The Year is Over

Thank you parents and children of 2B.  I have loved learning with you throughout 2012.

Kate's Mum came in to teach the children all about Christmas in Italy.  She told us the Italian children get presents on TWO days!!! Thank you for all these interesting facts Tania.

Our blog has been a successful tool to give the children a large audience to present their work to and a way for family and friends to have a look at what we were doing.  Thank you to all 30 000 or so visitors from all around the world, especially to those who have passed on their thanks or made a comment.

I have had a restful week at the beach and this will be my last post on this blog.  I am moving to Year 1 next year so I will create a new blog just for them.

I hope you are all enjoying your holidays so far and having a well deserved holiday.  I wish you all a very merry Christmas and hope Santa has you on his 'nice list'.

Mrs Hickey very generously provided all the materials for your Christmas cards and calendars and took the beautiful photos of your children. She took all these shots in less than half an hour so imagine  what lovely photos she could take if she had more time!  I love people who share their talents.

Stars of 2012 

Hannah L, Imogen, Emma, Conner, Percy, Andre, Ethan, Finn, Mikayla, Vivian, Luka, Theo, Joseph, Joshua, Callum, Geordan, Emma, Claudia, Freya, Abby, Niamh, Hannah B, Elizabeth, Kate, Melina, Zoe, Maya, Nicholas, Melina and Ms Taylor

Love Ms Taylor

Week 6 Health Alert!

Chicken Pox are back!  There are a number of cases in 2A so please check your children before sending them to school. At first they look like small insect bites.   Children who were immunised are getting them too.

Week 4

Congratulations to Nicholas who received one of the top prizes in the Brisbane Catholic Education Art Competition. Abby's big sister Emily was also a major prize winner. Five other members of our class were finalists out of 2000 entries. Well done everyone.

We say goodbye to our Student Teacher from QUT this week and wish her well with her studies.

We had our second last week of Speaking and Listening this week.

Maybe some blog viewers are old enough to remember these old toys.

Reconciliation

This week many children celebrated their First Reconciliation.  Thank you to all who helped the children prepare for this sacrament.  The children were very respectful in the church on this sacred occasion.

Week 3

Swimming is Monday and Tuesdays.  

Please remember to bring everything you need; rash shirt, togs, towel, thongs/crocs, goggles and a cap.

Today I lent children 3 swimming caps, one towel and four pairs of thongs.

Reconciliation

In preparation for the First Sacrament of Reconcilation we have been learning about the process of being reconciled. This does not only apply to children participating in the sacrament but all people.

Admit

Say sorry

Make it up

Forgive

Today the class rewrote the ending to a picture book demonstrating their  knowledge of this process.

Science

During our lessons this week we have been looking at floating and sinking which has been a lot of fun and hands on experiments.

Speaking and Listening

The talks are progressing well with most children ready on their allocated day.  Thank you parents for helping them prepare.

Emma told us about an old tin toy police car from her Dad's collection.  It was mostly made of tin but had plastic wheels and steering wheel.  

World Mission Day is on Thursday

Please bring a gold coin to donate and a large map will be made with the funds raised for the Missions.

Day for Daniel is on Friday

Please wear something red on Friday.  (No donation is needed it is just about awareness)

Perhaps you could take this opportunity to remind your children about safe and unsafe situations.  We will discuss in class the danger of strangers and also the much more probable danger from someone you already know.  We will concentrate on the ways your child knows they are feeling worried or unsafe. For example; sweaty hands, shaking, sick in the tummy, a feeling of needing to run away.  We will also list five people your child knows they can talk to about any problem they are having who will listen to them and help them.   Some of these people will be in their families and others will be at school.  The big message will be GO AND TELL. I will concentrate most on the control and the choices your children have to protect themselves.  My aim is not to frighten them but to empower them with strategies to keep themselves safe.  I will send home the hand they make with their five adults who can help them so you can use this as a discussion starter with them to follow up at home.

Week 2

Swimming is Monday and Tuesdays.  
Please remember to bring everything you need; rash shirt, togs, towel, thongs/crocs, goggles and a cap.
Today I lent children 3 swimming caps, one towel and four pairs of thongs.

Reconciliation

In preparation for the First Sacrament of Reconcilation we have been learning about the process of being reconciled. This does not only apply to children participating in the sacrament but all people.

Admit
Say sorry
Make it up
Forgive

Today the class rewrote the ending to a picture book demonstrating their  knowledge of this process.

Science
Fun in Science learning about the forces of push and pull.

Our Speaking and Listening tasks have been going well with most children well prepared on their correct day.  Remember you can only do a topic once i.e. you can't do 2 Mystery Toy Talks.

Some beautiful old toys have been brought in.

 This doll has opening and closing eyes and a speaker in her back that says Ma Ma.

At assembly this week Mrs Hutchins and Mrs Harper were acknowledged for their excellent work supporting Theo in our classroom.  I was so proud to nominate them and was thrilled when they won this prestigious award for teaching with excellence from the Down Syndrome Association of Queensland.  They were the best school officers nominated!  Wow, what an achievement.  Congratulations.

Joshua also very proudly accepted a Shining Light Award from Mrs Thomas.  She only gives one student from the whole school an award each week.  Joshua has grown to be a fantastic reader over the year and has improved so quickly.  Brilliant work Josh!

The Principal from the disadvantaged school also came to thank us for our donations of swimming things.  Thank you to all the families who sent in donations.  

We finished our collages. The children ripped up little pieces of magazines to create them. We tried to copy the techniques of illustrator Lisa Stuart.  Don't they look beautiful?  Please feel welcome to drop into the classroom and take a look at them.