Cranbrook Newsletter - Term 1 Week 1 2021

Principal's Message

Welcome to the start of the 2021 school year. I would like to especially welcome all the new families who are joining Cranbrook this year.  A warm welcome is also extended to the Prep children who are embarking on their first year of primary schooling. 

Our staff were very busy at school last week before school started and have been working hard, participating in professional development activities to ensure they give our students an exciting and memorable welcome for the start of Term One.

Cranbrook State School enjoys a very strong reputation for providing a safe, supportive and quality learning environment that assumes high expectations for each learner. Our Cranbrook Learner Code reflects school expectations regarding respectful conduct and I can assure you that the safety and wellbeing of your child/ren is of high importance to us all.  Therefore, I make no apology for ensuring that inappropriate behaviour is dealt with swiftly and decisively while understanding that for some students an educative approach is, at times, required.  However, if we don’t know that there is an issue we can’t help to find a solution.

Thank you for having your children ready for school.  They look neat and tidy in their school uniforms and it is wonderful to see the universal support for our school Dress Code.

Administration Block Upgrade

Additional security measures and doors have been installed in the Administration Building. These are due to new standards and the soon to be erected ‘large black security feedback’.

Front Entrance Door (Alice St): Parent and students can access the front entrance to the Administration Building during business hours. Once the new fence is erected this will be the only access point between the hours of 8.45am and 2.45pm

Foyer: Additional security doors have been installed so parents and visitors will ONLY have access to the foyer area.  Parents can access the front counter and collect students in sickbay from the foyer. 

Student Services Window: A student services window has been installed on the tuckshop side of the building for students to access administration officers.

Tuckshop Side Administration Door: This door is now restricted access.  Students and parents will be buzzed in by the Administration Officers.

COVID Update

Parents are welcome into the school grounds.  Please adhere to social distancing rules and avoid gathering in groups.

Please do not enter the school grounds if you are either:

• Feeling Unwell; or
• Have returned from overseas within the last 14 days; or
• Had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19

Staffing and Day 8

Each year schools are resourced with teaching and non-teaching staff based on actual enrolment numbers collection on Day 8. These final enrolment counts determine the staffing allocations for primary, secondary and special schools, schools of distance education and for students with disability in mainstream locations.

Due to the majority of classes being close to full at the end of 2020 and the standard number of new enrolments at the beginning of the new school year averaging 20 students (we have no way of knowing what grades these student will be in until they arrive), the majority of classes will be changed after Day 8.

Timelines:

• Friday 5^th February - Day 8
• Monday 8^th February – New classes and student class lists will be formulated by staff.
• Tuesday 9th & Wednesday 10^th February – Classes will begin transitioning to their new classes, teachers and rooms.
• Friday 12^th February – All classes will have transitioned.

Jeff Capell 
Principal

Every Day Counts - Attendance

Regular, punctual attendance at school is expected of all students.  Students should be present at school ready to prepare for the day's learning by 8:30am.

Late Arrivals

Students arriving after 8:50am must report to the office to receive a lateslip.  If a student is late, a letter of explanation from the student's parent/guardian must be presented to the office staff on arrival.

Absence

If a student is absent and the parent/guardian has not notified the school, they will receive an automated text message by 10am that day.  

Parents will receive a text message informing them that their child is absent. If you receive one of these text messages, please contact the school to explain the reason for your child’s absence.

A working mobile number should be registered with the school, if available.

Please remember that absence is only marked for the days specified by the parents. If you ring up on a Monday informing that your child is sick and they remain away from school for the following 2 days because they are sick you need to inform us that this was the reason for their absence. You can inform us after the absence via a message directly to the teacher or by contacting our absence hotline or email.

If your child is absent, please leave a message detailing:

• Child's name
• Class
• Reason for absence
• Dates or duration of absence

Absence For More Than 10 Days

What is an exemption and why do I need it?

Every parent of a child of compulsory school age has a legal obligation to ensure their child is enrolled and attending school. Parents can apply for an exemption from this obligation when their child cannot attend or it would be unreasonable in all the circumstances for their child to attend school for a period of more than 10 consecutive school days.

Situations where an application for an exemption may be made include:

• Illness
• Family reasons
• Cultural or religious reasons

If your child is exempt from compulsory schooling, you are excused from your obligation in relation to compulsory schooling. 

The school principal is not responsible for providing an educational program for your child, however they may provide advice on other educational options available. Decisions about exemptions for up to one school year are made by the principal and decisions about exemptions for more than one school year are made by the relevant Regional Director of the Department of Education, Training and Employment, responsible for the supervision of the school your child attends.   

New Staff and Changes

You will see some new faces around our school including these two eager teachers. Please welcome Mr Royce Abraham (1A) and Miss Julia Hutchinson (1B) to the Year 1 cohort for 2021.  Royce and Julia are both new graduates to Cranbrook and will be supported by Mr Jason Henry and Mrs Andrea George in their block.

The Arts will be a major focus at Cranbrook in 2021.  We have secured the transfer of Mrs Suellen Onslow from Kirwan State High School onto our staff to work collaboratively with our own Mrs Sarah Earle to bring The Arts to life with our students.  These ladies will be covering Prep through to Year 6 with all 5 subjects including Music, Dance, Drama, Media Arts and Visual Arts.

Natalie Archer is on our inclusion staffing this year after completing her prac at our school last year and completing her degree. Korina Frei joins our school from Railway Estate SS and will be working with our Year 5 and Year 6 year levels. Korina has experience with reading and spelling at her previous school and we look forward to continuing to build her capabilities here at Cranbrook.

This year Miss Lara Von Wald will be teaching Health and Physical Education across the school from Prep through to Year 6.  She will be covering the Australian Curriculum including The Respectful Relationship Education Program as well as Daniel Morcombe Curriculum.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Cranbrook State School is a NO BULLYING school!

One of the most emotive issues we face at school is around incidents of bullying (real or perceived) within the school setting.  As a school, Cranbrook is committed to ensuring incidents of unwanted attention are avoided where possible and managed appropriately if they do occur.  Determining whether a child is being bullied as opposed to when a child has been involved in a disagreement or one off incident is sometimes difficult. 

Education Queensland has engaged the services of renowned child psychologist, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg.  The link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8agOi2nSvA&list=PLgjv5epyrnQD34Il_hKJGYDU0dV7-3e3g

will take parents to a suite of resources that helps explain to parents what constitutes bullying and what may be considered reasonable and common experiences of everyday life.

Administration

School and P & C Payments

Qkr! is our preferred method of payment for all school and P&C payments.  The free app can be downloaded to your mobile phone for quick and convenient card payments at anytime!

Here are the different ways we accept payments:

Bank Transfer Payments to Cranbrook State School:

• Account Name: Cranbrook State School,
• BSB: 064-823    Account Number: 00090674    
• Reference: Student's Name.

Bank Transfer Payments to Cranbrook Outside Hours Care:

• Account Name: Cranbrook SS After Hours Care
• BSB: 064 823     Account Number: 00914493     
• Reference: Student's Name.

Permission Notes

Permission notes will be delivered via:

• SOBS - Our school online booking system; and/or
• Physical Notes

Physical notes may be returned to the office via the return slots, located outside of the office.  There are two  return slots:

1. Permission Notes (any notes without money)
2. Money & Permission Notes (notes with cash enclosed)

Contact Details

Please ensure that the school has your most up to date contact details on our records.  

This is especially important where a student has living arrangements in separate residences with their parents/guardians.  

Please email Nellie Millett on nmill140@eq.edu.au to update/correct our records.  Please include the following information:

• First Contact (parent/guardian) - address, email and phone numbers
• Second Contact (parent/guardian) - address, email and phone numbers
• The child's primary residential address (please note the system will only allow one).

Please note: if you do not provide details for both parents and you are separated, the system will show that you both reside in the same address with the student on a full time arrangement.

Contagious Conditions

The ‘Time Out’ poster from Queensland Health outlines the contagious conditions that school communities should be aware of. It includes the ‘Exclusion of Case’ for each condition and the ‘Exclusion of Contacts’ information relevant to members of the community, both staff and students. Queensland Health alerts confirmed contagious conditions with us and provides the relevant information to be shared with our community. However, we also encourage families to advise us of any contagious condition so that we can take the appropriate action. The Time Out poster is available to view and download from our website.

Over the Counter Medications

The Department recognises that all medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) medications, e.g. paracetamol or alternative medicines, may be drugs or poisons and may cause side effects. As such, schools are required to receive medical authorisation from a prescribing health practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist, optometrist, but not a pharmacist) to administer any medication to students, including those bought over-the-counter.

Whilst parents may administer OTC medications to their child without medical authorisation, they are aware of the child’s complete medical history, and are able to provide ongoing, direct supervision for the course of the child’s illness. Due to these circumstances, a parent is also more likely to recognise if their child is having adverse effects and requires immediate medical attention.

The student’s prescribing health practitioner also has the knowledge of the child’s medical history to determine the appropriate OTC medication to administer and is therefore able to determine dosage and provide advice regarding potential side effects or interactions with other medications.

For these reasons, OTC medications will only be administered to students at school if medical authorisation has been received.

School Staff Car Park

Parents are reminded that the school staff car park, is not a safe place for children to be delivered or collected from school. Parents who have students with disabilities have been given permits to drop off their students at the cul-de-sac.

Parent wishing to do P&C business or access the new uniform shop, can access the parking by entering the gate on Alice St and following the signs to the designated parking area BEHIND the shipping containers.

Uniforms

School Uniforms must be purchased from the P & C Uniform Shop, located at the back of the Hall, near the Staff Car Park.  Fittings are by appointment only.

2021 Student Stationery & Resource Scheme

Thank you to those parents who have made a decision regarding the Student Resource and Stationery Scheme (SRSS) for 2021.

For those parents who have decided to participate in 2021 by signing the SRSS form and making the $150 payment (10% discount if paid COB on the first day and 10% for 2^nd and subsequent students), congratulations to you, as you have already fulfilled your parental responsibility to provide the required resources for your child’s education. Our school will ensure they have all the required equipment for the year.

For those parents who have decided to opt out of the scheme AND have returned the Participation Form informing us of that, congratulations to you, as you have taken the first step and you now only need to source the listed resources. Please ensure when you are purchasing the consumable and non-consumable items to clearly mark your child’s name on their belongings as these will be needed every year. For any items that are missing we will contact you on the first day to ensure you can source these before the next day of school so your child can have access to all the resources they require. Your teachers will no doubt be in regular contact throughout the year so you can supply further resources when your child uses the current resources or loses them. If parents don’t supply the consumable items in a timely manner the school will provide your child with the resources and invoice parents the appropriate retail price as listed in our School Resource and Stationery Scheme documentation.

For those parents who forget to opt in or out of the School Resource and Stationery Scheme by completing a Participation Form AND/OR have forgotten to pay the SRSS Fees of $150 have been contacted today to make the appropriate arrangements by the end of the day so your child can access the classroom with their peers with the required resources for learning.

Communication

Without doubt, the greatest issue I face as a school principal (and parent) is around communication and its impact on all facets of education.  Whether it be a teacher’s (or parent’s) ability to communicate with a child, my own ability to communicate with staff, or even the school’s overall ability to communicate with the wider community – communication is such an important factor in my daily existence.

Constantly we are reminded that communication is a two way street. I take this opportunity to encourage all members of the school community to take an active role in communicating. Our teachers appreciate any correspondence that assists them in working with children and families to maximise their learning experience at school.  Out of school successes, student stresses and medical issues are all factors that impact on a child’s learning and should be communicated.   When we all work together and open communication channels, we can achieve even greater things for our kids. 

It is important that family contacts are up to date.  Please contact our office as soon as possible to update your information.

During the course of the school year, situations may arise that require parents/ care givers to contact staff. It is recommended that parents should first contact the staff member closest to the source of the question.  i.e. - your child’s teacher is the most appropriate person to speak to regarding a question about his/her school progress, classroom behaviour and educational program.

You can either leave a message for the relevant staff member to contact you for a phone discussion or make an appointment so a time can be scheduled for a meeting.  Email addresses for all staff are available from the school or the website.

Please be aware that teachers cannot leave their classes during class time for an impromptu discussion with you. Teaching begins at 8.50am so after this time teachers are NOT available for discussions or messages.

How we communicate with you

Good communication is very important and it is important for parents to be aware of the types of communications we have in place.

Cranbrook uses a variety of methods to communicate with parents and our school community.

1. NEWSLETTERS – A weekly electronic newsletter is published on Fridays. The e-newsletter is emailed to all parents and staff.  It is also published available to download from the website and the facebook page.  Newsletters are also available to view from the Schoolzine App.  If you are not receiving our newsletters you are welcome to subscribe at any time or email heale5@eq.edu.au to request to add your email.  We encourage all of our families to ensure they are receiving and reading the weekly newsletter. 
2. WEBSITE - Our website provides current information about our school and procedures.  Families are also access the school calendar, newsletter and also download many forms and documents.  
3. FACEBOOK - Regular posts regarding important and urgent news, reminders, school events, student achievements and daily activities are published to keep our school community informed and engaged.  Like our facebook page to receive our regular updates. https://www.facebook.com/CranbrookStateSchool 
4. SCHOOLZINE APP - The schoolzine app is an easy to use mobile phone application  that allows parents and carers to have access to school news at their fingertips at any time, including receiving the newsletter, newsflashes and the school calendar.
5. NEWSFLASHES - A brief message or reminder sent via email and available via the schoolzine app for urgent and quick reminders.  
6. SCHOOL CALENDAR - Every effort is made to update our school calendar with events prior to them occurring.  The school calendar is available to view directly from our website, the newsletter or the Schoolzine App.  
7. LETTERS – Letters will go home in the form of emails and/or physical notes when special excursions and events are being planned or when parents need to be advised of something important that cannot wait for the weekly newsletter.  We also use our School Online Booking System (SOBS) to request permission for your child to participate in various school activities or events.  
8. ALICE STREET SIGN BOARD – Our sign board is very visible on Alice Street. This sign is updated weekly and will remind families of forthcoming events.
9. MEET THE CLASS TEACHER – At the beginning of each year parents are invited to attend meetings to communicate the goals and procedures for each school year.  This term, has been scheduled for Thursday 11th February, afternoon after school (time to be advised).
10. PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEW OPTIONS – While our teachers are happy to communicate with parents at any time about student progress, the most popular times are at the end of each term or semester. The teacher will inform you about how your children are progressing and what they need to do to get the best results.
11. SCHOOL PARADES – School parades are held weekly, alternating between senior and junior parades during the term.  A full school parade is held at the start of the term and at the end of the term.  Parents are most welcome to attend Parade held each Thursday at 2:30pm.

Download Our School Communication App

A direct and free communication channel to parents

SZapp is a mobile app that’s free for parents to download. SZapp allows our school to send free push notifications to our families and school community at any time.

Everything at your fingertips

The App features:  Events, News, School E-Newsletters, School Calendar, Forms and Documents and push notification alerts (Newsflashes) direct from the school.

All of our school's important information is collated in the one place and notifications are sent to our families and school community your mobile device so you can receive instant updates.

INSTALLING SZapp

1. On your device, open the App Store
2. Search the App Store for SZapp
3. Download and install SZapp

FIND YOUR SCHOOL

1. Select your school's region (Queensland)
2. Search for and select your school (Cranbrook State School)

REGISTER A USER

Before you can add your school, you will need to register.  Register with your email, or sign in with Google or Facebook. Enter your email and name and then create a password.

MANAGING NOTIFICATIONS

Choose which group/s you would like to receive notifications from. Groups with arrows indicate that there are sub-groups which you can join.  Push Notifications – turn on to receive instant alerts to updates.

School Procedures

Morning Procedures

When children arrive at school in the morning, we ask that they come to the large covered area in front of the tuckshop.  This area is supervised by staff.  Parents of Prep children are also asked to bring their children to this area rather than taking them to the classroom for this term.  Students and parents are asked to sit and wait.  Breakfast Club is available from 8.00am.  The 8.30am bell is for ALL students to line up in class lines ready for teacher collection. Teachers will come to the covered area and walk their students to their classroom between 8.30 and 8.40am to start classes at 8.50am.

Students should be here ready to prepare for the days learning by 8.30am.

Prep Parents and Students

Drop off to Prep playground area after 8:00am each morning.

Prep students can be collected at 3pm in the tuckshop under cover area.

We ask that parents do not gather in groups in front of the prep classrooms so that students are not distracted during learning time in the last part of the day. The gate in front of PA and PB will be unlocked at 3pm when the students are brought down to the undercover area by their teachers.

The prep playground is out of bounds for all students after school.

Late Arrivals

All children arriving after 8.50am are asked to report to the office.  Students should be accompanied by parents or a note SHOULD be provided to staff to explain the lateness.

Play Areas

ALL play areas are out of bounds before and after school as there is no adult supervision.  This also includes the Prep Playground.  Prep students will be able to access supervised play from 8.00am.

Supervised Crossings

Three supervised crossings operate near our school to provide safety for students when leaving the school grounds in the afternoon.  The crossings are on Ross River Road, Bergin Road and Albert Street.  These crossings operate before school from 8am to 9am and after school from 2:30pm to 3:20pm.

Head Lice

If there is a case of Head Lice in your child’s classroom, a note will be sent home asking you to check their hair and treat, if necessary.  It is imperative that you use a nit comb as the treatment solution alone will not work and check again in seven days.  Please return the note to your child’s class teacher as soon as possible.

After school procedures

Students riding or walking home after school should promptly leave the school grounds by no later than 3:10pm.

No children (school age or not) are allowed on the playground equipment (including the prep area and the prep adventure playground) after 3:00pm. This direction is for safety reasons as there is no staff supervision after this time and they are not being supervised by parents.  

Lunches - Cold Room Storage

The Cranbrook P&C installed a new cold room at the end of 2016 and have given our school the privilege of using the cold room to store student lunches in the warmer months of the year. This service will allow parents to broaden what they pack for their children’s’ lunches as the heat should not spoil perishable foods. The procedure is as follows:

• Large lunch tubs will be available for students and parents at the ends of the large under covered areas, labelled with their classes.
• Upon arrival, students should place their lunches in the tubs if they would like their lunches to be placed in cold storage.
• At 8.50am tubs will be placed in the cold room. There is NO access to the cold room for students who arrive late.
• Tubs will be taken out of the cold room during 1^st break playtime and placed back at the ends of the large under covered areas for students to collect at the beginning of eating time.
• Students nominated by the classroom teacher will collect the tubs and take them to the eating area.
• The empty tubs are returned to the cold room by the same students at the conclusion of eating time and students take their lunch boxes to their classroom/port racks. 
  

Healthy  Snack

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club commences on Monday, 1st February. 

The club provides breakfast to our students in all educational sectors. They aim to assist disadvantaged children and young people to get a good start to the school day by providing them with the opportunity to share a nutritious meal in a supervised environment before school, on the school premises. Breakfast programs enhance the health and wellbeing of children and young people. They contribute to the nutritional needs of children, help improve attendance, assist in improving engagement and have a positive impact on the capacity of children and young people to learn.

Breakfast programs increase social connection and improve engagement with school by providing an opportunity for children, young people and their families to build informal relationships with key school personnel and with each other.  Breakfast programs can also be a vehicle for teaching social skills and provide a means by which students can share and assume varied responsibilities. Breakfast will be available to all students in the Undercover Area from 8.00am to 8.30am.

Breakfast Club Menu:

• Toast and toasties
• Fruit Cups and fruit
• Weetbix

Donations such as: 

• Tinned Spaghetti
• Cheese
• Spreads (jam, vegemite etc)

are most welcomed.

Homework Club

Home Work Club runs weekly from Monday to Thursday (3.05pm to 4.00pm) and will commence on Monday 8th February.   

The purpose of the Homework Club is to assist students in completing homework set by the school by providing a staff member to assist students. The Homework Club is held in the Senior Lab in the Resource Centre to allow students’ access to ICT in case this is a requirement of any assignment work. Every child and parent is required to sign a permission and agreement form before attending.  Afternoon Tea is provided to students as part of the service we provide.

School Bus Service

Cranbrook State School operates its own private bus service for use by students travelling to and from school and for other school related activities, including excursions.

The collection of students will be from their residence or other parent allocated collection point.

The Cranbrook State School Bus Application Form is available on the website.

Phone Amanda - 0477 703 598 to make your bookings or to clarify any questions you may have.

Sports Pride Fridays

Community News

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information printed in this issue is up to date and correct at the time of publication.