Newsletter 13 7 August 2024

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, and School Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well as we continue through this term. Here are some important updates and reminders for the coming fortnight.

1. Winter Uniform Reminder: As the colder months are upon us, please ensure your children are wearing appropriate winter school uniforms. If you need to update any items in your child's wardrobe, please see Ludivine in the uniform shop. We appreciate your attention to this matter to ensure our students are warm and comfortable.
2. Lost Property: With the change in seasons, it's a good time to remind your children to check the lost property for any missing items such as jumpers, trackpants, and other winter clothing. We have accumulated quite a collection and would love to reunite these items with their owners.
3. Facility Improvements: The early works to D Block are nearing completion. We are currently waiting for the roof to be installed over the walkway and lift area. Once this is complete, we will re-open the large stairs. This project is an important step in enhancing our school facilities for our students.
4. Changes to Lunch Breaks: In the coming weeks, all students will eat and play on the oval during lunch breaks. Our Preps will be transitioning down to the oval, and students will be informed about age-appropriate play zones. This move is to make way for the demolition of C Block, which will allow the construction of our new school building and improved access. It's an exciting time in our school’s development!
5. Health and Safety: As often happens this time of year, multiple illnesses are impacting our community, including colds, flu, COVID-19, and gastroenteritis. Please keep children at home when they are unwell to stop the spread across classes and the school. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.
6. Upcoming Public Holiday: Next Wednesday, August 14th, is the Exhibition (Ekka) Public Holiday. Please enjoy this day with your family.
7. Enrolment Reminders: If you have a child commending Prep next year, please add your child's name to the waitlist, by clicking on the link below. If you are planning to leave the school at the end of the year please complete a Student Exit form as soon as possible. This information helps us with planning and ensuring a smooth transition for all students. https://burandass.eq.edu.au/enrolments/enrolling-at-our-school 

Have a great week!

Simon Vaseo

Upcoming Excursions/Incursions

From the Head of Curriculum

i – Educate

Recently Julie Wain, our technologies teacher and I attended the i – Educate Conference. This conference focused on digital learning. The keynote was delivered by Dr Kristy Goodwin. She spoke about the need for learning how to manage digital distractions to improve our lives, reconnect with others and realign our use of technology in a way that is congruent with our human operating system. You may be interested in her book, Dear Digital, We Need to Talk, (available on her website) where she shares realistic, research-based strategies that you can apply to your digital behaviours both personally and professionally.

On the second day a panel discussed digital health, reinforcing the keynote messages. One panellist, Fiona Foxon, is co-Founder and Director of Screen Sanity. The website has a section for Parents and Carers, where they state:

We are the first generation raising digital natives. There is no handbook for the challenges we are facing. Raising kids in this digital world is hard, but it’s even harder to do it alone. Together, let’s build a world where kids stay captivated by life, not screens…

The website offers parents a variety of tips, tools and trainings, including popular topics, related resources, related articles, and podcasts designed to help families maximise the benefits of technology while minimising harmful side effects. I hope you find the Screen Sanity website useful.

Maths

In the past weeks I have had the pleasure of working with some of the classes in maths which prompts me to share the idea of Cognitive Load Theory with you. If students have fluency with number facts, including their basic addition and subtraction facts, multiplication and division facts, the cognitive load they experience when problem solving in mathematics can be focused on problem solving, rather than computing basic facts.

Often the terms fluency and automaticity are used interchangeably in mathematics, but the following distinction is important.

Fluency with basic maths facts is the ability to flexibly apply maths facts and strategies appropriately, with efficiency and accuracy.

Automaticity in math, however, is about being able to respond automatically and correctly.

So, when a student is fluent in basic maths facts, the assumption can be made that they have automatic (or fast) recall of basic facts. The reverse however is not true; When a student has automatic recall of basic maths facts, they are not necessarily fluent in their ability to flexibly apply maths facts and strategies with efficiency and accuracy in problem solving. So, we need to build both automaticity and fluency and understand that automaticity is used in the service of fluency, which is the ultimate goal.

To help your child/ren become fluent in application of their basic maths facts you can:

1. Teach your child the basic maths fact using hands-on materials (objects) and drawings. This is where you check for understanding; for example, that they really do understand that 4+6 has the same answer as 3+7. Can they draw or use objects to show you that they understand?

Materials that are easily found at home to practise basic maths facts include objects like pegs, cutlery, toothpicks, buttons, smarties, penne noodles, dice, blocks etc. It can be fun for children to tip rice or salt into a baking tray and draw pictures of their maths facts or write their maths facts (then their spelling words) with their finger. Similarly, a bubble bath or soap on the shower screen can provide the opportunity to quickly recall and write some maths facts.

Encourage effort!

Remember, FAIL means First Attempt In Learning. No one is born knowing their maths facts.

We all had to try, fail some, and try again, with many errors and stumbles before mastery. Help your children have realistic expectations of themselves.

1. Practise applying the mental strategy with games and worksheets, particularly with games. Travelling in the car, walking to and from school, and hanging washing are all good times to quickly, verbally practice some maths facts. There are also many websites and apps which will provide you with ideas. Remember, our students all have access to Mathletics or MathSeeds.
2. As your child builds a growing bank of facts you can begin to build the bank of maths facts and help children see patterns, like doubles. For example, if you know your 3x tables, and you can double the answers, then you have a strategy to figure out your 6x tables answers. See if they can find a pattern to tell you about.
3. The principal’s hot tip is to put the relevant maths fact poster on the back of the toilet door. The amount of time spent on learning maths facts may vary with this approach. I would encourage you to engage as often as possible with your children and get them to test you and judge your automaticity and fluency with maths facts. Make sure you model thinking, and sometimes failing and trying again because …

Growth Mindset

We want our students to have a growth mindset generally, but we particularly need to address their mindset when learning mathematics. Maths can be hard and require resilience, persistence and grit in the face of confusion and failure. It is really great however, when you solve problems and recognise that you have made progress through learning and applying new facts and strategies. Encouraging effort and recognising the importance of rest and recovery are just as important with academic work as physical activity.

Incursion - Stig Wemyss narrates the Andy Griffiths Treehouse series for Bolinda’s Borrow Box

Next Thursday afternoon (August 15), after the EKKA holiday on Wednesday the 14^th, the students at Buranda will have an incursion which has been brought to us by the Stone’s Corner Library (Brisbane City Council Libraries). The incursion is titled ‘Stig Wemyss narrates the Andy Griffiths Treehouse series for Bolinda’s Borrow Box’. I hope the students enjoy this presentation and are encouraged to read or listen to an audiobook in the car or bed at night.

District Athletics

This week we had 26 students attend the Mt Gravatt District Athletics Carnival over two days to compete in both track and field events. Our students represented Buranda SS very well showcasing great athletic ability, behaviour and sportsmanship. Every athlete competed to the best of their ability and supported each other throughout the two days.

We had some great results:

• Sifti throwing 21m in discus to win a bronze medal
• Will achieved a PB in high jump to take the silver medal
• Will made the 100m final and placed 6^th
• Ben C made the 800m final on day 2, Ben also chose to run the gruelling 1500m and came a very respectable 8th place in the top half of the field
• Eva Mc came 3rd in the 800m 12 yrs girls
• William and Alex M made the 200m final on day 2

Well done to all athletes and many thanks to the parents and grandparents who took time out to transport and support the children throughout the event.

Julie Wain

Physical Education Teacher

My New Gallery

From Inclusion

As we continue to celebrate the unique differences amongst our students and community members, we are going to take a look at the delights of Dyslexia.

Delightful Dyslexics

Once again Dyslexia is a common, but often difficult to recognise, condition. It is also a difference that can easily be ignored - because it’s invisible. Dyslexia is not a problem with vision. It is a difference with how information flows through the eyes into the brain, and how it moves throughout the brain.

The word dyslexia is Greek in origin, meaning difficulty with words. This term is gradually being replaced however, as dyslexia can cover many areas, such as reading, writing, speaking and perception, and is different for every individual. Dyslexia is often associated with problems with reading, whereas Specific Learning Disorder helps us identify that individuals can be having difficulty with numbers, letter or both, and their difficulties are specific to that learner. A diagnosis now might be: Specific Learning Disorder – written expression or Specific Learning Disorder – difficulty with handwriting etc.

Often people are too scared or embarrassed to share what is happening to them when they have dyslexia. Or, more importantly, children don’t know any different, so think the struggles they experience are ‘normal’ and they just don’t cope with them as well as everyone else. Hence the propensity for dyslexic children to be labelled as lazy, and to have low self-esteem.

There are several misconceptions about dyslexia that can lead to misunderstandings. Here’s the truth behind some common myths – taken from Understood.org:

Myth #1: Reading and writing letters backwards is the main sign of dyslexia.
Fact: Not all children with dyslexia reverse letters, and letter reversal is common in young children. It's normal for young kids to confuse letters like b and d. If these reversals persist past first grade, it may be time for an evaluation.

Myth #2: Dyslexia doesn’t show up until school.
Fact: Dyslexia signs can appear as early as preschool. Difficulty with rhyming and being a “late talker” can be early indicators. Early intervention can be crucial.

Myth #3: Kids with dyslexia just need to try harder to read.
Fact: Dyslexia involves different brain functioning and requires specific instruction, not just extra effort. Multisensory reading programs—using sight, sound, and touch—can significantly help children with dyslexia.

Myth #4: Dyslexia goes away once kids learn to read.
Fact: While intervention helps, dyslexia is a lifelong condition that can affect more than just basic reading skills. Issues with fluency, comprehension, and spelling may continue even after learning to read.

Myth #5: Dyslexia is a vision problem.
Fact: Dyslexia is not caused by vision problems. While some children may have visual processing difficulties, these are separate from dyslexia itself.

Myth #6: Dyslexia only happens in the English language.
Fact: Dyslexia affects individuals across all languages. Children learning multiple languages may show signs in both their first and second languages, indicating a need for evaluation.

Myth #7: Dyslexia is caused by not reading enough at home.
Fact: Dyslexia is a neurological condition, not caused by insufficient reading at home. It’s important to understand that dyslexia arises from differences in brain function, not from lack of exposure.

Understanding these facts can help create a supportive environment for children with dyslexia. Think about how you might cope if letters and numbers looked like the pictures below, and this is a tiny sample of how this difference can present.

SUPERPOWERS

Recent research has highlighted a shift in our understanding of dyslexia. Rather than viewing language processing differences associated with dyslexia as mere deficits, we now recognize that these differences can offer unique strengths and learning opportunities.

Many individuals with dyslexia exhibit remarkable strengths, including:

• Inquiring Mind: A natural curiosity and desire to explore.
• Problem Solving: Creative approaches to overcoming challenges.
• Comprehending New Ideas: Ability to grasp complex concepts.
• Generating Ideas: Innovation in thinking and idea generation.
• Analytic Thinking: Skill in breaking down and understanding information.
• Creative Thinking: Original and unconventional thought processes.
• 3-D Construction: Talent for visualizing and constructing three-dimensional objects.
• Finding Different Strategies: Developing unique methods to tackle problems.
• Seeing the Big Picture: Understanding and integrating broader concepts.
• Insightful Thinking: Deep and perceptive insights.
• Stronger Verbal Capabilities: Enhanced verbal communication skills compared to written ones.

With so much focus on reading and writing at school, it’s easy to feel that being dyslexic is a hindrance rather than an asset. Focussing on strengths, however, will allow us to recognise the Albert Einsteins, Richard Bransons, Erin Brockovich's, Agatha Christies and the Carold Greider's amongst us, all of whom were and are dyslexic.

Katherine Austin

Inclusion Teacher

Philosophy Corner

Book Week

This term we will be celebrating Book Week again with both a collection of book donations for It's from Elsie and an invitation for the whole school to dress up as a character from a book. We will celebrate Book Week on Thursday, 29 August this year. Save the date and start thinking about your costumes and book donations! 

HOW TO DRESS UP FOR BOOK WEEK

This year’s Book Week theme is “Reading is Magic”. Think about a book that you love that feels magical to you, and choose a character from that book that you would like to dress up as for the day! This is BOOK week so we would love to see characters that came from books first (not a movie that they produced books for later!)

HOW TO DONATE A BOOK TO IT’S FROM ELSIE

• Choose a picture book that is appropriate for a newborn baby. This might be a book that your parents read you as a baby.
• Purchase a brand new copy of the book (not a second-hand copy)
• Keep the book in the bag or wrapping it was purchased in to prevent contamination (these books are going to very vulnerable little babies and we don’t want to spread any germs!)
• On Thursday 29 August, bring the book to school and place it in the boxes on the bag racks outside the music room.

If you have any questions about Book Week you can ask Ms Tafra, Ms Border or Ms Cetinic.

We’re looking forward to seeing all your amazing costumes!

Ms Tafra

Classroom Music Teacher

From the P & C

P&C meeting tonight

We have a P&C meeting tonight, Wednesday 7 August 2024, in the school library, starting at 6.15pm.

We’ll be planning for the Colour Blast Fun Run we are holding at the end the term in place of a fete, plus making decisions about renovations to the tuckshop and contributing funds to new computers for the school.

If you can't make the meeting in person, please join us via this Microsoft Teams link.

Tuckshop

Tuckshop this Friday, 9 August, has beef or vegetarian ravioli, plus lots of other yummy things.

Orders close on Qkr! at 8pm tonight.

Thanks for everyone who has volunteered to help the tuckshop so far.

We still need more volunteers to make the tuckshop run. If you can spare a couple of hours on a Friday this term please sign up at this link.

A big thank you to our Tuckshop Convenor, Cass, for the delicious, healthy food she is serving our kids. Her menu often looks more like a top restaurant rather than a normal tuckshop.

Warm regards

Chris McGrath

P&C President

E: president@burandasspandc.org.au

M: 0432899097

P&C website: https://www.burandasspandc.org.au/

P&C on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurandaPandC

From the Community

YERONGA STATE HIGH SCHOOL - ENROL NOW 

Please email our Enrolment Officer at enrolments@yerongashs.eq.edu.au to make an appointment for an enrolment interview session. For enrolment interviews, please bring:

Your child that is being enrolled

Birth certificate/passport/travel documents

Most recent school report card/NAPLAN reports

Enrolment application documents

To watch the Yeronga State High Video, please click the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxI0tsaM6Ss&t=2s

To watch Y Yeronga (Why Yeronga Video) please click on the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNam89UzIY