Issue 13 / 21 August 2015
Junior School Bulletin
Junior School News Eisteddfods We have had a lot of students competing in Eisteddfods. Golden Clef and Semitone Choirs received 3rd place awards. The Grade 4 Animi Dance Troupe won their competition. The true value of the eisteddfods is the opportunity to participate in front of an audience and for students to get some external feedback on how they are performing and what they can do to improve.
contributed. Patrick Cashman, a student in Year 1A, held a lemonade stand at his home and raised $45.20 which he donated to ALWS. He certainly showed the Spirit of St Andrews through his actions and putting others needs before his own. Student-Led Conferences “Student-Led conferences involve the student and the parents. The students are responsible for leading the conference, and also take responsibility for their learning by sharing the process with their parents. The conference involves the student discussing and reflecting upon samples of work that they have chosen to share with their parents. These samples have been selected with guidance and support from the teacher, and could be from the student’s portfolio.” (Making the PYP happen: A curriculum framework for international primary education, 2009) Just a reminder that the Student-Led conferences will be held this Thursday 27 August. The whole day is devoted to the conferences and as such there won’t be any classes on that day. If you require supervision for your children, the OSHC is available. The contact details for OSHC can be found on the College website www.standrewslutheran.qld.edu.au/ community/outside-school-hours-care/
Japanese Speech Contest Last Sunday saw a number of students participate in the Japanese Speech Contest. Nina Hill and Giselle Courtney won the Year 6 and Year 4 sections respectively and Summer Zietsch came second in the Year 5 section. Isabella Seymour Year 4 and Kate Allan Year 4 finished 4th and 5th and Kate Barratt received a Highly Commended. Congratulations to all students who competed and put themselves out there to participate in this competition. We are really proud of your efforts on the day and the effort you put into preparing for the speeches. Mufti Day Last week we raised $1281.90 from our Mufti Day that will be donated to Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) to help with their work in Cambodia. Thank you to all who
Traffic Safety Attendants We are still on the lookout for some volunteers to assist as Traffic Safety Attendants. Benefits include: • Reserved car park • Plenty of exercise and an opportunity to get your daily dose of Vitamin D • The opportunity to meet other wonderful families within the College • Providing a much needed service to the College • Your children get an extra 30 minutes in the Junior School Library • A great thank you lunch at the end of the year The reality is that we provide a top quality service in helping your children get to your cars and this can only continue with the support of the parent community. Your assistance in this area will be appreciated by so many. Presentation Night Please note that we have had a change of format and date for the Junior School Presentation Night. It will now be held on Monday 30 November, beginning at 5:00pm in the Multi Purpose Hall. This is a necessary change due to the unavailability of our normal venue. Further details will follow closer to the event. Darrin Schumacher Head of Junior School
From the Deputy Head of Junior School (P - 3)
Another very exciting day happened when students were assigned in small groups to interview many of the College staff about their roles in our school community. I am sure the staff members involved were just as excited as the students.
Our students in Prep have been very engaged in investigating how people in the community help us in many different ways.
One of the big highlights has been having so many Prep parents come to visit the classrooms to talk about the jobs they do. We are so grateful to all those who have given up valuable time to share with the students. Whether it is “My Mum “ or “My friend’s Dad” who is visiting, the excitement is immense!! Students have asked questions and extended their knowledge in meaningful ways.
The next stage of inquiry allowed students the opportunity to apply their new knowledge in a range of different ways. Some made posters and reflected on their visits. Others worked in small groups to write about different community helpers.
Thank you, Prep students, parents, teachers and College staff for making this such a wonderful experience for everyone. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12 ESV Joy Schloss Deputy Head of Junior School
Chaplains Chat
Prep News
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” – John 6:28-29 (ESV)
Prep are thoroughly enjoying their Unit of Inquiry, ‘How We Organise Ourselves.’ We have been exploring the roles of people in our community and how they help us in many different ways. Through research and observation, students have seen the many different jobs that people do in our College and around the Gold Coast. Parents have been a wonderful source of information, with many of them taking the time to visit us and share what they do. Please enjoy some of the photos from our visits!
To Believe or not to Believe Last week I had the privilege of attending and helping out at the College’s Year 11 camp. Each year this particular camp is designed to build leadership capability and engender in students the desire to take on challenges, assume responsibility and overcome fears. As usual, students were asked to do a number of physical and mentally challenging tasks like scaling vertical walls, carrying a person on a stretcher through mud to safety and crawling through underground tunnels. One thing I observed on camp was that there was a difference between those students who believed they could achieve a certain task and those who believed they couldn’t. Students who believed they couldn’t complete a challenge set before them generally didn’t complete the challenge. Students who believed they could complete a challenge set before them generally did complete the challenge. The power of what one believes seems eminently important. I would say the same is true with the Christian faith and the central message it proclaims – the wonderful merciful grace of God as given in Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. To this central message are so many permutations of belief and just like the Year 11 camp, what you believe about it generally determines the outcome. For example, if you believe that the Christian faith is good for children but doesn’t properly fit with adult explanations of the world then the Christian faith will only have importance as a child. Or, alternatively, if you believe that the Christian faith is meaningful for both children and adults then the Christian faith will have importance for both children and adults in your life. Obviously, through what we believe about the Christian faith, we don’t change or alter the message but we do change or alter our receptiveness of it. It is God’s desire, of course, that we come to receive as much of the good news about Jesus as possible – and this starts with what we believe. On camp the greatest joy was seeing students change their beliefs about what they were capable of, often in the face of fears or insecurities. The result was exactly as they believed, they completed challenges and overcame fears and for such students, there could be no greater joy. May God grant us the greater joy found in the Christian message as a result of what we believe. Nathan Glover Chaplain
Jackie Brewster Prep Teacher
Year 4 Excursion
Japanese News
Over the last few weeks Year 4 have been learning about Australia’s First People and their connection to country and place through their cultures and beliefs. As part of our inquiry we went to Jellurgal Cultural Centre. Although the weather wasn’t particularly kind to us, it was a rich learning experience. We watched some Aboriginal dancing and learned a lot about the local Yugambeh culture and their connection to land as we sat in a yarning circle.
Japanese Speech Contest We had a great day at the Japanese Speech Contest on the weekend. Medals were awarded for 1st - 5th place. We are very proud of all the students and their efforts. Our results were: Year 4 - 1st Place - Giselle Courtney 4th Place - Isabella Seymour 5th Place - Kate Allan Year 5 - 2nd Place - Summer Zietch Year 6 - 1st Place - Nina Hill Highly Commended - Kate Barratt Visitors from Japan Japanese students from our sister school, Higashino High School, made a special visit to the 1B Japanese class. Our students enjoyed playing traditional Japanese games, calligraphy, storytelling and origami with the Japanese students.
On Wednesday 5 August we were fortunate enough to have Johnny Briggs come to St Andrews to give us a more in depth look into the diversity of connections, particularly their kinship systems. This was a fantastic learning experience that was embraced by all students. We were all even lucky enough to head outside to have a go at throwing a boomerang!
The greatest thing that the Year 4’s have taken away from these learning experiences combined with our classroom inquiry is that it is not the history of Australia’s First People but rather “Our History” as we are all one country - Australia.
Kirsty Puxley Year 4 Teacher
Sharon Taki Junior School Japanese Coordinator
Seeking Children’s Books in Languages Other Than English Junior Library News Junior School Library Makerspacers If you have come into the Library this term you would have noticed some changes to the space. We have connected the theme of Books Light Up Our World (Book Week 2015) with the ideas behind a hands-on approach to learning through developing a Makerspace. One area is the ‘green screen’ and microphone. It was purchased through funding from the P & F. This station is permanently set up this term for use. Come and see how it works. Additional funding for more Makerspace resources (e.g. circuits, crafting, batteries, electronics…) were also funded by the P & F which has been gratefully received.
Do you… • Travel to other countries? • Speak a language other than English at home? • Have bilingual children’s books that you no longer require? If so, you may be able to help. As a PYP World School we aim to support and develop our children’s understanding of other cultures. We are constantly endeavouring to expand the Junior School Library collection with literature from around the world. If you are traveling overseas, would you consider purchasing and donating a book from the country you travel to the Junior School Library or if you have children’s books at home in languages other than English that you are no longer using we would love to include them in our collection. All donations gratefully received. Julia Boulton Teacher Librarian
Sport News
Some of the activities that the students have been up to can be found at the Junior School Library Blog and seen in the image below.
St Andrews sent our 13 girls and Primary girls team to the ALL HALLOWS Touch carnival on Sunday 16 August. These carnivals are always run very well and attract teams of the highest standard. We were there to learn, and improved every game. The girls appear keener than ever to keep on improving. Our 13’s didn’t make the finals but we had to play the two grand finalist in our pool so we didn’t have an easy path. Our Primary Girls in their first ever competition, did very well and made the Grand Final of the Shield Competition.
College Musical 2016 The Little Mermaid Jr Auditions The College Musical is an exciting event in the calendar, and with this being our first combined, off campus show, it is sure to be a wonderful experience.
Performing Arts News Gold Coast Eisteddfod Well done Semitones and Golden Clefs both receiving 3rd place, fantastic result. Cultural Awards 2015 In Term 4 we have our annual Cultural Awards Evening on Friday 23 October (Term 4 Week 3), where we celebrate the year in the Arts and recognise individual student achievement. Below is the criteria for our Cultural Awards from Years 4-12. Essential Criteria for all Levels: Active Participation in School Cultural Activities Bronze Award This is awarded to students who: • Have been involved in several (3-4) cultural groups/ activities throughout the year OR • Passed Grade 5 or above in Music, Dance or Speech & Drama Exams OR • Are nominated for outstanding contribution to a College ensemble/activity Silver Award • Grade 5 or above in Music or Speech & Drama Exam + involvement in cultural groups/activities throughout the year OR • Major Award at Regional level (GC Drama Festival/ Eisteddfod Championships etc) Gold Award • Representation at State level or equivalent in chosen discipline OR • Major Award (eg. Top of State in Speech & Drama Exam) We gather our information using two separate processes. Junior School We track student involvement based on our rolls. NB: If your child is involved in any activity outside of school, please email Cilla Scott priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au before the end of Week 9 (Friday 11 September) for that information to be considered. Middle/Senior School Students are to complete a Cultural Awards survey (Available on Parent Lounge) and ensure Cilla Scott receives it before the end of Week 9 (Friday 11 September). Any questions about this process can be emailed to priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au
Auditions will take place in Week 7 in the schedule outlined below:
St Andrews Musical Auditions Audition Week Details Our Whole College Musical for 2016 is The Little Mermaid Jr and will be performed at the Gold Coast Arts Centre Term 2, 2016.
Rehearsals in Term 4 will be Rec Sport (Years 7-12) and Monday from 3-5pm (Junior School only). In 2016 Term 1 Rehearsals will be combined on a Monday after school - 6pm. Auditions are as follows: NB: Only those auditioning for leads are required to prepare anything. Monday 24 August 1st Break 11am: RBT Year 6 (please eat before you arrive) Lunch: RBT MS/SS Dancers After School - 4pm: RBT Leads (Year 7+) Students are to prepare a verse and chorus from a Disney or Music Theatre song that best demostrates their range. Tuesday 25 August 1st Break 11am: RBT Year 5 (please eat before you arrive) Lunch: RBT MS/SS Ensemble Wednesday 26 August Lunch: RBT Acting only auditions Years 7-12 only Thursday 3 September 1st Break 11am: RBT Year 4 (please eat before you arrive) 2nd Break 1pm: MPH Year 3 Quite often parents are unsure about the process or upset if their child isn’t selected. Following are a few responses to typical questions.
Musical Q & A Why can’t all the children who want to be in the musical be included? Whilst it would be lovely to say yes to all students who would like to be involved there are logistical reasons why this isn’t possible. We work to a limit based on two factors. The first, and most important is supervision – we need to have enough staff to student ratio to ensure appropriate supervision during outside of school rehearsals. Secondly, there is little to be gained by filling a stage full of children to the point where no-one can move or be seen. How do you select who is in the musical? When looking at Junior School casting and Ensemble casting, we teach the students a small section of song (for Junior School Miss Washington will teach some of the song in class) as well as some simple movement. In groups, students then perform it back. We are looking at: • • • • •
Behaviour and focus (more important than talent at this level) How they interact with other auditionees Pitch Confidence and expression Ability to pick up choreography
Several teachers have the list of names and we make our individual selections, we then cross check and from there a final casting list is determined. The more specialist casting i.e. Dance Troupe and leads, the process is more individual and in-depth and may involve callbacks. Can I come to the audition? Auditions are closed. This is so we get the true sense of your child’s behaviour when they are in this environment, without their parent in the room, as that is what rehearsals will be like. Can my child go on a waitlist? With a cast this size we don’t have a wait list. We tend to overcast by 10 or so to allow for dropouts. My child would like to be Ariel but she is in Year 4 – Why can’t she audition? The vocal range for Ariel is quite challenging and the maturity required for the role is suited to an older student – so apart from a handful of Year 6 students nominated by our PAT vocal tutors (based on their range and vocal maturity), only those in Middle/Senior School can audition for Ariel or any of the leads. What is the commitment to the musical? For Junior School students, rehearsals will be Monday after school. For Middle/Senior School students - Term 4 rehearsals will be held during Rec Sport and then in 2016 on Monday after school. There will be some weekend or holiday rehearsals towards the end of the process. These will be advised with lots of notice so arrangements can be made.
Tuckshop News As the warmer weather approaches, we (as parents) need to reconsider the way we pack and also what we pack into our children’s lunch boxes. Food spoilage can be one of the reasons why many people suffer from illness associated with eating contaminated food and may put children more at risk. Tuckshop is unable to reheat any foods bought in from home as we are unsure as to how the food was prepared, stored and the quality of the food when brought to us. Our concern is to keep your child free from food related illnesses. Below is some information relating to “Lunch Box Safety”. Please click the link below to read more about food safety. Keep it Cool! The most important thing to remember in keeping food safe during storage is to keep potentially hazardous food out of the ‘temperature danger zone’ of 5 degrees C to 6 degrees C. As schools generally do not provide students with access to heating devices, any potentially hazardous food in a school lunch box needs to be kept at a safe temperature of below 5 degrees C. Keeping in mind that school lunches usually sit for a few hours before being eaten, below are some simple tips to help ensure food is kept at a safe temperature until the time it will be consumed: • • • • •
Use insulated lunch boxes or cooler bags Keep a frozen drink or freezer brick(s) inside the lunch box If preparing lunches the night before, keep it in the fridge until leaving for school Encourage children to keep the lunch box in their schoolbag and to store it out of direct sunlight. Pack items that don’t spoil quickly
Any perishable food such as meat, poultry or egg sandwiches, should be thrown out if not eaten that day. www.health.qld.au/foodsafety Flexischools Did you know that if you have a child in Years 7-12 you can link their Student ID to their Flexischool account? If not, simply have them associate their Student ID card to the photocopier then login to Flexischool and add the student ID number. If you have having trouble, please contact us at Tuckshop and we will be more than happy to assist you. Trina van der Kamp Tuckshop Manager
P&F News
Dates to Remember - August/September
Father’s Day The P&F will again be operating a stall in the Bus Shelter on Wednesday 2 September and Thursday 3 September. Students in Junior School will have an opportunity visit the stall during an allotted time over the two days to purchase Gifts and raffle tickets.
AUGUST Monday 24 National Book Week (24-28 August) Year 1 Generation Day, MPH - 8.50am RSPCA Cupcake Fundraiser The Little Mermaid Jr Musical Auditions - Year 6 Tuesday 25 Chapel, Worship Centre - 1.40pm The Little Mermaid Jr Musical Auditions - Year 5 Thursday 27 Student Led Conferences Friday 28 Gold Coast Show Day Holiday SEPTEMBER Tuesday 1 Assembly, Multi Purpose Hall, 1.40pm Wednesday 2 Year 2 Excursion to Mudgeeraba Heritage Museum Years 4-6 SLAPS Inter Lutheran Athletics Carnival Thursday 3 Year 2 Incursion linking Science Unit on forces with Science presenter Dr Joe The Little Mermaid Jr Musical Auditions - Years 3 & 4
Gifts and raffle tickets will also be available before school in the bus shelter and all week at the ELC. • •
All gifts will be $5.00. Raffle Tickets $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00 (Drawn Friday 4 September in time for Father’s Day).
VOLUNTEERS – If you have some time on either the 2nd or 3rd September, between 7.30am-12.00pm OR beforehand to help wrap please contact Nicole Ainger, P&F Secretary on 0410 649 820. Any offer of help will be gratefully accepted. AGM (Annual General Meeting) This year’s AGM is on Wednesday 25 November 7.00pm in the CRC (Cecile Ryan Centre) At the meeting all current office bearers will resign and a vote will be taken for the positions from the nominations received. All nominations must be submitted 30 days before the AGM to the President. A nomination form will be available shortly on the College website under the P & F section. The office bearer positions are as follows: President Currently Daniel Renneberg (daniel@austplan.com.au) Vice President Currently Julieanne Andrews (julieanne6@optusnet.com.au) Treasurer Currently Michelle Brown (michelle@brownslawyers.com.au) Secretary Currently Nicole Ainger (bidwill16@bigpond.com) Grants Officer Currently Kim Allan Fundraising Officer (Currently Vacant) Most of the current office bearers are unable to commit to a further year on the P & F due to full time employment and family commitments and are unable to re-nominate. Please consider taking on a role on the P & F. It is a very rewarding position to hold, allowing you to be involved in a meaningful way in your child/ren’s school. If you would like further information on the duties of any position please feel free to contact us at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au P & F general meetings are held once a term and everyone is always welcome. P & F Committee
It’s back!
Earn 1 sticker for every $10 you spend.
Completed sticker sheets can be placed in the collection box at Junior School Administration. Digital or Book Memberships Available Cost is still only $55.00 www.entbook.com.au/14404l5
5nthly
Mo zes Pri
5
Mon t Priz hly es
CONGRATULATIONS Peta T - Our monthly prize winner for August!!
INSIGHTS Building parent-school partnerships
Build up Frequent Father points
WORDS Michael Grose
Michael Grose looks at the importance of topping up Frequent Father points, and the benefits for both dads and for kids. A good friend enthusiastically told me how he was looking forward to spending a few days away on his own with his two kids, aged 10 and 13. He was feeling quite chuffed. He was having some ‘dad time’ with his kids. Good on him! He was doing some memory building & relationship building, as well as having some fun. He told me that he was aware that his kids were getting older and he knew such opportunities were diminishing. Gone are the days when the only relationship many men had with their kids was through their wife. She would explain him to the kids (‘Your dad’s very busy but he would love to see you play sport but he can’t make it.’) As well, she’d keep him up-to-date with the children’s lives. Blokes, it seems, are valuing the time they spend with their kids on their own. Or at least the dads I mix with are. Spending time alone with kids is a great way to build confidence in dads. And the kids usually just love it.
Mothers can play a role here by not getting in the way if their husband or partner wants a little time alone with kids. (Most mums I meet welcome this!) Children usually associate their fathers with activity. When I ask children to tell me about their dads they usually talk about the things that they like to do together with their dads. Playing, walking, fishing, wrestling....the list goes on. It’s through shared activity and involvement in kids’ lives that dads build up frequent father points. It’s hard to build good connections with kids when you are not there!
Don’t wait until adolescence These relationships are best built in childhood, when kids just love their dads to bits and want to be around him. It gets trickier in adolescence, but having shared interests developed in childhood gives you a connection point during these sometimes-turbulent times. Dads also benefit from spending time with their kids. Most health scales state a healthy relationship with their children is
a predictor of good health and longevity for men. I’m not sure where the health benefits come from, but I suspect there is something relaxing and de-stressing about getting into a child’s space. There is a big kid inside most men just busting to get out. These days we take parenting pretty seriously and it’s easy to forget that one of the fundamentals of raising kids well is to spend some time in your child’s space, doing stuff, or not doing stuff, whatever the case maybe. So how are your (or your partner’s) Frequent Father points going? If they need some topping up then you can start by doing something together that the kids enjoy. Having a bit of fun together is the best place to start. Author’s note: Sole mums can take these ideas on-board to have a NO RULES weekend with your kids, where you have a change of routine and activity that can give kids the chance to see you in a different way.
Michael Grose
nt young people? Subscribe to Happy Kids Want more ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilie tingideas.com.au. You’ll be so glad you did. newsletter, my FREE weekly email parenting guide at paren
parentingideas.com.au
© 2015 Michael Grose