What an intense start to term for our community!  Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the fire in big and small ways.  We have been deeply impressed by the care and generosity of people in our little town, please continue to support each other in all of the wonderful ways you are doing so already.

It has been wonderful to have Axel, William and Oliver join our class!  Like any change, it is taking a little while for the class to resettle, but beautiful to see the new friendships forming especially among the boys.  Welcome also to parents Katie and Steve (Axel) and Matthew and Nicola (William and Oliver).

In our main lesson with Ashley we have has taken the plunge into the exciting world of Norse mythology and the Vikings.  The words of Odin himself have resounded in our new class room as we recite parts of the ancient prose Edda in Old Norse, inspired to seek out the wisdom of the world as he did and reveal the mysteries of the runic alphabet.  The stories of the Aesir gods of Asgard have already begun to work their wonder upon us, stirring us to action and strengthening our will to work.  The call to adventure echoes down the ages and plans are afoot for constructing our very own swords and shields.  Foes beware, for Denmark is truly the home of the Danes!

On Thursdays and Fridays with Renee, we have been immersed in our love of literature and literacy!  We have continued to share the joy of reading in our silent reading groups and begun writing journals in which there is great scope for the students to respond creatively to a variety of prompts.  From this work we draw words for our individualised spelling lists.  Our focus this week during our Literacy main lesson has been writing dialogue, while on Friday afternoons we have begun our arts focus.  In Week Two our focus is the work of award-winning artist Matt Ottley, particularly his illustrations in local author Meg McKinlay's book 'How to Make a Bird' (shortlisted for The Children's Book of the Year by the Children's Book Council of Australia).  There will be a general focus on birds (including an excursion!) in the lead up to Term Two when we will be moving to our Human and Animal main lesson.  We have also been writing some beautiful and unique Bunuru poems which we will share with you (below).

Sending our warmest wishes during these challenging times to all of our families,

Renee and Ashley

Bunuru Poems

Birds circling around

Breeze cooling my body

Honey on the forest floor

Smell of Mum’s pie wafting in the window

Flowers shifting in the wind.

- Zoee

Towels hanging on the fence

Splashing of the water

Suncream on my face

Water rising when I jump off Bomby Rock

Smiling faces.

- Mason

The blue sky surrounding the world

Bees buzzing around the flowers

The heat surrounding me like hens

The trees waiting for some water

Waiting! and waiting!

- Lyndle

The noisy flapping of the bronze wing pigeons

Cormorants sleeping with their head under their wing

Blossoms of red flowering gums

March flies and mosquitoes biting me

Karda wandering across the gravel road.

- Jack

Bee getting honey from the flowers

Sound of the beautiful honeyeaters

Blossoms and the flowers that smell so sweet

Dry earth beneath our feet

Wind blowing past as I run and ride

White-tailed cockatoos soaring in the sky.

- Maple

Bees buzzing around in the breeze and through the trees

Little sneaky blue wrens trying to get the cheese from the bench

Delicious ice-cream with flavours of caramel, vanilla and Oreo

Nice and warm with the sun reflecting on my face

Sunlight shining on the land.

- Makiah