Primary News

As the first warm breezes of Spring or Djilba waft through the school grounds we remember that it isn't always winter in Albany. The improved weather conditions were great for some of the first outside reading of the season. On Book Week we started the week with the Big Read. The students all read silently under the pines together a book of their choosing. It was great to see the choice of books being read across the school. These last few weeks have been bursting at the seams with valuable learning experiences for our students along with a good dose of fun.

Football Clinic

Even as the seasons change, die-hard footy fans stand strong. In this vein, Mrs Bresanello hosted Jaxon Liddelow, the Great Southern regional development specialist, to bring footy clinics to our classes. Since his visit, the playground has been alive with kick-to-kick games, a testament to the lasting impact of his presence.

Chess Club Get ready for some strategic excitement as we kick off a brand new chess club for students from pre-primary to year 6! Every Tuesday during lunchtime, the club doors will be open, welcoming eager minds to delve into the world of chess. From beginners to those with intermediate skills, this club is for anyone interested in refining their strategies.

Our coach, Mr. Luke Wisemen, will guide and mentor the players, nurturing their chess prowess. As the players aim to reach new heights and take on challenges, I find myself gearing up to face some fierce competition. It's high time I dust off my chessboard and start practicing, especially knowing that there's a pool of talented students ready to make their moves on the board. Let the chess battles begin!

Illustrator in residence

As part of the Book week we were very privileged to have local young illustrator Elaine Van Der Stoep visited the Kindergarten and Preprimary and Year 1 and 2 class. She read her book Rupert Rabbit and the New Bike and shared her experience of illustration. The Year 1 and 2 were engaged and asked very interesting questions.They found out that;

Publishers and authors decide what pictures the book needs.

It can take up to three years to illustrate one picture book.

To become an illustrator you can go to university to study Illustration.

An illustrator can use real life drawings and

Miss Van Der Stoep is inspired by the illustrations of Jon Klassen.

State Cross Country Champs

We packed our warmest clothes and sleeping bags and headed up the highway for our annual cross country camp. The runners were very excited as the anguished parents waved them off. Parents' tears had dried by the time we reached Kojonup, though one runner was overly excited jumped off a swing and twisted his ankle. A real lesson in containing excitement. We reached Perth just as a storm descended on Woodman Point Recreation Grounds. The old building rattled into the night as we tried to rest for the big day. God heard our prayer and race Day dawned with a light wind and sunshine. There is nothing to prepare you for the size of the event. Over 3000 runners emptying out of 50 school buses from school across Perth and the state. 360 runners per event can be an awesome sight at the starting line.

Our 13 little runners held their nerves and impressed me with their maturity and fantastic attitude. All finished strongly and displayed great team support for one another. We headed to the swimming pool for a wind down with a celebratory dinner of fish and chips in Fremantle to top off the big day. Devotions based on humility and the story of Joseph brought the runners learning from the trip to a deeper level. I am very proud of this group of young runners.