Dear mums, dads, carers and colleagues

We have had a week of successes at school highlighted by:

• Mixed play
• Under 8s day
• Reconciliation Week at school
• Solar power system to be installed
• Inter-school sport starting
• Diamond promotions

Mixed play trial

The trial of a new look at our playtimes has begun with success.  We are beginning to encourage the older students to play with our juniors in a range of areas across the school.  The feel across the school is very positive indeed.  Our bank play is probably the most popular.  

The trial will continue for the remainder of the term.

Under 8s Day

Thank you to the staff for hosting a lovely Under 8s Day today.  It was lovely to see the smiles and engagement by students across the morning - and the sample bags going home to share with mums and dads.  If you look closely at the gallery pictures, you will see the brilliant student leaders and buddies supporting the juniors at their activities.  Great work to each of them.

National Sorry Day

Well done to our classroom staff on their direct suppport for Reconcilation Week activities.  We are involved because we truly respect the traditional custodians of this land and the ancient culture they represent.  

Solar power installation

I am delighted to let our community know that Coomera Rivers has been selected as a solar school.  We will see 477 solar panels installed on our roofs across the next few months.  It is very satisfying to be able to directly demonstrate the importance of conservation by offsetting our carbon impact - especially with the recently added air-conditioners in classrooms.  

Inter-school sport has started

Please visit the sports news section of the newsletter to see the results from the first round of matches.  Thank you to all of our coaches for their commitment to the sports program.        

Uniform blitz continues

Our blitz on correct uniform has started. Each day at school we will be checking for correct uniform. Every family who has enrolled at Coomera Rivers has spent time at an induction where the uniform requirements were explained. Every family has then completed an agreement at enrolment to show that they will meet the requirements. Please read the code to familiarise yourself with what is required. Click here for the document.

You can avoid problems simply by having your child in correct and complete school uniform or, if there is a problem, by sending your child's teacher an email or note to explain the problem. 

• The focus in Week 6 will be socks. 
• The focus in Week 7 will be jumpers and
• The focus in Week 8 will be correct shoes.  

Exciting future events

Student well-being survey

The survey is only for students in Year 4 and 5 and it will be great to see their views on well-being at school.  It is optional and parents can withdraw their child from the survey process should they wish.  More information can be found below.

Fathering project

We are launching our Fathering Project with the Pizza and Paper Planes event later this term.  Please look for the information later in this issue.

Kind regards

Vic

(Famous song by Pink Floyd)

Congratulations to all students who received their Diamond Level badges this week.  This is the ultimate goal for student work ethic and character.

Year 3 and Year 4

Year 5 and Year 6

Congratulations to these students on earning their award this week.

Prep to Year 2

Year 3 to Year 6

Becoming a roller-coaster engineer

The Prep M boys wanted to build the track whilst the girls created and decorated the carts. It was such a fun lesson and our students really enjoyed working with each other, showing great amounts of team work.

     
Small world play

This week, another Small World has popped up in our playground. Located just outside the Year 3 shed is our Fairy World. We had a few students swing by and join us to create the space. We encourage students to play in the creative space but they need to leave all the materials in the play space for everyone to enjoy.

Writing success

This term, Year 3 have been working on persuasive writing. 3/4WH have had a focus on making a positive change in the school community. At the start of term we brainstormed people we could write to and things we would like to change and this week we wrote our assessment item to our top 4 choices. We wrote to Mr. Graham to ask for a pool, to the P&C to plead for laser tag, Mr. Raffin to ask for more Year 3 and 4 inter-school sporting competitions and café ladies to ask if we could use money sometimes to purchase items. The kids were very excited to deliver their letters and hopefully they were quite convincing.

Congratulations to Ieshah 2W for excellent writing

Well done Prep O students on their excellent writing this week.

Reconciliation Week at Coomera Rivers

This Sorry Day we acknowledged the strength and resilience of Stolen Generations survivors. We remembered the injustice of the forcible removal of children from their families and the ongoing inter-generational trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  

Getting Creative in 'The Arts'

Music class

Did you know EVERY child at Coomera Rivers participates in a music lesson with a specialist teacher every week? Music is amazing for the brain, strengthening pathways between the left and right hemispheres. 'Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.'  

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout.
            

Dance and drama

Students from year 1-4 also receive drama lessons once a week in semester 1 and then dance lessons one a week in semester 2.

Prep Arts

Our preps enjoy music each week along with a term of each of the Arts:

• Term 1- Drama
• Term 2- Visual Art
• Term 3- Media and
• Term 4- Dance.

Wakakirri

Wakakirri is an Australia wide story dance competition. This year the story we are telling is based around Chinese New Year. We are having an absolute blast with the team of kids and are getting very excited with our results each week. We can't wait to share our story with you next term.

Here are some pictures of our adventures in The Arts this week.

• Preps- Decorating their hand artwork using oil pastels and watercolour paints.
• 5's and 6's- Playing some African drum rhythms in preparation for our incursion next week. 'Kilele' means welcome, I wouldn't be surprised if you've heard them singing this song as it really gets stuck in your head!
• 5's and 6's- Enjoying the start of their learning on guitar and ukuleles. (Check out Alexis and Paige's broken armed TEAMWORK!)
• Year 2's- Rehearsing their retell of Aboriginal Stories.
• Wakakirri- Our backstage crew creating our puppet show theatre, the teachers modelling our Waka shirts created by our very own Miss Wolbers and our monkeys trying on their costumes.

Music and Muffins

Students in Year 1-4 Choir as well as the strings and band programs received an information letter this week about our upcoming concert. If your child is involved and did not receive the letter, please email their instrumental teacher or have them email Mrs Zander for further information.

Coomera Rivers Sports Program

It is pleasing to see the many extra-curricular activities available for our students.

This term, students are participating in our sports program and representing our school, competing against other schools, in Inter-school Sports. They are also our first students participating in our Coomera Rivers Elite Sports Program for 2021, where they learn and practice Service, Action and Respect. You will also see our sporting students wearing silicone wristbands, recognition of their involvement in the program.

Congratulations to Balazs and Tosh from the Soccer program, who received Subway Awards for their efforts in training this week. Our students do not need to be the most skillful in their chosen sport, more so, they need to show Service, Action and Respect.

Kokoda Training

We aren't too far away from our Kokoda Challenge and our teams have been starting in the dark to get some really good training sessions in. Last Saturday, we trained at David Fleay's Wildlife Park, and were lucky enough to have a special visitor during our trek to provide some encouragement. We notched up about 9km, another great effort. Thanks to our parents and support staff for helping out.

Year 6 Touch Competition

Our Year 6 Boys team and Year 6 Girls team will have the opportunity to compete in a touch football competition hosted by Ormeau Woods High School later in Term 3. More information will be sent home very soon.

Coomera Rivers Athletics

In Week 10, our 10-12 Years athletes will be competing in our annual Athletics Trials day. The PE team have been busy during lessons with our different events to see who has qualified. A list will go out in the coming weeks to see which students will be competing. 

Inter-school sports

Round 1 results

Gallery

Round 2 draw

Another week filled with freezing cold mornings but sunny afternoons! We’ve been lucky in the mornings and afternoons to be able to venture down to the playground, which the children have been loving. Miss Karen has been practicing her handball skills, playing with the children whenever she gets the chance! Handball has been all the rage lately, with children of all ages playing together, the seniors teaching the little ones the game and rules. We love to see all ages playing together, being patient with one another and enjoying each other’s company.  

Our educators have also been focusing on team building this week, with a fun challenge having to draw what was described to the other person. The educators love doing team building as it gives us a chance to reconnect and have fun before the ASC routine commences. If our families have any team bonding games they’d like to see our educators complete, please let us know!