Bribie Island State School is a garden of growth. Many people consider gardening a great way to relax and renew depleted energies, specially community gardens which help to grow healthier communities. Schools are also considered gardens of growth, areas of space where people of many ages come together to learn skills, build friendships and experience the joy of life as only gardens can bring.
Bribie Island State School has its own garden which is tended by many students and supervised by our wonderful Mrs Rosi Riek who has a passion for both gardens and education and encourages our students to get involved in recycling waste from around the schoolyard and composting plant and vegetable matter to assist in building the soil quality in the gardens. Mrs Riek told me, “Gardens are like children, you have to feed them well and provide love and warmth for them to grow”. A fantastic analogy for our school community and the support the wonderful staff at Bribie Island State provide for their students.
Many of our very young students require an early introduction to being away from home and family. Julie Thomas coordinates a team of motivated Prep Teachers engaged in the successful Bribie Island State School Pre-Prep program. Mrs Thomas is enthusiastic about the program and had holds the opinion that these types of programs are beneficial because “they prepare young children for life at school and have a lot of fun learning basic academic skills as well as social skills they need to be successful. Parents can send their children here knowing they will be in a safe environment and in a place where they can explore their interests and get a head start on their education”. Life over the past months for us all has been demanding and complicated to say the least but with the situation in Queensland remaining stable, our school community is getting back to normal. Students are at their desks and enjoying the social and academic aspects they did not realise they had. One student has mentioned that he couldn’t wait to get back to school to see his friends and have his teacher in the classroom with him.
Although we are all back at school the risk remains and simple precautions are always required to stay safe. Covid-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia or breathing difficulties. As this is a new virus, we are still learning about how it affects children.
As with other respiratory infections like the flu or the common cold, public health measures are critical to slow the spread of illnesses. Public health measures are everyday preventive actions that include:
- Staying home when sick;
- Covering mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of used tissue immediately;
- Washing hands often with soap and water;
- Cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects.
As we learn more about COVID-19 public health officials may recommend additional actions but for now, if your child is showing signs of not being well, advise the school of their absence and stay safe.
A long-awaited re-opening of the school tuckshop has happened with Sandy and her team from the School P&C preparing and delivering fabulously delicious, homestyle healthy food alternatives for all staff and students at Bribie Island State School. Many thanks go out to our strong team of volunteers and sponsors of school events and projects. Without your support, many activities could not happen.