Principal Elizabeth Cumming

HOC Liz Gundry

Administration Jess Scanlan Sue Heit

Uniform Shop NB Inspirations 4168 9013 NOVEMBER 12 Year 10 Work Experience 14 P&C Meeting 15 Prep Transition 17 Boondooma Dam fingerling release 22 Awards Night 29 Prep Transition 29 Year 10 Graduation 30 Year 10 Last Day DECEMBER 3-5 Student Leadership Camp 7 Christmas Concert 12 Rewards Day 14 Term Finishes (Events in italics are community events)

Principal’s Report Dear Parents and Guardians, Week five has nearly ended, which means that we only have five weeks left of school for 2018. All students are working extremely hard in class and on their assessment tasks. Keep up the great work students! In Week Six our Year Ten students will be participating in a work experience program for the week. I am looking forward to hearing all about their experiences when they return to school. Awards night will be held on Thursday the 22nd of November at the Proston Town Hall commencing at 7pm. All students are required to wear full school uniform and parents must accompany their children on the night. As the weather is heating up please ensure that your child/children have a water bottle for during class time. Students are losing valuable learning time by leaving class several times throughout the day to have a drink (especially secondary students).

Au revoir (Goodbye in French)

Samantha Skerritt Acting Principal

2018 NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 8

PROSTON STATE SCHOOL P: (07) 4169 4333 94Rodney Street P&C Association Meeting will be the second Wednesday of

F: (07) 4169 4300 Proston, each month at 3:15pm in the school library. All welcome!

www.prostonss.eq.edu.au QLD 4613

Remember

to bring a

drink

bottle to

school!

Prep Transition Sessions We are now accepting enrolment forms for our Prep students for 2019. If you have a child who turns five by the end of June 2019, they are eligible to begin school next year. Two more Transition sessions will be held on November 15 and 29 from 9am to 10:30am. For more information, please contact the school.

Year 5 Fundraising The Year 5 students are raising funds for next year’s Canberra trip. They will be selling iceblocks on Monday and Wednesday at both breaks for 50 cents.

Prep News Please be aware that the students are tired at this time of year and that you might start to see different behaviours happening. We are completing our assessments at present and this is a tiring time. Please ensure your child has plenty of rest and sleep for their own wellbeing. It is important for your child to be at school to complete these unless they are sick. Thanks for your cooperation in this. One of the highlights from past weeks is our Media Arts representations of our families, some of which are shown here. Yours in education, Mrs Sue Jones

Star News Why are they up a ladder? We have been learning about birds eye views and side views. Year 2 and Year 3 have been completing their mapping unit. We have covered how to design a map and creating a key for a map. We have used our new atlases and our imagination to develop our dream school, our favourite place, a lovely garden and the world’s best bedroom. We will be working on designing a “kids only space” in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for the next newsletter for some awesome and imaginative kids only spaces.

Mrs Holland

Proston Parents &

Citizens Association The next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday 14 November. P&C meetings are usually held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month during the school term at 3:15pm at the school library. Bring your ideas, skills and time to help raise money for our children. All parents and community members are welcome.

Year 1 News It is hard to believe that we have hit the halfway mark of Term 4! The Grade Ones have been very busy finishing up units of work. They have loved learning about the changes in the day and night sky and landscapes in Science, and worked so well together to create a fabulous day/night sky and landscape reconstruction in the classroom. Please pop in and have a look if you haven't seen it yet. In English, the students are learning about procedural texts - texts that tell us how to do something! We had great fun reading the story 'Wombat Stew' and then collecting all the ingredients and writing the procedure on how to make it. We also have been practising reading and sequencing the steps in a procedure using transition words like first, next, then, last. We sequenced a recipe about how to make an ice-cream and as a PBL goal this week, if we can work together to be learners and actively participate, we are going to make some real ice-creams on Friday! Please remember to practise and sign your sight word homework every night and your home reading log book. Each night practised = a vivo! Please also remember that fruit snack is only 5 minutes so the fruit needs to be something your child can snack on quickly. Cutting your child's fruit up at home will help your child with this as we are not able to do this in the classroom. Mrs Amery

Children & hydration Our bodies are made up of approximately 70 percent water. Water has many important functions in the body, including; regulating your body’s temperature, digesting food and excreting waste. Your body loses water throughout the day when you sweat, breathe and urinate. It is important to replace the water you have lost to prevent yourself from becoming dehydrated. Children are at a greater risk of dehydration than adults. This is because in relation to their size, children have a larger proportion of their skin available to lose sweat and be exposed to heat. Additionally, children don’t always recognise that they’re thirsty, and if they’re not encouraged and reminded may forget to drink. Luckily, there are a few ways to tell if your child is hydrated. How do I know if my child is hydrated? Frequent bathroom breaks or wet nappies are the easiest way to tell if your child is hydrated. You can also look out for these common symptoms of dehydration: • Headaches • Poor concentration • Thirst • Cracked lips • Dry mouth • Constipation • Lethargy • Dark urine How much water does my child need? The amount your child needs will vary depending on their age, size and level of activity. For children under 8 years of age, at least 4-6 glasses of water is recommended. For children older than 8 years of age a minimum of 6-8 glasses is recommended. If your child is playing sports or is very active they will need extra fluid, see our section on hydration for active kids. Kids will also need more fluid on hot days or when unwell. Tips to help your kids stay hydrated! • Pack a water bottle for school and when you go out. Try a frozen water bottle in summer. • Encourage your child to drink water before, after and during physical activity • Always offer water with meals and snacks • Encourage your child to drink water, even if they don’t like it! Tips for kids who don’t like water • Try adding slices of fruits such as lemon or orange to water, for variety and flavour. • Let your kids choose their own drink bottle or serve water in colourful glasses or jugs. • Be a role model! Make a point of drinking water with your kids. • Experiment with temperature; try having a jug of water in the fridge, adding ice-cubes, or even warm water in winter. Water is the best choice to keep your kids hydrated throughout the day. Water contains no extra energy and can quench your thirst. Other fluids such as milk, juice and sweetened drinks can also contribute to your child’s fluid intake.

MUSIC NEWS - Music:

Count Us In! A huge thank you goes out to the following students who participated in Saturday's South Burnett Combined Schools "Music: Count Us In" performance at the Kingaroy Town Hall Forecourt on Saturday 3rd November - Hayley F, Kayden S-S, Kaiden S, Sharron B Mc, Darren B, Brewster B, Trinity P, Tessa N, Kellie B, Liam F, Patrick B, Willow P, Lucilla M, Makiya C and William B. Thank you also to the parents, staff, family, friends and community members who attended this wonderful event. Music: Count Us In has been running for 12 years now, and this is the fourth time our local schools have presented for a massed choir performance. It was very well supported, with 185 students from 6 local schools joining in - and what an amazing effort from our own Prep-Yr 6 students! Be assured it will be a happening thing again in 2019, with the aim being to exceed 200 students performing! Mrs Ginny Salmon (Music Teacher)

Chappy’s Chat Hi All, Here are a few words that I read recently which may help your kids do better at school. It’s from Focus on the Family and you can find more at www.families.org.au Helping Kids in School There are better ways to improve your child’s grades than simply helping them with their homework. Obviously, if kids are struggling through homework we should help them. But we can’t stop there. There are several other ways to help your kids do better in school, such as communicating regularly with their teachers, attend all parent teacher interviews and read every note sent home. Keep yourself informed of your child’s academic and social progress. Volunteering at school is another great way to show your support. Not only will the teacher love you for it, but it shows your kids that you want to be involved in their education. Little things, like volunteering to help on an excursion, going to school plays, and concerts and other functions, speak volumes about how dedicated you are to helping your kids learn. Then, encourage your kids to do their best, and see what a difference it makes. Chappy Janelle

Boondooma Dam Fingerling Release On Saturday 17 November at 10 am, all community members are welcome to help the Boondooma Dam fish restocking group release 80 000 bass fingerlings into Boondooma Dam at the boat ramp closest to the kiosk.

Teaching Gardens at Proston SS Hi Guardians and Proston Community members, As you know the gardens at the school play an integral role in our educational journey, and we are busy getting them ready for summer. We are extremely busy planting tomatoes, sunflowers, beans, rosella bushes and a host of other varieties. We now have a big yellow bin under the Admin building where we would love people to drop in their used newspapers which we use for weed matting and seed planting. Our secondary Design and Business students are also about to install three greenhouses to protect the plants from wind, insects, birds, wallabies, hares and the extremes of the sun's rays. We are seeking donations of any off-cuts or leftover pieces of rigid white poly-pipe you may have lying around for use in our current or future greenhouse projects, so let us know if you are able to assist! Also let us know if you have any interesting seeds or cuttings you think we might be able to try over summer. Happy gardening! Mr Shea Watt Teacher / Teaching Garden Coordinator

Awards Night 2018 Highlights

PBL Update Be a Learner: Always attempt the task. We recognise that students are getting tired and low in motivation as we are at the half way mark of Term 4. This week we have asked them to “dig deep” to continue learning, completing assessment and trying their best in these last weeks of the year. This focus has explored ways of managing tasks, thinking positively and remaining calm when feeling overwhelmed. Students were also informed about Rewards Day as motivator to keep working hard towards the end of term!

Rewards Day Term 4 Wednesday 12th December is Rewards Day for both primary and secondary students. This term we have explicit criteria of expectations that students must meet in order to qualify for Rewards Day. Students must be continually and consistently demonstrating the prescribed behaviour. Parents and caregivers will be informed of student eligibility before permission forms are sent home. The exciting destinations are as follows: Grade 5-9 Students: Lazerzone Sunshine Coast and Blast Aqua Park Coolum (7:30am- 5:45pm) Prep- Grade 4: Wetside Water Park Hervey Bay (8:00am- 5:00pm) All students will travel by bus and be supervised throughout the day by school staff. The only thing that students need to bring is their lunchbox (with food for the entire day) and swimming gear. Information and permissions will be sent home in the coming weeks with more specific detail. In the interim, we ask that families encourage and support the students to be continually and consistently demonstrating the prescribed behaviour in our rewards Criteria.

EVERY CHILD MATTERS AT PROSTON STATE SCHOOL P-10 Make every day count in 2018 – Make 2018 the year when your child does not miss a day of

school. Research shows that students who have good patterns of attendance are more likely to

achieve at school. If students are not at school or do not stay the whole day, they are missing

valuable lessons. Check out the EVERY DAY COUNTS videos live on DETE TV.

http://www.youtube.com/DETEQueensland

Exemptions from compulsory schooling and compulsory participation

An exemption from compulsory schooling or the compulsory participation phase is available

when a child or a young person cannot attend or it would be unreasonable in all the

circumstances to require them to attend school or participate in an eligible option for a period

of more than 10 consecutive school days.

An exemption excuses parents from their legal obligation to ensure that their child: •of compulsory school age is enrolled at or attends a school; or

•in the compulsory participation phase is participating full-time in an eligible option or a combination of eligible options. There are circumstances where an exemption may or may not be granted, or is not required. Exemptions should be applied for, and a decision made on the application by the decision maker, prior to the proposed exemption period. (If the application if not applied for prior to leave dates the enforcement of attendance letters will commence) In exceptional circumstances – where it is not known if the duration of the circumstance will exceed 10 consecutive school days (such as the child or young person becoming ill) – the exemption application does not need to be submitted or approved in advance. Once the student or their parent has been notified of the outcome of their request for an exemption, they have the right to request a review of the decision. Where an application for exemption has not been made or has not been granted by the decision maker, if the child or young person is enrolled in a school, their absence from school will be recorded in accordance with the Roll marking in state schools procedure. If the child or young person is not enrolled in any school or not participating full-time in an eligible option, processes outlined in the Managing student absences and enforcing enrolment and attendance at state schools procedure may be undertaken.