Assistant Principal News

I hope this message finds you well. Over the past couple of days, we have certainly felt the intense heat, and it’s a good reminder for all of us to stay vigilant about keeping our children hydrated. I’d like to remind parents to ensure that their children bring their drink bottles to school every day, as it is crucial in helping them stay cool and hydrated during these hot conditions. Fresh fruit for snacks is also a fantastic option to keep their energy levels up and provide a healthy boost, especially in the warmer weather.　２月に入り突然気温が高い日が続いておりますが、皆様いかがお過ごしでしょうか。校内には水飲み場がいくつか設けられておりますが、個人の水筒を毎日学校に持参するよう、お子様のサポートをお願い致します。また、暑い日には果物などで水分補給、ミネラル補給をすることも大切ですので、ブレインブースト用の果物もどうぞお忘れなくご準備いただきますようご協力お願い致します。

Although it has only been a few weeks since we began the year, it feels like we’ve already packed in so much. Last Friday was an exciting day for our school community as we finally held our bubble launch event, a long-awaited occasion that had been postponed for the past three years. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the conclusion of the first full week back at school, and the excitement was felt by both students and staff. Following the bubble launch, we had a fantastic bush dance performance that was full of energy and joy. This was followed by our welcome picnic, where we were able to connect with many of our families in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. It was truly heart-warming to see everyone there, and I appreciate all who came along to support the event.　先週の金曜日には３年越しのシャボン玉ロンチがありました。CPSコミュニティの方々、父兄の方々にもご参加いただき今年度最初の１週間の締めくくりにふさわしいイベントとなりました。またその後にはブッシュダンス、ピクニックなどもあり、更に交流の場で父兄の方々とお話しさせて頂くことができました。ご参加くださった皆様、ありがとうございました。

This week, we also held our swimming carnival, which was another fantastic occasion for our students to show off their swimming skills and participate in a range of fun and competitive events. I will provide a more detailed recap of the swimming carnival in the later part of this newsletter, but for now, I would like to express my pride in how well our students performed and how much enthusiasm they brought to the day.　また今週はスイミングカーニバルも開催されました。これにつきましては、Snapshots from our classroomでもう一度ふれさせていただきたく思います。

Digital Devices Acceptable User Agreement – Parent Information

At the beginning of each school year, our teachers provide students with an opportunity to discuss the safe and acceptable use of digital technologies. Having grown up in the digital age, many of our students are confident in using different types of devices, and such devices are incorporated into their learning to conduct research, complete assessment tasks, and work on classroom activities, among other things. It is our responsibility not only to explicitly teach these skills but also to develop students' awareness and understanding of what constitutes a safe online environment. Over the past week, and continuing this week, students have been discussing the acceptable use of digital technologies in both their classrooms and daily lives. The attached document provides information on our expectations, how we teach appropriate conduct, the educational software our students use, how we supervise the use of technology, and the steps we take to protect our students. We have also included information on how parents and caregivers can help develop healthy and safe habits when using digital technology.　年度はじめのスタートアップウィークでは、それぞれのクラスで安全なデバイスの使い方、オンラインエチケットについてクラスで話し合いました。デジタル時代に育った生徒達は、デバイスを使うことにとても長けており、授業の中でも自信を持って使用しております。そんな中、オンライン環境で気をつけないといけないこと、どのように自分のプライバシーを守るか、他人のプライバシーを尊重するか、などの知識も身につけなくてはなりません。添付いたしましたドキュメントに、保護者向けの情報が載せられておりますので、ご覧ください。

Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher or me should you have any questions.　 ご質問等はお子様のクラス担任、または私までご連絡ください。

Snapshots from the classroom

Last week, I visited Y5/6A&B when they were revisiting what the Zones of Regulation are. Students were asked to identify the emotion represented on each card and categorize them into the correct zone. Some interesting discussions were happening about which zone certain emotions should be categorized in. It was also very impressive to see how confident the students were in naming each emotion, both in English and Japanese. 先週、５・６年生の教室を訪問した時、Zones of Regulationの復習をしていました。それぞれのカードに書いてある感情の名前と気持ちの領域を一致させるアクティビティをしていました。５・６年生になると気持ちの名前なども日本語で言えるようになり、とても関心いたしました。

As mentioned in their Area Newsletters, the implementation of the systematic and synthetic phonics program has commenced in our Foundation to Year 2 classrooms. When I visited Mrs. Watts' classroom, the students were very engaged in practicing their letters and sounds. Each sound of "t," "o," and "p" was repeatedly practiced by the students with explicit guidance from Mrs. Watts, until they were finally able to successfully blend them together to spell the word "top."　先週のエリアニュースレターでも紹介させていただいた通り、プレップから２年生のクラスではフォニックス（英語の文字と音の関係性を学ぶ学習のことで、正しい発音を習得し、独自で単語を読む力をつける学習法）の授業が今年から始まりました。ワッツ先生のクラスでは、t,o,pの音を発音する練習を繰り返し、先生のガイドの元その音を混ぜ合わせていき、最終的に単語のtopという言葉を発音しました。

The swimming carnival was a fantastic event, with students from Years 3 to 6 participating and many parent helpers and spectators joining us to cheer on the competitors. It was inspiring to witness the great sportsmanship displayed throughout the day, as students supported each other, cheered for their peers, and showed tremendous respect to students from other school and the teachers present. A special thank you goes to our staff members and parent volunteers who worked hard to support our students, especially in the heat. We would also like to extend our gratitude to our Physical Education teacher, Miss Molloy, who dedicated so much time and effort into preparing for this event, ensuring it was a success for all involved.　今週３−６年生の生徒達がスイミングカーニバルに参加しました。お互いを励まし、応援し合い、他校の生徒や先生達にも尊敬の態度を示すという素晴らしいスポーツマンシップを発揮しておりました。炎天下の中生徒達のサポートをしてくれた先生達、保護者ボランティアの皆様に感謝申し上げます。このイベントのオーガナイズをしてくれた体育のモロイ先生、ありがとうございました！

Until next fortnight,

Miharu Morioka