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Friday Notice 27 March 2020

What's happening during Term 1:

April:
 
8 Wednesday: Committee Meeting @ 7pm
9 Thursday: Last Day Term 1
10 Friday: GOOD FRIDAY
13 Monday: EASTER MONDAY
14 Tuesday: EASTER TUESDAY
25 Saturday: ANZAC DAY

27 Monday: Staff only at school POTENTIALLY ONLINE
28 Tuesday: Start Term 2 K-6 POTENTIALLY ONLINE
28 Tuesday: Start Swimming P-6 POTENTIALLY POSTPONED

Top photo:

On our final day physically at school we joined together for some 'distance dancing' to farewell school as we know it (for now) and embrace the challenges that lie ahead. To see us in action please take a look at the school Facebook page.

From Julie

This is what I shared with our students at our Gathering on Wednesday 25 March:
 
“You all know what great learners you are and what great learners your teachers and teacher assistants are. We are flexible and creative, adaptable and organised. We have all enjoyed learning together here at school but now, because of COVID-19, we are going to be doing our learning differently.
 
But we will still be learning!  In fact, it is more important than ever that we continue to learn at this time. Your teachers and TAs have been preparing you over recent days for how we are going to support you in your learning at home, instead of school. They have prepared learning packages for you to take home to work on. Owen and your teachers have helped grade 1 to 6 students get ready to work on laptops or iPads for some of the time but that won’t be all that you need to do. There is so much more to learning than sitting at a computer. 
 
It is a good idea that you work with your family to set up a special space where you will generally organise yourself and do your home learning – your office. You will need somewhere to keep your package, grade 1 to 6 will need space to put their laptop or iPad and charger. Do not lose the charger! Obviously some of your learning will involve you moving around but please keep your essential resources in one organised space.  
 
Each of your teachers will organise how best to be communicating with you and your parents over the next few weeks so please tune in to what they are saying. They will be at home or here at school ready to support you. They will let you know the best times and ways to communicate with them. You will need to listen really carefully and then do the very best you can to complete set tasks. Show us how independent you can be in your learning but if you really need help then please ask.
 
We are changing the way we provide for your learning and we are still learning how to do that! We have high hopes because we know what good learners you are and because you have such good relationships with your teachers and TAs. I have high hopes that we as a school will manage these changed learning conditions really well because we are so open to learning as we go and I know what good students you guys are. I trust that you will continue to be the very best learners that you can be at home.  WE ARE NOT STARTING HOLIDAYS EARLY. WE ARE CONDUCTING AN EXPERIMENT IN HOW BEST TO LEARN AT HOME WHEN WE CANNOT GO TO SCHOOL. I am already looking forward to hearing back from you all when we return to school about how this experiment went for you.
 
All the best and please stay positive and learning.”
 
I hope you have seen on Facebook our distance dancing film clip on the Green Space to the High Hopes tune to finish off our Gathering in a positive style.
 
Since then many students have taken to the technology likes ducks to water, or children to digital technology really. Older students have already transitioned to using zoom and emails, setting up their own meetings and getting on with learning from home. They are so impressive and demonstrate such initiative. Owen has emailed home a letter on Thursday outlining some more information about the IT options going forward. We also know that many of you have really appreciated the non-digital tech based packages organised by staff in the last few busy days. Your ongoing communication is appreciated.
 

Penguin sketch done by Jasper
this week
 




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Clarence City Council
update:

In order to help stop the spread of COVID-19 the Council have made the decision to close several of their outdoor facilities. These include all fenced parks, community halls, all skate parks, all BBQs and the Clarence Mountain Bike Park.

In line with this, please do not visit the school and play on the equipment here. Let's all do our bit to stop the spread of COVID-19. Stay home if you can.

 

IMPORTANT!!

If you need to contact the school please phone or email in the first instance.

In the very unlikely event that you need to visit the school at this time, please knock on the door and wait.

Music News Term One

What to say?  Anything I write will seem insignificant at this present time but it is exactly now that MUSIC will be something to really lift our spirits and give that feeling of community that we all need. All groups (except the Biggies) have had a focus (at different levels) on 'opposite' concepts in music  - fast/slow, loud /soft, high/low. These can be tricky concepts to separate. Songs for community singing have included “Shipwreck”,” Milaythina”, “Gayung Munda Martji” and “Please Don’t Call me a Koala Bear”.

Littlies - have settled in beautifully and shown great enthusiasm for singing, dancing, instruments … in fact anything musical. They are very keen to share their ideas and creativity.  We have explored fast and slow via music stories  (e.g Hare and the Tortoise) and various listening and creating games. Dances have included ”Boanoppstekker“ (greeting in different languages) and ”The Longer the Faster” (a scarf dance).  

1 / 2  Middlies - are an exuberant and busy group.  They have covered many of the same activities as the Littlies at a more complex level.  ”The Fairy Penguin” song/dance is a recent favourite.

3 / 4 Middlies – also very exuberant! They’ve worked on djembe drum games requiring lots of careful listening and team work. To fit in with classroom themes we began listening to ”Zodiac Animalia” (an orchestral piece by an Australian composer). It was interesting to match the animal to the music we heard and explain why. Musical words for fast/slow, loud/soft, their origins and meanings were investigated. Morphology even came into music!

Biggies (in column on right)
 

The present Grade 2’s learned this song in Prep sung by Sting - “Spread a Little Happiness”….it is a good one to sing now …look it up, it’s catchy!
 
“Even when the darkest clouds are in the sky
You mustn't sigh and you mustn't cry
Spread a little happiness as you go by
Please try
What's the use of worrying and feeling blue
When days are long keep on smiling through
Spread a little happiness till dreams come true……..”
 
 
I am looking forward to more music with all the Cottage kids soon. Shona
Photo above:
Malachy showing us his tap dancing skills
Music (cont. from left):

Biggies -   have been a settled happy group. We have begun a body percussion piece “Clapping this is Hard Yes/No”.  In line with their investigations around colour we listened to some excerpts of famous classical pieces partly confirming the idea that sounds bring colours to mind. This was a logical lead into a look at blues music and its history. This was brief but hopefully we can get back to it later in the year. On Kath’s birthday we whipped up an instrumental and vocal rendition of” Happy Birthday” as a surprise…some on melody, some on bass and all on vocals. It was great fun and a nice way to practise skills. More recently we’ve been learning “Celebration” and have instrumental, dance and vocal parts underway.

OUR LOCATION

4 - 10 Queen Street
Bellerive, TAS  7018

CONTACT

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Ph: 03 6244 3556

admin@cottageschool.tas.edu.au

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Our mailing address is:
PO Box 379, Rosny Park TAS  7018






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Cottage School · 4-10 Queen Street · Bellerive, Tas 7018 · Australia

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