Principal’s Report Reading:

Reading this? Thank you!

Last week was Education Week – the official Education

Week.* With that in mind, it is a good time to talk about

the importance of reading. While it is possible to read a

film, body language or even a room, for the purposes of

this reflection, the reading referenced will be the kind that

makes use of written words.

So why is reading important?

Reading has the power to help us discover who we are. Books open up new

worlds and have the capacity to throw our own world into stark contrast,

causing us to at least reflect on what we think we know and maybe even

challenge our perceptions. The connections we make with the events,

experiences, emotions and people we encounter in our reading have the

power to grow us as individuals; to discover new things about ourselves.

Truly good books are not the product of a days writing. Some take years of

gestation, borne on worldly experience, before they see the light of day. They

are then ours to enjoy in a matter of days or weeks at most.

Reading does not always provide immediacy. It is an investment, requiring

hours of connection to become revelatory.

The internet may have revolutionised the speed and ease with which we

access information but it has come at a cost. Instant gratification as a norm

impacts individual capacity to focus on one thing for an extended period.

Reading by way of contrast, has the capacity to develop within each of us

greater capacity for sustained concentration, a skill necessary to achieving

greatness.

Reading has the power to contribute to improved emotional health enhancing

our capacity for empathy and compassion.

Reading has the power to enhance memory. Keeping on top of a whole other

world of characters, plot twists, sub- plots and places requires a not

insubstantial aptitude for mental gymnastics. Reading has the power to

broaden the imagination and fuel personal creativity.

Reading broadens the vocabulary – one’s command of language and as a

result, an individual’s capacity for enhanced communication. Reading is the

basic building block of all learning and a practical skill for life which can also

make you a better person. It is almost impossible not to grow, to develop in

some way, as the result of reading. Empathy, compassion, and even a little

humility are all but impossible to avoid side effects of wide reading.

Discovering the ways in which others have endured the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” few escape at some point in their lives allows us for a moment to experience the experiences of others.

2020 School Newsletter now available online via our Skoolbag App and

website on www.lightningr-c.school.nsw.edu.au

Join us on

National Science Week

Sat 15th - Sun 23rd Aug

Uniform Shop

Monday and Thursday

8:30 am to 9:00am

Students to bring their

own water / drink bottle

Last Day Term 3

Fri 25th Sept

School Photos

Tue 15th - Wed 16th Sept

Mid Term Break

Fri 21st - Mon 24th Aug

Father’s Day Stall

Tue 4th - Fri 7th Sept

Walk Safely To School

Day

Fri 11th Sept

Principal: Mr Richard Finter

Primary Deputy Principal: Mrs Jane Miles

Secondary Deputy Principal: Mrs Margaret Morriss

LIGHTNING RIDGE CENTRAL SCHOOL

Term 3, Week 4, 2020

PO Box 294, Kaolin Street Lightning Ridge NSW 2834 T 02 68290511 F 02 68290137 E lightningr-c.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Continued

Understanding the motivations and experiences of other people – even fictional other people – has the

power to make us both gentler and kinder in our dealings with the real others in our lives.

I would wager that a little more tenderness in each of our lives has the capacity to deliver us much better

emotional health. Encouraging our kids to read and when they have finished, to read some more has the

power to provide them so very much.

It would be an easy case to make that there are 40 education weeks at school every calendar year.

Given that we are all lifelong learners, whether any of us like it or not, it would be an equally easy case to

make that every week is an educational one.

Parent- Teacher Evening

On Tuesday 11th August we conducted our Parent Teacher Evening and I am pleased to say that we had

increased attendance despite the modifications we had to put in place due to COVID. I would like to

thank all those in attendance and hope that you found the exercise worthwhile. I encourage parents and

carers to maintain ongoing communication with staff about their student’s progress.

School Leader

We have a large number of fantastic kids in this school and to become a leader you

need to be a super special person. On Friday 7th August I had the great pleasure to

induct Isaiah Seaton as a Primary School Leader. Isaiah will make a fine leader of

our school. It was great to see his parents Belinda and Beau present along with

Isaiah’s peers and a number of staff to acknowledge Isaiah’s fine achievement.

Well done Isaiah!

Secondary Deputy Principal’s Report This week students in Year 10 will be presented important information regarding

their subject selections for Year 11 in 2021. This is a very important time for Year 10

students and their parents as students will be planning their future working lives.

It is essential that students and parents have accurate information to make effective

decisions. Thank you to Mr MacLean, Mrs Murray & Mr Allen for their informative

presentation to the students and parents.

Students in Year 8 will have the opportunity to select their elective subjects for 2021

shortly.

During Week 6 students in Year 12 will soon be sitting their Trial Examinations in readiness for the

Higher School Certificate Examinations in October. At this time of year students in Year 12 should all

have a study timetable which includes completing practice papers.

During Week 3 we celebrated Education Week, Mr Finter spoke to Secondary students about this years

theme “Learning Together”. The PBL team rewarded students who are on time to school and in school

uniform with a hot chocolate, further rewards are being planned for those students who are displaying the

PBL Values– Respect, Responsibility and Pride.

Year 12 Construction students have been assessed by their distance education teacher who came to

visit. Trent & Keenan have been demonstrating their brick and block laying skills.

Library Report

Wow, Week 4 already. Not much to report on in the library this fortnight. Primary

classes are all going well with their various tasks. It has been great to see many high

school students enjoying the library at recess and lunch. We are constantly updating

the new book display to keep up with all the new books we have hiding near my desk,

and many of our students are loving checking out what has come in that they had

requested.

Our homework club is shaping up nicely. I hope that the students who have been

attending are finding it helpful for their studies. Remember this is open for students in Year 5 through to

Year 12.

Homework Club offers students :

Access to computers for Word processing, PowerPoint presentations, Internet research, printing

completed work etc.

Access to all books, reference materials, magazines and other printed resources.

Gain assistance from teachers on the completion of homework and assignments, developing study

skills, research techniques etc.

Provide a quiet environment for school or recreational reading.

Turtle Draw Winners:

Week 2 Week 3

Kindergarten: Larri Sands ES1P Kindergarten: Arthur Langmead ES1P

Stage1: Ava McBride S1B Stage1: Lennox Hawkins-Lohse S1Y

Stage 2: Billy-Jo Dominick S2H Stage 2: Caitlin Wallace S2O

Stage 3: Destiny Seaton S3C Stage 3: Jack Miller S3B

Book Week Trivia Contest With Book Week being postponed until Term 4, I have decided to run a bit of a “Trivia” contest each newsletter until our Book Week Celebration. Each newsletter there will be a question for each Stage, the student with the most correct answers from each stage will be given a $20 voucher to spend at the Book Fair. We have broken into Stages to be fair to all students and to target questions to their typical reading level/interest. Thank you to the students who had a crack at last weeks challenge.

Kindergarten Year 1 and 2 What is the name of the other dog in Pig the Pug? Who speaks for the trees? Year 3 and 4 Year 5 and 6 Who wrote Diary of a Minecraft Zombie? Who wrote Deltora Quest? Year 7 and 8 What is the name of the children in A Series of Unfortunate Events?

Year 9 and 10 Year 11 and 12 Who is the president in the Hunger Games? Who wrote The Mermaid’s voice returns in this one?

If you need to get a message to

your child please contact the

school office by 2:30pm.

Thankyou

Primary Students should arrive at school by 8:55am

Secondary Students should arrive at school by 8:40am

LATE IS NOT GREAT

"Right place right time" is shown by a meeting symbol, to give that

idea of protocol and Law in knowledge exchange.

Lightning Ridge Central School share a Positive Behaviour for Learning focus

with our Students each fortnight. Students who show exceptional PBL values

are rewarded throughout the year with excursions, special activities and treats.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

This fortnight’s PBL focus is

Right Place, Right Time

wugawa = flood

With all this yuuyuu (rain), we may get

wugawa (flood).

Stage 2 Report

S2Hollows

S2H have had a busy start to Term 3 with their new teacher,

Mr Crawley! Students have quickly settled back into learning

and have been exploring addition and multiplication in Maths.

In these lessons students brainstormed lists of words that

mean ’add’ or ’multiply’ to create class posters. They also

learned about how columns and rows form an array and how

this can be used to visually represent a multiplication

problem. In literacy, students have been working on

structuring simple sentences and are learning how to use

different types of verbs in their writing. Students have also been practising letter formation during

handwriting and are focusing on producing neat writing and quality work.

S2Flannery

Science: Physical World

This term we’ve been learning about forces in S2F. We have done experiments

on pushing and pulling and friction.

Push and Pull

We pushed cans to see what forces would make them go the same speed. We

used different items from in the classroom to see what size objects and mass

would stop the cans from rolling.

Friction

We got different types of shoes and made them all the same weight. Then we tested the friction by

pulling them across the table and carpet to see the different friction of the shoes on the surfaces. The

types of shoes we used were hiking boots, dress shoes and thongs.

Secondary Studies Year 12 Construction

Our Year 12 Construction students were assessed in Week 3 for their practical and theory skills. Leisa Rowlands, a qualified assessor from Trundle Central School, worked with Keenan Middleton and Trent Hawkins on the bricklaying and carpentry skills. Day 1 was spent outside on the concrete slab (which the boys laid last year with Mr Murray as part of their training). They were tested on their ability to build walls that are level and plum, as well as angles and piers. On Day 2 they were in the workshop where they were tested on their ability to create a range of joints. Both days also included intensive theory lessons in which they worked through the clusters (units of work) set for them. Both students showed great commitment, and Ms Rowlands commented on how well they applied themselves.

Stage 4 PDHPE

This term Stage 4 students are learning about types of movement skills and movement skill development. The concepts are addressed through a variety of learning skills and movement contexts. During practical lessons students are developing strike, catch and throw skills through a range of activities.

Stage 5 PDHPE

This term Stage 5 students are learning about the features of movement and investigate ways in which movement can be manipulated, transferred, appraised and analysed. Students have been applying their knowledge and skills to practical activities in different movement contexts.

Primary and Secondary Awards Students from Primary and Secondary received certificates in recognition of their continued effort and

achievement throughout the year.

Student Voice

Year 8s studied plant and animal cells in science last term.

We learned that cells are made of many different

parts, each with its own function. Vacuoles are cool

because they are big storage holes. Golgi bodies transport protein around

the cells.

Plants have some extra organelles like the cell wall and chloroplasts. The

cell walls help hold the plants up, because they don't have a skeleton.

Logan made a cell out of a cake, which was great as we then got to eat it.

Skye's model was really cool as she made it out of jelly which is just like

the cytoplasm in the cell.

Charli: I made a cell out of paper mache. I searched up other examples

and I thought paper mache looked really cool.

Boyd: Have you ever seen a muffin as a cell? I made a pancake first, but

then realised it had to be 3D.

Charli: I had never made paper mache before and I only did a layer a day,

until I realised that it was too thin, and then I panicked and had to stay up

really late finishing it.

Boyd: I first tried taking off the pieces from my pancake and putting them on my muffin, but it didn't

work and I had to start it all over again.

Overall, we really enjoyed making our projects and learned a lot about cells and how plant cells are

different from animal cells.

Charli McCabe & Boyd Wiesnet.

Education Week

MCP Bumblebees

The Bumblebees have had an exciting week. Starting with a visit from Healthy Harold, students then learnt how to make their own Bigibila (echidna) in their language lesson with Jacqui Frail.

Kindergarten have reached 100 days of learning!

We celebrated with lots of fun learning activities. We built

towers using 100 cups and discovered that 100 chain

links is the same length as 3 kindergarten students.

ES1Puggles

Education Week

S1Dhinawan

During Education Week students in S1D participated in STEM which is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The students were involved in short projects to foster their curiosity and develop key skills including problem solving and creativity

S1Balabalaa

Students in S1B thoroughly enjoyed their STEM lesson and embraced the use of technology. They were very happy to have a visit from our Principal Mr Finter who sat down and worked with them and also assisted Ms Davies with Phonological Awareness.

PCYC After-School Activities

Lightning Ridge Central School students have commenced the 8-week multi-sport program being run in

partnership with the PCYC in both Term 3 and Term 4 this year. For one hour, once a week, students

from K-4 and years 5-12 are participating in programs designed to keep kids active and build skills in a

number of sports.

Many Parents/Caregivers have utilised the NSW Governments Active Kids Vouchers and the continuing

positive response to keep our students active has been overwhelming.