Chewton Primary School Newsletter 4th August 2022

Chewton Primary School is situated on Jaara Jaara Country.

We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people, the custodians and caretakers of the land. We thank them for the care they have taken and continue to take of Country: the rivers, mountains, trees and animals. We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.

We commit to Be Brave and Make Change.

What's coming up

8 August Presentation of Sustainability achievement awards at Monday Catch up with Resource Smart. Please join us

10-12 August Lady Northcote Camp Grade 3-4

12 August Sushi

10 & 24 August, 7 Sept, 12 October Connecting Country Workshops P-2

5 August, 19 August, 26 August, 2 September Preparation for Puberty 5-6

18 August Parent Information session: supporting children with anxiety

8-9 September Boomerang Camp Grade 2

9 September Tennis Hotshots Grade 3-6

Thanks

Huge thanks to Rob and Dan for all their hard work, patience and sense of humour as we navigate our way to the start date of the building project. They have always been ready to assist in any way. Thanks to the many parents and staff who packed, sorted and carted furniture and books to the storage that was so kindly made available! The front garden is looking bare but the plants have been relocated and thanks are due to the gardening team who made this possible, particularly J, Laura, Greg, Aiden and Tyrone. Pics to follow...

Vale Uncle Archie Roach

We are saddened at the loss of a great Indigenous Australian, Uncle Archie Roach. This week we paid our respects at Monday Catch up. Students shared their reflections and we listened to 'They took the Children Away'. The flags were lowered to half mast for the week. If you would like to join our Friday assembly we will talk about Uncle Archie again before raising the flags.

Maths in Grade 3-4

In grade 3-4, this week, we solved problems about multiplication and division. We used the story of freshwater crayfish in ponds to learn multiplication facts with twos, fives, and tens, for example, 4 x 5 = 20 and 6 x 2 = 12.

We are trying hard to use our multiplication facts to solve multiplication problems rather than rely on skip counting or adding up. We are also using our x 2, x 5, and x 10 facts to solve division problems like this:

“There are 100 crayfish to put into ponds. I want ten crayfish in each pond. How many ponds do I need?”

Ask us how we solve problems like that.

Fun with STEM

Rising Water Experiment

The flame on the burning candle depletes the volume of oxygen in the glass bottle so the air pressure outside pushes the water level up. The fire also expands the air inside the bottle enough to slow the water's rise, so when the candle goes out the air cools and its volume decreases making the water rises further.

Floating Ping Pong Ball Experiment

Bernoulli Principle - As air moves around an object, it creates different pressures on that object. Faster air means less pressure. Slower air means more pressure. This helps explain the upward pressure or lift in our experiments.

Emergency Management

We may be squelching our way through the garden at the moment, but the prediction is for a standard bushfire season. This year we are implementing an important change to our evacuation and relocation plans.

The bushfire risk ratings have been modified and a national system is being implemented.

We will relocate on days of Extreme Fire danger to Castlemaine Primary School.

If we are directed to evacuate offsite, we will evacuate to Castlemaine Primary School.

This is because the advice from Mt Alexander Shire Council is that Victory Park is not the safest option.

Please make sure you remember: Castlemaine Primary (South school).

It is important that your family makes a plan in the event the school has to evacuate, so that everyone in your family knows what to do. Plan with your family: who will pick up the child/ren? What will you do if communications go down? Where will you meet? Remember, only travel if it is safe to do so.

In an emergency, people have a lot of adrenaline in their systems and may make decisions in haste. It is vital that you have a safety plan in place for your home in case of emergency, and that everyone in the family is clear about their roles and responsibilities. At school we practice drills each term so that staff and students are very clear about what we will do in the event of an emergency. We carefully plan and practice so that everyone clearly understands their roles and responsibilities. Next week we will have an emergency drill. You will receive an alert via text. Please respond as per instructions.

One of the things that was apparent when we had our CFA emergency evacuation workshop, was the danger of many vehicles trying to access the narrow roads around the school, or in Chewton township.

The school has satellite coverage we can use in case of emergency. We will be able to communicate to the Department Incident Management Team who will work with us and Emergency Services

Fire Danger Ratings are changing soon

CFA website:

The way we determine and communicate Fire Danger Ratings is changing.

A new national Fire Danger Rating System is being developed using the latest science to be more accurate and relevant to where you live.

The new system will be used across Australia so whether you’re at home or travelling, you will see the same system being used.

Community feedback was used in the design process to help it make it easier to understand and to provide you with clearer advice about how to stay safe.

On extreme fire danger days, Chewton Primary will relocate to Castlemaine Primary School.

On Catastrophic days, the school will be closed.

All classes worked in the bush this week to create amazing clay sculptures. Art works were left in situ as an exploration of the ephemeral nature of art.

Grade 3-4s building their netball skills this week

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