4W

Gardening and cooking sessions have given students a reason to apply skills properly—measuring, following instructions, and working as a team. A big thank you to the parents who came in to help; it made a noticeable difference to how smoothly things ran and how much the students got out of it.

In class, we’ve been learning about James Cook’s voyage to the Pacific, focusing on what was actually involved in the journey rather than just the headlines.

Auslan has also been a highlight. Students practised asking each other what they were doing in the kitchen, building question structure and learning practical verbs. As a visual language with its own grammar, Auslan pushes students to think differently about communication and be precise with meaning.

Students have also taken a turn at being the teacher, running short sessions on things they actually care about. We’ve had line dancing lessons, a surprisingly effective “volcano in a jar” demonstration, and several cooking-inspired contributions—including how to make popcorn properly (not burn it) and how to fold an origami paper popper, which was immediately put to use with questionable timing. These sessions have been a good test of communication skills—explaining steps clearly, managing an audience, and dealing with the fact that things don’t always go to plan. It’s been interesting to see who can break a process down so others can follow it, and who realises that “just watch me” isn’t actually teaching.