Can you believe that we have already been at school for a whole 10 weeks? Term 1 certainly flew by! When I reflect on all of the wonderful opportunities that were experienced, I know why it passed so quickly.
This term has seen the growth of our Peter Moyes Playgroup. Over 35 children and their parents are enjoying the use of our Nature Playground on a Wednesday morning, led by Mrs Sarah Fitzgerald. We continue to evolve our playgroup and next term we have Ngala running their Pyjama Drama program during the playgroup sessions. All members of the community with children 0-4 years are welcome to attend.
We also welcomed a new cohort of Pre-Kindy students and their families. What an immense privilege it has been to watch these young students flourish under the guidance of their wonderful teachers. They have already learned so much and are embracing each experience enthusiastically. I have witnessed their amazing storytelling, singing and problem solving and have been impressed by the way that they encourage and help each other to master new skills.
Additionally, our Kindergarten students have really enjoyed making new friends and developing their independence. The Kindy families were extremely excited about their Cultural Day, where they celebrated each of the sixteen different cultures represented in the year group. This even included a Nigerian Drummer and a Scottish Bagpiper. The students particularly enjoyed bring a cultural artefact from home to share with their class. Of course, this week the excitement has been all about their Easter Hat Parade!
Instead of listing what I thought the students in the other year levels had enjoyed I decided to visit the classrooms and ask them. This is what they said:
Pre-Primary – making stuff, learning about plants, reading books, working together with our friends, dramatic play and learning our sounds. Have a look at the photos from the latest Pre-Primary engineering project where they trying to move water from the pump to outside the playground.
Year 1 – learning about bugs, finding the bugs in the playground with our friends, making habitats for our bugs and the worm incursion.
Year 2 – gardening and cooking in our Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden, reading after lunch, Lexia, Daily 5, maths speed tests and Matific.
Year 3 – looking at the fish when you are going to sleep and watching the movie at AQWA, researching and writing about dangerous creatures, persuasive writing, Beach School and water play during our celebrations day.
Year 4 – camp, Colour Run, puppet making and getting our very own laptops.
Year 5 – Maths Pathway, Prodigy, handball, sport, our assembly, gardening and meeting Mrs Paton’s dogs Isla and Murphy.
Year 6 – camp, Golden Time, playing soccer with Mr Patel, Maths and Art.
It was very clear that they all enjoyed making new friends, meeting new teachers, learning new things and having fun!
This week I had the privilege of a visit from some students in Year 2. These students designed some informative posters: Jacob Bird and Georgie Keegan – Save the Environment and Imogen Young - Don’t Pollute. What impressed me the most was that these children had been so moved by the learning that had been taking place in their classroom that they decided to extend that learning at home. I think the future of our planet is safe when we have young ambassadors like these. Congratulations Jacob, Georgie and Imogen and thank you for sharing your learning with me.
Recently I accompanied the Primary School House Captains, together with Mrs Hiotis and the Middle School House Captains, to the National Young Leaders Day where prominent leaders from all walks of life shared their experience and wisdom. We were fortunate to hear from four inspirational speakers: Akram Azimi (Young Australian of the Year 2013); Jade Slater (Cotton-On Foundation); Leisal Jones (Olympic Swimmer and Gold Medal winner) and Matt Cosgrove (author and illustrator). Our captains shared some of the lessons learned with the students at our last assembly and are looking forward to demonstrating their new knowledge throughout the rest of the year.
Some of the key points discussed were:
- Begin with gratitude and acknowledgement
- Never give up, be persistent
- Obstacles are about learning
- Face your fears – don’t let it stop you
- Focus on the positives
- People are important
- Lead to serve others
- People follow you by your actions not your words
- Respect is free to give, but priceless to receive
- A collective force can change the world forever
As the term ends I would like to acknowledge the hard work of our staff and thank them for ensuring that each child in their care receives the very best education they can provide. I would also like to thank the School community for their support and the trust that you have placed in each us. Finally, I would like to thank the children for allowing us to be a part of their learning and for sharing their excitement, awe and wonder with us every single day. We are truly blessed to be able to come to work every day in this beautiful environment, surrounded by so many talented children and adults.
I hope that you find some time for love, peace and joy over the school holidays. Have a blessed Easter and enjoy the precious time that you have with your children.
Written by Mrs Nicole Brown, Deputy Associate Principal-Primary School