TERM 2 - week 4

Principal's message

Welcome to term 2. 

HARMONY DAY (Thank you):  Although it feels like a lot of time has passed since our Harmony Day celebrations, this is the first newsletter since Harmony Week to be able to acknowledge and thank all involved for such a successful school / community event. A huge thank you to our Community Reference Group and to Ms Lawton & Ms Annie for leading this initiative. It was such an amazing experience having so many families and cultures represented in the Taste of Harmony food tasting, the cultural dance performances, the hugely popular futsal competition and the Wujal Wujal dancers... what a finale!! Thank you to all involved, especially our parents for supporting this event. I can’t wait to see how this celebration evolves into the future. 

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE Principal Summit: Last week I attended a Principal’s Summit in Brisbane as part of the Partnership Initiative under Education Queensland’s Equity & Excellence strategy. Our school has been included as one of 42 schools across Queensland that have been identified as requiring additional support based on complex community demographics. The Summit was a really positive experience where our department brought together regional directors, school supervisors, program managers, government officials, principals and community representatives to work together in an attempt to build better systems and influence government policy so that schools in these locations can better support education into the future. I am confident this initiative will have a positive impact on a more equitable model of education and support for all schools in our state, especially schools in remote, regional and complex demographics.

SCHOOL HOURS - Reminder: At Cairns West, school hours are 8:30AM - 2:30PM each day. Supervision is provided from 8:00AM until 3:00PM. Our school cannot guarantee the safety of children outside of these hours and we appreciate parent support ensuring all children are collected from school by 3:00PM each day.

NEW ENROLLMENTS: Parent may have noticed an influx of new enrolments. Cairns West is recognised as a multicultural school and our Intensive Language Centre (ILC) is set up with staff who are highly skilled to support children and families who come into our country with limited or no English language. The covid pandemic saw a freeze on refugee arrivals into Australia however this has been lifted and we are experiencing an influx of new families joining our school community. Our school has built a reputation on supporting our multicultural demographic and we appreciate the empathy of the school community as we endeavour to support the transition of our new families into their new lives. 

3 WAY INTERVIEWS: Thank you to parents and carers who supported our three-way Interviews last week. It was great to see so many families supporting their children’s education. We acknowledge the online booking system has been a bit of a challenge to navigate for some and appreciate everybody’s perseverance transitioning to this system. The online system reduces the administrative workload of school admin staff significantly which frees up time to focus on other work.

Yours in Education, Jason Evert  -  Principal

Deputy Principal - Teaching & Learning

Hello CWSS community,

What a busy start it has been to Term 2. Thank you to the many families who connected with our teaching team at last week’s 3-way strong parent teacher interviews. Strong partnerships between families and school means better outcomes for students. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you would like to meet with your child’s teacher or school staff. One of the topics our Teaching team would have shared with families at 3-way interviews would have been how your child is progressing in reading. Reading has, and always will be a priority at Cairns West State school because we know learning to read is life changing. In October last year Queensland announced a new reading commitment to teach reading consistently using an evidence informed approach. This approach to reading has been shown as the most effective and efficient way to teach all students to read.

At Cairns West State School, we teach reading every day, in every classroom. This occurs in English and other learning areas as students read and engage with a variety of texts. Our evidence-informed approach to reading includes systematic synthetic phonics and word study to strengthen students’ word reading skills. We build students’ language comprehension by reading and discussing texts, as well as teaching background knowledge, vocabulary and other important skills.

Families and carers play an important role in supporting children to read by;

• Building oral language opportunities in the home. 
• Listening to your child read aloud to practise decoding words.
• Reading aloud to your child to build their understanding of language and literacy.
• Promoting the importance of reading and making it an enjoyable & special family time.

Thursday May 16th CWSS will be holding a family information session about reading in the Community room at 2:45pm. Everybody is welcome to come along and learn more about how we teach reading at school and how you can support your child along their learning journey.

In other news, PREP families will soon receive information regarding the Australian Early Development Census. The AEDC is a national assessment conducted every 3 years in Prep to examine how children have developed prior to starting school. Our PREP teachers will collect data between May and July. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions regarding the AEDC process.

This week the CWSS school band will perform on Assembly. Our students and staff have been very excited watching the band rehearse every Tuesday at school. On Friday May 24th the CWSS school band will be performing at Fanfare, a state-wide festival of bands and orchestras. This is a really exciting opportunity for our Instrumental Music students and we wish them all the very best at their upcoming performances. Many thanks for the guidance and support of their conductor Mr Kelly Perger. CWSS kids really are the best!

Thank you for being a partner in your child's learning journey.

Megan Mitchell  -  Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Deputy Principal - Student Services

Hello Cairns West families,

I can't believe we are in week 4 of term 2 already!  A little recap on the fabulous Harmony Day celebrations we had last term.  The support from families, our Community Representative Group, and stakeholders was outstanding!  A massive thank you to our Community Representative Group - your fabulous cooking and vibes in the kitchen all morning were next level.  Cairns West is so lucky that we have such a diverse range of cultures who are so happy to share their delicious food and dancing. 

A big thank you to Cairns Safer Streets for organising and funding the Mission Australia coffee van.  They made 156 coffees, which were delicious!  Thank you to Eugene from Torres Strait & Cape York Peninsula Indigenous Futsal Association for refereeing the high stakes Futsal match.  Thank you to all of our parents, visitors and other agencies who came along and enjoyed the afternoon.  We hope to do something bigger and better for NAIDOC in week 10 this term.

Year 6 camp is quickly coming around and we ask that all parents return their forms and organise payment or centapay deductions by the cut off of Tuesday 28th May 2024.  This year is very exciting as we are going up the hill to Tinaroo Outdoor Education Camp and the students will definitely have a fantastic time.  We encourage all year 6 students to come to camp and teachers will follow up and send reminders home to bring back forms and organise payments.  If you have any concerns about camp, please speak to your child's teacher or come to the office to discuss.

Athletics Carnival is on 13th June 2024.  This year we are moving to a 1 day, whole school carnival where all students will participate and parents, carers and families are definitely invited to come out and cheer on the houses and their children.  The more spectators, the better the event!  We will send out information and more details closer to the time.

NAIDOC at Cairns West State School will we celebrated in week 10 (17-21 June 2024).  The theme this year is 'Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.  If you would like to be involved in the planning or have some great ideas that you would like heard, please come and see myself or Ms Annie in the community room.  We are starting planning this week and welcome your input.

Take care of yourself and family

Hayley Lawton -Deputy Principal Student Services

Cairns West School Band

Did you know that CWSS has a school band?  Students rehearse every Tuesday at 2nd lunch, and all students learning instruments are in the band.  Our band continues to go from strength to strength.

This week the CWWS Band performed for the first time at parade. They did a phenomenal job and we are very proud. We are looking forward to more School performances.

On Friday May 24th the CWSS school band will be performing at Fanfare, a state-wide festival of bands and orchestras. This is a really exciting opportunity for our Instrumental Music students and we wish them all the very best at their upcoming performances. Many thanks for the guidance and support of their conductor Mr Kelly Perger. 

First time parade performance

CWSS Instrumental Band at a practice session

🤩Celebrating Student Achievements😍

Term 1 week 9 and 10

Term 2 Week 1

Week 2 & 3

Week 4

HPE News

Important Sports Dates to remember in Term 2:

CWSS Athletics

Thursday June 13th

If you require further information about any of the above, please contact Mr Pudovskis               

Rugby League

Well done to Alo Charlie and Odri Waireg on their selection in the Peninsula team!👏                                   

FAMILY AND CHILD CONNECT

Sometimes when life is rolling along, the wheels can suddenly fall off, but there's always a way to bounce back from the ups and downs.   Come and drop in for a tea or coffee and chat to our staff about anything you might need some help with.  Tuesday and Thursdays in the Community Room.  No appointments needed.   Family & Child Connect, connecting families to the right services at the right time! 

3A's Favourite part of Harmony Day celebrations

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Enjoying Harmony Day

Our school Tuckshop operates daily from 7:30am  -  and closes at 1:00pm.  The best way to get your childs lunch/morning tea is to use the Flexischool App - orders must be in before 9:00am.  School uniforms are also sold at our Tuckshop (cash and eftpos only)

• School shirts  -  $35.00                        Sports shirts  -  $35.00                     Senior shirts  -  $40
• Shorts  -  $30.00                                      Sun Smart Hats  -  $15.00

Happy faces - end of term 1 parties

We are recognising the hard work students have put in for term 1 and rewarding them with a party.  Each year level chose a different way to celebrate.  Well done students..........keep up the great work.

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TRYFOR5!

100% Attendance Reward Winner - ATTENDANCE STAR!  -  Each week 1 student from each year level who has achieved 100% attendance for the week will receive a TRYFOR5! prize.  Students will be announced at parade and given their certificate and prize.

TRYFOR5! WINNERS - Each fortnight 1 class from the Junior school (P-3) and 1 class from the Senior school (4-6) with the Best/Most Improved (alternate fortnight) attendance will be rewarded with a class set of TRYFOR5! prizes.  The classes will be announced on parade and prozes delivered to classes.

Leo was the winner of the family aquarium voucher. Leo came to school every single day in Term 1 resulting in his name being randomly selected from the 100% Club box. Congratulations Leo. We’re sure that your family will have a great time. Thank you to the Try for 5! team for supplying the prize!

This Term the Try For 5! team have donated a mid and end of term prize. Students who come to school 5 days in a row will place their raffle ticket into the 100% Club box. Two students names will be drawn in week 6 and another two names will be drawn at the Big Breakfast in Term 3. These students will win themselves a bike or scooter and helmet. Make sure your child is coming to school every week to be in the draw!

Big Breakfast - Try for 5! Lucky Door Prize Winners

Families for Inclusion Education (FFIE)

This project aims to build the capacity of families to advocate for, nuture, and sustain their child's successful participation in inclusive education.

Inclusion and Belonging at the Local School:  The Parent Advocacy Toolkit

Cairns 12 June 2024  -  see link below for more information

Come along to this workshop to hear stories of the benefits of inclusion for all children, and of overcoming barriers to success in the regular classroom.

Learn about inclusive education to be informed and confident in promoting inclusion for your child

YEAR 6 - CAKE STALL SUCCESS

It was very hot and steamy but a great experience for the kids who worked shifts! 

Thanks to the lovely office ladies for getting the notes organised for the kids to work on a Saturday.

We were very proud of their customer service skills and confidence to chat with people in our community.  Kiandre really stepped up as first shift manager and they all worked so well together.

We actually sold out (only a few bits left over) so we closed up shop an hour early.

After expenses, they made a profit of $285.45.

This is a great kick start to their savings for the year.

The feedback from people in the community was amazing!

The generosity from complete strangers was inspiring for the kids to see.

Mrs Feletar - Computer Technologies  and  Business studies Teacher

Queensland Oral Health Study

Thank you for participating in The Queensland Child Oral Health Study

The QCOHS team would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the school, parents and students who participated in The Queensland Child Oral Health Study (QCOHS). Your contribution in the form of an oral examination and completion of a study questionnaire has been invaluable and will help us gain a better understanding of the oral health of children in Queensland. Your family’s involvement will make a substantial contribution that will continue to benefit Queensland and Australian children for many years. 

From QCOHS Research team

Indigenous Beach Event - 11th May 2024

Surf Life Saving North QLD will hold its inaugural Indigenous Round Beach Event on Saturday 11th May 2024. The event will be held at Yorkey’s Knob Beach, northern end 9:00 - 5:00pm.  Harbrow Mentoring is proudly an event partner, supporting Surf Life Saving Nth QLD.

The whole entire family is welcome to participate in the full day event, from 7 years old through to adults.  The event will include beach sprints, long distance running, flags, and beach relays.  Let's not forget about the delicious foods that will be served on the day by young people. 

All participating children/youth/adults will need to register to participate in any of the activities and receive food wrist bands on the day.   Please contact Marc @ Harbrow Mentoring on 0459 892 262 or email: marcharbrowmentoring.com.au to get your registration forms. 

Proposed Timetable

9.00am    Welcome to Country/Official Opening
9.30am    Fun Games on the Beach
10.00am    Sprints/Flags/Relays/Running
12.00pm    LUNCH
12.30pm    Games continue
4.00pm    Presentations
5.00pm    Wrap up

There will be transport support for families, however, pick up and drop off points will be arranged closer to the event date as registrations come in.   

Community Food Garden & Reference Group

Our garden is fairing very well considering the blistering heat and the consistent heavy rain we have continued to have, until quite recently.  The humidity is still high which bring challenges to growing food but our cheerful gardeners are feeling optimistic with a significant shift in the weather over recent days.  The weeds seem to grow a mile a minute but collectively we are doing pretty well to stay on top of most areas.  May through to November are the best months to grow a bigger variety of food in the tropics so watch the garden space to see what pops up over the coming months. 

If you are interested to know more about the Community Garden, please pop into the Community Room Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to find out more and check out our little Thrift Shop where you can take what you need and give what you can.

School Uniforms

There is a healthy supply of school uniforms available at the moment and can be purchased from the Tuckshop, however, our supply of second-hand uniforms is very low.  If you have school uniforms at home that you no longer need, please donate to the school.  Your donations can be left at the Community Room or at the school office.  All donations will be gratefully received and appreciated.

Lost and Found

A lost and found box has been placed in the reception area of J Block (Community Room). Items will be kept for a minimum of 5 weeks.

The Smith Family

The Smith Family Cairns will be holding an event for our Learning for Life families to come along and receive help with providing their Student Profiles and School Reports.   We would love to see you and your families in the Cairns West State School Library on Tuesday 21/05/24 at 2:30pm after school pickup. 
Tekura, Donna and Karen will be available to assist with your documents and chat about anything scholarship or program related.   We hope to see you there. 

Playgroup

Onsite playgroup is available at our school two mornings per week.  Both sessions are held in the Community Room and are a great time for children and parents alike.  Meet new people, form new friendships and let your children benefit from the great resources and activities offered at both sessions.
Wednesday Playgroup is run by Uniting Care 9.30 – 11.30
Friday Playgroup is run by Wuchopperen 8.30 – 10.30

Community Reference Group

Our fabulous group of parents and carers took their first plunge last term into a whole school event. The event was Harmony Day and their focus was A Taste of Harmony.  It goes without saying that without the planning and commitment from the group the day would not have been such a success.  

People worked for days in the kitchen, slicing, dicing, marinating and cooking up authentic dishes from many different cultures for our students, staff and families to enjoy.  

Genuine and sincere thanks to those on the committee and those who offered and made time to help.  The event received a lot of positive feedback from students of all levels, staff and community. Excellent effort everyone, the memories you helped make with last a long time.

The next Community Reference Group meeting is Wednesday the 8th of May @ 2.45pm in the Community Room.