1 November 2019

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Thank You

Last Friday was World Teachers’ Day. We are privileged to have a dedicated and caring team of teachers at Gumdale, and I value the hard work and commitment they display to our students each and every day. Today I would also like to acknowledge the Gumtree Eatery staff and its volunteers on Tuckshop Day; on behalf of our school and community, I thank you for helping ensure our students can access healthy food and drinks at school.

Music Technology

I would like to highlight the great work happening in the area of Music Technology among our Year 5 and 6 Signature Program students. Students have been working both independently and collaboratively on their composition projects, showcasing their pieces, articulating their ideas and offering feedback to one another. They are demonstrating a high level of creativity and understanding of the technology used to make and produce music. My appreciation goes to Lauren Slater for her vision of this new addition to Gumdale's music department. I look forward to enjoying the performances of our music students at the Night of Music on Tuesday 12 November.

Reminders

Staff have noticed an increasing number of students bringing toys to school. We ask that you remind your child that toys and other special belongings are not to be brought to school, unless an arrangement has been made with the classroom teacher.

Good Luck

Best of luck to students representing Gumdale at this weekend’s QLD All Schools Touch competition taking place at Cleveland Showgrounds. I know you will do your families and your school proud.

Always our Best,

What’s Coming Up

Always our Best

Weeks 3 & 4 – Always our Best

Reminders from the School

Your Child’s 2020 Enrolment Status

To assist us in planning for next year, we would like to know your plans for 2020. If your child will transition to another school for the start of 2020, please assist us by completing the form below.

Completed forms are to be returned to Marissa Bowen at the front office or via email: mbowe79@eq.edu.au

QParents

Pay multiple invoices easily with QParents! Invoices can be viewed and paid in bulk, rather than making individual payments. In addition, any outstanding amount can be viewed and paid.

If you haven’t yet registered for QParents, register now. You can provide your 100 points of identity documents for registration online through QParents, or in person at the school. If you have limited identity documents, or experience difficulties registering, please contact info@gumdaless.eq.edu.au for help.

QParents is a great way to stay informed about what’s happening in your child’s school life.

News from the Payment Desk

Refund Policy

If a parent wishes to apply for a refund due to their child’s non-participation in an extra-curricular activity, they may do so by completing a Request for Refund form available from the school office. Where possible, the request should include the receipt relating to the payment for which a refund is being sought.

It is preferred that refunds be made as a credit against the student’s account at the school, and used to offset any future charges. No refunds will be given under $20.

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 three ways:

1. Using the QParents App.
2. Using the BPOINT Payment Gateway https://www.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete or from the invoice using the BPOINT link.
3. In person at our Administration Office during office hours (8:15am-3:30pm). No cash will be accepted.

Current Excursion Invoices

From the Deputies

Maths Masterminds

Congratulations to the nine Year 4 and 5 students who attended the Maths Masterminds competition at Tingalpa SS last week. Their teamwork, manners and encouragement meant that they were awarded the Spirit Award on the day. Thank you to the staff and parent volunteers who helped with the transport and supervision during the competition.

Swimming

Term 4 Swimming with Aquatic Achievers is well underway with a record number of students participating. During our visits to the pool, we have seen our students being considerate of their fellow swimmers, listening carefully to the instructors and using their manners when getting on and off the bus.

Pupil Free Day

This year our professional development included Growth Mindset, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures and Perspectives, as well as English planning for 2020. It was great to have this time to focus on two of our main whole school priorities and begin planning for 2020.

World Teachers’ Day

Huge thank you to the P&C for funding a lovely morning tea to say thank you to all of our amazing teachers. Our teaching staff are dedicated, passionate, and hardworking. They go above and beyond to ensure that they are providing the best learning opportunities for our students.

Rotary Public Speaking Competition

Congratulations to the three Gumdale students Lilliana, Taran and Ashleigh, who participated in the Rotary Public Speaking Competition last week at Wynnum. The competition on the day was of a very high standard and all three students are to be congratulated on their polished presentations. The students also showcased their speeches to students and staff on assembly last Monday.

Booklists

Booklists for 2020 will be sent home next week. Our preferred supplier is Schoolstuff and ordering is quick and easy and can be done online.

Writing Highlights

Prep

After reading ‘Russell and the Lost Treasure’, the students in Prep D wrote him a letter suggesting ways he could get a better night’s sleep.

Year 2

Year 4

The Year 4 students are currently working on writing a persuasive text with the purpose of helping to raise awareness of our disappearing rainforests.

Student Leadership 2020

An information session will be held for all Year 5 students on Friday 8 November, with applications for leadership positions due on Friday 15 November. Interviews will take place in weeks 7-9.

Student Council

Have you heard the latest chart topping hit? It’s the Wrapper Free Rap, by your very own 2019 Student Council! Many thanks to Mrs McAuliffe and Ms Slater for their assistance and to Mrs Sheppard and the STEM Department for their collaboration. Check it out!

A very big thank you to the school community for the wonderful response to our first Wrapper Free Wednesday this week. We look forward to continuing this initiative each week. Love your work Gumdale!

STEAM News

Waste Free Wednesday

We invite all students from Prep to Year 6 to take up the challenge of Waste Free Wednesday (and every day). Together we are on our way to becoming a ZERO WASTE SCHOOL! Check out the wrapper Free Rap video by Student Council that is included above.

Sustainability @ Gumdale

Let’s work together in making Gumdale State School more sustainable! Sustainability Steve has spent time with 1TS and 3W. Keep up the great work!

STEM Clubs

Code Clubs

Correction from last newsletter, Tuesday after school Code Club for Year 5 & 6 has moved to Wednesday play time.

Kitchen Garden Club

Correction * Year 2-6 kitchen Garden meet on Thursday before school.

We have 4 new garden beds up and running!

With the assistance of the informative and colourful garden maps created by 3W we invite all to take a self-guided tour through our gardens behind the Resource Centre, in front of the STEAM building and a few ‘bush tukka’ beds in the Prep area.

With Spring in full swing and our Harvest Afternoon Tea fast approaching in Week 9, Kitchen Garden Club members have been busy:

• Planting seeds and seedlings.
• Replanting our cotton seedlings in the STEAM garden.
• Lots and lots of watering.
• Worm care and compost maintenance.
• Making and enjoying a delicious salad of beetroot, beetroot leaves and carrots from our garden mixed with sultanas, orange segments, balsamic and olive oil. All agreed it must be on the menu for our Harvest Afternoon Tea.

Article contributed by parent volunteer Sabine Clark

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

Digital Tech News

It has recently come to our attention that the app Tik Tok is being accessed by some students. The app is not a school app and we have received concerning information about Tik Tok from our Cyber Safety team. This app is currently rated 12+ by the Apple Store. However, we strongly encourage parents to read the information below so they can make an informed decision about this app and whether it is appropriate for their child.

• Tik Tok received an $8 million fine in the US for violating the online privacy of children under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act 1998. This legislation requires companies that intend to collect personal information MUST obtain parental consent for individuals under 13. Many parents raised concerns with TikTok that there were children under the age of 13 on this app. The company had done nothing to address this issue. During the Federal investigation, it was discovered that email addresses, phone numbers, first and last names and personal photographs of children as well as facial recognition technology was being captured by the app.
• This app encourages people to get as many likes as possible. Children have been encouraged to behave inappropriately to gain these likes. In addition, random strangers could contact any user of the app.
• Adults were found to be posing as children online.
• Many videos contain inappropriate images, content and language.
• In the UK, a survey of 40,000 children using Tik Tok revealed that 25% had connected with a stranger on the app, and of these, one in 20 had been asked to strip or perform suggestively during those encounters.
• You do not need a personal Tik Tok account to view the content. You can download the app and watch anything. This means a child may view the public accounts of strangers doing absolutely anything on Tik Tok, without a parent having imposed any filters or restrictions on the app. You can’t censor the content your child may be exposed to.
• An account, when established is automatically a public one. Should your account not be a private one, any one may screenshot your content, and the user will be none the wiser.
• There is no moderation of the comments feature.

We strongly encourage parents to check their child’s device to ensure this app cannot be accessed and viewed. If you do find this app on their device, delete the app immediately.

Sports News

Term 4 Swim Lessons

It has been a fantastic start to the school swimming lessons for 2019. Thank you to parents for ensuring your child has the necessary swimming equipment for their lessons. There has already been a fair amount of movement in groups as students continue to progress through the program.

All Schools Touch Football

Congratulations to the 24 students who have been selected in the GSS All Schools Touch Football teams that will be competing at the Qld All Schools Championships next weekend in Cleveland. We continue to train hard before school and during signature programs as we prepare for this event. With over 190 teams nominated it is sure to be a massive weekend for our boys and girls.

Staff v Students Netball

The Year 5 and 6 All Schools Netball teams competed against the Staff netball team today. Height certainly is an advantage but we must commend the students on a great display of netball.

Women in Sport Breakfast

Twenty-two Gumdale girls from 3 aerobics teams performed for guests at the ACHPER Women in Sport breakfast last week at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in Southbank. The girls performed so professionally and lit up the room with their energy.

2019/2020 Camps

The camps for 2019 and 2020 are as follows:

Keep moving!

Music Notes

Upcoming Events

Our annual Night of Music is happening on Tuesday 12 November showcasing the various music groups at Gumdale. This year we are combining for one concert starting at 6:00pm and please note the change in venue to Hollis Hall. The venue has been changed to accommodate a larger audience of family and friends and we are looking forward to seeing you all there.

Any parents who are willing to assist us on the night please email lslat29@eq.edu.au

Year 5 Music Concert Excursion

Students in 5M and 5R attended concerts at the University of Queensland (UQ) this term as part of their studies in class music lessons. We attended the Piano & Percussion Concert and the Prize Winners Concert, hosted by the UQ School of Music, and were fortunate to meet some of the musicians.

“I went to the percussion and piano concert and it was really cool how they were so in sync. It was like they had been practising together for years. The sound effects and electronic backing enhanced the performance. ” Isabella S – 5M

“It sounded so good altogether. The last piece was very cool because of the sound effects. ” Angelique A – 5M

Yr5 Music Excursion

Choir

Upcoming Choir Performance

Just a reminder that the Gumnuts Choir will be performing at next Monday’s assembly. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Instrumental Music

Beginner Concert Band

Congratulations to our Gumdale State School Beginner Band on their excellent performance for the lower school assembly last week. The Band has been working extremely hard in lessons and before-school band, and that hard work, excellent attendance and personal organisation really paid off with a great team performance!

Xylophone Group

Our Xylophone Group have been busy learning a new piece called “Balafon”, a Zimbabwean composition, for our upcoming performance at the Night of Music Concert. We are looking forward to the opportunity of sharing it with you.

Guest Conductors Coming to Band

We are privileged to welcome some high calibre guest conductors into our band rehearsals this term. To maximise a full rehearsal with these inspiring guests, please be sure to turn up on time ready to play with your instrument and music. See dates below:

Piano Accompanists 2020

We are expanding the role of Piano Accompanists in 2020 for our students excelling in their private piano tuition. Any students wishing to become a Gumdale Accompanist in 2020 will need to audition later this term. You will need to play ‘Advance Australia Fair’ and one other piece of your choosing for the audition. Auditions will be held in Week 8, please see Miss Slater to arrange a time.

Last Post Trumpet Auditions for ANZAC Day 2020

Any students wishing to perform the ‘Last Post’ at our school ANZAC Day ceremony in 2020 will need to audition later this term. You will need to play ‘Last Post’ for the audition. Auditions will be held in Week 8, please see Mrs Thomas to arrange a time.

From the Music Department,

Community Support

Positive Statements

Sometimes when an aspect of life gets tough, we begin to feel discouraged and want to ‘give up’ or get someone else to solve our problems. However, this is not the answer and it won’t make us stronger.

Our minds are powerful things and our thoughts really affect our attitude, feelings and behaviour. Positive statements have been shown to decrease health-deteriorating stress and have been linked positively to academic achievement (read more here).

Below are some great positive/‘Growth-Mindset’ statements to use with your child next time they are struggling with an aspect of their learning, trying to navigate a tricky social situation or going through a difficult time generally. For more information on Growth Mindset tips for parents, click here.

Gumdale Gives

This Christmas season we are once again supporting Micah Projects and GIVIT who assist those less fortunate within the community.

On Thursday 21 November, we will be collecting brand new, unwrapped toys for GIVIT to donate to children living in care. Toys can be dropped at the hall from 8:00am-9:00am. We are also looking for donations of medium/large packing boxes to pack the toys in. If you have any you are willing to donate, please drop them off to the hall foyer from next week.

Then throughout Week 8 (Monday 25 November – Friday 29 November), we will be calling for donations of non-perishable food items for Micah’s Annual Christmas Food Hamper Appeal. You can drop your donations off to the box in the office throughout the week.

Look out in future newsletters and on our social media pages for more information.

Thank you in advance for your support of these worthy causes.

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

Thank you

As today is Tuckshop Day, the P&C would like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to Helen and Carol, the convenors of the Gumtree Eatery. Thank you for all your hard work, commitment and creativity. Helen and Carol have implemented a number of great initiatives and changes to the Eatery this year, including lunchtime Uber eats, birthday boxes, catering for class celebrations and seasonal specials.

Also, a thank you to all who give of their time to help Carol and Helen. Without the help of volunteers this service would not be able to run as smoothly as it does.

General Meeting

A reminder that the final P&C meeting for 2019 will be held on Thursday 14 November from 7:00pm at the Gumdale Tavern. It will be a chance to reflect on a busy year and celebrate all we have accomplished together in 2019! We would love to see you there.

Term 4 School Disco

The P&C is excited to be hosting the Term 4 school disco on Friday, 15 November. Tickets will be available at the door and sausages, drinks and snacks will be available for purchase.

If you are able to volunteer your time to assist on the evening while you children are enjoying themselves, please follow this link to sign up:

Volunteering at Gumdale State School

Volunteering is a great way to get involved in our school. If you would 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 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

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

GOSHC

This week we would like to introduce you to two of our wonderful educators.

Elaine is our permanent part time Educator. She has worked in Outside School Hours Care for many years doing casual hours through an agency business, being on call for lots of OSHC services across Brisbane. Elaine thought it was perfect timing to settle down and have a more permanent work place and develop those amazing relationships with the Gumdale children and families.

Kirra has transferred over from YMCA. She has been working there for just over two years. She is currently studying Primary Education and is excited to become a full-time teacher one day. During her time at YMCA she has developed great relationships with the children and families. Kirra is very happy she stayed on board and is excited for the service.

Enrolments

A reminder that all enrolments must be made via the school website from a desktop browser. To assist you with this process, please view the FAQ here:

Summer Break

GOSHC will be closed for 2 weeks over the summer break from Monday 23 December 2019 to Sunday 5 January 2020.

Gumtree Eatery

Sushi is available to order at the moment and will be available until 27 November. Order by 9pm Tuesday, see Flexischools for the full menu.

Have your kids tried the Egg Fried Rice? It’s proving to be very popular, is homemade in the tuckshop and is also gluten free! Available to order via Flexischools for $4.50

We are looking for new volunteers to help us out in Tuckshop. We can only operate this busy Tuckshop and keep prices low with your help, otherwise it would not be possible. On a daily basis we need one volunteer then at the end of the week we need at least three. At the moment we are struggling on a Friday. There are many ways you can help: washing the dishes, folding pizza boxes, filling the drinks fridge or sticking labels on bags. All these jobs can be done in one hour! Many hands make light work.

Carol and Helen
Gumtree Eatery Tuckshop Convenors

Uniform Shop News

Prep Packs

Pre-purchased Prep Packs are now available to order on Flexischools. Prep Packs include a new style Red Prep hat (house will be allocated at time of collection), school bag, library bag, 1 Formal Uniform and 2 Everyday Uniforms. Any questions regarding Prep Packs please email our Uniform shop Volunteers. Prep Packs can be collected from the Old Uniform Shop opposite the Tuckshop during Prep Orientation (Wednesday 20 November from 10:00am – 12:00pm) or during normal trading hours after 20 November. As Prep Orientation is a very busy time, our volunteers are happy to assist you with sizing during normal uniform shop trading hours prior to this day if required.

Senior Shirts

2020 Senior Shirt orders are now closed with expected delivery in Week 10 of Term 4. These will be delivered to the students classrooms.

Swimwear

Unfortunately there has been a delay in the delivery of the current swimwear orders. Orders are expected to arrive shortly and will be delivered as soon as possible. The 2020 swimwear order closes TODAY and sample sizes are available at the uniform shop to try on. Delivery of these items will be Week 1 Term 1 in 2020, just in time for the School Swim Carnival.

Clearance Items

Old Style Surf Hats are still available for the discounted price of $5.00. Stock remaining is the red Prep hat in Stradbroke house and 61cm Blue Fraser hat. These can be purchased on Flexischools or during our normal trading hours.

We still have a large number of Scags Formal shorts in sizes 4 and 10 and will continue to sell these at the discounted price of $5.00 until stock numbers become lower.

If you have any questions regarding swimwear, Senior Shirts or clearance items please email the Uniform Shop on the details below.

Michelle Moffatt
Volunteer Uniform Shop Manager

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