eNews Term 1, Week 9, 2025

On Monday of Week 9, Mrs Nicki Clifford and Mrs Lisa Watkins met with students in Years 2 to 6 and interested Middle Years students to share information about Children’s University (CU). CU is an innovative program that engages children and young people in exciting, out-of-school learning opportunities to increase their chances for educational achievement and rewards them for taking responsibility for their own learning.

Students record hours for the out of school learning they participate in and if enough hours are recorded, they have the opportunity to graduate at Bonython Hall in Adelaide. Interested students took a note home with a QR code. This QR code is where families need to go to register their child. The QR code will automatically be closed by CU staff at the end of business on Thursday 27th March, therefore please ensure any registrations are completed before this time.

We are now in the third week of Lent, a time of personal preparation for Easter. 

Looking for something worthwhile to do for yourself during the coming season of Lent?  How about having a look at how you participate as a member of our single human family that is equally marvellous, fascinating and perhaps threatening in its diversity.  Lent is often a time given over to ‘holy’ words of repentance and promises of self-reform but: “However many words you speak, what good will they do if you do not act on them?” (Buddha) 

The challenges of our times are not only political and social, but they are also spiritual: “The modern world is ‘desacralised’, that is why it is in crisis.  The modern person must rediscover a deeper source of personal spiritual life.” (Carl Jung) It is difficult to grow spiritually, morally or ethically, if we fail to give due recognition that all people are equally valuable and important.  We can’t grow spiritually, morally or ethically if we belittle people different to us in their appearance, manner and customs to make us feel more important as human beings.  We will begin to grow spiritually, morally or ethically, when we are ready to sincerely embrace the truth and fascination of our differences and welcome the common yearnings we have about life.

“Whatever our culture, religion or language, we want food, shelter and good health.  We want to be able to get up in the morning, enthusiastically, and sleep safely at night.  We want health, safety and happiness for our loved ones.  We want to know that our lives our purposeful and sometimes gracious.  We want to feel part of something greater than ourselves.  We want and need inspiration and meaning.” (Extract: Seeking the scared)

Our spiritually is as personal as our breath or our fingerprint, but, as we move through the forty days of Lent, we might on occasion, surrender freely to the quiet within us, to rediscover the resources and strengths that are there.  We might begin to see better and appreciate more, the value of our existence, to see ourselves with more gratitude and respect and to see others in a like manner.  

Lent concludes on Palm Sunday, April 6th a day we remember Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem which begins Holy Week.  Holy Week reminds us of the great love Jesus has for us as he journeyed to his death on the Cross which ultimately resulted in his resurrection to become our great Saviour giving us hope for eternal life.

On Wednesday, April 9th and Thursday, April 10th at 9:15 please join us for the Easter Plays with Mrs Liebich and our Year 5 students.  The Easter Plays tell us about the Passion and death of Jesus at the first Easter that we remember during Holy Week.

This term, Year 3 students have been busy across all learning areas!

In Maths, we have completed two units. In our Place Value unit, students explored numbers beyond 1,000, including four- and five-digit numbers. We also worked on Calculation Strategies, where students learned different ways to solve addition and subtraction problems, such as counting on, bridging through 10, and using number bonds. Additionally, we have been developing our multiplication skills by exploring the 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 times tables and their rules.

In English, students have written a book review and planned a narrative, which they will develop into a full story in the coming weeks. We have also focused on improving handwriting and grammar skills to support their writing.

In Technologies, we completed a Sustainability unit, where students explored ways to reuse materials and applied their learning to design and construct solar ovens using recycled materials.

In Science, we have been investigating Earth and Space Science, with a particular focus on rocks and soil. Students have explored different types of rocks, how they are formed, and why soil is important for our environment.

It has been a fantastic term of learning so far!

SPORTS DAY REMINDERS AND PROGRAM

When?

This Friday the 28th of March

Where?
Do not drop your children off at school, please drop off your children at the corner of Beatty Tce and Cooke Street on the Murray Bridge United Soccer field. Sports Day will start and finish there.

Before arriving:
1. Hair colouring can be worn (applied before arriving to sports day)
2. Students can wear coloured zinc (applied before arriving to sports day)
3. Students can wear team colour ribbons in their hair
4. Plain white socks, school sport shorts, team coloured T-shirt or polo (shoulders covered) and
school hat.
5. Bring your own sunscreen if you are allergic to school supplied sunscreen.
6. Pack your recess and lunch.
7. Water bottle – extra water will be located in the first aid area for refills
8. Relabel hats and jumpers
9. Bring any required medications (eg. Asthma Puffers)

Program:
A program has been sent home today and a copy has been put up on SeeSaw.

Sports Day Morning:
Between 8:30am and 8:50am, Reception to Year 3 students need to meet their teacher in front of their Year Level marquees on the Soccer Field. The class roll will be called there before walking down to the Cricket Oval to begin Sports Day. The Year 4 to 9 students need to meet their teacher between these times at the Year Level signs on the Cricket Oval.

At 8:55am, all students will gather in front of the team flags on the Cricket Oval to begin proceedings.

Our school will be participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge again this year. For any parents or caregivers who have not heard of it or not had their child/ren participate in it before – here is some information for you: 

Every year the Premier of South Australia challenges students from Reception to Year 12 to read 12 books by September. This year the challenge finishes on the 5th September. 

The Premier’s Reading Challenge continues to be an important initiative that supports the State Government’s commitment to Literacy Guarantee for young South Australians and encourages them to enjoy reading. 

The Reading Challenge requires students to read in total 12 books (For Rec – Year 6 usually 8 chosen or labelled books plus 4 own choice books and for Years 7-9 usually 4 chosen or labelled books plus 8 own choice books). 

The students (or teachers for the younger grades) will record the name of the book and the author and this is signed by either a parent, teacher or library staff. 

When classes visit the library each week, a Premier’s Reading Challenge book is usually read and recorded on a form kept in the library. 

Last year all 12 books for Reception to Year 4 were read just in library sessions. Teachers in Year 5 & 6 included class novels and the students also included books of their own choosing as well.  

This year we would like to encourage more participation from Middle Years students to complete the challenge – so at school we are looking at ways to engage them to participate and we encourage families to do the same. 

Last year our school had over 400 students complete the challenge, so we are looking to at least match that number again this year. 

When students complete the challenge for the first time they receive a certificate, and from then on it is a progressive medal each year which will be presented to students sometime in November. 

If parents/students would like a blank form to fill in, please direct them to ask their teacher or library staff.  Also if you have any questions about the challenge, please don’t hesitate to ask. 

NATIONAL FAMILY READING MONTH is an initiative that represents the heart of our business— literacy being the key to learning and achievement. We believe that all children, with the help of their families and reading role models, can benefit from a lifelong love of reading. 

This year marks the 29th Scholastic’s National Family Reading Month (NFRM), which encourages families to read together on a regular basis to create strong reading habits. Most of us know how important reading together is and its long-term value to our children’s success in school and in life. However, we also know it is not always that easy to put into practice with our busy schedules and increasing competition with screen time. 

That is why we ask you to take the 31-Day Challenge— to inspire you to make reading together for at least 10 minutes every day a focus, to create positive, long-lasting reading habits and lifelong readers! 
 
NFRM will launch on, THURSDAY 1ST OF MAY 2025, AT 11AM AEST AND 1PM NZST where it will be livestreamed all across Australia and New Zealand via Facebook and YouTube. Mr Luke will read his book Guess What We Are Doing Today? together with illustrator Chris Kennett and kick off the 31-Day Challenge, as we READ EVERY DAY! READ MORE IN MAY! 
 
You are invited to go to our website to download more assets and join the 31-Day Reading Challenge with us. Visit scholastic.com.au/nfrm for downloads, reading tips and exclusive content from Mr Luke. 
 
Let’s encourage the 31-Day Reading Challenge and celebrate National Family Reading Month together!