14 March 2025

Woree State School – Vision & Values

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

Woree State School is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and disciplined learning environment for all students and staff. Here, students have opportunities to engage in quality learning experiences and acquire values that support their lifelong wellbeing.

Woree State School sets consistently high standards and is dedicated to the lifelong learning success of all students, helping them develop as:

• Self-directed learners who can plan and manage their learning to achieve goals
• Complex thinkers who address challenges using a range of strategies and skills
• Collaborative workers who use both individual and group skills to achieve shared goals
• Community contributors who respect, understand, and add value to their community
• Quality producers who produce work of a high personal standard and meet agreed-upon standards

Students are reminded to keep their hands and feet to themselves. This is reinforced in our weekly PBL lessons. Please encourage your child to ask for help from staff on duty when needed. It is important for our students to understand that if they hurt someone, defy teachers, or display dangerous behaviours, there will be strong consequences.

We practice calming-down strategies with students, and additional support is provided through social-skilling opportunities.

Our school community has identified the following expectations, known as The Woree Way, to teach and promote high standards of responsible behaviour:

• Learn
• Respect
• Cooperate
• Be Safe

Sun Safety

The weather has been very hot and humid over the last few weeks, and we must remember that Queensland has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

Of all new cancers diagnosed in Australia each year, 80% are skin cancers. Since our students are at school during peak ultraviolet radiation (UVR) times, we as a school play a major role in minimizing their UVR exposure and providing an environment where policies and procedures can positively influence long-term behaviour.

Skin damage, including skin cancer, results from cumulative exposure to the sun. Research shows that sunburn contributes to skin cancer and other forms of skin damage, such as sunspots, blemishes, and premature aging. Most skin damage and skin cancer are preventable. UVR levels are highest during the hours that children are at school, and since children spend a portion of their day outdoors, we are committed to protecting them from the harmful effects of the sun.

With this in mind, Woree State School is dedicated to protecting children’s skin and educating them about Sun Smart behaviour to reduce the risk of skin damage from sun exposure. We have a strict policy: children cannot play outside unless they are wearing hats, especially since lunch hours occur during some of the hottest parts of the day. We encourage children to bring their hats each day and would appreciate it if you could reiterate this message at home. Sunscreen will be available in classrooms, but we ask that you ensure your child applies sunscreen before school.

The sunscreen we provide may not suit all skin types, so if your child has sensitive skin, please send sunscreen that suits their skin type to school.

Remember the 5 Steps to Be Sun Safe:

• Slip on protective clothing
• Slop on SPF50/SPF50+ sunscreen
• Slap on a broad-brimmed hat
• Seek shade
• Slide on sunglasses

School Drop Off and Pick Up

Parents are reminded to use the STOP, DROP & GO area when dropping students off in the morning. Supervision will begin at 8:15 AM when the gates open.

Students can also be picked up from the STOP, DROP & GO area.

Unfortunately, we have had cases where students are not being collected by 3:30 PM. After-school duty concludes at 3:30 PM. If you will be later than this time, you must arrange for another adult to collect your child before 3:30 PM. It is not the responsibility of the school to care for children after this time. Students often feel upset and distraught when they are the last to be picked up.

Formal letters will be issued starting Week 1 of Term 2 for any child collected after 3:30 PM. Please note that we are not referring to being 1–5 minutes late; rather, students are often picked up between 30 minutes to an hour after school has concluded. Staff also have family commitments in the afternoon.

We greatly appreciate the parents who collect their children between 3:00 and 3:30 PM.

Thank you for your continued support!

Principal
Tania Kaitara
Principal

Enrolment

Woree State School is currently taking enrolments.  Please contact the office or visit our website for more information.

Ph: 4054 9111    Email: info@woreess.eq.edu.au    Website: https://woreess.eq.edu.au/

Donations

Did you know we accept donations? 

We love the support we receive from our community, if you have anything you would like to donate please drop off to Miss Leisa’s office in block 8.

• Uniforms
• Book / Stationary
• Bread
• Fresh Fruit
• Lunch Snacks

If you are not sure what you can donate talk to Miss Leisa today.

Staff Profile – Julieanne Russell

SWD Teacher

I have been a teacher in the Cairns Region for many years. I have taught in various State Schools and P-6 Colleges. I have experience working with students ranging from Prep to Year 12. Largely, my role has been to assist students with disabilities and students with learning difficulties to access the curriculum. Working closely with families and communities has been critical to the success of my role. I have also collaborated with classroom teachers, specialists, advisory teacher, guidance officers and early childhood community based services.

This year I am a member of the student with disabilities team here at Woree State School. I look forward to the year ahead with the challenges, and rewards awaiting.

P&C News

What does your P&C do?

The Woree State School Parents & Citizens’ Association supports your children’s development by partnering with the Woree State School to provide essential services that include the Outside School Hours Care program, the Butterfly Café (tuckshop) and the School Shop. Our mission as a community-based not for profit association is to provide valuable support through reinvestment of monies and time back into the school to provide additional resources as seen necessary by the principal and essential to the development of the school community.

We ask all families to support your children’s journey by supporting our mission and encourage all parents and carers to play an active role in their child’s development through joining the P&C community.

Being a member

Interested in becoming a part of the Woree State School P&C Association?

Being an active member does not mean having to attend every meeting. You can attend as many or as little as you want. We do however ask you to attend the annual general meeting where a new committee is elected to office for the next 12-month period and critical direction is commonly discussed.

Remember NO P&C = NO TUCKSHOP / NO OSHC / NO SCHOOL SHOP

Volunteering

Being a volunteer comes in all shapes and forms. It does not necessarily mean having to help at every fundraising event. It could simply mean helping us with the administration of our Facebook page or a couple hours at our awesome Butterfly Café making sandwiches or pouring drinks. If your time is available, you may consider helping us with one of our main fundraising events? Our fundraising calendar supports a maximum of six events per year.  Any support around this is always highly valued and happily received.

Why Volunteer?

• Volunteering helps you to connect to your community by strengthening your connections.
• Children whose parents are involved in their schools do better. Research has shown that children of a school volunteer make better grades and perform better on tests.
• Volunteering helps you spend more time with your kids.
• Helps you get to know teachers and other school team members.
• Makes the school a better place to learn.
• Allows us to use your strengths.
• Why NOT!

More Information

If you want to become a general member or a part of the P&C executive team, simply contact us at operations@WoreeSSPandC.com.au or come along to one of our monthly meetings.

Regards
The P&C Executive Team

School Shop

Did you Know?

The Woree State School P&C are the only authorized sellers of Woree State School uniforms.

You can place your school uniform and stationery orders anytime you like using our 24/7 Flexischools app and website www.flexischools.com.au ordering platforms. Our full catalogue is 100% online. We deliver your order the following day directly to your child’s classroom making it super easy, effortless and efficient.

If you want to pick up your online order, you can pop into the school shop, or we can drop it at the front office if it’s outside shop open hours.  

If you prefer to do things in person our school shop’s opening hours are Monday & Thursday 8:15am – 10am (except Public Holidays). Feel free to come in.

Book Pack Solutions

Every year we offer a no fuss complete book pack solution from prep to Yr6 that make starting school the following year easy and seamless.

Layby

We support our book pack solutions by offering a layby facility from September every year to help spread the cost into manageable payments. Our Layby option can be initiated through email, over the phone or in person at the school shop. (T&Cs apply)

For more information email: schoolshop@woress.eq.edu.au or call 4054 9167 during business hours on Mondays & Thursdays.

Regards
Linda Circus
School Shop Coordinator

Butterfly Café

At the Butterfly Café all food is prepared fresh daily and is constructed with the guidance of Smart Choices for Queensland Kids. We open daily for breakfast from 8:15am and for both lunch breaks. We also do affordable classroom catering for birthday parties and special occasions.

You can place your orders via the Flexischools app and their website www.flexischools.com.au or directly over the counter. Orders need to be in by 9:30am every day to be delivered to the classroom.

The Butterfly Café is open for over-the-counter sales before school and through the lunch periods.

Using Flexischools app or website to order lunch can be done at any time of the week or day, but it needs to be placed before 9:30am the day you want the meal for first break orders or in before 12pm for second break orders.

Things to remember

• Breakfast is served from 8:15am daily
• Lunch orders can be placed anytime of the week via Flexischools, but you need to make sure it’s in by 9:30am for first break or 12pm for second break on the day you want it.
• All food is made fresh daily, and we make some yummy treats for your kids.
• No over the phone lunch orders – please use the Flexischools app or website.

Please place orders by 9:30am daily, to avoid disappointment as our items are all made fresh daily.

Facts to know about the Butterfly Café:

• We are operated by the Woree State School P&C Association, so all proceeds are re-invested back in the school – supporting us supports the school and your kids learning!
• We make café-style barista coffee – so why not grab a latte when you come to the next parade
• We are always making special treats for your kids, look out for them on our red day menu or Flexischools ordering platforms.
• We can cater for your child’s birthday party in classrooms and take-home packs.

Regards
Tanya Boyce
Tuckshop Convenor

Outside School Hours Care

Events

Harmony Day

Harmony day is to celebrate students strengths and cultural identities. We are inviting students and parents to join us, before school for a free breakfast provided from our schools P&C association and IGA. This will include a sausage sizzle and some fruit. There will be music provided by DJ Miss M and a photo booth. This will be located in the LCPA or tuckshop area and will start at 8:15 and go till 9:00am.

School Photos

NQ School Photography has taken our school photographs, orders can still be placed online at www.nqsp.com.au using this code: 6JQUZE3N. The purchasing of photos is made directly by a parent or caregiver with the external photography company.  Woree State School has no control over the purchasing or issuing of student photos.

NAPLAN at Woree State School

From the 13th-25th March, Woree State School year 3 and 5 students will participate in NAPLAN (National Assessment Program, Literacy & Numeracy) testing, as will all other year 3 and 5 students across Australia.

Across these days, our students will participate in a total of four tests; Numeracy, Writing, Reading and Conventions of Language (grammar, punctuation and spelling). All students across the country will complete NAPLAN online, meaning they will complete their testing on computers, with the exception of Year 3 Writing which is completed on paper.

A major benefit of our students completing testing online, is that the testing is tailored to each student, so the test automatically adapts to a student’s test performance, giving questions easier or harder depending on the student’s answers at juncture points. In questions where reading is not being tested, such as the Numeracy test, students also have the option of pressing a speaker button to have the questions read to them.

NAPLAN tests are constructed to give students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge they have learned throughout their school curriculum journey, across their years of schooling, and NAPLAN tests are treated as just another routine assessment in our school assessment calendar.

Students at Woree State School are well prepared for NAPLAN through the intensive school focus on reading and writing, the teaching of language conventions and spelling our focus on daily writing and the explicit maths lessons occurring daily in their classrooms. 

If you are interested in seeing the types of questions students encounter in NAPLAN, please visit https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site where you can view sample tests that you can do with your child.

Prior to NAPLAN our year 3 and 5 students will participate in a practice test to enable us to ensure our computers and systems at school are ready for the actual test. This practice test is not scored or marked, and students are encouraged to play with the functions and the other assistive options in the testing platform, to gain familiarity before NAPLAN tests.

If you would like further up to date information regarding NAPLAN generally, please visit the ACARA (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority) NAPLAN website at www.nap.edu.au . A parents and carers information brochure is available on this website at https://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf and information regarding the privacy of student data is available at https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-student-privacy-notice.pdf

If you have any queries regarding NAPLAN at Woree State School, please contact me via the school office.

Michelle Hanlon
Deputy Principal

Nurse Practitioner

Our Nurse Practitioner is available every Tuesday 9am-4pm, contact the school office on 40549111 or email nurseadmin@woreess.eq.edu.au to make an appointment.

Looking After Your Skin in the Sun! 

🌞 The Australian sun is strong, and kids’ skin is delicate! Follow these sun safety rules: 

✔️ Slip on a shirt 
✔️ Slop on sunscreen 
✔️ Slap on a hat
✔️ Seek shade 
✔️ Slide on sunglasses 

Nurse Practitioner Mel can help with checking sunburn, rashes, and other skin conditions—make an appointment with me at the school clinic! 

Growing Pains—Real or Myth?

🦵Does your child wake up with sore legs at night? It might be growing pains! These are common in kids aged 3-12 and usually happen: 

🔹 At night (but not during the day) 
🔹 In both legs (not just one) 
🔹 After a big day of activity 

Warm baths, stretching, and massage can help. If the pain is persistent or only in one leg, see me at the school clinic to check for other causes. 

Community News