School Link - 8 June 2023

Principal's Report

This Friday, 9 June, we are hosting the second Central Downs Gala Day for our primary-aged students (Years 3-6). Schools from across the Central Downs will unite on our school ovals for another enjoyable day of rugby league, netball and football (or soccer in the old language). There will be a canteen on the oval and a coffee van where you can purchase food or drinks to warm you up and watch our students compete in this friendly meet. School community members are most welcome to attend – BYO folding chair, hats, warm clothing and $$$ for the canteen and coffee van. I look forward to seeing you here supporting your favourite Allora sports stars. Let’s hope for a calm day of sport!

Our next P&C meeting is scheduled for Thursday 15 June, at 7pm in our school library. I encourage all parents / carers to attend to ensure that you have a say in important matters.

Our own Interhouse Track and Field Carnival is scheduled for next week – Thursday 15 and Friday 16 June. If you haven’t already, please mark these dates in your calendars / diaries, so you can be present to see all of the action. Our students and staff have been working hard with training / coaching leading up to this event, so our students are adequately prepared to do their best. Once again, BYO folding chair, hats, warm clothing and $$$ for the canteen and coffee van.

Last Friday, our Year 10 students participated in Mock Interviews with prominent business men and women from the local district. The idea is to provide our Year 10 students with a real-life experience in being interviewed for a job, so that when the time comes, they are better prepared. In week 10, they all head into various industries for five-days of work experience. Work experience is the short-term placement of students with businesses and organisations to provide insights into the industry and the workplace in which they are located, and is unpaid. Whilst undertaking work experience, students will observe different aspects of work within their chosen industry and may assist with tasks allocated by their supervisor. My best wishes to our Year 10 students for a valuable work experience.

On Monday 19 June at 9:15am, students will assemble at our Performing Arts Hall to enjoy aSchool Performance Tours performance called “Wadjiny”. This entertaining exploration into the culture and day to day life in a hunter gatherer society will leave students with a lasting insight into Aboriginal histories and cultures. The performer combines dance, storytelling and music and after showing, quickly has students and teachers if willing, to join him in the dance as they all mimic the kangaroo, emu and other Australian animals using their newly learned movements that stretch back thousands of years. There is also a fine collection of artefacts - weapons, tools, nets and other everyday items all used to fully engage and educate. I’m sure our students will enjoy this experience.

Yours sincerely 

DR SHAUN KANOWSKI
Principal

Assessment Calendar

Every Day Counts

“Every Day Counts” for every student. Under Queensland law, you must make sure your child of school age is enrolled and attends school all day, every school day unless they have a reasonable excuse. Illness, doing work experience, competing in a school sporting event or going on a school excursion are reasonable excuses for being absent from school. Avoid keeping your child away from school for birthdays, shopping, visiting family and friends, if they sleep in, looking after other children, minor check ups or care such as haircuts. Routine medical or other health appointments should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.

You are reminded that it is a legal requirement to have all student absences explained (an explanation – not a message that “they are away today”).

Please use one of the following methods, recording the student’s name and reason for absence:

• SMS anytime to 0429 316 194 (preferred);
• reply to the SMS sent out each morning a student is absent;
• call student absence line 4666 7266; or
• phone the school office.

Class Dojo or emails are NOT to be used to advise of student absences. All unexplained absences are followed up with a formal letter which must be completed, signed and returned to the school. We would appreciate your help in having all student absences explained. Percentage of class attendance below:

Calendar of Events

QParents - Sign up Now!

QParents External link is a secure, online portal that has been created by the Department of Education to provide parents of Queensland state school students with 24-hour access to their child's information.

The portal allows you to securely access information about your child and communicate directly with your child's school.

QParents provides secure, online access to student information such as:

• attendance details
• behaviour
• report cards and assessment dates
• upcoming events
• timetables
• invoices
• payment history
• student photo

Further information can be found by clicking on this link - https://alt-qed.qed.qld.gov.au/about-us/department-apps/qparents

A Note from the Library

It is great to see so many students borrowing from our Library.  Some already have their first pick in the box and are well on their way to their second.

Classes will continue to borrow for the next week.  Books then need to be returned to the library before the school holidays.  Now is a good time for students to try and find any overdue library books.  They can be found in the most unusual places like under car seats, in toy boxes, under beds and in book cases at home.  Please have a look during the holidays and return them as soon as possible.

Please remember to send along a library bag, which helps protect our books from food and leaking water bottles.  Library borrowing times for Term 3 will be advised in due course.

Have a great week!

LEA-ANN WEIER

Tuckshop Roster

HELP!!   Are you free between 9am and 1pm on a Monday, Wednesdy or Friday? We'd love your help in our Tuckshop to prepare food, label orders or serve our hyungry hordes. Even if you could spare 30 minutes that would be great. No experience required - just a willingness to give a helping hand in a friendly environment. Looking forward to seeing you soon.  As you can see from the roster below, we are very, very short on volunteers. Please consider volunteering some time to help out at the tuckshop.

We thank those who already volunteer their time at Tuckshop. Without support from our wonderful volunteers, we would struggle to run. If there are any problems or you are unable to volunteer on your rostered day, please let Serena know with an SMS or phone call before school. Thank you.

Tuckshop Arrangements

Tomorrow is the second primary Gala Day. Tuckshop will be from the shed on the oval only. There will be no pre-orders processed.

Next week, tuckshop will be as usual on Monday and Wednesday, but will operate from the shed on the oval on Thursday and Friday (no pre-orders), due to our Interhouse Athletics Carnival.

Student of the Week

The following students are awarded certificates for demonstrating our school motto, “Always our Best”. Congratulations students!

Year 6 Science and Engineering Challenge Day

The Year 6 class who attended the Science and Engineering Challenge day at USQ two weeks ago are proud to announce that they placed second overall for the day. Congratulations students, you did very well against some hard competition.

Dental Forms Due

If you would like your child/children to participate in the free dental care program, please complete each section of the registration form, which was both emailed home and sent home with students last week, sign and return it to the School Office, as they are now overdue. Please note that by signing this form, you are only advising the service of your wish to participate in the dental care program and providing personal information to allow them to contact you. 

Sports Report

Broncos Primary Gala Day – Soccer

Students travelled into Warwick on Friday to participate at the Broncos Gala Day in Soccer.  It was a great day of competition for the students with many players from across the Southern Downs Region joining in. Our students played hard and were successful in gaining equal second place on the day.  Congratulations to all the soccer players - your behaviour and effort were outstanding.

Broncos Primary Gala Day – Rugby League

We had four students - Blake, Kobe, Adam and Jackson, team together with other students from the Southern Downs in a combined team for Friday’s event. The boys played well and were rewarded with third place. Congratulations on your effort boys.

Broncos Primary Gala Day – Netball

On Friday 2 June, the Year 6 Netball team participated in the Warwick RSL Brisbane Broncos Netball Challenge at Barnes Park in Warwick. The team, consisting of Ava, Lailah, Ella, Metice, Jaymie, Levi, Lucy, Daisy-May and Olivia, went through the day undefeated and went on to win in a thrilling final against Scots PCG College. Congratulations to the students, who not only played extremely well, but also encouraged and supported each other throughout the day, representing their school with pride. Well done, students!

Broncos Secondary Day

Congratulations to all students who travelled into Warwick on Wednesday 31 May for the Secondary Broncos Gala Day. There was great competition on offer from schools in the Border District Region. Our students are to be commended on their efforts and behaviour. The netballers finished 7^th and the rugby league team placed 2^nd in the ‘A’ Grade final. Well done!

Central Downs Gala Day

The second Central Downs Gala Day will be held this Friday for students in Years 3 – 6. We wish these students the very best of luck as they play netball, rugby league and soccer.

A reminder that the tuckshop will run from the shed on the oval. A coffee van will also be here on the day.

Athletics

Athletics training continues this week at lunch breaks before next week’s school athletics carnival, which will be held on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 June.

For information on tuckshop arrangements, please read tuckshop message within this newsletter.

Primary Broncos

Fire Safety

During Week 5, Fire Fighters Ross, Andrew and Dallas visited Year 1 and 2 to talk about fire safety. The students enjoyed the session and learned a lot about fire safety. Thank you to our firefighters for taking time out of their busy schedule to educate our students.

Reconciliation Week

Last week our School community celebrated the 2023 Reconciliation Week with a number of events to mark this important event:

• Monday 29 May           Reconciliation PowerPoint (Parade) and Presentation of Deadly Science 
                                               awards by Josh Waters to Eleanore and Will
• Tuesday 30 May            NT and NQ Artefacts display in Hall
• Wednesday 31 May      Whole School Story Telling of Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes
• Thursday 1 June            Wear it Yellow Day
• Friday 2 June                  Colouring Competition

Hello from the P&C

Our P&C members gathered at the school library on 18 May for their general meeting. The main topic of discussion was the donation of good quality second-hand uniforms. With the cooler weather now here, we are looking for more donations. Please check cupboards for any blue long trousers, school shirts or jumpers you are able to donate to our clothing pool. This will allow all students to be warm while at school.

Mrs Beveridge has also provided excellent information regarding the use of EFTPOS in the tuckshop and at fundraising events. We will continue to discuss the details of this item.

Everyone is welcome to come for a cuppa and share your thoughts on making Allora P-10 an even better place for our children to learn.

Our next meeting is on 15 June at 7pm in the school library. This will also be Dr Kanowski’s final P&C meeting before his retirement. We wish him all the best!

I hope to see you all soon.

Warm regards

Judy Emms
Secretary

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