Term 1 Week 8 2023
- Principal's News by Tracy Egan
- Team Mango We All Belong!
- Prep News by Michelle Alcorn
- Year 1 News by Melinda White
- Year 2 News by Kylie Vaughan
- Year 3 News by Ellaine Warner
- Year 4 News by Danielle O'Brien
- Year 5 News by Kris Olsen
- Year 6 News by Emma Crawshaw
- Curriculum News
- Sporting News by The PE Department
- News from our Partners
- Community News
Productive Parent Partnerships
Thanks to the parents who attended our Parents and Citizens Association AGM on Monday evening.
Congratulations to our new P & C Executive.
- Amy Swalwell President
- Radhika Reddy Treasurer
- Yanti Weaire Secretary
The Vice President Position remains vacant and we encourage all parents to consider if you can assist with this role. Please come along to the next meeting on 8 May when we hope to fill the position. We look forward to working in partnership with these wonderful volunteers.
I would also like to acknowledge outgoing executive member Michelle Angayan for her contribution as secretary in 2022.
Next week our staff will start Parent Teacher interviews. Don’t forget to book your interview by Friday afternoon so you have the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher over the next four school weeks to hear an update on their progress and collaborate with the teacher about how you can work together to help your child reach their potential.
2023 Student Council Events
Our Student Council have decided on the following special events.
Term 1 – National day of Action against Bullying! Wear orange this Friday. No gold coin.
Term 1 – Jersey Day to celebrate being part of Team Mango. Gold coin with proceeds to the legacy project. Thursday 30 March.
Term 2 – Wear an animal or nature print to raise funds for Moreton bay Koala Rescue. Gold coin donation.
Term 3 – Pyjama Day - Gold coin with proceeds to the legacy project.
Term 4 – Loud shirt day to raise funds for Hear & Say.
Term 4 - Day for Daniel. Wear red to remind ourselves to recognise, react and report!
Applying Learning in Different Contexts
This year we have been focussed on really stretching our students thinking in mathematics. We are working with an expert to help us ensure the assessment of maths is high quality. We want students receiving an A to be able to apply their understanding to complex and unfamiliar contexts.
The assessment completed this term has provided students with some new opportunities to show their ability to problem-solve and reason. As a result of this increased rigour, we have seen some students results shift from an A to a B. This is not cause for concern. It provides the student with information about their next steps in learning and the opportunities ahead of them as they learn to deepen and extend their thinking and understanding.
School Photos Next Week!
A reminder that School Photos will be taken next Monday to Wednesday. Draft 2 timetable below. Don’t forget formal uniform!
Lock up Bikes and Scooters!
A reminder that the bike cages are locked around 9am each morning and opened up again by 2.15pm. Outside of these times, bikes are not secure so it is vital that all students padlock their bike or scooter to safeguard them from theft.
Have a wonderful week
Tracy Egan
Principal
tegan4@eq.edu.au
Focus of the Week
The Care Class focus delivered this Friday, National Day of Action Against Bullying. Care Class lessons will be conducted with own classes and the focus continued throughout the following week.
Students will review this topic in Care Class regularly, so that all students understand that acts of bullying are unacceptable at our school and in life, that bystanders can make a difference. This is so that students who are experiencing bullying know to report and to seek support for themselves. We also want students to understand that not all acts of unkindness, disputes or misconduct constitute bullying. This helps students to identify bullying, and thus enables the most effective response to behaviour. For a definition of bullying and other valuable information, see https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/
Mango Hill State School will once again be participating in the 2023 ICAS Assessments. ICAS is designed to target students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling and Digital Technologies. Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition. Top performers will be eligible for medals and the opportunity to attend a special award ceremony to have their academic excellence publicly recognised.
Please find attached the details regarding registration and Online Parent Payment System. Specific details of assessment days and times will be released in the near future.
Easter Bonnet Parade
On the last day of this term, our Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students will come together at Gigum Hall to celebrate the end of our first term for 2023 with an Easter Bonnet Parade. Students will create a small piece of headwear at school for the parade (we want everyone to wear something); however, if you would like to create a masterpiece at home with your child, we’d love to see it at the parade! Parents are welcome to bring younger children to the event and once the school students have paraded around, there will be the opportunity for our toddlers and kindy kids to parade around too. We will finish the morning singing a song together. Students will wear full school uniform and pop their headpiece or home creation on, before going to parade.
When: Final day of term, Friday 31 March, 8.45 am
Where: Gigum Hall
Parents and carers, please support our school by visiting the café and purchasing a coffee, drink or snack (or breakfast!) prior to the parade. Every purchase supports our school P&C.
QParents - Term 2 Paper Copies of Permission Forms will Cease.
Starting Term 2 we will no longer print permission forms for excursions and incursions. This decision was made to not only made to support our sustainability efforts by saving paper and electricity but now that forms can be signed electronically via QParents it will save parents and carers time!
All parents are strongly encouraged to sign up to QParents.
QParents is a user-friendly portal accessible via app or web browser, providing parents with secure online access to information about their child’s schooling.
Simply follow the links from your email invitation sent to your email each week. Complete the verification process or drop in and see our staff to verify your identity and then you will have access to your child’s information including the following.
- Electronic permission notes
- Invoices - pay online via the links
- Attendance – you can advise us via the app if your child will be absent
- Report cards
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call the office.
Credits on Accounts
How to get a credit on your child’s account applied to an excursion.
If you have a credit on your child’s account (shows as a negative amount on statements e.g. -$3.00) email the Finance Officer at Payments@mangohillss.eq.edu.au with your child’s name, class and invoice/payment you would like the credit applied to.
e.g. Fred Jones 2B. Please apply credit to invoice 001. You can also respond to any invoice or customer statement email you receive.
Unfortunately it is not an automatic process when you have a credit on your account, we require your permission (as the account owner) to apply the credit to a invoice.
Student Absences
Parents can communicate student absences via QParents or by emailing studentabsence@mangohillss.eq.edu.au
Please include the following information – Child’s name, class, reason for absence, date of absence and length of absence.
Examples include the following.
- Fred Jones 2A sick Monday 7 Feb all day
- Mary Jones 4T appointment Tuesday 8 Feb morning only and will return to school after appointment.
- Jane Jones 6P Family Funeral Wednesday 9 February and Thursday 10 February will return Friday 11 February.
Learning in Prep
Our Prep friends have been super stars this week remembering to wear their hata at play and when travelling to and from school. It is wonderful seeing them Care for self and being sun smart each and every day! If your child has lost their hat and it has their name and class on it, on most occasions it will find its way back to the classroom. However we also have Lost Property outside the Hub where parents can check for any missing items.
Across our Prep classrooms this week students are very busy drawing some very detailed pictures of unusual events happening in their classrooms or out in the playground. PR found dinosaurs stomping through the garden and Prep L had a cheeky bunny come visit their room on Monday morning. Our students are loving this last opportunity to draw as part of our of our pre-writing unit. This week we are looking for beginning sounds in labels and lots of detail in our drawings (colour, size and different parts to the drawing). We want the drawing to speak for itself, to be really clear to the audience about the event and who was there. This is the beginning of writing, to know that we can use pencil and paper, to communicate a message.
In Maths, we have been learning to subitise (know how many there are in a group, without needing to count them) and count on (I can see there are three, I count one more and that’s four). We have been showing our teacher the best way to subitise to count objects efficiently.
Michelle Alcorn
Deputy Principal- Prep
malco14@eq.edu.au
Good Things Come in 3s… or All The Good Things Are In Year 1?!!
Last week, we enjoyed the performances from the team at Good Things Come in 3s. Seeing live theatre is such a treat! Thank you parents and carers for paying for us to attend.
Sometimes, people think of The Arts as an added “extra” or something that “doesn’t really matter” but live performances enrich our lives, help us to think differently and from different perspectives, and inspire us. This then helps us to learn!
This theatrical experience was to assist with our English units of work this term. We have been trying to entertain our friends in our writing unit of work and now we are trying to entertain and share information with others in our speaking and listening task.
Being able to communicate with others is such an important skill – for school, and for life. We are practising asking questions to seek more information, making appropriate comments about what we see, and being the “performer” and sharing our thoughts with our friends and teacher.
Here’s a few pictures from our incursion for you to enjoy.
Have a great week
Melinda White
Deputy Principal- Year 1
mwhit37@eq.edu.au
Speaking and Listening in Year 2
Often when we think about learning in English, we think of reading and writing. While these skills are important, when we teach English, we also focus on developing children’s knowledge, understanding and skills in listening and speaking.
This term our Year 2s have been reading and listening to a range of poems. Students have then collaborate to innovate and create new poems.
Over the next two weeks, the children will be sharing their poems and discussing them in small groups. They will have also have an opportunity to practise active listening by asking questions of the presenters and providing them with feedback.
Care Class
Every week we come together in our classes for Care Class. This is the time in the week where we unpack how the expectations look across the school. The expectation is taught in class on a Friday and then revisited as a focus throughout the week.
On Friday last week the children unpacked the expectations around how they move around the school. Here were the expectations that they talked about.
- Students Care for Self by walking on the concrete and using stairs responsibly.
- Students Care for Others by moving quietly and responsibility around the school and following teacher directions.
- Students Care for Learning by ensuring they arrive to their class on time before and after school as well as when the bell rings after breaks.
- Students Care for the School Environment by using the pathways and throwing rubbish in the bins as they move around the school.
Look at these superstars from 2O. They made posters of what a superhero Team Mango member would do if they were moving around the school following the Four Cares.
Have a wonderful week
Learning in Year 3
We are feeling so proud of our wonderful Year 3 students as we see them take on place value in Math. Our teachers are differentiating for your children in all sorts of ways. One way is by informally gathering evidence of who has learned the concepts and have a deep understanding, who is on their way but still needs more teaching or practice, and who has some misconceptions. Teachers then use collaborative structures, guided groups or instruction or other resources (such as our amazing ILT teachers and teacher aides) so that all students can access learning at their right entry point.
Playing in Year 3
It was thrilling to be there last Wednesday for our inaugural Women’s Soccer Club. Our students demonstrated a high level of skill and passion. Everyone appreciated the friends and classmates that watched and cheered our students on. We can’t wait for second break on Wednesday. I have included a few photos of play time across the week. Please encourage your child to try out all the play options available at breaks.
Whole school parade this Friday
You are welcome to join us this Friday morning at 8:45 am for our Bullying? No Way! Parade. Also, a reminder that next Friday is our planned Cross Country event.
please enjoy these photos of our week so far.
Wonderful week
Ellaine Warner
Deputy Principal- Year 3
ewarn23@eq.edu.au
Care for Learning in Year 4
It is hard to believe we are almost at the end of Week 8! Where has the time gone? I had the pleasure this week of working in some Year 4 classrooms. It is wonderful to observe the learning culture present in the classrooms, where students are working together and supporting each other within collaborative learning structures. It was great seeing students start the day in 4S using a ready to learn break called 'Shoot, shoot, through'. Students were cheering each other on and strengthening their capacity to cooperate with others and work together.
Take a look at some of the photos below.
Positive Play
It has been wonderful walking around at playtime and seeing students engaged in a range of positive play options. We are so lucky to have staff members actively involving themselves in the games and activities, as well as our student leaders joining in and leading a range of games. I have seen students playing soccer, playing basketball, attending Martial Arts clubs, playing board games and acting during Drama club. Check out some smiling faces during playtimes!
Care for Learning in Year 5
It has been another terrific week in Year 5 as we begin our 2023 NAPLAN. It has been fantastic seeing students demonstrating our values of Commitment and Excellence to complete this program whilst having big smiles on their faces.
Visiting Year 5 classes this week it has been great to see so many ways students working together to problem solve and explain their thinking in Mathematics. I loved hearing students in 5G, 5B and 5F this week demonstrating their understanding of how to add and subtract fractions with common denominators. Great Care for Learning Year 5!
Kris Olsen
Acting Deputy Principal –Year 5
kolse55@eq.edu.au
Care for Learning in Year 6
Our Year 6 students have started on their next number unit in Maths. It was great to visit 6H this week who were working in groups to identify and explain triangular numbers. Students were sorted into groups based on their ability to answer a ‘hinge question’. I loved hearing them talk about why they chose their answer and trying to prove their answer through discussion with their peers. Some students worked with concrete materials to represent triangular numbers, some worked with their teacher, and some students worked together using a collaborative structure - ‘sage and scribe’. Ms Hutton was able to check for understanding throughout the lesson and at the end by checking responses to another question.
We are proud of the way our students see themselves as learners. Keep up the hard work Year 6!
Have a super week
Emma Crawshaw
Acting Deputy Principal – Year 6
ewils209@eq.edu.au
Hub Happenings
We are especially grateful to the P&C for their recent generous donation of funds to the Hub. This has allowed us to purchase many new books to support both our general collection and our AR collection. As you can see from the photos, our library staff have been busy cataloguing and processing these books so that they are nearly ready to be added to the shelves. Once they are contacted they will be ready for students to borrow!
If you have a few spare hours a week, you might like to help us with the contacting. We have a few willing volunteers but always welcome more! If you are interested pop on down to see Wendy (Monday to Thursday) and she will be able to provide you with a (small or large) pile of books and a roll of contact. This means you can contact at home at a time and a place that suits you. If you are super skilled, you might be able to multi-task and achieve several things at once!?
The Hub is open every day from 8.15am and every afternoon until 3pm. See you soon!
Speaking and Listening in English
This week our students have all begun work on some new English tasks, with a specific focus on speaking and listening. While the ability to communicate orally with others is super important in real life, it is also an important part of the English syllabus and our school program. Each semester, students have the opportunity to specifically develop and apply their speaking and listening skills and this term students across the school will be involved in group and class discussions as they share their ideas and points of view about characters, picture books and short stories.
Families can help students with these tasks by encouraging speaking and listening at home. Dinner time conversations are often the best place to share experiences and thoughts about the day’s events, and sometimes this regular family time can be the perfect place for a robust conversation where speaking and listening is essential. Who is your favourite book character of all time? Who should win Survivor and why? Do you prefer rain or sunshine and why? What are you looking forward to about the upcoming holidays?
Of course the best way to get better at applying these essential skills is to speak and listen as often as possible!
Have a fantastic week
Suzette Holm, Jessica Rivett
shol0@eq.edu.au
Pine Rivers District Sporting Trials (10-12yr Old’s)
Pine Rivers District School Sport offers 10-12 Year old students the opportunity to try and make the Pine Rivers District team for a variety of sports. If successful, they compete at Metropolitan North trials and carnivals, with the possibility of selection into teams competing at State events. Students must be nominated by their school in order to attend a district trial or carnival.
District trials are held at various venues within the Pine Rivers District (e.g. Les Hughes Sports Complex) and are not attended by MHSS staff. A Pine Rivers District Coach and Manager will facilitate the trial.
Students who express an interest to trial can collect forms from our PE office. They will be given the Pine Rivers District forms and the relevant trial information. Completed district forms are to be returned to the PE office by the due date. Once the forms are collated, students will be nominated for the trial. Forms are then handed back to students and must then be taken to the coach/manager at the District Trials. Students will NOT be allowed to trial if district forms are not handed in completed. Unless specifically organised by the school, it is the parents’ responsibility to transport students to and from district trials.
Most Pine Rivers District trials are limited to students turning 11 or 12 years of age and who are considered at a high level in the sport e.g. Div. 1 or A Grade. Cross Country, Athletics and Swimming trials however are open for students turning 10, 11 and 12 years of age. Sports that students are able to trial for include the following.
- AFL
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Football (Soccer)
- Golf
- Hockey
- Netball
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Softball
- Squash
- Tennis
- Touch
- Triathlon
Mango Hill can normally nominate up to three students for each district sport trial. If more than three students wish to be nominated Mango Hill will select the three best candidates for the trial. The selection of these students may be either based on past performances/current club form or through a selection trial at school.
If you are interested in your child trialling for Pine Rivers District more information can be obtained from the Mango Hill State School newsletter, with regular trial updates listed. You can also contact Mr Nick Hills - nhill96@eq.edu.au (MHSS PE Teacher) so he is aware of your intention to attend the trial.
MHSS Cross Country
All students from Years Prep to 6 will be competing in the 2023 MHSS Cross Country Race. This is completed in the morning and or middle session of school with students competing in a long-distance race with their age group peers. More information regarding the Cross Country will be available later in the term. Dates are as follows.
- Year Prep-2: Thursday Week 9 - 23 March
- Year 3-6: Friday Week 9 – 24 March
Please see below the map and community notice for the 2023 cross country events.
Interschool Sport (Year 5-6)
All Year 5 and 6 students will get the chance to participate in the Pine Rivers Interschool Sport in 2023, with the competition running for 3 days in Term 2. Students compete against teams from other schools for Interschool Sport. They will vote for which sport they would like to play and can train at school during our lunch clubs. The Interschool Sports for 2023 are as follows.
- Netball
- League Tag (Boys)
- League Tag (Girls)
- Soccer
- Rugby League (Tackle - full contact)
Students have now received their permission and voting form. This needs to be completed and returned for students to participate. Students who do not wish to participate in Interschool Sport will stay at school and complete normal school activities. Payment of $18.00 and the completed voting slip/permission form is due by Friday 17 March 2023.
Mr Hills & Mr Newell, Miss Richards and Mr Lisha
Physical Education Teachers
P & C News
Easter Donations
Thank you to all the parents who have donated so far to the Easter Raffle prizes. We would also like to thank the PCYC who have donated a large basket of Easter items.
