Harrison School Newsletter

Issue 9

May 2023

Important Dates
Principal's Message
Waterwatch
Year 7 Camp
International Women's Day
National Portrait Gallery
Reading Program

Cross Country
Defence News

Walk Safely to School Day

Library News
National Library Card
Awards
Contact

Important Dates

Friday 19 May

Junior Athletics Carnival
P-2 Assembly 9:15am - 10am
3-4 Assembly 2:15pm - 3pm

22 May to 24 May

Year 5 Kianinny Camp

24 May

Simultaneous Storytime 11am

23 May to 2 June

Book Fair

Thursday 25 May

Senior Athletics Carnival

Friday 26 May

Family Breakfast 7:30am - 9am
5-6 Assembly 2:15pm - 3pm

Monday 29 May

Reconcilliation Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 30 May

Brumbies High School & College 7's Gala Day

Friday 2 June

Regional Cross Country
P-2 Assembly 9:15am - 10am
3-4 Assembly 2:15pm - 3pm

Friday 9 June

5-6 Assembly 2:15pm - 3pm

Monday 12 June

Public Holiday

Friday 16 June

P-2 Assembly 9:15am - 10am
3-4 Assembly 2:15pm - 3pm

20 June to 22 June

P-6 Interviews

Friday 23 June

5-6 Assembly 2:15pm - 3pm

Wednesday 28 June

P-10 NAIDOC Assembly

Friday 30 June

P-2 Assembly 9:15am - 10am
3-4 Assembly 2:15pm - 3pm
Last Day of Term

Principal's Message

Dear parents and carers

It is almost mid way through term 2, and our school is settled and happy. It has been a busy few weeks, with 7-10 parent teacher interviews, a P-10 Anzac Day Assembly, Aqua Safe excursions, a Year 7 camp and a number of sporting activities keeping our students active and engaged in learning and wellbeing here at Harrison School.

Phone-Free School
I am very pleased to report that the introduction of phone pouches in our senior years has had an immediate and dramatic impact. Since our school became phone-free in week one this term negative incidents have reduced significantly, teachers are reporting increased engagement during classes, and staff and students are reporting increased physical activity and social interaction during break times. Here are some quotes from teachers and students:

"Overall engagement has improved"
"There are more students playing sport on the courts"
"There is less rubbish, as students seem more aware of their environment"
"Students are spending more time talking to each other instead of using their phones"
"I found it hard to adjust when the pouches arrived. I have noticed I talk with my friends more now."
"I got more work done today in class than I have before"

It is still early in the life of this policy and we will continue to reinforce it through phone pouch blitzes and checks over the coming weeks. Your support to remind your child that our school is phone-free and that phones must be locked in their pouches is greatly appreciated.

PBL
When you visit our school you will now see large signs showing our Positive Behaviour for Learning expectations for all the areas in the school. These will help our students to make great choices in the playground, the toilets, in the canteen, during assemblies, at the bike-racks and in all learning environments.

Two Responsible students - Ariz and Gio
I want to tell you about 2 very responsible students. Aariz Noor and Gio You in 4CD have taken the initiative to help keep our playground tidy, and have been out collecting rubbish during their break times without being asked. We are very proud and pleased, well done fellas!

The da Vinci Decathlon winners!
The da Vinci Decathlon is a national academic competition designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of school students. Recently our Year 7-10 Students competed in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, english, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy.

I am very pleased to report that our Year 9/10 team achieved 1st place in Code breaking (pictured above with a triumphant Mr Tinker), 2nd place in Ideation, 3rd place in Science and Creative producers; and our 7/8 team achieved 3rd place in Art & Poetry, English and Ideation. Fantastic results for our Harrison School students!!!

Open Night
Last Thursday we held our Open Night for year 6 students. We had approximately 250 visitors in the senior school, enjoying the hospitality and welcoming atmosphere our staff and students presented. It was great to see so many year 6 students and families in our senior school, with our classrooms and learning spaces brought to life with displays and activities led by our very enthusiastic students and teachers.

Family Day Breakfast
This year we will be combining our Mother's Day breakfast and Father's Day breakfast into one big event to celebrate all parents and carers, called the 'Family Day Breakfast'. Family Day breakfast will be held on Friday 26^th May at 8am here at school.

This is a wonderful opportunity to get together with our staff and students at school.
The menu for this event will be:

Egg and bacon sandwiches
Vegetarian sausages (halal)
Homemade muffins (from our wonderful hospitality students)
Tea and coffee
Coffee van

P&C Movie Night
On Saturday June 3, our hard working P&C Association is running a movie night. It was very enjoyable and successful last year, with funds raised to support our school and an opportunity to build our community connections. I strongly encourage you to come along and join the fun. There is more information further down in this newsletter. See you there!

As always, please stay in touch with us via info@harrison.act.edu.au or phone our friendly front office team on (02) 6142 2200.

Best regards,

Andy Mison
Executive Principal

Waterwatch

Year 4 joined forces with Waterwatch Coordinator’s Martin and Jed to conduct experiments on water quality and biodiversity in the Harrison Pond. Our Year 4 students have been investigating the concepts of sustainability, biodiversity and ecosystems during their inquiry lessons.

During our field trips to the pond, students learned how to use scientific equipment to test the water for pH, salinity, turbidity and temperature. They also discovered a number of species living in the pond, including aquatic Damselflies and Water Pennies.

Our classes will soon be planning interventions to support Harrison’s biodiversity and to improve the pond ecosystem.

Year 7 Camp

Year 7 students and teachers went to Berry Camp from the 3^rd to 5^th of May. Students had a great time engaging in activities such as kayaking, archery, cooking damper by the fire and learning some circus skills.

These challenging and rewarding outdoor activities required teamwork, resilience and a positive attitude and as a result provided a wonderful opportunity for all students to strengthen their friendships with peers and teachers. We hope that these experiences will shape what we hope to be a great rest of the year for our year 7 group here at Harrison.

International Women's Day

Year 10 Harrison students Sofia, Cami and Magda launched their ‘Evergreen Empowerment’ positive message graffiti board project.

The project was conceived and led by the group, designed for students to support each other through notes and drawings which can be seen by the community when walking to and from their classes.

National Portrait Gallery - Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize

Harrison student Ewan So in 6NF is among the finalists for the National Portrait Gallery's Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2023.

National Portrait Gallery judges selected 12 portraits from over 190 entries. A big congratulations to all the finalists!

For those of you that don’t know, Little Darlings is for primary and secondary students, with four separate categories across Kindergarten to Year 12. For the 2023 prize, we asked them to respond to the theme ‘Me and my place’ by painting, drawing, photographing, printing or combining all of these to make their portrait.

"I have chosen myself and I love it when I play tennis and I feel alive. I recently won an award in a tennis tournament so I thought that I can be a medallist in Olympics in the future."

Year 9 & 10 Work Experience 2023

Learners in Year 9 and Year 10 (who are 14 years old and above) can undertake Work Experience in 2023. Work Experience enables students to try out career choices and pathways for their futures. Engaging in Work Experience can build confidence in learners, provide networking opportunities, improve communication skills, and may even result in references or job opportunities. Please visit the Harrison School Careers Website, it has a wealth of information for parents and learners regarding work experience, career information and current job vacancies.

White Card and Asbestos Training: A White Card is a mandatory requirement for construction workers in Australia, it covers the general safety requirements for operational safety on site. Any learner who wishes to conduct their work experience on a construction site or other trade environment is legally required to obtain and carry with them a valid White Card. Learners can undertake their White Card training through CIT. Please see more details here

Available Work Experience hosts can be found and contacted through your child's Digital Backpack, via the InPlace tab. The InPlace website allows learners to search for available work placements related to their field of choice.

What you will need to do:

Please read these links & documents with your child. Please also remember to check out the Careers info on our website.

Workplace Learning Information for Students
Workplace Learning Information for Parents and Carers
Student Work Placement Script
Personal WEX Record Sheet 2023

Select Work Experience Host: Learners are asked to independently contact their chosen host initially using the provided script. After your child has contacted their chosen host, careers staff can then confirm placement details. I have attached a 'Student Work Placement Script' for learners to use should they need extra assistance when making the initial phone call. Record your results on the 'Personal WEX Record Sheet' and hand in to Wellbeing.

If you have any questions regarding Work Experience, please do not hesitate to contact our Careers Officer: Careers Coordinator Louise Hara on 02 6142 2200 or email Louise.Hara@ed.act.edu.au

Year 10 leaders reading with Kindergarten

This week a number of our year 10 students spent some time helping our Kindergarten students with their reading. Our Kindys can not stop talking about their new ‘big friends’ and are very keen to see them again. After a bit of training from Executive Teacher Niomi Ashly, the senior students were extremely poised and considerate with their younger peers. The morning was positive for all the students involved, and Harrison is looking forward to running these sessions more often in the future.

Cross Country

On Monday week 10, we held our cross-country carnival. It was awesome to see the high level of participation across the year groups, from Kindy to Year 10, despite the weather turning rainy for a short amount of time. Students had practiced the course for a number of weeks leading up to the carnival and you could see most students had improved their fitness and ability to run the course.

Well done to all house captains for leading their house spirit! Mapleton house led the house spirit for the K-4 part of the carnival as well as being the overall winners for the carnival. Well done Mapleton. We also acknowledge the great leadership and support shown by our 9/10 students and the Gungahlin College students who continued to go around the course either running or riding bikes to encourage the younger students to continue to run. Students really appreciated their support whilst running. Thank you to the teachers who also completed the course with their students or who manned the post at a checkpoint or around the supervising area. As well as the Year 10 formal committee and Food Tech department who ran the BBQ to raise money for the Year 10 Formal.

Cross Country Results: Well done everyone!

Kindergarten

1st Place - Harvey B
1st Place - Pouiva R
2nd Place - Aarav N
2nd Place - Caitlin T
3rd Place - Bilal K
3rd Place - Isla C

7 Years

1st Place - Kade B
1st Place - Taruni B
2nd Place - Dominic B
2nd Place - Simbo S
3rd Place - Austin F
3rd Place - Eden A

8 Years

1st Place - Leo C
1st Place - Zara J
2nd Place - Jaxon R
2nd Place - Emma B
3rd Place - Louis K
3rd Place - Mysha S

9 Years

1st Place - Ralph P
1st Place - Abuk P
2nd Place - Maddox M
2nd Place - Clover R
3rd Place - Aden B
3rd Place Emilia M

10 Years

1st Place - Naziah C
1st Place - Isabella T
2nd Place - Noah K
2nd Place - Audrey D
3rd Place - Ethan S
3rd Place - Stella P

11 Years

1st Place - Matthew H
1st Place - Ruby R
2nd Place - Benjamin T
2nd Place - Ava F
3rd Place - Ibrahim A
3rd Place - Harshika D

12 Years

1st Place - Ashton B
1st Place - April L
2nd Place - Cobi J
2nd Place - Antonia B
3rd Place - Joshua T
3rd Place - Charlotte V

13 Years

1st Place - Denali W
1st Place - Grace J
2nd Place - Marcus O
2nd Place - Arabelle J
3rd Place - Jimmy W
3rd Place - Jasmin P

14 Years

1st Place - Riley R
1st Place - Charlotte W
2nd Place - Manyang T
2nd Place - Sehaj B
3rd Place - Quinn T
3rd Place - Sonia K

15 Years

1st Place - Adam W
1st Place - Amelie S
2nd Place - Gavy R
2nd Place - Lainey B
3rd Place - Liam C
3rd Place - Olivia T

16 Years

1st Place - Will C
1st Place - Magdalena D
2nd Place - Dallas K
2nd Place - Lauren Y
3rd Place - Brian B
3rd Place - Sara K

Defence News

Our ANZAC day assembly was a great success. Our Cadets marched the flags in after practicing their slow march in the weeks before. We are very proud of them. Our speakers gave a great insight into life as a defence family, and the choir was brilliant with a performance of “The Battle of Beersheeba”.

A big thank you to the teachers that gave support to our Defence Club kids that coordinated the assembly and wrote their own speeches.

A reminder to let your children know that defence club runs on the following days:

K-6 – Monday and Tuesday break 1 in the junior canteen
7-10 - Wednesday and Thursday in the wellbeing area at first break

We are currently attempting to make the worlds largest friendship bracelet and get into the world records! If you have any loom bands at home that you would like to get rid of please bring them to the school and we are happy to take those off your hands!- more on this soon!!

Walk Safely to School Day

Walk Safely to School Day will be celebrated on Friday 19th May 2023. It aims to improve the environment and our daily exercise routines.

Walking to school is the perfect way to start the day by getting some exercise and fresh air, ready to start school with a clear mind. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy when you choose to walk to school:

Walking offers a great opportunity to remind children about safe pedestrian behaviour and recap on the rules of the road.
Being outside in the fresh air creates a space in your day for mindful exercise. Walking and taking in the scenery around you creates a sense of calm that will set you up for the rest of your day.
Walking to school will help to reduce the air pollution in your area or near your school.
By using your feet instead of a car, you can also play your part in helping to reduce traffic congestion.

Library News

Dear Parents and Families:
Reading for pleasure unlocks the power of information and imagination and helps children discover who they are.
Here’s what you can do to help children develop stronger reading skills and a love for reading:

Set the example. Let children see you read.
Have a collection of books in your home. Update this collection routinely to keep up with changing tastes and reading skills.
Support our school’s Book Fair. Allow your children to choose their own books to read.

The theme of our Scholastic Book Fair is Bookaneer Book Fair. It’s a fun reading event that brings the books kids want to read into our school. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Please make plans to visit our Book Fair and be involved in shaping your child’s reading habits.
Book Fair dates: 23^RD MAY – 2^ND June 2023
Shopping hours: 8:30am, 11:15, 3:00-3:30pm

We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair! Remember, all purchases benefit our school.

Simultaneous Storytime 24th May 2023 at 11:00am
National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops, and many other places around Australia.
This year the book selected is called Speedy Sloth by Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie. Parents can register here https://form.jotform.com/221667380621859 .

Simultaneous Storytime 24th May 2023 at 11:00am
Families are invited before school to come to library to relax and read with their children. This is a wonderful way to start each day. We look forward to seeing you soon!

National Library Card

Most high school students do not know they can use the National Library of Australia when doing their research. Many journal articles and online resources are available are online and students can sign up for free membership of the library online as well.

Resources include: newspapers, magazines, newsletters, images, maps, diaries, letters, music, audio, videos, websites, people and organizations

https://www.nla.gov.au/getting-started/your-national-library-card