Hearingunitnewsletter term 12018(2)

Yarra Valley Grammar Hearing Unit Newsletter www.yvg.vic.edu.au

Telephone: +61 3 9262 7700

Facsimile: + 61 3 9876 1077

Term 1

Email: reception@yvg.vic.edu.au

April 2018

Celebrating Easter and the end of term.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: FROM THE HEARING UNIT ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 SPEECH SPOT ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 JUNIOR SCHOOL HOUSE ATHLETICS DAY.................................................................................................................................... 4 JUNIOR PRIMARY ATHLETICS FUN.............................................................................................................................................. 4 YEAR 12 PHYSICS EXCURSION .................................................................................................................................................... 5 YEAR 5 STUDENTS GO TO CAMP JUNGAI.................................................................................................................................... 5 YEAR 11 BIOLOGY EXCURSION ................................................................................................................................................... 5 YEAR 7 CAMP TO MARYSVILLE .................................................................................................................................................. 6 YEAR 9 CITY EXPERIENCE ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 YEAR 5 DREAMTIME STORIES .................................................................................................................................................... 9 YEAR 5 DREAMTIME STORIES continued… ............................................................................................................................... 10 HEARING UNIT PARENT NIGHT ................................................................................................................................................ 10 THE AMAZING RACE ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 YEAR 5 DREAMTIME STORIES part II ........................................................................................................................................ 12 GRADE SIX STUDENTS RUN ASSEMBLY ..................................................................................................................................... 13 NEWS FROM PREP................................................................................................................................................................... 14 YEAR 1 POEMS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15

FROM THE HEARING UNIT Welcome to the first newsletter for 2018 and my first as Head of the Hearing Unit. I would like to start by thanking the students, parents and staff for the way in which I have been welcomed into the School community and for their support this term. It has certainly been an action packed few months.

This year we welcome four new students into the Hearing Unit: Gaurvi Singh-Grade (Prep), Luke Cain (Year 1), Nadine Greatorex (Year 7) and Dylan Wang (Year 10). They have all settled in beautifully and are embracing everything that Yarra Valley Grammar has to offer.

We started the year with Lights, Camera, Action! Emma Keeler is conducting a project in conjunction with the Deafness Foundation and Boobook Education to produce captioned videos for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students throughout Victoria, for the listening task in English as an Alternative Language (EAL). On Friday 16 February, one of the Hearing Unit rooms was decked out and turned into a filming studio. It was a fantastic day and a wonderful initiative by all involved. I was fortunate to attend The Deafness Foundation’s presentation evening where Boobook Education was presented with the grant for the project.

It was a very busy sporting term with both the Junior and Senior students participating in their swimming and athletics carnivals. Many students pushed themselves outside their comfort zone and they should be very proud of their individual efforts. Nadine Greatorex from Year 7 and Emily Baulch from Year 9, were successful in making it through to the next round in swimming to compete against other Grammar schools in Melbourne. An outstanding accomplishment by both girls! Abbey Gartlan from Year 8 represented Victoria in the Australian Junior Track and Field Championships in Sydney from 16-18 March. She competed in Discus, in which she came 5th and Shot Put, in which she came 4th. A fantastic achievement by Abbey.

On Thursday 1 March we had our first ever Denim for Deafness Day, a new initiative by The Deafness Foundation. We were the first school nationwide to implement this new fundraiser. The students (and staff) enjoyed coming in their denim for the day to raise money for research into childhood deafness. We were very proud of the leadership the Hearing Unit students displayed in promoting this event.

Congratulations to the students on a wonderful effort raising $2130.20.

Our National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) parent information evening on Thursday 15 March was well attended by parents and the wider community. Michael McCready and Victoria Tanner-Dench from Vicdeaf explained the process for applying for funding; what to apply for and how they could support families through the process. It was a very informative evening that assisted everyone in further developing their understanding of this new scheme. We are looking forward to offering families pre-planning sessions next term in collaboration with Vicdeaf.

At the end of Term 1, all the Hearing Unit students came together as part of our Social Skills Program. Just before lunch, the Easter Bunny delivered and hid delicious eggs within the Hearing Unit. The secondary students then worked with the primary students to find and collect them together at lunchtime. After they had collected the goods, they all sang Happy Birthday to Amara in Year 4, followed by devouring some yummy hot cross buns. It is always endearing to witness the older and younger students interacting in these situations.

Ms Rachel Wilson Head of the Hearing Unit

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SPEECH SPOT It has been great getting back into the swing of things this term in the Speech Room.

I have really enjoyed meeting and working with our new students. As always, my existing students have been a joy to continue working with.

Check out some of the fun we have already had this year! Camping Week was a big hit!

My Hearing Unit days in 2018 will continue to be Monday and Tuesday.

My Hearing Unit days in 2018 will continue to be Monday and Tuesday. Happy Easter!!

Mrs Anneke Flinn Speech Pathologist

Mrs Anneke Flinn Speech Pathologist

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JUNIOR SCHOOL HOUSE ATHLETICS DAY On a very hot Friday in Term 1, the Year 3-6 children took part in the annual House Athletics day. The children competed in hurdles, relays, high jump, shot put plus many other events.

Everyone had a great time and demonstrated great sportsmanship.

JUNIOR PRIMARY ATHLETICS FUN The Junior Primary Athletics Fun Day was held on Monday 26 March for all Prep to Year 2 students.

Our Hearing Unit students joined in all the races, games and activities and had a fantastic time!

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YEAR 12 PHYSICS EXCURSION James Webb of year 12, along with other Year 12 VCE Physics students recently spent a day riding the attractions at Luna Park, but not “just for fun!”. The hands-on experience was to accompany “Motion in one and two dimensions” and “How fast can things go?” for Unit 3 of the VCE Physics Study Design and, of course, to have loads fun at the same time. The study materials were developed with specific relevance to Luna Park and the motion of amusement rides. Victorian Schools were granted the opportunity to utilise their study materials during a program of activities for which Luna Park provided exclusive access to the Park.

YEAR 5 STUDENTS GO TO CAMP JUNGAI After the Labour Day long weekend, the Year 5 students went on a four-day camp to CAMP JUNGAI in the Rubicon Valley, not far from Taggerty. Our camp was all about being immersed in aboriginal culture and getting involved in outdoor activities. Some of the activities that we participated in included canoeing, banner making, a low ropes course, boomerang throwing, bushwalking and an overnight camp. This included making our own dinner and putting up our own tents!

One highlight was the campfire on the final night where all the students, teachers and camp leaders were involved in a music riff off led by Mr King. The 5E class did an awesome job but managed to be out performed by the teachers.

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YEAR 11 BIOLOGY EXCURSION Adem Goktepe of year 10, along with other Year 11 VCE Biology students recently spent a day at the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC), which is located on the grounds of University High School in Parkville. GTAC is Victoria’s leading provider of Life Sciences learning and education, and works in collaboration with The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health to provide an innovative and collaborative educational environment in which students and educators can access life science expertise through engagement with practicing scientists using contemporary knowledge and technology.

The Florey Institute carries out research on a range of serious diseases including stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, motor neurone disease, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, depression, schizophrenia, mental illness and addiction.

The students carried out tasks to enhance their understanding of whether a mutant gene causes damage to motor neurons in an animal model of Motor Neuron Disease (MND). MND is diagnosed when motor neurons stop carrying signals to muscles and can eventually lead to the gradual loss of ability to walk, talk, swallow and control breathing. While life expectancy is only two or three years following diagnosis, the late Stephen Hawking was a rare exception who managed to lead an amazingly productive life in astrophysics, despite his severe disability, until he passed away last week, aged 76.

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YEAR 7 CAMP TO MARYSVILLE Each year, the year 7 camp is the perfect opportunity for all year 7 students to get to know each other and their tutor. It’s a chance to build a good rapport with members of the tutorial group and with peers across the year level. Year 7 camp is also an opportunity to learn some problem solving skills, to work as a team and to negotiate and cooperate with others.

As we can see from the photos below, Nadine Greatorex and her peers really enjoyed their time in picturesque Marysville.

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YEAR 9 CITY EXPERIENCE Have you ever walked 38 kilometres on crutches in 5 days? I did. City experience is one of the highlights of Term 1 for Year 9’s. In small groups we make our own way into the CBD every day for a week and meet at a central point. Cross Culture Church was our home base. All of our tasks and challenges set out from here.

In our small groups we navigated around the city, completing team building exercises with our tute, such as going to the IMAX, the Eureka Sky Deck and the street art workshop, where we created and painted our own street art designs. As well as working with our tute groups, we did activities in small working groups of 4 or 5 people. We were able to make many of our own decisions about what we ate, (although I’m sure most of us secretly chose Maccas), our mode of transport and the route we would takes from point A to point B. This doesn’t always go according to plan, I can definitely attest though, that the coffee and cheesecake in the café next to the Bundoora tram stop is pretty good…

During City Experience we also had to complete a series of set challenges which needed to be accomplished by the end of the week, such as eating at a Greek restaurant, finishing the photo challenge and not getting lost (sigh, see above). Some of the exercises we were involved in included going to the NGV to view paintings by the Heidleberg painters such as Tom Roberts “The Pioneer”, swimming at the Melbourne City Baths, having lunch with a professional working in the city and shopping in the Queen Vic Market.

Overall, city experience was amazing. I learned so many new things. I am definitely looking forward to the other City Experience tasks later this year.

Emily Baulch On City Experience, one of my jobs was to organise a lunch with a professional. I arranged to meet a family friend called Ray Schlager who makes jewellery rings with diamonds and shiny gems. He has made special jewellery for years, ever since I met him. One of the other activities I enjoyed during city experience was The Eureka Skydeck. The view was spectacular from the window. It showed the whole city and whole blue sky. Another one of the activities I enjoyed was glow in the dark mini golf. I and my group had fun when we did our shot and then got the scores.

Jaya Palmer

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YEAR 5 DREAMTIME STORIES

The Wonmangi Ben Baulch A long time ago in the Dreamtime the spirit Dijama swam through the mysterious reef. He was giving food to the mythical creatures to eat. The reef was a dismal and perilous place. There was not much food for the sea creatures to eat and they would fight amongst each other for the food and were very greedy. Would the reef provide enough food for everyone?

One gloomy day, a reef stonefish and a grey squid were fighting for food. Dijama, the fierce spirit of a nautilus, commanded them to stop fighting. They ignored his command and continued to fight. Dijama was so angry that he promptly turned them both into half reef stonefish and half squid, the Wonmangi. The Wonmangi was a massive creepy looking creature.

Bangee the sunfish was coming to talk to his friends but all he saw was a creature as big as a shark.

Bangee became extremely frightened, so he swam away as fast as he could. Dijama came up to Bangee and told him that the Wonmangi was a reminder not to fight. This was his punishment. “But you could have said STOP FIGHTING! ” says Bangee. “They ignored me” says Dijama.

A few months later Wonmangi came up to Dijama and they talked. Dijama said if all the sea creatures follow the command to not fight they will be spared. Dijama promised he would give food to all of the sea creatures. From this day on Dijama kept his promise.

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YEAR 5 DREAMTIME STORIES continued…

The Snake Elder Gabe Cameron Once in the magnificent Dreamtime lived a young man by the name of Rooknna. He had lovely brown eyes and flowing black hair and the biggest personality in his camp belonged to him! Although he had a big personality he also had a temper. He once started a bushfire because of his anger… The tribe couldn’t exile him unfortunately as he was the best hunter in his camp.

One humid, hot day Rooknna was out hunting. He was chasing a kangaroo when he heard a shrill voice! Rooknna stopped, the sound was coming from behind a wall of shrubs! Rooknna remembered whose voice it belonged to! It was Warrakurna the evil snake! The elders had told him many silly stories about him, but could never prove it.

“I don’t believe in stories!” Rooknna decided!

As he stepped over to the prickly wall of shrubs gingerly and quietly a flicker of doubt crossed his mind.

He quickly dismissed the thought! Little did he know he held his fate in his hands! Wararkurna knew Rooknna was coming of course.

“Come out boy.” The snake’s voice boomed. ”How did he know I was here? Rooknna wondered. Perplexed, nevertheless, Rooknna came out into the clearing where he faced Warrakurna!

“Live or die, you decide.” Warrakurna boomed. “If you want to live you must have me as your totem and lose your legs!”

“I chose to live, Warrakurna.” He decided with a hint of hate in his voice! “Very well” suddenly Rooknna collapsed, his legs not able to take his weight and with that he crawled back to camp.

Rookna became a tribal elder as now he couldn’t walk. He told the young ones to respect Warrakurna and to never be too confident. He taught them also to listen to their elders as you’ll never know when it might come in handy!

HEARING UNIT PARENT NIGHT On Thursday 15 March, parents of our Hearing Unit students attended an evening presentation in the Hearing Unit regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by Michael McCready and Paula Thornton from Vicdeaf who explained the process for applying for funding, what to apply for and how they can support families through the process. The event was solidly attended, indicating the level of interest on this issue and there were many opportunities for some robust Q & A. Refreshments were provided as well as the chance to meet with other parents, staff and the presenters. th

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THE AMAZING RACE When I first heard about the ‘Amazing Race’, I was really excited to see who was in my team and what activities there were. “We are the White Snow Leopards!” We were singing our team chant for the first amazing race activity. We went better than I thought–fourth– not bad at all. It wasn’t the best score, but we did our best and had fun!

After a week of activities, my team were sitting in fifth place. Then our personal best position of second in an activity came up, in the BODMAS maths challenge, which zoomed us to third place overall. Then two challenges later we came first in the fashion parade where we had to make clothes for our models and have them do ‘the walk’.

My favourite preliminary event was the dodgeball event. This was one of the most enjoyable times of my school life. But I knew there was more fun things coming up. The beginning of year six was the best so far in my years at YVG! At the end of the Amazing Race day, my team, the White Snow Leopards came sixth overall.

Remington Hobday 6

On Tuesday 13th March we had the amazing race competition. Mr Clark made me a white bracelet out of paper because I had forgotten to wear my white costume, representing my team – The White Snow Leopard.

The White Snow Leopard team members are Kana, Sarah, Remington, Will, Max, William and me.

There are eight tasks to complete the race. The first team to finish all eight tasks wins the amazing race.

For our first task we had to make animals and interesting shapes out of magic balls. Once we have completed our task, the Year 9 will give us a green sticker. This mean we have pass our task and can move onto the next.

The bean bag was my favourite one because I felt like a king being carried 10 metres by my fellow team members across the blue court while sitting on the large blue bean bag. I can feel my team was struggling because I was too heavy.

Our team was doing well until we had to do the golf in one. It was really hard and we took a long time to complete this task. Everyone in the team had to hit the golf ball into the centre of the blue circle.

Then, we had to put the puzzles together in order to get another green sticker. Follow by question and answer through a song piece.

By the end of the race the Orange Fox team came first place and the Purple Panda came last. My team came in 7th place. We were all feeling tired and proud at the same time and happy because we all had fun, great team work and a truly amazing race.

Ryan Dang 6C

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YEAR 5 DREAMTIME STORIES part II

How the numbat got its stripes Lochie Baulch

A long long time ago, a numbat called Nurri was unhappy about his colour. He was plain orange. A kookaburra called Kurri teased him, over and over again.

Nurri tried to blend in with a gumtree. But Kurri saw him and laughed. Nurri miserably crawled back to his nice homely cave. Then Kurri flew in, teasing Nurri. Nurri tried to grab Kurri. Kurri flew out with a stone in his claws and dropped it in front of Nurri’s cave.

Nurri angrily crawled out of his cave and stumbled on the stone Kurri dropped.

Kurri took off, laughing, looking at Nurri. He wasn’t watching and crashed into a large bottlebrush tree. Some of Kurri’s feathers fell down on Nurri, forming stripes on his body.

And that’s how numbats got their stripes.

How the Red Back Spider Got Its Red Back Hamish Dickins One windy and hot day in the red desert plains there was a spider. He was as black as the midnight sky.

He was a hungry and thirsty spider. He was out looking for food when he came across a small water hole in the distance.

As he scurried towards the water he stopped suddenly because he saw a terrifying paper wasp. The yellow and black wasp was angry because he was thirsty and hungry too. The spider didn’t know what to do. Should he go into the water hole and risk being seen by the vicious wasp? In the end his need for water won and he decided to make a run for it. He scampered to the water hole and had a quick drink. Bzzzzzzzzzzz! He was discovered. Then the fight began. The wasp had an advantage because it was in the air.

The spider spotted a hollow tree so he ran as fast as his little legs could go, but the wasp stung him multiple times on his back. It felt like hundreds of pins stabbing him on the back. The spider just kept on going and headed for the safety of the hollow tree. When he reached the tree, he was able to hide and recover. His back looked so sore. It had a line of red welts from all of the stings. The welts scarred and became a bright red line down his back.

That is how the red back spider got its red back.

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GRADE SIX STUDENTS RUN ASSEMBLY On Monday the 26th of February, the Grade 6 Hearing Unit students, Remington and Ryan, spoke to the Junior School to promote the Denim for Deafness fundraiser. Read about the fundraiser below: Remington: Good afternoon, my name is Remington. Ryan and I are here to talk to you about the Denim for Deafness Fundraiser that our school has decided to take part in.

Ryan: Denim for Deafness? What is that all about?

Remington: Thanks for asking Ryan, Denim for Deafness is a whole school fundraiser. It is for junior, middle and senior school staff and students.

Ryan: What are we raising money for?

Remington: The money that we collect will be used to help learn more about childhood deafness and hearing loss caused by excessively loud noises. Ryan, what do we do on they day?

Ryan: Great question Remington! On the day, bring $2 and wear casual clothes - But don’t forget to wear denim! What about the butterfly badges we also sell?

Remington: Not to worry. The school will still be selling those for another fundraiser in Term 3, later this year. On the day, all class captains will collect the money for their class at the beginning of the day. Our community links captains Lachie & Kana will collect the money for those classes that don’t have class captains.

Ryan: So when is the Denim for Deafness day?

Remington: This week on Thursday March 1st. So come to school dressed in denim and bring $2. But don’t forget to bring your sports uniform in your sports bag if you have sport on the day.

Ryan and Remington: Please help us to support this important cause!

Thank you.

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NEWS FROM PREP The Preps went on a Signs and Numbers Walk around the neighbourhood. It was part of learning about signs and numbers in our environment. Afterwards the students drew the signs they found on a map of the area.

Here is Gaurvi’s map.

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YEAR 1 POEMS

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