Message from the Principal 

James Penson 

WE LOVE READING AT GREENHILLS

My photos this week feature how great our library is looking. Check out the footprints! We have Jen Ellis to thank for this and she is doing an awesome job one day each week to make sure this very special place is looked after and new books are purchased, processed and then available for students to borrow. Our library is so important to us and we hope in time to be able to expand what we do and employ a teacher librarian for more days each week.

 

We know that our students love to read. As a school we support our student’s passion for reading by starting every school day with reading time across every classroom. We also have an awesome range of books in our classrooms and library for students to access and of course we our staff are very skilled at teaching students to read as well. After all, it is harder to enjoy something if you are not very good at it.   

At home, you can join and support our school and students love of reading as well. Here are 9 reasons why reading every day is so important for everyone:

 

1. Mental stimulation- keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing its power!

2. Stress Reduction- a good book can transport you to another world and distract you from problems.

3. Knowledge - everything you read fills your head with new bits of information.

4. Vocabulary Expansion – the more words you read, the more you gain exposure to and then begin to use in your everyday vocabulary.

5. Memory Improvement – when you read a book you have to remember characters, plots and subplots.

6. Improved Focus and Concentration – when you read a book all of your attention is focused on the story.

7. Reading can help you sleep – reading at the end of the day can relax you, making it easier to fall asleep.

8. Decrease screen time – turn off the TV /phone/computer and read a book.

9. You become an excellent role model for your children – when they see you enjoying a book they are more likely to want to read themselves.

 

CURRICULUM DAY TOMORROW

Our staff are looking forward to an engaging day of professional learning and collaboration tomorrow on our pupil free curriculum day. These days each year are really the only chance we get to have staff working and learning together for a sustained period of time other than our weekly one-hour sessions after a busy school day.

 

During the day tomorrow, our staff team will be working with an external consultant Shelley Ware to further develop our Cultural Curriculum with a focus on “Developing A Deep Connection to Country”. As a school community we have taken great strides in learning more about and recognising our Indigenous culture and heritage and the importance of reconciliation education. This day will support our team with this very important journey.

SMILING MIND

Our Smiling Mindfulness Mondays have been a big hit. Each Monday as part of our daily 15 minutes student agency time, our students have been spending time in a guided meditation with a learner agency focus. This initiative is being led by Bonnie Jones who is our official Smiling Mind Champion as part of our school’s involvement in the Smiling Mind for Schools Program. Over the last few weeks we have focused on Grit and an Attitude of Gratitude. We are now making the switch to the next core value of Respect. Focusing and learning more about the mindful mindset of “Compassion for Self & Others” will be a key part of this focus. 

 

 

It is not too late to find out more about the Smiling Minds program and why this is one of our key strategies in helping our students to develop positive mental health and wellbeing at our Smiling Minds Parent Information session:

Tonight - Thursday 9th June at 6.30pm in the Library

The session will be presented by Therese Sheedy from the Smiling Mind organization.

 

WORKING BEE REMINDER

Between 9am and 11am on Sunday 19th June it will be all hands on deck as we regenerate the pathways into the school from Mine Street. This will include weeding, pruning, planting & mulching! Please bring your gardening tools and wheelbarrows.

Rumour has it we are going to try and set a record for mulch moving and a reminder that all students that attend with their families will receive a $5 canteen voucher.

 

CONTINUOUS REPORTING CONTINUES…..MATHS ASSESSMENT SAMPLE & SEMESTER 1 REPORT

This week and into next week, students will “bring home” via SeeSaw another work sample that our teachers have used to assess student learning achievement and growth. This will be the second work sample as part of our Continuous Reporting program. Our aim is to provide parents and carers with more frequent communication about your child/ren’s progress in a way that is timely to when the learning task was completed. In this way you will share more insight into the curriculum standard and level your child is working at and more importantly the next steps in their learning. 

 

Our Semester 1 student reports will follow soon after, on the 23rd June via Compass. These reports provide you with a curriculum progression point in Numeracy (Number) and Literacy (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening), and a personalised individual comment. This comment will be written for both the student and parent and will highlight learning achievements and growth this semester.  More importantly, teachers will provide an assessment of learning skills that are based around our 5 core values.  

The learning skills section is a really important element of our reports. We have included an A to E rating system for this section in the same manner as the curriculum area ratings. This is a way to continue to motivate and reward our students who demonstrate the qualities of an outstanding student. Often these students may not receive an A or B on their academic progression point, however through things like effort, grit, being curious and adventurous, they may be able to achieve excellent results to be celebrated. These skills and mindsets are the things that we highly value as a school, what makes a GREAT student and builds a strong learning culture at our school. 

 

STAY ACTIVE THIS WEEKEND

Long weekends are usually a GREAT time to get out and about as a family. Even though the weather will be cold there are plenty of options for physical activity in our local area. I love the local walking tracks along the Plenty River and often see school families riding bikes along these trails. 

We know that when children participate in regular physical activity, it boosts their physical and mental health and improves academic performance.

Physical activity throughout the day also improves concentration, and the ability to retain information and solve problems.

There are many benefits to being active and getting your move on, but unfortunately the data tells us that lots of children aren’t moving enough, particularly while learning from home or in periods of restrictions that impact in our regular physical activity outlets such as team sports.