Literacy News
Book Week Costume Celebrations
Wow Wee! It was so impressive to see the array of amazing,creative costumes this year, perhaps the best yet! Thank you to all students, parents and teachers for participating in the dress up parade this year and to any family members that helped bring those costumes to life. It is a big effort but I am sure you will all agree, it was worth it.
I could not get the smile off my face on Friday. I would also like to acknowledge the Year 6 Library Leadership team and their teachers for coordinating and running the assembly.
Despite being faced with the challenge of technology not working even when it had been tested, they persevered and found solutions. The music started and the parade was a true celebration of the SKiPPS community.
Pen Pals at Scared Heart
The second batch of letters have been delivered to Sacred Heart, thank you to Nicky for delivering the letters on behalf of the students. I will be sure to let you know when we have received some responses. If your child/children would like to participate but missed the deadline this time, don't worry, there will be another opportunity next term. You can even start writing your letters now. Just address them 'Dear Pen Pal' and I will start a new collection ready to be sent to Sacred Heart next term.
This year over 56,000 students around Australia participated in the 2024 Prime Minister's Spelling Bee. At SKiPPS, we had 18 students opt in for this challenge. Unfortunately none of our students have made it through the second round but I continue to applaud the 18 students who chose to have -a-go and participate. Competing against that many students is a big thing and again, this is something that is relatively new to us and we are learning as we continue to challenge ourselves.
Year 1/2 Writing
The Year 1/2 students have been learning about writing narratives. Having looked at mentor texts and learning about rich vocabulary, they were tasked with creating their own stories with the prompt 'The Magic Hat'. Coupled with the skill of handwriting, the students published their good copies and created a book. I am thrilled to share some of the stories here.
It is a delight to receive an email from one of our students, keen to share a piece of writing that they have completed. Xavier in Year 6, shared the story below with me.
Most interestingly is that despite his piece of writing being a narrative, it is different from a normal narrative. The main idea of the text is a descriptive narrative with no characters except a house. I hope you enjoy reading Xavier's story as much as I did.
The Desert Structure
Resiliently, a solitary house stands against the harsh elements of the arid desert. Fatigued sun-baked adobe bricks make up the main structure, its walls painted a soft ochre that blends seamlessly with the surrounding sandy landscape. Slowly, its isolation takes a toll. During a sandstorm, large windows allow bucket-loads of sand to pass through, transforming the interior into a relentless tableau of shifting dunes.
The house's isolation is both its strength and its curse. Built with the knowledge of its surroundings in mind, its clay construction provides insulation against the searing heat and frigid cold of the desert nights.
The thick walls are designed to shield against the relentless sun, yet they also limit ventilation and daylight, creating a space that feels as though it’s been suspended in time. The house is a testament to the ingenuity required to thrive in such an unforgiving environment, yet it is also a symbol of the ongoing struggle to maintain stability in an ever-changing landscape.
The desert itself is both a sculptor and an adversary. Wind and sand continually reshape the dunes and, by extension, the contours of the house’s surroundings. The mudcap bricks, though designed to resist the elements, gradually erode under the ceaseless assault of sand and sun. Each storm strips away a bit more of their surface, each gust of wind chipping away at the structure's integrity. The once-pristine ochre walls now bear the scars of these battles, streaked with the marks of the desert’s relentless persistence.
Inside, the sandstorms’ invasion is both immediate and insidious. The once-clear glass windows, though sturdy, are now mere shards of glass around the edges of the frame. Furniture and personal belongings become buried under the shifting sands, creating a scene of continual disarray.
The constant need to sweep and clear away the encroaching sand serves as a reminder of the house's tenuous grip on its environment.
Despite the unyielding conditions, the house endures. It stands as a monument to human resilience and adaptation, a reminder of the delicate balance between shelter and nature. Each storm, while a challenge, also reinforces the house’s character, forging a deeper connection between its inhabitants and the desert. The struggle against the climate becomes a shared experience, a testament to the fortitude required to coexist with nature’s most formidable forces.