18 May 2018

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Welcome back to Term 2!

It has been a busy start to what will be a very eventful term. Our Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students have just completed their NAPLAN testing along with other students from across the country. These tests give educators and the Department a ‘snapshot’ of how our students are currently working in the areas of Numeracy and Literacy. Results for these tests will be available later on in the year.

I would like to welcome to our school Mrs Rosalie Richards, who has the role of Coordinator Learner Wellbeing. Rosalie is well known to many in the Adnyamathana community through her family connections and work as Principal at Nepabunna School. She will offer leadership to the school community in the areas of wellbeing, attendance and student/community engagement. I wish her well as she embarks on this new adventure at Leigh Creek Area School.

Our Senior Secondary students returned from Operation Flinders on Tuesday where they spent a week camping and hiking on Yankaninna Station. While it was a very challenging experience for all there were many smiles on their return – satisfaction at such an awesome personal achievement or sheer relief at being able to shower and sleep in their own beds… maybe both! Well done to all who participated and a big thankyou to Miss G for her role as leader.

Our Year 1-6 students will be on camp next week at Wilpena and our Middle School students will be heading to Adelaide for an English camp in week 8. We have Poppa Roy Coulthard here at school from the May 25 to 31 providing a cultural focus for the week. All students will have the opportunity to spend time with and learn from Poppa Roy.

Later in the term we are also hosting a Secondary camp involving students from the smaller schools in the Partnership in 3 days of Sport, Performance Arts and Science activities. There will be more information closer to the time but it is shaping up into what we hope will be a great experience.

There will be no school for students on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 of June (Week 7). This follows the Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday. Governing Council has approved 2 Student Free Days for staff to attend the Far North Partnership Conference which will allow staff to work with peers on Learning Design and Assessment in STEM and Literacy. This is a rare opportunity for our teachers and ancillary staff to connect and learn with others from our remote schools. We know that this means only two days of school that week but we encourage all families to have their children attend school on Thursday and Friday.

Cheers,
Jan Love

Junior and Middle Primary

So far this Term, the Junior Primary and middle Primary classes have worked together to create Mother’s Day cards and gifts.

First we made the baskets out of papier-mâché, then we painted them, and then we baked gingerbread cookies to put inside the baskets.

Here you can see the students wrapping their gifts and making their Mother’s Day cards.

Ms Holland and Ms Partington

Upper Primary

The year 5/6 class is focusing on learning about fractions in Maths this term. We are looking forward to investigating how fractions play an important role in our daily life.

Our class took an active part in Circular Circus which involved lots of maths – such as shapes, coordinates and time.

In Literacy we are learning about the structure of a narrative text and how to use ‘sizzling starts’ in our stories.

This term we have started working on our ‘Passion Projects’ where students can choose any topic which interests them most, do some research on it, and present their project in front of the class.

Secondary

The secondary school students have been really busy over the last two weeks.

The year 7-10 students have been reading a novel about a young Afghani girl called Parvana. Parvana and her family’s life changed dramatically when the Taliban took control of Kabul. Suddenly women could not work, girls could not go to school and men had to grow beards. The people were gripped by fear and became isolated from their neighbours. Basic human rights we take for granted here were no longer. In integrated studies we have been reading about human rights and in Pastoral care we have been learning about different kinds of families. This week is anti-violence week so we have also been talking about how to resolve things without resorting to violence.

The older students have been away for Operation Flinders or working on the SACE subjects.

Mrs Barclay

Operation Flinders

Operation Flinders was a challenging, yet eye opening experience. It was a chance for all participants to go through a mental and physical challenge. Through these challenges each and every person in the group persevered and pushed through their limits.

The motivation within the group helped push each other through and kept the group spirits alive.

The views were incredible and the Abseiling was the most enjoyed in the group.

All participants are eager to use their endurance leadership and initiative skills within their home and school life.

Miss G

Yulu’s Journey - Primary School Camp

The students in years 1-6 are getting excited about the Yulu's Journey camp to Wilpena Pound next week. We will be following the ancient journey of Yulu from the Leigh Creek mine site to Ikara (Wilpena Pound), visiting sites of cultural and geological significance along the way.

The camp leaves from the school grounds by 9am this coming Tuesday morning the 22nd May and returns at 2pm Wednesday the 23rd.

It should be a great couple of days in country with a campfire and songs in the evening. If your child is in year 1-6 and you would like them to attend this camp please return the Consent Form and Health Form with your child or to the front office as soon as possible. If your form became somehow lost in your child's bag, as can happen, please feel welcome to ask for a copy from the front office.

Ms Carrie-Ann Smith