SOUTHERN CROSS 20th February 2015

Dates to Remember

School Photos (new date)

Monday 31st May

P&C Meeting

10am Friday 4th June

High Flyers Assembly

Friday 18th June

Dear parents, carers, family members and community members,

Di’s farewell It was lovely to see so many families on Sunday and to have an opportunity as a

community to acknowledge the retirement of our wonderful Principal, Diane

Robertson. Di is a much loved and influential Principal who has worked tirelessly

to champion the cause of students with complex needs, not just at Clarke Road

School, but around New South Wales and Australia. On Sunday, Clarke Road

students performed a special dance (complete with photographs of Di on a stick)

as well as a song and video which each class had contributed to. A

heartfelt thank you to Kati Herrington and the wonderful farewell

committee of Karen, Belinda, Rahila, Joy & Brooke who did a

fabulous job organising the day. Thank you to all of our parents and

siblings who helped on the day in various roles: Lynda, Madeline,

Mel, Ai Keng, Steve & Toby, Dave & Jordan. A special thank you too,

to our Kur-ing-gai Rotary members of Joy, Greg, Arthur, Anne &

Graham, Peter, Sandra, Michael & Louise, Gary & Chris for the lunch

and cooking over a hundred sausages, and to Leanne and Mary in the

office. The day was a special acknowledgment of a special person.

P.B.E.L. NEWS

SCHOOL NEWS 28 May 2021

48 - 58 Clarke Road Hornsby 2077 P: 02 9487 2652 F: 02 9489 2997 E: clarkerd-s.school@det.nsw.edu.au W: https://clarkerd-s.schools.nsw.gov.au/

In 2021 Clarke Road students have enjoyed being able to participate in community access programs

and excursions. Students are able to practice being friends through sharing and taking turns on

equipment, sitting together and eating a meal and sharing a new environment with peers. Have a look

at some of our fabulous friends in the community.

.

.

Magura students sharing

playground equipment at

Storey Park.

Chris, Robbie and James

eating morning

tea together at

Cumberland

State Forest.

Cheering their friends

at the athletics

carnival.

Will, Evi, Bene and

Chris eating hot chips

together at Bunnings.

Thank you Di ‘for being a champion for our students, for being the person to never give up on them, for

understanding the power of connection and for insisting that they (and we) be the best they can be’

(Quote by Rita Pearson).

Athletics Carnival

Yesterday we had a wonderful day cheering and high fiving our

students as they participated in the Athletics Carnival held at Barker

College. There was much joy and excitement and it was so fabulous

to see the interaction between Barker College and Clarke Road

students. Thank you to Sherobhi Rajamantri Barker Coordinator and

all the fabulous student volunteers who joined in for the day. An

enormous thank you too, to Shanaya, Matt and their team of helpers:

Tanya, Amy, Noriko, Kathy and Jane for their fabulous organisation

of the day.

Upcoming events

Our next P & C meeting will be held on Friday 4th June at 10.000 am in the school library. These

meetings are a wonderful opportunity to connect with the wider school community and to be involved in

the school. We would love to see you there so please consider coming along.

Have a lovely weekend,

Rebecca Some photos from Di’s farewell

Creating a Voice (CaV) Project

This week’s Passport for Learning newsletter article looks at the second cognitive skill: Can a student follow a

routine or schedule. This involves being able to anticipate and predict steps in a familiar routine and often allows students to feel safe as they understand their environment and know what to expect. Improvement in

following a routine or schedule allows a student to increase independence across the day.

A blue student is beginning to anticipate the next step of one highly motivating routine. To help your child

develop their anticipatory skills it is important to be consistent during activities and frequently repeat the routine. It may help to use an exaggerated tone or action, such as singing a preferred action song (eg. “If you’re happy and

you know it”). If your child likes a particular toy, show them the toy before engaging in a play activity to help

them understand the next step, such as showing the child the bottle of bubbles before blowing bubbles for them. It

is also useful to introduce routines in familiar personal care routines, such as touching the spoon to their mouth before encouraging them to open their mouth.

A student working at a purple level is beginning to anticipate the next step in 1-3 familiar routines. Continue to be

consistent when interacting with your child and focus on preferred and relevant activities, such as meal times.

Assist your student by counting “1, 2, 3” in an exaggerated tone while moving the toy/object towards them. For example, if your student enjoys tickling games, count while wiggling your fingers towards them. The child may

start smiling, vocalise or move their body in anticipation.

A red student is able to follow a schedule by understanding there is an activity now and uses a “now” box or

board. A red student will need support through the use of familiar real objects and object symbols paired with

photographs of the objects, to learn about the “now” scenarios with activities. Keep the objects that represent specific activities consistent (for example, library bag = library). A now box or board allows the initial concept of

time to be introduced. A student who is red will also be beginning to understand a first-then schedule with real

objects or photographs of the real object and a highly preferred item or activity for ‘then’.

A student working at a brown level can understand first-then and uses first-then schedules with a clear motivator for ‘then’. They rely on the use of objects, photographs and realistic pictures to assist with their understanding.

For this student, basic concepts of time periods are emerging, which is aided by daily participation in activities,

explicitly presented with a schedule. A brown student is beginning to use a TEACCH schedule where they can follow 2-4 activities. A ‘my choice’ activity would be included in their schedule, as students are beginning to

look ahead at upcoming activities.

An orange student is able to understand first/next/then and uses first-next-then schedules with a clear motivator

for then. The student relies on the use of the most appropriate visual for the activity, from a choice of photographs

or realistic pictures (for example, Picture Communication Symbols). They benefit from having a preferred activity as their “then”. For this student, the concept of time periods are gradually developing. An orange student

is beginning to use a TEACCH schedule where they can follow 3-6 activities. Continue to include a ‘my choice’

activity in their schedule.

Yellow students can complete a whole day schedule split into morning, middle and afternoon sessions. This student relies on the most appropriate visual for the activity, from a choice of abstract line drawings, photographs

or realistic pictures. For this student the concept of time periods are starting to establish (for example the

concepts of morning, afternoon and night are emerging). Full comprehension of a day schedule comes in green.

A yellow student can understand that routines are sometimes changed and accept a preferred alternative. Changes to routine are best paired with a visual representation such as putting a line through the activity and placing the

alternative activity in its place. A yellow student is able to use a TEACCH schedule for a whole session e.g. the

morning session, moving between teacher-directed and independent activities.

A student working at a green level uses a whole day schedule and a weekly schedule. This student relies on the most appropriate visual for the activity, from a choice of abstract line drawings, photographs or realistic pictures.

For this student the concept of time periods are more concrete. A green student can also understand that

sometimes routines are changed and accept a reasonable consequence e.g. “It is raining so we can’t play sport this

afternoon, we are going to do some indoor activities instead”. A green student is able to use a TEACCH schedule

for one or more sessions in the day e.g. morning and middle session. Students are able to understand and

discuss upcoming events e.g. “Mum will go shopping tomorrow”.