Filter Content
Principal Post Week 4 Term 4
Term 4 is always a busy term with assessment and reporting, Awards Presentation, Year 6 and Year 12 Graduations, PBL Rewards day and end of year celebrations. Please check your fridge Calendar for important school events and keep an eye on Facebook posts and communication books as we approach the end of this year to make sure you are informed and up to date with all events.
Our students and staff will be very focussed over the next few weeks on finishing unit work, and gathering evidence and information to share in our report cards which will come home at the end of this term. There are plenty of things to celebrate in our students report cards- things we can check and measure and give a rating to. Some things though, are difficult to measure but are obvious within a busy, engaged classroom. We are always excited to share the work that is happening across our classrooms and as reporting draws closer, we look forward to celebrating student achievements with you.
2024
Strategic Planning
Currently, we are focusing on our Strategic Planning for 2024, identifying our school priorities and how best we can meet the educational needs of our students. We will share our 2024 School Improvement agenda with our school community later this term.
2024 Classes and Staff
It’s also the time of year when parents, students and staff start thinking about next year and class groupings for 2024. We are aiming to send home class groupings with report cards during Week 10. The process of developing classes is a multifaceted and exciting task. Because we try to make the best groupings possible it can take some planning and time. The following is a brief description of the steps that we take to formulate class groupings:
- Confirmation of the total student population for 2024. Sometimes this is hard to know, as 2024 enrolments are not yet finalised, and sometimes depend on late transfers as families move in or out of the area. If you know your child will not be at Gympie Special School for 2024, please let us know as soon as possible, by contacting our office.
- Determining the number of classes we are able to create depending on upon the number of teachers allocated to the school. We get indicative staffing numbers before the end of this year, but as always, Day 8, 2024 numbers are the final determining factor.
- The school is divided into 4 sectors consisting of: Early Years - Years P-2, Primary - Years 3 to 6, Secondary - Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and Senior - Years 11&12. Class groups are formed in these sectors based on students’ educational and social emotional needs.
- Once classes are developed, we allocate staff to each class. This may be subject to change as staff may receive transfers in or out of the school. We also have teachers who relocate, retire, take family leave and some who are on contract whose contract simply comes to an end.
Learning to work with new teachers, new staff and new classmates each year is an important part of the school journey as our young people build resilience, learning to work with a wide variety of people (as they will in other areas of their life), build their network of familiar adults and learn to make new friends. As you can see there are a great many variables, some of which cannot be controlled. We ask for your patience and support as we work towards a successful transition to learning in 2024.
Happy World Teacher’s Day
On Friday 28th October, we celebrate “World Teacher’s Day”. This is the perfect opportunity to thank the amazing teaching staff we have here at Gympie Special School, who make a difference every day for our students. Happy World Teacher’s Day to our staff and thank you for the commitment, enthusiasm and support you provide each and every day.
Day for Daniel
On Friday 27th October we also raise safety awareness for our students by acknowledging Day for Daniel by wearing red to school. Day for Daniel is Australia’s largest child safety education and awareness day. This National Day of Action advocates for safer communities for children and empowering them to Recognise, React and Report when they feel unsafe. We believe Day for Daniel is the perfect opportunity to start conversations around personal safety.
Over the past few weeks, I have been away for three days on PD completing the Workplace Health and Safety Advisors (HSA) course for the school. This was a great opportunity to reflect on the amazing work we do as a school to keep our students and staff safe while providing new and enriching educational experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed supporting the Primary excursion and camp, it was great to see student excitement at Wildlife HQ and the enjoyment of a sleep over with their peers. A big thank you for all the work the Primary sector staff, especially Jennie Bryant (cracking pancake recipe) put in to make sure the students could make amazing memories at such a great milestone in their education.
Next week, we have our P.A.T.H Plan meetings for our year 10’s which again is preparing them for another important milestone, transitioning into senior schooling. At the meeting we will be looking to clarify individual student hopes, dreams and goals as well as help identify how our school team can support them towards their future pathway. The final P.A.T.H. plan will be used to set up goals for their Senior Education Transition (SET) plan, and can also be used to help develop NDIS plans at home.
Finally, there is only 3 more weeks until our School Colour Fun Run. If you have not yet created your profile, I encourage you to do so. Remember raising only $10 for the school means you will receive a prize! We are holding a School Colour Fun Run community sign up day at 8:30 – 10:45am next Wednesday (25th OCT 2023) if you would like assistance to create your profile make sure to come and say G’day.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I can't believe we've already reached the end of Week 3! The time seems to be flying by as we embrace the wonderful journey of teaching and learning. It's been an exciting few weeks filled with numerous community engagements, excursions, and captivating classroom experiences.
One of the highlights of this term was the visit from Aunty Christine, who enriched our students' educational experience in a unique way. Aunty Christine led an engaging and hands-on lesson, during which our students had the opportunity to learn the Gubbi Gubbi language.
As we move forward, we are excited to continue providing an enriching and holistic education that empowers our students to explore, create, and grow. We look forward to more exciting events and activities in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your continued support in making our school community a vibrant and dynamic place for learning.
Kind regards,
Kate Cloete
Early Years 1 have hit the ground running this term with lots of exciting events happening! We have continued to enjoy horse riding every Wednesday and will do so until the end of the term. We had a busy day in week 2 with horse riding, followed by our science excursion to the park for our push and pull forces unit. Jack enjoyed the flying fox, while Harry and Evie enjoyed seeing who could go the highest on the swings. Jaidyn happily played in the sandpit and hide-and-seek with Miss Kelsey. Mason also enjoyed the sandpit and the spinner. We finished our excursion with a picnic in the park. Students have also taken like ducks to water during our swimming lessons every Friday. Both Kelsey and I are super proud of each student as they consistently follow all the safety rules and all have a go at the swimming activities they are asked to do. Harry and Jack have been practising using rocket arms to dive in from a seated position. They both love going under the water. Ollie and Mason love getting on the big floating mat to practise their kicking skills, on the front and their backs. Jaidyn enjoys using the pool noodles and Evie the waterstand to do kicking practise. We have more exciting events later in the term…The Fun Run and PBL Rewards Day!
Since last newsletter we have had a busy time. Swimming has been a fun and much anticipated activity. The children are doing very well in the pool and are gaining confidence and learning new skills. The staff who support the children in the pool are amazing. Thank you, Dale, Tim and Adam!
We went to the park at the duck pond after horse riding last Wednesday and had a great time. The children used all the play equipment there and we put the forces of push and pull that we have been learning about in science to good use. It was a very happy day.
Our stories in English are about animals and we love using the toy animals while the stories are being read to us. “Noisy Farm” is one of our favourites.
In maths we are learning about light and heavy and finding examples of things that are light or heavy in the classroom and lifting them to experience the difference.
Indiana received an award on parade for using more words to communicate her needs. Congratulations Indi! We are all working towards our platinum Ardy certificate. We try hard each day to be safe, respectful learners.
In the playground we are having fun with water play, bubbles and spray bottles. Now the weather is warming up it’s fun to stay cool with water.
The days go too quickly and already we are in week 3. We enjoy our classroom and our classmates and have happy days at school.
Lynne, Kate, Dominic, Isaiah, Ayden, Jade and Indiana.
EY3 had a great time on the science in the community excursion last week. Students explored all the play equipment and how push and pull was used for each item. Students followed the school rules I am safe, I am respectful and I am a learner and were a pleasure to take out in the community. It was especially lovely when other people in the park were heard discussing how beautifully behaved the students were.
EY3 have become experts at lining up, waiting for the bus while sitting calmly on the bench and walking safety using the rope to stay as a group. We are learning how to follow directions while in the exciting environment of the pool with the noise and sensory stimulus this new environment brings.
We are enjoying our last weeks of horse-riding, when we move to Primary this activity is no longer available during school time. There is a horse-riding session on a Saturday morning that you could ask RDA for details if wish your child to continue this very beneficial activity.
A big thankyou to Elizabeth who was P2’s teacher while I was away for the 1st two weeks of Term 4. It sounds like, and looks like a lot of learning was happening, and the students had fun.
What a great excursion to Wildlife HQ we had! All went well, the students took lots of pictures of the animals, interesting animal facts were discussed, I learned a few things too and we enjoyed our sausage sizzle which Mr Phil cooked for us. The students had fun playing outside when arriving back at school before dinner. Thanks, Miss Jennie, for a lovely SpagBol dinner before most students went home. Then camping at school for Year 5 and 6 students…wow, that was fun too and such well behaved students. Well done Primary and thanks to Miss Jennie for organising a successful event!!
Well, another few weeks of learning, discovering, socialising and then the Grade 6 Graduation. Before we realise, Term 4 will be finished.
Be mindful of the heat and stay hydrated!!
On Thursday the 19th of October all of the Primary Sector went on an Excursion to Wildlife HQ. We walked around the zoo and took photos of the animals on our iPads. We had a sausage sizzle for lunch. Mr Phil cooks a great snag! Jaxson’s favourite animal was the Koala, because they love to sleep, just like him! Cody’s favourite animal to visit were the squirrel Monkey’s, because they were playing. Thomas’s favourite animal to see were also the Koalas, because they were easy to see sleeping in their trees. Pearl’s favourite animals to visit were the dingoes, because we all howled with them and it was noisy and fun. Miss Dana loved the cute little smiling Quokkas and Miss Jennie wanted to take home the fluffy Red Panda.
When we got back to school, we had a play in the playground then spaghetti Bolognese for dinner. We watched a movie called “Rock Dog” and then went to sleep. For breakfast on Friday, we had cereal, milo and pancakes. Miss Jennie makes the best fluffy pancakes!
It has already been a very busy term. We started swimming on Fridays in week one and are loving our time at the pool as part of our PE for this term.
In mathematics we are enjoying our exploration of mass and capacity. This has included us doing interesting things like weighing many things in the class room on our balance scales to see which is heavier. Some things were surprisingly heavy considering their size and weighed more than bigger things. It is also very interesting to visit the sandpit and explore how many different sized containers of sand we needed to fill bigger containers. After about 12 full spoons of sand barely covering the bottom of a bucket, we decided that a milo tin might be better to fill it with, we were glad we swapped as it took 22 milo tins to fill it. We then checked and it took 18 spoons of sand to fill the milo tin. You can work out how many spoons it would have taken to fill that bucket, we did and it was a lot!
We have been hard at work learning how to write an information text in English. To help us with that we have continued to explore information texts during shared reading and have learned some more amazing things about animals. For instance, did you know that female brown bears give birth while they are sleeping during their hibernation time? We also had a fantastic time visiting Wildlife HQ to see some of these animals and took photos to use in our texts. Then the year 5 and 6 students had a lot of fun camping at school and if they tell you Miss Jo snores, it is absolutely not true!
WOW what a term it has been so far. It has been action packed and it is only week 3!
Early week 1, we had an Indigenous language session with Auntie Christine. We made Dilly bags and searched the grounds for bush tucker. We began swimming sessions on Friday at the Gympie ARC. It has been a treat to end of our week taking a nice cool dip. Finally, our highlight of the term so far has been the primary excursion to Wildlife HQ and the overnight camp. We will use this excursion experience to help write our English assessment task – wring a nonfiction / information presentation on a favoured animal. This camp was a success as we all enjoyed visiting the zoo, watching our favourite animals and sleeping over the night. For some of us, this was the first time we slept over and a very important milestone. And judging the tired and happy faces, everyone had a lot of fun and will sleep well over the weekend.
Term 4 is shaping up to be lots of fun with our learners creating circuits during science lessons. Declan has found that when a particular circuit is created, the fan can lift off. Evie created a circuit that played Happy Birthday, using a siren.
S1 students have continued to follow all PBL rules. As a result, Tyson and Evie have achieved their ‘Gold Awards’ as they have been following our Safe, Learner and Respect expectations. The students are also demonstrating many acts of kindness when setting up the classroom each morning.
Ryan has been participating in school sports by competing in the 100m, 200m, and long jump. As a result, has represented our district in the State Athletic Championships, and he won the 10-12-year-old State Champion.
We have continued our cultural lessons with Aunty Christine to learn many Gubbi Gubbi words including our sport house names, Mari,
The year is going way too fast, more to come.
Tyson, Hayley, Evie, Declan, Shyanne, Ryan, Mason, Andrea, Darren, Amie and Deb.
We are continuing our small group science experiments every Tuesday, where students build their own circuits using wires, batteries, on/off switches and various lights and sirens. Most students are working in pairs or small groups, discussing which model to make and how to put together the correct parts. They then observe and draw their finished circuit, label the parts and talk about its properties. It is lovely to see how the students engage in discussions to share and reflect on their observations. The circuits students create are increasing in complexity as the semester progresses and their problem solving when a circuit does not work is impressive!
We would like to thank those parents who attended the recent Senior Information Session to help understand how senior schooling works and the different pathways available next year, for their child.
Hello and welcome to term 4,
We have a very busy term ahead of us with camp fast approaching in 2 weeks, reporting, market stall at the duck ponds and graduation, there is no time to breathe.
Students have been producing some amazing work in their literacy groups, especially around comprehension and composing short stories.
During our Maths lessons, students have continued their focus on location with particular focus around the local community.
Market Garden
Our market garden students have been productive in the garden picking fresh produce and selling their fresh produce to staff member s around the school.
Paper making.
As Christmas draws nearer, the paper making students have been experimenting with shapes and colour and creating some wonderful gift tags and decorations. They are amazed with the way the food colouring spreads through the paper and fades as it dries. The group would like to have flower seeds in our mix so the cards and decorations can be planted and grow after they have been used.
Market Enterprise
Students have been learning new skills in macrame, sewing and have been busy sorting clothes as well as other items to sell at our market stall on Sunday 5th November. Those students participating in this subject will receive a permission note home shortly with a time table attached on times students have been requested to help.
Sport in the Community
We have been building on team skills participating in handball, there has been great turn taking and eye hand coordination amongst our students. Our Tuesday walking group are enjoying the circuit we have been walking and look forward to our weekly walks.
Hospitality Bunnings Visitor
We had a visit from Sonia, the café barrister from Bunnings, her visit was a valuable experience for the hospitality students. She shared her expertise and helped the students perfect their drink making skills. With her guidance, the students were able to create delicious and high-quality beverages.
After the visit, the students started selling their drinks to the staff members. The response from the staff has been overwhelmingly positive. They have praised the students for their excellent customer service and the taste of the drinks.
Working in this simulated environment has provided the students with a unique opportunity to apply their knowledge of maths and english. They have been responsible for managing inventory, calculating costs, and creating promotional materials. This hands-on experience has helped them develop practical skills that are essential in the hospitality industry.
In addition to the technical skills, the students have also learned important skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. They have interacted with customers, handled various situations, and resolved any issues that arose. These skills will be valuable not only in their future careers but also in their personal lives.
Camp
Camp is fast approaching, you will have received a packing list, student behaviour contract and private vehicle permission, please read these documents carefully and return to school asap. As we are away for Halloween, some students have asked if we can dress-up on the Tuesday night. We have decided to have a Halloween disco night, so if your student would like to participate, send a costume along with them (this is optional).
Until next time
Senior Staff
Gavin, Nicky, Kate, Liz, Michelle, Chrissie and Naomi.
Welcome back to term 4! The communication team have had a flying start to the term. We have been busy planning some fun AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication) activities to do during meetings to ensure all staff are practicing their skills to become better communication partners for our students. We will also complete our follow-up ‘Communication Accessible Schools Survey’ to measure how successful our initiatives have been this year.
The core words for weeks 1 – 5 are included. Each class focuses on these core words throughout the week to explicitly teach students through modelling, how students can use these words to communicate. Did you know that core words make up 80% of what people have to say? That’s why core words are so important to teach to our students. Parents can get involved by following the core word of the week schedule and implement them at home.
Our friendly neighbourhood PBL team have been working tirelessly to develop new resources, allow our students amazing new experiences and to create whole school focus' to assist with reducing behaviour incidents in the classroom in 2024. As a team we are working together to review and streamline our behaviour matrix allowing for easier modelling and use within the classroom environment.
This fortnight, we had representatives form regional PBL do a walkthrough and survey our staff and students around what PBL initiatives, strategies and rules we have in place at our school. We received very positive feedback with all of our students communicating our 3 school rules using their ‘voice’.
We have had our first few platinum Ardy awards presented at our Monday parades which is an unbelievable achievement so early into term 4. It is great to celebrate awesome behaviour with our students in such a positive way!
Finally, we will have some super exciting news to share around our term 4 PBL rewards day on Thursday 30th November 2023 however, secrets are secrets so watch this space ?
The heat has really turned on this term and the students in Early Years and Primary are lucky they are getting to the pool each Friday. The students are working with their swim instructor Leonie and with Gympie Special school staff, Adam, Coach Tim and myself. Leonie has had the students working on water awareness, swim stroke correction all while encouraging the students to be having fun. The students have been vey receptive to their different learning environment and we have seen the confidence in many of the students grow over the past few weeks.
In other news, I was fortunate to be away with the Wide Bay Schools Track and Field team which a member of our School also was a part of. Ryan in the 12 years age group did a fantastic job in coming 3rd in the multiclass long jump. A fantastic effort from him and it was great to see him compete.
Until next time.
Dale Tucker
HPE teacher.
Last week the school officially became part of the 1000 Hearts global kindness community. This was started in 2016 by a Tasmanian lady who felt like the world really needed a bit of love. So, she handstitched 1000 pocket hearts to give away in random acts of kindness. When people told her how much receiving a heart meant to them, the lady realised the power of her actions. Many people then asked her for additional hearts to share, and a community was born. School staff and community members have made hearts for us to give to others, and these are available in the library and in the staffroom.
Each week the Early Years kids and I get to play with boxes all of shapes and sizes. This week we made ships, cars, buses, and trains for our soft toys to drive.
The Secondary Girls’ Group has been very busy. Over the last few weeks, they have been making Christmas wreaths out of donated scrap material. These have been fun to make and, while our hands are busy, we have been having good conversations as well.
My role is to support the wellbeing of staff, students, parents, and others in our school community. If you ever need to have a chat or help with something, please contact me. I’m at school on Tuesday (8.30-11.35) and Thursday (9.30-2.35), and can also be contacted via email – rsdri0@eq.edu.au.
Chappy Rachel
