FROM THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

What a week of community connection!  The special event of Prep 100 Days was one of many highlights.  Another being the purposeful learning connections across the campus for learning in the outdoor environment, including writing sessions in Claremont Park, exploring patterns in the Lemana gardens and choir groups performing and rehearsing around the Laneway.  The ‘environment’ we create, design and embrace is one of the learning cultural forces that connect students to their learning.

100 Days of Prep

Congratulations to our Prep community for such an enthusiastic morning of learning and sharing of insights during their first 100 Days! Throughout the morning the students enjoyed being the ‘masters’ of their learning as they taught parents and friends various learning concepts, including reading, maths games, songs, skipping, gymnastics and climbing!  The sense of pride and achievement were two very obvious benefits for all to witness.

Thank you to all the support from the Prep teaching team, specialist teachers, teacher assistants and the leadership of Ms Becca Biggs.

Student Leadership

We are excited to announce the House Captains for Term Three, 2023.  A wonderful opportunity for our students to be active leaders across the Elphin Campus, providing community service and promoting student initiatives from concept into action.

Briggs – Willow Bonham and Cooper Wadley
Dean – Gwyneth McLoughlin and Ben Mulford
Fox – Harriet Gatenby and Felix Harvey
Nance – Bharati Sundaram and Seb Williams

Fire Education

Welcome back to Firefighter Aaron!  This week many classes have been engaged in the Tasmanian Fire Service, Fire Education Program.  This learning program continues next week and provides lifelong skills around fire safety, home and environment evacuation plans.  Please discuss this learning with your child and check your own families fire safe plan!

Hot Choc and Chat

HOT Choc and Chat, every Tuesday in Laneway!  We are wanting our community to pause for a conversation on a Tuesday morning with the Hot Choc and Chat program provided by Rev. Grace.  This is a community engagement opportunity for you and your child to talk with others for a chance for connection with our Elphin Campus community.  See photos from the first Choc and Chat this week in Rev. Grace’s article below.

Junior Debating

We wish well all of our Junior School Public Speakers for the Lions Voice of the Year program.  Thank you to Miss Louise Ockerby and Mrs Pip Robinson for their continued support and encouragement for our young public speakers.

Learning in our Lunchtime

Learning in our lunchtimes…what vast opportunities students have across the week, during lunchtime!  Thank you to our staff teams who enable this great opportunity!

Ben Green
Deputy Principal – Elphin

Introducing Bella

We are very excited to announce a new member of our Scotch Oakburn College community, Bella the therapy dog. Bella is a Labrador cross Border Collie who has been training hard this year to join us at the Elphin Campus.

Bella is a very relaxed, intuitive dog who has grown up around children and other pets. Her favourite things to do are going for walks, sleeping, belly scratches and eating.

What are the benefits of having a school Therapy dog(s)?

Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of therapy dogs in schools. Therapy dogs have been working in schools across the nation for quite some time now and we have seen several benefits to having Paddy, our therapy dog on the Penquite Campus.

Evidence indicates that benefits include:

• Cognitive- companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving and game playing.
• Social- a dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion, encourages responsibility, wellbeing, and focused interaction with others.
• Emotional- school dogs improve self-esteem, acceptance from others and lifts mood, often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety.
• Physical- interaction with a furry friend reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation, assists with pain management, gives motivation to move, walk and stimulates the senses.
• Reading- reading to dogs has been proven to help children develop literacy skills and build confidence, through both the calming effect the dog’s presence has on children as well as the fact that a dog will listen to children read without being judgemental or critical. This comforting environment helps to nurture children’s enthusiasm for reading and provides them with the confidence to read aloud.

Bella is short haired, which is usually suitable for people with allergies.  She will only interact with those students who want to work with her and will be leashed at all times.

Bella will be slowly acclimated to the school environment before working in classrooms for any extended period of time. All staff and students will be provided a comprehensive induction on how we can best care for Bella in the school environment.

All classes will learn about safety considerations and rules around caring for Bella on campus. We are implementing a “4 paws – 4 hands” rule to ensure that Bella isn’t overwhelmed. This is a guide to ensure only two people to pat her at a time..

If you have any questions or concerns please forward them to meg.hughes@soc.tas.edu.au. You may see Bella at the front gate from time to time and we welcome you to give her a pat and say hello.

Meg Hughes
Junior School Learning Support Coordinator