Gumnut Bulletin 1, 2023
Education Manager
Hello everybody and welcome to the new year.
It has been lovely to see so many new faces arrive at the Leaning Tree and a delight to welcome everybody back from the holiday period. As well as welcoming new children and families we also welcome some new staff. Jayne Shepherd joins us in Sunflower and Gray Hancock is our Voyager teacher. I feel we have been fortunate to have secured the services of both Jayne and Gary and look for to the next years together. We welcome back Lara Sampson who has returned for the term to oversee the Handcraft lessons whilst Lisa Scamporlino is on long service leave. We also welcome Shah Jackey as our LOTE teacher and Verity Offszanka as the middle school EA. Both Shah and Verity are members of our parent community.
It was warming to see the number of folks who could stay for the Friday afternoon welcome where the P and F provided ice-creams for the children and cold drinks for the adults. The children had a ball under the sprinklers, and it was nice to feel that sense of community again after the strange times of the past few years.
The primary students are currently taking part in swimming lessons at the Aquarena and I congratulate them on their positive participation. The Year 6 – 7 students will have their lessons later in term 2.
A reminder to families of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 that NAPLAN testing will take place on the 15th- 17th of March. Families wishing their child to be exempt from the testing may obtain forms from the office. Please, note that these forms need to be completed and lodged at the start of March.
If you are using the Kiss and Drop area of the school, please do NOT park and leave your vehicle. We have had occasions already this year where cars are lined up out to the road. Additionally, if your child does not promptly come to your car, we ask that you move to the car park and wait there. I thank you for your assistance with this. I really don’t enjoy being the car park policeman.
We have utilised the Seesaw App to offer families a way to see their child’s progress and achievements. It is also an excellent way to ensure you have all the forms and notices in relation to class excursions and activities. If you have not yet signed up to use the App, I urge you to do so. Using Seesaw is a fabulous tool but it does not come close to parents actually meeting with the teachers; please, make the time to come in to school and visit.
I wish you all a blessed and fulfilling year and look forward to working with you.
Yours,
Mike
Governing Body
The Governing Body AGM will be held on 4th April 5.30pm at Leaning Tree.
A formal invitation will be sent out to all families in the coming week.
Please view the Governing Body newsletter, sent out earlier this week, which has updates from the Chair, Wendy Watters.
Starflower Kindergarten & Pre-primary
Dear Starflower families,
It has been such a delight to welcome back our Preppy and Kindy families both new and old. I would like to say a big thankyou to the wonderful parents who came along to help at the Busybee, what a lot we achieved! Also, a heartfelt thankyou to everyone who made it to our information evening. It was so lovely to be able to sit in our Starflower room with the Mums and Dads stitching away at their child’s Angel Pillow or a making a special ‘Little One’ for their child. We are beginning this school year with a composite K/PP class and the children are settling in beautifully. The weather has been very kind to us with only one very hot week so far. Of course, when it’s hot in Starflower, the Kindergarten students get busily into water play. There is nothing better than whizzing down the slide with the sprinkler cooling you off or digging deep down into the cool fresh new sand in our sandpit. Our hand water pump is in constant use, as the children create waterways and marvellous mud. Often, we need a good hose off or even a change of clothes before coming inside for morning tea.
This week has seen the Preppies heading off to swimming lessons at the Aquarena. What little champions they have been, eating an early morning tea, then getting on the “Rope Train” and singing “Big black Train” all the way to the bus. Two swimming lessons in a row is a recipe for tired little people, who return on the bus ready for a late lunch and a quick play before a calming rest and then it is time to sing “Dear friends goodbye” and go home with our Mums and Dads.
No doubt we will slip back into our regular rhythm next week with happy smiles and lots of energy for playing.
Summer Blessings,
Kathy and Lucinda
Sunflower Room Year 1
Our year started with the most beautiful ritual, the Sunflower Ceremony. The new Year Ones transitioned smoothly from being little Starflowers and are now ready to grow into vibrant Sunflowers.
Our main focus so far has been all about feeling safe in our new environment, building strong relationships and learning what it means to be a Sunflower. We have had many new routines to learn and expectations to follow. We have been exploring what it means to be a good learner, a good listener and how our bodies should feel so that we are ready to learn.
School virtues have also been a major expectation. We have been learning about our feelings and the feelings of others. We have brainstormed what it means to be kind, friendly, caring, compassionate and respectful. We have also made feelings books and created some beautiful wet-on-wet watercolour paintings exploring different emotions. Learning how to regulate our emotions so we can be in the right mindset to learn will continue throughout the year.
Our first main lesson this term was Form Drawing. The children were introduced to straight and curved lines through a story, following two children, Jack and Rose, as they went on many adventures together. We have also been busy baking these forms made out of bread every Friday which is always a highlight in the Sunflower Room. Who doesn’t love fresh bread and honey!
Language with Shah, Music with Paul, P.E with Anita and Handcraft with Lara have been other highlights for the Sunflowers this term.
We are all looking forward to swimming lessons this week, and also beginning work in our new alphabet books. We will learn all about letters as we enter into the magical land of Fairytales. There are some fun math’s experiences to look forward to also. And last but not least we are also learning to sign using Auslan.
Being a Sunflower is busy work.
Shine Bright
Jayne and Peta
Jilinbiri Room Years 2 & 3
The Jilinbiri Room has certainly been a hive of activity so far this year. We have been very fortunate to have Ally spending the first 4 weeks with us, while she has been completing her prac. It has been nice for the children to get that extra bit of 1/1 time and for Ally to see the progress while she has been here.
We started the year with our first main lesson called ‘Worldly Tales’. The children have been listening to stories from around the world, drawing pictures of their favourite part and writing summaries of what they have heard. I am amazed at how beautiful the children’s books are looking already – the presentation is immaculate.
In our daily math lessons, the children have been learning about money and the different currencies around the world. They have created their own wallet which is full of money that they use to solve tricky money problems. We have also been playing times tables and simple addition games in our morning circle which has been a highlight and enjoyed by all.
We are all looking forward to our new ‘Grammar Island’ main lesson which will begin in Week 5 after swimming lessons is over, and before you know it, the end of term will be here. I am looking forward to some cooler weather so we can get into the garden and start planting some edible produce.
Warm regards
Tara, Claire & Ally
Rivergum Room Years 4 & 5
Hail to thee, O Ra,
who gives life unto Egypt.
You hide your coming in darkness.
The day of your coming is sweet.
Bring life to all that do thirst.
Refuse to give drink to the desert.
Overflow, O water of heaven.
Sibu, the Earth-God awaits you.
Welcome back to Term 1, it is wonderful to see so many energised, enthusiastic and excited faces. This term we began our Ancient Egypt block with a biographical/geographical journey down the great River Nile and discovered the two lands of Egypt. We have listened to the stories of ‘Ra and his Children’, ‘The Birth of Isis and Osiris’, ‘The Story of Isis and Osiris’, ‘Horus the Avenger’ and finally ‘Kenemu of the Nile’ for the past four weeks. The Rivergum children have been inescapably immersed in a shortened version of the class play “The Light of Isis and Osiris” By Jim McClurkin when we started rehearsals in Week 2. There was much deliberation over who would be cast in the role of the characters which led to lots of negotiation and compromise in the end. To understand the key character’s motives of Osiris and Set we worked on creating character profiles and poetic descriptions of each of the brothers. We then chose our own Gods and Goddesses to draw and describe. Isis and Hathor and Ma’at proved to be very popular female goddesses while Anubis, Thoth and Sobek tended to be highly regarded Gods amongst the class. Next, we studied and wrote in Hieroglyphics and hieratic script, drew on grids like the Egyptians and painted our own portrait of a god or goddess. This week we focused on learning about the society and social structure of Ancient Egypt, the roles of men and women, as well as the importance of scribes. It is safe to stay Term 1 has started with speed and steadfastness.
Sincerely,
Susan
Lighthouse Room Year 6
Our new Lighthouse, Year 6 leaders began the year with the annual knighting ceremony. Each leader is given a virtue to carry with them through the year. They also receive a badge, to mark their status as the leaders of the primary school. We expect that they will shine their guiding lights for all the younger children and be examples to look up to.
We painted wet on dry lighthouses for birthday cards. For birthday gifts this year we rolled red & white beeswax sheets into candles, which are also representative of our class symbol. Our morning verse reflects our role in the school and aims to remind students of their own, inner moral compass.
Shine on guiding light,
I see your beacon shining bright.
I don’t have a boat and I’m not at sea,
But I feel your light is guiding me.
I am strong, calm and bright.
All can see my guiding light.
Whether from afar or standing near,
My light shines bright, dissolving all fear.
Shine on guiding light, show me the way,
Help me shine throughout this day.
Our first Main Lesson; Our Earth looks at our planet as a whole. First, we are learning about the 7 continents and 5 oceans. We are learning to recognise the shapes on the globe and what life might be like in different places, depending on latitude and other conditions.
Anita is now teaching the class on Terrific Tuesdays, with a leadership focus as well as looking at special numbers and introducing Physics. In our practice sessions we reviewed whole numbers and worked with place value into the billions!
Lisa
Prospect Room Years 8 & 9
Already the year has taken off at an alarming rate!
The Prospects have started they year by getting to know each other and practicing their open question asking. In the photographs, the students are busily working to glean interesting information from as many different students as they could. This skill was again put to the test during autobiographical writing tasks; where they interviewed a family member to find out about their life and to ask questions about their own. This was important as stories of their own early childhood offer insight and deeper understanding of their personal story.
The task of writing their own autobiographical timeline was not an easy task. The students struggled to find things that they felt were worth writing about. The Prospects are learning that a great story can be found in the simplest of moments. To help them open their minds, I have shared parts of my story and school days. I used photographs and mementos to prompted questions and invoke memories and learnings. The class was engrossed to learn about my trials and tribulations, and my triumphs!
I have learnt from this Main Lesson that this age group are thirsty for real stories to relate to, to learn from and to strengthen their hope for their own stories. It has been a wonderful way to begin the year!
Sincerely,
Penny
Music & Design and Technology
Hello parents, this year I am embracing two new positions with LTSS. The Music teacher and the Design and Technology teacher.MusicThis term, in music, we are focusing on finding beats to the songs we sing. This will enable us to sing successfully with others. We are using instruments and percussion to illustrate these beats and learning some new songs along the way. I am really enjoying finding my feet in this whole school activity. Stay tuned for some big whole-school numbers.Design and TechnologyThis term, we are focusing on woodwork projects.The first projects for middle school include toolboxes and wall plaques. These projects will involve some creativity, along with some design and joinery.The year sixes will be creating a design to imprint onto a checkerboard and, when completed, these should hold pride of place on a mantel place near you.Stay tuned for some pictures once the projects are completed.Warm regards,Paul
L.O.T.E
This year Learning Tree students are learning the Malay language. During the first and second weeks, students learned about the location of the Cocos Keeling Islands, the population, the names of the different Islands, identifying the people, the cultural dress, and marine life.
I spoke about The Cocos flag and identifying what the images represent. With this I got the students to complete their front cover page which includes palm trees, the Cocos flag, and L.O.T.E
We have learned the Malay greeting/handshake which is Salam. I greeted them individually shaking their hands and saying the would ‘salam’. We are learning how to ask, how are you and what is your name? And where are you from? Apa kabar, nama saya .... kamu dari mana?
We continued with identifying colour ‘Warna’ and a completed a few colouring pictures which include dolphins ‘ikan lumba2x’, ‘jukong’ sailing boat, manta Ray’ ikan pari’, and ‘Burung’ which is the Cocos Island bird ’booby bird’.
This week we have been learning about family ‘Keluaurga’. Mum 'Ayah' and dad 'Ibu', and brother 'Abang' and sister 'Adek'.
Shah
Kind Plates
Kind Plates is back for 2023!
Delivering beautiful, wholesome meals to the school for Years 1 - 9, three days per week, with orders now closing at 9 am on the day of service for any last-minute lunch orders.
All meals are additive and preservative-free, and vegan friendly.
* Macaroni Monday
* Wholesome curry Wednesday
* Fried Rice Friday
This menu will change each term.
Order here: https://kind-plates.square.site
Community Notice Board
Recent news and training opportunities from the WA Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) of The University of Western Australia (UWA):
WACRH Student-led Clinics –
- NEW Chiropractic Clinic (13 -24 February). No charge to attend. Book an appointment on 0429 044 229.
- Physiotherapy Student Clinics. This clinic is particularly suited to those who have difficulty accessing other physiotherapy services. There is no cost to attend. Book an appointment on 9956 0200. Details here.
Training opportunities –
- NEW Blended Mental Health First Aid. Dates: 21 March 2023. This course includes two components - self-paced e-learning and face-to-face instructor led component. Cost: $80. Details here.
- Vicarious Trauma: The cost of caring. Dates: 28 Feb, 19 April and 4 July 2023. This is a 1.5 hour workshop. Typically attendees are frontline human services workers. There is no cost to attend. Places limited and bookings essential on 9956 0200. Details here.
- Youth Mental Health First Aid. Dates: 22 & 23 May 2023 (2-day workshop). This course teaches adults how to assist adolescents who are developing a mental health problem. Typically attendees are parents, guardians, school staff, sport coaches and youth workers. Cost: $150. Details here.
- Mindfulness for Stress Management. Date: 12 June 2023. This is a 5-hour workshop. Cost: $80. Details here.
- Teaching on the Run. Dates: January – July 2023. This education program includes several foundation workshops designed to enable participants to apply sound teaching and learning principles in their workplace environment. Priority will be given to those health professionals who are hosting/supervising WACRH students in 2023. There is no cost to participate. Details here.
- Online Course - Speaking out against disrespect. WACRH has developed an online training package to build individuals’ skills and confidence to speak up about sexist and disrespectful behaviour in their workplace and community. Access the training here
- Online course - Cultural orientation plan. This online course is for students and health professionals working with Aboriginal people. Access the training here
Awards and Achievements –
- Dr Charmaine Green awarded PhD and research medal. Read more here.
Research Published –
- Yarning about pain: Evaluating communication training for health professionals at persistent pain services in Queensland, Australia. Read the paper here.
- What are the core recommendations for osteoarthritis care? A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines. Read the paper here.
About WACRH
The WA Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) at The University of Western Australia is one of 17 Commonwealth-funded University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH) in Australia, located in the Midwest, Gascoyne and Pilbara regions of Western Australia. WACRH aims to improve rural, remote and Aboriginal health through education, student placement support, research and community service activities, as well as to facilitate quality allied health, nursing and pharmacy clinical placements for students from all Australian universities. We work to improve the recruitment and retention of allied health, pharmacy and nursing (health) professionals in rural and remote Australia. For more WACRH news – follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Linktree, Newsletters and read our media releases.
