Notices Sent Home this Week

Young House - House Lunch permission forms
Tournament of Minds Competition – expression of interest forms
AFL Clinic consent Year 4 & 5
Fun 4 Kids Festival brochure – eldest child Piccino to Year 5
Immaginare Play group brochure Term 3 dates
Skoolbag App – Tryouts for U12 & U14 squad teams
Year 3 & 4 parents’ ticket information for the IPSHA concert at the Melbourne Town Hall

Last Friday I had the opportunity to tour three very different independent schools in Auckland. Each school warmly welcomed and hosted the group of delegates I joined (Heads of Independent Primary Schools across Australia and New Zealand) and shared their culture. Boys and girls performed hakas before leading us around into classrooms. It was a great opportunity to also reflect on the culture of The Hamilton and Alexandra College and this is what I asked of the children at this week’s assembly.

Culture is ‘the way we do things around here’ and more importantly ‘ the way we do things around here when noone is looking’. I asked students to consider a lesson of one of Dr Suess’ books. “Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered” and asked them to think about the Myrniong Campus in the same manner. “How would they like Myrniong to be remembered.” They shared fabulous attributes which included kindness, respectfulness, interest in learning and being looked after. They were all asked to consider the way that they do things ‘when noone’ is looking.

Tomorrow is a Pupil Free Day

Please note that tomorrow is scheduled as a pupil free day on the calendar. Staff will be undertaking Semester One reporting. Reports will be available online at the end of term.

Making Music!

With the Hamilton Eisteddfod and the Year Two String Concert on the near horizon, our Myrniong musicians are putting the final polish on their performance pieces. We hope that you get the chance to be a part of our audience at one or more of the performances below:

Students will be required to wear formal winter uniform for the Eisteddfod. Please ensure that school shoes are polished, hair ties and ribbons are in school colours, earrings are plain gold or silver studs and that blazers are worn.

Please note that we are unable to give exact performance times for the Hamilton Eisteddfod, as the schedule is set by the committee who, on the day, has to cater for items cancelled due to illness etc.

Thursday, 9th June 9:30am onwards: Chamber Singers, Prep – 2 Singers
Thursday, 9th June 1:30am onwards: Year 4 & 5 Class Instrumental Item and Pizzicato Strings performances.

Red Cross Youth Group

Last Friday, the Red Cross Youth Group organised a casual clothes day with a pet accessory theme. Thank you to everyone for putting in lots of effort to wear a pet accessory and bringing a gold coin donation. It was a very successful day. We raised $132 which will now go towards the RSPCA. It is a very worthy course!

Division Cross Country

Last Friday 27th May, the Hamilton District Sports Association took its Division Cross Country team to run the very steep and challenging Warrnambool Cross Country course. The Hamilton and Alexandra College was represented by 12 runners across all of the age groups. Five of our 12 competitors finished in the top half of their field. Particular congratulations to Olivia Mann who has qualified to run in the Regional Cross Country competition after placing 8th in the 10 year old girls' event. Good luck when you run in the Regional Competition on Monday, 6th June, Olivia! Many thanks also to the parents who were there to support our students and to help generally with the HDSA team.

Overall results:

Olivia Mann: 8th/55

Meg Ogle: 28th/55

Charlie Beggs: 20th/60

Jock Barrie: 24th/60

Tyler Butcher: 24th/60

Natalie Featherston: 14th/56

Charlotte Millear: 36th/56

Dougal Mann: 29th/60

Edward Beggs: 36th/60

Ted Koch: 49th/60

Zara Smith 43rd/47

Charlie Cameron: 47th/47

Jump Rope for Heart - Sponsorship Forms Now Due Back

A reminder to all families that the Jump Rope for heart sponsorship forms are due back by next Friday, 10th June at the latest.

Life Education Student Visits & Free Parent Session

Each year, the Life Education Van visits our Myrniong students to help promote healthy living messages around food, medicines, exercise and decision making (risk taking). All sessions are carefully structured to meet the developmental needs and understandings of children from Piccino through to Year Five.

Please note that a fee of $9.00 will be charged to your account for students to take part in this valuable programme. This fee is heavily subsidised by Life Education fundraising and government grants. (The actual delivery cost per student is $17.00). If you have any concerns in this regard, please contact the Head of Junior Campus.

We have scheduled a free parent information session in the Life Education van for parents interested in learning a bit more about the sessions your child/ren will attend. If you would like to attend this session on Tuesday, 14th June at 9:15am (before the Year 2 Assembly and String Concert), please book via Nat Povey at Myrniong reception.

Junior Basketball End of Season

Good luck to the U12 Boys' Powerful Owls who have made it through to the semi-finals this Friday against St Mary’s Orange at 4:50pm (court tba). If they win, they will go through to the Preliminary final next Monday at 5:00pm.

The Hamilton Basketball Association is looking for parents who would be happy to be independent scorers for preliminary or grand finals. It is only through parents volunteering that we are able to score our finals.

A reminder to basketballers that to play in a final series, a player must have played in at least five (5) games or in half of the eligible games in the respective grade and team, whichever is the least. A player who has played in at least five (5) matches for his or her club can play in a higher grand final but is restricted to participating in only two junior grand finals per season. A younger age group player can only play in a higher semi and preliminary final to make a maximum of seven (7) players in that higher team and must not have any more court time than the other players. The names of the players registered to the team on the scoresheet prior to the start of the game are the only players eligible to take part in that game.

Junior Basketball Next Season

We are awaiting the deliberations of the next HBA meeting in the final week of term, regarding the structure of our U10 and U12 teams but hope to inform players of their teams before the end of term. We have had confirmation that the season starts the week of Monday 18th July. Further information will follow.

Junior Basketball Squad Tryouts 2016/2017

Squad tryouts will be held as follows:

U12 Girls - Tuesday, 31st May & Tuesday, 7th June 4-5pm Court 2

U12 Boys – Thursday, 2nd June & Thursday 9th June 5.30-6.30pm Court 4

U14 Girls – Wednesday, 1st June & Wednesday, 8th June 5-6pm Court 1

U16 Boys – Thursday, 2nd June & Thursday, 9th June 5.30-6.30pm Court 2

Week Ahead

Monday 6th June - HBA Preliminary Finals, AFL Clinic for Years 4 & 5, Eisteddfod piano entries

Tuesday 7th June - Primary Regional Cross Country

Tuesday 7th June – Eisteddfod Vocal solos

Wednesday 8th June - Eisteddfod piano entries, Red Cross Youth Group visit to the Birches at lunchtime, Mini Olympiad Paper No. 2

Thursday 9th June – Eisteddfod entries - Chamber Singers, Prep to Year 2 Performance Choir, Pizzicato Strings, Year 4 & 5 Class instrumental items

Friday 10th June - HBA Grand Finals, Mathematics Olympiad Paper no. 2, HBA Grand Final.

Miss Ieva Hampson

Junior Art

I have been busy getting in contact with the Hamilton Gallery to set up some exciting excursions for all year levels in Term Three and it looks like it's all systems go! Each class will be going to two separate exhibitions. The first is "The Art of Wool" which displays "fashion from the International Woolmark Prize" as well as "paintings and prints to explore the place of wool in the artistic imagination of Australia." This display is obviously well timed with Sheepvention for 2016! The second exhibition will be later in the term and is entitled "Archaeological objects from around the world." This collection is very special as it is pulled from the permanent collection at the Hamilton Gallery and shows "amazing remnants from ancient civilisations". I don't know about the children, but I am very excited for both exhibitions and will be happy to go to each one multiple times!

We have also managed to sneak in a last minute visit to the Hamilton Gallery for the Piccino and Prep groups on the 16th of June in the afternoon. There is a fabulous sculpture exhibit on show at the moment and the students will be given an opportunity to (carefully) feel and explore the pieces. I am sure there will be a lot of fun and excitement.

Speaking of Sheepvention, we have been in discussions about our Woolly Woolfest project for this year and we think we have come up with a very cool idea. It's a project with a community bent, but we are keeping it in the Top Secret folder for now! What we will tell you is that we need a few supplies that might be lingering in your closets. If you have any old woollen garments or blankets you are willing to sacrifice, please send them into Myrniong to Mrs. Nettleton. Warning: You will never see your wool donations again... at least not in their original form! Please send things you are happy to part with forever. We also need lots of yarn, but the tricky bit is that it must be WOOL and not acrylic. It can be any colour or thickness. It would be much appreciated if this could also be directed to Mrs. Nettleton at Myrniong. Thanks in advance!

Mrs Elisha Nettleton

Dates to Remember