Term 2, Week 2 Newsletter
From the Principal
Hello and welcome to our first newsletter of the term. I trust the Easter break was a relaxing time for all and where possible you found time to re-connect with families and friends or to go on new and exciting adventures.
This past week we bid farewell to Mr. Dargusch. He has had a massive positive impact on our school and he will be missed.
We are currently undertaking a recruitment process to replace Mr. Dargusch as Deputy Principal. While that is underway, we have made the following changes within our school.
Acting Deputy Principal – Mrs. Maureen Kelly
Acting Head of Department – Curriculum (HOD-C)– Mr. Brian Fischer
Mr. Fischer will be replaced by Michele Foster in Prep Blue. Michele joins us from Ferny Grove State School. We are fortunate to be able to bring in not only an experienced teacher, but an experienced Prep teacher while Brian is relieving in the HOD-C position.
Visiting School Leaders
This week we hosted three school leaders from New Zealand, they were particularly interested in our structured literacy programs in P-2. It was a great opportunity to demonstrate the great work of our P-2 teachers and the leadership of Mrs. Gawne and Mrs. Kelly of our reading program in P-2.
Next week we will be hosting 3 more school leaders from other Brisbane schools who will be here to support my work as principal. As part of a collaborative School Inquiry, we will each be hosting a visit and using this time to look at a key part of our school leadership and seeking feedback on how we can better our work. Part of the visit will involve learning walks in and across classrooms to see the impact of our work in classrooms.
I look forward to once again being able to show the great work our teachers here at BCSS do each and every day and the opportunity to better our practice for the benefit of all of our learners.
Cross Country
This week we saw our Cross-Country team competing at the City District trials at Northgate. Our team competed admirably with all students running well and persevering in what were challenging conditions.
While none of our students were able to gain selection in the City Districts team, there efforts on the course are to be commended. It was also pleasing to see the comradery and school spirit on display as they cheered one another one.
Gala Days
In the coming weeks we will be competing in the City District Gala Days. This year all of our approximately 200 competing students will be wearing our brand new BCSS team shirts. These shirts were only made possible thanks to the kind donations and support from Mark Davis and Rhan Hooper. Rhan, generously donated one of his artworks to be used as the design on the shirts and also a didgeridoo that we auctioned off at our 2023 Art Show. Mark’s winning bid allowed us to purchase a set of 50 shirts.
We would also like to acknowledge the School Locker (New Balance) who kindly donated another set of 50 shirts to us.
Students in year 4-6 will be loaned a shirt to wear for all 3 gala days. Shirts will be sent home in the week leading up to the first day and are to be returned following the last week of Gala Day sports.
This week I was fortunate enough to be able to go out and help our girls’ soccer team and am looking forward to attending the Gala days with the soccer team in the coming weeks.
CGEN
Thank you to all CCGEN 2024 students for a great week of Massed Choir rehearsals during week 10 of Term 1!
Hope you all have had a lovely Easter break and are ready for another exciting term of rehearsals.
Key dates for massed choir:
- Wednesday 22 May - Massed choir rehearsal at Mount Cotton State School
- Sunday 9 June - Combined choir rehearsal (T-shirt distribution day + choreography day) - Chandler
- Wednesday 17 July - Massed choir rehearsal and full cast technical rehearsal
- Thursday 18 July - Full cast dress rehearsal and evening performance
- Friday 19 July - Matinee and evening performances
- Saturday 20 July - Matinee performance
Library
Over the past weeks the students have been reading and interacting with a Queensland Remembers Kit provided by the ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee.
This kit included: mini museum, items of interest, military clothing, sporran, heritage uniform, specially written books, teaching and learning activities, medals, newspaper articles, compass, hats, belts, shoes, mosquito net, poppies, eating utensils, army pack and box, morse code machine and a wide range of ANZAC reading material.
The children were able to interact with the resources as the kit provide white gloves for handling the items. The Spirit of ANZAC was shown by all the students. The respect and care they showed to each other, the resources, sharing the books and reading sections of the books to each other was impressive.
In addition to these resources the children were able to read from our library collection. The children liked the book on ‘Weary Dunlop’ and the ‘The Little Donkey’, however, ‘The ANZAC Spirit’ book was the most popular.
Some interesting facts the students talked about from reading the literature in the library included:
- Red poppies represent the people who died and purple poppies is for the animals – donkeys, horses and even pigeons.
- 70 ‘First Nation’ men served at Gallipoli
- ‘Digger’ was the name they called Australian and New Zealand soldiers
- ‘Lest We Forget’ comes from a line in an 1897 Rudyard Kipling poem called Recessional and the ‘We shall remember them’ is a line from the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon.
- Boots needed spikes because there was so much mud
- Donkeys not only hauled ammunition, supplies and water but were walking ambulances and Simpson had five donkeys.
- The ribbon on the wreath is hung high on the top left and finishes on the bottom right side to symbolise the sun rising in the East and setting in the west.
The ‘We Shall Remember Them’ wreath was steadily put together by all students. Two volunteer students cut out an enormous amount of red and purple poppies, others coloured in the centre, then the students glued one poppy to the wreath.
ANZAC Day Assembly, 2024
PBL
Floral Friday
Book Club Issue 3
Visit scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app.
Please order and pay by credit card and your order will be electronically linked to the rest of your school’s order.
Scholastic bulk delivers the books to school after their issue closing date. However, to have the orders arrive before the school holidays below is the order closing date.
Sometimes your child’s book will not arrive in the bulk delivery because it is on back order. It will arrive.
When the books arrive at school, they will be handed to your child to take home.
Q Parents
Speak Up
