COLOUR RUN - Friday 8th of March 2:00pm

We're thrilled to announce that our much anticipated Colour Run Fundraising Event is just around the corner, and this year, it promises to be even bigger and better than before! Thanks to the generous support of Parents and Friends Group, our event is set to be an extravaganza of colour and excitement. Picture running through huge inflatables, dancing under tear drop flags, and enjoying the beats of a curated Spotify playlist with our fantastic music and speakers setup.

But that's not all – we're turning up the fun with a surprise appearance by Monty the MonSTAR, who will spread joy throughout the event. Our local Country Fire Authority (CFA) will be joining the festivities, spraying participants with water to ensure those vibrant colours stick and creating an exhilarating experience for everyone. The course will be filled with exciting obstacles, making the Colour Run not just a run but an adventure filled with laughter and colourful surprises.

Ever dreamt of sliming your teachers? Now's your chance! Our highest fundraising student will have the honour of tipping a bucket of slime over Mr Jagoe and Miss Sutherland. Plus, students raising over $100 will enter a draw for the chance to slime a teacher of their choice.

We can't wait to make this event a memorable and vibrant experience for everyone involved. Last year, our Colour Run was a tremendous success, raising over $26,000! This year, we're aiming to surpass that amount. Every dollar raised goes directly back to our students, ensuring their learning environment is exciting and conducive to their learning.

Mark your calendars for Friday 8th of March 2:00pm and get ready to run, laugh, and make lasting memories at our Colour Run Fundraising Event! Your participation and support make a significant impact on the experiences we can provide for our students.

How Do We Fundraise?

All details have been sent out on Compass, and every student has been sent home with a flyer on how to register. Fundraising for our Colour Explosion School Run 4 Fun is entirely online. Follow the instructions in your child’s sponsorship booklet to create a cybersafe, online profile page at www.australianfundraising.com.au. At the end of the fundraiser either order prizes to receive or donate to a cause – Carbon Neutral (tree planting), Great Barrier Reef Foundation (coral planting or turtle protection), The Smith Family (reading support) or OzHarvest (providing meals).

*Please note: all cash donations must be converted to online donations before 8th of March. We cannot accept any cash donations for this fundraiser.

STUDENT EXCELLENCE

We are thrilled to announce the successful launch of our Student Excellence Program this year. A special acknowledgement goes out to Mr. Pattison for dedicating extensive planning to this initiative. This term, we've had two Year 5/6 groups and one Year 3/4 group actively participating in the Student Excellence Program.

To join, students expressed their interest and underwent a selection process. Once accepted, students embarked on designing a series of projects aligned with their passions.

In our Year 5/6 groups, small teams are engaged in diverse projects such as e-sports, 3D printing, virtual reality worlds, computer coding, and AI-generated 3D environments.

Our Year 3/4 group has a primary focus on the Acknowledgement of Country within a virtual reality platform. They've combined video game design with creating art pieces featuring native Australian animals. The group eagerly anticipates presenting their creations at our upcoming Harmony Day Celebrations.

One of our Student Excellence groups recently embarked on an educational excursion to Willum Warrain. During this visit, they delved into the rich history, land, and culture of the local Bunurong community. The students learned about the cultural significance of possum blankets to Bunurong/Boonwurrung members, explored creation stories, and engaged with native plants. They returned with ten native plants, set to be planted on our school grounds, providing all students with a firsthand experience of native bush tucker.

Next term, three different cohorts of students will have the opportunity to participate in the Student Excellence Program. Expressing interest and undergoing a supported interview process will be the initial steps toward selection. Once selected, students will collaborate on shared interests and navigate the design process to create a project of their choosing.

HARMONY DAY

Our official Harmony Day festivities are set to take place on Thursday, March 21st (week 8). Throughout this special week, students will delve into various activities celebrating the rich diversity of our country and exploring the amazing cultures and traditions within our school community.

Australia stands as one of the most successful multicultural countries globally, attracting people from far and wide to call it home. Our cultural diversity is a cornerstone of our identity, making Australia an exceptional place to live. Harmony Week emphasises inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for all Australians, irrespective of their cultural or linguistic background.

On Harmony Day students are encouraged to come dressed in their cultural attire or wear the colour orange. Orange, the official colour of Harmony Week, symbolises social communication, meaningful conversations, and the freedom of ideas. Whether it's orange socks, a hat, or any other orange accessory, we want everyone to feel comfortable joining the festivities without the need for additional purchases. A school parade will take place at 9:00 am in the gym showcasing the diversity within our school.

To make this event even more special we would absolutely love to have students and families presenting cultural dances to our community. For those who prefer not to perform live, we're open to receiving pre-recorded dance performances. Simply send the music to the Orchard Park email address, along with the students participating and the approximate length of the performance. Alternatively, if your child would like to share a short speech, poem or information about their culture's special traditions - please email the office to include it in our schedule.

We can't wait to see our students all dressed up and shining with cultural pride on HARMONY DAY!

MR JAGOE'S OXFAM WALK

This morning Mr Jagoe, has embarked on an epic adventure!! He and 3 friends are taking on the Oxfam 100km Walk, to support Oxfam in eliminating poverty.

Oxfam are a global movement of people working together to eliminate poverty by tackling inequality, Oxfam works in 85 countries helping over 19 million people — empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty.

Since 1999, more than 96,400 people have participated in the event and have collectively raised more than $98.5 million.

If you wish to help Mr Jagoe on his journey to support this great cause, you will find the link below where you can donate. Every little bit helps in supporting the movement at Oxfam.

https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/nathan-jagoe

Important dates to remember