Term 4 Weeks 7 to 9

Term 4 Weeks 7-9

Fantastic fun with Science Investigations on Picnic Day

It has been another wonderful week at Danebank. Although the year is coming to an end our focus is still on the student’s learning up until the last day.

It has been so encouraging to see the generosity of the Danebank community in practice these past few weeks, starting with the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes and the Year 6 fundraiser for Camp Quality. Thank you for your generous donations! The girls loved wearing their shiny school shoes!

Last week we had a wonderful Stage 1 Nativity performance in the PAC with superb performances by our Stage 1 students.

Before the celebrations begin and as this year draws to an end, it serves us well to reflect on the many wonderful opportunities for learning that all of the children have received in 2017.

This year we have loved our new Year 1 classrooms and we have benefited from a beautiful new reception area and outdoor spaces. The gardens were landscaped with new flowers, allowing for a peaceful playground atmosphere for students.

Thankfully, the new year has not yet quite arrived. We have a couple of days left for some very special events. It is a joy to share these last days with the children and staff as we anticipate and get excited about Christmas and the summer holidays. I encourage you to not miss Speech Night which will be a wonderful conclusion to what has been a brilliant year. The doors to the Sydney Town Hall will be open at 6:30pm. Year 1 girls (Prize winners, non prize winners and Infants Choir) will have allocated seats upstairs in the Northern Gallery. As you enter in the Town Hall, please turn to your right where signs will lead you to the upstairs gallery. Please collect your child from the Northern Gallery at the end of the evening. 

Thank you to our wonderful Year 1 students who put a smile on our faces each and every day. We are so very proud of your hard work, determination, effort and enthusiasm for learning. Year 1 students have excelled in so many ways. Their academic results, other achievements, behaviour, conduct, attitude, care, kindness and school spirit has been exemplary.

Thank you to the incredible support of our lovely Year 1 parents for your kind words of encouragement and supporting your daughter in all they do.

We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!

Best wishes,

Mrs Lena Cooper and Mrs Alison Larkin

Thank you!

Thank you to the families who lovingly put together Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. These gift-filled shoe boxes will be hand delivered to children living in poverty in countries such as Cambodia, The Philippines and Fiji. It is likely that the shoebox you packed will be the first gift the child has ever received. One box equals one child reached with the unconditional love of God.

Christmas Books

Yes, it’s that time of year again….decorations are everywhere in the shopping centres and festive food and other goods have been featured in the shops for weeks.

So, to this year’s Christmas books…. Some of the new and not so new Christmas books we have and recommend are:

Another visually beautiful book is “The Bush Santa” illustrated by Mandy Foot. We join Santa on his journey around Australia as he delivers special presents to all the Aussie animals, from cockies in Cairns, crocs of the Top End, to the wallabies in Canberra and the quokkas of Rottnest Island.

“Pig the Elf” (Aaron Blabey) needs no explanation. Pig in all his mischievousness embraces the spirit of Christmas. Like so many of us, he can’t wait to see what is under the Christmas tree for him. This little dog is hilarious, and totally lovable.

I love “The Littlest Star” (Richard Littledale, with beautiful illustrations by Dubravka Kolanovic). It has such a wonderful message. The littlest star in the sky wasn’t as sparkly or as exciting as some of the other stars, but one night he was given the biggest, most important job of all...little things can sometimes be the biggest!

This year, there is a 21st Anniversary edition (is it really all those years since it was first published?) of a personal favourite of mine, “Wombat Divine” by Mem Fox, illustrated by Kerry Argent, who just gets the expressions on the animals’ faces so right. Wombat so loves everything to do with Christmas…. The carols and the candles, the presents and the pudding, but most of all he loves the Nativity Play. He loves it so much, that he tries out for every part, but despite his enthusiasm, he doesn’t seem to be right for any of them. Fortunately, wise Emu knows the perfect role for sleepy Wombat, and it’s voted the best Nativity Play ever.

  

Another book with an Australian theme is the well-known song “Sleigh Ride”, written by L. Anderson and M. Parish. Matt Shanks’ summer Aussie illustrations to match the snow themed song will give you a laugh. Included is a CD with Jessica Mauboy singing the song. 

Meredith Costain has written a special Christmas story in the “Ella Diaries” series. “Operation Merry Christmas“  finds a very unhappy Ella spending Christmas at home, as the Moonlight Gardens Caravan Park has closed down. She devises a plan to make the holidays EXCELLENTLY excellent again, when Peach Parker announces she is organising her own amazing Christmas party, to which Ella is not invited. Will Ella’s plans be ruined? Or will Operation Merry Christmas still be a success? Danielle Mcdonald’s illustrations are delightful.

“What Do You Wish For?” (Jane Godwin) is a story I enjoy reading with the children. All Ruby’s friends are excitedly making their Christmas wish lists, but Ruby can’t decide what to wish for… she thinks over all the aspects of the Christmas season and what makes it special for her, before making her decision, which, of course, has me reaching for the tissues!

Another one of those (wish stories requiring the tissues) is “Little Dog and the Christmas Wish” (Corinne Fenton). Little Dog is lost on Christmas Eve, when a thunder storm sends him into the great unknown searching for his owner, Jonathan. On his travels he encounters many kind people eager to help him, but they are not Jonathan. The whimsical illustrations by Robin Cowcher seem to be inspired by the ‘50’s. 

Last but not least, that favourite of mine, “Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle” (Glenda Millard, with fabulous illustrations by Stephen Michael King). Applesauce is a pig, living with heavily pregnant Marigold and Joe in the Australian bush, which has recently been ravaged by bushfires. Everything was destroyed and the couple is living in a shed. Applesauce is depressed, because there will be no Christmas celebrations this year. On Christmas Eve the Shepherd family calls in on their way home, attracted by a very bright star hanging over Joe and Marigold’s shed. Yes… you get the picture! To complete the analogy, the next day Marigold’s three elderly aunties come, bringing Christmas goodies with them. Oh, and of course, a crate for the new baby! There is a beautiful line in the story… when Applesauce is lamenting the absence of all the trappings of Christmas, Owl calls out to her: ”Christmas comes from the heart”. Applesauce recalls owl’s words “and lets Christmas fill her heart”.  

Happy Reading Year 1! 

Term 4 Weeks 5 and 6

Term 4 Weeks 5 and 6

Hard at Work. We are proud of our work!

Fun with Guided Reading activities 

Using iPads for Maths discoveries

Working hard in Year 1

Fundraising for Bible Society

Role playing Health concepts in Library lessons

Welcome to the end of yet another fabulous week at Danebank. Year 1 are full of excitement and anticipation as they count the few remaining sleeps until their Infants Nativity concert next Wednesday 22nd November. This will be held at 2pm in the PAC and you are all warmly invited to hear the Stage 1 students share the Christmas message.

The sun is shining, summer is on its way, and we are thankful to God, for the beautiful weather and the city shimmering in the distance at Hurstville. We are thankful for mums and dad, friends and family, awesome teachers and a wonderful school.

In this week’s newsletter I draw your attention to some of our significant and important end of year events including Junior School Christmas Carols on Thursday 30 November at 6:30pm in the Danebank PAC, Junior School Special Assembly on Friday 1st December at 1pm in the PAC, and Speech Night on Wednesday 6th December at the Sydney Town Hall.

All parents who have volunteered to help at school across 2017, whether in the classroom with our Year 1 Parent Reading mornings, the Danebank Autumn Fair, the P&F and with sports, are warmly invited to attend a “thank you” Morning Tea here at Danebank on Friday 1st December. I hope that you can join us for these.

As we start to count the school days until the end of the year, we will move from opportunity to opportunity for learning, fun, challenge, friendship and celebration. We look forward to sharing these days with you.

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His loving-kindness is everlasting. 1 Chronicles 16:34

We pray that you have a blessed week!

Kind regards,

Mrs Lena Cooper and Mrs Alison Larkin

Cowell House Fundraiser
A glittery day was had by all as the girls arrived in mufti to support Cowell House’s fundraiser for the Bible Society. The money raised will help give Bibles to people who may not have the privilege to own one. The girls were asked to wear clothes that are sparkly and glittery to reflect the sparkle that the words from the Bible can put into somebody else’s day.

Operation Christmas Child
A huge thank you to all the students and the parents who contributed to our Operation
Christmas Child project. Danebank donated just over 200 boxes of gifts for children

overseas living in underprivileged situations. Your generosity is overwhelming. Thank you.

Uniforms
As it is now Week 6 of Term 4, all students must wear summer uniform. If the mornings are cold or the weather forecast is for a cold day, the girls can wear their pink cardigans and/or blazers with the new uniform or their green jumper and/or blazer with the old uniform. The winter uniform is no longer to be worn this term. 

Uniforms for Special Assembly 
Girls may wear either their old Summer tunic or new Summer tunic to the Special Assembly. Prize winners will need their blazers for the Special Assembly.

Uniforms for Speech Night
The Speech Night is compulsory for Infants Choir and Prizewinners and optional for other K-2 students. Prize winners and Infants Choir students will need to wear the new Summer tunic and blazer to Speech Night. 

Speech Night and Special Assembly Prize winners will be notified by email from class teachers in coming weeks.

Do not block neighbours’ driveways
As you are aware, we provide a drive through service for you to collect your daughter each afternoon. We received a complaint from a neighbour last week regarding our parents parking across their driveways. Unfortunately a parent refused to move and blocked the neighbour’s exit. A number plate was taken and it was reported to the Police. It is really important that we abide by all road rules and regulations, but it is especially important
that we are considerate of our neighbours. Please do not block driveways at any time.

Year 6 Fundraiser 

Year 6 will be raising funds as part of their end of year fundraising day. Please bring in $5 for Tuesday 28th November if you would like to have your daughter’s school shoes polished by our lovely Year 6 students. All donations will go towards Juvenile Diabetes.

Nativity Costumes and white T-shirts for performers

Our Infants Nativity Dress Rehearsal will be presented to the Junior School students on Thursday 16^th November. Please remind your child to wear their Danebank Sports uniform to school on Thursday. Thank you to all the parents who have encouraged their daughters to bring their white T-shirts to school. 

Students look forward to performing for you on Wednesday 22nd November at 2pm in the Danebank Performing Arts Centre. Our Stage 1 students have been excitedly rehearsing for their performance.

A Day For Remembering

Last Friday 10^th November, our Year 1 students participated in the Remembrance Day service. Students listened to our Year 6 students talk about many of the symbols and their significance, including the reason Remembrance Day is on the 11th November every year, red poppies, flags at half mast, The Last Post, The Reveille, wearing the Red Poppy and standing for one minute of silence to remember those who lost their lives for us. We are so fortunate to live in a country where we have our freedom because of the actions of so many who fought to make our country a safer place.

Weeks 5 and 6 in Year 1:

Mathematics- Division and Time

Writing- We started our new Author study unit on Mem Fox. Students read ‘Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge’ and ‘The Magic Hat’ by Mem Fox.

Grammar- Verbs and Adjectives.

PDHPE- Term 4 unit ‘Safety’- Bike Safety

Reading- We completed guided reading activities in class.

Topic Talks- Students spoke about the traditions they celebrate and follow in their family.

Visual Arts- Year 1 created Christmas craft.

Science- Students are learning about the new unit ‘Look! Listen’.’ We are investigating sources of light and sound and how light is produced.

HSIE- Students are studying family traditions and customs passed down from each generation.