Issue 4 / 26 April 2013 Last week you would have received, via email your Year level newsletters. Please contact the Junior School Office if you did not receive your newsletter.
From the Head of Junior School We have hit the ground running and it’s hard to believe that we have completed two weeks of Term 2. I hope that you had a great Easter break and managed to enjoy a chockie egg or two. Easter is a very special time of year when we get to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus and the victory over sin. Thank you to all of the students who participated in the ANZAC Day March yesterday. It was great to see so many students upholding the ANZAC Day tradition and marching to show their respect and gratitude to those who have served our country.
Congratulations to Emily Martin who competed at the Ballina Junior Open recently. Emily won 1st place in the Girls division by 5 shots and also came 5th overall. Emily might be the next Gold Coast golfer to win a green jacket. I have had the good fortune to attend the Fete committee meetings this year. There are a small number of parents who have put in a great amount of time to get the Fete ready and I thank them for their efforts. It promises to be a great day. They need your help to volunteer on some of the stalls. If you are able to help please make contact with the P&F on fete@salc.qld.edu.au to offer your services. Please remember that the Junior School will close at 12:00pm on the 24th of May to give the parents time to set up for the Fete. Mothers do so much for us and with Mother’s day coming up soon, students can purchase a much loved gift from the Mother’s day stall. Gifts have a monetary value of $5, but are in effect priceless to the mothers who receive them. The stall will be held on the 8th and 9th of May. St Andrews is currently undertaking a feasibility study into the possible establishment of a Kindergarten on the College site. As part of this you are invited to take part in an online survey. The survey is being conducted to collect feedback from current and potentially future members of the College community to establish the level of need for a Kindergarten at St Andrews. The data gained from this survey will feed into the planning of the potential facility and program. Participation in this online survey is voluntary, but highly valued and will assist with future planning. The survey itself is short, and will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. To take part in the survey, please click on the link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/D8Y92RN. You have until the 10th of May to complete the survey. Darrin Schumacher Deputy Principal/Head of Junior School
From the Deputy Head of Junior School & PYP Coordinator Welcome to Term Two! I trust that your family enjoyed a wonderful Easter break. The term ahead looks like another busy one filled with exciting learning opportunities. One of the College’s strategic priorities for 2013 is to enable our students to develop the skills of critical and creative thinking. Our aim is to ‘make thinking visible’ within our classrooms. During the recent student free day, our staff took some time to explore and investigate what is higher order thinking and what opportunities do we provide for our students to develop these skills. Staff were asked to develop their own definition of what higher order thinking is and many staff constructed a definition similar to the following, “Applying prior knowledge and understandings, in practical, creative, reflective and meaningful ways, to make new personal connections with prior knowledge and establish new understandings of greater depth.” Time was spent inquiring into possible strategies that could be utilized in learning engagements to assist and challenge our students to think at a deeper level to move students from fundamental thinking skills that are required to understand and complete simple tasks to using creative processes for innovative purposes. The diagram below of Blooms Taxonomy is one of the best known models that illustrates the depth and layers of thought involved in the learning process. As the depth of understanding increases, so does the abilities the learner is able to demonstrate.
Knowledge: Remembering facts, terms, names, locations, dates, sequences and basic concepts. Comprehension: Demonstrating an understanding of the information remembered by comparing and organising it into something meaningful. Application: Using that understanding combined with techniques to solve a problem or complete a task. Analysis: Breaking information down into parts for examination to establish causes and connections.
Evaluation: Using the results of analyses to make conclusions about something’s value to base decisions on. Creation: Connecting the meaning of evaluations to synthesize new concepts or new ideas which require continuous analysis and evaluation (thus continuing the cycle). Source: http://www.curriculumcentre.com/higher-orderthinking-skills.html Teachers are now taking action to incorporate opportunities to continue to develop these higher order thinking skills and to ensure this process is visible in all of our learning environments. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different outcome.” Albert Einstein Jacqueline Faulkner Deputy Head of Junior School PYP Coordinator
Counselling Update IPad/IPhone App Review: Positive Penguins Over the holidays a friend called me to tell me about a wonderful App that has been developed called ‘Positive Penguins’. This friend has recently lost her husband to cancer. Her eight year old daughter has been using ‘Positive Penguins’ to help identify her feelings and emotions and also help her to understand why she is experiencing these emotions. It works on the premise that we do not feel a certain way because of an event. Feelings arise from what we think about the event. Children can learn to choose how to feel by understanding and challenging their negative thinking. It’s hard to separate thoughts from feelings so we need to help children with this. We also need to teach them how to look at situations from different perspectives and try to consider other possibilities. ‘Positive Penguins’ helps to teach these skills in a fun interactive way. You are also able to set up an email feedback report to your own email address so you can keep updated on your what feelings your child has identified on the program. It is available for iPad or iPhone for $4.49. Mardi Frost School Counselling Team
Library News Love learning at your library SEARCH
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ASK
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LEARN
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CONNECT
Search… In the JS Library we encourage the use of both the physical library space and suitable online tools to search for resources to meet the needs of the users. New resources are purchased to meet the requirements of the PYP and to support a love of reading. The JS Library catalogue (Oliver) resource lists are collated for reading interests as well as special resource lists for units of work. We have blog, wiki, netvibes and Moodle pages designed for students to stay current and connected to suitable resources. Online collaborative tools like the SALC JS blog and Edmodo are excellent ways for students to share what they are inquiring into and to communicating this journey with others. JS Blog To find the JS Library blog and year level pages go to the St Andrews Lutheran College website. Navigate to Junior School – Library – select the link to JS Blog. Here you will also find the links to the JS Virtual Library, JS Wiki and JS Edmodo. Term One in Review The focus in Term One was on –SEARCH how to use the library, how the library catalogue, how to locate books for each individual’s interest as well as supporting Units of Inquiries.
our students. We sold approximately $6500 worth of books which equated to over $2300 worth of resources for the library. Thank you to those who donated a book. Thank you to the parent helpers who wrote wishlists, assisted with queries and sales. Thank you to the Friends of the Library (FOL’s) in Years 5 and 6 who assisted during this time as well. Julia Boulton Teacher Librarian Innovation & E-Learning Leader
Sport News St Andrews Representative Futsal Teams had a successful term. We sent 14 teams to the South QLD Futsal titles for ages 10 -16. Seven of those teams made the Knockout finals [The top 16 out of somewhere between 50 -70 teams] and two teams [15 Boys, Primary Boys] made the State Champion of Champion Finals to be contested in July. 17 players were chosen in regional representative sides to contest the National Championships this year. Whether all take up the opportunity will be up to them but they have been recognized for their efforts.
The blog post “Searching… Searching ... Searching…” discussed tools and searching techniques as well as hints and recommended search engines for younger students. (http://salcjs.edublogs.org/2013/03/02/searching-searchingsearching/) Reading – Promoting Literacy We have initiated some new reading programs in the JS library this year. The iRe@d Program incorporates the following components • Feature Reader – readers from across the St Andrews community • Brilliant Borrowers – class award • Awesome Reads – student recommended reading • Online Reading – support for E-Readers and “The Book Worms” Reading club (Edmodo)
Primary Boys Louie Kerschbaum, Finley Wardrop, 11 Boys Angus Renneberg, Finn Hazir, Hayden Anderson, 10 Boys Luca Odisho, Matthew Gabriel, 13 Boys Shane Futcher, Matthew Valentine, Harrison Craig-Ward, Declan Farmer, 15 Boys Fraser Eller, 16 Boys Robbie Piggott, 16 Girls Annika Schache, Cody Funnell, Morgan Atkins, Jenna Mobberly.
Visiting authors Year 3 (4th March) and Year 5 (5th March) In order to further support reading, we had two visiting authors run workshops for Year 3 (Nette Hilton) and Year 5 (Martin Chatterton). Please see the photos from these visits on the visual computer display in the JS Library.
All players would have enjoyed the experience and challenge these championships presented. Our success and opportunities were only possible due to the commitment of our coaching staff. Special thanks to Gloria Chan, Paul McGilveray, Graeme Schache, Christophe Tanguy, and Mark Hibbs.
To close off the term we had a very successful Book Fair (Carnival Books) providing Resources for the JS Library and
Please send all sporting acheivements to Andrew Manion andrewm@salc.qld.edu.au
Saoirse Harding - Kana drew me a picture of Japanese manga (comic). It was really pretty. They are so good at drawing.
Art News Welcome back to another exciting Term in the Arts life of the College. Below are a few date claimers for this Term: Wednesday 1st May Mini Musos Soiree and Parent Afternoon 3.30- 4.15pm in RBT Saturday 25th May Fete Entertainment Stage Come along and enjoy performances from some of our most talented young dancers and musicians throughout the day Seussical The Musical JS Matinee (for students only) Tues 18th June Evening Performances Wed 19th and Thurs 20th June 7pm Tickets will go on sale towards the end of Term. Priscilla Scott Head of Arts
Japanese News Half-Day Japanese Exchange On March 25, the Year 4 and 5 students at St Andrews participated in a Half-Day Visit with some Japanese Students on the JAS program. This exchange provides an opportunity for both Japanese and St Andrews students to practice speaking in a foreign language while simultaneously learning about culture and building friendships. The program is enjoyed every year by the students and anticipated with excitement. The buddies welcomed their Japanese friends at the Chapel and then embarked on an afternoon of conversation and cultural exchange. The Japanese students experienced life in an Australian school, enjoying the afternoon meeting St Andrews students at lunchtime followed by participating in the classroom with their buddy. The program this year was a great success. Here are some reflections from the St Andrews students.
Peter Thomas - Takeru runs really fast. I could understand most of what he was saying. It helped because I had a buddy last year. Darby Scott - Ken was really friendly. There were some things that I didn’t understand but we got by. It was lots of fun. Sara Allan - Maya was shy but sweet. She gave me a handkerchief when I scratched my leg. Michelle Pratt Japanese Teacher
P & F News Welcome back to Term 2 The P & F have a number of events this term, including the College Fete. The general meeting for Term 2 is Wednesday 12 June at 7.30pm in the CRC. If you have any agenda items for discussion please email the Secretary at pandf@ salc.qld.edu.au by the Friday before. It is a great opportunity to have input into school projects which the P & F fund. Everyone is welcome so please join us for drinks and nibbles and to meet other parents. The Treasurers position on the P & F is still vacant and a number of subcommittee vacancies still exist, including fund raising and grants officer. If anyone is interested both these roles are an integral part of the P & F helping to raise funds for improvements around the College. In 2013 the P & F is looking towards funding seating on the Village Green and grandstand seating on the back oval. If you would like to find out more information about one of these roles contact Daniel Renneberg (04097 29676) or Julieanne Andrews (04217 95411). If anyone has any suggestions or comments and cannot make the next meeting please email the P & F at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au Mothers Day Stall Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th May 2013 the P & F will again be holding the mother day stall for the Junior School. All gifts are $5 and there are a number to choose from, which we are sure all the mothers will love. We will also be holding a Mothers Day raffle with tickets only $2 each and great prizes to be announced over the next week. We need volunteers to assist on both mornings from 7.30 – 10am, so if anyone can help out, contact Julieanne on 0421 795 411. Picnic in the Park The annual picnic in the park was held on Friday 15 March and the weather was kind to us. The evening was a great success with the music played by students at the College. A
big thanks to the staff who assisted on the night organising the music and Trevor who helped set up. Sponsors The P & F would like to welcome the following sponsors for the next 2 years. Please show your support for these businesses. Kennards Hire, Koala Koaches, Outrigger Canoe Club of Australia and James Frizelle’s Automotive Group, please see the Fete Newsletter attached for more information. Julieanne Andrews pandf@salc.qld.edu.au
Uniform Shop News Boys Formal Shorts Sizes 12 & 14 - now back in stock We again apologise on behalf of the Supplier for the inconvenience this out-of-stock has caused and we thank you again or your patience. Winter Uniform Items Now Available Tracksuit Jackets size 2-22 ($60) and Pants size 2-18 ($35) Formal Jumpers size 5-14 ($78), size 16 - 26 ($85) Please note that formal jumpers cannot be worn with the sports uniform and vice versa. Boys Trousers Navy - optional for Years 1-6 ($33) Grey - optional for Years 7-9 ($35) - compulsory Years 10-12 ($35) College Scarf ($12) Navy polar fleece - optional Prep – Year 12. Navy Gloves optional Prep – Year 12. ($5) Girls Navy Tights Children’s and adult sizes 70 denier ($7-7.50 ea) SALE ITEMS - BARGAIN BIN!! Discontinued House Shirts. Current style just they are the last ones from a previous supplier and they are a smaller sizing than our current brand. Binging size 14, Gowandi 12-14, Jubi 16, Wardjam 10-16 $15 ea. Floppy Sports Hats with College Crest. size 57 & 59 only $7.50 each. Great for teachers too! Jacqui Desfosses Uniform Shop Manager uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au
Dates to remember May Wednesday 1 Mufti Day Mini Musos Soiree Parent Afternoon 3.30pm to 4.15pm RBT Friday 3 Year 3 Burleigh Brewery Family Night Wednesday 8 & Thursday 9 Mothers’ Day Stall – 7.45 to 9.00am – Bus Shelter Thursday 9 Fete Meeting – JS Staffroom 1.30pm to 3.00pm Friday 10 Prep Koori Kids Incursion – 8.45 to 10.30am College Fees – Optional Instalment Arrangements Tuition Fees become due at the beginning of each Term. However, we do understand that this may at times present cashflow problems for parents. In 2013, St Andrews Lutheran College has implemented Direct Debit facilities for parents wanting to pay for their children’s tuition fees on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis through a regular deduction from your nominated bank account, credit card, or debit card. Transactions are processed through a secure Westpac facility using the latest 128-bit SSL encrypting technology which is the banking industry standard. If you are interested in this option to help with the family budget, please express your interest to the Business Manager, Mr Stephen Cooke - stephenc@salc.qld.edu.au.
Wild after School Art Classes Learn to Create Draw and Paint..... Use your imagination it is fun for everyone! Monday 3:00pm - 4:30pm - Meet at B Block Under Croft. Most art materials are supplied, Expert tuition artist/teacher and free snacks supplied. Don’t miss out, Book Now! Text/Call - 0402328987 or 55773293 after 7pm
Traffic Safety Attendants Traffic Safety Attendants urgently required for Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. If anyone can volunteer please contact Jo Levey: joannel@salc.qld.edu.au
A Big Thank You! THANK YOU to all the College Parents and Children for the wonderful support of morning tea donations to the St Andrews Church Morning Tea on the School Visits… we have been most grateful and totally overwhelmed by the generous donations from the Parents and Children of the College….THANK YOU SO MUCH… St Andrews Catering Committee and Congregation
ST ANDREWS APP NOW AVAILABLE IPHONE & IPAD The St Andrews App is designed to keep our community connected with all of the latest news, events and notices from St Andrews Lutheran College via their iPhone or iPad.
by Michael Grose - No. 1 parenting educator
Parenting the family underdog Raising talented kids is relatively easy, but parenting children and young people who struggle can be a significant parenting challenge.
One of the unwritten laws of family life is that talent and ability are unevenly distributed between siblings. In most families there is one child who seems to have more than his or her fair share of ability. Everything this kid turns their hands to – whether schoolwork, sport or socialising – is done successfully and effortlessly. If you have such a child then there is a fair bet that another of your children struggles in the same areas. For these children, achieving success takes more effort and concentration than it does for their sibling. Just as it is easy for parents to marvel at the talented child, it’s frustrating and, at times, heart-breaking to watch another child struggle to attain even mediocre levels of success at school, sport or leisure activities. It’s harder still when you know that no matter how hard this child tries they just can’t be as successful as their sibling, who continues to get all the glory and accolades from relatives and friends. As a parent it’s important to be realistic about what each child can achieve. Keep your expectations in line with their ability and maturity, and avoid making comparisons between siblings. Here are some ideas to keep in mind if you are parenting a child for whom success at school, sport and other common childhood activities just doesn’t come naturally. 1. Be your child’s cheerleader. Kids who have to work really hard to achieve need someone in their lives who is able to boost their self-confidence, particularly when they are struggling. Make a fuss over small successes so they can puff up their chests every now and then.
parentingideas.com.au
parentingideas.co.uk
2. Focus your comments on contribution, improvement and effort. It’s difficult praising kids when the results aren’t there but you can always focus your comments on their contribution to the team. Focus on things improvements shown in reading or the effort they are making at art. 3. Remember that persistence pays. Children who persist learn an important life lesson – that is, success in most endeavours takes effort. Those kids who sail through their childhoods without raising a sweat can struggle when eventually they do have to work long and hard to succeed. 4. Help kids identify their strengths. Kids are like niche marketers – they define themselves by their strengths. “I am a good reader” or “I’m sporty” or “I’m really good at art” are some of the labels kids will use. As they move into adolescence the number of options for success opens up, so help them find one or two areas that they enjoy and can easily achieve success in. 5. Don’t put kids on pedestals. It is difficult living in the shadow of a superstar so avoid making a huge fuss over the achievements of a particular child – it makes life difficult for those who follow. Recognise results but balance that by focusing equally on the efforts of the others as well. Raising kids who find life a breeze is easy. However, parenting the underdog who takes longer to mature or who must put in 110% effort to achieve is challenging for any parent. It requires parents to focus on kids’ strengths, be liberal with encouragement and have realistic but positive expectations for success.
parentingideas.co.nz
Michael Grose Presentations PO Box 167 Balnarring Vic 3926 p + 61 3 5983 1798 f (03) 5983 1722 e office@parentingideas.com.au All rights reserved. For more ideas, support and advice for all your parenting challenges please visit our website. 2013 Michael Grose
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Fete Newsletter
Semper Fidelis
Celebrating 20 years 2013
Issue 9 April/May 2013
P&F Fete Raffle & Rides The Fete raffle has been launched and tickets have been sent in the post to every school family, so hopefully if you haven’t already received them you should very soon. The prizes are amazing this year. First Prize: has been donated by Spicers Group and is 2 packages combined: 2 nights all inclusive experience at Spicers Peak Lodge for two adults including luxury Lodge Suite accommodation, 3 course lunch with wines on day 1 and day 2, 7 course degustation dinner experience with matched wines each evening, beverages throughout the stay (excluding top shelf and cellar wines), gourmet a la carte breakfast each morning, onsite parking, use of complimentary onsite activities. AND 2 nights for 2 adults and 2 children at Spicers Hidden Vale including luxury overnight cottage accommodation, gourmet hot breakfast each morning, onsite parking and use of complimentary onsite activities. Validity - 12 months from Fete date and worth in total $3900. Check out the venues on www.spicersgroup.com Second Prize: has been generously donated by Turtle Beach Resort and is 5 nights for up to 4 people in a 2bdrm apartment worth $1295. Third Prize: has been donated by Flight Centre at Robina and is $1000 holiday voucher. Ride Passes Rides passes can be purchased online for $20 plus booking fee. Please look in the Fete section of the College website to book or click on this link to buy tickets. http://www.trybooking.com/CTQU. Rides passes can be purchased with cash at the bus shelter in the Junior School before school from Monday 13 May. They will be available for purchase at the Fete for $25.
Chocolate Bed We need about 400 blocks of chocolate in four weeks. 100 blocks a week. Let’s raise the bar! Thanks / Cent Auction Thanks to the Hazir Family for the awesome surf backpacks full of great surf gear including watches. Thanks to the James Family and Sector Nine for the donation of two very cool skate boards. Thanks to Toni Gisenger for organizing the Beautiful Burleigh Basket. Donations other Thanks again to Hurley Burleigh Toys for the lucky dips.
Next Meeting
We would love to see you at our next meeting! Thursday 9th May, 1.30pm to 3pm Junior School Staff Room. All Welcome!
Urgently Required Chocolate Hair spray and accessories for crazy hair Face paint and brushes Lucky dips Plants