Dear Parents,

The Auburn North staff would like to welcome you back to school for term 4. We would also like to thank and congratulate you for ensuring  your children returned to school perfectly dressed in their school uniforms and committed to making this term their most successful term since beginning in OUR school.

Term 4 is the most important term for our K-6 students because it is the term when they:

• Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that they require if they are to be promoted to a higher grade or high school next year and succeed in that higher grade or high school from the first day of the 2025 school year.
• Try so hard to exceed their full potential at their respective stages of development so their Semester 2 reports are the very best reports they have ever received.
• Receive their Gold Badges (or continue to wear their gold badges) and attend the Cinema.
• Attend Principal's Morning Tea for being presented with 60 Commendations.

I am sure this term is going to be a very happy, productive, and successful term for our students, staff, and parents.

WINTER PSSA NETBALL

I must apologise to Mrs Varley and her PSSA winter netball teams for not including Mrs Varley’s excellent winter PSSA Netball report in the previous newsletter. It is included with this edition of the newsletter.

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WELCOME Ms DALY and Ms KHAN

I am very pleased to let you know that two excellent teachers have recently started teaching at Auburn North. They are Ms Claire Daly and Ms Tori Khan, and they will continue teaching at Auburn North until the end of this school year.

HARMONY HOUSE

Our Harmony House programs are an essential component of our school learning community. Mrs Hafsa Ashfaq is the outstanding facilitator of our Harmony House programs. Thanks to Mrs Ashfaq, please find below details about her programs.

The Harmony House Program at Auburn North Public school offers free weekly programs aimed at enhancing the learning and well-being of our families and the wider community. These programs provide an excellent opportunity for families to get together each week while not only learning new skills but also developing extremely important social connections. Families are also connected to local services through these programs.

Below is a list of Harmony House’s weekly Programs for Term 4, 2024 along with a brief description and timing for each program.

If you would like to participate in any of these programs or to receive more information, please contact Mrs Ashfaq on 9748 1036 or 0407 069 298.

Monday

Stepping Stones School Readiness Program

This program is designed for children aged 4 and older who will be starting Kindergarten in 2025. Its goal is to help both children and their families transition smoothly and positively into Kindergarten. The program features activities that prepare them for school, including following routines, listening to stories, engaging in craft projects, and learning in enjoyable ways.

Location: Harmony House

Time: 9.15 to 11.00 a.m. 

Tuesday

Playgroup for Children (birth to 5 years)

Our Playgroup involves purposeful play-based learning activities and routines where parents stay with their children and participate in craft, music and story time. Children get to sit together for a morning tea as well.

Our playgroup also goes for excursions to local parks.

In term 4, our end of year excursion will be going to a farm.

Location: Harmony House

Time: 9.15 to 11.00 a.m. 

Wednesday

Playgroup for Children with Additional Needs (Early Ed supported)

Each week, this group is led by two educators from Early Ed who specialize in supporting children with additional needs. Any family concerned about their child's development is welcome to join the program. Children are assessed and connected to relevant services if needed.

Location: Harmony House

Time: 9.30 to 11.00 a.m.

Yoga for Mums

Wednesday afternoons feature a free yoga class for mums with a certified yoga instructor. These lessons provide the opportunity for mums to stretch, relax and meditate for an hour promoting mental and physical well-being.

Location: Harmony House

Time: 1.30 to 2.30 p.m.

Thursday

Craft Group

We engage in various craft activities in this group. This term, we will continue to learn how to cut and sew our own outfits. Participants meet for a morning tea before starting their cutting and sewing lessons with an instructor.

Childminding is available for this group.

Location: Harmony House

Time: 9.30 to 11.30 a.m.

Swimming Classes for Ladies

Harmony House provides a one-hour ladies-only swimming lesson at a pool in Auburn. The pool is equipped with curtains to ensure privacy, allowing mothers to feel comfortable during their lessons. This program caters to both beginner and intermediate levels, with a female instructor. Participants pay a part of the swimming fee, while Harmony House covers the remainder.

Location: Auburn Ruth Everuss Aquatic centre

Time: 1.00 to 2.00 p.m.

Friday

Parent English Class

A very special differentiated English class is provided where Auburn North Public School Instructional Leaders and teachers teach the parents. The class is divided into sessions that focus on speaking, writing, and reading. Mrs. Rashtia teaches the beginners group and provides translation support for Dari-speaking parents and Mrs. Bourizk leads the intermediate and advanced group. Mrs. Ashfaq is also there to provide support to the teachers.

In this class, parents and caregivers learn English in an enjoyable way, gaining the confidence to communicate effectively in the language.

Childminding is also provided for parents with young children.

Location: Harmony House

Time: 9.15 to 10.45 a.m.

Breakfast Club for School Students

A healthy breakfast is provided each Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning for students. Sandwiches, fresh fruit, cereal and breakfast drinks are provided each breakfast morning. Children enjoy eating the free breakfast with their friends.

Location: COLA

Time: 8.30 to 8.50 a.m.

End of Term Parties and Excursions

At the end of each term, we hold a party during the last week where all community members come together like a family to share food, laughter, and warmth.

End of year excursions have always been very popular and provide the opportunity for all our community to enjoy a day trip with the rest of Auburn North family members.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

Parents love being a part of Harmony House programs, and this is reflected in their feedback. Here are a few comments by various parents and carers that I would like to share:

"I've been living in Australia for the last 6 years, but I never got a chance to do anything for myself. Harmony House provided me with the opportunity to learn The English language, meet with community members and laugh and enjoy with them. I cannot thank you enough."

"I never thought I would be able to learn to swim but the Harmony House swimming program made it possible for me. Now I can go and swim with my children which is so much fun."

"I never thought we could get yoga classes for free and from an excellent instructor, in such a calming environment. I am so happy that everything is easily accessible, and we always feel welcomed."

"I get very sad during the holidays because I miss Harmony House programs."

"I have been attending my children’s 3-way conferences for a long time. I used to attend the meeting and just quietly sit there, nodding my head but never had the courage or confidence to talk to the teachers. Today, for the first time I had the confidence to talk to the teacher just because of my participation in English class. I will forever be grateful for that. "

“My daughter waits enthusiastically for Tuesdays so she can attend the playgroup at Harmony house, and she is learning so many new things through this participation.”

"Learning to sew and make something of my own is like a therapy for me. I love our Monday gathering and look forward to it every week."

“Harmony House excursions are the best. We are like a family, and we have lots of fun together. We should have excursions more often.”

CLASS REPORTS

For your reading pleasure, please find in this newsletter class reports from 2S and KB. I would like to thank and congratulate 2S and KB students and their teachers, Ms Broderick and Ms Beltran.

Mark Harris

Principal

Junior and Senior PSSA Netball Teams Demonstrate Fairness and Critical Thinking - Mrs Varley

In a stunning display of talent and teamwork, the Junior and Senior netball teams, a dynamic mix of boys and girls, achieved exceptional growth across two terms. Their success was not just marked by their impressive skills on the court, but also by their exemplary demonstration of fairness and critical thinking throughout the competition.

From the outset, both teams established a strong foundation of inclusivity and respect. The players, a blend of experienced players and enthusiastic newcomers, fostered an environment where every voice was heard. Their commitment to fairness was evident in how they communicated on the court, ensuring that strategies were discussed collectively. This collaborative approach not only built trust but also enhanced their game plan, allowing them to adapt quickly to opponents’ strategies.

As the season progressed, the team’s combination of strategic critical thinking and fair play set them apart. After each match, regardless of the outcome, players took the time to congratulate their opponents. This practice of acknowledging the efforts of the other team not only fostered goodwill but also exemplified the team’s commitment to fair play and mutual respect. They encouraged each other to critically evaluate their performance during and after games. These moments of reflection allowed them to shift their approach, like focusing on quick passes and strategic positioning.

As their coach, I am immensely proud and honored to have guided such an outstanding group of netball players. Their commitment to fair play, mutual respect and critical thinking was evident in every match. Watching them grow, not just as players, but as teammates, has been a deeply rewarding experience. The success of both teams is a testament to what can be achieved when boys and girls work together with a shared purpose. All players have been exemplary role models, demonstrating that true sportsmanship is not measured in wins, but by the values we uphold along the way.           

Class Report: KB

KB are excited to share some of their amazing achievements this year. Our students have soared in their very first exciting year of school and their growth in all areas of learning has been remarkable.

Literacy:

Our KB friends have done a wonderful job trying their best (and a little bit more) in their reading and writing this year. Students have mastered Level 1 texts and are reading Level 2 and 3 texts. This term, KB are beginning to learn Level 4 sounds in order to prepare for Year 1 learning next year!

KB are growing into enthusiastic writers, eager to take on new challenges and express their ideas in creative and exciting ways. It has been amazing to see their confidence grow as they write sentences all on their own. Some students are starting to add more detail by experimenting with conjunctions such as ‘and’ to connect their ideas. They especially love writing about their favourite animals and characters during our writing lessons, and their enthusiasm shines through in their sentences.

Numeracy:

Numeracy in KB is hands-on, exciting, and full of discovery! This year, our little mathematicians have been diving into addition, subtraction, multiplication, and even a touch of division. They enjoy using engaging resources like counters, dice, unifix cubes, and teddy bears to explore and understand key concepts. Through games and fun activities, they have been combining, separating, and grouping objects to really understand these key concepts.

KB Spotlight:

This year has been a fun-filled year for KB with plenty of opportunities for learning in areas such as science, digital technology and visual arts. In Term 2, KB began to learn essential computer skills with 6V. They have applied this learning in creating their very own digital book when learning about plants during science lessons last term! This term, KB have started experimenting with using different materials and techniques to create their very own work of art.

KB are excited to continue in their adventure of learning for the rest of this year as they prepare for their new adventures in Year 1!

2S Newsletter

We have had a fabulous year in 2S! We have worked hard to achieve success in all learning areas and have developed many positive friendships along the way. This term we are so excited to begin our new Level Up program, which will enable us to be promoted to primary next year!

Literacy

Last term in literacy, we learned to write narrative texts. We enjoyed writing about captivating characters, puzzling problems and working hard to find sensational solutions.

This term, we have been learning how to write expositions, or persuasive writing. We are learning how to use persuasive sentence starters, high modality language and rhetorical questions to captivate our audience. We are very proud of our accomplishments in writing thus far.

Numeracy

In numeracy, we have been very busy developing our mathematical skills. We have been learning a variety of strategies to help us solve all different types of word problems. We have also been choosing and applying mathematical techniques to solve problems in rich maths tasks. Our brains have been so sweaty!

Digital Technology

Digital Technology lessons have been one of our highlights this year. In Term 2, we learned to code Ozobots to help them navigate through tricky mazes. We enjoyed collaborating with each other and using our critical thinking skills to solve any mistakes we made along the way. This term, we will be learning to code Spheros! We are really looking forward to this new challenge.

Year 2 Excursion

Last term we went on our excursion to Lizard Log with Ranger Jamie. We had so much fun integrating our learning from our science unit into the amazing activities throughout the day. We took part in billy cart races, constructed and launched rockets and made Oobleck, which is special slime that changes consistency depending on what force is applied to it. Miss Broderick was so proud of 2S throughout the excursion as they consistently demonstrated all the school values. It was a truly unforgettable day.