Mid Term 3 Insider - Tamborine Mountain College

This is Term 3 so far and we have an exciting second half ahead with plenty of engaging activities and learning opportunities. There’s a lot of important information in this newsletter, so please read carefully.

The Powerful Owl Project

Audiomoths Project: Last term, our students recorded various sounds in their own surroundings using Audiomoths. We’re excited to announce that we’ll soon be finding out what creatures were active around us!

Birds of Prey Show: Students had an unforgettable experience watching an amazing display of birds of prey up close. The show was both educational and thrilling, leaving everyone in awe of these magnificent creatures and their powerful adaptations.

Visit by Powerful Owl Experts: We were honored to host Andrew Dinwoodie (Coordinator of the Powerful Owl Project), Judy Parker Paul, and Dr. Nick Hamilton—affectionately known as the "Owl Detectives." Their visit brought the Powerful Owl project to life, sharing valuable insights and inspiring our students while the students themselves worked hard on their note taking skills.

National Geographic Kids Project: Our students combine English, Science, and Arts by creating their own National Geographic Kids article. They're exploring animal adaptations, developing their graphic design skills, and honing their ability to write compelling information texts.

Awards galore

This term, our students have shone brightly, earning recognition for their hard work, dedication, and positive behavior!

Merit Awards: Congratulations to all the students who received Merit Awards for consistently demonstrating strong, positive behavior in and out of the classroom. Your efforts set a great example for others!

Music Award: After countless hours of practice, several students have been recognized for their exceptional musical talents. Their commitment and passion for music are truly inspiring.

Jump Rope for Heart: A special mention goes to our top fundraiser, Millie Whapham, who raised the most money for the Jump Rope for Heart initiative. Thank you for your dedication to such a worthy cause!

KIES Awards: We’re incredibly proud of all the students who were honored with KIES Awards, embodying our school’s core values of Kindness, Integrity, Equity, and Success. These values are at the heart of everything we do, and it’s wonderful to see them reflected in our students' actions.

Reading awards: Our students have been actively engaging with Literacy Pro, an online platform where they can read books and take quizzes to test their understanding. With each completed book and quiz, students earn points. As they accumulate points and reach certain milestones, they have the opportunity to earn awards, celebrating their progress in reading.

Jump Rope for Heart: A Heartfelt Effort

Our students have gone above and beyond in their participation in the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser for the Heart Foundation. Not only did they work hard to raise funds, but they also took every opportunity to practice their jump rope skills at school. From mastering new tricks to showing off their talents, the enthusiasm was contagious!

The highlight of their efforts was the impressive demonstration they performed during assembly. But it didn't stop there—our students took on the role of teachers, leading a jump rope lesson for Ms. Hyron's Prep Vic class. They were amazing role models, showing kindness, patience, and leadership.

A big thank you to all our students for their incredible commitment to this cause. You’ve made us all proud!

Buddy Reading in English

We’ve introduced a new activity in our English lessons—Buddy Reading! In this program, two students with different reading abilities pair up and take turns reading from the same book. One student reads while the other offers support, helping to decode and sound out tricky words using various strategies.

This activity not only strengthens reading skills and comprehension but also fosters peer teaching and collaboration. It’s been wonderful to see our students helping each other grow as confident readers!

State of Origin surprise

Great news for State of Origin enthusiasts! Our students recently had the exciting opportunity to visit the QLD State of Origin bus. They got to step inside and explore the very space where the Maroon players sit, making for an unforgettable experience for all the fans!

Math Focus: Mastering Measurement

After a challenging start with area and perimeter, our class has moved on to the topic of measurement. Students are currently learning to estimate length, mass, and volume while choosing the correct units for each. One of the trickiest parts has been converting between units. For example, while converting 1 cm to 10 mm is straightforward, converting 850 m to 0.85 km is more challenging.

We would greatly appreciate your support in reinforcing these concepts at home. Practicing with your child can make a big difference. There are many free or trial resources available, such as IXL and Mathletics. Additionally, students can use Mathspace from home by logging in with their Google accounts.

Thank you for your continued support!

Important dates

Scenic Rim Show Day (public holiday)

On Monday August 12 we are lucky enough to enjoy a public holiday: the Scenic Rim Show Day.

College Photo Day

School Photo Day is on Thursday August 29 (week 8). Your child will have already given you the online order form.

A message from Ms Jewel: Junior Band will be having a rehearsal on Photo Day at 2:10pm. Band students are to bring: Instruments, Music and school bag.

Remember that all photos can be found in the year 5 parent shared folder in Google photos. Let's keep learning adventurous and exciting, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Warm regards,

Ben Forbes & Robert Schönherr