Dear Parents and Caregivers

It is with great pleasure that we are able to welcome our students in Years 2-6 back to school next Monday 25 May.  As a school team we have certainly missed them all and look forward to the opportunity to work with everyone again from next week. Our Prep- Year 1 students commenced back last week and quickly adapted to their routines. 

The letter forwarded home last week contained frequently asked questions to assist with understanding how we will implement a safe transition back to school. Most importantly, if your child is unwell, it is essential that they are kept at home. In accordance with Queensland Health directions, parents or carers of any child showing signs of illness will be asked to collect them immediately from school.

To assist with this transition to school, some changes are being made to the school routine, details of which are listed below. 

On behalf of our staff, I sincerely thank you for your patience and support over recent weeks and months. I have received a significant amount of positive correspondence and personal feedback from our school community regarding our teachers, work programs and our communications. This willingness to partner with us in supporting student learning has been most appreciated.

Changes to School Times for Prep – Year 1 Students

Unfortunately our school does not have a designated drop and go zone which provides us with some challenges at the present time with restricted parent access to our school.  To mitigate congestion and promote safety for our students and families, approval has been granted to adjust the school start and finish times for Prep J, Prep T, Prep/1D, 1M and 1/2A ( includes Year 2 students in this class only).

From next Monday 25 May, school will commence at 8.40am for students in the above mentioned classes. School will finish at 2.50pm.

We understand that some parents will be waiting upon siblings in other year levels to finish school - please wait inside near the bike racks area ensuring that the path to the buses is kept clear.  We are trusting that the majority of Prep- Year 1 parents will collect and leave promptly to assist with congestion and social distancing rules.

Similarly, older students who need to meet their younger sibllings in Prep and Year 1 can meet them in the CSA.

Year 2-6 students will leave school at 3.00pm as per their routine earlier in the school year. 

All bus, and OHSC services remain the same.  This arrangement will stay in place for the remainder of this term to ensure the safety of our families during this time.

Normal Roll Marking from Next Monday

With all classes returned to school next Monday, normal roll marking procedures will be reinstated. Online and Virtual classroom learning will cease from this Friday. For parents who do not intend to return their child/ren to school due to special circumstances, medical vulnerability or concerns about the risk of COVID-19 transmission, you must notify the school and discuss with your child/ren’s teacher an appropriate approach to continuing their learning.

Please call our Absentee Line on 3425 6160 for all student absences. SMS messaging will also recommence from next Monday to assist with tracking all our students.   

School Winter Clothing

With our full school contingent due back next Monday , this is a timely reminder to ensure that all jumpers and tracksuits are clearly marked with your child’s name.  Every year we arrive with a lost property receptacle full of good clothing which remains unclaimed.

Could I also remind everyone that our Uniform Shop has jumpers available in our school colours. Jumpers which are not representative of our school colours are discouraged as they are not considered to be part of our school uniform. Jumpers purchased from Department stores are fine as long as they represent our school colours. 

School Facebook Site

In just two weeks, I am pleased to say that we have received 137 ‘likes’ for our new school Facebook site. Our new site has been launched as an additional tool to support our school community, particularly with communications around COVID-19. As an added feature, our school Facebook page links as a live feed to our school website at:

If you would like to stay up to date with school information, our celebrations and upcoming events, please visit and ‘like’ our Facebook Page at

 And a Good News Story to Finish

Last Saturday’s Courier Mail carried a story about Kaos the Police Dog returning to duty after an incident which resulted in him being seriously injured.  At the time, it was thought that Kaos’s injuries would see him retiring from active duty.  Kaos is a resident of Dayboro and his handler, Senior Constable James Griffiths is a parent in our school community.

It is pleasing that Kaos has now recovered from his injuries and is now back on the

beat. 

It is great to see that this story has had a happy ending with Kaos expected to complete another 12 months services before enjoying a long and relaxing retirement.

Picture Credit: Lachie Millard - The Courier Mail

Garry Drummond

Principal

Dear Families and Friends

It has been a delight to welcome our Prep and Year 1 students back to our school. They have returned with enthusiasm, good health and a readiness to embrace the routines of school life once again.  I would like to thank our parents also for their resilience and adaptability to the constantly changing situation we find ourselves in.  We are very fortunate to be part of such a supportive community. Please be assured our staff will continue to nurture and support your children at this crucial time in their lives as they adapt to the change in routine once again.

To celebrate their return, I have included some photos of Year 1 artworks and paintings they have created since their return. They are full of colour and represent their favourite things in life- home, family and nature. They are a celebration of their wonderment about the world around them.

Year 1 Paintings

For our students in Years 2-6, still learning at home this week, we would like to say ”Good Job!” We can clearly see that our children and parents are trying their best to embrace Online Learning and the successful, close to 100% attendance of students, in their Virtual Classrooms every day is a testament again to our supportive parents and community. Our teachers have worked very hard to make Online Learning for our students engaging, informative and worthwhile. It is a very time consuming task for many teachers who are also supervising students in classrooms at the same time. To help us, we ask parents to please be mindful of the amount and timing of emails and correspondence to teachers. Teachers are more than happy to answer emails, phone calls, Dojo messages during work hours but we need to be mindful that evenings and weekends are times teachers need to spend with their own families and loved ones as well as prepare for the next week of learning.

Three important things to remember for students in Yr. 2-6 learning at home.

1. Please log in to the child’s Virtual Classroom before 11am, at the latest, each day. You do not need to notify the office or class teacher if you are logging into the Virtual Classroom. We can see who and exactly when students are logged in every day.
2. If your student is not accessing their Virtual Classroom ie. Using the learning@home website, Mathletics or Spelling City or using paper copies of workbooks etc. then you will need to ring the office, email the teacher or Admin. or send a message to Q Parents every day. They will not be marked as absent. They will be marked as- In attendance- Learning at home. But we need to know they are home being supervised every day.
3. If your child is sick and will not be doing any work from home then you also need to ring the Absence line and let us know the reason.

Accessing Virtual Classrooms

Virtual Classrooms are hosted by Education Queensland through The Learning Place.  Classroom teachers have full control over the contents of each virtual classroom and students are able to collaborate and communicate with their teacher, and one another, through this site.

To find their virtual classroom students can Google “The Learning Place” or go directly to The Learning Place website. The preferred browsers for access are Fire Fox, Google Chrome, Edge or Safari.  Do not use Internet Explorer.

The learning place The Learning Placehttp://www.learningplace.education.qld.gov.au/

Click the link on the right hand side of the page for eLearn (Blackboard) – see below.  Students working from home will then be prompted to type in their MIS username and password. This information was recently sent home in an envelope with all students in P-3.  You should have kept it safe and you will need to find it as this is your only way for logging in. Teachers do not keep copies of these passwords.

Students in Years 4 – 6 regularly use their own credentials to log-in to the computers at school and should be able to recall their own username and password.

Once eLearn (Blackboard) opens, a list of courses (or virtual classrooms) will appear on the right hand side of the screen.  Select the course required from the list e.g. 5M Virtual Classroom.

You are then ready to access the resources and communicate with the teacher of that class.

 

** Please make sure when using external links, that students are adequately supervised.

If you have trouble accessing the Learning Place there could be intermittent connection issues. If this is the case try again later. You can still go to the learning@home website to access resources. This is not the same as accessing the Virtual Classroom though and will not log your attendance online.

*The Education Queensland Website-   Curriculum- learning@home.

https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning-at-home

The link has also been sent to all parents via text.

*Once in this site there are several important tabs to visit. See headings below:

Well Being of Students- how a typical day should be spent learning at home.

English- organised in year levels and click on learning activities

Mathematics- organised in year levels and click on learning activities.

Learning Resources- STEM, HASS and the Arts- organised in curriculum areas with links to support children’s learning.

There is no username or password required to access these online materials and they will be updated every 2 weeks.

These resources are provided by Education Queensland and give the appropriate and recommended lessons/ worksheets for children to work from at home.

Students will also be able to access their usual online learning programs- Spelling City and  Mathletics  using their own usernames and passwords as per usual.

For Sunshine Online there is a generic username and password.

Username : dayboross

Password: sunshine

Please remember that all children are expected to wait in the CSA before School between 8:15am until the bell goes at 8:40am. The children are supervised during this time. Prep and Yr 1 children will start classes at 8:40am. They will leave the CSA first at 8:35am, They will be collected by their teachers and taken to their classrooms. All other students in Yrs 2-6 will be let go from the CSA as per usual and walk straight to classrooms.

In the afternoons, Preps and Year 1’s will be released at 2:50pm and Yr 1 students can go home as per usual and Preps can be collected by parents in the garden area outside of the Prep rooms. All other children will line up for buses, childcare and OSHC as per usual. The rest of the school will be released at 3pm and go home as they usually would.

Some ideas for coping at home:

• Set realistic schoolwork hours- we have sent home recommended times for different areas.
• Include physical activity at a few stages in the day.
• Make sure you set aside time for snacks and lunch break times.
• Have a reading time. Read a book, outside, in a comfy space, on their own or with an adult.
• Plan a creative activity such as drawing, playdough time or playing with Lego.
• Allow time to socialise with friends via apps, phone calls or even computer games
• Set up with friends to eat lunch and chat together
• Plan some daily chores for them
• Work on a larger project-eg. plant a herb garden.

Next week our Preps will be celebrating Under 8’s week on Friday 29^th May.  Due to current restrictions, the day will be for our Prep children only and will be celebrated in the Prep rooms. The Prep teachers have sent out a note about this special day, "Our Prep Pyjama Picnic Play Day!"

Thank you Mrs Ryan!

Our Vision: “To inspire students to reach their full potential in a safe, caring and educationally challenging environment.”

 

Assessment and Reporting

Semester 1, 2020

Dear Parents/ Carers,

Remote Learning during Term 2 has resulted in a change to the way teachers will be

reporting to parents on student progress during Semester 1, 2020. Education Queensland has determined requirements for all state schools in consideration of the time students have been ‘learning at home’ that means the school academic report you usually receive in Week 10 of Term 2 will look a little different.

At Dayboro State School teachers report to parents about:

• the learning expectations for the student;
• the student’s achievement against expected standards;
• how well the student is engaging with the expected learning; and
• how the student may be able to improve.

Key Changes to note for Semester 1 reporting:

• Only 4 Key Learning Areas will be reported on in Semester 1 (Years 1-6): English, Maths, Science & Health and Physical Education (HPE);
• English, Maths, Science & HPE will each have a rating of student achievement on a 5 point scale (A-E for Years 3-6; VH to SR for Years 1-2), but no teacher comment;
• An Overall Comment only will summarise student learning progress in Prep (no ratings in English, Maths, Science or HPE)
• All students P-6 will receive a rating for Behaviour (5 point scale from Excellent to Needs Improvement)
• All students P-6 will receive an Overall Comment on student progress for the semester.

To ensure fair and valid assessment for all students upon their return from Remote Learning, Semester 1 reports will be delayed until Week 2 of Term 3. Reports will be emailed home on Wednesday, 22 July.

Parent/ teacher interviews are scheduled for the end of Term 3, 2020, as per the school’s normal reporting schedule. It is expected that all Key Learning Areas for Prep to Year 6 will be assessed and reported on in Semester 2, as usual.

If you have any questions regarding the changes to the Semester 1 school report for your child, please contact Mrs Linda Smith or Mrs Karen Ryan via the school office.

Regards,

Linda Smith                                                                                 Mrs Karen Ryan

Head of Department (Curriculum)                                             (Deputy Principal)

ICAS 2020 INVITATION

Dayboro State School will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS Assessments in English, Mathematics and Science this year. ICAS is developed by UNSW Global, a wholly owned subsidiary of UNSW Sydney, with over 35 years’ experience in educational assessments. ICAS is designed to target students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills.

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition. Every student will receive a printed certificate and an online result report. Top performers will be eligible for medals and are invited to attend special award ceremonies to have their academic excellence publicly recognised.

We encourage you to consider entering your child into ICAS this year. The assessments are suitable for students wishing to extend themselves academically and take up the personal challenge of competing in an international assessment. Your child will be presented with high quality, expert-developed questions, allowing them to apply their learning without the need for prior study or revision.

ICAS Assessments are now online, a move that reflects a sector-wide transition to computer-based assessments. This allows greater accessibility for students and faster delivery of results.

Learn more about ICAS here: unsw.global/ICAS

If you would like your child to participate in any of the subjects listed above, please visit the new online Parent Payment System to make a direct payment to UNSW Global. The Parent Payment System is a simple and secure online payment service specifically for parents to purchase ICAS Assessments.

The web link is:

Our school’s unique access code is:  QSM726

Online payment closes Friday, 17 July 2020.

Parent purchases:

IMPORTANT:  Please enter your child’s name accurately into the system as it will appear on their ICAS certificate.

Privacy notification

UNSW Global stores, uses and modifies the ICAS Assessments data in order to generate reports, conduct research and analysis, and improve its products and services. UNSW Global will not hold or use ICAS Assessments data that constitutes personal information for longer than 15 years. As the parent or guardian of a student who intends to sit ICAS Assessments, you consent to the school collecting the ICAS Assessments data that relates to the student, disclosing it to UNSW Global and to UNSW Global’s use of it in the manner outlined above. You also consent to the school assigning this consent to UNSW Global.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Smith if you have any questions.

Welcome back Prep and Year 1

It was wonderful to see so many of you come and visit the Library during the week!  We hope that you have enjoyed reading the new stories you were able to take home when you came to exchange books this week.

Library Events

To support home-based learning during Term 2, temporary access (at no charge) to the eBooks Digital Library has been approved for all students until 20 July 2020.   

All students are now registered to borrow eBooks and audiobooks from the eBooks Digital Library until 20 July 2020.

What is the eBooks Digital Library?

The eBooks Digital Library contains over 45,000 eBooks and audiobooks, including fiction and nonfiction reading material for students and is compatible on almost any device.  The collection includes easy readers, comic and graphic novels, science fiction, and fantasy.  It is available via web browser, or the (free) Sora or OverDrive app.  

How do I access the eBooks service on a laptop or in a web browser?

1.       Open Sora (works best with Chrome) or open OverDrive Classic

2.       Log in with your Department username (MIS ID)

How do I access the eBooks service on a mobile device?

1.       Install the free Sora or OverDrive app. 

2.       Search for Education Queensland (in Sora) or Queensland State Schools (in OverDrive). 

3.       Log in with your Department username (MIS ID)


Please contact eResource Services if you have any questions or concerns.  Happy reading!          

Library and Maker Space Online

Our school Library and Maker Space virtual classroom is still available to all students who may be looking for something different to do.   One of the options available is to listen to audio books.  We have been enjoying “Elevenses” – this site hosts stories written and read by David Walliams.

Overdue Loans

A reminder to all students to please return any overdue books as soon as possible after starting back at school.  The automated email reminder function of the Library’s circulation system was turned off prior to the start of the Easter holidays so that families were not receiving regular emails notifying them of overdue school library books, but this will be reactivated in the coming weeks.

Thank you for you continued support,

Mrs Wilkinson and Mrs H.

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

As the time to return to school looms ever nearer, I would like to remind year 4,5 & 6 students about Crochet Club…

When school resumes I will run Crochet Club every Tuesday in my room during play time at first break.

If children would like to join, they need to bring two or three balls of colourful 8 ply wool and a size 4 or 4.5mm crochet hook (about $4 from Big W)..

They can give their wool and hook to me as soon as they are ready so that I can start a granny square for them.

If you have wool at home which you would be happy to donate to our club, I would be most grateful.

It will also be necessary for the children to have a bag in which to keep their crochet gear. A fabric shopping bag is ideal!

I have some students from previous clubs who are willing to join in and mentor their friends.

When they are confident, it is lovely to see them sitting under trees, or in our year 6 courtyard crocheting together!

Thanks for your ongoing support of our wonderful children.

Melinda Foord

Mr Andrew Pickard

School Chaplain.

Hi my name is Andrew Pickard and I am the Chaplain at Dayboro State School. I have been a School Chaplain for 15 years in two states - Queensland and Victoria. My Hobbies are; sport (golf, cricket and surfing), watching old BBC comedies and spending time with my wife and family.

What is a SU School Chaplain?

A State School Chaplaincy service complements, rather than duplicates the work of other school-based support staff.  This service provides students, staff and parents with social, emotional and spiritual support and also provides an additional adult role model in the school as well as enhancing engagement with the broader community including parents.  Chaplains provide a listening ear, caring presence and message of hope as students seek to deal with a wide range of issues such as family problems, friendship issues, peer pressure, self-esteem issues and self-control.

Chaplaincy services are inclusive of and show respect for all religious and non-religious beliefs and other stances represented in the school community.  All activities

and events provided are inclusive  to all students. 

Chaplaincy activities can include:

• Participation in school camps, excursions, sports days, Lunchtime activities, graduation and other important celebrations, assemblies, school committees, staff activities.
• Facilitating and promoting Social and Emotional small group learning through  whole school programs, including but not limited to;  Walking in others shoes Boys Program, Circle Time You Can do it Education Program.    
• Providing information for parents through Newsletters and information sessions on Social and Emotional Learning.
• Participation in School Leadership Programs and Student Council Activities.
• Networking with local support agencies and organisations to provide a broad range of support services to the school community.

Thank you for the warm welcome I have received already. A big part of  my role is getting involved  in the general activities that occur in the life of the school as support to staff and students.

My work days at Dayboro are Thursday and Friday.     

Supporting anxious children quotes:

If you have any enquiries about the Chaplaincy service, please don’t hesitate to see me or phone the school.

See you at school

Chappy Andrew

This past week at Helping Hands we have been getting creative – children have made flower gardens with Miss Jenny using recycled materials, challenged themselves to make a paper city and have started collecting nature items for the upcoming nature collage. We also channeled our inner scientist with some exciting science experiments. Games like Rob the Nest, Silent Ball and soccer were well received this week to develop teamwork, co-ordination and strategising.

Our younger children returning to school last week settled back into our routine quickly and it was great to see children excited to see their friends again.

If your child/ren will be absent from a session, please ensure they are marked absent on the iparent portal. This is done under the bookings tab by selecting the date/session and clicking the red x on the right. Please see one of our educators for support if you are experiencing issues making or managing your bookings. Please also ensure you are able access your iparent portal – this is where you make and amend your bookings and receive notifications, messages and newsletters from us in addition to this fortnightly segment.

Vacancies are available for both morning and afternoon sessions on selected days, and we welcome all children and families to the service. To enrol your child, please visit www.helpinghandsnetwork.com.au, selecting Dayboro as your service and following the prompts to access the iParent Portal. If you have any issues, please contact Jenny at the service on 0459 991 697 or our customer accounts on 1300 612 462.