Newsletter - 19/07/2024
Principal News
Welcome back to the first of the newsletters for Term 3. We would also like to welcome all of the new families to our school and hope that you and your children feel welcomed into our Fitzy community.
Last week students in Years 4 – 6 attended Whitsunday Voices Literature Festival. Students were all very engaged in what the authors were saying and represented our school really well. Our own Kathryn Zammit was featured as an author on the second day of the festival and shared with attendees her writing processes and her books. Congratulations to Kathryn on this honour.
Last week, we had a number of students participate in the Northern Suburbs Athletics and this week some of these students progressed to the Mackay District Athletics. Well done to all students who participated in either carnival and to those who got through to the next level. Particular congratulations go out to Elijah Simeon who won the 10 years age champion for the Northern Suburbs.
Year 4 camp was a hit for our students this week with lots of fun challenges, opportunities to test skills outside of the classroom and relationships built. A lot of planning goes in to organising school camps as well as a lot of additional time spent by staff to support our camps. Thank you to all of our staff for supporting our students and providing them the opportunity to attend camp.
Yesterday, our Year 5 and 6 First Nations students attended a transition morning to Mackay North State High School to participate in NAIDOC activities led by the high school First Nations steering committee. Students thoroughly enjoyed the activities they had the opportunity to engage with, which included making bracelets, using traditional ochre and learning traditional dancing to name a few. Following on with our NAIDOC celebrations, we had North High students come to the school to read traditional stories to our Prep and Year 1 students. Our students were thoroughly engaged throughout the session. Once again thanks to North High and the First Nations steering committee.
School Opinion Surveys
These are being sent out to staff, students and families between the 22nd of July for completion by the 16th of August. The School Opinion Surveys are designed to obtain the views of parents/caregivers, students and school staff from each school on what they do well and how they can improve. Opinions about the school on a range of topics are sought from a parent/caregiver in all families and from state school students in Years 5, 6, 8 and 11.
Individual student NAPLAN reports for students in Years 3 & 5 will be handed out on Monday.
We are currently sitting at an attendance percentage of 90.2% so far in 2024. We aim to have an attendance rate of 95%. We aim for this rate, because we know that it is so important for students to be at school every day for the full day. By being at school all day every day, we know that students:
- get the full access to all support and teaching available.
- develop stronger relationships with their teachers, school staff and their peers.
- have full access to the entire curriculum
Please help us to support your children to achieve the best possible access to their education by ensuring that they are at school all day every day.
School Support Model
This year we have made a change to the support processes within the school. We are trialling these new processes after we have toured other schools to look at inclusive practices that are working well. We have consulted with staff with regards to these changes and have also taken these changes to the P&C at the end of 2023 and again when the new P&C commenced this year. These were reviewed at the end of last Semester and will be again at the end of the year. We welcome your feedback throughout these times and they will be considered in conjunction with the cumulative feedback received.
What has changed?
- One main support teacher is aligned to support students within each year level. This support is provided based upon NCCD classification of students and their level of need within the school. This level ranges from Supplementary through to Extensive Plus and has criteria around each level. The support is provided equitably, not equally. This is different to our previous model of different teachers attending different children across varying year levels.
- One teacher aide has been aligned with each year level to support Quality Differentiated Teaching Practices across the year level. This is provided based upon the needs and data collected and collated within the school. Data includes academic data, attendance data, level of NCCD classification and the need expressed by the teachers for students within the year level as well as behavioural support.
Why have we made the changes:
- Inclusion policy – The inclusion policy states
Inclusive education means that students can access and fully participate in learning, alongside their similar-aged peers, supported by reasonable adjustments and teaching strategies tailored to meet their individual needs.
Inclusion is embedded in all aspects of school life, and is supported by culture, policies and every day practices.
Inclusive education differs from the following approaches and practices in significant ways:
- Integration — students are placed in schools or educational settings with their similar-aged peers but adjustments are not made to meet their individual needs. This limits their ability to fully access or participate in learning. Integration is not necessarily a step towards inclusion.
- Segregation — students learn in separate environments, designed or used to respond to their particular needs or impairment, in isolation from other students.
- Exclusion — students are unable to access any form of education
- We were operating under a model of withdrawal which is not inclusive. Students were being withdrawn from classrooms to engage in activities such as fine motor groups which can be done within the classroom alongside student’s social groups which can be better served by being practiced within the class with peers or with other students they would regularly engage with.
- SEP (Special Education Program) staff were not always being used effectively to support students and many students often did not want to work with the SEP staff because they were being seen as different and they just wanted to be like others within their class.
- We wanted the teachers and teacher aides to have a really deep knowledge of the students that they support across the one year level as opposed to multiple year levels. They also have the benefit of having a deeper understanding of the curriculum in which they are working to support the students.
We would like to welcome Mrs Zoe-Leigh D’Aquino who has joined us in the front office this week.
Requests for school information for outside providers such as doctors, psychologists, OTs, paediatricians, etc.
Our school receives many requests for information about students from multiple outside agencies. Please note that requests are not to be emailed directly to classroom teachers. Online assessments are also not allowed, unless they are on the Qglobal platform, which the provider would be able to clarify and usually require special written consent.
Many of these requests require the filling in of forms or collating other information, which takes up a lot of the teacher’s own time. Therefore, a reasonable turn around time is required and is usually a minimum of two weeks.
Parent consent to share information is also required if this information is to go directly to the provider.
This consent will usually be arranged through the office.
Please communicate with your outside provider how important it is to respect teachers’ availability when requesting information about your child.
Head of Department/Curriculum
Whitsunday Voices
Our annual trip to the Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival was a memorable experience for our students! Pupils from years four, five, and six had the chance to meet and learn from some of Australia’s top children’s and young adult authors, presenters, and performers. We are proud of our Fitzgerald learners, who represented our school and community with great enthusiasm and left feeling motivated to share their own voices through writing.
There were also some amusing moments, such as learning about the word ‘fudgel,’ which refers to creating the impression of doing work while actually doing nothing. Our students found this particularly funny!
In addition to the sessions, the festival featured an art gallery, a live band, Whitsunday Voices Super Heroes, and various other activities. We hope your children have shared some of their exciting stories from the event with you. A big thank you to all the families for your support in making this fantastic opportunity possible for our students.
Attendance Matters
Everyday counts in a child's education. The table below shows when a child is a little bit late or leaves a little bit early, it can have a major impact on the amount of time spent learning.
Terri Robson
Head of Department/Cirriculum
Guidance Officer
Triple P
*New* Triple P online program - Family Transitions - for parents going through separation or divorce
Triple P has now launched Family Transitions Triple P Online, which is free for all parents thanks to Australian Government funding!
Separation or divorce can be a stressful and unsettling time for parents and children. Now, there’s free online support available to help make the transition smoother.
Family Transitions Triple P Online provides a toolkit of practical, evidence-based strategies to create a stable, reassuring environment for children, manage emotions, reduce stress and co-parent effectively. Developed by the world-acclaimed Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, it goes beyond coping skills, and helps families to evolve in their new dynamic.
It’s easily accessible online, 24/7. For more information go to triplep-parenting.net.au.
Finance & Front Office
The following payments are now due and can be paid via the Qparents, Qkr or Via the School Office. Items have been list below with icons showing which payment platform to use.
The Magical World of Crazy Science (Whole School)
Whitsunday Voices (Years 4-6) 2024Author
ANZAC day commemorations (Whole School) 
Life Ed (Whole School)
Recorder Band
Religion
Student Resource Scheme
Year 1 Excursion
Instrumental Music/Instrumental Levy/ Instrumental Packs
Northern Suburbs Athletics 
Drama (Year 5-6)
Wakakirri (Year 4-6)
Sing Out
Choir
Homework Bags
Lost Library Books
Cultural Polo Shirts
Northern Suburbs Polo
Music
Instrumental Music 2025
We're thrilled to introduce our school's 2025 Instrumental Program! Enrolling your child offers incredible benefits:
🧠 Boosts cognitive skills
📚 Improves academic performance
🎨 Fosters creativity and self-expression
⏰ Teaches discipline and commitment
🤝 Enhances social and emotional development
Give your child the gift of music! They can be just like Coen and Charlotte!
Upcoming Events
Cultural Evening - Wednesday 31st July
Mackay Eisteddfod
Q Parents permission is due now for all performing groups:
- Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th August (Year 3, Year 4, Senior Choir and Folk Group)
- Sunday 11th August (Junior and Senior Concert Bands and Junior and Senior String Ensembles)
- Tuesday 13th August (Recorder Ensemble)
Linda Miller
Music Teacher/Instrumental Music Coordinator
Sport
Northern Suburbs Athletics
Congratulations to Elijah Simeon who was crowned Northern Suburbs 10 year old boys athletics age champion on Tuesday! Well done to all Fitzgerald State School Students who participated over the two day event.
Upcoming Events
P&C News
Community News
