Ardtornish Newsletter

Term 1 Week 5 - 4th March 2022
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No 24

In this issue

  • ​Building Students’ Number Sense
  • Canteen Roster
  • Ardtornish Children’s Centre Update
  • Mrs Hall – Student Wellbeing
  • Modbury Hawks
  • Qkr! Update Child's Classroom
  • Family contacts Update
  • Banksia Park International Open Night
  • Scouts
  • Tea Tree Gully Netball
  • RAN Training Update
  • Ardtornish General Meeting
  • Sensational Readers Room 11
Diary Dates

​March
14th – Public Holiday
15th – Annual General Meeting
17th – Year 6 Sausage Sizzle
18th – Softball Carnival Years 5-6
18th – Police Band
 
April
1st – Pupil Free Day
Road Crossing
Monitors

Wed 2nd Mar – Tue 8th Mar
Angeline K, Evie C, Mikayla N, Mikaela B, Ava B
 
Wed 9th Mar – Tue 15th Mar
Isabella C, Ruby C, Martha W
 
Wed 16th Mar – Tue 22nd Mar
Caleb B, Ben G, Jacob L
 
 
 
Please arrive by 8.25am
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Building Students’ Number Sense

Pictured: Jasmine, Daniel, Ashtar
Number Sense refers to a person’s general understanding of number. People with a strong number sense are able to think flexibly and fluently about numbers. They can:
  • Visualise and talk comfortably about numbers
  • Take numbers apart and put them back together in different ways
  • Compute mentally
  • Relate numbers to real-life problems by connecting them to their everyday world.
Building Number Sense is so important for young math learners because it promotes confidence and encourages flexible thinking. It allows children to create a relationship with numbers and be able to talk about math as a language.

To develop a strong number sense within our students, we provide maths lessons using the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach wherever possible.
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The CONCRETE stage is the first stage in the approach where students are taught to use physical objects, often called manipulatives, to solve maths problems.
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The PICTORIAL stage involves students learning to use drawings to represent the manipulatives to solve the maths problems.
Exposing students to the ABSTRACT concept is the final stage where they solve maths problems using only the numbers. This occurs when students have developed a solid understanding of the maths concept by previously using the concrete and pictorial methods.

During all stages of a maths lesson, students are able to access materials to aid their understanding and provide support if required. At every year level, students are supported to use manipulatives to deepen their understanding of a maths concept.
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When parents ask “What can I do to develop my child’s ability in maths?” Rather than trying to teach them maths concepts we suggest you simply focus on making maths fun and involve them in activities that develop and strengthen number sense. Play card games such as Uno, Snap and Go Fish as well as board games that involve using dice and counting on, such as Trouble and Snakes and Ladders. All these activities are wonderful for developing number sense and strengthening their mathematical abilities.

Ardtornish P.S Annual General Meeting
At 7:00 pm on Tuesday 15th March in the Gym


This meeting will be conducted both online and face to face.
The online link will be made available via Skoolbag before the meeting and use the Microsoft Teams App which is a free download from the Apple or Google Apps Store.
 
Who Makes the Decisions?
At Ardtornish, parents play a key role in the way our school is run. The Governing Council makes key decisions affecting the school as a whole.
  
How can I be Involved?
Parents can nominate to be a parent representative, with voting rights on the school’s governing council, or they can offer to join a portfolio group to assist in its work! 
 
To nominate for a position, email your interest by 10:00am on 15th March to dl.1540.info@schools.sa.edu.au
  
Send a simple message for example:
I (name) ……. Would like to nominate for a position as a parent representative on the 2022 Ardtornish Governing Council. 
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Mrs Hall - Student Wellbeing Leader 2022
Release days – Wednesday and Thursdays
natalie.hall505@schools.sa.edu.au
nhall@ardps.com


​I am excited to continue my role of working with students, parents, carers, teachers and the wider school community to promote and safeguard wellbeing.
 
If you are experiencing difficulties with the following and would like someone to talk to, I am here to listen and help.
  • Friendship problems
  • Anxiety
  • Family concerns
  • Bullying
  • Cyberbullying
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Managing anger and self-regulation
  • Yard problems
  • Feeling sad and or alone
  • Anything else which might make you feel out of sorts and not quite yourself
You can contact me by:
  • Asking a class teacher for a student form like the one alongside
  • Come see me in person – In room 15 Monday, Tuesday and Friday, or in the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
  • Email me using the email addresses at the top of this page
 
Keep in touch with me. You are not alone.
Mrs Hall
Joeys                       5-8 years old
Cubs                        8-11 years old
Scouts                     11-14 years old
Venturers                14+ years old

Be Prepared to Join Scouts! Come and Try – 3 visits for FREE
Northridge Para Vista Scout Group Kentish Green, Warren Road, Para Vista

Joeys – Tuesday Nights – 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Cubs – Tuesday Nights – 7.00pm - 8.30pm
Scouts – Thursday Nights – 7.00pm – 9.00pm
Venturers – Friday Nights – 7.00pm – 10.00pm
Contact:  Gary Powell (Group Leader) – 0481 354 800
Email: gl.northridge@sa.scouts.com.au, www.sa.scouts.com.au
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​Reminder to update your child’s classroom number for 2022 on their Qkr! profile. This ensures all canteen orders turn up to the correct classroom.
Hurrah! Following the extended Covid hiatus we are now able to provide selected programs with the easing of some on-site health and safety restrictions.
 
From Monday 28 February, playgroups, and allied health programs are able (within their own guidelines) to return to our site.
 
Baby Playgroups will be recommencing on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings between 10am and 12pm. Spaces are currently limited to 10 adults per session and there are a few vacancies available now. Call to book.
 
Don’t forget Dad Time which starts on Saturday 5 March. Bookings can be made via Eventbrite at
https://www.event-brite.com.au/e/dad-time-tickets-226182045587
 
Do call or SMS if you would like further information.
 
Regards, John Buckell
Community Development Co-ordinator
8264 9828, 0409 984 495 or email: john.buckell@sa.gov.au
​Tea Tree Gully Netball Club is a Family, Fun, and Focused Netball Club. We are seeking NEW PLAYERS for our Primary and Sub Primary (previously Go grades):

​Primary (2011 – 2012) $225         Sub Primary (2013 – 2015) $225
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If you are interested, please register using the below link by Friday 18th March. The upfront fee is $130, with the remaining issued via club invoice in April. You can use your sports voucher (players aged between 5-15 years, 2007-2017). The sports voucher is $100. To use this when registering click on “Have a voucher?” and follow the instructions. Only one voucher can be claimed per year.

Please follow the registration link: PLAYHQ.COM
https://www.playhq.com/netball-australia/register/b230d1


​​​Sensational Readers in Room 11

The Benefits of Reading for Pleasure 

Where would we be without it? There is ample research that indicates that regularly reading for pleasure is a positive and beneficial activity. In Room 11 we not only value reading, learning to read, and being a better reader, we also strive to make reading an activity that can be enjoyed at school and at home, now and for the rest of our lives.

Room 11 students completed a Reading Interest Survey at the beginning of the term. We’d like to share the results with you.
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It’s not a surprise that students love reading! 44 % love it, 44% like it. The other 12% aren’t fussed, so we’ll be working on them!
It's true, assessment results prove it, Ardtornish students have good reading levels. And the students know it! When asked if they consider themselves to be good readers;

12% said they were sensational readers, 28% very good, 36% good, and 24% considered themselves average readers. No-one thought they were ‘not so good’. It’s safe to say that everyone in Room 11 can read. Of course, our aim will be to move every reader up into the next category. I’m not sure what comes after ‘sensational’ …
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When asked to identify the things which make a good reader, students said; reading a lot, understanding it, and using expression (oral reading). I found it funny that the most popular genre the students enjoyed was humour/comedy [Dad joke]. Graphic novels and fantasy/science fiction also ranked high.
​Students enjoying silent reading time while lying on the tatami (straw mats) in the Room 11 Book Nook.
More often than not, students choose a book to read by looking at the cover and reading the blurb on the back. They also use other people’s recommendations and choose authors based on their own previous reading experiences, especially books in a series. Anh Do, Andy Griffiths, Dav Pilkey, and Riana Telgemeier (listed in alphabetical order), all were high on the students’ favourite authors list. Hint for gift buying there! If you’re not gifting a book, don’t stress, we have these authors’ books in our class library and school library.

The survey questions that I always reflect closely on are these. ‘Does anyone in your family read a lot? If so, who? What do they read?’ Now, I’m not going to start any family disputes about which member is at the top of the leader board, in terms of most reading hours, but I will share a few comments with you:
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  • My mum reads health and fitness and food.
  • Dad reads about cars, mechanics and jet skis.
  • [I would like to be like Mum or Dad and have time to read any of those books.]
  • My brother is learning to read so he is reading more, but I wouldn't call it ‘a lot.’
  • Everyone does and the adults mostly read big books that are quite serious. And the kids read a mix of non-fiction fact books and some big books.

​So keep on encouraging your children to read, by reading yourself!