.
• Thank you Jane Lee (Gumdale Welfare Officer) for the seed donations.

Club members have been very busy with a lot of different activities. We have been:

• planning our Giant Pumpkin Growing Competition. Club members have set up teams, have started researching how to best grow a giant pumpkin and have created signs. Good luck to teams Pumpaghatighini, Pumpkin Extraordinaires, The Pumpkin Masters, The Pumpkin Ladies and Girl Power. The plan is to have some giant pumpkins in time for Halloween.
• planting strawberry and pineapple plants.
• adding plenty of compost and mulch to the garden beds to improve growing conditions.
• harvesting our native mulberries and identifying their taste as sweet with the odd sour berry.
• picking herbs for drying.
• making a salad with warrigal greens (native spinach).

Donations of plants, seedlings, seeds mulch or soil for the garden are appreciated and can be dropped to the STEAM Centre.

Arts Department

Gumdale State School is proud to present The Arts Show for 2019 - "Reading is my secret power to creativity”.

The Arts Show will run over 3 days beginning Tuesday 25 June and will feature artwork by students and live performances from our school choirs and musicians. We hope you will bring the whole family along to view and experience the wonderful talents of our school community.

There will be an open category for students, staff and other family to display and sell additional art work. All pieces must be delivered to the office by Monday 24 June. Student artwork must be accompanied by a submission form, available from the school website here or from the front office. Students will keep 100% of any sale price. Community and staff submissions must have a price attached with 10% of any sale price to the P&C.

Opening Night will take place on Wednesday 26 June from 5:00-8:00pm. The evening will begin with a music performance in the Hollis Hall, followed by artwork viewing in the Resource Centre. Pop-up performances by musicians will take place throughout the evening. Entry will be a gold coin per person and there will be a lucky door prize and raffles. Prizes have been kindly donated by School Stuff, Ross Vasta MP, Federal Member for Bonner and Steve Minnikin MP, Member for Chatsworth.

There will be food trucks in attendance to feed hungry families from 4:00pm and the P&C will be selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from the Hollis Hall kitchen.

Thank you for supporting the Arts Program at Gumdale. We look forward to seeing you at the Arts Show!

Digital Tech News

iMessage

Please remember that the iMessage function on students’ iPads should be turned off during school hours to ensure the continued appropriate educational use of the iPads as a learning tool. By turning this function off, students are able remain focused on their learning - no message alert tones, and limits the potential for inappropriate communication.

How to turn off messaging on iPads:

Settings > Messages > iMessage > Set the iMessage toggle to off (grey)

What to do if you have multiple family members using the same Apple account:

To stop sharing between all your devices, on any one device, go to:

Settings > iCloud> turn off the services you don't want that device to share/sync e.g. Messages.

If you need to get a message to your child during the day, then please contact the school office.

eSafety Guide to Games, Apps and Social Networking

It is important for parents to make sure they investigate apps before they download them onto their child’s device. The eSafety Website has a website page where parents can learn about the latest apps, how to protect your information and where to get more safety guidance. All information provided is factual and it is up to each parent to decide whether an app, game or social networking site is appropriate for themselves and their family. Any app or game that allows users to interact with others, including people they may not know, presents a potential risk of unwanted contact.

Sports News

Track and Field Carnival

Congratulations to the following students who have represented GSS at the Bayside Track and Field Carnival at Sheldon College over the last two days:

I look forward to acknowledging our record breakers and GSS Athletics team representatives at our end of term assembly.

GSS 8/9 years Athletics Carnival (born 2010, 2011)

After postponement due to inclement weather, the 8/9 years carnival will be held on Monday 17 June from 9:00am – 1:00pm.

Prep – 2 Athletics Carnival

The Prep – year 2 Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday 21 June on Paul Green Oval. More detailed information will be sent home as the carnival draws closer.

Primary Schools Cup – Netball

Thanks to all of those who have expressed interest in participating in the 2019 Primary Schools Cup for Netball. Due to the large amount of interest there will need to be a trial to establish the two teams who will be participating at the Primary Schools Cup which will be held on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September 2019 at the Sunshine Coast Netball Association.

The trial will be held on Monday 3 June from 3:20-4:00pm at the school netball courts. Students will be notified by email following the trial whether they have been selected.

FISAF Australian Super Series

Our sport aerobics teams competed in their first competition of the year on the Gold Coast last Saturday. Congratulations to all of the students involved and a huge thank you to Lucy Goddard and her team, for all of their efforts in getting the teams ready to compete.

2019 Camps

The camps for 2019 will be as follows:

Payment due date – Sydney/Canberra camp payments are due by 7 June.

Sailing 2019

Keep moving!

Music Notes

Upcoming Events

To celebrate the commitment, talent and diversity in the Arts at Gumdale we are hosting ‘Music in the Round’ as part of the Arts Show opening night. This will feature some of our instrumentalists, singers and dancers that are excelling in their school and private lessons and we welcome you to come along. Performances will be held between 5:30 and 7:00pm in the Music Room.

We are finalising the program so if you haven’t yet expressed interest but would like to perform, please see the music teachers next week to arrange an audition time.

Choir

Treble Voices Festival This Weekend

We wish the children in the Gumnuts Choir all the best for their performance at the Treble Voices Festival on Sunday. We are sure you will delight and entertain the audience in the CHAC theatre and hope that you treasure this experience for the rest of your years singing.

Vocal Pop-up Concerts

We will be giving our aspiring vocalists the opportunity to perform during lunchtimes in week 9 this term. Auditions will be held in week 7 from Monday 3 to Thursday 6 June in the music room. Students wanting to perform will need to have 1-2 appropriate songs prepared prior to their audition and are required to bring suitable audio backing to perform with. Please see Miss Slater and Miss Moran for more information and to book an audition time.

The Gumleaves and Gumtreees Choirs have the privilege of opening the annual Arts Show on Wednesday 26 June. It is sure to be a great night of art, music, food and celebration. Please save the date and come along to experience the many talents of our school community. More information about this performance will be sent home via email.

Instrumental Music

Assessment

All Instrumental Students are in the process of being assessed for their progress in Instrumental Music in Week 7 of this term. They have been given some songs to practice, and will be assessed in class, aiming for the best technique (holding, blowing, sitting, tonguing), literacy (knowing and playing the notes and rhythms) and performance (making a musical, confident and ‘nice’ sound). All beginners in year 4 will be assessed on Wednesday 5 June.

Bayside Beginners’ Music Week

Places are still available on the bus service from Gumdale State School to Beginners’ Music Week. Notes need to be returned by Monday 3 June. If you have been invoiced, your note has been received.

We can’t wait for what is shaping up to be an incredible experience for our Gumdale Beginner Musicians.

Beginner Band Rehearsals Begin

Beginner band rehearsals will commence on Wednesday 19 June, in the STEAM Music room. It is a requirement for all our instrumental students to attend band. It provides greater purpose, responsibility and motivation in learning an instrument, and helps students improve their playing and ensemble skills while preparing for performances. We encourage students to be responsible musicians who are always well prepared and turn up on time. Thank you to our fabulous parents for their support in the process.

Senior Concert Band

Well done on an extremely successful performance this week on Assembly. All your hard work is beginning to pay off, and your performance was improved because of this! Special mention goes to our pop-up quartet, Matthew, Carl, Cristiean and Daniel for a very professional performance of “Imperial Death March” from Star Wars.

Music Practise Tips – What?

Practice that progresses toward excellence will include:

• Warm-ups
• Review of scales, etudes, or pieces you have already learned
• Your next assignment, goal or test piece
• Something you really love playing, or just for fun (maybe even make up a piece on your own)

From the Music Department,

Community Business Network

Gumdale State School is pleased to have the support of businesses in our local and nearby community by way of sponsorship. Each year, our school resources are enriched courtesy of members in our Community Business Network.

More details regarding our program and the packages available can be found on our school website or by contacting Marissa Bowen, Executive Assistant.

Phone: 3902 8333 Mail: mbowe79@eq.edu.au

In 2019, our Platinum and Gold Sponsors are:

Platinum Sponsor

Todd Gerhardt Realty goes above and beyond for his clients. Todd has broken countless street records, priding himself on getting the best possible price for his vendors. Todd Gerhardt is considered a real sellers agent, but he is equally devoted to his buyers and he knows how to close the deal leaving both parties more than satisfied (which in today's market cannot always be the case).

Todd leaves no stone unturned in the search for the right buyer for your home. It is Todd's mission to offer the best real estate experience you can get.

Gold Sponsors

Ian lives in Wakerley and brings his background as a marketing consultant to achieve the best result for his clients. Ian has achieved numerous property records in the Bayside area. As a great supporter of Gumdale State School Ian currently serves as a community representative on the School Council.

Alpha Home Maintenance is a handyman service designed to save time, money and energy for all your property maintenance needs and those general repairs around the home. We provide a free consultation prior to any job so we can work together on an option that will ensure you choose the service that is right for you. We strive to work hard and deliver outstanding results and exceptional customer service every time. Call us today on 0400 823 868.

Gold - STEM Sponsor

South East Electrical Services conducts all types of electrical works from a single power point in your home to extensive electrical and data works in your office, school or commercial property. Completing regular maintenance for safety switches, lamp replacement service, test and tag of electrical items or emergency light testing, South East Electrical Services can solve your electrical or data problems. Call 1300 997 621.

P&C News

Everyone is welcome to attend our next P&C General Meeting on Tuesday 11 June. We will meet at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron for a 7:00pm start.

The working party has been busy finalising plans for our biggest fundraising event of 2019, the Great Gatsby Fashion Parade. The big night is on Saturday 15 June with Hollis Hall being transformed for a fabulous evening. Tickets have been selling fast with over 80% sold in the first day! Don’t forget that drink cards are available for pre-purchase until Friday 7 June. Further details are found below in the Fundraising update.

The P&C will once again be involved in the annual Gumdale Arts Show on Wednesday 26 June. We have organised a number of food vans to feed hungry families from 4:00-8:00pm and we will also be selling drinks from Hollis Hall kitchen.

Shortly we will be calling for volunteers to help us with both the Fashion Parade and the Arts Show. This is a wonderful way to be involved in the great community that is GSS! We will require helpers for set up on the evening of Friday 14 June, to assist with clean up on Sunday 16 June as well as volunteers to support the working party during the event on Saturday 15 June. Many hands make light work as we work to raise much needed funds for our school!

Shaunesy Pegg
P&C President
pandc@gumdaless.eq.edu.au

Gumtree Eatery

Seeking new grandparents!

We are looking for grandparents of families of GSS to join our other grandparents here in Tuckshop. Lots of easy jobs available, just an hour or so a week and if they stay for the morning we will make them lunch and a cuppa. Please call in to see us if you have a family member that would like to join us. The grandchildren love seeing their family here.

Reminder: If your child has Friday interschool sport please remember to place all Flexischools orders for first break only. Many children come to see us at first break asking if they can take their second break food but as we begin cooking second break items from midday, unfortunately this is not possible.

If you would like to volunteer here in tuckshop, signing up is quick and easy!

• Click on the required SignUp.com link below
• Scroll through the available dates and make your selection.
• SignUp.com will email you a reminder 48 hours before your selected date.

If you cannot make a shift which you have signed up for, could you please remove yourself from signup for the day in question. This will ensure that spot is left open for someone else to add their name and we will get an email notification.

To provide a safe working environment, a minimum dress standard is required when volunteering in the Tuckshop as it is a food production area. Closed in shoes, no singlet tops and hair longer than shoulder length must be worn up.

Please ‘like’ the Parents & Citizens Facebook page to see what we are up to in the Tuckshop.

Carol and Helen
Gumtree Eatery Tuckshop Convenors

Uniform Shop News

The Gumdale State School P&C Uniform Shop is pleased to be able to offer to all Gumdale students the opportunity to purchase GSS Swimwear. GSS Swimwear is not compulsory Gumdale State School uniform, however all swimwear items can be worn for swimming and sailing. We encourage you to wear your GSS Swimwear outside school activities to show you are Gumdale proud.

We are holding a fitting session today (Friday 31 May from 3:00-4:00pm in Hollis Hall) or you are welcome to visit during regular Uniform Shop opening hours. All swimwear orders are due by Sunday 9 June at 4:00pm.

Some winter items are out of stock, however plain royal blue fleecy trackpants or navy stockings are acceptable winter uniform alternatives. We will not be re-stocking Microfibre trackpants until 2020.

Surf Hats in size 61cm and Prep are still available for $5 each. All items can be ordered through the convenience of Flexischools or visit the uniform shop on Mondays and Thursdays for your uniform needs. A reminder to please label all uniform items, especially jumpers and hats. There are lost property baskets outside the administration office.

Michelle Moffatt
Volunteer Uniform Shop Manager

Fundraising

Saturday 15 June 2019 is this year's night of nights - Gumdale SS P&C proudly present the Fashion Parade. This year’s theme is Great Gatsby and we hope you love a big party! It all begins 6:30pm in Hollis Hall.

Tickets:

• Tickets are now on sale for $60 each. Buy a table of 8 in one transaction and receive 2 complimentary bottles of sparkling for your table. The link for purchasing tickets is below.
• Ticket price includes: Free glass of sparkling on entry, platters, lolly bar, DJ and of course fabulous fashion.
• Drink cards available for pre-purchase through the same link (Buy 4 drinks, get a 5th drink free). The cut off for pre-purchase of drink cards is Friday 7 June 6pm (no exceptions).

Enjoy a fun photoshoot in our photo booth, support the McGrath Live Auction and raffles (all funds raised go toward supporting our school) and then dance the night away!

A complimentary bus service will be running to designated local drop offs to assist getting you home.

For all details make sure you click "going" on the Gumdale SS P&C Fashion Parade event page and continue to watch for updates on Gumdale State School Parents & Citizens FB Page

Volunteering at Gumdale State School

Thank you to all who have joined the volunteer pool. Volunteering is a great way to get involved in our school.

If you’d like to find out more or would like to be added to our volunteer pool, please email fundraising@gumdalesspc.org.au and you will be notified via Sign-Up Genius when volunteering opportunities arise throughout the year.

Fundraising Calendar

We are very excited about this year’s calendar. Please ‘save the date’ for the events detailed below. Details for each event will be published in the newsletter, and on social media, closer to the date.

Fundraising Programs

A reminder to support the following organisations if the need arises for their goods and services. For every purchase made, they kindly give back to our school.

Follow the P&C

To stay up to date with all things P&C, follow us on social media:

• Facebook at Gumdale State School Parents & Citizens
• Instagram at gumdale_ss_pandc
• Twitter at gumdaless_pandc
• Or contact us on pandc@gumdalesspc.org.au

OSHC

Contact YMCA OSHC Gumdale
Phone: 07 3890 2675
Mobile: 0428 333 317
agd@ymca.org.au

Community Notices

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