SMPS Family iNewsletter

Class Celebrations

Celebrating the growth in our wonderful children on each learning level...

Prep

We would like to congratulate our youngest students on completing their first few weeks of school! The preps have been busy participating in our ‘Learning to Learn’ phase where they learn all about our Big 10 Essential Habits and practise essential school routines such as lining up, sitting on the carpet and using the stairs safely. It has been wonderful to see the students engage with this learning with such excitement and eagerness. 

 

We have even been fortunate enough to have a visit from Mr Messy, who has taught us about the importance of Big 10 number 6 ‘Keep personal workspaces tidy and organised’ as well as enjoying the Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister which taught the students about how to be a kind and caring friend who shares with others. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

 

We can listen in assembly
We are learning about phonics!
We can go up the stairs safely
We can sit on the carpet
We can sit down for home time
We can line up!
We can share with others
We can remain SET
We can use time effectively
We can listen in assembly
We are learning about phonics!
We can go up the stairs safely
We can sit on the carpet
We can sit down for home time
We can line up!
We can share with others
We can remain SET
We can use time effectively

Grade 1

It has been a fantastic, calm start to the year in Grade 1. We are very proud of how the students have quickly learned to come inside by themselves all the way to level 4! Grade 1 spent the first couple of week learning about the Big 10 so they could do their best learning. This week, Grade 1 have been learning to write sentences with capital letters and full stops, choose Just Right Books in Reading and learning about place value in Maths. In Inquiry, the students have also been learning about people in our community who help us, for example firefighters, paramedics and police officers. Please see some photos below of our children learning.

 

We have been writing about what we see in the community. This is Trisha's writing from 1B.
We smile and use our manners.
We smile and use our manners.
We use our time effectively.
We are choosing Just Right Books.
We can read independently.
We smile and use our manners.
We walk up the stairs quietly.
We have been writing about what we see in the community. This is Trisha's writing from 1B.
We smile and use our manners.
We smile and use our manners.
We use our time effectively.
We are choosing Just Right Books.
We can read independently.
We smile and use our manners.
We walk up the stairs quietly.

Grade 2

The Grade 2s have been enthusiastically setting up their own classroom library! Students have been sorting and grouping books so that the libraries are organised and easy to use. Students have been revisited the different purposes for reading and began to categorize the books based on whether they are fiction or non-fiction, have similar themes and ideas, grouping series and their favourite authors.  

 

We have all loved spending time looking through the fabulous books that available in the Grade 2 libraries!

Grade 3/4

Grade 3/4 have been having so much fun getting back into learning. We have been resilient after coming back from the snap-lockdown.

We’ve been working hard to read within our Accelerated Reader Range, take our reading quizzes, and show our best learning in the NAPLAN pre-tests. 

After all that hard-work we got to experience our very first Funky Friday. We worked on team-building and getting to know students from other classes. We can’t wait to see what Week 6 brings! The teachers are very much looking forward to chatting with all the parents at the Getting-to-Know-Your-Child Chats. 

Grade 5 and 6

Well done to Grade 5 who have been working hard on their mock NAPLAN pre-tests. Students completed Reading, Numeracy and Language Conventions papers. The results were shared with them so that they could set goals for improvement in time for the real NAPLAN assessments in May. Grade 5 also began work on a narrative Writing unit to set them up for success. 

 

The Grade 5s are ready to do their best and have some fun. We wish them the best of luck.

Harsh and Cohen trying their best.
Reefand and Chris concentrating hard.
Hayden and Jules focussing on the task.
Harsh and Cohen trying their best.
Reefand and Chris concentrating hard.
Hayden and Jules focussing on the task.

 

The students in Grade 6 have been working so hard to create a descriptive text, considering how to help their reader imagine the story through their vocabulary choices. They used our class novel as inspiration, where two friends had just been separated after one of them moved away.  Here is an example by Deon, who did an amazing job at using similes to create an image in his reader’s mind. 

 

As the sour red sky faded like Bod and Scarlett’s friendship, the trees in the crumbled graveyard cried green tears. The wind broke the tree branches like Bod’s heart. The blood moon was rising like Bod’s temper. Bod’s crumpled face then turned into wet disappointment. The blond-haired boy’s emotions were spilling out like his tears. 

By Deon Quigg in Grade 6. 

 

JUNIOR SCHOOL COUNCIL (JSC)

The Junior School Council is a student group that aims to understand the issues impacting on the students around the school, to problem solve solutions and act on them to improve the school. 

 

The Junior School Council is made up of a representative from each class Years 3-6. The leaders are the School Captains that were appointed as part of the school leadership program.  They work with the Student Voice Leader (Mr Cam) to coordinate and conduct meetings and lead the Junior School Council as they work through issues and fundraising that they are working on. 

 

Each class has 2 JSC members. One appointed by staff and the other elected by their classmates. They will represent their class for 2 terms (one Semester). There may be a possibility that JSC representatives could re-join the JSC in Term 4 if they display exceptional ability to make valuable contributions to the group.

 

The JSC will meet twice a term on Tuesday afternoons in Session 5. The Junior School Council classroom representatives brainstorm what they see as important issues in the school that affect them and discuss these issues at JSC meetings. Mr Cam collaborates with the School Captains to coordinate these meetings and assist the students to take action and contribute new ideas to improve or keep the school safe and fun for all students. Some issues may need to be taken to the School Council. The School Captains will represent the JSC at these times.