Foundation & One

Welcome back to Term Two. This week in maths, we have been using our super-hero eyes to see small numbers, rather than counting. This is called subitizing. We have been playing games with dice and are practising seeing numbers and saying I see 4... I see 2 so I see 6.

We enjoyed the beautiful weather last Friday and spent the afternoon with our Buddies, collecting Autumn leaves and creating various creatures. It's amazing what you can make with leaves! In Inquiry, we are learning all about 'Special Places'. We spent some time exploring all the 'special places' in our school. We will be working with our Buddies again creating models of a special place.

Children will need a shoe box, so if you have any shoe boxes please bring them in.

Mrs Chalmers, Classroom Teacher.

Years 1 & 2

Welcome back to Term Two. This term we are looking at our place in the world, this will include looking at our states and capital cities. Whenever you are travelling somewhere, bring out the map so that students start to get a mental picture of where they are.

In maths we will be working on addition and subtraction. It is so important they learn their number facts to 10 and 20 so they can recall them automatically.

Do you show your child how you value reading? Do you take an interest in what they are reading by asking them questions about it or making comments about the parts or descriptions you enjoyed? Do you try and find books they would be interested in? Do they see you reading at home?

Mrs McKenzie and Ms Martin, Classroom Teachers.

Year 3

Mrs Torney, Classroom Teacher.

Year 4

What a busy start to Term 2 it has been! Year 4 have settled back smoothly into their learning this term.

In Mathematics we have been spending time working on both Measurement – exploring Perimeter of shapes and Addition and Subtraction. It has been great to see students be so invested in their learning. On Fridays we will be doing some Free-Thinking Friday working through some open-ended problems to help develop our Mathematical thinking and understanding, asking questions, explaining our thinking and sharing our thoughts.

We have continued our reading of the Travelling Bookshop by Katrina Nannestad. We have jumped straight into exploring the adventures of the main character Mim, her family and their magical travelling bookshop! Students have spent time making connections to the text, predicting and visualising. It is wonderful to see the students connect to the book, react to different parts of the story and embrace such enthusiasm for reading!

Miss Anderson, Classroom Teacher.

Years 5/6 A & B

Welcome back to Term 2! The first few days saw us settling back into our routines and getting stuck into our new units of work.

We have begun work on our Reader’s Notebook to further develop our independent reading time and will begin Maths Groups this week, with the focus of Addition and Subtraction.

Grade 6 students enjoyed spending time with our Buddies in the Foundation/One Room on Friday afternoon. We spent some time outside searching for the perfect leaves to use to create an animal or monster. Check out some of the creations!

A reminder that homework has begun too. Keep an eye out in our diaries each week for:-Spelling Words (4 nights of practise, worksheet to come back each Friday)-Fluency Reading (10mins each night and recorded into diaries)-Math Revision (2 worksheets of a topic that has been covered in class the previous week)

We had a chat today about the importance of being responsible for our homework and the expectations. Mrs T and Miss D are available on Wednesdays during recess/lunch for those who are wanting some extra assistance or time to get their homework done.

It’s going to be a busy term that is going to fly by! We look forward to the adventures that are to be had!

Miss Douglas and Mrs Turnbull, Classroom Teachers.

Year 7

And just like that, Term Two is upon us!

The Year 7s celebrated the end of Term One with a great day at the College Easter Fete. Our Homeroom stall was extremely popular, with all (nearly 300) Lucky Dip prizes being claimed in the first two hours of the Fete. Both our Chocolate Jar and Yindi Merchandise were also big hits, both selling out before the BBQ lunch! All students were extremely helpful on the day, working in pairs to run the Stall for half an hour shifts, before having the remainder of the day to enjoy the other Fete festivities.

This term will be busy for Year 7, with the House Cross Country already run and a number of other events to come. It will be extra busy for three of our cohort in Nada Zec, Violet Stephenson and Emily Canham, who all auditioned and received parts for the School Musical. Rehearsals are in full swing already, and the girls are loving the experience.

This term will also be super busy for teachers, as it is a report writing term! This means that in all classes, students will be working hard to ensure they complete their work so comments can be made on tasks that are reportable.

Parents are reminded that Term Two is only short, (8 and a half weeks!) so attendance is even more important this term. As always, please contact the school if your child is unwell or has an appointment, and cannot attend on any particular day.

Ms Kirsten Graham and Mr Danny Fowles, Year 7 Homeroom Teachers.

Year 8

Year 8 students finished Term 1 in style by organising and running two successful fete stalls, working well in teams and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Activities were Basketball Shootout and Asteroid. These were very engaging and fun for those who had a go. Well done.

Year 8 students began Term 2 on a positive note by having 100% attendance at our Cross-Country Event and dressing colourfully in blue and yellow to represent Ansett and Jacka Houses. Year 8 were the only secondary class to achieve this. All Year 8 students are eligible for a free lunch this term. Congratulations.

Miss Moody, Mr Monaco, Mr Pettifer, Year 8 Homeroom Teachers.

Year 10

Congratulations and well done to our Year 10 students for their professional organisation and running of our two school fete stalls, the photo booth and sale of mixed lolly bags. It was fantastic to see Amelia, Libby and Sianna flex their leadership and organisational skills throughout the day with both of our stalls. Lillian, Charlotte, Trav, Scott and Ella were also fantastic support.

We were able to make approximately $70 profit from our stalls, which was a great result.

Term 2 brings with it cooler weather, particularly in the mornings. Please make sure students have a school jumper and beanie if required. Beanies are not to be worn in classrooms. Sun smart hats are not required to be worn during recess or lunch during Term 2 and 3.

REMINDER:

Year 10 work experience is fast approaching, with all Year 10 students expected to undertake a week worth of experience in the last week of Term 2. Please remind your Year 10 student that they need to return their placement forms ASAP. Please speak to Mrs Woodman or Robyn Vella if you need a replacement form.

Mr Iser, Mr Merritt and Mrs Barker, Year 10 Homeroom Teachers.

Year 11 & 12

Fete Day

One of the most satisfying aspects of Fete Day at the end of last term was watching the VCE's working with the Foundation students; it really brought out the caring and nurturing side of these, sometimes cynical and self-conscious teenagers. Pictured on the right are Zen Joyner and Maikia Punguika providing serious health and safety instructions to their willing and attentive students on the best way to make Rainbow Unicorn Balls. The students had a wonderful time on Fete Day supporting each other in selling their wares.

Work Placements-VM

Featured today are two wonderful young women who are gaining valuable work experience, as well as serving their local communities in different settings. Rachael Humphrey is working on Thursdays for IDHS in the maintenance department. Under the guidance of Julie and Matt, her jobs include fixing doors, testing patients’ call buttons and trolleys, painting rooms, gardening and even building a shed! Rachael loves the variety of tasks she’s been given and, although undertaking new tasks can be challenging when she’s not sure what to do, she is generally finding the experience valuable.

Brianna Sanderson has two work settings: Bridgewater Bakery and the hospital kitchen. Her tasks involve preparing rolls and sandwiches and serving at the Bakery, and preparing meals, morning and afternoon teas as well as helping to serve patients at the hospital. She is looking forward to being able to complete this last task unsupervised in the future and is appreciating the opportunity to develop her skills in dealing with a range of different people in both settings.

Mrs Ritchie, Mrs Woodman and Mr Gretgrix, Year 11 & 12 Homerooms Teachers

PE News - Mr P and Miss Milne

NCD Cross Country: On Friday the 5th of May, we have twelve secondary students participating in the NCD Cross Country. Parents/Guardians and Carers, please keep an eye on compass to consent for the event.

Calder Winter Sports: On Thursday the 11th of May, the Year 3-6 students have their Calder Winter Sports. On the day, they will get the opportunity to compete in mixed teams with other schools in our region. The sports on the day include AFL 9’s, Netball, Soccer, Newcombe and Minkey. The students will be accompanied by their class teachers and Sport and Rec students. Please remember to consent on the Compass event or if you require a paper copy, please let your classroom teacher know.

Compass

Don't wait for the end of semester to view your child's progress. Log in to Compass and view teacher feedback and feed forward at any time by checking out your child's Learning Tasks. Children also receive regular (every 5 weeks) progress reports on their Organisation, Behaviour, Attitude to Learning and Work Completion. Learning Tasks and Reports can be found on you child's profile page.

Yindi's Yarn

Snaps of Yindi - visiting the staff at the office.