Term Three information letter

13^th July 2012

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to term three! We hope you and your family had an enjoyable and restful break. The year six teachers have prepared some very exciting units of work for the eleven weeks of term three.  The Year Six camp, which will be held in week five, is fast approaching and therefore the students of Year Six have already started to work hard to ensure they complete their work this term.

Term Three Units of Work

This term in English students will be exploring the fundamentals of English. They will examine parts of speech, sentence structure, capital letters and full stops, commas, exclamation marks and direct speech marks. The students will be exploring these elements intensively and creating a ‘Back to Basics’ workbook. This information will be something that they can refer back to in the future but will also help the students bring these fundamentals into their writing across all subject areas.

The Year Six students will also be completing a large health unit this term. Firstly the students will be discussing the changes that are happening to their bodies during puberty. This will be done using a Brisbane Catholic Education approved program.  The students will then explore the dietary and exercise requirements that adolescents need to help them deal with the hormonal changes during this time. The students will also be discussing emotions and how to form positive relationships.   Lastly, the students will explore body image and the influence of the media. The students will create a ‘Health Kit’ and a ‘What is healthy poster?’  If you have any concerns or questions about this unit you can contact your classroom teacher.

In Science this term the Year Six students will become ‘Earthquake Explorers.’  They will be investigating what an Earthquake is and what causes an earthquake.  The students will also explore the compositional and mechanical layers of the earth and learn how to read the Mercalli and Richter scale.  During the unit the students will construct and label a 3D model of the earth’s layers.  The unit will conclude with a written exam which will consist of multiple choice questions, short answers and a detailed explanation of Earthquakes. 

In Religion the students will be examining elements of the liturgical year, prayer and expression of spirituality through sacred art.  The students will begin by learning about the seasons of the liturgical year and how they relate to Jewish tradition, which follows on from our Judaism unit last term.  Each week the students will also create a meaningful form of art, whilst learning about the different types of prayer and what spirituality means to them.  The students will complete the unit by creating a final piece of sacred art that expresses their spirituality, which will include a written reflection.

Interschool Sport

This term interschool sport games and training will commence later in the term. Training will start in week four and is on at school at 8am sharp. Competition games will commence in week seven.  Students are expected to be in sports uniform or bring their sports uniform to change into after training. Students are expected to wear complete uniform including correct shoes. This is outlined in the parent handbook on the school website. Interschool sport games will be played on Friday afternoons and students are expected to wear full sports uniform to school and only change into their jersey at game time.

Student Grooming and Dress Code

Upon returning from school holidays it has been noted that some students have become somewhat relaxed with their personal grooming and uniform standards.  As a reminder, the following extract from the schools uniform policy outlines how students should be dressed on a daily basis.

Our school uniform is not optional and at all times we expect our students to wear their uniforms with pride and to present themselves neatly and in accordance with our uniform standards:

·         Day uniforms are to be worn three days per week, on special occasions and for educational excursions

·         Sports uniforms are to be worn on the designated HPE days each week and for sporting carnivals and special sports events. 

·         Hats: Our school follows the “NO HAT, NO PLAY” rule. Children MUST have their hat at school each day as this is a Sun Safe issue.          

Attendance at excursions, sporting carnivals or any representational activities depends upon the wearing of correct uniform and appropriate grooming.

All uniform items are available for purchase at the Uniform Shop located next to the tuckshop.

	Girls	Boys
Day Uniform	Blue check jack shirt Maroon culottes	Blue check jack shirt Maroon shorts
Sports Uniform	Blue sports shirt Maroon culottes or shorts	Blue sports shirt Maroon shorts
Winter Uniform	Students can wear tracksuits – plain maroon top and pants. These are available from the Uniform Shop in terms 2 and 3 only.  Maroon V-neck jumpers or zipper jackets can also be worn.
Hats	Blue Hat with School Logo
Socks	Blue ankle socks
Shoes	Black leather lace up shoes or leather look joggers (lace up or velcro)

 

Jewellery

The wearing of appropriate jewellery includes:

·         watches

·         chains offering medical information or of special religious significance

·         plain studs or sleepers limited to ONE per ear which will need to be removed/taped during sports and other vigorous activities.

In the interest of safety and security, ornamental jewellery (rings, signet rings, bracelets, anklets, neck chains, ear rings, etc) are NOT to be worn at school.

Hair

In keeping with the image we promote, students’ hair styles should be neat, sensible and conservative. All children are expected to adhere to the following guidelines.

·         Girls’ hair, longer than the collar, must be neatly tied or plaited. Ribbons, scrunchies, hair bands and hair ties must be in the school colours i.e. blue or maroon.

·         Boys’ hair must be neat and tidy, above the collar and out of their face.

·         Tinting, colouring, streaking, hair extensions, hair wraps etc are not permitted.

·         Punk-styles, undercuts, spikes, dreadlocks, tracks, skin-heads, rats tails etc are not permitted.

·         Styling products eg gel, mousse, wax are not be used.

Some of the students are beginning to outgrow their uniforms and therefore their culottes or shorts are becoming too short. We realise uniforms are expensive but the students have a long time until they leave our school. When uniforms do not fit properly they can become inappropriate and uncomfortable for students to wear. We ask that you look at the fit of your child’s uniform and possibly allocate the cost of new uniforms into your budget.

Year Six Camp

This Term Year Six students will participate in St Bernardine’s School camp at Ewen Maddock Dam Environment and Recreation Centre. The camp will be held from Wednesday 08/08/12 to Friday 10/08/12. The program has been developed to provide worthwhile educational outcomes, in conjunction with confidence building.

Showcase Night

Term three will conclude with a showcase night, to be held on the 19^th September. This will be a wonderful opportunity for you to witness what your child has been learning throughout the term.  If you have any questions or concerns about your child throughout the term please contact your child’s teacher to make an appointment to discuss your concerns. 

Email & Classroom Blogs

Six Navy

Miss Gibson          rmgibson@bne.catholic.edu.au                        www.SixNavy.blogspot.com.au

Six Maroon

Miss Bland            mbland@bne.catholic.edu.au                           www.missblandsclass.blogspot.com.au

Six Green

Mrs Stiller              bsteel@bne.catholic.edu.au                              http://missbsteel.blogspot.com.au

The Year Six teachers would like to thank you for a wonderful start to the year and a fantastic first semester. We would like to continue to work together with the parents of year six and we wish to thank you for your ongoing support.