Bunjil Term 32 Newsletter 2016
Diary Dates for Term 3 : August 1/2R and 1/2D Assembly Item – Friday 5 th August 1/2C and 1/2B Assembly Item – Friday 12 th August Author Visit Felice Arena - Wednesday 24 th August Literacy and Numeracy Week – Monday 29 th – Friday 2 nd August
September Footy Day - Friday 2 nd September Production Matinee Performance - Thursday 8 th September Noon start Production Night Performance – Thursday 8 th September 7pm start Curriculum Day – Friday 9 th September Premier’s Reading Challenge Finishes - Friday 16 th September Last day of Term Three- Friday 16 th September 2:30pm finish
Friday 6th May – Mother’s Day Stall Monday 16th – Friday 20th May – Education Week Monday 16th May – STEM Open Night Thursday 2nd June – Chemistry Chaos incursion Thursday 16th June – Reports home Tuesday 21st June – Parent Teacher Interviews Friday 24th June – End of Term 2:30pm
Welcome back to Term 32 in the Bunjil for 2016! The highlight for Term 3 is our whole school production. Classroom teachers are in the process of choosing songs and choreographing dance moves. We would all appreciate any parent assistance to help organise costumes, make up, props and dance practice. Our two week swimming program, which is now complete, ran very smoothly and we were congratulated by the swim school staff on our students’ excellent behaviour and achievements in the pool.
Please assist us with the following: Please ensure all school uniforms, drink bottles and lunch boxes are clearly labelled. Lost property is situated in sick bay.
It is important that all children be at school regularly and on time for the start of the school day. This avoids interruption to the class and your child missing out on important learning time.
If you need to speak to your child’s teacher briefly or make an appointment for a longer chat you may see the teacher before or after school. There are staff meetings immediately after school on Mondays and Tuesdays so these days are not available for appointments. If for some reason you don’t see the teacher and you want to make an appointment this can also be arranged through the office. Please continue to encourage your child to read for at least 10-15 minutes each night at home. Children have an opportunity to change their take home books weekly. If you feel the books they are bringing home are not at the appropriate level please speak to their teacher. While reading levels are regularly assessed children sometimes choose a book from the wrong box.
Weekly spelling words will continue to be distributed on a Monday and need to be back at school on Friday for our spelling tests. Spelling homework/lists now come from lists according to an assessment we recently administered from our new spelling program Words Their Way. This program targets spelling at the point of need for each child to focus explicit teaching sessions. Each child will have up to 8 words to practise at home.
The CAFÉ reading program is a major focus for our whole school literacy plan. The goal is to make reading an engaging, enjoyable and educational activity for all children. You can help with your child’s reading by referring to the CAFÉ strategies during home reading practice.
Once again this year Chelsea Primary School has registered our students to participate in The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge finishes on Friday 16 th September. Those students who have returned their permission slips will have their achievement formally recognised in…Encouraging the joy and love of reading is so important. All students have been registered for the Challenge but we need your permission form signed and returned to enable your child’s name to appear on the honour roll and to receive a certificate of their reading achievement.
In Numeracy this term our focus will be on money, place value, time, addition and location. Maths language and problem solving skills will be explicitly taught every week. addition and subtraction strategies, number patterns (Year 1), multiplication (Year 2), fractions, chance and data. To ensure every child is working at the appropriate level children continue to be grouped in flexible ability based groups across the Bunjil three sessions per week. Children will continue to work with their home group teacher for maths language and problem solving numeracy sessionsapplied numeracy sessions.
Our Inquiry unit this term is Raw To ReadyStimulating Science. Students explore how and why resources are produced and processed. They consider the differences between readymade products and making them. They understand the effort required to have goods available for purchase in their own community.It has as its focus changes we observe in our everyday lives. We are learning to think and act like scientists through an exploration of Biology, Earth and Space science, Chemistry and Physics. We are looking forward to planting broad bean seeds and our chemistry incursion as a part of this very engaging unit of inquiry.
We have recently sent home another request for parent helpers as we require some extra help with ourliteracy program, numeracy groups and the sorting of our library books. If you already assist at a regular time each week this will remain the same. If you have any free time during our Literacy block between 9 -11am you are welcome to drop in to help out.
Thank you for your support.
The Bunjil Team
Chris Hulse, Leigh Renes, Kathy Braysmith and Nikki Dunne