4 September 2020

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S PRIDE

TRY FOR 5

Matty Bowen had loads of fun visiting the kids for the Adopt a Cowboy visit. We ate lunch with the preps, played footy toss at break with the lower school and discussed the importance of reading with 5THE. Four amazing young men from 4NOS helped run the footy toss and one of them turned out to be the champion from a distance, even beating Mr Armit, Mrs Nos and Matty. Well done Jack.

When we visited 5THE, they were very well prepared and had lots of questions ready for Matty. Through their questioning we found out that Matty’s favourite books to read at school were Goosebumps. Well done 5THE, you showed us what super readers you are!

Kind regards
Helen McCullough
Principal

GENERAL NEWS

THREE WAY CONVERSATIONS – BOOKINGS CLOSE TODAY

All Three Way Conversations will be held in the areas indicated below. Please note that access to and from the school will be through the outside hours school care gate on Bilberry Street. To ensure that we are adhering to social distancing please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment and leave straight after. Only one parent per family may attend. If there are other family members who would like to speak with teachers, please book another interview session or contact your teacher for a phone conversation. On entry, staff in front of the library in the new covered area will direct you to the location of your teacher.

Book your interview time using our electronic booking system.

PHOTO SCHEDULE

SPORTING SCHOOLS OPPORTUNITIES

This term the Sporting Schools funding has allowed us to engage specialist coaches for the following sports:

Rugby Union
Cricket
Rugby League
AFL

These sessions are open for up to 30 children of all abilities from Years 4-6 that run at lunchtimes free of charge.

Rugby Union - Monday 1st Break
Cricket – Monday 2nd Break
Rugby League – Wednesday 1st Break
AFL – Thursday 1st Break

If any students from Years 4-6 are interested, please see Mr Madeley and then come along to one of the sessions, as they are very popular.

The sessions, delivered by fully trained coaches, will develop skills in all aspects of the games covered in a Covid -19 safe environment and allow children to develop a better understanding of the games in a fun and friendly atmosphere.

We are hoping we can secure funding for next term to continue and expand on the clubs and sports we can offer to give the children an even wider experience of team sports.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Positive Behaviour Learning

Well Being

Active listening is an art

While you don’t need to be a professional to employ these tactics, if you follow these simple steps you will increase the likelihood of a productive conversation: (And these work with all people, both young and old alike)

1. Give your full attention to the conversation. Turn down/off noise and ignore all distractions.
2. Turn your body towards the person, if possible.
3. Maintain soft eye contact, even if they look away. Demonstrate you are engaged.
4. Don’t interrupt the flow of conversation. If you need further clarification, wait for a pause and invite them to clarify a point for you.
5. Watch your tone. Avoid sharp, condescending statements.
6. Reserve judgement. If the person tells you something that shocks you, reserve facial expressions or showing outward emotion.
7. Resist the urge to dismiss the persons concerns –what you find trivial may be very important to them.
8. Demonstrate you have heard their concerns by repeating important information back to them in summary form.
9. Resist the urge to ‘fix’ the problem - Ask the person if they have a solution in mind. Asking for their opinion will allow them to maintain a sense of control OR open up an opportunity for them to ask for your help/give you permission to help. It is normal to want to jump in and solve the person’s problem for them, however we will empower the person more by helping them take back ownership of the situation. The listener’s role is to facilitate this empowerment.

(Adapted from Parentline: The ability to patiently listen)

Narelle Thomas
Guidance Officer

Defence News

HELLO TO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

Hope you are all well. A SUPER SPECIAL FATHER’S DAY to all Dad’s. Wishing you a wonderful and relaxed day to spend with family. We have had lots of fun making cards and craft items at Kids Club for Dads. Remind students to come along at break times to make a craft items to take home for their Super Special Dad.

Some parents have been sent to different locations to support borders for an unknown period of time. This can be a difficult time and if your child is experiencing some separation anxiety please inform the class teacher and myself so we can best support them. Please contact me at school or via email to discuss strategies. Conversations are an important part of a child’s learning. I have attached some practical tips for starting conversations with children. Let me know how it works for you.

Education Liaison Officers are part of Defence Community Organisation’s education advisory service, designed to inform, prepare and empower Defence families when they are relocating and changing schools. They are located in each state and territory and have extensive knowledge about the local schools and education systems as well as the unique needs of Defence children. You can ring the DCO office in your posting area to talk to the EDLO regarding schools in your area or go to the DCO website for information. Flyer with numbers attached or call Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608.

Tutoring Assistance - There are changes to the EAS forms for families to access tutoring for students who have posted in to a new school. You can access tutoring up to 18 months from when you move to a new school due to a posting. Ring the Defence Family Helpline 1800 624 608, visit DCO website or collect the forms from me .More Information go to the link below.

Postings are starting to happen again and concerns regards to moving and new schools for children are common. Please let me know as soon as you receive confirmation that you will be Posting Out. As there is information that I can pass onto you to assist with this transition to a new school. “Posting Connect” is a new platform currently being developed to streamline the posting experience by guiding ADF members. Posting Connect will be available from 1 September 2020 for all full time ADF members undertaking a domestic posting that includes a relocation. Once available eligible members will be emailed on the Defence PROTECTED Network with an invitation to use the platform. There is an amazing online resource available for ADF members and families to find information regarding their posting location. Go to the link below for loads on information about your new location.

I have attached a useful flyer “Moving School Checklist for Parent’s” tips for moving. I am also hosting a Kidsmart Relocation Program in Term 4 for all defence students who will be posting out of our school. This program runs 2 afternoons after school in the Defence Room/L Pod. The flyer and enrolment forms are attached. Please complete registration and parent evaluation forms and return to the school or email them directly to me. If you require more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Deployments or going away to support Covid and this can be a very challenging time for all involved. While your partner is deployed and you are at home with the children, there may be times when you feel like a single parent. Though the situation is temporary, there are financial, emotional and day to day adjustments you will need to make as you adjust with this deployment. I have information I can give to you to assist at this time. If you inform me before the deployment starts I can support and check in with your child at school. Remember the 3 “R”’s RULES, RITUALS AND ROUTINES. Also talk to the class teacher. Check DCO website for more details.

If you have any questions please give me a call at school or email me any day of the week with any questions regarding postings and deployments. Contact me anytime during school hours. Don’t forget to check out the RESILIENCE IS MY SUPERPOWER flyer attached.

It is a great positive reinforcement for children. Print it out and stick it to child’s door.

Useful sites

DCO are offering some activities so please check the DCO Townsville Updates Page for more details. Please remember to sign up to the mailing list for what’s happening for defence families at dco.townsville@defence.gov.au

Call Defence Family Helpline 1800 624 608 or Open Arms 1800 011 046 with any questions.

EVENTS TO REMEMBER

MWD(U) INFORMATION SESSIONS- Tues 8 September 1330 - 1430Thurs 10 September 1700 - 1800

It is that time of the year again and posting orders have been released. 3BDE HQ will host a number of information sessions for those members considering MWD (U) during this posting cycle. The information sessions are open to members and their partners. Children are welcome but no childminding will be provided. The sessions will be conducted at Geckos Family Centre on the following dates. No RSVP is required.

GECKOS FAMILY CENTRE IS OPEN at Lavarack Barracks. Follow on Facebook or call 07 4411 7031.

DON’T FORGET to Register for DCO mailing list NOW at dco.townsville@defence.gov.au

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 1800 624 608

Open Arms call 1800 011 046

Mates4Mates – Email: townsville@mates4mates.org or call the Townsville FRC on 4771 9600

Café now Open from 9am-12.30pm everyday, welcome to attend for a chat and look around.

DFA (Defence Families of Australia) Chandelle Derham 0418 796 561 nth.qld@dfa.org.au

Geckos Family Centre-Nth Qld Lavarack Barracks Contact for enquiries on 4411 7031

Kookaburra Kids Tvl-Louisa Calvert 1300 566 525/0410 896 923

Defence Holidays NQ 07 4725 3842 at Lavarack Barracks opp Gym admin@defenceholidaysnq.com.au

If you notice any changes with your child, please be sure to contact the class teacher/myself so we can best support them at school. My hours are Monday to Friday 8:00am-3:30pm, phone me anytime on 4799 1333 ext 323, or e-mail me cwhee36@eq.edu.au.

My aim is to assist and support defence students at school by developing their RESILIENCE, CARING, FRIENDSHIP AND TRUST.

Correna Wheeler
Defence School Mentor

NOT ALL LEARNING CAN BE DONE WITH PEN AND PAPER.

Music News (The Pitch)

P and C News

Run4Fun Colour Explosion

Get ready for a BLAST OF COLOUR, and thanks in advance for your support! Happy fundraising!

Prep News

In Prep this term we have been learning how to write in red and blue lines. We practice every day.

We have also begun to learn how to choreograph a dance and make models of our special places in HASS.

Year 1 News

In Year One we are learning to create and present a retell of an Aboriginal cultural story. We have been retelling the Story “How the Birds Got Their Colours’.

As part of this unit we have been looking for and recording interesting words from the story.

In maths we have been measuring capacity and counting.

We have also been creating a dance about seasons.

Year 3 News

Year 3 - Science Unit 3 – HOT STUFF!

This term, Year 3 have been investigating how heat energy is produced and the behaviour of heat when it transfers from one object or area to another. The students have worked diligently to conduct various scientific investigations to determine the best material to generate heat, without the use of electricity or fire and to transfer that heat from one object to another.

While conducting the investigations, students have had to carefully consider the safety and fairness of their processes. Students have precisely observed the changes in temperature while recording the results using tables, graphs and diagrams. They have then reached conclusions based on their findings. We have so many conscientious scientists in the making!

Year 4 News

In Year 4, we are currently reading a book called, “Eliza Bird”. This story is about 3 orphaned children living on the streets of London in 1786. After being wrongly accused of stealing a purse full of money, Eliza gets sentenced to 7 years transportation and sails to Australia on the First Fleet, arriving here in 1788.

Our written assessment requires the students to take on the role of a child at the time of the First Fleet’s arrival in Australia. They are to write a recount of their experiences and then deliver this orally in front of the class.

Here are some photos of us reading the book and some of our initial writing about this text which we are all enjoying.

Year 5 News

Year 5 Newsletter

The second half of this term brings with it new and varied experiences for the children in year 5.

In Dance, classes have been given the challenge of expressing an ‘adventure through dance’. The aim is to work in our groups to convey the idea of being on a theme park ride such as a roller coaster. Together the students must use music and movement to express the narrative that comes with riding such an amusement.

Students have worked on understanding the elements of dance, Space, Time, Dynamics, Relationships, in order to apply these to performances.

Whilst this unit takes some of us out of our comfort zone, we have found it challenging to express the narrative by dancing rather than mime as we convey our exciting adventures.

Maths has classes working with varied units of measurement. We have been manipulating instruments for measurement to consolidate concepts related to length, mass, capacity.

Our current unit has us examining each of these concepts to apply this knowledge in the formulation of rules related to perimeter, area, and volume. We have moved to the abstract, thinking of formulas and even inverse operations to find amounts we do not know.

We have particularly had fun manipulating the equipment and comparing these measurements to informal units used in the past.

In HASS we are researching significant events that have helped to shape our nation. Our focus has been around the events leading up to and following the Gold Rush in Australia and its impact on migration.

We have learned that because of this precious metal, men, women and children flocked to goldfields all around the country in a ‘rush’ to seek their fortunes. We found it interesting that not everyone was lucky enough to ‘strike it rich’ and that sometimes those people who supported the diggings by setting up local stores became wealthier than the diggers themselves.

Our lessons have investigated how tensions on the diggings led to civil unrest, riots and the mistreatment of some groups because of their race. This has provided and insight into early examples of ‘freedom of speech’.

We are currently examining how Australia’s democracy grew out of these significant events.

Below is an example of a co-constructed paragraph 5KRO did on the social and economic changes due to the gold rush.

Year 6 News

In Science, we have continued our learning on natural disasters with some fun hands on activities. There was a great deal of excitement in the classroom when the students created a cyclone in a bottle. Observational skills being developed as students had to watch carefully what happened to the glitter in the water as it was drawn quickly into the vortex and then dispersed.

In year 6, we have also started our Drama unit, which ties in with Science as students are devising and performing a scene from a natural disaster using images as inspiration. Students have had to step into a role and consider the thoughts and feelings of their chosen character as they are rescued in the midst of a disaster.

Community Events & Notices