End of Year Picnic

The end of year picnic will be held at school this Wednesday at school. At this stage it is scheduled for 11:00 am at lunch-eating time on the main oval. Please bring a plate to share.

The Year 1 Neighbourhood picnic is currently being held on Wednesday afternoon at Rathdowne Park/Curtain Square (corner Rathdowne/Curtain Sts) - please see email below from Ali.

 

Hi all

Sorry we had to cancel yesterday, the jury is out as to whether we made the right call in cancelling but when we checked the radar at 3pm, rain was on the way, so…

Anyway, would be great to get together to celebrate the end of the school year, so if you are free after school on Wednesday and fancy an ice cream in the park, please head down to Curtain Square then! Sia is going to come along too (so if you have given a gift to Julie for her you might like to get it back from her tomorrow – I understand she has quite a few at the office – and give your gift to Sia in person).

Hope to see you there.

Ali

Year 1 Neighbourhood afternoon & iupdate

Thankyou to the parents/grandparents who came along to the Year 1 Neighbourhood yesterday to share in the amazing projects this term investigating families. Congratulations to the students who represented the neighbourhood in both yesterday's and today's assembly presentations. It was wonderful to see so many people there at this time of the year.

Specialist program will run on Wednesday this week due to 2012 planning.

Please remember to return Library books (check bags as notices have been issued today). Please see Mark if there are any issues with books.

Home borrowing program will also cease tomorrow (Wednesday) so please look for any Home Readers and return to book boxes in the Torus.

Please remember to send notes of any absences past or future and hand into Homegroup teachers.

The Farewell Picnic will take place next week - please check talking Points for details and updates.

The Premiers' Readers Challenge Certificates will be handed out in next week's assembly. Please note that students will be represented in Neighbourhoods rather than every student on stage.

Term 4 finishes on Thursday 22nd at 2 pm. A whole school assembly will take place in the Hall to farewell the Year 6 students at 1:30 pm on that day.

Finally, thankyou for a wonderful year with your children this year! It has been lovely working with you and your children throughout the year.

Best wishes to all of you for a safe, happy Christmas and the holidays ahead.

Regards,

Sia, Sheryal, Mark, Shana & Elke

Last few Weeks

Home Reading & Library Books

Please start searching for any unreturned Home Reading books and please return them as soon as possible.

Student Work

Students' work will start coming home in the over the next few weeks as we begin the tidying up process in preparation for next year. Students who have their library bags still at school have been asked to keep them in their lockers to take them home closer towards the end of the year. We have a number of cloth shopping bags at school other students will be able to use as well. Please do not take any books home at this point in time.

Year 1 Term 4 Family Inquiry Celebration

This will be held on Monday 12th December at 2:30 pm starting in the Torus. Please come along to see the fantastic learning students have completed as part of their inquiry this term (a separate note will come home shortly). Thank you to the parents and extended family members who have assisted during the term on students' inquiry projects!

Year 1 Assembly

For those not able to make Monday, the Year 1s will be sharing some of their projects at Tuesday 13th December Assembly at 9:00 am.

Please remember to read the newsletter each week to keep up to date with other events in the busy, last few weeks of term.

We will endeavour to post further updates on the Blog as well.

Best wishes,

Mark, Sheryal and Elke

2012 Transition - Update from Rita

Transition: We all experience it!

The whole school community including children, parents and staff are experiencing the transition of children from one year level to another.

To familiarise themselves with new home groups and neighbourhoods the children will partake in 4 transition sessions. Three will take place on 5^th, 6^th, 7^th December from 10am to 11:15. The children will spend time in their 2012 neighbourhoods with their team of teachers and groups. They will familiarise themselves with the new learning spaces, discuss learning possibilities and partake in learning agreement activities with all of their 2012 teachers.  Older children will be mentoring and offering advice to the younger ones. The children will have lunch in their new spaces as part of each session. The aim is to make all children feel comfortable, confident and excited about their next year level. Consistency in learning across the school aims to make this a seamless process.

On Tuesday 20^th December there will be a fourth transition session where the children will be introduced to their 2012 home teacher as well as working in their new neighbourhoods for 1 hour. This will take place from 2.30 to 3.30. The children will be dismissed from their new neighbourhoods on this day.

This period of change is both challenging and exciting in which children and families adjust to expectations, interactions and relationships.

Rita Jokubaitis

Student Pathways and Transitions.

Learning Celebration & Yr 1 Assembly

On Monday 12th December the Year 1s will be presenting their inquiry learning in the Year 1 Neighbourhood. Further details of this will be provided closer to the date. 

On Tuesday 13th December, the Year 1s will be hosted the whole school assembly.

Please put these dates into your calendars!

Elke, Sheryal, Mark & Shana

Parent Helpers

Please see one of the Year 1 teachers if you are able to assist with Play & Inquiry projects in the next couple of weeks, particularly using computers and recording software.

Many thanks,

Elke, Sheryal and Mark

Play & Inquiry

Over the past few weeks, the Year 1 students have been busy working on their Play & Inquiry projects and the neighbourhood has been extremely busy with amazing creative projects communicating their ideas about families.

Some of the ways in which students are working include: Quilting; Story writing (Room 18); Doll making and performance masks from different parts of the world (Room 18); Claymation and Family portraits (the Torus).

In the Torus area last week we were fortunate to have a professional animator, Maya, come and assist us with the claymation projects and show us some her fantastic animation projects!

In the Torus, most groups have completed their storyboards for their Claymation projects and have now begun to develop their characters and backdrops.

Today, some have already begun experimenting with recording sound files of their stories before film work begins.

The Family portrait group have completed the good copies of their written explanation of their family portraits and have joined other Play & Inquiry groups to extend their learning throughout this term.

Students in the Claymation area need to remember to bring in props from home for their projects (ie doll house furnishing, cars, etc). 

We hope to have some of the students projects completed and ready to show at the Year 1 Assembly later in the term. At this stage, this has been scheduled for Tuesday 6th December.

Book Swapping on Thursdays

Over the next four weeks period, during the 2012 Prep Transition program, staff, students and parents are being asked not to use the Hall/Torus areas in the mornings. This will mean that home reading books will need to be changed during or at the end of the day, with the Specialist program operating in the two hour block after lunch.

We thank you for your cooperation,

The Year 1 Team 

Bazaar Talent Quest Update - from Ali & Trudy

 From Ali & Trudy

 

Hello teachers

 

Children in the Talent Quest have been asked

Hello teachers

Children in the Talent Quest have been asked to bring their music this Friday lunchtime so that we can collect it all. Could you please remind them to bring their cds, with their names on, this Friday? Thank you.

 

Also, last Friday Trudy taught a very short flash mob type dance to about half the Talent Quest children. We are hoping to perform it once or twice at the Bazaar and would like to invite you to participate! No dance experience required, just come along to the gym next Monday lunchtime (31^st) and Trudy will teach you the moves. For your information, the music that we will be dancing to is The Jacksons’ “Can you Feel It” – a great dancing song! We’ll be at the gym at 11.10pm, see you there.

Cheers,

Alison

Rippon Lea Excursion

                                                        
We all had a fabulous day out, experiencing the old world wonder of 19th century family life yesterday! The students participated in four activities during the day and I hope they have had the opportunity to share some of these experiences with you already. The activities included: 19th Century Games; a tour of  Rippon Lea's kitchen and the basement servants' area to experience domestic labour before modern technology, a time-machine experience back to 1887 - the time when the Rippon Lea house was extended and Creature Catcher- a treasure hunt locating 'rubbings' of the various animals once found in the vast estate gardens.

                            "The Lake"

The children were wonderfully engaged and behaved throughout the day! Thank-you to the parents and grandparent who accompanied us.

Walk to School Day & JSC Fun Day

Two events happening this week:

Walk to School Day is this Wednesday.

JSC Fun Day is being held this Thursday. Theme is PJ day with gold coin donations going to Somalia.

Books in Lockers

Just a reminder that students' learning books stored in their bag lockers are not for taking home as they are still being used in class. If you have inadvertently taken them home, can you please return them?

Many thanks.

Term 4: Important Dates

Week 2:

Monday 17^th October: Life Education 1V (9 am)

Monday 17th October: Life Education 1S (10 am)

Tuesday 18^th October: Life Education 1E (2:30 pm)

Chess commences (Wednesday Lunchtimes in the Torus)

Week 3:

Tennis commences (Tuesday Lunchtimes for 7 weeks - 13th December final session)

Wednesday 26^th October: Ripponlea Excursion (9:15am-3:15pm)

Week 4:

Monday 31^st October: Whole School Assembly (Hong Kong student exchange program)

Tuesday 1^st November: Melbourne Cup Day (No School)

Thursday 3^rd November: Tabloid Sports session 1 (9-9:45 am)

Week 5:

Thursday 10^th November: Tabloid Sports session 2 (9-9:45 am)

Sunday 13th November: PHPS Annual Bazaar

Week 6:

Wednesday 16^th November: Official opening of BER (check newsletter closer to the date for times)

Thursday 17^th November: Tabloid Sports session 3 (9-9:45 am)

Week 7:

Thursday 24^th November: Tabloid Sports session 4 (9-9:45 am)

Thursday 24^th November: Parent thankyou morning tea

Week 8:

Week 9:

All Library books due back by this week

Friday 16^th December: Reports home

Week 10:

Wednesday 21^st December: End of Year Picnic

Thursday 22^nd December: Last day of the year (2pm finish)

A belated 'Welcome Back' to Term 4

We welcome families and children back to a busy term ahead! We also welcome back Emily to the Year 1 Neighbourhood who is working with us in sessions 3 & 4. Alex, our student teacher, will also continue working with us for the first two weeks of 4^th Term.

Catrina delivered a healthy baby girl, Kyra, on the Sunday before the term started. We look forward to hearing regular updates from Luca as well as look forward to her coming into the area for a visit. 

Hats

Please remember that the school Sunsmart policy is effective in Terms 1 & 4. Children need to have hats with 7cm wide brims in order to be allowed to play out of undercover areas (the Library terrace area). Hats can be purchased from the Uniform shop located in stage area of the gym (use the ramp entrance) on Monday mornings.

This term there are a number of special events taking place. These have been outlined on a separate blog post “Term 4 Important Dates”.

Play & Inquiry

This term the Year 1 neighbourhood continues its learning exploration looking at the role of families and culture. Students selected their Play & Inquiry investigation areas this week and these are detailed on the Play & Inquiry display board in the Torus.

Parent Helpers for Play & Inquiry

A heavy focus this term is on creative projects and any assistance from parents and carers would be welcome to assist students in their projects such as quilting, dolls/costumes & masks and claymation.

Cooking

We are also hoping to run weekly Friday cooking sessions with all of the Play & Inquiry groups. These will be small groups of six students using the Red Brick Building kitchen.

Please see Sia, Sheryal or Elke if you are able to assist in these learning initiatives.

Timetable Change

A change in Specialist timetabling has occurred this term. Presently, the Monday afternoon sessions have been changed to Friday afternoons (1V – Visual Arts; 1S – PE; 1E – Italian).

Thursday morning Specialist sessions (session 1 & 2) have changed to sessions 3 & 4 after lunch.   

Bazaar

Thankyou to the Year 1 parent reps who continue to promote the Annual School Bazaar efforts. Rosters have been placed on the Noticeboard outside the Year 1 Neighbourhood requesting assistance on the Year 1 stalls. A separate email has been sent out to families on each Home group’s email contact list detailing the timeline for events leading up to the Bazaar (collection of soft drinks, hampers, etc). Collection point for items are in the Torus.

Notices

Please remember to return the Blue Life Education permission slips and Yellow Excursion forms to classroom asap.

Teisha's quilt

Teisha’s Quilt

On Friday I started to make a quilt with my Nanas help.  It took until Sunday to finish it.  It is pink and the backing is pink as well.  It was made out of an old dress that didn’t fit me.  I got the wadding from spotlight.  I made it for my favourite toy Lucy.  I was going to bring it in yesterday but I forgot.  There are some beautiful patterns on it and every corner of each square has a button on it.  It took me three days to make it.  I hope to make another one soon.  I was inspired by Sia and Genevieve’s grandma.  It is very special to me because it was the first quilt I ever made.  I didn’t put a tag that said who it was made by or the date because most quilts don’t have one.

My next project is to finish dad’s Santa scarf.

Quilting

On Thursday Genevieve’s grandma came to show us her quilts.  She told us how to make a quilt.  We learnt that it takes a long time to make a quilt and that there are three layers to a quilt.  Wadding is placed in the middle and a tag is added at the end to tell us who made the quilt.  Genevieve’s grandma has made quilts for birthdays and special occasions, she has made 25 quilts.  That’s a lot of quilts.  

Quilts keep you warm in the winter.  Quilts are for everyone and everyone can make a quilt.  We were so happy to have Genevieve’s grandma come to speak to us.

We have been learning about quilts in class.  Quilts can tell a story about us or about the past.  We have all made temporary quilts.  Our neighbourhood will be making a quilt next term as part of our learning agreement.  We have been asked to bring along a piece of fabric, from an old piece of clothing no longer worn e.g. an old t-shirt or a button. 

Year 1 Neighbourhood

We need parents to help with the process of making a quilt and we would be most appreciative if parents could come along.  Parents do not have to turn up to all the learning agreement sessions but a commitment to one session per week would be great.  Learning agreement times are as follows, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 9.05am and on Tuesdays at 10.00am.

Life Education Visit 2011

Life Education Parent Information Session:

Tuesday 11^th October 2011

9:30 – 10:30am

Dear Parents

As part of our drug and health education this term we are having the Life Education mobile

classroom visit our school from  11/10/11 – 19/10/11. Prep – Year 2 will have a one hour lesson and Year 3 – 6 will have a 1.5 hour lesson during this time.

Life Education has been visiting our school biennially for many years and helps to facilitate the development of life skills in students to prevent and minimise the harm of drug misuse.

Lessons are always age appropriate and the children will be covering a wide range of drug and health related topics, ranging from the human body and how it works, healthy eating and nutrition, medicines and drugs, bullying, resilience and social skills.

Healthy Harold, the much loved Life Education giraffe mascot is always a much anticipated element of the Life Education visit. The sessions are always fun, interactive and really extend and develop the children’s understanding of the topics covered. We will be further broadening these topics in class both prior to and after the Life Education visit with the student workbook which is included in the cost of the visit.

As part of our drug and health education this term we are offering you the opportunity to visit our Life Education mobile classroom, while it’s here at our school to learn about the following:

What is my child learning in Life Education?

Have you seen inside the Life Education mobile classroom, or know of Harold?

What drug education is appropriate for primary school students?

Why do we have health and drug education?

How is health and drug education integrated into your school’s curriculum?

testing 1, 2, 3!

New feature on the Blog

I have recently been experimenting with a new feature on the blog that will notify parents/subscribers of new updates. Will let you know if they are successful and how to create this function.

Thanks,

Elke

Friday Update

Thanks to the parents and Year 5/6 students who came in on Friday to assist with planting, the Bazaar Talent Quest practice and National Immunology Competition.

All plants are now in the ground and the students had a fantastic afternoon!