Parkhill Primary School Newsletter
Issue 31, Thursday September 20 2018
Principal's Message
Dear Parents/Carers,
Last week of term and time for holidays! With daylight savings looming and the spring sunshine in the air, I am sure you will all get the chance to enjoy some fresh air and time out over the break. I have listed below some ideas for holiday fun that you may want to consider:
https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/whatson/school_holidays/Pages/default.aspx
UNIFORM:
As you will be aware, our Uniform Working Group has been looking at the school tops for the last few terms. We, in response to community discussion, looked at changing the light colour of the lower school shirt and the material we currently have. Below is a graphic of the new school shirt. The new shirts will be available from Term 4 to purchase through the usual channels. There is no expiry date on the old uniform.
CAFÉ READING:
Use pictures, illustrations, and diagrams
One way readers expand their vocabulary is by paying attention to pictures, illustrations, and diagrams in a text. They use the context of the story, their background knowledge of what is being read, and at times infer to gain meaning of what is being read. Readers do this because illustrations provide clues about the meaning of words and text. Paying attention to the pictures may confirm the meaning of words. Help your child become familiar with this strategy by using the following suggestions at home.
How can you help your child with this strategy at home?
1. When reading with your child, remind your child to cross check. A reader cross checks by asking, “Do the pictures match what I think the word means, and does it make sense?”
2. Model this strategy by breaking it down in these steps:
Read a picture book or nonfiction book.
When you come to a difficult or “interesting” word, stop.
Say, “I am going to look at this picture to see if I can figure out what this word means.”
Infer the words meaning based on background knowledge of text and what is shown in the picture.
Celebrate figuring out the word - remind your child that using pictures helped to increase your understanding of the text.
Encourage your child to model the above steps for you.
3. Practice using pictures, illustrations, and diagrams to increase meaning by doing a picture walk through a story. Before reading the words, view all of the pictures of the story and see what story the pictures tell. Then, go back and read the words. Visiting the pictures first will draw attention to important details that will increase understanding of the text and reinforce this vocabulary strategy.
KIDSMATTER:
Helping your child to develop resilience is one of the most important skills you can foster.
Resilience and the brain
How does resilience affect behaviour?
Children will have different levels of resilience and different ways of responding to and recovering from stressful times. They will also have different ways of showing when the demands that are being put upon them outweigh their capacity to cope. They might become emotional, they might withdraw, or they might become defiant, angry or resentful. Of course, even the most resilient of warriors have days where it all gets too much, but low resilience will likely drive certain patterns of behaviour more often.
Can resilience be changed?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Absolutely resilience can be changed. Resilience is not for the genetically blessed and can be strengthened at any age. One of the most exciting findings in the last decade or so is that we can change the wiring of the brain through the experiences we expose it to. The right experiences can shape the individual, intrinsic characteristics of a child in a way that will build their resilience.
20 practical strategies to help: https://www.heysigmund.com/building-resilience-children/
FINAL WORDS:
With moving into the new buildings, Swimming, Three-Way Conferences and Concert, this has been an extremely busy term. It has also been very successful in so many ways. Much of this success is owed to the parents and helpers who tirelessly give their time to the Parkhill Community – thank you!!
Please take time to enjoy your break! Day one of Term 4 is Monday 8th October 2018.
Elaine Brady
Principal
Calendar of Curriculum Events - Term 4
Monday 8 October - Term 4 begins
Thursday 11 October - Y5/6 Division Athletics - selected students
Monday 15 October - Y5/6 Division Softball - selected students
Saturday 20 October - Solar Car Challenge
Monday 22 October - Friday 26 October - Y5 BioEYES Incursion
Thursday 1 November - PFA Colour Run
Monday 5 November - Curriculum Day (students do not attend on this day)
Tuesday 6 November - Melbourne Cup Day (students do not attend on this day)
Tuesday 11 December - Whole School Transition
Friday 21 December - Term 4 ends
Student of the Week
FS - Whole Class
FT - Aiden O
1B - Holly G
1H - Parker K
2C - Whole Class
2N - Xavier T
3M - Aston W
3R - Zac P
4G - Whole Class
4O - Wei C
5H - Chloe B
6CM - Oliver B
6L - Anik P
Science Day - Y5/6
"Welcome to the DACA town meeting" was the phrase students heard as they entered the Y5/6 building on Tuesday. As the town meeting progressed students were presented with a range of geological and human driven disasters facing the small fictional island of DACA. Students then researched the disasters, possible solutions and then set about designing and constructing models to solve the problems our small island nation faced.
The activities relied on students being able to work in unfamiliar groups, communicate their ideas and present their understanding in different ways to the Y5/6 cohort. Congratulations to all groups who presented some scientific and inventive solutions to concerns such as tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, coastal erosion and global warming.
Andrea Crane
Y6 Teacher
Help Us Save the Orang-utans
Save our orang-utans! They are endangered because of palm oil production, meaning that trees are being cut down from their habitat.
How you can help is easy. Reduce your palm oil consumption by looking at the back of each packet before buying your product and check for ‘Palm Oil.’
Items that include palm oil are Coca Cola, Fruit Loops, Fanta, Pringles, Nutella, Colgate toothpaste, Milo, Mars Bar, Ritz, Oreo, Skittles, Kit-Kat, Doritos, Dairy Milk, Smarties, Shapes and Milky Way.
So please think twice before you buy all the yummy things!
Aaron S, Martin K, Nikola A, Jack D, Will M, Eli H and Sebastian M, 2C
PFA News
Committee Members:
President: Vanessa Cowley
Vice President: Katrina Battle
Treasurer: Sumi Sundram
Secretary: Kylie Touloupis
Communications: Eva Conley
General Members: Fiona Crellin, Jason Van Lint, Elle Delmee, Mark Havas, Lisa Jacobson, Anny Murray, Wendy Douglas, Janneke Storteboom, Leanne Knight
Parkhill Fun Run – Thursday 1st November
You would have all received information this week about the School Colour Fun Run.
Did you know that you can WIN a $30,000 Ultimate Family Experience by setting up your student profile online and raising $1 online? Just head over to schoolfundraising.com.au. Once you’ve created your page there are some great things you can do. You can sign up for online fundraising, pick your target prize and become a fundraising superstar.
If you’re having any trouble setting up your student profile or fundraising online, please get in touch with the Fun-Run team on 1800 FUN RUN.
One other great thing to do while you’re in the profile is to look through the CUA Health Hub, which is designed to benefit your whole family.
Holidays are just around the corner - so if you’re catching up with friends and family make sure you tell them all about it!
Thanks for supporting us with your fundraising efforts, we’re looking forward to a great event.
Getting Involved
Not only can you support the school and students with your sponsorship – but you can join in on the fun! We would love to welcome parents and family members to attend the School Colour Fun-Run. If you would also like to volunteer to help on the day, please look for sign up details in the PFA Newsletter. We can’t wait to see you at our event!
Parkhill Primary School
Email: parkhill.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
Website: www.parkhillps.vic.edu.au
Location: 4A Parkhill Drive, Ashwood VIC, Australia
Phone: 03 9807 2239