PSSA Zone Swimming Congratulations to all students who represented our school at the PSSA Zone Swimming Carnival last Friday. The wonderful display of good sportsmanship and support from our students for each other was wonderful to see. This Friday we will be presenting our school swimming champions with their medals at our weekly assembly. All the best to those competing at the NW competition this coming Monday. Clean Up Australia Day (for schools) All students will be involved in the annual clean up Australia day (for schools) tomorrow afternoon. We will be cleaning our own school area and environments. If children have a pair of gloves they would like to use, please brin g them along. 2016 Annual Report The 2016 Martin’s Gully Public School Annual Report will be available on our school web site by the end of the week. The report outlines how the school has been working on achieving the targets set out in the school plan. It also reports on financial information and events throughout 2016. If you would like a printed version, please contact the school. Congratulations Mrs Pennington Mrs Pennington has ben offered the position of relieving Principal at Black Mountain Public School for the last 4 weeks of this term. Mrs Emma Schaeffer will be the classroom teacher for 3/4P while Mrs Pennington is away. I would like to congratulate Felicity on being offered this wonderful opportunity and welcome Emma Schaeffer to our team. ICAS Competitions For those students wishing to participate in the 2017 ICAS competitions, money and permission notes need to be returned by next Friday 10th March. These are only offered to students in Years 3 to 6. Please contact the school if you need another copy of the information note. Have a great week! Brad Hunt Principal

Wednesday 1st March 2017 Term 1 Week 6

From The Principal’s Desk

Principal

Brad Hunt

Assistant Principals

Kate McKay, Emma Polson

& Joann Anderson

You Can Do It! Awards from Last Week

Emma (K) Renee (1/2D) Charlie (1/2L) Abby (3/4P)

Cooper (3/4T) Tom (5/6A) Gabby (5/6M)

Dates For Your Diary Assemblies - Friday 12.40pm

Term 1 Weekly Assemblies (Subject to change throughout the term)

Friday 3rd March: 3/4P Friday 10th March: 3/4T Wednesday 15th: School Leaders Assembly 1/2L 10.40am (Replaces Friday Assembly) Friday 24th March: 5/6A Friday 31st March: Kindergarten Friday 7th April: Easter Hat Parade

MARCH

Tomorrow: Clean Up Australia Day (for schools)

Friday 3rd: Pizza lunch day

Tuesday 7th: UNE Science Day (Year 6)

Friday 10th: Armidale Show

Saturday 11th: Armidale Show

Wednesday 15th: School Leaders Assembly 10.40am

Saturday 18th: Autumn Festival

Monday 20th: Armidale Cup Half Day Holiday

Tuesday 28th: Vision Testing

Wednesday 29th:School Photos

Friday 31st: P&C Lunch Order Day

School Cross Country

MGPS News

Absence Notifications

Please remember to advise the school if your child is absent.

Notifications for student absences can be forwarded by email, the school app or by phone.

SCHOOL JACKETS

Jacket order forms are available at the office. The jackets are $42 in sizes 6-14. Please return the order form to the office by

Wednesday 22nd March

Easter Raffle

The P & C will be holding an Easter Egg raffle – to be drawn at the Easter Hat

Parade on Friday 7th April, 2017

It will be greatly appreciated if all families could please donate an Easter treat that

we will put into hampers, to be raffled.

All donations can be left in the box provided in the School Office, by

5th April, 2017.

Thank you, for once again supporting the P & C.

Kindergarten Vision Testing will now be held on Tuesday 28th March

Wow….it is Week 6 already and 5/6A are working hard! This week we will finish our English unit of work on 68 Teeth by James Moloney! Students have enjoyed this action-packed novel and have written creative pieces of writing based on James Moloney’s writing techniques!

We will also finish our informative unit based around Natural disasters and next week we will commence a new English Unit on Flood by Jackie French and a Persuasive unit of work.

We have been working on co-operative team work skills each Monday afternoon, and it is pleasing to see students transferring these skills to group work activities in class, everyday! Here are some photos of us using these skills in group activities.

We commenced buddy reading this week. Year 6 enjoyed reading to their Kindergarten buddies, while Year 5 enjoyed a visit from Kurrawatha, where they could read to a buddy. This will continue next week.

Joann Anderson

5/6A Class Report

Year 5/6M are off to a flying start this term. We have been looking at how James Moloney uses different writing techniques in our study of 68 Teeth. It's the school holidays and Jack plans to fish. But he attracts something bigger than a barramundi- a croc has entered the river on his family's property and it's hungry! Will Jack survive to tell the tale? Just ask 5/6M or read the book!

In Mathematics our focus so far this term has been on Whole Number, , Addition and Subtraction, 3D Objects, Multiplication and Division and Patterns & Algebra. In line with the Mathematics K-10 syllabus, we are looking at the range of strategies we can use to solve problems. The more strategies we have in our ‘toolbox’ the better we are able to select the most appropriate strategy for the job.

Earthquake Explorers is the title of this term’s Science and Technology unit. Students are developing an understanding of what causes earthquakes and how they change the Earth’s surface. They also look at the data on earthquakes in Australia and around the world.

Our art unit is really starting to get interesting. Last week we were lucky enough to have a visit from a guest artist. Pete Calvert came in to demonstrate some of the techniques that we are learning about. Students used charcoal to create a realistic artwork after careful study of an old Indonesian man’s face. The results are fabulous. We look to sharing them with you. Feel free to pop in and have a look.

Just a reminder that Library is on Thursdays. Homework is sent home every TUESDAY and is due back each MONDAY. Congratulations to our swimmers who attended the PSSA Carnival last Friday.

With kind regards Kate McKay

5/6M Class Report

MUSICA VIVA