Junior School Bulletin Issue 11 / 08 August 2014 learnt from its mistakes. It’s fantastic to see students so young writing position pieces and then justifying their position with evidence to back it up.
From the Head of Junior School Year 4 News Last week we had 3 students from Year 4 Lucy, Tanah and Teleah, initiate action as they wanted to raise money for research into brain cancer and to bring awareness of the need for more research in this area. We are very proud of their efforts as they spread the message and raised a significant amount of money for their chosen charity. The next paragraph is a thank you from the girls to all those who supported their bake stall. To the St Andrews Community, Thank you so much for helping us with our bake sale last week. We were able to raise $500 towards brain cancer research. We really appreciate everyone who bought items in the bake sale. Thanks also to our mums, and Mrs Gibson who baked goodies for us to sell. From Lucy, Tanah and Teleah in Year 4A.
The ELC The Early Learning Centre is starting to take shape, quite literally. The formwork is being completed to lay the concrete floor soon. All is on track for completion at the end of the year and to be ready for opening in early January. Mufti Day Next Tuesday the 12th August is our Mufti Day for term 3. The theme for the day is International Day of Hope – World Vision. As it is a rainbow theme, the children are encouraged to dress in bight coloured clothing, but please ensure the College Policy on Mufti day is adhered to. Class Coordinators A big thank you to the class coordinators who have organized many class events this year. Your work in building the community is really appreciated. Please look out for the flyers from the class coordinators and if you are available to attend, I would encourage you to do so. Disco Fun Last Friday night we held our annual Year 3-6 disco. The theme of jungle boogie was warmly embraced by the students who wore their animal onesies to the disco. There were some great moves by the students (and teachers too) on the dance floor. Thank you to Mrs McGilveray, Mrs Levey and the Go team for their work in organizing such a wonderful event. We now look forward to the Prep disco on the 5th September.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a Year 4 class who were learning how to write expositions. The teacher had a very good way of getting the students to remember what an exposition is. He said an “An exposition is a piece of writing that you get to expose your position on a topic.” The students were encouraged to use words that persuade the reader. After reading one student’s introduction on the need to have more school holidays, I was almost convinced that we needed more holidays. The summative task will have the students write a persuasive text on whether we should continue to explore. In their justification they will need to touch on the benefits of exploration and lessons
Darrin Schumacher Deputy Principal Head of Junior School
From the Deputy Head of Junior School & PYP Coordinator Why Inquiry? At St Andrews, we believe that learners have beliefs about how the world works based on their experiences and prior learning. When our teaching teams plan to teach, we always endeavour to ascertain what the students’ prior knowledge is so that we can provide experiences through the curriculum to examine and review their understandings, allow them to make connections between their previous and current perceptions and, to construct their own meaning. Vygotsky defined learning as “the creation of meaning that occurs when an individual links new knowledge with… existing knowledge.” Through the PYP program, we address this belief by ‘providing opportunities for students to build meaning and refine understanding, principally through structured inquiry’ (Making the PYP Happen, 2009). PYP Schools strive to provide students with learning experiences that are engaging, relevant, significant and challenging.
When you enter our PYP classrooms you will see visual evidence of the current unit of inquiry the students are exploring with examples of student thinking and student questions. We are also keen to make it transparent as to where the students are in terms of the inquiry cycle, so they are aware of the process they are experiencing when trying to make meaning of their lives and the world around them. A majority of classrooms will at times, embrace the Kath Murdoch model of inquiry. Kath highlights the importance of inquiry by stating the following, “The questions young people ask remind us that the search for meaning is fundamental to what it is to be human. The urge to inquire activates thinking on many levels and in many forms. When we seek to make sense of the world around us, we wonder, we plan, we analyse, we create, we reflect. At its very heart, inquiry is all about thinking – thinking in order to make meaning.” When you attend your child’s up-coming Student Led Conference (Week 7 - Thursday 28th August – parent letter to be sent out shortly), may I encourage you to ask your child about the inquiry cycle they are engaging in as they seek to deepen their knowledge and develop their skills as a learner. Take the time to look around their learning envi-
The PYP values learning environments where: • Teachers are sensitive facilitators of the process of empowering students to value their learning and to take responsibility for it • Students are seen as competent and are listened to • Students are encouraged to be curious, be inquisitive, ask questions, explore and interact with the environment physically, socially and intellectually • Explicit learning outcomes and the learning process are made transparent to the students • Students are supported in their struggle for mastery and control on their journey to become independent, autonomous learners • The learning experiences are differentiated to accommodate the range of abilities and learning styles in the group • The collaboration on the part of all PYP teachers is high and there is a commitment to the transdisciplinary model
ronment so you can see evidence of student thinking. Our aim is to encourage our students to be active inquirers who become lifelong learners! On another note, it was wonderful to see our Years 3-6 students enjoying themselves at the Junior School Disco held on Friday 1st August. The theme for the disco was to come in something related to the jungle. The students arrived in some fantastic outfits as seen in the photos! (Making the PYP Happen, 2009)
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)
ELC News The Early Learning Centre is tracking along very well. Interest is building for positions in the Early Learning Centre and the waitlist is continuing to build. This week I will start contacting families on the waitlist and commencing interviews.
Government priorities for care for children are clearly set out to ensure the system is fair. The Australian Government has a “Priority of Access Guidelines” for allocating places. On your waitlist application you were asked to tick your priority group. These are the priorities: First Priority: a child at risk of serious abuse or neglect Second Priority: a child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy, the work/training/study test under Section 14 of the ‘A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999’ Third Priority: any other child. For more information please see the link: https://www.education.gov.au/priority-allocating-places It is a high priority of mine to contact all families and discuss priority levels and discuss your care needs. I look forward to meeting families and children from the St Andrews community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on 5568 5990 or by email bronwynw@salc.qld.edu.au Bronwyn Waters Director Early Learning Centre
Chaplains Chat If you look to your right as you drive up the hill you will notice a new addition. A large three and a half ton block of Helidon Freestone has been placed in the centre of the labyrinth. So the 20th Anniversary project is nudging closer to completion. The clay tiles inscribed by students and staff from last year have been installed (glued and grouted) thanks to the hard work of our ground staff during the last set of holidays. There is still work to be done. The artist, Suzi Lucas who works under the business name Art Outside, will be working on the stone in the next weeks, inserting ceramics elements into the sculptured stone. Final landscaping and laying of turf will be attended to also during this time. It promises to be a yet more beautiful and interesting space.
You may well ask: What’s the point of a labyrinth? A labyrinth is not a maze which are designed to confuse by offering multiple paths. A labyrinth is a single though winding path that lead to the centre and the same path is followed on the return journey. You can’t get lost? Labyrinths were constructed so far in the human past that their original use is now lost to us. They were used in a Christian context in the middle ages. It has been suggested that this was a form of pilgrimage for those who could not go on longer pilgrimages because time, money or circumstances would not permit but no records of how they were used exist. There has been in recent times a resurgence of interest in and construction of labyrinths. Some people find that walking a labyrinth is a calming experience; an opportunity for prayer; an aid to focusing attention on a thorny issue that has to be dealt with. It has been suggested that the experience itself, the path with all its turnings and the deliberate pace with which it is walked evokes a reflective, meditative state of mind. It has already been used to provide space, place and time for stressed students to calm down to celebrate community and the venue for a rite of farewell. It has been useful for individuals and groups. With the relocation of the Tuckshop to its new position under the Cecile Ryan Centre the location of the labyrinth is now not far from student activity, but still affords an aesthetically pleasing space for quiet reflection.
For the different social and emotional challenges our children face at school, at home, among friends or on their own, these toys are designed to get children talking, promoting strong parent-child, teacher-child and child to child connections. Kimochis encourage kids to express themselves as they learn about appropriate feelings-driven behaviours and how to manage the feelings.
The stone which has been placed in the centre is four sided with different motifs on each face taking up the idea of life as a journey. The four faces (in a clockwork direction starting with the face in line with the entry to the labyrinth) represent: • • • •
During in-class workshops, students in Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 have engaged in learning about feelings and how to regulate emotions depending on the situation. There are five Kimochi characters which include Cloud, Lovey Dove, Huggtopus, Cat and Bug.
Birth – the unfolding fern fronds Life - the growing tree Death - the twelve lines Resurrection – much taller unfurling fern fronds extending right to the top of the stone.
This design incorporates Martin Luther’s crest - the large round symbol - which conveys something of the same message of the stone itself that new life in eternity is Christs gift to all who call on his name.
Each has a different storybook that reflects their personality and how they face challenges. Inside the toys are small feeling pillows. The children can explore what feelings are inside each character and what this means for them.
It is the hope of the designers that the labyrinth will be a place useful to individuals and groups in the community to reflect and to celebrate; to come to be calm, be grounded and centered; to take time out; to journey into self and back out to engage better with life.
More information about this resource can be found at http://www.kimochis.com.au Mardi Frost School Counselling Team
Pastor Terry Unger
Counselling Update
Junior School Library News
Kimochi’s – Teaching Social and Emotional Intelligence The Counselling Department at St Andrews has acquired a great new resource. They are called Kimochis. Kimochi (KEY.MO.CHEE) which means “feeling” in Japanese - are plush, educational toys designed to help kids identify, understand and manage their feelings in a fun, comfortable way. Connected To Reading – Reading To Connect In Term 3 most school libraries in Australia celebrate Book Week and focus on literature and reading promotion. This year we are exploring the theme Connected to Reading – Reading to Connect. At St Andrews we have a holistic approach to our Book Week celebrations and aim to incorporate it into our daily activities. We will be exploring the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) shortlisted books each week until Week 6.
Some of the Connected to Reading activities over the term are: • Focused literature activities exploring the Shortlisted Books (Picture Books and Early Childhood books category) • Sharing personal reading through paper chain reviews and audio reviews (using photo frame shots) • Class activities focused on exploring the Shortlisted Books, authors or illustrators (e.g. designing a book cube reflecting an inquiry) • Sharing of book quotes using the twitter hashtag #bookweek2014 • Buddy reading sessions with other classes • Utilising apps to create reflections, comics and digital book trailers
Year 3 News Year 3’s Excursion to Pacific Fair Recently the Year 3 students attended an excursion to Pacific Fair. Our school was fortunate enough to win this excursion as a result of a docket promotion that was occurring. The Year 3 students inquired into the food process and in another unit they look at the different uses of local environments. The excursion to Pacific Fair provided a perfect opportunity to reinforce some of these concepts taught in the classroom. The students below have reflected on their excursion to Pacific Fair.
Please feel free to share your book quote (if you use twitter use the hashtag, send it in on a post-it note or email your quote to me). At home you can also get involved in these celebrations by
participating in the ‘Reading Hour’. “The Reading Hour initiative reminds parents and caregivers that reading together doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking in their busy lives, and that sharing a book with a child for 10 minutes a day - or just over an hour a week will still give that child the best chance of becoming a good reader along with all the social and educational benefits it brings.” www.Love2read.org.au For more information go to Read All About It Happy Book Week celebrations! Julia Boulton Teacher Librarian Innovation & E-Learning Leader juliab@salc.qld.edu.au The first thing we did was go to the roof of Pacific Fair. It was very interesting seeing all the construction! We looked at the future of Pacific fair! WOW!!!! It was amazing seeing what they wanted to do at Pacific Fair!! Next, we sat by the canal and looked at the light rail. We found out that Pacific Fair is changing their logo, repainting and adding a new building. We got a free lunch at the food court. YUM!!! We really enjoyed our excursion! Thank you Pacific Fair! By Kate, Isabella and Charlize 3A
Monday 1st September 5.30pm JS Dance Troupe Troupe 8 of 18
Sport News TRACK AND FIELD Congratulations to the following students who have qualified for the 10-12 Years Regional Track and Field Championships on September 2nd. Unfortunately the Carnival was changed to the same day as our 4-7 Inter Lutheran Carnival but we wish these athletes all the best as they attempt to make the South Coast Team for State Championships. Hayden Anderson, Boys 12 100m Dash 14.17 Satine Masiar, Girls 12 Long Jump 4.08m Jack Read, Boys 11 800m Run 2:42 Hayley Wells, Girls 12 Tetrathlon 620pts Jayden Sonter, Boys 11 Long Jump 4.16m Congratulations to all of these St Andrews’ athletes as the qualifying events are particularly competitive at the District Track and Field Carnivals. Andrew Manion Head of Sport andrewm@salc.qld.edu.au
Art News Gold Coast Eisteddfod Dates and Times All students involved have received notes with the details. Please ensure that you accept on Parent Lounge. All sections are at The Arts Centre Gold Coast. Tuesday 12th Aug CHOIRS 1.30pm – MS/SS Choir (8 of 9) 6.30pm Primary Combined Choir (2 of 7) Friday 15th Aug DANCE 8.30am Session Ist Section Jazz - No 15 of 23 3rd Section Contemp - 11 of 23 2pm Session 1st Section Jazz 19 of 25 Tuesday 19th August BANDS 11am – ICB (2 of 7) 4pm – CB (4 of 8) 6.30pm – Mini Musos (3 of 8) Friday 22nd August 3.30 – Jazz Band (4 of 7)
Best wishes to all students competing in Eisteddfods. Please remember to email your results to priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au Priscilla Scott Head of Arts priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au
P&F News The General P & F meeting for Term 3 will be held on Wednesday 13 August 7pm in the CRC. For those unable to attend, the minutes will be posted on the Parent Lounge under school links. If you have any agenda items for discussion please email the Secretary at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au It is a great opportunity to have input into school projects which the P & F fund. Everyone is welcome. If anyone has any suggestions or comments and cannot make the next meeting please email the P & F at pandf@ salc.qld.edu.au Official Opening of the CRC and Tuckshop On Wednesday 30 July P&F Executive members attended the official opening of the lower CRC, incorporating the Learning Hub and the new Tuckshop. We had the opportunity to have a tour of the new Tuckshop and all its’ equipment which was funded from a donation of $150,000 from the P & F. The Tuckshop is now state of the art and is a sea of stainless steel – huge prep areas, cold room, storage galore, benches everywhere and 2 separate sections of bain maries for the students to be able to serve themselves. This is a facility the whole school community has wanted for years and now it has come to fruition. Fete THE DATE HAS BEEN SET – Saturday, 16 MAY 2015. The Fete will be here before we know it and the rides have been booked!!! So now we need to form the Fete Committee, please consider being involved. It is a very rewarding experience and this is the main fundraising event for the College. If you are interested in helping out, please come to the next meeting. There are plenty of subcommittee positions and the more assistance we have the more successful the Fete will be. If you have anything you wish to discuss do not hesitate to contact a member of the P & F. President: Daniel Renneberg, Vice President: Julieanne Andrews, Treasurer: Michelle Brown, Secretary: Nicole Ainger. P & F Executive Daniel Renneberg
Uniformshop News Special Uniform Sizes for 2015 The Uniform Shop carries a wide size range of uniforms but sometimes we run out of stock of less popular sizes. If you know your child needs an extra small size or is already wearing one of the largest sizes, can you please contact the Uniform Shop ASAP. We have already placed most of our orders for next year but have a small opportunity to add to the orders if needed. Formal Jumpers - Poly/Cotton Option We now have a limited quantity of poly/cotton formal jumpers available as an alternative to our soft wool jumpers. Size 6 -16 $70 each. Please note the sizes are slightly smaller than our current wool jumpers. New Customer Service Assistant Welcome to Fiona Guest who was the successful applicant for the Customer Service Assistant role we advertised recently. Fiona regularly volunteers in the Uniform Shop (and tuckshop) and has proven her ability to take on this casual role. We welcome her to our team. Jacqui Desfosses Uniform Shop Manager uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au
Tuckshop News This month saw us holding a Pink Ribbon Fundraiser for one of our suppliers. We baked our usual Pink Ribbon shaped biscuits with pink icing. Some of our suppliers come to our aid by donating a large proportion of the ingredients. We would like to thank NORCO for donating the butter and also BIDVEST for donating the flour. It was greatly appreciated. Volunteers play a huge part in the day to day running of the Tuckshop. As we now have more space, we are looking for volunteers who would like to help out. A couple of hours help makes a huge impact on the daily running of the Tuckshop. Duties include: • Helping with the collation etc. of Tuckshop orders • The preparation of fresh sandwiches • Re – stocking of fridges • General kitchen duties NO CASH HANDLING OR CASHIER DUTIES WILL BE REQUIRED If you would like to help out, the following days are available for both morning & afternoon, weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
• • • • •
Monday 1 volunteer needed Tuesday 1 volunteer needed Wednesday 1 volunteer needed Thursday 2 volunteers needed Friday 2 volunteers needed
If you are interested please contact me by email at tuckshop@salc.qld.edu.au or call in anytime. Trina van der Kamp Tuckshop Manager
Dates to remember August Friday 8 Junior Drama Festival Tuesday 12 Mufti Day (Rainbow Theme) ICAS Mathematics GC Eisteddfod Primary Combined Choir, Arts Centre 6.00pm Wednesday 13 P&F General Meeting, CRC – 7.00pm Friday 15 Prep Devonshire Tea, Teavine House – 9.00am Monday 18 Middle School Expo Tuesday 19 GC Eisteddfod – Intermediate Concert Band 11am, Mini Musos 6.30pm, GC Arts Centre Assembly 1.40 pm – Multi Purpose Hall Friday 22 Year 4B Bike Centre Excursion – PCYC Ashmore P3 Coffee Morning, Paddock Bakery, Burleigh Heads – 8.45am
Only at St Andrews! Purchase an Entertainment Book and go into the draw for a chance to win a double pass to Yatala drive-in! Entertainment Memberships contain thousands of valuable up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers from many of the best restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, hotel accommodation, travel and much more! The price is $55.00 per book and $11.00 from each book goes to fundraising for the College. Books are available from Reception, Junior School Administration and the Uniform Shop. *CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOW*
INSIGHTS Building parent-school partnerships
Raising
WORDS Jenny Brockis
calm kids
With childhood and adolescent anxiety on the rise there’s a simple but powerful technique that all kids should practice. Parentingideas contributor Dr. Jenny Brockis explains the link between quiet time and the development of calm in kids. Let me share the stories of two very different kids who shared a common challenge. The first is Isobel. From her first day of child care, Isobel would cry incessantly when her mum tried to leave. In primary school she made a number of friends but lacked self-confidence. By the time she was in secondary school, she was known as a bit of a loner. In Year 10, Isobel started missing school. The second child is Jamie, who was always a bundle of energy. He had continuous ‘ants in his pants’. His hyperactivity led him to be assessed for attention deficit disorder, though this was ruled out. His teachers found his classroom antics difficult; he would constantly distract the other kids and muck about. Jamie ended up being suspended from school. As you can see, Isobel and Jamie were two very different kids. But the challenge they faced was eventually recognised as being the same: anxiety. While not always as severe as that suffered by Isobel and Jamie, anxiety – especially in those under 25 – is increasing at an alarming rate. It’s thought that the constant busyness of modern life, with little or no down time, is part of this problem. New technology allows our kids to connect with each other constantly, but paradoxically this has led in some instances to a huge sense of disconnect – and to anxiety.
Our brains were not designed to be constantly stimulated. All brains need some time out. In a constantly connected world what we need is more balance.
or look down towards the ground. Now it’s time for them to take a slow deep breath in through the nose, hold it for one to two seconds and then breathe out. Get them to do this two more times.
So what can we do to help our kids restore this balance?
5 After the third breath, ask them to continue breathing in the same way, now noticing the air as it passes in and out through their nostrils. After the next ten breaths, direct their focus to the rising and falling of their chest or tummy.
One of the most effective ways is to help children to know how they can proactively quieten down their mind, especially if it’s making them feel mad or sad. You can teach your kids how to enjoy quiet time. Here’s a technique that works well.
Tips for QuieT Time 1 Choose a time that suits you and your child. Morning or evening, just what ever works best for you as a family. 2 Schedule in ten to fifteen minutes for the practice. You may need to start with just two to four minutes at first. 3 Find a place that allows your child to stay quiet. This could be their bedroom or any other room in the house that they like being in and in which they can feel relaxed. 4 They can choose to sit or to lie down on a blanket or rug on the floor. Try to avoid their bed as they may fall asleep, which isn’t the purpose of the exercise. Get them to gently close their eyes
6 The next sequence requires them to notice any tension or muscle tightness in their shoulders, tummy or elsewhere and then, on each breath out, to let all that tension just float away, enjoying the sensation as they allow their muscles to become more relaxed. 7 Continue with the breathing exercise until you reach the end of your allotted time. When it’s time to stop, your child can just open their eyes, wriggle their toes and fingers and after a moment or two get up to resume the rest of their day. Practicing regular quiet time should start to produce some positive differences quite quickly. Once they have mastered the technique, it will always be available to them any time they feel over anxious or stressed. Just three deep breaths may be all they need.
from Michael Grose. Join Stay one step ahead of your kids with great ideas & expert advice b.com.au. You’ll be so glad you did. Michael’s NEW Parentingideas Club today at parentingideasclu © 2014 Michael Grose
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