The Anchor

Primary School

South West Primary School Sports Association Cross Country Event 

This year, our trip to Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School (BCGS) was back on the calendar. Having participated in this event four times previously, it was fantastic to be back on the road for such a valuable experience for our students.

 

BCGS hosted 15 schools from surrounding areas, with some travelling from as far as Busselton and Dunsborough. With up to 75 competitors in each race, the event provided a significant learning opportunity, featuring a new course and intense competition.

 

Unlike other carnivals, this event does not award a Champion School. Instead, certificates were presented to the top ten finishers in each race. The South West Association runs its carnivals as participation-focused events, with no accumulation of points for schools.

The run itself was only part of the experience. Students enjoyed a lively (and very loud!) bus journey, shared dinner and breakfast with BCGS boarders in the school canteen, watched a movie and had a truly unique overnight stay − an adventure in itself.

 

On race day, there were plenty of nerves, but every student tackled their run with determination. The course was challenging, with plenty of bush trails and water crossings, making for a memorable experience. Our students achieved some outstanding results, with Rosie Mitrovski (Year Three) taking out 1st place − the first time our school has secured a win at this event since we began attending.

 

A big thank you to the staff who attended and supported our students, and to our parents for their ongoing encouragement and support of this event.

 

Results

  • Year Three Girls - Rosie Mitrovski 1st, Saakhi Mann 3rd 

  • Year Three Boys - Hamish Field 29th, George Owenell 52nd

     

  • Year Four Girls - Annabelle Brennan 44th, Hannah Fergie 47th

  • Year Four Boys - Mason Fourie 4th, Sascha Sitnikoski 66th 

     

  • Year Five Girls - Sophie Mitrovski 4th, Appin Rivers 18th, Laily Wrobel 27th

  • Year Five Boys - Brock Nelson 13th, Archie Low 29th, Tate Eckersley 55th

     

  • Year Six Girls - Leah Watkins 51st, Maddy Hull 69th

  • Year Six Boys - Harry Tidbury 11th, Jai West 27th 

 

Mr Stephen Berryman | Primary School Sports Coordinator

Classroom News

We hope you enjoy reading about the classroom news from each week of the term in our Early Childhood and Primary School classes. 

 

Kindergarten

This week in Kindergarten, we were so lucky to have Luka’s mum, Bea, come and share her marine science expertise with us! We had so many activities to participate in. Some of these included looking at a saw fish ‘nose’, a turtle shell, a huge crab shell, a sea dragon, a star fish, a sea urchin and amazing shells. We also got to look at some live animals such as a crab, tiny hermit crabs and a prawn. Using the microscopes to view things from under the sea was super cool! We had the best incursion. Thanks so much, Bea! 

 

Pre-Primary

In Mathematics this week, we have begun to investigate number operations. We started by thinking about what it means to add more to a group of objects. We learned that ‘+’ is the sign for addition and that when we see this sign, we are making the group of objects bigger. We also learned about the equals sign. We enjoyed playing addition games such as ‘Frog Party’ and using tens frames to make Friends of Ten. Did you know that 100 + 8 = 108? We do because that is how many days we have been in Pre-Primary!

 

Year One

Over the past two weeks, Year One has been busy exploring place value and addition through a variety of hands-on experiences. (Can you amalgamate playdough and Mathematics? You bet!) It has been fantastic to see students confidently applying their knowledge in their books as they transition into more abstract learning. We are keeping this momentum as we now explore subtraction. In English, our recounts are progressing well, and we have been experimenting with various sentence types to enhance our narrative writing. Geography has sparked wonderful discussions about our place in the world, and students have created thoughtful paper chains demonstrating this (which are now on display in our classroom!). In Health, we have been learning about online safety and are designing eye-catching posters to share our messages. We are all very excited to welcome Mrs Gouldthorp back on Thursday and hope she has had a magical time away!

 

Year Two

This week, we have further investigated significant people and places in Australia. We have watched videos, researched on the internet and read books to find information on the Sydney Opera House and Cathy Freeman. Researching these people/places has given us a good insight into how life has changed over time. In Health, we have begun looking into emergencies and what we should do if we come across one. We have been enjoying using the 000 Kids Challenge app, which gives us some great scenarios about things that may require the assistance of the police, fire brigade or ambulance. The students now know what to do when they need to call 000 and had fun role-playing this scenario.

 

Year Three

Year Three has been alive this week. Each of our delegates to the South West Interschool Cross Country competition ran as fast as a leopard. We have reproduced 3D shapes by connecting 2D shapes into nets. We have used our keen sense of sight to observe the different shapes that can be found in national flags. We have grown our muscles while practising for the plank competition. We have created carbon dioxide while discussing chlorophyll and the process of photosynthesis. While learning about paragraphs, we cut out useful sentences from paper and discarded the parts we didn’t need. Finally, we ate delicious birthday cupcakes to give ourselves afternoon energy. According to Mrs Gren, our class is fully alive. https://hail.to/cheviot-area-school/article/GxemglT 

 

Year Four

Year Four has been excited to have Moses (a six-year-old French bulldog) join us on a Friday as our class wellness dog. He is also loving being in Year Four with endless pats, cuddles and fussing and more walks than his little legs can keep up with! We have been learning about keeping ourselves safe online and the do's and don’ts when using online platforms. Families are encouraged to use the site Parents | eSafety Commissioner. We have been accessing aspects of this from the Kids and Educator sections. 

 

Year Five

This week we have continued to explore the skies and our vast solar system – learning about the various moons of Jupiter and Saturn. In Mathematics, we have spent a lot of time working on budgets for our Market Day stall at the end of term. Excitement is starting to build and the students are beginning to understand the importance of planning and spending their money wisely. 

 

Year Six

In Science, Year Six students are investigating the world of biological sciences, with a focus on how plants, fungi and mould grow and what they need to survive. This week, we set up our plant growth experiments in class! Students were allowed to choose and change one variable in their experiment; some opted to alter the amount of light or temperature, while others tested different water types or sources of sustenance, such as fertiliser or compost. We are excited to observe the changes over time and will be sharing an update on our plant progress in the coming weeks!

 

Languages

From name games to deep reflections, it has been a cultural adventure in Languages class! Our ECC students have been globe-trotting through first names from around the world and giggling their way through the game Find Your Name Twin, all while practising how to ask ‘What’s your name?’ en français, of course! Middle primary students have been exploring a different language lens, asking ‘Why should we learn AUSLAN?’ and thinking deeply about communication. Meanwhile, our upper primary students are wrapping up their inquiry L’image du Français, reflecting on what they have discovered about the French-speaking world. Along the way, there has been plenty of curiosity, conversation and a dash of creativity in every class. C’est magnifique!

 

ECC Briefing 

The following superstars have worked exceptionally well and received a Star Award for their outstanding efforts. 

 

Kindergarten H: William Marsh

Kindergarten M: Alby Sedunary

Pre-Primary: Roy Donaldson

Year One: Hargun Chahal

Year Two: Jaxon Theodorou

 

The following students have stood out for their ability to show courage.

Kindergarten H: Eddie MacTaggart

Kindergarten M: Harper Thorn

Pre-Primary: Alfie Owenell

Year One: Soraya Leslie

Year Two: Amaia Scott

 

Congratulations to the ECC students who recently completed this year’s Hook into Hockey programme. 

 

Year Three to Six Compassion Awards

Year Three: Dane Pyle

Year Four: Sascha Sitnikoski 

Year Five: Leah Scott and Charlotte Owenell 

Year Six: William Irving and Edith Newman

 

NAIDOC Week House Activities

The Primary School came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week in our Houses. It was lovely to see students from Pre-Primary to Year Six working on craft activities to signify this important week and support them in understanding its value. GSG is proud to have the opportunity to educate our students on this beautiful campus in Menang Country. Students made yarning sticks, designed Marngrook round AFL shirts, made chatter boxes to learn Indigenous numbers and symbols, and drew pictures using charcoal. 

Upcoming Events

Term Three - Week Three

  • Thursday 7 August, Denmark Roadshow, Boston Brewery, 5.00pm to 7.00pm
  • Friday 8 August, Music and Leaders’ Assembly, all welcome to attend in the Hall at 9.00am 

Week Four

  • Tuesday 12 August, Year Three to Six Movie Night Fundraiser, in the Hall, 3.20pm to 6.00pm
  • Wednesday 13 August, Year Two Magical Mystery History Tour, 9.00am to 2.45pm
  • Thursday 14 August, Pre-Primary Discovery Bay Excursion, 9.00am to 2:00pm
  • Friday 15 August, Principal's Coffee Morning, Dylans on the Terrace, 10.30am
  • Friday 15 August, Chapel Year Six L, all welcome to attend in the Hall at 9.00am

Week Five 

  • Tuesday 19 August, Primary School Book Week Dress-up and Parade, Multi-Purpose Sport Complex, 9.00am to 9.30am
  • Thursday 21 August, Year Five and Six Dockers Shield Boys Carnival, Centennial Park, 9.00am to 2.30pm
  • Friday 22 August, Assembly Year Five F, all welcome to attend in the Hall at 9.00am

Have a wonderful weekend,

Ms Leah Field | Head of Primary and

Mrs Hayley Ranger | Head of Early Childhood