OUR VISION
A Community of Learners Prepared For
The Future
OUR MISSION
Quality Education That Inspires and Empowers
OUR VALUES
Respect, Responsibility, Integrity
IMPORTANT DATES:
Literacy & Numeracy Week
3rd – 7th September
Palmerston Young Writer’s Festival Day
Fri 7th September
Book Week Dress-up Parade Fri 7th September
Sports Colours Dress up day
Wed 12th September
Beat Festival Choir Performance Fri 14th September
Durack on Wheels
Thurs 27th September
Pupil Free Day Fri 28th September
SUPERVISION PROVIDED BETWEEN
7:50am TO 2:45pm
URGENT reminder! Only 1 day left for School Survey feedback.
In 2017 we had 77 parents respond to our School Survey. This year I would love to get feedback from even more parents. Currently only 38 parents have completed the survey, which is only 12% of our 303 families.
Follow this link to the survey, which should only take about 10 minutes to complete. https://www.schoolsurvey.edu.au/s/tkQ3YuKa
Without this information and feedback, the School and School Board are only guessing at what our community needs in its school. Staff and the School Board will use this information during the Pupil Free Day on Friday 28th September, to help inform reviewing the vision and mission statements of the school, to reflect our current student enrolment and community needs.
Last week we were very excited to officially open our Aquaponics Farm. This facility was an idea that many people played a part in to make it become a reality in our school. The idea was first hatched in 2016, with the purpose of developing a clear link between the community and the school and to allow our students to be part of and understand the importance of sustainability of food and ecology. The vision for our aquaponics project is for our school to release the fish into the Durack Lakes, at the end of the school year, in partnership with NT Fisheries.
Lia Finocchiaro MLA for Spillett, who is also an invited guest of our School Board, is a passionate advocate of the initiative, as well as Wally Mauger the past School Board Chairman. Both worked tirelessly, even with a change of Principal, to see this facility become a reality.
Our shed was finally built in 2017 but has only come to life this year with a dynamic aquaponics program which sees all students, from Transition to Year 6, engage in and learn about science, sustainable farming practices and technology. I would like to acknowledge Christine Milne our Aquaponics Teacher for her passion and commitment to utilise these opportunities and make the learning about aquaponics accessible for our students.
In recognition of Wally Mauger as the inaugural School Board Chair, as well as his passion and drive to see this project implemented, we have named the farm the ‘Wally Mauger Aquaponics Farm’. Please see the pictures of this event in this newsletter. Continued over page…..
August 30th 2018 Term 3 Newsletter No. 3
Website address: http://durackschool.nt.edu.au/
Phone: 89977555 Email: [email protected].
Dignity and Determination
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
FROM THE PRINCIPAL continued
Don’t forget that next week we are celebrating Literacy and Numeracy Week. Students will be involved in a number of learning activities, including visiting authors, which highlight and value Literacy and Numeracy. The week will conclude with a Book Character Parade at a special assembly on Friday 7th September, commencing at 8.30am. Also on this day a group of our Year 5/6 students will also be attending the Palmerston Young Writers Festival Day at Palmerston Library, with other Palmerston City School students.
Happy Father’s Day to all our dads this weekend. I hope you are showered with many gifts. This week at assembly we have two classes presenting their learning; Transition Fullarton and Transition Da Silva. We hope you can join us. Jo Jefferson Principal
Notes home: 5/6 Herrick/Edie
Excursion note Palmerston Young
Writers Festival note
Yr 6 Palmerston College Taster Day note
Aquaponics Farm opening note
NT School Survey note
Updating Information
If you have changed any of your details such as
address, phone number, medical conditions or any other information please inform us at the Office so we are able to
update your child’s records.
Dental Clinic
For any dental enquiries, to arrange an
appointment or for dental
emergencies, please call 8922 6466
Some names are intentionally left off this publication due to permissions. If you would like to update your child's details, please see the ladies in the office.
On Track AT DURACK
Lexi Rm 2
and
Zack Rm 7
Congratulations for doing the right thing at Assembly
YOU HAVE BEEN FROGSPOTTED!!!
On August 3rd, over 100 year 3/4 students took their inquiry learning to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Our big question was: How has Darwin changed? Thanks to the amazing staff at MAGNT, the 3/4
students were able to find answers to their
inquiry. Curators entertained and informed us
with artefacts and stories about life in the past.
We found reasons why people from different
countries came to Darwin, and began to
appreciate the impact of major events such as
the Commonwealth and Cyclone Tracy. We
even got to design our own art gallery!
Armed with research notes and a head full of information, students headed back to school for some well-earned fun at the Year 3/4 sleepover. The evening began with an array of fantastic water games and activities. The foam machine proved to be a firm favourite, with children emerging covered in bubbles, and looking like creatures from the deep! After drying off, students enjoyed a pizza party with all their friends. The classroom floors in C block were covered as beds and swags were set up for our giant sleepover. We settled down for a relaxing evening of movies before eventually drifting off to sleep. The next morning breakfast was served and students just had time for a quick play, before heading home with smiling faces and a few bleary eyes! A huge thank-you to our amazing parent
helpers who made this all possible.
T Fullarton
Always
busy, busy, busy!
Working together
Maths
Visitors
Science
Japanese
Phonics
Visitors
Technologies: Logging on to a computer
English: Retelling stories through role play
Health: Safety!
How to be Croc Wise! What to do in an emergency
Provide first aid
Science: What’s it Made of? “Book made of paper!” “ Metal pole!”
HASS: Australia
How to prepare for a cyclone!
Number names
Write a recount Resilience with our Big Buddies
Addition
Numbers that come before and after
20 Years On Friday 24tth August, we celebrated the opening of our Aquaponics Farm. The
farm has been named in honour of our inaugural Board Chairperson, Wally Mauger. Wally was instrumental in the establishment of the Aquaponics program at our
school with our Invited Board Member Lia Finocchiaro MLA.
Two classes of students were present for the unveiling of the farm with the students participating in the planting of more vegetables for the garden with the parents and guests present. The first tomato from the garden was picked and chopped up for the
guests to enjoy.
The SLC is holding a Sports Colours Dress up day to help
raise money to support kids with cancer to continue with
their education during treatment and
recovery.
So, bring your gold coin donation and show your true
colours on
Wednesday 12th September 2018
A disco for T-2 will be held at recess and
Years 3-6 at lunch time.
**Please make sure your
sports
colours are sun safe**
Preschool Lynch have been having a great time with
the Army uniforms which have been added to their
home corner for imaginative play.