While we celebrate books year round, Book Week is still a favourite on the calendar. We started the week with our annual Book Week parade, it’s a valuable way to introduce Book Week to students and begins the conversation about why the week exists, what it means and why it is important to celebrate quality children’s literature in Australia.
But of course Book Week is much more than a parade. Across the five days students dived into books, authors and illustrators which won, or were shortlisted, in the Book Week awards. We celebrated our love for books in many ways – staff shared their favourite children’s book of all time, art classes were inspired by shortlisted books, older students read with younger students, installations were explored and it was a time for celebrating authors and illustrators, as well as introducing children to the wonderful world of books both old and new.
There are so many new Australian books, authors and illustrators to celebrate during Book Week, where do you start? The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) lists all books which have won awards in 2022 as well as those which received notable mentions or were shortlisted across 6 categories. The CBCA website also provides notes from authors and judges which make a handy resource if you're trying to decide which book might suit your young person. For a full list of books in the 2022 awards, head to Children's Book Council of Australia
Special thanks to the wonderful people who put time, energy and thought into creating the Book Week installations this year.
Cathy France
Principal
Dr Maria Montessori was born on the 31st August 1870, 152 years ago. Many of you will have some knowledge of Maria Montessori and her extraordinary life. She graduated as the first female physician in Italy, she was a professor of anthropology at the University of Rome, she studied psychology and philosophy and was nominated for three Nobel Peace Prizes. She founded the first Casa dei Bambini, or "Children's House" in Rome in January 1907. What ultimately became the Montessori method of education developed in that first Casa dei Bambini, based upon Montessori's scientific observations of those children. She worked tirelessly throughout her life observing children and teaching teachers her method of education. Her work & legacy lives on through the many Montessori schools throughout the world.
At this time every year we honour, acknowledge and appreciate her wisdom, her work and wonderful approach to working with children and young people.
This week we've welcomed Tara to our administration team in the role of Receptionist. Tara lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband and three children. She has a background in voice and music and is currently studying her Master of Education.
Welcome Tara!
Things can get tricky for parents when BIG emotions arrive. From tantrums and outbursts, to shut-downs and avoidance, managing emotions that overwhelm, without becoming overwhelmed ourselves, can be challenging to say the least.
Come along to our upcoming Parent Discussion Group with our Wellbeing Worker Katy Walker, to share your experience and expertise, as well as connect with other parents and explore some new insights into how emotions are connected to wellbeing.
This session is being held on Friday 2nd September at 9.15am in the library at Yultiwirra. Please RSVP via the eForm on Skoolbag, by Thursday 1st September.
Do you have any items that might be suitable for our Silent Auction or prize pool for the Quiz Night being held on Saturday 10th September?
We would love to hear from our school community and extended networks who are able to donate items, including 'big-tickets' items for our Silent Auction.
🏝 Silent Auction Items These are items which will get people bidding! Examples include: accommodation packages, signed memorabilia, gift baskets, various classes (yoga/ personal training/pilates/ cooking), restaurant or food vouchers, movie tickets, pamper packages, plants or gardening wares - or any other imaginative prize you can think of! Perhaps you have a specific talent which we could package up into a prize, anything from baking birthday cakes to creating an artwork - our fundraising team are a creative bunch who are more than happy to hear your idea and from there they could package up a prize.
🍿Donations of prizes - These are smaller items which are used on the night as prizes for the winning table and costume prizes. We're asking for any donated items from chocolates to wine to small vouchers.
🍾Silent Wine Auction - This year the Mystery Wine Wall is back. The Fundraising committee is sending home a brown bottle bag to each family, if you'd like to donate a bottle of wine, please put it in the bottle bag and deliver to the school office.
This is one of our biggest school fundraisers, any donations, suggestions or assistance is greatly appreciated by the Fundraising committee.
Please let us know in the office or email reception@montessori.sa.edu.au .
Students throughout the Yultiwirra campus have been experiencing an array of activities that surround the music subject. Preschoolers have been learning to identify beat and rhythm as connected, but separate ideas. They have been able to match sounds to rhythmic shapes and even create some of their own.
A feature song for this term amongst all of the students is The Lion Sleeps Tonight, with all classes touching on the song's structure, both melodically and harmonically. Cycle 3 students have investigated the arpeggiated triad over the song's form, with both Cycle 1 and 2 investigating the harmonic interval concepts of 3rds and 5ths.
The Year 3 recorder group is venturing far beyond Hot Cross Buns, with a current repertoire of seven notes. This is now every scale note learnt within the C Major scale. The coming weeks will be spent solidifying the finger positions and note reading.
Cycle 3 students are busy rehearsing their upcoming musical The Greatest Show, with everyone involved in some aspect of the production. We will be using some music time each week to begin shaping and polishing the musical aspects of the show, building this into the context of the show's story.
All music classes are using games that reinforce rhythmic concepts and they are all learning sung repertoire that is both accessible and fun to sing.
I hope your children are sharing their musical experiences with parents in the home,
On Saturday 22 October, Peramangk and Kaurna Elder, Uncle Ivan-Tiwu Copley and Hahndorf Walking Tours will be offering a chance for people to participate in a ‘cultural cookup’. Participants will have the opportunity to try lemon myrtle tea, yams with bush herbs, damper with quandong and fish prepared with bush herbs. The event runs for 2 hours and is suitable for all ages. Tickets must be purchased in advance via Hahndorf Walking Tours.
Photo credit: Luisa Brimble