Wednesday, 4 August - Pyjama Dress Day

The conclusion of the Tearfund Read-a-thon will be celebrated with RIBIT Day. Students are welcome to wear their PJ’s (appropriate footwear must be worn - slippers/uggs can be worn in classrooms only).

All students are invited to the PAC at lunchtime for students to enjoy a Julie Donaldson book/video and a snack that includes a free cookie and a hot chocolate with marshmallows.

The Year 1 class have had a wonderful start to the term. It was lovely to hear about all the exciting things they got up to in the holidays. Last term, students made excellent progress with their recount writing, and I am looking forward to seeing how they improve this term! We are currently exploring some fun topics that provide opportunities for very hands-on experiences.

In Mathematics, we are focusing on money. The students have been learning to recognise the different coins we use in Australia and practise using them to purchase various items from our ‘shop’. Students have been challenged as they add the coins to total the items' price. We are also practising ordering the coins from least to most valuable.

In HASS, we are learning about the past, present and future. The class has been thinking about why technologies, clothes and vehicles have changed. They have also been thinking about what might happen to each of these in the future. This week they created a future form of transport!

In English, we are learning about procedures. Students then work through how to follow a procedure by cooking something each week in the PAC Kitchen. They have been thinking about the different purposes of text and how a procedural text needs to be organised. They have thoroughly enjoyed these experiences, and you might be lucky enough to enjoy some of their shortbread!

Claire Gardner - Year 1 Teacher

In Term 2, we hosted the Great Book Swap to raise money for Indigenous Literacy.

It was wonderful to receive so many book donations from our families, and this helped the event to be a success.

Our students had a wonderful time filling their bags with books, and we were able to raise $460!

Thank you to all our school families for your support.

What's going on in Neverland….

• Captain Hook is battening down his hatches, splitting his infinitives and shivering his timbers.

• Nanna, the Nanny, who is actually a dog, can suddenly speak English.

• Tinkerbell is first a cute fairy, then a jealous villain, and finally a heroine.

• Wendy is building a house and winning over the lost kids.

• Mr Darling is a real grump - but comes around in the end!

• ...and Peter - well, he's Peter Pan, and you just can't pin him down.

• Crock sounds like a ticking time bomb

• and Mr Smee - well, he's just gone and done it again!

The students and staff are busily preparing to welcome you all into the
make-believe world of Neverland. With only four weeks until ‘curtains-up’, we are feeling both excitement and apprehension. What the Northern students are undertaking is no easy task. Students are engaging in the daunting task of memorising lines and lyrics while working out how to act, sing, dance and interact on stage. The very difficult but necessary skill of voice projection is gradually being developed by the cast members so they can be heard by the audience. Above all, we are seeing the students grow in confidence as they successfully tackle these new and challenging skills.

School musicals are great for bringing the community together, but the main reason schools put on a musical is because of the amazing learning and educational benefits they provide to the students involved. Research and experience show that the significant cognitive, social, emotional and personal capacity development of such experiences bring immediate and long-lasting benefits to the students involved.

All that being said, it is always a lot of fun, and the students are really committing to their various roles and working wonderfully as a supportive team. I admire how they encourage one another, especially when things get tough. A lot of laughing, a little bit of crying and a whole lot of amazing teamwork!

At every rehearsal, we acknowledge God's love and support and pray for His help for everyone involved. Please pray with us as we prepare for our performances.

Tickets available: The performance times are as follows:

Tuesday 28 September:
6.30 pm - 7.40pm Peter Pan Show

Thursday 29 September:
11.30 am - 12.40pm Peter Pan Matinee
6.30pm - 7.40pm Peter Pan Show

Tickets are FREE but essential via Eventbrite.

Alan Lawson - Head of The Arts

Monday, 5 September from 8.00am - 9.00am

Please join us for a relaxed casual Fathers' Day morning with a donut and a barista-made coffee with your children on the Performing Arts Centre Green!

The occasion aims to create a happy time for children to share with the adult men in their lives, be it Dad, big brother, Uncle, Grandad, Stepfather or a friend. You can RSVP via our Facebook event.

The Read-a-thon to support Tearfund and its partners concludes on Wednesday, September 7 with RIBIT Day. Tearfund helps people worldwide by providing life's basic necessities such as clean water, education, training and much more.

Please remind your children to fill in their reading logs and collect donations. Donations can be per book or a one-off amount. Please donate online.