Maroochydore Events

Term 4 2024

Welcome to our returning students and families with a special cheer to our new students and their family to our small school – the hidden gem of Maroochydore.

Did you know? 

Our Bee Rules
Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be a Learner.

Our display pencils in the forecourt area highlight our key values:
•    Warm Smiles
•    Willing Minds
•    Caring Hearts
•    Helping Hands
•    Being Active and Involved

Attendance

There are 199 school days this year.
Imagine your child’s growth by attending every day they are well enough to attend?
How close to 100% attendance can you child go?

Every day counts for every student.

It’s clear to all of us, the more engaged our students are in learning, the better they perform academically and the greater their life opportunities and outcomes.
Missing school, especially for those most vulnerable, can have a significant negative impact on them and on society now and well into the future.

We’ve set a target of above 90% daily attendance for every child.

Research shows the best learning growth for students occurs through attending school consistently and eliminating having those ‘days off’.

Student Illness

When your child is sick please ring the School Office on 5475 1555 before 8:40am.
This will stop you receiving a text concerning the where abouts of your child when they are sick.

If/when you receive an SMS message, reply to the SMS with the reason for your child’s absence and their name, and class immediately OR if you believe your child/ren is/should be at school contact the school office immediately to notify us.

Mathematics, Writing and Reading – is our focus for 2024.

Our aim is to improve all students’ writing across the year with focussed teaching and engaging learning activities.

Daily reading – self reading, teachers reading to students

“Away for the Day”
Mobile Phones and Smart Devices

From the beginning of Term 1 2024, all Queensland state school students must keep their mobile phones switched off and ‘away for the day’ during school hours in the school office mobile phone storage cabinet.
Notifications on wearable devices, such as smartwatches, must be switched off so that phone calls, messages and other notifications cannot be sent or received during school hours.

School broad brimmed hats

All students need the school hat for outside play at break times, for the Phys Ed lesson and any outside classroom activities. Please ensure your child’s hat is clearly named and, in their bag, daily. We don’t want anyone missing out on outside activities.

Chappy Breakfast

Chappy Kyra will host these each Monday and Wednesday morning before school in the forecourt area.

Walk ‘n talk

Each morning at 8:30am our Year 1 to Year 6 students join in our innovative walk ‘n talk. This is a chance to improve our fitness, well-being and connect with our friends.

Playgrounds before and after school

Please note the signs indicating that the playgrounds are not to be used before or after school and follows policy around safety with no teachers on duty.

New e-scooter rules and fines

https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

https://www.esafety.gov.au/

New rules and increased fines have been introduced for riders of e-scooters, e-skateboards and similar devices that aim to make riders and everyone they interact with safer.
Visit Streetsmarts Qld for a quick and easy to understand listing of the new and existing rules, including:
  •    Lower speed limits of 12km/h on footpaths and shared paths, and 25km/h max         elsewhere unless signed otherwise.
  •    Increased fines for mobile phone use ($1078).
  •    Increased fines for speeding and riding on prohibited roads.
  •    Mandatory helmets (bicycle or motorcycle) and bells for devices with                       handlebars.
  •    Age limits:
o    Only those aged 16+ can ride e-scooters and e-skateboards.
o    12–15-year-olds can only ride with adult supervision. Adult supervisors               must have close direct oversight of the juvenile PMD rider at all times to               provide direction, guidance and potential intervention.

o    Primary school aged children, under 12 years, shouldn't be riding e-scooters or e-skateboards. They can ride low powered electric scooters, which have a maximum speed of 10 km/h or less and are powered by a small electric motor capable of producing 200W or less. These are considered wheeled recreational devices and have a separate set of rules to PMDs. More information is available on the Department of Transport and Main Roads website.

What do you know –> 1924 – 2024?

Do you have old photos or memories to share?

Next September our school will celebrate it’s 100th birthday.
On our website, Our School Tab - history, there is a fascinating insight into the early history of our school. It mentions the river, Miss Daisy Eva Fielding, the first playground, no one staying home and more. Do have a read and reflect on this wonderful school history.

Provisional School at Picnic Point Hall
Head Teacher - Miss Daisy Eva Fielding     25/08/1921 to 12/08/1923
Head Teacher - Lydia Ellen Gibson            18/08/1923 to 31/12/2023

Past principals:
Maroochydore State School
Principal (NB during this time some staff have filled the role in an acting principal capacity for at least one month - including Kevin Aspland, Edward Toohey, Judy Fisher and Jacqui Pool)
Francis Sherrin -      1924 -> 1937
William Slatter -       1937 -> 1950
Cyril O'Brien -          1951 -> 1953
Beecher Fleming -    1954 -> 1966
Robert Christensen   1967 -> 1971
Charles Christ -        1972 - > 1973
Alan Colwill -            1974 - > 1979
Frank English -         1979 ->  1989
Edward Houston -     1989 - > 1997
Lori Jardine -            1998 -> 2003
Catherine MacMillan - 2003
Andrew Worthington - 2003 -> 2008
Kevin Briggs -           2008 - > 2011
Stuart Maish -          2012 -> current

Reading

Prep to Year 2 strategies: https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculums/learningfromhome/Reading/being-creative-with-literature-kindy-y2.pdf

Supporting your child’s reading in Prep: https://readingwritingcentre.education.qld.gov.au/rwc-resources/Documents/supporting-parents-prep.pdf#search=phonics

Supporting your child’s reading in Year 1:
https://readingwritingcentre.education.qld.gov.au/rwc-resources/Documents/supporting-parents-Year1.pdf#search=phonics

Supporting your child’s reading in Year 2:
https://readingwritingcentre.education.qld.gov.au/rwc-resources/Documents/supporting-parents-Year2.pdf#search=phonics

https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculums/learningfromhome/Reading/activities-encourage-reading-writing-yp-2.pdf

Years 3 – 6
How do I support my child reading at home:
https://mediasite.eq.edu.au/mediasite/Play/cee4e8e65baa45539cf81eefc7b8c9421d

Mobile Phones and Smart Devices

From the beginning of Term 1 2024, all Queensland state school students must keep their mobile phones switched off and ‘away for the day’ during school hours. Notifications on wearable devices, such as smartwatches, must be switched off so that phone calls, messages and other notifications cannot be sent or received during school hours.
The decision to implement a consistent, statewide approach to putting mobile phones away during the school day is based on the advice of Ms Cheryl Vardon AO, former Queensland Family and Children’s Commissioner, who completed an independent review of Queensland’s approach to mobile phones. Ms Vardon’s review included consultation with key education stakeholders, such as principals, school staff, students and families from each education region, as well as a review of recent research on student use of mobile phones and personal devices in schools.
‘Away for the day’ will support schools to maintain a strong focus on educational achievement, and student wellbeing and engagement by:
•    providing optimal learning and teaching environments
•    encouraging increased face-to-face social interactions between students
•    promoting the health and wellbeing of students through increased social interaction and physical activity
•    reducing the potential for students to be exposed to the negative impacts of the digital world, resulting from unsafe or inappropriate technology use.

P&C

The monthly P&C meetings are held on the second Monday of each month. The meetings are held in the Staffroom and commence at 17:00.

Tuckshop

The P&C operates the tuckshop on a Friday morning at first break.  Would you like to volunteer some time to help out in the tuckshop on a Friday morning? Do drop in and chat to Mel and Tracy.
Tuckshop ordering: Orders can be done online via www.quickcliq.com.au by 8 am on a Friday morning. No late orders can be accepted and there are no cash orders over the counter.
Please ensure you enter your child’s correct YEAR as a single-digit into Quickcliq as orders get taken to children by year level.
For example, if your child is in a 3/4 class, please put their YEAR as either 3 OR 4 so that their order goes to the correct place.

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is open on a Monday for approximately 20 minutes from 8:00am during the school term.
Playgrounds before and after school – please note the signs indicating that the playgrounds are not to be used before or after school and follows policy around safety with no teachers on duty.

Indigenous Students and families – please contact Mrs White.

Emergency Drills

Fire and Lockdowns are practiced each term so that all students and staff are familiar with the procedures.
If you are on the school site during a Fire Drill – please move with the teacher and students towards the eastern or western fence boundaries (never under any building block) and meet on the far side of the oval. The Principal and HOC are the fire wardens and wear a bright red jacked – please report to them.
For a Lockdown – please stay in the classroom/building in a calm manner, away from the windows and support the class teacher and students. The teacher will take a phone call as Admin checks each room and building on our school site. A second call will notify that the drill is complete and safe movement around the school can resume.

2024 Student Leaders:

A large number of Year 6 students presented high quality short speeches this year which greatly impressed their peers and teachers. Well done to all students who were brave enough to stand up in front of their peers and deliver their speech.

Three cheers and special congratulations to the successful 2024 student leaders:

Isla & Charlotte, Ace & Zane.