Crafers Primary School

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Quick as a flash and the holidays have arrived! This morning's Assembly was a genuine showcase of all that is Crafers and a great representation of some of the happenings throughout Term 1. Importantly, we have seen all of our new faces settle in well, engage in their learning and make new friendships and relationships. Great care and support from our community helps this to seem effortless for many and is of great comfort to those needing a little extra. Our senior students have outdone themselves this term in their roles as buddies and role models. They are deservingly adored, and I know from many conversations how appreciative new parents are of this integral part of our school. As a staff, we have had the opportunity for new professional learning and collaboration which has come to life in the classroom. As always, staff have been generous in their time and offerings enabling students to participate in SAPSASA, Choir, Band performances, after school groups, excursions and incursions.

As Term 2 begins, we welcome Ms Kim Atkinson back. Kim will be teaching four days a week in the 4/5 class with Ms Lyndal Chittleborough returning to Indonesian and remaining with the class one day a week. I want to thank Lyndal for her wonderful work in the classroom this term. Lyndal brings a unique and refreshing perspective to almost everything and a smile to almost everyone incredibly often. I know the children will enjoy the return of Indonesian and miss her in class at the same time.

I would also like to thank Ms Hayley Phillips who joined us in a Visual Arts capacity alongside her teaching role this term. Hayley is very skilled (and incredibly humble) in bringing out the creative best of all our students. It has been a delight to have this learning displayed throughout the school this term. I am also very pleased to be able to announce that Ms Hannah Noack has joined our staff for 2023. So many people have commented recently on the presentation of grounds and classrooms. Suffice to say Hannah's having a wonderful impact already!

For the next two weeks, it's time to slow down, sleep in a little (hopefully) and enjoy some different opportunities. I know we have families heading away camping, lots of birthday parties happening and perhaps a pyjama day or two at home. How ever you are spending your holidays we wish you an enjoyable and safe time and look forward to being back in Term 2.

Kind regards

Chan

On Friday the 31st of March, we celebrated Harmony Day as a school.

Harmony Day is a celebration that recognises diversity in our community. The key concepts of Harmony Day are inclusivity, respect and belonging; which are all traits that we hope to foster and see in our students.

Activities for the day were organised by a team of year 6 students and myself. Students across the school were asked to participate by wearing orange (the colour of Harmony Day) and sharing orange slices at recess time. Students were also invited to create friendship bracelets and place their handprint on a ‘belonging tree’ at lunchtime. Many older classes joined with their younger buddy classes in the afternoon to create art work and complete activities to represent harmony too.

The library was a buzz at lunchtime, as some of our older students taught their peers how to make friendship bracelets out of coloured wool. It was encouraging to see that as students learnt to make friendship bracelets, they went on to teach peers across the year levels. It was a lovely example of an inclusive activity that all of our students could participate in and share their new knowledge with others.

April is Autism Awareness month and it is all about raising awareness, acceptance and inclusion for people who are autistic. Currently in Australia, it is estimated that 1 in 100 people are autistic with approximately 205,200 people who have been formally diagnosed with autism.

What is autism?

Autism changes the way an individual sees, experiences and understands the world. Autism is a different way of thinking, a neurological developmental difference that changes the way a person relates to the environment and people around them. There is not one way that an autistic individual experiences the world which is why the term ‘spectrum’ is used. It helps to reflect that each autistic person’s experience is unique. Individuals on the spectrum may have skills in particular areas, while finding other aspects of life challenging.

What does autism look like?

People with autism look the same as people without an autism diagnosis. Autism is a neurological disability, classifying it as an “Invisible” or “Hidden Disability”. Autism can be characterised by differences in social communication, social interaction and engagement in restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests. Some autistic people may be sensory seekers, some may be sensory avoiders and some may not be affected by sensory stimuli at all.

Each person on the autism spectrum is an individual with unique qualities, strengths and support needs.

“If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” - Dr. Stephen Shore, autistic advocate

Some of the common strengths identified in people on the autism spectrum can include:

• Being particularly good at detail orientated tasks
• Noticing details in their world that others often miss
• Being logical and factual thinkers
• Enjoying and following routines and structures
• Seeing things from a different perspective.

There are also challenges that some people on the autism spectrum may face, these include:

• Difficulties in communicating their needs and wants to others
• Understanding non-verbal communication, such as body language
• Social interactions, developing and maintaining friendships.
• Interpreting other people’s behaviour
• Processing sensory information
• Learning academic and functional skills

At Crafers Primary School, we aim to be inclusive of students from diverse backgrounds, cultures and diagnosis. We have an Autism Inclusion Teacher, Kate Barrie, who is currently undertaking professional development through a Government initiative alongside Positive Partnerships. Kate is looking forward to sharing her knowledge with the Crafers Primary staff, students and wider community later in the year once this training is completed.

This term we have been learning about metaphor, simile and personification.  We have used these figurative devices to make our writing more interesting.  We also used metaphors as inspiration when writing poems.  Here are some examples of our work.

This year's Athletics Day, on the 28th of May, was an eventful bundle of fun and exciting events. We (the Crafers team) took a bus over to Corner Stone College wearing our sports uniforms and bustling with enthusiasm and tension.

Once we arrived at the college's border, a large fraction of our team had nerves. We found ourselves on the official athletics oval and took in the large span of bright green grass and the white tracks imprinted on top of it. After the introduction, most students navigated the oval or court areas, prepared to compete already!

After hours of racing, jumping, throwing, etc., the finals of sprints and the relay were just around the corner. The relay teams were mentally and physically preparing themselves, while the sprinters were lining up, ready to race their hearts out. Congratulations to all the amazing racers who competed in the finals and placed!

The relay began after the final sprints. The 12-year-old division placed a whopping 2nd! This was after Lina and Ava's comedic and bothersome pass and Gabby's and Ascha's lightning sprints!

Overall, Crafers came home with lots of happy faces and various ribbons! We are all extremely proud of each other for putting in the effort and working hard all day. Crafers did a wonderful job, and the teamwork was fantastic.

Written by Juliet and Ava

On a cold and wet Thursday morning at our school oval, excitement filled the air. We were all getting ready for our cricket game when Stella Maris Parish School, the opposing team, arrived, and the nerves truly began to set in. As we warmed up, their captain, Riya, approached our captain, Ascha, for the bat flip. After shaking hands, Ascha flipped the bat, and Riya called flats. However, it landed on hills, so Ascha chose to bat.

Juliet and Tallulah were our first batters, with Juliet contributing about four runs. Tallulah was dismissed, followed by Gabby and then Ella, while Juliet persevered through about four overs. When it was Ascha's turn to bat, she delivered approximately six fours.

During our turn to field, Ascha was our opening bowler, but unfortunately, she did not take any wickets. Later, when Mia stepped up to bowl, she claimed the first wicket. From then on, the wickets kept coming, with Tallulah and Ava taking turns. In the same over, the batter struck the stumps, and our wicketkeeper, Ascha, hit the stumps while the batters were running.

At the end of the game, Stella Maris Parish School's score was 5 for 100 runs, meaning we had taken five wickets and they had scored 100 runs. Our score was 6 for 70 runs. Although we lost by 30 runs, it was a great day, and everyone should be very proud of themselves.

Emily & Ascha, Room 8

On the 3rd of April 2023, the girls' Crows Cup began at Echunga Primary School's oval. Although slightly humid, the weather was still quite enjoyable.

There were five matches in total, including four minor matches and one grand final. The first team, Crafers A, consisted of Juliet, Amelie, Ascha, Tallulah, Emily, Charlie, Dakota, India, Ayla, Piper, and Gabby. Crafers B included Ivy, Alba, Rosie, Lina, Ava, Mia, Ella Barton, Ella Bowen, Jemma, Gemma, Charlotte, and Roos.

In their first match, Crafers B played against Naine. They had a successful first half, but Naine overtook them in the second half. Despite the loss, their spirits remained high and they were ready for the next round. Remarkable goals were kicked by Rosie, Ava, Mia, Roos, and Jemma K.

Crafers A competed against Naine B and, unfortunately, were unsuccessful. However, they remained positive. Impressive goals were scored by Ascha, Juliet, and Tallulah.

In the second round, Crafers B played against Stirling East Primary School. It was an extremely close game, but they were ultimately defeated.

Crafers A faced Stirling East B and played a tough game but also lost.

When the Crafers teams played each other, Crafers B emerged victorious. They played a few more matches, with Crafers B winning three more and Crafers A winning one. There were two dance competitions; although we didn't win a signed ball, we did win two special ones that we took back to our school.

The grand finals began, with Crafers A competing for 10th or 11th place and Crafers B vying for 3rd or 4th place. Unfortunately, Crafers A lost, but Crafers B secured third place! We were all dropped back off at school. While we may not have won, everyone should be proud of how well they played!

We are very grateful to the kind parents who willingly drove us to and from the event: Cara, Tammie, Yvette, Melissa, Emily, and Tate.

By Ivy C and Alba M