Welcome to the Term 4, Week 4 newsletter! What a busy few weeks we have had! This part of the newsletter is all about highlights and THANKS!

Some of the highlights since our last newsletter have been:

• The grade 5 and 6 camp to Port Arthur
• The heritage walk to celebrate 200years of the township of Swansea
• Grade 2-6 surfing in Bicheno with 42 South
• Swim Squad training for grade 3-6 students in preparation for the SPSSA Swimming Carnival
• PAT testing to celebrate academic growth of our students

Below we have some photos of some of these exciting activities. Our students certainly are provided with a variety of amazing opportunities for learning.

A huge thank you to Konrad Melling for volunteering his time and coming on camp. He certainly assisted in creating some memorable experiences for our grade 5 and 6 students. Also a huge thank you to the staff that organised and attended the camp. Mrs Hay, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Sparshott all worked tirelessly to make the camp a wonderful experience for our students. Camps can’t happen without staff and volunteers giving up their time, reorganising their families and commitments to create life-long memories for our Swansea Primary School students!

Another thank you to the drumming corps who escorted our school parade down the main street of Swansea for the 200^th celebration of our beautiful town.

Our school also needs to thank Melissa Quinn for volunteering her time, expertise, and energy in organising and training our grade 3-6 students for swimming squad. Camilla and Andrew generously prepare their pool and change rooms allow us to use their pool for training each year.

Finally a few reminders to families and students. The weather is warming up the UV has been high and extreme. All students need a hat at play times and for activities that require us to be outside. On the same topic of heat and health, all students need a drink bottle each day in order to stay hydrated. There is a drinking fountain available near the grade 2/3 classroom, but there are regular times where we walk through the town, go to the beach, do PE and go on excursions, where a drink bottle is needed.

Regards

Jo Calder

Teacher in Charge

Inquiry Learning in Mathematics

Best practice in mathematics teaching is constantly evolving.  Since completing my Bachelor of Education and Master of Education, a lot has changed. Mathematics teaching and learning are a key focus for our school this year. I have been lucky enough to spend five days this year at Professional Learning days run by maths education experts from all around Australia.

New research has shown that students learn best when the learning is:

• Inquiry-based
• Authentic – related to real life
• Cooperative and collaborative
• Active
• Problem-based
• Meaningful
• Student-led
• Experiential
• Actively engaging
• Socially interactive
• Joyful

Influenced by Rob Vingerhoets, teachers at Swansea Primary School provide a strategies approach to problem-solving. Time is also spent explicitly unpacking the 'language' of mathematics, enhancing the learning of concepts and skills taught. In Prep and Grade One this year, we have spent a lot of time working on an area of mathematics that Professor Dianne Siemon called "Trusting the Count".

Trusting the count" is knowing that:
· when you're counting a set of objects, the last number you say represents the total number in the set.
· if you count a set of objects and then count it again, you'll get the same answer...every time.
· if you move around a set of objects but nothing is added or removed from the set, you'll get the same answer...every time.

The following video is an example of what a student-led maths inquiry looks like in our classroom. It has certainly changed from the maths worksheets I remember from my years in primary school. If you have any questions about supporting your child's maths learning at home, or about our current mathematics program, please speak to any of our teachers or principal, Kristy Hay.

Surf Life Saving Australia

Last week the Grade 2/3 class joined with the Prep/ One class for a visit from Surf Life Saving Australia. During our session we learned about the acronym FLAGS and how we can use it to help us stay safe at the beach. 

F is for flags - Find them and swim between them (if they are at the beach we are visiting).

L is for look - Look for signs and obey them.

A is for Ask - Ask for assistance if you find yourself in trouble.

G is for Get Assistance - Get Assistance if something goes wrong (make sure there is someone there to help you or you have means to get help quickly).

S for Stick your hand - Stick your hand up when you are in trouble and don't forget to be SUNSMART (Slip on a shirt, Slop on some sunscreen, Slap on a hat, Seek shade and Slide on some sunglasses).

All of the students involved throroughly enjoyed the session and contributed some fantastic questions and examples of when these strategies have been helpful for their own safety or the safety of someone they know.

On the 2nd amazing day of camp we went on the Pennicott cruise.  When we went out of the bay, the wind felt like it was slapping us.  The engines roared and the boat was launched so high that we felt like we were flying.  The cliffs were as big as sky scrapers.  When we went into the caves I felt like we were going to get stuck.  The water flowed down the cliff face.

by Joshua

The boat hit the waves as we flew and the sea was splashing in our faces.  All of a sudden we stopped the boat and saw a huge Humpback Whale and then more started coming in.  There were 3 whales.  One whale was popping out of the water, showing us its massive back.  The smell of the whale’s breath was making me try not to vomit!  

by Gabriel

Camp was so fun; it was even more fun than I imagined!  There was deep, rippling water under us.  We visited some amazing sights and they were just incredible.  The boat started to turn, and I felt like I was going to fall off.  MOst of us screamed with delight, joy and fear.  We went up the light blue waves and came back down a lot of times.  The one wave came at us.  We went up it and BOOM!  We came down hard and water came up with a huge spray and it felt like a whip on my face.  We saw the gigantic cliffs that were taller than sky scrapers and towered over us.

by Alex

Sea spray and wind whipping my face, my hands as cold as ice. The boat swaying side to side in the choppy water. I was on the Pennicott boat cruise with my class at the Tasman Peninsula. The boat was plunging into the water and I could hear peoples piercing screams. The sea cliffs were as high as mountains, waves as rough as gravel. The boat made a sharp fast turn that made my stomach twist and tie.

By Lilly

Once we got around Cape Pillar to Tasman Island, it was a lot rough and bumpier because it’s where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean. The boat was turning and rotating constantly and when we launched over one of the wild waves, the boat was in mid-air and it felt like we were falling forever until we came down with a big smash, voices screamed with fear, thrill and amusement. Cold icy water sprayed onto us and soaked my glasses and everybody elses hair, all of our hair was wet and drenched. I licked my lips and they were all salty. My hands were cold and numb and my face was as cold as an icicle  because of all the wind being pushed against my face.

by Ava

On Tuesday 26th October some of the Grade 6 students volunteered their time to come to the library and assist community members with a session organised by Rosny Library based on Mastering your Device.  The students answered many questions and shared their helpful tips relating to iPhones, iPads and other devices.

If you have any questions in regards to your device or other ICT issues please feel free to drop into the library for assistance.

Thanks to the Grade 6 students for your wonderful assistance.