Pinnacle College
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150 Bicentennial Drive
Golden Grove SA 5125
Subscribe: https://pinnacle.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email: goldengrove@pinnacle.sa.edu.au
Phone: 08 8367 9022

30 September 2019

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Parent/Guardian,

What a pleasure the last two months have been at Pinnacle College Golden Grove and Gilles Plains Campuses. We were lucky to have events on campus such as Book Week, STEM Week, Pyjama Day, Sports Day and R U OK? Day, and several excursions such as AFL Max, and Year 8’s trip to Morialta Conservation Park have been exceptional opportunities for plenty of learning, socialisation, physical activity and fun. I thank and congratulate everyone involved in the organisation and participation of these events. I am pleased to hear all of the positive feedback from students, teachers and parents regarding the kaleidoscope of activities and events that Pinnacle College is able to offer our students.

After many months of hard work, I am excited to announce that the Golden Grove campus library renovations are now finished. The library has been equipped with new furniture, a projector and of course, plenty of new books to better facilitate our student’s learning. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Lisa who are the Golden Grove campus Behaviour Management and daily running Coordinator and Elizabeth campus librarian respectively for their hard work to ensure that our library is equipped with the highest standard of learning facilities and books.

You are all aware that we are working hard to provide a safe learning environment and minimise risk at our campuses. An issue that we particularly require your cooperation with is morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups. We urge parents to follow parking rules and use the drop-off/pick-up zones accordingly. Recently, there have been too many incidents of cars speeding in the car park and parking illegally to drop-off / pick-up the children.

Please remember, rules are put in place for a reason. In this case, it’s for the safety and welfare of all of our children. I am sure that you will all agree that the safety of our students is an utmost priority and will support us in ensuring it is met.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your cooperation.

I wish you and your family a restful holiday.

Kind Regards,
Deniz Yildirim

CURRICULUM COORDINATOR

Dear Parent/Guardian,

We have concluded yet another eventful term and it has been an absolute pleasure to witness the creativity and growth of our students in various learning areas!

A special thank you to our Year 9 Advanced Mathematics students from the Elizabeth campus for conducting a valuable incursion for our Years 1-8 students. There were age-appropriate puzzles and challenges uniquely crafted and prepared by senior students. Majority of the participants left the session with a joyful smile and mentioned that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

In addition, we have recently had a few distinct sessions for our Years 5/6 cohort. We commenced with an organisational session with the attempt to equip students with the necessary skills required to be successful. Followed by a ‘Hygiene Session’ delivered by Mr. Nurudeen (School Chaplain), Mr K (School Counsellor), Mrs. Gulsum (Pastoral Care Coordinator), Ms. Semanur (School Counsellor) and Mrs. Shahla (Doctor). Students were provided with a pack for both sessions and a comfortable platform to ask questions.

I would like to remind parents that Term 3 reports will be posted home along with the individual Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN results. If you do not receive a copy within the holidays, please contact the front office.

Note: There are a number of fun activities, events and programs in the September/October holidays including the new play space at the Adelaide Zoo (‘Smiles will widen and hearts will race when your little ones step foot in Adelaide Zoo’s brand-spanking-new Variety Children’s Zoo’). For more activities visit the ‘Kids in Adelaide’ website.

Wishing you and your children a fruitful and enjoyable holiday!

Warm regards,
Tuba Sultan Cimen

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Children don’t say, “I had a hard day, can we talk?” They say “will you come play with me.”

I recently came across the article below that outlines some of the many benefits to parent-child play and thought it may be useful to read over the school holidays. Have a very safe and happy holiday period.

Why Play With a Child?

Children expect to play with parents and play helps both grow!

First authors are Kayla Polcari and Patricia Ekwueme

Do you ever get to the end of the day and you feel exhausted, like you just can't do anything more and just want to relax? And then as you take off your jacket and your shoes, you hear: "Mommy! Daddy! Come play with me!" Although playing with your child may seem like a hassle, you will probably think twice about saying “no” after reading this.

As the series on play (see list below) has indicated, there are multiple benefits for children when they play including physical, mental and social health.

Play helps children develop all sorts of skills.

What does play do for a child? Two words: skill sets. What are skill sets you ask? Think of it as a child’s toolbox. At first, when they’re born, their toolbox does not have much in it. Parents and caregivers help fill the box with tools.

As babies develop and grow they begin to add tools or skills to their toolbox. Maybe parents communicated back and forth during a baby’s time in the womb and developed some initial two-way communication. But many parents wait to start two-way communication until after birth.

Adults can help children develop skill sets that make social life easy to manage.

Playing with a child is one way to help develop social and self-control skill sets. Before you know it, interactions with parents and others have helped them develop many tools or skills needed to build a bright future.

Parent-child pretend and physical play is linked with the child’s competence, gross motor skills, peer group leadership, and cognitive development, the tools we discussed (7). Interactive play can also help a child learn how to regulate their emotions better (10). Lastly, providing your child with an “enriched environment” through play can lower their stress chemicals (10).

Special Benefits of Parent-Child Play versus Play with Siblings

Now here you might be thinking: isn’t it the same thing to just have the youngest child play with the older ones. Doesn’t that have the same effect as playing with a parent? Can’t they show them the “tools of the trade”? The answer to that would have to be no. There is something about having the parent playing with their child that adds an extra special touch. Parent-child play has been shown to contribute more to a child’s ability to give structure to early social interactions than play with siblings (9).

Moreover, parents can offer a child more mature and varied play than can siblings. Of course, adults know more about the world than any child and often can widen imagination in ways that other children cannot.

Another interesting fact is that infants and preschoolers often use behaviors that require a partner while playing with parents, but are less likely to do so when playing with their siblings (9). It makes sense, doesn’t it? A child just wants to interact with the parent more. That’s the whole point. Playing with other children may be fun, but nothing beats the joy and satisfaction of getting one’s parent to play with you. Also, older siblings engage in minimal amounts of direct interaction with their younger infant siblings, while parents typically give the baby their full attention (9). It has been hypothesized that parent-child play first catalyzes the child’s development of new skills and playing with their siblings helps consolidate those skills (3).

Differences in Play with Mother and Play with Father

Is there a difference between mom and dad play? Of course. Fathers tend to participate more in physical play with the child, while mothers and children participate in more instructive and verbal play (8). Both forms are important for the child’s development. Parents wouldn’t want their children to be good only at sports, without the ability to express themselves well. Nor do parents want children to be good at talking about things and not have the ability to really “get their hands dirty” with activities. And of course, as their child continues to grow and mature, it is important that both parents make age-appropriate adjustments in their playing.

Health Benefits for the Parent

Just as it is important for both parents to play with the child for the child’s sake, both parents receive benefits from doing so. The hormone oxytocin plays a major role in parent-infant bonding and other social and emotional behaviors (4). Oxytocin levels increase when mothers engage in affectionate play with their infant and when fathers engage in stimulatory play with their infants (4). Here’s some even greater news: when parents play with children, oxytocin is released in them (10). Think of it as a relaxing massage for your mind that you don’t have to pay extra for!

How to Play with a Child

Playing with a child involves actively observing, listening, supporting, talking, and understanding (6). Be sure to provide a mutual interaction, like a conversation, but try not to continually intervene or intrude. Rather, allow them to explore their environment and sensations. Let them draw you in. Then be sure that you are engaged and collaborating, which will help the child do the same in his or her future interactions. This has been shown to contribute to a child’s peer competency (7). And don’t forget: smile, laugh, and get them to laugh. You can both enjoy this one-on-one time with your little one as you help them develop the skill set that they will soon be ready to apply on their own.

Whether or not you are a parent, playing with children will help them develop the skills they need for social life. And it will be fun for you!

NOTE: Children in our ancestral conditions play with multiple ages and adults play (tease, dance, sing) with one another. In many societies today, parents are overly busy with many more tasks than adults in ancestral conditions (who enjoy much more leisure time). So parents should take the advice as it fits with the life conditions of the family. The overall message of the series is that children should play as much as possible with multiple playmates, even in school settings, and it's better outdoors and in the natural world.

Kayla Polcari and Patricia Ekwueme are students at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA.

References

  1. Baskett, L. M., & Johnson, S. M. (1982). The young child's interactions with parents versus siblings: A behavioral analysis. Child Development, 53(3), 643-650.
  2. Dunn, J. (1983). Sibling relationships in early childhood. Child Development, 54(4), 787-811.
  3. Dunn, J., Wooding, C., & Hermann, J. (1977). Mothers' speech to young children: Variation in context. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 19(5), 629-638.
  4. Feldman, R., Gordon, I., Schneiderman, I., Weisman, O., & Zagoory-Sharon, O. (2010). Natural variations in maternal and paternal care are associated with systematic changes in oxytocin following parent–infant contact. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35(8), 1133-1141. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.01.013
  5. Feldman, R., Gordon, I., & Zagoory-Sharon, O. (2010). The cross-generation transmission of oxytocin in humans. Hormones and Behavior, 58(4), 669-676. 6. Lin, Y. (2010). Improving parent-child relationships through block play. Education, 130(3), 461-469.
  6. Lindsey, E. W., & Mize, J. (2000). Parent–child physical and pretense play: Links tochildren's social competence. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 46(4), 565-591.
  7. MacDonald, K., & Parke, R. D. (1986). Parent-child physical play: The effects of sex and age of children and parents. Sex Roles, 15(7-8), 367-378.
  8. Stevenson, M. B., Leavitt, L. A., Thompson, R. H., & Roach, M. A. (1988). A social relations model analysis of parent and child play. Developmental Psychology, 24(1), 101-108.
  9. Sunderland, M. (2006). Science of parenting: practical guidance on sleep, crying, play, and building emotional well-being for life. New York: Dorling Kindersley.

Kind regards,
Kylie Burton

CAMPUS COORDINATOR AT GILLES PLAINS

Dear Parents,

It is always great to see parents on campus. At our recent Book Week celebrations, I witnessed the special role parents (especially mothers) play in their child’s life and their enormous involvement in their child’s schooling. Our children treasure their relationship with their parents and role models. These are the relationships that lay the foundations of connection, empathy, care and love. It was also terrific to see the expressions of affection and love between both generations as they dressed their children in their creative costumes. To all parents: thank you. Your child greatly appreciates your commitment to his/her education, and as a School we appreciate your willingness to be a strong partner in our joint role.

Book week is a chance to emphasize the pleasure and enjoyment of reading. We as adults must model constantly with our children, especially considering the constant battle with screen time and other digital distractions. Book Week is one of my favourite events on campus and I enjoyed chatting to students about their favourite books and characters. This year my costume was inspired by my favorite Harry Potter series of books.

A few reminders for parents:

For boys, I would like to remind families that hair is to be regularly cut, kept neat and above the shirt collar. As a guide earlobes, eyebrows and collar should be visible. Extremes of hairstyling, including shaved head, dyeing or bleaching of hair, are not permitted. For girls, please ensure hair is neatly tied up if it is long and it should not cover their eyebrows. In addition, please ensure only black, navy blue or white socks are used. There should no patterns or pictures on it.

As summer approaches, please ensure you purchase a school hat for your child from the uniform shop. We have a strict ‘No hat, no play’ policy and children will have to sit under the shade if they do not have a hat.

Have a safe holiday and enjoy the sunshine. I look forward to seeing all of you when you return after the holidays.

Warm regards,
Shalini Thilkan

School Counsellor

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Are you okay? How often do we ask our friends, colleagues or family that question? Sometimes when we see that someone is feeling down we might oversee the position they are in and comfort ourselves with the thought that they will pull through. Unfortunately not everyone always pulls through, some people may need assistance on the path of getting better and some extra support from their loved ones. At the Golden Grove Campus we celebrated the day with a warm assembly hosted by our school SRC students as well as a guest speaker from Beyond Blue. Similarly, at the Gilles Plains Campus the assembly also highlighted the importance of ‘R U OK’ day and encouraged students to speak to their teacher, counsellor or parents if they felt down or needed guidance. At both campuses the day began with a satisfying morning breakfast for the staff.

Alongside the wellbeing activities at all campuses we also introduced the ‘R U OK DAY’ bench to promote conversations for all ages around the campus. We hope that

Kind Regards,
Semanur Tanas

Important Reminder

CAR PARK SPEED LIMIT IS 5KM

Front Office Holiday Opening Hours

Golden Grove Campus

30/09/2019 to 04/10/2019

9 am to 4 pm

Elizabeth East Campus

08/10/2019 to 11/10/2019

9 am to 4 pm

Gilles Plains Campus

CLOSED

CLOSED

FOUNDATION – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear Parents,

What a busy and productive term our class has had! I cannot believe we are at the end of term 3.

In the English curriculum we have been very and now have learnt all single sounds with only 5 digraphs left to learn. I am extremely proud of students as they are reading and writing independently. We have also focused on recount writing and we are becoming confident at being independent writers. In the Mathematics curriculum we have been exploring numbers to 100, addition, volume and capacity, patterning, and statistics and probability. The children have enjoyed learning the new mathematical vocabulary and the interactive activities provided.

In science the topic was ‘materials and their properties’. Students were exposed to many hands on investigations where they were able to explore which materials are waterproof and which were not. Students also were given the opportunity to use their knowledge and determine which materials were suitable for rainy days and sunny days. We also celebrated STEM Week during the term which enabled students to further develop their scientific skills. The theme was ‘Destination Moon: more missions, more Science’. Students participated in a range of scientific activities related to the theme. Our Foundation class along with the Gilles Plains Foundation class had the opportunity to make rocket cakes.

Over the holiday period, please ensure you continue to listen to your child read every day, this will continue to help with their English speaking skills. Children are encouraged to continue to practice their sight words. I wish you all a happy and safe holiday and will see you all back at Pinnacle College next term.

Kind regards,
Mrs Vokolos

YEAR 1 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear parents/caregivers,

How quickly Term 3 has come to an end! What an eventful term it has been!

This term we celebrated STEM week (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics). This provided students with a great opportunity to explore their scientific skills and extend their mathematical knowledge. Students participated in a range of scientific activities related to the theme of ‘Space’. By independently creating straw rockets and aluminium astronauts, it facilitated students’ mathematical and engineering qualities. Students thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with the Year 1’s from the Gilles Plains campus during this learning experience.

In Literacy, students have been working hard to include verbs in their procedural texts. Students have been studying the difference between adverbs, verbs, adjectives and nouns and how to use these parts of speech in their writing. Students have also been practising using the correct tense in their sentences including past (I jumped), present (I jump) and future (I will jump). In Numeracy, we have been learning about 3D shapes and how to continue and create number patterns using our skip counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.

One of the many highlights this term was our excursion to AFL Max! Students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of physical activities including rock climbing, trampolining, kicking a football, dancing, racing, sliding and jumping through an inflated obstacle course! Evidently, students had a great day with their friends at AFL Max, celebrating all their hard work throughout the term.

I look forward to many more learning opportunities in term 4! Students should complete Reading Eggs and Math Seeds activities online during the school break as well as complete their holiday homework to ensure their brains keep active!

Enjoy a well-deserved break!

Kind regards,
Miss Di Cola

YEAR 3 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear Parents,

Wow! What a busy term it’s been!

On top our regular lessons, the Year 3s have taken part in multiple events, including Pyjama Day, Book Week, STEM Week, Sports Day and R U OK? Day. We’ve also finished constructing our wind-powered cars in Technology. Unfortunately, most of them were unsuccessful in meeting the design brief but, rather than being disappointed, we put on our ‘critical thinking’ hats and identified the flaws in our designs - as they say, “you will never learn if you don’t make mistakes”!

In Science, we have been learning about ‘Heat and Warmth’. We conducted an experiment using spoons of various materials and proved our hypothesis that metals are the best conductors. We also mapped our results on a column graph, linking our learning to ‘Data and Graphs’ in Maths.

In HASS, we have been learning about ‘Australia and its neighbouring countries’. We started this unit by examining the Australian states, territories and capital cities before exploring the natural and human-made features found within them. We then completed research projects on Australia’s neighbouring countries and presented our findings through dioramas based on famous landmarks.

In Art, we have finished our unit on ‘Pop Art’. We had a blast attempting to recreate Andy Warhol’s artwork using a wide range of materials, including pastels, watercolour paints and collage.

It has been a fantastic term and we’re positive there’s an even greater one ahead of us. Until then, have a wonderful break!

Kind regards,
Miss Mubarak

YEAR 4 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear parents and caregivers,

Can you believe that we have reached the end of the term! This term has been filled with wonderful memories and many academic milestones, well done Year 4’s!

Our Literacy lessons had us delving into the areas of Poetry and Narrative Writing. The students had a wonderful time exploring poetic devices such as puns, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, rhyme and spoonerism. It was wonderful to witness the students explore their creative side!

Money, problem solving and decimals were our major Mathematics focus over the past few weeks. Many new problem solving strategies have been practiced and can be applied to questions for years to come! The students did a wonderful job practicing financial maths, they have successfully demonstrated that they can calculate, round and solve questions involving change, great job Year 4s!

I hope you all enjoyed the wonderful pots and plants that were taken home last week! The students did a fantastic job designing, sculpting and making them with the purpose of potting plants. Don’t forget to water them over the break J

Have a well-deserved break everyone! Stay safe and have fun!

Kindest Regards,
Miss Rowlands

Gallery Title: Year 4

YEAR 5 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

It’s already the end of another fun yet unforgettable Term! The Year 5 students have enjoyed participating in many great events this Term. The wonderfully planned events have left many smiles and treasured memories for all of us!

In Literacy students have delivered their speeches on a topic they passionately selected. It was fantastic to witness their confidence and the constructive feedback they provided to their peers (detailed and specific points to aid the positive growth of their peers). Students have also had the privilege to visit the school library on a weekly basis to read in the warm and welcoming environment. They have been exposed to a variety of texts and are changing their books on a regular basis. The continuity of this routine is crucial, therefore I highly encourage students to continue reading on a regular basis (at least 20 minutes each night) during the holidays.

In Numeracy students have been working on Geometry and spatial mathematics which can be tricky to get your mind around. This has included plotting points on an x and y axis and using ordered pairs to mark correct locations. We have also investigated transformations (flip, slide, turn or reflection, translation, rotation), symmetry, enlargements and giving directions. Holiday homework is the completion of the ‘giving directions’ tasks and mathletics tasks in an area of their choice.

In Science we have studied the place of Earth and the other planets in our solar system. The students 3D models were outstanding. Some of them have been displayed in the front lobby of the building if you wish to have a look at them. We learnt about constellations, comets and asteroids and there were many, many jokes made about Uranus (groan). Next term we will be learning about light - sources, uses, limitations, etc which should be very interesting.

In Hass this term we have completed an exciting Unit on Geographical Regions. We have learnt about Climates, Continents, Oceans and Zoning. The students have put in an amazing effort towards their Projects where they created visual representations of climates. All the students have also worked super hard and put such an amazing effort towards their test, well done!

In Technology the girls and boys did their absolute best in planning, storyboarding, filming and editing their news segments for our very own Pinnacle News – Well done everyone! Teamwork and collaboration have been two imperative skills each child has individually displayed throughout this Unit. Together, we have filmed our news segments, added photos, created props and equipment and most importantly, helped each other. The positive teamwork helped us produce a tremendous Pinnacle News Report which displayed many new skills everyone has learnt using iMovie competently.

We hope you have a safe, restful and remarkable holiday. See you in all in Term 4! :)

Kindest Regards,
Year 5 Teachers,
Mrs Burton, Mrs Tuba & Miss Sawafta.

YEAR 6 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

Our Year 6 Bunch are grateful for being involved in so many exciting events this Term. We have reached milestones as well as taken plenty memories from the marvellous Pinnacle College Events that will hold a special place in our hearts!

In Literacy, students have completed an exceptional autobiography video that vividly reflects their life thus far. As this task was recorded in the comfort of their homes, I observed a different and unique side to all students. We concluded the term with ‘public speaking’, students delivered speeches to the class about topics around littering, animal cruelty and diseases.

In Numeracy students have been learning about the Cartesian Coordinate system and plotting ordered pairs on the quadrant grids. One of the most important rules to remember is that the coordinate on the X axis must always be plotted before the coordinate on the Y axis. We also investigated ‘Transformations’ - translation, reflection and rotation. The presentation of ‘Data in the Media’ was another area of study and is definitely relevant to our current level of media consumption. Understanding the mathematics behind data/statistics and how it can be used in a way that is not a completely true representation of fact but is still not outright dishonesty, is very important. Holiday homework will be to complete the tasks associated with Financial Mathematics and 3D shapes and mathletics tasks in an area of their choice.

In Technology we have expanded our skills and knowledge learning about ‘Stop Motion Studio’, in groups students have collaboratively created their own Stop Motion videos. Some of the topics were; Life Cycle of a Butterfly, Girl Growing Up, Different Seasons, Day in the Life of a Bird, Boxing and a Mini Basketball Game. What creative ways to display our knowledge on the rule of thirds, use of props and materials, positioning, lighting and camera angles.

In Hass we have enjoyed our History Unit on World War Two and Migration. Students have enjoyed analysing several viewpoints, experiences of the young and old generations and the development that has risen from the War, Migration and Federation. Students have been participating in class discussions, debates, our History Booklet activities, reflecting on videos and making diary entries from the perspective of the Displaced People and Refugees. There is a lot that has changed in society; thus, the students are grateful for the improvements made to support every individual nationally and around the world.

In Art the students have enjoyed completing their masterpieces on Optical Illusion. We have selected our best drawings which represent; symbolism, hidden images, metamorphic skull illusions and illusion of movement. The students have loved creating their Op Art and confusing their friends – this will be displayed in our class if you would like to see them!

In Science it feels like we have made a trip around the world experiencing different Natural Disasters and made it safely back into our classroom… We have enjoyed discovering the different layers of earth, tectonic plates and the three tectonic plate boundaries; divergent, convergent and transform. Students have beautifully completed their Science Research Project (Visual Representation & Written Report) of their chosen Natural Disaster. It was marvellous seeing the outcomes and wonderful effort put into your posters, PowerPoints and videos.

We hope you have a safe, restful and remarkable holiday. See you in all in Term 4! :)

Warmest Regards,
Year 6 Teachers,
Mrs Tuba, Mrs Burton & Miss Sawafta.

YEAR 7 – GOLDEN GROVE

Term 3 was an exciting term for 7G and we did many fun activities. STEM Week was busy yet amusing, we used microscopes and learnt how to use them. We looked at housefly legs with it and many other things and made our own slime. In P.E we were practicing for Sports day. We practiced long jump, high jump, discus, shotput and sprints. In advanced Arabic class for book week we made Kushari; an Egyptian recipe which consists of rice, black lentil, pasta and tomato sauce. It was mouthwatering. In art we made our own masks that is based on an ancient mask such as Venetian, Asian, Aztec or African. In the sport elective, we went on an excursion to Latitude and enjoyed it a lot. This was in celebration of our ‘Basketball season’ and we all received awards for our effort.

- Layal and Ayesha

Kind regards,
Molly Affolter
Year 7 Homegroup

YEAR 8 – GOLDEN GROVE

On the 10th of September, the Year 8 girls went on a hike in the Morialta Conservation Park to gather some ideas and take down notes for their Hatchet assignment. The girls had a lot of fun hiking and enjoying the wonderful weather. When the hike was over the girls took a rest and had some snacks and lunch. After that they went back to see the beautiful waterfall and had the chance to take some pictures for memories. Due to how well they had behaved and tackled something outside of their comfort zone, they had earned themselves a treat from Miss Hughes, they had pizza and spoke about the positive things that their class had achieved. The Year 8 girls are so happy and really appreciate all the hard work and effort their teachers put in to make them have a good time.

- Ainoor Alhusainawi

Kind regards,
Emma Hughes
Year 8 Homegroup

FOUNDATION – GILLES PLAINS

As we conclude Term 3, I would like to recognise the progress and achievements of students in the Foundation class. The students are now writing independently, using their understanding of letters and the sounds that the make. We have finished learning the single sounds and are now working on diagraphs. Regular practice on Reading Eggs is a fun and interactive way for students to strengthen their understanding of sounds independently. I encourage all students to use the online program over the upcoming school holidays.

In Term 3, the students have enjoyed learning about a range of topics in Numeracy including numbers to 100, three-dimensional shapes, volume and capacity and addition. Their favourite topic of the Term was ‘volume and capacity’, with lots of hands on, inquiry-based learning.

In Science, we explored the topic of materials and their properties. Over the term the students conducted investigations to explore which materials are waterproof and suitable for rainy/sunny weather conditions. We transferred this knowledge to our Design Technology unit of work to create sensory walls and waterproof children’s books.

We also had time for regular library visits with Mrs Preston, a Cricket Coaching Clinic, Book Week and Parade, AFL Max excursion, SciWorld and STEM week! With all this learning and excitement, the students are ready for the school holidays. Remember to keep reading over the term break and continue to use the online programs, Reading Eggs and Mathseeds.

Have a safe and happy term break

Miss Bianca Villani

YEAR 1 – GILLES PLAINS

Dear Parents,

Once again we conclude another term, which only felt like it had started yesterday.

I hope students have enjoyed the many exciting learning adventures that

Term 3 had brought us…. everything from sporting events and clinics to Book Week, STEM Week, fundraisers and Festival Day. I am very proud of the way students have conducted themselves during these events, especially whilst on the bus and at venues that are not our campus. Well done girls and boys!

Our class learning this term has been based on Procedure writing as well as giving personal opinions about their favourite books. Students have really come to love reading and so as adults we need to embrace this and encourage this at every opportunity that we can. These coming holidays, enjoy a few visits to the library. Listen to your child read and question what strategies they can use to assist themselves with reading unfamiliar words. Support their understanding through asking Who? What? and Why? questions. This will help your child prepare for the last term of 2019, which will be our last chance for Year 1 students to demonstrate what they are capable of. If you would like a hint, Nick Bland is our Author study.

In Maths, we have continued to develop our understanding of number above the many other topics. Skip counting has been a big focus and is encouraged to be worked on during the school holidays when out and about with your child. Strong knowledge of skip counting in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s, will benefit students in preparation for Year 2, what they explore times tables.

To finish off, I would like to thank all parents for your support and communication this term. It has been a busy one but a good one I think, so please try and rest over the school holidays for another exciting term!

Kind regards,
Ms Mackowiak

Gallery Title: Year 1 Gilles Plains

YEAR 2 – GILLES PLAINS

Dear Parents/ Caregivers,

We hope you enjoyed this eventful term as much as we did in Grade 2N. We were lucky to be part of exciting events such as Festival Day, Book Week, Stem Week, R U OK Day and Sports Day. Well done to the children for being on their best behaviour on the bus when travelling to and from school and at the venues.

Our science lessons were exciting, informative and hands on this term. We explored different types of forces, such as push and pull, air resistance, gravity and friction. Children showed great enthusiasm and engagement when learning about forces. Next term’s focus will also involve exciting lessons on water.

In Literacy, out focus this term was on Explanation texts and Information reports. The children enjoyed browsing the internet for facts on animals to write up their animal report. Explanation text was enjoyable as we learned how and why popcorn pop. We will study two new texts types next term, Exposition and Persuasive texts. You may use the sent resources to understand the two genres, so you can support your child at home next term.

In Numeracy, students worked really well at home and in class to learn their timetables to compete in a mini class competition in week 10. The competition will be on Friday and the winner will receive a gift voucher.

Please ensure learning continues during the holiday by encouraging your child to study using our online resources (ReadingEggs and MathSeeds) and read a book every day. Holiday homework has been set for all students to complete during the holidays.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Warm regards,
Mrs Al Bayati

YEAR 3 – GILLES PLAINS

Dear Parents,

What an exciting term this has been! We have loved doing our Science experiments on Heat and finding out more about our classmates through the topic on Data and Interpretation. In Literacy, the highlight would have to be the short video that everyone did on a procedure text. We enjoyed it so much.

This term, we also saw our children going to the Golden Grove campus for the STEM incursion and activity. Students enjoyed being with their previous classmates and did a fantastic job making their Gummy Geodesic domes. It was a difficult task, but they did not give up.

The trip to AFL Max was also another exciting event. It was good to see everyone give it a go. They were completely involved in their activities and had a lot of fun.

Please ensure all money and forms for the End of the Year concert is sent through before school closes for the holidays so that I can buy the costumes during the holidays. Once again, thank you for your support and I appreciate your help in helping us set up our kitchen garden.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday.

Kind regards,
Shalini Thilkan

MUSIC

This term has been a creative and fun time for us all in Music lessons. In many classes, the students have been challenged to think about different ways to create sounds or sound effects, sometimes using instruments, and sometimes needing to use other items besides instruments. The Year 6s have even been using iPads in Music, and the Year 1s have experienced high and low by using scarves.

Rehearsing, performing together and giving feedback to each other has been a wonderful time of and valuing each other’s ideas and uniqueness as we learn to express ourselves through this creative medium.

Every now and then a student comes to school with something musical to show and tell. This is another way of the children sharing their interests with each other (and me!) and celebrating the joy of music.

As we come to a holiday break, I encourage you to look for opportunities to enjoy, create, and appreciate the music that is all around us. I just love the birds at this time of year!

Tracy Schache
Music Teacher

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