Middle School Newsletter - Term 1, Week 5

 

 Term 1, Week 5

What an amazing fortnight of fun and learning we have had in the Middle school! One of the highlights was meeting with many parents on Wednesday to discuss your wonderful children. It was fantastic to chat with you all and learn more about your child so we are able to assist with both their academic and emotional learning to ensure they are happy and challenged throughout their school day. Please remember we are available to discuss any issues, concerns or celebrations in person, via phone, FlexiBuzz or email throughout the year. Strong links between home and school go a long way to assisting the success of your child.

We are now officially half way through Term 1 and are very proud of the mature way the students are conducting themselves. We are very proud of the academic progress and the caring and kind manner in which students are interacting and supporting each other. 

We hope you enjoy reading our 'new-look' newsletter. Students are excited to have a turn at being published reporters each fortnight, writing about and photographing the amazing things we are doing in the classroom and around the school. Stay tuned for the fortnight when your child will be a star reporter!

Monday March 4: Yoga (Session 4)

Monday March 11: LABOUR DAY

Monday March 18: Yoga (Session 5) 
Thursday March 21st: Harmony Day
Friday March 22nd: Woolworths Excursion
Wednesday April 3rd: Eat4Life Incursion
Friday April 5th: Last day Term 1
Tuesday April 23rd: First Day Term 
Thursday April 25th: Anzac Day

THANK YOU

We would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Ben Whalan and his apprentice Riley for giving up their time to design and build the amazing seats outside our new STEM room. The Middle School really enjoy working in this area and the new outdoor addition makes it extra special. 

Thanks Ben and Riley, we think you are amazing!

SWIMMING

Congratulations to the students who have been selected to represent MPPS in the District Swimming Carnival. 

Please see the information regarding this event below.

 

In READING GROUPS this fortnight the Middle School have been predicting and inferring.

In Comprehension we are predicting and inferring. First we read a short story then stop in the middle and write or discuss what we predict will happen. Then we read the rest of the book and share our predictions.

In Spelling we choose an activity from the Activity Grid and use our homework words to complete the activity in our Spelling books.

For Reading Eggs (the Middle School's favourite)we either complete our set lessons or read a book in the library and complete the comprehension tasks.

Finally, in Guided Reading the teacher has helped us read an extract of a story then predict what we thought would happen in the rest of the story after what has already happened.

Written by Genevieve and Miles

During the past few weeks in WRITING we have been learning to use descriptive language in our narratives.

We also completed character profiles to help with our descriptive writing, we studied characters from Matilda and we found this to be enjoyable.

We have been learning about using similes to make our writing interesting, such as 'she's as lucky as a four leaf clover'.

We also wrote to another student in our class about our weekends, this helped us write an interesting recount in letter form. Finally, we learnt how to write interesting story starters and closings for our narratives.

Written by Amy W and Phoenix 

During INQUIRY over the past two weeks we have participated in 'Getting To Know You'. We made silhouettes of ourselves and drew things we liked inside it. We also played a Bingo game and ticked off  boxes which had questions such as, 'find someone with 3 siblings'. The first person to get 5 in a row was the winner. We also did an activity with a shield, and drew family related things inside. We have done many other great activities to get to know each other.

This week we started our Healthy Humans unit. We are learning how to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. On 22nd March we are going to Woolworths at Thrift Park to learn about eating and enjoying a healthy diet.

Written by Madi and Sammy

PHOTOS by Emme,

PHOTOS by Austin,

*Homework: Students have been putting a fantastic effort into their homework and this week have introduced an additional Inquiry based activity. Students are familiar with the SMART spelling program. Each night, they should "Look, Cover, Write, Check" for each of their highlighted words, as well as their BOB Words (refers to Back of Book - practice words from their daily writing.) Students have an additional activity grid to choose a spelling activity from each week or an activity from a topic we are focusing on in class may be included. A minimum of 15 minutes of reading each night can be recorded in their Reading Journal. Please speak to your child's teacher if you have any questions about the homework process.

* Please ensure that all students wear helmets if they are riding or scooting to school. If students are not wearing a helmet, they risk serious injury in the event of a crash. 

* We always welcome parent/family helpers in the classroom. If you are interested, please ensure you provide a copy of your Working With Children Check to the office. More information can be found at: http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/  

* Term 1 is a SunSmart term - please ensure your child has a MPPS wide brim hat for recess and lunchtimes. Students without hats will be asked to play in the shaded areas.

*Attendance Requirements

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify the school as soon as possible on the day of absence, through FlexiBuzz, phone or email. Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfill your legal responsibility. From Term 2 2018 onward, all Victorian government schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence. If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained. This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.

 

We have started our STEM, Language Studies & Library sessions in the Middle School this week and we have had a ball! Using Sphero robots in STEM, learning some brand new words in Greek, and enjoying our book hunts during Library sessions have been the highlights of our week. We are looking forward to sharing these new subjects with students, and watching their creativity flow!

Middle School Newsletter 2019 - Term 1, Week 3

 

 Term 1, Week 3

Happy New Year and welcome back to all our Mentone Park families! After a long and busy holiday period, we were so pleased to reconnect with the students and parents in the Middle School. The move down to the former 1/2 area went smoothly, and the area is looking fresh and different for our 3/4 students. Being so close to the STEM room is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn, play and explore with a variety of amazing resources (including the 3D printer we have on trial!), and we are very excited to make full use of the space! The 3/4 students have transitioned well into their new year levels and classrooms, enjoying coming together for Monday Mingle, Open Ended Maths Sessions, as well as some Literacy Activities. As we get to know each other better, and get to understand the individual needs and goals of each student, the area will become more collaborative, something the students are quite used to now. We are looking forward to speaking with parents at the Meet the Teacher night on February 27, which will be a great chance for you to discuss the skills, goals and needs of your child. Use this link to book your time now - visit www.schoolinterviews.com.au and use the code ppywv.

 

Friday February 15: House Swimming Carnival (3-6)

Monday February 18: Yoga (Session 2) 

Monday February 25: Yoga (Session 3)

Wednesday February 27: Meet the Teacher

Monday March 4: Yoga (Session 4)

Monday March 11: LABOUR DAY

Monday March 18: Yoga (Session 5) 

 

In READING this fortnight, we have been learning to make connections between the text and our own lives, as well as other texts.

During WRITING this week, we are working on structure and character development in narrative writing.

Our latest topic in MATHS has been place value, and we have been focusing on open ended activities.

* Homework has begun and the students are familiar with the SMART spelling program. Each night, they should "Look, Cover, Write, Check" for each of their highlighted words, as well as their BOB Words (refers to Back of Book - practice words from their daily writing.) Students have an additional activity grid to choose a spelling activity from each week or an activity from a topic we are focusing on in class may be included. A minimum of 15 minutes of reading each night can be recorded in their Reading Journal. Please speak to your child's teacher if you have any questions about the homework process.

* Please ensure that all students wear helmets if they are riding or scooting to school. If students are not wearing a helmet, they risk serious injury in the event of a crash. 

* We always welcome parent/family helpers in the classroom. If you are interested, please ensure you provide a copy of your Working With Children Check to the office. More information can be found at: http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/  

* Term 1 is a SunSmart term - please ensure your child has a MPPS wide brim hat for recess and lunchtimes. Students without hats will be asked to play in the shaded areas.

*Attendance Requirements

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify the school as soon as possible on the day of absence, through FlexiBuzz, phone or email. Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfill your legal responsibility. From Term 2 2018 onward, all Victorian government schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence. If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained. This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.