Weir State School Newsletter

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Welcome to This Edition - Into week 3 and we are well and truly immersed in the term. Our teachers are working tirelessly to provide students with a variety of learning opportunities and engagement activities. I am continually amazed by the great things happening in our classrooms and the ‘can do’ attitude by our students. All these things point to one thing and that is “great learning”. I am proud to be the Principal of such an amazing, culturally diverse school.  Well done Weir State School staff, students and families for the continued partnerships within student learning and wellbeing that has promoted the true cultural shift that continues to happen within our school. Our school continues to make major improvements to strengthen our transformational change throughout the rest of 2023…Weir State School …STRONG …SMART …CONNECTED!

Parent/Carer Interviews - Monday afternoon our parent interviews were held in the hall and it was wonderful to see so many parents and carers connect with teachers and admin staff to develop a strong understanding of how their children are progressing in academic and wellbeing areas. Parent interviews are a great way to create a strong understanding of your children’s progress within the areas of learning and social connectedness. Thanks to all of our wonderful parents and carers for sharing the afternoon with Weir State School to learn more about the individual progression of your child/children.

NAIDOC Next Week - If you haven’t done so already please check your child’s bag for a permission notice which has been sent to all parents regarding our annual NAIDOC event next Tuesday. Our fabulous day of celebration will occur with plenty of special guests and activities to involve our kids in cultural ‘connectedness’ and a traditional ‘Kup Murri’ feed to bring our students together at lunch. Please return the permission notice as soon as possible ….thanks for supporting our great school events.

Term Overviews - Last week term overviews were placed on our AUDIRI connection app service. These overviews are to inform every parent in our school of the curriculum we are delivering to our students. Weir State School prides itself on being open and transparent with our community and we believe that learning and assessment should be no different. If you have any questions please see your child’s teacher or contact school administration.

Partnerships are Essential - It is well known that when home-based educational objectives clash with school-based objectives, the student normally resolves the conflict by rejecting the school. Research sends out a very clear message about the importance of partnerships in education. When parents express confidence in the school and teachers, and are involved in some way, their children are more likely to be happier and perform better academically.

At Weir State School  we actively seek partnerships with our parents. This is done deliberately, because once forged, these partnerships have been found to result in;

• greater understanding by parents of their child’s schooling,
• greater understanding by teachers of the students and their unique needs,
• better communication and understanding between home and school,
• higher pupil morale and confidence,
• increased academic performance,
• increased goodwill and mutual esteem between parents and ‘their’ school.

Conscientious parents all around the world are concerned about the education of their children. They want them to get the most they can from their schooling and to grow up as happy, caring and useful citizens. They also know that the school cannot do this on its own; they need strong parental partnerships.

Partnerships are the ‘educational glue’ which assists children to have a happy and productive time at school.

THIS WEEKS PROVERB – “A HOUSE DIVIDED CANNOT STAND ”

Thanks for reading and “GO THE COWBOYS”

WEIR STRONG ……WEIR SMART …………..WEIR  CONNECTED

Mr B  -  Principal 

Community Support… Thank you so much to our community partners who continue to support our school in so many ways. This year we have been fortunate enough to have the continued support of the Cowboys Adopt-A-School program (that sees the students getting to rub shoulders with up and coming flyer, Robert Derby), Townsville Blackhawks, who run our ‘Sky’s the Limit’ program… and, the well known ‘Fuel for Schools’ program. Paddy and the team generously help us stock up our supplies for our school’s Brekky Club. This year we have also been lucky enough to receive support from Brumbies, who donate bread to the school for our Community Bread Give Aways… Our local church partners from the Willows Presbyterian Church, who support our Brekky Club and deliver RI to our Year 2 and 3 students are always willing to lend a hand.

 This generous support is greatly appreciated by everyone and we can’t thank our community partners enough for what they do for our school.

Rule of the Week… After a successful return to school the last two weeks and some great behaviour being displayed around Listening and Following Instructions and Keeping Hands, Feet and Objects to ourselves, we have moved our attention this week to making sure students take the time to be aware of those around them and their surroundings. Teachers will be working with students to make sure they…

BE RESPONSIBLE… and

‘Report inappropriate behaviour and damages.’

Well done to our students who, like I said before, have enjoyed a successful return to school this term. There is no denying that when students meet the school’s HIGH EXPECTATIONS and display positive behaviour, they give themselves the best chance of success. Keep up the GREAT WORK WEIR!!!

Congratulations Kyiarni… Last week, 1 of Weir’s very own ex-students, Kyiarni Doolan-Baira was successful in gaining selection in the NQ U12 Schoolgirls Rugby League team. Kyiarni participated in skills drills and some trial matches with and against the best girls in North Queensland. Kyiarni and her team will take on the state’s best right here in Townsville in in September… Well done Kyiarni, Weir proud of you!!!

Winter Woolly Weather… Lately we’ve experienced some cooler weather and with that usually comes Winter Weather Illnesses. With this in mind and the dreaded ‘C’ word still lingering, along with increased bouts of Influenza A and B, it is just so important that we remember these important points:

• Please ensure your child comes to school with warm clothes (jumper/jacket)

• Please ensure your child is eating a balanced diet and getting a good night’s sleep each night to help keep their immune system strong

• Please practice good hygiene at home and encourage your child to do so at all times (sneezing/coughing into elbow, using a tissue to blow their nose, using available hand sanitiser, washing hands after using the toilet

By doing this, we are working to minimise the spread of the nasty winter bugs that can quickly spread throughout the school and have a big impact on attendance. Thanks.

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I’m Staying Home from School Today

-Ken Nesbitt-

 I’m staying home from school today. I’d rather be in bed pretending that I have a pain that’s pounding in my head.

I’ll say I have a stomach ache. I’ll claim I’ve got the flu. I’ll shiver like I’m cold and hold my breath until I’m blue.

I’ll fake a cough. I’ll fake a sneeze. I’ll say my throat is sore. If necessary I can throw a tantrum on the floor.

I’m sure I’ll get away with it. Of that, there’s little doubt. But, even so, I really hope my students don’t find out.

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Mr Coey’s Joke of the Week:

Q: What does a tick and the Eiffel Tower have in common?

A: They’re both ‘paris-sites’!!!

In my role as Guidance Officer, I work closely with students and parents to help improve school engagement.  I will be running the following programs at Weir SS throughout each year.

If your child is struggling significantly with either anger, feeling low, feeling bullied, or grief and loss, talk with your child’s classroom teacher about a possible referral through our Student Support Team (SST).

• RAGE (Re-Navigating Anger And Guilty Emotions) - an award winning six week anger management course
• Feeling Fantastic - aims at helping adolescence understand their feelings and emotions such as anxiety and depression and learn how to express these emotions in healthy ways as opposed to internalising them.
• Managing The Bull - This is a four – six week course combining art therapy, games, group work, and role plays to empower teenagers with social resilience skills, confidence and build self-esteem to counteract bullies and prevent them from being just bystanders.
• Seasons for Growth - Focuses on strengthening the social and emotional wellbeing of children, young people and adults following significant change and loss in their lives.

ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH YOUR CHILDREN GAMING?

There is help in staying informed.  Here is very helpful information on a webinar on gaming from the Raising Children Network.

Gaming & your family: webinar | Raising Children Network

Sincerely, Sharon Ransom - Guidance Officer