2024 Term 1 Week 8
Principal Report
Welcome everyone to the Week 8 Newsletter! Certainly a busy time of the term with an incredible amount of activities and events still to happen. Due to a heavily restricted time frame, we have decided to postpone our Parent/Teacher interviews until Week 2 of next term, with letters sent home next Monday. These letters will contain a preference for parents to choose the times best suited for your circumstances - please note that teachers will also liaise in the case of siblings and attempt to align interview times for you. If any of the available times clash with your availability, please contact your child's teacher to organise an alternative.
Local Government (Council) elections are scheduled to be held this Saturday, 16 March. This year, the venue for voting in this election will be in the Amamoor Community Hall. Doors open at 8:00am, with voting closing at 6:00pm.
Today was our last swimming session for the term at the Deep Blue Aquatic Centre in Southside. Thank you to all of our parents for supporting this important part of our curriculum and key developmental skill for our students.
Following on from our Year 6 Leadership Camp, our leaders have been writing their applications, rehearsing speeches and obtaining endorsements in order to be granted their 'badge.' With speeches presented to the student body next week (and voting thereafter), our aspirants will be looking forward to attending a special Investiture Parade in Week 10. Good luck!
This week, the annual National Assessment Programme - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) commenced at our school. Our Year 5 students have now completed their Writing, Reading, Language Conventions and Numeracy tests, with our Year 3 students only having to finish their Numeracy test. All of our students sat the tests, with many even saying that they 'enjoyed' them! The majority of tests are now conducted via computer, with no issues encountered - well done everyone!
On Monday of Week 10, the ladies from RawArt will be visiting our school again for our students to participate some amazing art acitivities. This incursion is widely enjoyed by students at Amamoor and I would like to thank our wonderful P&C for keeping costs to an absolute minimum for parents.
At this stage, our annual Cross Country Carnival is scheduled to be held on Wednesday of Week 10. Ultimately, the weather may potentially impact this, as more rain is forecast. If this needs to be postponed, we will make the call by Monday afternoon of Week 10. An alternative time would need to be in either Week 1 or 2 of next term, as District Trials are shortly thereafter.
Finally, our students are also busy doing their end of term assessments over the next week, with school photos scheduled for Friday, 22 March. Please remember that the last day of Term 1 is Thursday 28 March, as the following day is Good Friday.
I look forward to seeing you around the school.
Kind regards,
Tony Benzie
Office Update
Please note that Term 1 swimming fees are now due for payment. If you did not receive invoice or require assistance with payments see Amanda in the office.
If you are having trouble ordering photos please see Amanda in the office.
Playgroup/Prep/1 Class
1/2 Class
We have been busy working with materials and their properties over the past two weeks. The students had to turn a paperclip into a square, and make a cylinder out of modelling clay. They also had to investigate different ways of working with air dry clay. They discovered they could roll, mould, squeeze, pinch, break, stretch and squash the clay. They made some amazing creations!
Kind Regards,
Sally
3/4 Class
The term is certainly flying by.
Our class has been very busy with end of term assessments.
In English this term, we have been working with ‘voice to text’. This has involved a steep learning curve for us all, but the class has risen to the challenge, and have become quite proficient in setting up their documents and initiating the software to enable completion of their task.
Please keep your eyes peeled for a Parent/Teacher Interview booking form. This will be in blue folders. These interviews will be held in Week 2 of Term 2. I will confirm via the Student Diaries.
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Out and about….. one of the lovely things about small schools, is how children from all grades can interact and play together. All these kids needed was a green slope and an imaginary bobsled….
5/6 Class
In Science, we are nearing the end of our unit on Matter. We designed our own experiments to investigate the variables of evaporation, changing only one thing and keeping all other things constant. Some students changed the type of liquid used, some the amount of liquid and some the amount of liquid. Others changed the place the jars were placed: eg. sun/shade, under a fan, in the fridge, etc. Others changed the shape of the vessel, while others changed the type of vessel. Although our results were not all conclusive, it gave us enough information to deepen our understanding of how evaporation happens and what impacts evaporation.
Brekky Club
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, from 8.30 - 8.45 am, students can access Brekky Club at no cost at all, due to being supported by YMCA and Waves of Kindness.
Our older students help to prepare and serve a healthy breakfast option. There is always a variety of fruit available with apples, oranges or bananas being the main staples, with other seasonal fruit varieties when available.
Toast is also always popular, with vegemite, jam, honey, peanut butter and cheese available to put on top. Occassionally we have crumpets, english muffins, bagels or vegie slice as a special extra.
Orange and apple juice has also been added to the menu occassionally.
Thank you to our lovely Rachael for volunteering to run this fantastic club.
PBL Focus
Music
The 5/6 class have been learning part work in music. Playing percussion instruments to the music "Orion".
Student of the Week
Congratulations to our Student of the Week achievers: Makayla, Hunter, Kai, Ava, Roisin and Ari.
Chappy Chat
Over the past couple of weeks I have continued to work with some of our students helping them to have an understanding of social cues. They have quite enjoyed the challenge around role playing - expressing themselves without using words or sounds. For example, showing that they’re interested, or anxious, scared or happy, perplexed or frustrated. It was good to see their enthusiastic responses with whole group participation. I will continue this work with other students as time permits.
I have also continued to work with the Year 6 cohort exploring what it is to be a good leader, as they continue to develop their role of leadership this year.
I look forward to working with more of our students next term as we continue to explore what it is to be a good friend and how we can all be better friends, and looking for the good in each day as we continue to show gratitude for the good things we experience.
Kitchen/Garden Program
In the Kitchen, our Year 1 students made apple donuts and enjoyed the taste testing.
Pick of the Crop
Amamoor State School has been successful in securing $2000 funding for 2024. We have ordered more timber sleepers and will now build an extra five garden beds for our Kithen / Garden programme!
Thanks Mrs Tombs for helping to get this money!
P&C News
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