Learning and Teaching
Parents of LS2 Seniors - you are invited to an expo .....
CELEBRATING BOOK WEEK 2024 AT SFS
‘READING IS MAGIC’
At SFS, we love celebrating book week and this year was no different, despite having no power. The children looked amazing in their costumes and the teachers shone too! Thank you to all families for helping their children organise their costumes. Your efforts and support of this day are appreciated.
This year’s theme of ‘Reading is Magic’ celebrated the amazing power of books to transport readers to new worlds, spark their imaginations, and evoke a sense of wonder - a sentiment that we wholeheartedly agree with at St Francis de Sales.
On the day, children participated in a range of different activities and we also had Perform Education visit again this year to perform their book week play ‘Maybe a Miracle’, which was enjoyed by all. The takeaway from this year’s performance was a particularly special one – that every day we are surrounded by little miracles that we should be grateful for. Students also reflected on why Reading is magical to them and the important role it plays in their lives.
It was a great day and we look forward to once again celebrating Book Week next year. The theme for 2025 has just been announced and is ‘Book an Adventure’. There is no doubt that every book we read has the potential to leave a lasting impact on our lives. Books have the ability to make us feel and experience so many things. Through the telling of stories, we can experience big adventures, interesting characters and fantastical worlds that stretch our imagination and understanding.
So, with the holidays only a few weeks away – pick up a book, and let reading take you on a magical journey.
MATHEMATICS
MENTAL STRATEGIES – TERM 3 WEEK 7 & 8
Over the past two weeks children have been focusing on the following mental strategies at school. Keep up the great practice that is happening at home.
YEAR LEVEL
| STRATEGY and SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING AT HOME |
| Foundation | Partitions of 5 What are the different number combinations we can use to make 5? 4+1. 1+4, 3+2, 2+3
|
| Year 1 | Partition division – with materials. This strategy is more commonly referred to as sharing and requires children to divide an amount into the same number of groups. E.g. 28 people divided into 7 cars when travelling to a wedding.
You can practice this strategy when sharing out everyday items at home like food, lollies or even cards between a certain number of people or plates.
|
| Year 2 | Fact families up to 20- Explore the related addition and subtraction facts made from the same numbers in the range 0-20. Fore example: for the numbers 7, 8, and 15, the addition/subtraction fact family consists of 7 + 8 = 15, 8 + 7 = 15, 15 - 8 = 7, 15 - 7 = 8.
|
| Year 3 | Subtraction without regrouping Children use the jump and/or split strategies to solve subtraction equations mentally. They use their knowledge of partitioning numbers (breaking them up) to make subtraction easier.
|
| Year 4 & 5 | Compensation Compensation is a strategy in mental math in which you can change one addend to a multiple of 10 and then adjust the other addend to maintain the balance. For example, in 33 + 12 = ?, if you add 10 in 33, it will become 33 + 10 = 43.
|
| Year 6 | Distributive property – Division without materials We can divide larger numbers using the distributive property by breaking those numbers into smaller factors.
|
Joanna Forbes
Learning and Teaching
jforbes@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au
P. E. NEWS
GRADE 5/6 SPORT
The Grade 5/6 students demonstrated attentive listening during their recent training session in anticipation of the Lightning Premiership. The teachers provided active support to enhance the students' development in their sport and addressed any questions they had. Wishing them the best of luck in the Lightning Premiership on Wednesday, September 11th.
GRADE 3/4’s SPORT
The students consistently demonstrate excellent listening skills and a strong motivation during their sports rotations. Their enthusiasm has positively impacted both their peers and us as coaches.
WINTER LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP (GRADE 5/6)
WEDNESDAY 11TH OF SEPTEMBER
Basketball (Progresses to Divisional) – Casey Stadium
Tennis (Progresses to Divisional) – Casey Fields Primary School
European Handball (No Progression) – Melbourne City soccer Pitches
AFL (No Progression) – Livingstone Reserve
Kickball (No Progression) – Livingstone Reserve
DIVISIONAL ATHLETICS TRAINING
Wednesday 18th of September
Casey Athletics Track, Cranbourne
The students who have advanced to Divisional Athletics are currently training on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We have initiated Interval Training, complemented by a long run for warm-up purposes.
The students are diligently focusing on proper techniques and observing athletes through computer analysis to ensure continuous improvement. They are actively providing feedback, encouragement, and motivation to one another, striving to maximize their physical potential. The students are demonstrating commendable leadership qualities and a strong desire to enhance their performance, whether through achieving better times or increasing their distances.
Lulli Barbakos
Physical Education Teacher
lbarbakos@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au
EXTRA CURRICULA ACTIVITIES
JUNIOR SPORTS
SPORTING SCHOOLS – VOLLEYBALL CLINICS
This week was the third volleyball clinic for LS2. There were no clinics on Monday due to Book Week Celebrations. Boma from DS Sports came to SFS to run the clinics. The students had a great time. They have been exposed to a new sport, learning basic skills in volleyball such as volleying and setting. We hope that perhaps there may be some students that enjoy volleyball and would like to continue it after school as part of a club.
Please ensure your child is wearing their sports uniform and brings their drink bottle on the following days:
Week 9
Monday September 9th LS1 & LS3
Friday September 13th LS2 & LS3 RI
Please note LS3 RI will have volleyball clinics on Monday and Friday this coming week as they did not have a clinic today. This will be the last volleyball clinic for the Juniors.
RSPCA INCURSION
We have been offered a great opportunity for an extra curricula activity through the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Outreach Program. RSPCA Educators will be visiting our school to provide a lesson for our Juniors on Wednesday September 18th.
Their experienced teachers will bring fun and informative lessons addressing pet care responsibilities and the role of the RSPCA. The aims of the program are to:
- Find out what the RSPCA is and how it helps animals.
- Identify and discuss the needs of different pets for survival.
- Discover that humans also have basic needs and then compare these to a pet’s needs, identifying the similarities and differences.
- Explore feelings of animals and how they compare to our own.
- Learn about the responsibilities of having a pet.
- Explore the roles pets play in our families and lives.
Students will be involved in a 60 minute lesson where they will complete a variety of activities. They may get the opportunity to meet and interact with an RSPCA Education Dog, play the ‘What pets need’ interactive game and learn the ‘Pet Needs’ song.
Please acknowledge this notification on Operoo prior to the event.
WHOLE SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS
SFS HOUSE OLYMPICS
What a great time our staff and students are having competing in our own Olympics! Each LS Juniors and Seniors are going out and competing in various novelty events in their Houses. Points are being given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. There won’t be any more updates of points. If you want to know the winning House you will need to join us at the Closing Ceremony!
Please come and join us in our Olympic Closing Ceremony on Monday 9th September at 9.00 am where we will announce the Houses in 1st, 2nd, 3rd in each Learning Space and finally the House that is 1st in the overall school competition.
SWIMMING
Thank you to all the parents who have completed the swimming Operoo form. If your child is unable to swim due to a medical condition, a Medical Certificate is required otherwise you will still be required to pay the swimming levy. Please hand in your medical certificate to your child’s Hone Group teacher as soon as possible. All swimming ability forms should have been completed by now and handed to the Home Group teacher. These will now be passed onto the pool so that students can be placed into their initial groups. Students will be further assessed in their first swimming lesson.
Parent who have volunteered to assist the juniors, I will be checking that your Working with Children Check is current and registered with the school office. I will then be in contact with you prior to swimming beginning.
Swimming timetables have been uploaded onto the Operoo permission form as an attachment. Please print it off and ensure you have it available at home. Parents please note you are welcome to attend Casey Race to view your child’s lesson but photographs and videos are not allowed and only parents who have been contacted by me will be able to assist in the junior change rooms.
A reminder to parents that swimming is an important part of the PE curriculum and all students are expected to attend. It’s imperative that students know how to keep themselves safe around water. If there is a medical reason your child cannot attend, you will need to provide a medical certificate for your child to be exempt. They will then remain at school in another Learning Space.
FOOTY FUN DAY
As is the tradition, Footy Fun Day will be held on the last day of term. We encourage students and staff to come dressed in their footy clothes or footy team colours. P&F will be organising a footy fun day lunch which will include sausage in bread, Krispy Kream donut and drink. Further information will be provided shortly.
We are also looking for any enthusiastic footy parents to come and join us in the annual teacher vs Gr 6 match at 10.20 am on the day. Remember you must have a current Working with Children Check registered at the office to join us. If you are interested, please email me at the email address below.
Parents we ask you to please acknowledge the Operoo form posted for Footy Fun Day. An approximate timetable for the day can also be found on the Operoo note. A reminder that we will finish at 1.00 pm on the day for the end of term.
FOOTY FUN DAY
WHEN: Friday September 20, 2024
WHERE: SFS
Wear: Your footy team colours, sports tops and runners so you can do the sporting activities comfortably.
Timetable:
8.50 - 10.15 Senior House Footy Matches
10.20 - 10.45 Teacher/Parent vs Gr 6 Footy Match
10.45 - 11.10 P&F Footy Day Fun Lunch
11.10 - 11.30 First Lunch Break
11.35 - 12.45 Junior Footy Rotations
1.00 - Dismissal
Giuliana
Sports Coordinator