7/14 22 May 2014

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Friday 23 May Kindy 2015 Open Morning, 9:10-10am Mon-Fri 26-30 May Reconciliation Week Wednesday 4 June ICAS Science Monday 9 June Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday ACT IMP CONCERT CHOIR Tuesday 10 June P&C Meeting, 7pm Monday 16 June ICAS Writing Friday 4 July Last day of Term 2 We had a number of our students audition for the ACT Instrumental Music Program’s first Primary Concert Choir. This is the equivalent of GRACE’S NEWS! ACT representation in singing. There were 53 students from Years 4-6 As many of you are selected from 22 schools.A staggering 11 from aware our much loved Kaleen Primary gained selection. Congratulations Principal, Grace Dunlop, to Jarell, Katie, Alyssa, Emma, Ananya, Noah, will be leaving Kaleen Layla, Sriya, Laura, Sitara and Elizabeth. The Primary at the end of choir will perform at school, community and this term. She has directorate events throughout the year. announced her retirement after more than 40 years of educational excellence including 22 years as Principal at Kaleen Primary. Congratulations Grace on a wonderful career and thank you for all that you have done for our community. There is A BUSY PRESCHOOL no doubt that she leaves some very big (and fashionable) shoes to fill. We will keep you What a wonderful week the informed of the process during the term. Preschool had! They hosted two fun- filled breakfasts, with the teachers and students being able to come to school in their pyjamas and enjoy a meal together. Last Friday there was also an Open Day for A Random Pearl of Wisdom prospective Preschool families for 2015. It was a huge success Luck has a peculiar habit of favouring those who with a large number attending and don’t depend on it. many commenting on the lovely feel of the Preschool. Our Kindergarten Open Day for Author Unknown Preschool families will be held tomorrow from 9:10-10am.

TELEPHONE: (02) 6205 5888 P&C PRESIDENT BOARD REPRESENTATIVES FACSIMILE: (02) 6205 5887 Sharon Pike 0416 217 866 Kate Rowntree 0478 640 910 www.kaleenps.act.edu.au Elissa Steel 0449 901 088 [email protected] Anne-Maree Wigney 0413 829 761 THANKS TO OUR FABULOUS P&C GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS

A big thank you to the P&C On Friday 2 May, Ms Joy for yet another wonderful and Burch MLA Minister for successful Mother’s Day Education and Training stall. There were many released a set of Gifted and beautiful items supplied and Talented Parent Fact Sheets wrapped with great care. The to assist parents and carers of students enjoyed carefully gifted and talented students selecting a special gift for in ACT public schools. The 14 fact sheets support their loved one. Thank you to Frieda Rowland for the ACT Gifted and Talented Students Policy organising the stall and gifts. 2014 and cover a range of topics including an Overview, Frequently Asked Questions, Thank you to the community for their generous Giftedness & Talent, Identification, Social- donations to make such fabulous Easter raffle Emotional Needs and Programs and Provisions. prizes and to Sharon Pike for coordinating the The policy aims to ensure gifted and talented raffle. students are supported and have education programs tailored to meet their needs.

Fact sheets are available for schools, parents and NAPLAN the community on the ACT Education and Training website at www.det.act.gov.au. Congratulations to all students, families and staff involved in NAPLAN this week. Thank you to Grace Dunlop – Principal Lynne Sheville and Jacob Burridge for their seamless organisation and administration.

Natalie Garrett – Deputy Principal ICAS

The International Competitions and ZONE CROSS COUNTRY Assessments for Schools (ICAS) are independent Congratulations to all of the 27 skills-based assessments students who represented with a competition element. Kaleen Primary at the The assessments comprise Computer Skills, Belconnen zone cross country English, Maths, Science, Spelling and Writing championships. Our students tests. Over one million student entries are were outstanding ambassadors accepted from over 6,300 schools in and for Kaleen Primary. They were New Zealand annually. In addition, students from cooperative and respectful working with officials over 20 countries including Hong Kong, India, that ran the event; they were supportive and Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and the USA encouraging of fellow team members and they participate in ICAS each year. If your child has demonstrated a wonderful sporting attitude. Great elected to participate, assessments will be held on effort everyone! Jacinta, Mackenzie, Khiana, the following dates: Olenka and Layla all finished in the top 10 competitors for their age group and have qualified Science Wednesday, 4 June to continue on to the ACT championships to be Writing Monday, 16 June – Friday, 20 June held at Mt on Monday 2 June. Good luck Spelling Tuesday, 17 June girls! English Tuesday, 29 July Mathematics Tuesday, 12 August

Craig White – Sports Coordinator Allan Wylie – ICAS Coordinator NIHONGO NYUUSU (JAPANESE NEWS)

Sayaka with her host brother and sisters. Welcome Sayaka! Brydie Sensei at the Ninja Temple in Kanazawa where she bought an 'omikuji' (fortune). It was a good one, so she It is with great delight that we welcome Sayaka followed tradition and tied it to the wire hoping it would come true. Owaki, our 10th Japanese Teaching Assistant from Kagoshima University to Kaleen Primary! I had the most wonderful 3 weeks in Japan! I have Bormann-sensei and I have very proudly watched shared many stories and photos with my classes, the first interactions of our students with her - they friends and colleagues at school - the first two are universally friendly, welcoming, interested and weeks were spent studying and home staying in excited! By the end of this week nearly every Kanazawa and in the final week I travelled to student will have delivered their 'jikoshookai' (self Kyushu to catch up with all our ex-Kagoshima introduction) and will have asked her a couple of assistants. I was very, very touched by the warm questions about her likes and dislikes - I can welcome I received and I can report that all our already tell we have another 'Kagoshima gem' assistants still feel a very strong connection to after watching Sayaka engage with every single Kaleen Primary. As you can see from the photo, student. Hitoshi wears his KPS hoodie everywhere with affection and pride! I bought lots and lots of Sayaka is currently staying with the Steel family resources for the school which will enrich our (Anneka 6S and Imogen 6V) before she moves to lessons and all in all, the experience affirmed for the Olive family (Jesse KS and Chloe 2S) in Term me that what we try to achieve in Japanese lessons 3 and the Ong family (Ethan KW) in Term 4. We at Kaleen Primary is authentic, relevant and are all indebted to these kind families for inviting meaningful for our students. Sayaka to be part of their family for a term. Ros Brydie and Mark Bormann - Teachers of Japanese

INTRODUCING OUR NEW JAPANESE ASSISTANT….

Hi. I am Sayaka Owaki from Kagoshima University. I’m having a really lovely time with all the students, teachers and my host family, the Steels. I feel very lucky to be at Kaleen Primary! Doozo yoroshiku! (Nice to meet you!) Brydie sensei with past and present Japanese Assistants - Sayaka, Rika, Hitoshi, Shiho, Hiroki and Shoko in Kyushu BOARD REPORT NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT

The School Board met Thanks to the generosity on Tuesday 13 May. of our families and We discussed issues friends, the 2014 Easter surrounding enrolments Raffle was again a huge realising that having success. Twenty six many students seeking lucky families and enrolment at our school friends won a prize and in the process we raised is a good problem to over $1600. have. However, it does create issues in managing the large number of applications for enrolment The Mother's Day stall was also a great success when the school is already close to capacity. with the children thoroughly enjoying the gift selection process. We hope that all of the Mums Natalie Garrett reported to the Board the plans for were thrilled with their gifts. A huge thank you to the implementation of the National Disability Frieda Rowland and her team of helpers for Insurance Scheme in the ACT mid year and the organising this extremely popular event. The stall impact this may have on schools. The first wave raised $1000. will be an auditing process to find the needs currently in the school. The second wave will seek All funds raised will be used to purchase to provide consistency of data on the students for additional resources for the students of Kaleen whom teachers need to accommodate in different Primary. Thank you for your ongoing support. ways. Parents are a key focus of the NDIS in how decisions are made and the types of support Sharon Pike – P&C President provided for students with special needs. Teachers and schools will also have a role in supporting students with physical, cognitive, sensory and social/emotional needs. AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL CLIMATE MEASUREMENT TOOL (ASCMT) SURVEY Julia Tapp and Lynne Sheville discussed the KidsMatter program in the school. The program Our school is continually aims to support strong school communities and to interested in gaining information teach social / emotional skills to help kids that will assist in school planning articulate and manage difficult feelings. and making decisions on an informed basis. In partnership The school buildings are now almost 40 years old with the Australian National which means ongoing maintenance and sometimes University and the ACT of Education and expensive repairs. The Board approved financial Training Directorate we will survey staff, students reports which included these ongoing maintenance and parents/carers. The aim is to gather expenses as well as improvements such as new information about the school’s social climate, day- lighting at the front of the school. to-day experiences, the strengths of the school and the future challenges. The survey will be The Board also had some surprise news – Grace conducted during this term. You will receive a Dunlop advised us of her plans to retire at the end letter or an e-mail from the school with a link to of the term, after 22 years as the principal at the survey. Students will complete the survey at Kaleen Primary. As Board Chairperson, Kate school. We will discuss the findings of the survey Rowntree will be part of the selection panel for a with you at a future time and feel that gathering new principal. There were a few tissues handed this information annually is important in ensuring around after the announcement, as Grace will be the quality of the relational and wellbeing climate greatly missed! of the school for staff, students and parents/carers.

Elissa Steel – Board Parent Representative Lynne Sheville – Executive Teacher STUDENT SUCCESS APRIL STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

Lauren, Josh and Sarah Very proud April Students of the Month

Lauren, Joshua and Sarah recently participated in Congratulations to the following students who the Peter Blackshaw Real Estate 2014 Junior and were selected as the Student of the Month from Women's Tour. Lauren came 2nd overall their class for April: in the Under 9 girls’ category and Sarah was the first Canberra rider over the line in the Under 13 KD Acacia KW Hannah girls’ category. Lauren and Sarah also picked up KCK Maxim placings in the ACT Junior Championship races. 1Q Rayeed 1L Swaran They recently competed in the Wagga Wagga 2 1W Sampurna Day Junior Tour. Joshua came 2nd overall in the 2T Brooklyn 2S Cody Under 13 B grade boys’ category and Lauren 2KS Evan 3LC Samantha came 3rd overall in Under 9 girls’ category. 3G Louisa 3S Mia Wonderful results. 4W Samar 4H Jhett 4MB Andrew 5W Daniel Craig White – Sports Coordinator 5B Ruhaan 6S Tua 6T Jithmi 6V Mitchell

CONNECTING THROUGH YOGA

We would like to invite our Kaleen Primary COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS families to take to the U Can Sing - The University of Canberra's very own children's mats, for a multi-level choir is welcoming new students for 8-12 year olds. For those who community yoga class. love to sing, want to learn vocal techniques, musicianship, Children are welcome performance skills and make new friends. Mondays from 3:45- 5pm. More info at www.canberra.edu.au/music/choirs/u-can-sing. to join in with their parents or participate in quiet activities. Mats will be provided or you can bring your own. Please wear comfortable clothing.

Day: Mondays in Term 2 Time: 9:30am Venue: The Gym @Kaleen Primary Duration: 45 minutes Dianne Frame is the Community Representative on our If you have any questions please contact Julia School Board and is a Real Estate Agent with LJ Hooker, Tapp at school or email [email protected]. Manuka. Dianne is happy to donate $500 to the school from Come along and enjoy. every sale when she lists and sells any property introduced to her by school parents or staff.

Julia Tapp – Bluearth Teacher Contact Dianne on 02 6239 5551 or 0411 092 990 ONE OF 100 STORIES A quest began in 2013, Canberra's Centenary year, to celebrate and preserve a collection of representative histories from our public schools. This collection profiles some of the people who have influenced, or have been influenced by, the schools and workplaces within the ACT's public education system. Each contributor has enriched the lives of students, schools and the sector as a whole. Their stories and experiences are as diverse and inspiring as the individuals themselves. While limited to 100 stories, there are many, many more that could have been told. We were very lucky to have our own Grace Dunlop appear in the book and below is the story that was entered in her honour. To read more stories, visit www.det.act.gov.au/100-stories.

GRACE DUNLOP - NURTURING OUR FUTURE LEADERS

Grace Dunlop has worked in public education in the ACT for 40 years, and has been the Principal of Kaleen Primary for the past 22. During this time she has been able to influence others in the process of school reform, productivity and change. Grace has been able to share and harness the energy and potential of individuals and groups to build and support a strong and positive school culture driven by a shared vision of excellence and equity. She truly understands children and both their academic and social needs. She has worked expertly with teachers during her tenure as principal to ensure that quality curriculum and support services have been provided at Kaleen Primary.

Grace’s work has involved the encouragement of research underpinning teaching and learning, facilitating are view of educational practices and the development of new strategies and approaches to the work of the educator. This is evident in her work surrounding gifted and talented education. In 1998, Grace established a Year 4/5/6 self-contained gifted and talented class based on her years of research encompassing the needs of gifted students. This class was an enormous success, with improved literacy and numeracy outcomes for the students. More importantly, parents and students commented on the social success the class provided for children who had never really ‘fitted in’ within a mainstream class. From this initial self-contained class, Grace slowly increased the classes each year until, in 2001, each Year 1–6 had its own self‑contained gifted and talented class.

As a leader, Grace has the exceptional ability to inspire leadership actions and aspirations in others. She has been able to provide genuine acting-leader experiences, and she ensures that staff members have the skills, knowledge and confidence to make decisions within the acting role. During her time as principal, Grace has mentored and coached all of her deputies to become successful principals within the ACT system. In 2010, Grace was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Principal of the Year Award for her exceptional leadership in public education.

Grace continues to foster a rich learning environment at Kaleen Primary. She is worthy of recognition for her nurturing of potential and future leaders, her passion for the needs of all students in her care and her strong commitment to public education. What does Science look like in 4W?

This term in 4W our Science unit of work is “Beneath our Feet”. We will explore how the Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity. As we work our way through a range of hands-on activities and student planned investigations we will: . investigate the characteristics of soil & rock samples. . collect evidence of change from local landforms, rocks or fossils. . explore a local area that has changed as a result of natural processes. . consider how different human activities cause erosion of the Earth’s surface. Using a magnifying glass to observe carefully . investigate the effect of events such as floods and extreme weather on the landscape.

Here is what we’ve been doing so far.

Recording observations and measurements Observing and analysing soil samples

Working collaboratively Weighing and recording rock samples MATHS GAMES TO PLAY AT HOME

In this segment teachers have included some activities that support mathematical concepts taught at school. These are fun games that can be played anywhere with your child/ren. You will see that the activities can be modified to suit older and younger children and can also be adapted to cover other areas of maths. If you have a great game that you play with your child and would like to share it with the Kaleen Primary School community then please feel free to email the rules to us at [email protected].

Salute

Concept: Subtraction undoes addition

Materials: Pack of cards with face cards removed if desired

Players: 3

Aim: To work out what card you are holding without looking at it.

How to play: 1. Take it in turns to be the General. The other two plays ‘salute’ the general by picking a card each off the top of the pack and hold it up against their forehead without looking at it.

2. The General adds the two numbers together and announces the total.

3. Each player has to work out what their card is by subtracting the card they can see (the other player’s) from the total.

4. Replace the cards at the bottom of the pack the next General can be saluted.

Modifications:  Use the face cards with values for 11, 12 and 13.  Multiply the numbers instead of add - this is much harder.