Myrniong - Early Learning and Primary
Notices Sent Home this Week
- Grandparents’ Day invitation – Years 3 to 5
- Golf note – interested students (who qualify)
- Open Day invitations
Story Peddlars
On Wednesday, as part of the Woolly West Fest, our Year 2 & 3 students were treated to a unique and fun story telling session through “Story Peddlars”. This was a mini-performance that popped up from the back of a bike, and celebrates the idea of “story” in all forms, from traditional fable, folklore and fantasy to poetry and debate. The students were enthralled with the delivery of these stories. They were able to spend time afterwards looking at the shire-wide community art projects and other woolly related bits and pieces, including actual lambs!
IPads
The students are very excited this week with the arrival of iPads in each classroom. They are full of educational apps that will be used to enhance the great work already being done at each Year level. The Prep students enjoyed discovering what they and their iPads could do. The staff took part in Professional Learning with Lynda Cutting, a consultant who shows you the power of the iPad and what a wonderful tool it is to assist students to go deeper with their learning. For children, it is hands on learning, exploring, experimenting and problem solving. This is timely as from next year it becomes part of the curriculum that must be taught.
100 Days of School
Next Tuesday, 2nd August, we will have been at school for 100 days this year. Early Years classes celebrate this day with activities based around the number 100. This number will be the focus across lessons not just in Numeracy. Watch to see what comes home with your child or ask them about the day, or more importantly, about the big number 100. They may also have their work displayed at school. Year One students have already started thinking about this day by collecting 100 objects to use as counters in their Maths Tool Kits.
Nursery Rhyme Olympics
On Thursday, 4th August the students from Piccino to Year 2 will travel to the Senior Campus to take part in the Nursery Rhyme Olympics. They will be working with Year Ten students. As we need to work in with their timetable, we will be there during the Senior Campus lunchtime. This will require us to have an earlier lunch on the day so we ask that you do not order a lunch order please. You are welcome to come and watch the students doing The Mother Goose Waddle among other fun activities. We are really looking forward to working with our older buddies and making connections with the upcoming Olympic Games.
Mini Olympics
The wait for the Olympics in Rio is almost over as the date for the Opening Ceremony gets closer. To mark this occasion, the Myrniong students are going to hold their own mini-Olympics. This will take place in the afternoon on Friday, 5th August with children taking part in a variety of event inspired activities. Children will be representing a country from somewhere around the world and can wear the colours of that country on the day. A separate note will come home advising you of the country. It will be a lot of fun and you are most welcome to come and be a part of it.
House Public Speaking
A reminder that our Year 4 & 5 students are to present their Speeches on Friday, 5th August to their Houses. Year 4 students present a 2 minute speech, and Year 5 students present a 3 minute speech. Three students from each House will be selected to present at the inter-House Public Speaking Competition on Friday, 12th August (commencing at 9:30am) at the Kantor Family MPAC, Simons Auditorium. This event coincides with our Year 3 to 5 Grandparents’ Day and all grandparents, parents and friends are welcome to attend.
Open Day - Bring your Friends
On Wednesday, 10th August, we open our doors from 2:00pm-3:00pm for anyone interested in seeing Myrniong in action. Please let your friends know! The very best advertising we have is word of mouth by our fabulously supportive parent community!
Footy Round Robin
The proposed Footy Round Robin which was due to be held on Thursday, 4th August has been postponed. We will advise you of details once we receive confirmation of a date later in the term.
ICAS English Papers - Year 2-5
Next Tuesday, 2nd August, all Year Two to Five students will sit the International Competition and Assessment for Schools (ICAS) English paper. These multiple choice papers are designed to test skills and processes rather than knowledge of content. Over the course of this week, students have been familiarised with past papers to ensure that they are being tested on their English skills, rather than their ability to interpret a test.
The following aspects of texts are assessed and reported:
- reading for meaning in literary texts,
- reading for meaning in factual texts,
- textual devices, syntax and vocabulary.
The questions require students to locate, identify, interpret, infer and synthesise information in and about texts. They read a variety of texts which narrate, describe, explain, argue, persuade and review.
Results will support teachers to target specific areas of consolidation within individual cohorts and help drive teaching and learning programmes. Students are awarded certificates of Participation, Merit, Credit, Distinction or High Distinction for their achievements on this paper.
Junior Basketball Draw
Refer to attached Sporting Fixture for Basketball draws:
Mrs Bernadette Milich
Acting Head of Junior Campus
Art
This week has seen the culmination of our Woolly West Fest project with everyone from Prep to Year 5 Wool bombing Myrniong, the Senior Campus, and Gray Street. I am so proud of all of the classes having taken on a project that every year level worked on. The students had to leave their art work, in progress, and allow other students to continue with what they were doing. Sometimes the person would understand their end goal and carry on, but sometimes the piece would take a whole other direction and look different to the original plan. No one complained and everyone put in a great effort learning to blanket stitch, embroider and use the "knitting nancys" that Mrs. Drummond's friend Liz donated to us. Also a big thanks to all those parents who donated items to the project. We have cut up hats, jumpers, blankets and knitted with wool of every colour. We even had a donation of yarn from someone’s pet sheep! In addition to the wool bombing project, the Piccinos and Preps created a flock of woolly sheep that are currently grazing in our art room windows. Good news is they are low maintenance and don't require much food! Finally, we appreciate all the teachers and parents responding to positively to their cars being wool bombed. We have had some wonderfully positive reactions and it is always nice to see people responding to positively to the endeavours of our students. We hope to get some feedback from the community as well regarding our efforts!
On another front, we have started a round of visits to the Hamilton Art Gallery! We are currently working towards getting all the students to the gallery to hear a talk about the "Art of Wool" exhibit that is on display until the end of next week. The Year 5s were the first up with a visit on July 25th. The students seemed impressed by the garments and paintings on display and we also had a quick look at a wool tapestry that is on display as part of the Wolseley Exhibit. I know that Mr. Outtram and myself fell in love with a few of the wool garments and we both wished we could go home with a new jacket or two! I highly recommend making a trip either on our own or with your children to the fantastic exhibits on at the moment: you won't be disappointed.
Mrs Elisha Nettleton
Head of Junior Campus Art
Hoop Time
Last Thursday, the Year 3 and 4 classes participated in the Hoop Time basketball competition at HILAC. We had six teams entered on the day, 4 teams in the Future Stars section – Heat, Hawks, Hornets and Hotshots, and 2 teams in the Rookie section –Alligators and Hippos. It was a very successful day for the College with all teams winning most or all of their games.
In the Future Stars section, all our teams played in the finals. The Hornets and Hawks played off in the Grand Final, in a very exciting game, that saw Hawks victorious. Hawks will now represent the College at a special day for all the winners from the region later this year.
The students should be commended on their attitude and behaviour. Everyone demonstrated great sportsmanship and fairness and everyone was willing to have a go. It was nice to see all the teams supporting each other and cheering each other on. I would like to make special mention of Libby, who came on the day, even though she was sick, to help with the scoring. A big thankyou to Chris Murphy, Andrew Hoskyns, Jason Bourke, Jill Dickeson and Teresa Purcell for coaching our teams and to Peta Diprose, Judy Nichols, Chantal Butcher, Ashlyn Hiscock, Ebony Milich and Georgie Luckock for scoring.
Miss Simone Brabham
Hoop Time Co-ordinator