CARROLL PUBLIC SCHOOL
Newsletter
Week 3, Term 1, 2011
CLASSROOM PROGRAMS
Programs in literacy and numeracy commenced this week. Our new
students are adapting very well to the ‘multistage’ learning
environment.
Great work Kiara
Jack is very proud of his work.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Each Monday between 11.30 and 12.30pm children will be engaged
in specific ‘problem-solving’. A problem is a task or situation for
which there is no immediate or obvious solution, so that
problem-solving refers to processes used when engaging with this
task. Problem solving lies at the heart of mathematics and it does
not come easily to most students or even adults for that matter. It
is important therefore that children, our children, are given many
opportunities or experiences to engage with problems, if they are
to develop this crucial ability of ‘problem solving’. As our
‘problem solving’ program develops and students grapple with
problems, their meaning and their solutions, it is hoped that the
children will learn a great deal about mathematics and mathematical
reasoning.
Kev, Rory and Pete working hard on a solution to their
problem!
This program commenced on Monday. Each week in the school
newsletter a problem that was posed to one particular year or stage
group will be explained. The success of a student or students in
solving the problem will be published.
Year 5/6 – Coloured Cubes
Students Caleb Faint, Marty Vine, Kane Spradbrow and Jeremy
Hattam firstly had to use three different colours to make a square
in which each row and column had exactly one cube of each colour.
This was the easy part! They then had to build the square into a
cube so that on every face each row and column has exactly one cube
of each colour. In order to complete the task successfully, the
students had to use spatial visualisation and logical reasoning to
solve the problem.
All students were able to complete the first part of the task
but only one, Kane Spradbrow was able to successfully complete the
second, more complex part of the task. Well done, Kane!!
Well done Kane
MAGICAL MUSOS to MAESTROS
Tuition will commence in drums, piano, guitar and violin next
week. The timetable is as follows:
Lessons will be every Monday commencing Monday, January 14,
2011. There are three Gunnedah children (Kane, Brock & Braiden)
involved in drum lessons. I have allocated from 3.00pm – 4.30pm for
these children. Kane, Brock & Braiden will be able to stay at
the school, supervised, until the last lesson concludes at 4.30pm.
I ask that mums Roteena and Ann-Marie work out a timetable for
picking the children up at 4.30pm, please and to just let me know
what has been organised. Thankyou.
The drum lesson timetable is as follows:
2.30 – 3.00 pm – Harry Woodhead & Jack Memorey (These two
boys will be learning to play drum patterns while becoming familiar
with the concept of rhythm on our newly acquired bongo drums.
3.00pm – 3.30pm – Brock Watton
3.30 pm – 4.00pm- Braiden Watton
4.00pm – 4.30pm – Kane Spradbrow
4.30pm – 5.00pm – Jeremy Hattam
5.00pm – 5.30pm – Caleb Faint
5.30pm -6.00pm – Pete Mifsud
Di, Brad is happy to give you guitar lessons on this day (6.00pm
– 6.30pm)
On Friday a violin and a piano teacher will be coming to the
school.
Two students Courtney and Kev and Learning support Officer Miss
Constable have indicated that they would like to learn the violin.
Violin lessons will take the form of a group lesson on Friday and
will occur within school time. Courtney and Kev will need to visit
Cheapa Music in Tamworth as they have to be fitted for the right
size violin. Parents will have this responsibility and this will
have to be done after school before next Friday, please. You will
need to let me know which afternoon you are going over so that I
can let them know at Cheapa Music. On this afternoon, your child
will be given the violin to bring back to school. The school will
be paying for the violins.
Individual piano lessons will also occur on Friday within school
time. Two students, Rory and Marty have indicated that they would
like to take piano lessons.
Kiara has indicated that she would just like to learn the
recorder.
It is very important that children try very hard in these
lessons and that they practise at home. If your child indicates
that he/she is simply not interested in continuing any of the above
lessons, I will need to know, as this will allow a more dedicated
student to receive two lessons per week instead of just one.
Children had their second recorder lesson this week. The focus
was on counting beats in a bar, rhythm (short and long notes) and
quavers while playing the note ‘G’ on the recorder. This was
achieved through three short pieces of music – Count the Beat,
Snoring and Slam Dunk. All children will continue to learn the
recorder while learning to read music.
SMALL SCHOOLS SWIMMING CARNIVAL
The Small Schools Swimming Carnival will be held next Wednesday
at Gunnedah Memorial Pool. Teacher, Mrs Norris and Learning Support
Officers, Meegan Constable and Robyn Hattam will provide the
supervision on this day. This is always are a very enjoyable day.
Parents, relatives and friends are most welcome to attend.
A note regarding the carnival is enclosed in the newsletter. I
will be at the school writing Carroll Public School’s ANNUAL SCHOOL
REPORT.
MONDAY 14th February 2011-02-10
Next Monday I will be attending a very important workshop on
Persuasive Writing which will be held in Tamworth. My attendance at
this workshop is vital as in this year’s NAPLAN writing assessment,
children in years 3 and 5 will be required to write a persuasive
text. The classroom program will be as normal on this day. Mrs
Norris will be the teacher in charge.
Following are also dates that I will not be at school. All occur
on Thursday so that the usual school program of Measurement and
Science & Technology, implemented by Mrs Norris, will not be
interrupted.
February 17th, 2011 School Education Group Meeting
February 24th, 2011 Primary Principals Association Meeting
March 10th, 2011 Maintenance & Cleaning Contract Meeting
March 17th & 18th Regional Principals Conference
GRABBIT AWARD
Look what we can choose from!!!
The first recipient of our GRABBIT award was kindergarten
student, Harry Woodhead. Harry has been working very hard and by
Wednesday had accumulated his ten stickers. This fine effort
entitled him to pick a gift out of the GRABBIT BOX and a GRABBIT
AWARD certificate. Congratulations Harry!
Harry with his first award
Early Starters (Carroll Smarties)
The Early Starters Class will commence next Tuesday from 9.30am
– 12 .30pm. At this stage we will only be running the program for
one day a week. The program is only for children who will be
enrolling in Kindergarten at Carroll Public School in 2012. Could
all children attending please bring a piece of fruit and
recess.
Class Visitors
Marty Viner brought in his two pet frogs for us to meet during
the week. They are certainly well cared for. Definitely CLUB MED
for Marty’s frogs!!
Club MED for FROGS
Enjoy a wonderful week everyone!
Kind regards,
Christine Patison
(Principal – Carroll Public School)
