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G’day, my name is Laurie Hallinan. A quick blurb on myself before we get down to the real issues. I am at St Joe’s until the end of first term. (I started here in January of this year). I will then return to Australia to resume teaching at my Aussie school. I live on The Gold Coast, in Queensland. I am married with two grown up children. My daughter is currently travelling throughout Canada and the USA. My son remained in Australia due to work commitments. I have recruited my wife from time to time to help in the classroom and hope to do so again this term. From term two onward Mrs Angela Genert will return and steer the class until the end of the school year. Our exchange involved her working in my school and vice versa as well as swapping our houses for the year.

I am looking forward to teaching your child and

joining with you in partnership to ensure

your child reaches their full potential and experiences a

successful 2012.3

Year 4 Teachers

4H Mr Laurie Hallinan – Room 107

4B Mrs Kristen Brown – Room 108

4M Mrs Loretta Mos-Bacon – Room 111

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Admin / HousekeepingHot Lunch Orders – Forms will go home.All children will eat together in the art room

next to 4M.Notes/forms – Please return ASAP Birthday treats – Cupcakes or individual

treats are the way to go. I do not have the time or inclination to cut up cakes. Please supply enough for all children in the class.

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Munch and Crunch

• Fruit and/or vegetables from home, please no ‘junk food’.

• Takes place daily.

Routines

Class Meetings

Involving all classes, these will occur on a regular basis.

Discuss current issues (positive and negative) and any upcoming events.

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Reminder that some St Joe’s students have severe allergies to nuts.

PLEASE keep nuts and nut products, such as peanut butter and nutella, at home.

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Please notify the office by phone or email as early as possible in the morning.

Do not rely on an email to me as I may not check emails until the end of the day.

Absent for part of a day e.g. late arrival, early departure, must go through the office where children are signed in or out.

If you know beforehand an email to me or a note in their agenda book will be fine.

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Maths will be available for students via an online program I subscribe to called classmarker. I set all the questions, so it will be aligned with the work we are covering in class activities.

Practice their multiplication tables regularly, to support our classroom activities.

It will also consist of Reading, Spelling, Literacy and the completion of unfinished class activities.

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It would be great if our children could:

Read for at least 10-15 minutes each night:2 nights reading aloud to a family member3 nights reading independentlyIt is not that important what they read, it

is more important that they enjoy what they read and can understand it, with some degree of challenge to them.

Talk to your child about what they are reading, they are more likely to get involved if they think you are interested.

I realise this is difficult with busy family schedules.

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Speaking and Listening

Reading and Viewing

Writing and Shaping

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Our religion program will be run in conjunction with an ‘MJR’, Making Jesus Real in our lives program.

This program teaches and reinforces the need to be responsible citizens in our society.

It goes a long way in preventing ‘bullying’ before it occurs.

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This term our focus is on:

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SCIENCE: Levers, pulleys and simple machinesSOCIAL: Regions of Alberta and Waste in

our World

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FrenchLessons will occur on Tuesday and Wednesday each week and will be taken by Mrs Mos.

Will consist of the following throughout the year.

Painting, collage, drawing, sketching, design & construction.

Good luck with this I am not very artistic.

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Students attend Music each Wednesday and Friday with Mrs Cathy Gomes.

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Lessons take place on Mon, Wed, Thu and Fri each week.

Term one we will cover, soccer, cross country and an Aussie game called Touch. Based on one of our football codes, there is no tackling or kicking of the ball in this game.

It is both a single and mixed gender game.

Health will also come under the PE curriculum.

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Library Borrowing will occur on Thursday.

Computers: Will assist with unit work, lessons are on Tuesday in the lab and at other times throughout the week using the school notebooks.

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If you have any questions throughout the term regarding your child’s progress please do not hesitate to contact me via email or agenda book. Thank you for making the time to be part of this evening.

Laurie Hallinan.