School of Foundations
Celebrating the Magic of Books
What a wonderful celebration of books, stories and imagination we have enjoyed across the School of Foundations during Book Week 2026!
Throughout the week, our learning spaces have been filled with opportunities for students to experience literature in so many different ways. From puppet shows and author visits, to our much-loved annual Book Parade and Book Fair, our students have had the opportunity to see stories come alive beyond the pages of a book.
Within our classrooms, the celebrations have continued through literary competitions, creative activities and showcases of student learning, providing opportunities for our young readers and writers to share their ideas, creativity and love of literature.
Of course, one of the highlights was our Book Week Parade. There is always something very special about seeing our students arrive proudly dressed as characters who have captured their imaginations. Behind every costume is a story — and often a much-loved book, character or world that a child has connected with.
Book Week provides us with a wonderful reminder that while learning to read is one of the most important skills we develop in the early years, developing a love of reading is equally powerful.
Books allow our children to wonder, imagine and explore. They introduce them to people, places and experiences beyond their own world. They help children develop vocabulary, knowledge and comprehension, but also empathy — inviting them to see situations through the eyes of another.
And sometimes, a book is simply about the joy of curling up with a great story and wondering what might happen next.
A sincere thank you to our teachers and staff who have created such engaging experiences for our students throughout Book Week, and to our families for embracing the celebrations; particularly the creativity, time and effort that went into preparing so many wonderful costumes for our parade!
As Book Week draws to a close, perhaps its greatest legacy is the simplest one: keep reading together. Visit the library, revisit an old favourite, discover a new author, talk about characters and stories, and give children opportunities to see reading as something to enjoy.
Because when we help children discover the joy of books, we open the door to a lifetime of learning.
Happy Book Week! 📚
Nicole Emerton
SOF Head of School (Acting)
Kindergarten
Term 3 Week 6
English
Kindergarten students have been learning how to write a successful story! We have been exploring what makes a great story, including having a clear beginning, middle and end, interesting characters and a setting. Students have been using their imagination to create their own stories and are developing confidence in putting their ideas into sentences. We are so proud of the wonderful ideas and creativity they are showing in their writing
Mathematics
Our Kindergarten students have been exploring 2D shapes in a hands-on way! Using paddle pop sticks, students worked together to create different shapes, including triangles, squares and rectangles. They counted sides and corners and discussed what makes each shape unique. It was a fun, practical activity that helped them develop their understanding of 2D shapes while building their fine motor and problem-solving skill
We have also started to learn about 3D objects. We have been naming and sorting 3D objects. Students had great fun creating 3D model robots with a partner and identified the 3D objects and one thing they knew about the different objects.
Religion
We had a wonderful visit to our local church. The students explored the inside of the church and had the opportunity to look closely at the special items and features within it. We talked about how these items are important to the Catholic community and how the church is a special place for prayer and celebration. It was a lovely opportunity for Kindy to connect their learning with our local community and deepen their understanding of our Catholic faith.
Special Visitors to Kindy… baby chicks!
We were very excited to welcome some special visitors — adorable chicks and eggs! The students loved having the opportunity to observe the chicks up close and learn about their life cycle. It was a wonderful hands-on experience that sparked lots of curiosity, questions and excitement. We were fascinated watching the chicks move around and enjoyed learning more about how chicks grow and hatch from eggs!
The Net Stage 1 Term 3 Week 6
English
Year 1 students have been developing their persuasive writing skills by exploring the question, “Why should Year 1 have a class pet?”
Students began by brainstorming reasons to support their opinions before organising their ideas into a clear paragraph. They have been learning to use Super Sentences, compound sentences and high-modality language such as must, should, always and need to to make their arguments convincing.
They have also explored persuasive devices such as rhetorical questions and alliteration, while using time connectives such as firstly, secondly, thirdly and in conclusion to sequence their ideas. Students have worked hard to edit and improve their writing, checking that their ideas are clear and that they have included the persuasive features they have been learning.
It has been wonderful to see Year 1 confidently sharing their opinions and using persuasive language to convince us that a class pet is a must!
Mathematics
This term in Mathematics, Year 1 students have been learning about patterns and equal groups. They have explored different repeating patterns, including AB, AAB and ABC patterns, as well as skip-counting patterns by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s.
Students have also been learning how to create and recognise equal groups and represent multiplication and division using arrays with equal rows and columns. They have demonstrated their understanding through a range of hands-on activities, mathematical discussions and written explanations.
Science
Over the last two weeks, students have been learning about algorithms in Technology. They have had lots of fun using Bee-Bots and the Bee-Bot app to create direction codes and move their Bee-Bots from one place to another. Students enjoyed testing their codes, solving problems and becoming little programmers!
Book week
This week we have been celebrating Book Week in our classroom with lots of fun activities! Students have been talking about their favourite books and characters and sharing what makes them special. We also created persuasive posters about our favourite book characters, giving reasons to convince others why their character is the best. The students in Glinda's loved creating their characters' persuasive posters which also ties into what their learning in writing.
English
Students have been learning to write narratives, developing their ideas and creating engaging stories. They have been using their senses to add detail and practise the “show, don’t tell” technique to help readers imagine what is happening in their stories.
Students have also been learning to edit their writing, checking that they use capital letters and full stops correctly and making improvements to ensure their writing is clear and easy to read.
Mathematics
Maths in Action: Planning the St Luke’s Carnival!
Recently in Maths, Stage 2 students have been putting their mathematical skills to work through an exciting inquiry-based project in our Hogwarts Class! We have been using the concepts of money and budgeting to begin planning our very own St Luke’s Carnival, including deciding what food and drinks we could offer and how we might stay within a budget.
Through this project, students are learning to represent the same money value in more than one way using Australian coins and notes, while developing their understanding of addition and subtraction. We have also been practising mental and written strategies for subtracting 2- and 3-digit numbers, including regrouping.
The carnival project is giving students opportunities to apply these strategies to real-life budgeting problems, make decisions, justify their thinking and see how Maths can be used to solve authentic problems. We can't wait to see where their carnival ideas take us!
Religion
In Religion, students have been learning about prayer, its purpose, and how it can inspire us to care for and help others. Students have been identifying the main features and different types of prayers; in particular exploring the meaning of prayers of forgiveness, petition, thanksgiving and praise. As such, they have been able to apply this to their real life, reflecting on how prayer can be put into action at school, in the community and around the world.
Geography - Diagons
What Are We Learning in Geography?
This term, Stage 2 students are learning through our Geography unit, Our Changing World: Caring for Country. They are exploring the strong connections Aboriginal Peoples have with Country, Culture and Community, and discovering how Country has been cared for and sustainably managed for thousands of years. Students have explored Kakadu National Park, Aboriginal seasonal knowledge and bush tucker, and will continue investigating waterways, ecosystems and traditional land management practices while developing their geographical inquiry skills. Our Geography learning has also been integrated with Visual Arts, with students creating detailed botanical artworks inspired by native Australian plants and using observation, labels, textures and patterns to creatively communicate their learning. 🌱
