Term 1, Week 1

 Kaya and welcome to the Year 5J blog! 

I hope you have all had a relaxing and peaceful holiday and had time with friends and family! 

As a classroom teacher, it is my job to create an environment as conducive to learning as possible. That may include considering different learning approaches, seating arrangements, presentation of content, how I handle discipline …… and as much as I consider and account for all those aspects of the classroom environment, nothing shapes my plans more than your children, the students. I am looking forward to getting to know each beautiful child and working alongside you, throughout your child's learning journey this term.

I thought that it would be helpful if I gave you some information on the logistics of the first few weeks which may be handy in finalizing the last preparations for the students to come to school on Monday the 31st of January.

Day 1 – There may be some first day jitters and if your child is feeling a little nervous, this is perfectly normal. We will be spending the day getting to know each other and getting organised for the upcoming busy year. If you can make sure your child is at school as close to 8.30am as possible that would be great. Your child will see that they have been allocated a seat and a drawer within the classroom. As they come in, I ask that they bring in their bags to unpack, find their seat and then put their belongings in their drawer. There is a 'hydration station' for their water bottles, and they are to keep their Crunch 'n Sip on their desks with their pencil cases. They will be directed to the whiteboard with reminders on what to do after that.

Swimming Lessons - As you may already be aware, swimming lessons this year will take place during the first two weeks of school starting Wednesday the 2nd of February. The Year 5 swimming lessons will commence at 9.30am on the beach at Old Dunsborough Boat Ramp. We will be departing the school at 9.15am on the bus. Your child will need to arrive to school on time. Please ensure they come to school ready for swimming, they can wear bathers and rashies under their sport uniform. We will bring extra sun cream just in case. Students will need to wear their enclosed sport shoes and bring their thongs with them. They can change as soon as they arrive at school. The bus will bring us back to school after swimming lessons at approximately 10.40am and we will have recess at school. Please ensure that all clothing and equipment including googles are appropriately labelled. 

Book Lists - Your child will have their own pencil case. I ask that all stationary items (glue sticks, pens, pencils, etc) are labelled with your child's name, and one or two of each are put into the pencil case.  Any extra stationary will be kept in the classroom in a labelled Ziploc bag with your child's name on it, for your child to access when required throughout the year. This is to prevent the amount of borrowing that takes place interrupting other students learning.  If you can, please make sure that you have purchased the given number of exercise and scrap books stated on the book list. The spare exercise books will be kept in the classroom for your child throughout the year.

I will assist the students with putting their items into their drawers and necessary storage tubs on the first day of school.

Term 1 Timetable - Please see below a picture of our current 'swimming class timetable' for 5J starting Monday. There will be changes to this timetable in week 3 when swimming lessons end. I will post the new timetable then.

Uniform – Please check in with the school website for the summer uniform policy and make sure that your child adheres to our guidelines. Both boys and girls must have their hair off their face and tied up if it falls below their collar.

Please note that 5J has Physical Education with Mrs Sinclair on Wednesday and Dance with Mrs Haines on Friday so therefore 5J will have to wear their Teal sport uniform on Wednesday and their Faction sport uniform on Friday. This will change however again after swimming lessons have completed.

Homework - OLC is continuing to follow the Ian Lilico homework grid. More information will follow in coming weeks. For the first two weeks of school while swimming lessons are on, there will be no formal homework tasks, but I will be setting the class a reading challenge. In week 3 I will move to a more structured format for homework. The students will also have diaries to help prepare them for High School and increase and improve their organisation skills. This will be given out when they arrive.

Interviews - If you need to set up a time to share any important information about your child, please email me directly to organise a meeting. 
I have received a very thorough handover from your child's previous teacher which highlights their brilliance and strengths and informs me of any opportunities for growth.
You can contact me directly via email at  anne.coltrinari@cewa.edu.au

Please bear in mind that I am teaching throughout the day and don't always have access to my emails, so if it is anything of importance please contact me the night before or contact the office.
Please note there will be a parent night held in week 3. 

Class Blog - This blog will be the main communication for any parent information over the coming year.  Please keep your mobile and email updated with the front office to ensure you receive texts and email communication from us throughout the year. 

Enjoy the last weekend of holidays and I look forward to seeing you on Monday! It is going to be the best term!

Warmly,

Anne Coltrinari