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As we conclude Term one of 2019, we were pleased to share ‘Great Teaching and Inspired Learning’ with the families who were able to support the end of term assembly on Wednesday. It was heart-warming to see the smiles and sense of pride that so many of our students exhibited as they came forward to shake hands and receive their awards. The school leaders: Joshua, Kimberly and Jacob acquitted themselves very maturely in their duties at the front of assembly.
At the morning tea that followed, 2 ex-students from Karonga were able to attend and share the lovely spirit of their old school. They reminisced about their time spent at Karonga some 30+ years ago, and it was gratifying to learn about the impact that their time at Karonga had on them.
The Key Word Signing course that we held at school on March 29th was very well attended, with 10 parents learning new skills and sharing their experiences. We intend to offer this course on an annual basis, so look out for news of it in term 1, 2020!
As we enter the holiday period, work will continue on our school oval to progress work on the multi-sport court and begin work on the ramp providing access to the oval and court for all our students who have mobility issues. Look out for photographs in future newsletters.
We hope that this new style of newsletter will suit our Karonga families who would prefer an accessible multi-language version- do give us feedback, as we are constantly reviewing ways to improve our communication with the school community.
Regards
Ruth Rogers (Relieving Principal)
Hello from Room 1
It has been a very busy term and all the students in Room 1 have settled really well into their classroom routines.
Massa and Louisa have been working together during our class gardening session. They have been learning how to propagate plants and ways to take care of the school gardens.
Room 1 have enjoyed our fitness sessions at our school gym. They have been learning to use the walking machine, exercise bike, cross trainer and rowing machine, which is one of Jackson’s favourite activities. Not only are Room 1 developing their core strength but hey have also been developing their fine motor skills by putting together a foam puzzle as part of their cool down exercises.
Emaan, Gianni and Titan have also been exploring artistic concept of mono prints. They selected a colour, painted their hands and stamped onto paper to create a colourful class poster.
All the students in Room 1 have also been learning about their cultural identity in Geography. The countries we have been looking at include Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, France, Thailand and Australia. We have been listening to national anthems, looking at the different climates and favourite foods eaten in these countries.
We are looking forward to the school holidays and returning in Term 2 to do some more wonderful learning.
Linda and Banu
Alkira, Brendan, Jayden C, Jayden F, and Matilda have had quite a busy and crazy start to 2019. We started off the New Year welcoming back some students and also supporting a number of our peers who were quite unwell for a large part of Term 1. We have had a lot of illnesses and surgeries and, as always, Room 4 students have bounced back to school with determination and enthusiasm. Mel and Kerrie are extremely proud of them.
Our main focus for this year is the changes, similarities, and differences between all our students, and the staff! We have been busy measuring our height and charting where we all are on our class height chart. Alkira is currently the tallest in our class, with Brendan being the shortest. We have talked about how this could all change over the course of this year! We have also been chatting about how Mel’s stomach is getting bigger and bigger by the day and how we need to be careful, and a bit slower, with her. Brendan in particular cannot stop looking at Mel’s stomach!
We have also been looking at plants and how they grow and change, just like us! We grew some beautiful sunflowers and beans, and were measuring them week by week to see how much they had grown. Unfortunately with the severe weather, our plants have suddenly died so we are starting again. Room 4 does not like to let setbacks stop them from completing their projects!
We have also had a few birthdays. Jayden F celebrated his 9th birthday, with a joint party with Ria from Room 3, and Jayden C will be 15 in the school holidays! Our students may not be able to eat cake but they certainly know how to party, and enjoy themselves.
Well done to all Room 4 students on a busy term.
Mel and Kerrie
Welcome to Room 6 with Debbie (teacher), Roxana, Liesa and Louise. This year we have five students in Room 6: Sarah, Meena, Hannah, Julian and Sadev.
We have been off to a flying start to 2019 and cannot believe that we have almost finished Term 1.
It has been a jam-packed term with many adjustments to our classroom setting in order to meet the sensory and individual needs of all students.
We have settled well into our new routines and have made great improvements in extending our desk work time not only in Room 6 but across a variety of settings throughout the school.
Throughout this semester we are focusing on our colours and accepting that change is “ok”. We have created some beautiful artwork around the books “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywait and “Pete The Cat I Love My White Shoes” by Eric Litwin.Room 6 has made fantastic developments in transitioning around the school and are enjoying accessing the trampoline, swimming pool and the school gym. Going to the gym is one of Meena’s favourite activities. She has explored all gym equipment and especially enjoys walking on the treadmill and throwing the bean bags towards the target. Julian (below) is great at running on the treadmill. He Is also extending time pedalling on the bike.
Hannah (left) enjoys pedalling on the bike and has become increasingly more self-assured in standing on the vibration machine since her first attempt when she was feeling a bit nervous.
Sarah’s confidence has increased and as a result her speech is blossoming. She is initiating conversations with others and loves to sing along to music in the classroom and in music therapy.
Sadev has made great strides in transitioning around the school and to remaining with the class. He loves to dance to music and enjoys joining Jann on the piano in music therapy sessions.
This semester in Room 6, we will continue to work on self-living skills with a focus on personal care, trying new foods (fruit and vegetables) and being able to make a snack.
Debbie, Roxana, Liesa and Louise
Mustafa, Jordan, Oscar, Christopher, Shresh and Jake – the students in Room 12 – have settled well into new class routines and are getting to know their teacher and SLSO for 2019.
The class has a busy time table which is peppered with many movement breaks and sensory activities to help regulate the students’ behaviour.
Visits to the bike track compete with swimming as a favourite activity. The students are learning the art of pedalling rather that moving the tricycles with their feet. They use a special piece of equipment (see photograph below) to practice this skills. The students are also practising safe behaviours in this setting by wearing helmets and sunscreen; and attending to traffic lights that alternate the colours: red, orange and green. During these sessions, Jake practises using his walking frame. He waits for his friends to applaud his efforts and vocalises loudly in agreement!
Preparations for the Karonga Harmony Day kept the class busy with the completion of a variety of works of art using different mediums and techniques. We chose the theme ‘We are one but we are many’ to celebrate the uniqueness of different cultural backgrounds in the classroom and to also celebrate our uniqueness as individuals.
The students rose to the challenge and remained focussed to produce works of art related to; the Australian flag, the Opera House, Chinese New Year and Easter.
It was also wonderful to have some of the students’ families join us for Harmony Day lunch.
While our class program remains busy each week with desk work, cooking, science with Janelle, music with Jann, components of PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education) with Megan, Crunch n Sip, swimming, visual arts, weekly assemblies in the hall, sensory activities, and a lot more; the students have enjoyed re-connecting with the YMCA gym program introduced last year.
Each Tuesday morning the students revise the expectations at YMCA by watching a social story in a power-point: from walking together on arrival to completing their individual circuits in the gym. The students are responding extremely well to a clear and pictorial routine.
Jordan and Mustafa hang from a high bar, then swing from a low bar; next climb up a wall ladder; then down the other side of the ladder and finally walk on a balance beam.
Jake pulls himself from a sitting to a standing position on a bar, using both hands; then pulls his chest to a bar.
Oscar, Chris and Shresh start by jumping on a spring board, then crawling up a spongy mountain, log rolling down the other side, crawling through a tunnel, walking over to a trampoline for a jump and finally pulling themselves up to a bar. We are very lucky to have Suzanne our volunteer come along and help us too.
Currently we are preparing for a one-off sailing adventure on the last Thursday of term 1, through the kind courtesy of ‘Sailors with a Disability’ (SWD), but more about that in the next newsletter!
Sabrina and Anna
Hello- my name is Debbie Whittaker, and I accepted the appointment to Karonga as a temporary class room teacher at the end of term 4, 2018. I was thrillled to be offered the opportunity to apply for a permanent teaching position at Karonga half way through this term- and was recently successfully appointed.
As this is my first permanent teaching appointment I am extremely excited to be embarking on this new adventure here at Karonga.
I have a broad teaching experience and have taught in a variety of schools and hence bring a wide range of knowledge to share with my colleagues and students at Karonga. My last two years of teaching have been at Arranounbai School on the Northern Beaches, where I taught an Autism intervention class in 2017 and a senior class in 2018.
I would like to thank everyone for their support to make me feel welcomed to the Karonga family.
Don’t forget that school photos will be taken the first week back at School on Friday 3rd May. If you haven’t returned your photo order you have until the day of the photos to do so.