Greetings Everyone,

Welcome to the next semester!

Although we are a little down in numbers both with staff and students due to COVID, we are managing well. It has been a terrific start following some wonderful holidays that children and families have experienced. At School Meeting last week, children had ventured into every state. It was terrific to hear children share their family’s news at School Meeting in our first week back.

With COVID all around, we are very grateful to you for supporting the wearing of masks when inside the school building and for encouraging your children to wear a mask, especially children in Year 3 and above. We are particularly aware of the wonderful camps ahead and wish to give everyone the best chance to be involved in these experiences.

Upcoming Camps

Ahead is the Year 5 Sovereign Hill camp, and the Year 6 Wugubank NT adventure to Wugularr. At the end of Week 6 our Year 3 and 4 groups head to Alexander Adventure Resort, which provides a range of terrific outdoor experiences. Staffing for these camps include group teachers and specialists. We do appreciate there may be changes to the attendance of students and teachers due to the prevalence of COVID, flu and other viruses. Parents will be notified of the confirmed staff involved in camps a few days prior to the camp.

Learning by doing

Learning by doing is the proposition that we learn more when we actually ‘do’ therefore reinforcing the significance of camps to the conceptual understandings that are a part of our inquiry involving children and teachers.

The American philosopher, John Dewey, first popularized learning by doing. Dewey became famous for arguing that we learn best when we deeply engage with the material. He believed that the best way to achieve that was to create a practical curriculum that had relevance to students’ lives and experiences.

We are most excited to be able to move ahead with the camps for our older children this term. The news from Tracey Clinch who visited Wugularr last week is that the Wugularr children are so excited about our Year 6 students being a part of their school during Week 4.

Term 3 PYP Units of Inquiry

• How We Organise Ourselves – Younger Years, Early Learning to Year 2
• Who We Are – Year 3 and 4
• Where We are in Place and Time – Year 5 and 6

These units of inquiry involve a 6 to 8 week in-depth exploration of a concept. At the various year levels, children inquire into a central idea or a main understanding guided by lines of inquiry and teacher provocations and questions.

Students in Year 3 to 6 will look forward to welcoming parents to the Expos designed to present their learning later in the term.

The Penbank Athletics Carnival held in Mornington last week was likewise a great success with all students in Year 3 to Year 6 involved in a variety of events. This event prepares our students for the District Athletics held on Wednesday 31 August. Good luck to all students who qualify for selected events.

Welcome Parents

For parents, please join us for School Meeting each Thursday 8.50 am. It is a time when we share the learning and come together as a school community. We love our parent audiences so do join us if you can.

There will be no School Meeting during Week 4 due to the Wugubank Camp, however, there are some exciting school meetings ahead with a breakfast for Fathers and Friends in Week 7, and Book Week in Week 8.

Parents and Friends Group (PFG)

We are excited to be bringing back the Parents and Friends Group (PFG). Families will receive an invitation to a meeting to be held this week. We invite all parents to this first meeting to re-invigorate events and activities involving parents and friends.

Plans for the return of the Penbank Rock Quiz on Friday 9 September are in the pipeline too. Look out for these invitations!

Pupil Free Day

Compliance training is becoming increasingly demanding with staff in schools required to be trained in many areas from food handling to Child Safety. To ensure all staff meet these requirements, a dedicated day for training staff is Monday 8 August. This will be a Pupil Free Day with the school closed to all students, from Early Learning to Year 12.

Dates for your diary

WEEK 3

• Sovereign Hill Camp – Year 5 – Wednesday 3 August – Friday 5 August
• Year 3 Body Safety Australia Imagine Me – Wednesday 3 August 10am
• Year 4 Body Safety Australia Imagine Me – Wednesday 3 August 11am
• Campus Tour – Friday 5 August

WEEK 4

• Pupil Free Day (Compliance Training Day) – Monday 8 August
• Year 6 Camp to Wugularr NT – Monday 8 August to Tuesday 16 August
• ELG/4 Excursion Bunjil Place: Edward the Emu – Tuesday 9 August 10am
• Year 3 Body Safety Australia Imagine Me – Wednesday 10 August 10am
• Year 4 Body Safety Australia Imagine Me – Wednesday 10 August 11:30am

WEEK 5

• Activities Week, Senior campus
• Year 6 Return from NT – Tuesday 16 August

WEEK 6

• Year 3 & 4 Camp – Alexandra Adventure Resort, Wednesday 24 August to Friday 26 August
• Prep & ELG/4 - Wildlife Xposure Incursion, Thursday 25 August

WEEK 7

• District Athletics @ Ballam Park – Wednesday 31 August
• Fathers, Friends, Footy & Fun School Meeting – Thursday 1 September
• Father’s Day – Sunday 4 September

WEEK 8

• Book Week
• Penbank Rock Quiz – Friday 9 September

WEEK 9

• Penbank Soiree – Wednesday 14th September 7.00pm

Term 3 Ends – Friday 16th September

We are excitedly looking ahead to the many wonderful learning experiences and events,

Kind regards,

VIVIENNE WEARNE
Head of Penbank