I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students and their families for their wonderful support throughout Term 3. As you can see, it has been such a rich and rewarding experience for our students in so many ways, made possible through the support of our families. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated team of staff in the Primary School who all work so tirelessly to enhance the educational experience for your children.
Here are just some of the highlights of Term 3:
Book Week was a standout for staff and students. Mrs Emily Barkway, our Library Manager, planned an array of activities that ranged from visiting authors, movie screenings, Write Around the School and The Big SCAS Read Off! What a week!
Student led teacher interviews happened for our Stage 3 students. The feedback from staff, parents and students has been overwhelmingly positive. Well done to our articulate and independent Year 5 and 6 learners.
Mrs Chambers and Mr Rikmanis (Directors of Teaching and Learning) led an Assessment and Reporting Survey with staff and parents. We were pleased with the level of responses and the support for ongoing, authentic and continuous communication with parents. We will use our findings to improve our reporting in 2020. We hope to also use the results of our AIS Perspectives Survey that was completed by Years 5 and 6 students, as well as parents and staff.
April Crutcher led our NAIDOC celebrations to highlight this year’s theme – Voice, Truth and Treaty. Activities in Primary classes included ‘Move it Mob Style,’ traditional games, yarning circles, weaving and cooking lemon myrtle pancakes. Visiting presenters and parents who were involved are warmly thanked for their contribution to this important day.
We had fantastic enrichment programs happening with amazing success for our Year 6 debaters and Chess teams. We had several students attend the Lachlan Macquarie Gifted and Talented Mathematics Competition.
The Performing Arts continue to shine with a week of workshops with the Australian Ballet and an amazing drama performance at the Port Macquarie Eisteddfod. Obviously, preparations for Matilda the Musical are in full swing. A school venture like this takes a great deal of time and energy for staff and students, and we wish the production team good luck!
Vocal Showcases are an important part of the co-curricular program and we congratulate all our choral performers who performed on the night. Sunshine Voices also sang at Bethany Nursing Home and were well received by an enraptured audience. String and Band Soirees will be held in Term 4 to celebrate the Year 3 and Year 5 instrumental programs.
Our Sustainability Committee is starting to make a real difference in the Primary School. Using the house points system and Boost Juice vouchers as incentives for nude food lunch boxes has seen Years 3 to 6 bringing over 1100 nude lunchboxes this year. Look out for the Waste Wise initiative and beeswax lunch wrapper workshops. Our Koala Smart group will be selling bag tags and letterbox signs to raise money for the Koala Hospital in Term 4.
Year 6 students have been developing a correspondence relationship with the residents at Emmaus Nursing Home. We hope to visit the facility in Term 4 to further our students’ understanding of Service in our community and meet some interesting people.
The Stage 1 Athletics Carnival was a fantastic day. Our older students have been having phenomenal success at PSSA, HRIS and CIS level of competition. Special congratulations to Trent Alley who collected a bronze and two gold medals at the School Sport Australia Cross Country Championships held in Kembla Grange. Trent also won two gold medals and one silver medal at the NSW Combined Independent Schools Athletics Carnival held at Sydney Olympic Park later in the term. Congratulations also to Levi Beard who won a gold medal representing NSW at the School Sport Australia Hockey Championships held in Bendigo.
In Term 3, Mr Tony Judge successfully introduced off-site sport activities (rock climbing, cheerleading/tumbling and roller skating) to Years 5 and 6. SCAS hosted Manning Valley Anglican School for our annual sporting challenge which was played in great spirit.
Plenty of excursions and incursions including Fairytale Day, Timbertown, Ox-Hill Farm, Marine Animals, ‘The Twits’, Surf Educate, Bravehearts, Extreme Sports Investigation Day… the amazing opportunities go on.
I hope all families have a wonderful break and look forward to the exciting plans that are evolving for Term 4. A little sneak peek…Year 5 Leadership Day, Learn to Swim, Year 2 Sleepover, Step Up Day, SCAS Art Show, French Day and Tour de SCAS!
Invitations for the following special events will also be sent early in Term 4:
- 2 December – Year 6 Graduation Dinner and Disco
- 4 December – St Columba Carols in the Amphitheatre
- 5 December – Primary Sports Awards (Years 3 to 6)
- 6 December – Kindergarten Awards and Stage 1 Celebration of Learning (Years 1 and 2)
- 9 December – Primary Awards (Years 3 to 6)
Shannon Rosewood Head of Primary, St Columba Anglican School |