On Monday (18 October) the Certificate I in Hopsitality students held a sausage sizzle to raise funds for the Schoolies celebrations. This event raised $223.  Thank you to the parents who made an extra donation by offering their change.

On Tuesday (19 October) some of our senior students went to the Gold Coast Fresh Futures Market. This event gave them the opportunity to obtain information and connect with a range of service providers offering post-school programs on the Gold Coast.

During week 4 our students will revisit the learning from the past 3 weeks of school.  They will also through explicit and incidental teaching revisit the 6 explicit teachings that underpin the three values of our wonderful school.  All classroom teachings, incidents or events can be linked back to the above six learnings.

HONEST  - Students will learn the value of being honest during the term students will learn the importance of being honest by taking items to lost and found, and returning items to a passer-by who may have dropped or lost an item.

CARING  -  Students will learn the value of being caring during the teaching of the Health curriculum in teacher release time.  Students will learn the importance of caring for their bodies, practising good hygiene with a particular focus on Covid Safe hand washing skills.  Using authentic play opportunities to highlight the importance of sunscreen when going outdoors students can be a SunSmart Super Hero in alignment with the Health and Physical Education Committee's initiatives.

RESPECTFUL  -  Students will learn the importance of using table manners. The explicit teaching of these skills may be extended to setting an eating area, clearing away rubbish, disposal of compostable items in the correct bins, encouraging conversation or requests for assistance.

Great Memories

My sister and I, travelled to Finland a few years back, specifically in search of the Northern Lights. If you did a search for stories of the Northern Lights, you may find many telling of how travelers missed seeing them altogether. Weather conditions have to be right, and your timing needs to be spot on, or the elusive spectacle will remain just that – an elusive spectacle. Well, I’m proud to say that our journey to the top of the world was successful… we saw them. Twice!

On our first attempt, the heavens decided to cloud over and hide the monumental dazzle. They were actually there, but they were obscured by cloud cover. I took along a good camera and tripod, and had done a lot of research and practice before leaving, so I could capture every moment. Even so, the photos that I took on that first night, turned out distant and faint, and feeble testimony of the experience. However, the next night was completely different.

Have you ever looked forward to something so badly, that even the slightest disappointment felt like ‘chicken little’, with the sky falling on your head? Of course, giving up sometimes is no option at all, and we press on. Thank goodness we pressed on. The next night, it happened!

While we were out having dinner, I remember being completely distracted with the excitement and anticipation of the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. Surely, attempt number two had to score points. We hurriedly ate up our meals, and walked back to our hotel, watching the night sky above us begin its gradual fade into night, with an array of darkening blues, and eventual pitch black. Hurrying down to the snow covered river below our hotel, I set up my camera and prepared myself. The -30 degree night, was so cold, that it caused icicles to form on our eyelashes. It was a beautiful and bone-chilling night. Then, right on cue, they appeared. 

I can’t begin to describe the haunting appearance that the yellows, greens, and reds of the Northern Lights took on, as they slowly snaked across the entire sky. They were like huge dragons of light, winding this way and that. They were enormous, and the sheer size of each serpent was confronting, but exciting. While this one began to fade in the west, another would begin its journey in the east, while another would slowly grow in intensity in the north, then gracefully fade away to a yellow nothing seconds later. Then the sky would momentarily fall dark, completely absent of anything. Then suddenly, like a Disney spectacular, enormous dragons of light from all sides leapt into view, and began their haunting slow-motion dances. Seconds later, they faded into ghost-like oblivion, only to start the whole sight again and again. The whole dance lasted for about 40 minutes, but what an incredible 40 minutes it was. What a night! 

The next night, my sister chose to stay in the hotel where it was warm, but I, typical of an adventure junkie, had to go and try again, to attempt to film the Northern Lights for a highly unlikely second night in a row. 

Down by the river, the beautiful stars littered the northern sky. It was just as cold as the night before, which may have accounted for the fact that only I and one other person, stood in the cold. It was freezing. I’ve never been so cold in my whole life, -30 degrees hurts! But, it was worth it, because about 5 minutes after setting up, the Northern Lights made their appearance. And, if I might be so bold, they were even more spectacular than the night before, and only I, and one other person, stood clicking away on our cameras, capturing the incredible moment for a rare second time. And as mysteriously as they appeared, 5 minutes later, they were gone for the rest of the evening. Locals the next day said that it was the most spectacular sighting they could remember in years, and the whole event lasted only about 5 minutes. And I was there. I saw it all! 

Great memories, can do wonders. Even now, as I tell the story, I feel happier, and feel my heart warming to the pictures in my mind and in my heart. Which, is why I told the story. If good memories have been proven to be able to lift your spirit, may I encourage you to take the trip today? May I encourage you to take a stroll down memory lane and devour all the sights, sounds and smells that you can recall, and savor them with delight? Like my memory of the Northern Lights, it can bring a little emotion along with it. But, what’s wrong with that? We’re human, and we feel. And sometimes, we need to practice ‘feeling’, whether it brings joy or emotion, because it’s healing and cathartic. As a matter of fact, recalling good memories can go a long way in increasing healthy well-being. You don’t even have to fly to the top of the world to find it. Standing in the cold and snapping icicles from your eyelashes may not be your up of tea, but why not grab a cuppa right where you are, and start the journey. It could be your Northern Lights moment!

We encourage you to keep up to date through the NDIS websites.

https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/

https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/independent-assessments/independent-assessment-process

https://www.ndis.gov.au/community/have-your-say/interventions-children-autism-spectrum?fbclid=IwAR3-yzR5VE-YUVL99n2RM2NXynqvx4uc5SWv-tjqogxtvuxYt_ArAUNeXDk

Stop the Spread of COVID-19

Maintaining the required hygiene and physical distancing measures in place in our school. These are our most effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

Any person who is sick (staff, student or parent) should stay home and if they have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include: 

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Loss of taste or smell
• Tiredness and muscle aches
• Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Shortness of breath

If students or staff present at school as unwell we will follow up and request an imediate early departure until a medical clearance is provided and confirmation that the person is well.

We need to ensure we stay home if recurring flu like symptoms present to decrease the spread of influenza.

Further information about COVID-19 testing is available via the link below:

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/stay-informed/testing-and-feverclinics

If you have any questions, please call your doctor or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) in these continuing concerning times.

• Student attendance 8.30 am till 2.45 pm.
• Phone the office and request the classroom. Please always be mindful of students' learning and teachers teaching times.
• If you are late to start the school day please attend the School Office and staff will assist with contacting your class.
• Utilise the students' Communication Diary and Seesaw.
• Request face to face meetings through your class teacher before, after school or in their noncontact time.

Via Social Media:

Did you know... Mudgeeraba Special School have our own departmental approved Instagram page? Stay up to date with the latest in the classroom, school and community through Facebook and our newest addition to the Mudgeeraba Special social media family, our Instagram account. Follow us today https://www.instagram.com/mudgeerabaspecial/ and tag us @mudgeerabaspecial