Auslan News

Errol St Campus

From Simone McGenniskin, Senior School Auslan teacher

A change of scene

The summer holidays have come to an end, and we are back and giddy with excitement as most students have a new Auslan teacher! Caen and Simone have done a big campus swap this year, so we now have Caen teaching P-2 at Molesworth Street and Simone teaching 3-6 at Errol Street. 

The students have shown enormous enthusiasm at Errol St as they delve into the unknown, excited by the new resources, songs and games. There has been a strong focus on expectations and class routines as Simone gets to know each student's name and learning style. 

So far, they have learnt the AEIOU vowel song, played the “do not peek” game (where students must recall Zoo Animals signs from last year to guess which animal is hidden inside a special box), and some classes enjoyed a game of Auslan musical statues (where students freeze when the song is paused and they have 5 seconds to sign the flashcard word or they’re out for 1 round). 

Year 3 students who are very familiar with Simone’s teaching style reviewed a myriad of songs from last year, making requests and performing these fast ‘finger-twisters’ (the equivalent of tongue-twisters?) with ease and speed. An impressive feat after 6-7 weeks without classes. 

How can I help? 

New students can practice their Auslan alphabet with this video to help them quickly catch up with the rest of the class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV1KfQlRAds

Year 3 parents, please ask your child to show you one of these songs! 

• The fruit song
• The Occupation song
• The Good Morning Song
• The AEIOU song

Year 4-6 parents, please ask your child how they went reviewing Zoo Animal signs and see if they can teach you a couple to keep their memory jogged and fresh. If they’re feeling brave, they might show you the new vowel song (image below).