F-4 Community News

Foundation

Foundation students enjoyed a visit from Pat the Cat in Literacy last week. They practiced using the words first, next and last to order the actions they did with Pat. We are having fun reading and writing words in literacy and have a lovely new 'tree' in the front of our learning space to help us learn our tricky words. These are words we cannot 'sound out' so just need to remember them. Students have a list of these tricky words in their reader folder to practice at home when doing their nightly reading. It is terrific to see so many students reading at home and recording their books in their reader folders.

In Mathematics we have been looking at parts that come together to make a whole. We have been using counters, dominoes and dice to give as parts to put together as a whole. Our focus is moving onto shape. We are looking at familiar 2D shapes and their properties. I wonder if anyone can do a shape hunt at home and find different shapes around the home and yard?

In Science we are observing and discussing the different features of plants.

There was lots of chatter when sorting foods into the parts of a plant they come from, such as:

Leaves - lettuce and spinach

Fruits - apple, orange and capsicum

Stems - celery, spring onion and chives

Roots - carrot, beetroot and turnip

Fun with our Year 12 and 6 buddies is always the highlight of our week.

We enjoyed a Dreamtime story of Tiddalick the frog with our Year 12 buddies before making our own paper plate frogs and had some fun in the sun with our Year 6 buddies using chalk and water to practice writing our numbers, letters and tricky words.

A big thank you to all our mums, nans, grandmas and special visitors who popped in to spend time in our classrooms for Mother's Day. It was wonderful to see the smiles on our students faces as they shared time with their special people.

Year 1

Year 1 students have continued to work hard, show curiosity in their learning and develop confidence across all learning areas.

In Literacy, students have been learning new spelling codes including igh as in night, y as in cry, ew as in grew, oo as in moon, and ue as is glue. They have also been introduced to many new tricky words and are becoming more confident readers and writers each week.

Students have learnt how to write both a story and a recount text by using a plan to organise their ideas before writing. Throughout our Storybook sessions, students have continued to build their vocabulary, strengthen their comprehension skills and develop a love of reading through rich discussions and engaging texts.

In Numeracy, students have been partitioning 2-digit numbers into tens and ones using number bonds. They have also been identifying and representing 2 and 3-digit numbers using a variety of materials including base 10 blocks, icy pole sticks and ten frames. Students have enjoyed exploring measurement concepts including length, mass and capacity through hands-on learning experiences and investigations.

Home Reading

Reading at home each night continues to play a very important role in developing students’ confidence and supports the learning taking place in the classroom. We encourage families to continue making reading part of their nightly routine, even if it is only for a short amount of time each evening.

Students have also been enthusiastically tracking their reading on our Home Reading Chart by recording the number of nights they have read this year. It has been wonderful to see so many keen readers working their way up the chart, with a couple of students already approaching an impressive 100 nights of reading. Thank you for your ongoing support with home reading.

Year 2

Stayback

Last Monday night, we were excited to host 51 Year 2 students for our Stayback evening. There was plenty of excitement throughout the school day as students busily prepared biscuits and sandwiches for their lunches, enjoyed watching a movie, and spent time creating with Lego.

The fun continued into the evening when students returned at 6pm for a range of exciting activities. We played fun games, enjoyed a delicious supper of ice cream and fruit salad, and went on a night walk around the school. During our walk, students kept a close eye out for nocturnal animals and even a cheeky zebra!

It was a wonderful evening filled with laughter, fun, and memorable experiences for all involved.

Year 3 

Year 3 students have been enthusiastically exploring the world of Living and Non-Living things through their Science unit, Feathers, Fur or Leaves. Through a variety of hands-on investigations and collaborative activities, students have been identifying the characteristics that make something living. They have participated in gallery walks, classification tasks and feedback sessions, where they shared their thinking and reflected on the ideas of others. Students are also developing their ability to engage in respectful debates and discussions, using evidence from their learning to support their opinions and ideas.

In Literacy, Year 3 students are thoroughly enjoying the class novel Yirra and Her Deadly Dog, Demon and have connected their reading to a writing task focused on the history of the Aboriginal Flag. Students have created informative and engaging infographics and are currently completing factual recounts about the flag’s history. Through this learning, students have explored the Wave Hill Walk-Off, the origins and design of the Aboriginal Flag, the meaning behind its colours, and when it was officially recognised as a flag of Australia.

Year 4

Year 4 students have been learning about magnets as part of their Science unit, Forces. The classroom was full of excitement as students experimented with different magnets and investigated how the north and south poles interact. They also learnt important scientific vocabulary such as attract and repel. Students loved making predictions, testing their ideas and exploring the fascinating world of magnetic forces through fun investigations and experiments.

In Mathematics, students have been exploring length and perimeter through a range of practical activities. Using rulers, measuring tapes, metre rulers and retractable tape measures, students became 'measurement experts' as they measured objects around the classroom. They practised selecting the most appropriate measuring tool and recording their measurements carefully. Students have developed a strong understanding that perimeter is the distance around the outside of a shape and enjoyed applying their skills to measure and calculate the perimeter of different shapes and everyday objects.