Another Newsflash, another Term ending....

I wanted to dedicate my Principal's Message this week to celebrate the success of some of our outstanding students in the last few weeks and some of the fun we have had along the way!

I am sure once you have read and seen the achievements below you will become even more proud of our students and school than you were before.

First I would like to congratulate Emily (Xinyuu) XU for being awarded a Ministers Award for Excellence in the Departments Community Language School Program.

Emily received this award for her dedication, effort and achievement to her language and cultural activities. This is an outstanding achievement and Emily is to be commended for her commitment to her studies. Congratulations Emily. We are all very proud of your achievement!

Below is a small recount I asked Emily to write to share her experience with our community.

On Monday 4th of September, I was very honoured to attend the Minister’s award ceremony at UNSWW in the city. The awards were for academic excellence in community languages. Each language school had a representative to attend. Some had multiple representatives. Everyone receiving an award was required to wear their cultural clothing. 

Once I entered theUNSWW hall where the ceremony was occurring, I was shocked by the amount of people attending this ceremony. There were more than 164 students that were receiving an award for being commended and highly commended, 10 of which received the Minister’s award. These children came from a variety of different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, all wearing different colours to represent their language schools and community. 

The process was entertaining but tedious. All the award recipients were invited into the hall first for a test run. This started at 5 pm. The real session started at around 6 - 6:30 and ended at 8. There was the introduction and then the welcome to the country. During the entire process, the minister’s award recipients were asked to host the event in their native tongue. Then, there was an exhilarating performance from a group oftibetann learners, who played amazingly on their zhamuu (atibetann instrument that resembles achineseeerhuu). The song was eccentric and fast-paced, accompanied by hand-held percussion and the wonderful singing of the performers. 

Afterwards, the award ceremony really began. First were the commended awards for both junior and senior recipients. Then was highly commended. Afterwards, there was a special round for announcing the minister’s awards for 2023 and also the junior and senior ambassadors. 

During this event, I witnessed the true meaning of being bilingual and multicultural. Australia is such a culturally diverse country, and every one of the 300 recognised languages spoken should be heard and respected. Multiculturalism is a major part of the Australian community and plays an important role in what we become in the future. I hope that everyone can learn a second language and see what all the 62 languages being taught in NSW have to offer.

As part of science and geography, Year 3 visited the Australian Museum. They used hands on experiences and problem-solving skills to learn how specialised features help animals survive in their environment. Students in 3SK combined their informative writing skills with knowledge gained from their visit to the museum and wrote information reports about the different exhibitions on offer at the Australian Museum.   

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited into our Year 5OC classrooms to view their end of term project where they had been asked to demonstrate their exceptional understanding of Earth and Space through a diverse range of mediums. From intricate terrarium models and captivating biosphere artwork to detailed and thought-provoking information reports, their displays reflected the depth of their learning and creativity. 

I was blown away by the students effort, creativity and individualisation each used to convey their understanding and terms work. The students were so excited showing their work to an audience and their teachers were brimming with pride.

Well done Year 5OC - Keep up the deep learning!

Year Five students have completed the term with a highly detailed study of a endangered species (or a threatened environment.) Integral in this term’s writing unit is understanding the structure and purpose of information reports. Students nominated an area of study either animal or environment under threat to discover the current situation; including threats to existence, both immediate and long term, and prognosis for the future.

All students completed the research about their area of study and then created a narrative using facts to create a compelling story which they made into a picture book. They used diagrams, maps and drawings to add detail to their books. The model for this task is a book by Alison Lester and Colleen Tulloch, titled One Small Island which tells the tale of Macquarie Island; its history, demise and eventual recovery after scientific intervention.

The completion of the task was celebrated in the school library, with a Meet the Author event where the best books from each class were introduced by their author to the other students of Year Five.

The passion is evident in these books, students are highly motivated to send the message that The Future Starts Now and sustainability is no longer a preferable strategy, but the only way forward to ensure a future for these animals, or indeed this planet.

Books are on display in the school Library for a limited time.

Last night, our awesome Year 6 cohort lit up the stage with their 'The Amazing Race, Artarmon' performance. Again, I was so proud to watch this amazing group of students shine on stage and have so much fun in the process. The teachers and students created the whole show, including script writing, stage and costume design, technical displays, props, choreography only to be overshadowed by a principal cameo at the end. (joking)

It was so good to see a full house there to support our students and teachers and celebrate their achievement.

A huge thank you to our Yr 6 teachers for everything they have done to make this opportunity possible and to all the staff who stayed to support during the night.

Finally, I want to thank our families for their continued and generous sponsorship of our inaugural Colour Fun Walkathon. 

I know I have sent out individual special edition Newsletters with galleries of our kids covered in Holi powder but I can't resist and think I need to add a few more today as well.

If you have not yet sent in cash or transferred your sponsorship money online, please do so by the end of Week 1 Term 4. In Week 2, we will collate all details and announce individual and class winners.

Remember all monies raised will go to our landscaping project to improve our outdoor playing and learning areas between the hall and canteen.

My final message is to our teachers, non teaching staff, students and entire school community. Thank you for supporting our school this term and contributing to our success and positive culture. 

Enjoy well deserved term break. Stay safe and spend quality time with family, friends and loved ones.

Day one term 4 is, Monday 9th October.