Primary
Mrs Leanne Schulz
Transition Back to School
It has been such a joy to have all the students back at school! There have been smiles in every classroom and in the playground. A very big thank you to all families who have adapted seamlessly to the new drop off and pick up system. Things are running smoothly and new routines have been quickly established.
Students, parents and teachers alike are all in need of a holiday from the demands of Home Learning and the worry of the current world situation.
The staff and I wish you all a safe and relaxing break and cannot wait for things to return to normality.
Returning to School Anxiety Free
by Michael Grose
‘It will take kids some time to adjust to school after a long period of at home learning. It’s natural for anxiety to be heightened, as attending school will be a different experience for students post COVID-19'. Now that children and young people are returning to school Parenting Ideas founder, Michael Grose, shares some advice to help make the adjustment easier:
- Park your expectations - be patient and adjust your expectations (particularly academically)
- Understand that their anxiety is real - it is important for parents to validate their child’s feelings and reassure them that they are safe and protected
- Prepare them - discuss procedures and routines regularly with your child
- Focus on reconnection - reconnecting with friends, teachers and learning takes time
- Stay off the roundabout for a while - make allowances for change and give your child plenty of free time and relaxation
- Take care of yourself - parents have been through massive adjustments; your own wellbeing is a priority.
For the full article, go to:
New Primary School Buildings
How exciting! A few weeks ago, a huge crane was onsite lifting the new Year 4, 5 and 6 classrooms into position, getting ready for Term 3. It is like a little village and will be an adventure for the Year 4 to 6 students and teachers. The classrooms are comfortable and spacious and the surrounding area will be inviting and offer interesting play spaces. The photos give an indication of what the new buildings look like; however, keep in mind that there is still lots of preparation to be done, particularly the playground areas, before the students return after the holidays. Throughout Term 3, the existing Cumberland Classrooms (Year 4 to 6) will be demolished in readiness for the building of a brand-new Cumberland neighborhood. The Year 4, 5 and 6 classes have been busy packing up getting ready for the move!
Prep - Miss Gemma Jackson (AHOS)
This term, the Preps have been learning all about farm animals and weather. The Preps went for a big walk to explore the Aitken College farm. We saw the sheep, alpacas, and chickens. We even saw a big pumpkin and zucchini in the vegetable garden. The Preps loved the experience and wrote some fantastic pieces about their trip.
Year 1 and 2 - Miss Hannah Petterson (AHOS)
Term 2 is drawing to an end and what an eventful term it was! Years 1 and 2 have now had a few weeks back at school and have settled back nicely into school learning. We have had some beautiful sunny days and Year 2 was lucky enough to have PMP out in the sun. Year 1 had a relaxing Friday afternoon in the sun listening to a class book.
Year 3 and 4 - Mrs Anne Adams (AHOS)
The Year 3 students have been busy learning about celebrations around the world. They have been exploring different celebrations and chose a topic to research and present to the class.
4A Home Learning Reflections
Ben B
Good thing: I get to stay home and face time my friends.
Nicholas P
Good thing: I get to stay home and face time my friends.
Funny thing: My brother packed his stuff in my bag and walked away not noticing.
Avani K
Good thing: I can sleep until late in the morning!
Funny thing: My sister started screaming ‘DIDI, DIDI!’ (sis, sis) when I was in a Zoom meeting.
Ashlyn K
Good thing: I still got an education.
Funny thing: I always got interrupted in the middle of zoom classes by my family.
Aanvi K
Good thing: The advantage was I got to being in bed for longer!
Funny thing: The funny thing was the day it was pet day, my dog ran away before the screen shot in the Zoom!
Andrew P
Good thing: I can wear my pyjamas to class!
Funny thing: My mum dressed up as the canteen lady on Friday. She had a hair net and an apron on and she served hot dogs.
Year 4M Kitchen Garden
4M’s first lesson in Kitchen Garden with Mrs Lowe was extraordinary! We learnt about weeding and all sorts of gardening tools. First, we had a seat near the shed that had all the amazing tools. Mrs Lowe took turns on visiting every group. She told us what object we had to start on. We mostly learnt about all the tools in gardening, but it was surprisingly fun!
Remi S
Kitchen Garden was one of the best cooking experiences we've had in our lives! And by ‘we’ve’, I mean 4M. All of us are very impressed with Mrs Lowe, Mr Munro and all the other staff members who have helped. Even though 4M has only had one experience in the school’s kitchen so far, most of us would even do Kitchen Garden work instead of lunch or recess! I’m not too sure if this is bragging or showing-off, but I bet most of the Kitchen Garden staff already know us 4th-graders are a natural at cooking. This time in the kitchen was probably the most fun 4M had in a quite a bit of time!
Idil K
Year 5 and 6 - Mr Nigel Keegan (AHOS)
How exciting to welcome back our Year 5 and Year 6 students this week! It was great to see them all looking happy and well, and to see the excitement of students as they caught up with each other outside of a Zoom meeting. We are proud of the way that students have slotted back into the school routine with ease whilst also being so responsive to new protocols around hygiene and social distancing. We spent some time this week debriefing on students’ and teachers’ experiences during Home Learning, which was interesting and encouraging. Teachers remain very proud of the way that students applied themselves to Home Leaning, and are very thankful for the incredible support from parents and families.
Growth and Fixed Mindsets
The Year 5 and Year 6 students have been learning about fixed and growth mindset in their Life Skills lessons. The topic has helped students become aware of their own mindsets and helped them understand how this can affect their learning. As we transitioned back to face-to-face lessons, we reflected on our time learning from home and learning at school and how different environments were better for some students than others.
To wrap up our work, students completed a ‘Colour-Symbol-Image’ thinking routine to deepen their understanding.
