16 May 2023

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

We are excited to announce that, along with nine other schools from South Australia, we have committed to working with the Department for Education and the University of South Australia on a new research project aimed at oracy skills development for our learners. Oracy, or the ability to communicate effectively through speaking and listening, is a crucial skill that sets the foundation for academic success, social relationships, and future careers.

To support this initiative, we will implement various activities promoting oracy development in the classroom. These include:

1. Class discussions: We will encourage our teachers to facilitate meaningful class discussions that allow learners to share their ideas, opinions, and questions on various topics.
2. Public speaking opportunities: We will explore further options for learners to practice public speaking skills through class presentations, debates, and speeches.
3. Listening exercises: We will implement listening exercises that help learners improve their active listening skills, such as paraphrasing, asking questions, and summarizing.
4. Collaborative projects: We will actively promote collaborative learning through group projects that require learners to communicate effectively and work together towards a common goal.

We believe that these initiatives will not only improve our learners' oracy skills but also enhance their overall academic performance and social-emotional development. We encourage you to support your child's oracy development by practising active listening and engaging in meaningful conversations at home.

We are thrilled to share the success of our recent Careers trips. Last week, our Y9/10 learners had the opportunity to explore different career paths through visits to metro businesses and organisations. Our primary goal for these trips was to expose our learners to various career options and to help them understand the different skills and education requirements for each profession. These trips have helped to inspire our students to set ambitious career goals and pursue their passions. We are proud of our learners' behaviour and engagement during these trips. They asked insightful questions and showed a genuine interest in the different careers and industries they explored. We want to thank the businesses and organisations that welcomed our learners and gave them an inside look at their professions. We also want to thank our teachers, staff, and The Smith Family for organising and financing these trips and making them a valuable learning experience for our learners.

We hope that our learners continue to explore different career options and set ambitious goals for their future.

Finally, work has commenced on the second phase of our landscaping project. As a result, the gate adjacent to the junior primary playground is no longer accessible, and there is like to be some congestion around primary classrooms at the end of the school day. Undertaking any building work during term time is always a challenge, and I want to thank caregivers for their patience and vigilance. We are confident that the result will significantly improve the site's appearance and add vital outdoor learning areas for all our classes.

Andrew Gilsenan-Reed

Health Risks of Vaping in Schools

Walk Safely to School Day

Primary Report

Award Winners from Term 1, Week 10

Each Term, the Primary School classes take turns showcasing their learning by hosting Primary School assemblies. Two learners from each class are awarded a Learner Disposition Award and Lego prize at these assemblies. I want to congratulate the following learners on their achievements from Term 1, Week 10 assembly:

Jump Rope for Heart kicks off this term at QAS!

Jump Rope for Heart is the Heart Foundation’s primary school skipping challenge that helps kids move more, have fun and raise funds for lifesaving research and programs.

This year we’ve got an audacious goal to see our student Heart Heroes at QAS to log 40 hours of skipping throughout the program!

Register your child online, so they can receive the full benefits of the program and participate in online fundraising; follow the link below to get started. www.jumprope.org.au/parents . When registering, please list your child’s base class (Yr F/1, Yr 1/2/3 or Yr 4/5/6).

Students will be skipping throughout the term in PE lessons, and skipping ropes will be available at break times. During this time, you can share their online fundraising page with family and friends to help raise money for this great cause.

We will hold our school Jump Off Day on Friday, 30th of June 2023, at 12 pm in the Gym; this will mark the end of the program and is a chance for everyone to come together to skip and show off their newly learned skills. Families are welcome to join us for the event.

Thank you for supporting the Jump Rope for Heart program!

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2023

The competition ends Term 3, Week 7. Please hand in forms to the front office or Miss Neu as soon as you finish. You don’t need to wait until the end date. For more information, see Miss Neu or visit https://premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au/

Scholastic Library

Literacy and Language program learners can access quizzes and online books and view their Lexile levels on the School Library Platform. Our Primary team recently had the training to see the new features available such as monitoring reading comprehension skills which we are keen to implement. Learners will be provided with their individual login details. The platform can be accessed via https://slz04.scholasticlearningzone.com/ltiLaunchIntl/app/24 .

Book Week 2023- Read, Grow, Inspire!

Book Week will be held in Week 5 of Term 3. While it is a while away, I wanted to share this year’s theme Read, Grow, Inspire. Watch the video below for more information about this year’s theme. Can’t wait to see the inspired costumes at the Book Week Parade. More details to come.

Sound Scouts

The program is free to participate in. Please follow the link below to enrol your child.

For more information, visit https://www.soundscouts.com/au/ or contact Kate Neu.

News from the F/1 Class

P.E.

This term, the Primary school is engaging in the Jump Rope for Heart program to learn about skipping, its various skills, and the importance of keeping a healthy heart. In the F/1 class, we have been learning to skip using a hula hoop. Using the hoop has its challenges, but it has supported the learners in understanding the motion of a rope and the technique of jumping with two feet.

HEALTH

The F/1 class has started learning about the heart and how to find and measure their pulse this term. Alongside the Jump Rope for Heart program, the F/1 class is also learning about the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum. Across this term, the F/1 class will learn about identity and relationships, the rights of a child, and strategies to keep themselves safe. If you would like further information on how to support your child, please let Victoria know.

NUMERACY

In Numeracy this term, we have learned more about numbers and looked at sequencing and ordering. This has also connected with our new learning area on understanding number patterns and identifying and continuing skip-counting patterns. We have investigated number patterns of two, five, and ten and have been busy building continuing skip patterns.

Victoria Alexander
F/1 Teacher

SAPSASA Swimming

On Friday, the 5th of May, five students from QAS competed in the SAPSASA swimming carnival, which was held at the Marion Swim Centre. Flynn Saxton, Ella Butler, Ellie Bury, Maya Kruger and Lucas Werth represented our school for the Northern District. Thanks to Hannah Smith from Stirling North Primary School for taking on the role of coach/convener on the day.

All swimmers came away with personal bests for each event they swam in, which was fantastic. The atmosphere was amazing at the Marian Swim Centre, and the competitors swam their little hearts out.

Congratulations to Flynn and Lucas, who came third in the 4 x 50m freestyle relay and received a medal. Each of our swimmers competed in the 10-year-old age category, and we look forward to the next few years of SAPSASA swimming, where I am sure they will continue to compete. It will be great to see the improvement in our swimmers over the next few years as the Quorn Amateur Swimming Club has been revitalised, which is great for our young people and their swimming stroke techniques and general training.

Secondary Report

Work Experience

In the changing world of work, it is essential that young people can experience success in the workplace. Some students believe they are on the right career path, while others realise their expectations of a certain industry and the reality don’t align.

Workplace learning supports students in gaining exposure to the world of work, making career decisions, and gaining employability skills. Workplace learning is a broad term that includes structured workplace learning, work experience, and work trials.

During Week 11 of Term 1, our Year 10 learners completed work experience across various fields, exposing them to the world of work and potential career pathways. We thank our local workplace providers who partnered with us to create these opportunities; we appreciate your time. Also, thank you to families who arranged to complete work experience outside of Quorn.

Careers Trip

Through our secondary school career focus, Year 9-10 Quorn Area School learners attended a Careers Camp in Week 2 of Term 2, which provided the opportunity to travel to Adelaide and explore future pathways through tours and activities.

Learners were immersed in a week, which is typical of those who take on further study. Responsible for setting their own alarm to be at breakfast on time and getting to the bus in time for a prompt departure. Careers of interest were factored into the schedule first. The rest of the week was filled with additional tours and workshops, allowing our learners to ask pertinent questions related to the requirements of future study and industry-specific information.

A few of the places that were visited during the week were Roseworthy Campus, Regency TAFE, Adelaide University (with a focus on the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music), City East and City West UniSA, Port Adelaide Football Club, Fort Largs Police Academy, Tonsley TAFE, and Flinders University. On Friday, we travelled to the Career and Employment Expo held annually at Wayville Showgrounds. Our learners had the opportunity to investigate careers that still needed to be explored, discuss questions at length with different exhibitors, and ask additional questions to clarify their understanding.

Thank you to The Smith Family, who supported the trip financially, and Mrs Bury and Mr McDonald, who accompanied our learners for the week.

Visual Arts

The Art Room has been a hive of activity across the senior school and upper primary this year, with units of work ranging from Painterly Portraits to Islamic decorative designs. We have installed a tree in the art room home to bird sculptures built after focusing on 3D birds, feathers, and form, which focused on the concept of proportion and Australian birds.

Check out some of the work below:

Miscellaneous Items

Lost Property

The Junior Primary foyer has a collection of lost property, particularly school jumpers. Please come and have a look; you never know what you might find.

This is also a timely reminder to please label your child’s clothing so it can be returned to you if found.

Run Club… off and running.

We have a few keen early-morning track warriors on a Wednesday. They will be offered the privilege of having their entry to the Pichi Richi Marathon 5km and ¼ marathon on the 25th of June. If anyone is about the road, then they can cheer them on. We are finalising distances and competitors, so if anyone also wants to get fitter, stronger and faster… they can brave the cold, bring their shoes and togs and enter the gruelling PRM too… Hmm, sounds tempting and rewarding.

I will want to see some training runs before entering someone with the school to ensure they don’t underestimate the effort and get injured.

Bryan Crosby (PhD)
Science & Maths teacher, & Run Club Coach

Mission Australia

Flinders History