There has been a lot in the media lately about reading, and the rights and wrongs associated with it.  Some of my most vivid memories as a child are of being read to by my mother but also my father.  My dad was certainly less patient than mum and at times became frustrated by my constant questions about why a character would behave in certain ways, but to his credit, he persisted with Alice and she successfully made her adventures through Wonderland.

There are so many educational, social and emotional benefits that come from children being read to but families are busy, and finding time to read aloud can be eaten up by the demands of everyday life.  This year's theme for Book Week was 'Reading is My Secret Power' and below are five suggestions which came from this year's conference in August.

Kind Regards

Penny Wilde 

Principal

1. Give it all your attention

For many parents and caregivers, the best time to read with their children is at night, once the children are in bed. If you find your child too cranky and disengaged at this time (or if you are feeling tired yourself), you can try reading to them earlier in the day. Whatever the time, it's important to give the book and your children all of your attention. Devices with enabled notifications should be switched off. Everyone should be comfortable, and children should associate time spent being read to with enjoyment.

2. Engage with the story

Children don't typically enjoy having the story stopped every few seconds for comprehension checking, so keep interruptions to a minimum. Recapping is useful when picking up a book again after a break. If parents and caregivers let their children provide this recap ("So, where are we up to?") this enables informal comprehension checking. Opportunities for prediction are also beneficial ("Wow… what do you think might happen next!").

3. There's no age limit

You can start reading to your child from early infancy to support their developing language abilities, so it's never too early to start. The skills infants and young children develop through shared reading experiences can set them up for literacy achievement in their subsequent schooling years.

Reading to your children remains important beyond the early years too, with continuing benefits for literacy development and cognitive skills. We should read to young people for as long as possible. There is no age where the benefits of being read to completely expire.

4. Pick a book you both enjoy

Reading aloud provides parents and caregivers with a valuable opportunity to slow down and relax. We suggest you select a book that interests both you and your child as reading together is a great opportunity to share your passions and broaden your horizons through different texts.

Don't be afraid to start reading chapter books to your children while they are still very young. As long as the story isn't too complex, children love to be taken on an enjoyable journey into books that are too hard for them to read independently. This can also help to extend child's vocabulary, among other benefits. It's a good idea to take your children to the library and share how you choose interesting books for shared reading.

5. Don't worry about your style

Not all of us are award-winning voice actors, and that's OK. It's great to use expression and adopt different voices for the characters in a book, but not everyone will feel able to do this.

Research highlights many people who have praised the reading efforts of their parents who weren't confident readers, but who tried their best. Being taken into the virtual reality of story is a memorable, pleasurable experience that stays with us forever.

Taken from 'The Conversation' 

https://theconversation.com/five-tips-to-help-you-make-the-most-of-reading-to-your-children-93659

Margaret Kristin Merga is a senior lecturer in Education at Curtin University; Paul Gardner is a senior lecturer in Literacy Education at Curtin; Saiyidi Mat Roni is a lecturer in the School of Business and Law at Edith Cowan University; and Susan F Ledger is associate dean of Engagement at Murdoch University School of Education.

We have commenced preliminary planning for classes for next year and have started to allocate students.  We ask that if you will not be returning to Pimpala in 2020 that you advise the class teacher or the Administration Office as soon as possible. 

 We appreciate that some students may be on a waiting list for another school or there may be a job in the pipeline that would mean a move to a new suburb or interstate, however, we would appreciate this information so we can work on Plan A, Plan B etc.  We are looking at class configurations and need accurate numbers for each year level to plan for the best possible scenarios.

The last of our transtion visits for our 2020 Receptions students will take place on Wednesday, 20th November, 2019 from 9:00am - 11:15am.

Parents are invited to an information session at 10:45am for half an hour prior to the transition visit finishing.

The Uniform Shop will be open from 11:00am - 12:00 noon for transition families.

There are always others worse off than we are and this year we want to help homeless women and children, particularly around the volatile Christmas period.  

We have created this event being run by Skye Keller, Pastoral Care Worker,  to support the It's In the Bag charity to help homeless women and children. We have been seeking donations of handbags and toiletry items to put in the bags for women and items for children who suddenly have nothing with them when a crisis happens.

Please come along on Friday, 22nd November at 9am to help pack some hand bags, or drop in some items you think someone might need in that situation - for both women and children.

Bunnings are also supporting this charity by being a donor centre and are collecting the bags which Skye will drop off.

Come and get to know Skye and other parents and be part of a caring community which is getting together to do something rewarding and worthwhile to help others.  We look forward to seeing you there! Homeless women and children will really appreciate your help! 

See you on Friday, 22nd.

Now is a great time to start looking for any Library books you may have borrowed during the year but haven’t yet returned. 

Junior Primary students will need to return all Library books by Friday, 22nd November,  There will be no borrowing from Monday, 18th November due to swimming lessons in Week 7.

Primary students need to return all Library books by Friday, 29th November.  There will be no borrowing from Monday, 25th November.  

We will be commencing stock-take from the beginning of Week 8, Monday, 2nd December.  Thank you for your co-operation.  

The Reception – Year 2 Swimming Program will take place during Week 7, Monday, 25^th November to Friday, 29^th November at the Noarlunga Swimming Centre. Parents are welcome to go to the pool to watch.  Please note: only teachers may take photographs/videos at the swimming centre. This is to respect and protect the privacy rights of the children and the instructors.

 Full payment of $41.00 is required by Monday, 18th November. 

 Swimming is part of the school curriculum, however, if your child will not be attending, can you please let the class teacher or the Front Office staff know as soon as possible.

 Students will be attending lessons at various times and notes will be sent home indicating what the students should wear to school. Students will travel to and from the pool in their bathers wrapped in their towels and will get changed back into their uniforms at school. Please ensure ALL items are labelled with your child’s name.  Any unclaimed items will be put in the lost property bins in the courtyard.

 Please ensure you have an up to date Health Care Plan for your child.   

 Any school based medication will be taken to the pool.  If you have ticked the box on the Swimming Consent Form for asthma and have not provided an Asthma Care Plan or any medication or spacer, you will need to provide it before swimming lessons commence. If you require any further information about Health Care Plans, please ask the Front Office staff.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered on the Colour Fun Run Day and a special thanks to all of the participants who have magnificently fundraised to make this event so successful. Your efforts have been fantastic and I'm sure the students had lots of fun too!

By now all prizes should have been ordered and the good news is that they will arrive at school for us to send home before the end of term.

Thank you again for your generosity.

On Wednesday, 11^th December we will be holding our annual Volunteers Morning Tea to acknowledge and appreciate the valuable contributions our volunteers make.  Invitations will be posted soon. If you do not receive one but have contributed in some way to our school during the year, we would love for you to join us at 10:45am on Wednesday, 11^th December in the Dining Room.

As in past years, Pimpala is co-ordinating donations of canned and non-perishable food and presents for the Vines Uniting Church to distribute to needy families. These items are used to make hampers for the less fortunate in our community.  We are very grateful to The Vines for organising this.

Let’s make it a great time for everyone this Christmas by bringing something to help struggling families. Please bring items including canned food, packet food or unwrapped new presents and toys to the Front Office.

Practise. Practise. Practise. All classes are busily preparing for our annual End of Year Celebration Concert on Thursday, 5^th December at 5:00pm and is expected to finish around 7:00pm.  This will enable more families to attend.  Each class will be involved in a short item, which will be performed on the night.   

Students will be expected to be at school from 4:45pm in order to meet their teachers and make sure they are organised and ready to perform.  Please note that students are only under the supervision of teachers during their class item and can then return to their families, once their performance is complete.

There will be a variety of sweet and savoury food and drinks available to purchase on the night.  We encourage families to bring along their rugs and chairs, as seating will not be provided. 

Please note: this is strictly a no alcohol event.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s performance, please see the classroom teacher.

We are looking forward to our students showcasing their talents and skills in a variety of ways.  Please come to see your child and their classmates’ performance and celebrate the end of a fantastic year.

The Year 6 & 7 Graduation Ceremony for all students going to high school in 2020, will be held on Thursday, 12^th December at 5:30pm at Wirreanda Secondary School Gymnasium, followed by a Graduation Dinner for staff and students at the Southern District Working Man's Club, 24 Epstein Drive, Morphett Vale, SA  5162.  Family and friends are invited to attend the ceremony to celebrate this special event, to see our Year 6 & 7 students graduate.

Information will be sent home next week.

The canteen will be closed during the last week of this term, 9^th to 13^th December, 2019.  We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Mr Smith, our Science Teacher, chose the book "Nobody Owns the Moon" by Tohby Riddle.

The story goes that Clive Prendergast is a fox with a regular job and a place to call home. His friend Humphrey is a struggling donkey with no fixed address. Life in the city is a mixed bag for these two, but a special looking blue envelope is about to change everything for one wonderful night.

Mr Smith chose this book because of Tohby Riddle's use of language, interesting vocabulary and the fact that it's just a really nice story.

Our Year 6/7 students had a great time at the Port Noarlunga Aquatics last week!