Newsletter Number 14 • Wednesday 15th September 2021

From the Principal

Last Saturday night approximately 85 school community members and friends enjoyed our annual Quiz Night held in the hall at Yultiwirra.  It was a fantastic night of Rock Legends with 'Virtual ABBA' taking out the prize for best dressed!  There were lots of games, great prizes and loads of laughs and fun!  Thanks for the terrific support on the night to all of those who attended.  In particular, thank you to Georgia Richmond (Fundraising Chair) and the Fundraising Committee for all of their preparatory work gathering prizes, organising the event and setting and packing up.

We thank those who baked some delicious cakes for the cake auction. Once again, we had a Silent Auction which raised a significant amount of money and there were some amazing prizes!  Thank you to those who generously donated silent auction prizes and thank you to everyone who donated or sourced prizes for the night.

This year we again enjoyed food prepared for us by renowned restaurateur (& school parent) Che Zahra from Jimmies Pizza fame.  Everyone enjoyed the delicious meals, and it certainly added a wonderful social and community feel to the evening, being able to eat together before we got stuck into the questions, games and fun!  A huge thank you to Che and his team.

This year we raised $5528.  This wonderful fundraising effort will go towards our fundraising goals for 2021. A huge thank you to parent Pete Monaghan who, for the seventh year running, was brilliant, witty and totally entertaining in the role of Quiz Master.  He certainly added to the fun and frivolity of the night!

It was a great way to feel connected as a school community in what has been a challenging time, where it has been very easy to feel disconnected. A great deal of fun was had!

Cathy France

Principal

Quiz Night Photos

Thank You to our Quiz Night Sponsors

A huge thank you to all of the businesses, individuals and families who supported our Quiz Night - we appreciate your generosity.

Zahra family                        Pete Monaghan

Nicole Stewart                    Lucent Art House

Worth Gallery                     Bicycle Express

House of Hair                     Ensemble Studio

Esto Wines                          Kupniewski Family

Rooney Family                   Evangelista Family

Kaffana                               Heidelberg Cakes

Bolt Family                         Red Cacao

Anthea Hagar                   Blackwood Books

Ecolateral                         Patch Café

Stephanie Keller             Vanessa Baryckza

Rachel Bolt                      Wendy Bray

Bec Zahra                        Frydays at Coromandel Valley

Science Week

Science is a major component of the Montessori curriculum, so Science Week is a bit of a big deal! One of our favourite Science Week activities is the science station half day workshop, which gives students from Reception to Year 6 the opportunity to work together in mixed age groups to solve science problems and take part in experiments.

The theme for National Science Week 2021 is Food: Different by Design. It honours the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. There was a vast array of science stations set up around the school, both outdoors and in classrooms which were presentations, experiments or creative expressions linked to science and food.

Thanks to the Yultiwirra staff for planning lots of exciting science activities and in particular Suzie Saffin for setting up Science installations around the school.

Science Week Photos

Cycle News

Infant Program

Spring has sprung and we have been continuing to enjoy discovering the colour green! The children have enjoyed special green activities, including planting a broad bean seed, making guacamole dip (mashing avocado and juicing lime) and making beautiful green nature crowns engaging our sense of smell using bay leaves, rosemary and eucalypts. 

Infant Program Photos

Cycle 1 Preschool

Children at preschool have continued their leaning about the animal kingdom with a focus on amphibians and their external body parts. Children were fascinated by the different types of frogs found in the rainforest of South America.

Our pet frogs at Goodenia class enjoyed the extra attention while children from both preschool classes cared for them, watched them eating crickets and learnt about their different needs.

Alongside the focused cultural learning, our Montessori work cycle was busy as usual with children progressing at their own pace.  During this time children are able to explore the prepared environment and engage with materials of their own choosing. Task Cards are sometimes used to help children independently choose a variety of activities.

Griffin learnt how to use Task Cards and was busy moving from one curriculum area to another. He specifically enjoyed the 100 chain and the linear counting to 100. He said, “This will make me ready for school!”.

Cycle 1 Primary

Cycle 1 children had the opportunity to venture out on an exciting trip to Adelaide city, visiting the South Australian Museum. Following on from our Cultural Studies learning this term we explored the thought provoking Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery.

We followed this by viewing the enticing Australian dinosaur and megafauna fossil displays.  Dolina discovered that boomerangs were used for many different things such as hunting, playing games and fishing. Ruby found that aboriginal people used to make everyday items from nature such as a feather duster. Millie was amazed to see the biggest wombat that she had ever seen, a megafauna.

Holly could see down 4 levels of the museum on top of the giant squid. Harry was amazed by the Plesiosaurs that was found from Australia’s old inland sea. Cooper liked the big sperm whale skeleton & the shark which had bent teeth.

Cycle 1 Photos

Cycle 2

Our class has been learning about tracking, an important part of Aboriginal culture. We have been venturing out into nature to develop our own tracking skills, looking for evidence of wildlife including footprints, scat and disturbed nature.  Lots of questioning  has led us to more in depth discoveries. Questions we have asked are...

What animal has been here? Why was the animal here?  Where did it come from and where was it going?  When was it here? 

This work has inspired lots of exciting research about Australian animals. To find animals you need to look for their scat or tracks.

Quokkas are the size of a cat and they can climb trees. Olivia

The kangaroo can run as fast as a car. Mackenzie 

Dingoes hunt in packs. They have their babies in caves. Jasper 

A wombat is a marsupial, they dig burrows and have strong front legs. Mae 

Emus have toes that face forward. Emus have two sets of eyelids. Hattie   

Kangaroos are the largest marsupial in Australia. Ashlee W

Cycle 3

This term the Cycle 3 cohort have been undertaking service learning.  This program is all about the Cycle 3 students giving back to the school community.  Students work in small groups, and select an activity they can do with the students from younger cycles. Each group is responsible for working together to plan and implement 3-5 lunchtime sessions throughout the term. 

We have had delicious foods in cooking groups (including waffles, pizza and burgers), art, drama and dance lessons, meditation sessions, slime making and so much more! The younger students have thoroughly enjoyed participating in a range of activities and spending time with the leaders of the school.

A big thank you to all the mentor teachers who participated in the program. We couldn’t do it without you! 

Cycle 3 photos

Cycle 4

Despite inconsistent weather, we have continued to get out and about. A small group of students have begun making weekly trips to the local Fitness Life Studios gym. The focus of these trips is to gain an understanding of healthy exercising, the importance of exercising safely, and learn a variety of activities to increase strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. The students loved these sessions. Huge thanks to Ben and April for sharing their space and expertise with our lucky students.

Creative projects have kept rolling along with recent CE (Creative Expression) electives. The Cardboard catwalk collective worked with cardboard to create wearable items made only with cardboard packaging- and a little bit of string and glue. The results of the efforts were showcased in an exclusive showing at the very first Cardboard Catwalk fashion parade.

The garden has literally sprung into life with many of our fruit trees beginning to blossom.  The creative gardening crew are trying to invite more pollinators into the veggie garden for our summer harvest, and recently planted up our no-dig garden bed that welcomes visitors at the top of our garden. Once in full bloom, the flowers will look spectacular!

There are loads of options on offer for students in the remaining weeks: clowning, catering, watercolour painting, macrame and robotics too!

Vacation Care

The Vacation Care Program will operate each day during the coming holidays from 7.30am to 6pm.  The program will also operate on Monday 11th October (pupil free day in Week 1 of Term 4).   The program will be sent home this week.

If you are interested in your child attending Vacation Care, please make sure you complete the booking form and hand into the office or directly to Roxy.   We are currently trying to finalise staffing and confirm excursion arrangements.

Cycle 3 & 4 Music Concert

Thursday 16th September 6.00pm    Yultiwirra Hall

This concert is for Cycle 3 & 4 students who receive individual musical instrument tuition and for those Cycle 3 students who are part of the Cycle 3 Choir.  

Parents attending will need to wear a mask, use the QR code on entry to the school and observe social distancing requirements.  We ask that parents RSVP via the eForm on Skoolbag so we can adhere to number restrictions and have required seating in place.  

Term 4 Sausage Sizzle

A note will be sent home this week in preparation for our Term 4 Sausage Sizzle in the 1st week (Friday 15th October).  Orders must be in by the last day of THIS term.  Class Parent Reps are organising and hosting this special lunch for the students to celebrate the beginning of Term 4! 

School Photos

School Photos will be taken in Week 3 of Term 4 on Wednesday 27th October for most classes and Thursday 28th October for Thursday/Friday preschool students.  We are using the same photographer that we used last year, and you can order & pay online.

Further information will be sent out via the Skoolbag app. 

Community news

Adelaide Hills Council Holiday Program

Adelaide Hills Council Holiday Program

Community news

With Sympathy

Our deepest heartfelt condolences and love go out to Attila Nandori (PE teacher) and Emily Nandori (Cycle 1 Preschool teacher) and their family on the death of Attila's mum. Our thoughts are with Attila and Emily during this difficult time.

Diary Dates

Term 3 2021

Wednesday 15th September

Cultural Understanding committee 4.00pm

Student Wellbeing committee 4.00pm

Thursday 16th September

Cycle 3 & 4 music concert 6.00pm

Tuesday 21st September

Snippets with Susan 9.15am

Executive meeting 6.00pm

Board meeting 7.00pm

Thursday 23rd September

Sharing Assembly 9.30am - Cycle 2 & 4 sharing

Friday 24th September

Term 3 ends - 2pm finish

Monday 27th September - Monday 11th October

Vacation Care

Monday 11th October

Pupil Free Day

Tuesday 12th October

Term 4 Begins

Finance meeting 6.00pm

Wednesday 13th October

Policy meeting 4.00pm

Thursday 14th October

Foundation Board meeting 6.00pm

Friday 15th October

Yultiwirra Sausage Sizzle

 

“And such is our duty toward the child;

to give a ray of light and to go on our way.”

Maria Montessori

2021 TERM DATES

Term 1:  27 January – 9 April
Term 2: 28 April – 2 July
Term 3: 27 July – 24 September
Term 4: 12 October – 8 December