Pilgrim School Newsletter

Student Learning

F/1L Class News 

Our class recently enjoyed sharing Worship with the school. The students choreographed the dance themselves with some help from Mrs Loffler to put it all together. 

We have been fortunate to purchase some new Beebots, thanks to P&F, and have enjoyed using these to support our learning with both the topic of Location in Maths and to develop our coding skills.

Each week in Art, we developed a piece of work represented in the illustrations of one of the Children’s Book Council shortlisted books for this year. We experimented with water colour pencil and chalk pastels to produce some great artistic effects.

The students really enjoyed sharing our learning at this week’s Learning Journeys, including our iUnit projects that we have been working hard to build. Foundation students have been building a zoo enclosure to show their understanding of what an animal needs. Year 1 students have been creating an indigenous season calendar to represent the foods and observations of each of the seasons.

Caring for Living Things

It has become a welcome tradition in the Early Years program to welcome the Henny Penny Hatching Program to Pilgrim School each year. The whole school shares in the joy of watching the eggs hatch through the Tween Room window and the news spreads across the school at the arrival of each little chick. The excitement of 'it's got a crack!' never dulls, no matter how many times we've experienced it.

 

The chicks are an important addition to our learning program, support our Foundation iUnit on Caring for Living Things, and have been integrated into our other curriculum areas. It was certainly an inspiring topic for our students creating a sizzling start in their recount writing, with sentences such as:

 

'Oh no, what if it doesn't hatch?'

'The chicks are the best'

'Wow, they are so fluffy'.

 

We look forward to hearing the stories about the growing chicks for those who took them home.

 

Megan Loffler

Foundation/Year 1 Class Teacher

ICAS Competition Results 

International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) are conducted by the University of NSW. This year some of our Year 2 - 6 Pilgrim students chose to enter the ICAS Digital Technologies and English Competitions. 

 

Congratulations to the following students who excelled and received certificates at Worship:

 

 Digital Technologies  

  • Distinction: Arjuna, Josiah R
  • Credit: Isaac, Aria
  • Merit: Jessamyn, Malachi, Ethan S, Aiden, Caitlyn, Aston

English

  • Distinction: Jessamyn, Benji, Johnny, Leopold
  • Credit: Cathryn, Bochen, Amber, Anni, Rafiki, Arjuna, Aria, Caitlyn
  • Merit: Malachi, Aston.

Bebras Australia Competition Results

A number of our students from Year 3 to Year 6 participated in the second round of the CSIRO Bebras Challenge in Week 2, Term 2. This is a national online competition that engages students' computational thinking and problem solving skills in a fun, interactive environment. Students complete the challenge either individually or in teams of up to four. Over 27,000 students participated across Australia this time. We had excellent results as you can see! Congratulations to the following students:

  • High Distinction: Benji, Mairik, Ned, Jacob E, Isaac, Johnny, Malachi, Ethan S, Asthon, Aston, Matti, Caleb
  • Distinction: Arjuna, Josiah R, Danny, Susan, Katie
  • Credit: Aiden, Danni, Jaxon, Zoe, Josiah Z
  • Merit: Grace L, Coco, Rafiki, Aliyah, Acacia, Ariella, Lana, Zoe.

Choir Performance at Resthaven

On Monday 18th September, the Pilgrim Choir walked to Resthaven Aberfoyle Park and delighted the residents with their performance of four songs. The choir sang beautifully and it was wonderful to see the joy on the residents' faces as they listened to the singing. Congratulations to all the choir members on a beautiful performance.

 

Kate Tretheway

Indonesian & F/1L Class Teacher

Zoo Snooze

An eerie stillness settled over the group as they stared intently into the thickening gloom. From the darkness ahead, they were met with the deep, guttural rumble of a hungry predator, and they knew it was only metres away on the other side of the bushes! Would any of them survive to see the dawn and be reunited with their parents?

 

Of course, because these brave young explorers were fully immersed in one of the many highlights of the Year 3 Zoo Snooze at the Adelaide Zoo! 

 

The weather cleared up in time for a beautiful day that began with lunch on the lawn and free play on the incredible nature playground. Students formed into groups and then set off with their leaders for a few hours of getting up close with many animals that they have been learning about in Indonesian and iUnit research. One of the really exciting moments was when the loudspeakers announced that everyone needed to leave as the gates were closing for the day! 

 

After a delicious dinner under a setting sun, we rugged up and set off into the night to meet some of the nocturnal animals as they began to wake up. 

 

During the night we could hear the maned wolf calling and were woken to birdsong and emerging daytime animals during breakfast.

 

Weary from a morning walk and full of rich memories from our visit, we headed to 'Bounce' for a session of fun and energy before sharing lunch and returning to school for some quiet games, relaxing, reading, drawing and chatting about the events of the last two days. 

 

For many students, this was their first experience away from home overnight, and the whole of Year 3 were commended by the Zoo guide and others for the way they represented Pilgrim School to the public. A very big thank you to Diverse Learning Coordinator, Yiota Chesterfield and parent volunteers Emma E and Yashmeet S for joining us.

 

Andrew Harris & Libby Spencer

Year 3/4 Class Teachers

 

Learning Journeys

Learning Journeys has been a wonderful celebration for the end of Term 3. Students enjoyed sharing their learning with their families and showcasing some of the pieces they have completed this term. It has been a busy term with camps, excursions, Book Week celebrations and parades, Science Week and of course, lots of new learning. We loved sharing many different learning areas from Mathematics, English, Indonesian, Digital Technologies, Visual Art and our iUnits.

 

We hope families enjoyed coming through to celebrate with their children too.

 

Lisa Newbury

Early Years Coordinator

Year 4 to 6 Growth and Development Sessions

Kidz Biz Education are running Growth and Development sessions with our Year 4 to 6 students next term as part of the Health curriculum. The dates and topics are listed below. Class teachers will provide a summary of each session for your information. You might like to use the summary to facilitate discussions with your child about the content covered.

 

Topics and Dates:

 

Year 4 - Tuesday 17th October, Week 1

  • The amazing human body
  • Basic reproductive system
  • Conception
  • Puberty

Year 5 - Tuesday 17th & 24th October, Weeks 1 & 2

  • The amazing human body
  • Basic reproductive system
  • Puberty
  • Personal and cyber safety

Year 6 - Tuesday 17th & 24th October, Weeks 1 & 2

  • Reproductive system
  • Conception to birth
  • Puberty – physical, social and emotional changes 
  • Personal and cyber safety