Looking Towards Term 4

In term three we enjoyed a wonderful celebration of reading. The students thoroughly enjoyed the presentations made by authors Jess Black and Mark Greenwood. They are two extremely talented authors and it was a privilege to meet them and learn about their work. Their books have been very popular in the library ever since their visits to our school.

Our annual book parade concluded a very exciting book week. As usual, the students and teachers went to a great deal of trouble to represent their favourite book characters. This is an event that everyone at Cromer looks forward to with great anticipation. It did not disappoint.

The book fair will arrive at the school on Tuesday October 23rd and will be on display in the hall from Wednesday October 24th until Friday October 26th. This is a great opportunity to make some early purchases for Christmas.

The Term 4 Library Program

Kindergarten

The students will study the difference between fiction and nonfiction books. The pictures, words and elements of both genres and the reason for reading them will be examined.

Teaching the difference between fiction and nonfiction requires students to understand the difference between real and make-believe. Large-group and small-group activities will give the students practice in identifying the different types of books.

Each week examples of both genres will be presented dealing with a particular theme. Interactive digital activities related to the theme will also be included in the program.

Year One

In this unit of work the students will undertake an author study of the work of Hazel Edwards.

By undertaking author studies, students learn to compare and contrast themes, analyse text and illustrations, and make connections between an author's life and his/her work and between the author's work and the reader's own life and work. Author studies also have the advantage of helping to develop reading skills, encourage a deeper attraction to books and provide an enjoyable reading environment.

Year Two

The Year Two library program for Term 4 will focus on adaptations of fairy tales. The students will review the original stories and then examine fairy tales with a twist. They will compare and contrast traditional and fractured fairy tales enabling them to see stories from different points of view. They will identify key elements of the stories such as narrative structure, magical creatures, characters and settings, series of events, problems and resolutions. They will also be provided with the opportunity to engage in stories for enjoyment.

 

Stage Two

 

Sharing Our Stories is a series of books that present studies of indigenous culture. Each book provides an insight into an Indigenous community and shares a traditional story.

The stories in this series instruct us about each community's traditions, cultural practices and beliefs.

In each book the students will:

•Read a traditional story that the community has chosen for sharing.

•Study illustrations contributed by the children of the community.

•Study a series of photographic portraits and interviews.

•Learn a glossary of indigenous words that will add meaning and depth to the stories.

 

Stage Three

The students will study episodes of the Australian Children’s Television Foundation series Double Trouble.

This is a story of different cultures: the white and the black; the city and the bush; traditional ways of life and modern day thinking.

This unity of study provides the students with the opportunity to explore Aboriginal culture and the issue of being exposed to a new and very different culture and having to cope.

The themes of the study are:

 Identity, relationships, family, twins, belonging, ancestry, stereotype, adolescence, growth and development, genre, humour and satire, expectations and decision making.

During the course of this unit the students will undertake a visual literacy study of cinematic techniques used to create mood and tell a story while also analysing the underlying themes mentioned above.

Annual Stocktake

The annual stocktake will begin in week 8 and we request that all books be returned to the library by the end of week 6.

 

 

 

 

 

Find Your Treasure in Term Three

The theme for book week this year is Find Your Treasure. In the library we are studying the books that have been identified as notable or have been shortlisted by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Every book that we read contains many treasures.

MS Readathon

We will be supporting the MS readathon again this year. The students at Cromer have always risen to the challenge and raised money for this worthy cause. I know that they will again answer the challenge for the twofold reward of extending their reading skills and helping to find a cure for a condition that affects a number of friends and relatives of our school community. Follow the link below:
Cromer Public School Page

The Premier’s Reading Challenge

The challenge will close at the end of August. Please ensure that all reading logs are updated so that the students receive their certificates at the end of the year.

Author Visits

Jess Black is the co-author of the hugely successful Bindi Wildlife Adventure series, the RSPCA Animal Tales and The Caboodle Kid series. The students in Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two are looking forward to her visit on August 14th.

Mark Greenwood is an author with a passion for Australian history. His books have won multiple awards and have been published internationally. He will be sharing his creative writing process with the primary school students. He will present to Years 5 and 6 on August 23rd and to Years 3 and 4 on August 28th.

Book Parade

The annual book parade will take place on August 16^th.  The students at Cromer always look forward to this wonderful celebration of literature and reading.

The library Program

The focus of library lessons in term three is our preparation for book week.

Book week demonstrates that we love to read and promote the value of books. Arielle Van Luyen is a lecturer in Creative writing at James Cook University. She states that:

Reading books on your own improves empathy and theory of mind, the ability to understand that others might think or behave differently to you. Fiction shows characters’ thoughts - and how those thoughts drive or are hidden by characters’ words and actions.

The course of study in term three aims to present examples of the latest quality literature to the students and encourage a love of reading. The books to be studied are listed below.

Kindergarten:

Great Goal Marvelous Mark ! by Katrina Germein

I'm Australian Too by Mem Fox

Nana's Button Tin by Dianne Wolfer

Shapes of Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft

The Cat Wants Cuddles by P Crumble

One Keen Koala  by Margaret Wild

Two Rainbows by Sophie Masson

Can You  Find Me?  by Gordon Winch

Busting  by Aaron Blabey

 The Very Sleepy Bear  by Nick Bland

Stage One

Mopoke by Philip Bunt

Second Sky by Patrick Guest

Boy by Phil Cummings

A Walk In the Bush  by Gwyn Perkins

Guff  by Aaron Blabey

The Very Noisy Bear  by Nick Bland

Archie and the Bear  by Zanni Louise

Pea Pod Lullaby by Glenda Millard

Glitch by Michelle Worthington

Watcha Building? by Andrew Daddo

Stage Two

Ruben By Bruce Whatley

Storm Whale by Sarah Brennan and Jane Tanner

Feathers by Phil Cummings and Phil Lesnie

Grandma Forgets by Paul Russell and Nicky Johnston

The ANZAC Tree by Christina Booth

The Second Sky by Patrick Guest and Johnathan Bentley

Rodney Loses It by Michael Gerard Bauer and Christina Krebs

Florette by Anna Walker

Swan Lake by Anne Spudvilas

Pupa Sky  by Jane Jolly and Sally Heinrich

Stage Three

Blossom by Tamsin Janu

Figgy Takes the Lead by Tamsin Janu

The Rogues; Accidental Heroes by Lian Turner

Jehan and the Quest of the Lost Dog by Rosanne Hawke

Jimmy Cook Discovers X Marks the Spot by Kate and Jol Temple

Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss

Marsh and Me by Martine Murray

Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables by Tim Harris

Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables Fight Back by Tim Harris

Nevermoor The Trails of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Pip and Houdini by J.C. Jones

The Cursed First Term of Zelda Stitch:

Bad Teacher. Worse Witch. By Nicki Greenberg

The Elephant by Peter Carnavas

The Girl, The Dog and the Write in Rome by Katrina Nannaestad

The Grand Genius Summer of Henry Hobbler by Lisa Shanahan

The Shop at Hoopers Bend by Emily Rodder

Whimsy and Woe by Rebecca McRitchie

We look forward to having a wonderful time exploring the treasures in literature during term three.

Celebrating Reading and Learning in Term 2

National Simultaneous Storytime

On the 23^rd of May at 11am Hickory Dickory Dash by Australian author Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood will be read simultaneously in libraries, schools, child care centres, book shops and family homes throughout the country as a celebration of the value of reading and literacy. The students of Cromer school will again participate in this exciting event. For more information follow the link to National Simultaneous Storytime.

                                        

The Premier’s Reading Challenge

Many Cromer students are busily participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge which will close on August 31^st. The challenge aims to encourage students to read for leisure and pleasure.

The Library Program

Kindergarten

The aim of the program for term two is to present the students with a wide range of picture books which will move them, entertain them and widen their horizons. These books have been selected as prime examples of quality literature that has been produced in the last year.

Through the reading of quality picture books we aim to encourage the students to become sophisticated readers of visual texts and develop the ability to think creatively and imaginatively while maintaining good reading habits.

Stage One (Years One and Two)

Jess Black is an Australian children’s author. She has written over thirty junior fiction books and picture books. She is the co-author of the hugely successful Bindi Wildlife Adventure series which is extremely popular in our library.

Jess will be visiting our school as part of our book week celebrations in term three. The Bindi Wildlife series will be the focus of our unit of study this term. This unit of work will also encourage the students to continue to explore the world of chapter books.

Stage Two (Years 3 and 4)

Visual knowledge is understanding how visual elements such as line, colour, shape, texture, space, symbols, pattern and composition create meaning.

The visual literacy program explores a range of text types including examples of spoken, written and visual texts. The focus of this exploration is a study of the linguistic structures and features of a variety of text types. Included in this unit of work is the study of the following:

·      Television Advertisements

·      Billboards

·      Filmed Plays

The aspects of visual literacy studied in the library will be incorporated into the work done with the class teachers in the development of a filmed advertisement for the creature and insect food products that were designed in the term one program.

Year 5

Mark Greenwood is an author who has a passion for Australian history. His award-winning books have been published and honoured both in Australia and internationally. Mark produces historical texts for students which are the result of extensive research. He will be our visiting presenter during our book week celebrations in term three. His works provide inspiring insights into the historical events that are to be examined by Stage 3 during term 2

Other historical writers are Mark Wilson and Claire Saxby. The works of these outstanding Australian authors will, not only enhance the studies of Australian history in term 2, but will also inspire a natural curiosity in the students about the history of our country. The program has been designed to support the history unit that is being undertaken in class.

Year 6

The students will undertake a case study of Indonesia through two geographical inquiry processes. The first requires students to investigate the connection between Australia and Indonesia (eg. trade, aid, tourism, sporting, diplomatic). The second inquiry explores the various perceptions and perspectives that Australian people have about Indonesia. The unit has been designed to complement the geography unit that is being studied in class.

Welcome to the Library in 2018

As usual, the library is a very busy place and is humming with activity all day long. Students visit the library before school on Monday, Tuesday and Friday morning to make the most of the learning space. The library is also open during second half lunch times on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Throughout each day, classes take place in the upper library while the flexible learning space in the lower library is used to enhance learning experiences with a range of technological devices.

Seventeen students have volunteered to be library monitors and they are embracing their duties with dedication and enthusiasm.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge

This year the Premier’s Reading Challenge begins on March 5^th and finishes on August 31^st. All students are encouraged to participate. We have a broad range of books which are available for borrowing and students who participate are permitted to borrow up to six at a time.

The library program is outlined below:

Kindergarten

This term the Kindergarten students will participate in a study of the work of Julia Donaldson. Her most famous book is the very much loved classic The Gruffalo. In our series of lessons we will study The Gruffalo and a number of Donaldson’s other works. The students will participate in a variety of interactive activities using the Panaboard.

Stage One

In Stage One we aim to expose the students to a number of books that have been shortlisted in recent years.   Giving students access to quality literature is extremely important for their overall success. Our goal is to enable the students to develop a passion for reading.  They will be given the opportunity to read and respond to a range of texts thus helping them to appreciate their own and other cultures, develop emotional intelligence and creativity while nurturing their social skills.

Studies in Stages Two and Three

The library program is closely linked to the units of work that are being undertaken in class. For Stage Two students, the library program will supplement the English unit. For Stage Three students the library lessons supplement the studies that are being undertaken in Geography and History.

Each weekly library lesson will introduce concepts that are central to the mainstream unit of study. The students will then use those concepts in the lower library where they will complete tasks using a range of technologies under the guidance of their class teacher.

The Learning Intention For Stage Two Students:

In groups of 3, Design and create an edible product which includes INSECTS. Create a TV advertisement using  a variety of technology and ABOBE Video Spark.

1. Using A3 paper, create a storyboard for your product.

Storyboard must include-

target audience

characters

message of the product (sweet or savory)

setting

music

dialogue

slogans and logos

hyperbole

The Learning Intentions For Stage Three:

In Term one the Year Five students will study a Geography unit and the Year Six students a History unit. They will then alternate in Term Two.

The Geography Unit:

The students will undertake a case study of Indonesia through two geographical inquiry processes. The first requires students to investigate the connection between Australia and Indonesia (eg. trade, aid, tourism, sporting, diplomatic). The second inquiry explores the various perceptions and perspectives that people have about Indonesia.

The History Unit:

The topic of this unit of study is the development of Australia as a nation, particularly after 1901. The students will explore the factors that led to Federation and experiences of citizenship and democracy over time. They will learn about the influence of the Westminster system and its influence on the development of the Australian system of government. They will also learn about the way of life of people who migrated to Australia and the contribution that they have made to our economic and social development.

We are happily reading and learning together in the library in 2018!

The Reading Adventures Continue

For seventy-two years the Children’s Book Council of Australia has been running the book week celebrations. In the library we honoured book week by studying the shortlisted and notable books that have been produced in the preceding year. This study culminates with our annual book parade. As usual, the students and staff went to a great deal of trouble to showcase their favourite book characters and demonstrate their love of literature.

The highlight of the parade was the arrival of Skippin the library dog, our mascot. Skippin is named after the first principal of Cromer Public School, Lyle Skippin.  The students read and enjoy literature in the Lyle Skippin library in honour of the man who imparted his love of reading to the first students in our school. His legacy burns bright in our library.

Cromer students again participated in the MS Readathon. This is the fourth year that we have participated in this event. Eighty-one students have signed up and together, have raised $2100.

Fifty-eight students completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge and will receive their certificates in November.

The students in Kindergarten to Year 2 greatly enjoyed the visit of author Rebecca Johnson to our school. Rebecca noted that the students were extremely engaged, respectful and a joy to have as an audience. The students have been very keen to borrow copies of her books as a result of this inspirational visit.

The students in the primary school were greatly entertained by author/illustrator Martin Chatterton who regaled them with the stories of his journey as a writer and illustrator and entertained them by drawing caricatures of a number of students and teachers. It is always exciting for students to meet authors in the flesh.

The Program of Study for Term Four

Kindergarten

The students in kindergarten will undertake a study of the non-fiction genre. Non-fiction texts help students to learn about the real world. The challenge is to match high interest topics with the reading ability of the student. Studies show that students who are reluctant to read fiction texts can become motivated to read when introduced to appropriate non-fiction.

I have found that past kindergarten students have really enjoyed the items in our non-fiction collection dealing with the topic of weather. They are especially interested in the subject of extreme weather such as tornadoes and hurricanes.

 Our studies of the weather this term will incorporate fiction, non-fiction and digital stories, activities and texts.

Stage One ( Years One and Two) and K/6J

Aaron Blabey is one of Australia's most loved authors for children. He has nearly four million books in print, many of which are multiple award winners. He was the 2012 National Literacy Ambassador and, in 2015, The Brothers Quibble was featured in National Simultaneous Storytime.

Blabey's books are extremely popular in our school library and in 29 other countries. He often uses the poetic genre and his stories are humorous, often with a moral. The text is always supported by his engaging illustrations.

The students in stage one will study eleven books in this unit.

Stage Two (Years Three and Four)

A unit of work has been designed to support the Stage 2 geography unit. In this study the students will focus on Uluru. The resources which will be accessed in Stile are aimed to help students acquire the skills and develop the knowledge needed to become geographically aware and active students. Themes of sustainability, Aboriginal peoples (Anangu), the natural environment and the values of different people can be seen through the links provided. Uluru is an iconic, world heritage site about which everyone has an opinion. Ultimately the value in which people hold Uluru, in turn impacts the rock itself, its surrounding environments and the traditional custodians of the land.

Stage Three ( Years Five and Six)

The students in stage three will undertake a research project investigating two significant sites in Australia, Lorna Glen Western Australia and Fraser Island. Lessons have been devised in Stile which will enable investigations of the geographical features, native fauna and the traditional owners of each region.

The aim of this unit of study is to hone the research skills of the students while helping them to gain greater awareness of the Aboriginal perspective and a deeper respect for Australian significant sites and the animals and people that inhabit them.

Annual Stocktake

The library will be closed for borrowing from week eight of this term while we undertake the annual stocktake. We ask that all books be returned to library by the end of week seven.

Escape to Everywhere with Books in Term 3.

The theme for book week this year is Escape to Everywhere. We are very excited to explore the high quality literature found in Children’s Book Council shortlist and the list of notable books for the current year. The students at Cromer are very much looking forward to our annual book parade which will take place on Thursday August 31^st.

MS Readathon 

The MS Readathon is an event in which people of all ages can read as much as possible during the month of August and make a difference in the lives of people with multiple sclerosis. Funds raised will go towards providing vital support and services for people living with MS. Each year we encourage our Cromer students to participate in this event. We have a number of staff members and students who have relatives who are suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.

You can follow the link below to register:

www.msreadathon.org.au

The Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge closes on August 25^th. Sixty-seven students have completed the challenge. All students are encouraged to make sure that their reading logs are up-to-date.

Visiting Presenters

As part of our book week celebrations two authors will visit the school in August.

On Tuesday August 15^th  Rebecca Johnson, author of the Juliet – Nearly a Vet and the Vet Cadet series will be visiting our school to talk to the children in kindergarten and years one and two  about how she writes her narratives. She will also be working with the students to hone their own writing skills.

On Thursday August 17^th author/illustrator Martin Chatterton will address the students in the primary school. Martin has been illustrating and writing successfully for over thirty years. His children’s’ books have been published in more than a dozen languages and have won many awards. He is an engaging comedic speaker whose performances feature large-scale ‘live’ drawing and audience participation.

We are greatly looking forward to these presentations.

The Library Program

Each year the Children's Book Council of Australia highlights the quality literature which has been created for children in the preceding year. The announcement of the list of notable and short listed books brings children and quality literature together and culminates with the celebration of Book Week.

A highlight of Book Week is the annual book parade and visits from authors and illustrators.

The books to be studied are listed below:  

Kindergarten and K/6J

Go Home Cheeky Animals by Johanna Bell and Dion Beasley

Chip by Kylie Howarth

Pig the Winner by Aaron Blabey

Take Ted Instead by Cassandra Webb and Amanda Francey

Little Bear’s First Sleep by Lesley Gibbes and Lisa Stewart

What Do They Do with All the Poo from all the animals in the Zoo?  By Anh do

The Whole Caboodle by Lisa Shanahan and Leila Rudge

Monster  by Andrew Daddo and Bruce Whatley

Gary  by Leila Rudge

Ducks Away by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek

Stage One (Years One and Two)

Stanley by Colin Thompson

Mr Chicken Arriva a Roma by Leigh Hobbs

Twig by Aura Parker

Blue Sky Yellow Kite  by Janet Holmes and Jonathan Bentley

Pandamonia by Chris Owen and Chris Nixon

Hattie Helps Out  by Jane Goodwin , Davina Bell and Freya Blackwod

Snail and Turtle Rainy DAys by Stephen Michael King

Somewhere Else by Gus Gordon

I’m Australian Too by Mem Fox and Ronojoy  Ghosh

Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy

Small Things by Mel Tregonning

Colours of Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft

Stage Two (Years Three and Four)

Out by Angela May George  and Owen Swan

The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clarke and Van T Rudd

My Brother by Dee Oliver and Tiffany Huxley

The Fabulous Friend Machine By Nick Bland

Home in the Rain by Bob Graham

Cyclone by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley

Small Things by Mel Tregonning

Milo A Moving Story by Tohby Riddle

Something Wonderful by Raewyn Ciasley and Karen Blair

A Soldier Boy and his Dog by Libby Hathorn

Stage Three (Years Five and Six)

A lesson has been created in Stile for each of the following books. The students will have the opportunity to analyse each book, research the authors, answer literal and inferential questions on chapters that they have read and rank the books making recommendations for their fellow students.

Artie and the Grime Wave by Richard Roxburgh

The Unforgettable What’s His Name by Paul Jennings

Dragon Fly Song  by Wendy Orr

Magrit by Lee Battersby

Jimmy Cook Discovers Third Grade by Kate and Jol Temple

Within These Walls by Robyn Bavati

A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee

Wicked’s  Way by Anna Feinberg

Small Things by Mel Tregonning

A Soldier Boy and his Dog by Libby Hathorn

Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy

Mrs Whitlam by Bruce Pasco

Happy reading in term three!

A Future Focused Learning Project

The students in 4M have been participating in an innovative learning experience on Thursday afternoons in the library working with Mr McEvoy and me.

The lessons incorporated   project-based learning and provided the students with the opportunity to engage in real world connections. These connections were explored within the disciplines of STEAM i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

The aim of the project was to enable the students to embark on a learning task which would equip them with skills that they need to learn in order to become flexible thinkers, resilient problem solvers and socially aware entrepreneurs.

The students read the book The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan. They then watched the academy award  winning film adaptation  of The Lost Thing and, using their visual literacy skills, discussed and compared the elements in the transition of book to film.  The central theme of belonging was also explored.

The main character in the book is a collector of bottle tops. The students were given the task of designing a bottle top which had significant meaning. They were then filmed sharing their ideas with the class.

They then embarked on the design process of creating their own lost thing. They were required to bring a variety of easily accessible, inexpensive resources from home and were required to use the design process of Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create and Improve to complete their design. They were also required to write a character profile of their lost thing.

Mrs McEvoy and I were thrilled with the results of this design task and the innovative and creative ideas that came to light in the final filming session.