2021 Term 1 .... Issue 1

Welcome to our new eNewsletter

This year we will be using a digital format for our newsletter. We hope that you will enjoy viewing and sharing this newsletter whilst helping to support our aim to use less paper.  Please be patient whilst we are trialing this new system and as we move along we will find out what other benefits are available with this program.

From the Leadership Team ......

What an amazing few weeks. Everyone has been busy setting-up for a successful year by focussing on building positive relationships in the studio and on the learner qualities that are important for learning.

This year there will be focus on Literacy and Numeracy. 

The following documents highlight how we approach these key areas of learning at Banb:

Blue 1 and 2

In Blue we have been learning about school routines and how to fill buckets. We are developing our feelings words and are meeting our Kimochis, who help teach us about feelings, solving problems and how to be a good friend.

We are learning about our feelings and how to be kind. Aiza

We have been counting how many days we have been at school. Abubaker Today we are going to level up to 16! Zamen

We have been reading books. Shazil And we have been making ‘all about me’ books. Bisudha

We have been learning writing and Lovey Dove. Ignacio

We have been learning about numbers. Rupan

Purple 6

This term Purple West have had a strong focus around Belonging, Being and Becoming. The children have been encouraged to talk about who they are, where they are from and things that are important to them.

‘Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighbourhood and a wider community. Belonging acknowledges children’s interdependence with others and the basis of relationships in defining identities. In early childhood, and throughout life, relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging. Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become.’ (EYLF, 2009, pg.7)

Yellow 4

In Yellow 4 for our BBB theme we did self-portrait and stringed them on the world map to see where we come from.

Amazingly we found that most of us have come from the centre of the world.

Yellow South West

Belonging, being, becoming

We have started a whole new adventure in 2021. Studios Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Yellow 7 have teamed up in the Yellow Neighbourhood. We are situated at the western end and call ourselves Yellow South West (YSW). It is a completely new TEAM of adults with a whole range of skills, abilities and experience. We would like to introduce our TEAM; Learning Advisors Yellow 5 – Amelia, Yellow 6 – Steph/Brooke, Yellow 7 – Nathan supported by Concetta and Michelle as Literacy Partners. We also have Liz and Janet as SSO’s to support children in our end of the neighbourhood. We are also extremely grateful to have our studio learning complemented by a number of innovative programs. Animals will be visiting us on Wednesdays, and we have regular timetabled sessions in the Kitchen/Garden. We welcome you all to call in and visit our corner of the school.

In the first four weeks it has been all about the BBB. Belonging, Being and Becoming.

Our focus was to develop a code-of-conduct for YSW and then each studio. We discussed developing the skill of a CODE-SWITCH and then the code-of-conduct expected in different areas of the school. All the behaviours discussed were put through the filter of the Play is the Way life raft’s key concepts, so we made sure everyone understood the language and their personal responsibilities. All this now meant we needed to test it out and so in TEAMS we undertook a huge number of team building games, problem solving activities, and random group challenges designed to put all children out of their comfort zones and test their emotional regulation. See the images below.

Red 1

Welcome back everyone to another year of learning from Studio Red One. While the year has only started we have been involved in a wide range of activities that have resulted in some great learning opportunities already.

On top of our normal curriculum topics our learners have started the Kitchen – Garden programs, Bike ED, BBB, Flag raising ceremonies, young leaders applications and MATES session with purple 5. In the coming weeks we will excursions, Aquatics, pool day and much more. The photos attached are links to our community where you can watch your child and interact with their learning. Thanks David

Red 5

World Read Aloud Day

In week 3 we celebrated World Read Aloud Day. All of red with Purple headed to the forest for a morning of reading. Learning Advisors and Leadership filled the five stages to share their favourite books. The Learners choose either choose a mat to join or created their own reading circles reading aloud and listening to others.

MIX UP MATH MORNING

The red neighbourhood also kicked started their year of mathematics with a ‘Mix Up Math’ morning. Learners were placed in groups with members outside their homegroup. Their job was to visit each Learning Advisor and slove the problem. Once solved they would receive a letter of the alphabet. Their goal was to solve each problem, unjumble to letters to have a word. The learners displayed our PITW values by Being Brave, Pursuing their personal best and showed persistence and resilience when working through each problem. 

Red 6

Red 6: It is the start of a unique year for the year 6/7’s. We have unpacked the PITW Principles, being resilient and The Growth Mindset, The Learning Pit, The Productive Struggle, getting out of our comfort zone, how to give feedback, among other things. From this we set some expected behaviours, to create our studio culture.

Literacy: We began doing word investigations together as a group, looking at PITW empathy words. We looked at the origin, it’s meaning, visualise the word, pull the word apart to put into syllables, add suffixes and prefixes and discuss how this changes the meaning and type of word it is, and then put the word into a sentence. The children do before and after views of what they know about the word also. We’ve also began spelling contracts, reading about the birth of farming, and how history needs to be rewritten to include the fact that Aboriginal Australians indeed did cultivate the land (brilliantly I might add), and were in fact the first bread makers on Earth. The children have just began writing the first draft of their stories too.

Maths: Maths we’ve done some pretesting and started on addition and subtraction in the studio. We’ve started whole neighbourhood workshops focussing on number sense, with a view to progressively building on previously understood concepts.

Science: This term the children voted to do Space and Earth Sciences. This is always a topic that created a sense of wonder and awe, for the children and the LA.

It’s been a good start to the year, long may it proceed.

PE News

Way2Go Bike Education Program

Over the past three weeks, learners in the Red Neighbourhood have been participating in the Way2Go Bike Education program. The program promotes active and safe travel to and from school. It has been a great opportunity for our learners to learn how to ride a bike and learn the road rules. Over the next three weeks our learners will be putting everything they have learnt into practice while riding on the road.

National Ride2School Day- Friday 19^th of March

National Ride2School Day is the perfect opportunity to kick-start new healthy habits and promote the many benefits of active travel.
We encourage all students and their families to leave the car at home and give riding, walking, scooting or skating to school a go.

It’s sure to be a fantastic day and we look forward to seeing you there!

Sporting Schools After School Cricket

Over the past week learners at BANB7 have been participating in the Sporting Schools Cricket program. The program was funded using the Sporting Schools funding and have given learners the opportunity to participate in four cricket lessons. During the sessions, learners have been practicing a variety of different skills including  throwing, catching, batting and bowling. It has been great to see all learners 'Being Brave' and 'Pursuing Their Personal Best', The program will continue for the next three weeks.  

RAA Bike Donations

A big thankyou to the RAA for donating BANB7 ten brand new bikes through the RAA’s Community Giving initiative. This is a big help in our quest to educate our school community to actively travel to and from school therefore leading to lower carbon emissions and reducing congestion around school drop off zones. The new bikes will be used in many PE lessons in years to come. A special thankyou to David Fairlie from the RAA.

Many thanks to all staff who have helped support and facilitate these great programs.

PE JOSH