Spotlight on Learning
Early Stage 1
This term has flown by with all the amazing school events KW have enjoyed. Amid all the action, KW has still been growing their skills and knowledge in the classroom across many learning areas.
Literacy
In literacy, KW have been learning about new digraph sounds and letters, writing information reports about various animals and incorporating technology in our reading groups activities.
Digraphs are two letters that make one sound and often different to the single letter sounds that they comprise of. KW have learned about various digraphs across the term as part of our InitiaLit program and have been putting their knowledge of these sounds and letters to good use in their reading, spelling and writing. As these new sounds are introduced, the students continue to build their phonics skills through a greater bank of sounds and letter knowledge.
Our writing program this term has focused on information reports about different animals. As the students learn about the difference between fictional and factual texts, we have discussed and written texts using specific facts about the animals. These include the classification, diet, habitat and appearance of the subject animals. We have also been labelling diagrams of animals as part of learning about their appearance and the students have been brainstorming fantastic adjectives as part of their labelling.
Technology
Kindergarten has recently begun incorporating literacy activities through Seesaw and the students have loved doing these activities on the school iPads. It has been a fun and engaging way to combine literacy learning with developing their technology literacy. Students use their own QR codes linked to their Seesaw account to sign in and complete the assigned activities as part of their reading groups tasks. This is one of many steps towards students being prepared to communicate digitally in an effective and responsible way.
Numeracy
KW have been learning about equal groups and length in the past couple of weeks. All students have a strong understanding of ‘sharing’ from their real-world experiences and this concept ties in suitably as they have learned about equal groups. As we discuss possible real-world scenarios that would involve sharing, the students have been developing their understanding of ‘equal’ and other language tied to equal groups (e.g “I have 3 groups of 5").
In learning about length, KW have been using informal measuring to measure different lengths found in the classroom and across the playground. Using our hands and feet, we measured different object lengths and recorded them to compare the different lengths. In noticing the differences in measurements between students, KW keenly made the connection that a size difference in hands or feet would lead to different measurements. We have also looked at measuring non-straight lines using string and then comparing each length by straightening each string out and aligning them from one end.
Mr Widjaja - KW Classroom Teacher
Stage 2
Get ready to dive into the exciting journey of our Stage 2 Mandarin learners! They eagerly set out to explore our neighbourhood, and guess what? They put the spotlight on our much-loved Roselea Public School. Armed with their budding language skills, they created something truly extraordinary.
Their imagination ran wild as they sketched a delightful map of our school grounds. But that's not all – the real magic happened when they used their smart sentence-building skills to craft an easy-to-follow directory of the school in charming Chinese.
This project was more than just learning; it was a thrilling adventure filled with heaps of fun! We were blown away by how they effortlessly navigated around and decoded Chinese characters like true champs. And here's the kicker – learning to decode these characters isn't just for now; it's a superpower that will open doors to exciting language journeys in the future.
As we watched with pride, it was crystal clear that this learning spotlight wasn't just about mastering Mandarin; it was about sparking curiosity, embracing new horizons, and nurturing a lifelong love for languages and cultures.
Mrs Dong - Community Language Teacher
Stage 3
Empowering Optimism: Year 6 Students Lead the Way in Peer Support Program
In an inspiring display of teamwork and positivity, our Year 6 students have stepped up in their roles as leaders in this year's Peer Support Program. Guided by the theme of "Optimism," these young leaders have been empowering their younger peers with the invaluable life skill of looking at the brighter side of things. Through thoughtful conversations, engaging activities, and positive interactions, our Year 6 students have truly embodied the spirit of optimism, creating an atmosphere of encouragement and resilience across the school community.
The Year 6 students have seamlessly transitioned into their roles as mentors, demonstrating empathy and understanding. They have facilitated discussions that delve into the power of positive thinking, helping the younger students understand the concept of living positively and approach challenges with a hopeful mindset. Through group activities and open conversations, the Peer Support Program has fostered connections between different grade levels.
Well done, Year 6!
Peer Feedback in 6L
6L have been using peer feedback as a strategy to improve student work this term. In the below writing task, an information report on The Great Aussie Bush Camp, Zhongbo gives his thoughts on the food at camp, and Alan gives his thoughts on Zhongbo’s writing. Alan uses the ‘Feedback Bun’ or ‘Compliment Sandwich’ feedback strategy here. Although it is an entertaining and mostly well-structured paragraph, Alan is correct to say that Zhongbo has missed his “link” sentence to finish the paragraph.
Well done to both Zhongbo and Alan!
Food
There is a range of foods at the GABC. A few foods include hot dogs, spaghetti and macaroni and cheese. Many people say that the only good foods and drinks are hotdogs and soft drinks on the last day and the cordial which you can have for the whole trip. For unlucky children with nut and egg allergies think again. You get to have hash browns and bacon that only teachers eat. One of the unavoidable and unforgettable things about the food at camp is the food poisoning and stomach cramps. Some people say that the spaghetti bolognese is nearly 100% water.
By Zhongbo
Compliment Sandwich - by Alan
Praise: You talked about both the ups and downs of the food.
Area of improvement: Next time try to make a link so the end of the paragraph does not end abruptly.
Praise: You have successfully managed to put in all the foods and used alliteration in the sentence “One of the unavoidable and unforgettable things about the food at camp is the food poisoning and stomach cramps.”
Mr Love - 6L Classroom Teacher