At the beginning of Term 3 we were all holding our breath that we would be able to be here for a couple of weeks. It is with great joy that I can report on the amazing events that happened for the entire term! Whilst the usual events such as HRIS representative teams and off campus enrichment activities didn’t happen, we had a rich and rewarding ‘on campus’ term of educational and engaging activities for all of our students.
Science and Wellbeing Weeks were definitely highlights of the year. As usual, Mr Hilberts, Deputy Director of Wellbeing, delighted all with his planning. The 1km run, Lego Masters and Camp Out were again standouts but the addition of the Dance Challenge was the icing on the cake. Science Week led by Mr Daniel Zavone, our Director of Steam, was full of wonder and excitement. Deep Blue was celebrated with a Van de Graff generator, microscopes, ‘Street Science’ and ‘Magnified’ fluorescent installation. The pinnacles were definitely the exploding watermelon, oobleck races and water rockets. Great fun was had on the back oval launching these scientific missiles. Our teachers were a little bit competitive! Thank you to Shalise Leesfield who was our guest presenter from the Secondary School. Her work in raising awareness of pollution in our oceans is inspiring.
Incursion Days have been a feature of Term 3. The range of experiences and immersions has been impressive. As a culmination to an English unit “Imagine a Place” our Kindergarten students used their amazing creative ideas to design creations inspired by the book, “Not a Box”. We had robots, houses, bees, cats, dog houses, butterflies, cars, trains, tents and even skyscrapers. These masterpieces then became the inspiration for some fantastic and very descriptive creative writing. In Year 1 we have been enjoying traditional fairy tales as our students explore the impact of altering these stories to appeal to different audiences. A day was dedicated to applying the skill of critical thinking to building challenges, through a fairytale genre. Year 2 explored how to grow tomato plants in a sustainable way, learning the benefits of this process. They designed different technologies that would enhance plant growth while protecting them from our Stage 1 rabbit. Year 3 created Ninja warrior courses as a part of their exciting Maths Investigation Day. Year 4 designed and built packages to safely transport a biscuit under extreme conditions. Year 5 students were posed the questions – How do people and environments influence one another? How do people influence places and the management of spaces within them? Students used the Googik Track and land at the rear of the school to investigate alternative land uses considerate of the geography, flora and fauna, sustainability and planning regulations. Year 6 students were asked to show to what extent our family history determines who we are.
Our Sustainability Committee has been active this term with bread clips collecting, waste bin liners and their collaboration with the Lunchbox Leftovers program and MidWAste NSW, a part of the NSW Governments’ Love Food Hate Waste Program. The message of “‘Make your Own Lunch’ is a great opportunity for our school to trial an innovative sustainability action while also helping our school families to save money and help children develop independence. Our Committee will certainly miss Mrs Rosenbaum when she goes on Maternity Leave next term.
The introduction of Google Meets this term for Parent Teacher interviews was well received by our community. An overwhelming majority of parents agreed that the video interview platform was easy and effective to use and they felt well informed about their child’s progress at school. It is likely that this format will be a part of our offerings in 2021. Thank you to all those who replied to our online survey about interviews and also Semester and Progressive reporting. Mrs Stephanie Cairns (K – 12 Coordinator of Literacy and Numeracy) will be in touch with parents who volunteered to be a member of our focus group.
Our two athletics ‘Wellness Days’ were such an enormous success. A big thanks to Mr Tony Judge and Mrs Sarah Jones who made the days run seamlessly whilst still maintaining a sense of fun and House Spirit. SCAS Primary Tennis Championships were held on campus and it was great to see our students enjoying Iona Netball and Soccer again. Co-curricular Running Club, athletics and basketball skills will continue next term, with hopefully the addition of cricket with Mr James.
This term we farewell Mr Bruce Little for his contributions to St Columba Anglican School, but specifically his role as the Foundation Head of Primary. Bruce was instrumental in the development of the dynamic, beautiful and caring Primary School that we have today. Mr Little was integral to the development of the HRIS network which provided our students with many opportunities in both sporting and academic pursuits. The growth of the school from 79 students in its first year, to our current enrolment numbers of 1150, is testament to his dedication, faith and love of our school. He is already missed by his 3L students.
Term 4 will bring some challenges in terms of event planning but we will make sure that our students celebrate the end of the year with meaning and a sense of achievement.
What events are currently in the planning for Term 4?
2021 – Please note that Grandparents Day will be held in Semester 2, as will our school camps.
Next term we will have our first taste of using The Burch Sustainability and Environment Centre for Science activities. This building is a beautiful space for learning and inquiry. Look out for a Virtual Tour.
The support of our families has made the transition to new routines and connections happen. We are very thankful. I know all families will have a restful and happy Spring break. Enjoy the weather.
Ms Shannon Rosewood
Head of Primary School