11 August 2020

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to another wintery week in the hope of sunshine for Friday. We all have our fingers crossed that Sports Day will go ahead this Friday. Please see the details below outlining the logistics of the day. We are more than happy for families to come along and support our learners as they participate in the events throughout the day. However we ask that all spectators adhere to the social distancing guidelines by keeping a safe distance from staff and participants.

Sports Day 2020

House Keeping

The QAS annual Sports Day is scheduled for this Friday the 14th of August. We are thoroughly looking forward to this event and hope to see as many competitors and families coming along to support the day.

Students in Years 2-12 are asked to meet in their designated House classroom at 8:45am SHARP for a team Roll Call. F/1 students will meet in their usual base classrooms at 8:45am. All students will make their way down to the oval at 8:50am.

The first event will be the 100m dash for the Junior Primary students at 9am, followed by the 400m age group events. There will be programs distributed on the day. The Under 10 boys and girls will be split in to two separate groups this year as we have lots of competitors. They will be allocated a supervising staff member who will take them around to their events during the day.

Hawker Area School will once again be joining us and we welcome them to Quorn Area School.

Program

Please see the attached JP/whole school programs for Sports Day. There have been some changes made to this year’s program due to large numbers in the Under 10’s. There will no longer be a set lunch time. Each age group will be allocated three breaks throughout the day and this is highlighted on the program.

Breaks

During the breaks on Sports Day, we ask that all competitors in the Under 10 and Under 12 categories please stay together with their supervising teacher. They can eat their lunch and stay together so that they don’t miss any of their events.

Food Options

See Menu listed below in the Parents and Friends information.

Timing/Measuring of Events

We are still looking for some more parents to volunteer for jobs to ensure that the day runs smoothy. Please see Sarah Bury if you can be of assistance.

House Meetings

There will be House meeting for students in Years 2-12 held today to ensure that the House Captains/Vice Captains prepare their teams for their events and to discuss all housekeeping matters.

Week 4 Lead Up Events

The 1500m was completed yesterday, with a large number of students participating. Well done to all for having a go, and these points will go towards their team points on the day. On Thursday we will run the 800m for each age group and we will see the Under 14-Open students participate in the Javelin.

Secondary Mentoring PE Lessons

Well done to my 7-10 Health and PE students who have been extremely busy planning and implementing mentoring sessions for our F-6 students. The standard of mentoring has been exceptional, and I am sure that the primary students are well prepared for Sports Day this Friday. Each group spent time researching, planning and facilitating their sessions and this will contribute to their Term 3 report.

Sports Day Practice

SAPSASA Athletics

On Friday the 21st of August we will be taking a team of athletes down to Stirling North Primary School to compete in SAPSASA athletics. Students who are eligible for this will need to be born in 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010. Our team will be selected from our Sports Day results and the permission forms along with more details will be distributed on Tuesday the 18th of August.

Please see Sarah Bury if you have any questions regarding the above information.

Sarah Bury
HPE Teacher

Student Free Day

Monday 17th August

Covid-19 Reminder

A reminder to families that if your child is unwell please keep them home from school to avoid spreading infections to others. Thank you for your support of this requirement.

Primary Report

Talk the Big Talk

Big Write is a teaching methodology in which learners develop the ideas, vocabulary and higher level grammatical structures needed to improve their writing.

As part of the preparation for Thursdays ‘Big Write’ sessions, learners are given ‘Big Talk’ homework. The key to Big Writing is “If a child can’t say it, a child can’t write it”.

We have had significant growth in the writing standards across our Primary cohort and we will continue to encourage the development of language and listening skills in order to improve our learners writing ability.

We strongly encourage parents and caregivers at home to engage in the Big Talk homework at home, as its designed to promote the development of conversations related to the topic for the following day.

This does not have to be a long conversation, nor planned in any way. We have attached an example of Big Talk homework in the car.

Literacy & Language

This term we have implemented the Read Write Inc. Literacy and Language, which is a lively literacy programme inspiring learners to explore, question and challenge a range of engaging texts. It teaches comprehension, writing and grammar, and is used alongside Read Write Inc. Spelling. RWI Spelling is timetabled into our Literacy block each morning and combines an exciting online ‘Spelling Planet’ with fun writing activities to embed outstanding spelling skills.

Spelling Log Books

We encourage learners to take their Log Books home to practise in order to build a strong home-school link. The Log Books allow the learners progress to be tracked throughout the year and can be a fantastic reference tool when preparing for assessments.

Aspiring to Inspire
Monique Griffiths

News from Mr B’s 5/6 Class

It has already been a very busy term for the 5/6 class. We’ve started a new program by Read Write Inc. in Literacy, which focusses of developing our ability to develop a quality narrative writing piece. Ancient myths of the Greek gods have been a guiding influence and examples, building from a very simple story, to a deeply articulate and descriptive text that helps display the thoughts and feelings of our main protagonists, Pandora and Prometheus.

Our “Journey of Discovery” in HASS has begun as we look at the societal impact of many of the largest scientific discoveries that mankind has made throughout our history. Hopefully we’ll be able to stand on the shoulders of the giants that went before us and help humanity move confidently into the future.

3D shapes and their nets have been our initial focus in Numeracy and Math. We’ve made nets of Tetrahedrons, cuboids, various pyramids, and even worked up to building the nets and 3D shapes of dodecahedrons (that’s a 12 sided pentagonal shape). We also applied our multiplication skills to a variety of different real life scenario’s. This coming week brings us to division, the opposing function of multiplication.

We’re beginning to find our feet in our focus on SoftCrosse in Health and P.E. It’s a more restrained and inclusive version of Lacrosse. Some of us started playing the game like a basketball or soccer game, running as a mob all over the court, chasing after the ball. We hadn’t scored a single goal in three games! We’ve spread out now and the goals are coming thick and fast. Cooperative gameplay is yielding positive results.

In the year to come, our learners will be studying Databases, so to prepare we are growing our use of Excel Spreadsheets in Technology. Building formulas into our work to speed up our data tabulation. We’ve been able to successfully build in formulas for all of the four mathematical functions!

Our Stop Motion PowerPoint's for Media Art are making some very good progress as well. Some of the class are up to embedding sounds into their presentations. Different framing devices are being used. Our visual story telling abilities are growing nicely.

Mrs Reed’s Mappen Classes

Foundation Class

Foundation Mappen students have been learning about the properties of different materials. After listening to the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff, students made a billy goat from play dough. Then they were asked to explore a variety of materials to think about which ones would be appropriate to build boats to float their goats. These photos show the students exploring a variety of different materials.

Year 1/2

This term the Year 1/2 class are learning about Light and Sound. They have learned about what a Foley Artist is and they have experimented with sound effects. This recording is the sound effects the students put to a story that I narrated.

Here are some photos of the Year 1/2 class investigating light and trying to make rainbows.

Year 2/3/4

The Year 2/3/4 class are investigating different types of force, the first experiment of the term is too look at how we can utilise air currents. Students researched, designed and made paper planes. They then had to create an experiment that tested which design flew the furthest. See our creations in the gallery below

Researching, making and refining their paper planes.

Learner Engagement and Wellbeing

The Smith Family

Quorn Area School are currently in negotiations with the Smith Family about a potential partnership with our school. This has been in the pipeline for many years now, and is very exciting and promising news for QAS. We will endeavour to keep you informed of the outcome in the very near future. The Smith Family is a national, independent children's charity helping disadvantaged Australians to get the most out of their education, so they can create better futures for themselves. I have attached a link for your interest in the meantime which will inform you of the role of the Smith Family and the amazing programs that they have on offer.

QAS Community Library

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Time is nearly up: Reading concludes for the 2020 Challenge on the 4th September 2020

Direct links to digital collection arranged by Year Level

ONLINE PRC COLLECTION FOR RECEPTION TO YEAR 2:

ONLINE PRC COLLECTION FOR YEAR 3 TO 5:

ONLINE PRC COLLECTION FOR YEAR 6 TO 9:

ONLINE PRC COLLECTION FOR YEAR 10 TO 12:

CBCA Book Week 2020

SAVE THE DATE
Term 4 Week 2
Tuesday, 20th October – Friday, 23rd October
at Quorn Area School Community Library

Theme: Curious Creatures, Wild Minds

Each year across Australia, the CBCA brings children and books together celebrating CBCA Book Week. During this time schools, libraries, booksellers, authors, illustrators and children celebrate Australian children's literature and you will often see children's book character parades and talented librarians creating amazing displays.

Parents and Friends

Sports Day Canteen

QAS SPORTS DAY CANTEEN NEWS – FRIDAY 14th August 2020

Please note - NEW MENU, TIMES AND VENUES this year.

SNACKS and COLD DRINKS will be served from the oval between 9am to 2pm. TEA and COFFEE will be served from the school gym near the playground between 9am to 10.30am. BBQ LUNCH will be served from the oval between 11am to 1pm.

Our ‘Parents and Friends’ volunteers are going to supply us with a BBQ lunch, snacks and drinks for the day. Please read the following information to understand how the canteen will proceed this year and meet the COVID-19 requirements. We must all comply with the advice given by the Department for Education and SA Health, which is maintaining a minimum social distance of 1.5 metres and following the visual markers on the ground/ oval on the day.

Sports Day – Volunteers Required

If you haven’t already done so then please register you interest in helping us to cater for Sports Day this Friday. We are cooking and serving a BBQ during the lunch period and also serving confectionary, drinks, tea & coffee throughout the day. Everything will be set up on the oval so you can watch the students participate all day. Any time you can spare would be greatly appreciated.

Food and Drinks Roster

All volunteers must sign the ‘COVID-19 Site Entry Form’ on arrival, wash and sanitise their hands prior to their shift, use the gloves provided while serving and remain at their station during their scheduled shift.

Times may vary if volunteers don’t turn up to their shift as we will be unable to operate without the correct ratio due to COVID- 19. Please notify Sylvia on 0457 727 495 if you are unwell or unable to assist on the day. Thank you for your cooperation.

QAS Students and Parents Cleaning Up the School Oval and Surrounding Areas Ready for Sports Day!

Thank you to all the mums (Renata Hackett, Annelise Perry, Andrea Tschirner, Sarah Kruger, Mel McCallum, Chrystal Emmerson and Sylvia Jadrych) and all the students (Evie and Lily Hackett, Saskia Baxter, Will, Eddie and Charlie Skull and Ava Perry, Geri Tschirner, Noah and Maya Kruger, Odin and Ayla McCallum, Taitum Emmerson, Nate Atherton, Blake Ryks-Jones, Ebony and Lucas Werth, Callan, Wayde and Dominic Finlay) that helped clean up the school oval and surrounding areas yesterday after school. House points were given to all participants. Well done to Yarrah who received a total of 30 points and Kanyaka who received a total of 24 points.

Thank you to the QAS Parents and Friends Committee for organising the event and congratulations to all of the students and parents listed above for taking such pride in our school.

Sustainability in our School

We have re-stocked our 4myearth wraps and sandwich pockets which you can purchase through the Finance Office. Using them in your lunchbox is a great way to keep our school waste free. Come in and have a look at the different designs we have for the following products:

Miscellaneous Reports

Sports Shirts

Available for sale from the Finance Office $30 each. The Finance Office will be closed Friday morning so please organise your shirt beforehand.

Southern Cross Cultural Exchange

Aviation Open Day