Primary News

We are well aware that it is cross-country time when you feel gumboots are a sensible shoe choice and the sight of hail is no longer exciting. We are well into the Makuru season, which is the season of fertility. This season spans June and July and is when the heavy rain starts in Albany, and the scarlet banksia (Banksia coccinea) is in bloom. Makuru also brings the migration of the whales. Later in the newsletter, you can read about the Year 5 and 6 excursion last week, where the first right whale was spotted by our blessed children.

Cross Country

The cross-country season has been a highlight this term and culminated at a local level with the ADSSPA Interschool Cross Country event. Our students were very excited as we boarded the bus for Great Southern Grammar. We competed against St Joseph's College, Bethel Christian School, Parklands, and Great Southern Grammar.

The day was full of unexpected surprises. The course was wet and soggy, better suited for frogs and ducks, but provided the ultimate cross-country track. Kira Waugh caught the spectators by surprise as she took out a very strong first place in the Year 3 Girls Race. Shelby Burns, Year 6, won first place with a ten-second lead.

Even though we are proud of these individual wins, the whole ACC team was the strongest team we have taken to an interschool.

One standout moment of the day was the Year 5 boys' race where Jed Abrahams and another student battled it out over the 3-kilometer race. Towards the end, Jed attempted to pass and accidentally tripped up the other runner. Jed immediately stopped and helped the student up; they finished the race together, and Jed came second. This one simple action of love over a win impressed the spectators and organisers. Jed was given a special mention at the presentations and received a letter of commendation from our school.

Keep Albany Beautiful

This year we entered 38 posters into the Keep Albany Beautiful poster competition.

While creating these posters, the year 3 students discussed why Albany should be kept clean. They all agreed that God blessed his people with such a beautiful place to call home and that it was their mission to preserve God's creation for everyone. At ACC, we love to care for his earth and give to the community in which we live.

Writing Competition

We are excited to share some news about the recent writing competition that some of our Year 4 and 6 students entered. Saving Kyloring Stories project - is a local themed competition that showcases the western ground parrot, also called the Noongar name, Kyloring. This competition provided a fantastic opportunity for our young writers to showcase their creativity and storytelling skills.

Throughout the writing process, our students delved into the world of the Kyloring bird.This parrot is one of the rarest species in the world, with an estimated population of fewer than 150 birds. It’s habitat is confined to a remote national park in Western Australia, and unfortunately, the last remaining wild population faced the threat of extinction due to devastating bushfires.

We are very proud of the students who entered the competition. The results will be revealed on Threatened Species Day, which falls on the 7th of September 2023. This day holds great significance as it reminds us of the importance of protecting and preserving our endangered wildlife.

Champion School Cross Country Countdown

Our budding Olympic runners are counting down the days until we go to Perth for the Primary Champion School Cross Country. Mr Ramsay has jumped in as coach this week at Run Club to boost excitement. The athletes are keen and will continue their own training throughout the holidays. The event will be on the 3rd of August at the UWA Sports Park, Mt Claremont. Isla has made her own board to tick off the days until the team travels.

Whale World Excursions

Students from Year 5 and 6 embarked on an exciting excursion to Whale World and the animal farm, tying into their novel study of Tim Winton's novel "Blueback."

Kaylah was their wonderful tour guide who taught them about the history of whaling in and around Albany. They explored real skeletal whale exhibits, shells, the art of scrimshaw, the old whale oil tanks, and they even watched a 3D movie on whaling.

The Cheynes IV ship was very popular among the students who enjoyed boarding the ship and exploring while they imagined what life was like out on the water.

They even got to spot the first Southern White Whale of the season, who came within 8 meters of the shore.

The animal farm was also popular. Pepee the cockatoo amused them with his talking, and the wombat decided to come out and give them a little show by prancing around his enclosure.

The students and teachers braved the cold and wet weather, but in the end, it didn't hamper the day's experience. They came away from the day with a better understanding of the importance of ocean conservation and the beauty in God's creation.

Play

A big thank you to Mr. Van Der Snoek, who donated some very big boxes from Al Curnow Hydraulics to the school. The children were very excited and immediately repurposed them as cars, forts, houses, and boats. The Kindy and Pre-Primary children had the freedom to choose what they did with the boxes. At ACC, we value play and the freedom of choice as an integral part of learning. The Early Years Framework has given a great summary of learning through play.

Play is a context for learning that:

• Allows for the expression of personality and uniqueness

• Enhances dispositions such as curiosity and creativity

• Enables children to make connections between prior experiences and new learning

• Assists children to develop relationships and concepts

• Stimulates a sense of well-being.

We are always keen for donations of big boxes, cardboard tubes, or other materials that can be repurposed through play. Please contact Rachel Power at rachelpower@acc.edu.au.

Homework or concept imbedding

This word is often greeted with groans but plays an important part in embedding newly learned concepts into long-term memory. A half hour a day in primary school can make a big difference in a child's education and assist upper primary students in the transition to high school.

Throughout primary school, we encourage students to practise the times tables they are learning by reciting them three times a day. Parents can then prepare their children for the weekly test by asking random facts. This can be done in the car or while they wait for dinner. To pass the test and move on to the next level, students need to answer these facts within five seconds. This is called instant recall.

Home reading should occur five nights a week for 15 minutes. In Kindergarten and Pre Primary, this can also involve reading with your child. Asking the child to read frequently used words (sight words) such as "the" and "and" is very empowering as the child engages with the text. Many students have achieved the set goal for home reading nights this term, which is 75 nights. The children will receive a special reward of a dance party this week for their efforts.

Often, a child is sent home with a mathematics sheet or comprehension task to practice the concepts taught in class. This is when the task becomes part of the child's schema or long-term memory bank.

References

Australian Government Department of Education. (2022). The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf