Lindisfarne Primary School eNewsletter

WHOLE SCHOOL REFLECTION

Here we are at the end of another term and while it may have felt like it has flown by, it is a great opportunity to take some time to reflect on the experiences and achievements of Term 3.

A highlight in September was our Grade 3-6 Swimming Carnival. It was great for students to be able to participate in a range of swimming races and for students to set their own goals around what they wanted to achieve. For some, it was about trying to obtain an elusive ribbon and for others it was about participating in as many races as they could manage to contribute points to their House in the hope of an overall win.

We have celebrated many sporting achievements for teams and individual students. Benson (5/6W) was selected to represent Tasmania in the National Futsal Tournament and as a cherry on top of an already fantastic achievement, was named Captain of the team. We also had Toby, Xander and Benson (all from 5/6W) compete in the Interschool Football Competition and the team they played, the Clarence Roos won the tournament’s Grand Final. Well done to all boys involved, we know their strong sense of sportsmanship would have been on display throughout their competitions.

Our Grade 5/6 students were treated to a visit from Dominic College’s Taiko Drum group who played for them in our school GP Hall. While the performance was just for our Grade 5/6 students, some of our other classes nearby were lucky to hear some of the performance as the drum sound really packed a punch. Mrs Hedge had some of her P/1 students ask if there was thunder! Our 5/6 students were able to ask questions and gain some insight into the skills and benefits of playing the Taiko Drums.

Grade 5/6 students represented the school at the Maths Relay on Sunday, competing in teams to complete a range of mathematical problems. In Team One was Memphis, Curtis, Elsa and Hannah and in Team Two was Samuel, Eleanor, Sophie and Tommy. In the lead up to the event, students worked with our Quality Teaching Coach in numeracy, Mrs Curran, to practise problem solving and efficiency in mathematical strategies. We congratulate the students for challenging themselves and competing in an event outside of school hours. Thank you to Mrs Curran for assisting the students in the preparations for the event and for supporting them on the day.

All Grade 1 students have participated in a phonics check that is run state-wide across all department schools. The check provided the opportunity for students to decode 40 words, a combination of pseudo and real words. The data from this check will be used by our early childhood teachers to determine phonics gaps, areas to revisit and focus teaching and to celebrate student achievement.

A fun and exciting experience this week was a staff v students netball match that took place on Tuesday lunch time. This was open to our Grade 6 students and we had 17 eager players wanting to take the court against our staff. One of the first things I noticed at the beginning of the game was how all the students playing came together in a huddle to discuss positions and game strategy, it was a wonderful beginning to the game to see students working cooperatively to achieve a common goal. In addition to the 17 students taking the court, we had a number of students come to sit courtside to cheer on the students and staff creating a great atmosphere of support. It was a competitive 4 quarters of netball with both staff and students trying their best to score. The game finished with lots of excitement from the crowd and a huddle of both staff and students celebrating each other’s participation. A few students at the end of the game were interested to see whether Term 4 would provide an opportunity for a rematch, a game in another code like futsal or basketball, or whether the game would be opened to students of different grade levels. Stay tuned in Term 4 to see what is organised!

Finally, from celebrating our oldest students in the school to our very youngest. This Term we had Winston collect 10 stickers for his Passport to Learning. Winston collected these stickers by attending 10 sessions run by the Department for birth to 4 year old aged children. Winston excitedly chose a picture book as a reward for being an engaged little learner. We look forward to seeing more of our little learners reach this special achievement as our LiL program continues in Term 4. If you have a child between birth and 4, please contact our school office to find out more about our LiL sessions and come along to learn, have fun and build connections with our school community.

We hope that all students and families take time to rest, restore and rejuvenate over the school holiday break. Our staff look forward to seeing our students return on Monday 17 October for a fantastic final term of 2022. A reminder that our first week back is a short week with the public holiday occurring on Thursday 20 October and a Student Free Day on Friday 21 October.

Sophie Sheehan

Advanced Skills Teacher