Level 4

LEVEL 4 YEARLY OVERVIEW

Welcome to Level 4, which is always a vibrant and happening place…

The Level 4 teaching team this year includes Dani Thomas, Matthew Anthony, Helen Renehan, Fiona Salmon, Craig Stekelenberg (Term 2) and Lyse Lake. The ‘feel’ this year has been fantastic with a wonderfully warm and smooth transition. Our 2009 School Captains and Vice Captains are George, Holly, Kane and Claire. They will be joining the House Captains and Vice Captains and JSC Representatives in a variety of roles.

Our students enjoy specialist classes with the addition of P.E. with Stuart Mclean, Japanese with Hiromi and Masa Hiro (Term 1) and Environmental Science with Carli Lange. Already they have been laying the foundations for our frog-bog and even though the wet stuff that falls from the sky is still absent, once it does come, it’s going to be a fabulous ongoing learning experience for them.

Lois Windridge (Art) did an excellent job of organising a cartoonist, which of course lent itself beautifully to our first term’s Civics and Citizens unit incorporating newspaper political satirists.

Choir is bursting at the seams with various programs that Krista Demiris is running and Stuart’s P.E. program is keeping us all active!

Our Quality Program sets up the whole year to create a cohesive and co-operative environment and 2009 was again a success, culminating in a whole-school game of hokey-pokey that our school leaders ably led. Part of this program was a collaborative learning and teaching exercise where Level 4 students were put into random teams made up from the 5 grades to design, create, model and commentate on a fashion item made only from newspaper. This activity could not have come at a better time as the students could laugh again at the end of a very intense week from the February bushfires. They learned that amidst trauma, people continually manage to find a spirit of community.

Speaking of the bushfires, classrooms reverently discussed this great tragedy and looked at ways to support the victims. Taking action is very pertinent to this level as they become so aware of the influence they can have in the local community. This attitude is not only encouraged, it is to be commended and we thank the families who donated goods and cash. Students are so aware of their world and readily discuss topical news.

Two of our students, Emily and Holly, planned and created a Garden of Remembrance with beautiful mosaic plaques depicting both Black Saturday and new growth, which are positioned near the front entrance. Please stop and take a moment to admire the initiative these girls took.

We were then off to Canberra for a week to immerse ourselves in this beautiful and interesting city to see first hand the difficulties of running a democracy and the politics involved in all aspects of life for our unit ‘Who’s Got the Power?’ We visited Old and New Parliament House, the Electoral Education Centre, the High Court, The War Memorial, The National Museum, Regatta Point, Australian Institute of Sport, Mount Ainslie Lookout, Questacon, and even cycled round part of Lake Burley Griffin! Exhausted just reading about it? It was WONDERFUL!

In Term 2, our Unit was ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’, which studied Indigenous Australians from the Dreamtime, through to European Settlement, Political Uprising, The Stolen Generation and Modern Issues. Students were taught collaboratively by all five Level 4 teachers, which culminated in a ‘Walkabout’ where a ‘Timeline Passport’ was answered.

The highlights though, were definitely a visit from Aboriginal Elder, Murrindindi, who taught us about bush-tucker in our adjoining Urban Forest, how to throw boomerangs, and drew a Dreamtime mural with the students whilst explaining his rich heritage and culture. Reconciliation Hands were added to this permanent feature in the Level 4 area as a sign of goodwill between Kalinda and the Wurundjeri people.

Aunty Dot led us in the art of basket weaving and traditional painting and our artwork was displayed at Ringwood Federation Estate for Reconciliation Week, which 20 of our students attended, including being chosen to be part of the flag raising ceremony – a great honour indeed.

Level 4 offers so many optional or extra-curricula activities such as the annual visit to The Shrine to respect ANZAC Day, the Dawn Service at Ringwood Clock Tower, where our School Captains and Vice Captains lay a wreath on behalf of the Kalinda community, followed by a community cooked breakfast, a matinee performance of WICKED this year including the pre-show cast warm up, a day at the MCG to see our great game of Aussie Rules football, walking The 1000 Steps for Remembrance Day and Tournament of Minds for which we have 6 teams for the first time ever this year, tirelessly led by our School Council President, Sandra Kitching!

In Term 3 Family Life will lead the students through the stages of growth and puberty. Once again the 5 grades will be working collaboratively to understand the different systems. We’re also looking forward to an optional visit to the Art Gallery to concentrate on the human body in all its forms. This unit is so important as students ready themselves for secondary college and beyond so they can be informed enough to make healthy and wise choices.

Term 4 will see the introduction of a new unit regarding ICT in today’s world. Students will use word processing, Excel, pod-casts, blogs, Wiki’s and our whole school program SUPERCLUBS, which they are already using and so excited about!! The arrival of our interactive boards in all classrooms couldn’t have come at a better time! Get ready to hear some new terms as their language embraces our ever-changing, fast-paced global community.

The end of the year is always an emotional time and if you haven’t heard about our Graduation Ceremony yet – please ask, as it’s second to none. Professional dancing lessons are an absolute highlight and add to an evening of elegance and style. We have spent up to 7 years with your beautiful children and it’s only fitting to farewell them with a night you’ll never forget!

Please visit our module and talk to our incredibly enthusiastic team. See the children at work and you will understand why Kalinda is such an amazing place to learn.

We look forward to another creative and insightful term ahead with you and your children where we constantly review and re-evaluate our teaching to ensure insightful, engaging and authentic learning to develop passionate students for today’s world and tomorrow’s future!

Fiona, Matt, Dani, Helen and Lyse