Newsletter Term 1 Week 7 2024
Principal's Message
Parent-Teacher Interviews
These are happening on Tuesday 19th March. Parent-Teacher interviews are a great way to develop closer relationships between school and home, and I encourage all parents and carers to book an interview if they are available to do so. Please contact the office if you need doing this. If you are unavailable to meet on this day, please contact your child’s teacher to make an alternative time to meet with them.
P&C Meeting
Our next P&C is happening on Wednesday 13th March in the Library. All parents and carers are welcome to attend.
Before School Supervision
A friendly reminder that school starts at 8.40am. Staff begin before-school supervision from 8.15am. Please avoid sending your children to school prior to this time as there is no adult supervision of students. Our expectation on both campuses is that students are sitting in their year level’s designated area in their class lines until the bell rings.
Playgroup
Playgroup has been postponed until further notice. Unfortunately, our Early Years Co-ordinator role was discontinued. I apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and will keep families posted about when this will resume.
Uniform
Thank you to all our students who proudly wear full school uniform every day. Our community is proud of our school uniform and I request that parents send their children to school in full school uniform every day, and with a wide brimmed hat for playtime. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you require help with school uniforms for your children.
Masina Taule’alo
Principal
Junior Campus Deputy Principal
NAPLAN 2024
Next week is the start of NAPLAN for this year. It will run from Wednesday 13th to Friday 22nd March. All of the tests will be online, with the students using iPads or laptops to complete these, apart from the Year 3 writing test, which will be the paper version. We will post a timetable of the days when each class is participating in each test on Facebook early next week. Please ensure your child has a good breakfast, and arrives to school on time on these days. If you have concerns or questions about this assessment, please email me at abell41@eq.edu.au
Alexis Bell
Year 1 English
This term in English, our Year 1 students are learning about Poetry. By the end of the term, they will have learned about how poems are different from other types of texts. Their assessment will be to read a poem and talk about the characters, setting, rhyme and repetition. Here are some photos of the Learning Walls in our Year 1 classrooms.
Middle Campus Deputy Principal
I can’t quite believe it is week 7 and the end of term is fast approaching. As I walk around and visit classes it is clear all our students are working extremely hard on their assessments and I look forward to celebrating all their amazing results. Please support your student by having conversations about their learning at home and do not hesitate to contact their teacher for any additional information or support that may be needed.
Senior Shirts
Estimated delivery for our second run of senior shirts will be the end of this term. Further information will be communicated.
Prep Leaders
I am really excited to announce a new initiative here at Mable Park State School. With so many aspiring leaders within our year 6 cohort we wanted to offer as many opportunities as possible. We had the pleasure of introducing our eight Prep Leaders to the school and community this week on Middle Campus Parade. Their role is to not only build their own leadership skills but bring connection between our Junior Campus students and Middle Campus students. They will be trained in conflict resolution and supported by our amazing Head of Department Student Services Sarah Williamson. We look forward to the amazing things happening this year.
Golden Gotchas
Our revamp of our reward system is going extremely well. The students are reporting that they love the Golden Gotchas and getting more frequent chances of receiving rewards.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Parent teacher interviews are on Tuesday the 19th March beginning at 3:00pm and concluding at 6:00pm. We look forward to seeing as many families as possible to discuss the amazing learning that is taking place with our Year 5 and 6 students. Please ensure to get in quick to make a booking with your student’s class teacher and do not hesitate to contact our wonderful ladies in the office if you need assistance.
Attendance-Every Day Counts
On behalf of the Middle Campus, we congratulate our students who have attended school every day this term. With a whole school target of 95% attendance, we all need to do our bit to make sure our students arrive to school on time, every single day. If you are struggling to get your children to school on time, please visit http://education.qld.gov.au/everydaycounts/parents-community/index.html for some useful tips and parent resources.
Sonya Wright
Teaching and Learning at Mabel
Reminder:
NAPLAN
Wednesday 13th March – Friday 22nd March
How to help your student …
- Make sure they start the day with a healthy breakfast eg. Cereal, eggs, fruit;
- Pack a healthy lunch to help their brain function;
- Help your child to be calm and relaxed;
- Remind your child that these assessments are not the only way for them to be successful.
If you have any concerns about your child participating in NAPLAN, please talk to their teacher. We may be able to give them extra time or rest breaks. You also have the option to withdraw your child.
Reminder
Supporting your child with Reading
The Department of Education and P&Cs Queensland are holding community sessions to provide information on Queensland’s Reading Commitment and supporting reading at home.
- Topic: Supporting children’s reading at home
- Dates: Wednesday 13th March 2024
- Time: 6:30pm – 7:15pm
- Audience: Parents and Carers of Prep to Year 2 students
- Registration: https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/KLCA5Y/
HAVE YOU BOOKED AN INTERVIEW WITH YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER?
Tuesday 19th March, 3:00pm to 6:00pm
In many classes, assessment will be beginning in the next couple of weeks. You may find your child is reluctant to come to school and worried about assessments.
Yes, it can be a stressful time, but we need to remind them that their teacher has been monitoring their learning the whole term and the assessments are just one more way to check how they are going with their learning.
If your child is particularly concerned, please talk to their teacher.
Maree Martin
Head of Department Curriculum
Student Services at Mabel
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)
What is Hi 5?
- It is an effective strategy to develop problem-solving strategies for our students.
- It is a 5-step problem solving strategy that can be used in the classroom, in the playground and for perceived bullying incidents.
Do the Hi 5:
- Ignore
- Talk Friendly
- Walk Away
- Talk Firmly
- Report
Teresa Radicke, Sarah Williamson and Karen Gardyne
Head of Department Student Services
Attendance
Every day counts
Every day counts… because children achieve better when they attend school all day, every day
Every day counts… because going to school means getting a better chance at life
Every day counts… because school helps children build social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience
Every day counts… because going to school is a legal requirement
What the law says
Under the law, you must make sure your child is enrolled and attends school on ALL school days unless you have a reasonable excuse. You must not keep your child away from school for minor reasons. Under the law, schools must monitor attendance of students and follow up with parents and caregivers any unexplained absences.
Pasifika and Māori Education Support
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e wha, Tēnā koutou kātoa. Tālofa lava, Mālō le soifua maua ma le lagi e mamā. Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Ni sa bula, Dina namona, warm Māori and Pasifika greetings to you all. My name is Mose Iosefa. I am a son of Samoan parents, from the villages of Satufia Satupaitea, and Apolima. I was born in Porirua, New Zealand and raised here in Logan. It is my pleasure to serve in the role of Community Liaison Officer (CLO) Pacific Islands and Māori at Mabel Park State School.
My role as CLO is to ensure a culturally safe and supported learning environment for Pacific Islander and/or Māori tamariki, and their whanau through a range of initiatives such as programs, learning intervention, advocacy, liaising and communication, staff and community partnerships that promote Pasifika and Māori perspectives and wellbeing. It is also with great excitement that I introduce a new purpose-driven space on the Middle Campus – the Cultural Connect Fale. Located in R Block (next to the computer lab), the Cultural Connect Fale adds another dimension to our support provisions by nurturing strong connections between our students and their family, community, and culture. It is an intentional safe space where students of all cultures can access and openly express themselves without fear of lasting judgement or ridicule. I look forward to bringing you more updates from the Cultural Connect Fale as it evolves.
For more information on Pasifika and Maori Education Support at Mabel Park State School or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mose Iosefa (Mr I) on (07) 3386 5333 or via email on miose0@eq.edu.au.
Ma lo’u fa’aāloalo lava (with all my respect). Manuia le vaiaso (have a good week).
Mose Iosefa
Indigenous Education Support
Jingeri Jimbelung! My name is Julie Duncan. I am a proud Iman Yinarr (Iman Aboriginal Woman) of the Upper Dawson River region, Central QLD. Iman Country is my Mother’s Traditional Country and extends from Bigge Range South towards the Great Dividing Range. I was born and raised on Barunggaam Country in the town of Dalby, two hours west of Meanjin (Brisbane) and am married to a Kamilaroi man from Mungindi, NSW. My family and I have lived on Gugingin Country in Woodridge for the past 3 years. I love working with our young Mabel Mob jarjums, their families, and community. I am passionate about promoting strong cultural identities supporting educational engagement and wellbeing, and work with a person-centred, strengths-based approach. I have over 20 years’ experience working within the Education system and believe building on our cultural connection and sense of belonging enhances our overall wellbeing and life outcomes.
As a school-based Community Education Counsellor (CEC), I provide culturally appropriate support for our Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander jarjums and their families to engage with their chosen educational setting. CECs additionally support schools in building cultural capability among staff through providing Cross Cultural Awareness Training and supporting Teachers to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Curriculum. CECs participate in the development and facilitation of activities likely to enhance engagement in education and support holistic wellbeing. CECs establish and maintain internal and external relationships with stakeholders, professional and community networks, and participate in activities to develop productive partnerships. The CEC provides cultural support and advice to the school community about social and cultural perspectives and protocols. I am actively involved in and the current Chair for the Logan Central Leaders First Nations Cluster of Schools. We have representatives from the 10 participating cluster schools work as a collaborative and collegial team to lift First Nations outcomes across Logan.
At Mabel Park SS, we have Murri Club - an Indigenous focused space that students can access where they can feel culturally safe and express themselves freely. We utilise Murri Club for our Mabel Mob Indigenous Dance Group, various other internal and external targeted programs such as Culture Club, school and community events/meetings, and culture-based lunch time activities. All students are welcome and regularly access Murri Club before and after school and during lunch breaks. Please feel free to reach out anytime for a yarn. I am based in the Murri Club in B Block on Junior campus and in R Block on Middle campus Monday – Friday.
Julie Duncan
