Teaching and Learning Areas
Foundation
Preps have been busy these last few weeks - going on not one, but three excursions. On each of these excursions, the students had a blast. We’ve learnt a lot about the natural environment and animal habitats, which ties into our Integrated Curriculum unit.
Zoo - August 22nd
In between seeing the new baby giraffe and the snow leopard, the Preps attended the Zoo Education session, ‘Wild Explorers’ and got to get up close to a tortoise.
Merri creek walks - September 3rd and 10th
On the first walk, we spoke about Country and looked at markers to determine what Wurundjeri season we are in. We also made nature art out of sticks and leaves which we left behind for passerbys to admire.
On the second walk, we discussed how our waterways are connected and how the rain flows down gutters to the Merri Merri. We also looked again at seasonal markers to see if we were in Poornet, the next Wurundjeri season. Lastly, we did a habitat survey - where we explored with a checklist to see what might make a good habitat for insects, reptiles, birds and mammals.
We wish Prep families and carers all the best over the holidays and we will see you in Term 4!
From Arwen, Stef and Tori
Grade 1/2
Celebrating Learning Together: Poster Presentations
At the start of the week, our Year 5/6 students proudly shared the information posters they had created in Literacy with the Year 1/2s, drawing on their learning about non-fiction texts. At the end of the week, it was the Year 1/2 students’ turn to present. They have been learning how to share information in clear and creative ways by carefully planning the layout of their posters, using headings and subheadings, and adding colourful, detailed diagrams, illustrations, captions, and labels to make their work engaging and easy to understand. Both groups of students shone during these presentations. The 5/6s were fantastic role models, and the 1/2s rose to the challenge with excitement and pride. It was a wonderful celebration of learning, collaboration, and creativity across the school. It was fantastic to see the 1/2 students speaking with confidence and enthusiasm as they shared their learning.
Grade 3/4
Merri Creek Books
The 3/4 students have been busy creating their Merri Creek Books – a beautiful compilation of their learning, poetry, and artwork inspired by the creek. They have enjoyed exploring our rich local history and discovering the native flora and fauna that call the creek home.
Next week, we will share our Merri Creek Books within the 3/4 area to celebrate and showcase our amazing work. Students will take their books home at the end of the term, and we hope you enjoy and cherish them for years to come!
Grade 5/6
As we head towards the last week of term we’re all amazed at how much we’ve done this term. Students have shown so much dedication and hard work, and as their teachers we’re so proud of them. Well done Year 5/6s!
Here are some of the things we’ve been up to:
In PBL we have continued to learn about the 6 Layers of Wurundjeri Country and visit the Merri Merri. In week 7 we were lucky enough to have Joe from the Wurundjeri Council run an excursion for us at the creek where we learned about Wurundjeri seasons, the 6 layers of Country and several types of local plant and animal materials that Wurundjeri people use. He also explained the cultural significance of local plants such as Manna Gum (wurrun) and lomandra grass, taught us about the importance of taking only what is needed.
This week we are putting the final touches on students' large-scale artwork that shows the six layers of Country. They are busy learning about and drawing local flora and fauna and are finding novel ways to link this with their knowledge of Wurundjeri Culture.
We will hold our exhibition October 10th which is Friday of Week 1, Term 4. It will be at 3:30 - school finishing time. We will also hold our clay fundraiser of gorgeous student-made clay crafts then. Pin October 10th in your calendars!
Book Week
During book week, the 5/6 students thoroughly enjoyed dressing up and showing off their creativity through some amazing costume designs. From much-loved classics to new favourites, the parade was filled with colour and plenty of book character conversations. It was wonderful to see the students sharing their favourite stories and proudly stepping into the shoes of their chosen characters. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the joy of reading together as a school!
We wish everyone in our Year 5/6 community a wonderful and restful holiday. Keep your eyes out for signs of Poorneet season!
From Jacinta, Ms Pepi, Hannah, Jack, and Elena
PE / Sport
Division Athletics Championship
On Wednesday 21st August, Merri-bek students competed at the District Athletics Championship, and what a fantastic day it was! Every single student did an amazing job, showing great effort, determination, and most importantly, wonderful sportsmanship. It was so good to see everyone giving their best and cheering each other on throughout the day.
We also had some outstanding results to celebrate:
- Dayton came 3rd in the 200m heats
- Elva placed 3rd in both the 200m heat and the 100m heat
- Davi finished 3rd in the 200m heat.
- Ana came 1st in her 200m heat, then went on to win the 200m final, qualifying for the Division Championships!
- Haruki came 2nd in the 100m heat.
- Our Under 12 Girls Relay Team and Under 10 Girls Relay Team both came 1st in their heats.
- Our Under 11 Boys Relay Team came 2nd in their heat
- Beth and Archie both came 2nd in the 800m final and will now compete at the Division Championships!
- Marcel and Sylvester both came 3rd in high jump.
- Tarnja placed 2nd in triple jump and qualifies for the Division Championships!
- Archie came 1st in discus and qualifies for the Division Championships.
- Ray placed 2nd in shot put and qualifies for the Division Championships.
- Parisha came 1st in high jump and qualifies for the Division Championships.
- Roisin also came 2nd in high jump and qualifies for the Division Championships.
- Ana also came 1st in shot put and qualifies for the Division Championships.
- Olive came 1st in triple jump and 2nd in long jump, qualifying for the Division Championships.
- Dayton came 2nd in triple jump and qualified for the Division Championships.
- Mae came 2nd in long jump and qualified for the Division Championships
What an incredible set of results!
Overall, Merri-bek Primary School had an amazing day and finished in 2nd place in the overall school placings – a fantastic achievement! Our best ever finish!
Well done to every single student who competed, and best of luck to those competing at the Division Athletics Championships.
STEM
This term in STEM, our Foundation students have been exploring STEM careers by taking on the roles of different professionals. Some of the activities included matching rock samples to their names, programming robots, examining mini-beasts and describing their special features, and investigating the movement of simple machines.
The Grade 1/2 classes have been learning about weather and seasons, as well as our place in space. They have begun to learn the names of the planets and to think about the scale of different objects in the solar system. They have also explored how we can predict the weather by observing the sky.
The Grade 3/4 classes have focused on Earth sciences, investigating types of rocks, the water cycle, natural resources, and the different ways people can impact the planet. They have enjoyed collecting soil samples and examining them under a microscope, classifying rock types, exploring sustainability through games, and using historic satellite imagery to study the effects of deforestation.
The Grade 5/6 students have been learning about tectonic activity and how it can cause volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, as well as how it changes the Earth’s surface. They modelled tectonic activity and erosion using sand, comparing their observations to real-world examples. They have also explored our solar system, investigating the planets, their orbits, and how the position of the Earth affects the seasons.
