Junior Crew

Best Intentions

2010-04-19T07:13:00.002+10:00

Hi Everyone,
As you can see my class based blogging has not taken off for 2010 in spite of my best intentions. I have been 'flat out' travelling around Victoria, working with teachers and their students on the Autism Spectrum.
When at my base school, I have been busy mentoring teachers new to Special Education.
Perhaps life will settle down to some sort of routine which will allow me to blog regularly about the children that light up my life. Until then please visit Jill's class in Room 14. You will find a link to their blog in the left margin.

Back to Blogging

2010-02-09T18:35:00.003+11:00

Hi Everyone,
We have have been back at school for a week now and everyone is settling in beautifully. As soon as we have all of our blogging permission forms signed for this year, we can begin posting again.
We should be ready to start next week.
See you then.

Back to School on February 1st

2010-01-24T12:27:00.003+11:00

The school holidays are almost over.
In one week we will all be back at school again!
Now is a great time to check if your uniform and school shoes still fit.
I bet they don't!
Have you cleaned out your school bag?
I hope that you won't find a mouldy lunch from last year in there!
It's time to start going to sleep at your regular bedtime so your body gets used to getting up early again.
Enjoy your last week of holidays.

Sue
XXXX

Farewell 2009 - Hello 2010

2010-01-05T13:57:00.013+11:00

Hi Everyone,

The Junior Crew kids will be in new classes this year and I will be taking up a new part time role ( 3 days a week) as a teaching and learning coach working for teachers working with students on the Autism Spectrum,and a school based role for 2 days which is still in the design stage. I will also be part of the Positive Partnerships Victorian training team . I am going to be very busy.

This blog will evolve into something new.

So new in fact, that I am not even sure what will happen yet!

Watch this space.

Exciting times are ahead.

Happy New Year !

The spirit of giving is alive and well in our Middle Years Unit!

2009-12-15T19:28:00.012+11:00

The Junior Crew would like to pass on an enormous thank you to Stephen and Trish's classes for giving us a Christmas present of cash to spend on lunch at Mc Donald's!

The Middle years group have raised money all year preparing lunch orders for the whole school and decided to give their profits away to every class in the school.

It was very generous and kind of you and extremely delicious for us!

Thanks also go to Jan and Marg's classes. This group of dedicated young cooks have prepared the most fantastic spreads of hot and cold foods for staff to devour at our whole staff meetings each fortnight. Well done guys!

Please do it again next year :)

Connections

2009-11-15T10:30:00.005+11:00

Hi Everyone,

The Junior Crew have gone PowerPoint crazy! Over the past two weeks we have learned how to copy and paste pictures, type in text, create special effects and even insert sound files. I am amazed at how quickly the kids have developed their skills using this program and how well they have made connections and transferred these skills to other applications.

I was also pleased to discover that our Friends in Siberia have received the package of books and music that we sent to them a few weeks ago. One of the best things about blogging is how it helps us to connect with new Friends from all around the world. If you would like to read their post about our package click on the hyperlink or on the puzzle pieces.

This week I received an email from Jim Spiralis from the Department of Education and Children's service, Special Education Resource Unit in South Australia. Jim wanted to let us know that our network of blogs has been cited as a special education resource for teachers in that state. Jim also invited me to present at the Special Education EXPO in Hindmarsh South Australia in July next year. I am so excited!

As most of you know, this year I have been completing post graduate studies in Autism Spectrum Disorder. My last lecture was on Saturday. I have made some very special connections with lecturers and teachers who have shared the journey with me which I hope will continue for years to come.

The course has meant that I have had to spend a considerable time away from The Junior Crew this year while I have been completing practicum placements and visiting other schools to provide mentoring and coaching services. While I have been away the children have been learning how to connect with some amazing casual relief teachers and learning how to cope with change. I am so grateful to this group of talented and caring people who have treated my class as if they were their own.

Bakers in the Making

2009-11-02T10:22:00.006+11:00

Hi Everyone,
On Friday The Crew spent the morning at a local bakery that has a kids cooking program. We made bread and shortbread in the industrial kitchen with the help of the bakery staff. While the bread was cooking we played in a local park and fed some ducks. The food was delicious and there was plenty to bring home so our families could sample what we had made.
Quite a few of The Crew have decided that they now want to be bakers when they grow up. What would you like to be?
What did you want to be when you were their age?

From Russia with Love

2009-11-02T09:57:00.008+11:00

Hi Everyone,

The Junior Crew were very excited to receive a package from our buddies from the 'Friends ' blog in Siberia. They sent us some postcards, badges , flag and a safety poster that was written in Russian. The Crew didn't have to be able to read Russian to understand it because the pictures carried a very strong message and we were able to figure out all of the rules.

Our class has sent some Australian songs on a CD and some picture story books by Australian authors. to our Friends in Russia. We hope they like them.

On the Mend

2009-10-23T07:52:00.006+11:00

Hi Everyone,

I have been away from school for most of this week helping my husband as he recovers from surgery. Michelle has been doing a great job of looking after the Junior Crew in my absence. Thanks Michelle!

I will be back at school on Monday and I am looking forward to finding out what The Crew have been up to while I was away.

Congratulations Paula & Kerry

2009-10-12T08:51:00.003+11:00

Paula and Kerry got married on Friday. The Junior Crew wishes them happiness for their future together.

We're Back!

2009-10-10T10:37:00.012+11:00

Hi Everyone,

This week has been full of events to celebrate. Tim turned 10, Eleanor turned 9 and I turned 44! We have been eating lots of birthday cake this week but nobody is complaining.

Nicole joined us to replace Paula at the end of the week because our other big news is that Paula got married on Friday! We had a great time choosing a present and card for her when we went shopping on Friday. We had a present wrapping 101 session with Sarah because I am not known for my gift wrapping skills and spent lots of time thinking of just the right thing to write in the gift card. Sarah left early to attend the service and she has promised to take lots of photo's at the wedding so that we can see how beautiful Paula looked. We are really looking forward to seeing them.

We also began our new theme 'The Dreaming '. This term we will be exploring Aboriginal Dreaming stories through story telling, drama , music and art works. If you would like to know 'Why the Crocodile Rolls' follow the link to the Student Blogging area, in the left margin to watch a video of the story.

In art sessions, Neville has been teaching the children the meaning of some of the symbols that painters from some of the Aboriginal Nations use to tell stories in their art and the kids will be having a go at painting their own Dreaming stories.

This week I will be sharing my love of Sally Morgan's beautiful art works and we will be searching the Internet for other contemporary indigenous artists and looking at their art works.

Mr Nobody Says...

2009-09-08T07:26:00.005+10:00

Turn off the:

TV
Radio
Lights
Game console
Computer
Heater
Air conditioner

I don't use them while you are out of the room!

You can make a difference to climate change :)

Positive Pester Power

2009-09-03T10:34:00.010+10:00

A message from the Crew!

Did you know that if you wash with hot water and tumble dry you will make 6500 grams of green house gas?
If you wash with cold water and line dry you will only make 200 grams of green house gas.

Please wash in cold water!
You have the power to make the difference to climate change!

Solving the Problems of the World

2009-08-30T10:50:00.009+10:00

Hi Parents and friends,
The Junior Crew kids are on an environmental mission. We intend to use 'Pester Power' as a positive force. This week our task is to ask family and friends to switch to washing clothes in cold water. The evidence for switching really does speak for itself and it is such an easy way to help protect the environment. Click on the picture to take a look at the Visy Enviromaniacs site which is packed with great games to play and information about how to protect our environment. Will you help us solve the problems of the world?

Cooking - We like it hot!

2009-08-29T11:57:00.009+10:00

Hi Everyone,

The Junior Crew kids have been learning how to make simple meals for themselves this year using all sorts of plug in 'makers' . We have made a variety of pies in a pie maker and sandwiches in a sandwich toaster and over the past few weeks we have learned how to make omelets in an omelet maker.

Learning to use these simple electrical gadgets has meant that all of the children are able to make themselves simple healthy snacks independently. We do watch over the kids while they are cooking to ensure that nobody gets burnt.

When this group of kids were younger they learned how to spread fillings, stack them into sandwiches and how to make simple drinks and desserts by combining ingredients. They also learned how to use a peeler and how to use knives and cutting boards for chopping. This week we have mastered the art of cracking eggs and whisking!

Using heated electrical equipment independently is the next important step in being able to move onto creating whole meals when they reach Middle Years .

Click on the picture to read some fantastic omelet recipes.

Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2009

2009-08-19T13:49:00.004+10:00

Hi Junior Crew and Friends,
Today I few to Sydney to attend the APAC 09 conference. I will spend the next 3 days listening to experts form all over the world share their knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder. Click on the plane to find out more about the conference.
Paula and Sarah will be supporting Melinda who will be looking after the Crew in my place for the rest of the week.
Yes Tim, I remember saying that I will bring you all back a present from Sydney if you are good. So Crew, make sure you keep up your end of the bargain!
Sue

Signs of Winter, Signs of Spring, Signs of Creativity.

2009-08-15T07:30:00.004+10:00

Hi Everyone,
The Junior Crew and staff have been hit by one 'bug' after another this term. Even my lap top got a virus and has been taken away to be fixed.
The Crew have noticed some signs that Spring will soon be here . We have posted some art work in our Virtual Gallery based on our observations of trees in the school yard.
Check out the Kids Blogging Area for ideas the Crew had to reuse or recycle plastic bottles and coffee lids. Very creative indeed!

Settling in for the Day & the 21st Century

2009-08-04T19:48:00.007+10:00

Hi Everyone,

The Junior crew kids arrive at school all sorts of ways. Some walk, others come by car but most arrive on buses. The children start arriving at school at 8:40 am and the last one arrives at about 9:10 so we spend until 9:15 each day working on settling in activities.

Tim has been working on this rocket made from recycled materials for over a week. It's fantastic !

I was watching an environmental program during the school holidays which cited that 95% of products manufactured in any one day are thrown away within a week of purchase.

I'm not sure about the accuracy of the statistic but it made me think that it is important to give every object that is manufactured more than one use. I'm glad that the Crew bring in lots of boxes and containers from their home recycling bins to make things with and that the materials used for Tim's rocket have had more than one use before they end up in land fill.

We are all starting to 'see the signs' that our environment is struggling to maintain and repair itself because of our misuse of resources. The Junior crew challenge for this week is to find ways to use an object at least one more time or purpose before it is thrown away. Are you up for the challenge?

Running to Town

2009-08-03T20:37:00.009+10:00

Hi Everyone,
Our class blog featured in the 21st Century e Learning Conference today. I participated in a online presentation which showed others how blogs can be used to create links between mainstream and special education schools and help teachers and students in the two settings to learn from each other. I didn't even have to leave my home to show people all around Victoria how capable and amazing our kids are.
In maths sessions this week we are looking at measurement topics. Last week we borrowed a trundle wheel from the Seniors classroom and measured the bicycle track on our school oval. We discovered that it is 140 metres long. We also know that it is a 6 km trip from here to the centre of the next town. Google Maps is such fun to use!
Over the next few days the Crew will be running around the track to see how long it will take us to run the equivalent distance to town. I love integrated units of work. Maths + great exercise+ sensory modulation = 1 fantastic activity.
Click on the hyperlinks or picture to visit the Google Maps site.

Design Creativity & Technology

2009-07-28T21:25:00.009+10:00

Hi Everyone,

For the past two weeks the Junior Crew kids have been working on a new DC&T project. We have been painting pieces of wood and decorating them using all sorts of materials and fasteners to create some sculptural pieces that we will arrange and photograph in lots of different positions.

It sure has given our fine motor skills a work out and has us working on patience big time. Tim took the photograph of the three students displaying their 'works in progress'. Well done Tim and well done Crew!

Oh dear. It's not a good sign.

2009-07-23T18:53:00.009+10:00

Hi Everyone,
This week has been very busy. A big thank you to Helen for looking after the Junior Crew while I was away. The kids had a great time playing Helen's obstacles course game and making 'Beware of the Monster' signs. while I was gone.

We have been looking at and writing about lots of different signs this week.

If you click on the student blog link in the left margin you can see how the Crew responded to some questions about some specific signs. Some were very familiar and others required them to do a little bit of research.

Tomorrow we are off to the local library to borrow some books and look at signs that help us there. We will also be responding to the sign that you see above. I wonder what they will say ?You can find out tomorrow by checking out their responses in the student blog link . Click on the sign and we will take you there.

Where is Sue?

2009-07-19T18:14:00.008+10:00

Hi Junior Crew and friends,

I will be away from school on Monday and Tuesday this week.

I will be visiting schools and supporting teachers who are involved in the Positive Partnerships Program. This program supports teachers who are new to teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The Australian Autism Education and Training Consortium have a fantastic web site which provides teachers and families with free online training about living and learning with ASD. Click on my picture and I'll take you there.

Junior Crew, I will be back at school on Wednesday.

Until then, see you later alligators!

PS : No online recorded speech service today as the Vocaroo site is having technical problems :-(

Auslan Sign 3 - 'Message'

2009-07-14T19:55:00.010+10:00

Click on the picture to learn how to sign the word 'message' in Auslan.
If you click on the kids blogging area picture in the left margin you can look at the environmental signs that we have started to learn about in class. The children made a fabulous 'talking sign' PowerPoint about the camping sign. Unfortunately our school server will not let us have access to any voice recording programs that we can use to both record at school and embed in our blog but I am on a mission to find out how to do it!

Auslan Sign 2 - the Word 'See'

2009-07-13T18:25:00.003+10:00

Click on the picture to find out how to sign the word 'see' in Auslan.
Then you will be able to tell everyone that the Term 3 theme is 'See the Signs'.

Welcome Paula

2009-07-13T17:47:00.011+10:00

Hi Everyone,
We would like to introduce you to Paula. Paula is the latest member of the Junior Crew team.
Our first day back at school was very wet and cold but at lunch time we had a lot of fun playing outside, on the basketball court, with frisbees between rain showers. If you click on the picture of Paula you will find a web site full of great games to play with a frisbee.
In the afternoon we got out hammers, nails, tacks and wood and had a fabulous time making lots of noise and creating patterns on some off cuts. Nobody hurt their fingers or thumbs in the process. It was lovely to be back together again and a great first day back.

Auslan Sign of the Week 1 - The Word 'Sign'

2009-07-12T17:39:00.009+10:00

Hi Everyone,
Would you like to learn to speak in Australian Sign language?
Click on the picture to watch a video that will teach you how to say the word 'sign' in Auslan.
We will show you some more words later in the week.

It's Back to School Eve

2009-07-12T09:58:00.004+10:00

Hi Junior Crew,

It's Back to School Eve !

That means that part of today will be spent making sure that everything you need for school, is clean or ready to be packed into your back pack, for school tomorrow.

I wonder what you will pack for your healthy lunch and snack ?

I have lots of fun things planned for you to do tomorrow and we have a brand new person working in our room this term for you to meet. This term is going to be the best one yet. See you tomorrow :-)

See the Signs

2009-07-10T11:21:00.012+10:00

Hi Everyone,

This term our whole school theme is 'See the Signs' and are going to cover a whole range of topics within it. We are going to take the theme literally and explore the meanings of signs in the community We are also going to look at signs of change in our environment and in our bodies as we grow, age and change.

I have linked this photo to a site that is dedicated to Australian road signs. We have some very unique ones here. The Junior Crew would be very interested in seeing signs from our international blogging buddies too so please send us some by email. You'll find our email address in the left margin.

Junior Crew Kids, it's only three more sleeps until school starts back so it's time for you to start getting back into your school term sleeping patterns. That means you need to start going to bed at your normal bed time again so that your body clock gets back into routine. Other wise I will see the signs of some very tired children on Monday morning.

Coloured Bird Memory Game

2009-07-09T10:30:00.009+10:00

Hi Junior Crew and friends,
I hope that you are enjoying your holidays.
How good is your memory?
Do you remember things best by listening , looking or a combination of both?
This is a fun memory game for you to play online. I played this morning and my best score was 10.
Can you beat that?

Classroom Makeover

2009-07-02T09:02:00.005+10:00

Hi again,
Our room has had a make over! We had some new carpet laid on Monday. It will make a big impact on reducing the noise, especially echo, in the room.
Many of the Junior Crew kids are auditory defensive which means that they are very sensitive to sound. The new carpet will help us all to feel calm and concentrate on our learning.
We had a bit of a technology crisis during term 2 which is why we haven't been able to post much lately but our Smart Board arrived during the second last week of term and we also had 2 new computers installed during the last week of term. Room 12 is very high tech now!

Winter Garden

2009-07-02T08:39:00.006+10:00

Hi Everyone,
I dropped into school yesterday to check out how our our vegetable patch is doing. Look at how many daffodils we have growing. I hope that there are some still in flower at the end of the school holidays, Junior Crew kids so that you can see them too!
The heavy rain has knocked down our scare crow so we will have to put him back up again when we get back to school. Luckily it didn't fall on top of our snow peas which are starting to climb the trellis now.
Are you enjoying the cold rainy weather? We haven't had this much rain for a long time. It's great!

Do You See What I See?

2009-06-28T10:04:00.004+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I love these optical illusion pictures. In the one above the circles ( snails) look like they are moving but if you concentrate on just one you will see that they are actually quite still. If you are finding it difficult to stop the image from moving put your finger on one of the circles to still the image.

The junior Crew kids have been doing lots of eye tracking and peripheral vision exercises over the past few weeks. We have added the Eye Can Learn web site to the blog margin so that you can see the types of activities we have been working on each day.

It is really important to ensure that our eyes are working correctly if we want to learn how to read and write.

Click on the link and have a go at some of the activities. Do you see what I see or do your eyes need a work out?

Local Library Visit - 5 Books 2 Rules

2009-05-23T14:35:00.013+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Each week I take a small group of children to the local library to borrow books. This group of Junior Crew Kids have an insatiable appetite for information books.
Even though we had time to read inside the library, I heard nothing but complaints about my sensible rule banning reading on the bus ( to prevent bus sickness) so we sat in front of the library, in the glorious sunshine, to read before we headed back to school.
The children use the 5 Finger and Goldilocks Rules to select books that are 'just right' for them to read.
Each student borrows five books to bring back to school to read and share with others during relaxation and choice time. Some tricky books get put into the bag each week because as well as reading on your own it is also lovely to have someone read to you.
If you would like to find out more about the 5 Finger and Goldilocks Rules click on the picture or any of the hyperlinks to visit the Book Nuts Reading Club site.

Autumn Fun

2009-05-19T17:48:00.013+10:00

Eleanor
My daffodils, carrots and snow peas are all growing well.
We all had a leaf fight. Sue said we could. I didn't get leaves in my jumper.

Joshua:
We had a leaf fight and Ricky put leaves down my shirt.

Ricky:
We had a leaf fight. It was fun and it was amazing. I was checking on the seeds and bulbs. There are the daffodils the carrots and the snow peas.

Tim:
We went to the vegetable garden to have a leaf fight. We threw the leaves . I threw the leaves at Eleanor. She was happy and surprised.

Danny:
We had a fight named ' The Leaf Fight'. I did the leaf 'burst of ability' move on Eleanor. She was scared.

To read more posts written by the Junior Crew kids, click on the student blogging picture in the left margin.

Telling the Time

2009-05-17T19:20:00.011+10:00

Pssst...

Junior Crew parents and carers,

Between you and me, although it's really no secret, the kids are getting very good at telling the time using digital and analogue clocks.

Now would be an excellent time to buy a watch for them so they can practise reading the time and recognising times that relate to important routines in their day.

On the Road Again

2009-05-16T10:46:00.007+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I spent Monday and Tuesday on the road this week visiting schools along the B400.

I am working with teachers who are new to working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other special needs.

While I have been away from school the Junior Crew have been working with some terrific casual teachers.

It has been a great opportunity for my class to learn to work with unfamiliar people and a wonderful opportunity for me to meet with other teachers and share ideas.

As is usually the case, I think I have learned a great deal more from the schools that I have visited than I have contributed ! Thanks so much to those schools, for making me feel so welcome :)

Functional Maths and Language Skills - Supermarket Field Trip

2009-05-09T20:46:00.015+10:00

Hi Everyone,
This week the Junior Crew hit the local supermarket and with the permission of our supermarket manager, went on a photographic safari looking for functional word displays in the environment.
We discovered that using the end of isle signs saves a lot of time when you are looking for the ingredients for a toasted cheese sandwich!
We had never noticed the top shelf signs before which is strange because there are loads of them.
The Crew also discovered that if you are looking for chicken you need to look in the poultry section!
Over the next few weeks we are going to be linking supermarket visits to our maths program. We are going to find out how supermarkets use classification strategies to organise their floor and shelf space. We'll weigh fruits and vegetables using the hanging scales and go on scavenger hunts to link maths activities with real life applications.

New Scarves for the Class of the Week!

2009-05-05T12:22:00.003+10:00

Room 6 and 12 have scarves because we are the most famous classes. We are the classes of the week.
Tim

I got a scarf for class of the week. Everyone got one. It is a blue scarf.
Rick

We were the best class in the world because we were the class of the week
We got football scarves. Sometimes people wear them at the football. Some times people wear them in Winter.
Eleanor

The Junior Sleep-Over Night

2009-05-04T21:13:00.005+10:00

Hi Everyone,
It's official! The Junior Sleep over Night will be on Thursday the 25th of June. That's the night before the last day of school for Term 2.
At this stage it's looking like it is going to be a pizza, hot chips and movie night, with some sleep in the mix there at some stage!
More details soon !

How Stuff Works - Mother's Day

2009-05-03T19:05:00.004+10:00

Do you know how Mother's Day began?

Click on the Video Center picture to find out!

Speaking of Balloons...

2009-05-01T14:32:00.012+10:00

Hi again,
This week the children began a paper mache project.
We are in the process of creating some giant bugs to act as visual reminders for strategies we can draw on when people or situations are 'bugging us!'
Blowing up the balloons with a pump was a lot of fun and gave us all a good work out.

The activity has also been great for developing patience, team work, sustained concentration and a host of maths skills to do with measuring, such as length, width, volume, capacity and estimation. We have made a great start on our bugs thanks to the support of our Inner Wheel volunteers, Val and Barb.

Dropped like a lead balloon!

2009-05-01T13:57:00.009+10:00

Hi Everyone,

My family members don't get sick very often but when we do, we drop like lead balloons. I have been away for three days this week due to illness. The first day was spent with my husband in hospital being treated for a very nasty viral infection, followed by 2 days in bed with it myself. All being well ( I have 2 teenage sons at home who have not shown any symptoms yet) I should be back at school on Monday. In the meantime the class have been working under the care of some amazing casual teachers and of course Sarah, our brilliant Education Support worker. What would we do without Sarah!
Now that we are in bugs and flu season it is really important to reinforce those good personal hygiene habits like, hand washing, sneezing and nose blowing and all of that other germy stuff! For younger children I use the fantastic Crawford the Cat video series.

Crawford is a water waster though! You will see what I mean when you watch the videos. We had great discussions in our class about that. Click on the image to find out more.

Planting Daffodils and Encouraging a Love of Nature

2009-04-22T19:30:00.011+10:00

Hi Everyone,
One of the great things about being in Room 12 is that we are right next door to the school vegetable garden. Dennis has given us our own special patch right next to the scare crow.
Our friend Cheryl ( Sarah's mum) dug up some daffodil bulbs from her garden and the children had a lovely time planting them in our patch today. We also intend to plant some carrots, peas and other vegetables. We all made tags with our names on them to stick in the soil next to our bulbs so that we know which person planted each bulb.

My two plastic aquariums do not have any bugs living in them yet but I have a feeling that they won't be empty for very long.

I can honestly say that I have never before worked with a group of kids who are so into nature and the environment. I think the Earth has some marvellous caretakers coming through in the next generation.

We have been watching episodes of Pingu this week. There has been lots of laughter in our classroom. Pingu is a very expressive penguin! We have been retelling the stories in our own words after watching the DVD. I had forgotten how clever the creators of this series were. Pingu doesn't speak English and there is no narrator but the children certainly 'got the message' and that is what our theme is all about this term.

We also spoke about what we can do if we are worried about things. We discussed where we store our worried feelings in our bodies. Some students said they stored them in their tummies or throats and all over their faces. WE decided that the best thing to do when we are worried about anything is to tell a grown up that we trust. During the week we will be using the fingers of one hand as a reminder of 5 safe people to share our worries with. The children will develop a home set and a school set. Click on the picture of Pingu to read a great PDF sheet about Protective Behaviours and 'safety hands'.

On Thursdays this term we will have our art session in the afternoon. The kids are really looking forward to that.

I told you it's going to be a busy term!

Time Whizzed By!

2009-04-20T20:33:00.005+10:00

Hi Everyone,

Time whizzed by today but we are all settled into our new classroom and the kids seem to be very impressed with it!

For the next few weeks we will only have my teacher lap top to work on as our new classroom computers have not yet arrived.

We really miss our Smart Board already!

This term our theme is 'Get the Message'. We will be looking at all the different ways in which we can communicate with each other using our bodies, our emotions and all sorts of simple and complex tools.

I hope everyone had a great rest over the Easter break because it is going to be a very busy term.

Positive Partnerships

2009-03-30T20:20:00.010+11:00

Hi Everyone,

I am going to be out of the classroom for a couple of days attending a Positive Partnerships Workshop.

At the end of the two days I will be spending some time visiting and supporting participants from other schools who are new to working with children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I am really looking forward to this role.
The great news is that you can get involved in this program by signing up for the online modules they offer on their learning portal.

The site has courses to meet the needs of parents, carers and educational support staff as well as teachers.

The first module takes about 95 minutes to complete. It can be broken up into smaller units and you can stop and start as many times as you like.

The Positive Partnership folk will be regularly adding new reference material and online learning courses to the site .

Click on the picture to check it out.

Online Books and Videos for Kids

2009-03-29T18:25:00.010+11:00

Hi Everyone,
We are in the process of organising our 2009 school sleepover night!
We will announce the date after our next Junior Unit meeting.

In the mean time I have added a sleepover story to our online book shelf. Click on the picture to read Arthur's First Sleepover.

You will find hundreds of videos, online books, switch stories, magazines and cartoon shows on the Junior Crew Book Shelf too! You will be able to find a permanent link to our bookshelf in the left margin of the blog. Just look for the flying books!

Money Money Money

2009-03-28T21:02:00.008+11:00

Hi Everyone,
I have spent the weekend searching for life skills sites on the Internet to add to my teacher resource blog . Next term the Junior Crew kids will be spending lots of our maths sessions developing their money handling skills.
During SSG meetings this term parents have asked me how they can help to develop these skills at home. Today I found a website with some great tips on how to teach money management skills to kids. Click on the picture and it will take you there!

Big Changes!

2009-03-26T20:50:00.015+11:00

Change is in the air and I'm not just talking about hair colour! In science we have been looking at how properties of chemicals change by adding air and water. Marg took these beautiful photo's of Tey Neisha and Tim blowing bubbles in the playground.

Luke welcomed a new baby sister. Little Servanda, Nathalia, Rose came to visit us at school this week. Luke holds her gently while cousin Cory looks on. Welcome to the world little one and congratulations to Luke's family.

The biggest change happened yesterday! We have a whole class worth of new students starting at our school next term so we have had to change things around a little. I will be leaving Rooms 4 &5 with some of the older Junior Crew class members to set up a middle years transition class. We are all very excited about the move into room 12!

Change is inevitable but I wasn't expecting quite so many changes this week!

Two days of changes are coming up next week. I will be away at an Autism seminar and Helen and Liz will be teaching in my place. Liz will be the new Room 4/5 teacher next term so it will be nice for her to spend some time with the children.

Only one more week until the Easter Holiday. We're looking forward to 2 weeks break.

How about you?

What's Different?

2009-03-22T16:50:00.008+11:00

Hi Everyone,

On Saturday I coloured my hair. I have gone from bottle blond to brunette.

It will be very interesting to see the reactions of the children tomorrow.

My class has difficulty coping with change. Last time I had such a radical change I had five very interesting responses.

One child whispered, 'What did you do to your head?'

Another didn't say anything until the end of the day and then said, 'Thanks for looking after us today Sue. When is Sue coming back?'

Upon reflection, the most honest of the bunch said, 'You changed your hair. It looks yucky'. When I look back at the photo's I think he was right!

One child cracked up laughing every time she looked at me and another wouldn't look at me at all!

So parents and friends I will let you know what happens tomorrow.

We are going to play the 'What's Different Game' this week during 'circle time'.

Would you like to play too?

Just click on 'Start'.

Social Skills Confuse me!

2009-03-18T00:05:00.003+11:00

Hi Everyone,

Sometimes the hidden, unspoken rules of how to get along with others are hard to learn without some help.

Social stories are a very useful tool to help children understand social conventions.

If you click on the social stories buttons you will discover a link that we use in our classroom when we have a point of need social skills emergency.

We also use social stories to explicitly teach social skills so that when situations arise, the children have the tools they need to work through tricky social situations successfully.

Social stories are good to use in all sorts of places. Why don't you check them out.

The Virtual Gallery is Open

2009-03-15T00:54:00.012+11:00

Hi Everyone,

Today I spent some time uploading art work into our Virtual Gallery. I have neglected this area of the blog this year but I plan to change that starting now!
Art sessions are a very important part of our week.

We experiment with colour, shape and texture.

Use visual expression as a means of communication.

Express our feelings.

Experience pride in our accomplishments.

Develop an understanding of cause and effect.

Experience sensory pleasure by working with a variety of media.

Develop small muscle skills.

Refine hand eye coordination.

Share and cooperate with others

Solve simple problems.

Develop planning skills

All while we are having fun!

In the Virtual gallery you will also find some fantastic online art activities for kids and adults and links to the art blogs that inspire me.

You can find a permanent link to out Virtual Gallery in the left margin of the blog. Or, click on the picture of Luke working with clay and you will be there in a flash!

Our Super Swimming Day

2009-03-12T20:22:00.007+11:00

Hi Everyone,
We had the best day ever!
The weather was warm and overcast.
The water was warm and clear and we loved swimming with and against our sister city school.

The hot chips from the canteen were delicious!

The water slide was big, tall , scary but awesome!

Everyone won a ribbon and nobody wanted the day to end, but all good things do!

Swimming Sports

2009-03-11T14:42:00.003+11:00

Hi Everyone,
Tomorrow is our Swimming Sports day.
Remember to pack:
Lots of cold drinks (water is best)
Healthy Lunch and snacks
Bathers and a towel
Hat
T-shirt or rash shirt to wear in the water
Sunscreen
Spare warm clothes if the weather looks dicey
Spending money (optional)

It's okay - They are looking for rectangular prisms!

2009-02-26T20:22:00.012+11:00

Hi Everyone,
If your child has suddenly decided to play in the recycle bin, don't worry, they are looking for rectangular prisms! Last week we learnt all about 2D shapes, this week it is 3D all the way! I have asked the children to bring a box to school from home so that we can cut one of its sides and look at its net.
If you click on the picture of the net above, it will take you to a web site where you can print out this net and cut and paste it to make a rectangular prism of your own.

192 schools and 176 kindergartens in Victoria are closed due to Bush fire threats tomorrow. Ours is fortunately not one of them! Tomorrow is our first outing day, so please return your permission forms as soon as possible. Children without signed forms will spend the outing session time with Chrissie at school.

While we are on the subject of forms, have you returned your swimming carnival permission note yet?

Tomorrow we are going to the town library and we will spend some time reviewing our road safety rules while we are out and about. The safety songs that we use as part of our out and about program can be found by clicking on the picture of the cars above.

The Junior Crew have had a busy week and there are lots of posts for you to read in the student blogging area. So why don't you take a look and leave them a comment!

Busy - Let me tell you about it!

2009-02-22T21:47:00.007+11:00

Busy!

That's an under statement. The Junior Crew have been flat out this week! A picture tells a thousand words or so they say. So why don't you click on the student blog link in the left margin and take a look at what the kids have been up to this week. There are pictures to look at and posts to read. Check out the cute licking dog at the top of the blog page too!

Happy 100 Days of School Room 102!

2009-02-16T18:54:00.015+11:00

Hi Everyone,

Today we celebrated 100 days of school with our Canadian blogging buddies in Room 102. It is only our tenth day of school so we celebrated that too by making some bibs and bobs paper quilts.

Each paper sheet has ten objects on it.We will join these pieces up tomorrow, in groups of 10 to make a couple of 100 quilts to hang up on the wall. Our '100' activities will continue all week because it is too good a theme to just visit for the day.

We also shared a special 100 cake for lunch. 100 % of the class thought it was delicious!

International Celebrations!

2009-02-14T11:29:00.017+11:00

Hi Everyone,
This week we will be celebrating 100 days of school with our friends in Canada and the USA. Click on the hyperlink to see how our Canadian friends in Room 102 are celebrating.
For homework this week we would like all of the children to put together a 100 collection display and bring it to school.
It could be as simple as 100 rubber bands or paper clips arranged in an interesting way. It might be a collection of 100 objects that are all the same or different. They could be arranged in groups of ten for example. Click on the picture for 100 collection ideas. The possibilities are endless. Let your imaginations run wild!

Bush Fire Relief Fund

2009-02-13T15:47:00.006+11:00

Hi Everyone,
All government schools in our region held a casual dress day today and students were asked to make a gold coin donation. That's a $2 or $1 coin, for those readers living outside Australia. Our little school managed to raise $800 which is a brilliant effort! It was great to hear that so many of the children took money out of their own money boxes and that they were so willing to give over and above the suggested gold coin donation amount. Well done kids! Thank you to all those families that supported the fund raising effort.
Across Australia 75 million, (eight hundred dollars) has been raised. That is amazing! It makes you feel proud to be Australian.

Life Goes On

2009-02-11T21:42:00.014+11:00

Hi Everyone,
This week is certainly one that we will all remember, but never want to repeat. The CFA are doing some back burning in our area, so we are still blanketed in smoke, but it was good to know that there was no danger associated with it for us.The children are calm, happy and working hard. In spite of everything we have, for the most part, managed to have a fairly normal sort of week.Cory is holding a spoon because we have been conducting experiments to see whether objects float or sink. We have been creating sea creatures using a variety of techniques to make a story wall based on an under water theme. Our Occupational Therapist, Michelle and Melissa our Speech Therapist, have been in the room working on therapy goals. Their puppets were a great hit. Our maths and language programs have begun and our theme work is progressing well although we wish that 'Fire' week had been a lot less eventful!

Making Sense of Natural Disasters

2009-02-10T20:12:00.014+11:00

Hi Everyone,
Help your children make sense of natural disasters by reading this article by Michael Grose. Visit his blog for some other great parenting tips.

The Queensland floods and the Victorian bush fires continue to wreak incredible havoc on so many people’s lives and will no doubt leave an indelible imprint on our collective psyches. These two natural disasters will be brought into our living rooms via the media over the coming days and weeks.

As adults we all want our children to live carefree lives and keep them from the pain and even horror of tragedies such as natural disasters. In reality we can’t do this.

So what is a parent, teacher, or other caring adult to do when the natural disasters fills the airwaves and the consciousness of society? Here are some ideas:

Reassure children that they are safe. The consistency of the images can be frightening for young children who don’t understand the notion of distance and have difficulty distinguishing between reality and fiction. Let them know that while this event is indeed happening it will not affect them directly.

Be available and 'ask able'. Let kids know that it is okay to talk about the unpleasant events. Listen to what they think and feel. By listening, you can find out if they have misunderstandings, and you can learn more about the support that they need. You do not need to explain more than they are ready to hear, but be willing to answer their questions.

Help children process what they see and hear, particularly through television. Children are good observers but can be poor interpreters of events that are out of their level of understanding. Sit with them. Ask them questions to ascertain their understanding.

Support children’s concerns for others. They may have genuine concerns for the suffering that will occur and they may need an outlet for those concerns. It is heart-warming to see this empathy in children for the concerns of others.

Let them explore feelings beyond fear. Many children may feel sad or even angry with these events so let them express the full range of emotions. They may feel sadder for the loss of wildlife, than for loss of human life, which is impersonal for them.

Help children and young people find a legitimate course of action if they wish. Action is a great antidote to stress and anxiety so finding simple ways to help, including donating some pocket money can assist kids to cope and teaches them to contribute.

Avoid keeping the television on all the time. The visual nature of the media means that images are repeated over and over, which can be both distressing to some and desensitizing to others.

Be aware of your own actions. Children will take their cues from you and if they see you focusing on it in an unhealthy way then they will focus on it too. Let them know that it is happening but it should not dominate their lives.

Take action yourself. Children who know their parents, teachers, or other significant caregivers are working to make a difference feel hope. They feel safer and more positive about the future. So do something. It will make you feel more hopeful, too. And hope is one of the most valuable gifts we can give children and ourselves.

Children’s worlds can be affected in ways that we can’t even conceive of so adults need to be both sensitive to children’s needs and mindful of what they say and how they act in front of children.

In difficult times, it is worth remembering what adults and children need most are each other.

Michael Grose is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators. For more parenting information and resources visit http://confidentparenting.blogspot.com/

This Is Not A Drill!

2009-02-09T22:00:00.005+11:00

Hi Everyone,

How do you begin to describe a day like today? We had five staff absent defending their properties against the fires and some of our families have already chosen to send their children into town to stay with friends and relatives,until the all clear is given for them to return to their homes.

Many of our staff members including Chrissie, Neville and Paula have family members in the CFA, fighting the fires tonight. Val’s home was under threat last night and she lost some cattle but her house is still standing and her family are safe . Our thoughts are with them all.

I have the radio on, and they have just announced that the fires burning locally have escalated. That means that we will be no doubt covered in a blanket of smoke again tomorrow. Please let us know if your child’s asthma management plan needs to be updated, or if your child is experiencing any breathing difficulties at all because of the smoke haze. The children will be kept inside for recess and lunch if the smoke is an issue again tomorrow and the rooms have refrigerated air conditioning so we are able to keep all the doors and windows closed and provide a clean air environment.

Now more than ever, it is important for your children to know your fire safety plan. I really wish our home work assignment wasn’t quite so relevant! I hope that everyone you care about stays safe and well over night.

Stop -Drop - Roll

2009-02-05T17:58:00.014+11:00

Hi Everyone,
Today the children learned what to do if their clothes catch fire. We practiced how to 'Stop -Drop- Roll', and talked about how it is very important to stay calm and never run if your clothing is alight . They have been taking our fire safety lessons very seriously and there were no complaints when we practiced our fire safety drills outside, in the scorching Summer heat. If you click on our Stop -Drop - Roll picture today, it will take you to a PDF sheet that you can colour in.
We also talked about water today. We watched a Video on Peep and the Big Wide World , about a duck called Quack, who wanted to prove that his pond was bigger and better than the pond next door. The video was a great combination of entertainment and mathematics. The children learned all of the different ways the size of a pond could be measured. It had a happy ending as all good stories do! I would encourage everyone to check out the site over the weekend as the video topic changes every day and the program is excellent.
All of the children had an art lesson today. One group spent time in the art room with Sheryl and Marg and the other worked with Lorraine and I in the classroom. As well as completing their art works,Sheryl's group had a fantastic time spraying each other with water bottles, which was a great activity for a 40 degree plus day!
Thanks to all those parents who have sent in all their permission forms We are so sorry that you have been bombarded with newsletters and permission slips since Monday. We hope that all the paper work will be completed by next week. We are really looking forward to meeting with parents during SSG week. We already have so many great things to tell you about your children. Click on the arrow to hear a recording of today's post.

Fire Safety- Have you done your homework?

2009-02-04T19:39:00.012+11:00

Hi Everyone,
I am fairly certain that Wednesdays are going to be our favourite day of the week. The Crew enjoyed music and drama classes and it was lunch order day !

How are you going with your Fire Safety homework? Have you made a fire safety plan for home yet? The letter box seems to be the place that most families meet, but it is important to have a back door emergency meeting place, in case the fire is in the front of the house.

We have practised walking to our school emergency meeting places this week. The Crew now know the 3 safe places that a teacher will lead them to, if there is a fire at the school. Tomorrow we will look at what you need to do to protect yourself, if there is a fire inside a building

Have you checked out our fire safety song yet.

SSG meetings will be scheduled for February 25th and March 4th. A note will be sent home in student diaries tomorrow. Please return this note to school as soon as possible so that we can make sure that arrangements suit all families.

We couldn't be happier with the way that the students have bonded as a group. We can tell already, that this is going to be a very exciting, productive year !

Click on the arrow to hear a recording of today's post.

The First Day of School

2009-02-02T17:56:00.010+11:00

Hi Everyone,

Today was our first day back at school for 2009. The temperature was 42 C but the day turned out to be really cool!

All of the children worked and played well together and got straight back into the routines of school life.

The children really enjoyed working across the two rooms. Their transitions between the two spaces were great! We are really pleased that they are comfortable with the team teaching approach.

The children began some reading tasks in the Junior Crew Book shelf area today. The Mr Bump story was a big hit. The children are beginning to learn how to post comments on the blog. When they have had lots of practise on this site, we will give them the opportunity to comment on our blogging buddies' sites.

The Mr Men books and videos are a great tool , so we will be using them to teach across a variety of subjects. Today we watched the Mr Men Car Wash DVD, which tied in beautifully with our theme 'Earth, Wind, Fire and Water'. This week we are going to be speaking and writing about all of the ways we use water.

We will also begin our fire safety lessons this week. For homework I will be asking the children to talk with the adults at home, about fire safety in the home, and practice walking to their 'safe meeting place' . At school we will be practising walking to our Emergency Meeting Places and learning the fire safety steps, as taught in our fire safety song, which you will find by clicking on the hyperlink or under the 'Fire' links area in the left margin of the blog.

Every child will have a newsletter in their bag explaining our room set up for 2009. There is also some information about our blog and a permission form for parents to sign, so that we can publish photographs of the children on the blog. We would really appreciate it, if these could be returned to school as soon as possible. We took some great pictures today and I am itching to use them. I hope that the kids came home happy and relaxed ,with great stories to tell about our awesome day. See you tomorrow!

Hey Junior Crew- It's Back to School Eve

2009-02-01T00:26:00.008+11:00

Hi Junior Crew,

It's back to School Eve. The First day of school is tomorrow! Have you got your uniform and shoes ready? Did you check your bag for mouldy sandwiches? Have you planned your healthy lunch yet?

There is so much to do. The most important thing to do on 'Back to School Eve,' is to go to bed at your school night bedtime. There are no more sleep in days left until the weekend!.

We have lots of fun things planned for tomorrow, so we need you to be wide awake and ready to go. See you soon!

You can hear Sue read today's post, if you click on the Vocaroo arrow.

Mr Men Books and More!

2009-01-26T18:08:00.006+11:00

Hi Everyone,

We have one more week until the children return to school. Would you like to check out our Junior Crew Book Shelf before we get back. it is full of online books, videos, audio books, jokes poems and plays. Mr Bump Loses his memory is one of our feature books. Look to your left . Can you see the Junior Crew book shelf link in the left margin ? Or , if you are like Mr Lazy, you can just click here.

Our 2009 Blog!

2009-01-16T23:45:00.005+11:00

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to our new blog! It's not quite finished and ready for the start of the year, but I thought some of you may like to have a sneak peek at some of the topics we will be covering in 2009. I hope that you are all having a fantastic holiday.
Sue