Dear mums, dads, carers and colleagues

It has been a busy week behind the scenes at school this week - mainly around the restructure and preparations for the school review next week.  We also planned our annual leadership assemblies to announce student leaders today but the rain this morning saw us postponing until Monday morning.   Families are welcome to attend but please make sure you follow the attendance tracking and social distancing at the hall.  

We are holding a very important parent session this week regarding how parents can limit and control their child's on-line access at home.  I often receive reports from parents that children are messaging their friends very late at night.  When I discuss this with families, they often report that they do not know how to better manage this, as other family members need the internet, as does their television.  This parent session just might be the answer for families and best of all, there is no costs associated with it.

Gain greater control your child's ipad at home

Parent session

Date: Tuesday 23 February
Time: 1:30 - 2:30pm

How to use Screen Time

Following on from Safer Internet Day, we have invited Linda Pitt from Apple Education Australia, to teach families how to use Screen Time. Screen Time can help parents keep children safe and well online. Screen Time is a feature that is already on the device and can be found in Settings on an iPad and iPhone.

Those who attend the session will learn how to turn on Screen Time, view your report and set limits for how much time your child spends on their device, apps, websites and more.

Please complete the following registration form if you would like to attend. There is no cost to families for the session.

Click HERE to register

Restructure success

Well done to all of the families, teachers and students who helped plan and implement the restructure for our 2021 school year.  Our strategy ended with the moves happening Friday afternoon - ready for Monday.  This was a big deal and it was smooth and successful.  It is a load off my mind indeed, knowing that the students are in a good head space for Monday morning.

Kindness in our community

As families are aware, our school is focused on developing the character of our children.  Kindness is part of this.  We have maintained a focus across the past few weeks and this week I asked classes to research their favourite kindness quote.  They found and generated some wonderful messages and these will be placed around the school in prominent areas.

School review and some possible cold calls

Regular readers of the newsletter will know that our school is being reviewed by a team from the Department next week.  This is an exciting opportunity that only occurs each four years - under normal circumstances.  The review will celebrate our strengths and identify some areas on which we can focus across the next four years as we continue to improve.  

Thank you to the families who offered their time to speak with the review team.  Your feedback will be very valuable.  I have kept a few appointment slots free so the review team can cold call some families too.  You just might be one of these people.  It might be a phone call or perhaps they might meet you at the school at drop off or collection time.  

Swimming successes this week

Congratulations to the Coomera Rivers students who competed at the district swimming carnival this week.  I believe that the weather conditions made things a little challenging but as always, our children were amazing ambassadors for our school community.  Check the sports report for photos.

Parent teacher interviews are coming

Parent-teacher interviews are just over 2 weeks away.  Now that the restructure is complete, we can move ahead with bookings.  

I will email home all of the booking details on Tuesday evening at about 6:00pm.  The only way to make an appointment is via the link I will provide next week.  Appointment spots are allocated on a first in basis so get in early.

Info at a glance:

• Dates:  Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 March (After school)
• Venue:  School hall
• Interview duration:  10 minutes each
• Is there a COVID plan in place?  Yes
• Bookings GO LIVE to families:  Tuesday 23 February at about 6:00pm
• Bookings close to families:  Thursday 4 March at about 9:00pm

Chicken Pox

We have received word that chicken pox is in the community and while no students from the school have been affected, family members have.  If your children are unwell, please do not send them to school, and do seek medical advice from your family doctor.

Click here for more information from Queensland Health.

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Vortexing - Looks fun but can be very dangerous

Some of our older students have learned about an activity called vortexing.  The idea has apparently been picked up by watching alcoholic drinking activities on Tik Tok and was beginning to spread quickly amongst students.

Students are creating a water vortex in their water bottle then sculling the contents.  One would think that drinking water would be beneficial however, serious complications can arise when students do this so quickly and with rapid repetition.  I am told that some children have been known to vortex 4-6 bottles consecutively. This practice then makes children need to go to the toilet a lot.  But the hidden problem is far more serious. The excessive and rapid drinking of water can result in serious health problems as the kidneys and blood cannot cope with the volume.  Consequently, two students have needed hospital assistance this week due to vortexing.  

My Deputy Principals and class teachers in middle and senior school have instructed students to stop this activity.  If you know your children are doing this, please also insist that they stop.

Do we have your current contact details?

If any of your family details have changed, please contact our Enrolment Officer, Kylie Finch, to update this information.  Information like addresses, contact numbers and contact emails addresses need to kept up-to-date.  Click HERE to email Mrs Finch.

IMPORTANT

Student Resource Scheme deadline approaching

If you have registered for the 2021 Student Resource Scheme (SRS), the deadline to pay (or have an approved payment plan in place) is Friday 26 February.

Families that have an outstanding 2021 Student Resource Scheme account with the school after this deadline date will not be able to access extra-circular opportunities (such as excursions or camps) until the account has been finalised or an approved plan is being maintained.

Please ensure that any debt with the school is honoured. If your circumstances change or you have any questions in relation to the 2021 Student Resource Scheme, please email Mrs Day for assistance. 

COVID still matters

Please maintain your vigilance and avoid becoming complacent with our social and hygiene behaviours.  We must sustain our efforts to keep everyone safe and healthy.  Follow the new normal tips below.

Kind regards

Vic

Congratulations to these students on being sensational this week!  

Prep and Year 1

Year 2

Year 3 and 4

Year 5 and 6

Counting patterns in Year 2

2B had fun this week using dot painting, lego and hopscotch to demonstrate what they had learned about counting in 2's, 3's, 5's and 10's.  

Showing kindness in 2D and 5W

In a quest to teach our students how to become empathetic and contributing citizens, 5W and 2D have embarked on a charity mission. Boots For One & All Community is a local charity that Mrs Dare has been working closely with this year.  The charity supports remote Indigenous communities by sending them used football boots, toiletries, sports equipment and clothing so that they can safely participate in sports and to ensure no mob is left behind.

From Monday, 2D and 5W will have donation boxes set up in both of their classes and our students will be displaying some advertisements for donations around the school.  Our students will also work on sorting donations and getting them ready for shipping.  Please share the message and the attached flyer with your friends and families. 

Forces in Year 4

What better way to explore forces than with a game afternoon!  Everyone in 4K had such fun learning to understand the forces involved in some popular games.  Afterwards, students were able to describe how forces such as push, pull, gravity and friction were involved in the each game.

A cloud in a jar

In 3B this week, students have been focusing on making predictions, recording scientific observations, and presenting information via text and diagrams.  Very scientific indeed.

Year 2 penpals

2W & 2A have formed an exciting new learning partnership with Paradise Lakes Care Centre in our community. The students have been busy designing their books and have been writing their first letter to their senior penpals at the care centre. Imagine the excitement when the replies come back!

This partnership will be a a great link for authentic and purposeful writing opportunities throughout the year, with clear links to their HASS, Science and English units.  We are all looking forward to seeing this partnership develop even further.

Music and Drama news with Mrs Blyth

Did you know that, in Mrs Blyth's lessons if your child is making great choices they, receive pegs which are exchanged for Great Job or Awesome certificates at the end of the lesson?  Here is a picture of some excited students who have already received 3x Awesome certificates and have traded them in for their ice block or lollipop.  And considering we have only had 3 or 4 lessons together, this is amazing work!

Year 5 and 6 Music

Just another reminder about students starting their Garageband composition. They will need Garageband, Bookcreator and headphones for this assessment task.

Year 3 and 4 Drama

We start our self introduction speeches next week. Please encourage your child to practise with you at home.  You could even mark them on the peer feedback sheet in their Bookcreator document.

Sport trials calendar

Running Club

It is great seeing all the students, teachers and parents at Running Club on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. It is a shame the weather is putting a stop to it on some mornings.

Well done to Rocca, who has been leading the charge with 16 laps consecutively. He is our Runner of the Week.  

Junior Blasters Cricket

Thanks to Jacob from Queensland Cricket who came in on Wednesday to give our PE students a sneak peak of the program. The kids loved it. Please check the advertisement below for more information on how to register.  

SpikeBall

The seniors are about to start learning about SpikeBall in PE, thanks to Scarlett, Tosh and Georgie for setting up the kits for us.

Mr Graham thought it was a crab pot!

Broadwater Trials

Any Boys or Girls (10-12 years of age) who play AFL for club are encouraged to trial for the Broadwater District team. We will have a trial on the oval on Tuesday.

Keebra Park Girls Touch Comp

Coomera Rivers will be sending 3 teams to participate in a touch competition hosted by Keebra Park. There will be some Titans players visiting, as well as some training sessions from the Touch Academy at Keebra High. Well done do the girls for their dedication to training sessions so far this term.

Broadwater trials swimming

On Wednesday, we had seven students qualify to represent our school at the Broadwater District Swimming Carnival. Congratulations Remmy, Roxy, Zahra, Mylah, Amity, Harriet and Cooper for representing our school with pride and competing with the best swimmers in our District.

The carnival was held at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in less than favourable conditions, with howling winds and rain squalls, but our students showed resilience in not letting that affect their performance.  Some of our students even posted personal best times despite these challenges.  Congratulations to all our swimmers.

We also have a cricket program coming our way!

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

Our Esports session was action packed this week with Mario Kart races and a competition to select 8 students to represent Coomera Rivers in the first live FUSE Cup event.  The event, to be held in Week 6 at Emmanual College, is a compeittion in "Just Dance".   Congratulations to these year 5 & 6 students who have been selected:  Angle-Rose, Emerson, Archer, Jhai, Nevayah, Olivia, Ethan, Eva-Leigh

The FUSE Cup is played locally in each state and brings together students from Years 5-8 to compete in a safe, structured and supervised Esport competition where they will also learn about ways to improve their digital wellbeing.

The Annual General Meeting of the Coomera Rivers State School P&C will be held on Tuesday 16 March at 6:00pm in Corporate Services.

A general meeting of the Association will be held directly after the AGM.