1st December 2016
From the teaching staff …
The use of games in Prep/One Maths My students love playing games in Maths and so do I! It is a wonderful and very powerful tool that has many benefits. Students are naturally motivated to play games and in my classroom I include some sort of game in every lesson. The benefits are wide and many so here are my top 5 reasons for including them in my Maths program: 1. Students learn through the process of playing games. By playing a game students are able to understand a new concept or idea in a meaningful situation. Students learnt about the etiquette involved in playing games e.g. how to follow set rules 2. Through games, students learn a variety of important skills. Students develop critical thinking skills, teamwork, good sportsmanship, self-confidence, development of positive attitudes towards mathematics and a reduction in their fear of failure or loss. 3. Students demonstrate a marked increase in their own learning. In comparison to more formal activities, greater learning tends to occur through games due to the increased interaction between the students and their heightened levels of motivation to win and receive rewards for themselves and their team. 4. Games cater for different levels. My games allow the students to operate at different levels of thinking and to learn from each other. Within our vertical groupings one student might be encountering a concept for the first time, another student might be further developing their understanding and a third might be consolidating the previously learned concepts. 5. Assessment. Games provide me with various opportunities to assess the student’s skill level, their depth of understanding and their speed and accuracy of recall. I can also ask students to explain strategies and procedures to me in an informal manner. Using games in Maths to support and refine our mathematical understanding is consistent with our school’s Paideia method of teaching and learning which states that approximately 20% of our teaching time should be Didactic or instructional teaching and most of the remaining time spent in Coaching which supports learning by “doing”.
We usually start our lesson with a game in order to kick start our maths brains ready for the lesson ahead. The types of games we play are many and varied. This week for instance we have played:
Rollie dice practising our doubles and halving skills. I roll dice and students have to double or halve the number faster than their partner to receive counters; the player or team with the most points wins. Toss and think which is played on a set board on the ground in two teams. Students compete in pairs; the first student to answer correctly places a coloured counter on their number and the first team to get 4 of their colour in a row wins Wack it! I place flash cards on the ground and call out set questions; the students have to wack the answer first with their fly swat. Crossing shark-infested waters Flashcards are placed on the ground. Students have to step on each question and answer them correctly to cross safely to the resort. Addition path which is played on a set board. In pairs the students roll two dice, add them up then check to see if their answer is on the next part of the path; first to the end wins.
Opportunities for students to play maths games at home and particularly in the holidays would also be of great benefit. Card games, dice games, board games such as Trouble or Boggle or Monopoly are all fantastic games for this age group. When playing these games, please support the etiquette of games, taking turns, displaying good sportsmanship, trying your best and please don’t ever allow them to win!
In “Truth and Happiness” Miss Nicole England Teacher of Maths, Science and Art to the Preps and Group Ones
“At the beginning…” Frog on a log! The Early Learners have been raising tadpoles, after consultation with the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment to ensure we were doing so within their guidelines. We have watched our tadpoles progress through each stage of the life cycle and have loved learning about their changing features and care needs. Many of the older children have also become involved and we must thank the Senior children who have been providing our frogs with the live food they now require! The frogs will now be returned to the pond where the tadpoles were collected.
Mrs Chugg Kinder Kindergarten children have been enjoying playing outside in the warmer sunny weather. Summer is on its way and you can tell by the smiles on our faces we are all happy about it. Here are some action shots of us enjoying our valuable outdoor play time. These outdoor play photos show us developing our imagination and skills such as physical strength and co-ordination, construction, maths and many important social and co-operations skills.
Miss Jacqui Wise
This big gold star is for all the Prep/1 Mums and Dads! Your children’s production costumes are amazing! We appreciate your hard work and creativity, and we are very impressed by your technical skills. We can’t wait to show you the finished acts on stage. Mrs Angela Chapman
The lights are up, You feel great! It’s finally here, The special time of the year. The tree is up, The mistletoe is up, This is a time to remember Jesus Christ who died for all of us. It is not about the presents, It’s about your family and friends and Jesus, Have fun because it is Christmas at last, So make the most of it! By Esther Reuss
The stars are up in the night sky Santa is coming to town You feel so excited You feel like you want to get up but you can’t because Santa won’t give you presents But it’s not just about presents It’s about family as well by Martha Reuss
These delightful poems were written by Martha in Prep and Esther in Group One as their homework this week. What a lovely reminder as we all face the busy weeks ahead! Thank you for sharing these beautiful thoughts with us all Martha and Esther! Mrs Howard, Miss England and Mrs Batten
Prep Times Tables Game
In Maths the Preps are busy practising their two times tables. We used the questions as stepping stones and we had to try to step on each question whilst saying the correct answer. If we made it over the shark-infested waters correctly, we could relax on the other side at “Club England” - a very exclusive resort that offered drinks and bar snacks! This week Gabe, Lucas, Ruby, Martha, Ethan and Percy made it over and celebrated in style! It’s a fun game that we all love playing. As a result I have seen huge improvements with our multiplication skills! Miss Nicole England
“In the middle …” The group 2/3 students have been learning about the game of softball. They have been busy learning new skills and techniques. We have practised some goal shooting over different distances and working on our accuracy. As we continue to build these skills we will move into playing some modified games. Miss Sarah McCambridge
Jump-Up Day
Jump-Up Day was a great success. Our 2017 Grade Twos and Threes were all very enthusiastic and showed us just how clever they are! The older children were wonderful role models and mentors, often volunteering to assist the younger children. It was also lovely to meet our new students, Bjorn and Jack M. Mrs Freeland and Mrs Thyne
Out and About The “Strings on the Move” ensemble visited The Launceston Preparatory School last week and we were delighted to see our very own Bonnie and her big brother Oscar involved. They played beautifully and conducted themselves in a very professional manner. We were extremely proud. John Skipper and his big brother Charlie went in the All Schools Triathlon last week. They travelled to Devonport and swam, cycled and ran their hearts out! John said he loved it and was really pleased with how he went. It is lovely to see students pursing their interests outside the regular school arena. It takes courage, determination and extra effort. Congratulations to both students.
Production Fever! Group 2 and 3 students have worked so very hard in preparation for the production. I hope you are as proud of them as we are because their enthusiasm and efforts have been outstanding. It’s almost show time, so excitement is building and we look forward to showing you the full performance. Grab your tickets from the office before it’s too late. Mrs Angela Chapman
“Towards the end …” Socratic Seminar - Freedom of Choice We have been discussing freedom of choice and how it can sometimes be predetermined. Predetermined choices are when you can feel as though you are making a decision for yourself but it is actually determined by the people around you or what has already been said before you. Do you have the freedom to make your own choices? How can your choices be predetermined? How do we ensure we are making our own choices rather than making predetermined ones? Why do we not always have the freedom of choice? When can you have the freedom of choice and not be able to use it? Can freedom of choice lead to conflict and arguments? How will you ensure you use freedom of choice into the future?
We would like to welcome Mr McCabe to The Launceston Preparatory School teaching staff. Mr McCabe will be teaching Group 4-6 Mathematics and Group 2/3 ICT. Mr McCabe will also take responsibility for one of the senior home groups.
“Other information …” IMPORTANT DATES Thursday 1st of December: Tuesday, 6th December Wednesday, 7th December Thursday, 8th December Friday, 9th December Monday, 12th December Tuesday, 13th December Wednesday, 14th December Thursday, 15th December Thursday, 15th December
Last P/1 swimming Parents’ Club meeting, 7.30pm (Note date change) all welcome! School Production, 1pm School Production, 9.30am and 1pm School Picnic and BBQ, Croquet Lawn 6-8pm, everyone welcome Reports sent home with students Socrates Shield Debating Grand Final, 11.45am in the MPH Everyone is welcome to watch this great debate! School assembly, 11.15am – 12.00pm, all welcome Leavers’ Assembly, 1.45pm in the multi-purpose hall, for families of the Leavers Students’ last day of term
The Parents’ Club Christmas Raffle Thank you to those parents who have donated wonderful prizes for the Christmas hampers which will be raffled at the picnic. Mrs Turner has donated a handmade wooden billycart! This will be an amazing prize for the raffle! Further donations for the food hampers will be greatly appreciated and can be left at the school office up until Wednesday 8th December. Raffle ticket books will be sent home today with students. Sold ticket books can then be returned to the school office by Friday next week. Tickets will also be available to purchase at the school picnic.
It is that time of the year again when we ask families to search high and low through their homes to locate books belonging to The LPS. Please do not assume that you have none – scour those bookshelves and under the bed! We lose hundreds of dollars’ worth of books each year through carelessness. We ask no questions upon return of books – we are just delighted to see them!
Annual Parents’ Club
School Picnic 2016 Friday 9th December
Croquet Lawn 6.00pm–8.00pm Bring a blanket and a picnic and join other school families for a relaxed evening before Christmas. Please remember to bring plenty of money in coins (and notes!) to purchase the wonderful items from the students’ stalls. Items such as small gifts, Christmas decorations, many food treats and several competitions will be on offer. Raffle tickets can also be purchased at the picnic and the raffle will be drawn at the picnic. The Parents’ Club will be running a BBQ: Sausages in bread Hamburgers Cans of soft drink
$2.00 $2.50 $2.00
Normal school rules apply – no climbing trees, no throwing objects, no chasing around the equipment and please do not bring toys to play with. The picnic is a special opportunity to share a picnic tea with your family and school friends. Students must be accompanied by an adult. Mr Graeme Knowles, Secretary
FOR SALE: Brand new, never worn “Clarks” brand school shoes. Left in the cupboard and forgotten about! Paid $89.00 available for $60.00! Please contact the office if interested.
SNEAKERS FOR SALE
Size 5 “Brooks” brand, near new $20.00 Please contact the office
[email protected] or 63340234
