I’m excited to announce a new event that will be held in Term 4 and will be proudly hosted by The Hills Montessori School Foundation.
The event; ‘Under the Elm’ will be held at Wairoa on Saturday 26th October 2024 from 4.00pm – 8.00pm.
It will be a gathering of our school community – both past and present. We encourage all families to save the date and come along to enjoy four hours of live music, food and drinks. Tickets are soon to go on sale along with food order forms.
We are thrilled that past staff member and well known Adelaide musician Tim Moore will headline the live music along with sets from Sanjay Taverna, our current guitar/drums teacher and fellow musician Myles Mayo. Past student, and up and coming singer Zoe Cipriano will also perform on the day.
We encourage current and past students, parents, staff, friends and supporters to gather under the elm tree at Wairoa, enjoy each other's company and our surrounds, and affirm our connections as a community.
Please spread the word, gather your friends, tell any past families and students ….. let’s enjoy this special and inaugural event together as a community. Look out for posters advertising the event and ticket details. Tickets will be limited.
I hope to see you there.
Cathy France
Principal
'Under the Elm’ - Wairoa - Saturday 26th October 2024 - 4.00pm – 8.00pm.
The Hills Montessori School Foundation........
· sustaining and supporting opportunities for young people and our school into the future
· providing opportunities for current and past students, staff and parents to stay connected
This term we are trialing a new event to support our reporting to parents’ processes. Yultiwirra primary classes will showcase students’ learning at a Yultiwirra Exhibition of Work and Learning to be held after school from 3.30pm – 5.00pm on Thursday 5th September (Term 3 week 7).
A few more details....
Classroom Visits
Parents are asked to collect their child/ren from the gate at 3.20pm for Cycle 1 Primary and 3.30pm for students in Cycles 2 & 3, as per usual. You are then invited to visit your child/children's classroom/s from 3.30pm to view their work which will be on display. Students may also show you how they use some of the Montessori materials to assist with their learning.
Common Room Visits
We also encourage students and their parent/s to visit the common room where the specialist teachers; Lyndal, Ellis, David and Attila will have displays of work covering learning in Indonesian, Music and PE.
Choir Performances
At 4.00pm the Cycle 2 choir will perform in the courtyard. Cycle 2 students need to congregate in the courtyard ready to perform at 3.55pm.
At 4.10pm the Cycle 3 choir will perform in the courtyard and need to congregate in the courtyard ready to perform at 4.05pm.
Conclusion
After the choir performances families can return to visit their child's classsroom or their other children's classrooms. The Exhibition of Work and Learning will conclude at 5.00pm.
Please support this new initiative
We hope to see all parents come along to this inaugural event and hope that you will enjoy engaging with your child and viewing their work and learning.
We thank Lisa Goodwin and her team of volunteer staff and parents who generously gave up their time on a weekend to create magical installations throughout our school to celebrate Book Week. The installations are a beautiful tradition in our school and certainly bring the magic of books to life.
Reading is truly magic! Our students transformed into their favourite book characters for Book Week 2024, bringing stories to life from our Infant Program to Cycle 3. The Book Week parade was full of enchantment, creativity, and fun, while our staff added a little extra sweetness with a Willy Wonka twist!
Another one of the special touches that makes Book Week at our school so memorable is our after-lunch reading time. Staff from across the school, including both teachers, assistants and admin, came together to read their favourite picture books with students, fostering the love of books.We had the privilege of wrapping up Book Week 2024 with a visit from our old scholar, Pip Kruger.
Pip, an artist and illustrator, has been nominated in the New Illustrator category for her work on Grace and Mr. Milligan, a shortlisted book this year.
She shared her journey of creating the book, from early concept sketches to the final digital illustrations, all while embracing the hand-drawn appeal in her ‘digital collage’ style.
Pip also gave us a fascinating look into the practical side of publishing and illustration, including the creative control she had, the author’s involvement, and her methods and tools.
The students were not only captivated by her visit but also filled with questions, eager to learn more.
Dr Maria Montessori was born on the 31st August 1870, 154 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.
On Friday 30th August we are celebrating Maria Montessori's 154th birthday! Students are asked to bring a gold coin donation for our fundraising game! Funds raised will be donated to support access to Montessori education for First Nations people as part of Indigenous Literacy Day.
This year’s National Science Week theme was Species Survival. More than just a focus on sustainability, this theme emphasised the crucial role of science and innovation in ensuring that diverse species not only survive but thrive in our ever-changing world.
Our school is surrounded by a unique natural environment, making this theme particularly significant for our students.
Our Yultiwirra students were placed in multi-aged groups across a variety of stations. In one station, they embarked on a Biodiversity Hunt through our school’s bush area, uncovering the rich variety of plant and animal life that calls this place home. They then reconstructed a model of the bush, bringing to life the diverse ecosystem they discovered.
Another group delved into the essential topic of clean water—critical for every species' survival. These students engaged in a hands-on activity using recycled plastic bottles and a variety of ‘filters’ like cotton wool, nappies, coffee filters, sponges, cloths, and sand. They discovered that these filters work by allowing water molecules to pass through while trapping larger contaminants. Through their experiments, the students observed how different materials effectively filtered out impurities, gaining a deeper understanding of the science behind water purification and its importance for a sustainable future.This hands-on exploration not only highlighted the incredible biodiversity in our backyard but also underscored the importance of science in understanding and preserving the natural world around us.
The Fundraising Committee is seeking donations of wine/sparkling for the Mystery Wine Lucky Dip at the Quiz Night.
A brown paper bag has been sent home to each family and if you would like to make a donation, please return a bottle in the bag to the school office at Yultiwirra .
All donations help raise funds for the school and we thank you in anticipation!
There has been lots of fun activities happening in the preschool over the last few weeks. We have been learning about vehicles and celebrating Science Week and Book Week. In week three, we had a focus on electric and hybrid cars. We explored how these cars operate, look, and differ from traditional ones, as well as their positive impact on the environment. Students had the chance to see a Tesla and Toyota Koba (hybrid) up close. They learnt about how the cars have keyless entry, voice commands and the quiet operation of electric cars. This led to a lesson on being extra careful to watch for these types of silent vehicles in carparks and on roads.
During Science Week we explored many science concepts such as magnetic/non-magnetic, water filtration, the surface tension of water, weight, and chemical reactions. There were lots of hands-on, individual and group activities for the children to explore and learn about these science concepts.
Luca – “My hybrid is white”
Ziggy – “My diesel car uses diesel”
Clem – “It’s not magic. It’s Science!”
Pippa –“Wow! The colours are moving towards the middle”
Luca - "I used my body temperature to make the spoon warm"
Frances - " Heat doesn't stay in one spot, it moves from one thing to another"
Orlando - "Hot tap water made the spoon hot ... and clean!"
Leo - "If we put the spoon on the bbq it become hot"
Maya - " How does the spoon become hot in the hot water and cold when in the cold water?"
Felix - " Small molecules move faster when hot"
Cycle 2 enjoyed the most perfect weather as we hiked all the way to Woodhouse Adventure Park along the Heysen trail for our much anticipated school camp. We had a very busy couple of fun filled days packed with activities outdoors and in the Woodhouse nature classroom. Toasting marshmallows and climbing trees at dusk, dinner in our fancy dining hall and watching The Lorax movie led into the most fun part - sleeping overnight in our named dorm rooms at The Manor. Venturing out into the wider community on school camp provides Cycle 2 students with many wonderful opportunities to grow and develop independence, friendships and learn new skills.
Students reflections of camp :
Eleanor - "We did a really big Hike. We started at school and walked down the street across the train tracks and came up to the trail. It was really good and we had lots of rests and had dried fruit and cookies along the way"
Alice - "The Manor where we stayed was big and had stairs and when you walked in there was a chandelier. There were blue bunk beads and we slept in our sleeping bags. Indie The meals were really yummy. We got ice cream sundaes for desert after dinner. Dinner was lasagna. For breakfast we had cereal, toast and pancakes and juice for breakfast. It was so yummy"
Dolina - "We did lots of activities like rock climbing. We played in the labyrinth and tunnels. We made bee hotels and learnt about animal scats and tracks. We made some scat out of dates and Milo and matcha and we could eat it. It was disgusting but funny"
Henry - "Friendships. It was great having my friends around especially in our dorm at night although we did keep each other up a little bit"
This term in Cycle 3 students have been investigating persuasive text in advertising. Students were introduced to the topic by watching video advertisements and identifying the target audience and the purpose of the advertisement. We discovered three main reasons for advertising- to inform, to persuade, and to remind. Students were then asked to create an advertisement for a specific purpose such as a tourism advert and a product advert. Persuasive techniques that students used in the creation of their advertisements included the use of imagery, alliteration, catchy slogans or jingles, questioning, compelling offers or deals, call to action statements and emotive language. By learning about these techniques, students were able to better identify the motive behind advertisements and understand how they can influence the target audience. This deeper understanding of persuasive strategies has equipped the students with critical thinking skills, enabling them to analyse and interpret the messages they encounter in various media in their everyday lives.
Sam and Christine’s Cycle 3 class has also explored the life and works of artist and philanthropist, Keith Haring, with their student teacher, Scarlett. Haring developed a love for drawing at a very early age, learning basic cartooning skills from popular culture such as Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney. His famous pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980’s with his animated imagery becoming widely recognised across the globe. His artwork almost always involved bright colours, thick lines and cartoon-like imagery and social commentary. He believed that art should be accessible to everyone and therefore created many public works and murals that were designed to reach a large audience and be enjoyed by everyone.
Students explored the use of colour, line, and movement in their own creations inspired by Haring and produced a series of vibrant, dynamic pieces. These artworks capture the essence of Haring's style, emphasising the importance of visual communication and the impact of art in public spaces.
By studying Haring’s contributions to both the art world and society, students gained an appreciation for how art can be a powerful tool for expression and social change. Students enjoyed the opportunity to share both their persuasive advertisements and their Haring inspired artworks in the recent sharing assembly. Well done everyone!
In Term 3, we emphasise our cultural curriculum, culminating in our phenomenal Cultural Studies Expo. In Montessori, the cultural curriculum encompasses zoology, botany, geography, science, music and art. At Wairoa, we are exploring the deep links between ecology, biomes, and food security. Through Humanities and Science, our students are not only deepening their understanding of the physical world around them but also how changing human needs and cultures can affect this world.
In our Science goings-out, students are participating in a series of visits to the Urrbrae wetlands to apply their key skills and knowledge: testing water quality and examining the resulting invertebrate life. Students are designing and planning their own field investigation to explore a question about the wetland, considering the complex factors that influence ecosystems.
In Humanities, we are examining biomes, food production and food security, both globally and locally. As a part of the global lens, these students participate in a Montessori Model United Nations-style learning model, representing a country as UN delegates. Studying the factors that influence food security, as well as other cultural elements, students will attend a day-long summit with Southern Montessori. Together, they will navigate the best courses of action for various challenges of their country of study, and find compromises or solutions to suit their working group.
Along with their personal RICH project, students will be presenting their learning outcomes at our Cultural Studies Expo on the evening of September 25th. Put the date in your diaries - we love to see community members from all Cycles there!
This term’s study focus is around Indonesian Independence Day. Students enjoyed the SBS ‘Nutmeg’ documentary explaining why the first Europeans (Portuguese, Spanish, English and finally the Dutch) came to Indonesia in the early 16th century to trade, and later colonise much of the archipelago. They learned the crucial importance of the spice nutmeg, which was very rare and expensive in Europe, and used in medicine, to preserve perishable foods and as an ingredient in the finest perfumes.
Younger students demonstrated understanding by identifying the flags of the various colonising powers across Indonesia prior to independence on 17 August 1945. Older students worked collaboratively in small groups to reconstruct the storyline and create their own narration and simple dialogues in English. They are also reflecting more deeply on ‘What did Independence mean for Indonesia’?' (and in the broader sense) as part of their wider intercultural exploration - ‘independence’ being a theme that will recur many times during their education, across a range of subject areas such a geography, politics and history.
Other class activities include learning the Indonesian National Anthem, discovering the meanings of the colours and symbols in the Indonesian Coat of Arms, and creating their own flags and Coat of Arms with personal meaning to them. They are also examining important Indonesian traditions, playing a range of fun Independence Day games and sampling special culinary treats!
Below are some comments from the students:
In recent weeks both Cycles 3 and 4 have been looking intensively at the historical events explaining why Indonesia is so fervent in celebrating their Independence Day on August 17th each year.
They prepared a cross cycle film explaining this hundreds-year long battle against colonialism that stemmed from Europe’s desire for spices from the East Indies. They learned a lot, were very engaged and would probably enjoy discussing the extrapolations they made to other situations of colonialism that they knew about.
On Wednesday the 4th of September it is Indigenous Literacy Day. This year, the theme is ‘Be a Proud Voice for Country’. It is a day to acknowledge Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Peoples culture, stories and language and raise awareness about the literacy challenges Australia’s First Nations children face. Many Indigenous children, especially in remote communities, have limited access to libraries and books, and the books that they do have often do not reflect their language or culture. To raise awareness of this issue, we (Bella, Hazel and Olivia) will be sharing some Indigenous stories and language across the school.
If you would like more information about Indigenous Literacy Day and how you can help, check out this link https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/how-you-can-help
Thanks to all of the school families and friends who purchased a ticket in the People's First Community Lottery. Our school raised $1890 through the lottery! An amazing effort!
We are seeking someone who sews to make a new bag for our portable television. The current bag which was sewn by past staff member Maree, is in need of replacement. Costs of materials would be covered. If you are willing and able please contact the office at reception@montessori.sa.edu.au