Dear mums, dads, carers and colleagues

This past week has been filled with opportunities, excursions, performances, competition and learning.  Year 3 visited Ngutana-Lui, our school soccer competition finished with 2/3J, 4M, 5M and 6K winning their year level tournaments.  Next week we commence cricket.  Mr Raffin, Mr Burrows and a team of teachers give up their lunch break nearly every day to provide these events - and I am extremely grateful to them.  The rugby league teams (with Mr Raffin and Mr Frost) competed at the Titans gala day and represented us wonderfully well.  The senior strings ensemble performed Immortal Gladiator for me this week.  It was, quite simply, the best Year 6 strings performance I have heard across my career.  These are seriously talented young musicians.  Thank you to them and to Mrs Stephenson for their excellent learning.  And meanwhile, the classrooms keep promoting learning.  Check out the Great work the week section of the newsletter for more examples of the brilliant things that our children are doing.  And to top this week off, Trey was selected in the Queensland Hockey Team.  This is an outstanding achievement.  Gosh school is different to when I was a student - and this is a very good thing!

Air-conditioning project (Phase 1) is complete

I am delighted to report that the air-conditioning of classrooms, the iCentre, DigiDesign rooms and our Music Centre is completed.  This is an enormous achievement given the sheer number of rooms that needed to be done.  60 spaces have been completed thanks to the significant contribution of the P&C Association and the Queensland government.  There remains just two blocks to complete - Corporate Services and the multipurpose hall.  With summer fast approaching, this will make an enormous difference for students who will now be able to all work in much greater comfort.

Survey: Student Code of Conduct policy

We have invested heavily across the year in the development of the new Student Code of Conduct that will become policy from 2021.  Every school in Queensland has been expected to generate this.  Once we have some feedback from families, we will upload the draft to the school website so that families can access it.  

So far, the staff, the School Council and the P&C Association have all been offered opportunity to consider the policy.  And now that the draft is getting closer to completion, we would like your feedback - specifically regarding the four key areas of bullying response process, cyber-bullying response process, parent contracts and parent and school expectations.  Please click here to access the survey link.  The survey will close on Thursday 12 November and we will prepare the information for presentation to the final P&C meeting of the year.

Book lists for 2021

Click here to access all of the book lists for 2021. You can order through the school supplier or print the lists and organise your own materials. Regardless of which method you prefer, your children must have these items for school next year. The school does not use communal resources and anything you purchase for your children remains your property and will not be given to other students.

Student Resource Scheme for 2021

The Student Resource Scheme was discussed at the P&C meeting earlier this week. Mrs Porch explained the new government requirements about the scheme including:

• The scheme needs to be reported on at each P&C meeting to show that the school is not profiting from the funds from families
• The letters of explanation need to identify the resources so that parents who choose, may opt to provide their own.
• Opting into the scheme means that families remain in and annual renewal is not necessary.
• Parents can opt out at anytime.
• Payment plans are available.
• The same policy applies to all state primary and secondary schools.

We will be sending these SRS letters to families via email in the coming days. Click here for all the 2021 SRS details.

Gastro alert

Many families will have seen news about the recent gastro outbreak in the south-east corner of Queensland recently.  We have only received word from a couple of families that their child has been affected.  Please notify the school should your child be affected.  

Staff appreciation day

While today is recognised as World Teachers Day, Coomera Rivers is a little different.  We recognise all of our staff on this day each year as it takes a whole team to deliver the outstanding service to our children and families.  We call it Staff Appreciation Day. 

Thank you to the entire school staff - teaching and non-teaching - for your individual and combined contributions to our children, our families and our community.  This has been a 'different' year filled with on-going change, restrictions and anxiety.  Our staff team has done everything it takes to overcome these challenges.  And while we have needed to restrict the number of activities that we undertake, we have still managed to complete all of the significant events that we originally had planned including sports fun days and our musical.  

Thank you sincerely to all of the students and families who recognised the Coomera Rivers staff today.  Your thoughts and gestures of kindness were very much appreciated.  And thank you to the school P&C Association for their recognition of staff as well.  This year the P&C donated coffee machine for each of the three staff rooms across the school.  They also supplied coffee pods and a muffin for morning tea, delivered by the members of the school's Student Council.  Yum!

Important dates

We will keep adding to this list of events as we finalise our plans the conclusion of the 2020 school year.   Please check this list each week and add the pertinent information to your fridge calendars.  

Kind regards

Vic

Congratulations to everyone who earned an excellence award this week.

Prep to Year 2

Years 3-6

What an impact!

A huge congratulations to our wonderful cleaners, Lyn K. and Jacqui, along with 2A & 2W, for recently adopting a wild koala!  They have all been working collaboratively to save up for their koala, by cashing in recycled bottles.  The students collect and bring the bottles in, then Lyn and Jacqui swap them at a local recycling centre. The learning partnerships being developed involve the community, students, teachers, parents as well as local industry.  We are all super proud of your efforts.  Those involved in this partnership have helped our students think like global citizens, considering a real - world problem that impacts on environmental sustainability.  Our students now have a genuine interest in working together to help save koalas and make a difference. WOW!

Cinderella and Rockerfella 

Video is now available for viewing

The awesome team from DCR Media Productions have worked their magic and our 2020 musical is now ready for public viewing! Simply click here to go to our recording. You can either watch online or download it to be watched later.

Feel free to share the link with family and friends, there is no limit on the number of downloads. Happy viewing.

Honours   

Ashtiva recently sat her first Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) exam and received an A (honours) in Violin.  Congratulations!

Hockey workshop

We had a visit from Kathy from Hockey Gold Coast to run a workshop this morning. She even scouted a talented Phoenix as a player to go further in the sport. This was so much fun!

Queensland representative

Last weekend, Trey and Spencer represented South Coast at the state hockey championships at Ipswich.  Both boys played some amazing hockey, scoring some great goals.  They both conducted themselves as great sportsmen on and off the field.  Trey captained his team to place 3rd overall which was a great achievement and was then selected in the Queensland team.  Congratulations.

Coding in Year 2

This term, the year 2 students are learning to draw and code with the sphero robots. Each student has learned to connect via bluetooth, draw a square and circle and then get the robot to draw that in a program on the carpet and then disconnect. This week, students were learning to code the sphero with blocks to create squares with loop coding, different colour lights and animal sounds.

Engineering in Year 3

In DigiDesign this term, Year 3 have been completing different engineering challenges each week. Over the past two weeks, students were giving the spaghetti tower challenge of complete. They were given 20 pieces of hard spaghetti, 20 marshmallows and 5 minutes to plan and 25 minutes to build the tallest structure. The tallest tower in Mrs Benton's class was 48cm tall. A fantastic effort.

Mapping in Year 5

Year 5 students have been completing maths assessment and creating great maps to demonstrate their directional language and mapping skills.  Well done!

Mathletics high achievers

And around the classes

We wore RED today to recognise and support the Daniel Morecombe Foundation.  Through the generosity of our community we raised $1157 which will be donated to the foundation next week.  

CRSS Soccer Competition

In Term 4, classes in Year 3 - 6 have participated in our intra-school soccer competition. This week we had our Grand Finals and below you will find the results and the Player of the Matches. The PE Team are very happy with the involvement, attitudes and effort all of our students have shown over the competition.

Results:

Year 3: 3B Goals Are Us v 2/3 Unbeatables
Winners: 2/3 Unbeatables
Player of the Match: Izaiah

Year 4: 4B Fabulous Rats v 4M United
Winners: 4M United
Player of the Match: Kayden

Year 5: 5C Did someone say KFC? v 5Mocceroos
Winners: 5Mocceroos
Player of the Match: Aiden

Year 6: 6K Kickers Football Club v 6W Chickens Unauthorised
Winners: 6K Kickers Football Club
Player of the Match: Kade

CRSS Cricket Competition

We have had out Touch Comp, our Soccer comp, and we will finish the Year with Cricket Comp. Great opportunity for students to plat with and against their mates in our Class Competition. Competition starts in Week 5.

Rugby League carnival

On Thursday we sent four Rugby League teams to compete in the Titans Gala Day. It was a fantastic day of fun, fitness and friendship. Both the sportsmanship and tenacity displayed by the teams from Coomera Rivers shone out and all the students participating were a credit to our school.

While we focus of our 3F's, it is still nice to have a win.  Our teams managed to secure 10 wins from 12 games with our two Year 3/4 teams going through the carnival undefeated. Congratulations boys and thank you sincerely to Mr Frost and Mr Raffin who coached our teams.  

With Swimming Fun Days (Years 3 - 6) scheduled for Week 10 of Term 4, it is time to start thinking about those house colour accessories!

Not only do we have the hair ties and wrist bands available for purchase but we also have House coloured shirts through our partnership with Reklaim.

Orders of these shirts are open now via Flexischools and, to allow production of the shirts in time for the Sport Fun Days, orders need to close on Friday 13 November at 4pm.

We understand that this order turn around time is less than our usual 4 weeks so, with that in mind, if you are unable to purchase and pay via Flexischools by the deadline we are willing to take orders via email - the deadline for email orders is also 4pm Friday 13 November. For these email orders the deadline for payment is Friday 27 November - shirts will not be delivered unless full payment has been received.

House coloured hair bands and wrist bands will be available to order via Flexischools right up until 2 school days prior to the event.

If you have any questions, please email the P&C

     
This year NAIDOC Week will be celebrated from 8th - 15th November (Week 6). During Reconcilation Week we saw an amazing level of engagement from teachers and students learning about the meaning of the week, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. NAIDOC Week is another fantastic opportunity to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and people.

As Remembrance Day falls within the week, senior classes might be able to investigate the role Indigenous Australians played during wars of the past. 

Jimbelungare Mob

During our Jimbelungare (Friendship) Mob lunchtime club this week our jarjums made bracelets using the colours of the Aboriginal flag. It was an awesome opportunity to discuss the meaning of the design and colours of the flag.

Solid Pathways is an online Critical and Creative Thinking program for high-achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This week, two of our students receieved special recognition with medallions for their acheivements in Numeracy and Bio-Design. Well done Leo and Alycia!

The second group of Year 3 students and teachers went on excursion to the Ngutana-Lui Cultural Centre on Monday and had a very enjoyable day. We learned about Aboriginal dance and Dreamtime stories, created dot paintings, played Indigenous games and also found out about Bush medicine!  It was a jam-packed day with lots of fun with friends and our teachers.

Our world needs great leaders. For our schools to be great, we need great student leaders, because students follow students. (Aspire Higher)

Has your child got what it takes?  While we believe every child in Year 6 is a leader and we endeavour to develop every child’s leadership skills, we are now looking for our 2021 badged leaders. Applications are now open. Our 2021 Head of School and Head of Student Council will be announced THIS year!

Today I spoke with the Year 5 students about the process and interested students were provided with an application form (also attached). Please read through this document with your child and brainstorm together their current leadership potential and possible goals. This is great practice at applying for a job.

Please also take particular note the timeline of events and deadlines for students.

I look forward to your child showing courage, stepping up and giving it a go.

The children of OSHC have been very interested in building and construction as of late.

Using all different kinds of toys and resources, we have children building towers, cities, jungles and rocket ships!

We have a special area where we keep the children’s designs for one week, then after that week has gone by, it’s time to create something new!

OSHC has some very clever and intelligent kids who can build so many creative objects with their incredible imaginations.

It’s is so wonderful watching the kids build, then getting them to explain their creation to you, it’s like entering a new world!

Here at OSHC we are all about letting our imaginations and designing skills run wild, which leads from one creation to another and then another after that. It’s great!

As we near the end of the 2020 school year, it is time to start considering your before and after school care needs for 2021.

All current 2020 BSC and ASC bookings will cease after close of business Wednesday 9 December 2020. Bookings will not roll over to 2021. All families seeking care at Coomera Rivers OSHC in 2021 must complete a new booking request.

How does the booking process work?

Step 1 - Family submits booking requests

Booking requests are open now for families to apply for OSHC in 2021. Please ensure your start date for BSC and ASC is Wednesday 27 January 2021.

To enrol for BSC and/or ASC in 2021, please click here to submit a booking request.

Step 2 - Service sends booking offers

Booking requests received will be responded to within 2 business days.

Step 3 - Family accepts and confirms booking offer

Families need to accept and confirm booking offers within 2 days of receiving the booking offer email to finalise the booking process. This is done by following the steps that will be outlined in the booking offer email.

Please note the QikKids website is not optimised for use on mobile devices, including iPads and mobile phones. The enrolment process must be completed on a computer.

If you have any questions regarding this process please do not hesitate to contact the service via email