Dear Parents

What an awesome afternoon was had by all at our Christmas Concert! After watching the weather closely all week, and after the downpour last year, it was wonderful that we could display the concert in its planned format! To all the students and staff, thank you for highly entertaining and choreographed performances. To our staff who were on the 'Christmas Concert' committee and organised the whole event ... thank you! To our P&C, thank you for the organisation and donations for the drinks and raffle! To our school community ... thank you for your attendance and participation.

After the great feedback we have received, we will certainly endeavor to make this an annual event. However, I will consult with the school community next year as to how to cover the cost of the stage, sound etc as this was $3600. The gold coin donation didn't go close to covering the cost, so we are thinking of invoicing each family $8 - $10 to cover this cost, and each family can let us know how many wristbands they require as they may bring as many people as they would like to for that cost. More about that next year.

2019 Staffing

In 2019 we will have approximately 620 students and 7 new staff! We are now the school of choice in our local area and the 120 prep students for 2019 are testament to our supportive, positive school culture, and the high quality of teaching and learning at PBSS. Also, due to the numbers in each year level, to create small classes numbers, to avoid composites and hopefully Day 8 class changes, I have budgeted to use $150000 of the Investing for Success (I4S) allocated budget of $197000 on two additional teachers. The students will meet their 2019 class teacher on Thursday afternoon at 2pm in their 2019 classroom. This has been highly successful and the first morning of each school year is relatively smooth as the students know where to go, and who their teacher is.

The 2019 staff will be:-

Principal: Sandra Thompson

Deputy Principal's: Tyson Upton, Megan Woodley

Teaching Learning Coordinator's (TLCs): Krystle Devine, Tracey Newton

Inclusive Education Teacher: Robyn Martin (new)

Special Education Teacher: Sheree Thomson

Prep: Sue-Ellen Pinchin, Sarah Goodman (4 days)/ Ann-Marie Munro (1 day + Prep music/PE 2 days), Christine Atwood, Lizzie Mitchell, Kevi Stephanou

Year 1: Jess Robinson, Tracey-Lee Howe, Debbie Johns (new), Rachel Murray (new)

Year 2: Tracey Blanch, Claire Gray, Claire Cronin (new), Marie Gilhooley (4 days) / Karen Rouse (1 day)

Year 3: Ashley Taverner, Sarah Quinton (new), Damien Theodore, Sharon Ethell

Year 4: Julie Hendry, Jason Hill, Patrick Penny (new), Caitlyn Harvey (new)

Year 5: Chris Bowden, Leanne Brown, Tom Hitchins

Year 6: Matt Norling, Tom Cocks, Kelly Stewart

Other: Lainie Carter (Music), Greg Locke (PE), Anna Bassi (Prep-Year 3 NCT through art/kitchen/garden program), Dave Busch (Journey groups and digital technologies/STEM), Angela Johnston (Guidance Officer), Ellie Hore (Speech Pathologist), Liz Chandler (strings 1 day), Justin Hart (instrumental 1 1/2 days due to our growing instrumental program)

Staff leaving: Wendy Butler (Labrador SS). Thank you Wendy for all of your contributions to PBSS and we wish you well in your new school.

Staff retiring: Dee Davies and Gail Mayr ... On behalf of the entire PBSS staff, students and school community we would like to wish both Dee and Gail all the best for their retirement, and their many impending travel plans! Thank you both for all that you have done for the students of PBSS.

Facilities Upgrades and NEW Prep Building

To accommodate our expanding numbers we will be commencing more facilities changes over the holidays! After negotiating with regional infrastructure, last week I was informed we will be receiving a new double Prep specific demountable building! This was very exciting news and I am meeting with infrastructure staff this week to work out the details. It is envisaged to be ready for occupancy late in term one. To commence the year we will be building walls in both ends of G block to turn the current two classrooms into four. Two prep classes will commence in the eastern end and two Year 3 classes will be in the western end. On completion of the new prep building, one of the prep classes will move from G block into the new prep demountable. The second class to move into the new prep building will be the prep class who will temporarily be in the existing prep break out room in K block.

Air Conditioning

Each year we experience about 6-8 weeks of very hot weather, and invariably the topic of air conditioning comes up. I, like you, would ideally love all of our school to be air conditioned, but as you would also be aware, we have had MANY facility priorities that had to be actioned, using the school budget, the Parent Voluntary Contribution and the Building Fund part of the school fees. Whilst this list continues, this year I have attempted to keep the school budget as tight as possible and trim some areas throughout the year, in the hope that as we wind up at the end of the year there would be some budget left to commence the air conditioning across the school.

I am pleased to inform you that from the commencement of the school year we will have 12 air conditioned classrooms! I have identified the classrooms that are particularly hot because of the design of double classrooms being made into single ones, therefore reducing originally planned air flow. The rooms that will be air conditioned are F block (Year 2 in 2019), the western end of G block (2 x Year 3), and D block (Year 6 and 1 x Year 5).

In our school fees of the $100 Parent Voluntary Contribution, there is a Building Fund component of $20 which is fully tax deductible. This is managed by the P&C. At this stage we are in the initial stages of planning to use this money for an addition to the tuckshop to make a purpose built Uniform Shop area.

However, parents are able to make additional donations to the Building Fund, which are fully tax deductible. If we receive additional Building Fund donations, I will use this money to continue the air conditioning plan across the school. So, if you have a business, or know anyone who owns a business who may like to support our air conditioning tax deductible PBSS plan, please just pay through our office staff explaining what the additional donation is for. As soon as extra donations are received we will air condition the next classroom identified in our action plan, and so on until the entire school is done.

New Front Entrance

Last week I met with Councillor Daphne McDonald and staff from the GCCC about the design of the front entrance after the tree removal program is enacted due to the safety concerns outlined in the last edition of the newsletter. The final design should look amazing with a couple of bus shelters or similar for seating and shade, new gardens, new concrete paths that will change the direction that people enter and leave the school, and wheelchair friendly access from the carpark across a newly designed crossing to the main footpath of Nineteenth Ave. This will be completed by the time we commence the 2019 school year. It will certainly add and modernise the appeal at the front of the school!

2019 Sports Shirts

A reminder that from 2019 we will have a new sun safe sports shirt. This will be our 'Friday' shirt to be worn only on Friday's and special athletics days etc. The shirts will be available from the Uniform Shop from the commencement of 2019.

Year 6 'Senior shirts' will be ordered and finalised in the first month of Term One after enrolments have settled, and so that new enrolments have the opportunity to be part of this process. Once again, the students will be presented with a choice of designs which they vote and choose from.

Thank You

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every member of our school community for your ongoing support of PBSS and all that we have done throughout 2018 and heading into 2019. I often speak to people that to make a school a positive culture there are two keys to success .... open, honest and respectful communication and open, honest and respectful relationships between all parties. A sincere thank you for your part in making PBSS the school it is!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a special summer holiday with your wonderful children!

We will see you all back on the first day of school for 2019 ... Tuesday 29th January.

Kind regards

Sandra Thompson

Principal

Sport, Music, Community & Garden News

Coolangatta State School