Deputy Principal's Report
Hello!
A big thank you to all our Year 3 and 5 families for the support you have given your child/ren throughout the NAPLAN testing period. You encouragement at home has helped our students feel confident and prepared. Huge shoutout to our Year 3 teachers, Sarah Daly and Annalisa Gourley, our Year 5 teachers, Niamh Lennon and Shannon Bourke and Callum Mills our Learning and Teaching Leader who ensured the process was calm and ran smoothly for all staff and students. We are very grateful for the team work that went into creating a positive experience for everyone.
This week, I (Laura) had the pleasure to teach Prep A one morning. It was fantastic to see the students practicing their subitising skills, where they worked on recognising the quantity shown on a dice without counting one by one. They enjoyed filling the spots on different drawings to match the number they saw. It was lovely to see their enthusiasm for learning and the way they supported one another during this hands on learning experience.
Specialist Lessons at St. Finbar's - Performing Arts
We are so lucky to have a fantastic specialist program at St. Finbar's where we our students can explore, learn and grow through Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Physical Education and Italian. Each fortnight we look forward to sharing a glimpse into different areas of our specialist program.
Here is a snapshot of what our wonderful Year 3's have been up to with Miss Kay in Performing Arts
- Year 3 Drama
In Performing Arts, our Year 3 students began exploring how to build tension in drama using their facial expressions and body language. When they arrived, something very curious had happened… a mysterious package had been left in the Performing Arts room!
What could be inside? Something amazing? Or something dangerous?
One by one, students had to slowly creep up to the box and carefully peek inside, showing hesitation, curiosity and fear through their acting skills. We focused on using big facial expressions, careful movements and tense body shapes to build suspense for the audience. The tension was building…everyone was wondering what could possibly be inside…
Luckily, when we finally opened it, it was only a cute fidget toy!
Attention Difficulties in the Classroom
ADHD seems to continue to be a buzzword lately and whatever your belief on this is, it is important that we get the right information before we enact any plans. There are a lot of beliefs out there and products claiming to be the solution for all the problems in the world. Some studies have explored how some supplements are specifically targeted at attention difficulties.
An article found on Kantoko.com.au provides insight into supplements that can support sttention difficulties. Below is a summary, but you can access the full article here. Please always seek advice from a health professional before making any decisions based on this information.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
Peggy McDonald & Laura Zeeng