It has been a busy Term which ended with a wonderful community event on Friday night. The Twilight Family Picnic was attended by many families who, despite the overcast skies, enjoyed great food and company during the evening.

Once again, the line up for the baby animal farm supplied by Myuna was consistently long. Many students and their families enjoyed capturing the evening at the Photo Booth.

Slushies and soft serve were extremely popular as were the wood fired pizzas, BBQ and delicious canteen food. Many students proudly wore their Western United caps and the new JY playground was in constant use!

Over 100 students registered for the ‘Plant-a-Difference’ Colour Explosion Fun Run. They were so keen to get covered in colour and the student volunteers and teachers also enjoyed throwing the coloured chalk paint!

Everyone’s efforts raised $5642. 61 - trees and 220 coral will be planted on our behalf.

Congratulations to our highest fundraising students:

Aria L – 2MB, Jake S – 2MB and India W – 2MM.

Our highest fundraising classes were:

2MB - $1,555.00 | 76 Coral

2MM - $931.00 | 27 Coral & 18 Trees

PHC - $620.00 | 20 Coral & 10 Trees

The Monty Plush toys will be distributed out to the students who collected all badges online throughout the fundraising period, once they arrive at school.

This event would not have been the success it was without the help of many members of the Good News community.

Thank you to the Junior, Middle and Senior Years leaders, parents, teachers and other staff who helped set up the equipment, serve at the stalls and pack up afterwards. Your assistance was greatly appreciated.

Becoming a registered volunteer

Many parents have taken up the opportunity to become a registered school volunteer.

This is a simple process which involves you applying for a Working With Children Check, completing a short online course through the Lutheran Church of Australia and then booking a time to meet with me to go through our Child Safety Code of Conduct, Volunteer Code of Conduct and Child Protection and Safety Policy.

Term 2

Term 2 begins for all students on Tuesday 26 April as Monday 25 April is the Anzac Day public holiday.

All Year 2 students begin swimming lessons at AquaPulse on Tuesday 26 April – Thursday 5 May.

Year 4 Swimming – Monday 9 May – Wednesday 18 May

Year 1 Swimming – Monday 23 May – Wednesday 1 June

Year 3 Swimming – Tuesday 14 June – Wednesday 22 June

NAPLAN – Years 3 & 5 – Tuesday 10 May – Friday 20 May

Tuesday 10 May 9:30am Year 3 & 5 Writing
Wednesday 11 May 9:30am Year 3 & 5 Reading
Thursday 12 May 9:30am Year 3 & 5 Language Conventions
Friday 13 May 9:30 am Year 3 & 5 Numeracy
17 – 20 May – catch up sessions as required

College Photos – Thursday 12 May & Friday 13 May

Unit of Inquiry

As part of our Unit of Inquiry, 'Where we are in place and time', the Year 2 students were given the opportunity to go back in time and explore how people’s lives have changed.

During the toy incursion, we looked at the development of toys and games over time. The students compared how the materials and production of toys has evolved over the years. They were able to identify similarities and differences between toys of the past and present. The slinky was one of the most popular toys where they explored how it moved down the steps. The presenter also shared many fascinating stories about how some toys were developed, including how Mr. Potato Head from Toy Story was originally made from a real potato.

To further investigate how our lives have changed, we visited the Werribee Mansion. This allowed students to see the way people lived 150 years ago, specifically the roles of men and women. The artefacts at the mansion gave insight to the daily lives of rich and poor people. Students also had hands-on experience of what it was like to be a child in the 1880’s where they got to learn from a governess who is a teacher and a nanny to look after them.

Through both these experiences, students were inspired to ask deeper questions about why things may have changed over time. In the coming weeks, we will be delving into our own personal inquiries focusing on one aspect of life and how it has changed from the past to the present.

Health and Physical Education