Term 1, 2021
Recently Kirra represented St. Michael's College at the Equestrian 'Interschool Queensland Wide Bay Regional Championships'.
The event ran over 3 days, which saw Kirra and her horse "Mighty Joe", compete across all disciplines & receiving some incredible results, including:
- ** Overall Wide Bay “Primary Dressage Champion”
- ** In other events; Show jumping 80cm 4th overall 90cm 3rd overall Working Hunter, 4th overall
Kirra and Joe came home with 14 ribbons, 1 rosette & a beautiful "Champion" rug. Well done Kirra!
With COVID restrictions still lingering, the start of Prep for 2021 was a little different and emotionally harder for parents and guardians than traditionally. We gave a big hug and kiss to loved ones and stepped through the doors into big school life all by ourselves. We were very brave and showed huge amounts of resilience as we began to learn new routines, skills and knowledge. We impressed the teachers with how quickly we learnt and the amount of knowledge we already knew and could share with the class.
Our learning journey started with the introduction of our first phase of letters and sounds. Once we started it was hard to stop us. Each week we busted at the seams waiting to learn a new sound and tricky words. By the end of the term we were using our knowledge to begin reading decodable books and start sounding out words independently.
In mathematics we concreted our numbers 1 to 10, dabbled in 2D shapes, days of the week and informal measurement. Songs and rhymes played a big part in helping us develop writing and recognising numbers.
The hands-on element of learning took a turn to the fun zone, as we did obstacle courses, explored a variety of materials, played basketball, went on scavenger hunts and played games. Who knew that learning was this engaging?
We experienced many firsts like; RAW Art, Ash Wednesday Assembly and a visit to the Abbey Museum. “Bring on term 2, we have so got this school thing and there is no stopping us now”.
In Term 1, Year One’s were hot on the case of learning. Super Sleuths were recruited to solve cases and investigate mysteries. They analysed characters in books and used spy glasses to find clues to help us with our reading.
Through the Walker Learning Approach, the children were able to build, design, investigate, discover, analyse and report on their findings.
Wow! What a busy term!
During Term1 we investigated the water cycle and how to conserve water. As part of this unit we explored how the College uses and conserves water and went for a walk down to our dam to see how that water is used to keep our grounds looking so beautiful.
Our HASS unit, “What’s outside my Window?”, allowed us to compare the way we live to other children around the world who are far less fortunate. This helped us to have a newfound gratitude for the things we take for granted every day, like clean water.
We were also privileged to have the artists from Raw Art come in for an incursion and loved making our Dhari headdress and we got to go and visit the Abbey Museum and learn all about Ancient Egypt.
The students enjoyed starting the day with our Morning Movement program.
What an incredible start to the Year!!! Thanks Year 2!!
Land Down Under
To begin with our fellow ‘Aussies ‘, the students learned about ‘The Land Down Under’.
In Science, we discovered that scientists group things and we tried that as well, by classifying living, non-living and once living things. We enjoyed creating Google Slides on rats and seeds to prove to Mr. L.G. why these are living things.
In HASS, we learned about famous Australian landmarks, capital cities, states, territories, and improved our mapping skills. We really had fun with Mrs. O’Connell making the Australian jigsaw of states and territories.
During the term, we created a myriad of pieces in Art including split portraits, pastel drawings of iconic features such as Uluru, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. We even extended ourselves by drawing a native Australian animal, the Koala.
We were very excited to have our own Chromebooks again which we use in every subject area. It is so ‘cool’ to have information at our fingertips and to be able to communicate with our teachers online. Using Kahoot to check our knowledge is also a favourite.
In sport we improved our games skills of throwing and catching with Mr Orchard. He also helped us to improve our fitness using The Beep Test in readiness for the Cross Country.
As we approached Easter, we learned about Lent and had ash crosses drawn on our foreheads by the Year 6 students and our fellow classmates. We created an amazing Easter piece which we have included in our calendar for 2022.
But most of all, as our class motto suggests, we were beginning to soar with our learning and look forward to reaching new heights throughout the year!
We had a wonderful start to Year 3 in Term 1!
Term 1 has been a whirlwind but what a wonderful ride we have had! We are grateful for new friends arriving and old friends returning. Each day brought us new challenges and exciting new concepts to learn.
Our highlight was certainly our camp to Currimundi. Three days full of fun, friendship, food and fantastic weather… well actually not perfect weather, but that made it even more memorable!
Our activities focused on team building skills and communication. We learnt to pay attention to the quiet voices as they have great ideas and are an integral part of our team! We laughed a lot as we were pushed outside our comfort zones and we used our growth mindset when faced with challenges that seemed too great. We left exhausted but happy as pigs in mud!
Year Five students started the year investigating the history of Moreton Bay Colony in HASS and travelled to Brisbane to learn more about its history at the Commissariat Store - Queensland’s 2nd oldest building.
In Science, we studied Matter and enjoyed Street Science’s incursion about polymers. We explored the three States of Matter, learnt how to write experiment reports and how to test fairly after ripping the legs off a grasshopper*. Being Healthy in Term One, meant looking after our emotional health and making healthy connections in our relationships with others. We took on the role of Kids Helpline Operators providing advice to students who were experiencing mean moments and bullying behaviours.
In English, we tightened the tension, created sizzling starts and showed rather than told in an effort to enhance our Narrative writing. We enjoyed our class novel ‘Code Name Bananas’ and learned about paragraphing and direct speech. In Mathematics, we used Minties and jelly snakes to measure, corn chips to help us with shape, musk sticks because we ‘musk stick’ to hard problems and Favourites chocolates to learn about column graphs. Perhaps these Year 5 teachers need to learn more about health when they plan their Mathematics lessons!
* Note: No animals were injured during the teaching of this unit.
Year 6 started with the thrill of learning about our classmates, teachers and independence
Each student was celebrated at our leadership assembly and induction ceremony
A pledge was undertaken and we vowed to be role model students in our school
Reversible and irreversible experiments were conducted at Big Bang Science
6 birthdays were celebrated in each class this term with ice blocks and cupcakes to share
Taster day at St Columban’s gave us a snippet of what high school could be like
Everyone has embraced the ‘lasts’ opportunities and experiences of primary school
Responsibility, generosity, integrity were skills learnt at the GRIP Leadership conference
Majority of students participated in the return of interschool sport in our Softball teams
Our nation was explored and we learnt about Federation and early Australia
No way to Bullying day was embraced and cyber safety a hot topic in Health
Easter holidays came early as we plunged back into lockdown!
What’s been happening in music this Term?
During Term 1 we have welcomed back our Senior Band to regular rehearsals and also a re-organised version of our Choirs for 2021 with our Year 5/6 Choir and our Year 3/4 Choir resuming rehearsals as well. At this stage due to number restrictions we are unable to operate as we have done so in the past however, we are hopeful that one day soon we will be able to have our Senior and Junior choirs back to “normal”.
All of our rehearsals have been going extremely well and we could not prouder of each and every student in our music program. In Term 2, we are planning to perform at our year level assemblies so please stay tuned for when each ensemble will be performing. Each group has been working on several pieces and are looking forward to playing/singing them for you very soon.
Instrumental lessons have also resumed as per normal in Term 1, with a record number of students learning instruments. We love seeing their enthusiasm and passion shine through and sharing their ideas and love for music. We have our regular “Jam Session” that occur two lunch times a week where students are welcome to come and play with each other - both our regular band pieces as well as pieces that the students have individually requested.
Stay tuned for some exciting news happening in Term 2. Until then keep practicing and we look forward to seeing you soon.
In March, five Teams travelled to Bee Gees sports grounds to compete in the Interschool Softball Competition.
Sr Anne’s A Girls Blue had five wins from five games in the round robin part of their competition. They went into the final taking on SMC A Maroon and won the final 15 -7. As Interschool Champions the girls were presented with the trophy and certificates at the presentation ceremony.
The Week 1 players of the day were: Hannah M. for excellent pitching that was an asset to the team and Sierra W. for her power hitting that kept the scoreboard ticking.
The Week 2 players of the day were: Isla F. for her great glovework, catching and big hits and Lainey G. for her terrific hitting that scored many of her teammates as they crossed the plate.
Miss Day’s A Girls Maroon were undefeated until they met SMC Blue in their final game. They then had to back up and tackle SMC Blue again in the grand final where they lost 15 -7. The SMC Maroon Girls can be very proud of their runner-up result!
The Week 1 players of the day were: Madeline M. for her superb movement at short stop and Ruby K. for her positive attitude and for her power hitting.
The Week 2 players of the day were: Lily B. for her sensational pitching skills and consistent performances every time she went to bat and Matilda B. for her hustle and movement as catcher.
Mrs Watson's B Girls finished in 3rd place overall with a win in their final 14 runs to 3 over Elimbah SS.
The Week 1 players of the day were: Steph Z. for her positive team spirit that kept her team powering on and Helena D. for her hustle on the diamond when fielding.
The Week 2 players of the day were: Charlotte L. for her outstanding pitching and the teamwork shown to her peers and Olivia R. for the great sportsmanship shown and her active talk and encouragement on the diamond.
Mrs Harvey’s A boys finished 2nd on the table after the round robin competition with 3 wins and 2 losses. They played a great final pulling ahead of Glasshouse Christian College after the first innings but then losing the 2nd innings to be defeated 9 runs to 2
The Week 1 players of the day were: Hunter S. for saving many steals with his superb catching at home plate and his positive team encouragement; and Bronson B. the hustle shown at shortstop keeping the opposition on their toes.
The Week 2 players of the day were: Levi P. for his fightback as pitcher when the strikes were not coming freely and Nate T. for his selfless team attitude and sensational scoring.
Mr Orchard’s B Boys had 8 teams in their division and finished 5th overall. The B Boys Final resulted in a 4-4 draw between Glasshouse Christian College and Peachester SS.
The Week 1 players of the day were: Ayden K. for excellent play at first base and Wyatt P. for superb pitching and power hitting.
The Week 2 players of the day were: Billy MacK. for his power hitting on the diamond and Nate B. for fast running through first base and excellent catching.
On behalf of all the teachers, I would like to congratulate all SMC softballers on their sportsmanship and behaviour at the Bee Gees Grounds this Term. As is the case every year, we are blessed with the ‘problem’ of having so many students wanting to train and play interschool sport.
While it was disappointing not to be able to have our parents attend the competition, we were proud to be able to get the Interschool Sports Competition up and running in 2021 for our students to play. Many districts have not re-introduced their Interschool Program yet due to the event guidelines in place at a Queensland School Sport level. We look forward to the future relaxing of these guidelines so that parents are able to come and watch us at Interschool Sport later in the year.
Glasshouse District Swimming
In February, 25 students attended the Glasshouse District Swimming Carnival. As COVID regulations still applied only 1 parent per family was there to cheer on their child. This however didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the swimmers who in the most part all swam quicker than their qualifying time.
Congratulations to all students who took part in the carnival. Your sportsmanship and determination were outstanding. St. Michael’s College finished 3rd overall just behind Glasshouse Christian College and Maleny SS.
Well done to Phoebe D., Louise H. and Helena D. who are now off to the Regional Swimming Carnival. Please click here for results.
Regional Swimming
Then in March, 3 students attended the Regional Swimming Trials at The Caboolture Aquatic Centre.
The competition was fierce but all three swam their hardest. Congratulations to the following students for their fantastic results:
- Louise H - 21st 50m Backstroke, 12th 50m Breaststroke
- Phoebe D - 23rd 50m Butterfly
- Helena D - 34th 50m Freestyle
Girls 10-12 years
Earlier in March, 5 students were selected to represent the Glasshouse District at the Sunshine Coast Regional Softball Trial. The Championship was held at Redcliffe District Softball Grounds. Congratulations to Hannah M., Isla F., Louise H., Lily E. and Sierra W.
The Glasshouse District Girls team won all of their round robin games. Unfortunately, we were defeated by Redcliffe in the Grand Final - 4 runs to 1 when rain stopped play early.
The improvement and knowledge of the game from the girls over the two days was extremely noticeable. The good sportsmanship shown by the team was evident to all spectators.
Day 1 - Our first game against Redcliffe was a nail biter with Glasshouse winning 10 - 9. We then played Nambour and came out victorious 14 - 4. Coastal was our next opponent where Glasshouse won 12 -1.
Day 2 - Nambour was our first opponent. Score 16 - 2 to Glasshouse. 9 - 2 was the next score against Coastal. Next came the Grand Final against Redcliffe…. and the rain. This was the only loss to Glasshouse for the Carnival 4-1.
Big Congratulations to Isla along with past St. Michael’s student Mahli Mae who were selected in the Sunshine Coast Team to compete at the State Titles in August.
Well done girls from Miss Day and Sr Anne!
Boys 10-12 years
In February, the College hosted the Glasshouse District Boys 10-12 years Softball Trials with 36 boys in attendance. Five St. Michael’s students were selected to represent the Glasshouse District at the Regional Trial which doubles as a championship event.
The Glasshouse District Boys team won 5 out of 6 of their round robin games. Unfortunately, we were defeated by Redcliffe in a rain-shortened Grand Final 7 runs to 4. Results are as follows:
- vs Nambour – Win, 16-1
- vs Redcliffe – Loss, 6-12
- vs Coastal – Win, 6-2
- vs Coastal – Win, 5-2
- vs Nambour – Win, 10-0
- Final vs Redcliffe – Loss, 4-7
Great job Nate A, Jacob D, Hunter S, Levi P and special congratulations to Lincoln W. who was awarded the Most Improved Player. Lincoln played 3rd base and right field. While initially quite overwhelmed by the happenings on the diamond, Lincoln not only improved his game skills but he also provided lots of atmosphere and motivation cheering his teammates on, on the diamond.
Mrs Watson and I were extremely impressed by the quality of play from all the boys despite the rain interrupted preparation. The improvement and development shown was evident to parents, spectators and coaches throughout the carnival.
Special congratulations also to Zach A., Kodey H., Lorenzo O. and Hunter S. who were selected to compete at the State Titles at Ormiston, Redlands this August.
Well done boys from Mrs Harvey (Interim Coach 2021)
The Caboolture Fireballs Floorball Club has an Open Evening for anyone interested - Thursday, 22 April from 4.30 - 6pm. Please click here for the flyer.