Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day

This Thursday, the 4th August, is a day that is celebrated throughout Australia as National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day.  The date, 4 August, was historically used to communally celebrate the birthdays of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were taken from their families at a young age, without knowing their birthday – the Stolen Generations.

This Children’s Day, we are asking our children what Dreaming means to them, learning how they interpret this in their lives and identity, and hearing what their aspirations are for the future.

We will be commencing the day with an assembly in the courtyard. We are fortunate to have a recognised member of our wider Canberra community, Richie Allan sharing his cultural knowledge with teachers and students in the school throughout the day. Richie and his team from Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (TOAC) will be getting the events started with a traditional smoking ceremony, along with visiting each cohort throughout the day.

Book Week Dress Up Day- Wednesday 24 August

Planning Day

On Friday of this week is our first of two staff planning days. For those students registered to attend they are to meet teachers at the following locations:

Preschool - Mundawari

COVID Safety Term 3

Please see below a COVID-19 update from the ACT Chief Health Officer, Kerryn Coleman to our school community as well as some further advice below from the Education Directorate about COVID-19 safety measures in our schools. You can also watch Dr Coleman in her video message on the Directorates Facebook page.

Please note the requirement to wear a mask indoors which includes assemblies if you are not able to social distance. 

The Education Directorate has updated its ACT Public Schools COVID-19 Management Plan for Term 3. The Plan has been reviewed in consultation with ACT Health. The school will communicate with you if your child is affected. This includes any changes to how they will access their learning (if learning from home) and what that will look like, including for how long. A reminder about mask wearing

Masks remain an important measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community and in our schools.

Alongside other COVID Smart behaviours, masks can help reduce transmission of COVID-19 respiratory illnesses in our schools.

Staff and visitors to schools must also wear a mask indoors when physical distancing can't be maintained.

ACT Health has developed an online resource on acute respiratory infections in children which you are encouraged to read.

Thank you once more for your ongoing support.

Rebecca Turner

Principal

Writing/Spelling 

Students have started to learn about information reports. They have considered the purpose and structure of information reports and the language features. During the rest of the term students will consider how detail and images enhance an information report and how to write a well structured report. Students will be able to apply this learning in geography, where they will research and write an information report for their final assessment piece on a chosen country from Africa and South America.

Reading

Students are focussing on the ‘determining importance’ reading strategy in reader’s workshop. They are differentiating between the important and the interesting information to help them find the main idea of texts they read. This strategy could assist students in their information report research. 

Students are also practising their fluency, reading aloud with a fluency partner. 

All year 4 classes have also enjoyed visiting the library again to borrow books.

Number 

Students are learning about multiplication and division facts up to 10 X 10. They are using a range of mental and written strategies, such as repeated addition and subtraction, arrays and sorting of equal groups to recognise the relationship between multiplication and division. We are using whole-class warm up activities to enable discussions about how to find answers in a range of ways, such as using mental strategies such as double-double when attempting to solve the 4-times tables.

Strand

Students are learning about angles in strand. We are focussing on acute, right, obtuse and also investigating straight, reflex and revolution. Students have been finding angles in the world around them including the classroom and outside environment.

Excursion

In Term 2, Week 9 Year 4 went on an excursion to The National Museum. This helped us deepen our understanding of Indigenous perspectives and culture including tools, weapons and instruments. We have been learning about early settlers from the perspective of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Respectful 

Safe

Responsible Learner

Respectful 

Billie McV	Alannah F	Chelsea C

Safe

Resposible Learner

Responsible Learner

Billie McV	Alannah F	Ellaha M	Achuil C
Lilly A	Reilly B	Eleanor M	Awuor N

Kidsafe ACT and CreativiTek have collaborated to create augmented reality road safety learning experiences and games for ACT kids. Mobile users can scan QR codes to try the augmented reality activities.

To read more about the project and augmented reality, go to Augmented Reality Children's Activities - KIDSAFE ACT.

Contact Jes Rylen-James on 0411 433 965 or jes@kidsafeact.com.au.

• Transition to Preschool for children with developmental delay and disability on Monday 15 August from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at Hall Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning or Wednesday 24 August 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm online. RSVP to preschoolpathways@act.gov.au.
• Transition to Primary School for children with developmental delay and disability on Tuesday 16 August from 10:00 am to 11.30 am at Hall Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning or Thursday 25 August from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm online. RSVP to EDUCommunityPartner@act.gov.au.
• Transition to High School and College for children with disability on Thursday 11 August from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at Hall Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning or Tuesday 16 August 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm online. RSVP to EDUCommunityPartner@act.gov.au.

For more information, contact Jean Walker on jean.walker@act.gov.au.