Term 3 Weeks 1 and 2

Term 3 Weeks 1-2

Our Chinese Opera Masks 

Welcome Back

Dear Parents and Girls,

Welcome back for another exciting and busy term. We have returned after what was quite a busy school holiday break for many of us. We hope that all children have had a restful break. Our classes are working well and we have been pleased with the way the girls have settled back into school and are focusing on their schoolwork.

Firstly, we welcome some new students and their families to Danebank. We are excited that you have joined our school community and we look forward to getting to know you. We welcome Anneliese Chan to 1C and Ivy Zhang to 1L.

There are many highlights this term starting with our excursion to the Chinese Gardens on Wednesday 16^th August. This is part of our Literature unit on Asian Perspectives. Students will be exploring the Chinese Gardens, eating dumplings, drinking jasmine tea and wearing traditional Imperial costumes to further explore the heritage and culture of the Chinese people.

During the next fortnight, we will be running trial runs of the Public Speaking competition. This provides an opportunity for girls to have a ‘practise go’ of their speech on their usual Topic Talk day. Girls are encouraged to prepare a speech on a topic of their personal interest. We encourage students to use palm cards. Speeches should run for 2 minutes. Feel free to discuss the ideas with your daughters but the speech should reflect the ideas of the students themselves. Please encourage your daughter to practise aloud, to help them in the presentation of their speech.

Helping Your Child Prepare:

·         Stand still

·         Speak clearly

·         Make eye contact with the audience

·         Engage the audience with your topic

·         Use palm cards as a cue. Know your speech. Don’t read it.

·         Speeches need to have a clear beginning, middle and end         

c    Teachers will then choose up to 5 students from each class to progress through the Grade competition in week 6. The grade competition will be held for the semi-finals in Year 1 classrooms on Wednesday 23 June (week 6).

Teachers will then ask selected students to represent Year 1 in the Stage One Public Speaking Assembly. All parents and friends are invited to attend our K-2 Public Speaking Assembly in the PAC on Wednesday 6 September, at 2pm in the PAC.

We are looking forward to hearing the girl’s speeches.

What’s happening in Year 1

This term, we are studying the unit, "Up, Down and All Around" in Science. This unit looks at changes to natural and built things in the environment, in particular the weather.

In HSIE, the girls are learning about ‘Seasons, weather patterns and calendars.’  They are investigating the history of calendars, Australian weather and seasons and Indigenous seasons.

Our Visual Arts lessons are integrated with the Literature, HSIE and Science themes being studied in class. Our literature books at the moment have been focused on Chinese culture, hence, we have made kites based on the story ‘The Tiny Kite of Eddie Wing.’

 

In our Library lessons with Mrs Jamieson, we will be reading some of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year short-listed. We will be consider the illustrations and decide to what extent they enhance the story. The different styles of the illustrators will also be discussed. Year 1 love this year’s slogan for Book Week “Escape to Everywhere”. Our Book Week celebrations will be in week 6. We will be having a Book Fair on Monday 21^st August. Students may bring $20 to $50 to purchase books from a wonderful selection provided by Shearers Books. I know many of you take this opportunity to chat with Mrs Jamieson and pick her brains about suitable books for your children. More details to follow when the date is closer.

1L Assembly presentation

You are warmly invited to 1L's class assembly presentation on Friday 4th August (week 3). The girls look forward to performing for you!

Sports Shoes

This is a reminder that all girls are to wear white sneakers for PE/Sport at school. We appreciate the difficulty in finding white sneakers these days, so we ask that the sneakers are predominantly white.

Year One Organisation

       Please encourage all children to sharpen their pencils on the weekend so they are ready for the next school week. The girls only need workable stationery at school. That is two HB lead pencils, white rubber, 2 glue sticks, a pair of scissors and some colouring pencils. Please leave all other rubbers and fancy stationery at home as it can be distracting in the classroom.

       

Premiers Reading Challenge

A reminder that the Premier’s Reading Challenge will finish at the end of August. I would love to hear when the children have finished reading the required number of books.

Healthy Snippets

This term we would like to introduce a new item to the newsletter ‘Healthy Snippets’. Occasionally we would like to include some healthy ideas to help give parents some other ideas.

Lunchbox Inspiration

Kids can become bored with the same foods packed in the lunchbox each day.

Try some of these tips to keep lunch interesting and healthy:

• Whole grains: Swap sandwiches for a wholegrain roll, wrap, savoury crackers or pasta.

• Meat & meat alternatives: Boiled egg, hummus spread, turkey or chicken slices, canned tuna or salmon, beans & lentils.

 • Vegetables: Cut vegetables into different shapes and sizes. Select a rainbow of colours try cherry tomatoes, green, red or yellow capsicum, carrots, snow peas, cucumber, celery.

• Fruit: Mix it up. Select fruit that is in season for sweetest flavour and best value.

• Dairy: Reduced fat cheese cubes, yoghurt or milk are all great options to increase your child’s calcium intake – important for strong, healthy bones.

For more information on packing a healthy lunchbox visit www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au

Working with Children Check (WWCC) changes for School Volunteers

The Anglican Schools Corporation, of which Danebank is a member require everyone who comes to work or volunteer at school to obtain a WWCC from the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

We absolutely love having parents/carers and friends supporting the school in many ways such as at P & F events, sports carnivals, canteen and reading groups. We would hate to miss out on having you join us as a volunteer so if you haven’t already supplied the school with a Working with Children Check number, please visit the RMS, and apply for the WWC.

Once you have received your WWC number, please send in the documents to the Junior school office. Your assistance with this important matter is greatly appreciated.

Once again, we thank you for your support and assistance. Our school is amazing and we are most thankful to God for his abundant goodness to us in so many ways.

We love teaching your daughters.

Mrs Cooper and Mrs Larkin

Weeks 1 and 2 in Year 1:

Mathematics- Time: Hour and Half Hour, Calendar.

Writing- We started a new unit on Asian Perspectives. Students read ‘The Tiny Kate of Eddie Wing’ by Maxine Trottier and ‘Grandpa’s Mask’ by Jing Jing Guo.

Grammar- Questions and Grammar Review

PDHPE- unit ‘Stranger Danger’

Reading- We completed guided reading activities in class.

Topic Talks- Students shared on Holidays.

Visual Arts- Year 1 created Asian inspired artworks.

Science- Students are learning about the new unit ‘Up, Down and All Around.’

HSIE- Term 1 topic ‘Seasons.’ Students are studying the history of calendars.