Literacy

Library in the Autumn 

Our school Library is a beautiful place to be during these Autumn days. It is like being in a tree house and the changing colours of the leaves give the Library an even brighter glow. Here are our Prep and Year 6 students enjoying time in the Library. Thanks to Mrs Rozario who maintains our Library making it a pleasure to visit each week! 

✍️ Celebrating Our Year 5 and 6 Writers: What Matters? Writing Competition

We are incredibly proud of our Year 5 and 6 students who recently participated in the What Matters? writing competition, a national initiative run by the Whitlam Institute. This inspiring opportunity invited students from Years 5 to 12 across Australia to respond to the simple yet powerful question: What matters? With over 6,500 entries submitted nationwide, our students' thoughtful and creative pieces are now with the judges.

The competition, inspired by Gough Whitlam’s commitment to involving young people in shaping Australia's future, encouraged students to explore and express the issues they care about most. Entries could take the form of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or prose, with a word limit of 600 words.

For our students, this was not only a chance to extend their writing skills but also an opportunity to deepen their understanding of their Civics and Citizenship studies. They reflected on real-world issues, ranging from education and fairness to kindness, resilience, and inclusion, using their writing to engage with the world around them in a meaningful way.

It was wonderful to see our students embracing the chance to make their voices heard, and we are proud of the maturity, creativity, and thoughtfulness shown in their work.

We are currently awaiting the results of the judging process, and we wish all of our participating students the very best. No matter the outcome, their contributions have already made a powerful statement: their voices matter.

We would love to share a sample of some of the students’ pieces with you as a way to celebrate their efforts and ideas.

Grace Colliver - ‘We are One’

To me, social cohesion looks like everyone being kind to each other. Making peace and settling. I wish that all Australians showed pride in their country. Social cohesion is a great way to attract immigrants to move to Australia and provides potential for the country. I think it's important that Australians create better bonds between one another and create a better Australia.

Harper Connellan - ‘A Right to an Education’

Just because you aren't as fortunate as others or you live in a less fortunate country that shouldn't mean you don't deserve an education. Right now it does, which is unfair and unjust. I think everyone deserves the right to an education no matter where they live. Also some countries have a better education system than others. I think that the Australian government and other well educated governments from all around the world should send special teachers to teach and assist teachers in other countries, especially in less fortunate ones with only a handful of teachers. That would improve the academic achievements of countries. It would be a heroic act to get schools in less fortunate countries back on track.   

Matilda Stubbs - ‘Finding Help’

Another way for children to find help is by going on to the kids helpline which is completely anonymous, which is great for children.

As I said previously, people need help. To get their lives back on track, to get food. But before that happens people  need money. If you feel the obligation to help, I have listed some charities that help with this below.  Some charities that you can donate to to help these people are White Ribbon Australia, ACCCE and the Blue Knot Foundation.

Lincoln Meseha - Sustainability

Firstly, the government will spend less money on putting the rubbish in the tip. Did you know that the government spends 3.5 BILLION dollars on rubbish every year!!! I know it's crazy right. If a rubbish limit is introduced then that money will be used for other projects like new schools, roads, sporting facilities and much more. A fine would also be introduced that could also go to those things.

Evelyn Roberts-Critchley - Mental Health

Mental health in Australia is getting worse at an alarming rate. Across Australia, more than 2 million Australians are in need of mental health care but aren't receiving it. For every person receiving mental health treatment, at least one person is going without. This isn’t just an inconvenience either; it’s a national crisis. Mental health in Australia isn’t nearly recognised enough, and in the next few paragraphs I’m going to tell you what mental health is, why it even matters, and finally, what we can do to recognise this issue more.

James Reynolds - Unfair Laws and Policies

Some of these laws and policies agree to rather unfair standards for citizens and immigrants.

During the history of western society there have been policies that promote racist or prejudiced ideas such as the White Australia policy and policies in America that were against the African American people.

Even in some countries today many people still experience this.

In some third world countries many people are working hours that would go against many western laws today.

Children and adults may even work the same hours or longer than the average man or woman would do today.

And most or even all of this work is laborious and hard and imagine if someone from the age of 6 to 17 is doing this daily and in horrible and inhumane conditions.

Rachel Gray

Literacy Leader