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: durack.school@ntschools.net.

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.