Last week we held Grandparents & Special Persons’ Day in our school. Our last Grandparent & Special Persons’ Day was held in 2019, and then COVID disrupted many of our school events and get togethers for a number of years. 

Four years on, we were very pleased to have our grandparents & special people return to visit our school last week.  In the past we have held this special day every two years, and so we hope moving forward we will be able to continue this tradition.

It's so important for our children and young people that they have grandparents or special adults in their lives.  Kids live in a different world from the one that those of us over a certain age grew up in.   There can be a lot more pressure on young people today.  They are required to navigate numerous things that weren’t around when we were growing up, particularly an all-consuming media environment, which they need to learn how to balance. The current world and its demands can take a toll on a child’s health and well-being.

Subsequently, the difference a grandparent or special adult can make in helping a child navigate life, is significant.

Grandparents give unconditional love, and love children for who they are.  Grandparents and significant adults can coach, guide and teach young people, sharing their wisdom to help children make good choices in their future.  Grandparents can help young people see their world from a different perspective by sharing their insights and can also be strong role models when it comes to teaching and learning about values.

Grandparents or special adults provide stability in a child’s life – someone to stand with them and beside them.

Time, is often the special gift that grandparents or significant adults can provide to their grandchildren.  They will often have more time to show interest in the child and can often open up worlds of exploration and new adventures.

COVID taught us that connection is key to positive mental health and children need strong connections with people who are interested in them while they work and develop through life, and face its challenges.

I would like to thank all of the grandparents & special people for visiting and showing interest in your grandchildren or special young friends and for providing the much needed love and support that they offer their families – it is truly appreciated.  We loved hosting the grandparents and special people last week.

Cathy France

Principal

Over the past fortnight, our school has united in various ways that embrace the theme of unity. We've witnessed the power of coming together during Grandparents and Special Persons' Day, delved into the realm of collaboration through Science Week, and immersed ourselves in the marvels of literature and Australian culture during Book Week. Each of these events has paved the way for students of all ages to collaborate, and revel in the spirit of togetherness within our community.

During Science Week, students worked in multi-age groups unravelling the mysteries of the scientific world. Grandparents and Special Persons' Day not only opened our school's doors to these special individuals in our students' lives but also provided them with an opportunity to spend time in classrooms and see what education looks like in the life of their young person. Book Week is always one of our favourite events and as a part of the week, teachers and administrative staff take the initiative to read their most beloved stories to students across all levels of our school. This event connects staff and students who might not typically interact, fostering a stronger sense of cohesion.

In our Infant Program, we are currently immersing ourselves in the captivating world of the colour purple. Children are exploring the colour by mixing red and blue paints, mixing blue and red water using a pipette and are also expressing their imaginative side through stamping and crafting activities. This multi-faceted exploration enhances their comprehension of colour while nurturing their creativity.

I'd also like to thank Tiffany, Nikki and Christine for all their support in the Infant Program these past weeks whilst I have been on leave - Heidi. 

During our time in Preschool, the spirit of curiosity and discovery has been invigorated through Science Week.  As young scientists in the making, the children have enjoyed using their skills of observation to notice changes and reactions, and asked questions while forming oral hypotheses piecing together the intricate puzzle of "why" and "how." 

As part of our unit on Australian art, we have been studying renowned artists such as Sidney Nolan, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, and Lin Onus. Through these studies, we have been uncovering how these artists convey culture and stories through their artwork.

Inspired by Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly series, students painted quintessential Australian landscapes and added Ned Kelly as the main subject. The focus on the rectangle aperture in Kelly's helmet allowed them to practice the use of solid, warm, and cool colours. 

We have also been learning about the diverse art practices of Aboriginal peoples and how landscape is often depicted through symbols to communicate their profound, ongoing relationship with Country. 

 An exciting highlight has been our study of the Indigenous artist Lin Onus. The children thoroughly enjoyed creating clay animal sculptures inspired by Onus' dingos.

Each year Cycle 2 undertake an in depth study of a continent. Inspired by a recent trip to the museum we decided to study the very interesting and cold continent Antartica this year. 

We have been learning about the geography, topography, fauna, flora and climate. 

We have taken the opportunity to develop our research skills whilst studying fauna of Antartica such as penguins, albatross, weddell seals and orcas. We noted that polar bears are found in the northern Arctic regions and not in Antartica. 

As we embark on the study of brave explorers of Antartica such as Douglas Mawson we consider some of the great research undertaken and why people may travel to Antartica today. 

We are very excited about an upcoming visit from a class member's family friend Tim who will share his experiences whilst on numerous work postings in Antartica over the last decade. 

Quotes from students: 

Penguins can dive down 565 metres under water - Kai

Even in -35 degrees a penguin chick can stay warm under its dad’s wings - Jack

Antartica is the coldest place on Earth. The last husky run was on 4th of December 1992 - Sahara 

I didn’t realise that the ice on Antartica was so thick - Noah 

Albatross can go 6 years without touching the ground - Henry

Penguins feed on silverfish, krill and squid- Soraya 

In week 3 of this term, Cycle 3 student Bethany undertook a jewellery sale to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). She sold jewellery made of beads to students in a lunch time stall. There were beautiful necklaces, bracelets and earrings for sale. Bethany began working on this project in term 2 and made each piece by hand. Once the jewellery was made Bethany worked with members of the Cycle 3 team to organise the date for the jewellery stall, made advertisements on Canva and set up the event. Bethany set the price for each piece of jewellery at $2.50. There was a large turnout at the lunch time stall and Bethany enlisted the help of fellow Cycle 3 students to become 'shop assistants' whilst she handled the transactions for each customer. Bethany managed to raise an impressive $255 total towards the cause. This was an amazing effort and Bethany is thrilled with the outcome and thankful to all who contributed to the cause and helped her make the day a success! 

Students from Preschool to Cycle 3 enjoyed celebrating Indonesian Independence Day (78th) and cultural performances, wearing colourful traditional costumes for Grandparents/Special Persons' Day. 

Starting with Assembly, they shared Acknowledgement of Country in Indonesian/English, and listened to a brief history of Independence Day before singing the Indonesian national anthem ‘Indonesia Raya’. Everyone participated in the ‘Tumpeng’ ceremony (mainly eating!) and played traditional games - with several staff members taking part too. Several students and staff really got into the spirit and came to school looking amazing in their red & white outfits (the colours of Indonesian flag). 

The students impressed their grandparents/special persons by performing popular children’s songs ‘Topi Saya Bundar’ & ‘Dua Mata Saya’ (Lauren & Ruth’s class); traditional bamboo orchestra ‘Angklung’ (Lisa’s class); dance from Papua ‘Hei Yamko Rambe Yamko’ (Preschoolers & Huda’s class), and the ever-popular ‘Saman’ wave-dance from Aceh (Penny/Maddy’s class). 

All events were a huge success, and I received lots of positive remarks from visitors about how impressive the activities and performances were. I am extremely proud of how our students are committed to their learning as they practise tirelessly and do their best to work together for our community. I would also like to sincerely thank everyone (staff, students, families) for their support and contributions - I am always so grateful. HMS is indeed a joyful place to learn, connect and work. 

The Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 students studied events that led up to Indonesia's Independence Day. Cycle 4 looked at some film footage that detailed the original exploitation of the area for its spices an then the expansion of agriculture across the archipelago. Cycle 3 looked at these aspects in less detail and also considered the way in which modern-day Indonesia celebrates, including looking at the 'climb the greasy pole' village game where contestants form human chains to reach prizes at the top of a pole. They also looked at the Garuda as the emblem of Indonesia and encapsulated their learning in these pictures.

As part of the Adelaide Festival Centre's program, 'Celebrating First Nations', there are a number of exciting children's events happening across September and October. 

OUR STORIES: Dreaming Stories for Children 

2 Sept '23

Dunstan Playhouse

 OUR STORIES invites young audiences to hear traditional Dreaming stories the way they’ve been told for thousands of years, around a campfire, told by captivating Elders and storytellers. This special story time also includes a drawing workshop with Ngarrindjeri Artist Cedric Varcoe or a colouring-in activity for younger audience members, designed by Ngarrindjeri, Narungga, Ngadjuri, Wirangu artist Carron Daveson.

 OUR YOUNG WORDS: Make Mine a Monster

Illustration Workshop by Brenton McKenna

10 Sept '23

Banquet Room

Unleash your creativity with "Make Mine a Monster," an illustration workshop led by the talented Yawuru illustrator, Brenton Mckenna. Brenton will guide you through his creative process, helping you understand the intricacies of character creation.

Thukeri Weaving Workshop 

With Sonya Rankine

30 Sept–7 Oct '23

Children's Artspace

 Sonya Rankine is an award-winning Ngarrindjeri, Ngadjuri, Narungga, and Wirangu artist who creates her Lakun Mara baskets and sculptural objects using natural fibres and mixed media. Sonya will share the Ngarrindjeri Dreaming story of Thukeri before leading participants in a weaving workshop where they will create their own Thukeri (small bream fish) and Thukeri scale.