3 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

UPCOMING EVENTS

July/August 2018

PRINCIPAL’S NEWS

Annie JR

The day has finally arrived, where our school community will enjoy the first performance of Annie JR! Annie JR is a story based on the Little Orphan Annie by permission of The Tribute Media services Inc.

Students have worked tirelessly to learn their lines, sing in tune and act their hearts out as the loveable characters of Annie JR. Come along and see the story of Annie JR unfold as the orphans navigate through the heart-warming story of Annie JR!

A limited number of tickets are still available at the door. Tickets are $10.00 each and Programmes are $2.00 each.

Please note it is strictly forbidden for audience members to make any form of recording of this production, under the licencing agreement.

BOOST Continues

BOOST is a short-term cycle of support and enrichment for every student and it continues this week for students in year 2 and 4. The focus for year 2 students is to improve writing skills, through improving their sentence structures. The focus for Year 4 students is to improve writing through increasing skills in note taking and paragraphing. In weeks 9-10 BOOST goes to Prep to support our Preps’ literacy skills.

Early Act

Students from Early Act are organizing a collection for the RSPCA where they will collect donated pet products during week 8,  3-7 September 2018. Support Early Act and the RSPCA by donating non-perishable food items, dog beds, blankets etc. Donated items can be brought to school each morning and placed in the donation cage (near the lost property), located outside the hall.

Chaplaincy

Thank you to Mr Andrew Pickard who has been our chaplain at Aspley State School in the recent months. Andrew has been pivotal within the school community to assist us with the important role of Chaplaincy. Chappy Andrew started on the 18 June 2018 and will finish on the 16 August 2018.

Areas for Chaplaincy support in Term 2-3 are:

• social and emotional support and the pastoral care of all students;
• Walking in Others Shoes’ –a boys program each Tuesday and Monday over four weeks to develop understanding of topics such as empathy, resilience, emotions & body cues;
• supporting church volunteers who run the Real Me Program for year 5 & 6 girls (10 girls) in week 3-9.
• supporting social play and positive relationships during lunch breaks
• attending Year 6 Canberra Trip 12th-16th August 2018
• Supporting the Local Chaplaincy Committee and liasing with local community groups and churches including: Stafford Heights Baptist, Aspley Uniting Church, C3 Church, and the Scripture Union Coordinator.

We welcome to Ms Sinead ten Cate, the newly appointed chaplain, who will commence at school on Monday 13 August 2018.

The Aspley State School Foundation

The Aspley State School Foundation was launched on 7 June 2018 and is a charity that supports the repairs and maintenance of buildings at Aspley State School. Next Monday the Foundation will replace the carpet in 5 Prep classrooms! This is possible due to the generosity of the donations from parents, friends, the Aspley State School community and P & C Association.

See the current projects of the Aspley State School Foundation at:

Donations to The Aspley State School Foundation are tax deductible!

Malaysian Principal Exchange

Over the recent holidays I was fortunate to participate in the nine day, Educational Leaders Exchange Programme led by the Australian Government’s, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trading (DFAT) where I was able to travel to Malaysia and spend a week in Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. During this week, I was able to see Malaysian education first hand, as I visited the school and learnt about the education system in Malaysia and Malaysian cultures.

On 16-25 August, 2018 we will host Ms Hazinah Binti Ibrahim, Principal of SK Bukit Damansara. We look forward to exchanging educational discourse and look forward to Ms Ibrahim being our special guest.

Education Qld international (EQI)

Last week we hosted children from Kinmen County Board of Education, Taiwan. The 16 students and 2 teachers enjoyed their time at the school. At assembly, on Monday 23 July 2018 we hosted the Commissioner for Education, Kinmen County and other dignitaries. The year 5 and 6 buddies were excellent ambassadors for Aspley State School, Dept of Education and Australia. Thank you to the Aspley SS and Craigslea SHS families who welcomed these students into their homes! Special thanks to Jane, in the tuckshop, for her catering for the students, teachers and guests.

Coming up soon we will host the educational program for the students from Ritsumeikan Junior High School, Kyoto, Japan who visit Aspley State School for two weeks 19 August – 1 September 2018.

2018 School Survey

Each year the Department of Education Qld surveys students, parents/ carers and staff to obtain their opinions about important aspects of schooling. This survey is designed to help schools identify what they do well and what they can improve. The survey includes:

• Parent Survey: parents/carers including all families with a child enrolled in Prep-Year 12;
• Student Survey: a sample of up to 60 students in years 5 and 6
• Staff Survey: for all school staff
• Principal Survey: for all principals.

The survey details and login codes will be provided to each family on Monday 6 August 2018. We ask that you complete the survey by 24 August 2018.

More information about the School Opinion Survey and the link to complete the survey is at the website:

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Please keep all children reading daily so they can complete their Premier’s Reading Challenge and improve their reading. Please ensure students are keeping a record of their reading in either their Home Reading Journal or on the Premier’s Reading Challenge Record Sheet. Once the challenge is completed, students show this list to their class teacher, who marks them as completed online. Certificates will be mailed to the school for the successful readers later in the year.

Calculate your enrolment date

Does your child have a little brother or sister aged under four? Wondering when they can start kindy or school?

The new kindy calculator on The Early Years Count website can help you find out the year they can attend kindy, Prep and Year 1. All you have to do is enter their birthday into the calculator.

The Early Years Count website also has information and activity ideas for families with children under eight-years-old, to support their development through five ways — play, care, talk & listen, read & count and encourage.

Visit the Early Years Count website to get started.

Important information about the flu

Even healthy kids can get seriously sick from the flu and they can spread it to others.

Help protect your child and others this flu season:

• know the common signs and symptoms of influenza in infants and children
• keep sick children at home
• teach children to wash their hands and cover their coughs and sneezes.

For further information, visit the Queensland Government website.

Tips to help keep kids safe around water

Did you know drowning is the leading preventable cause of death in the early childhood years?

There are a number of steps you can take to help keep kids safe around water.

• For the youngest children, supervision when in or around water plays the greatest protective role. Children from the age of one are increasingly mobile and naturally inquisitive, but do not have the capacity to understand or protect themselves from risks in their environment. This means our 1–4-year-olds are most at risk and the protections around them must reflect that. Water safety strategies for this age group are strongly reliant on providing appropriate supervision and limiting accessibility to water hazards.
• In the primary school years, adult supervision is often pulled back as children become more independent, so developing swim ability provides protection as well as a valuable life skill. Children still require supervision around water hazards, and parents and caregivers need to be watching and prepared to enter the water if required.
• In the teenage years the challenge is in providing young people with skills to enjoy our water environments while managing risk-taking behaviours. Consideration should be given to supervision for young people who are international visitors, those who are known to be weak or non-swimmers, and those who have a known medical condition.

For more information visit the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia website . Together, we can

DEPUTY PRINCIPALS NEWS

Prep Interviews

We will be running our next round of Prep interviews on Friday 10 August. If you have a child who is eligible for Prep in 2019, please see the school office for enrolment forms.

Congratulations ……….

Paree K, Theo P, Maya R, Alyssa and Lillia A for being the first children to register for the Jump Rope for Heart fundraising initiative for the Heart Foundation.

Jasper R for 100% attendance in Term 2 for Solid Pathways and Jalun I L for achieving over 90% attendance.

Bayley W and Taylor C for reaching their goal at the Aspley Reading Club and Harry P for achieving a GOLD certificate in Mathletics

ICAS Results

Waiting Areas

If students arrive at school before 8:30am, they are to either enrol at Before School Hours Care or wait up at the Eastern Hall. Students or parents waiting in the wrong areas will be redirected to the Eastern Hall. This is for the safety of all students. Thank you for your continued support with this. Thank you to all families for your co-operation when school staff direct students to the correct waiting areas. This strengthens the message for all of our students.

Before & After School

We have previously advised students that soccer balls and basketballs are not to be used on the eastern side of the hall before or after school. The reasons for this request relate to the safety of the students and now we need to consider damage to property. This week the newly installed screens at the tuckshop have been damaged. It has been reported to the administration team that the damage was caused by students playing with either soccer balls or basket balls (see image). We will be advising the students on Monday’s assembly that this is now totally banned. We encourage you to speak with your children about the importance of respecting school property.

Year 5 Leadership Training

From 10 August, we will be working closely with all Year 5 students, their teachers and key school staff to provide Leadership Training for the 2019 school year.

There are three key objectives for this Leadership Training program:

1. Outline the key expectations for all current Year 5 students for their last year of Primary School as Year 6 students in 2019
2. Empower students and key staff to enact all aspects of the Aspley State School Exit Statements
3. Provide information on the requirements, processes and timelines for Student Leadership for 2018

Regular updates to the process will be provided through the newsletter.

Curriculum News

Year 6 and Year 1

Grade 6DA and 1BW – Taking action by sharing knowledge on values

Year 1H – NAIDOC activities

Survival Technology Incursion

Year 3 – Anishka

Anishka has published poems in several websites, received awards (Laura Literacy award) and recognitions from different competitions and has been also interviewed by the radio media. Please find her latest poem which has been published in https://alphabetsoup.net.au/2018/07/19/young-writers-in-action-seashell/ Aspley State School would like to recognise this wonderful achievement.

Assembly Show Case

Prep J

The students of Prep J engaged the audience in their tale of “The Gingerbread Man”. The students presented the power point presentation, narrating the story describing their learning journey.

6O

At 6O's learning showcase we shared our own TV ads promoting students as future Prime Ministers. We used persuasive devices and language. 6O presented a role play demonstrating how laws are discussed and decided upon in The House of Representatives. Much to the delight of the students in the audience, the Bill ending all homework in schools was successful! 6O also shared our beautiful Mandalas we made using symbolism and symmetry.

Student Absences

NEW ABSENCE TEXT MESSAGE MOBILE NUMBER – 0427 286 794

With the introduction of ID Attend to help us streamline absence notifications for students, we now have a new mobile number that parents can send a text message to, so we are notified of upcoming absences.

Please put this number into your mobile phone as “Aspley SS ID Attend Absences” and send the school a text message for any absences (including future absences) with the following information:

Name of student
Class
Reason for absence (for example… sick, family reasons or holiday, etc)
Date of absence/s

This new text messaging line is the preferred method to notify the school of student absences.

The existing school absence line, email absence address and Q Parents are still functioning.

We appreciate your help with this matter to ensure all students are attending school and safe.

Road Safety

Sports News

North District Track and Field

On Thursday the 26th and Friday the 27th of July I had the pleasure of attending the North District Athletics Trials at Macpherson Park Bracken Ridge. The selected children from Years 4-6 competed against students from sixteen other schools in our surrounding area. The Aspley team displayed a fine effort on and off the track, beating personal bests and behaving with good sportsmanship and commitment. Well done to all the students who have progressed and will compete at the Metropolitan North Selection Trials in late August. Congratulations Aspley State School Athletics team!

Mrs Elissa Molloy

Congratulations to all the students who represented Aspley State School at the North District Track and Field Carnival last week. There were some fantastic efforts and results during the two day carnival, these students (below) successfully qualified for the next level which is Met. North Track and Field to be held later this month at the University Of Queensland –

Max (yr 4) Eli (yr 4) Jalun (yr 4) Sebastian (yr 5) Oliver (yr 5) Ruby (yr 6) Lakin (yr 6) Patrick (yr 6) Jordan (yr6) Luci (yr 6)

Australian School Swimming Championships

Luke M and Elaine C represented Queensland at the Australian school swimming championships in Hobart. They made us all very proud with what they have achieved.

Luke smashed his Personal best time by 12 secs coming 7th overall in the 200m Individual medley and his relay team came 4th.

Elaine performed at her best finishing 9th overall in the 100m breastroke and her relay team came 3rd overall.

We would like to recognise the fantastic achievements of these two athletes and wish them well in their future sporting endeavours. Well Done!

Volley Ball Primary Schools Cup

On the 23 August 2018 Aspley State School will field two year 4/5 teams to compete with other local schools. More information with be provided to the selected students closer to the date.

Music News

EDUCATION QUEENSLAND SINGFEST – SENIOR/BOYS CHOIRISTERS

Our Senior and Boys Choral members in Years 4 – 6 have now received a parent information letter inviting them to participate in the Education Queensland Sing fest performance event on Friday 31st August 2018 to be held at the Old Museum Building, Bowen Hills.

All students/parents are requested to return the medical/consent form and the tear off slip indicating availability of parent supervision with the correct payment of $20.00 by Tuesday 14th August, 2018 to the school office.

This is a wonderful performance opportunity for the Aspley Choral students and Mrs Macca looks forward to our young choralists participating in this magnificent choral workshop day.

CURRENT AND UPCOMING MUSICAL EVENTS - TERM THREE 2018

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC NEWS

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR 2019

With Term 3 upon us, we are commencing the recruitment process for 2019.

It’s a fact that the majority of people who are literate in music learn it in a school setting, and we are extremely fortunate to provide music instruction through our school. If students were not part of our school music program, there is very little chance they would seek to develop their musical skills outside the school setting — and that would be detrimental to their human growth.

It is crucial that you are aware of the positive benefits of learning to play a musical instrument — and one year of study is certainly not enough to gain all of them. You see, being a musician trains your child’s mind for success in every aspect of their life. The executive function your child will develop over the next few years through music are transferable to every academic subject. Without instrumental music education as part of their day, your child will be missing out on some uniquely important life lessons and tools.

We hope that your child chooses to commence in our incredible Music Program in 2019. They deserve to explore their musical education and the wonderful benefits that come with it for their entire school life, if not beyond. It is with this in mind that we can’t wait to see your child in band/orchestra next year. Learning a musical instrument is one of life’s great joys. It develops children’s confidence, complements academic development and is just plain fun!

Aspley State School children in Year Three upwards are offered the opportunity to learn a string instrument. Children from Year Four upwards are offered the opportunity to learn woodwind, brass or percussion instruments through the school’s instrumental music program. Children cannot be enrolled in both programs.

Expression of Interest parent information letters regarding participating in the 2019 Aspley Instrumental Music Program will be coming home to our current Year 2 (string) and Year 3 (woodwind/brass/percussion) in week six of Term Three. If you are interested in your child participating in this amazing program, please ensure that you return the expression of interest letter to the school office no later than Friday 21st September 2018.

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

ASPLEY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TOUR – FRASER COAST

All students attending the music tour are asked to return their final payment, medical form and home bake form to the office by the 24th August.

LESSON AND REHEARSAL CANCELLATIONS

A reminder to students to ensure that you refer to your instrumental lesson times on the timetable that your instrumental music teacher has distributed to you for your weekly lessons and ensemble rehearsals.

NORTHSIDE MUSIC MUSTER 2018

Nominated Instrumental Music Woodwind/Brass/Percussion and String students will be invited to participate in the Northside Music Muster 2018 – Craigslea Cluster on Monday 17th September 2018. Please ensure that the medical/consent form and payment are returned to the school office by Friday 10th August 2018.

NORTHSIDE HONOURS MUSIC CAMP

We are very excited for our nominated Instrumental Music Students to audition for the Senior, Primary Schools’ Instrumental Music Camp to be held from Tuesday, 18 September 2018 to Thursday, 20 September 2018 at Everton Park State High School. Nominated students have recorded their auditions this week, and we hear results in Week Five.

Happy Music Making to you all

The Aspley Music Department

Library News

ICAS

On Tuesday 7 August, the Mathematics test is scheduled. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE FOR THE MATHEMATICS TEST. This test will be split between three venues due to the large number of students taking part. Year 3 will be in the Library (there will be no BOOST this day), Year 4 will be in the A-Block Computer Lab and Year 5 and 6 will be in the Administration Computer Lab. The start time is 7:30am. Please assist us in ensuring that your child arrives on time. All equipment required is provided.

Book Week Parade 2018

This year we are celebrating Book Week from 17 to 24 August. The Book Week Parade, which features participating students in their class and year levels who want to dress-up as their favourite story character, will be held during the Assembly on Monday 20 August. Parents and caregivers are welcome to attend to watch the parade. The theme this year is “Find Your Treasure”. There will also be themed activities during breaks in the library.

And the winner is?

Stella (3B) suggested the winning entry for the Name the Library Fish Competition with her nomination of “Goldie”. Congratulations! Competition was fierce with thirty-one students participating. We had some creative suggestions with “Friday” and “Finn” amongst them.

Caring for our books by always using a Waterproof Library Bag.

This term in their Library Lessons, students in Prep and Year One have been learning how to care for their library books. One of the easiest ways we can do this is to always have a waterproof library bag when borrowing from the library. Your support in ensuring that your child uses a waterproof library bag rather than a cotton bag or a plastic folder is appreciated. The Uniform shop sells the recommended library bag (green) for $15.00.

Lunchtime Activities Roster for Term Three

The library is open both play breaks, unless a Wet Weather Break is called. Students are welcome to come into the library to read, browse and borrow. In addition, we have a lunchtime activities roster. Please see below for the activities available for this term.

Library Opening Hours

The library is open every morning before school from 8:00 – 8:30am for parents to bring their children to borrow. After borrowing, the student must return to the waiting area at the hall. The Library is also open for student borrowing every day after school until 3:15pm, excluding Tuesday. We are also open during both play-breaks unless it is a “wet-weather break”. Please remember that your child can only borrow if they have a waterproof library bag with them. A calico or cotton drawstring bag is not suitable.

Over Due Library Books

Letters will be going home in the next few weeks detailing the arrangements for lost and missing library books. If you have a query about your child’s overdue book/s please come and see the staff in the library or email us on lhami65@eq.edu.au.

Linda Hamilton
Teacher in Charge of the Library

Sparrows

Term 3 Sparrows soccer is off to a flying start. It is great to see everyone nice and early in the morning braving the cold, training, learning new skills, making friends and playing games! We are looking forward to the rest of the season.

Early Act

The Early Act group are currently organising an initiative to support the RSPCA of QLD. They will be asking for donations and collecting items from Monday 3 September – Friday 7 September. The bins for collection will be placed in location in the prep area and outside the Hall. Thank you for your support of this worthy cause. Please see attached information.

School Banking

In Term 3, School Bankers still have a chance to enter the Super Savers Grand Prize competition, where one lucky student will win a family trip to Hawaii. To be eligible, students need to make at least 15 School Banking deposits before the end of Term 3. Good luck everyone!

School Study Tour 2018

Our school will be hosting a Study Tour this year. A study tour is a group of international students coming to Australia (Aspley SS) to learn English and be immersed in the cultural experience of going to an Australian school and staying with Australian host families. The group of 17 Japanese students aged 14-15 years old, will be arriving on the 19 August and departing on the 1 September. This particular group of students are from a prestigious school in Japan called Ritsumeikan Uji Junior High School, which is located in the Kyoto Prefecture.

An important aspect of Study Tours is in providing “homestay” for the Japanese students. Information about providing homestay and the application form follows this message. If families are interested in providing homestay, please complete the application form and return it to the Administration Office.

I will keep you all up-to-date with any details regarding the Study Tour in future newsletters. Miss Mira Ponti (LOTE Teacher) has recently been accredited as an Officer of Study Tours and she too will be working with me on this Study Tour. We both hope that you will be able to help us in providing homestay and that it proves to be a rewarding experience for you and your family.

Thank you.
Rowena Mina (6M) and Mira Ponti (LOTE Teacher)

P&C News

P&C News 3 August 2018 – It’s a long one, you might want to grab a cuppa…

The word on the street is DO NOT MISS our amazingly talented Aspley students in Aspley State School’s Musical – Annie Jnr. On behalf of the P&C, I would like to thank and congratulate all the staff, students, and families involved in everything to do with this performance – whether behind the scenes or on stage, the many hours of work and dedication will come to fruition tonight at 7pm and tomorrow at 3pm. Break a leg!!!

To serve our community, the Tuckshop will be open for the purchase of light refreshments before each show. Volunteers will be on hand from 5.45pm on Friday and 2pm Saturday, and will close 15 minutes prior to the show beginning. Please note: As per the school’s request, NO FOOD OR DRINK is to be taken into the hall.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OUR TUCKSHOP:

The Tuckshop is provided as a service to our community (for whatever reason you choose to partake - as a treat for your child or more regularly) but without volunteer support, we are unable to continue our current service of being open for both breaks, 4 days per week.

For our Tuckshop to be successful, we need YOU, our community, to not only support the tuckshop by ordering meals; but also by volunteering time to help. We have over 500 families in our school - we would only need each family to donate just 1 day of time in the school year (whether it be yourself or a family member with a Blue Card). Our tuckshop will flourish with 1 extra helper Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 2 to 3 helpers on Thursdays and Fridays. We would also love bakers to come in on Mon to Wed to ensure our baked items are readily available.

We have developed an online sign-up roster to make it easy for you to find your day.

Please, please, please - consider which day you can give to help our tuckshop. Sign up with a friend and enjoy a bit of a chat over making lunches or dicing up fruit. If you can stay for 3+ hours, we'll ensure you enjoy a nice lunch as well. Your help on one day will not turn into an ongoing commitment (unless you want it to!). We have two key shifts – 8.30am to 10.30am and 11.30am to 1.30pm, Tuesday to Friday.

If you have any questions about the Tuckshop, please let us know - we'd love your help. To our current volunteers, thank you for your ongoing support.

The next P&C Communi-Tea will be held on August 13th (Monday) and I would like to invite parents and interested community members to join me in the Tuckshop (after assembly – around 9.30am) to check out our facilities and have an idea of what is involved. It is also an opportunity for feedback and discussion about any P&C activities. Please RSVP to AspleyPC@gmail.com or to contact me if you have any questions. Look forward to seeing you then ~Alice, P&C President 2018

In other news, we are excited to have new screens installed on our Tuckshop to keep our helpers and food fly-free! The P&C and school worked together to purchase these screens and they will be of significant benefit as we head into the warmer months. This also means that the happenings “behind the doors” will no longer be a mystery and hopefully will encourage more families to see just how easy it is to lend a hand.

And while on the topic of exciting news, the P&C is also very happy to have been able to expedite the installation of new carpet tiles for the Prep classrooms. Even with the generosity of our wider community in donating to the Aspley State School Building Foundation, the Foundation was just one classroom short of being able to complete ALL the Prep rooms this term. It has been an exciting start for the Building Foundation to be able to initiate two projects (the other being the Year 6 sun-blinds project) and we look forward to working together for the benefit of all our students. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Aspley State School Building Foundation, please visit the link below.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

UNIFORM SHOP NEWS

• PREP TEA TOWELS – Did you miss ordering a Prep Tea Towel souvenir? Limited stock of these beautiful and practical tea towels is available in the Uniform Shop to purchase for just $15ea.
• Winter uniforms are finally here. The windiest days are yet to come, so grab a new warm jacket or some tracksuit pants. Available to order via Flexischools and can be collected by your student during opening hours.
• Normal hours are Monday 8-9.45am; and Thursday 3-3.45pm. If you require special service, please contact Jodie via email.
• Uniform Shop Volunteer Roster: Seeking parents to be part of a monthly roster to help out on Monday mornings (8am-8.30am) and Thursday afternoon (3-3.30pm). Email Uniforms.AspleySS@gmail.com for more information or just sign-up at : http://signup.com/go/rAwavRL

TUCKSHOP NEWS

• See the latest Tuckshop Menu via the school website or on Flexischools (www.flexischools.com.au)
• Week 4 Special: Green Chicken Curry | Week 5 Special: Chicken Fajita Wraps - these specials are available all week and available to order via Flexischools.
• CALL OUT FOR DONATIONS: The Tuckshop is hoping someone in our community might be able to donate 2 x cooling racks (large) and 2 x large glass Pyrex mixing bowls. If you can help, please email pandc@aspleyss.eq.edu.au. Thank you for your support!

PAST EVENT UPDATES

LET’S GO GREEN & COLGATE COMMUNITY GARDEN CHALLENGE

Last Friday, students, parents(!) and staff dressed in GREEN and donated to help the school establish a composting and recycling program. We’d like to thank our community for your support and advise that $596 was raised, which will be used for the new composting bins/beds. Please remember to bring your oral care waste for collection (date as above):

ANNIE JNR BBQ STALL AT COLES HYPERMARKET

Thank you to June R and her team of volunteers, and all those who came along and supported, the Annie Jnr BBQ days held at Coles Aspley Hypermarket recently. The crew were able to raise over $950 over the two days which was amazing, and this has been donated back to the school Drama department. Thank you also to Jason and his team at Coles Aspley Hypermarket for their ongoing support of our school community.

Did you know?

Our Tuckshop is provided as a service but needs to run as a business, abiding by State government legislation and health & safety requirements. The P&C employs a tuckshop convenor to manage the business operations, however without volunteers, Jane is unable to properly conduct her duties of managing the business, sourcing competitive suppliers, ensuring our tuckshop service is sustainable, and has the financial resources to replace equipment (such as ovens or fridges) when the time comes. The more people we need to employ, the more our costs increase – which means the cost to our community increases. Alternatively, we may have to decrease services to ensure we can sustain the business. Neither option is something that the P&C want to consider, so please support the tuckshop by either ordering meals and/or volunteering. If you have any questions or would like to offer helpful suggestions regarding the tuckshop, please do not hesitate to contact the executive via email and we can arrange a time to chat further: PandC@aspleyss.eq.edu.au

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE:

Want to say “Thank You” to an Aspley State School staff member? Well, jump on-line at racq.com/staffroom, write your thank you note and give our school the chance to win a $20,000 staffroom makeover. (Please note, only one message per participant will be entered into the draw).

Thanks for your support! Our success relies on it!

COMMUNITY NEWS

Shake and Stir Drama Class

Vipers Netball

TRL Juniors

Kinetic Kids

Free Family Event – “Welcoming the Babies 2018”

Welcoming the Babies is a free family event that allows our community to come together and celebrate their newest additions and will also offer great entertainment and activities for families without babies to enjoy.

Children will have access to free activities and entertainment including Peebo & Dagwood the Clowns, Laurie Lawrence and Super Steph the Puppeteer.

I look forward to seeing members of your school community at Taigum Square on Sunday 19th of August!

Kind regards,

Wayne Swan MP
Member for Lilley

Aspley State High School – Homestay Families Required

Homestay Families needed for Aspley State High School

What is an EQI homestay?

Education Queensland International (EQI) develops and promotes programs for international students to study at Queensland Government schools. International education is Queensland’s second largest services export industry and is important to the State’s economy. The school sector is a major contributor to the industry, and there are currently over 85 Queensland Government schools that offer international student programs.

Homestay provides international students a secure and welcoming place to live and practise their English language skills in a real home setting. Aspley State High School is currently recruiting Homestay Families for our International Student Program.

As a homestay host you contribute to the positive memories our international students have of their time in Queensland. Our most successful hosts form cultural links and friendships with students and families all over the world.

What does a homestay host provide?

• A clean, safe and friendly home where students can experience the Australian lifestyle and practise their English conversation skills
• A private bedroom with a desk and suitable storage space for the student’s clothes, personal belongings and study materials
• Three nutritious meals per day
• Assistance to access transport to and from school and for school-related activities.

What do homestay hosts receive?

• EQI hosts receive a fortnightly payment to cover the student’s meals and homestay expenses. If your host application is successful, we will provide full training and ongoing support to ensure that you and your international student/s enjoy the best homestay experience

How do I become an EQI homestay host?

• Homestay hosts are selected from local communities and come from many different backgrounds and family settings
• EQI homestays are managed by individual Queensland Government schools
• After completing an EQI application form you will be interviewed by your school’s Homestay Co-ordinator
• To ensure student safety, each adult (aged 18 and over) in your household is screened via a police check and must obtain a “Blue Card”, Queensland’s monitoring system for people who work with children.

If you are interested in becoming a homestay host, please contact:-

Compassion Mind Training for Parents

Swim Solutions

Aspley State High School Twilight Tour

Get started vouchers available from 25 July 2018

Queensland children and young people can apply for a Get Started voucher from 25 July 2018.

Applicants aged from 5 to 17 years may be eligible to receive a voucher valued up to $150 to help pay for the cost of joining a sport or active recreation club.

Vouchers can be used to help pay for club membership or participation fees.

Check out the club locator to find a registered club in your area or speak to your school about referring your child.

‘Join the Dots’ to keep children safe online

Bravehearts, in partnership with the Queensland Family and Child Commission, has launched a new online tool for children and young people to help police catch online predators.

Through the tool, children and young people can report suspected online grooming and help police ‘join the dots’ to identify and stop predatory behaviour.

We encourage you to have open conversations with your children about online safety and inform them of the tool to help keep all children and young people safe online.