From the Head of Junior School

It is wonderful to be back at school and listening to the sound of students learning together and running and playing in the yard. I am sure many of our parents are just as pleased as their children for school to be back face to face. We are still following strict Covid protocols which means that the day to day routines are slightly different but we are working hard to bring some normality back to our children’s school experience. We are striving to give students as many experiences as we can within the restrictions that have been set out by either the Premier’s Office or the Victorian Department of Education. At the beginning of the term we were provided with a Term 4 School Operations Guide that was produced by the Department of Education and Training. This formed the basis of our own Return to School Operating Guide. As we receive updates and adjustments to the Department Operating Guide we consider the changes and adjust our own policy and procedures. As has been the case throughout the pandemic we will be communicating with parents as these adjustments occur.

Camps

All parents will have received a letter announcing the camp dates and venues for their children. While, for some, it will not be the same experience as previous years we are

very happy to be able to provide our students with a camp experience of some description given the disrupted year that they have had. We are also in the process of planning our end of year events. Again, they will not be the same, but we are trying to work within the restrictions to keep all of our children safe while also providing some memorable events and celebrations. I am thankful to work with such a committed group of staff who are constantly coming up with ideas for the benefit of our children.

Landscaping Improvement

As I have mentioned previously, Fairbrother have been working on-site completing some playground surface upgrades and landscaping works. This has meant that our play space has been reduced while the works are being completed. Combined with the restrictions on indoor physical activity this has led to our play spaces being more crowded than usual. I have been so proud of the way that our students have managed their play to ensure that everyone can have a place to play safely. The children were very pleased when Mr Peter and the rest of the Fairbrother team were able to reopen part of the playground on Thursday so that they could use the new surface and seats at recess time. We were all very appreciative of the work that they had put in to give us back some play space earlier than we had expected.

Webinar

As a teacher and a parent I am always looking for new sources of information to help me as an educator to provide the best opportunities and environment for our students and as a parent to be the best for my own children. One of the sources that I have found useful has been Michael Grose and his work through his Parenting Ideas site. As part of our school membership to the Parenting Ideas site we are sometimes given free access to parent education webinars. I have included a link below to a Webinar scheduled for November 11. Parents who would like to attend this webinar for free or who would like access to a recording after the event can select the link, add the webinar to their cart and then use the coupon code METAPHOR for free access. I would suggest registering early if you would like to attend as they often fill up quickly.

https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/parent-webinars/webinar-parenting-like-a-cat-and-dog

Mr Donald Thompson

Head of Junior School

Assemblies

Junior School Assembly will continue to be online for much of Term Four. You are warmly invited to join Mr Thompson, our School Captains and House Captains via the below link each week at 1:15pm.

https://girton.zoom.us/j/92685233890?pwd=dDRwS0dIdUlNYXdKSFlJbzF3dWo4dz09

If you wish to revisit an assembly, they can all be found on the Junior School Astra page.

https://astra.girton.vic.edu.au/homepage/2227

Preparatory

This week Prep D looked at how our shadows move in Science. We traced around our shadows on the basketball court in the morning. Then we stood in the same spot and traced around our shadows again in the afternoon. After a very entertaining discussion, Prep D decided that we don’t shrink in the afternoon. Our shadow gets shorter in the middle of the day because the earth is spinning around.

In Maths this week we looked at the concept of capacity. We experimented with fill different containers with cups of water. We found out that different shaped containers can hold the same amount of water.

Year One

2020 Shadow Judging Pilot Program Children’s Book Council of Australia (Victorian Branch)

Year One M were selected to participate in a pilot Shadow Judging program for the Children’s Book Council of Australia (Victorian Branch). Girton was one of only five schools in Victoria to be selected to trial this program. Year One M were selected to judge the Young Reader section. The CBCA Book of the Year Awards are for books published in the previous year for children and are judged on a criteria, based on literacy merit.

Our job was to creatively respond to each shortlisted book in our category and nominate the book we felt should win the category. Over the course of the year, One M have produced two videos during their Drama classes. One was for “We’re Stuck” by Sue deGennaro and “When Billy was a dog” by Kirsty Murray & Karen Blair. In Library, the students created their favourite animal from Bat Vs. Poss. written by Alexa Moses and Illustrated by April Tortop. It was wonderful to see the specialist subjects embrace this pilot program.

One M participated in a workshop with Sue deGennaro. Here they listened and learnt how Sue developed the characters in the book “We’re Stuck”. During this session, Sue taught the students how to draw to two of the characters. The turtle and the Hippopotamus. This was a class favourite.

Year Two D: This Term…

I am most excited about seeing my friends this term.

Luca Krelle (Aherne)

I am most excited about playing with my friends this term .

Myles Waller (Jones)

I am most excited about going to camp this term.

Caroline Batters (Millward)

I am most excited about reading lots of books now I am back at school.

Hazel Anderson (Frew)

I am feeling happy to be at school so I can play with my friends.

Fletcher Welling (Aherne)

This term I am feeling excited to be back at school. I am so happy.

Alice McIntosh (Frew)

I am most excited about PE now I am back at school.

Zororo Tamangani (Aherne)

This term, I am looking forward to camp.

Allegra Krelle (Aherne)

I am most excited about being with my friends now I am back at school.

Cynthia Wah (Jones)

This term, I am feeling excited to be back at school.

Lilly Hetherington (Riley)

This term I am most excited about going on school camp because it will be my first camp.

Gracie Seipolt (Riley)

This term I am feeling great about being back at school.

William Martin (Jones)

This term I am feeling happy to be back at school.

Kate Marsh (Riley)

I am looking forward to spending time with my friends this term.

James Jackson (Frew)

This term I am most excited about going on camp.

William Bickley (Aherne)

This term I am enjoying learning about sharks.

Asim Mohammad (Frew)

Year Three

How The Kangaroos Got Their Pouches

In the dreaming, there were two friends. There was Kangaroo and Echidna.

One day, they decided to take a walk, in the middle of their walk, they rested near a tree.

Kangaroo decided to jump around and was scratched by a branch! “AAAH! Help me!” Kangaroo screamed.

“Do not worry” Echidna replied, and he shook the tree. Lots of leaves fell down and Echidna made a bandage. He placed it carefully on Kangaroo’s scratch.

Soon, the bleeding stopped, and they saw a joey. Kangaroo decided to call the scratch a pouch. That, is how kangaroos got their pouches.

Manha Afsheen (3 Jones)

How the Kookaburra got it’s laugh

In the Dreamtime, after Uluru was formed, a Kookaburra was heading out to the Uluru Comedy Club. On its way it saw a Kangaroo doing a hilarious dance. The Kookaburra silently chuckled all the way to the Comedy Club. When he got to the Comedy Club, Hawk came up, and said, “Why can’t eggs tell a joke? Because they’d crack it.” Kookaburra couldn’t stop laughing. But then Kangaroo came up onto the stage. He accidently fell on Sugar Glider and did a tiny fart. Kookaburra was now laughing hysterically and couldn’t stop. All the animals stopped to look at Kookaburra. Kookaburra tried to stop laughing, but he just couldn’t stop himself. Now, every time you see a Kookaburra and it laughs, you now know why.

Chloe Carter (3 Millward)

YEAR FOUR: Book Club

This week we started our Book Clubs in Year Four. Typically, we invite parents and family members to share in this activity but this year, the children are using their independence and running the group together as a team. Book clubs encourage critical thinking and deeper engagement with stories. Many of our children are already reading for pleasure and through our Book Club each Wednesday afternoon they are exploring main story elements such as plot, characters and setting.

YEAR FIVE – what do you do when the power goes out….write stories

Pitch Black

Millie McIntosh (5 Frew)

It’s just the wind. It’s just the wind I tried to tell myself but then I realised that the wind doesn’t growl. It was pitch black I was in the cemetery it was Halloween I must have fallen asleep. My friends were long gone. Pitch black, alone, cemetery.

I heard growling sounds coming from were the biggest, darkest gravestone was supposed to be (but obviously I couldn’t see it). The sound grew louder and louder and louder. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Then the light came on!!!! It was just my kitten pebbles. It was all a dream!

At least that’s what I thought……………

The Monster at 3:00 AM

Nikki Cheema (5 Jenkin)

“Come here” says a mysterious voice in the dark. I look at my clock, its 3:00 AM precisely. I look around, where did the voice come from? Suddenly I feel cold and, like someone is watching me and then, out of nowhere I hear the voice again. It came from near the window. I look over and see a big shadow. Who, or what was this mysterious thing, and…. what was it doing in my room at 3:00 AM?

YEAR SIX – CHALK DRAWINGS

The House and Vice Captains met at school early on Monday morning to create a surprise for the Junior School students.

While the oval is out of action we are making the most of the space we have available. Each House was given a specific area and the students discussed who played in that area and drew some activities that would appeal to that age group.

It was a lovely surprise for the students who were skipping and exercising for the rest of the day.

Bookweek

Monday 19th October to Thursday 22nd October (Week 3 Term 4)

MONDAY

Launch Book Week in classrooms

Classroom Teachers will select one of their favourite Picture Story books. (Look out for the photos of the Teachers with their favourite book – there will be a display) The teachers will tell the students why they selected the book and why it is so important to them as a memory from their childhood. We are promoting the importance of enjoying stories read aloud!

TUESDAY

Book Week Dress Up Day and Parade/Activity Morning

Students can Dress Up as their favourite book character today. REMEMBER – students will need to change out of their costume by lunchtime. So don’t forget to bring your uniform.

Parade – classes will parade in an allocated time slot. The parade will be recorded and uploaded to Astra. At the completion of the parade students will break into their individual classes to participate in Book Week activities until recess.

WEDNESDAY

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM READING DAY

all classes are encouraged to head outside today at some stage to enjoy a story together. There is something magical about reading outside especially underneath a beautiful shady tree!

THURSDAY

CHALK BOY ACTIVITY

‘Chalk Boy’ by Margaret Wild is a soulful and heart-warming story about what happens when a pavement artist’s drawing comes to life. Students will hear the story today and then will head to the back playground to participate in the ‘Chalk Drawing’ Mural.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LIBRARY IN BOOK WEEK

There will be a ‘Special Guest Storyteller’ reading a story to the students at lunchtime each day starting at 12.40. I wonder who it will be?
Activities and Competitions
Come into the library and view our ‘Curious Creatures, Wild Minds Girton Spoonville’ Display

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

It’s getting closer to our Radio Play production of ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.’ Students have been working hard practising their lines for the show. There are only seventeen nights of sleep until the show, and the excitement from the cast is building.

Since the return to school, students have enjoyed being together again onsite at rehearsals and seeing the show come to life. Mr Gibbons has worked tirelessly to put together sound effects for the show, and this week he trialled sound effects at the rehearsal. This created energy and excitement. We are also extremely fortunate to have the talented Mr Hodda and Mr Hodges who are volunteering their time to manage the audio alongside Mr Gibbons. Students performed in front of microphones for the first time Monday night and experienced a taste of what the final performance will feel like.

On Wednesday the 14th of October, students were part of a photoshoot to create images for the slideshow which will be shown throughout the live-streamed audio performance. This will help students in Junior school to paint a picture of the show and open their imagination to the world of Narnia.

Special thanks to Mrs Ellison for coordinating the makeup and the following Senior school students who applied the makeup to the cast. The makeup team was efficient, organised, and made the students feel comfortable while visiting the Senior school. The makeup looked professional and of a high standard.

The cast involving some of our Year Six students were outstanding in their attitude towards the photoshoot. The way they conducted themselves throughout the morning was something that their parents and teachers should feel proud of. The most endearing part of the experience was looking around and seeing the smiles on their faces, and hearing the friendly chatter. A lovely bonding moment in such an unprecedented year for these students.

Performances will be live-streamed during Week Five to classrooms in the Junior school and to the parents and carers of cast members.

Mrs Stagg

Junior School Drama Teacher

Drama: Year Five

This Term, Year Five are developing plays based on Greek Myths. They have learned about some of the histories of Greek Myths and have selected a script they will work toward performing during Week Eight this term.

Students have selected their roles, and are developing an understanding of the story, and learning their lines. Next week we will work on characterisation.

With such beautiful weather, students enjoyed practising for their play outside. There is something quite calming about being outside when learning. I am thoroughly impressed with the overall attitude, and dedication students have shown to this unit of work.

The Girton Gratitude Project

Activities