6 March 2025
Principal’s Report
Playground Upgrade
We are thrilled to announce that work has commenced on significantly upgrading our school's playgrounds to provide our learners with an enhanced outdoor learning and play environment. The new design will complement the existing sandpit with raised log and boulder edges and a homestead ruin to encourage creative play. A dedicated playground with slides, tunnels, bridges, and ladders will also be installed to challenge and engage our younger learners. Our older learners can look forward to challenging themselves on the Mega Urban Warrior course, which has been designed to engage older learners who no longer feel the need to 'play'. With an emphasis on physical challenge and movement, this system encourages activity without the perception of play, which can often be a disincentive for upper primary and high school learners to get involved. These upgrades aim to create a dynamic, engaging space supporting play and learning.
Student-Free Day
Please remember that Tuesday, March 11, 2025, will be a student-free day for staff professional development. No classes will be held on this day. We encourage parents to make necessary arrangements for their children.
During this day, we will work collaboratively to build understanding and develop strategies to ensure our new Site Learning Plan will deliver tangible outcomes for all learners over the next three years.
The main focus of our plan is as follows:
- Oracy
- Cognitive Safety/Cognitive Conflict
- Building mathematical thinking through inquiry, co-construction, and collaborative learning
During our professional learning day, teachers will explore how we can further develop questioning to deepen understanding. We encourage caregivers to support us on this journey by probing the answers their children offer at home. This could be as simple as saying, "Okay, tell me more" when your child responds to an initial question. This approach will encourage your child to question their understanding while developing their capacity to engage in longer and increasingly complex conversations.
Governing Council Annual General Meeting
We are excited to invite you to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Elections of Quorn Area School. Your participation is vital in shaping the future of our school and ensuring that it continues to thrive as a centre for excellence in learning and well-being.
Date: March 12, 2025
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Quorn Area School
Agenda:
- Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Principal's Report on School Progress and Achievements
- Discussion on directions for 2025
- Election of Governing Council Committee Members
Your involvement in the election process is crucial in selecting individuals representing the interests of parents, teachers, and learners in the coming year. If you want to run for a position on the Governing Council, please submit your nomination to Michelle Baker, who can be contacted via email at michelle.baker315@schools.sa.edu.au or by phone at 08 8648 6101 by Friday, March 7.
We encourage all members of our school community to attend this important event, share your insights, and contribute to the discussions that will shape the future direction of our school.
We look forward to seeing you at the AGM and Elections and working together to make Quorn Area School an even better place for our children to learn and grow.
Andrew Gilsenan-Reed
Primary Report
Exciting News from LIT2 – RWI Literacy Update
It has been a fantastic start to the term in LIT2! We've been settling into our morning routine and enjoying learning new sounds and spelling words. We’re getting stronger and more confident with our Literacy skills every day. While red words can be tricky, we're all working hard and making significant progress.
Last week, Ms. Ko attended RWI training, and she is bringing fresh ideas and energy to the classroom to help make RWI even more engaging and structured for our learners. One of the highlights of our week is Breakdown Buddies on Fridays, where we work together to review one learner’s work. We focus on spotting V.C.O.P. (Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers, and Punctuation) and provide each other with helpful feedback to improve our writing skills.
We’ve also completed the Week 5 RWI assessment, and LIT2 is excited to welcome new learners to join our group. While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to our friends moving on to Ms. Reed’s class, we wish them the best of luck and look forward to their continued success.
We look forward to more learning, fun, and progress in the weeks ahead!
Numeracy Update with Year 1
This term, Year 1 has been busy building strong numeracy skills! We’ve been practising counting to 200 and counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s up to 100. The children also loved exploring patterns and creating their own using a variety of classroom objects. One of the highlights was designing fruit loop bracelets, which was a big hit!
In addition to patterns, we’ve been focusing on addition and subtraction, and it's been amazing to see how quickly the learners are mastering these essential skills. We’ve also been diving into place value, using everyday objects to help represent and understand numbers in a fun, hands-on way.
Our Fun Friday Rotations have been especially popular, providing an interactive and creative space for the children to work together, apply their skills, and have fun with numeracy. It’s wonderful to see them growing more confident with each new challenge and becoming even more excited about maths!
We are incredibly proud of the progress Year 1 has made so far, and we look forward to continuing this exciting numeracy journey in the next term!
Health Lessons Update with Mr Hocking
Year 1 has had a fantastic time learning about health and well-being with Mr Hocking this term. The students have focused on managing their emotions, recognizing warning signs, and practising self-regulation. Here’s an overview of what they’ve been exploring: My feelings, Signs, Warning Signs, Feeling safe and My Cam Ninja Body
Through these activities, Years 1 and 2 is building crucial emotional and self-regulation skills, setting a strong foundation for their well-being as they grow.
Spanish Learning Update with Ms Ko
This term, the students have been having a great time learning Spanish with Ms Ko! We've been focusing on key topics such as the Months of the Year, Days of the Week, and Weather while revising colours and numbers.
To make learning fun, we played a game of Number Bingo, where the students could practice their number recognition lively and engagingly. We've also been practicing saying the months and days in Spanish and discussing different weather conditions.
Additionally, the students revisited colours and numbers, ensuring they felt confident in their vocabulary. Each lesson has been filled with interactive activities to reinforce the concepts, and the students are doing a fantastic job of using their new Spanish skills.
We look forward to continuing our Spanish journey and exploring even more exciting topics rest of the term!
Deputy Principal Report
Halfway through Term 1 already, and there is so much happening. It’s nice to write these articles and take the time to reflect on some of the fantastic events that have already taken place and share some exciting opportunities coming up for our learners.
QAS Swimming Carnival
In Week 3, we held our annual school swimming carnival, and what an incredible day it was! It was worth the wait and the contemplation surrounding our unpredictable weather systems. I find these days really important in giving our learners the opportunity to showcase their enthusiasm, teamwork, and competitive spirit in a range of events outside the classroom. This always makes it a memorable day for all involved.
A huge thank you to staff, volunteers, and parents who helped make the day run smoothly. I know I mentioned it on the day, but the carnival would honestly not run without you, given the jobs required to make the event a success.
Congratulations to our age group winners:
U10 Girls Winner: Ruby Connell Runner-Up: Addi Saxton
U10 Boys Winner: Wayde Finlay Runner-Up: Charlie Skull
U12 Girls Winner: Ella Butler & Evie Hackett Runner-Up: Maya Kruger
U12 Boys Winner: Eddie Skull Runner-Up:Lucas Werth
U14 Girls Winner: Shyla Burke Runner-Up: Shelby Finlay
U14 Boys Winner: Sam Finlay Runner-Up: Will O’Neil
U16 Boys Winner: Noah Kruger Runner-Up: Camron Snelgrove
Well done to all participants for their fantastic effort and sportsmanship throughout the day!
Congratulation to the Kanyaka Sharks on 835 points who triumphed over the Yarrah Roos, on 499 points.
Following our school carnival, we were proud to host the MNSEC Swimming Carnival the following week. Our school was represented by 12 dedicated swimmers who competed in a variety of events against strong competition from other schools in the region, with some swimming in higher age groups to fill the team sheet. Their hard work and commitment were evident in every race, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.
From this event, four of our swimmers were selected to represent at the next level in Adelaide. Congratulations to Noah Kruger, Camron Snelgrove, Shyla Burke, and Lily-Mae Butler. Unfortunately, they were unable to attend, but their selection is a testament to their talent and determination. Well done to all competitors!
MNSEC Athletics – 19th March
Looking ahead, we are excited for the upcoming MNSEC Athletics event on the 19th of March in Jamestown. Our athletes will have the opportunity to practise in the lead-up to ensure they are prepared to compete at their best. We encourage families to come along and support them on the day—it’s always a great event filled with school spirit and sportsmanship.
Headspace Support for Secondary Students
We have been incredibly fortunate to secure an amazing Headspace team for our secondary learners. This initiative has provided students with the opportunity to talk about and discuss their wellbeing in a supportive environment. I am so proud of all our learners for embracing this chance to focus on their mental health and wellbeing.
Exciting Opportunity – Marine Science Centre Visit
In Week 11, we will be welcoming the Marine Science Centre to Quorn. This is a fantastic opportunity for our school cohort to engage in hands-on learning about marine ecosystems, conservation, and the wonders of our oceans. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Renata Hackett for her efforts in securing this visit for our school. It promises to be an enriching experience that will spark curiosity and inspire future scientists!
We would also like to acknowledge Renata Hackett for reaching out and organising, on behalf of the Parents and Friends, a Conquering Skin Cancer initiative. This important program will be implemented not only through our curriculum but also within our broader community. Watch this space for more details on how we will be promoting skin cancer awareness and prevention.
Thank you all for your ongoing support. We look forward to the weeks ahead and all the learning, growth, and experiences they will bring.
Aspire to Inspire
Monique Griffiths
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club has launched at Quorn Area School! All students are invited to come from 8:15–8:40 AM Monday, Wednesday & Friday to enjoy a nutritious start to the day in a welcoming and friendly environment. This is a great opportunity to fuel up for learning, connect with friends, and positively start the morning. We look forward to seeing you there!
Harmony Day
Community Library
Scholastic Book Fair
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