NEWSLETTER
~ ՊԱՐԲԵՐԱԹԵՐԹ ~
2022 | Issue 7 - 31 August / Օգոստոս
From the Principal
Dear Parents,
Book Week 2022
... it was not about the costume but falling in love with reading!
On Thursday, 25th August, students of Alexander School celebrated Book Week. It was great to see parents joining in this annual celebration once again. This year they discovered a Book Week Exhibition in the Gemjian Hall instead of a costume parade.
It was not about dressing up in your favourite characters but falling in love with reading, thanks to the fabulous display and presentation of the student's favourite book or character.
Visitors joined the brief assembly, listening to songs and presentations about various characters and books children love to read. They also had the opportunity to purchase a book or two from the Book Fair, with a collection of English and Armenian books.
Finally, they grabbed their favourite book before heading outdoors to find a pleasant spot to sit down and read with their children and friends.
Research shows reading for pleasure improves young people's overall reading skills. Therefore, anything you can do to help establish a culture of reading in the family helps establish reading for pleasure as a normalised behaviour. So, let your child read what they want and enjoy it together!
Winter Wonderland!
The Winter Wonderland event on Sunday, 7 August was a great success! I would like to take this opportunity and thank all community members, including families and friends, who joined us on a day of fun, food and laughter!
After two years of lockdowns and restrictions, it was the first time we welcomed everyone to our school grounds for a beautiful day, with the support of community business organisations and individuals to make the day memorable and for all to enjoy.
The children played on the jumping castles and were creative in the art & craft section, while the toddlers' play area kept parents and their children busy. Finally, with plenty of photo opportunities, everyone was ready to smile or munch on a delicious kebab roll. The sweets went down well with hot and cold drinks, while all appreciated a complimentary supply of fairy floss or some popcorn. To the surprise of many, there was even a snowstorm to welcome the guests on this pleasant afternoon!
Congratulations to the P&F Committee and all those who helped make the day a success.
The More You Read, The More You Know...
‘Use it or Lose it!’ It becomes apparent after each holiday period that most children have a decline in their reading ability. Lack of practice causes some children to regress quite noticeably in their reading skills. Let’s admit, we all know the adage ‘Use it or Lose it!’ All skills in their early stages must be constantly polished. Reading is a very important life skill and we hope that children keep progressing all year.
Support and Encourage. It is important that parents encourage all aged children to keep reading all kinds of materials. They do not need a holiday from reading! They do, however, need to be encouraged in a way that is supportive, non-threatening and surrounded by positive feelings of enjoyment.
It all counts. All parents can help by exuding a positive attitude to reading themselves. Read for information, jokes, sports results, news and communication with relatives. It is all reading and can be demonstrated as a useful part of everyday life. Whilst shopping, you can make children aware of all the times you read to gain information from shop fronts, advertisements, labels and posters.
Give help. Whilst reading for enjoyment, give all the support that is required, even reading just ahead of your young reader. Let them follow your reading and stop to give them a chance to read the next word if they need lots of help. They are learning if they are following with you. It helps them to just hear the sound of words as they see the shape on the page.
Visit the Library. A visit to your local Council Library will help fill up many hours during the weekend and holidays if you are not going away. Libraries have story times and other advertised events for children. Take home a load of books and set aside some times for children to have quiet time to read as often as you can.
Say It Again and Again. Young children love repetition and even if they can ‘read’ the book by heart it is very comforting to them. Older children also like re-reading old favourites but this may be because they are too comfortable with the vocabulary to branch out and work hard on a new book. Try one by the same author as the old favourite. Series are good fun!
Enjoy reading all year round! Movies and TV are fine in their way but reading good stories and for information is good food for the soul. As we say...
“The More You Read, The More You Know, The More You Know The Smarter You Grow!”
Manoug Demirjian
Book Week | 'Dreaming with eyes open...'
Tuesday 23 August | Book Week in Schools Livestream - Story Quest
Thursday 25 August | Book Week Exhibition - Gemjian Hall
Book Week - Years 5 & 6 Trailers
As part of the Book Week events, students in Years 5/6 produced a trailer of their favourite book. After writing a book review, they created a trailer on their computers. They were asked to make it captivating, showing the story's major theme without spoiling the plot. Here are a few examples… well done to all Years 5&6!!
Science Week - Preps Experiment
Students of Alexander school celebrated National Science Week by conducting a series of experiments and activities in their classrooms. Preps experimented with the states of water...
Visitors | His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI - Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia for Armenian Catholics
On Thursday 28 July, AGBU Alexander Primary School welcomed His Beatitude Raphaël Bedros XXI Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia for Armenian Catholics on his inaugural pastoral visit to Australia.
The students were delighted to present a cultural program in honour of their first overseas guest in over two years. His Beatitude, in his remarks, highly praised the students and blessed the school community for its role in servicing the Armenian community and God.
Հինգշաբթի 28 Յուլիս 2022-ին, պատիւն ունեցանք ՀԲԸՄ Ալեքսանտր Վարժարանէն ներս հիւրընկալելու, Տանն Կիլիկիոյ Կաթողիկէ Հայոց, Ամենապատիւ և Գերերջանիկ Տ.Տ. Ռաֆայէլ Պետրոս ԻԱ Կաթողիկոս Պատրիարքը, որ Հովուապետական այցով կը գտնուի Սիտնի։
Մենք երախտապարտ ենք, որ հոգեւոր Հայրը, իր թանկագին ժամանակէն բաժին հանեց նաեւ մեզ այցելելու և իր օրհնութիւններով օժտելու Ալեքսանտր Վարժարանը՝ իր մեծ ու փոքր անդամներով միասին։
Աշակերտները մեծ ոգեւորութեամբ դիմաւորեցին Հոգեւոր Հօր և կոկիկ յայտագիր մը ներկայացնելով ուրախ տրամադրութիւն նուիրեցին զինք և զինք ընկերակցող հիւրերուն։
One Hundred Days of Kindergarten | Photo Gallery
Cross Country | Photo Gallery
School Life | Taste of Cultures
Our junior students have been learning about different cultures. This time they prepared and tasted some Tacos!
School Life | International Sports Day
The International Sports Day was held at the Sydney Japanese School on Wednesday, 24th August. Students in Years 3 to 6 joined with other school students in their colour (house) teams. The activities include running races, relays and tabloid games, with the main focus of the day being integration and enjoyment. It was an enjoyable day for all.
School Report | 2021
As part of our Registration and NESA requirements, the Annual School Report for 2021 was published earlier this year.
The report includes... Academic Performance, Teacher Standards, School Policies on Enrolment, Discipline, Safe & Supportive Environment, Improvement Targets, Summary of Financial Information and a lot more!
Copies of the report can be obtained from the office, or by selecting the button below.
It is also available on our school WEBSITE, including reports from previous years.
Honour Awards
Congratulations to our first recipients of the year!
Nicholas A.
Lori M.
Levon P.
Razmik S.
Elena J.
Sophia U.
Peter T.
Adelin G.
Remember 5 Teachers' Awards = Honour Award
Birthdays - July/August
Happy Birthdays to…
Leon J. | Bella W. | Maria L. | Elena J. | Ava G. | Harout K. | Sofia J. | Martin A.
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