Infants and Primary
INFANTS
It was wonderful to see our school full of happy and healthy people when school returned last week. Thank you to all the students who marched as part of our school community at the ANZAC March during the holidays. It was fantastic to have a great presence from our school at this special commemoration.
This week has been our ‘Do it for Dolly’ week – a week where we have been raising awareness on the impacts and issues surrounding bullying, with a focus on being kind and building connections to help reduce the incidences and impacts of bullying. There have been many activities and rich discussions around this at school and we hope these discussions have been continuing outside of school as well. A big thank you to our staff members who have coordinated these activities at school this week, and to our students and families who have supported through donating funds and participating in the activities.
Our staff are always happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns – please contact us through the office at any time.
Kindy
Kindergarten students have hit the ground running this term. We are now learning the letters that match the sounds and beginning to read and write short words – these are exciting and important next steps in developing literacy skills and it is fantastic to see young faces light up as they build these connections.
In Mathematics we are learning about ‘equivalence’ and beginning to understand that numbers can be equal but represented in different ways, for example, 10 can be 5 and 5, 2 and 1 and 7, etc. We have also been focusing on correct numeral formation and recognising both numerals and dice dot patterns quickly and accurately.
We have also been practising for our upcoming Cross Country run and huffing and puffing our way around the school grounds. It is fun to run!
Year 1
All students seem to have had a wonderful break and have come back ready to thrive in the classroom. We have had a busy start to the term too.
Over the last two weeks, students in year 1 have been exploring tricky mathematical concepts such as translating, reflecting and symmetrical shapes. Students were invited to create their own symmetrical design, showcasing their understanding of the topic explored. Over the next two weeks, students will be looking again at equivalence, and relating this to mathematical stories of addition and subtraction.
In English, students have been learning about persuasive texts. Through this unit, we have learned about using quotation marks, contractions, saying verbs, persuasive language and how to use illustrations to add depth to our writing. We hope to have a completed persuasive text by the end of week 4.
We enjoyed being a part of the ANZAC Day assembly held on the first day back to school. This assembly raised questions for the students that we were able to explore through rich discussions in the classroom where students were able to contribute their own knowledge of the meaning of ANZAC Day.
During week 2, the whole school participated in ‘Do it for Dolly’ Day. This week, year 1 has been exploring the concept of bullying, as well as considering the different ways we can use kindness. We have worked hard in determining strategies we can choose to use when bullying occurs, thinking about not just ourselves but others who may be affected.
We are looking forward to the cross country on Thursday 9th of May (Week 2)- Year 1 will be participating with the kindergarten class in a shortened cross-country course before watching the older students cross the finish line.
Just a reminder that I do not expect the homework booklet to be completed, although please support your child in reading their home reader at least a few times a week. Regular reading opportunities are super important for growth in all things English, and this skill carries into all other aspects of life too.
Please contact me through the school if you ever have any concerns or questions regarding your child.
Emily Friend
Year 1 Classroom Teacher
Primary
Welcome back to all families for term two here at Boorowa Central School. We have hit the ground running, and already have filled up our extra-curricular space with school photos, cross country, soccer gala day and everything else in between.
We had a great first assembly last week. It was so good to acknowledge the many students that continue to do their best every day here at school. There were merit awards, reading awards and stars of the week that were handed out – along with many smiling faces. It’s important to recognise the achievements of the many, as sometimes we are too narrowly focused on major things that pop up from time to time.
Congratulations to our age champions, runners up and new record holders from the Athletics Carnival last term also. We handed out the medals last week at assembly, and we had Annie, Amali and Hunter breaking records. Well done to all. I will put the District Squad together and get information out later this term – we have a long wait until the District Carnival in Cowra on Friday 16th August.
Unfortunately we continue to deal with small issues regularly regarding the language that students are using here at school. There is no such thing as ‘conversational swearing’ that is allowed at our school. While the vast majority of our students understand and follow this expectation, the small amount of students that do not will unfortunately continue to find themselves reflecting on their behaviour out of the playground if it persists.
If you require any additional information or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email: jason.stuart3@det.nsw.edu.au
Jason Stuart
Assistant Principal Primary (Relieving)
5/6 Classroom
The year 5/6 class have been busy the last fortnight. In English, we have begun a persuasive writing unit. We focused initially on issues surrounding our school such as homework, uniform, play times and access to sport – and we have now ventured into our own topics which we are passionate about. In Mathematics, we have returned our focus to addition, subtraction, fractions and decimals. These core concepts are vital to our progress in Mathematics. In Science, we have begun a unit on ‘Natural Disasters’ – exploring earthquakes, floods, bushfires, cyclones, tsunamis and all manner of other events around the world. We delve into the science of it – even using a Mars Bar today to simulate the Earth’s cracking surface during an earthquake! In Spelling we now have seven students accessing the year 7 curriculum. While this is a fantastic achievement, it’s not mandatory, and students can return to the year six curriculum at any point.
As always, please get in touch if you require any further information: Jason.stuart3@det.nsw.edu.au
Jason Stuart
5/6 Class Teacher
Assistant Principal Primary (Relieving)