Term 2 Inquiry Learning

This term, our students will be exploring some exciting Inquiry topics that are sure to spark curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world around them:

Prep – Family and Daily Life through History
Year 1 – Technology: Past and Present
Year 2 – Continents Around the World
Year 3 – Life Cycles and Environments
Year 4 – Explorers and Settlement
Year 5 – Gold Rush
Year 6 – Global Citizens

To support and enrich these inquiries, we have a range of fun incursions, excursions and camps planned throughout the term. These hands-on experiences are a great way to broaden our students’ learning.

If you have any connections, resources, or expertise related to the topics above and would like to share your knowledge and time, please let Mrs Richards know—we’d love to involve our community in the learning journey!

Thank You

Prue Richards

Lightning Premiership

Congratulations to all the teams who competed during lightning premiership. A big well done to the softball team who managed to place first in their pool and bring us all back a trophy!

Run Club

During Term One run club exploded with 129 participants. Runners have achieved a combined lap count of 750 laps! We would like to congratulate every runner one their efforts. Some standout runners will be awarded a wristband for achieving 25 laps during our first assembly this term.

We have Eli and Lachie B sitting on 50 laps, drawing for first.

5K have finished the term with top laps (131)

Jo Dow has finished first for teachers with 11 laps!!!

Writing @ SPS

Come and discover the incredible writing our SPS students have been creating. Their creativity, passion, and hard work shines through in every writing piece!

Prep

The Prep students have been working on their letter formation and letter-sound knowledge. Recently they have been focusing on the letter ‘d/D’ and ‘n/N’.

Year 1

The Year 1 students used our new Nudel Carts to complete a ‘Free Write’ learning task. Students had twenty minutes to make a time machine using the Nudel Carts and then twenty minutes to write about when in time they would like to travel to and what they would do while they were there.

Year 2

The Year 2 students have been learning about narrative writing. They have been coming up with their own imaginative stories, whilst also identifying capital letters and full stops within their writing pieces.

Anzac Ceremony

On Monday April 28th the Somerville Primary School community came together to acknowledge the sacrifice of all Australian and New Zealand Defence Force personnel involved in all conflicts in recognition of ANZAC Day 2025.

This year in the lead up to our ANZAC Day service students in the Grade Six cohort were invited to take part in an ANZAC writing challenge with the theme “110 years since Gallipoli”. Many students took part and it is a pleasure to share with the SPS community, the top four writing pieces chosen by the staff, two of which were included in the ANZAC Day service.

Thank You

Jessica Emery

A long way from home

By Izzie 6J

On the 25th of April,

over a hundred years ago,

Sixty thousand men set out,

straight into the unknown

Landing a mile from where they’d planned,

they were met with cliffs and shrub,

darkness surrounded them,

with their enemy high above

Stuck on the beachfront,

they fought with heart and soul,

but soon they were overpowered, they thought they had no hope,

but their Lieutenant Colonel had taken control

The enemy had the upper hand,

we needed a way out,

our soldiers were snuck away,

trying to avoid a rout

On the 25th of April,

over a hundred years ago,

Sixty thousand men set out,

each became a great hero.

A poem by Grace 6J

Poppies shine bright

In the morning mid light

The war was resting for the night

Soldiers stand tall in their order of height

The day has come again

Another day at war

Gun shots ring

Night falls, all quiet again

As quiet as a mouse running from a human

Hope is in the air

Hope the war ends soon

Come again peace

We miss you

The Gallipoli Battle

By Hayley 6D

As I and my fellow war mates take off into the battlefield, we charge our guns and fire at the enemy. We pull the trigger and BANG BANG BANG. All I can hear is the sound of the guns and cannons going off. I watch my fellow soldiers as they fall to the ground, as they get hit by bullets and pieces of shrapnel. My heart is beating as fast as a cheetah can run. Not watching what is in front of me, I get shot in my right shoulder and as blood trickles down my arm I pass out from the shock in my body. The next thing I know, I’m in hospital getting treated by nurses. I see the other soldiers in agony from their injuries, some badly hurt, some not as much. I feel anxious, my palms are sweaty and numb when as I turn my head, I see the most beautiful woman. Months later I marry her and we have our own little soldier, hoping he has a better life.

A letter from an Australian nurse to her family

By Iesha 6J

17/03/1915

Dear family,

I miss you so. It is dreadful being apart from you. Now I am familiar with this bizarre place, even though it is strange. Everyday, I see new things. I have to deal with many horrific injuries, but nothing I haven’t trained for. I volunteered for this and when I did, I wasn’t sure if I would regret it. Not knowing what’s to come is terrifying but I have to go on, these people need me.

Being here can be appalling. I don’t want to describe what I have dealt with too vividly, but some of it is quite revolting, but that’s not every day. If I’m being truthful, I do wish I was home with you. I miss you tremendously and wish I could be with you but I have to persist. Here, my daily meals are spared tinned food, stiff biscuits and occasionally some meat along with the vegetables. Very different from home. I have learned to get used to these new habits. It’s not forever, just until the war ends and I get to come back home.

It's complicated to explain how I feel here but I will try. Every day I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if I never volunteered. A this very moment I could be with you instead of having to live separate lives. Being here feels like an unbearable dream. Yet, no pinch hard enough will wake me up and with some of the traumatic things I’ve seen, I know this is no dream. But some days are worse than others. Seeing horrific wounds isn’t exactly what I would call a good day. Of course I try to be caring and sympathetic but it’s not always that easy. War isn’t a pleasant thing to see right before your eyes.

Not knowing when this will be over and I will be able to move around in the comfort of my own home is terrible. It makes me unsure. I don’t know when I will come home, but I do know that my love for both of you is like an endless tunnel. Home is a safe place where I am with the people I love most. I can be myself. I am filled with hope that being with you is within arms reach. I can’t wait to see you soon. Till we meet again.

Your beloved,

Dorothy Brown

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the traditional keepers of the land, the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation.

We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging, and extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.