Wahgunyah Primary School students have settled into Term 3 easily with many exciting events occurring. On Thursday 24th July, six girls from WPS and two from St Mary’s Rutherglen teamed up to compete in a regional Hockey 7s competition at Shepparton. Despite not winning a game and playing against teams containing both boys and girls, the Wahgunyah team is through to the next stage competing in Melbourne to be held in late August.
On Friday 25th July Wahgunyah Primary hosted an open day for prospective students starting Prep in 2009. Many families and their children visited the school, met teachers and received information regarding up and coming orientation days. If any families of students starting Prep next year or looking to enrol in any year level missed out on visiting the school, please contact the school to arrange a visit and become familiar with the high quality learning programs and features of the school.
Many hands make light work!
Friday 25th of July was also Arbor Day and with Wahgunyah Primary receiving the Nestle Community Environment Program Grant for development of an “Environmental Learnscape” the first plantings took place. A selection of native plants and trees, as well as floral emblem plants of Australia were planted by the students after preparing the garden beds, under the guidance of parent and Landcare officer Natasha Lappin. The students had lots of fun digging and planting while improving the aesthetics of the school grounds. A visit from Uncle Toby’s representatives to see the progress of the project left students appreciative of the exciting developments that have already occurred and looking forward to the next developments which include, an Aboriginal food garden, veggie patch and hot house at the school and more native species planting and construction of an artificial creek at the Plantation on Dennison Street.
Working hard to prepare the gardens for planting
Kaleb and his buddy Paige planting seedlings
The Australian Ballet Dancers
In a rare and exciting event, The Australian Ballet Company came to Wahgunyah Primary School on 7th May to present the “Out There” Program to students in years
3-6. This program is specifically designed for primary school students and includes talking, doing workshops where students participate in dance and movement as well as watch professional dancers perform a variety of dance including tap, contempory dance and toe ballet.
The program was very well received by students at the school with many boys coming away enthusiastic about dance given that two of the four dancers were males and the choreographer was also a male. The dancers spent time with all year levels, visiting the Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 classes to show students some costumes used in Ballet performances and demonstrate some basic steps.
The dancers have also visited some other schools in the region including Wangaratta, Benalla, Shepparton and Wodonga.
Students try out different ballet positions
Year 1 Ballet Dancers
With the commencement of Term Two for Victorian schools in early April, students, staff and families joined together on April 17 for an evening barbecue at the school. The night provided new families to the school the opportunity to meet other families and staff in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The students in particular enjoyed being at school in the dark and taking part in the first of many activities at the school this term.
At the ANZAC Day March, 54 out of the 80 students at the school marched proudly along Foord Street to participate in the memorial ceremony. The Corowa RSL Sub-Branch presented School Leaders Lindsay Smith and Jakob Muir-Kommer with a new book for the school library. A wreath from the Wahgunyah Primary School Community was laid as well as Indigo Shire Junior School Councillor Lachlan Seymour laying a wreath with the Indigo Shire Councillor Peter Graham.
This week the school is celebrating “Walk to School” Day with all students invited to walk to school as part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Those parents who usually drive their children to school have been encouraged to drop students off a little further away so they too can participate. The Parents and Friends Group will be providing a healthy breakfast for all students and staff upon arrival at school to promote the message of eating healthily and exercising regularly.
The Australian Ballet will be visiting the school on May 7th to present their “Out There” Program to all students. The program is an initiative of the Australian Ballet Company in educating students in not only Ballet as a dance, but all forms of dance and movement to connect discussion and fun with “doing” physical and expressive ideas. Workshops will be conducted for students to participate in as well as watching performances by the dancers.
Published on
November 14, 2007 in
Events.
On Friday 9th November, the students from Wahgunyah Primary travelled out to Morris Park in Corowa for their 2007 Athletics Day. Students competed in a number of field events including long jump, triple jump, discus and shot put. The running events included 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m sprint, 70m sprint and 50m sprint. The students were outstanding in their efforts to do their best in all events and showed great sportsmanship in cheering on not only their own, but other teams as well. A huge thank you must go to the Corowa Little Athletics volunteers who were fantastic in co-ordinating much of the day and preparing the ground, and to the parents who helped run events and cheered on the teams. The overall winning team was Barkley House (Blue) followed by Victoria House (Green), then Murray House (Yellow) and Hume House (Red).
Please check out our progress for the Energy Breakthrough initiative in the Student Work pages.
During the first week of Term 4, 14 students, 3 teachers and 2 parents travelled to Noumea, New Caledonia for the Wahgunyah Primary School French Study Tour. The students engaged in a number of activities including shopping at the markets conversing in French and paying for items using CPS (French Pacific Francs), visiting Mont Dore Primary School, a trip to the new aquarium, a day trip to Phare Amedee, a small island where the students pa
rticipated in traditional dance, customs and coconut tree climbing, and of course, lots of time at the beach snorkelling and swimming. The experience was for many students a series of firsts; first flight, first trip overseas, first hotel stay, first time away from family and it was very pleasing to note that the students’ conduct was exceptional and was commented on by many people who encountered the group over the six days. The trip enabled the students to use their reading, writing and verbal skills in French and is sure to be an experience they will never forget.
With Term 3 well under way, the students at Wahgunyah Primary School have already experienced a number of exciting events at the school and are looking forward to busy times ahead.
At the weekend, a number of students, teachers and community members attended the National Tree Planting Day at the Willows in Wahgunyah where over 700 plants were planted. All enjoyed the barbecue lunch and thanks must go to Landcare and The Indigo Shire for the plants, and the Wahgunyah Progress Association and The Wahgunyah Willows Committee for organising the event.
On Monday 30th July, Tom Hafey – ex Richmond player, Collingwood coach and motivation speaker visited the school to speak with students in years 3-6. Mr Hafey talked about motivation and teamwork and also spoke with staff and parents after school.
The Year 4, 5 and 6 students have been working on constructing a push cart for Energy Breakthrough as well as writing letters to local and surrounding area businesses and community groups to obtain sponsorship for the event which will be held in late November. They have also been working with Microworlds and have started their fitness regime.
Continue reading ‘July News’
Published on
June 21, 2007 in
News.
The 2006 Wahgunyah Primary School Annual Report is now available online here…
Mrs Helen Mackinlay, Physical Education, Health and Performing Arts co-ordinator at the school has been the driving force behind the hugely successful campaign and sadly the school community is preparing to farewell Helen who will retire at the end of this term. Helen, who is affectionately known as Mrs Mack, has a teaching career spaning 39 years teaching at Myrtleford, Wodonga, Rutherglen, Carraragarmungee and at Wahgunyah for the past 16 years. Helen is well known for her work with young children helping and guiding them as they develop into responsible young adults. Helen has experienced first hand many successes at Wahgunyah Primary School and is proud to have been a part of such a supportive and progressive school community. The school will celebrate Helen’s last day next Wednesday and wish her a long and happy retirement.
Last Wednesday students at Wahgunyah Primary School eagerly participated in their Jump Off Day for Jump Rope For Heart, the national awareness campaign for heart disease. For the duration of Term 2, students have individually fundraised for Jump Rope For Heart by way of obtaining sponsorship from the community, while at school classes have been practising co-ordination skills in a variety of skipping methods and tricks. Students were then able to showcase these skills and routines choreographed to music by the students themselves, in front of the whole school and some very impressed families. After the Jump Off, students enjoyed a selection of healthy fresh fruit, further promoting the message to keep active and eat healthy for your heart.
