OVERVIEW
IN THE LOOP
- Term 1, Week 2
- February 6, 2023
Message from the Principal
Dear MSA Parents/ Caregivers,
Welcome back to our 2022 families and a very warm welcome to our new 2023 families.
What a fantastic start to 2023. Our new improved and expanded facilities have allowed us to welcome over 90 new students to our school. Our 2022 students have shown our new recruits the MSA way over the past 2 weeks and I couldn’t be more proud.
We have already heard many stories from parents and caregivers over the past 2 weeks of the success that your students are already achieving. For some it is improved academic confidence and/or achievement. For others it is the formation of a friend and/or friendship group. We love to hear these stories and I love to share them with our amazing staff who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the arrival of your students this year and who have agonised over how to create a great start for your child. If your child has had a successful transition to the school year, please send us an email (springfield@msa.qld.edu.au) to tell us specifically what you believe has made the difference for them. This allows us to ensure that we continue to do things that make a difference to students.
As discussed at our Information Session and repeatedly throughout the year, SUCCESS at MSA comes from ATTENDANCE + EFFORT + TEACHING. Our programs are mastery programs which are underpinned by repetition which leads to automaticity. With an attendance rate of less than 90%, your student will be unable to access the required exposures to content that lead to confidence and growth which come from daily access to our programs. In addition to being here at school every day, it is also important that your student arrives on time to school every day:
School hours: Year 4-6 students: 8.20am – 3.20pm
School hours: Year 7-9 students: 8.35am – 3.35pm
If your student arrives 10 mins late to school they will have missed our entire ‘Rocket Maths’ program. Without regular attendance and effort from your student, they will be unable to achieve mastery in our programs which is the whole point of enrolling at Mastery Schools Australia. It takes a village to educate a student, and I would like to applaud the students, families and your team of allied health professionals, for working together to ensure that your student has attended school each day. If your student is not attending school on time every day, please address this with your student, and your allied health teams, to consider what modifications can be made to increase your student’s attendance to be above 90%. It is a condition of enrolment that you advise the school when your student will be absent. Thank you to the families who have consistently advised us when your student will be absent and the reason for the absence. To advise us of your student absence, you can either email or phone:
Email: attendances.springfield@msa.qld.edu.au
Phone: 38704690
Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher if we can help in any way.
Junior White: Rebecca Pullen – rebecca.p@msa.qld.edu.au
Junior Red: Alice Smith – alice.s@msa.qld.edu.au
: Taylor Hemana – taylor.h@msa.qld.edu.au
Junior Blue: Marie Moo- marie.m@msa.qld.edu.au
: Christina Harwood – christina.h@msa.qld.edu.au
Middle Red: Robbie Griffiths – robbie.g@msa.qld.edu.au
: Charlotte Kelton – charlotte.k@msa.qld.edu.au
Middle Blue: Zoe Anlezark – zoe.a@msa.qld.edu.au
Senior White: Susan Attewell – susan.a@msa.qld.edu.au
: Jessica Dorey – jessica.d@msa.qld.edu.au
: Alison Jordan – alison.j@msa.qld.edu.au
HPE: Dilara Kaya – dilara.k@msa.qld.edu.au
Please check our Term 1 Calendar carefully as it will show the important dates to remember for Term 1 which will ensure that you stay connected with the great teaching, learning and celebrations at our school. Please save the calendar somewhere or print it out for the fridge door.
Thank you for choosing MSA to educate your child.
Sharyn Angel
Principal
@ MSA Springfield
Updates & Reminders
Awards Night Gallery
Please see the Awards Night images via the following link:
https://onedrive.live.com/authkey=%21APQ9QyKHiPabDVI&id=C48CBF09C48314B6%2139754&cid=C48CBF09C48314B6
MSA hats are a crucial part of our uniform. If your child does not have a MSA hat, they can be purchased from administration for $15. If your child wishes to participate in outdoor activities they will need to be wearing their MSA hat, if they do not have their hat they will not be allowed outside. Alternatively, we can give them a hat and we will invoice you that afternoon.
What a fantastic turn out and impressive efforts from all participants in this years swimming carnival. To view unedited highlights from this event, please visit https://msa.qld.edu.au/2022-swimming-carnival/
Partnerships & Post-School Pathways
Win one fo 60 $20/$50 e-gift vouchers!
We are interested in how partnerships amongst schools, tertiary education providers, and workplaces can best engage young people, parents, teachers and schools in realising informed post-school pathways, including offering Vocational Education and Training, and the occupations these programs serve. The survey is part of a research project funded by the Department of Education Queensland under its Education Horizon scheme and has ethical clearance through Griffith University (GU ref no: 2022/227).
To thank you for providing a completed survey, you can enter a prize to win one of 60 e-gift vouchers (50x$20 & 10x$50). Only people who fully complete the survey will be eligible.
Your response to this survey will be anonymously and treated confidentially. Moreover, the data in a survey like this is presented in an aggregated way so that individual responses will not be identifiable. We thank you, in anticipation, for your contributions to this research.
To take this survey, please visit https://prodsurvey.rcs.griffith.edu.au/prodls200/index.php/survey/index/sid/112582/newtest/Y
Classroom Highlights
The students of Junior Red have settled into the life of MSA. The first two weeks of school focused on setting routines, building resilience, and learning how to be a respectful member of the community. As many of us were nervous about making friends and starting the year with new teachers, Junior Red completed a few different ‘get to know me’ activities that focused on introducing ourselves. Students created self portraits that reflects how they see themselves.
Challenging and successful are the two words that pop into mind when describing our start in Middle Red at Mastery Schools Springfield in 2023
Our shared goal has been to form positive relationships between peers and teachers as we strive towards successful outcomes.
Opportunities in class were new and exciting, as student engage and thrive in our Direct Instruction classes as well as a range of electives. Many students are expressing imperative skills, forging new passion and attitude in their learning.
To balance out the hard work, exciting opportunities are being promoted at lunch breaks such as Ball Games and Bull Rush out on the oval, as well as engaging technology, table tennis and pool in our awesome rec room.
With a very busy year ahead we look forward to continue working with our talented Middle Red students throughout 2023.
Kind Regards,
Robbie Griffiths and Charlotte Kelton.
Hi,
I am Rebecca Pullen. I teach in Junior White this year at MSA.
I have been teaching Maths and Science for 17 years in Primary, Middle and Senior Secondary schools and have been at MSA since July last year.
Junior White has had a terrific start to the year. Many new friends have been made and the students are having a good time being STARs learning the MSA way. We are all looking forward to a terrific year.
In Junior Blue this year, the Homeroom teachers are Christina Harwood and Marie Moo. Marie has been teaching for 20 years and this will be her second year at MSA and she will also be working as a Master Teacher supporting our wonderful MSA teachers. She loves working with students and seeing the light in their eyes when they are successful in what they do and achieve. Christina was a foundation staff member here at MSA. Christina really enjoys teaching direct instruction and can’t wait to see the growth the junior blue students have this year. We are both excited to get to know each of our junior blue students.
In Junior Blue this year, the Homeroom teachers are Christina Harwood and Marie Moo. Marie has been teaching for 20 years and this will be her second year at MSA and she will also be working as a Master Teacher supporting our wonderful MSA teachers. She loves working with students and seeing the light in their eyes when they are successful in what they do and achieve.
Christina was a foundation staff member here at MSA. Christina really enjoys teaching direct instruction and can’t wait to see the growth the junior blue students have this year. We are both excited to get to know each of our junior blue students.
Mastery Schools Australia is very excited to inform that Year 10 students at Springfield campus will be enrolled in a Blended Trade and Skill Taster Program with Tafe Queensland in Semester 1 as part of the Year 10 Curriculum. This will start in Week 3 Term 1 for the Semester.
Tafe Queensland teachers, working with Mastery Schools teachers will be delivering the program on Thursday afternoons at school. The majority of classes will be held here at our campus but there will be times throughout the semester when the students will travel as a class to a Tafe campus to participate in practical elements of the Program.
We are very sure that all students will enjoy this program while learning skills in a range of career areas including Hospitality, Health, Beauty and Construction. Students will be enrolled in a few modules from each of these training packages. They will have the opportunity to start completing Australian recognised competencies from a range of training packages receiving a Statement of Attainment which will give them credits towards their educational portfolio.
The aim of this program is to give students awareness of skills needed in each of these trade areas and as such assist them with their career knowledge for future pathways.
MSA will complete the online enrolment forms with each student. Part of the Tafe enrolment process is that all students must have a Unique Student Identifier or USI. A USI is a lifelong education number – students only need to create it once. A USI is a requirement to enrol in any vocational course in Australia. All vocational learning is linked to each student USI number.
- All students will need an e-mail address for enrolment. We ask that parents supply an e-mail address that their student can use for the program. (gmail or other)
- We ask all parents/carers to access the link below to create a USI for their student. You will need one form if identification to create the USI. This should take about 5 minutes. The training provider will need to verify your USI so once created please print or e-mail your verification details from the last screen.
www.usi.gov.au.
Year 10 parents have been e-mailed a letter with this information.
Please complete the slip at the bottom of the letter e-mailed home on 1 February and return to school by Friday 10 February or asap. Students can hand in the slip to a Year 10 teacher or parents can e-mail the information. springfield@msa.qld.edu.au
Any enquiries are most welcome. Please contact Alison Jordan – Assistant Principal
Look out for future article updates to share some student experiences.
It’s been only a fortnight and with so many new faces in Middle Blue, things have been buzzing and vibrant!
Middle Blue’s new 2023 students have been settling into their new classrooms and the ‘MSA way.’ Middle Blue teachers, Miss A and Miss Kaya, are proud of their new students for adjusting so quickly to their new school and are excited to see how much they grow this year!
Middle Blue’s 2022 students have been awesome role models to the newer students and have been doing a remarkable job of getting back into their groove at MSA. Middle Blue teachers, Miss A and Miss Kaya, are very impressed with their leadership skills and are looking forward to seeing where the year takes them!
Upcoming Events
Thursday, 16th February
More details to come.
Friday, 3rd March
More details coming soon.
Monday, 13th February – Friday, 24th March
More details to come. No action from parents is required at this stage.
Wednesday, 15th March – Monday, 27th March
For Years 5, 7 & 9.
More details coming soon.
Tuesday, 21st March
More details to come.
Thursday, 23rd March
More details to come.
Friday, 31st March
Friday, 31st March
Sport is on during session 3 of every Friday for Term 1.
If you have any questions regarding sp0rt, please contact us via (07) 5551 4080 or coolangatta@msa.qld.edu.au
Extra, Extra!
This year we welcome a new role to support our Senior students at Mastery Schools Australia Springfield campus.
Matt Kemenyvary will be working with the Senior students as the Transition Officer.
In this role Matt will assist Year 10 students in a range of ways throughout the year with Pathways Planning and Career Development.
Some of these supports will include assisting year 10 students to explore a range of occupations while developing a Career Portfolio, support student engagement and success with the Trade Taster Tafe course and work individually with students to develop a Pathway Plan for the future.
Matt is keen to work together with Senior students and their families to ensure positive future outcomes.
Name: Robbie Griffiths
Role at MSA: Assistant Principal
University: Queensland University of Technology
What I love about teaching: Building relationships with students to help them flourish and thrive in learning.
What I love about MSA: The positive environment for students and staff.
Fun fact about me: I own two sausage dogs who I love but drive me crazy.