Weetangera Primary School Newsletter | Week 9, Term 3 2022

From Julie

Dear Families

Please join me in celebrating the inaugural Weetangera Primary School’s Galleries of Learning.

Last Wednesday afternoon families gathered to celebrate the successful learning achievements of our students. Walking through each of the year level Galleries and speaking with families about their observations was certainly a very joyful experience.

The confident manner in which students were able to share their learning, describe the pathways taken to achieve a goal and then to teach their families a new skill highlighted the work of learning currently being undertaken from preschool to year 6.

You will have noticed that there is a large and rather endless supply of many different types of resources that go into the learning programs at school. As a public school we ask for a bookpack payment to be made at the beginning of the year as providing resources and consumables for 550 students is an expensive undertaking. To date we have received payment from only 62% of families. Could all families please check whether they have made the annual bookpack and voluntary contribution payments? Please?  You can contact the Business Manager; Patricia Duffy – 61422600 – and she will be able to let you know what payments you have that are outstanding for your child’s resource payments.

Next Thursday is a public holiday; National Day of Mourning in regard to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

The LAPATHON, planned for Thursday, 22 September has been postponed! At the staff meeting on Monday we will examine the outline of Term 4 and choose an opportunity to conduct the LAPATHON. Continue to gather your sponsors and hoping that you can join us all in a walk in the sunshine for a few laps of the LAPATHON route. We’ll keep you posted.

IMPORTANT:

Each moment that students spend at school is important and we try very hard to make the most of their time here. School starts at 9am and the learning starts pretty close to that time. If students continually arrive late, they are missing a big part of their education. Think about it this way: 

If a student is 15 mintues late even only 3 days a week, that's 45 minutes of learning they miss every week., which is 450 minutes (7.5 hours) each term and 1800 minutes (30 hours) of learning each year. That's 5 whole school days of learning they're missing. If it's 15 minutes every day, that's nearly 2 weeks of school. 

Please make sure your child arrives at school ready to start at 9am. It's very important. 

Have an excellent weekend.

Enjoy the sunshine, the days are getting warmer. It looks like it will be an excellent weekend for getting out and about in our community so why not visit Floriade:

And our thought for the week is very apt:

As a community of learners; students, families, staff, together we continue to plant the seeds of learning for our young students. Enjoy each and every one of the blossoms  that arise.

Regards

Julie

Julie.cooper@ed.act.edu.au

WPS - Communication Guidelines

Thank you for your feedback regarding our communication guidelines. Please refer to these guidelines when making contact with the school. 

What's Happening in the Magic Hats

In The Magic Hats, we use cooperative writing as an opportunity for children to write together and support each other throughout the writing process.

Encouraging young children to take the risks necessary to engage in writing can sometimes be a challenge, but getting them to create written work with the help of a peer can be a fun and supportive learning experience for all.

Cooperative writing helps children to understand writing as a process and increases their ability to ‘see’ themselves as a writer, which takes a huge amount of pressure off them as they complete the task of writing. It also enables them to support each other to remember the writing strategies that we know good writer’s use and that we have been focussing on in class. Lastly, and most probably importantly, it provides each child with the opportunity to ‘teach’ and as we know, the best way to learn something, is to teach it.  

Leanne Oxley

What's Happening in the Koalas

This term we have been busy developing our story writing skills.

Here is the process we are using:

1. Develop our character – draw a picture of your character, write 5 adjectives which describe how your character looks and their personality.
2. Draw a picture of the setting of your story – add labels to identify what you could see, hear, feel and smell if you were in that place.
3. Use drawing to show what will happen in your story at the beginning middle and end – add labels and adjectives to your drawings.
4. Using your ‘Story File’ start writing a 6 sentence story.
5. Sentence 1 – hooks the reader using sound, speech or description. It also introduces the character.
6. Sentence 2 – describes the setting
7. Sentence 3 – Tells us what the characters special talent.
8. Sentence 4 – Describes the problem
9. Sentence 5 – Describes how the character feels
10. Sentence 6 – Solves the problem.

Check out some of our story files below!

Izzy Dunn

What's Happening in the Galahs

2T have been super creative this term working away on our Dramatic Readers’ Theatre where we are learning about using voice, facial expression, space and movement. Students will then use these skills to create an engaging mini play for their year 2 peers. We are very excited to be working with friends.

We have also been getting artistic with some dot artwork and singing to celebrate International Dot Day which was on September 15. International Dot Day was inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ children’s book, The Dot. In essence, the students discussed how a dot might be small, but it’s a powerful way to show your unique individuality and creativity and can be turned into so many amazing things. 

During mathematics, we have been enjoying learning about the months and seasons in Australia and telling the time. We also have been exploring how multiplication and division are linked. We can solve simple sums using a variety of strategies, such as groups of, arrays, repeated addition or subtraction.

Throughout our science investigations, we have been exploring mixtures. We can officially say we are now experts on mixtures after exploring the different ways mixtures are created and how these are used in our daily lives. Just ask us about the scientific terms ‘hydrophilic’ and ‘hydrophobic’!

Louise Tominich

What's Happening in the Kookaburras

This week we ventured out to Hall for an excursion. What a wonderful day we had visiting Hall Village Schoolhouse. It was a great opportunity to draw together all our learning from this term’s Inquiry Unit, Past and Present. The children were provided with a hands-on experience of life in our local area.

One of the highlights was going to an ‘olden days’ classroom that was set up with items for the children to experience. You should have seen their faces when School Inspector, Percy Cane walked out and asked to inspect their hands for cleanliness. The children got to experience sitting in the classroom, writing on slates with graphite and reading the history of a student who may have attended the school in the early 1900s.

The excursion was finished off with a walk down Victoria Street in Hall to compare the old and new buildings on the street before meeting up with Jenny, a local with a long history with families and life in Hall and owner of the Daughters at Hall café, where we had a delicious cupcake. (The children gave them a 10/10 for ‘scrumminess’).

Thanks to Ms King for organising such a great day and experience for the children and teachers. We had a wonderful day.     

Lauren Domio and Glennis Weatherstone                                                                                                                                                                                             

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What's Happening in the Pugs

Congratulations to our Year 3 students who did a fantastic job during Galleries of Learning. It was great to see so many families coming back into the classroom and to hear students sharing some of the learning that has been happening. The excitement in many of the students' faces could not be hidden as they had the opportunity to show their family around the classrooms and engage in activities with them. We asked students to share what they enjoyed most about the Galleries of Learning. Here are some of their responses:

Penny

The thing I liked most about Galleries of Learning is that I got to see both of my parents and show them my learning and what I have been doing. It is a fun way to show both of my parents what I have been learning. It was a practical way to show them your work in a very fun way.

Abby

What I liked about the Galleries of Learning is that I had both of my parents and my older brother and I got to do a hunt with them and P.E. We did things together.

Willow

The Galleries of Learning was fun because I got to share my learning with my parents. My parents liked the galleries for the same reason. My favourite part was the P.E because I got to teach my Dad how to do the chest pass and all the others.

Harriet

My favourite part of the Galleries of Learning was maths, geography and P.E. I had fun showing my parents and siblings what I’ve been learning. 

Thank you for coming to our gallery and letting us share a snapshot of what happens in Year 3!

During our teaching of Protective Behaviours we have been conducting safety checks where we have been recognising safe; fun and scary; risking for a reason; and unsafe situations. We learnt about our early warning signs and identified what happens to our body when we are starting to feel unsafe. We also discovered that each of us may experience different feelings in these situations so we looked at strategies we can utilise when we are feeling that way. We also watched a short video highlighting the importance of being safe online, which supported the messages from Kenny Koala the previous week. 

Last week, we continued our learning focus on money; understanding change and how we can round money when paying in cash (which some people still use!) We looked at how we can interpret word problems that involve money and how it can relate to our everyday lives. The students were able to make connections between addition and subtraction and it helped with their understanding of money and how it can be used. This week we started an Escape Room using our knowledge of addition and subtraction to complete set tasks and save Julie from aliens.  The students were extremely enthusiastic and enjoyed the opportunity to work across the unit to complete the mathematical problems. After they had escaped, several students were challenged to create their own escape room challenge.

When reading, we know that good readers read for a variety of purposes and they use different strategies to help them connect with their text. Using different strategies allows us to comprehend what we are reading and to make meaning. During Reader’s Workshop, we have been focusing on the reading strategy of connecting. There are three ways we can connect with a text, ‘text to self, text to text’ and 'text to world’.  Most recently, we looked at the text Koala Lou and made our own connections. Here are some of the connections we were able to make: 

‘Text to World’

Hugo - Not everyone can win all the time, but that’s ok because you can gain a valuable lesson from losing.

Elva - People try their best and don’t succeed so they try and try again.

‘Text to Self’

Zayden - The Mum loves her kid, like my Mum.

George - Sometimes when I come second I get disappointed.

Keep reading and keep connecting!

Megan Ferdinand

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What's happening in the Billionaires

Term 3 has been a big journey into the mindset of conservationists as we focused on connecting our learning to the core concept of Conservation. We combined our English, science, maths, HASS, and technology learning into one unit, so there is chance to develop a deeper understanding sustainability and their role as a member of society.

Each student has been developing their own Conservation research project, based on an endangered animal of their choosing. Considering which H.I.P.P.O (Habitat loss, Invasive species, Pollution, Poaching, Over-use) dilemma is affecting the individual numbers, students designed and constructed prototypes to protect and conserve their chosen animal from the major cause. Our next step is to showcase our work to our peers. We’re looking forward to presenting our information reports and prototypes as well as discovering out other students' findings.

During maths, we have been working on fractions. This involved playing fraction games during maths warm-up where we compared different fractions and created equivalent fractions. We’ve also looked into converting decimals to fractions, fractions to percentages and percentages back to decimals.

In reading sessions, we have focused on summarising information texts- first by reading the text, then identifying keywords which were then used to create a summary of the text in our own words.

Finally, we had a very successful Galleries of Learning last week. Thank you to the parents who wrote beautiful messages to their children about their learning.

Youn You

What's Happening in the Thingamabobs

Unit 7’s Galleries of Learning -Celebrating Writing!

During our Galleries of Learning, Unit 7 students took the opportunity to showcase their writing skills. Students used their knowledge to confidently guide their guests through a number of writing tasks. They worked together to publish a range of writing pieces.

The Figurative Language Activity

Figurative language is a device used by writers. It is a type of descriptive language where the meaning of the word is not meant to be taken literally or word for word.  The words or phrase has a deeper or abstract meaning. Unit 7 has explored several different types of figurative language devices including:

Simile -  is a comparison between two things using the words like or as.

Metaphor - describes an object as something it isn’t in real life. It becomes a symbolic description.

Personification -  gives human characteristics to nonhuman objects.

Explanation of Task

Using one of the three picture prompts, create different examples of figurative language.

This is what some of our students and guests wrote:

Inspired by Photo 1

• A blood orange ground, like a sandy desert.
• Two trees joined with a glimmer of water.
• The birds are as red as the ground.
• The ground is as red as blood.
• The birds explode from the tree like a firework.
• The birds circled the tree like moths drawn to a flame.
• The tree sat sullenly in a puddle, as the flock of galahs escaped.
• A lonely tree in a scorched landscape provides refuge for galahs.

Inspired by Photo 2

• It was as foggy as a gloomy morning.
• Fog covered the forest like a blanket.
• The fog floated like a ghost.
• It was as foggy as my brain before coffee.
• The fog languished across the water like a lazy person on a couch.
• The foggy swamp waited silently for its next victim.
• The trees revealed themselves like a ghost from a graveyard.

Inspired by Photo 3

• As the sun set on another day, the sounds of wild beasts and aromas of rich natural delight rounded off the day.
• The sun was more red than blood.
• Blood stained the horizon.
• The sunset was brighter than a million stars.
• The sun glowed like hot coals.
• The crimson sky looked like burning coals, setting the horizon on fire.
• The sun was as red as blood.
• The sky was as red as the desert sand.

What’s in the Suitcase? Activity

A suitcase was discovered in Unit 7.

Students and guests carefully opened the lid to reveal the following items:

• Sunglasses
• Tea strainer
• Wooden box
• A note
• Keys

Explanation of Task

Using the items in the suitcase, come up with one of the following:

• A creative hook
• An interesting character
• The title of a novel

This is what some of our students and guests wrote:

• The Locked Box of Treasures
• The Time Travellers Suitcase
• Indiana Jones and the Lost Teapot of Hidden Jewels
• The suitcase of everything and anything.
• The keys to travel the world
• The keys open the locked door that holds the missing notebook.
• The secret agent needed to go to the train station to get the priceless gold sunglasses.
• I got off the train on platform 5, found my suitcase which felt light. I got home, dropped my key onto the table, took my sunnies off and put the kettle on for a long awaited cup of tea. Sitting on my kitchen bench was a small yellow screwdriver and a small wooden box, but why were they there?
• Small Teapot-tea Strainer

The villain smiled carefully placing the stolen information into the strainer. She placed it in a cup and poured water on it. “Tea?” she asked as if they were sitting down for brunch. She poured the milk with precision. “Drink up!” The hero smiled as she raised the cup to her lips. It was poisoned.

Thank you to everyone who shared in the joy of writing with us!

Weetangera Sports Update

ACT Athletics Championships

Last Thursday the School Sport ACT Athletics Championships were held at Woden. We had six students representing Belconnen and all are to be congratulated on their determination displayed when competing against the best athletes from all over Canberra.

The Weetangera students who competed were:

Harriet O’S: 9th 11Y Girls 800m

Io T: 8th 11Y Girls Discus

Zalie G: 3rd 10Y Girls Discus

James W: 3rd 11Y Boys Shot Put and 8th in Discus

Evan M: 3rd 12Y Boys 1500m and 5th in 800m

Kai M: 1st 10Y Boys 800m

To have four students from our school placing in the top three at the ACT Championships is a fantastic achievement! Well done to all our competitors.

Cricket

Congratulations to Io T who has been selected in the School Sport ACT U12 Girls Cricket Team after the recent trials. This team will compete in the School Sport Australia Cricket Championships to be held in Bendigo in November. Well done Io and all the best for a successful competition! Rhys G narrowly missed selection for the ACT U12 Boys Cricket Team and has been named as a shadow player for the same championship, good effort Rhys and all the best for your future cricket endeavours.

Zones of Regulation - Strategy of the Week

Category- THINK IT

Everything Will be Okay

Upset, sad, worried or mad feelings are like clouds, they come and go. Tell yourself ‘everything will be alright”. This feeling won’t last forever!

How do you feel? What Zone could this be helpful in?

Inspired Learner Awards

Each week, in our assembly, students receive "Inspired Learner" awards for their efforts in learning and their fantastic attitude while they are at school. Congratulations to the award recipients for term 3. 

Kindergarten

P&C News

Father's Day Stall Success

On Friday 2 September the P&C hosted the annual Father’s Day stall. A huge thankyou to all our families and volunteers on the day who supported with purchasing gifts, wrapping, setting up tables, collecting money and supporting children to make their purchases.  It was very much appreciated - it was a lot of fun and the stall looked fabulous. 

It was the P&C’s best stall to date - it all ran smoothly with lots of happy students, with their full hands and school bags at the end of the day. At school pick up at 3:00pm there were many children greeting their carers with excited faces, talking about the gifts they had chosen for a special person.

The P&C raised $2,541.60 towards the school outdoor space upgrades.

If you would like to get to know the parent community at Weetangera Primary School and raise funds to directly support the children at the school, please come along to a P&C meeting or contact weetangera.pc.president@gmail.com for more information about how you can support the school.

Community Notices