Goodbye

Room 23,
It's hard to believe that the year is over! You came to me as energetic, joyful and clever Year 2s and 3s and now you leave as still energetic, still just as joyful and even smarter Year 3s and 4s! What a pleasure it has been to teach you this year. It makes me so happy and proud when I reflect on all that we've achieved together this year. In fact, you guys have taught me some things too! You've helped me to become a better teacher, taught me to smile lots and not take life too seriously and have even assisted me in perfecting my Dab! Please make sure you come and say hello to me occasionally- you know where to find me!

Parents,
Thank you sincerely for your ongoing support and for your commitment to making your child's school experience a positive one. I have loved working with you and your child this year!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas break.
Miss B   XxX

Class Party Fun

On Wednesday, we celebrated a fantastic year in Room 23 by having a class party. Thank you to all the families for providing such yummy treats. The children had a great time sharing a meal with the other students in Block 3 and then watching Mr Bean with Mrs Campbell's Year Ones.

Presentation Night

On Tuesday, December 13, it was the annual Wattle Grove Primary Presentation Night. Not only did the students look fantastic (thanks parents) but I was extremely proud of the way they performed with confidence and showed respect to the other performers. It was a fantastic night and I hope you enjoyed the show!

A special congratulations to the Room 23 Academic Award winners- Charlotte (Year 2) and Francis (Year 3) and to the Encouragement Award winners- Ava (Year 2) and Annalisa (Year 3). Thank you to all my students for your hard work this year.

<3 Miss B

Christmas Cookies

The students had a wonderful time decorating Christmas cookies to share with their peers at the Block 3 Christmas Party. They looked fantastic and were delicious too!

Christmas cookies from Tasha

Congratulations

Francis (left) & Shajin were recognised for being in the Top 5 of their year level. 

Congratulations to both Shajin and Francis for being in the Top 5 for the Term 4 Principal's Challenge and to Chinmayi for being in the Top 5 Most Improved. Francis was the only student to achieve 100% on the Year 3 test. Well done.

Shajin and Francis are also commended for their exemplary efforts in the Literacy Pro Reading Program. Shajin earnt his silver and Francis earnt his gold, a wonderful achievement! Francis was also recognised as having read the most words in the entire school, reading almost 2 000 000 words this year! He was the proud recipient of a special book prize.

Congratulations to all the students on the excellent behaviour that they showcased during the final assembly for 2016 and thank you to all the parents who attended.

Descriptive Writing

During the last week of school, we learnt about author's purpose. One of the reasons we write is to describe, encouraging the readers to use their senses. We decorated a unique Santa, then applied all we've learnt about figurative language to describe his character. Even Miss B joined in the fun!

The year that was...

Yesterday, your child would have brought home a writing sample. At this busy time of year, it can be nice to pause and reflect on just how far the children have come. It really was amazing to see  the progress they have made in just 12 months. It definitely made me a little teary and I hope they are just as proud of themselves as I am of them! I sincerely thank you for all your support throughout the year and am grateful to have had the opportunity to play just a small role in the lives of your children. They have been a lovely bunch to work with and I wish them every success for the future.

Reflections from Tasha

Figurative Language Fun

Can you guess the idiom?

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas...

The countdown until the Christmas holidays is on! On December 1, we read stories about how different cultures celebrate the festive season. We then decorated a Christmas tree for our classroom. It was a lot of fun!

In the spirit of giving, Wattle Grove Primary is also taking donations of non-perishable food item for the Hill's Christmas Charity. Thank you to all those families who have already generously donated. Please place any items in the labelled box, located in the Block 3 Wet Area.

Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree from Tasha

Class Party

Dear Parents,

As you may be aware, we will be celebrating the hard work and exemplary behaviour of the students in Room 23 this year by having a class morning tea on Wednesday the 14^thDecember, commencing at 11:00 am. 

It is asked that boys bring a plate of savoury foods and that girls bring a plate of sweet foods. Please ensure that what your child brings is sufficient for 20 children to eat. 

Please note that if you are bringing in hot food, could you please be at school at 10:50am, with the food already heated up. 

Your child will need to bring recess but not lunch as the party food will be their lunch on this day.

Next week, I will be placing a blank list next to the classroom door and once you know what your child is going to bring for the class party, please write the food next to their name. 

If you have questions regarding the class party please come and see me.

Your assistance with this celebration is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Miss B

Presentation Night

Next Tuesday, December 13, is the Wattle Grove Primary Presentation Night. This event will be held at Camp Wattle Grove, commencing at 6:30 pm sharp. Please ensure your child arrives promptly by 6:10 pm and are signed in with the class teacher. All students will need to be in their costumes as follows:

Year 2:

Multi coloured/bright shirt

Black pants/shorts/leggings

Year 3:

Blue shirt

Black pants/shorts/leggings

Students will be attending a rehearsal at Camp Wattle Grove on Monday, December 12, during school time. Please ensure both the yellow and green permission slips are returned by Friday, December 9.

Thanks for your co-operation,

Miss B

Swimming Lessons

Last week, Room 23 concluded their fortnight of swimming lessons. I thought the behaviour the students showcased in public was exemplary and several staff members commented on the positive way that they conducted themselves during this time. Well done, Room 23!

Family Fun Night

On Friday, November 25, Wattle Grove Primary held their first ever Family Fun Night. It was a successful evening, not to mention, lots of fun! Thanks to all the families who generously donated prizes for this event and who attended the event. Your support was greatly appreciated.

Fabulous Forces

This term, we have been learning all about forces. We debated whether the pull or push force was more superior. What do you think? Then, we had to write a persuasive text to justify our reasoning. We also conducted an experiment to discover what happens when we apply a soft and hard push or pull to play dough. A hard push or pull makes and object go further and faster. The students have also been having lots of fun at the Investigation Centre. It has been pleasing to see them developing the awareness that science is, in fact, all around them!

Super Scientist Competition

In week 5, we held our second Science Superstars Competition. The students did an incredible job presenting their experiments and reports and we all learnt a thing or two! A huge thank you to the parents with your help and support in gathering materials and ensuring the children were well rehearsed.

It was a tough competition but the students, selected by their peers, to progress through to their respective Year Level Competitions were:

Year 2

Joan- with her wonderful model and presentation on photosynthesis 

Taj- with his awesome balloon kebab experiment 

Year 3

Sharnie- with her long lasting bubbles

Shajin- with his informative presentation on battery operated circuits.

All the finalists did a great job but a huge congratulations must go to Joan, who was selected as the Year 2 Champion. She gave a confident performance at the whole school science assembly and did Room 23 proud! 

Science superstars from Tasha

Swimming Lessons

Thank you to those who have already returned swimming notes and made the payment. Just a reminder that swimming lessons will commence in Week 7. Please make sure that payments and both forms are completed and returned to school, as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Miss B

Scitech

On Wednesday, Room 23 went on an excursion to Scitech to tie in with our Science program. This term, we are exploring physical sciences (forces and motion). Our tour guide, Mr F, was very entertaining and we learnt lots of new and interesting facts. We had a great time exploring the exhibits and loved watching balls get exploded in the theatre. A huge thank you to our awesome parent helpers, Leeanne, Drew and Florida, for helping make the day such a success. 

Room 23’s super scitech adventure from Tasha

Congratulations

Congratulations to all the students who won awards at the last assembly. Francis, Connor and Zanetta won Merit Certificates. Saxon won the Room 23 Science Award and Sharon won the values award for demonstrating thankfulness.

Room 23 were also the winners of the Tidy Bags Award for the third time this year! A fantastic effort!

Assembly

Last Friday, it was Room 23 and Room 13’s brilliant assembly. Our assembly was all about figurative language. We sang an onomatopoeia song, which was about words that imitate sound effects. For all the parents that came to our assembly, we hope you enjoyed it.

~ Ava (Year 2)

Assembly item from Tasha

Family Fun Night Donations

Room 23 needs your help. We are organising a chocolate game stall. Students need to bring a in a large block of  chocolate or a bag of chocolate to be used as prizes. Please bring in your donation by Friday , 18 November, 2016.

Principal's Challenge Winners

Congratulations to Luke and Francis for making it into the Top 5 of their year level for the Term 3 Principal’s Challenge. A special congratulations also to Shayla, Kalani, Aaliyah, Ava and Aliyah for being in the Top 5 Most Improved for their respective year levels.

A fabulous effort and I can't wait to see what Room 23 can achieve this Term!

Top 5

Most Improved

Learning Journey

Thanks you to all the parents who came along for our Learning Journey during the last week of Term 3. I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to talk to your children about what they have been learning and view their spectacular work. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Miss B

Room 23 learning journey from Tasha

Assembly Update

Hi,
As I am sure you are aware, our class assembly is being held on Friday, October 28. We are presenting with Miss Lockyer's Year Three class and the theme is figurative language.You should have received a note earlier in the week, where students brainstormed costume ideas for their chosen sound effect. These can be kept quite simple with coloured clothing, masks, drawn objects pinned on a t-shirt etc. The students are asked to gave costumes finalised for Thursdsay 27th October as we will be having a dress rehearsal in the afternoon.


I have also included the link to the song so that your child can practise it at home if they wish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1b5kCvVBo8

If your child has a speaking role, it will be stapled to the note. Encourage your child to use a confident, expressive voice when saying their lines.

Check the blog regularly for further details and thanks for your co-operation. If you have any queries, feel free to pop in after school.

We can't wait!
Miss B

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Term 4 everyone! It is set to be a very busy term and I have been impressed with the way students have settled back into the school routine, getting ready to achieve their personal learning goals.

Sadly, we have said to good bye to two students this term; Kalani and Audrey. We will miss you but hope you have fun at your new school.

Dancing lessons are under way, in preparation for the annual Presentation Night. Thanks to all those who have paid, although there are still a few payments outstanding. The cost is $35 or $5 a class. It is expected that students participate as this is considered part of fitness for the term. We have also been joining with Miss Lockyer's class to practise for our class assembly, which will be held in Week 3.

We also have our next Science Superstars Assembly scheduled for Week 4. We will be having our class competition in Week 3. Please ensure your child is able to understand the science behind their experiment, explain the method concisely and has the required materials. Thanks for your support.

There are lots of significant events on over the next few weeks. These are listed below for your convenience:

Week 1:

Friday, October 14- Test Books due back to school.

Week 3:

Thursday, October 27- Science Superstars Class Presentations.

Friday, October 28- Room 23 and 13 Class Assembly

Week 4:

Wednesday, November 2- Scitech Excursion

Friday, November 4- Whole School Science Superstars Assembly (8:45am)

Music Assembly (2:30pm)

Please check our class blog regularly for the latest updates.

Miss B

Design & Technology

During the last week of term, we completed an integrated project- designing our own show bag! First, we looked at lots of different show bags and talked about the persuasive devices used to try and get us to buy them! We then talked about what we could put on our bags to get people to want to buy our truffles. We talked about a catchy title, bright colours, a cheap price, value for money and lots more. We then drew our design and brainstormed the materials we would need. I was very impressed with the creative ideas the students came up with! Lastly, we made our bag and evaluated it to see how accurately we had followed our plan and to check whether our bag met the discussed success criteria. Check out our awesome show bags below:

Design a show bag from Tasha

Magic Mixtures

To conclude our unit on Chemical Science, the students of Room 23 made some mouth-watering chocolate truffles. We talked about solids and liquids and that we can combine these to form a mixture. They were easy to make and we had lots of fun! Here's what you need to try them at home:

Ingredients:

• 250g packet of  Milk Arrowroot biscuits
• 1/3 of a cup of cocoa
• 395g can of condensed milk
• Sprinkles, crushed nuts or coconut to decorate

Method:

1. Crush biscuits in a large snap lock bag until they are a fine powder.
2. Place in a mixing bowl.
3. Add cocoa and condensed milk to the biscuits.
4. Stir until all combined. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of water. 
5. Roll into small balls.
6. Roll each ball into the sprinkles/coconut/nuts.
7. Place on a serving tray.
8. Refrigerate until cool.

Mixtures from Tasha

Learning Journey

This Tuesday, you are invited to take part in your child’s Learning Journey. This event will be held in Room 23, from 2:00-3:30 pm. The students will give you a tour of the classroom and speak to you about what they have been learning this term. It will also give you a chance to view your child’s Test Book and give them some constructive feedback. While I will be present during this time as a guide, I will not be available to discuss your child’s progress at this event. I hope to see you there! Miss B :) 

Nifty Narratives

In Big Write today, we looked at different ways we can "hook" our reader. We talked about how we can use descriptive language to set the scene of our stories, without specifically revealing the setting, keeping our readers on the edge of their seats! I'm so impressed with the wonderful writers in Room 23! This is just a preview...more to be revealed at the Learning Journey afternoon on Tuesday!

Ava- It was sunset and the creatures were all in bed. It was nice and cool, No waves were going. It was a quiet night at the beach. Everyone was in bed and having dreams and the only sound you could hear was an owl going, "Hoot!" What a lovely night it was.

Zanetta- As the sun set, I saw the beautiful sky turn yellow, orange and red. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Annalisa- As the rough water started to calm and continued to go in and out, in and out, the beautiful colours lit the wonderful sky. Where could I be?

Shayla- What was that? I see blue. Is it an underwater volcano or beautiful crystals?

Assembly Update

Last Thursday, we had our last Senior Assembly for Term 3! Not only did Charlotte, Joan and Sharon win Merit Awards, Room 23 also won the Tidy Bags Award for the second time this year! A special mention to Taj for doing the bag officer job by himself whilst his partner was absent. You're a star! Congratulations also to Annalisa and Francis who earnt blue and silver Literacy Pro certificates respectively. The year 3s are doing an outstanding job and have read nearly 3 000 000 words so far this year, between only 11 students! A mighy fine effort, Year 3s. Keep reading everyone.

Faction Carnival

Congratulations to purple faction on winning this year's Athletics Carnival. Well done to all the students in Room 23 for your excellent efforts, behaviour and sportsmanship on the day. You're all winners to me!

Team Orange!

Team Purple!

Team Red!

Team Blue

For more photos, visit the school blog at the link below:
http://wattlegroveps1.blogspot.com.au/