IMPORTANT DATES
WEEK SIX EDITION
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Hi Everyone,
May
31st (Friday) – Student of the
Month awards given on Parade
31st (Friday) – Week 6
Newsletter Emailed
June
6th/7th (Thurs/Fri) – District
Athletics Carnival – more info
to come from Mr Lane
5th (Wednesday) – Chess
Competition – Avoca SS
14th (Friday) – DISCO in Hall
P-3 5pm-6:15pm; 4-6 6:15-
7:30pm
14th (Friday) – Week 8
Newsletter sent home
17th (Monday) – P&C Meeting
3pm-4pm in staff room at
school
17th (Monday) – Academic
Triathlon (Chess) at Agnes
Water State School
July
1st -14th – July Holidays
15th (Monday) – School
Returns for Term 3
Our Next Newsletter
Week 8 – Friday June 14
Our School Rules:
I am Respectful
I am Responsible
I am Safe
I am A Learner
Welcome to our week six newsletter. We have been very busy at our
wonderful school. Please see below for more information.
1770 Festival 2019
A huge thank you to Mrs Heenan, staff, parents/carers, students and
community members for your support towards our float in this year’s
1770 Float Parade. As you can see from the photos below, the students
looked amazing in their different costumes. The theme was centred on
HARMONY and values we can take to be more harmonious in life. To
make the day even better, we won the people’s choice trophy for best
float in the parade – GO AGNES WATER STATE SCHOOL!!
During 2019’s 1770 festival, I also had the great opportunity to be a
part of the Cook’s landing re-enactment. It was a blast to be a part of
and I thank all the cast and crew for their support during practice and
on the evening of the re-enactment.
Principal Messages Continued…
Buddy Bench
During week 5, we had a visit from Mr Stephen Bennett MP (State Member for Burnett) as well as the men
from the Bagara Men’s Shed to deliver a new ‘Buddy Bench’ for the school. The School Captains were on hand
to take a picture with Mr Bennett as well as be in a video (video shared on the school’s Facebook page). School
leaders will be monitoring the ‘buddy bench’ for any students feeling lonely or require support during playtime.
This is a great initiative and will help support all our wonderful students during times of need.
Wheel of Wellbeing + Student Wellbeing Framework
On Tuesday May 21, I attended a Wheel of Wellbeing workshop at Rosedale State School facilitated by our
own Keryn Heenan (1/2 Teacher). The Wheel of Wellbeing is a vehicle within a school’s wellbeing framework
to support students and staff to be able to learn sustainably with a healthy mind and a positive attitude. One
take-away from this workshop was that we must take time throughout the school day to ensure students are
settled and focused so that they are as successful as possible at the tasks ahead. I also enjoyed learning
about the Science of WOW and how participation in calming/focusing activities increases productivity
exponentially. We are also focused on ensuring staff’s wellbeing are at the forefront of our minds and we are
able to carry out our important jobs to our best potential. WoW is based on positive psychology and backed
by research that shows particular practices in daily living enhance personal wellbeing and resilience. WoW
focuses on six key themes of individual mental health and wellbeing: Body, Mind, Spirit, People, Place and Planet.
Newsletter Write-Ups Timetable
Due to the great success of class write-ups in term one, we have made this section bigger and better for term
two. Please see the timetable of when classes will have write-ups in the newsletter. Each class will have write-
ups twice this term. Science, LOTE and Music are in this week’s newsletter.
Week Class/Specialist Area
2 P/1DT, 2/3KL, 5/6LS
4 P/1HL, 1/2KH, 2/3MH, 5/6H, 4/5ML, 4RG
6 Science, LOTE, Music
8 P/1HL, 1/2KH, 2/3MH, 5/6H, 4/5ML, Student Council
10 P/1DT, 2/3KL, 5/6LS, 4RG
We are over half way through term two and I wish all students the very best as we start to get in to
assessments. Remember, tell us what you know, what you don’t know and try your very best. The purpose of
assessment is to work out our students’ next step for learning. Attendance is crucial during this time.
Thanks Everyone
Mr Tim Loughland – Principal
Head Of Curriculum – Leigh Tankey Updated Reporting Policy
We are always aiming to improve the processes in our school to ensure that maximum benefit for student learning is
gained. As a school, we are required to provide a written report to parents twice a year outlining student achievement
against relevant standards, effort and behaviour. Over the past months we have been working together using teacher
and parent input, Education Qld Policy and research articles to improve the reporting processes for the school. We
have presented our new Reporting Policy to our P&C and have received favourable feedback. While there are varying
personal opinions about the way report cards are written, it is overwhelmingly obvious that parents want the report
card to be easier to read, less jargon, more meaningful for the student and parent. In the survey that both teachers and
parents completed, it was encouraging to see that we all agree on the top most important aspects when reporting
student progress – effort, achievement, behaviour and the overall comment. We have used this feedback to create the
template for the report card that you will receive at the end of this semester.
So, what’s different?
We have removed the Learning Area
comments, and placed the mark for
effort next to the achievement mark.
We have broadened what we include
in the overall comment to reflect
your child’s work habits, behaviour,
attitude to learning and a goal for
their reading. We have kept the
homework and extra-curricular
areas. There is an explanation on the
report card to show what each level
of achievement means – reinforcing
the fact that a C standard means that
your child is demonstrating the
aspects of the Achievement
Standard for their year level. If your
child is not demonstrating the
aspects of the Achievement
Standard for any of the Learning
Areas, your child’s teacher will be in
contact with you about this prior to
the report card going home to
discuss how we are supporting their
learning journey.
We have also adjusted the timing of
our Term 3 Parent Interviews to
allow teachers to explain and show
evidence for the Term 2 report card.
This will mean they will be held
earlier next term and we will invite
you to book a time. In week 1 of
term 3 we will hold a Parent
Information session on ‘How to read
your child’s report card’ and of course, you are always welcome to give us a call or send an email with any questions.
Thanks for your input into this extremely valuable process. Please keep the lines of communication open.
Enhancing Wellbeing…what are you grateful for?
Positive Psychology researcher Dr Barbara Fredrickson has compiled a top ten list of positive emotions, that, if
cultivated and nurtured can lead to many benefits. Small daily doses can enhance resilience, undo negative emotions
and more. These emotions are joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, love. Dr
Fredrickson defines Gratitude as ’when we appreciate something that has come our way. It is when we say “Thank
you” not out of obligation, but out of a sincere feeling of gratefulness. It is about feeling blessed and wanting to bless
others from a place of recognizing and appreciating the “good things” in our lives. We want to “pay it forward”,
simply because there is a wish to give back. It is about feeling lucky and fortunate.’
This is something that we can weave into our daily routine and is great to talk about when our children are feeling like
things aren’t going their way. It can quickly become a way of looking at the world that builds resilience and lets them
find something to appreciate daily.
“Celebrate what you want to see more of.” Tom Peters
Each person on this team of educators brings an essential and important element that leads to creating a wonderful
place of learning for our children. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of Mrs Karen Hartley. Mrs Hartley has a unique
way of connecting with her learners through her sense of humour and love of learning. As one of our upper years
teachers she builds a great rapport with our senior students and is responsible for so many of the extra opportunities
that come their way – from organising the much anticipated Year 6 shirts, to the school camp, Art Show entry and
more. Thanks for going above and beyond Mrs Hartley, we appreciate you.
We would love to hear from you. What wonderful things do you see happening in our beautiful school? Send me an
email at [email protected]
Mrs Leigh Tankey
Look at the wonderful Art Show
entry created by our 5/6 students,
supported by Mrs Hartley.
P.E. - Stuart Lane
Hello Everyone,
With District Athletics fast approaching, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the team once
again.
Next week Josie and Ayla are off to Maryborough to compete in the Bundaberg team for Cross Country.
They have attended a training session already and are ready to run next week. This event allows them the
chance for selection in the Wide Bay Team. Good luck girls!
Auskick is up and running and a good turnout is attending Friday afternoons. It’s not too late to sign up or
come along and see what it is all about.
I have completed the Athletics records that now include our 5 year olds for field events. In the following
years I will continue to add more records. We had a few records broken this year.
Josie Peters broke the 10 years girls long jump record from 2002 with a jump of 3.28m, she also broke the
10 years girls high jump record with a jump of 1.17m from 2010.
Sunni Rasmussen broke the 11 years girls 100m sprint record with a time of 15.31, the previous record was
from 2000.
2019 Agnes Water State School Athletics Team.
Fallon Harris Emilie Anderson
Marley Impey Oceane Lowcock
Shyla Wood June Martin
Josie Peters Ada Horwell
Jett Casalick Sunni Rasmussen
Charlotte Yantsch Tegan Percy-Hughes
Belle Impey Ayla Klicker
Annie McLean Savannah Taylor
Chelsea Wardlaw Mis Poustie
Zoe Rolach-Ward Tarnia Watts
Ella Walsh-Powell Param Shah
Sonny Kelly-Stainer Kaius Rasmussen
Jake Klicker Asher Mergard
Drew Poustie Mathew McDougal
Ryan Sevenson Edison Rodgers
Jacob Williams Levi Fraser
Malachi Pittman-Williams Willow Lee
Dion Smith Colby Halliday
Ari McCollum Maxi Wood
Riley Thompson Haiden Campbell
Bohdi Rasmussen Darval Robertson-Cipak
Science – Mr John Hancock
A fragile little sea horse found locally.
First term the classes looked at Biological Science and now this term at Physical Science but the interest in
all things science is encouraged all year so it is great to see all manner of general interest science items
being brought to the room. Display space is fairly tight but we try to have a spot for things that come in.
Students are being encouraged to work on the standard of the work they do in their journals, even when it is
notes while doing hands on – Scientists need to report and publish their findings and it is not much use if
no-one can read it!
Thanks to the parents who are so supportive of their children bringing things in – I think sometimes it can
be a challenge to find the right container!!
I never know what is coming in. “Ya gotta
love that!” (Aussie teacher speak!)
The Great Debate – Is the black molly pregnant??
Ask a Yr 5/6 student for an opinion!
Monday morning – 27/05. Harry found this
on Sunday and now it has a web cocoon.
Paper clip for size reference. Curiosity and
interest.
“Of course I know how to reassemble it- honest!”
Year 6 girls looking at the ‘works’ of a computer.
LOTE - Peta Swan
In Indonesian this semester, students are
having fun enriching their language and
cultural knowledge with a series of hands on
activities, exploring the diversity of
Indonesia through stories, shared reading,
traditional costumes and songs.
As for assessment, the lower primary
students will demonstrate their language
skills through the use of mini-stories,
rhymes, songs, games and Wayang Kulit
shadow puppet plays. The upper primary
students will demonstrate their language
skills through the use of traditional stories,
Wayang Kulit shadow puppet plays and
composing a short book titled ‘Tentang Saya,
Tentang Teman Saya (About Me, About My
Friends). It certainly is a busy semester.
Music – Mrs Vicki Ladlow
Music & Drama Term 2!
This term our littles in the prep/1 and 1/2 classes have started
exploring the world of drama by journeying through imaginary worlds
they listen to and create. Improvising scenes from storybooks and
creating frozen statues of different have provided lots of fun and
learning!
Our year 2/3 classes have been learning to read
music – yes! Real music! Their little fingers have
been busy holding recorders and their breath
creating the sounds of such favourites as Hot
Cross Buns.
The 4,5 and 6 students have also been learning to read music – they have been making good use of our
colourful ukuleles, picking out some old and new favourite tunes.
Miming is such a challenging form of drama – how DO we get our message across without
words?! This is what the year 2-6 classes have been exploring this term, and learning how
important it is to use our facial expressions and body language to portray a story.
Turkeys on the rampage!
Agnes Water State School Girls Do Our Community Proud
An excited squad of twenty-nine Year 4, 5 and 6 students from Agnes Water State School
travelled to St Luke’s Anglican School in Bundaberg on Tuesday 21st May to compete in the
annual AFL Schools Cup. The girls had trained hard at lunch times in readiness for the big
day of Australian Rules football. The squad was broken up into two teams, with Team 1
playing for a chance to represent the Bundaberg region at the Sunshine Coast
championships and a development team testing out their skills against the best in the region
(Team 2). First up, Team 1 played St Luke’s Anglican School and it was obvious from the first
bounce that the Turkeys were not here just to scratch around! They let fly with a barrage
of goals, running out winners by 25 points. Next up was the highly fancied Moore Park State
School. This was a hard fought battle with plenty of tackling pressure and the girls won by 7
points. The next game proved a difficult proposition, with a very skilful Walkervale State
School defeating our girls by a heavy margin. It all came down to the last game for a spot in
the semi-final. We were drawn to play Burnett Heads State School and the girls went down
by the slimmest of margins. The girls were disappointed, however they gave their all and
we were very proud of their achievements.
Team 2 were punching above their weight in Pool B with some fine individual and team
efforts. The tackling pressure applied to the opposition was inspirational. Despite their best
efforts against older and more experienced opposition, Team 2 did not register a win.
However, this experience will hold them in good stead for the future, as the team was
mostly comprised of Year 4s. They gave the coaches and parent supporters plenty to cheer
about during the course of the day. Go Bush Turkeys!
Richard Gourlay Class Teacher Agnes Water State School
Go Bush Turkeys!
TEAM 1 TEAM 2
Matilda McMillan applies defensive pressure to try
to stop the St Luke’s power forward from kicking a
goal.
Great tap out by Ella Campbell at the centre bounce.
Handshakes all round at the end of
the battle.