Dear Parents/Caregivers

As part of our literacy genre writing, students have written a procedure on ‘how to make a sandwich’.  They were asked to write the recipe as if explaining it to an alien from another planet.  Students could choose from ‘ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and cucumber’ to add to their sandwich.

On Friday 29 July, in celebration of their first week of successful writing, students will be making their sandwich between recess and lunch to eat at lunchtime. 

You therefore, may not wish to pack as much food on this day! 

Please let me know if you do not wish your child to participate – they will be required to watch or help if not making a sandwich. Please also let me know if your child has any dietary requirement, e.g. coeliac, gluten or lactose intolerant, etc.

Val Crozier

Flashlight Friday - this week

Wow!!!

Your fabulous children have now reached over 3000 points on Class Dojo.

As a reward, Room 31 will be having "Flashlight Friday" this week on Friday 20 May.  Students may bring in a torch/flashlight and we will turn off the lights, sit in a dark corner or sit under the desk and read our library books for half an hour or so.  Students will be reminded on Wednesday as I will be away Thursday afternoon.

Term 2 Week 3

I am pleased that we have survived NAPLAN.  I am so proud of how the students handled themselves.  Again NAPLAN is a snapshot of their learning on that particular day.  Reports are completed based on written work, observations, discussions and formative and summative assessments.

I decided to check each child's Chromebook history today and was surprised to see a couple of students had spent nearly 6 hours on YouTube or playing online games. However, there were many who completed their Geography homework and caught up with their Term 1 Studyladder work (which I have told students must be up to date by the beginning of Week 6).

As part of our Digital Technology lessons, we are discussing digital safety and currently students are working at receiving their "Digital Licence".

Steve Whitehead posted the information below to the Google Community reminding everyone of the age restrictions for social media platforms.  We restrict access to these sites while students are at school and  discuss the potential dangers associated with digital learning.  Some students have indicated they have had Facebook for a number of years - this means their "age" will now show over 16.  It might be pertinent to check your child's accounts and make necessary amendments to age/date of birth and who their "friends" are.  Some admit they accept any friend request - even from males they do not know!!

If you need help in checking your child's accounts, please let me know and I can arrange for you or a small group of parents to come in after school to go through their access.

Happy Holidays

Wow!  We are already half way through our holidays.  It is inspiring to see so many students completing NAPLAN practise activities on   Studyladder.  I hope you are all managing to have some time to relax and have fun with you family.  Enjoy the rest of the holidays.

Arbury Park Camp

Reminder that all camp consent forms, health forms and specific dietary needs must be returned tomorrow Friday 11 March 2016.

I am aware you have had a lot of expense at the beginning of this year due to Chromebooks.  Payment arrangements can be made with Michelle Kraniac in finance.  You will need to contact her by 3pm tomorrow (Friday 11 March 2016) to either pay or make arrangements to pay.   (There are 35 weeks left this year.  Therefore $5 per week would have camp paid for by the middle of Term 4, $10 per week would have the camp paid for by the end of Term 2).

Unfortunately I must confirm definite numbers on Friday so I can not accept late payments/arrangements.

Questions answered (hopefully)

I am so proud of how all students have taken to working between books and their Chromebooks.  As we all learn more, I am sure we will all see amazing things happening with our learning and teaching.

I have been asked about the microphone I wear in the classroom.  I use a microphone/speaker for two reasons:

1. I lost my voice for nearly 9 weeks in 2015 and following over 6 months of speech therapy was advised to use a microphone/speaker system both in and out of the classroom to reduce voice strain.
2. Room 31 has two students with hearing difficulties. The microphone/speaker provides the amplification needed to help them hear instructions.

Students are asked not to speak or make background noise whilst either I or another student is talking to enable these students to hear instructions and answers. The school behaviour procedure will start occurring for repeat offenders who have been constantly reminded not to talk while another person is speaking.

A couple of students have started forgetting to charge/bring in their Chromebooks.  I ask that Chromebooks have at least 6 hours of charge on them at the beginning of the day.  Students must also bring their Chromebook to school each day.  If forgotton/left at home, it will be the students responsibility to catch up any work completed in class on the Chromebook by the next lesson.  Students will make hand written notes during the lesson to use at home.

Unfortunately, I have had to remind a couple of students of email etiquette and will make this a focus of future Chromebook lessons.

Don't forget, you, as parents, can log on to your child's Chromebook using your ardps.com account to see what work they are doing.  Homework/classwork is shown on Google Classroom and also on the class blog.

Have a look at the typing app they are using - it is free to sign up!  Practice your touch typing skills too and challenge your child to be better than you!

 I will notify you via the class blog as more and more apps are introduced.

Please let me know if you need any help with Chromebooks, etc.

Why Reading Matters

Khan Academy

Hello everyone,
Today your child joined our Khan Academy class Room 31 2016.
I will be using this wonderful educational resource for many math topics and digital technologies focus lessons. It is a wonderful tool to enhance  a student's exposure to subjects and gives real life scenarios to work with/in.
A great example of the exposure the students can get from Khan Academy is in the Pixar in a Box Unit of work. The renowned animation company Pixar has teamed up with Khan Academy to create a step by step structured lesson unit for kids to learn about the whole process of animation. We will also continue this in class in practical hands on projects.
Khan Academy requires parent authorisation for any person under the age of 13. The reason for this is that all videos from Khan Academy are stored by YouTube.

It would be prefered that the student's do not start the units of work yet but wait for me to begin together. Signing up is all that is required.

Term 1 Week 5

It was good to see so many at the parent Chromebook session last night.  Please remember to check the homework page to see what work your child has to complete.  You can also sign in (using your ardps.com account) to your child's Chromebook and check out Google Classroom to see their work too.

Please email me if you have any questions.

Term 1 Week 3 2016

It was great to see so many people at acquaintance night last night.  For those of you who could not attend, a paper copy of the term overview came home with your child tonight.  I will be posting a copy of my weekly term plan (detailing the topics to be covered each week by subject) on the Term Overview page.

I have arranged for staff not trained in Read, Write, Inc/Fresh Start to complete training over the next two days.  Therefore I will not be in class and have left my planned teaching for the relief teacher to cover.

Please feel free to email me if you have any queries concerning our learning, Chromebooks, etc.  at vcrozier@ardps.com

I will also be using Google+ to communicate with you too.

Val

Term 1 Week 2

Welcome back and General Class Information

What a great day, all students have made a fantastic start and the signs are good for a very successful year ahead.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you as Room 31 parents for 2016.

Please take a few minutes each day to let your child tell you about Room 31 and how we work. There may be a few concerns about class expectations and procedures. This usually disappears after the first week.

All students have been given equipment to use in the classroom. This equipment will stay in their tray and any other pencil cases they have can be kept at home for homework tasks.

We encourage students to have water bottles in the classroom. Raw fruit and vegetable snacks are also encouraged for brain break eating throughout the day.

Thanks to the parents who sent a box of tissues to school today. We would appreciate each family donating a box of tissues for class use.

We will cover Homework, Curriculum & Behaviour Management expectations and any other class information at the acquaintance Night on Tuesday 16 February 2016.

This year most communication will be through the blog rather than using a diary. If you need to write to us please do so in the diary. Confidential notes will need to be in a sealed envelope.

We hope that all families will be able to access and participate in the class online Hub and be an active member of the Ardtornish Google Community. We have found this to be a very successful communication tool especially when parents can access the information via their phone.

Direct address - http://room31ardtornishps.blogspot.com.au/

or you can access the blog through our school homepage, then click on the class blogs menu link.

School site - http://www.ardtornps.sa.edu.au/

I look forward to working with you this year.

Val Crozier

Term 4

I hope you have had a restful holiday and students are ready to return to learning.  I have been in and worked out the areas of work we still need to cover and the areas we need to revisit to ensure students have "got it". I will try to upload the term review in the next week or so.

I did find some students handed in work that was not to the standard they are capable of.  Many rushed their work, producing substandard work to get "Blast Off".  I have, therefore, decided that Room 11 will pull out of Blast Off for the first few weeks of Term 4 until the majority of students complete work to the standard they are capable of, but more importantly hand in their work on time.  I will review Blast Off after a few weeks. I understand some students will be disappointed but feel the one hour can be spent either completing required work to a good standard or expanding their learning.

This term is going to be very busy. We have the school fete in a few weeks and will be needing students and possibly parents to help set up and man the Year 6/7 stall.  We are also looking for donations of prizes for our sideshows.  The Year 7 students will also be preparing for their graduation - please make sure you have returned the forms and have arranged payment with the finance office. The year 7 students may also be visiting their High School for a day.  Room 11 is lucky to be hosting a year 10 student on work experience this term too.

Have a good weekend and stay cool in this heat and I will see all students back at school on Monday.

Term 3 Week 9

Last week saw Room 11 have a fabulous day out at Parliament House and the Migration Museum as part of our Civics and Citizenship Curriculum.  Students saw both the Upper and Lower Houses, the old parliament rooms and the library within Parliament House.  Our visit to the Migration Museum required the students to investigate primary resources to discover who had migrated to South Australia.  Students were amazed at the photographs, university certificates, clothing and personal items, the migrants had donated to the museum.  A highlight for me was watching the year 6 and 7 students roll down the hills/banks at the Memorial Gardens and strike up a game of catch involving everyone.

This week has been exceptionally busy too.  Tomorrow, we lose some students for the drive to Murray Bridge for the 24 hour Pedal Prix competition.  We also have a number of choir students heading to the Festival Theater for the Festival of Music 2015 Concert.  Tomorrow also sees our last assembly for the term.

Students are also busy completing their final term projects for Humanities, Geography and Art.  Many students presented their Science projects today and the remainder will present on Monday.

Have a great weekend.

Term 3 Week 5

Wow!  We are half way through this term already.  Where has the time gone?

Students are frantically finishing off their book trailers so they can be shown during next Friday's Book Week Assembly.  Please remind your child to complete their trailer, save it to Google Drive and email it to me at vcrozier@ardps.com and Jane Moore at jmoore@ardps.com.

Room 11 will be collaborating with our Room 31 buddy class to present at the Book Week Assembly.  We will be doing "Star Wars" - good against evil/light against dark.  Notes have been sent home and students have indicated whether they have/can borrow either white or black/dark clothes.  T-shirts with pictures can be worn inside-out.  Some students have indicated they have Star Wars costumes and will be wearing those.  I do not want you to go out and spend money on an outfit - I ask you to use what you have in your wardrobes.  Students have made masks and light sabers today so will only need to turn up next Friday in either white or black clothes as agreed.

A reminder that all year 6 and 7 students have now completed three lessons in our Growth and Development topic.  Please chat to your child about what has been covered and be open to answering any queries they may have.  I am always available for students to talk to and we have a box behind my desk where students can place written questions about this topic.

Could I please remind students and parents that food can not be heated up in the Year 6/7 kitchen on Thursdays as students have their Japanese lesson.  Students must bring cold food (sandwiches, salad, etc) or a canteen order that day.  We encourage the drinking of water throughout the day and many students are not bringing a drink bottle to use/refill.  Please remind your child to pack their water bottle.  Fizzy drinks such as lemonade and cola are not to be brought to school to drink to avoid the high sugar rush as well as upset stomachs following students exercise.

A final note to remind parents to check out the school newsletter. The Education and Health  Departments  have informed schools about the high instances of flu among children.  We are asking you keep your child away from school while they are sick so they do not infect others.  Could you also remember to phone or SMS the school or email me as to the reason why they are away, eg Family Sick, etc.  Please note that medical certificates are required if your child is away from school sick for more than three consecutive days.

Hope you all stay well and warm this weekend.

Term 3 Week 3

It has been a busy start to the week.

Students have started researching their second artist  - Wassily Kandisky this week.  Information and their piece of art is due next Thursday.

Year 7 students visited Modbury High School on Tuesday morning as the first of their visits.

All students had their first Growth and Development lesson today.  Those students away at basketball will need to see their teacher to catch up any missed work.  Please find time to discuss the topic with your child and touch base with what they are covering in class.  I am happy to help you with this topic in any way I can.

Just a friendly reminder to call the school if your child is away.  We have many students absent this week with cold/flu/sore throats - thank you for not passing on your germs to the rest of us!  We are still in urgent need of tissues for the classroom if you can supply of box.  Any donation will be gratefully accepted.

Stay safe and well.

Term 3 Week 2

Cold and flu season has certainly hit Room 11, with many students away sick. If you have not already done so, could you please supply your child with a box of tissues.  We have gone through 2 boxes in 9 days!

Growth and Development lessons will be starting in Week 3.  Students will be split according to gender and year level and will cover topics suitable for their grade.

Room 11 will be hosting the Week 3 assembly with our Room 31 buddy class.  We look forward to seeing you on Friday.

Don't forget, the best way to contact me is via vcrozier@ardps.com.  You can also send messages via ClassDojo.

Term 3 Welcome

Welcome to Term 3. I hope you have all had a restful break.  I will be working in the classroom this term but will still be receiving treatment for my throat and voice.

The Middle School team met at the beginning of the holidays and we agreed on student learning for this term.  A term overview will be posted to the website in the coming weeks.

Year 6 students will be focusing on Geography for the remainder of the year - again team-taught by Cass Neller and myself.  Year 7 students will do one term of History and Geography.Our Humanities topic for the remainder of the year will  focus on Civics and Citizenship.  There will be opportunities to show leadership skills by assisting with the sports shed, library and kitchen duties, as well as representing the school in sporting activities.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries.

Term 2 Week 9 Update

Can students in Room 11 please remember that there is no heating or cooking of hot food (including toasties) on a Thursday.  Students are expected to take their lunch with them to Japanese and eat in Room 15.  This is to ensure I receive my full allocation of release time.  Please see me if you have any queries.

Week 8 update

Just a brief update to keep you informed of what is happening in Room 11.

I have returned to work in a non-teaching role as I am not supposed to talk for the next few weeks in the hope the swelling of the vocal chords reduces.  As such Tom Western will be working in my room.  I have provided Tom with my term plan and we work closely each day to ensure the curriculum is being covered,  Hopefully, as the swelling goes down and sessions with a speech therapist work, I will be able to spend some time in the classroom this term.  A microphone/speaker system has been installed in Room 11 for me to use next term.

If you have any queries, please feel free to email me.

Term 2 Week 3

Thank you to parents/caregivers and students for supporting the relief teacher(s) who have worked in Room 11 the last two weeks while I tried to get my voice back, fight infection and a perforated eardrum.

I have been told all Year 7's conducted themselves well throughout the NAPLAN examinations.

Please remember, this is one test on one day and does not take into account the other unique qualities each student has.

Hopefully my voice will hold out and we can get learning back to normal.

While I was away, I have updated my assessment records and have found many gaps, where students have either not completed the work or in many cases have not handed the work in for marking.  As results stand, some students have not provided sufficient work for me to give a satisfactory grade on their mid year report.  Please discuss with your child that they hand in work to be marked this week for marking next weekend.  As Year 6 and 7's, students should be responsible for their own work.  I will not offer to back-date marking again this year unless there are extenuating circumstances.

If you would like to arrange an interview to discuss your child's work before I start writing reports, please email me with days and times you are available, and I will try to arrange a time to suit us both.