From the Classroom

Foundation

The last 2 weeks in Numeracy we have been working on 2D and 3D shape and finding these in our immediate environment. Some of their learning, as well as posters have been placed in the classroom windows. We have also looked at the fraction 'half' and cutting shapes into this whole/part number. We loved watching the characters Dodly and Flynn on their interpretation of cutting things in half.

We have also been working hard to read and write our sight words.  They love the Pevan and Sarah Cub Club sight word videos of taking photos of each word to memorise, and get these in our long term memory.  The children have also enjoyed listening, saying and recording cvc words on whiteboards.  Well done Spencer for your mighty effort! The handwriting in our classroom is developing beautifully.

The children have also enjoyed listening to my Paul Jennings, Rascal books.  Some have even requested to take them home and share with their family.  I have my name in the front cover so please ensure that they are returned to school.

Beginning Monday 24th May I will be taking a short Long Service Leave for nine days.  I shall be back in the classroom Friday the 3rd of June.  The children will be in very capable hands with Mrs Lipshut. They have had Mrs Lipshut on a few occasions this year and she has had much experience in the Junior grades throughout her many years of teaching. Mrs Lipshut will be doing 'Show and Tell' most days after lunch and she will let the children know when it is their turn. I am looking forward to this short break and can’t wait to have some time with my eldest daughter who is travelling down from Byron Bay.

On my return I will conducting a survey from the department.  It is titled the Australian Early Development Census … AEDC Survey. It is conducted every 3 years so I have completed a number of them this century. 😉

Grade 1

Samantha Aitken - Student Teacher

What a fantastic four weeks filled with learning! My time spent with the Grade One class has been a very busy one! I am so proud of the hard work and dedication the students have shown throughout my teaching placement. I was very fortunate to teach the students Science this Term with a focus on ‘Our Solar System’. It has been a pleasure watching all the students engage with our space station, taking time to explore the varying resources available to help them learn. The students all had the opportunity to design and create their own rocket over the course of the unit, I was really impressed with the creative designs, and how these designs were turned into works of art for them to fly! We finished up the unit this week with some fun activities including ‘Moon Buzz’ and creating a poster documenting their learning, I was really impressed by all the posters created. Well done Grade 1! 

Mrs A.

Grade One Learning 

We have been very lucky to have Mrs A in our room for the past four weeks. Mrs A had lots of practice of teaching and learning within Toolamba. The students have loved her unit plan: Our Solar System with the fantastic interactive Space Station being a big hit! We would like to say a massive thank you from all of us in Grade One. Here are a few messages from the students: 

I liked making the poster. Kurt 

I liked the Alien Snot (slime) in the Space Station. Arkadia

Thank you for teaching us about space.  Ruby

It has been a pleasure having you in the room Sam. Congratulations on an ‘Out of this World!’ final placement from all of us at Toolamba P.S.

Responsible Pet 

On Monday Junior School students participated in a Responsible Pet incursion. Students learnt about responsible pet ownership and dog safety. Students participated in role playing scenarios, song and actions as well as meeting a handsome Jack Russell. Students took home learning from the day where more information can be explored. Feel free to visit Victor and Victoria’s Pet Town to learn more. https://www.pettown.vic.gov.au/

Grade 2

In our Grade 1/2 classrooms this week students have been learning about fractions. We have enjoyed creating pizzas displaying wholes, halves, quarters, thirds and eighths. 

Grade 4

Over the past two weeks students have been busy completing a number of assessment tasks including spelling tests, On Demand and reading comprehension tests. All students have shown great positivity when undertaking these assessments and should be incredibly proud of themselves and what they have achieved. 

This week we have had our student teacher Mr S join us. He will be in our class for a total of 3 weeks and the boys are enjoying having someone that can umpire them in footy when we go out for sport. Mr S has taken a small group of students to work on ‘Tall Tales’ and deciding whether the information is fact or opinion.

On Monday, we were lucky enough to participate in a football clinic run by AFL Goulburn Murray. All students participated and had a great time. Thanks Miss Maskell for organising this for us!

Music News from Mrs Sibio

This term Music classes have been focusing on three key elements of music: Timbre, Texture and Form. The Grade 1 and 3 students shown had divided up their percussion instruments into groups depending on the timbre (metals, shakers, skins and wood) and were playing along to Tchaikovsky’s Trepak from the Nutcracker.