In Our Classrooms
Prep Bundoora Farm Excursion
Yesterday, our Prep students had a wonderful day of exploring, discovering and learning at Bundoora Farm as part of our Curiosity unit, Celebrating Differences.
Throughout this unit, students have been exploring the many ways our world is different and diverse, including different environments, foods, animals and the people who live within them. Our visit to Bundoora Farm was a wonderful opportunity to bring this learning to life!
Students had the chance to get up close with a variety of farm animals, learn about where our food comes from and explore the farm environment. They even got creative and made their very own sheep using real sheep fur!
Our Preps also had the opportunity to work in the garden, where they learnt about how plants grow and what they need to thrive. They explored how compost works and how food scraps and other organic materials can be reused to help plants grow. One of the biggest highlights of the day was jumping on the fun farm bus, where we explored the property and spotted some very exciting Australian animals, including emus and kangaroos!
It was a fantastic day filled with curiosity, hands-on learning and plenty of smiles. We loved seeing our Preps asking questions, making connections and discovering more about the world around them!
A Symphony of Learning in Year One
What a busy and exciting few weeks we have had in Year One! We had awonderful time celebrating Book Week and this year’s theme, ‘Symphony of Stories’. There was certainly a cacophony of colourful costumes, favouritecharacters and excited voices as students joined in the Book Week fun!
In Reading, we have been busy building our comprehension skills and learningthat good readers think carefully about what they read. Students have beenasking and answering questions, referring back to the text to find evidence andexplaining how they know their answers are correct. We have also explored important events in stories and discussed why they matter.
In Writing, our Year 1s have had fun using interesting adjectives to describe Elmer the Elephant and, in preparation for Father’s Day, some very special dads and important people in our lives. With only two weeks left of Term 3, the fun and learning certainly aren’t over yet! We are looking forward to our upcoming House Event and, of course, the excitement of Footy Day. The Year One teachers are also looking forward tocatching up with families at our upcoming Parent–Teacher Interviews andcelebrating the wonderful learning and growth of our students this term.
Year 2 1800s Immersion Day
Our Year 2 students have been busy investigating their unit on how life has changed and stayed the same across generations. They explored the past by sharing objects, listening to stories, and using language to describe past, present, and future events.
A major highlight was our full 1800s Immersion Day, which gave students the chance to step back in time and experience a school day as children would have in the 19th century. Students arrived dressed in old‑fashioned outfits and spent the day learning without any modern technology. They participated in traditional lessons such as chanting, handwriting drills, and recitation, and took part in old‑style games that children played in schoolyards long ago.
Teachers also adopted 1800s classroom routines and expectations, helping students feel fully immersed in the experience. This hands‑on day allowed students to make meaningful connections between life then and now and deepened their understanding of how schooling has changed across generations.
Year 3 Urban Camp
On Thursday our Year 3s departed for their long awaited FIRST school camp! We started with exploring the aquarium, where we got to see lots of amazing sea creatures, before heading to the zoo to check out all of our favourite animals.
We even got to visit the zoo at night, which was definitely a highlight and made for a pretty exciting evening! There were lots of laughs, lots of exploring and, of course, a few very tired kids (and teachers!) by the end of it. It was so lovely to see the students enjoying themselves and spending time together outside of the usual school setting.
We loved watching them support each other, try new things and make memories with their friends. Camp gave us plenty of opportunities to learn, have fun and probably learn that sleep is actually pretty important! We are so proud of our Year 3s and the way they embraced the whole experience, it was such a special few days together. Thank you to all our incredible staff who made it such a memorable experience, and particularly to Ms Serratore and Ms Stuart for orchestrating this event.
Year 4 Curiosity – First Contact History
Our Year 4 students have been busy learning all about First Contact History in Curiosity this term! Through research and exploration, students have discovered more about important British artefacts, such as pardons and tickets of leave, convict tokens and convict ships. They have also explored significant First Nations artefacts, including possum cloaks, dance boards and boomerangs, helping them develop a deeper understanding of what life was like in the past.
Students are now excited to put their learning into action by planning questions for an interview with a family member or someone important in their lives. They will find out about an object or artefact from the past that holds special meaning to that person.
In Week 9, students will have the opportunity to share their interviews and showcase their important artefacts with the class. We are all looking forward to hearing their stories and learning about the special objects that have been passed down through families and communities!
Year 6 Curiosity
Throughout the term, we have been working hard during our Curiosity unit: Social Justice. We have been learning about issues affecting children around the world and exploring the important work of various aid agencies that help address these challenges.
As part of our unit, we watched and analysed a range of spoken word poems that explored ethical dilemmas and used powerful calls to action to advocatefor important causes.
We learnt about a variety of literary devices, including alliteration, similes, inclusive language, rhetorical questions, metaphors and the use of facts to strengthen our writing and communicate our messages effectively.
To showcase their learning, students created their own spoken word poems focusing on an issue affecting children around the world. They could choose to explore poor sanitation, malnutrition or illiteracy, researching their chosen issue and using literary devices and persuasive language to encourage their audience to think, care and take action.
This week, students took part in our very own Poetry Slam, performing their spoken word poems to their classmates. They focused on maintaining eyecontact with their audience, using their body, facial expressions and voice tomatch the tone and message of their poem, and confidently projecting theirvoices.
Our students have done an incredible job throughout this unit. It has been wonderful to see them use their curiosity to learn about important global issues, find their voice and confidently share their ideas with others. We are incredibly proud of all they have accomplished!
Year 5 Sovereign Hill Excursion
This term, our Year 5 students focused on Australian history. They researched historical events, read historical fiction about the Eureka Stockade, and practised writing historical narratives and recounts.
On August 20th, an excited group of students boarded the bus to Sovereign Hill to experience the gold rush firsthand. 5E helped write this newsletter article to share their favourite activities and some fascinating facts they learned along the way:
- Candle Dipping: Students dipped and colored their own candles. They learned that 19th-century miners relied on a single 10-hour candle to light their way underground for an entire shift.
- Traditional Bowling: Students had a great time playing a traditional lawn game, rolling wooden balls down old wooden planks to knock over skittles.
- The AURA Show: This was a standout experience. Students were transported back in time through an immersive 3D movie, an outdoor light show, and an indoor theatre presentation about the Eureka Stockade.
- Confectionery Making: Students watched confectioners make boiled lollies using the exact same recipe from the Brown brothers dating back to the 1840s, with a chance to buy and taste the treats afterward.
- Gold Panning: It was a wet and muddy job, but many where many shouted "Eureka!" after successfully panning for gold and collecting their flakes in a small jar to take home.
- Gold Pouring: Students watched a demonstration on how gold is melted and poured into a solid bar. They learned that this specific gold bar has been at Sovereign Hill since the 1950s and is now worth over $600,000!
- Historical Classroom: Students stepped back in time for a writing lesson, practising cursive script using ink, calligraphy pens, and screechy slate boards.
Outside of the workshops, the students had a wonderful time staying in their cabins, chatting with friends, and making lasting memories at camp.
Year 5 Science – Adaptation and Evolution
In Year 5 Science, students have been exploring how plants and animals adapt to their environments. Students investigated plant adaptations through a plant growth experiment, observing how different conditions - light/fertiliser/salty water/amount of water can affect plant growth.
They also explored bird beak adaptations through a hands-on investigation, using different tools to model beak shapes and testing which beaks were best suited to different types of food.
To bring their learning together, students will also design an imaginary hybrid animal by combining adaptations from three or more real animals and explaining how these adaptations would help their animal survive.
Through these activities, students are developing their ability to observe, investigate, explain and apply scientific ideas. They are making connections between adaptations, survival and changing environments while using their creativity to communicate their scientific understanding.
STEAM: Term 3 Highlights
We are excited to share the learning experiences occurring in STEAM across our Primary Years. It has been a busy and productive term of learning for STEAM! Students have been exploring varied activities and challenges involving construction projects, coding, animation and film making techniques.
Prep
It’s wonderful to see our Prep students bringing their design ideas to life by planning and constructing houses for the Beebots. Students experimented with different materials, explored shapes and solved problems as they built.
Year 1
Grade 1 students are exploring block coding through the Scratch junior application by programming their own interactive stories. They are learning to solve problems, design projects and express themselves creatively. Students experimented with sequence, sound, movements, background and characters to develop an understanding of how the computer system works.
Year 2
Grade 2 students are developing their understanding of media art and animation by planning their stories, creating the settings and the characters to take a series of photographs. They are learning how a series of still images can be combined to create the illusion of movement.
Year 3
It has been an exciting term of learning and discovery for Grade 3 students. They are exploring simple machines around us by finding examples in their everyday environment. Students are planning their own Rube Goldberg machine - a creative chain reaction machine that uses a series of steps to complete a simple task.
Year 4
It has been wonderful to see Grade 4 students bringing their storyboards to life! Students are learning about video production by creating a storyboard and using filming techniques to capture a video. Students are refining their ideas by editing the video for the final product.
Year 5 & 6
Year 5 & 6 students are undertaking the LEGO Education SPIKE Essential unit Quirky Creations. They will work collaboratively to build and program a variety of engineering challenges. Students will develop their engineering design skills by defining problems, creating prototypers, testing their ideas and making improvements.
