Cranbrook Newsletter - 2023 Term 4 Week 6

Principal's Message

Welcome to our Week 6 newsletter. It's a very busy time of the year, so stay in touch with us on Facebook and via emails, to make sure you don't miss a thing!

Prep in 2024 - Limited spaces available

If your child will be attending Cranbrook State School in 2024, you will need to ensure that the following tasks are completed as soon as possible to allow for class placement for 2024 to occur.

• Complete the enrolment form 
• Bring your child’s original birth certificate to the school so we can process your child’s enrolment.

Prep Transition Program

It's not too late to join us!

Our Prep Transition Program began yesterday and will run each Thursday morning, 8 - 9.40am, concluding on 7 December.  We also have one evening session this coming Wednesday, 15 November, at 5.30pm in the Resource Centre.

We had a lovely morning yesterday, so don't miss this chance for both you and your child, to experience our school and become comfortable before the start of the year.  Please call our office to book your spot.

Taking 2024 Enrolments now

Enrolments for all year levels are now open.  An enrolment form can be downloaded from this newsletter or our website, and parents are welcome to pick up an enrolment pack from our front office.

2024 Enrolment Email 

Families would have received an email survey regarding your enrolment intentions for 2024. Please advise us as soon as possible, if your child will not be attending Cranbrook during 2024 as we are busily developing new class lists that will be released to parents during week 9. 

Before School Supervision

Thanks to our amazing P&C, students in the morning have a sheltered space to congregate until the school gates open at 8.00am, however, during this time there is NO SUPERVISION and as such students are left to their own devices.

When students are left to their own devices they can sometimes make poor choices regarding being SAFE, RESPONSIBLE and RESPECTFUL. Some concerns that have already been experienced by parents are:

• Students leaving the school grounds and walking to another address: KFC, Servo, Peers homes
• Students injuring themselves due to unsafe actions: running, jumping, climbing
• Students injuring other students due to unsafe actions: hitting, kicking, pushing
• High school students who have dropped their siblings off remaining in the sheltered area and interacting with students.

As a school, we will follow up and behaviours that breach the Cranbrook State School Student Code of Conduct if parents or students report any incidences once they enter the school grounds. Individual students may be restricted in their access to the school grounds when no supervision is available if ongoing and repeated behaviours place themselves or others at risk.

 The Cranbrook Outside Hours School Care provides supervision from 6.00am and provide clients with a safe and enriched space both before and after school - breakfast and afternoon tea included!

I am sure as parents continue to drop their children off before 8.00am there will continue to be circumstances that place their child at risk of harm.

We are in a fortunate circumstance that our school provides a space inside the school grounds for our students to congregate as other schools (with new security fences) are required to ensure safety and security measures are adhered to by NOT opening their perimeter gates until supervision is provided by the school.

On another note about student safety..... 

It has been reported that a number of Cranbrook students are playing a game on Ross River Road, that involves laying down on the road in the path of oncoming traffic for as long as possible as well as running in and out of traffic.

This seems to be a current trend as other schools are reporting similar behaviours on the way to and from school.

If your children walk to school, please help ensure they remain safe by reminding them of how to act safely what are safe behaviours.

Finance Reminder

Due to all receipting closing from 3:00pm on Friday, 1st December it would be appreciated if all 2023 payments could be made prior to this time.

Money can still be taken after this close-off point, but only handwritten receipts will be available.

All SRS fees are well overdue and parents/caregivers are reminded that payment needs to be finalised (or payment plan arranged with the Business Manager) if students are wanting to participate in any extra-curricular activities such as swimming, graduation, sport, live performances.

Head Lice

There has been a large number of hair lice cases reported in the school recently.  Treatment, as we all know, can be very costly and time consuming, but vigilant checking and treatment by ALL parents would assist in dramatically reducing the number of cases.  Please be kind to your fellow Cranbrook families - have a check this weekend.

Illness

We also want to respect our fellow classmates and teachers when it comes to our children being sick.  Please familiarise yourself with Queensland Health's Timeout poster, to use as a guide as to how long your child should be kept at home when they are unwell.  Thanks for your support.

Safe Management of Bikes in the School Grounds

Students should walk bikes into and out of the school grounds.  If students are repeatedly unsafe they will be required to lock their bikes to the fence and NOT bring them inside the school grounds.

SRS 2024

At the P&C Meeting next week on Wednesday 15 November, the proposed 2024 Student Resource and Stationary Scheme will be discussed and the details endorsed.  All are welcome to join us in the OSHC Building at 6.30pm. 

We will advertise the outcome next week.

2024 Year 7 State School's Transition Day

On Wednesday, 29 November, Year 6 students attending State high schools in 2024, participate in a transition day at the high school they are enrolled in.  Please note that your child must be enrolled at the high school, in order to attend.  This is a really valuable opportunity for students and one that they will really enjoy and appreciate.  

Tomorrow, Saturday 11 November, marks the anniversary of the Armistice that ended fighting with Germany in World War I.  Every year at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, people around the world pause in silence to remember the sacrifices many have made so we can enjoy life today. 

Remember to remember, this Saturday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jeff Capell - Principal

Coming up....

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

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Snappy Money Winners

Congratulations to our Week 5 PBL snappy winner Marilyn!

Congratulations to our  Week 6 PBL snappy winner, Renae!

Golden Snap Winners

Congratulations to our  Week 5 winner.

Congratulations to our  Week 6 winner, Danielle!

For Week 5, our PBL lesson was about being respectful and remembering to encourage and support others.

In Week 6, we focused on remembering to be responsible and being determined to improve.

Here are the flyers with some handy hints with what and how to chat about this at home.

Cranbrook Learning - Year 6

It's a very big term for the 'big kids' of our school - our Year 6 students!  

Right now, they are busy working hard at their final assessments for Primary School and the teachers have been just as busy supporting them through this time.

For Term 4, we have adjusted our curriculum plan and our delivery methods to align more closely with the junior secondary school model that most of our local schools employ.  Our students will rotate between the classrooms and teachers, learning different subjects.  This means they will have increased number of teachers for Term 4 but it will still be significantly less than what they will experience next year, therefore supporting the students in adapting to a large number of teachers.

The subjects each teacher will be teaching in Term 4 is as follows:

• English – 6 hours – Ms Stacey Scipilliti
• Maths – 6 hours – Mr Cameron Turton (Weeks 1 to 5 and Mrs Chloe Johnson Weeks 6 to 8)
• Digital Technology – 2 hours – Mrs Julie Norman
• History and Social Sciences – 2 hours – Mrs Julie Norman
• Science – 2 hours – Mrs Julie Norman
• LOTE – 1 hour – Cairns Distance Education supervised by Year 6 teachers
• The Arts – 1.5 hours – Mrs Suellen Onslow
• Health and Physical Education – 1 hour – Mr Chris Mayo

For the most part, students have enjoyed this change and appreciate it's value for next year.  Here's what some of them had to say:

Jai - I enjoy having different teachers and having different kinds of fun with each of them, while still being taught our work.

Owen - I like it.  It's different and it gets us ready for high school.

Chloe - So/so.  It's a bit of a challenge to adapt to, but good for next year.

Amelia - It gives us a good idea of what Year 7 will be like.

As you may be aware, Mr Turton has had to take the final weeks off, as he completes his final placement to attain his Guidance Officer accreditation.  Miss Chloe Johnson is taking his position for the rest of the year.

Here are some pictures from Mrs Norman's classroom....

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For some of our high achieving students, Global Tropics offers them the opportunity to join together online with other students, to further their STEM knowledge and development. 

Thuringowa State High School leads the collaboration with James Cook University and aims to boost student engagement and achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The project enables like-minded students to connect, collaborate and explore their STEM interest and passion through a range of enriching and challenging learning opportunities.

Our Year 6 group were presented with finding solutions to mining problems.  Deakyn, Eli, Student A, Matilda, Lucy and Alyssa identified two things:

* Preventing the mines collapsing and suggesting that stabilising checks are regularly done

* Addressing health hazards and the need for specialised PPE equipement to deal with issues such as dust in eyes and breathing in of dust particles.

The Year 6 Graduation is a wonderful night for all and is not very far away now.  A copy of the letter that was previously sent home, is attached below for reference.

To finish with, here are some happy snaps of our 'Cranbrook Crew'. 

From The Arts

Thank you to families who are able to support us and your Year 6 instrumental/choral students, with their extra practise Monday mornings!  We appreciate it.  

Practise continues in Weeks 7 & 8.

What an amazing show it was!  Thanks for sending your children along - they had a great time!

Don't forget to keep the following dates free for these great Arts events......

• Wednesday 15 November......Art Exhibition at 4pm
• Tuesday 21 November.......Christmas Chaos at 6pm
• Wednesday 29 November.......Prep to Year 3 Carols Evening

CONGRATULATIONS to our Arts Class of the Week for Week 5.....Miss Snell's 3C!

This class received the award for:

• working together with good team work in media production teams
• using ukulele's safely
• excellent assessment practice

CONGRATULATIONS to our Arts Class of the Week for Week 6......6A!

This class received the award for:

• great leading in dances
• excellent listening to instructions
• kindness to ourselves and each other throughout the lesson

Please note:  there will be NO Drama Excellence in Week 8 - Monday 20 November.  

Next week, Monday 13 November is THE LAST Drama Excellence session for the year.

Sports News

Congratulations to Jordan (Year 6) and Logan (Year 5) for their selection in the North Queensland cricket side!

Congratulations to Week 5's Class of the Week for HPE....Mrs Maclean's Prep C!

This lovely little class was awarded for their ability to finish ALL of their health lesson to 100%!

A big well done to Week 6's recipient of the Class of the Week....Miss O'Reilly's 5C!  This team had the ability to UNITE and work as a team to overcome ALL of the challenges in PE.  Nice job, kids.  

Swimming Lessons

Prep to Year 5:  Week 9 (27 November - 1 December) 

Year 6:  Select dates (27/28/30 November and 1/4 December)

Permission notes should have been completed via the SOBS email that has been sent home.  Money must be returned by Friday 17 November.  Payment may be made by Qkr! or cash & eftpos at the office.  Please note:  no late payments can be accepted and school fees must have been paid, or an active payment plan must be in place, for students to attend.

Please see the notes attached below for more information.

These lessons are a really positive thing for your child to do.  Each child is assessed and will be put  into a group where they will be encouraged and challenged at their level.  .....and it's heaps of fun!  

From our SEP Department

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.

Well done to these Junior students who completed the Premier's Reading Challenge this year!

Look at these amazing little readers who love reading as much as they can at home!

P&C News

Don't forget our meeting this coming Wednesday, 15 November, 6.30pm in the OSHC building.  It's the final one for 2023 and we'll be discussing the school's SRS proposal for 2024. 

Exciting news from our Tuckshop......

As of Tuesday next week, we are trialling Sushi at the Tuckshop 2nd break only.  Please make sure you have your orders in via Qkr! or direct with the tuckshop, by 9am Tuesday morning.

From Chappy Tim

Hi everyone.  

Don't forget that we will be organising Christmas hampers for our community again this year.  We have given a suggested list of items - items that will create a wonderful Christmas lunch for families.  Please return your donations to school as soon as you can and definitely by Friday, 24 November.  

Many thanks in advance, for your generosity and willingness to support others at this time of year.

Chappy Tim.

Remembrance Day - Saturday 11 November

Here are some activity suggestions for families to do over the weekend:

More information, activities and games can be found at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/education/activity-and-games

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.