Waterford State School acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Yugumbeh and Jagera people, of the country on which the school is located and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Principal’s Message

Jingeri Wahlu, Welcome! Term 3, Week 4 • 7th August 2020

Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

Evidence Based

ApproachEvidence Based Approach - the 2 books shown are the evidence based approach used at Waterford SS to improve student learning outcomes. They combine approaches to enable school leaders and teachers to boost student achievement and build teacher capacity to learn, teach and lead by emphasising collaborative processes.

“Embed and quality assure all elements of the

Australian Curriculum – English, to ensure

consistency of practice across the school.”

2020 Sharp and Narrow

At least 12 months growth for one year’s schooling

T: (07) 3451 8222 F: (07) 3451 8200 E: principal@waterfordss.eq.edu.au W: https://waterfordss.eq.edu.au

Office hours: 8am - 4pm Tuckshop: 3451 8216 40 Nerang Street, Waterford Qld 4133

Connect with us

Waterford State School

Dear Parents and Carers,Events over the last week in our local community have made it necessary for me to highlight the important health messages and reinforce school operations at Waterford. There are a couple immediate measures we are putting in place, to ensure the ongoing health and safety of our school community.

Health and Safety First and foremost I wish to remind everyone that if you are experiencing any of the following COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, please isolate, call your doctor or 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and get tested.Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:• Fever • Cough • Sore throat • Runny nose • Loss of taste or smell • Tiredness and muscle aches • Vomiting and/or diarrhoea • Shortness of breathFurther information about COVID-19 is available via the link below:https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/stay-informed/testing-and-fever-clinics

Ongoing School Operations In order to keep our students, staff and Waterford community safe, the following measures will continue to be in place at Waterford State School. It is very important for all parents and carers to continue to support these measures, which reflect the recommendations of both the Department of Education and Queensland Health.To keep us all healthy and safe please ensure the following:1. Students who are unwell must not attend school.2. Physical distancing of 1.5 metres is required by all adults.3. Parents and carers must not gather in and around school grounds,

carparks, school gates and outside classrooms.4. Students will engage in regular effective handwashing and hygiene

protocols, including regularly washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser and covering coughs and sneezes.

5. All students are encouraged to bring to school their own, named and filled water bottle.

6. Parents and carers should use Stop, Drop and Go or designated parking areas and not walk their child into the school grounds.

Drop off and Pick Up We are again strongly recommending parents and carers to not come onto the school grounds for regular drop off and pick up arrangements. If you happen to arrive early to collect your child, please wait outside the school gates to greet your child and maintain social distancing whilst waiting outside the school grounds.Our staff will continue to supervise students in the morning from 8:15am until school commences and again in the afternoon until 3:20pm.Please remind your children that all playgrounds are out of bounds before and after school.

Diary Dates:

Please note, parades have been postponed until further notice

Week 5 Friday 14th August Show Holiday

Week 6 15th - 23rd August National Science Week

Week 8 Friday 4th September Pupil Free Day

Week 10 Friday 18th September Last day of Term 3

TERM DATES:

TERM 3, 2020: Monday 13th July – Friday 18th September

TERM 4, 2020: Tuesday 6th October – Friday 11th December

Congratulations 6C -

Awesome Attendance

@ Waterford winners!

(continued over)

OU

R S

CH

OO

L P

RIO

RIT

IES: At Waterford State

School we expect:

Australian Curriculum – English 80% of students receiving a C or better in English across the school

Lyn Sharratt’s “Clarity” – Every classroom operating under the 14 Parametres, building powerful collaborative learning cultures

Before and After School CareAt WSS we have before and after school care run by Camp Australia in our Community Hub. If you are interested in finding out more information, please call 1300 105 343, pick up a flyer from the WSS Office or visit www.campaustralia.com.au

Principal’s Message (continued)Staff Availability To ensure the safety of our staff, teachers will not be available before or after school to discuss any issues or concerns that you may have in person for the immediate future. We ask that you please contact your child’s teacher by phone or email to have these discussions. You can use the email addresses provided in Term 2 for this purpose. We appreciate your support around this matter in advance.

General Matters For the next fortnight (Monday 8th August - Friday 20th August) some regular school practices that were recommencing are now postponed as we monitor the current local context. Primarily both school assemblies will be postponed until we have a clearer understanding of the current situation.As frustrated as we all may be with the current situation, it is important that we keep front of mind – we are all in this together. The health and safety of our students, staff and our school community continues to be our number one priority and it will take our collective effort during this period. Our response as a school is all about taking precautions and not being alarmist during a time when calmness and civility are needed.I thank you in advance for your ongoing support, and on behalf of our staff, we hope you and your family stay safe and well.

Yours in Education Daniel Bishop, Principal

From the Guidance OfficerLooking after your Mental Health and Wellbeing

There are a number of things you can do to look after and maintain your mental health and wellbeing. For example, many people cope with stress by getting involved with sports, exercising, meditating, or practising yoga or relaxation techniques. Others express themselves through art, such as poetry, writing, painting or music. Adequate sleep and what you eat can also affect your mood – eight hours sleep and a well-balance diet will help keep you both physically and mentally healthy.

It can be helpful to talk to someone about what is going on in your life if you have noticed a change in how you are feeling and thinking. This might include:

• Not enjoying or not wanting to be involved in things that you would normally enjoy;• Changes in appetite or sleeping patterns; • Being easily irritated or having problems with family or friends for no reason; • Finding your performance at work or school is not as good as it used to be; • Engaging in risky behaviour that you would usually avoid, such as excessive alcohol or substance

abuse or depending on these substances to feel “normal”; • Having trouble concentrating or remembering things;• Having negative, distressing, bizarre or unusual thoughts; • Feeling unusually stressed or worried.

Feeling angry, tense, down or anxious are all normal emotions, but when they persist for long periods of time they may be part of a mental health problem. If you are concerned about your own or a friend’s mental health and wellbeing, getting support can help keep you on track at home, work or with study. Consider talking to your GP or for further information visit the following websites: headspace.org.au; beyondblue.org.au; kidshelpline.com.au; parentline.com.au.

Mary, Guidance Officer

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 2

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

From The Deputy Desk: P-2

Kelly Roberts Deputy Principal P-2

Enrol Now - Prep 2021

Children must be 5 years old by 30th June in the year they enrol.

Healthy Lunches Creating fresh and healthy lunches that the kids will actually eat can be a daily challenge for time-poor parents.

Eating a healthy lunch is important for growing children because it boosts their energy, improves concentration and provides the nutrients they need to fuel their body and mind for growth and development.

Here are some healthy lunchbox ideas:• a main item such as a wholegrain sandwich, wrap, roll, pasta

or rice dish with lean protein and salad• a piece of fruit or vegetable sticks• a healthy snack such as yoghurt, wholegrain crackers with

cheese or a small fruit muffin• air-popped popcorn • hard-boiled egg

For healthy recipe ideas, visit http://healthier.qld.gov.au.

Social Distancing: The health and safety of students, staff and the broader community is the Department of Education’s highest priority. The department continues to take advice from the Chief Health Officer and Queensland Health in making decisions regarding the operation of schools during COVID-19.

We would like to thank our parents and care providers for your continued diligence and support with our current pick-up and drop-off routines. To assist with protection our staff and students, all adults who have essential business with the school are to report to the Student Window. Should you need to speak to your child’s teacher, please contact the school for a return phone call or email the teacher who will respond within 24hrs.

Handwashing:

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 3

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

Hello Waterford Community,

I’m really impressed with how settled the majority of our students have been this term. With the easing of restrictions at the start of the term, we were able to meet together at an Upper Sector parade in Week 1 and 3. Due to the current COVID-19 warnings in Logan, we have made the decision to postpone parade in Week 5 and we will reassess whether the Upper Sector parade in Week 7 will run closer to the date. The health of our students and staff remain a priority, hence the need to take these measures and keep parades closed to parents at this point in time.

A reminder about the Show Holiday change to 14th August and September 4th is a Pupil Free Day: Logan City Council has taken the opportunity to move their 2020 Show Holiday to Friday, 14th August 2020, in line with the general state change to the Ekka Show Holiday.

Learning and Well-being: A Healthy, Ready to Learn Approach to the Day Another reminder to our children has been given to be ready to learn for the day. We need to have had a good night’s rest, limited screen time and had more play time during the day before, eaten a good breakfast and have a healthy lunch packed or ordered at the Tuckshop.

Deputy Principal Year 3-6This routine will go a long way for every child to progress well at school.

Please also check with your child that they have enough stationery and items for learning at school for Term 3. Teachers will remind children if their supplies are running low.

After School arrangements: School finishes at 2:45pm for Prep- 6 students.

Parents/Carers, could you please ensure that your child/children know what the arrangements are for going home after school, pick up after school or where to meet you; especially in circumstances where this arrangement can change from day to day.

If something happens, or arrangements change, we ask you to please call the office before school finishes or soon after to let the office staff know, so that we can reassure students that someone is coming to collect them.

Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone next week.

Catherine Higgins Acting Deputy Principal (Year 3-6)

We have reached Week 4 which means that next week will see our first Awesome Attendance @ Waterford draw for Term 3. Have you been checking the attendance board to see if you will make the draw? Now is the time to start thinking about which $50.00 voucher you would choose if (or when) you win.

Children who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged as they miss starting the day with their peers and the beginning of lessons. This means that they are often unsettled and confused about tasks. Their teacher may not always be able to re-explain work.

It is very important that children establish good routines and habits in preparation for the rest of their lives. Punctuality is a life skill that they need to develop while they are young.

School starts at 8.45am every day. Students need to be in their class line ready to begin their lessons promptly. If arriving late to school, please remember to collect a late slip from Student Administration before heading to your classroom.

Our Class Attendance Winners for Week 2: 1W and 6C and for Week 3: Prep K and 6C.

6C seem to be THE class to beat! 3 weeks in a row!

Awesome Attendance @ Waterford

See you at school!

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 4

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

Deputy Principal Diverse LearningSpeech and Language Early speech and language development is integral to developing more complex skills such as reading, comprehending, writing and problem solving. Generally children who are exposed to a language rich environment where they are involved in conversation, read to regularly, join in chants and rhymes, and encouraged to follow simple instructions, meet speech and language milestones effortlessly. We acknowledge you, the parent, as your child’s first teacher knowing that you have supported, encouraged and cheered on your child when they learnt to crawl, walk and talk. Our Prep classrooms are rich in language opportunities where this oral language development continues to be nurtured.

Follow this link https://apps.apple.com/au/app/speak-app/id921896071 to download the free SPEAK App that has loads of simple tips and ideas on how to encourage your child’s speech and language skill development at all ages.

..

To download this poster as handy information sheets visit www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/milestones

At 2 yearschildren can usually...• follow simple two part instructions

(e.g., ‘give me the ball and the car’) • respond to simple wh-questions, such

as ‘what’ and ‘where’•point to several body parts and

pictures in books when named•understand when an object is ‘in’ and

‘on’ something.

• say more than 50 single words•put two words together (e.g., ‘bye teddy’,

‘no ball’)•use their tone of voice to ask a question

(e.g.,‘teddy go?’)• say ‘no’ when they do not want something•use most vowel sounds and a variety of

consonants (m, n, p, b, k, g, h, w, t, d)• start to use ‘mine’ and ‘my’.

At 3 yearschildren can usually...• follow more complex two part

instructions (e.g., give me the teddy and throw the ball)

•understand simple wh-questions, such as ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘who’

•understand the concepts of ‘same’ and ‘different’

• sort items into groups when asked (e.g., toys vs food)• recognise some basic colours.

• say four to five words in a sentence •use a variety of words for names,

actions, locations and descriptions• ask questions using ‘what’, ‘where’ and

‘who’• talk about something in the past,

but may use ‘-ed’ a lot (e.g., ‘he goed there’)

•have a conversation, but may not take turns or stay on topic.

At 5 years children can usually...• follow three part instructions (e.g., put on

your shoes, get your backpack and line up outside)

•understand time related words (e.g., ‘before’, ‘after’, ‘now’ and ‘later’)

• start thinking about the meaning of words when learning

•understand instructions without stopping to listen

•begin to recognise some letters, sounds and numbers.

•use well formed sentences to be understood by most people

• take turns in increasingly longer conversations

• tell simple, short stories with a beginning, middle and end

•use past and future verbs correctly (e.g., ‘went’, ‘will go’)

•use most speech sounds, but still may have difficulties with ‘s’, ‘r’, ‘l’ and ‘th’.

At 18 monthschildren can usually...•understand up to 50 words and

some short phrases• follow simple instructions (e.g.,

‘throw the ball’)•point to familiar objects when

named •point to some pictures in familiar books.

• say 6 to 20 single words – some easier to understand than others, but becoming more consistent

• copy lots of words and noises•name a few body parts•use objects in pretend play

(e.g., hold toy phone to their ear and say ‘hello?’).

Communication milestones

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Understanding and speaking

“between the flags”At 12 monthschildren can usually...•understand about 10 words• respond to their name• recognise greetings and gestures,

such as ‘hi’ and ‘bye-bye’• recognise a few familiar people

and objects (e.g., mummy, blankie, teddy)

•make eye contact.

• start to use sounds, gestures, and say a few words

• continue to babble• copy different sounds and noises.

unde

rsta

nding

When you talk to me, WAIT

for me to respond before you say more.

Get face-to-face

with me when we

communicate.

At 4 yearschildren can usually...• answer most questions about

daily tasks•understand most wh-questions,

including those about a story they have recently heard

•understand some numbers• show an awareness that some

words start or finish with the same sounds.

•use words, such as ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘because’, to make longer sentences

•describe recent events, such as morning routines

• ask lots of questions•use personal pronouns (e.g.,

he/she, me/you) and negations (e.g., don’t/can’t)

• count to five and name a few colours.

Children learn to communicate by interacting with early childhood educators, family, and friends.

This poster shows when, and how children develop communication skills. Early childhood educators and speech pathologists can support children to build their communication and keep them developing “between the flags”.

We can work together to: • find out which children are understanding and speaking

“between the flags”

• create communication-supporting learning spaces

• help children with a range of communication needs.

Speech pathologists can also provide therapy to help children with: • understanding and using pictures, symbols, signs, gestures,

speech sounds, words and sentences

• taking turns and making eye contact

• building skills for later reading and spelling

• stuttering, voice and feeding difficulties.

Don’t “wait and see” Please speak to parents about their child’s communication as soon as you have any concerns. Get advice from Speech Pathology Australia by phoning 1300 368 835.Work together with a speech pathologist in your area. You can contact speech pathologists:

• through local community health centres and not-for-profit organisations

• by calling or emailing private practices.

Try searching for speech pathology services online, or at www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au (click on ‘Find a Speech Pathologist’).

Language and cultural differencesChildren from different backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, may use words differently when learning English. This may not be a problem. Always encourage families to use the language(s) at home that they are comfortable speaking.

Children who are learning English need meaningful language experiences through stories, music, nursery rhymes, play and LOTS of repetition. If you’re unsure about their progress, check with a speech pathologist.

No need to always read the

whole book. Talk about

pictures that interest me.

spea

king

spea

king

spea

king

spea

king

spea

king

spea

king

unde

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nding

unde

rsta

nding

unde

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unde

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Figure out what I want to say, and put it into words for

me.

Safeguard Students Online A topic that is always worth discussing is how we safeguard our students online. At school we have a number of processes that protect our students. Safety of our students will forever be an ongoing concern that needs to be constantly addressed in our ‘tech-centric’ world. Some valuable information for parents can be found at the eSafety Commissioner website. I recommend that care givers check the ‘Parent’ section for some great tips and advice using the following link https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Have a fantastic fortnight and stay safe.

Melissa Davis Deputy Principal Diverse Learning

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 5

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

Wellness TeamReading Dogs

This week we had two visits from Nikki and our fabulous Reading Dog, Karma! Karma loves seeing all the friendly faces at Waterford and enjoys the lime light she receives while being here! Here’s some photos of Karma being a fabulous listener as students read to her.

School Jumpers

Recently there has been an abundance of jumpers in the lost property and a very small percentage of these jumpers have names on them. It is very important that your child’s name is clearly written on the inside label so in the event it is misplaced then found, it can be returned to them with ease. Additionally, please remind your children, in the event of a lost jumper, to check the lost property for their item. Thank you in advance.

Lunch time activities!

Hula Hooping with Miss Carmen!

Miss Carmen, a former circus hula hoop instructor and performer will be holding hula hoop club twice a week during first break (Monday and Wednesdays). All students are welcome to come and play, learn a few tricks and make some new friends. Watch this space to see the hoop stars in action.

Miss Brooke, Tilly and Chloe drawing some beautiful unicorns

Pictured from left to right:

Declan multi hula hooping!

Tayla having fun with Miss Carmen, hula hooping.

Declan a master!

Rose enjoying herself !

Koda is very talented.

Shaaniya and Alisaar colouring in and making thoughtful cards for friends

Miss Dianne playing UNO with Layla and Jake

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 6

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

Wellness Team (continued)Chappy News

One of my favourite aspects of being a chaplain (and I’ve now been a chaplain at Waterford for a whole year!) is being able to see the growth that happens in students socially and emotionally (and of course academically) throughout the year. This year has been interrupted by Covid-19, but it’s been inspiring to see the ways students have bounced back from this and are continuing to grow in their friendships on the playground and in the classroom. I’m thankful to be able to be there to support students.

Kindness Box

One of our Wellbeing initiatives we’ve implemented at school for the staff is something called the Kindness Box. Every staff member is invited to write down something kind they see another staff member doing throughout the week, and one of these kindness notes is drawn at our staff meeting for a prize. I’ve been encouraged to see all the ways our admin, teachers, and support staff go above and beyond. The Kindness Box could be something that you could try at home with your own family as well!

Good Start Program

At Good Start we discussed what benefits we receive while being active either in a team environment, with family or by ourselves. We started the session off with a tabata workout which consist of 4 exercises - pushups, starjumps, air squats and burpees. We did each exercise 3 times for 20 seconds with 10 seconds rest, which went for 6 minutes. After we finished we sat down and discussed some of the benefits we receive after any type of physical activity. Some students said - emotional benefits, social benefits in a team environment and also health benefits.

Tamas Body

Students placed pictures on Tamas body of benefits to his body. Some benefits were strong muscles, improved brain function and strong heart. Pictures that were placed around the outside of Tamas body were emotional benefits such as a sense of achievement, feeling happy and also social connections through team sports/activities.

The Fathering Project

Start the conversation about bullying

This month on The Fathering Channel we are bringing you a special series on bullying and cyber bullying to assist all fathers and parents develop their skills and knowledge to support their child if the situation ever occurs.How do I explain bullying to my child? Bullying is when a person or group of people keep doing things to someone that make them feel hurt, upset or frightened. Bullying can happen online or offline. The difference between bullying behaviour and other aggressive behaviour is that bullying is repeated acts; the same person or group target the one person over and over. Some important tips for talking to your children about bullying:

• Talk about what bullying is. Explain the fact that it is repeated acts by a person or a group.• Let your children know it is always okay to ask for help.• Talk about when to ask for help.• Support your child’s friendships and talk to them about how to be a good friend.• Open the lines of communication by creating casual chat. Side-by-side is a great way to have chats.• Discuss how to solve social problems. Ask questions while you are having a casual chat like – what would you do if…? Do you ever see kids

having problems with each other at school? What would you do if this happened to you?• Keep reinforcing that you are always there to help and support.

For more information about The Fathering Project and to have this information more accessible and more frequent please email fhoet0@eq.edu.au or call Administration and ask for Liasion Officer, Dela Hoeter.

Fitclub

It has been awesome to see new students come to Fitclub to be active and also have fun with new people. We have been playing different variations of Oztag but the students loved playing a Bullrush type of game, where both teams attempted to take off the opposing team’s tags to win. When your tags have been ripped you sit out till the next round. Twice a week we got to the basketball court and played Dr Dodgeball as all students agreed that it’s the best game to play.

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 7

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

It’s Ekka time at the Tuckshop and we are having a special to celebrate! Running over 2 days (Thursday 13th and Monday 17th) you will be able to order a special Ekka Meal Deal. Please remember we are cashless at the tuckshop so this is only available via Munch Monitor or EFTPOS.We also have some great specials running all through the week with our ‘Travel the World’ theme this term. We have added new destinations to our specials, so visit Munch Monitors to find out where we can take you now….Uniform ShopOpening hours: Monday 8am-9amWednesday 2pm-3pm

Alternatively, you can order online anytime via Munch Monitor and we will deliver to your child.Please remember to register your child for Munch Monitor online as we are CASHLESS at the tuckshop. You can assign a daily amount, ‘snack money’ for them to use ‘over-the-counter’ at the tuckshop also. If you need assistance doing this please contact us at the tuckshop. To register visit www.munchmonitor.com and enter:Username: Waterford Password: munch4133

Birthdays Birthday Box $6.00 Class Cupcakes $30.00

Tuckshop & Uniform News

ECDPLast week we had a visit from a couple of chickens as part of our Term 2 Farm experiences. The children at the ECDP loved their pretty feathers and were surprised by how soft they were to touch. Thank you to Dylan for bringing his chickens for a visit! The visit sparked lots of talking about animals and pets and the children shared stories about their pets.

Do you have a pet? Take the opportunity to share stories together about animals.

Have fun!

Sharon and Kirra

Have a great week! Erica & Michelle

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 8

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

Aboriginal artists from across the country have taken out top prizes at the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFAs), with a popular Australian fashion label hoping to release collaborated pieces with one winner.

NIFA creative director Nina Fitzgerald said the awards - produced by the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair - recognise the exceptional work Indigenous artists are creating for the fashion market.

Mainstream fashion isn’t exactly known for its diversity, so the challenge is to really elevate and celebrate the stories that are coming out of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Australia through their fashion design.

Deadly Choices update As a result of the current health situation, Deadly Choices has suspended their school-based program at Waterford State School until further notice. As part of their Risk Management strategy, they have come to this decision in order to minimise risk to staff, as well as the wider community. Deadly Choices will reassess the situation and make further recommendations and plans and decide when they will return to Waterford State School to deliver the rest of the Healthy Lifestyle program.

We look forward to having Deadly Choices back but respect their decision in minimising risk and taking preventative measures.

Indigenous News

As part of their Term 3 unit “Built for B Ball”, the Year 5 students are exploring the specialised movement skills and combined movement concepts required for the game of basketball. They will also learn to identify and explain the health-related fitness components used in the sport. By the end of the term, students should have an understanding of and be able explain the significance of participation in everyday physical activities and how these influence their health and wellbeing.Pictured you can see the students ready, watching and planning their next move in the game of Two Square Bounce. This game provides the opportunity to practise the skills of catching as well as the chest and bounce pass. It also encourages students to think strategically in order to out manoeuvre and gain an advantage over their opponent.

HPE Update

Chinese NewsWe have been reviewing various colours and learning twenty clothing items and accessories in Chinese. Students are engaged in class fun activities such as singing a song and playing traditional Chinese games “Da feng chui ”. Now we are playing Connect Four to consolidate learning of words and practising describing a piece of clothing. Miss Shu

⼤风吹

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 9

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Year 1 NewsHere in Year 1 we’ve been busy scientists who can observe changes in our sky! We have been looking out our windows and noticing all the things we can see in our sky during the day. When we go home at night, we can compare the changes from day sky to night sky. Have a look at these photos to see the changes we have observed! You can also see some people busy at work, painting their day sky in their city they are about to create.

PrepSo far in Term 3, the Preps have started reading groups! We are beginning to learn all about our reading strategies and our friends who help us read. We are loving using our Eagle Eye to look for clues in the pictures and Stretchy Snake to stretch out the tricky words. We are doing a great job so far - awesome work Prep!

STEM NewsThis fortnight our early years have been working on a variety of activities. They have been investigating what floats and doesn’t float in both fresh and salt water. They have been labelling a scientific drawing on pages and learning about the food chain.

In Year 3 we have put the finishing touches on our keynote games and been practising our coding on code.org.

Year 4 have been developing many skills again and testing out their mats they are designing with the Dash robots to evaluate their designs.

Year 5 have done a lot of coding work on their games. We have been coding and debugging our code as we work. They have found this challenging but perseverance is paying off !

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 10

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

This week, we read The Lorax as part of our English unit. We looked at some characters such as the Bar-ba-loots, the Swommee-Swans and the Humming-Fish. In Maths, we are focussing on multiplication. Here are some photos of the strategies we have used to find out the answer to a multiplication sum.

Year 3 News

For Science, we have continued some experiments to investigate the movement of heat.

3H This week in 3H, we have been working on the strategies we can use to answer multiplication and division questions. The students had to design an activity for their classmates to complete. They also had to create a set of questions and an answer sheet to go along with the activity. The students were very enthusiastic and creative when designing their activities. Have a look at some of the activities that were on offer. I think some of our students have a career in creating board games! Well done 3H!

Throughout this term, the Year 2’s have been reading the story George’s Marvellous Medicine, which has enticed them to create their own procedure for something disgusting for Grandma! Ask your children about some of the creative/interesting ingredients they have used. An update on our bean plants: some growth has been a bit slower than others, nonetheless students are still enjoying watching their bean seeds grow and change.

Year 2 News

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 11

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

4H have been busy working away describing the properties of different material in Science such as plastic objects and cotton balls. While closing their eyes, students had their own object in their hands to list describing words about the textures of the materials. They then created lists of what other things these materials are used for and if they are effective choices to do their job. 4G and 4W teamed up to tackle how to plot fractions on a number line. Students became teachers and taught the concept to others using their own words. Our students worked deliberately using three steps. First, they modelled how to plot a fraction on a number line and their peer watched. Next, they worked with their peer and supported them to plot a fraction on a number line. Finally, they watched while their peer plotted a fraction independently. Building student capacity to be able to understand a concept so deeply that they are able to teach another is a powerful and motivating way to engage our Waterford Learners.

To get the students thinking more critically about poems, we have been looking at the song ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry. Students deconstructed the song, discussed and decided on the message, meaning and purpose and determined what poetic devices were being used and how this affects the interpretation of the song. Students are having fun listening to different songs and developing a deeper understanding of their meaning and purpose.

In Year 6 we are well underway into our HASS and Science units. In HASS we are learning about Australia in a diverse world. The students will investigate how places, people and cultures differ across the world, looking at demographic characteristics, economic characteristics, environmental and social characteristics focusing on Australia and Asia. The students will learn how to locate diverse places of interest around the world using longitude and latitude.In Science we are learning about our changing world. The students will explore how sudden geological changes and extreme weather events, such as, volcanoes, earthquakes, cyclones, bushfires, and tsunamis can affect Earth’s surface. They will consider the effects of earthquakes and volcanoes on Earth’s surface and how communities are affected by these events. The students will gather, record and interpret data relating to weather and weather events. The students in 6C won the Awesome Attendance @ Waterford award, again, and have had their choice of song selected, which was, “Simply the Best” by Tina Turner. Congratulations 6C!

Year 4 News

Year 5 News

Year 6 News

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 12

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner

Community Notices

A casual position exists for a School Crossing Supervisor at Waterford State School.

1. Casual rates start at $30.34 per hour, (maximum of 1.5 hours per day)

2. Work morning and afternoon on school days in all weather conditions

3. If you are successful, Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) will provide: - Health Assessment - Blue Card (for working with children) - Training

TMR is an equal opportunity employer. Applications close Friday 14th August, 2020. If interested, please contact Cecily Morris at southportroadsafety@tmr.qld.gov.au or obtain an application form from the WSS Office.

School Crossing Casual Position

Want to work with Children?CHC30213 Certificate 3 in Education Support

The Certificate 3 Guarantee Program is funded by the Queensland Government

3 days/week - school hours Plus 100 hours Vocational PlacementFee free training for 2019 year 12 graduates

$50 or $20 concession

Ph: 3207 9950

Loganholme • Marsden • Coopers Plains

RTO# 31418

www.s t ra teg ix .edu .au

(Monthly intakes, conditions apply)

Newsletter 7th August 2020 • Page 13

Be Respectful , Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner