Student News

Term 2 Music Update

Instrumental Music Concert

The mid-year instrumental concert will take place in the Music Room on the afternoon/evening of Thursday 26th June, 5:30 start. 

Instrumental teachers are sending home a note with more details if your child is prepared and willing to perform at this event. If you would definitely like your child to perform at the concert you should contact your instrumental teacher and let them know.

I have provided some photos from last year’s mid-year instrumental concert.

Song of the Year

In Terms 2 and 3, all music classes are starting each lesson by listening and interacting with 2 songs and then voting for one of the songs. We start with 16 songs. The teachers and school staff also get a vote. The songs are the school’s bell music and songs are removed from the bell music when they lose.

We will eliminate songs until a winner is chosen. The theme for this year’s vote is Music styles.

Here is the chart that will update each week - 2025 Best Song - Music genres

Rotary Junior Community Award

Rotary Junior Community Award by Audrey C

Hi, my name is Audrey C. and I am in year 6 at Trafalgar Primary School. We had the opportunity to be a part of the Rotary Junior Community Award and I decided to do it. I am so grateful because I have learnt so many things and it has felt like an opportunity that would really help me later in life. So today I will go through a few things I have learnt and how close I am to finishing!

First, I will just quickly run through what we have to do in Rotary in order to accomplish the achievement. You have to do -

• Physical Recreation
• Community Service
• Social Experience
• Skill Development

There are many parts of Social Experience that include Cultural Exchange, Community Celebrations, Community Meeting, Religious/Spiritual Experience, The Arts and The Environment. The goal is to learn about a variety of activities that are in your community. You have to write a detailed description of what you did and how it was. Now I will discuss how my individual rotary plan is going!

For my plan I am about halfway done. We have until the end of Term 3 to have all the reports and hours finished.

Physical Recreation

For my Physical Recreation, I decided to do Netball games and training. I was already doing it so it made Physical Recreation quite easy! I have actually already finished my ten sessions. I still do it and I will be playing a tournament soon. I really like doing this because I have all my friends and it keeps me active. My goal for Physical Recreation was to get the player of the week award and I actually did! It proved to me that if you put your mind to it you can do it! I have finished the report too. 

Community Service

I am enjoying community service a lot! I am doing volunteer work at the Edward Hunter Reserve along with Eden, another person in Rotary. I have done 6 hours so far. I missed out on April as I was busy but in May the funniest thing happened! I was trying to go out into the dam and then I started sinking in the sand! It was exactly like quicksand and I had to be pulled out. I am ⅓ done with Community Service as I have 4 more hours to go.

Social Experience

Out of the 6 things I am doing, I have done 3 things so I am halfway there. For my Cultural Exchange I interviewed my friend, Vicky, who moved from Vietnam to Australia with her family when she was younger. She told me about her beliefs and culture. In Community Celebrations I went to the ANZAC Day Dawn Service with my dad and brother. I learnt so many new things and I paid my respects to those who fought for us in order to protect our country. For The Environment, I wrote about and did Clean Up Australia Day with my school. As part of the Environmental Team at my school, I stayed at the school while the rest of the 5/6s went to Balfour Park. For the other things I have to do in order to finish my Social Experience topic I am going to Tanjil Valley Art Show for The Arts, doing a meditation session for my Religious/Spiritual experience, and for my Community Meeting I will attend one of my dad’s work meetings.

Skill Development

Out of all my Rotary things I would definitely have to say that Skill Development is my favourite! I am learning how to sew with one of my mum’s friends every Tuesday/Wednesday night. I have completed 7 sessions with Tessa and I have so far created a pillow, tissue case and a tote bag. It is so exciting to be able to create these things and I have so much fun with it. I am enjoying it very much and it will be sad when I complete it.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading this but before you turn the page we would like to thank Mrs Ross so much. She has helped us to achieve and do all these different things. She has helped not only me but everyone in all ways and I couldn't be more grateful for her!

Rotary Junior Community Award by Bailey S

This year in Grade 6, I am completing the Junior Rotary Community Award. As part of this award, it’s required that I complete some community volunteer work. For my volunteer work, I am doing Radio at Gippsland FM with Ken Thompson. I have been learning how to work in a studio and also how to edit voicing to ensure it’s not too loud and ensure it’s clear. I am also going to be producing my own small radio show as part of my Rotary Award. 

I’m enjoying learning how to work the studio and what’s involved in creating radio programs.

Trafalgar STEM Gems

We have had an awesome few weeks in STEM, with the Preps, Grade 1’s and Grade 2’s investigating and comparing the traditional materials used to make clothing from around the world, recycling soft plastics destined for landfill into decorative bookmarks, and making slime! And we can’t forget our genie in a bottle! 

The Grade 3 and 4 students investigated the change in state between solid and liquid which is caused by adding or removing heat, by melting and molding their very own chocolate. They also investigated and compared the properties of different balls made of wood, metal, polystyrene and rubber. The properties investigated were density, temperature, mass and size, elasticity and electrical conductivity. We also had a great time over activating our slime to make bouncy balls. 

For the Grade 5 and 6 students it’s been all about how changing the properties of materials can change their use, through making kinetic sand and testing their skills in following a scientific method, recording and making observations as we made our own slime!   We also discovered that not all substances fit nicely into the categories of solid liquid or gas and some materials are what we call non-Newtonian fluids. Those that behave as both solids and liquids, such as slime and oobleck. 

We had a very fun and messy time running across a large tray of oobleck made from 40kg of cornflour and of course water. 

Thank you to those students and families who took the time out of their weekend to volunteer for the STEM Zone promo video shoot. We had such a great time at school on the weekend, in uniform, doing science experiments and becoming movie stars! We really appreciate your support and willingness to take part. 

All of the feedback I have received from students, parents and caregivers about the STEM specialist program at TPS has been wonderful and it gives me goosebumps to know how much the students are getting out of our lessons together. Feedback both positive and constructive is welcome and appreciated at any time. 

Mrs Bannister

Junior School Council

Next Friday 20th of June is our final Junior School Council Fundraiser for Term 2.

We are raising money for ‘Hero for Heartkids’, a non-profit organisation that raises money to support families during their hospital stays and while they are away from home. They help families with simple things like meals, accommodation, and more.

So, please join us next Friday in dressing up as a SUPERHERO and bringing a gold coin donation!

Reconciliation Week

During Reconciliation Week, students across the school were asked to think about the theme “Bridging Now to Next”. They engaged in meaningful discussions about why Reconciliation Week is important for Australia’s future, and together, came up with concrete examples of actions that they can do NOW, so they we improve the NEXT for our school, for our local community, and for Australia. We committed our ideas to paper and formed a ‘bridge’ that will help carry us from NOW to NEXT. The Year Ones presented their commitments at assembly, and it was a wonderful and appropriate reflection of the values of our school and our commitment to a reconciled Australia.

Mr Beamish

Indonesian Cultural Day Part 2!

A few more photos to share from the Indonesian Cultural Day!

Thanks again to Mrs Burns for organising such a special event for our students.

Artists of the Week

Breakfast Club

It has been wonderful to welcome students and families back to Breakfast Club this term!  We have had so many students visit us in the mornings for delicious toasties, cereals and milos to help kick start their learning day.  We are so thankful for the many generous food donations provided by the community and from our sponsors - Foodbank, IGA Trafalgar, Bakers Delight Mid Valley and Gracie’s Bakery.

Due to these donations, Breakfast Club continues to be able to support families through the provision of Care Packages.  We remind families that our Traf Pantry can be found in the Gym Foyer and continues to be stocked with many excellent products, available to anyone - and they’re free!  If you would like to receive a Care Package or know of a family who may benefit, feel free to drop into our School Office, see Mrs Burns or Mrs Marslen.

Donations of Jam and Milo needed, please!

Thank you again to all families who have generously donated tins of Milo to our Breakfast Club.  Any extra donations of Milo, as well as jam would be greatly appreciated to support our school community!  

Looking forward to seeing you for brekky this term!

Mrs Burns and Mrs Marslen

Breakfast Club Masterchefs