SANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL … Building the Future ”News and Views” Page 1

SANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL

PO Box 189 KARAMA NT 0813

Matthews Road

WULAGI NT 0812

Ph: 08 8927 8899 Fax: 08 8927 2127

Email:

sanderson.middle@ ntschools.net

CRICOS Registered

Provider No: 00780M

Principal Liz Veel

School Council

Chairperson Nick O’Loughlin

Volume 2 28 March 2014

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

It has been a great term at Sanderson Middle School with so much student achievement to celebrate. Students have been really focussing on neat and tidy standards in their book work and being 100% work ready when they sit at their desks with books, pens and pencils on the desk and a margin and date added to the page. In my walks around the classrooms and in the yard, students are carefully demonstrating the behaviours of the values.

Last Friday, all students celebrated Harmony Day with a Flash mob dance at lunchtime, a special Japanese Obento lunch, a Helping Hands mural and an International Assembly which starred our talented students.

Your child’s Term 1 Student Progress Report is attached with this newsletter. It is a new look report and indicates whether your child is required for a teacher interview. The parent teacher interview meeting will be held in week 3 term 2 on Tuesday 29 April from 5.30 to 7.00pm in the Library.

Our special emphasis in term 2 is on dress code and appropriate length shorts. Students will be required to wear appropriate black shorts, trousers, jeans or skirts. The bottom of the shorts needs to be the same length or lower than the students’ fingertips when their arms are hanging by their sides. Appropriate school shorts for boys and girls will be available from the school from Term 2 at a cost of $15 per pair of shorts.

The School has published a new look website. I encourage you to have a look. web.ntschools.net/w/sms/Pages/Home.aspx . On the new website you will find our 2013 Annual Performance Report to the School Community. If you are unable to access the internet and would like a copy of the report please call the school.

We are wanting to know what parents think of Sanderson Middle School through a survey. On the website page you will find a link to an online perception survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Parent_Survey_SMS. The information gathered via the survey will inform the forward direction for the school.

Ms Liz Veel

Council meetings are extremely useful in ensuring an effective feedback loop occurs between parents and staff as we work together in providing an excellent education for our students. Our new School Council was elected on 25 February. Thank you to all retiring members. A huge welcome is extended to our 2014 members: Chairperson Nick O’Loughlin, Mark Motlop, Jodie Farrow, Elisa Solien,

Robin Lawrence, Juliette Hubbard, Della Seden, Jan Leo and Carol Mathison.

28 APRIL 2014 AT 6.00PM IN THE STAFF ROOM

All parents and members of the community are welcome to attend.

Email: sanderson.middle@ntschools.net

Telephone and leave a message: (08) 8927 8899

Post a letter to: PO Box 189, KARAMA NT 0813

SANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL “NEWS & VIEWS”

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

SANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL … Building the Future ”News and Views” Page 2

At the beginning of Term 1, each PCG group

elected a student to be their class

representative on the SRC. All SRC members

were inducted into the SRC at a special school

assembly.

Congratulations to the following students

who have achieved certificates this term.

These students have earned credit from

teachers in regard to positive student

achievement, improvement in work and

excellent effort in demonstrating the

behaviours of our values.

Efan Abul Hasim, Emily Boeyen, Sarina Bolouri, Arron Cullen, Charles Eriku, Ngoc Ho,

Ke Yi Li, Stevano Mandeta, Lindsay McGregor, Richard Ndishari, Hung Phi Nguyen,

Rattana Sangnaree, Morice Mutalemba, Dena Sulong, Ethan Bara, Ashanti Berry,

Bon Biniat, Mikael Boag, Aeron Leyesa, Glen Pasigna, Despina Sisois, James Swan,

Chelsea Taylor, Phye Sin Win Chit, Najma Abukar, Darrian Archibald, Angus Carmichael,

Chloe Farrow, Iasonas Fineskos, Eirini Pantelis, Nicolas Tshibangu

Hung Phi Nguyen, Angus Carmichael, Eirini Pantelis

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

GOOD STANDING AWARDS

Lindsay McGregor Chloe Sae-Ngow

Dylan Cranitch-Green Jenifer Zafirou

Corey River Gabrielle Gillamac

Peter Stubbs Leila Aouich

Mariana Sigakole Chloe Edmonds

Marcus Sulhan Cindy Um

Xavier Hubbard Oceane-Kauri Bedgood

Tilowna McKenzie Top (Terraphorn) Sai-Ngam

Shaun Juwanmandadige Charlotte Uwizeyimana

Nicolas Tshibangu Sousan Sadouni

Ramaniya Ramar

SANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL … Building the Future ”News and Views” Page 3

日

に

本

ほん

語

ご

クラス JAPANESE LANGUAGE CLASSES

Students learning Japanese have had a busy start to the year with many new learning experiences. Some activities include:

setting personal goals using a good luck charm called a だda

るru

まma

doll

writing one’s own name in katakana

learning useful classroom language like greetings and how to lend stationery items

singing a rap song in Japanese on Harmony Day

continuing Year 9 students have been learning how to write about the subjects they study and discuss their timetable with classmates in Japanese

ハーモニーデーのお弁当べんとう

ランチ HARMONY DAY

OBENTO LUNCH FUNDRAISER

Thank you to all the staff and students who purchased an obento (Japanese-style lunch box) on Harmony Day. The money raised will go towards the Japanese faculty, including the 2014 Japan Study Tour.

Thank you! ありがとう！

2014年ねん

日本に ほ ん

修学旅行しゅうがくりょこう

2014 JAPAN STUDY TOUR - UPDATE

カフかふ

先生せんせい

(Ms Cuff) is planning an overseas excursion to Japan in September 2014 for students of Japanese who

have expressed interest in the tour and commenced payments according to the suggested schedule.

As flight bookings require the name of students exactly as it appears in their passport, please provide a photocopy of the first page of students’ passport or email a scanned copy as soon as possible. If you cannot provide a photocopy or scan, please bring the passport to Student Reception and we can make a photocopy for you. Students with non-Australian passports may need to apply for a visa to travel to Japan so please contact Ms Cuff as soon as possible, if this is the case for your child.

Please email kylie.cuff@ntschools.net or phone 8927 8899.

NEXT MEETING: Sanderson Middle School Library Thursday 7 August 2014 at 5.30pm

Ms Kylie Cuff (Japanese Teacher)

JAPANESE NEWS

Mr Nicholson & the SMS School Band performing at our Harmony Day Assembly

SANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL … Building the Future ”News and Views” Page 4

At the beginning of this term, all SMS students were offered the opportunity to see the Chooky Dancers (Djuki Mala) perform at the Darwin Entertainment Centre. The Chooky Dancers became famous when one of their unassuming fathers filmed and posted a clip of one of their performances on YouTube about three years ago. They have now performed all over Australia and the world and have put their people, culture and language on the map via their performances. Their performance is hugely inspirational for anyone from any cultural background who has ever had a dream. As 30% of SMS’s student population are Indigenous, it is important to engage our whole school in opportunities such as these. The Chooky Dancers encourage children to dream big, overcome life’s obstacles, have goals, live a healthy lifestyle and to value Indigenous people and their culture. Melissa Harbrige, Tiesha Hewitt, Sanyika Calma and Talia Corrie all committed to watching a fantastic performance and were an absolute pleasure on the night. Talia’s mother, Ms Hocking, also attended the show along with teachers Mrs Anstess, Mrs Schober, Ms Sara, Ms Davison and our School Counsellor, Sarah Brooke. The performance was a blend of traditional Yolngu dancing, contemporary dance styles, comedy and hugely moving auto-biographical accounts. When we met in the foyer after the show, the students’ facial expressions and excited recounts of the performance revealed the huge importance of such opportunities. It is hoped when the ‘Chookies’ (as they are affectionately known) return to Darwin, that SMS will be able to engage more students and parents in their performances. The students were photographed with the dancers after the performance and Ms Davison donated a signed Chooky Dancer “Hoodie” to be raffled for $2.00 a ticket. All funds raised will go to financing further community cultural workshops and experiences at SMS. If you would like to buy a ticket, please contact the school on 8927 8899. For further information on the Chooky Dancers go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz-rmO3xAiI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q34IxCSoJCQ

Ms Kym Davison (English/ESL Teacher)

CHOOKY DANCERS