VOLUME
16
– 20
September 2001
Week 9
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VOLUME
16
– 20
September 2001 |
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Ph: 8381 7166
Email:
Website:
Inside
this issue… |
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Page 2
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IHands
Up For Primary Schools I In order to continue the strong community focus for our IHands Up For Primary SchoolsI campaign, you are invited to join parents from other primary schools in our district at a public meeting in the Happy Valley School hall. We have invited Trish White (Labor Shadow Education Minister), Dr Bob Such (member for Mayo and chair of the parliamentary select committee inquiring into Public Education), Mike Elliott (Democrats leader), Malcolm Buckby (Education Minister). We wish to fill the hall and have a strong contingent of Happy Valley parents in the audience. The evening will be an opportunity for parents from our local schools to communicate their local perspective on the key issues highlighted in the campaign. There will be opportunities for our guest politicians to explain how they (and their parties) will address the campaign issues. IHands Up For Primary Schools I Reduce Class Sizes The
next issue, which we wish to highlight is that of class sizes.
The following is taken from the latest letter written by our IHands Up For Primary SchoolsI
committee
to send to local politicians and candidates.
You can do your bit to support the campaign by writing to a
politician, getting on a talk back radio program, writing a letter to the Advertiser
editor and Attending the Public meeting on 17 October. The parents at Happy Valley School have identified the following urgent needs in regard to Class Sizes. The
focus on individual learners and their specific needs is greater in our
primary schools than ever before. The
new South Australian Curriculum Standards and Accountability Framework
that is being implemented in our school and across the state, emphasises
very strongly that the individual learner must be at the centre of the
learning process. We
identify students with learning difficulties, students with high
intellectual potential, students with who need specific social skills
development. Parents expect
that support will be provided to address these needs.
We believe our teachers do an excellent job, against huge odds.
It
is time for our schools to be staffed for the needs of 21st
Century students. If we
address learning needs in the early years we actually save billions of
dollars in community, health and welfare programs in the future. We
believe that student numbers should be reduced by 5 students per class.
This will allow our teachers to better provide the individual
attention and support that is required to improve literacy and numeracy
levels as early as possible, and to manage classrooms that are in keeping
with demands for modern educational approaches. Reduced
class sizes at Happy Valley School would also create more space in
classrooms. Space in
classrooms is an issue at our school.
More computers in classrooms take up more space and the activity
based learning that we value so highly also requires more space than a
traditional classroom setting. Sandie
Sherriff |
HELPING
HAND WALKATHON Accompanying this newsletter is a sponsorship form for our Helping Hand Walkathon. The challenge for students is to spend time doing something community minded; and walk a bit too! We anticipate that most classes will spend about 1.5 to 2 hours on their task … it could be longer; that will be up to classes. Some classes will be picking up litter, others will be weeding pest plants from reserves, others will be entertaining residents at Hillsview Retirement Village. Please get behind this fundraiser. If every student were to raise $5 we would easily reach our target. The funds will go towards the purchase of new playground equipment in the schoolyard. STAFF
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT SACSA
– South Australian Curriculum Standards and Accountability framework.
Under the leadership of Barb Williams we further explored the
theories underlying the framework i.e. that the learner is at the centre
of the learning process, constructing his/her own ideas or concepts from
his/her previous understanding and experiences.
It was important that we internalised the underlying philosophy
prior to programming some ‘practical’ units of work.
Teams
then worked together, to plan units of work, using what the framework
highlights – the Essential Learnings, Enterprise Learning including the
Key Competencies and Equity. We expect to use this framework for some years and will be using the new terminology, so we’d like parents to slowly become familiar with it and grow with us’ as we use SACSA. It’s not really new – it’s just that the Birth – Year 12 curriculum has been reorganised for the better and now includes many of the broader perspectives in education, that were once were considered as ‘extras’.
HOW
CAN WE IMPROVE? WE WANT TO
KNOW FROM YOU Next Term when we do our annual parent opinion survey, we will also survey a random sample of parents to find out how we might get greater participation at information sessions and workshops. If you have any suggestions please let us know. FRIENDS
OF THE PANALATINGA RESERVE |
Page 3
| PARENTS
GO BUSH The school and the community, through the ‘Friends of the Panalatinga Reserve’ group have done a lot of excellent work to reclaim the reserve adjacent to the school. Students and staff value it as a great teaching resource. Next term we are planning a series of workshops with well-qualified facilitators, to help parents understand what the reserve has to offer. The workshops will be held over three weeks from 9.00 – 11.30am, on the three mornings chosen. These will be decided according to parent responses, which will show the most popular or preferred morning(s).
TOURNAMENT
OF MINDS
|
CHESS
2001:
OUT
OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE Roxanne
Longbottom
Director – 83222411 direct line with answering machine |
Page 4
| PEDAL
PRIX NEWS Well the weekend of the race has now arrived and our finely tuned cyclists are ready to pedal. It looks like the weather will be spot on so if you are looking for something to do, come on up and cheer your team on. Happy
Valley is located in Pit Lane 1, sites 3 and 4 if you are looking for us.
To all parents of riders – don’t forget that we need you up
there by 9.00 am Saturday. Good
luck to all the students competing and I’ll advise everyone of how we
performed in the next newsletter.
CONGRATULATIONS
to
the Year 6/7 Girls Soccer Team for winning the League Competition with
only 8 players.
UNIFORM ROOM HOURS 8.30 – 9.30 am Monday AND Friday. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 16 October at 9.00 am. All are welcome. The
Annual General Meeting will be held on 13 November as 6 November is
Melbourne Cup Day.
Our Parent Club Melbourne Cup Lunch will be held from 12 noon at
Sue Vardas’.
Bring a plate for lunch! |
COMMUNITY
NEWS |
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PARENTS GO BUSH
Name: ________________________________________________ Oldest child’s teacher: _____________________________________________
I would like to enrol for the following workshops in the reserve
The mornings of the week that suit me best, between 9 – 11.30am, are:
Mon. [ ]
Tues. [ ]
Wed. [ ]
Thurs. [ ]
Frid. [ ]
Please tick any days that suit. The
most popular morning will be selected for the workshops.
I would like to use the free creche for ________ children, while I am at
the workshop(s).
