Education Week Art Competition

An art competition is running to celebrate Education Week in Term 3.

The theme is ‘Learning, Celebrating, Embracing - 175 years of public education’ and entries are to be A3 or A4 sized and use only 2D materials.

The competition is open for students in Years 3-12 and completed entries should be handed to Ms Packwood or class teachers by Monday 31 July 2023.

Winners will be announced 1 August 2023 at the Education Week school assembly.

Primary winner receives $20 gift card, secondary winner receives $30 gift card.

Ms Packwood

Visual Art/Visual Design Teacher

Infants

Infants students and staff are all ready for our Winter break after such a full and fun first semester of learning. We all can’t believe we are halfway through our school year and staff and students have been together noticing the learning growth in all our students. We are particularly excited about our new sixth class commencing next term, with Miss Corcoran taking on the teaching position. All students have had the opportunity to spend a little bit of time this week in their new or adjusted class structure and space and we are confident that these changes will bring many positive outcomes for our school.

Student reports will have been distributed by the end of the term. Please take the time to carefully read through your child’s report and make an appointment for a parent-teacher interview early in Term 3 when these open up. We look forward to meeting with as many of you as possible then.

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday break and hope it is a chance for everyone to relax and recharge with family and friends.

Ms Mem Brougham

Assistant Principal Infants (relieving)

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students have spent this last week revising all the clever things they have been learning during the first half of the year, and this has included learning what ‘revising and revision’ means.

This consolidation of knowledge is especially important in making sure that base skills are developed before progressing on to new and harder concepts. Any opportunities for our Kindergarten students to practise counting and number recognition over the holidays, as well as reading and being read to are great ways to help with this at home. Card games, board games and stories in a cosy spot in front of the fire are great ways to spend some time together these holidays!

Ms Mem Brougham

Kindergarten Teacher

Assistant Principal Infants (relieving)

1/2 Class

Over the last two weeks in English, we have been exploring character traits. Students have been exposed to numerous characters in stories, and this week we are practising creating our own character with personality and visual traits. In mathematics, students have been looking at the concept of equivalence and adding this knowledge into mathematical stories. This has involved lots of group work situations as well as working one-on-one with the teacher. Throughout the last few weeks, it has been wonderful to notice just how clever 1/ 2 is getting with their addition and subtraction strategies!

In STEM last week, students were challenged to create a wedding dress for a peer- using just newspaper! This session involved more laughter than I think I have seen all year. Children negotiated, experimented, and solved a number of problems that arose. We have incorporated some mathematics into our computer sessions, exploring the new addition in Reading Eggs- MathSeeds. Children have helped carry earphones up to the computer lab so that they can all work at their own pace in their own profile on the computer. Some students have also finished publishing some of their English by typing their writing onto the computer.

We are all getting excited for our little break coming up and I would like to wish all our beautiful families a happy and safe holiday- see you ready for Term 3.

Emily Friend - Class Teacher

2/3 Class

Year 2/3 had fun in STEM this week. They were given the challenge to work in groups of four to create a wedding dress made from newspaper and sticky tape.

The groups worked well together to select a bride and then they created some beautiful dresses, the bride then had to parade the dress for the rest of the class to see. It was a lot of fun.

Natalie Downey - Year 2/3 teacher

Primary

Where has the time gone this term? As always, we’ve been busy across all of our Primary classrooms. We had a sensational Term 2 student wellbeing day which focused on bullying and the impact that our choices have on other people. It was a great day of activities, and we all learned a lot about how we can treat others to improve their happiness. It’s very simple: be kind.

It is with great excitement that we will begin Term 3 with a sixth mainstream classroom across K-6. As a staff, we are particularly proud of this as it shows that our school is growing, and this has a lot to do with the quality of educational experience we provide here at Boorowa Central School. We have the best teaching and support staff in the business, and it is great to be able to open a brand-new classroom for the benefit of all students. The new classroom is placed at the back of Mr Stuart’s 5/6 classroom and will be taught by Paris Corcoran on a full-time basis.

The class structures will be as follows:

Kindergarten: Mem Brougham

Year 1/2: Emily Friend

Year 2/3: Nat Downey

Year 3/4: Matt Rowley

Year 4/5: Paris Corcoran

Year 5/6: Jason Stuart

We have spent a lot of time re-arranging the classes for the benefit of all students. The class sizes are now considerably smaller across the Primary area, which allows for more time one-on-one time with each student. All factors are considered in these placements: academic support needs, behavioural issues, social interactions, additional support needs and friendship groups. Whilst no process is ‘perfect’, we have used the expertise of all our staff to assist with the classroom groups. While some students will have a different teacher, I am confident that all students are set up for success for the remainder of the year.

If you require any additional information or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email: Jason.stuart3@det.nsw.edu.au

Jason Stuart

Assistant Principal Primary (Relieving)

Jason Stuart

Assistant Principal Primary (Relieving)

4/5 Class

As we conclude our first semester, it's an opportune moment to look back on our journey so far this year. The 4/5 class has shown remarkable growth, embodying resilience, respect, responsibility, and self-direction. I'm incredibly proud to see each student advancing not only academically but socially, illustrating empathy, cooperation, and respect within our community.

Firstly, I want to express heartfelt thanks to all parents and carers. Your unwavering support and involvement have played a pivotal role in our students' progress. Your dedicated partnership has fostered an encouraging environment that facilitates the best kind of learning and growth. A special word of thanks goes to Haylee, our diligent full-time SLSO. Her tireless efforts and commitment have significantly contributed to our students' academic achievements. Her knack for organisation has been an immense help to me, often playfully highlighted by our students' observations on the stark contrast between Haylee's pristine desk and my more 'creative' workspace. Additional thanks go to Sara and Julia, who have dedicated their time to supporting our Yindyamarra students on Thursdays and Fridays. Their presence and contributions have enriched our overall classroom experience.

To my Year 5 students, who have been with me for a year and a half, I am confident in your readiness to continue your academic journey with Miss Corcoran. I'll miss your energy and eagerness, but I look forward to hearing of your future successes.

My Year 4 students, your growth and determination over the past two terms have been a source of immense pride. I eagerly anticipate continuing our journey together in the 3/4 class next term.

To the new Year 3 students, I am excited to welcome you into our vibrant learning community next semester. Together, we'll embark on a journey filled with knowledge, growth, and memorable experiences.

Reflecting on our first semester, we've enjoyed a myriad of enriching activities and explorations. Our Genius Hour projects showcased the creativity and diligence of our young learners, while our sports lessons infused our days with energetic camaraderie. The cooking and gardening sessions with Miss Armour deepened our understanding of sustainability, and the joy of creating culinary delights. Mrs Bridge's STEM sessions sparked our curiosity, unveiling the fascinating world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In literacy, we delved into imaginative, informative, and persuasive writing, uncovering the power of words and narratives. We mastered various spelling and grammar concepts, reinforcing our language fundamentals. Watching the students develop a greater enjoyment for reading and deepening comprehension skills has been a true highlight.

Our journey in mathematics has been equally rewarding. We've navigated through a range of concepts – from the patterns of geometry to the practicality of fractions and decimals. We've explored the nuances of measurement, grappled with data interpretation, and ventured into the world of probability. The practical application of these mathematical concepts in real-world scenarios has made learning exciting and relevant. I'm particularly delighted by the class's improved fluency in times tables – a skill that underpins many aspects of mathematics.

As we enjoy a well-earned break and look forward to the next semester's exciting opportunities, I extend my deepest gratitude to each student, parent, carer, and support staff. Your dedication and hard work have made our class a nurturing, vibrant place for learning.

Thank you all for a fantastic first semester. Enjoy your break!

Matthew Rowley - Class Teacher

5/6 Class

The Year 5/6 class has been busy writing theoretical explanations and persuasive pieces these past two weeks. We had a topic of ‘If I Were Principal for the Day’ which allowed the students to each create a piece of writing with three items of discussion about what they would change about our school if they were Principal. We had to remember that there were certain boundaries we needed to stick by (safety of students, budget, staffing etc) – so any ideas of ‘put in a 50m pool on the oval’ and ‘everyone gets to stay home for a week’ were quickly moved away from. There were some excellent ideas, and the problems were solved in their writing about how each plan was going to be put in place. Some of my favourites were ‘start a fishing group for Sport’, ‘Project-Based Learning Day’, ‘Charity fundraiser walk-a-thon’ and ‘learn a new language’. All of these pieces of writing are shared with Mr Jones once they are published – and who knows, maybe some of our ideas will come to fruition, our new scooter parking bay was an idea from this project a few years ago!

As we are coming to the end of the term, I would like to make mention of the end of semester report process. This process begins half-way through Term 2 and weeks of work analysing data, collecting evidence, writing reports, proofing reports and reading reports goes into it. We hold very high expectations for the semester student reports, and they are an excellent document for parents, students and the wider school community. Please take the time to read them in-depth and I look forward to seeing parents at our Parent/Teacher evenings in Term 3.

As always, please get in touch if you require any further information. Have a healthy, happy and safe holiday break.

Jason Stuart

5/6 Class Teacher

Assistant Principal Primary (Relieving)

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