Hearingunitnewsletter term4 2017

Yarra Valley Grammar Hearing Unit Newsletter www.yvg.vic.edu.au

Telephone: +61 3 9262 7700

Facsimile: + 61 3 9876 1077

Term 4

Email: reception@yvg.vic.edu.au

December 2017

Our Junior Deaf Sports winners!

TABLE OF CONTENTS: FROM THE HEARING UNIT ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 SPEECH SPOT ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 FAREWELL ZACHARIAH!............................................................................................................................................................. 4 CONGRATULATIONS BEN! ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 JUNIOR SCHOOL DEAF SPORTS DAY ........................................................................................................................................... 6 PREPS AT HEALESVILLE .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 YEAR 2 CAMP ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7 CONGRATULATIONS GABE! ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 PAST STUDENT VISIT.................................................................................................................................................................. 8 YEAR 9 STEP UP STEP OUT ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 YEAR 4 EXCURSION TO ICE SKATING AND THE MELBOURNE STAR. ........................................................................................... 10 YEAR 7 ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS DAY........................................................................................................................................ 11 PREP WILDLIFE XPOSURE......................................................................................................................................................... 12 PREP WRITING ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13 CONGRATULATIONS HAMISH! ................................................................................................................................................. 13 YEAR 4 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE ........................................................................................................................................... 15 JUNIOR SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERT ................................................................................................................................... 15 YEAR 5 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 YEAR 5 continued... ................................................................................................................................................................. 17

FROM THE HEARING UNIT As I write, our students across the School are finishing their school year with Presentation Evenings.

Presentation Evenings celebrate success and our Hearing Unit students are part of this success. These evenings are a reflection of our School and a reminder that we have much to be thankful for. For me they showcase the engagement of the students in their school and a positive culture of service to the School and the wider community and achieving their best academically.

Our Hearing Unit students are very much a part of this success and it is always very pleasing to see them on stage as part of the School choir, orchestra or receiving an award.

Riley Gurry, Year 7 achieved a Service to School Award – Gold for Sport, Music, Drama and Leadership. Abbey Gartlan, Year 7 achieved Service to School Award – Silver for Sport, Music, Drama and Community Links. Emily Baulch, Year 8 received a Service to School Award – Silver for Sport, Music and Drama. Emily also was a State finalist in The National History Challenge. Adem Goktepe, Year 9 received an Academic Award and a Service to School Award – Bronze for Sport, Music and Drama. Ben Baulch of Year 4 has just returned from Adelaide where he was competing in the Pacific School Games. Amongst his achievements, he was awarded a bronze medal in the 800 metres.

Earlier this Term our Junior students headed off to the Doncaster Sports Track for the Annual Deaf Sports day.

This is a wonderful day for our students who get to meet up with other Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from across the State. It is wonderful to see them compete with pride for their school. This year we were fortunate enough to win the trophy. This was very exciting and something for our students to fondly remember.

As the year closes, we say goodbye to Jo Homewood, our Teacher Aide who is moving across to the Individual Programs Department in the Senior School. We thank Jo for all her hard work with the students in last 3 years across both the Senior and Junior Schools. We welcome Mrs Julia Baker as a new Teacher of the Deaf in the Junior School in 2018 and wish her every success working with our students. From the start of 2018 Mrs Rachel Wilson will be the Head of Hearing Unit. Her work with our students will span both the Junior and Senior Schools. We wish Rachel all the best for the future.

As this is my last newsletter I would like to say what an honour and a privilege it has been to lead the Hearing Unit over the last 5 years. To be part of the Hearing Unit for the last 23 years has been amazing, seeing so many students complete their education and go onto successful study and careers. Thank you to the staff of the Hearing Unit for their commitment and dedication to the students and their families. And finally, thank you to the parents for entrusting their children to us to be supported through their education. The Hearing Unit is a special place with a wonderful history and I have felt proud to be part of it for such a long time.

On behalf of the Hearing Unit staff, have a Merry Christmas, Happy and Healthy New Year.

Mr Ian Saynor Head of the Hearing Unit

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SPEECH SPOT It has been such an amazing opportunity to complete my final placement in the Hearing Unit at Yarra Valley Grammar.

It has been a pleasure working with all the students. They are hardworking and motivated during all speech sessions. We have had an exciting end to the year playing a range of games and activities, whilst also making progress with our speech and language goals.

I look forward to taking all the skills I have learnt with me as I venture into the work force. I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff, parents and students that have made me feel welcome!

Miss Alice Keith

2017 has been another whirlwind year!! Thank you to my wonderful HU students for their positive attitudes and willingness to go out of their comfort zone to improve their skills – you all make coming to work fun and a pure joy! Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and restful summer break. See you in 2018!

Mrs Anneke Flinn Speech Pathologist

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FAREWELL ZACHARIAH! On Friday 20th November, we held a morning tea in the Hearing Unit to farewell Year 12 student, Zachariah Diamandis. Zachariah joined us in Year 7 in 2012. We wish Zachariah all the very best for his future endeavours.

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CONGRATULATIONS BEN! Ben Baulch of 4M was a member of the Victorian state team representing Australia in the Pacific School Games held in Adelaide from the 2nd to the 6th of December. Ben did really well, competing on all but 1 day of racing.

He came away with a Bronze Medal in the 800m, a PB in the 100m, a third in the 80m shuttle relay and was a finalist in the long jump and medley relay. He has made some great friends amongst the Australian and international competitors and has made memories to last a lifetime.

What an amazing experience!

Competitors at the games were from all Australian states and territories- Fiji, Pakistan, China, Macau, India, Singapore, New Caledonia, The Phillipines and New Zealand.

We are all so incredibly proud of him!

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JUNIOR SCHOOL DEAF SPORTS DAY

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PREPS AT HEALESVILLE

YEAR 2 CAMP

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CONGRATULATIONS GABE! Congratulations go to Gabe Cameron on his ICAS English competition results.

PAST STUDENT VISIT

On Friday 10th November, we were thrilled to receive a visit from past students Lakshitha Wethasinghe (Class of 2016) and Daniel Pigatto (Class of 2015). We were pleased to learn that both boys are happy, healthy and enjoying their university studies.

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YEAR 9 STEP UP STEP OUT

YEAR 9 ROCK CLIMBING CAMP

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YEAR 4 EXCURSION TO ICE SKATING AND THE MELBOURNE STAR. Ben Baulch: We all walked into the ice skating rink and I felt a freezing blast at me. When we got our skates on we practiced skating. I got the hang of it when I got on the ice. After the practice we all ice skated for one hour.

Then we had lunch. We walked to the Melbourne Star and got into our group. I was with Aidan, Lochie, Gabe, James, Ana and Mrs Fitz. I saw a double decker panther six bus.

Lochie Baulch: Whoosh! Zoom! Bam! Crash! "Owwwww" I moan as I hit another wall. "Maybe you should try slowing down a bit," said Mrs Rogers. "That might help," she added. So I started skating slowly again but I began to gain speed. I glided swiftly past Ana as she fell, "Sorry," I called back. BAM! I smashed into another wall. As I picked myself back up Mrs Fitz came by, laughing but checking if I was ok. Ice skating was a challenge at first but I found that with persistence I could glide along the ice.

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YEAR 7 ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS DAY On Friday 17th November, the Year 7 students participated in Ancient Civilisations Day. Riley Gurry was awarded a prize for second place in the Ancient Civilisations fashion parade contest.

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PREP WILDLIFE XPOSURE

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PREP WRITING

CONGRATULATIONS HAMISH! Hamish, congratulations on receiving the Best & Fairest Award for Under 9 Eltham Rugby Union in your first year of playing. (Those are Eltham Rugby Union’s colours as well as Yarra’s.)

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YEAR 4

MY BIRTHDAY!

By Gabe Cameron

25 September, 2017. I woke up and thought, “Wow, it’s my birthday!” I decided I would read my book until everyone woke up. Being in a caravan in Hobart, my brothers were above me. Noah put his head over the side of the bed and showed me ten fingers.

Once everyone had woken up….I opened my presents! This is what I got for my birthday:

     

A really good Nerf gun

Some awesome headphones 4 cool books 30 dollars A $10.00 Smiggle voucher A DVD

Then we headed into Hobart and went to the cinemas to watch…. The Lego Ninjago Movie, but it turned out that the cinema was closed!! Then we decided we would go across the BIG road to the busy shopping centre.

Once we came out again, we went back over the BIG road and the cinema….wasn’t closed so we finally went in and Mum was happy because we got a good deal on the popcorn and drinks. At last we got into the cinema with 5 minutes to spare! What made the experience even better was that there were only 4 other people in the cinema!

Deafness poster by Hamish Dickins

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE Hamish’s class are making a Choose Your Own Adventure story. The class is separated into 4 groups. Each group is working as a team to make a book. This is Hamish’s part of the book.

You go right. You find a mysterious machine. You are scared as you walk closer and closer. You see a green and a red button. They look shiny. It looks like there is a doorway with a wall behind them.

If you press the green button, go to page 35.

If you press the red button, go to page 56.

Page 35.

You feel strange as you see a beach. You’re in World War I. You are nervous because rifles are firing rapidly.

If you want to fight, go to page 54.

If you want to hide, go to page 12.

Page 54.

You keep fighting. You nearly get shot. You wait in the trench. You fire a rifle. Will you survive?

If you decide to run out of the trench, go to page 120.

If you want to retreat, go to page 100.

Page 56.

You see a creature in the distance. It has big claws. It is about 27m tall. It is a dinosaur! You yell, “run” as you sprint as fast as you can. The dinosaur says, “I have no friends. Can you be my friend?”

Page 120.

You yell, “Attack!” You come forwards out of the trench. You shoot. You get shot. You die. The End.

JUNIOR SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERT

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YEAR 5 CHRISTMAS CRUSADE Each Year 5 student had to decide on a charity for which to raise money. Ideally, the charity was one they had a personal interest in. They then had to select an item they could make and sell at a market style event. Along with this, they had to design and create a poster to entice people to buy their product and a flyer to inform them about the charity. The Christmas Crusade was held on Wednesday, 29th November for family and Thursday 30th November for staff and students. It was a great success.

Poems of the senses by Ryan Dang I see a black, blue, brown and red three-headed wolf and three-headed dragon.

I hear the huge thunderstorms.

I feel frightened because I am scared of the thunderstorms.

I smell fresh water on the dirty ground. I taste spicy noodles in the enormous bowl.

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YEAR 5 continued...

Gold by Remington Hobday Sovereign Hill by Ryan Dang

Ode poem by Remington Hobday

Sovereign Hill by Remington Hobday

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