Term 3 Week 2 2024
- Principal's News by Ange Padgett
- Team Mango We All Belong! - Copy
- Prep News by Mieke Munko
- Year 1 News by Melinda White
- Year 2 News by Kylie Vaughan
- Year 3 News by Jess Rivett
- Year 4 News by Danielle O'Brien
- Year 5 News by Greg McCallum
- Year 6 News by Ben Mills
- Curriculum News
- Sporting News by The PE Department
- News from our Partners
- Community News
Team Mango has had a fabulous start to Term 3. As always, there’s a lot on. This week 6D and 6E commenced camp. The remainder of our Year 5 students also commenced camp this week. I’m sure everyone will have a fabulous time. Once again, a huge thank you to our staff who have given up time away from their families to make these camps possible. It is very much appreciated.
This Friday we will be holding a Pre-Prep session for our 2025 Prep students. The session will have a focus on Music and Movement. If you have a child commencing Prep in 2025, they are encouraged to join in. Details are in the flyer below. if you have a child who is due to start Prep 2025 and you have not begun the enrolment process I ecourage you to pop into our Office or go to our website www.mangohillss.eq.edu.au and enrol online as soon as possible.
On the 29 July our school will be holding a practice lunch time fire evacuation drill. Please note, this is only a drill. As a school, we prioritise safety, as such, we hold drills to ensure, in the unlikely event of an emergency, our staff and students know how to respond safely.
Mr Kris Olsen and Mrs Jordan Olsen welcomed their newborn, Lachlan Olsen on 10 July. Mr Olsen has reported that all is going well and they are enjoying settling Lachlan into the family and home.
Student Resource Scheme (SRS)
State funding for schools does not extend to individual student resources such as textbooks, equipment for personal use and items used/consumed by the student in the classroom. Parents are responsible for supplying these resources to support student learning. The SRS provides parents with a convenient and cost-effective alternative to individually sourcing curriculum resources, personal computing devices and other educational programs. If the 2025 SRS is of interest to you, please attend the P&C meeting in September.
School Uniform
Thank you to families for ensuring your child is in the correct uniform daily. Most of our students are wearing the Mango Hill winter jacket/jumper, full black shoes and blue tights/stockings. Should you require assistance with purchasing uniforms for your child, please reach out to jbenf10@eq.edu.au
Thank you Miss Sheehan
Miss Sheehan, our wonderful 1M teacher and Pedagogical Mentor, has recently been appointmented as HOD on contract to at another school. We would like to take this time to thank Miss Sheehan for all of her hard work and efforts over the last 5 years. Not only has Miss Sheehan been a fantastic classroom teacher she has also ran a very successful Junior Eisteddfod Team. Please join me in thanking her.
Focus of the Week
This week in Care Class we will be focusing on Care for Self and exploring Growth Mindset. A growth mindset is believing that your brain can grow and you can learn many new things. The brain is like a muscle. Just like when you lift weights, when you exercise your brain, it will get bigger and stronger.
When I care for myself, I understand that it's okay to not know something yet. It doesn't mean I have failed at something … it just means I don't know it yet and now my job is to learn it. When I care for learning, I commit to working toward my learning even if there is a setback.
We will also focus on our school value of Excellence - we want to do our best and show our best quality of work by celebrating success in academic, sporting and cultural pursuits.
Save the Date-Arts Fest
Vision screeners
Vision screeners commenced on Monday and conclude on Friday. 207 Prep friends are participating in this opportunity this year which is a record! Thank you for your engagement with this service.
English – Shared Reading
Over the last few weeks, our learners have been enjoying rhyming stories. Children are learning to express their likes and dislikes about a story and giving a reason, for example, I like Noni the Poni because it is funny. Here are some examples from Prep K who have done a great job in sharing their likes and dislikes with others about the story Noni the Poni.
Prep 2025
Preparations for Prep 2025 are well under way. If you have a child who will be coming to Mango Hill for Prep next year, please submit your enrolment paperwork and book an interview as soon as possible. We look forward to meeting you and your child soon.
Mieke Munko
Deputy Principal-Prep
mmunk1@eq.edu.au
Reading
Shared Reading and deep comprehension of story and narrative is such an important part of learning how to read.
It’s kind of like our students need two speeds: one speed for decoding and learning how sounds blend together to make words and then make sentences; and the ability to comprehend and understand texts at a deep level, beyond what they can read independently.
What we hope, is that by concentrating on building oral language, comprehension and vocabulary at a text level, our students will eventually be able to “put it all together” in the long run.
Reading is about understanding what you read.
If we are just reciting words from memory, with no understanding of what we are reading, then we could say we are simply “barking the print.”
At Mango Hill, we focus on big picture comprehension through our Shared Reading tasks. We have one of these each term. We dive deeply into texts and explore character and themes and messages.
This term, we are exploring First Nations Dreaming Stories in English. We are making connections between the text and what the message of the story could be.
You can support your child at home by reading quality picture books with your child each day. Listen to stories. Discuss them together. Talk about favourites! Return to your comfort texts. Rereading favourite stories over and over is a good thing!
The decoding texts are for practising decoding skills. Rich language, vocabulary, comprehension and connection building is best done through more complex texts with more complex characters and storylines.
In our house, we continue to enjoy Morris Gleitzman, Roald Dahl and Rick Riordan as authors. Mr 9 and I have done a major deep dive into Greek mythology (and subsequently Roman mythology and Egyptian mythology!) because a year ago, we read the first Percy Jackson (which has spiralled into us enjoying more than 10 Riordan written novels, I’ve lost count). We talk characters and plots. We make connections between other books we’ve read. We branch out into non-fiction and read about Ancient Greek life. He’s into Percy Jackson for the action. I’m there for the romance (kid romance!).
What’s your favourite book to read together?
How do you enjoy fiction with your child?
I’d love to know!
Melinda White
Deputy Principal- Year 1
mwhit37@eq.edu.au
Exploring Fractions in Year 2
This term the students in Year 2 have started exploring fractions. In particular, they are learning all about halves, quarters and eighths. They are learning to cut shapes into these fractions as well as use these fractions when talking about collections.
Ways you can help at home…
- Noticing halves/quarters/eighths in the kitchen e.g. half a glass of water, a quarter of a sandwich, an orange cut into eighths
- Folding things in half/quarters/eighths like towels, paper and clothing
- Cutting things into halves/quarters/eighths like bread, fruit, magazine pictures. Talk about if the parts look the same and are fair and equal.
- Filling up containers half way e.g. ‘Can you fill the bath up half way tonight?’
- Divide collections of things into halves/quarters/eighths e.g. ‘Can you share the packet of M&Ms between the four people in our family?’
Making these connections at home to learning at school helps strengthen children’s understanding of these early maths concepts.
Check out the children in 2I who have been using food to explore fractions in their classroom.
Stepping Inside History Incursion
On Wednesday 31 and Thursday 1 August the students in Year 2 will be participating in the Stepping Inside History incursion as part of their learning in HASS.
The Stepping Inside History incursion will provide experiences that will complement the students learning in HASS. At this incursion students will get to do the following.
- Experience old phones and appliances
- Dress up in old clothes
- Learn to use nib pens and ink
- Try a typewriter and a slate
- Wash with a washboard
- Make butter and juice and
- Play with old toys
We would love some parent volunteers to support with each session. Please contact your child’s teacher If you are available to come along to help.
Kylie Vaughan
Deputy Principal- Year 2
kvaug3@eq.edu.au
Learning in Year 3This term in Science, students are exploring how the Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day. Next week, we are excited to visit the Planetarium to learn more about this. Students in Year 3 will need to wear their full formal uniform and the buses will be leaving the front of the school at 8am. Students will need to have a packed lunch on this day, with an ice-brick. Fridges will not be available for cold food. Please ensure you have a hat and drink bottle.
We have had
Fractions!
This week, Year 4 have continued to learn about fractions. Our teachers have been providing fun, engaging and innovative ways to explore fractions and consolidate their understanding. Our students are loving the opportunity to problem solve, reason and prove their thinking with their peers. As they continue to learn about fractions this week, students will be solving problems involving fractions in a range of different contexts.
Traditional Stories
Our Year 4 students are listening to and reading a range of traditional stories from Asia, comprehending and identifying their key features. They are learning to write entertaining traditional stories set in an Asian country that teaches a lesson or moral. We can’t wait to listen to their entertaining stories.
Danielle O'Brien
Deputy Principal- Year 4
dxobr0@eq.edu.au
Camp
Well done to all the students who attended the first of the Year 5 camps and to those currently on Camp 2. School camps provide a range of benefits for students including the following.
- Build confidence
- Ignite creativity and problem-solving
- Stimulate a sense of adventure
- Encourage social interaction and team-building
- Promote independence
- Increase connection to school
- Increase connection to peers
Academic Achievements – Our Shape Poems are Taking Shape!
While half the students have been on camp, the remaining students have been working hard in both English and Maths. This week in 5F students have been exploring a variety of Shape Poems including Cat Poems, Shooting Star Poems and my personal favourite Taco Poems.
Maths – Fractions
In Math students have been solving problems involving fractions up to hundredths. Gaining knowledge of the relationship between whole numbers, tenths and hundredths is an important step in understanding place value. There are many opportunities during the Olympics to help build children’s knowledge of decimal fractions. e.g. distance, height, time, world records.
Greg McCallum
Deputy Principal- Year 5
gmcca24@eq.edu.au
Working with Decimals
In Maths, students are learning to solve decimal problems using all 4 operations and make links between the powers of 10. We see decimals all around us in our day-to-day lives and require an understanding of them to solve common everyday problems.
You can support your children to practise their learning about decimals at home, by discussing with them where they see decimal numbers in everyday life and giving them opportunities to solve problems within these contexts. Examples might include spending money or measuring the weight or length of items.
Camp
This week is our final week of Year 6 camp, with 6D and 6E enjoying the sunshine on the Gold Coast. While at camp, students are being challenged to learn about themselves through a range of challenges and activities.
I’ve enjoyed “Champion Day” with the students today, as they unpack what it means to be a champion for a good cause while learning about the stance taken by David Fleay to preserve the bushland along Tallebudgera Creek. Our students had the privilege to walk through the bush and kayak along Tallebudgera Creek, that would all look far different if it weren’t for the actions of Fleay.
Year 7 Transitions
Thank you to the families who completed the recent survey on where your child will be attending high school in 2025. This information will support us to plan transition supports throughout the semester for students going to different high schools.
If you require support with enrolling your child into high school, please email me at bxmil3@eq.edu.au .
Uniform – Make-Up, Jumpers and Shoes
This week I have reminded our Year 6 students of our school’s Dress Code, especially the following:
- Make-up: no make-up is to be worn at school
- Jumper: navy blue school jumper with logo
- Shoes: black fully-enclosed shoes with plain black shoelaces
- Jewellery: Students are permitted to wear only the following items.
*A watch
*One small plain stud or small plain sleeper of silver or gold in the lower lobe of each ear
*Medical alert bracelets
*Religious pendants by request of parent
Please support us to maintain these uniform expectations with our students. If you require any support with a specific item of uniform, please contact me by calling the school.
Awards Ceremony
The Year 6 awards ceremony will not be held until Week 5 (Monday 5 August) due to camps at the beginning of the term. I look forward to celebrating the remarkable achievements of our Year 6 students Semester 1 efforts at this time.
Ben Mills
Deputy Principal –Year 6
bxmil3@eq.edu.au
Museum display
This week in the Hub we have a special display on loan from the Qld Museum, highlighting some of the items used by early Australian explorers and settlers.
Pop on down to have a look at some of these things from the olden days!
The Hub is open every day from 8.15am and until 3pm every afternoon. See you soon!
Premier’s Reading Challenge
There is still plenty of time to complete the reading challenge this year. Forms are due back at the end of August. If you have completed your challenge, please return your signed form to the Hub.
Borrowing from the Hub
We have been so excited to see lots of people visiting the Hub to borrow. The Hub is open every day from 8.15am until 3pm in the afternoon. Don’t forget that a library bag helps us care for the environment, ensuring that our precious books are safe from lunch boxes and water bottles!
See you soon!
Book Week and Book Fair
Term 3 is a great time for all of those of us who love books and reading. This term we will celebrate Book Week with special parades, a Book Week competition and a Book Fair. More information to come… but you might want to save the dates…. Book Week will be celebrated at Mango Hill SS from 19 to 23 August!
Have a fantastic week
Suzette Holm
shol0@eq.edu.au
Mr Hills, Mr Newell, Mrs Fuller and Mr Lisha
Physical Education Teachers
Trivia Night- This Saturday! Still Time to Buy Tickets.
Gather your teammates and your trivia knowledge and join us for our next exciting fundraising event, the P&C Trivia Night held in conjunction with Mango Hill State Secondary College. There are over $2000 worth of prizes on offer including for the winning table, best dressed prizes and fabulous raffles. There will be an opportunity to pre-purchase hot and cold grazing boxes, and it will be a licensed event. This is an adult only event. Tickets are only $20 per person. Purchase your tickets here : https://www.trybooking.com/CSVEU
