Show Your Colours Day

On September 21, the Junior School SRC committee arranged a fundraising day called ‘Show Your Colours Day’. Students from each House wore the colours of their House. For this privilege, students brought a gold coin which was sent to our sponsored child.

Sports Day

Sports Day was a day of effort, stamina and skill. This exciting day was organised in such a manner that each student knew when and where each event was taking place. Each event revealed supreme talent, determination and skill. It was wonderful seeing students trying hard and enjoying contributing to their House.

Sports Day marks the culmination of track and field events that the students have been learning in their PE lessons. It was evident how well prepared and skillful our PE staff is at developing the skill level in these young athletes. It was also evident how many hours of preparation and effort went into the Parents and Friends stalls – no mouth was dry, or stomach unfilled – well done everyone!

Parliament House Excursion

On September 20, all three Year 6 classes went on an excursion to the Adelaide CBD. On this day the students visited the SA Art Gallery and Parliament House. This experience provided an excellent opportunity for the students to consolidate their understanding of the guided reading focus for this term on government.

The SA Art Gallery was a great way to start the day as it provided the students with a pictorial timeline of Australia and its history. Whilst visiting the different galleries the students were asked a range of questions about the different art pieces on display and sketched their favourite piece of art.

At Parliament House the students were provided with an opportunity to visit the Legislative Council Chamber and the House of Assembly. As Parliament was not sitting on this day, the students relished the opportunity to sit in the positions of Members of Parliament and ask questions. The history on display in this building was very impressive. A special thank you to the Ridgeway family for providing a BBQ and for taking the time to show the students around the building.

Overall, this was a positive day and the students are to be commended for their exemplary behaviour. 

Sailing Day

A sailing experience fit for a king was had by all Year 6s this term. Students learnt the fine art of sailing at West Lakes Aquatics Centre, as part of their Outdoor Education program. They were involved in 4.5 hours of activity, sailing in Binks and Pacers. Students had the privilege of learning to sail with several experienced and talented sailing instructors and by positioning myself on the newly constructed pontoon, I was able to capture some of the special moments of the day, which can be viewed below. 

Opportunities to sail in groups of four, on small fibreglass monohull sailing vessels (Pacers) were provided at different intervals during the day. Students also developed their sailing skills using a slightly larger fibreglass, monohull, sailing vessel (Binks) in groups of seven to eight, rotating responsibilities throughout each session. Sailing terminology is almost like learning a new language and I was extremely impressed with the students’ ability to both recall and implement the terms and strategies taught. A wonderful learning experience was had by all. 

Cultural Infusion Day - Aboriginal for a Day

On Friday, 2 September, the Year 6 students spent the day in Middle School with Year 8 students experiencing the Aboriginal for a Day program. The program, already enjoyed by hundreds of schools throughout Australia, encompassed story telling, painting, art, didgeridoo, bush tucker preparation and dance activities. Students were broken into small groups for workshops on each of the disciplines before coming together for a final activity which was boomerang throwing.

The Junior School students also gained a better understanding of the Torrens Park Campus and the facilities offered in readiness for their transition to Year 7. They were also treated to a barbeque lunch and had the opportunity to sample Aboriginal bush tucker that was prepared earlier in the day.

Treasure Hunt

Ensuring the transition from the Junior School to the Middle School is a smooth one is important to us. Recently Year 6 students were invited to attend a Treasure Hunt with Year 8 students in the Middle School. Year 6 students made themselves at home by exploring (what will become) their new play area in 2012.

Students were provided with the Treasure Hunt instructions. A detailed explanation was given to the students to ensure they understood how to complete the Treasure Hunt activities.  Good use of technology was witnessed as students uploaded the treasure hunt details on to their iPhones.

Activities included:

·       a photography section whereby students needed to align the photos with key zones in the school and

·       crossword - relying on students’ prior understanding and research gathered by visiting various locations around the school.

Year 6 students were partnered with Year 8 students and the next hour and a half was devoted to the completion of the Treasure Hunt activities. Witnessing students cooperating with one another and discovering features about our school that were previously unknown, was wonderful to see.