Harmony Week

This week at Trinity we celebrated Harmony Week. This is an opportunity for us to celebrate diversity, inclusiveness, respect and belonging for everyone. Students learn about intercultural understandings from Prep to Year 6 from the Victorian and Australian Curriculum. This involves learning about how we engage with diverse cultures and how we have respectful relationships.

This week in Writing Club we read the story children's picture book 'The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name'. The book was acknowledged in the CBCA 2022 Picture Book of the Year Awards and was shortlisted for the New Illustrator’s Award.

Here is the link to the story if you would like to listen to this at home: https://www.abc.net.au/education/abc-education-story-time-the-boy-who-tried-to-shrink-his-name/102707250

In responding to the text and through discussion we touched on some of the Intercultural Capabilities Content Descriptions from the Victorian Curriculum:

Analyse how aspects of their own and others lifestyle, behaviour, attitudes and beliefs can be culturally influenced

Explain how intercultural experiences can influence beliefs and behaviours, including developing a critical perspective on and respect for their own and others cultures

Identify barriers to and means of reaching understandings within and between culturally diverse groups

Examine and discuss the variety of ways in which people understand and appreciate differing cultural values and perspectives, and the things which promote or inhibit effective engagement with diverse cultural groups

Here are some of the students responses and reflections from the Writing Club related to the story we read and their own thoughts about Harmony Week:

Lula (5/6BOC) I personally don't think that people should change their appearance because everyone is different and unique in their own way because God made everyone different and you shouldn't change your hair, name, face or colour. You can be you and no one can change that. This is why Harmony Day is a thing because it's a celebration where everyone can be themselves and learn about other cultures.

According to my mum, ‘A rainbow isn't a rainbow if all the colours are not there. A rainbow is beautiful if all the colours are there’ as in like skin tones and stuff like that.

Isabel (3/4TR) I think it's good to be different and people should never want to change their name, that's what makes people special. Everybody is different and if everyone was the same person it would be boring. Everyone deserves to be themselves and to be respected even if they are different.

Lily (3/4VA) You deserve to be who you are. It doesn't matter if your name is too long or too short or completely different, even if it's Vietnamese or Chinese and people cannot say it. You are still perfect just the way you are.

Thomas (3/4MG) It's ok to be who you are. It doesn't matter if you look different or have a different name, everybody should be included.

Liv (1/2DG) Everybody is different in their own way and that is why I like the story. I like how he broke his long name up so that his friend Elly could learn it. He was very clever. She was a good friend because she learnt his long name and she used it at the end of the story.

Amara (5/6BOC) 'The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name' is about a boy who is self-conscious about how long his name is, so on the first day of school he tried to shorten it. But after a chat with his mum, he taught his friend how to say his name step by step.

People should never feel like they eat strange food or their name is weird or that they look different, because no matter your food and no matter your looks, people will like you for just being YOU!

Our Prep students enjoying Sport with Ms McLeary

Last week in Sport our Prep students were learning how to throw a 'woomera' which is an Indigenous word meaning 'throwing stick'. They had a lot of fun aiming and using their woomera to throw their ball across the oval.

NAPLAN 2024

NAPLAN is a National Literacy and Numeracy assessment that students undertake across the country. NAPLAN assesses the students essential skills in Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation, and Numeracy.

This week, our Year 3's and 5's continued with the NAPLAN testing, completing the Reading Test, Conventions of Language Test and the Numeracy Test online. The children at Trinity have approached these tests wonderfully demonstrating perseverance and a positive attitude and learning new technology skills

All of the NAPLAN testing is now complete. Thank you to our teachers and families for the wonderful preparation of the children. We now look forward to receiving the results later this year.

Staying in touch...

If at any time you would like to chat about the learning at Trinity, or you have any questions or concerns about your child's learning, please do not hesitate to see your child's teacher, or myself.

Annabelle Marinelli

Deputy Principal | Learning and Teaching Leader

amarinelli@tcs.catholic.edu.au

94287180

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