Dear Parents,

The other members of the Auburn North staff and I hope you enjoyed a very happy two weeks with your children. To those families who celebrated Eid, we hope it proved to be a very special time of celebration for you, your extended families, and your friends.

Our new term has begun exceptionally well. Effective teaching and learning resumed as soon as students returned to school last week and as I visited classrooms last  week and this week I have seen and heard:

• Happy sounds and happy teachers and students.
• Trusting, friendly, and respectful relationships and respectful communication.
• Attractive and stimulating learning environments.
• High-quality, explicit, and engaging teaching.
• Teachers using their delightful personalities, abilities, and skills to motivate and inspire students.
• Engaged students who love learning and who are always wanting to do their very best.
• Successful, proud learners.

This term is going to be so exciting and so successful for all members of the Auburn North FAMILY.

WHAT TYPES OF YOUNG PEOPLE DO WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BECOME?

Of course, you and our school’s staff want our students to develop outstanding literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills, outstanding technology skills, and outstanding 21^st century skills such as critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. However, this knowledge and these skills alone won’t assist our students grow up to become successful, well-rounded, happy adults.

I believe our staff and parents believe our students also need to be well-behaved, well-mannered, and polite young people who live and breathe our school values of respect, kindness, honesty, friendship, fairness, and responsibility if they are going to become successful adults.

My belief was reinforced last week when a year 1 student said the following to me:

“Mr Harris, my parents think our school is the best school because it helps us learn good manners and be polite.”

My view that our students are all well mannerd and polite was reinforced when I received the following email from Ms Wallace last week:

“Hi Mark,

I had a really lovely interaction with a former Auburn North Public School (ANPS) student this afternoon that I wanted to share with you.

After school I went to a computer store just down the road from ANPS to pick up a few things. A young man who works there came up to me to ask if I needed help.

When he asked me how my day was, I said that I had a lovely day at work.

He then asked me where I worked. When I said I work at Auburn North, his eyes lit up and he said he went to Auburn North and graduated in 2013. He asked if you were still the principal and said that Mrs Southgate was his year 3 teacher. His sister is presently a student at ANPS.

I asked him what he remembers from Auburn North, and he said the main thing he remembers is that Auburn North taught him what it means to be kind and respectful and he realises how important that is now that he is an adult!

I watched him interact with his colleagues and other customers in such a respectful way. To top it off, he carried my heavy items to my car for me!”

Our parents and staff should feel very proud knowing that they are working hand-in-hand to assist the development of a whole generation of kind, respectful, bright, and successful young adults.

CLASS REPORTS – 2M and 6V

For your reading pleasure please find attached to this newsletter reports that have been written by 2M and 6V.

I would like to thank the students from 2M and their teacher, Mrs McBriarty and the students from 6V and their teacher, Mrs Varley.

Mark Harris

Principal

6V have returned from their well-earned break, after working towards their Term 1 goals, and are enthusiastic about the new learning ahead in Term 2.

This term, Year 6 will engage in the novel study of the text ‘Matilda’ and respond by writing a book review that includes summarising the text, character analysis, identifying language features and making connections. They will also compare the novel and move version of this text.

Our math studies, so far this term, have involved recognising equivalent percentages, decimals and fractions. We have enjoyed developing the life skill of calculating common percentages of quantities, making connections to real-life contexts. This week we will learn to add and subtract decimals up to 3 places and then challenge ourselves to solve word problems that include decimal numbers.

Students in 6V have examined how Australian society has changed throughout the twentieth century during history lessons. Our focus this term is understanding immigration and explaining the reasons why people migrated to Australia in this time period. We will watch and respond to case studies and research how immigrants contribute to Australian society. Students have been intrigued during science lessons, by how natural disasters affect the Earth’s surface. In term 1, they presented their research about different natural disasters in learning pods. This week, they will plan an investigation to describe the technology used to prepare for these events. Later this term, we will compare Earth to other planets in our solar system.

Insightful discussions have started in 6V about a healthy lifestyle and how advertising affects our food choices. Personal Development and Health lessons will involve students examining the food groups, the importance of exercise and sleep and the role of advertising.

Students in 6V are very excited about the sport program that is focused on tactics and movement. They are also excited about being in a P.S.S.A team.

6V has started Term 2 with such positive energy and are on their way to making 2023 better than the best.

Class Reports 2M

2M had a fabulous time learning throughout term 1 and have enthusiastically returned to school for term 2. One of their favourite days in term 1 was Harmony Day because they could wear either orange or their cultural clothing.

Literacy in term 1 involved students writing information reports about jungle animals. We learnt new information about different animals including many interesting facts. In term 2, we are continuing to write information reports however this term our reports will be about different countries from around the world. To start our learning, we made passports to enable us to travel virtually to each country. We are super excited to find out our first country. 2M also enjoy playing Grammar Rules to build our grammar knowledge.

Maths is always fun whether learning in the 2M classroom or in maths groups. We have been learning skills to help us with addition and subtraction such as friends of 10, doubles, near doubles and counting on and back. We started term 2 looking at data. So far, we have been learning about tally marks and how to make a picture graph. 2M are super excited for term 2 and to continue to learn.

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