Cranbrook Newsletter - 2023 Term 2 Week 6

Principal's Message

Welcome to our Week 6 newsletter.  We're over half way through the term now!

Emergency Contacts

Please ensure the school has up-to-date information regarding emergency contacts so that you can be reached if an illness or accident should occur.

P&C Day - Friday 19th May

P&C Day is held each year to celebrate the important work undertaken in our state schools by our parents and citizens associations.

It seems fitting that during such a busy month, there is an official day of recognition, a recognition well deserved by lots of hard working mothers, fathers and carers at Cranbrook who put up their hand to help out if they are able. Throughout the year, our volunteers fill countless orders, sell never ending supplies of merchandise and carry out 101 different tasks to make sure activities go as planned. It pays dividends. There is nothing more rewarding than looking past happy children to see the smiles and laughter of the volunteers behind the scenes. But coming in a close second is the ability to help our school out financially so we can keep improving our children’s school experience.

It’s because of volunteers that we can help make our school a better place for students. The latest projects are being finalised by the P&C.

The recognition of everyone’s efforts on P&C Day is well deserved.  Special thanks to our P&C Executive Committee Members and PCR Coordinator:

• President - Adrian Coventry
• Vice President - Ashley Nuttall
• Treasurer - Bob Parker
• Secretary - Louise McNamara
• P & C Operations Manager - Bridget Bambrick
  

The P & C Meetings are conducted every third Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm in the OSHC building and everyone is welcome to attend.

Providing a Safe Environment for Learning

Our core business as a school is to ensure that students achieve their potential in every aspect of their development, and research clearly demonstrates that students need to feel SAFE to fully engage in learning that increases their abilities.  In fact, at Cranbrook State School, being SAFE is already highlighted as a key value in our School Wide Positive Behaviour Scheme.  In our school, as with all schools, we occasionally have to deal with behaviours that are not safe due to the MINORITY.  The majority of our students are safe and because of this, contribute to the culture of learning in our school.  However, there are the minority of students that are not SAFE and Cranbrook, like all other Education Queensland schools, does not tolerate this behaviour in any form as outlined in our school that are not SAFE, to be able to display responsible behaviours that contribute to the culture of learning at Cranbrook State School.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is an educational process that brings together the whole-school community to contribute to developing a positive, safe and supportive learning culture. The PBL framework assists schools to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for children and young people.

There are three specific aspects to PBL:

• universal focus – to create a preventative, positive learning environment for all students
• targeted interventions – to improve social/emotional skills for students who need additional support
• individualised intensive supports - for students who have experienced academic and behavioural difficulties over an extended period of time.

Together, this three step process is known as developing a continuum of support. PBL uses a tiered intervention framework which uses varied levels of support for students based on their needs. The tiered approach addresses these needs through:

• investing in prevention for all students
• identifying and providing targeted supports for individual students who need more support
• providing individualised and intensive interventions for students with significant support needs.

Cranbrook has a continuum of support across the tiers that promotes student wellbeing within a school culture strongly focused on learning.

Through this framework, student assessment and instruction are linked to inform data-based decision-making. All children and young people receive universal support and instruction. If students need more support, their instructional program becomes more intensive and individualised to target their specific learning needs.

We endeavour to include our familes and community in this process too.  Each newsletter will include an outline on what we've been adapting, what we're going to next focus on and how you as parents and carers, can communicate and implement the same strategies at home.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Jeff Capell - Principal

Coming up....

SCHOOL PHOTOS will be taken this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Please remember that full (regular) school uniform is required - no sports shirts. House Captains may bring along their sports shirt and Sports Excellence students their shirt, to change into for their House Captains/Sport Excellence photo on Tuesday.  Year 6 students may wear their Senior Shirt for their Year 6 Group photo on Wednesday.

Envelopes and full cash payment should have been returned.  Please make sure you bring them in on Monday if you would like to order a photo.

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.

Cranbrook is a UNIFORM SCHOOL

As the cool weather approaches the Cranbrook P&C have reinforced that Cranbrook State School is a UNIFORM school. This includes the winter uniform of jumpers and jackets and if purchased now will maximise the use and provide value for money.

The Cranbrook P&C were very conscious as to not ask the school to enforce the winter uniform policy when the jacket was only available due to the higher cost. However, they have now had the economical fleece jumper option available for two years and as such, have now moved to have these requirements enforced.

Over the next fortnight:

• Students will receive paper notes to take home to parents reminding them of the school’s uniform expectation.
• Parents will receive emails notifying them of the Cranbrook Sate School’s winter uniform policy.
• Parents will be contacted by phone by their Year Level Principal (Amanda Allender – Prep, Yr 2, Yr 4 & Yr 6 & JeffCapell – Yr 1, Yr 3 & Yr 5) to discuss the uniform expectations.

Thank you to those parents who have been able to ensure their child represents the school with pride by wearing the school’s Winter Uniform Policy.

The Uniform Shop is open each morning from 8-9am and payment may be made by cash or card.  Alternatively, you can order via the P&C’s Big Commerce website and the purchase will be delivered to your child's classroom. 

The school jacket is $45.  The school jumper is $30.

The website is:  https://cranbrook-state-school-pc-association.mybigcommerce.com/  

Positive Behaviour for Learning

A big congratulations to our weekly PBL snappy winners:

Levi and Ella!

Thanks for being safe, responsible and respectable students.

In Week 5, our PBL lesson was about being respectable.  Our statement was 'I encourage and support others'.   Here's the flyer with some handy hints to chat about at home.

In Week 6 we learnt about being responsible and being determined to improve.  Can you encourage this at home?

Coming up in Week 7, we'll focus on being respectful and including everyone and in Week 8, we'll focus on being responsible and accepting responsibility.  

Our Cranbrook Culture

Our lovely 4B students went to visit the students in 3B, to assist them with their learning.  It was really encouraging to see and hear all the kind words and the manner in which the older students delivered their directions to the younger ones.  

Cranbrook Learning

Again this week, we had the excitement of seeing students go on an excursion to enhance their learning.  This time it was the Year 4's turn to visit the museum.

Year 6 families.....save the date for this term's Culminating Activity (All about Queensland) to be held on Wednesday 21 June, from 2-3pm.

From The Arts

Well, our big news from the Arts Department is.....our first concert for the year is just around the corner!

Save the date for 'Cranbrook Creates'!  Monday 12 June, in the hall, beginning at 6.30pm.  

The groups that will be involved are:   Prep students, Piccolo Chorus, Songbird Chorus, Nightingale Chorus, Recorder Group, Ukulele Group, Junior Woodwind and Brass, Senior Band, String Orchestra, Chamber Strings, Selected Drama Performances, Selected Piano Performances.

More details to come soon.

As part of the 2023 Year 6 and Prep Buddy program in the Arts, this week buddies took part in the National Simultaneous Storytime event. Together, Year 6 and Prep buddies listened to the story ‘The Speedy Sloth’ - a new picture book written by Rebecca Young and illustrated by Heath McKenzie, which was read aloud to them. All students were given a NSST certificate to acknowledge their participation in the national event presented by the Australian Library and Information Association.

CONGRATULATIONS to Arts Class of the Week for Week 5.......1A!  This beautiful class displayed whole body listening for the WHOLE lesson, participated in ALL activities and were kind to each other.  Well done!

Sports News

A huge congratulations and well done to our group of Cross Country runners who represented our school on Tuesday with lots of enthusiasm and effort.  For some, it was their very first time and some great results were achieved.  A special mention to Year 6 student Will, who was thrown in at the last minute and yet achieved 24th place in his race! Mrs Woods is extremly proud of you all.  Thanks again to all the families for supporting your children.  We know it's a bit of a sacrifice those early mornings and then getting them to the after school event aswell!

Yesterday saw the completion of Round 1 of Interschool Sports.  Our students participated in Rugby League with Mr Wilson and Mrs Woods, Netball with Miss O'Reilly and Hockey with Mr Turton.  They all represented their school with enthusiasm, pride and good sportsmanship.

Rugby League  -  Sadly, the Junior team lost their Grand Final quest however our Senior A team were victorious in their Grand Final against Heatley SS. The boys won the game 42-18 against a competitive Heatley opponent. Congratulations boys, and thank you to Heatley SS for a great Grand Final.  

Netball - Our Junior team played very well all season and earned themselves a spot in the Grand Final against Calvary.  Sadly, they went down 4-1, however, they are a keen little group and are ready to take their positions in the Senior team and see what they can achieve next year!  (this is a pic of all the students who participated  in netball)

Hockey - While not one of the top placegetters, our Hockey boys and girls enjoyed learning the game and getting out and giving it a go!  Congratulations to Jack Collie who received an encouragement award for always giving it his best shot.  

Round 2 for Interschool Sport begins for us in Week 9 - Thursday, 15 June.  Sports on offer are Rugby Union, Soccer and Touch Football.  The information and permission note has been sent home (and is also available to download below), must be returned by Friday 2 June WITH full payment.  

From the Resource Centre

Class Borrowing Days

Please return your child’s home reader and library books on the following days:

For students in Prep / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3…..you must have a library bag to protect your books.

The Premier's Reading Challenge is here!  

The Premiers Reading Challenge is not a competition, but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life.  Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period,  8 May - 25 August. 

To complete the challenge:

* Prep to Year 2 must read or experience at least 20 books                                                                                      * Years 3 and 4 must read at least 20 books                                                                                                                    * Years 5 and 6 must read at least 15 books

To acknowledge students' great efforts in completing the challenge, a certificate signed by the Premier, will be awarded.

Forms to record the books read have been sent home to all Prep and Year 1 students.  Interested students in other grades are encouraged to get a form from their teacher to participate.  Alternatively, please find the record form attached below.  Please note, a completed consent form must be attached to the record form and returned to school.

Maybe the whole family can join in the challenge! Happy reading!  

To help us along with our reading challenge, we have some fabulous new books in our library!  

P&C News

The Tuckshop has a fabulous new service for us.  Birthday celebrations anyone???

National Sorry Day 2023

Today, along with the rest of Australia, we stopped to acknowledge our Nation's apology to the Stolen Generation.  Elder Aunty Joy was unable to be with us today, but reminded us of the need to join together and move forward.  Aunty Joy was a part of that Stolen Generation and almost every Aboriginal family (and some Torres Strait Islander families) today can identify with the loss of family members due to the forcible removal policies.  It is important to understand that when using the word 'sorry' in the context of the Stolen Generations, the word represents the grief and loss experienced by the parents, families and communities of the children who were forcibly removed.  When we meet to commemorate National Sorry Day, we gather together to commemorate the Stolen Generations, their families and communities, celebrating their strength and survival.  We do so by showing respect and remembrance.  By acknowledging our shared past we can begin the journey together to strive toward achieving healing and reconciliation in the wider community in the future.  

Throughout the day, classes gathered together and placed a hand with their name and their wish for the future.  Sorry Day marks the beginning of 'Reconciliation Week' with the theme for 2023 being 'Be a Voice for Generations'.

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Spotlight on:

Our School Chaplaincy Service

Meet our Chappy Danielle.  

SU QLD chaplains, or ‘chappies’, are trusted, trained individuals who work in school communities to provide social, emotional, and spiritual support to students, parents/carers and staff. School chaplains work in the prevention and support space, helping students find a better way to deal with issues ranging from family breakdown and loneliness to friendships and mental health. They provide a listening ear for children and young people in crisis, and also those who just need a friend. They also run a heap of programs, activities, and events to foster inclusivity and a positive culture in school communities.

Take a look at their snapshot (below) for 2023.  

This week is Chappy Week! Chappy Week is a dedicated time to say thanks and show our appreciation for our school chaplain, Danielle.  It's a time to highlight the vital work a chaplain does for our students and their families, as well as our staff and wider community. 

Scripture Union is the provider of the Chaplaincy service, however, many stakeholders are involved, including the Government, the school and a local Chaplaincy Committee.

Here's a little bit of insight from some of those stakeholders.....

Jeff Capell - Principal......Jeff knows the value of having a Chaplain at a state school and would always back the need for the position.  He says that while each Chaplain brings something different to the school community, the basics of their love for, their interest in and their ability to connect with, encourage and guide the students that cross their paths, always means that they are invaluable.  Having the position of Chaplain integrated within the school, means that there is always someone, in the midst of the busyness of a school day, to take time out to be with and support that child in need.  Jeff also recognises the critical role the Chaplain plays when it comes to support for staff, as sadly, the Cranbrook community can testify to, having experienced the loss of some staff members in recent years.  

Paul Compton - Chair of Chaplaincy Committee

What is your role and how long have you been doing this?  I act as the chair of the Cranbrook Chaplaincy Committee.  Basically I try to keep the meetings on track and then do some gofer work whenever we have something on.....make pancakes, cook sausages, etc!  It's been probably about 5 years now.

Why do you choose to be involved?  Our previous Chappy asked me to come on board when she was putting together a team and I’ve seen how valuable Chaplaincy is in schools, so I’m glad to be able to do a bit to help out.

What activities are planned for the week?  On Wednesday morning at school, we're hosting a free pancake breakfast and radio station LiveFM will be there also.  Wednesday is also your Student Council's free dress day, which they kindly donate the funds they raise to us and then Thursday night is the Student Council disco, which again, the school is very generous in donating the funds raised, to the Chaplaincy Committee.  

What excites you about Chappy Week?  Well, simply, the work of our Chappy, supporting students, staff and families, and really making their lives better, really, really excites me.....and Chappy week supports our Chappy Danielle!

How can we show our support for school chaplaincy?  Come along to the events this week or write a note of thanks to your Chappy or if you feel in your heart that you'd like to donate financially, please visit the Scripture Union website.

Emily - Former student......I found having a Chaplain really helpful in Primary School because there was someone there I could talk to during school hours when my problems arose and my usual person (my Mum) couldn't be there.  My Chappy would listen and then give me some ideas on what I could do to help myself and deal with the issues.  It was just so nice.

This week to celebrate, we had a pancake morning, free dress day and a disco.  Chaplains are a great resource in schools.  Thanks for supporting this service.

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One last thing.....

Hey Cranbrook supporters! Vote for us! Star 106.3 are asking 'Who is Townsville's School of the Year?' Well, of course that's us! So get voting, get sharing and help us to win some $$$ for our school! Thanks Star Radio!  

Sports Pride Fridays

Community News

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in this issue of our newsletter at the time of publication. 

For all enquiries please contact our School Office on 4726 1222.