Al-Ameen Gazette ISSUE 4 | 2021

Principal Message

 Asalaamu Alaikum,

Bismillah, Term 3 was both an eventful and exciting time at Al-Ameen College. The term started with our parent teacher meetings which alhamdulilah opened the door for further opportunities for our parents to come on campus. Our students completed their ICAS and Australian Mathematics Competition assessments and the College successfully completed the NAPLAN readiness training allowing us to move to web based testing next year.

Our science week ended with a spectacular display of student talent at the science fair. Our students were able to balance the academic with the extra-curricular with Primary and High School students attending their camps at Bickley and Woodsman Point recreation reserve.

The Year 10 subject information evening was a huge success with a packed house being able to benefit from presentations and information booths from the top universities and colleges in Perth.

The book week parade was a day of fun for all where our parents were able to see our K-6 students dressed in their favorite characters on parade in our multi-purpose hall.

With such a wonderful Term complete we pray for success in Term 4 where our students will be finishing another historic year of achievement against a backdrop of pandemic lockdowns across the country.

Br Mohamed Elbotaty

You Hear The Phrase 'Mental Health Difficulties' Used All The Time But What Does It Mean?

By: Sr. Dahlia El Gammel

To explain this, it is helpful to think about mental health on a spectrum.

At one end of the spectrum is mentally healthy. In this area you feel able to work and study, feel connected to others, be involved in activities in your community and ‘bounce back’ when life’s changes and challenges come along.

At the other end of the spectrum is mental illness. Mental illness is a general term that refers to a group of conditions, such as anxiety, depression or eating disorders. These conditions can significantly affect how a person feels, thinks, behaves and interacts with others. Almost half of the population will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives.

In between these two, there is a ‘coping area’, where people might feel some pressure but are doing OK, and a ‘difficulties area’ where people might feel like they are not doing so well.

It is important to know that everyone sits somewhere on this spectrum, and where you are can change from day-to-day or week-to-week, depending on many factors. 

Reference:  What is Mental Health & Mental Illness | headspace 

The Man Who Knew Infinity

By:  Mr Aaron John Thompson

Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887 – 1920) was an Indian child Mathematics genius who completed his Mathematics exams in half the allotted time and who passed his primary school exams with the best marks in the district. He was mostly self-taught and had no formal training in pure Mathematics. He is one of the most brilliant mathematicians known and solved many problems that were considered unsolvable.

He initially conducted his own mathematical research and could not get university mathematicians to listen to him because his lack of university education (he attended university but failed as he only studied Mathematics and did not answer questions he did not like) and the fact that his work and approach were so novel that many could not understand.

He spent five years at Cambridge University where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts by Research and published part of his findings. He was one of the youngest ever Fellows of the Royal Society (and only the second Indian) and the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

His mentor at Cambridge University, Hardy, said the theorems "defeated me completely; I had never seen anything in the least like them before" and that they "must be true, because, if they were not true, no one would have the imagination to invent them".

Unfortunately, Ramanujan died at the age of only 32 from complications from dysentery – an undiagnosed but treatable condition. Over one hundred years after his death his contribution to Mathematics is still being uncovered as many of his claims are only now being proven to be correct.

In his obituary of Ramanujan, Hardy observed that Ramanujan's work primarily involved fields less known even among other pure mathematicians, concluding:

“His insight into formulae was quite amazing, and altogether beyond anything I have met with in any European mathematician. It is perhaps useless to speculate as to his history had he been introduced to modern ideas and methods at sixteen instead of at twenty-six. It is not extravagant to suppose that he might have become the greatest mathematician of his time. What he actually did is wonderful enough… when the research which his work has suggested has been completed, it will probably seem a good deal more wonderful than it does today.

He combined a power of generalisation, a feeling for form, and a capacity for rapid modification of his hypotheses, that were often really startling, and made him, in his own peculiar field, without a rival in his day. The limitations of his knowledge were as startling as its profundity”.

When asked about the methods Ramanujan employed to arrive at his solutions, Hardy said they were "arrived at by a process of mingled argument, intuition, and induction, of which he was entirely unable to give any coherent account." He also said that he had "never met his equal and can compare him only with Euler or Jacobi".

In 2011, on the 125th anniversary of his birth, the Indian government declared that 22^nd December will be celebrated every year as National Mathematics Day.

His life is captured in the movie The Man Who Knew Infinity.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Connecting the 'Next Generation' to Careers in the Energy Industry

By: Dr Fincy Patrick

The “Next Generation Schools Program” run by the Energy Club of WA aims to introduce the next generation to the energy industry in a fun, interactive and educational way. Students are educated about the energy industry and the important role energy plays in our society, as well as the diversity of career options available. In this program students get first-hand access to information from someone working directly in the industry. This program provides an opportunity to inspire the next generation and promote the energy industry to our future workforce. The program consists of four mentor visits throughout the year, plus the Student Expo Day which is held in November.

Year 10 students had a chance to attend two sessions with an energy professional from Woodside Energy Ltd. The first mentor session provided students with an introduction to the oil and gas industry
and highlighted the positive impact it has on our society. The second visit focused on the project life cycle and showcased the diverse range of careers required to complete the project, some of which they wouldn't have considered. This visit focused on the different disciplines within a project. Students were informed about the possible careers available in the energy sector, based on which they can decide upon their subject selections.

Types of Food (انواع الطعام)

By:  Mr Abuzaid Suria & Sr Sahar Elezaby

In Arabic this term, students have been very busy building their Arabic skills and learning about food and its importance to mankind, animals, and plants.

ان الطعام ضرورى لحياة الانسان والحيوان وحتي النبات.`

Students analysed Arabic texts about how food gives us energy to function daily and do activities. Students explored the vocabulary used for different types of food including meats, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, grains, honey, cheese and eggs. One of the students asked an interesting question, “Is milk a food or is it a drink?” The answer is both, milk is both a food and drink at the same time.

"هل الحليب طعام أم شراب؟"      "الحليب طعام وشراب في نفس الوقت"  

Students looked at several popular Arabic foods e.g. Kunafah (الكنافة), Grilled Chicken (الدجاج المشوي) and Kebab (الكباب). They also learnt about Islamic table manners, for example: when we eat, we use our right hand. (آداب المائدة وآداب الاسلامية)

Politics and Law Excursion to Boorla Bardip (WA Museum) and Parliament House

By: Mr Faliq Abu Bakar

On 24 March 2021 the Politics and Law classes of Year 11 and 12 were privy to an excursion amidst all the Covid-19 restrictions, to both the new Boorla Bardip (WA Museum) and also Western Australia’s Parliament House.

Students had a very interactive and engaging experience at Boorla Bardip with eight permanent exhibitions over three floors named Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn (Wesfarmers Gallery), Innovations (Rio Tinto Gallery), Stan Perrons WA Treasures, Reflections, Changes, Origins, Wildlife and Connections (Tianqi Lithium Gallery). Most of the comments made by the students were that the two or so hours given to them to explore the museum were not enough!

After a short break for brunch and refreshments post the WA Museum experience, students were then shuttled towards the Western Australian Parliament House for the second half of their excursion. ‘Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous’ Albert Einstein said. With this quote in mind the class had an experience they will never forget, whilst waiting on the steps of parliament for their tour guide, an innocuous car drives up and out comes the driver to open the door of what seemed to be a VIP. Mr. Bakar then remarked ‘Hello Mr. Mark Mcgowan’, switched on seniors did not want to fall for one of his normal jovial ploys but alas he was not joking this time. True to his (Mr Bakr’s) word, the Premier of Western Australia himself (fresh from a midday jog) greeted and welcomed the whole class. Students were awestruck with his presence and were very happy to meet Mr Mark Mcgowan. 

Co-Curricular Futsal

By: Mr Adam S. Ali

Whether it’s the rush, adrenalin, speed, skills, pure athleticism or the challenging nature of the game, there is no disputing the power of futsal and people’s love for, and pure enjoyment of the sport. Furthermore, in recent times, the game of futsal has continued to grow and is today considered one of the most popular sports in the world. The benefits of the game are truly endless.

This year, I assumed the role of futsal coach. There are multiple benefits and advantages when playing the sport of futsal.

Benefits of playing futsal

           Physical Benefits                                                   Emotional Benefits

1. Improves Cardiovascular Health                1. Improves interpersonal skills & builds teamwork
   
2. Improves your muscular system                2. Social interaction & enhanced sense of happiness & belonging 
3. Improves joint health                                    3. Reduces stress & anxiety
4. Weight loss                                                      4. Sportsmanship
5. Improves hand eye coordination               5. Develops self-esteem & boosts

In term, the futsal team participated West Coast futsal Schools Tournament

During the tournament, our futsal team made it to the quarter finals. This came after a 1-3 defeat to Lynwood Senior High school. Nevertheless, our students showed great ability and determination throughout the tournament.

NEW! Year 11 UniReady in Schools Program 2021

By: Mrs Jo-Anne Mathews

UniReady Program Lead Teacher 

This year, Al-Ameen College embarked on the UniReady in Schools Program offered by Curtin University for our Year 11 students. Curtin endeavours to provide alternative university entry opportunities to school students by offering them a pathway to University via the UniReady Enabling Program.

The focus of the UniReady program is to prepare students academically for higher education. To prepare our students in finding out what campus life is like, we took them on a campus tour to Curtin University in Bentley on Wednesday, 19 May 2021.

The students were accompanied by the school UniReady team – Mr. Naeem Meer, Mr. Faliq Bakar and Ms. Jo-Anne Mathews.

We started off the morning with a meet-up by the Curtin Team followed by a Curtin Presentation, in the Lecture Theatre, with a member of the Prospective Students Team. Later, students took part in a campus trek with members of the Student Ambassador Panel, who also facilitated a Q&A session with our staff and students. The campus visit concluded with a informative library session where students were given an insight into the library and how to conduct their research using the Curtin library search engine.

Here are some snapshots of how our enriching and fun-filled the day was.

CHALLENGING TERM

By: Ms FLORA CHEW

TERM 2 of 2021 is a challenging but interesting term. To start, we were in lock-down during the first week of term, which allowed everyone to ‘enjoy’ an extra week of holiday. We returned to work and had to make up for lost time for the rest of the term.

During the last week of Term 2, we had another snap lockdown, and while school remained open, masks had to be worn. Fortunately, this did not affect the Semester Examinations, however, students had to do ‘catch up’ lessons.

Online lessons become very handy at this juncture as students can ‘catch-up’ what they missed during lessons, and do more practice on topics that need more understanding. Students staying at home also follow the lessons assigned.

Below were some Year 10 students doing their MATHS lessons on-line. They found learning in groups fun, relaxing and productive. Their progress was monitored by the teacher who assigned them the lessons and tasks for the day.

HASS in Term 2 – Civics and Citizenship

By: Ms Natalie Paterson

In Humanities and Social Sciences this term the Year 8 and Year 9 students completed a unit on Civics and Citizenship. The Civics and Citizenship curriculum covers units in Politics and Law. In our Humanities classes, we focus on the movement from declarative knowledge to real world applications.

This step in the learning journey is very important and allows students to consolidate and analyse the concepts taught in class. Through these activities, students appreciate the complexities in governing a country, the differences between various political ideologies and the difficulties in the application of legal principles in a variety of cases.

In the final weeks of the term, our Year 8 and Year 9 students have been guided through a series of real legal cases. They have had to ‘become the judge’, and identified the key details in a case, whether the case was a civil or criminal case and discussed the punishment as well as the outcomes of the case. In these guided activities, students began to appreciate that the application of the law is complex, and they have enjoyed debating with their peers when faced with alternative arguments and opinions.

After a period of guided and modelled activities, students then moved on to case studies to demonstrate the application of the legal principles and issues that undermine the legal system such as a biased or corrupt judiciary or a failure to apply the principle of equality before the law. Our Year 8 students completed a case study where they asked the question ‘Are AFL players above the law?’, through the analysis of the 2018 West Coast Eagles Andrew Gaff incident. Students discussed the issue of violence in sports and whether the same penalties and punishments should be applied to sports players as the public. Our Year 9 students analysed failures in the legal system through the Andrew Mallard case. Perth man Andrew Mallard was jailed for a crime he did not commit for 12 years through a series of police and court failures.

In our final week students participated in some fun and interactive group activities to finish our Civics and Citizenship units. Year 8s created their own political parties and held a class election. Students had to create a party name, party logo, slogan, three party policies and answer questions based on the issues currently faced by our federal and state parliaments such as Should the COVID vaccine be mandatory? Should international and state borders remain closed? Our winning political party in Year 8 Red was Lilli, Jaida and Nadine with their party ‘Equality Association’.

Our Year 9 students participated in a mock trial where they were able to consolidate the key concepts taught in class. They took part in a role play of the trial of James Smart provided by the Law Society of Western Australia. Students enjoyed becoming magistrates, prosecutors and witnesses and gained an appreciation of the structure and various roles in a court.

If you would like to support your child’s Civics and Citizenship education, there are a few discussions and activities you can do at home to help them appreciate the importance of the subject.

If you feel comfortable discussing politics, you could discuss the following topics:

• Who you vote for (or who you would vote for if you gained citizenship)?
• The political policies that are important to you and why.
• A time when a government implemented a policy that had an impact on you.
• Your views on the current response to the COVID pandemic and the difficulties balancing health, community, and economic concerns.

These discussions can assist students in understanding Politics and Law and help them recognise various opinions and perspectives.

Next term in Humanities and Social Sciences. Year 8 and 9 students will complete a unit of study on Geography. I hope all students, families and community members have a restful and safe school holidays.

Students Investigating The Structure Of A chicken wing

By: Mr  Mohamed Conteh

Year 11 Human Biology students investigating the structure of a chicken wing.

The following photos show the structure of a chicken wing and how it helps birds carry out movements.

Unbelievably, Term 3 is almost at an end. Where has the year gone….?

By: Mrs Gillian Rankin

By now, the Year 6s are well settled and getting ready for the next step in their learning journey - High School!!

The Year 6 Red class is an amazing group of students. They are mathematicians, scientists, explorers, artists. They are kind and caring, they are confident, happy students.

We have been on a wonderful learning journey up until now and I look forward to continuing with them for the rest of the year.

The Economy of Poetry

By: Ms Venisa Nathan

Poetry is a style of writing that expresses emotions and ideas in a compact, thought-provoking manner. Poetry is no stranger to us; it has been a part of our life since we were young, through nursery rhymes. Of course, our understanding and appreciation of poetry grows with age. Across our High School English courses, we have a unit on Poetry every year which introduces students to the likes of William Shakespeare and his sonnets, Kenneth Slessor and his war poetry, William Wordsworth and his poems about nature as well as home-grown Gwen Harwood and her poems about motherhood.

Our Year 12 Literature ATAR students have studied poetry of the Romantic Period (1770 – 1850) this year and challenged themselves to write about modern issues in the style of a poetic form from the Romantic period such as a ballad, an ode, elegy or sonnet. Here are a few beautifully written poems from our students

The hollow city of Atlantic

By Hafsa Arslan

Someone, dressed in a prim and proper suit,
Flashed their hollow Rolex and crossed
the bustling streets of the hollow city.
Stacks of green and pixelated ruins
swallowed the stippled skyline, leaving someone
with only the hues of pixelated light,
paving the way to their poison.
And so, this someone was really a no-one,
amongst the citadel stacks of compound green
and hollow pixelated ruins.

You walk through the hollow city, accompanied by hollow people.
When will they realise?
The residue of rain left shallow puddles; leaning down you look,
only to see a hollow, blank reflection
staring right back at you.

The lack of freedom, the lack of care.
Pixelated cages, blinding someone and yet no-one
sees. We all live the same lives:
school, home, work – until
death does us part.
Our lives aren’t ours anymore, we are all the same.
Red, black and blue wires split from our wrists.
Green, corrupted blood swims through our bodies.
This is who we are now: someone.
Someone hollow and fragile, living in the hollow city of Atlantic.

Ode to Patriarchy

By Nabeeha Ahmed

Why is a woman torn apart,
whilst a man can stand tall,
and watch her shreds of paper
twirl through the bitter wind?
They never wash their bloodied hands,
never rinse their mouths full of filth…
They watch a woman squirm and scream,
laughing at her when she asks,
“Why are we still underpaid?”
“Why are my sisters being killed?”

A shame of society
Curse of the patriarchy
Where women’s voices are silenced, their lips aching to open…
Yet they stand behind overwhelming shadows,
Sighing
as they coat their lips with the redness of their own blood.
She is beautiful and she is kind.
Like a pearl, she shines.
Curse you for using your dirty hands,
ripping her out of the safety of her clam.

The world is a place not fit for a jewel,
it’s ugly, dirty, muddy and cruel.
I hate it here and if I could,
I’d take her with me and move to the moon.
High heels glued on concrete floors,
A memorial for them: the sisters, mothers, daughters.
The shoes of women who once stood tall,
until they were ruthlessly torn like paper…
The pieces flutter through the harsh wind, never to be caught again…
Shoes empty, worn by their ghosts.

Numbers and Letters

By Arish Mahajan

The struggle of every day weighs heavy on my mind
The walk through the gates that assaults my calm
A place where people forget to be kind
A simple compliment from a teacher acts like a balm
Seven hours of my day – gone
Why don’t adults understand?
Knowledge flows but gossip travels like wildfire.

Eat, drink, sleep, repeat
The monotonous routine of every day
To the overwhelming burden, I concede defeat
Work had and everything will be fine, they say
Eleven years of schooling and haven’t seen results yet
Don’t they understand that the process isn’t all rainbows and stars?
I have sacrificed more than sleep and meals –
I have sacrificed my will

The double standards of society really show
When it outs the burden of success on the weakest beings
But doesn’t allow them to grow
They say confide in us, but do not expose your feelings
The pain of being torn between socialising and studying
Who knew having friends could be considered shameful?
After all, numbers and letter on paper –
They don’t prove anything.
Who exactly will them know?

π

By Ayesha Wasim

A world of clarity 

Lifting a veil from the galaxy’s secrets

A torch illuminating the world with its complexity 

Every new discovery, every new question a cry to its genius.

Then comes society with its bitter expectations

conforming to a well-trodden, worn, wretched path

stuck in a cage, polishing and primping

existing for the benefit of its members and the taming of others

The poetry of reality

every verse composed of numbers

the π and 0.5 of every day

kickstarted by the world and its number of wonders.

Dictating the questions you can ask

and those you shouldn’t dare.

Defined the people it creates

but also about what it refuses to destroy.

Critiquing critics without credentials

The usual or the new, my atoms are pulling me away,

but my sanity paralyses me, clinging on to the edge of no return.

Leaving behind society and its i manners and ∞ scrutiny.

A new door opens

Welcome to a new world

not needing much, just a simple pen and paper

and a yearn for answers.

Socio-endemic

By Tauqeer Mohammed

A place to truly connect with family and friends?
Or a stage for capitalism and commercialisation?
A producer of recession,
Perpetual sexualisation and objectification,
Privacy and freedom are of realities illusions.
Social commodification through likes and comments,
Bullying, berating and belittling remarks degrading our self-esteem,
The crystallisation of crippling anxiety.

Human nature is the essence of social media’s toxicity,
Jealousy and insecurities being the monopoly of hatred.
Envy and prejudice embedded in our hearts and minds,
As criticism rolls off our tongues so effortlessly.
Are these emotions of ours a justification to be loathsome?
or the cause of an eternal trough of death?

Year 6 Gold -learn new concepts

By: Ms Rahmah Mohamed Ali

Alhamdulillah Term Three commenced with the celebration of Eidul-Adha! Following up on our Eidul-Ahda holiday our students created some beautiful Eid cards for their family and friends. Students returned ready to learn new concepts and tackle challenges and tasks that come their way.

One of the STEM activities this term involved shoe making! Students were given a challenge to create a shoe from newspaper! They were only allowed to use recycled newspaper and tape. Part of the challenge was to make sure the shoe did not tear when their peer tried it on. It had to be strong and durable.

The Year 6 students enjoyed this challenge and the different designs which came out from this project were incredible! They used their creativity skills to decorate their shoe with the only two resources given: tape and newspaper.

Science Week

Inspired by the National Science Week schools theme Food: different by design

STEM education is so much more than factual answers to complex questions and Little Scientists will show you how easy and uncomplicated it can be. For Science week students explored the use of pasta! Students researched its ingredients, where it originated from and the best part was the cooking! Students cooked a simple, yet delicious pasta recipe, yum!!

Along with the pasta, students mixed up a fresh batch of tzatziki dip. The dip was made with fresh ingredients for students to enjoy. Students investigated how mixed ingredients create a different taste and texture.

Busy Classroom - YEAR 5 PURPLE

By: Mrs Adriana Debowski

Have Fun, Shine Bright, Remain Curious and Keep Learning!

By: Mrs Rina Rahmawati

Assalamu’alaikum

Semester One has come to an end and students in Year 4 Orange have been working really hard and very enthusiastically this semester. Year 4 Orange performed ‘Everyone Belongs’ during the annual Harmony Day assembly. All students were proudly wearing their national costumes and learning about the different cultures we have in our class. It was a fun day that reminded everyone about unity in diversity.

In term one we learned about plant and animal life cycles. We have conducted, observed and recorded an experiment about bean sprout. 

In Digital Technology, we learned how to code and program using Scratch software and using robots called Botley. The students were very eager to learn and very engaged in their tasks. Students learned how to animate and created stories based on their animations. In a more hands-on activity, students were able to program their own Botley robots to successfully navigate a maze that the students created. They also had fun doing the different Lego challenges.

SMART Goals in Year 3 Violet

By: Mrs Raihanah Alhabsyi

Assalamualaikum,

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It is hard to believe that we are nearly at the halfway point of the term.  It has certainly gone by very quickly. Students have been busy with various activities.

SMART Goals in Year 3 Violet

students in Year 3 Violet have thought carefully about what they want to achieve during Term 3. Each student has written an English SMART Goal, Maths SMART Goal or a Personal SMART Goal.

We all discussed what the acronym SMART stands for:

• Specific (I know exactly what I want to do.)
• Measurable (How will I know I’m getting better?)
• Achievable (I will be able to do this.)
• Relevant (Is it important to me?)
• Timely (By a certain day.)

• To successfully pass my surah. Hadi 
• To successfully be a better muslim. Taymia 
• My goal is to be the best muslim. Raffey 
• To successfully be a very good muslim. Ayden 
• My goal is to be a good friend. Reem  
• To finish my surah. Ahmed 
• To successfully work on my Maths and to improve in every subject. Dunya 
• My goal is to be a very good muslim. Belal 
• My goal is to become a better muslim. Besan 
• To be a better muslim. Zainab Fatima 
• Improve on my subjects. Yahya 
• To successfully work on being good in class. Sara 
• My goal is to successfully do my prayers correctly. Zeffa 
• To be more organised when doing all my task. Mishel 
• My goal is to successfully work on my Science. Ibraheem 
• To be a good muslim. Shazil 
• My goal is to be a better muslim and person. Nazia 
• To improve on reading and writing Arabic. Musa 
• To do my work nice and neat. Sana 
• My goal is to be a better friend to all my friends and peers. Ayat 
• To learn my surah that I am working on in Hifz time. Imran 
• To be a good kid, read Quran and help others. Asiya 
• My goal is to be a better friend. Manahil 
• My goal is to finish my Quran. Zainab Ahmed 
• My goal is to improve on my Maths. Ayat 
• My goal is to learn my surah faster. Nazia 
• To improve on my homework. Aisha 
• My goal is to improve on my prayer. Huda 
• To Improve on my homework and handwriting. Hajar 
• To improve on my English. Ayman 
• To become a better student in school and subjects I’m struggling in. Zayn 
• To improve on my English and Maths. Rehan 

Take A Peek Inside Our Learning Journey

By: Mrs Islam Choueib

At Alameen College, we strive to integrate learning, creativity and personal growth in each student’s learning journey.

Throughout the Semester year 3 Red has enjoyed learning about clocks, calendars, different celebrations around the world, Australia’s democratic system and Science. Students take pride in displaying their knowledge in creative forms and enjoy seeing their work displayed in the classroom.

As this semester draws to an end Mrs Wong and I are excited to continue providing students with the skills needed to reach their greatest potential.

Year 2 Red, We Are Capable Of Amazing Things!

By: Mrs Diana Bromell

Inspired by Dr Paul Swan, we have been learning Mathematics by using hands-on manipulatives in the classroom. Students were engaged and looking forward to getting their hands on these games.

Implementing Sharp Reading Strategies in guided reading rotations, allowed students to work in small groups using specific targeted goals with the teacher, whilst the other students worked independently to achieve their assigned tasks.

In Term 1, we created a paper collage inspired by Australian artist, Pete Cromer. This included integrating several elements of Art. Students created their colour scheme by mixing primary colours paint and experimented with stencils, stamps, sponges and toy cars to create texture. Students designed and cut geometric and organic shapes on their textured paper, then arranged these to create their own Pete Cromer’s inspired Australian animals. Duriing this term , we have been , and are currently creating Donna Sharam’s inspired artwork using oil pastels. Can’t wait to see this.

We have also been busy creating our Eid decorations, inspired by Batik Art. A shout out to Sr Hamidah for guiding us. Year 2 Red students worked collaboratively in creating a beautiful banner.

Our First Semester in Pre-primary Gold

By: Ms Trish Anderson

This Semester in Pre-Primary Gold we have been growing and learning through so many things.

Literacy: Every morning we begin our day with our Literacy block where the children learn a range of reading, speaking, writing and listening skills through repetition, hands on activities, small group lessons and modelling. In Term 1 our focus was the story of The Gingerbread Man where  we learnt about how to re-tell a story. We ended the term making the Gingerbread Man in a hands-on way and the children loved doing this. This term our focus is Little Red Riding Hood as we learn about Fairy Tales and further develop the children's knowledge about the structure of a narrative. We have seen huge progress in writing and CVC knowledge this semester.

Mathematics:    In Math's we continue to learn and develop counting skills while progressively expanding our knowledge of numbers. We are currently exploring the concepts of heavier and lighter, volume, capacity, length and width which are all important concepts of measurement.  The Pre-Primary's love the hands-on activities and enjoy a range of challenging work in their Math's books.

Highlights:    The highlight of our term was the Ramadan and Eid celebrations where the children completed lots of activities related to the festivities such as making lanterns, prayer mats and many much things. Right before our Eid break, we shared gifts in class and the children wished each other ‘Eid Mubarak’. These special moments aid in developing friendships and social skills.

Science:      During Science we completed a bread experiment which highlighted the importance of handwashing. Each child observed and noted the changes that occurred. Children who had dirty hands saw Mould develop over a period of days. Children who used hand sanitizer and soap saw similar results in that the germs did not Mould or spread. Children who had nothing saw some mold and some bread. An important lesson in washing hands.

As we continue to develop and grow, we appreciate all our the parents’ valued support in the growth and journey of their child's education.

A Class of a Sharp Bunch

By: Mrs Mahbuba Chowdhury

It is amazing to look back at the beginning of the year when the new Pre-Primary students walked through the door, and to look at them now and see how much they have grown and changed over the last two terms. Mrs Sara, Sr Ruqayyah and I are really pleased with the progress our pre-primary blue students have made. The students have worked incredibly hard and are gradually learning to become independent learners. They have learnt a lot in all learning areas and enjoyed all kinds of learning activities; especially Visual Arts and Design and Technology activities were enjoyed thoroughly

In term one, some of the main highlights were – Harmony Week, Mother’s Day, Ramadan Celebration, Eid Gift Exchange and Shape Party. In term two, students participated in making fruit kebabs and Fun Day activities. They eagerly waited for Library Day, Sports Day and Nature Play Day.

Overall, we had a very fun-filled Semester One with lots of memorable experiences. Throughout the semester PPB children have been involved in many different learning experiences. In Term Three we are looking forward to some cooking activities and an Aboriginal incursion. 

Learning is a journey, and the more we expose our children to new experiences, skills, and strategies, the more versatile they will become when faced with the challenges of everyday life. We are honoured to be guiding them on this journey.