Hi everyone, my name is Andy and I am new to Gympie Special School. I was so very lucky to be placed in S4 as the classroom teacher as I have discovered the students to be hard working, kind and considerate.  I have had a hoot in this class so far and expect the rest of the year to be the same!  The class has settled in nicely and we’re getting into our groove.   Our swimming has gone off smoothly, check out the photos.  For English we’ve been working on retelling stories both in written and oral format.  After shared story time we have group discussions and then complete scaffolded templates both together and independently.  Students also have been listening to and watching examples of retells, and then they have been taking turns at retelling familiar stories to the whole class.  Public speaking is often a daunting for thing for many people, including children and young adults. I have been blown away with how well everyone in S4 have been progressing.  Some of the students like the limelight of talking in front of an audience, while others prefer not to be there, but it’s great to see them taking risks and being brave trying something that puts them out of their comfort zone.  For maths we are exploring and practicing number knowledge and skills.  Most days the class has been splitting up into groups and taking turns in maths through games.  Games are a great way to learn - often a bit of friendly competition is a really good motivator, and just like the saying goes “Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning”.   Thanks, Andy