Dear mums, dads, carers and colleagues

Despite the weather this week, we managed to fit everything in - except the Slime Spectacular which is now scheduled for next Wednesday.   

Impressively this week, Coomera Rivers students have:

• Alliance debating team runners-up - Year 4
• Alliance debating team champions - Year 5
• Alliance debating team champions - Year 6
• Year 5 girls table tennis - First place AND third place in the state tournament.  Wow!

And with just five days remaining for the 2021 school year, things are going to be very full on indeed.   

Week 10

• 2x Swimming carnivals
  
  • Year 3 and 4 (Monday)
  • Year 5 and 6 (Tuesday)
• Awards assemblies for each year level
  
  • Prep - Year 2 (Monday)
  • Year 3 and 4 (Tuesday)
  • Year 5 (Wednesday)
  • Year 6 Graduation Ceremony & whole school farewell (Thursday)
• Report cards sent home by email (Wednesday)
• Slime Spectacular (Wednesday)
• Year 6 Wet n Wild day (Friday)

COVID plans for 2022

The Queensland borders are re-opening in the coming weeks, and the likelihood of COVID entering the Gold Coast increases accordingly. However, the days of widespread lock downs have passed replaced by localised quarantines. It is possible that a quarantine could affect our school and community so we need to have some very flexible plans organised now - just in case.

We are currently working on our remote learning programs for 2022. We will send out more information in the coming week so that all families will be able to access the programs for their children on portable devices and home computers.

In addition to this, the Chief Health Officer has also mandated that staff and volunteers on a school work site or childcare site (OSHC) will need to be fully vaccinated from January 24 next year.  Included in this mandate are:

• Principals and Deputies
• Teachers
• Contract teachers or early childhood instructors engaged for relief work
• Teacher aides
• Cleaners
• Administration officers, business managers, schools officers, IT staff, agricultural assistants, and all school support staff
• An employee of a company that supplies services to an education setting, such as plumbing, electrical and building services
• Volunteers who assist in delivering support activities and services in education settings such as tuckshop, reading programs, etc.
• Chaplains, entertainers or support workers visiting education settings
• University students on practical placement, school work experience or traineeship in education settings including early childhood education and care settings
• Psychologists or therapists providing support for individuals in education settings

Coomera Rivers clean up of South Stradbroke Island

Last Sunday, our school teamed up with Cool Phase and other local businesses to clean up the beach and campsite areas around South Stadbroke Island.  Thank you sincerely to the students, families and staff who gave their time to complete this very worthwhile task.  You will see the rubbish collection in the photos as well as a very sad photo showing the reason behind our passion - protecting marine life in our local waterways.  The photos shows a large sea turtle that has died - and I can only hope that this is not the result of human impact.

     

Kind regards

Vic

2022 is closing in quickly so it is time to begin your preparations.

What are your 2022 plans?

If you looking to relocate in 2022 and your children will not be returning to Coomera Rivers, please let our office staff know.  This really assists us in creating our 2022 class structures.        

Book lists for 2022

The book lists for next year are now ready.  We no longer have a school sourced supplier.  This decision was made at the P&C following considerable consultation and discussion.  Instead, families can:

• Print the list
• Identify the items they need and what they already have from this year, then
• Head off to the back to school sales.

Click here to see the lists.

App list for 2022

Click here to see the App lists.

The Graduation ceremony ticket is in the mail

Check your emails!

Ticketebo has today emailed all families their admit one ticket to attend next Thursday's Year 6 Graduation Ceremony.

You will be required to present this ticket on arrival. Please print or have access to the electronic ticket on your mobile device.

As previously explained, current COVID restrictions impacts on our hall capacity which in turn requires us to limit attendance at the ceremony to 1 parent per family.

Parents are also welcome to stay outside the hall, lining the footpath, ready for when the graduating students take their final walk through the school while their Year 6 song plays over the loud speaker and all students and staff come out to farewell them. Last year, students then ended up on the oval (outdoor space) where parents met up with them again.

If you have any questions, or did not receive your ticket, please email Mrs Artz.

Wednesday afternoon saw six debating teams battle it out in the Grand Final for our 2021 Coomera Alliance Debating Competition. This competition is in its third year and has brought together 7 local primary schools to compete in a number of debates across Term 4. The two top performing teams from Years 4 to 6 were then selected, based on their number of wins and point totals, to represent their school in the grand final. Coomera Rivers was lucky enough to have 3 teams represented on Wednesday, although lucky isn't the right word. They worked so very hard and were very deserving of this position.

The calibre of speakers at these debates was nothing short of impressive and each debate was exceptionally close. The adjudicators, Rod Dixon and Francesca Thorn from Gold Coast Toastmasters, Mrs Kym Amor, Principal from Foxwell Secondary College and Ms Mia O'Brien from Griffith University, had an incredibly tough job and all walked away completely blown away with how talented our students performed.

Coomera Rivers year 5 and 6 teams walked away victorious and the Year 4's came in very close. This is a remarkable feat given students only had 5 school days to research and prepare for their debate. To formulate a strong team argument, prepare a speech and then deliver it with conviction in such a short space of time is something most adults would struggle with.

The results were as follows:
Year 4 - Coomera Rivers vs Coomera State School
That teacher's job is the most important job in the world
Coomera Rivers Negative

Year 5 - Coomera Rivers vs Coomera Springs
It is better to be smart than funny
Coomera Rivers Affirmative

Year 6 - Coomera Rivers vs Picnic Creek SS
That life is easy when you're beautiful
Coomera Rivers Affirmative

So the decision at the end of the night was that a teachers job is the most important job in the world, that it is better to be smart than funny and life is certainly easier when you're beautiful, inside and out.

Congratulations to the following students:
Year 4 Grand Final Team: Lana P, Alana B, Frankie G and Lia L.
Year 5 Grand Final Team:  Fellyn H, Annabelle N, Lucas I and Ashley M.
Year 6 Grand Final Team: Georgina B, Wyatt S, Angel-Rose W and Ariana T.

Contributing to the team's success in making it to the grand final were also these students:
Year 4: Silva C, Connor B, Frankie T and Tamara S.
Year 5: Chase M, Annabelle F, Camille S and Mariyae A.
Year 6: Antonina W, Maiya B, Tyler L and Sebastian P

A very special mention must also go to Fellyn who won the Most Outstanding Speaker Award for Year 5. This award was determined from the points accumulated from all the debates and could have gone to any student from any school.

Congratulations must also go to each and every teacher who mentored, inspired, encouraged and supported our students in developing their debating skills. The improvement in our students' confidence and skill was tangible.

Year 4: Ms Conroy and Ms Bray
Year 5: Mrs Comley and Mrs Wager
Year 6: Mrs Ellison and Ms Dare

We mustn't forget to mention our Year 6 'Reserve Team B' who also did extremely well throughout the competition.  Although they didn't make it to the grand final, they were very close.  Having this extra team meant our Year 6 coaches needed to oversee an extra team but it meant that we were able to offer this experience to more students because we certainly have the talent at Coomera Rivers.

We are genuinely looking forward to the competition next year and we know that our students and teachers, as well as those from our neighbouring schools, are as equally excited.

Queensland table tennis tournament

Congratulations to Tumoana, Maya, Amy, Harmony, Mariyae and Bodhi on how well they represented our school this week at the Queensland schools state table tennis tournament.  This tournament was open to all schools, public and independent.  As you can imagine, the competition and talent was extremely strong so our team results are very exciting. 

• Amy and Harmony - Gold  (State Champions)
• Mariyae and Maya - Bronze (Third place in the state)
• Tumoana and Bodhi - No placing but I am very proud of them

Well done to our players and thank you to Mr Burrows and Mr Meijboom for their super coaching.  

Year 34WH claim their prize

On Friday 3/4WH went to Dreamworld to claim their prize from the recyclable scarecrow competition. They had an awesome day exploring animals and threats to their environments. They got to see touch and pat animals such as a bilby, snake, blue tongue lizard and a turtle. They also watched the tiger show and had a blast.

We need Rudolph

WOW! Oliver has improved with his writing this term.  He shared his latest persuasive writing as to why 2A need Rudolph. Well done Oliver!  

Recycling matters in 2T

2T and Mrs Taylor have been working hard to persuade me to provide paper recycling bins in the classrooms.  

The students came up with the idea to work in small groups to create posters and a presentation to share with the other classes. Then they asked these students some questions and asked them to vote.

The results were interesting so I asked 2T to see what other year levels think of the idea.  The class said they would be happy to survey the other year levels as they feel passionately about this.  

I am now convinced!

Excellence award

Well done to Shaylen and Kayden from 5C on earning their awards this week.

Wakakirri

Our troupe received participation certificates this week so they came together to watch the professional video with our teachers. Mrs Blyth and Mrs Zander really miss working with this super group of students!

Christmas flash mob

As a final gift to families, we have learned a Christmas flash mob to perform for you each afternoon next week at approximately 2:25pm. We hope to see you there!

Merry Christmas from The Arts Team

If you missed the order deadline to purchase a Year Book and were still hoping to get your hands on one, we have 10 copies left for sale.

Sales of these remaining copies will be on a first in best dressed basis. Email the P&C now to reserve your copy!

Then we can help!

Our Pre-Loved Uniform Shop (PLUS) will be open on selected dates and times during the first week of the upcoming holidays giving families, after the school year has ended, the opportunity to get together all their laundered no longer required uniforms and drop them into school for processing. We will be using our Outside School Hours Care facility as the drop off location for this.

Details are:

• Date and time:
  • Monday 13 December 10am - 5pm
  • Tuesday 14 December 7am - 5pm
  • Wednesday 15 December 7am - 5pm
  • Friday 17 December 7am - 3pm

Drop off to:

• Coomera Rivers Outside School Hours Care

When dropping your uniforms off please ensure that:

• You leave adequate time to complete the necessary paperwork
  when dropping off (or you can email to request a form so you can fill it out before you come)
• You have your bank account details on you. We are unable to process any uniforms if we have not received bank details.
• You drop off your uniforms to Coomera Rivers Outside School Hours Care on the days and times listed above.

Uniforms will be processed in order of receipt. Every effort will be made to process all uniforms received by close of business Monday 20 December.

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

What a great free family event being offered by Bunnings to get everyone in the Christmas spirit!