It is hard to believe that I’m writing the last newsletter for this term as it seems like we have just settled back in.  Let’s hope that things keep improving and we will return to normal for the start of Term 3.  Just a reminder that Term 3 will commence on Tuesday 21^st July as Monday 20^th July is a Professional Learning Day for staff.

Zones of Regulation

This term as outlined in previous newsletters, Facebook and Class Dojo posts, we have be focussing on the Zones of Regulation as one of our main priorities for 2020.  It is great to walk into rooms and see the zones visible for students to refer to throughout the day.  More and more I hear staff and students using the language of zones to discuss how people are feeling and strategies to help them regulate.  Today when I spoke with a group of children from Kinder to Grade 6 it was affirming to hear how positive they were about the implementation of the Zones of Regulation in our school.  Some of their responses included:

“Good way to express feelings without saying too much”. (Ethan Gr6)

“I know green means happy”. (Evy Kinder)

“Red is the bad zone, it means angry”. (Ariah Kinder)

“My sister talks about them all the time at home.  She says that she is usually in the green zone but I make her in the red zone”. (CJ Gr5)

“We have done lots of work on the zones in our class.  We do check-ins of a morning where we sit in a circle and say which zone we are in.  It is good to put your emotions out there”.  (Molly Gr4/5)

“We have little booklets on our desk and we flip it to the colour depending on what zone we are in.  It is a good way of expressing how you are feeling”.  (Jaxon Gr4)

“Every morning we use our fingers to show which zone we are in.  We then focus on a zone a week.  It is good and it helps you to stop being angry”. (Jovi Gr 3).

“We have posters on our wall of all the zones and words that match.  We also have one with ways to get back into the green zone”.  (Isla Gr3)

“I know yellow is the silly zone.  It is good to have pictures of emotions as it helps people calm their body back down”. (Riley Gr2)

“Relaxation in the afternoon really helps get people back into the green zone”. (Summah Gr2/3)

“We have been drawing pictures of the zones and putting them in our book”. (Mila Prep)

“We have been learning how to get into the green zone and calm our body down when we are in the red, blue or yellow zone.  We calm our body down when we do mindfulness drawings on a Friday.  You can calm down by playing lego or doing a drawing”. (Tony Gr1/2)

“We have sticky notes in our classroom.  When we are in a zone we write our name on a sticky note and put it on a colour.  If we are in the red zone we can then find a quiet place to sit away from people or in the break out room”. (Mason Gr4)

“We put our fingers up – if you are feeling really good you put 10 fingers up but if you are feeling really bad you put 1 finger up.  We then pick one and talk about what we could do to get our body ready for learning”.  (Ava Gr 4)

“Zones are really good to express feelings rather than using words”. (Ilah Gr6)

“Red is the angry and naughty, blue is sad, yellow is funny and green is happy.  Expected behaviour is good and unexpected behaviour is bad and you have to go to the office”. (Ryot Prep)

For the remainder of the term, classes will continue to explore the different zones so they can become more familiar with the range of emotions and language associated with each zone.  In Term 3 we will begin to focus more on building ‘tool boxes’ of strategies that can help when you are in the red, blue and yellow zone.   These ‘tool boxes’ will be co-constructed by the students and teacher in each class so they are relevant and meaningful to them. 

COVID Poem

Today I had the delight of reading a poem by Anina in Grade 6 about her perceptions of the COVID pandemic.  I think you will agree that the poem is a very true and reflective description of this time.  Well done Anina you should be very proud of the effort you have put into this piece of writing.  Definitely enacting our value of TO DREAM – a culture of high expectations and high achievement.  

The Student Leaders are organising a ‘Dress the Rainbow Day’ for Friday 3rd July, & Thursday 2nd July for Kinder A . On the last day of term students may come to school dressed in their brightest colours, in an attempt to light up our playground. Coronavirus may have impacted our term 2 at school but you can always find light at the end of a rainbow. So the Student Leaders are encouraging all students to dig through their wardrobes and find the brightest clothing and accessories they have and wear them to school. The SRC are asking for a gold coin donation to be a part of this colourful day. All money fundraised will be put towards a student leadership project later in the year. Please contact the school if you have any questions.

In term 3, if things remain as is, we will be able to welcome Parents and visitors back in to our school!

As part of keeping everyone safe during COVID-19, it is important that everyone coming on to the school site or interacting with DoE staff is healthy.

The Department has developed a Visitor Health Screening Form to be completed by all adult visitors to DoE Sites before entering. These will be available from the office for completion as you sign in. You will then be issued with a label to wear, which confirms that you have completed the form and have signed in for your your visit. The Visitor Health Screening Form is to be completed for each visit to our school. Please note that this does not apply to parents/carers dropping off or picking up their children from school.

More information regarding adult visitors will be on our Facebook page closer to the commencement of Term 3. 

This term in Science, Grade 2-3 have been learning about Earth's resources. We have learnt that all of Earth's resources are very important to our everyday lives and if one of these resources were to run out how it would change the way we live. 

Last week, we started our inquiry unit about the sun and moon. We had lots of questions that we wanted to research, and we found out a lot of interesting facts. We learnt that the sun is a very important resource that we can’t live without. We looked at the importance of the sun and how it works with the  water.

This term, with COVID-19 restrictions, Physical Education activities needed to be carefully chosen.

The Primary classes alternated throughout the term with Orienteering and playground games. The children started their experience of orienteering with photos of the school, taken at an obscure angle with a question underneath each photo. They needed to work out where the photo had been taken, go to that spot to find the answer to the question. The following lesson, they only had a question with regard to the playground, they needed to work out where it applied to, go to that spot to find a card, secured at that location and record the letter on that card. Lesson three, the children moved towards a more conventional orienteering experience. Throughout the yard there were cards secured with letters on them, these locations were marked on a map of the school. The children then had to read the map, work out the location and go there to find and record the letter. Their final turn was with a Rogaining slant. As for the pervious lesson, checkpoint cards were located throughout the yard and also on the school map. Using the map and the information that the checkpoints further away have a higher point value, they then had a limited timeframe to locate as many of the cards as possible to record their answers. For those that wanted to compete against each other, only when they return to check their answers are they given the point value to determine their score.  All these activities relied upon the children’s problem solving, team work, an understanding of their surrounds, ability to move quickly between checkpoints and most importantly orientating the map to make quick and accurate decisions.

As this term the children couldn’t have sports equipment in their classrooms, the other Phys. Ed. lessons were spent on teaching the children games that would translate to the playground, to give them other options during their break times.

The Early Childhood children alternated throughout the term between dance and playground games. As for the primary classes, it was hoped by increasing their repertoire of games it would translate to their play time.  Playing games has a multitude of benefits, including developing physical abilities, team work, playing by the rules and having to self-regulate, creativity, mental health benefits etc.

 The children also experienced dances from around the world. Dancing is a great way to improve physical health, works on developing balance and co-ordination, improves reflexes and remembering sequences and builds upon self- confidence during their social interactions.