Photo of the week

Posted on December 6, 2024 by divyaaj

Zali for Newsletter

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Preschool News Week 8 Term 4

Posted on December 6, 2024 by katrinaa

Hello everyone,

We are rapidly coming to the end of the preschool year, only 8 more preschool days left for 2024! The children seem to be relishing their last days together.

Performing, music and dance have been a big part of our preschool day since the start of the year. We have so many confident performers. During the week we were delighted to observe many of the children incorporating music and performing into their play. Wedding dramatic play has made a resurgence and on Thursday during morning meeting most of preschool was involved in an impromptu dance off.  Abi’s been supporting the children’s interest in music by providing afternoon acapella performances. It’s wonderful to see how uninhibited many of the children are, joyfully standing in front of the group and confidently performing.

We are all looking forward to the annual Thank You Afternoon Tea this coming Thursday. Thank you to everyone that RSVPed. We’ve spent the last couple of weeks rehearsing how to greet and serve guests. We’ve begun cooking up a storm as well.

We sadly said goodbye to Anna on Friday as she finished in her position as Diploma trained Assistant. Thanking her for all her efforts while she was with us.

We’re all gearing up for lots more fun and frivolity as we wrap up the 2024 preschool!

Love

Katrina, Lisa, Abi and Anna

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The Purple Hearts Week 8 Term 4

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Vincent

Hi all,

There is only one and a half weeks left of our time together, but who’s counting.

We had a sharing circle last Friday, about our classes for next year, and farewells for those leaving. We talked about the big feelings we might have – excitement, nervousness, sadness, happyness. We also talked about how proud and happy we are to see how far we have come as a group. I know the children going to Amelia’s next year are ready for their next big step. Just as all those moving to other schools are ready and prepared for their big changes.

We have been finishing off of our units of work, completing summative assessment tasks and spending our free time playing and having fun.

Discussions and votes in class meeting have helped decide our end of year activities.
As you all know we have our Aquarium visit on Tuesday, the children have voted to spend half the day Thursday at the pool and Pottery Green oval, we some ice blocks to celebrate the end of the year.
Crafty will join us and if anyone is free Thursday to help walk to the pool, supervise or hang out with us at the oval afterwards, please let me know. We will most likely get to the park around 11 for ice blocks, morning tea and a play before we walk back to school.

The children have also voted to watch a Pokemon movie for the end of year.

That’s all from me,

Vinnie

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Jess ‘s class Week 8 Term 4

Posted on December 6, 2024 by jessk

Dear parents,

It’s been a very busy week as we tie up loose ends and complete end-of-year activities.

In maths, we finished up our measurement unit with an activity requiring the children to demonstrate (with writing or pictures) their understanding of the statement, “Large things can be light and small things can be heavy.” I was delighted to see the very creative responses to this task, which included drawings of balance arms, balloons, measuring tapes, grid lines, etc. For some children, the open-ended instructions were a little challenging, but I think everyone got there in the end.

The children are now practicing reading and showing the time on digital and analogue clocks. So far, we have covered the parts of a clock and how they show time on the hour and half past. Most children have a pretty good grasp of this. Next week, we will be extending our learning to include quarter past and quarter to, and some children will also begin to understand other time increments.

The children are really enjoying writing creative stories at the moment and are having even more fun reading these out loud to each other at story time. Even Roald Dahl can’t compete!

Spanish was delicious this week! A huge thank you to Carolina and Archana for putting in a long and hot day of cooking with the children. It’s always such keenly anticipated activity.

Keeping a lid on the end-of-year excitement has been an ongoing effort, and although we’re all having a lovely time, the children are needing extra reminders to manage their physicality, noise levels, and impulsiveness to ensure everyone feels safe and happy. It’s always the same at this stage in Term 4, so no big surprises. Perhaps just a request to keep things quiet and calm at home as much as possible during this crazy time of year.

Happy weekend,
Jess

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Amelia’s class Week 8 Term 4

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Amelia

Hi everyone,

This week, we started our learning on time including analog and digital clocks. We made our own clocks using paper plates and tested one another to move the minute and hour hand to a given hour. We will continue learning to read analog and digital time including half-past and quarter-past.

On Wednesday with Carolina the children did Spanish cooking, which they always love. They made Buñuelos Colombianos, a special treat usually enjoyed around Christmas time. The children will have their final Spanish session of the year with Carolina next Wednesday.

On Friday, the children also found out their class groups for next year. I am so pleased to see how excited they were when finding out which friends they will be with and anticipation for a new teacher and class group.

The children are also very excited to present their PIPs next Tuesday. They have all become very confident and independent with the process and will go into their next year as experts! The younger children have also finished their GIP (group interest project) all about Australian birds and will be presenting this just to their class groups next week too.

Amelia x

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Sarah’s class Week 8 Term 4

Posted on December 6, 2024 by sarahm

Hi Everyone,

I hope that you’ve all had a nice weekend.

We’ve been looking at Improper and Proper fractions this week, and its been wonderful to see light bulbs go off as children recognise the number of whole fractions and what fractions are left over. We also watched a couple of documentaries on the sea! We viewed two episodes from the Blue Planet series with David Attenborough focusing on the open water and frozen sea. The children needed to complete a quiz as we went along, so intent listening to find the answers was dutifully practiced, mostly!

As mentioned before the children’s stamina to swim laps/lengths has grown so much. This week, our focus was on diving from a crouch position. Aiming our finger tips in first, tucking chins to the chest and rolling into the water. There are a couple of really adept divers in the group who showed us how its done. And hey presto…… the results were amazing! The majority demonstrated better diving by the end. We voted to bring up to $5.00 to buy an ice-cream after our last swim to the pool on Tuesday.

Kris Kringle note giving has commenced and it didn’t take long for the majority to work out, already, who their KK is. There is a $15 limit on gift giving and I have said the children need to observe the person they are gifting to and also make something for them. Exchanging of gifts will take place on our last day together Wednesday, 18th. There will be a basket under my desk where gifts can be placed between now and then.

We’ve worked out who is presenting projects next week and this will happen across Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons starting from 1:30 pm. Please, check with your child, if they wish you to attend. Next week, will be a busy one as we also welcome 6 children from Wendy’s group (who are not going to camp) into our class. I know all of them which will make this transition easier but it will increase the number in the class to 20 children. Just so you are aware, of why there will be some new children’s faces hanging around in the room.

Tomorrow, Monday 9th will be our final visit to Lane Cove Libraray. So please return all books.

By now, you and your child would know what the structure of classes will be like for 2025. Obviously, there are changes, but the teachers all hope that these changes will be positive ones, for everyone!

Looking forward to our final FULL week together for 2024.

Love, Sarah

 

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Wendy’s Class Week 8 Term 4

Posted on December 6, 2024 by wendyp

Another busy week for us with some very special moments!

Many thanks to Genevieve for organising the excursion for Year 6 kids to make T-shirts at print studio, PeteVToby, with Marco. They all had a fabulous time and returned with T shirts emblazoned with their chosen symbols and all their names. Many thanks to Sido and Cathy for driving and being there, too.

On Tuesday, many of the Year 6s had their orientation days at their respective high schools. Balmain High, Mosman, Barrenjoey, Cameraygal and Turramurra High Schools and Lindfield Learning Village all had Currambena visitors. Redlands had a Currambena visitor a few weeks ago. The feedback was overall quite positive, potential friends, friendly teachers and engaging activities were reported. I hope you are enjoying reading all the My Time at Currambena reminiscences. I have no idea why so many of the children are choosing to write their My Time pieces in sections called Kindergarten, Grade 1 etc when Currambena classes are always called something different! Maybe it’s part of the process of leaving and getting their heads around how it will be for the next six years for each of them!

On Wednesday morning, Moses Aaron, retired story-teller and long time Currambena friend, came to give a final story telling performance for our group before his complete retirement. Thank you to the parents who came along and thank you to the children for being the best possible audience for him. I think we all enjoyed the stories, especially the scary one at the end, and Moses was delighted as always by the responsiveness and engagement from the children. He has told stories at schools all over eastern Australia and Currambena is his favourite!

Also on Wednesday, we had cooking in Spanish thanks to Carolina and her helpers. We had an ancient Roman feast in Latin with slaves serving food to masters in the triclinium. We also had pancakes cooking in the room as a diary free alternative!

PIP presentations have been going really well. It is so beautiful to see the growth in confidence of the children since the start of the year. Some of the Year 6 Leavers have chosen the same PIP topic that they chose for their first Currambena PIP. Very cute.

Nothing much else to say but SUNSHINE SUNSHINE SUNSHINE for camp please! I’ll send separate emails for our group about final details.

Have a great week everyone. We’ll send some photos.

Love,
Wendy

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My Time at Currambena by Zali

Posted on December 6, 2024 by wendyp

Hello

~Preschool~
So, I don’t really remember that much about preschool, but here are the things that I do remember:
My first friend was Mia {who I’m still in contact with} and my buddy was a girl called, Elsa. The teachers in preschool were Katrina, Michael, and Chris {not Crafty Chris, but a different Chris}. That’s pretty much all I remember about preschool.

~Kindergarten~
In kindergarten, I was still only friends with Mia, because I didn’t want more friends. I don’t remember much about this year either, but the main thing that I remember was a game called “Go fish.” I don’t remember how to play it though. My teachers were Jess, and Jane.
~Grade 1~
In grade one, You guessed it- my only friend was still Mia (because I’m an introvert). I really enjoyed this year. I don’t exactly know why, but it was just a nice calm year. I remember making these little mouse books with Mia. We probably made hundreds of them. And our teacher was called Rosie.
~Grade 2~
This year had a lot of drama. I was still friends with Mia, but I had to make more friends, because Mia went to LLV. (This is why you should make more than one friend.) The friends I made were Evie and Phoebe. This year, COVID 19 also happened, so we had to get home schooled. Also, my parents got divorced, then (my mum’s new partner) Peter moved in with birds (Rosie and Malibu). And the teacher was Sarah.
~Grade 3~
This year was pretty much just like last year. A lot of grade 3 was in lockdown too. But this year, the COVID lockdown ended. I don’t really know what else to say, because basically the same things happened in the year before ( apart from the lockdown ending and going back to school) and my teacher was still Sarah.

~Grade 4~
This year, I made friends with Ariel, Emme, Phoebe, and Scarlett. I don’t really remember much about this year, but I do remember climbing the rafters in the roof, and writing my name up there. (You can’t anymore ) And my teacher was Leesa.

~Grade 5~
In grade 5, I shared a desk with Torah and Rhea. But, luckily Evie and Scarlett saved me, and I got to move my desk next to theirs. Later that year, Rhea left. My friends that year were Scarlett, Evie, Ariel, and Tt, Phoebe, and my teacher was Wendy.

~Grade 6~
This year was great, because we went to a lot of camps, I got pregnant at the drumming social (just kidding haha) Emme and I got lots of bloody noses, and Kitty was there (if you know, you know). My friends were Scarlett, Evie, Ariel, Tt, Emme, Louie, and Phoebe. And Our teacher was Wendy! (She is a slay queen.)

Anyway, I had a great time at Currambena!!

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School Meeting Minutes Week 8 Term 4

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Amelia

Friday 6th December

Chaired by Zara and Beni (Amelia’s Class)

Ice for injuries by Wendy

  • Wendy just wanted to let everyone know that moving forward if there is an injury that requires ice, please use a ziplock bag and return it to the sink in the staffroom so they can be reused as ice packs.

Putting things away by Wendy

  • Wendy reminded everyone that we are all responsible for returning any equipment that we take out. Some of the children in Wendy’s class also mentioned the blue crash mats as they have been left out a number of times, and it is their responsibility to check the school at the end of the day for pack away jobs. Please be responsible and return any equipment used.

Pack away sports shed by Archana

  • Archana noticed that the sports shed had not been packed away properly last week at Sustaining, so Susan had to finish the job herself. Make sure your Sustaining job is done properly before you return to class.

Physical violence by Rome and Grace

  • Sarah spoke in place of Rome and Grace for this topic. Sarah has noticed a lot of physical play and games happening at the moment and a lot of these are getting out of hand. She reminded everyone that any wrestling or slapping play is not okay and to play safely.

Bathroom by Pepper

  • Pepper wants to make some curtains for their class’ bathroom and wanted to check if this is okay.
  • Grayson added that he would like to make these curtains in craft.
  • Sarah asked Grayson to ask each of the teachers if they would like curtains for their own bathroom, and perhaps Grayson could be in charge of making these. He agreed.

Library books by Archana

  • Archana wanted to remind everyone to please return any books to the library or to your classrooms as some have been left out in the playground where they can get wet or damaged.

Sustaining by Vinnie

  • Vinnie wanted to ask if anyone has finished their job to come and help clear the top decking next to preschool as there are a number of leaves and twigs.

Sticks bigger than your thumb by Jamie

  • Jamie wanted to remind everyone that we have a school rule to not play with or use sticks if they are bigger than your thumb. They can be unsafe.
  • Sarah added that larger sticks can be used only for craft or creative purposes.

Ice blocks by Josh H

  •  Josh wanted to ask when the children would like to have ice blocks in the last week. As a lot of classes will be going up to the shops or doing their own parties, do we need ice blocks on the Wednesday?
  • The discussion that followed suggested a vote if the children want ice blocks in the final week. The majority said yes.
  • Mabel suggested that Wendy’s class discuss which day works best for their schedule and let the rest of the school know.

Out of bounds by Wendy

  • Wendy reminded everyone that there are some areas of the school that are out of sight and out of bounds unless a teacher has given you permission to be there. These include areas behind Sarah’s room, Amelia’s room and the craft room. Sometimes children need to go back their for their Sustaining jobs, but a teacher needs to be aware. Please remember to stay safe and keep out of these areas.

Meeting adjourned!

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NO GUITAR OR PIANO WITH WENDY NEXT WEEK

Posted on December 6, 2024 by wendyp

Wendy’s group will be at camp.

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