Octavia Community

Writing

In Writing, our students have been learning how to create infographics and improve their descriptive writing skills. They explored how to share information clearly using pictures, symbols, and short text, making their ideas easy for others to understand. In descriptive writing, students practised using figurative language, senses, and strong verbs to make their writing more interesting and detailed. They enjoyed describing places, objects, and people, and worked hard to make their readers feel like they were really there.

Maths

In Maths this month, students have been learning about tessellations and how artists like Escher used them to create amazing patterns. They explored how shapes can fit together without any gaps or overlaps, and discovered where tessellations can be found in the real world, such as in tiles, floors, and nature. Students have also been revising fractions, learning how to place them correctly on a number line and compare different fractions. They have enjoyed using visuals and hands-on activities to build their understanding and confidence in maths.

Reading

In Reading this month, students explored three powerful picture books — The Proudest Blue, Something Happened in Our Town and Beth. These stories helped students think deeply about identity, fairness, courage, and standing up for what is right. In The Proudest Blue, they learned about pride, strength, and cultural identity through the story of two sisters and the meaning of the hijab. Something Happened in Our Town encouraged discussions about equality, kindness, and community, while Beth helped students explore empathy and bravery in challenging situations. Across all three texts, students practised using questioning skills — asking literal, inferential, and evaluative questions — to understand the characters’ feelings and the authors’ messages. They also learned to share their ideas respectfully, listen to others, and build on different points of view.

Inquiry

In Inquiry this month, students finished learning about economics, exploring the difference between needs and wants, and how taxes and GST help support our communities. They enjoyed discussing how people make choices about spending and saving, and how money is used in everyday life. Students also began learning about habitats and biomes around the world. They explored how different animals and plants survive in their environments and compared places such as deserts, rainforests, and oceans. Students have shown great curiosity as they connected their learning to the world around them.

SEL

In Social and Emotional Learning, students explored mindful eating, learning the benefits of eating a variety of colourful foods through activities like the Food Frenzy game, creating ‘Eat the Rainbow’ raps, and completing a body scan meditation. They also focused on clear communication and help-seeking through a back-to-back drawing game, and explored the science of emotions, learning about the brain and happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin, and creating elevator pitches to explain their effects. Finally, students discussed interpersonal and gender-based violence, identifying different types of violence and reflecting on how it affects victims, witnesses, and perpetrators, developing empathy, respect, and positive decision-making skills.