Hilliard State School eNewsletter

From the Principal

Yura families

We have had another successful week at Hilliard SS learning, leading and succeeding. Whilst staffing has been complex with illness and a lack of Relief Teachers available, we have worked through this process effectively and have ensured that all our students are supported.

Please read some updates below:

Staffing: I am pleased to announce that I had an interview last week and was informed that I was the successful candidate to continue in the position of principal until the end of Term 2. This is great news for our school as it brings the consistency that we need to the leadership role. I know that with our strong team, we will continue to work hard for our students and community.

We have also completed an interview process this week for an Acting Deputy Principal to work in the junior school until it is advertised as a permanent spot. I would like to congratulate Tracey Young who will be joining us on Monday and comes with experience as a Deputy Principal. We are looking forward to working with and learning from her.

COVID: We will be continuing the processes that have been in place for one more week, however, you may have seen the announcement from the Premier that there will be changes to masks, school visitors etc as of Friday, 4th March. We will clearly communicate these changes to you by the end of next week. We are excited to see some of these restrictions lifted so that we can recommence assemblies and inviting parents back on the school grounds. Once again, we thank you for supporting all of the current processes to keep us safe and healthy.

Uniforms: Once again, it is great to see all of our students respecting our 'Hilliard Team' by wearing our school uniform with pride. If you have any issues with accessing a school uniform please contact the office and we will see how we can support.

New Mural: Have you seen the new mural on the front wall? It is a lovely welcome to our school. The mural is only missing one important member of our school ... Dante, our therapy dog. The artist is returning in the near future to ensure Dante is added. So, keep watching out for his arrival.

OSHC: Jabiru should be moving back into their new building by end of this week. We are working closely with the Manager to ensure a successful transition. We are also working on and looking into the process for putting out a new tender for OSHC. We will keep you updated with this process.

We hope you enjoy your weekend. Stay safe and dry!

Leanne Witham

We learn, lead and succeed in a caring community.

Curriculum Corner

Welcome back to the 2022 school year to our new and returning families! Let me introduce myself - my name is Laura McGhee, and I will be the Head of Department - Curriculum throughout Term 1 this year. It has been wonderful to see many of you around Hilliard State School after the extended holiday period. I hope you have all had a wonderful break.

2022 will be a fantastic year of learning here at Hilliard. We have launched a new literacy program at our school for students in Prep to Year 2 called Read Write Inc. This program is a structured and systematic approach to teaching literacy in the junior years.

The Read Write Inc programme meets the higher expectations of the National Curriculum and uses effective assessment to accelerate every child's progress whilst raising the standard in literacy for every child. It is designed to create fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers.

Our teachers have been trained in this program and have formally started implementing it in classrooms this week. We all look forward to seeing the growth in students' literacy levels and celebrating every success!

Returning to school can come with many emotions, especially when trying to get back into a routine that doesn’t involve sleep-ins, endless hours at the park, playdates, Netflix or travel. Settling into a routine and structure can help you support your child’s smooth transition back into school life. Below are some tips and tricks that may help set your new back to school routine:

Use a calendar: to keep track of important events, due dates and extra-curricular activities. This will help your child know what is coming up and support them managing their time to ‘fit in’ upcoming events.
Before and after school routine: create a step-by-step guide for how to get ready, organised and prepared for the day. Your routine may also include preparing for the next day of school, organising lunches, uniforms, finding library books etc. This creates a sense of responsibility for your child.
Establish a clear ‘place’ for everything: teach your child to organise where things are stored or activities are completed. Create a storage space for bags and sports equipment or zones in the house where homework is to be completed.
Stick to a bedtime: getting a good night’s sleep is vital to a productive day at school. Establishing (and sticking to) a consistent time for your child to be asleep in bed can support a successful upcoming day of learning.

I look forward to a great rest of the term. Please stay safe and well in these unusual times.Kind regards,Laura McGheeHead of Department - Curriculum