Good bye 2018

Room 24,
It's hard to believe that the year is over! You came to me as energetic,

joyful and clever Year 3s and now you leave as still energetic, still just as joyful and even smarter Year 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. You've helped me to become a better teacher, taught me to smile lots and not take life too seriously. Please make sure you come and say hello to me occasionally.

Parents and caregivers,
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

Our class will be having their end of year class party on Wednesday 12^th December at 12:00pm. Your child will not need a packed lunch on this day. Please fill out what your child will be bringing on the table located on our classroom door. All hot food is to be brought to the classroom at 11:45pm, please no frozen food as we are unable to heat this up on the day. All food is to be brought on a small disposable plate to allow for easy clean up.

Kind Regards,

Miss B

Choir Excursion

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of travelling with the Junior Choir  to the Donovan Senior Citizen’s Village. They sang beautifully and brought such great joy to all the residents. I was very proud of the way they conducted themselves. The kids had a great time and LOVED the morning tea!

Dance Party

Room 24 will be having their dance party at Camp Wattle Grove on Tuesday, December 11. It will commence at 9:15 and go for about an hour. The blue permission form and $2.50 bus fare need to be returned as soon as possible. Please also specify the number of adult tickets you require. Students can dress up in their party clothes on this day and can stay in them, although, are encouraged to dress comfortably. 

Congratulations

 Congratulations to Gazal, Layla, Tylah and Emily who all earnt a merit award at the last Senior Assembly. Also special congratulations to Indi D and Naomi for winning the Values and Science awards.

Merit Awards- Gazal, Emily, Layla & Tylah

Science Award- Naomi & Values Award- Indi D

Class Assembly

On Friday 30th Nov, Room 19 and Room 24 hosted and performed at the Senior Assembly. The poetry performance focused on the feeling that sharing and giving brings at Christmas time, which is a value our school holds dear. We even wear it on our crest!  The students created cinquain poems, exploring the Christmas theme. We certainly discovered what a celebration Christmas can be when we focus on what’s important. Wishing all our Wattle Grove Community a very, merry Christmas! 

Meet Rodney the Reading Elf

We have a special guest in our classroom to count down the 12 days of Christmas. Rodney the elf has brought the gift of literature to Room 24! Each day, the students have been excited to unwrap a gift and go on a new Christmas adventure.

Festive Fun

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas... The countdown until the Christmas holidays is on! Last Friday, we 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.

Festive fun from Tasha

School Development Day

Just a reminder that there is no school for students this Friday, November 23rd. 

Collaboration Corner

This term, I have given students more independence in running class council meetings. They have taken on this challenge with enthusiasm and did a fantastic job at brainstorming ways to help solve issues they had seen around the school. 

A focus area this term has been effective communication and negotiation skills. Each Friday, Students have been working together to build battery operated circuits, under the guidance of Alby, who has shown great initiative and leadership skills in this area.

Protective Behaviours

This term in Health, students will be engaging in the Protective Behaviour program, as mandated by the Education Department. The key message is that everyone has a right to feel safe. They have explored safe places, identified trusted people they can share problems with, explored a range of feelings and how their bodies react and discussed ways they can regulate feelings in an appropriate manner.

Rules, Rights and Responsibilities

In HASS the students have been discussing rules and their importance. They have been exploring the relationship between rules, rights and responsibilities and considering what makes rules fair. It has been interesting to hear their ideas on the topic.

STEM Challenge

The students have had a great time designing and making lunchboxes to try and solve their STEM problem. A few students had to modify their design along the way, to incorporate elements of insulation. Next week, the students will be testing them to see whether their lunchbox successfully lowers the temperature, as well as collecting and graphing their data.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Eadson, Sophie and Roseleen who won Merit Certificates at the last senior assembly. They have been working very hard in class and I am proud of the progress they have made. Congratulations also to Eadson and Alby on achieving their Literacy Pro certificates.

Merit Award Winners- Eadson, Sophie & Roseleen

Lit Pro Awards- Eadson (Blue) & Alby (Red)

Science Superstars

Congratulations to Naomi and Deep in being selected to represent Room 24 at the Science Superstars year level final. While the students didn’t make it into the grand final, I am extremely proud of the way they researched and presented so confidentially on their areas of interest. Well done!

Maths Update

 The students in Room 24 have been busy practising their times tables. Deep and Roseleen have shown exceptional skill in this area and have both recently been awarded the title of ‘Black Belt Multiplication Master.’ Congratulations to all students who have attained a coloured belt in the last few weeks. The students have also been working on their measurement skills and have been exploring angles in their environment.

BLACK BELT MASTERS!

Literacy Update

In reading, we have been focusing on the strategy of monitoring. When we monitor, we check that we understand what words and sentences mean. If we reach a difficult part of the text, we can re-read or slow down our pace so that we can comprehend it. 

The students have been exploring proofreading and refining their work. In their teams, they have been proofreading text and thinking of ways to “up level.” Now the challenge is to apply these skills to their own writing!

Assembly News

Room 24 will be hosting the next Senior Assembly with Room 19. This event will be held on Friday, November 30. Students will need to arrive at 8:30 and the assembly will begin at 8:45.

Dress requirements are as follows:

• ·      Christmas t-shirt or a t-shirt of red, green or white colour. Girls may wear a Christmas dress.
• ·      Black pants/shorts/skirt
• ·      Christmas hat, reindeer antlers or other Christmas accessories such as a flashing necklace, tinsel in a ponytail etc.

Please encourage your child to practice their part at home to ensure confidence on the day.

Thanks for your cooperation. It is most appreciated.

Miss B 😊

Assembly Script

Students are in their positions on the stage.  

Chelsea: Good morning parents, teachers and students.

Tessa: Welcome to Room 19 and Room 24’s very, merry Christmas assembly.

Alby: Please stand for the National Anthem.

(All students sing the National Anthem)

Kiara: Please be seated.

Layla:  At Wattle Grove Primary School, our motto is“Give to Receive”. 

Charlotte: This means we try and help others without expecting anything in return.

Tylah: When we do this, we experience the feeling that sharing and giving brings.

Grace:  Christmas is a time where we LOVE to give and receive gifts.

Krissy: While this is great, it’s an important time to also share messages of joy, love and peace.

Natasha: We will now perform a poem about Christmas for your enjoyment.

All students perform:  “A Letter to Santa”

(After the poem, the students sit down)

Navshan: Can Ms Roberts please address the school and present the Merit Certificates.

Christian: Thank you, Ms Roberts.

Emily:  Could Mr Meachem please present the rest of the merit certificates.

Riley:  Thank you Mr Meachem.

Lachlan: Mr Honey will now lead the school in a community song.

Naomi: Please stand quietly.

(All students sing)

Isabel: Can Mrs McIlwraith now address the school and present the Literacy Pro Certificates.

Roseleen: Thank you, Mrs McIlwraith.

Leah: Can Mrs Bennett please present the Values Awards.

Gazal: Thank you, Mrs Bennett.

Radhika: Could Mr Sanderson please present the Science awards.

Eadson: Thank you Mr Sanderson

Eisha: Mr Sherlock will now present the School Board Award*

Steven: Thank you Mr Sherlock.

Sahar: The Student Reps will now present their report.

Sophie: Thank you Student Reps.

Han Yu: Please stand quietly for the School Song.

(All students stand and sing the School Song)

Chloe: Please be seated.

Sarthak: Thank you for coming to our Assembly.

Lucas: We hope you enjoyed it.  

Deep: Remember this Christmas to give those around you the gifts of joy, love and peace.

Aadidev: Let’s work together to create a world that is peaceful and not full of greed.

Indi D: Could all honour certificate recipients please meet Mr Meachem under the big tree for a photo.

Emily: Students, please wait to be directed by your teachers.

Team Building

The students have now settled into their new Kagan teams, which they will remain in until the end of week 5. As a fun, interactive way to get to know their new team, the students were given just 5 minutes to design and build the tallest tower they could…MADE FROM SPAGHETTI AND MARSHMALLOWS!  There were lots of wonderful ideas being shared and some great team work taking place. It was a tough competition but it was so much fun that everyone felt like a winner!

Principal's Challenge

Congratulations to Eadson and Sophie for their performance in the Term 3 Principal’s Challenge. Eadson was in the Top 5 most improved and Sophie in the Top 5 for the entire year level. Well done to all the students for your hard work last term. I can’t wait to see what you will achieve in Term 4!

Spring Flowerpot Competition

At the end of last term, a representative from Dawson’s Garden World came out to judge Wattle Grove’s Spring Flower Pot Competition. Our beautiful pansies have blossomed and grown under the care of our weekly gardeners and the students enjoyed making decorations for our class pot. Navshan and Indi D did a wonderful job discussing the features of our pot with the judges. I am proud to announce that Room 24 received a commendation for their efforts and the certificate is displayed in our classroom window.

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. Term 4 is an important time for revising key concepts learnt throughout the year to ensure that students reach the expected targets, ready for Year 4.

The students have been working on their independence, resilience and leadership skills. Last week, they conducted their first class council meeting for Term 4. Each team did a wonderful job, preparing and presenting their ideas. A special mention to Indi D (Chairperson), Navshan (Recorder), Naomi (Observer) and Alby/Canaan (Timekeeper).

Humphrey’s Dance lessons are under way, in preparation for the end of year dance party. Thanks to all those who have paid, although there are still a few payments outstanding. The cost is $37. It is expected that students participate as this is considered part of fitness for the term. These lessons will take place each Thursday at 8:45am. Please ensure your child arrives on time.

A note went home on Monday regarding our Term 4 Science Superstars challenge. The students will be presenting their reports in class during Week 3, ready for the year level final, which will be held on Friday, October 26. There will be a whole school assembly later in the term where winners will be acknowledged.

All families are also invited to our Wattle Grove Arts Festival, taking place on Tuesday, October 23. It will run from 4:30-6:30 and will showcase a number of items, featuring the talented students of Wattle Grove. A sausage sizzle will be available on the night. Please return the white RSVP slip to assist the P & C with catering.

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

Week 1:

Friday, October 12- Test Books due back to school.

Week 3:

Monday, October 22- Thursday, October 25- Science Superstars Class Presentations.

Tuesday, October 23- Wattle Grove Arts Festival (4:30-6:30pm).

Friday, October 26- Science Superstars Year Level Final

Weeks 7-8

Swimming lessons. Please ensure students wear bathers under their clothes and come with a towel, goggles and thongs in a clearly labelled bag.

Week 8:

Friday, November 30- Room 24 Class Assembly. More details to come.

Please check our class blog regularly for the latest updates.

Miss B

Cool Chemical Science

In Science this term, we are investigating how things change when we heat and cool them and the different states of matter. We have been using our critical thinking to make predictions and have been learning to follow a procedure to complete simple experiments. Our favourite one so far has been making homemade ice cream!

First, you put 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a splash of vanilla essence (which smells really yummy) into a small zip lock bag and close it tight. Next, put the little zip lock bag into a big zip lock bag. Add some crushed ice and 6 tablespoons of table salt to the big bag and seal it up.
Shake the bag for a few minutes. The salt and ice react to make the temperature really cold, making the milk mixture go solid! Lastly, put your tasty treat in a bowl or cup and add some sprinkles. Delicious!

A special thanks to Alby for his assistance and excellent leadership skills. We appreciated all your help!

St John Ambulance Training

The Year 3’s participated in a free incursion conducted by St John Ambulance. The students learnt the elements of DRSABCD and learnt how to put an unconscious casualty in the recovery position. Claire gave an engaging presentation and highlighted the importance of first aid. She recommended that all families download the free First Responder app, which is able to track your exact location for emergency calls and has a handy tool kit for basic first aid. I was impressed with the maturity demonstrated by the students during this session. Well done, Room 24!

Golden Boot Challenge

We are the champions!

Once a week, Room 24 compete with the Year 3’s from Ms Ahearn’s class in the ‘Golden Boot Challenge.’ Students have 10 minutes to complete as many laps as they can. The totals are then averaged and the class with the highest average keeps the Golden Boot for the week. I am pleased to announce that Room 24 were victorious in Week 10. A fantastic effort by all!

Learning Journey

On September 18th, Room 24 opened its doors to give family members a glimpse at the daily learning that takes place in the classroom. A big thank you to all the wonderful parents and family members who came along to this event, the children were so excited to have you share in this with them! There were lots of fun stations, with the favourite being the ‘in-class movie theatre’, starring the superstars of Room 24.

Life Ed Van

At the end of Term 3, the students visited Harold the giraffe in the Life Education Van. They engaged in lots of interactive activities that covered several health concepts including:

• ·         Identifying feelings
• ·         Helpful and unhelpful thoughts
• ·         The safe use of medicines

The students had lots of fun and it was a nice way to consolidate the concepts we have covered in Health in Term 3.

Faction Carnival

The weather was kind and we were fortunate to have a cool, sunny day for our faction carnival this year. The students all tried their best and showed great sportsmanship on the day. Thanks to the P & C for organising our yummy Subway lunches and congratulations to Purple faction, who were victorious yet again!

Team Blue

Team Orange

Team Purple

Team Red