Welcome back to Term 2.

Anzac Day, 25 April, is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

It goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day on which we remember all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in war and on operational service. The spirit of Anzac, with its qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity.

Light Up the Dawn

Like last year, Australians are asked to stand in their driveways at 6.00am as an acknowledgement and sign of respect for our current and past armed services men and women.

Light Up the Dawn was an idea which originated within the Australian community, and was supported and promoted across Australia in a year of great challenge and change. As the sun peeked above the horizon, the country stood united – in uniforms or pyjamas, wearing medals, poppies and sprigs of rosemary – to let Australia’s veterans know that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; 
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
 At the going down of the sun and in the morning 
We will remember them."

Parents and carers are welcome to join our Anzac Day Assembly on Friday 22 April, 9am, in the Hall.  Please practice social distancing.

Teaching and Learning

Over the coming weeks, year level teams will be released to engage with the Leadership Team to plan Unit of Inquiry 3 and to design summative assessment for reading.

Inclusion Principal / Parent Sessions

Thank you to the parents who met with me at the end of last term to give feedback on our inclusive practices. A follow up session will be held before the P and C meeting on Tuesday 26 April 6.00pm in the staffroom.

Stacey Lloyd, HODLE, and Belinda Warman, GO, joined the Inclusion feedback session.  I’ve included photos of Mrs Lloyd and Mrs Warman below.

Stacey Lloyd
Deputy Principal Year 4 / Head of Diverse Learning alnd Enrichment (HODLE)

Belinda Warman
Guidance Officer

Parents as Learners – Inclusion and Disabilities
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew
Some days it seems the only predictable thing about it is the unpredictability. The only consistent attribute - the inconsistency. There is little argument on any level but that autism is baffling, even to those who spend their lives around it. The child who lives with autism may look "normal" but his behaviour can be perplexing and downright difficult.

Autism was once thought an "incurable" disorder, but that notion is crumbling in the face of knowledge and understanding that is increasing even as you read this. Every day, individuals with autism are showing us that they can overcome, compensate for and otherwise manage many of autism's most challenging characteristics. Equipping those around our children with simple understanding of autism's most basic elements has a tremendous impact on their ability to journey towards productive, independent adulthood.

Autism is an extremely complex disorder but for purposes of this one article, we can distill its myriad characteristics into four fundamental areas: sensory processing challenges, speech/language delays and impairments, the elusive social interaction skills and whole child/self-esteem issues. And though these four elements may be common to many children, keep front-of-mind the fact that autism is a spectrum disorder: no two (or ten or twenty) children with autism will be completely alike. Every child will be at a different point on the spectrum. And, just as importantly – every parent, teacher and caregiver will be at a different point on the spectrum. Child or adult, each will have a unique set of needs.

Here are ten things every child with autism wishes you knew:

1. I am first and foremost a child. I have autism. I am not primarily "autistic." My autism is only one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)? Those may be things that I see first when I meet you, but they are not necessarily what you are all about.As an adult, you have some control over how you define yourself. If you want to single out a single characteristic, you can make that known. As a child, I am still unfolding. Neither you nor I yet know what I may be capable of. Defining me by one characteristic runs the danger of setting up an expectation that may be too low. And if I get a sense that you don't think I "can do it," my natural response will be: Why try?
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. Sensory integration may be the most difficult aspect of autism to understand, but it is arguably the most critical. It means that the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you but I am really just trying to defend myself. Here is why a "simple" trip to the grocery store may be hell for me: My hearing may be hyper-acute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Musak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough, a coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input and I'm in overload! My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they're mopping up pickles on aisle 3 with ammonia . . . I can't sort it all out. I am dangerously nauseated. Because I am visually oriented (see more on this below), this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is not only too bright, it buzzes and hums. The room seems to pulsate and it hurts my eyes. The pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing -- the space seems to be constantly changing. There's glare from windows, too many items for me to be able to focus (I may compensate with "tunnel vision"), moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion. All this affects my vestibular and proprioceptive senses, and now I can't even tell where my body is in space.
3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and can't (I am not able to). Receptive and expressive language and vocabulary can be major challenges for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy.  #$%^*&^%$&* . . . " Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to lunch."  This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next.  Now it is much easier for me to comply.
4. I am a concrete thinker. This means I interpret language very literally. It's very confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you really mean is "Please stop running."  Don't tell me something is a "piece of cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is "this will be easy for you to do."  When you say "Jamie really burned up the track," I see a kid playing with matches.  Please just tell me "Jamie ran very fast." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres, inference, metaphors, allusions and sarcasm are lost on me.
5. Please be patient with my limited vocabulary. It's hard for me to tell you what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation or other signs that something is wrong. Or, there's a flip side to this: I may sound like a "little professor" or movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, TV, the speech of other people. It is called "echolalia." I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm using. I just know that it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Please show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of consistent repetition helps me learn. A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day-timer, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transition between activities, helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. I won't lose the need for a visual schedule as I get older, but my "level of representation" may change. Before I can read, I need a visual schedule with photographs or simple drawings. As I get older, a combination of words and pictures may work, and later still, just words.
7. Please focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made to feel that I'm not good enough and that I need "fixing." Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however "constructive," becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you will find them. There is more than one "right" way to do most things.
8. Please help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I simply do not know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, it may be that I'm delighted to be included. I do best in structured play activities that have a clear beginning and end. I don't know how to "read" facial expressions, body language or the emotions of others, so I appreciate ongoing coaching in proper social responses. For example, if I laugh when Emily falls off the slide, it's not that I think it's funny. It's that I don't know the proper response. Teach me to say "Are you OK?"
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. Meltdowns, blow-ups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented. Keep a log noting times, settings, people, activities. A pattern may emerge.Try to remember that all behaviour is a form of communication. It tells you, when my words cannot, how I perceive something that is happening in my environment. Parents, keep in mind as well: persistent behavior may have an underlying medical cause.  Food allergies and sensitivities, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems can all have profound effects on behavior.
10. Love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts like, "If he would just . . . " and "Why can't she . . . ?"  You did not fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you and you wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I did not choose to have autism. But remember that it is happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you – I am worth it. And finally, three words: Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I'm not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein, or Mozart, or Van Gogh.They had autism too.The answer to Alzheimer's, the enigma of extraterrestrial life -- what future achievements from today's children with autism, children like me, lie ahead? All that I might become won't happen without you as my foundation. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we'll see just how far I can go.© 2005 Ellen Notbohm

Ellen Notbohm is author of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew and Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew, both ForeWord Book of the Year finalists and iParenting Media Award recipients. She is also co-author of the award-winning 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, a columnist for Autism Asperger's Digest and Children's Voice, and a contributor to numerous publications and websites around the world.

https://www.crisisprevention.com/Blog/Ten-Things-Every-Child-with-Autism-Wishes-You-Knew

Important information for Parents
NAPLAN Testing

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy is scheduled for this term beginning 10 May. For students in Years 3 and 5 preparation and practice for NAPLAN testing is well under way. Year 3 and 5 students will continue to engage in targeted NAPLAN preparation with their class teachers in the context of their core learning program.

Further information will be sent out closer to the time.

NAPLAN Parent Information Session will be held for parents of students in years 3 and 5 on Friday 29 April, 10.00am-10.50am in the staffroom.

Report Cards will be emailed home at the end of Semester 1 and 2:

• Semester 1 Tuesday 21 June 2022
• Semester 2 Tuesday 6 December 2022

Staffing

Mr Tom Grimson is taking leave for term 2, Mrs Ja-San Trimble and Mrs Natasha Ritchie will share the acting Deputy Principal role.

Ja-San Trimble will be acting Deputy Principal from Tuesday 19 April to Friday 20 May.
Ja-San can be contacted on jmtri0@eq.edu.au

Natasha Ritchie will be acting Deputy Principal from Monday 23 May to Friday 24 June.
Natasha can be contacted on nritc14@eq.edu.au

Enjoy the ANZAC Day long weekend.
Melissa

ICAS ASSESSMENT  

Students can sit ICAS Assessments this year at an approved Janison Exam Management (JEM) testing Centre in Brisbane.

Bookings are now open for ICAS 2022! Register to reserve your spot today, please click on this link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/icas-jem-testing-centre

Dates and subjects

Venue Details

QLD: QUT Gardens Point Campus, Building O Room 308+, 2 George Street, Brisbane Queensland 4000 

The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program will be screening our prep students at our school on Tuesday, 7 June 2022.  They are a Queensland Government service that offers Free Vision Screening to all children enrolled in Prep.  If you would like your child/ren to have their vision screened, you will need to complete a consent form. 

Please click on the following link to access the Online Consent Form and Parent Information Letter: https://visionscreening.health.qld.gov.au/ParentalConsent/2511ctyi.  Alternatively you can scan the QR code below:

Please note: The consent form link will close on Thursday, 21 April 2022. 

Nicola Leslie
Deputy Principal (Prep-1)

Office Hours

The school office is open each day from 8am to 4pm. 

Student State School Consent

It is the school’s usual practice to take photographs or record images of students and occasionally to publish limited personal information and student materials for the purpose of celebrating student achievement and promoting the school and more broadly celebrating Queensland education. Consent to use your child's name, photograph, voice/video recording or year level is requested at time of enrolment via the "State School Consent Form". If you wish to make changes to consent for your child please request a new State School Consent Form from the school office. 

Facility Hirers

Please find attached the current list of the community groups that hire our school facilities.

ABSENCE LINE 3340 8388 or

text 0427 890 693 (24 hours)

*******IT IS NOW A REQUIREMENT THAT ALL STUDENT ABSENCES BE REPORTED ON THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE*******

To report a student absence, please call the absence line on 3340 8388 or text our SMS line on 0427 890 693.  These lines are both open 24 hours a day.

When recording an absence on either our phone line or SMS line, please state the following:

1. Your name
2. Student's name
3. Student's class
4. Reason for absence

Please speak clearly and slowly and help us with spelling of names when calling the phone line.

The following invoices are due for payment as follows. 

PLEASE NOTE 

Due dates for incursions/excursions are final.  No late payments or permission forms will be accepted after the due date.  

Students who have not returned the permission or made payment by the due date, will not be able to particiapate in the activity.

If you have not received an invoice please contact the office. All payments are to be made by our preferred method of BPoint online.

MOTHER’S DAY STALL TIMETABLE 2022

Please note class times for the Mother’s Day stall next week. Gifts range in price from $1.00 to $10.00 and children can purchase more than one gift.

Please put all money in a zip lock bag with the child’s name and class written clearly on the front.  Don’t forget to bring a bag for your gift.

There will also be a Mother’s Day raffle, tickets are 50c each (max 4), tickets will be available during the stall hours
and the raffle will be drawn at parade on Friday May 6.

The stall will be held in the RPAC Building.              

THE STALL WILL BE OPEN FROM 8.00 – 8.30AM WITH ANY RESIDUAL STOCK, ON FRIDAY MORNING May 6 IN RPAC

Any parents who are free to assist please contact Petta Traynor on 0434 149 834
(Unfortunately no younger children will be allowed to come along with parent helpers)