Week Commencing - 15th September, 2014

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must

be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

7 HABITS AT HOME

It is important to continue the practice of the 7 habits as the

holidays are approaching and during the holidays.

Be Proactive to ensure the weeks leading up to the holidays are

fun and also involve a range of activities, for example, practising

number facts while cooking, reading skills involving drama

(Readers Theatre) and writing about special activities.

NOTICES HOME

- Last canteen Day Term 3 Lunch Orders

- Working Bee - Trash and Treasure Trove

- Social Skills notice (Grade 5 girls only)

UPCOMING DATES

Friday 19th September - Term 3 Ends 2:30pm

Free Dress - footy theme

Monday 6th October – School Term 4 starts

Monday 7th October – Grade 5/6 Swimming program starts

This week’s focus:

Literacy Writing Maths

Grade 5 Handwriting

Narratives

4 Operations and Problem Solving

Grade 6 Revising and Editing Narrative Angles and Triangles

Grade 5/6 Swimming Program Starts Just a reminder that the Grade 5/6 Swimming program starts on

Tuesday the 7th October. We are looking for parents to help walk

to and from the venue over the 8 day program. Please speak to

your teacher if you are interested in helping.

Students that are not participating in the program will be

supervised at school.

Teddy Bear Picnic with our buddies in Prep

We thought that we would have a Prep Buddy Teddy Bears picnic with our Prep buddies next Thursday from 1pm. If this is okay could you please ask your

children to bring their Teddy Bears fort next Thursday (18th Sep).

Changes to Grade 5 Classroom Area

We have made a few changes to our Grade 5 double classroom space.

We had a barrier of lockers and shelves separating the two grade 5 classes. It felt crammed

and was an eye-saw. To maximise the space and learning opportunities in the Grade 5 area

we have rearranged the furniture to create a more spacious learning environment.

It is a great opportunity for students and teachers to collaborate and benefit from focus

groups, ability grouping and mixed group projects.

We are working together for some sessions but we will continue to be totally responsible for

our own pupils teaching, learning and assessment.

Please come in and check out our newly defined space

IMPORTANT - School Books Can we ask that you check your books at home to see if there are any

books that can be returned to school. There are a large number of books

that have disappeared over the first three terms and we are looking to do

a book audit over the school holidays so we can use our resources in a

more productive manner.

TRASH AND TREASURE TROVE BIZARRE BAZAAR

Next term our students are investigating the concept of

Creativity. The unit, “Bizarre Bazaar”, culminates in the students

selling products that they have designed and produced at

Parktone with the money being raised being donated to back to

our school.

In keeping with our conscious awareness of sustainability issues, we are asking that

you have a ‘clean up’ at home and donate to the school any materials, items etc that

the students may be able to use, pull apart etc to create their own unique Bizarre

Bazaar products.

This could range from old towels, wool, cutlery, clothing, cds, telephones etc. There

really is no limit to what the students will be able to create out of the items you

donate and the success of this unit largely depends on the variety and range of

‘Trash and Treasure’ from which they can choose.

Students will be visiting the ‘Trash and Treasure Trove’ in the week beginning

Monday 13th October (Week 2 of Term 4) so we greatly appreciate you dropping off

your donations as early as possible prior to that week. Donations can be dropped off

to each classroom teacher.

What better time for a Spring clean than Spring! And what better purpose than to

help our community of students support those not as well off as themselves!

CONCERT DVD PURCHASE REMINDER If you’d like to purchase a copy of Parktone’s Voice That Care Concert please

ensure you have returned your DVD order envelope to the office by Thursday

18th September. All orders will be collected by the company first thing Friday

19th. No late orders will be accepted. Both the Junior and Senior Concert will be

on the one DVD. Additional envelopes can be picked up from the office.

STAR OF THE WEEK

5A – Erin 5B – Holly 6A – Brooklyn

For making a great start

back after your holiday

from Greece. Well done

on Putting First Things

First and completing so

much work while you

were overseas.

Holly has been a wonderful

class member this week and

has shown the habit “seek First

to Understand then be

Understood” well. What a

super star you are!

For her super

enthusiastic approach to

everything at school! Brooklyn

leaves Parktone Primary School

knowing she is a true LEADER who

inspires others everyday. What a

super star!

SCIENCE FACT FROM MS ZIOGOS

Here are ten interesting science facts to celebrate the end of the term

Rabbits and parrots can see behind themselves without even moving their

heads!

Butterflies taste food by standing on top of it! Their taste receptors are in

their feet unlike humans who have most on their tongue.

Most of the dust in your home is actually dead skin! Yuck!

Although the Stegosaurus dinosaur was over 9 metres long, its brain was

only the size of a walnut.

Humans get a little taller in space because there is no gravity pulling down

on them.

Because of the unusual shape of their legs, kangaroos and emus struggle to

walk backwards.

A hippopotamus may seem huge but it can still run faster than a man.

Even if an analogue clock is broken, at least it shows the correct time twice a day.

Sneezing with your eyes open is impossible.

The trickiest tongue twister in the English language is apparently "Sixth sick sheik’s sixth

sheep’s sick". Give it a try and see for yourself.

CONGRATULATIONS! On Sunday 6th September- Declan was awarded first place for his

short story he wrote- “Those 4 Spuds.” The competition was run by

the Kingston Library Service and Declan was presented his prizes and

certificate by Kingston’s Junior Mayor and his story was personally

read out to the audience by the famous children’s author Michael

Wagner. Congratulations Declan!

Read Declan’s story at the end of this Home

Communication document!

Thank you for your continued support

Grade 5A Miss Laura Wapling

Grade 5B Mr Arran Armitage

Grade 6A Mrs Teena Muscat

Declan with his certificate and Michael Wagner.

Those 4 spuds (Written by Declan 6A)

I’m starving. We’ve been sitting at our table for the last half an hour waiting

for dinner. It’s been boring; I’m playing with a pea that fell out of the steamer.

“Just finishing off the spuds!” Mum yells from the kitchen, “Won’t be long!”

Another 15 minutes later mum comes out carrying our dinner with her glasses all

fogged up. After almost knocking me over because she can’t see where she’s

going, she puts my plate down in front of me. I analyse it.

Chicken, good.

Gravy, good.

Carrots and peas, good.

Broccoli, I can eat that.

Spuds, great! Wait, why is it so burnt? I open one up and liquid potato comes

rushing out.

“I might have over cooked the potatoes,” mums adds. No kidding.

I have a mouthful of chicken and think about how I am going to get rid of my

spuds, because I’m certainly not eating them. Mum starts talking about her day

and while everyone’s distracted I stick the oozing spud onto Rory’s plate and

pretend to listen to her. One down, three to go.

I try to think of what to do with the other spuds but then I accidently knock

one off my plate without knowing. Uuuggghhh, I have pins and needles. I stamp

my foot and realise I have squished the spud onto the bottom of my foot. Well

at least it’s off my plate. Two down, two to go.

I eat some carrots and continue to think. Suddenly a wet tongue licks my knee. I

look down and see my dog Tessa.

Light bulb moment!

I give Tessa one of my spuds and she eats it in one go.

Great!

Uh Oh. It doesn’t look like it’s sitting down well. She coughs a couple of times

until finally she throws up on dad’s brand new jeans. Three down, one to go I

guess?

Dad jumps up, yells at Tessa, and puts her outside. I need to get out of here

before everyone realises it’s all my fault. I quickly put the last spud into my

pocket and run to the bathroom but halfway through the hallway I’m stopped.

“Declan, what’s that under your foot?” Uh Oh.

“Don’t worry Declan,” I think to myself, “Just pretend that there’s nothing

there.”

No use, I’ve realised that I’ve trailed spud all over the floor. I bend over to pick

it up but the spud in my pocket falls out. Now mum’s angry, but Rory’s isn’t. He’s

looking at mum.

“Mum, I wanted four spuds, not five.”

“Well I gave you four, I don’t know how you…” but she knows the answer to the

question. Now they’re both looking at me much sterner.

“Declan…” mum says.

I start walking backwards but then dad yells out from the bathroom, “Is this

roast spud on my pants? How did Tessa get a spud?”

“DECLAN!!!!!!!” mum continues.

Uh Oh, I’m trapped.

I’m excuseless.

I haven’t eaten any spuds though...

But still I’m busted!!