Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone who supported us this term. We have had a lot of new Karonga School starters (as Kindy children, or transferring from other schools) and your positive nature as you have visited or navigated the school processes has been terrific to see. With timetables set, and PLP or Transition Meetings held it has been great to meet with so many of you-highlighted at the Harmony Day lunch which we held in Week 9. We had a tremendous turn-out, and we hope that this annual event will remain a firm date in everyone’s calendar.

We have some minor building work planned for the school holidays- with improved and effective lighting, replacement of some carpets, refresh to the paintwork through-out the Administration block, and some additional work to the eaves of our older buildings. They tell me that it will all be complete for the return to school.

Our school recently held a Merit Selection panel meeting to appoint a permanent teacher at Karonga School. We are pleased to announce that Liam Stevens, one of our long-term contracted teachers, was awarded the position. Liam is an enthusiastic, energetic and committed teacher, and we welcome him permanently to our Karonga School staff.

A reminder that as we return to school and the weather is changing, additional school uniform may be purchased through our website. May we ask that you name everything that you send in- including water bottles, lunch box items- and lids. We appreciate reusable packaging- but need to get both parts of an item back to you. Clothing items can be tricky to name – not least because we predominantly have navy as a colour, but name-labels may be sourced, and permanent markers on fabric labels can be effective.

Regular swim sessions have been suspended for the first 3 weeks of Term 2. Week 1 is very disjointed with a School Development Day, a public holiday and school photos. Then in weeks 2 and 3 our Primary aged students will benefit from the intensive ‘Swim School’ program. Students K-Y6 will be swimming every day during this period. If classes can accommodate a swim session outside the swim school hours, they will be in touch.

Best wishes for the upcoming school holidays- and we look forward to welcoming the students back on Wednesday April 26^th .

Welcome to the end of Term 1, It has been a busy term in Room 2. We have been learning how to socialise with our peers by bush dancing and using tapping sticks to Aboriginal music with other classes. Felicia, Tomo, Ria and Shuyang are enjoying a bush dance with some of their peers while Shuyang is tapping sticks in time with the Aboriginal music.

We have been practicing our communication skills by using BIGMac Communicators, PEC boards, devices and verbally. Felicia is communicating that she is hungry by using the communication board, Ria is communicating what the weather is, while Shuyang is communicating his feelings by using the Interactive Whiteboard.

Room 2 have been practicing our life skills, matching and folding socks, cleaning tables and sorting cutlery. Felicia and Ria are sorting cutlery and watering the garden, Timmie is folding socks, Tomo and Shuyang are watering the garden.

We have enjoyed walking to the library and immersive classroom. In the immersive classroom, Ria enjoys watching the pictures move around and uses her feet to activate the pictures while Harry will move along the wall watching the pictures change.

Have a safe holiday,

Lowenna and Rupak.

Throughout this term, the students in Room 4 have been enjoying a variety of books including Our Island by Alison Lester and Under the southern Cross by Frane Lessac.  As part of our Literacy program, the students have been responding to the texts by selecting a picture to complete a sentence.

We have also been using an image to complete a sentence and writing sentences using core vocabulary visuals.  The students in Room 4 are really enjoying Literacy this term.

Our senior classes have also read the book Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.  This book is set in winter and the young girl and her father go looking for owls. The students from Room 1, room 2, room 3 and room 4 went into the Immersive classroom where we looked for owls in the snowy landscape.  We didn’t find any owls but we had a lot of fun with pretend snowballs. 

Room 8 has progressed during Term 1 in their key learning areas of learning through collaborative strategies.

English Literacy occurs with each student taking turns to read a book together, until its completion. This has taught them the values of listening, sharing and being respectful while a peer reads.

Mathematical knowledge is strengthened through board games and verbal activities of counting, adding, deducting, identifying no.’s before and after, subitising, and sorting. Students, belonging to Year 1 now attempt to count up to one thousand, breaking expected educational expectations for this age category.

During Physical Development we take the opportunity to understand direction, and be safe through learning e.g., waiting for others to catch-up, and walking together in a group. Further, the students use this opportunity to understand science, i.e., the weather, living and non-living beings, and the need to rest before moving on to another lap around the oval.

Music therapy has provided an opportunity to sing together, and it is repeated during our daily walk as the students sing Waltzing Matilda, and the Australian National Anthem.

Our excursion to the Epping Library displayed the students collaborative learning by sitting together for the arrival of the bus, sitting quietly and respectfully at the Epping Library until the resource person arrived, taking turns to communicate, singing together, drawing together, taking turns to communicate with the resource person and being kind towards each other.

We will continue to learn collaboratively during the rest of 2023.

Hettige and Kerrie

PRINCIPAL'S AWARDS
End of Term Assembly Wednesday 4 April, 2023

The following students received a Principal's Award at the End of Term Assembly for demonstrating each of the school values of KIND SAFE LEARN.