Whispers Week 7 Term 3
Nicola Treacey
TLC Junior School Book Parade
It was the Taylors Lakes Junior School’s Book parade!! And what a parade it was as the characters circled we were all reminded of those places that books take you where the characters light up our world. Who could go past the wonderful adventures of Alice in Wonderland, noting it is 150 years since this was first written, Roald Dahl’s wonderful adventures, namely Fantastic Mr Fox and those wonderful mysteries that Geronimo Stilton takes us on. But, the star of the show was the special guest arrival of Daphne from Scooby Doo. Mrs Klose opened our Book Parade and told us all that we would be graced by Daphne, Scooby Doo music rang through the gym and in danced Daphne to entertain us for the afternoon. She told us about the kind of a character she is, her strengths and information about all of the other loved characters from the comic. Giraffes Can’t Dance was read from the big screen and then the books that had won the Children’s Book Awardsfor 2015 were announced. Each class then paraded around the gym to the claps and cheers of the many parents, staff and students. As the classes went past we were all reminded of the many great stories we have come to know and love. The staff were just as excited as they processed around the gym led by Mrs Fielder, all in their splendid costumes and carrying props. It certainly was a buzz with colour and excitement as we entered the world books; those books that light up all of our lives.
Classroom Essential Agreements
Essential Agreements are a powerful way of bringing out the best in both individuals, small groups, year levels and entire schools. Essentially (pardon the pun) they are a collection of positively framed statements devised by those who will be directly affected by them.
Essential Agreements - PYP In Action – Chatsworth essential-agreements.htm
As I read this quote it confirmed the reasons why we have continued to place such importance of having Essential Agreements in place for the students and staff in Junior School. We have, first hand, seen the engagement that follows when students are given the power to determine the environment they think is conducive to learning. In the classroom it is a collaborative approach to establishing the agreement that everyone takes part in determining. There are many ways to embark on this task. It is also important to realise that these agreements can be ever changing to reflect what is deemed as important and what is valued at specific times throughout the year. It is vital that agreements reflect the agreed upon values of all those involved, which must include the present teacher and students. Recently 4L have together written a new Essential Agreement, they began this process in Circle Time where they shared the sort of environment they wanted their classroom to be. Words like caring, fun, hardworking were thrown into the mix with others like accepting, supportive, challenging and respectful. The students were then given a few minutes to write statements that they felt were important to be included in the agreement. They shared these and all identified key words in statements that stood out to them, these were then included to form the shared class Essential Agreement. The process did take time; there was sharing of information, individual input and a collective agreement that inturn formed 4L’s new Essential Classroom Agreement. All of the students were asked to sign off on the agreement that now forms the code of conduct and is reflective of the classroom environment that all students and their teacher are excited to be a apart of. All classrooms in the Junior Schools have their Essential Agreements visible in the rooms, these are constantly referred to and the language forms a part of the thinking behind acceptable behaviours. Many reflect the College Profiles and through the creation and explicit unpacking of these an understanding of profile language forms a part of the student’s regular vocabulary.
Prep Excursion to the Royal Botanic Gardens
Article by Grace Wen, Mandarin Teacher, Taylors Lakes Campus
Students in Prep attended their very first excursion to the Royal Botanic Gardens on Tuesday 25thof August. The purpose of this excursion was to support the Prep Cross Curricular Learning unit based on the central idea,Plants are a life sustaining resource for us and other living things. As students explored the gardens they learned about plant structure including words such as roots, trunk, twigs, branches and leaves.
Children were encouraged to use their senses as they encountered new plants during their walk. They felt the leaves on different plants and smelt the flowers in the Camellia garden. The educational session included the opportunity for students to plant their own cutting of one of the following plant varieties, BrachyscomeMultifida, ChlorisTruncata, Acacia Implexa.
Afterwards the Botanic Gardens educators shared a story based on one of the trees in the Botanic Gardens. Students sat beneath the tree and listened attentively as they discovered the reason why the tree had a large black mark down its trunk. The tree was saved after being struck by lightning, and as a result was named The Lightning Tree.
The excursion concluded with a visit to the herb garden where students learned about the ways in which herbs can be used. They were able to touch and smell the different herb types, prior to making their own potpourri pouch. The excursion to the Botanic Gardens offered an excellent introduction to the learning that will take place in Mandarin for the remainder of the year.
The Use of iPads in 2A to Enhance Literacy Development
Students in 2A have been busy publishing narratives using the iPad app ‘Book Creator’. Book Creator is a simple way for students to create their own books on the iPad using their imagination. To begin, students chose from portrait, landscape or square book sizes and designed a cover. After typing the text, Book Creator allowed students to add photos, images and videos from the computer’s photo library, from the web, or using the webcam. If they wished they could illustrate their narrative with drawings using the pen tool. Finally, students emailed their completed narrative to their teacher as a pdf file.
2A students were highly engaged and motivated in the book making process using iPads. They grew in confidence when using the technology and were keen to share their finished projects. Students who were competent with the ‘Book Creator’app were able to model its functions to peers. These students became the ‘gurus’ of ‘Book Creator’.Students also used critical and creative thinking skills when making their books.These skills included the ability for students to generate and evaluate knowledge, clarify concepts and ideas, seek possibilities, consider alternatives and solve problems. Students enjoyed the learning experience of being an author and publishing a narrative using a multimedia tool.
Minecraft By Jonathan Ibrahim
Once upon a time in a Minecraft worldthere was a boy called Jonathan. He lived
with his mother and father in the WildWest. They were poor.
One day Joathan’s dad told Jonathan totake the chickens to town and sell them.
They could sell them for food. Jonathantook the chickens into town.Jonathan met an iron golem. He said, “Ifyou give me the chickens I will give you 15obsidian and flint and steel.” Jonathansaid, “It’s a deal.”
He was excited about the deal. Jonathanwalked home to show his dad. Jonathan’s
dad threw the obsidian out the window butit landed in the shape of a never portal.
Next morning Jonathan woke up at sixo’clock in the morning. He went outside
and lit the never portal and went in. WhenJonathan went in he saw a giant’s house.
Jonathan went in the house. Jonathan accidentally stepped on apressure plate that spawned in Herobrine who was riding a giant robot bull.Herobrine dug straight down andfell into lava and turned evil. Herobrinetried to get Jonathan but Jonathan was too fast. Herobrinedropped an electric guitar and a machinethat shoots out diamonds, gold, iron andemeralds. Jonathan and his mother andfather were never poor again
My Rabbit Fluffy By Aidan Ciciulla
Once upon a time there lived a rabbitnamed fluffy. Fluffy was black and white.
She lived in a rabbit hutch.
One day fluffymet a boy rabbit named Lilo Fluffy didn'twant to have babies so she ran away from Lilo.She lived by her self. Then she metanother rabbit named Blue. She got
married with Blue.
Fluffy was exited shehad babies. God gave Fluffy everythingshe wanted. Fluffy and Blue lived happilyever after.