17 November 2016

Newsletter Articles

UPCOMING EVENTS

November/December 2016

PAYMENTS DUE

PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

It is indeed an industrious time of year where students are completing summative assessments where they are able to demonstrate progression in their learning journey. The School Assessment Schedule guides students to compete a range of assessments according to their year level. The Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) for Vocabulary, Reading, Science and Mathematics are completed at different times throughout the year. PAT assessments provide stanine scores that benchmark student achievement against a sample of peers from Australasia. Test information, PM Reading Benchmarks, PAT scores, along with teacher constructed assessments, observations and student artefacts, all guide the achievement ratings in the summative reports (report cards).

Student Summative Assessments (report cards) are sent by email to the first contact listed in OneSchool in the last week of school in term 4. I ask that all parents / carers ensure that their contact details are up to date. If a second copy of the summative report is required to be emailed please email admin@aspleyss.eq.edu.au to request this action.

Student Portfolios

In 2017 students will maintain Student Learning Portfolios which will have samples of student work that will articulate their learning goals and the strategies that they will enact to achieve the goal. The portfolio will also have evidence of their learning progress, over time, and contain artefacts that students will show parents/carers at their class interviews. Student portfolio books will be provided to students as part of the School Resource Levy in 2017.

Languages other than English (LOTE) Japanese

In 2017 the Languages Other Than English (LOTE) -Japanese will extend to students from Years 2-6. Research tells us that the early that early exposure to more than one language may foster the working memory skills necessary for cognitive flexibility in a variety of problem-solving situations. Young children learn languages easily and in a fun and engaging way. When the young brain learns languages, it tends to develop an enhanced capacity to learn languages throughout life.-European Commission 2011.

The Global schools through languages

Global schools through languages supporting plan for Queensland state schools will help our students from Prep to develop a global mindset, communicate and collaborate across languages and cultures, and open doors to further study and personal and career opportunities. To learn more about this exciting initiative and our plans to market Queensland's education sector internationally, visit the Advancing education website.

Cupcakes for Chaplaincy

The Local Chaplaincy Committee (LCC) are working towards increasing the chaplaincy support for students at Aspley State School from 2 days a week in 2016 to 3 days per week commencing in Semester 2 2017. In order to achieve this result the committee is fundraising. You can assist by purchasing a tray of 6 delicious cupcakes provided by The Cupcake Patisserie at Chermside. A tray of 6 cakes is $15.00 and $3.00 goes towards the Chaplaincy program. Orders for cupcakes close on Friday 18th November 2016. Orders are available for pick up between 2.00pm – 3.30 pm on Tuesday 22nd November from the administration computer lab. Cupcakes can be collected by students to take home at this time.

Active School Travel

A special thank you to Jan Paterson, Una Baldwin and Felicity Barrett who have been instrumental in leading the Active School Travel initiative which has resulted in a significant increase in students actively travelling to school. Recently, I attended a Brisbane City Council celebration of the success of the program. I commend Councillor Norm Wyndham for his support for this project.

Prep

This week we welcomed the parents of 119 new Prep students as they join our school community as part of the Prep Orientation Week. In 2017 we have five classes of preparatory students!

Transition to High School

Year 6 students will enjoy a transition day where they will attend their local high schools on Monday 5 December 2016. The students are looking forward to this important milestone. Aspley State School works in collaboration with the high schools to support students to have a smooth transition to high school.

Leann Griffith-Baker
Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

2017 School Captains

After the Ballot process completed last Thursday 10 November 2016, it is our pleasure to announce to the school community that Mae Sampson, Hayley Turner, Willem Kennedy and Zane Lai are the 2017 School Captains. Congratulations to all candidates.

Year 5 Immersion Day at Craigslea State High School

All Year 5 students and staff have been invited to attend the Craigslea State High School Immersion Day on Wednesday 30 November. Refer to the Information Letter or Mr Smith for further information. A final reminder to return the Permission Form by Wednesday 23 November 2016.

Provisional 2017 Senior Leaders

All provisional 2017 Senior Leaders will be assisting at the Prep Orientation Morning on Wednesday 30 November 2016. Students will received further information in the coming days. Please note that students will be required on-site from 8am on this day, with this session finishing at approx. 10am to enable students to attend the Immersion Day from 11:15am.

Flippa-Ball Catch-up session

Students who participated in Flippa-Ball this term are invited to attend a catch-up session on Friday 25 November 2016 in our school pool, in lieu of the postponed session from Week 4. This will occur during class time (sessions 2 and 3) on this new date.

DATE CLAIMER --- Community Coffee on Monday 21 November 2016

The next Community Coffee session will be held after Assembly on Monday 21 November 2016 in the Hall.

The topic for discussion is 'Supporting students' literacy development through daily reading practice at home', facilitated by Mrs Leanne Youitt (Acting Head of Curriculum).

As literacy development is a core priority, parents will learn strategies to assist their children to engage in reading at home and reinforce tips to assist decoding, fluency and comprehension.

AST Bike Skills

On Monday 28 November all current bike riders to school and a group of lucky Year 4 students from 4P and 4R will participate in a free Bike Skills program offered by the Brisbane City Council as part of our Be Safe Program through Active School Travel.

Notes for this activity has been sent home for parent consent. As we can only offer these skills to 40 participants it will be on a 'first in best dressed basis'.

Winners of the Safety Sing-Off Competition will be announced on Monday at assembly. Thank you to all the students who submitted their entries.

Here are pictures of the Year 1 Scooter Skills Workshop

Writing Focus

Writing pieces from the different year levels will be displayed on the notice board in the school foyer later this week. If you are up at the school, pop in and have a read of our student work.

ARC

Next week is the last week of Aspley Reading Club for the year. We thank all the mentors from Year 5 for doing such a fabulous job with the younger students.

All students participating in the programme have made significant progress in reading and comprehension and in their confidence and fluency when reading. This has also had a spill over effect in their writing skills. Well done to everyone.

Prep Orientation Morning

On Wednesday 30 November all our new Preps will be meeting their 2017 Prep teachers when they attend the Orientation Morning in the School Hall.

The session will begin at 8:45am and conclude at 10 am. Please bring your child's Transition Statement and submit this to the class teacher.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS

ASPLEY MUSIC PERFORMANCE EVENING

Congratulations to our talented members of the following ensembles – Senior Concert Band, Junior Concert Band, Stage Band, Senior String Orchestra, Junior String Orchestra, Senior Choir, Junior Choir and Boys Choir for their outstanding musical performances at the Aspley Music Performance Evening held last Wednesday. Miss Jabs, Miss Jerram and Mrs Macca are so very proud of what you have all achieved through-out 2016! Magnificent!!

A picture of our 2016 Music Captains enjoying their preparations for music evening:

A very big thank you must be extended to our wonderful staff, parents and friends who helped in creating such a magical evening for our performing students. We hope you enjoyed the evenings festivities as much as we enjoyed performing for you all. Your support and help is so greatly appreciated by the Music Department and your children so very much.

Last but not least, a very big Aspley thank you to our sponsors for our raffle prizes, Arties Music, Ellaways Music and The Aspley Coffee Club for donating the wonderful prizes for our raffle. We hope our winning families enjoy their prizes.

CHORAL REHEARSALS

Senior, Junior and Boys Choirs have now concluded for the school year. Thank you so much to our choristers for a wonderful year of choral singing and to parents and friends for supporting our choristers in their endeavours throughout 2016! Mrs Macca is so looking forward to the choral year in 2017 and cannot wait to see you all again singing in our fabulous choral programs.

CONGRATULATIONS – COMBINED SENIOR/BOYS CHOIR, SENIOR STRING ORCHESTRA AND JUNIOR STRING ORCHESTRA – ASSEMBLY PEROFMRANCES

Congratulations to our combined Senior/Boys Choir, Senior String Orchestra and Junior String Orchestra for their wonderful assembly performances over the past two weeks. The students and their conductors love sharing their music making with the wider school community. Keep up the music making kids, well done!

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR 2017

It was so lovely to meet and greet our new families into the 2017 Aspley Instrumental Music Program on Tuesday evening at the Beginner Parent Instrumental Music Information Evening. Thank you so much for taking such a vested interest in your budding musician's future in participating in this wonderful program.

Our successful applicants into the 2017 Instrumental Music Program have now received their welcome induction pack to the Aspley Instrumental Music Program which includes:

• Aspley State School Music Program Information Booklet;
• Instrumental Music Program Enrolment Contract;
• Letter of Acceptance outlining the instrument they will play in 2017;
• 2017 Instrumental Music Student Resource Scheme Parent Information Letter;
• Student Resource Scheme Participation Agreement Form;
• Education Queensland External Request for Equipment Loan Form.

Parents, please ensure that the following letters are returned to the school office as soon as possible and no later than Friday 25th November:

• Instrumental Music Program Enrolment Contract;
• Acceptance Offer;
• Student Resource Scheme Participation Agreement Form;
• Education Queensland External Request for Equipment Loan Form.

Please note the final step in the Recruitment Timeline below for our 2017 intake to our wonderful instrumental music programs.

Instrumental Music 2016
Recruitment Timeline and Procedures

If you have further questions regarding this exciting process, please contact Mrs McIntyre.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC STUDENT RESOURCE SCHEME –

PARENT INFORMATION LETTER/STUDENT RESOURCE SCHEME PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FORM

All children (beginner 2017 instrumentalists and continuing instrumental music students) participating in the 2017 Aspley Instrumental Music Program have now received the Student Resource Scheme Parent Information Letter and the Student Resource Scheme Participation Agreement Form.

It is a requirement that every child in the Instrumental Music Program pays a charge of $40.00 per student per year (regardless of how many instruments learnt) and $80.00 per school loan instrument. If you are using your own instrument in this program, you do not pay the $80.00 instrumental loan charge. However, the $40.00 charge must be paid.

To pay for the Instrumental Music Student resource scheme, please complete the Participation Agreement Form, including preferred payment option, and return it to the school office as soon as possible. Payments made by cash, cheque or credit card can be sent to the school. To enable payment by QParents/BPOint or BPay, the form must be returned to the school office and the school will generate an invoice on receipt of your Participation Agreement From. This invoice will provide the payment reference number to be used.

Full payment is required by Friday 25th November 2016. Failure to make this payment will result in the withdrawal of your child from this program for 2017.

We value your support and with it, we look forward to your student enjoying, and achieving success in the program.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC LETTERS – CONTINUING ON 2017

Current Instrumental music students have received a letter regarding their participation in the Instrumental Music Program in 2017. Please ensure these letters are returned as soon as possible to the school office (these were due to the school office by Friday 14th October).

FINAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC LESSONS WITH MISS JABS AND MISS JERRAM FOR TERM 4

Our young instrumentalists will have their last group lessons with both Miss Jerram and Miss Jabs in Week 8. Please ensure all loan instruments and ensemble music are returned to your instrumental music teacher during this last lesson, unless alternative arrangements have been made with Miss Jerram and Miss Jabs.

WOODWIND/BRASS/PERCUSSION CHANGES TO LESSON TIMETABLE

• Senior Concert Band has now concluded for the school year.
• Junior Band will have their final ensemble rehearsal for the school year on Monday 21st November. A reminder that continuing Senior Concert Band members are to join our Junior Concert Band for this rehearsal.
• Junior Woodwind/Brass/Percussion Students will have their last group lesson with Miss Jabs in Week 8 on Monday 21st November.
• All lessons for our Senior Woodwind/Brass/Percussion students will be cancelled on Wednesday 23rd November – McDowall SS Matinee Concert (see Timetable). Thus lessons for our Senior Instrumentalists will conclude this week – Week 7 Wednesday 16th November.

STRING CHANGES TO LESSON TIMETABLE

• Senior String Orchestra has now concluded for the school year.
• Students will have their last group lesson with Miss Jerram in Week 8 on Thursday 24th November.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Music Staff.

Happy Music Making
The Aspley Music Team
Mrs Macca, Ms Jabs and Ms Jerram

LIBRARY NEWS

Book Fair.

Thank-you to all Parents, Teachers and Students who have supported the Book Fair this week. Wednesday 16 November 2016 is our last day for sales as the Fair will be returned on Thursday. The Fair will be open till about 3.30 pm on Wednesday afternoon.

The winners of the vouchers were the Dwyer family and the Mahoney family and both parents were excited to hear of their win on Tuesday afternoon.

We will be using our commission to purchase resources for the school. More details about this in the next newsletter.

End of Year.

This week is the last week for borrowing, students will not be borrowing next week, however we will be open and classes will operate as usual. Please check all the usual places (and unusual places) at home for any outstanding books.

Typing Tournament.

In the last couple of weeks students have had access to Typing Tournament we have been given an extended trial for Students to participate in World Typeathon. This will extend access to 21 November. Students can go online and type both at school and home. Weekly prizes are offered. Student passwords should be available through the classroom teacher.

Britannica Online.

We currently have access to this resource on a trial basis. If you did not take the opportunity to use it last time, please have a look this time. Some classes in the lower school have had the opportunity to look during library lessons this week.

The trial period extends to 25 November. Please take this opportunity to use Britannica and please give some feedback as I am considering purchasing for 2017 for access at home and school.

Trial Details-Expires 25th Nov

Login: http://school.eb.com.au
Username: octoberschool
Password: jeep

I will have a Survey to gauge opinion in the next week link available from the school website.

TUCKSHOP/ ASPLEY SHOP NEWS

Two new Convenors have been appointed and are starting next Monday 21 November:

Tuckshop - Judith Whitehead
Uniform Shop - Jane Mulrooney

From next Tuesday, 22 November, till the end of the year the Tuckshop will open for drinks and iceblocks.

From the beginning of next year the Tuckshop will be open 5 days a week.

Anyone wanting to volunteer please talk to the convenors.

WAVELL STATE HIGH OPEN DAY

CRAIGSLEA STATE HIGH SCHOOL

SPARROWS SOCCER PROGRAM NEWS

Sports Minister Recognises Aspley Sparrows

In a follow-up to the Start Playing Stay Playing (SPSP) – Innovation Category – Excellence Award won earlier this year by the Aspley State School Sparrows Soccer Program, our community's efforts have once again been praised by the Honourable Curtis Pitt MP, Minister for Sport.

High-profile Queensland sports industry figure heads were hosted by Minister Pitt at Brisbane City Hall on Tuesday evening, where he launched State Government sports funding initiatives and announced his choice of overall winner in the year's SPSP Excellence Awards.

While Round 2 Innovation Category winner, Longreach School of Dance, achieved the Minister's Overall Award, the occasion provided a platform for publicly recognising all six Excellence Award winners (across the two 2016 rounds), including Aspley State School.

In their comments to school representative, Mr Kym Farrow, award judges insisted the Sparrows Soccer Program submission was pitted against tough competition. However, the Sparrows' initiative exemplified an inspiration for all Queensland girls and women and was a standout winner.

Developers of the Sparrows Program and the volunteers that make it possible have been congratulated for great work in making it an achievable goal to get more Queensland women and girls physically active.

Farewell Founding Members

A jam-packed field of Sparrows participants and families turned out for last Thursday's break-up brekkie. Under a sparkling Queensland sky, students played brief soccer matches then cooled off with fresh fruit, yoghurt and pastries.

A short ceremony was held to mark goodbyes to the last of the founding Sparrows: grade 6 girls who were in year 4 when the program began. Also farewelled were a handful of boys (Harvey Mellor, Isaac Contarini and Max Worland) who volunteered field help in the early days, before the Sparrows became the dual-gender initiative it is today. Now we farewell all grade 6 graduating Sparrows!

End of 2016 Thanks

As we farewell 2016, honourable mention is made of Maia's mum, Heidi Morris, who has been an unfailing on-field helper over the last two years. With grade 6 Maia moving on, we will miss the weekly assistance the entire Morris-Arkell family (mum/big sister/brother) have generously provided.

Thank you to all other grade 6 Sparrows parent helpers who are departing Aspley forever: Jason Mulcahy, Rodney Lapworth, Michelle Leonard, and Christina & Craig McLagen.

Finally, the Sparrows would not exist without volunteer girls' head coach, Andrew Revie, who has steered the program alongside Mr Farrow from day dot! We're very fortunate that Mr Revie has offered to return in 2017, along with dedicated boys' head coach, Leigh-Ann Rohde, assisted by the equally committed, Sharon Iselin-Shea. See you next year!

How can I help?

Due to generational turnover, when Sparrows Soccer resumes in February 2017 we will seek additional volunteers.

Truthfully, not much time is required! If you have any interest in lending a hand, please enquire with Carolynne Hassall on 0404 883 462 or at carolynne.h@dhconsulting.com.au

For Sparrows general information:

Kym Farrow, Class 6F teacher & Sparrows Coordinator, kafar0@eq.edu.au | 07 3863 9111

Carolynne Hassall, parent & Sparrows communication/administration support, carolynne.h@dhconsulting.com.au | 0404 883 462

COMMUNITY NEWS

QAGTC Science In The Park

Vipers Netball Club Sign On

Brothers Rugby League Sign on Day