Year 3's Fantastic Journey into the World of Living Things!

Discovering the Characteristics of Life:
The Year 3 students have been diving deep into the world of living things, unraveling the mysteries of what makes them tick. They've been learning about the key characteristics of living things, from their ability to grow and respond to their environment to their miraculous ability to reproduce and their constant need for energy. These characteristics are often easily seen in animals.

Plants on the Move:
A curious student sparked an intriguing question – do plants also move and respond to their environment? We answered this question with a hands-on demonstration using Venus flytraps where we fed them with small crickets. The students were amazed to see how plants can actively respond to their surroundings.

Life Cycles Unveiled:
Our exploration didn't stop there! We delved into the world of life cycles, with a special focus on butterflies. We had chrysalises in the classroom, and the students were captivated as they witnessed the transformation (metamorphosis) from chrysalis to butterfly. It was truly a sight to behold!

Butterflies and Beyond:
One of the highlights of our journey was our close encounter with some beautiful butterflies! The students marveled at its graceful wings, and discovered that butterflies belong to the fascinating Insect family! Last week, we had a gathering with all Year 3 classes in our nature play area at school. It was a special moment as we released the butterflies that we had been caring for over the past couple of weeks. The joy on the students' faces as they watched the butterflies take flight into the wild was truly priceless. It was a lovely way to finish our study of living things, reminding us of the amazing things God has made in nature.

Minecraft Farm Challenge:
As a fun side project, the students are currently participating in a Minecraft Farm Challenge. They're putting their newfound knowledge to the test by building farm structures and incorporating both living and non-living elements. They're also sorting animals into the five animal groups they've learned about: Mammals, Reptiles, Fish, Amphibians, and Birds (or as we fondly remember, MR FAB! Thanks Mr Fabello for helping us remember!).

We're incredibly proud of the Year 3 students and their enthusiasm for learning about the wonders of living things. "

Nature Maths  

Nature bookmarks

Welcome to Week 7, PPN Family. I hope the long weekend provided a timely break for everyone. The heat has certainly made getting out and about a challenge for all. If you are anything like me, your patience grows thin at the end of long, hot spells. I think this is also something our children face. As we move towards the end of our school term, our kids often tire as well, school, homework, sports, family activities, and church activities all add up to a very busy and sometimes taxing life for a child. I am sure you have noticed that different children respond in different ways to challenging times and situations. Some are able to verbalise and work through difficult situations, some go quiet, and some explode.  I read an article this week that helps break things down in a helpful way and I thought you might find some parenting tips to help at your place.

Afternoon Prescott Families,

This long weekend, though it really didn’t feel long at all, was my Mum’s birthday. So, my sister and I planned to surprise her by traveling home, and I’m glad to say operation ‘surprise mum’ was a success. Now my favorite thing about birthdays is the cake. I love making them, decorating and best of all eating the cake.

Making the cake can be stressful, you must make sure you have all the right ingredients and that each has been measured according to what the recipe says. Then you mix it all together, pop it into the oven and boom you have a cake. But the job isn’t done yet, you still need to decorate it! I remember asking my niece, who was turning 7 at the time, what kind of cake she’d like. She said it must be like the frozen movie with sparkles and ice and especially Anna and Elsa. So, I made the ice out of white chocolate and added the edible glitter. Now finding an Anna and Elsa cake topper proved quite difficult but luckily Lego had their small figures available. The cake ended up looking amazing, but the true test was how was it going to taste? Well I think seeing your family enjoying a slice with a hot drink or watching your niece shove a giant spoonful into her mouth is a good indicator.

Having a relationship with God can be like the process of making a cake. He carefully made each of us, Psalms 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  He shapes us and molds us into people that care for one another, John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

And finally, Psalms 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” You need to spend time with God to really get to know Him or to ‘taste’. So, reading his word, speaking to him through prayer and not just by yourselves but together as a family or a small group.

And if your looking for an amazing way to come together as a PPN family we are having a fantastic event this weekend on the 17^th of March.

It’ll be our first Connect 4 of the year, come along so we can connect with each other through sharing a meal together, awesome pool activities and just having fun. Like last year we have booked out WaterWorld so be sure to check your emails for a ‘Consent 2 Go’ link and register. We can’t wait to see you all there.

Blessings,

Pr Andy.

During the heat of the long weekend, one of my kids plonked the classic boardgame Monopoly in front of me and said, ‘Let’s play.’

One thing I have noticed as my children get older is that Monopoly has turned from a game I have to try to loose (or at least, ensure I’m not winning too wildly) into something I have to try to win.

This past weekend, despite my best efforts, I did not win.

Winning and loosing is an important skill for all children (and adults) to master. Winning well is a reflection of positive self-image and helps them build strong social connections. A bad loser often struggles with both of these.

I came across the article below, which provide a neat summary of a constructive approach to competitive play.

Are Winners Grinners?

I’m an outdoor, active kind of guy. Board games – not my thing. However, recently, I’ve succumbed to the pressure my kids have placed on me. I’m playing board games and card games. Reluctantly. But as a parenting expert, I feel it’s something I have to do. Quality time and all that.

And it’s been fun. I’ve especially enjoyed destroying everyone in Monopoly, and I’ve had strong wins in chess against my nine-year-old daughter. (Hey, if I’m playing, I’m playing to win. No mercy. Besides, she was in a chess club for a while. She’s got some moves!)

This raises an important question, though.

How should we approach competition, particularly with our children? Is it wrong to consistently beat my daughter at games? Am I demoralising her, or is it motivating because she knows if and when she finally beats me, the win was deserved and legitimate?

My dad never let me have an easy win. Being involved with him and having the time well spent was enough reward to keep me coming back for another flogging. And it felt like a genuine victory when I finally won against him.

There are no scientific studies on this. I’m not convinced any particular theory points us to clear answers either. Here are my best guesses on how to deal with competition and kids:

1. Competition means we focus on outcomes—winning and losing. Too strong an emphasis on those outcomes can impact identity. “I always lose. I’m no good.” I’m unconvinced that it builds resilience unless:
2. We emphasise relationships and competence-building/mastery. If I’m playing the game or competing so I can learn skills and spend time with people that matter, the outcome is secondary. Thus, a win or loss matters minutely.

When these priorities are appropriately ordered, kids will be fine no matter what the score. When winning is all that counts, relationships suffer. And losing the game will result in lost motivation (due to a lack of mastery and growth).

Progress and time together are why we play games. It’s not to win.

(Source: Are Winners Grinners? – Happy Families)

2024 Sports Captains

Our students recently voted for and welcomed our new Sport Captains for 2024. We can’t wait to see how they lead and encourage everyone participating in sport – including our upcoming athletics carnivals.

Flinders: Tiana and Guransh
Yorke: Israel and Ivainashe
Murray: Shahaan and Taliyah
Eyre: Zeki and Adelyne

Student Representative Council

Student voice is an important concept, particularly given how much time they spend with us. Allowing students to share their concerns and ideas creates a sense of belonging, and helps make PPN a better place.

Our Student Representative Council (SRC) is made up of one representative from each class and is designed to give every student, through their representatives, a voice in what happens here at school.

Below are the students have been selected to serve on the 2024 SRC.

A big thanks to our 2024 SRC members for the time and effort they will put in to making PPN a great place this year.

Year 5 and 6 Camps

In Week 10, our Year 5 classes will be heading to Ballarat for an immersive learning experience as part of their study of the Gold Rush era. The following week (Week 11) our Year 6 students are heading to Canberra to gain a greater understanding of our nation’s capital and our democratic system.

Parents of Year 5 and Year 6 are encouraged to keep an eye out for details specific to these camps and stay in contact with their teachers if they have any questions or concerns.

Fruit Fly Outbreak

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) have announced a Fruit Fly outbreak at Salisbury North.

Below is a map of the outbreak area.

Under direction of PIRSA, we ask that no home grown fruit be brought to school. Store bought fruit and vegetables are OK, and encouraged to be brought for brain food and other eating times.

While the risk of infestation while travelling from the shop to home and then back to school is very low, PIRSA has indicated it is best to keep fruit in a sealed container/bag just in case. For additional information please www.fruitfly.sa.gov.au

NAPLAN is Underway

Today our Year 3 and Year 5 students started their NAPLAN for 2024. We are so proud of their positive attitude and application to the journey so far.

Below is a reminder of upcoming NAPLAN test dates. If your child is absent on any of these days, catch-ups will be made available.

Playdate With Prescott

Our next Playdate with Prescott is coming up soon! On Wednesday, April 3rd we will be exploring the theme of 'Living Creatures' with some fun crafts, activities, and nature play. We look forward to spending this fun morning with the families in our community. Please RSVP to join us for a fun morning!

Parent Teacher Interviews and Half-day

In Week 1 of Term 2 parents are encouraged to take up the opportunity of discussing their child’s learning journey during a Parent Teacher Interview. These will occur on April 30 and May 1.

To facilitate this, school will finish at 12:45pm on Wednesday, May 1.

Additional information and registration details will be released in the coming weeks.

Harmony Day

Please Do Not Turn Right

Turning right out of the front car park during Drop off and Pick Up is not only risky in heavy traffic and holds up traffic, but is illegal. Please do not turn right.

Turning right out of the back car park during Drop off and Pick Up is not only risky in heavy traffic, it can hold up traffic in the car park and through the DAG drive through. Please do not turn right.

Thank you for only turning left when exiting the school.

PPN Leadership

Enrolments 2026