Goondi SS Newsletter 13th October 2021
From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome back to school for Term 4. We look forward to another great term of hard work and achievement here at Goondi State School.
Our students have started the term very positively and are looking keen to ‘Dare to Do Well’. Our teachers and support staff are looking forward to working with every class to make sure Term 4 is the best it can be. As you know, end of semester reports will be sent home in Week 10.
Our administration team is currently planning for the end of 2021 and for the new 2022 school year. We will conduct our own internal school review later this term. This is a time where we reflect on our targets and goals for 2021 and evaluate our successes and challenges. These findings will inform our planning for the commencement of the 2022 school year.
Recently it has come to our attention that a number of students have been playing games based on a TV show, ‘Squid Game’, currently on Netflix. The show is aimed at mature audiences and is not suitable for students of primary school age. No issues have arisen from this, but it is a timely reminder to us all to ensure we know what our children are watching and engaging with on-line.
We are delighted that the renovations are now complete in our Prep A classroom. The room looks fantastic and both staff and students are very excited to move back in. It has been impressive to see how well our Prep A students have managed while being based in the library classroom. Their work standards have not been affected and they are as keen as ever to keep this going. Well done Prep A!
Later this term our Year 5 students will head off to Camp Paterson and our swimming program will also get underway. Next week, our delayed Pre-Prep program will commence. We are all looking forward to meeting the new Pre-Prep students as they commence preparations for their first experience of formal schooling.
Between now and the end of the year there is much to do, but it will be an exciting time at school and we look forward to working with our community again as we head to the end of 2021!
Regards,
Peter Begemann
Principal
School Calendar
TERM 4 CALENDAR
School Events
Thurs 21st Oct – Pre-Prep commences
P&C Events
Mon 18th Oct – P&C Meeting
Extra-Curricula Events
Mon 18th Oct - Primary Band and Strings Camp
Wed 10th Nov - Year 5 Camp at Camp Paterson
Student Council Events
Fri 29th Oct - Day for Daniel
Fri 29th Oct - Halloween Disco (more details to come)
Other School News
SWIMMING CLASSES
Learn-to-swim classes are part of the Physical Education Program during fourth term and are offered to all students in Years 1- 6.
This year, swimming has been scheduled over the two-week period from the 25th October – 5th November. Students in Years 1-6 will participate in five consecutive lessons over a period of one week.
Week 1 – Years 1, 4 and 5/6 (selected students) October 25th –29th
Week 2 – Years 2, 3 and 5/6 (selected students) November 1st – 5th
Students will be instructed by the school’s Physical Education teacher, assisted by class teachers, teacher aides and volunteer parents. Without the help of volunteer parents, most swimming classes, particularly in Years 1 – 3, would not be possible. If you are able to help supervise a small group please inform your class teacher and complete the volunteer assistance section of the swimming information letter.
Payment - The cost to each student will be $11.00. This amount contributes to the cost of pool fees and bus fares with the school subsidising the rest. Students are to pay the above amount prior to swimming instruction commencing. An invoice will be sent home soon, payment is by BPoint, details available at the bottom left of the invoice.
Dress - Departmental policy requires that all students participating in swimming lessons must wear a swim shirt. If a child does not have a swim shirt they may wear a t-shirt but parents need to be aware that t-shirts in water can hinder the child’s swimming. All clothing should be named. Togs are NOT to be worn under the school uniform. Sun- screen will be applied before leaving the school. Students must remove earrings before entering the water. For security reasons, it would be advisable that all earrings be left at home. Long hair must be secured to avoid interference with sight or breathing.
Health - If a student suffers from a medical condition that puts that swimmer at risk in the water, written parental consent supported by a medical clearance certificate is required. If your child is a diagnosed asthmatic, please ensure that they have their appropriate medication with them at all times. Students will be excluded from swimming if they suffer from suppurating sores, infections, or suspected contagions.
Swimming permission notes will be sent home this week. These along with the payment must be returned to your child’s teacher.
All swimming lessons will be conducted under COVIDsafe guidelines.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
P&C MEETING
The next general meeting of the P&C will be held on Monday 18th October in our school library commencing at 5:30 pm. All parents are welcome to attend.
PARENT PICK UP
We have noticed in recent months that parent pick up has become more busy at home time and we have lots more students now using this area. There is no need to wait before you pick up your child from school. There are more parking spaces available along the width of the northern oval, just a 2 minute walk from the gate. Parking in these areas will also help to minimise the dangerous practice of making a U-turn in the school car park entrance.
TERM 4 HEAT
As the year begins to warm up, please remind your children about the importance of sun safety, wearing hat/sunscreen and drinking plenty of water to keep hydrated.
SECOND HAND UNIFORMS
If you have any uniforms at home that no longer fit/needed, please send to the office. We often have students needing a change of uniform if dirty/wet or damaged, however we are low on certain sizes.
Prep Capers
Welcome back to Term 4. Prep A have moved back into a new classroom and it looks amazing!
This term Prep is learning persuasive writing and have been writing about "How to make Daradgee better" and "The best PE activity".
Maths we are learning the addition strategy of how to add on three and finishing learning teen numbers up to 20.
HASS is about My History and the students telling their story from before Prep until now.
Science we are learning about how things move and what they are made of.
Great to be back!
Happy learning from Prep A, B and C, Angela Kehrer, Kathy Pike, Priscilla Bird, Rose Sardi, Anita Knight, Amanda Kleve and Cassie Tanti.
Year 1 Capers
We can’t believe we are into the final term of the year before our Year 1 students move on and become big Year two students. Your child may have told you that we are now writing in Year 2 lined books to prepare them for next year. You may have also noticed that we have added a maths sheet to the weekly homework. The questions on these sheets are just a revision of work that we have already learned in class and should be able to be completed independently by your child. This will get them ready for next year where they will have both Maths and English homework each week.
In Maths this week we are revising finding half of a collection, learning time amounts eg that there are 60 seconds in a minute and revising questions around chance.
In English, we have started our new genre for the term which is expositions. Last week the students enjoyed writing to convince someone that holidays are better than school. This week they will convince a reader that dogs are better than cats. There are certainly some solid arguments to support this topic.
Have a great week! Leigh, Hayley and Fiona.
Year 2 Capers
We are back and ready for a final term of Year 2, hasn’t the year just flown.
In English this term we are doing persuasive writing and the students have been reading over exemplars and learning the structure to follow in their writing.
For Maths we are practicing arrays and turn arounds, problem solving and place value.
Our Science unit we have started on is understanding forces including push and pull. The students had fun last week with our car launcher to demonstrate the strength of forces and how this affects the distance the car travelled.
All our best, Miss Mollenhagen, Mrs Hollywood and Mrs Spataro.
Year 3 Capers
Welcome to Term 4! This busy term will fly by and we have hit the ground running to make the most of the time we have.
Maths at the moment is all about Measurement. Regularly ask your child what the time is, giving them the opportunity to read analogue and digital times. If you only have a digital clock, ask them what the time is in analogue time so they can practise both.
In English we are learning about imaginative recounts. Our first independent writing session this term showed our students how much fun this genre is. Ask them what the word “exhilarating” means!
For Science, we are learning about solids, liquids and gases in the unit “What’s the Matter?”
HASS develops the concept of what is a democracy. The students put the democratic decision making process into action when they raised an issue which was about incomplete and unreturned homework, then discussed appropriate consequences, then voted for the outcome that students must finish their homework at Friday lunch time.
We are very excited about our Technology unit this term, where we will get the chance to make our own cardboard pinball machine. Please check the letter sent home and send in any unneeded materials for us to repurpose.
Until next time, Robyn, Janelle, Paula, Jackie and Lizette.
Year 3/4 & 4 Capers
Welcome back! We trust that you all had a safe and enjoyable break and are ready to get back into the swing of things during the final term of Year 3 or 4.
Take a look at what we will be working on:
In English, we are focussing on exposition writing in which students take a for or against side of many controversial topics and write to convince the audience of their opinion. We will also be reading the exciting quest novel 'Rowan of Rin' by Emily Rodda.
In Maths, we will continue to extend our knowledge in the strands of number and algebra, measurement and geometry and statistics and probability. Some new concepts will include decimal numbers, problem solving including fractions, measuring capacity and volume, 3D shapes and mapping.
In Science, we are learning about the rock cycle and how the surface of our Earth is ever-changing due to natural processes such as weathering and erosion. We will also investigate fossils and natural disasters such as volcanoes and floods.
In HASS, we are learning about sustainability and discovering ways to preserve our Earth's natural resources for future generations. Students always enjoy Mrs Long's lunchbox inspections which rate students lunches out of 5 stars for being 'nude' or single use plastic free.
In Art, students will enjoy dabbling in media arts with Ms Rosa as well as completing a visual arts unit in class. We will be mixing colours and painting a canvas to recreate an underwater scene from the Cairns Aquarium as a memory of our amazing year in Grade 3 or 4.
Some other highlights of this term include swimming in Week 4 so please keep an eye out for permission slips coming out soon.
If you have any questions or concerns in regards to this term please do not hesitate to contact classroom teachers via Class Dojo. We are looking forward to dotting the i's and crossing the t's for our final term together in 3/4B and 4A.
Thanks, Kath Long and Lisa Paterson
Year 5 Capers
What an incredible start students have had to their final term as Year 5s. It is wonderful to see so many students putting their heads down to ensure a very productive and successful term.
This term in English the students are reading the novel 'The Night They Stormed Eureka’ in preparation for this term’s genre writing of an imaginative historical recount. Students are loving putting themselves in the shoes of someone who lived through the historically famous Eureka Stockade.
In Maths, the students have been looking at factors and multiples, ordering decimals and using 24-hour time to solve word problems.
Science has the students investigating states of matter while HASS looks at 'Game Changers' throughout history.
Wishing you all a productive and happy term!
Emily, Rebecca & Kerry.
Year 6 Capers
What a productive, flying start the Year 6 students have had to their final term of primary school! It is wonderful to see so many students putting their heads down to ensure a very successful term. This term in English, the students are reading the novel ‘Black Snake’ and have begun analysing and evaluating Ned Kelly as either a hero, villain or victim. Students have also started writing opinion pieces on a variety of different current topics such as ‘Texting vs Talking’.
In Maths, the students have been comparing fractions, finding the volume of compound shapes and using the partial quotient strategy with decimal fractions.
Science has the students investigating states of matter and how matter changes. This term in HASS, students will have the opportunity to plan, budget and design an environmentally-sustainable community space.
Term 4 is a very demanding time for Year 6 students as we move towards their final assessments and tests at Goondi. Please ensure your child is eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep to be able to achieve success in their final term as primary school students.
Cheers for now, Marica, Aaron, Melanie & Janette.
Student Council News
Day For Daniel
We ask all to participate in Day for Daniel which will be held on Friday, October 29th. Please wear a Red T-Shirt for Daniel and bring along a gold coin donation. Look out for details of more crazy capers happening later this term.
Remember to wear red for Day for Daniel Friday (Week 4) October 29th.
Halloween School Disco
The Student Council are busy organising our Halloween School Disco for Term 4 which will be held on Friday, October 29th. There will be a separate disco for our Goondi Junior students and Senior students. Please keep an eye out for more information with regards to the Halloween disco in the next newsletter, on Class Dojos and at Goondi’s Facebook page. For now, remember to save the date for Friday (week 4) October 29th.
The Arts News
Welcome to Term 4 and the world of Media Arts!
This term students will explore the world of digital media to create artworks. Media arts involves creating representations of the world and telling stories through communications technologies such as television, film, video, newspapers, radio, video games, the internet and mobile media. In Media Arts, students will create visual works that communicate, challenge and express their own and others’ ideas, as both artist and audience. Particular highlights this term will include students using iPads and software such as Photoshop, Keynote, Stop Motion Animation and iMovie to create photographic and time-based projects. Already we have explored and learnt about the role of the artist and designer, their contribution to society, and the significance of the media arts as a subject. I look forward to sharing some of their work with you over the term.
Ms Rosa
Arts Teacher
LOTE News
Benvenuti (Welcome) to Term 4. The Years 5 and 6 Italian classes at Goondi State School are focusing on furthering their knowledge of the Italian language by speaking, writing and listening to new words, phrases and sentences.
Year 5 students are learning how to use a table to understand nouns and adjectives in Italian. They are also learning an Italian alphabet song. Year 6 students are furthering their knowledge of Italian nouns, verbs and adjectives applying a table to a known song. They will also learn how to use Italian adverbs. All students are learning songs to enhance their pronunciation.
The bookwork standard shown in their exercise books is pleasing. Feedback and assistance is given to students regularly. Continue encouraging your child to speak Italian with you and discuss what they are learning.
Arrivederci (Goodbye)
Signora Lazzarini
Music News
All classes have been working very well in music this week. The main focus points for each year level this term are:
Preps - In tune singing, learning repertoire and beat work
Year 1 & 2 – In-tune singing and writing known songs in their new music theory books
Year 3 & 4 – Recorder playing and in-tune singing
Year 5 & 6 - Body percussion and the use of ostinatos in music
All year levels are also continuing to develop their knowledge and skill set relating to the elements of music. I’m looking forward to an enjoyable Term 4.
Kind regards
Kerry Macgillivray
Music Teacher
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