Myrniong - Early Learning and Primary
Notices Sent Home this Week
- Netball information
- Prep 2017 Transition
- Prep transition information
Thank You
Thank you to Mrs Anna Robertson for her work in both the Year One Classroom and fulfilling part of the teaching load of the Head of Junior Campus this term. We are fortunate to have Mrs Robertson continue to work with us in Term Four. We are excited to welcome three new students to Year Five, which has given us the luxury of splitting this class into two classes of 14 students. In addition to Mr Outtram’s Year Five class, Mrs Robertson (3 days) and Mrs Louise Patterson (2 days) will share the teaching of the second class.
End of Term and After School Care Arrangements
Tomorrow is the final day of Term Three. School concludes at 2:15pm and Afterschool Care will only operate until 4:00pm. Wishing everyone a safe and happy break!
Beginning of Term 4 Information
Term Four commences for students on Tuesday, 4th of October.
With the weather so variable at the beginning of October, students have the option of wearing either full winter or summer uniform for the first fortnight. Please note that students have been reminded that they cannot wear a combination of both. Blazers are worn over the summer uniform, with the exception of the boys crested shirt. Boys wear grey or black socks with winter uniform and navy socks with summer uniform. All summer socks for boys and girls are to be worn at knee height.
By Monday the 17th of October, the beginning of the third week, all students need to be wearing Summer Uniform. Hats must be worn from the start of the term.
Learmonth House Service
On Tuesday, Learmonth House led us in a Service about Friendship sharing some great messages. We listened to the story of the Rainbow Fish. This is a story about a beautiful fish who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions, his glittering scales. He realised how happy it made him feel to share with others. A perfect example to show the theme of friendship.
Reverend Cook had us join him in a singalong and then left us with the message, “to have a friend, you first need to be a friend”.
Thank you to Miss Brabham and Mr Outtram for all of their work assisting the students to prepare, practise and present an excellent service. Well done to the students who stepped into roles they hadn’t practised due to students being away through illness.
Term 4 Camp Reminders
With our Year 1, 2, 3 & 4 classes all heading off on exciting camp adventures, and Prep visiting the Halls Gap Zoo, in the first week of term it is important that you please return permission forms and payments promptly.
Netball
A reminder that Netball begins on Saturday, 8th October. Our two Junior School teams will play every week at 9.30am. Please make sure you arrive ten minutes before the game starts to allow the coach time to organise the team. Please also let your coach or team manager know if you are unable to play. Training will be held at school during Tuesday lunch times.
Around the Classrooms
Prep – students have been using tens frames to do subtraction from 10 and addition to 10 and becoming automatic at those number facts.
Year One – students are looking at what happens at different times in their day and using a clock to show the corresponding time.
Year Two - we have been completing some “chance” experiments. We have also been writing “outer-space” inspired stories.
Year Three - we have done writing samples about “Grandma’s attic”. We have also been counting edges of 3D shapes.
Year Four – we have been using multiplication to work out division. We have been learning different division strategies.
Year Five – we have made board games to consolidate our learning of chance and probability.
Developing Problem Solving
The following is an article written by Michael Grose in his Parenting Ideas Newsletter. I thought I would share it with you as making mistakes and problem solving have been topics discussed during recent Learning Progress Meetings when I have met with parents and students.
How to turn requests into problems for kids to solve
When parents solve all children’s problems we not only increase their dependency on adults but we teach them to be afraid of making mistakes. That’s fertile ground for anxiousness and perfectionism, which often go hand in hand.
Kids get used to bringing their problems to parents to solve.
Of course, if you keeping solving them, they’ll keep bringing them. “Mum, my sister is annoying me!” “Dad, can you ask my teacher to pick me for the team?” “Hey, I can’t find my socks!”
It’s tempting if you are in a time-poor family to simply jump in and help kids out.
Alternatively, you can take a problem-solving approach, cueing them to resolve their own problems and take responsibility for their concerns. “What can you do to make her stop annoying you?” “What’s the best approach to take with your teacher?” “Socks, smocks! Where might they be?”
Here are 5 questions you can ask kids to encourage them to resolve their own problems:
1. “Can you solve this yourself?”
Get kids thinking they can do it.
2. “What do you think needs to happen?”
Start kids thinking about solving problems.
3. “What’s the first step?”
Sometimes just getting kids started is enough to get them working out issues themselves.
4. “How would you like me to help?”
Get kids considering the type of assistance they need.
5. “What’s the best way to do this?”
Get kids assessing and prioritising.
Problem-solving is one of the four major skills (optimism, social skills & independence being the others) that resilient kids share, yet it’s the one that many of us aren’t equipped to develop. Start by stepping back and asking good questions when kids bring you their problems to solve.
Junior Basketball
No matches tomorrow night as we commence holidays.
Week Ahead
Sunday, 2nd October
- Daylight Savings commences (clock forward one hour)
Monday, 3rd October
- Staff day
Tuesday, 4th October
- School resumes for students, summer or winter uniform optional, hats compulsory
Wednesday, 5th October
- Prep Big Day Out
- Year 3 & 4 Naracoorte Camp departs
Thursday, 6th October
- Years 1 & 2 Bridgewater Camp departs
Friday, 7th October
- Year 3 & 4 Naracoorte Camp returns
- Year 1 & 2 Bridgewater Camp returns
- Basketball matches resume
Saturday, 8th October
- Junior Netball commences
Mrs Bernadette Milich
Acting Head of Junior Campus
Out of School Hours Care
It has been another busy term in both before and after school care and the children continue to strengthen their relationships with each other and all seem to enjoy the relaxed and flexible environment at our Out of School Hours Care programs.
Our Before School Care program remains near capacity and all children need to be booked in either permanently for Term 4, or with 24 hours’ notice, so we can ensure there is space. A reminder that our Before School Care program commences at 8:00am.
There are many casual spaces available in our After School Care program on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, however the 24-hour booking period still applies.
We wish everyone a safe and happy term break and we look forward to more fun in Term Four.
Mrs Alex Anderson
Out of School Hours Care Coordinator
Early Learning Centre
Who can believe that we are wrapping it up for Term Three. Where does the time go? The Piccino and Piccolo groups have both had fun playing and learning this term.
Our Piccolos have been consolidating the relationships they have been developing all year with their peers and staff. The building of these relationships is so vital to all the children’s learning and development. It is from these connections that much teaching and learning stems. The Piccolo children have also enjoyed the wide range of creative, imaginative and construction experiences provided and always look forward to our story-time.
Our Piccino group have also been consolidating their learning. We have progressed through our explicit literacy experiences well, with many children showing a great interest in writing. Not only are they writing their own names but more importantly they are experimenting with generating letters that are not in their names or even wanting to write words and sentences – wow!! We continue to challenge the children creatively by exposing them to many interesting and unique methods of expressing themselves.
We are looking forward to continuing this work in fourth term while incorporating the various Prep Transition programs that they will all be involved in.
We wish everyone a safe and happy break.
Mrs Frances O'Brien
Director – Early Learning Centre