Filter Content
- Principal Message
- What's on at Mudgee?
- News from Middle 5
- 2021 Art and Photography Event - Update
- Steve Irwin Day
- Positive Behaviour for Learning
- Chappy Chat
- Sound of the Week
- My Time
- LEOR
- Afford Employment - SLES Gold Coast Open Day
- Endeavour Foundation - Learning and Lifestyle Hub Open Day
- NDIS Links To Keep Up To Date
- Covid Guidelines Weekly Updates
- P&C Container Refund & Recycling Scheme
- Mudgeeraba Special Instagram
- Communication at Mudgee
- Contact Us
Congratulations to our 2021 Graduating Students:
Alyssa Batey
Chelsea Kent
Emma Hashfield
Gabriella Tate
Lauren McDonald
Tory Purnell
Yasmin Temple
Elijah Palmer
Elliot Moorhead
Ethan O'Riley
Finn Burton
Jakob Smith
James Shackleton
Liam Arrowsmith
Mackenzie Kello
Matthew Shaw
We focus on the personalized celebration for our students finalising their traditional school life to embark on their post school life. We celebrate with students who have had a seamless education at Mudgeeraba Special since Prep and some who have come to join our team from local and interstate schools along the way.
The students in recent years have been guided by a planning process known to us as their Personal Future Action Plan alongside the Australian Curriculum and offering of Four available Certificate Courses. This plan has been the guide for our students and families embracing all of life domains not just the academic aspect. It has been planned and reviewed a number of times with the input of each of these students, their families, staff and program stakeholders. This plan encompasses life domains and will assist them into the future.
The team of staff, families and stakeholders have supported each student with exposure to a tailored program where it has been possible. Parents have encouraged and supported every step of the way. Program support has looked very different the last 2 years and our staff have creatively designed a variety of onsite programs to replicate the community experience. Being flexible and agile is a useful set of qualities to take into 2022 for us all.
This year’s graduation cohort includes students in Year 12 whose family's have explored options for their young person and have decided to graduate at the same point as other secondary school students in Queensland do.
To the staff we thank them for their professional, diligent manner, their patience, their creativity in supporting our graduates through their final years. We are proud to have such a skillful team who are so invested to ensure the best for each young person that they work with in the senior phase of learning.
2021 school year has been unprecedented with the continued pandemic attention, Home Learning and more onsite focus. I sincerely thank our Deputies Tash Markwick and Steve Dowlan, Heads of Personalised Learning, Knowledgeable Others, Administration and Staff for their outstanding work at MSS. I acknowledge the P&C Association with Mel Colenso as President of the Executive and the association members for their genuine commitment to our governance model ensuring we have a united voice at Mudgeeraba Special. We thank the community partners that support our school community to ensure our students shine.
It is apparent to me that the high performing communities achieve the best outcomes for young people when there is a strong relationship with their families and community, where the heart of our work is the child and that we uphold high expectations for each young person.
It is humbling to be a part of this wonderful system of State Schooling. We will continue to aim high in 2022.
With great regard for our gift of teaching and learning.
Colleen Hope
Principal
| Week | Event |
|
Week 7 |
Mon 15 Nov: Steve Irwin Day Fri 19 Nov Visit from Age Appropriate Pedagogy Team at Region and Central Office |
In a home school partnership you might encourage your young person to try new skills, by introducing new chores and tasks, trying new food options or by sitting in a new location to eat dinner.
During week 7, our students will learn about these explicit teaching foci. Through incidental and explicit teaching scenarios during Community Outings and at other times across the year, students will learn the importance of respect for our school property with a focus on our buses.
Parents and Carers, you can partner the school and assist with this learning by modelling the same expectations when traveling in the car on the weekend or to and from school.
Niagara Falls
In 2016, my sister and I, travelled to Canada and visited the incredible sights of the Niagara Falls. It was a spectacular sight and an experience that I’ll never forget. What a wonder of nature. I’m an outdoors kinda guy, so the sight was a sight for sore eyes indeed!
The crowds were surprisingly low in number that day, and it really wasn’t a long wait to suit up and board the vessel, that was commissioned to sail us close to the raging falls. There are actually 2 different sights: the Canadian Falls, and the US Falls. We were on the Canadian side of the border, so naturally, we were headed towards the greater falls, and easily the greater sight. I remember being excited and a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of what I could see in the distance. As the moment approached, I remember thinking to myself how surreal this was all becoming: I’m here at Niagara Falls, who would’ve thought!
“I wonder how wet we’re going to get?” was one of the many questions circling inside my head. And the answer wasn’t long in coming.
“Oh, wow!” was the common cry, amongst the many other colorful exclamations I heard, as we passed by the US Falls, on our way to experience the main event. The sound of the waters from above, as they came crashing and thrashing down the falls, was deafening. White spray blanketed us from this direction, and dense white mist blanketed us from the opposite direction. It all felt like we were in a rain storm of thundering proportions, and yep, you guessed it, we got soaked. But it was only a prelude to what was coming. The US Falls, was the warm up act!
Nature has a way of humbling us. No matter how big or important we are, or think we are, nature often finds a way of showing us how much bigger she is, in almost every situation. And, this was no exception.
“OH, WOW!” was inter-mixed with even more loud and colorful expletives, screams and cheers, as our vessel slowly inched towards the grandeur of the enormous Canadian Niagara Falls! I’ve heard it said that the closer you get to something big, the bigger it looks. They weren’t wrong. Within the 180 degree view that stood before our mortal eyes, was a towering wall of water, spray and mist, that almost covered our view of the sky above our heads. It was like seeing a row of sky-scraper sized, thundering water monsters, furiously waving their arms in all directions, attempting to swipe our stunned faces with their hands of beauty and terror. We were surrounded by mountains of waterfall. Our little boat stopped momentarily to soak in (intended pun, absolutely!) the thrill and drama of the occasion. I remember being so enthralled by what I was experiencing before me, that I didn’t know whether to shout, hi-five the air, or cry. I felt completely jubilant, but at the same time, insignificant. There I stood soaking from head to toe, beneath this gigantic marvel of nature.
When we returned to shore, we took a stroll along the top of the valley, to the precipice where the Niagara waters tipped over the edge of the falls. And, for a second time, we were gob-smacked by the sheer size of the falls, and the amount of water spilling over and falling down to the waters below. Over 3,000 tonnes of water spills over the falls every second! I couldn’t help feeling small and insignificant. I remember just standing there, and watching the falls. I remember standing speechless, and feeling weak and powerless. This was bigger than me. This was way bigger than me! I felt completely humbled by the beauty and terror of the sight. And I’ll never forget the experience, or the feelings of awe.
May I encourage you this week, on the eve of our Year 12 Graduation, to ponder and gaze at nature, for all of it’s greatness, and discover something that is bigger and greater than ourselves. I’m encouraging you for 2 reasons: experiencing the enormity and uncharted sights of nature, can ignite an attitude of adventure and excitement for the future; and secondly, discovering that there exists something bigger than ourselves out there, can help to foster humility. I got soaked in the process, and I had to go all the way to Canada to do it. But, right here in our own backyards, there is an ocean on our doorstep, and mountains and bush walks, that easily stack up beside the best sights, anywhere in the world. It may not happen on the first attempt, but like all good things of worth, it gets better.
Keep on gazing. Keep on exploring. Keep on discovering.
And if at anytime, you feel joy, feel free to say, “Ow, wow!
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
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.
Whilst masks are not compulsory as of Thursday 11 November as per Health Advice we ask staff and community to be mindful of these health measures to reassure self and others as per global text.
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:
If you have any questions, please call your doctor or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) in these continuing concerning times.
Please bring in your recycling to the school. The mobile reciptacle is stationed at the front carpark behind the bus shelter in school hours as the students are part of the program and move the wheelie bin between 9.15 am and 2.00 pm.
Scouts recycling partner have dontated one Hundred percent of the donations go to our P&C Association.
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
- 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:
Executive Team:
Principal: Colleen Hope
Deputy Principals:
Jnr & Middle: Natasha Markwick
Jnr Sec & Seniors: Steve Dowlan
Heads of Personalised Learning:
Bree Nairn & Danielle Turner
Senior School Pedagogical Leader: Laine East
Administration Team:
Business Manager: Samantha Kilpatrick
Admin Officer: Lorraine Yorke
Admin Officer: Belinda Chisnall
2021 P&C Executive:
President: Mel Colenso
Vice President: Anne Conroy
Secretary: Karen Lee
Treasurer: Deborah Hopkins
2021 P&C Voluntary Roles
Uniform Coordinator: Toni Sarten
Fundraising Coordinator: Jaime Morris
QCPCA Representative:Currently Vacant
Project Planning Coordinator & Recognition Award P&C Qld 2021: Maurie Rowe
Grants Coordinator: Kristen Wilson
Community Partnership Roles
My Time Coordinator: Anne Conroy (Tuesday)
Community Liason Officer: Di Taylor (Monday & Tuesday)
School Chaplain: Adrian Young (Thursday & Friday)
Guidance Officer: Kumi Holden (Monday to Wednesday & every second Friday)
NOTICEBOARD