Term 3 Week 2 Newsletter 19 July 2023
From our Principal
Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you enjoyed your winter break from school and are refreshed for a new term.
The start of a new term is always a great time to revisit our expectations ensuring clarity and consistency.
Our Thangool Capable Learner relates to the classroom and in the playground. By consistently emphasising our school rules, dispositions, values and holding high expectations, we ensure that all students are kept safe and are able to learn to the best of their ability. Our capable learner is built on key foundations and surround by ensuring we are inclusive, focus on wellbeing and provide feedback using our language of good, better, how. Please consider discussing our capable learner with your child/ren at home.
Term 3 brings a range of learning experiences for our students along with a variety of other activities such as: PC athletics, NAIDOC activities, School Opinion Survey, Callide-Dawson Speaking competition, Tennis and Cricket competition, Biloela Netball Carnival, Project Club Day, Book week, parent/teacher interviews. Watch for information around these activities in future newsletters, noticeboard, on the school website and class newsletters.
Have a wonderful week.
Fiona
School Opinion Survey
The annual suite of School Opinion Surveys will be conducted 24th July to 18th August 2023. All families, school staff and students in target year levels will be invited to participate. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what our school does well, and how we can improve. The Department of Education will commence sending email invitations to participants in the first week of term 3. Check your junk email folders if you can’t find it.
Attendance - Every Day Counts
Our school target is 94%. We are currently sitting at 90.6%. The importance of students attending school can’t be underestimated. Not only it is vital for their learning but it also is important for the development of friendships and feeling like they belong. If you are going to be away for an extended period of time then you need to notify the office so you can be given a form that needs to be completed to explain your child’s absence.
NAIDOC Week
National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. The 2023 National NAIDOC Week theme is For Our Elders. Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families. They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones. Our loved ones who pick us up in our low moments and celebrate us in our high ones. Who cook us a feed to comfort us and pull us into line, when we need them too. They guide our generations and pave the way for us to take the paths we can take today. Guidance, not only through generations of advocacy and activism, but in everyday life and how to place ourselves in the world. We draw strength from their knowledge and experience, in everything from land management, cultural knowledge to justice and human rights. Across multiple sectors like health, education, the arts, politics and everything in between, they have set the many courses we follow.
Head of Curriculum
Curriculum
Thangool’s mission statement of teaching the whole child focuses on teaching the content of the Australian Curriculum and providing opportunities for our students to transfer their learning through extra curricula activities:
NAIDOC Week
Last week every class participated in NAIDOC activities, storytelling, dancing, art and craft. NAIDOC Week holds immense importance as it celebrates and acknowledges the rich history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our country. It provides an opportunity for students to learn, respect, and engage with the diverse cultures and contributions of Indigenous communities. NAIDOC Week raises awareness about the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples, promotes reconciliation, and highlights the need for continued efforts towards social justice and equality. It honours the traditions, language, and customs that have been passed down for generations, fostering a deeper understanding, respect and appreciation of Indigenous heritage.
Fame BSHS
On Thursday, students will be attending the Biloela State High School’s musical “Fame”. Fame the musical follows the highs and lows of the final class of New York City’s Illustrious High School for the Performing Arts from their first year in 1980 to their graduation in 1984. It tells the story of several students, depicting their struggles and triumphs. We will see their struggles with ambition, fame and self-confidence. Ticket, pricing and further information about the performance is available through Biloela State Highschool’s Facebook page.
Playgroup
Our first playgroup for the term will be held next Wednesday, 26 August. Joining us each month not only benefits your child but also provides parents and families with a support network and a chance to connect with other parents facing similar experiences. At Thangool, we offer a rich and valuable experience for children, promoting their holistic development in a fun and stimulating setting. Everyone is welcome to come and join in the activities which will be held in front of the Prep. Thangool Playgroup plays a crucial role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. We provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can interact, learn, and grow through play. We look forward to seeing you.
Early Literacy Nights
Following our successful ‘Literacy Nights’ held at Biloela Kindergarten last term, we have been invited to share with the wider community. Our Early Literacy evenings will consist of 3 sessions be held on:
Monday, 24th July Oral Language and Early Literacy
Wednesday, 2nd Aug Phonological/Phonemic Awareness
Wednesday 17th Aug Phonics
All are welcome to attend.
SEL News
This term we are excited to announce extra focused SEL groups. The following groups will be running:
- Year 4 girls
- Year 5 girls
- Year 4 and Year 6 mixed
- Year 4-6 boys
- Year 6 empowering leaders
These groups will have varying focuses such as confidence, communication, resilience, recognising and regulating emotions, self-talk, empathy, team work and responsible decision making. Each topic falls under our general capabilities of Self-awareness, Self-management, Social-awareness and Social-management.
The research tells us that effective SEL programs have many practical benefits as seen below Perhaps the most significant finding is that these benefits can last up to 18 years (Durlak & Mahoney, CASEL. 2019).
I look forward to working with these groups and seeing their growth throughout the term.
Sport News
Port Curtis Reminders - Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th July 2023
- Private Transport required
- Completed Booklet
- Check In and Check out with Callide Zone Manager
Tennis - Green/Orange - 4th August (Gladstone)
- Red Ball - 11th August (Biloela)
More information to follow shortly. Please see flyer regarding practise sessions for Green and Orange Ball in preparation for these events.
Congratulations to our Netball girls who attended the Regional Shield in Rockhampton last week.
Important Dates
Community Flyers
