Specialists News

Auslan News

We could go on and on studying the structure and function of the human ear with the huge amount of interest and questions from students across all year levels over the past couple of Auslan sessions!! I have come to realise that the human ear is fascinating!! We will delve into how cochlea ear implants work very soon, as there is great interest in understanding this more, now that students have gained such a good understanding of how all the parts in our ears work together to allow us to hear sound!

Grade Preps have finished their topic on Auslan Colours. Check out some pictures below of the Preps using the Colour ribbons, singing and SIGNING: “I Can Sing a Rainbow” last week.

Grade Preps have now begun learning some new Auslan signs for some common fruits: apple, pineapple, tomato, apricot, lemon, orange, mango, watermelon, banana, grapes, avocado, coconut, pear, cherries, strawberries, peach, plum, and FRUIT SALAD! Preps will be learning fruits through the story of the Hungry Caterpillar.

** See if your child/ren can sign some of the fruits that they would like added to your family’s weekly grocery list?!! 😊

Grade 1-2s have had a busy week presenting their simple modelled greetings conversation with a partner. Many students stepped up with great confidence to sign to their peers and this made me feel very proud of them! It is very exciting to see students starting to use signs to convey meaning in Auslan. This will set us up with the confidence to be able to approach Deaf people when opportunities present, to try to sign with them! There are a few pictures below of some of the Grade 1-2s signing with their partners. 

Grade 1-2s are also learning some new Auslan signs for food & drinks: water, coffee, tea, milk, sugar, cake, biscuit, breakfast, lunch, dinner, fruit, drink and food/eat. Grade 1-2s will also be revising common fruit signs from last year within this topic.

Grade 3-4s are starting to learn medical signs to explain when you are feeling unwell: First Aid, help you, help me, health/healthy, sneeze, cough, fever/flu, sick, vomit, band-aid, pain/hurt, and better. They are presenting some of these signs in PowerPoints to allow their peers to practise the signs through their presentations.

Grade 5-6 students have started learning signs for clothing: hat, school uniform, t-shirt, shirt, jacket/coat, raincoat, scarf, gloves, jumper, dress, skirt, shorts, jeans, pyjamas, socks, and shoes. As this topic will involve a bit of revision from last year for the Grade 5s, students will be extended by learning to use clothing signs in sentences in a social context. 

Please encourage your child/ren to practise the signs they are learning as they go about their usual after school routines. Auslan is much easier to commit to memory with a little extra practise each day!

Mrs Riordan.

Sports News

National Ride to School Day – FRIDAY 22nd of March.

Friday the 22nd of March is National Ride2School. National Ride2School Day is Australia’s biggest celebration of active travel and one of the best days on the school calendar. It is a day where students, teachers and parents discover the joy of riding and kick-start healthy habits for the future.

Join more than 350,000 students across the nation who will ride, walk, scoot and skate to school.

Part Way is OK.

For those who live a long way from school – riding, walking or scooting part of the way is also ok. We have a number of excellent walking/riding tracks around the school that you can use that lead to our school crossing.

All students who ride/walk/scoot or skate will receive a sticker and there will be prizes for the class with the highest percentage of active travellers.

Due to the number of students riding to school on this day, there will be a space on the BOTTOM OVAL to place all bikes and scooters.

CROSS COUNTRY - MONDAY 25th March

Our School Cross Country will be held on MONDAY 25th of March, at the Spring Gully Recreational Reserve (based at the Soccer Fields).

The following is a timetable of events. Please note that these are APPROXIMATE times only. We will try to stick as closely to these times as we can, however, the program may run behind/ahead of time depending on the circumstances.

• 10:45 – 11.30 – Lunchtime          
• 11:30am– Students assembly and walk down to their starting positions. Grades 2 to 6 walk down to soccer fields. Assembly under Soccer Clubrooms veranda.
• 11:50am – Preps race starts (tennis courts to soccer fields). Approx. 500m
• 12.00pm - Grade 1 starts at Foley Crossing & run to the soccer oval – dirt track tennis court side Approx. 750m.
• 12.15pm – 11/12 years start at soccer oval - run to cricket oval and back to soccer fields (one big lap of the creek) Approx. 3km
• 12.20pm – Grade 2 start at the soccer fields. One lap – cut through, down to Stanley Ave via Retreat Rd side of the track. Approx. 1km
• 12:45pm – 9/10 years (grade 3&4) start at soccer fields and complete a lap of the creek turning at Foley Crossing and finish at soccer oval. Approx. 2km
• All runners finished by 1.15 to 1.30pm. Walk back to school.

All students from Prep to Grade 6 will be competing. Prep to Grade 2 students will compete in their grade level, whilst students from Grade 3 to 6 will compete in their age level. Ribbons and House points will be awarded to all students who complete the course. I encourage the children to wear comfortable clothing and appropriate footwear. Prep – 2 can run in House Colours. 

Students in 3-6 will be given a coloured vest to identify their AGE GROUP.

A spectator area near the finish line will be made available for those who wish to attend.

*Please note that permission for this event needs to be done online, via the Compass Parent Portal.

Congratulations Daphne!

A big congratulations to Daphne B for her recent success at the National Canoe (kayaking) Championships in Penrith and the Victorian Marathon Championships and School Championships in Nagambie. Daphne collected 2 gold and one silver medal in Penrith and 2 gold and 2 silver medals in Nagambie claiming the Victorian Champion for her women's under 12 marathon and mixed doubles sprint events. 

Well done Daphne on your fantastic efforts! 

Congratulations Max and Delainey!

On the 9th and 10th of March, two of our Grade 4 students competed at the Little Athletics Victoria State Track and Field Championships.

Max Harper competed in 4 events, the 70m, 100m, 200m and the 400m, while Delaney Galea competed in the 60m hurdles and the High jump.

Both students performed exceptionally well in the hot weather, with Max picking up 3 top 10 finishes including a 6th place in the 70m. Delaney also finished top 10 in her High jump event.

Well done to both Max and Delaney!