We currently have three ACU pre-service teachers doing placements at our school in Rooms 1, 2 and 11. Having completed 5 individual days, they are now here, for a three-week practicum, being mentored by Karonga staff. This is a great opportunity for these Australian Catholic University students to have a practical understanding of a special school setting.

Joshua, our School Captain, opened a seminar at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead on Monday 11^th November. The attending medical professionals gave him a standing ovation for the way in which he delivered the Acknowledgement of Country, and we are all very proud of the way in which he manages and regulates himself on these important occasions.

John Alexander visited our school on Tuesday 12^th November, while completing his 100km walk around his electorate, raising money for the ‘Rare Voices’ Charity. He enjoyed a short break from his challenge, appreciating a second visit to the multisport court, before continuing his walk to an aged-care facility.

The opening of the Armistice Garden on November 13^th was a very moving ceremony. Karonga students, alongside armed service personnel attended the event. Please read the account by Janelle within the newsletter for a fuller version.

The Epping Music Festival on Wednesday November 13^th was a great event where Karonga was represented alongside mainstream schools at this huge event held at The Chatswood Concourse. Once again, do read the account by Kamal and Mel within the newsletter for a fuller version.

We had a P & C meeting on Monday November 18^th. Earlier that afternoon we were thrilled to hear that Diana Farache, the P & C president, and proud mum to 2 Karonga students gave birth to a lovely baby boy that she and her husband are calling Ayman. Diana and Ayman are doing well, and we send our best wishes to the whole family.

I do encourage all our families to come along to the meetings. They are not onerous, and there is no fund raising involved- we even have nibbles and drinks! This is YOUR school and we would appreciate your investment and interest. You even get to hear first about new initiatives and plans. They are planned for the third Monday of the month at 7.30pm in the PL Room. See you there in the new school year!

Warm Regards, Ruth Rogers

Everyone in Room 1 has been working so hard and we have been lucky enough to have a pre service teacher, Bianca from the Australian Catholic University helping us with our learning programs.

Gianni and Massa really enjoyed participating in the Aboriginal performances we had at school. They particularly enjoyed creating paintings with clay and learning some indigenous dances.

Room 1 have continued to learn about ‘Products and Services’ this semester. Jackson and Louisa have been investigating where food comes from and learning to identify foods from the different food groups.

Titan continues to practise his Key Word Signs to assist with communicating his needs and wants while he is at school.

Linda and Banu

Throughout Semester Two this year, Mustafa, Jordan, Oscar, Christopher, Shresh and Jake have accessed the Epping Library most Thursdays. This community access activity was specifically designed to address outcomes in the Key Learning Areas: English, Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE).

Our purpose in taking the students in Room 12 to the Library (and to the YMCA last semester) was to allow them opportunities to practice the skills learned at school, in the wider community. These include: greeting Library staff appropriately, actively participating in introductory songs, remaining seated in order to attend to shared reading, listening attentively, answering questions verbally or by pointing, completing art activities, following staff instructions, remaining with the group when walking to and from the Library (PBL rule), walking along the footpath (PBL rule) and behaving appropriately throughout the session.

Our student have made us very proud. Not only have they worked diligently to meet the above expectations, they have done so with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure! Heaven forbid we miss an Epping Library lesson!

An additional reason for initiating this activity was to create opportunities for two-way interaction between our students and the members of the community. The reality has far surpassed our expectations. The staff at Epping Library were fabulous from the initial conversations to set up the program; to setting books aside for us to borrow, cordoning off a small section of the library for our exclusive use, sourcing age appropriate reading material that was of interest to the students and accommodating our sometimes, loud presence!

For the six boys, an unplanned and un-foreseen bonus of the visits was the presence of the huge dump-trucks, diggers, graders and cement mixers that were in use just outside the Library. The drivers of these vehicles indulged our boys each visit, by tooting their horns loudly and waving to the boys. They were rewarded with frantic waves from the boys and beaming smiles!

Special thanks to Suzanne, our volunteer for accompanying us each Thursday and to Ally, the ‘lollipop lady’ who ensured we had safe entry / exit to the library as well as a safe parking spot.

Sabrina and Anna

Room 13 students have welcomed me with open arms into their classroom and have been working hard in all key learning areas. This term has been very busy with students practising skills in all Key Learning Areas and working towards their Semester 2 learning goals.

The students have been wearing their hats in the playground to be safe, as we continue to reinforce the Positive Behaviour for Learning framework and its three mission statements of being kind, safe and a good learner. Our students are developing new skills as we have included class visits to the gym and bike track this term, with a focus on sharing and using the equipment safely.

A highlight of the term so far is the two Aboriginal incursions we have attended. Room 13 students have enjoyed learning about Aboriginal culture through stories, dancing, craft and painting activities. It is great to see the smiles on their faces as they emerge themselves in new experiences.

We are looking forward to the last few weeks of the school year and building on the learning skills and friendships we have made throughout the year.

Kerrie and Sandiya

On Wednesday 13^th November 2019, four proud Karonga students represented the school at the Epping Music Festival.

John, Joshua, Kimberley and Sylvia are seasoned Music Festival performers by now; they knew what to bring, where to go, our backstage room, where the stage was, and, most importantly, how to be outstanding performers.

They were at The Concourse, Chatswood from 1:00pm until 8:15pm, meaning it was a very long day for all involved. Our students were excellently behaved, with some even choosing to have an afternoon nap! The promise and delivery of a McDonald’s dinner was the highlight of their waiting time.

As Karonga school leaders, Joshua and Kimberley commenced the entire festival with an introduction and brief synopsis of the evening. They stood tall and proud, clearly speaking into the microphone.

John, Kimberley and Sylvia represented the school signing choir with a Karonga-only performance of “1000 Years”, followed by “One Call Away” which included signing with the combined schools choir of approximately 350 students. Both performances were extremely moving and powerful moments for our students and our school.

After a quick costume change, it was time for all four of our students to show off their dance moves in “Shotgun”. Our students did a great job and Sylvia particularly enjoyed savouring all the applause at the end of the item!

Although a number of our students were disappointingly away due to illness, our four Karonga students made us extremely proud. Well done, John, Joshua, Kimberley and Sylvia. We look forward to future performances from you.

Ruth, Mel, Kamal and Emma

Hi, my name is Kelly Lorusso and I am extremely grateful and excited to be part of the amazing community at Karonga. I began my new position in Week 2 of this term and have felt welcomed and supported by everyone I have had the opportunity to meet. My role has made it possible to meet all students, as in this short time I’ve managed to work in every classroom.

Prior to beginning my appointment at Karonga I worked for three years in an SSP in South West Sydney. My time there afforded me the familiarity of working with all stages across K-12, allowing me to redefine my teaching philosophy. I was fortunate to be exposed to many Professional Learning experiences which focused on the psychology of behaviour and communication, allowing me to gain a deeper understanding of how student behaviour communicates needs. This is fundamental when working with students who are challenged with functional modes of communication. This new perspective has developed my practice to view challenging, and not so challenging, behaviours as a young person’s voice. Decoding this form of communication has provided me with the skills to form trusting relationships with students, and their carers, as well as the ability to create a safe and supportive learning environment in which students access the curriculum and engage with their learning, as they strive to reach their full potential and develop into active and valued members of society.

My professional goals include working towards achieving Highly Accomplished accreditation and Karonga is the perfect location for me to begin this journey. My previous experiences included Learning & Support, Health & Safety, and NESA compliance. These are areas I feel I can support Karonga to strengthen and move forward.

On a more personal note, I’m a mother of three amazing young men, aged 22, 16 and 14, a grandmother of a gorgeous two year old granddaughter, and will have a new grandbaby in April 2020. My other two sons keep me extremely busy with their sporting commitments which have me travelling anywhere between Nelson Bay and Wollongong on the weekends.

Thank you to everyone who have welcomed me and I look forward to meeting the wider community in the near future.

We would like to thank all parents who have sent in "pots of fun" for our Discovery Garden.  Your contributions are very much appreciated.