Celebrating student reading success.
I would like to start this edition by acknowledging some outstanding reading progress. Johnathon Eli,
Pasyn Carmichael, Talisha Gadd, Eron Eli, Rueben Simpson, Alex Dyson, Layton Waldron, Eli Hall,
Isabelle Bleys, Tiffany Williamson, Jenarl Davidson and Dominic Sandow. These students have all made some very pleasing gains in reading levels. Well done and keep up the great work with your reading.
Athletics Carnival
It is that time of the year again where we come together to participate in the annual Murgon State School th
of July for Field Athletics Carnival! This year we are spreading the Carnival out over 2 days: Monday 18
Events and Friday 22 nd of July for Track Events.
Please come along to cheer the students on as they take part in either the Championship Category or the
Participation Category.
Prep Enrolments Open for 2017
Enrolments for Prep in 2017 are now open! If you have a child born between 1 July 2011 – 30 June
2012, you can now come to the school and complete an enrolment form. Early enrolment will guarantee you a spot for your child! If you would like any help enrolling, please let us know when you pick up the form!
School Rules
Once again, I ask you to help us as we re-enforce the 3 school rules: Be Safe, Be a Learner, Be a
Peacemaker. Please talk to your children about your expectations of their behaviour when they are at school.
Attendance
There is 1 week to go in this term and it is important that students keep attending school every day right up to that last day of school Friday 24 June. I look forward to seeing which class has the best attendance this term! I am pleased to say that the school has seen a 3% increase in student attendance so far this year, increasing from 89% to 92%. Whilst 3% seems small in education terms it is an outstanding effort. I would like to congratulate parents and students on their determination to get to school on time every day.
Justin Hodges Visit
On Friday the 24 th of June Murgon State School will host a visit from Justin Hodges to celebrate the fantastic improvement in student attendance. At 1.00pm we will host a community bbq here at the school.
I would like to encourage all family and community members to attend and celebrate student achievements with us. Please contact the office for catering purposes if you would like to attend.
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All students at Murgon State School are actively engaged in Spelling every day. On entry to the Spelling Mastery program students are assessed and then placed in a group appropriate to their individual spelling ability.
Using Spelling Mastery, teachers can efficiently and effectively deliver straightforward lessons that help their students learn dependable spelling skills. Students are taught in small steps, using sufficient practice, so that students comprehend how spelling works and can become proficient writers. Students are building the strategies they need to become successful, lifelong spellers.
Spelling Mastery builds dependable spelling skills by interweaving the phonemic, morphemic, and whole-word approaches.
The different levels follow a structured path to help students build upon the skills from the year before. Students may be working at levels below year level, at year level or exceeding year level.
Phonemic Awareness is equivalent to working at Prep Level.
Level A is equivalent to working at Year 1 level.
Level B is equivalent to working at Year 2 level.
Level C is equivalent to working at Year 3 level.
Level D is equivalent to working at Year 4 level.
Level E is equivalent to working at Year 5 level.
Level F is equivalent to working at Year 6 level.
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Attendance Overview:
We are continuing to see improved attendance across all our year levels, though we still have a few unexplained absences occurring. If your child is absent from school please notify the school that they will be absent for the day.
If you are unable to phone please send a note with your child the next day they attend explaining absence.
Importance of school attendance
What you can do – Part 1
As a parent or guardian, it is possible to plan ahead to limit your child’s absences, make school attendance a priority and help your child from falling behind, if it is necessary to miss a day of school. You can do this in the following ways:
 Help your child get to school on time every day – Babysitting, problems with a car or late bus, and the weather are not permissible reasons to miss school. Frequently coming to school late may also be noted on your child’s permanent record and will make it difficult for your child to stay caught up with the first lessons of each morning.
 Follow the school’s guidelines & attendance policy and report excused absences immediately – At the beginning of the school year, review the school’s rules and make sure you understand whom you need to call if your child is going to be absent.
 Check homework – and assignments.
Check each night to see that your child understands and completes the day’s homework
 Take an active role – Stay involved with your child’s daily experiences at school by asking how the school day went and then listening carefully to what your child shares with you both the successes and struggles.
Make it a point to meet your child’s teachers and friends.
 Locate potential sources of anxiety – If your child frequently appears upset or reluctant to go to school and cannot tell you why, schedule an appointment with his or her teacher or school Guidance Officer to talk about possible sources of the anxiety.
 Keep updated on school events and announcements – Read the school documents that your child brings home and take note of important announcements and dates, such as parent-teacher interviews.
I look forwarded to discussing further ways that you can help your child attend school regularly in the next school newsletter.
Week 8 best class attendance was won by LMA class. We are looking forward to hearing who the last fortnights
‘Try for 5’ class winners are.
We have just received some great prizes for next terms ‘Try for 5’ program I can’t wait to hand out the first lot. I hope to see one of the other year levels who have not yet won win some of these prizes. Remember all your child has to do is turn up to school each day and the class with the best percentage for the fortnight wins, it’s as easy as that.
Murgon State School on Facebook: The school’s Facebook page often contains news & photos that don’t make the Newsletter. Have a look at our page & “Like” the page to see our updates in your newsfeed.
We are updating photos of students and their work regularly, don’t forget to keep an eye on our Facebook page and see what your child is learning.
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The Premier’s Reading Challenge is well underway and is supporting students to engage with a range of books, while building their language and literacy skills. There are extra opportunities to boost our school resources, with $1000 worth of books to be won by one lucky school and prizes up to $500 for students in each category.
Prep to Year 3 – Draw a picture or make a collage interpreting a book read for the Premier’s Reading
Challenge.
Year 4 to Year 6 – In 50 words or less, write what you liked or learnt the most from a book read for the
Premier’s Reading Challenge.
There are three more entry periods throughout the competition, with plenty more prizes to be won!
Entries are open from: 17 th June to 16 th July, 17 th July to 16 th August and 17 th August to 9 th September.
The upcoming school holidays are an ideal time for your child to continue reading or experiencing a range of books. I am looking forward to receiving student entries into the competitions after the holidays.
If you have any questions, please contact me on: emccr16@eq.edu.au or contact the school.
Early Years Literacy -
Research shows that children surrounded by daily activities such as reading, storytelling, singing and sharing rhymes will experience more comprehensive vocabulary, language and cognitive development before they start kindergarten and school.
In Queensland approximately 36% of parents of 0–2 year olds, and 52% of parents of 3–8 year olds do not regularly read to their children, and current evidence suggests this role is not well understood by parents and caregivers of children.
As a part of this initiative, South Burnett Libraries have introduced a new Rhyme Time program designed to encourage interaction between mum and bub in an interactive, fun-filled environment. These sessions will be held in each of the libraries across the region. In Murgon, these sessions are held in the town library at 9:30am on the first and third Thursday of every month.
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English - Over the past two weeks we have been completing our Character
Description on Charlie Parsley. It was pleasing to see the progress that all students have made with their writing. We have also performed our Lecturettes.
Thank you to those parents and students who rehearsed their Lecturette. This week we have been completing running records to see how the students are progressing in their reading. It is great to see that many students have made significant improvements in their reading.
Math - We have been continuing to explore number and place value concepts, with our three groups looking at numbers to 20, numbers to 50 and numbers to
100.
Homework - Please help your child to complete their homework every night and remind them to bring their blue folder to school each day. All students in the class are expected to read and practice their sight words each night and the Year One’s also need to complete their Math Mentals.
Congratulations to Eli Hall and MacKenzie Cluff who have received the ABC award over the past two weeks.
The students in Prep/1M have been very busy the last two weeks completing assessments. Congratulations to all of the students – you all tried your very best!
Now that assessment for the term is finished, in English, students has been working very hard on writing sentences and sounding out their words. Last week we read the story ‘McBungle’s African Safari’ and then wrote sentences about all of the animals Professor McBungle didn’t see! This week we wrote a sentence about what the students would like to be when they grow up.
In Math, we are now learning how to use 10-frames, make bigger numbers and then write them.
Thank you to those families that have been sending their students blue folder to school each day and reading and practicing sight words and the alphabet each night with your students. Practicing the alphabet and sight words and reading with your child each night will really help your student improve in class and learn to start reading.
Please remember that reading each night (and signing the folder that you have done it) and practicing the alphabet and sight words is part of the eligibility criteria to attend rewards at the end of term.
Congratulations to our week 8 and 9 ABC award winners – Taelyn and Kellie.
Congratulations to Richard and Michael for completing the gold sight words.
If there are any parents/care givers that would like to volunteer in class, please let me know. We love having visitors in our classroom, everyone is very welcome.
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English: -Last week, students presented their lecturettes. Students should be congratulated on the effort they put into this task. It was exciting to see students prepared with palm cards. We practiced all week, focusing on maintaining our eye contact and standing still.
Our reading focus this week is scanning. Students have been locating specific information in their weekly readers.
We are now exploring the book ‘Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten’. We have been exploring the characters in the book, specifically their appearance and personal traits. We then created hand actions to a chosen sentence. Ask your child to ‘act’ the sentence: Mr Wintergarten’s front gate had not been opened for years. We planted petunias and pansies to grow our own carpet of flowers, as they do in the book.
Maths: - In Maths, we have been focusing on strategies to help us solve problems. We have been looking at the language in word problems that tell us whether it is an addition or subtraction problem. We have been using our whiteboards to solve part-part-whole problems and adding strings of numbers.
Homework requirements : - Homework is handed out each Monday to students who have their blue folder.
Students are required to return their homework on Friday(s). Home Readers will only be changed if your child returns their book on a Friday.
We would like to welcome Richelle to our class! I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday! See you in Term
Three. Congratulations to Ava Jolley who received the ABC award for Week 8 and Lexy Nixon for Week 9
ENGLISH: The books for this fortnight were ‘Eggs, Eggs, Eggs’, and ‘A Rumble and a Grumble’. We engaged in literacy activities where we practiced writing sentences of our own using speech marks correctly. We also completed a character study and book review. STRIVE words for the last fortnight were evidence, commemorate, exhausted and estimate.
MATHS : Last week we explored Money. We were great at identifying the value of each coin and making different combinations of coins to equal the same value. This weeks focus was comparing and ordering area. We have been measuring the area of classroom objects, using paddle pop sticks and sheets of paper. Did you know that our classroom window is 9 sheets of paper in area?
ART : We spent time learning about Indigenous dot painting and the history behind it, looking at different examples and textures that are used. We created a dreamtime art plan of one of the animals from the dreamtime story
‘Tiddalick’. We painted our pictures using the ‘dotting’ technique, and created some amazing pieces of artwork.
ABC AWARDS: Congratulations to Hunter Reagan and Eron Eli, our ABC Reward recipient’s for week 8 and 9.
SIGHT WORDS : Congratulations to Veritee, Eron, Talisha, Ciiannah, Mia and Jamie who have achieved 200 sight words.
I would like to thank Murgon State School and 2D for a fantastic 6 weeks and I look forward to returning in Term 4.
UMA assisting us with Lecturette practice. Miss Keehn and 2D
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English - After the class completed the assessment task for Term 2, we started a mini unit looking at the narrative “The Lorax.” We have been looking at rhyming words and onomatopoeia. Please ask your Year 3 students’ to tell you what that big word means. We have also focused on different types of sentences – statements, commands, questions and exclamations, where the students wrote some interesting sentences to show understanding of the sentence types. These activities will culminate in the class writing a retell of The
Lorax.
Maths – has focused mainly on multiplication and division facts. We are focusing on 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 times tables and the associated division facts.
This has been the last week we will have Miss Kibblewhite in our classroom. We have enjoyed having her working in our classroom. Miss Kibblewhite will return to Murgon State School later in the year to experience another classroom setting.
Today has also been my last day working with Year 3 this year. I have accepted a position as Master teacher at
Murgon and Cherbourg State Schools for the rest of this Year and I am absent during the last week of this term as my husband is having an operation. I will miss working with the awesome kids in Year 3 but in my new role I will still be in their classroom at times. I am sure their new teacher – Ms Kaitlyn Weeks will enjoy them as much as I have.
Congratulations to Week 8 and 9 ABC award winners – Robyn Langton and Luke England.
Mathematics - Location, location, location and direction—this has been a large focus in Mathematics in the past fortnight. We have been learning how to use compasses to assist direction and the language associated with compasses. As well we have been focussing on the use of directional language, to give and follow clear and precise directions. We have also explored the concept of scale in mapping.
English - Genre, Grammar, Handwriting, Spelling and Reading
Happy to announce that after our 2nd 5 week cycle for PM Benchmarks this term we have seen a significant number of students moving. Once again our emphasis has been on students demonstrating a solid foundation of comprehension and retell ability.
ABC AWARD RECIPIENT WEEK
7!
KLA Update
History - How did the arrival of British settlers affect the indigenous groups already established in Australia? This is the question we have been exploring this fortnight.
Visual Arts
We have been exploring the work of impressionist artist Monet. Monet used brush techniques to create texture in his art.
Well done to Denaysha Purcell who received the ABC Award last week.
Denaysha sets the benchmark high with regard to behaviour.
Denaysha’s attendance has also improved recently which is fantastic to see. Denaysha applies herself thoroughly to curriculum tasks.
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English - Reading Groups - Our Reading Focus has been re-reading, which enhances text understanding and increases reading fluency. Re-reading is designed to give our students the feeling of moving smoothly through text, instead of, word-by-word reading.
Genre - We have completed our Character Analysis for Part B of our fantasy novel, Forests of Silence. The students used their knowledge on how the author’s choice of language devises effects the purpose of the text.
History and Visual Arts - In History, we are constructing an historical narrative
(letter) on changing experiences of people living in the free colonial settlement of
Moreton Bay over a period of time. In Visual Arts, we have been creating 3D art, coinciding with Maths.
Year 5s using our laptops to write their character analysis and at other times to engage with Reading Eggs and
Mathletics.
Maths - In Maths, the students have been investigating, constructing and demonstrating their understanding of three-dimensional objects by identifying nets and other representations.
English - Last week students completed and published their short stories. The character and plot twists made them entertaining reading for me as I marked them. This week we have been revising our grammar, with a focus on the types of nouns. In Reading groups this fortnight, we have been focussing on the important skill of Determining
Importance.
Mathematics - In Maths, we are reviewing and solidifying our knowledge of multiplication, division, number patterns and related fractions. Hands on activities and digital learning are enhancing our learning of these skills.
History - In History, we are looking at the Rights of Children in Australia. We have had some very lively discussions on what defines a Need versus a Want this week!
Lecturette - Lecturettes have been completed with students presenting them to the class last week. It has been great to see confidence increasing exponentially since our very first lecturettes were presented last term.
Finally congratulations must go to Mitchell Andersen and Kurt Woods our ABC Recipients for weeks eight and nine this term. Both boys have made impressive and consistent improvements in behaviour, curriculum and attendance.
Over the last 2 weeks all of our Murgon State School classes have been participating in Athletics Rotations. Each week classes have been rotating through different athletics skills. This week each class will be practicing Discus
Skills, High Jump and Sprints/Relays. Next week each class will be practicing Long Jump, Shot Put and Ball
Games.
I have been ably assisted by Volunteers to help with these rotations each week (Weeks 9, 10 & 11). Each Parent/
Volunteer runs 1 activity. My Volunteers have been Fiona Cluff, Lori Hall, Sandra Rattey, Karen Waldron and
Belinda Williamson. Without their assistance we wouldn’t have as much time to spend on each skill area. Thanks again to these helpers.
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Students in UMA are to be congratulated on their efforts in assessment pieces in all areas of the curriculum in the past two weeks. We have completed our written comparison of the novel ‘Storm Boy’ and its film adaptation.
Students then wrote opinions of which text they preferred and why. In these last two weeks of term we continue with the author study of Colin Thiele and will be listening to and viewing another one of his stories, ‘Blue Fin’. This film and story is also set in South Australia where the author grew up and was inspired to write his many stories. To further our knowledge of the setting and the tuna industry we are viewing ‘Tuna Cowboys’ National Geographic documentary. It is interesting to learn of the fishing industry and the challenges the fisherman face when working in the Southern Ocean. Students have developed a new found interest in Colin Thiele’s stories and have been reading some of his other stories in own choice reading time. In reading group rotations, students have formulated reading goals which will be published on their Semester One report cards.
Our Maths focus has included number and place value, particularly decimals and money topics. Many problem solving activities are being completed to develop our skills of reasoning in maths. We have also looked at multiples, factors and the rules for divisibility. Students continue to enjoy the live Mathletics challenges with their classroom peers when completing Mathletics online curriculum activities.
We have published our history assessments and in doing so experimented with Microsoft Publisher program.
Students typed their historical narratives, chose appropriate colour backgrounds and experimented with older style cursive fonts to suit the theme of their narrative. These will be up on display in our room for all to see and enjoy.
UMA is working well to complete all set tasks in the last two weeks of term. After a well-earned rest, we will be back into learning after the mid-year holidays. Next Semester we will undertake an English unit looking at recounts and letter writing, Geography, Drama and Design Technologies.
In Science this Term, students from across all year levels have been focused on expanding their knowledge of
Earth and Space. The Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students have been focussed on features of the day and night sky and on natural, managed and built landscapes. Additionally, year 2 students have been investigating Earth’s resources and how they are used and conserved. This has been supported by some bean growing in soils taken from around the school to investigate the type of soil best for planting.
Year 3 have been investigating day and night also but have particularly focused on the observable and non-observable features of Earth and it’s relative position and size in relation to the Sun and Moon. Year 4 students gave been working as junior geologists and investigating the effects of erosion and how they can be reduced or avoided. Year 5 have worked hard to investigate our solar system, focusing on planets and their features while Year 6 students have been learning about natural disasters and their impact on the surface of the
Earth as well as it’s inhabitants.
It has been a very busy term in Science!
Year 4 Junior Geologists.
Day Sky and Landscape
Night Sky and Landscape
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Thank you to all the families who supported the P&C Pyjama Disco last night. It was a great success !!
The P&C are still looking for a
Treasurer and new members to join our fabulous team. Our meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month.
We would also like to congratulate
Sarah Vanderkolk on becoming the new Tuckshop convenor. Please let the school know if you, or any family members are able to volunteer.
Thank you to everyone that supported the Murgon State School Earlyact Club’s PICK-A-PRIZE which was held on Friday 3 rd
June
2016.
We sold over 260 tokens and raised an equal dollar value. Funds raised by Earlyact this year will be supporting ‘Handclasp’ that coordinates orphanages in Thailand.
It was very exciting for the students to have the chance to be drawn out to pick-a-stick. We had such a wonderful response and the students waited eagerly around the sandpit to see if they were chosen to pick-a-stick from the sand.
The lucky winner was Lily Riley from Year 3.
Jun 23
Jun 24
Jul 11
Jul 18
Jul 22
Student Reports mailed to parents
Last Day of Term 2
Students and Staff Return to School
School Athletics - Field Events
School Athletics - Track Events
Jul 24-29 Year 6 Canberra Trip
Aug 2-3
Aug 8
Sept 16
SB Athletics - TBC
Exhibition Holiday
Last Day of Term 3
Oct 3 Public Holiday
Oct 4 Students and Staff Return to School
Oct 26-28 Year 3 Camp—Apex Camp,
Mudjimba
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Where: Murgon Library
Date: Wednesday 30 June 2016
Time: 10am to 11am
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL
Contact Murgon Library (07) 4189 9503
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