6 December 2017

Newsletter Articles

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From the Principal

Last week was a very sad week for us all on hearing the news of the sudden death of a parent. Our deepest sympathy to the family and to all other families and individuals impacted by this loss. As we normalise our school environment and learning programs for all children, I would like to acknowledge the sincere and timely support provided by Department Of Education professional agencies, staff and Bicheno families.

It is that busy time of year with exciting times ahead as we prepare for our end-of-year presentation assembly, our Grade 6 Graduation and the lead-in to Christmas festivities. Some of the key happenings this week include:

• Our 2018 Improvement Plan will be workshopped with teaching staff on Tuesday and also with the School Association on Wednesday;
• On Thursday we will put up our classes and teaching staff for 2018 (there could still be minor changes before the start of next year);
• On Friday we have the final Pre-Kinder parent session and Hub4 Health with the children in school Gym; and
• 9 am on Friday will be the final Playgroup for 2017 and will also be a final farewell to Ange.

Congratulations to St Marys staff who held a highly successful Transition program for Grade 6 students. Feedback from our Grade 6’s has been very positive with all our students being actively involved with the programs offered.

Construction works commence this week on the sensory playground so we will all need to stay safe moving around this area. Landscape Now are ensuring safety fencing arrangements will be in place during the construction period, but we should all be reinforcing the need for students to watch out and to stay away from this area. It will be a fantastic journey watching the river bed and other elements come to life before the end of the year. The other replacement playground in the Early Years playground is currently being manufactured and we hope will be installed during the holidays.

Thanks everyone for your support during this busy time!

Grade 1/2 go to see Aladdin

On Thursday the 23rd November, Grade 1/2 travelled all the way to Hobart to watch the Big Monkey Theatre performance of "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" in the Botanical Gardens. We absolutely loved the show and would thoroughly recommend seeing it over January if you can!

Story of the Moon

Grade 1/2 collaborated with ABC Northern Tasmania to illustrate a creation story “Story of the Moon”. The words of the story are spoken by Aunty Patsy Cameron.

The link to the video is

Grade 6 Transition

In preparation for their transition to St Marys District School (SMDS) next year, eight year 6 students participated in a range of activities and classes with the year 6’s from SMDS over three days at SMDS. On the first day students got a taste of what a day in the life of a year 7 would be like by attending a range of classes in different subject areas. It was fantastic to see all students fully engaged in the tasks and learning opportunities that the teachers designed for them.

The following day’s activities were designed to promote team work, collaboration, critical and creative thinking and problem solving. Students had to work together to design, build, code and construct their own robot, all in one and half hours! The resilience and determination from all students was fantastic to see as well as the team work and sportsmanship displayed when they learned how to play European Handball.

On the last day students got the chance to ask questions about secondary school in a thought box activity with Miss Smith and Mr Spykers. They also participated in a workshop with Victoria to support strategies in coping with change. Finally we finished the day off by having a BBQ lunch and watching the SMDS student band play some awesome tunes! The students developed some excellent relationships with both staff and students at SMDS and we look forward to them learning with us in 2018!

Tom Spykers, AST 7-10
St Marys

Our sensory playground installation has started.

Landscape Now from Penguin will be working on our new sensory garden and natural playground installation over the next few weeks. The area of the works has been barricaded off with temporary fencing and this area is out of bounds at all times. There will be plant and machinery operating during school hours at various times.

A reminder that students are supervised from 8.30am and that supervision ends at 3.15pm.

The works are due to be completed by December 21.

If you have any questions please contact the school office.

Debersize Donation

The Debersize crew have been busy over the last few months working out, staying fit and raising money!! With some of this money we would love to donate $500 to the School Association Fundraising Committee. A big thank you to the school for allowing us the use the gym throughout winter, I don’t think we would have lasted long braving the dark and cold of being outside…

Our exercise group started over 4 years ago with just a few of us getting up early for some bleary eyed runs, sneaking out the door trying not to wake up out bubs. Deb Gardner then decided to study and get her certificate IV in Fitness (personal trainer) plus coach level 1… and away Debersize grew, thanks Deb!! We must also thank the phrase master himself Nick Headlam for our very apt team name “Debersize”

Training is generally twice a week Wednesday 5.30pm and Saturday 9am. All levels of fitness welcome so come and give it a go or get In touch with Deb if personal training is more your thing! Deb and family are back in Bicheno before Christmas her mobile is 0439 334 793 and facebook page is “Shore Foot Fitness”

Well done to all the mums for staying on track and fitting one or two workouts in each week. A beautiful group of ladies who make exercise fun and our kids love it too!!

Sonia Kubank

What’s happening in our classrooms?

In Grade 3/4 this week:

In Literacy we have been learning about figure of speech and how to use it.

In Numeracy we have been using our maths 'tools' to solve an authentic problem. Students have created quotes to enclose the last 100m of fencing around the community oval (they offered their time for free so no labour costs added)

In Science students were required to come up with their own inquiry question to show their understanding of how heat can transfer from one object to another and how adding heat can change the state of matter from solid to liquid. They then had to conduct their own experiment to test their hypothesis.

In Humanities and Social Sciences we have been investigating the social, economic and environmental consequences of single use plastics, unsustainable and unethical fishing practices, such as shark finning and tuna fishing.

Indonesian

In Kinder we are focusing on using the last ELLA app which ties together the language learning of the year and we will also begin to learn an Indonesian Christmas song.

In Prep, Year 1-2 and year 3-4 we will be learning an Indonesian Christmas carol.

In 5-6 we will also be revising a Christmas carol and deconstructing the Indonesian grammar within it, making comparisons to the English language.

Tahun baru / New year

Grade 5/6

In English we finalising our writing projects.

In Maths we are revising our learning for 2017

In Humanities and Social Sciences we are learning about the Wavehill Walk Off, and the impact that these events have had on Australia and Australians.

In Art we are assembling our Zentangle sculptures and beginning our Christmas craft.

Prep

Over this term we have been researching and asking each other lots of questions about the Australian Bush. The camping area set up in our classroom started this inquiry area. We decided to represent what we were learning with an enormous Australian Bush and Ocean mural. We all chose what we wanted to learn about which included questions such as 'How could we get electricity if we were camping?' and "How do we protect our oceans from plastics?'. The next step was to represent our leaning by creating a mural and annotating each part. We are now preparing for an open classroom to share more of our learning with our parents.

Prep Bush and Ocean Mural

We have also been reviewing all the strategies we have learnt to help us with our reading this year. These include:

• looking at the picture
• use the first letter as a clue
• sound out the word
• chop the word into smaller parts and look for any part of the word that you already know
• read on but come back to the world

All students have been involved in learning new Maths’ games and then teaching them to each other. This has been a great way to improve our counting skills whilst working on how we cooperate when we work in small groups together.

Pop Up Uniform Swap Shop

BICHENO PRIMARY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

The BPS Association is cleaning out the 2nd hand school uniform buckets & we ask you to do the same at home!!

Any uniforms worthy of another family please wash, fold neatly & bring into the school library 9am Friday the 15th Dec.

Volunteers will organise uniform donations into sizes and all BPS Families are invited 2pm to 3.30pm Monday the 18th of December to help themselves to the recycled uniforms for the 2018 school year.

Any queries ask Carrie 0405 776 299

School Association Christmas Raffle

Linc Library Cards for 2018

Please go over to the Linc to organise new borrowing cards for your child

Community Christmas Event

Reminder for Sporting Schools Registrations

If you have ordered the rash suit for the Surfing School Surf Groms program, you need to go online and complete the registrations on the following link before December 11

Important dates

School dates for 2018 as released by the Minister

School Information

Phone: 63751222
Email: bicheno.primary@education.tas.gov.au
Principal: Robert Presswell
School Business Manager: Sandra Silberberg

Teachers

Kinder and LiL: Eliza Spykers
Prep/One: Emily McCormack and Jen Sliskovic
Grade 2/3: Bron Pierce and Ali Jones
Grade 3/4: Matt Woolley
Grade 5/6: Jill Bosua
Support Teacher: Jen Sliskovic

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