Term 1 Week 9 Wednesday 27 March 2019 PRINCIPAL'S PAGE

Prep Enrolments for 2020 Enrolments for Prep for next year can be made at the school’s office. Parents of Prep students for next year are encouraged to start enrolling their children. Now that our school has an official enrolment boundary, all families, especially those residing outside our catchment area, are encouraged to get their Prep enrolments in as early as possible. All enrolments must include a copy of the enrolling student’s Birth Certificate.

EASTER HAT PARADE

Wednesday 3rd April at 11:30 am

PAC

Followed by a picnic

All Welcome!!

Families are welcome to bring a picnic along to share

with their child

FREE DRESS DAY - THURSDAY 4 APRIL Next week on Thursday we are having a FREE DRESS DAY. All gold coin donations will be sent to the North Queensland Flood Appeal to help families in and affected by the recent floods. Parents are asked to ensure students wear sensible clothing and footwear. Donations will be collected in class by our Student Council. Every Day Counts – this week’s target and rates School and Regional Target: 95% Weekly attendance Rate: 21/3 – 26/3 94.3% Attendance year to date: 95.1% Religious Education Easter Presentation A Religious Education Easter Presentation will be on tomorrow from 2.00pm to 2.45pm in the PAC for all Cooperative and Baha’i RE children. A special thank you goes to all the Religious Education teachers for organising this performance. There will be no RE in the last week of term on Thursday 4 April. NAPLAN Information This week all parents of Year 3 and 5 students were emailed regarding 2019 NAPLAN. Students participate in the annual National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) to assess their skills and understanding in the areas of reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. This year the students will complete the testing online from 14-24 May.

An individual NAPLAN report for each child will be sent home later this year. Results provide additional feedback for parents, carers and teachers on how students are progressing in key curriculum areas. It is important for you and your child to know that NAPLAN is not a pass/fail test. It simply looks at what level students are achieving in literacy and numeracy against National Standards and compared with student peers throughout Australia. NAPLAN cannot be studied for and students are not expected to do so. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to let them know that it is just a routine part of their school program, and to urge them to do the best they can on the day. All students in Years 3 and 5 are expected to participate in NAPLAN testing. More information, including online privacy information, is available on the NAP website at http://www.nap.edu.au/. If you have any concerns or questions about your child participating in the NAPLAN testing, please contact the school’s office to make an appointment with the Deputy Principal. International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) This year ICAS is moving to an online platform and the testing will occur in Term 3. Student application will be called for next term and finalised in July. There has been a price increase to $14.50 per test. Further information will be provided next term. Term One Staff Leave

Staff Dates Replacement

Dr Pointing 18 Mar – 5 April Mrs Anderson acting Principal, Mrs McNeilage acting DP, Mrs Wakelin acting HoC, Mrs Denise

Boyd to replace Mrs Wakelin

Mrs Barrett 29 March 5 April

Mrs Caitlin Brandt

Mrs Boccaccini 1 April – 5 April Mrs Turney acting HoSe, Mrs Claudia Buntine

replacing Mrs Turney

Mrs Anderson 23 – 24 April No replacement

Miss Overland 23 April – 3 May

Mr Greg Chin

Mr Singh 23 – 24 April Mr Kieran Molloy

Mrs Cavalier 2 – 3 May TBA

Mrs Lamburd 29 April – 3 May

Mrs Denise Boyd

Mrs Pender 7 – 14 May (3 days)

Mrs Sarah Zarew

Mrs Stringer 13 – 16 May

Japanese Assistant Teacher Thank You to Ms Towano Tajika, our volunteer assistant teacher, who has been helping out in the Japanese classroom for the past 3 weeks. Doumo arigatou gozaimasu.

Merrimac State School

Newsletter

What’s on Weekly at Merrimac What’s On When Where

Brekkie Fitness Years 3-6

Wednesdays 8am-8.45am

School Oval

Student Banking Wednesdays 8am – 9.30am

Finance window

Active School Travel

Thursdays 8am -8.45am

UCA

Parent Fitness Thursdays 1.45pm-2.45pm

MPC/Tennis Court

Koala Joeys Fridays 9am-10am

PAC

Term One Reporting to Parents

The PTO website closes on Friday 29 March at 5pm. All interviews and cancellations after this time must be phoned through to the office on 5569 1555. If on the day of your interview you find you are unable to

attend, please contact the school office on telephone 5569 1555 so the class Teacher can be notified as soon as possible. Please leave a message if phoning outside of school office hours. Year 5 Camp Dates The Year 5 camp will be held next term at the Runaway Bay Sports and Recreation Centre from the 17th to 19th June. Notes will be sent home early next term. New Prep Enrolment Surveys Over the last two weeks, all new Prep families were encouraged to complete an online survey. The surveys provided the school with some valuable information about the services offered by our school and also how well children have settled into Merrimac. Thank you to the parents who completed the online surveys and provided constructive feedback and suggestions. Some interesting points from the surveys were:

• The large majority who attended the Prep Orientation Sessions and the Parent Information meetings were very pleased with the presentations

• Many families send their children to Merrimac through personal recommendations and from visiting the school

• Parents were happy with the service provided by the office and administration staff, the Parent Information Booklet and the Bookshop and Tuckshop Service

• Most children have settled into Merrimac school life very well • Almost all respondents said that they would recommend Merrimac

School to a friend. Many positive comments were made about our school. They

included: • Teachers have been very caring and considerate allowing my child

to feel very comfortable and confident • It’s a great school with lots of opportunities for the children and

it seems to be organised quite well • As a new family, we love the school and are very happy • A wonderful and very helpful school • I am well informed and I feel my child is safe • Well organised, professional outlook, competent teachers

It is very pleasing to receive such positive feedback, in particular the recognition of the great work done by our classroom teachers and school staff. It is important that our school strives to maintain its high standards. For this to happen, a combined effort from school staff, parents and children is always needed. We should all be looking at ways to continually improve our school. Again thank you

to those parents who made suggestions and comments on the survey forms. Many of the recommendations will be reviewed and considered for the future. Children Leaving School at the end of Term One If your child/children will not be returning to Merrimac for Term 2, please notify the school office as soon as possible. Woolworths Earn and Learn – commences 1 May 2019

The Woolworths Earn and Learn competition runs from Wednesday 1 May until 25 June 2019. When you shop at Woolworths collect the Woolworths Earn & Learn Stickers from the checkout operator or through an online order and place them on a Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker Sheet. Once completed, simply place the Sticker Sheet in the Collection Box, either at school or at your local Woolworths. Your support in this program would be much appreciated. Merrimac State School Focus of The week From the desk of Ralph and Rosie This week we continue the focus is on feelings, reactions and solving conflicts respectfully, not physically. Constructive conflict is when you and another person resolve your disagreement in such a way as to build trust and respect for each other. It also means that you actually deal with the conflict, rather than suppress or avoid it. Conflict is inevitable and unavoidable in any social community. Developing constructive conflict resolution skills is essential in having satisfying and respectful relationships. All conflict is not negative. Conflict can be constructive to relationships, situations and personal growth. Conflict does not need to be judged as positive or negative. What is most essential with respect to conflict is how it is handled. The difference between conflict that is constructive and conflict that is destructive is listed below: Conflict is constructive if it results in: • Solving problems • Improving communication • Gaining knowledge and wisdom that can be applied to future

conflicts • Building trust and mutual respect In contrast, when conflict is not constructively resolved, it can lead to feelings of hurt, pain and distrust that divides people and polarizes issues. It can also produce irresponsible, inappropriate or destructive behaviours. Tips For Dealing With Conflict 1. Stop, take a deep breath and consider positive outcomes to the conflict. 2. Be prepared to negotiate with the intention to be fair and generous. Collaboration and compromise are important components of constructive conflict resolution. Brainstorm alternative solutions. Try to bridge the gap between you without coercing change. Explore advantages and disadvantages of possible solutions. Agree on the most workable solution. 3. Don’t start sentences with an accusing “you” as in, “You did this and you did that…”; instead say take responsibility for your own personal viewpoint such as , “To me, what seems to have happened is…”. 4. Interact in a dignified and respectful way with others. Be the change you wish to see in the world. 5. Practice good and active listening. Be fully present. Try your best not to form answers and defenses in your mind before the

other person is finished speaking. Attempt to understand the other person’s perspective before responding. 6. Keep the conversation focused on the present. Treat the other person with respect. Communicate Understanding. Treat every living creature as an individual worthy of your respect, courtesy and kindness. Congratulations to all the boys and girls for remembering to be Safe, Respectful Learners. From Rosie and Ralph Thank you

Ralph and Rosie

Environmental Club Hello fellow Eco-Warriors! Have you made some eco-resolutions this year? Merrimac will be here to help you on your plastic free and alternative choices journey to guide you in your eco-resolutions. We can all make a difference now by taking a reusable bag shopping. Modbury in Devon was the first town to ban plastic bags in the UK and many more are following in their footsteps. Countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya and Botswana have banned plastic bags completely, whereas others such as Italy, Finland, Denmark and Ireland tax customers for every plastic bag they use. In Ireland this resulted in a 98% cut in bags given out in stores and an immediate improvement in litter levels. We realise that banning plastic bags is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reducing waste, but it’s a great start to get everyone thinking about packaging and the effect our wasteful lifestyles have on the environment and wildlife. We have some tips below:

Use What You Have

• Save your glass jars and bottles for purchasing bulk food and for storing leftovers.

• Store leftovers in a bowl with plate over the top instead of using plastic wrap.

• If you have plastic containers in the cupboard - use them until they wear out.

• Store vegetables in reused plastic bags, wrapped in damp tea towels or glass containers.

• Wrap sandwiches in fabric or paper.

• Herbs keep well in a slightly damp tea towel in a glass container.

• Wrap cheese in an old linen tea towel.

• Freeze leftovers in heat stable glass containers eg Pyrex.

• Use a clean shower cap to cover a bowl.

• Line rubbish bin with several layers of newspaper. While you’re out and about: • ReFuse Unnecessary Stuff. Think about the spoons, forks,

straws, and napkins that you get served (why do they give

you enough for a family of 20 when eating alone?). Ask

yourself before accepting all these items, “Do I really need

all of this?”

• Re Take Your Own Reusables. You can bring your own

containers, straws, cutlery, mugs, bottles, and even your own

bag – It’s so easy to find and use!

• ReConsider Your Habits. It’s easy to fall into a routine, so

why not choose to create a new one?

For more PLASTIC FREE IDEAS AND TIPS go to: https://myplasticfreelife.com/plasticfreeguide/

See some of our amazing year 6 boys bringing in their ‘Nude Food’ in reusable containers or without any plastic wrap! Way to go boys!!

FINANCE NEWS

Important Information on Invoicing Invoices are created for excursions and are emailed to parents who have a nominated email address on our database. If your child is participating payment can be made via BPOINT, Direct Deposit or in person at the finance window. When using Direct Deposit please USE YOUR CHILD’S NAME AS A REFERENCE TO ENSURE WE ATTACH THE PAYMENT TO THE CORRECT STUDENT and send in the bank receipt with the permission forms so that payment can be verified. Important information: when the payment date for an excursion closes and we cancel unpaid invoices if you did not pay for this excursion you will receive an adjustment notice email, this is not

an invoice, PLEASE OPEN AND READ. This email only goes to those not participating and can be ignored. We are currently collecting money for the following: If you do not wish to wait in line at the finance window we encourage you to pay online.

Participants Event Cost Payment due date

Select 5&6 Japan Instalment $500 22 Mar

Select 5&6 Japan Instalment $500 10 May

Select 5&6 Japan Instalment $500 14 June

Select 5&6 Japan Instalment $500 19 July

THE FINANCE WINDOW IS OPEN MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS FROM 8AM – 9.30AM

REMINDER – DUE TO THE INSTALLMENT OF A NEW COMPUTER NETWORK SERVER IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING THERE WILL BE NO FINANCE ACCEPTED IN PERSON ON FRIDAY 29 MARCH

SCHOOL DENTAL VAN INFORMATION

The Dental van is at Merrimac State School To arrange a dental appointment

Please phone 1300 300 850

PE NEWS

Interschool Sport Years 5 and 6 Interschool Sport starts in Term Two on Friday 26th April. Students nominated last Friday if they wished to participate. Children selected to participate in an Interschool Sports team will receive a permission/payment form from their coach. The cost for interschool sport will be $75. Payment must be received no later than 9.30am on Friday 5 April. If paying via direct deposit or bpoint please allow a couple of days for us to receive funds. Children not participating in Interschool sports will be involved in school based sports activities each Friday afternoon.

School Cross Country Our School Cross Country will be held next Friday 5 April. We are hoping for a fine day with students trying their best. All students competing will receive points for their House. Please wear/have a House Coloured T shirt, sensible running shoes, hat,

plenty of water and your best effort. Below are approximate times that your child will run. Please bring a chair for comfort and we look forward to seeing you: 9:15 Year 3 9:30 Students turning 9 in 2019 9:50 Students turning 10 in 2019 10:10 Students turning 11 in 2019 10.30 Students turning 12 in 2019

MORNING TEA 11:40 Year 1 12:10 Year 2 12:30 Prep 12:50 Presentations The first four placed students from 10-12 years will be eligible to compete at the District Cross Country.

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to the following students of the week: Sebastian A P1, Nikolai L P1, Zana-Rose S P2, Benjamin D P2, Joshua I P3, Harper R P3, Holly B P4, Lily B P4, Cohen M P5, Enrique D P5, Gypsy H 1A, Timmy S 1A, Sienna W 1B, Lincon V 1B, Lalita D 1C, Brax W 1C, Gracie A 1D, Kayden W 1D, Dwaine S 12M, Elara P 12M, Tahlia S 2A, Summer H 2A, Samson M 2B, Brandon T 2B, Luke W 2C, Zoe E 2C, Axel S 2D, Ellie G 2D, Jackson K 3A, Bree-Anna H 3B, Logan O 3C, Tier C 3D, Tayla B 3E, Jonathan M 45M, Caelan B 4A, Jaydin A 4D, Semih Y 5A, Rinoha S 5B, Noah P 5C, Aaliyah G 5D, Brandy L 6A, Michael S 6B, Leif V 6C, Lily H 6D.

MUSIC NEWS

MERRIMAC STATE SCHOOL CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS

MERRIMAC STATE SCHOOL Presents

CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS MONDAY 1ST APRIL 9.30 – 12.30pm

Instrumental Junior and Senior Singing Junior and Senior Drama Junior and Senior Dance Junior and Senior Parents and families welcome to attend. See you there!

TUCKSHOP NEWS

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DAY FOR THE EASTER SPECIAL – DUE TO A CLASH WITH THE EASTER HAT PARADE.

EASTER MEAL DEAL NOW ON THURSDAY 4TH APRIL – the last week of term. This will be the only food available for 2nd Break on this day. You must pre-order the Meal Deal either on Flexi-schools or over the counter. Last day for orders will be Tuesday 2nd April 9am.

HOT DOG EASTER NEST WITH EGGS

JUICE BOX $6.00

Have a great week! Brandi-Lee & Anne

P&C NEWS

BOOKSHOP and UNIFORM SHOP HOURS

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8.00am – 9.00am.

2019 UPCOMING EVENTS

27 – 29 March

Year 4 Camp (Boys & Girls 4A, 4D and 4M Boys)

Fri 29 Mar Last day of Years 5 and 6 Surf Program

Mon 1 April Talent Quest

Tues 2 April Merrimac SHS Workshop and Twilight Concert

Wed 3 April 11. 30am to 1.00pm Prep to Year 2 Easter Hat Parade

Wed 3 April Parent/Teacher Interviews (3.30pm to 7.30pm)

Thurs 4 April Free Dress Day

Fri 5 April Last day of Term One

Fri 5 April Proposed School Cross Country Day

Fri 19 April Good Friday holiday

Mon 22 April Easter Monday holiday

Tues 23 April First school day of Term Two

What did you do at school today? This could possibly the number one question that comes out of our mouths as parents every afternoon to our children, “What did you do at school today?” I am sure the answer we get back is possibly even shorter than the question itself! Does your child have few words to share at the end of a school day? Do you get a yes or a no and that is it? Try some of these questions to help engage in conversation with your child about their day at school. Over dinner or an afternoon game is a great time to catch up with your children gain an insight into their day. What response would you get to these questions? • What was the best thing that happened at school today? • Tell me something that made you laugh today? • Where is the coolest place at school? • If I called your teacher tonight, what would she tell me about you today? • How did you help somebody today? How did somebody help you today? • Tell me one thing that you learned today? • When were you the happiest today? • Who would you like to play with at break that you’ve never played with before? • What word did your teacher say most today? • What do you think you should do/learn more of at school? • Where do you play the most at morning tea/little lunch? • What was your favourite part ofbig lunch? • If you could switch seats with anyone in the class, who would you trade with? Why? • Tell me about three different times you used your pencil today at school?

Happy chatting! Lee White Literacy Coach