School News
Prep
Once again we have come to the end of an exciting term. Students have worked so hard this term and shown a huge amount of growth in all areas. We are so proud of our wonderful students! As we head into the holidays, we hope that all families are able to have a break and enjoy spending time together. Term 3 has been so much fun with Book Week, swimming lessons, Footy Day and so much more. We can’t wait to see what fabulous events Term 4 has in store for us!
In reading this week, we investigated the differences between fiction and non-fiction texts. Students looked at the features of both types of texts and are working on being able to identify the differences and consider the purpose for each type of text (eg: to entertain or inform). We’ve also had a lot of fun completing independent reading, partner reading and working on students’ individual goals!
This week has been a spelling revision week, which is helping us to practise our Phase 5 words and consolidate our learning of all the common words. Students are working hard to recall the sounds and letter names within a word, identify any digraphs (or trigraphs) they know and spell the words whilst writing.
In writing this week, we continued writing about our opinions. Our focus is to set students up for success in Term 4 by encouraging them to consider an animal that they love and explain why they feel this way (eg: I love lions because they are strong). In Term 4, we will be investigating these animals in greater depth, which will be very exciting.
For maths, we have revisited patterns in greater depth by considering different ways that patterns can repeat and how we represent this in code. For example is the pattern an ABABAB pattern or is it an ABBABBABB pattern? Students have once again loved using concrete materials and have worked on identifying the type of pattern and also on being able to continue a pattern.
For Wellbeing this week, we were able to celebrate our Connect group activities for Term 3! We also selected preferences for Term 4 and can’t wait to see the students’ excitement when new groups are announced. On top of this we have begun to delve into the concept of ‘growth mindset’ by talking about how mistakes are an important part of learning that can make our brain grow. Students participated in activities that celebrated ‘having a go’ and not being afraid of getting things wrong sometimes.
As our investigations have now been packed down, students took some time to reflect on their favourite activities and provide teachers with some feedback about what they’d like to see next term. We’ve loved seeing the students have so much fun and are looking forward to creating another fabulous investigation space for Term 4!
Reminders:
Quantum Excursion – Tuesday 7th October (2nd day of Term 4). Please complete the Compass permission form if you haven’t yet done so.
Hats – hat’s are now mandatory for play time due to the warmer weather. Please ensure your child has a labelled hat at school each day.
Water bottles – with the warmer weather coming, a reminder that a named water bottle enables your child to stay hydrated without interrupting their learning time.
Portfolios – Could we please ask that any portfolios be sent back to school ASAP
Kindest regards,
The Prep Team
Laina Brebner, Kayla Hartrick and Emma Wright
Grade 1
The Level 1 students have had such a busy and fun filled final fortnight to Term 3. We had a ball dressing up as our favourite book and movie characters and chatting all things books and literacy. We also enjoyed the comfortable PJ Day and of course cheering for our teams on Footy Day.
In Literacy, we have loved writing our Information Reports. We learnt to include sub-headings and labelled diagrams. We have also focused on self-correcting when we read aloud.
In Maths, we have been learning about time, specifically duration of time. We practised ordering events of our day and our year. We know all the months of the year, the seasons and we even learnt about First Nations seasons and how they differ from Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.
In Well-being, we have practised problem solving and using a variety of strategies to solve everyday problems.
We wish Level 1 families a very safe and relaxing holiday. If you are travelling, stay safe on the roads and enjoy the time with family and friends.
Kind regards,
The Grade 1 Team
Tim Huntington, Mel Layton, Sally Newton and Ashleigh Wilson
Grade 2
Wow, what an exciting term it has been for our Level 2 students! We have enjoyed so many wonderful learning opportunities and special events that have made this term truly memorable. From exploring science to celebrating stories and spending time in the pool, our students have been busy growing, discovering, and having lots of fun.
This term, our Level 2 classrooms have been buzzing with energy and curiosity. Students have been working hard on reading, writing, and maths, developing new skills and building confidence every day. They’ve also been learning about the world around them through fun, hands-on activities that make lessons come alive. It’s been fantastic to see their excitement as they ask questions, solve problems, and share their ideas with friends and teachers.
Swimming lessons this term were a big hit! Our Level 2 students practiced important water safety skills and worked on improving their swimming strokes. It was wonderful to watch them gain confidence in the water while having a great time with their classmates. Swimming is not only great exercise but also teaches students perseverance and how to encourage one another.
Our Book Parade was a colourful celebration of reading and imagination. Level 2 students dressed up as characters from their favourite books, bringing stories to life in a fun and creative way. We saw everything from brave heroes to magical creatures, and it was wonderful to see everyone’s enthusiasm for reading. The parade reminded us all of the joy that books bring and the adventures waiting inside every page. Take a look at our photos below.
This term, we also celebrated Father’s Day by showing appreciation for the special dads and father figures in our lives. It was heartwarming to see so much love and gratitude shared throughout the level.
As this busy and exciting term ends, we want to thank our Level 2 students for their hard work and enthusiasm, as well as our wonderful families for their support. We hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved break and comes back ready for more learning adventures in Term 4!
The Grade 2 Team
Allie Harrison, Sarah Jones and Brendan Van Haaster
Grade 3 & 4
What a busy couple of weeks we have had coming to the close of Term 3. Though it has been a short term, we have still been able to complete a lot of fun learning!
Following our book week dress up, we conducted book reviews relating to the characters that we dressed up as. We were able to use our imagination to get fully immersed into our characters and their worlds. We provided our peers with some recommendations of some texts for them to borrow in the future. We also revised our inferring skills through answering comprehension questions relating to mentor texts.
In Writing, we have been using picture prompts to develop an imaginative and engaging narrative. We have been using sentence starters and a story idea to continue on with. We have seen students engage well with using their creativity and thinking outside the box.
In Maths, we concluded our unit on Division with some assessments and have created some awesome maps of our school. We have focussed on the use of ‘BOLTSS’ to ensure that our maps are easy to read and understand.
We hope you all have a restful and safe holidays and we look forward to finishing the year off strong!
Kind regards,
The 3/4 Team
Damien Smith, Daena Hailey, Brent Smith, Claire Cripps and Nick Pagliaro
Grade 5 & 6
We made it! Just a quick note to celebrate the end of a super busy and productive term. It has been wonderful to watch the students grow and prepare for the next stage of their learning journeys.
In Literacy, we have been learning to read and write a range of information texts. The students have learnt to think critically about texts created by authors and the devices they use to enable us to interpret them. The students have used these devices in their own writing and have created an information text, focusing on an area of health and an explanation text of their choice.
In Maths, we have completed our work on division and learnt a variety of new skills and strategies to help us with real-life problem solving. This week the children completed their division post-tests to demonstrate their improved skills and understanding.
As part of the Wellbeing Program, we were lucky enough to have a visit from Melissa from the Butterfly Foundation. We explored the various external influences on body image and shared balanced messages with each other to promote self-esteem and a healthy, positive, body image.
We also had the Connect Groups Expo, which allowed students to share the fabulous activities they have been participating in during our Connect Groups. It was amazing to share all of the students’ hard work and creativity and a great opportunity for the 5/6 students to meet up with their Buddies.
We hope you all have a well-earned rest over the holidays. Enjoy spending time with your family and friends. We can’t wait to see you next term; relaxed, refreshed and ready to take on our final term of 2025!
Kind regards,
The 5/6 Team
Llinos Poole, Erin Rennick, Hayley Peirce, Kylie Morrissey and Alarna Creed