Merri-bek Mail

Teaching and Learning Areas

Foundation

This term has been filled with many exciting activities for the Preps.

 

The Preps have been learning about different community jobs for Inquiry this Term. We were lucky enough to have community firefighters come into the school and talk to the students about home fire safety. Additionally, they let the Prep students see inside the fire truck and squirt the hose. We have also had visits from a pilot, an optometrist and a doctor, all of whom the students have listened to presentations about the kinds of tasks they perform, the uniform they wear, the tools they use and what their workplace looks like. Still to come is a visit from the police!

 

Last week, the Prep students went on an excursion to Essendon Traffic School where they practised road safety and learnt about different jobs in the community that help keep people on the road, such as ‘lollypop people’ and tram drivers. They had a lot of fun driving around the school on bikes and enjoyed the play in the playground nearby.

 

In literacy and numeracy, the students have been working hard and learning new concepts and sounds including Stage 3 and 4 of Little Learners Love Literacy and part-part-whole to lead into subtraction.

Grade 1/2

Over the past few weeks, the Grade 1/2 students have had a wonderful time exploring procedural texts through a fun (and tasty!) activity—making fairy bread! They loved each part of the process, especiallygetting to enjoytheir delicious creations. As part of our literacy focus, the students learned how to write clear, step-by-step instructions using action verbs and numbered steps. We talked about how important it is to give specific, easy-to-follow directions when writing a procedure. 

 

This hands-on experience made the learning both engaging and meaningful. Ask your child to walk you through the steps for making fairy bread—you might just end up with a sweet surprise!

Grade 3/4

3/4 Excursion

This week, the 3/4s went on an excursion to the Immigration Museum. We began our day by walking safely and responsibly to Moreland Station. Then, we boarded the train and headed towards Flinders Street Station. We were amazed by the architecture of the station! Our groups split off to go to either the Immigration Museum or the huge playground in Birrarung Marr.

 

At the Immigration Museum, students discovered migration stories and learned about different cultures by interacting with special items.

 

Students experienced;

  • discovering immigration stories and a First Peoples story, through hands on learning;
  • working in small groups and sharing ideas with peers;
  • reporting back findings to their class;
  • a visit to the museum galleries after the staff led education program to build on the information discovered in the classroom session.

Students learned about;

  • the Hmong community and the impacts of Vietnam War from a hand-made embroidered banner;
  • Eva Schubert, a World War Two European refugee to Australia through her hand carved wood panel;
  • Phoebe Nicholson; a Barapa Barapa and Wamba Wamba Elder and the cultural life of her community through her possum skin cloak.
  • using objects to make connections to their own family histories.

Teachers were so impressed with the students and their engagement in the activities. A special thank you to the volunteers and parent helpers who came along, their assistance was greatly appreciated. We had a fabulous time!

Grade 5/6

We have had an excellent and busy term two so far. We started our term going to Woorabinda School Camp where the 5/6 students spent three days practising teamwork, communication and resilience. The 5/6 team had a wonderful time doing a range of adventure activities. Some of the hikes in the bush and adventure activities were challenging which meant many students had to step outside their comfort zones. It was great to have such a supportive cohort of 5/6 students to encourage and help each other. Teachers were thrilled to hear regular shouts of encouragement from all the groups. The activities consisted of high rope courses, zip lines, rock climbing, mazes with puzzles, archery, billy carts, fire and hut building, hikes through the bush and many more. The programs run at Woorabinda are all designed to inspire communication, creativity, and collaboration.

 

The students had the opportunity to learn about agriculture and environmental science in the ES classroom and farm at Woorabinda. These activities were a hands-on experience, feeding farm animals and holding lizards whilst learning about their diet, behaviours and environment. The teachers really enjoyed seeing students work with new people and practise their problem solving skills and building new relationships. Overall, all the teachers and students had such a great time.

 

PBL

As part of our PBL program this term, the 5/6 students have been diving into Australia’s rich and complex history, with a focus on the gold rush era and the lives of bushrangers. To deepen their understanding, students went on an exciting excursion in Week 5 to the Old Melbourne Gaol and the State Library of Victoria.

At the Gaol, students explored what life was like for prisoners in the 1800s, including infamous bushrangers like Ned Kelly. They listened to stories from the past and experienced the atmosphere of the historical site, deepening their understanding of law and order during colonial times. At the State Library, students examined a range of primary sources and documents, enriching their knowledge of Australia’s past. They explored the iconic building and learned how key events and individuals have helped shape modern Australia. Overall, it was a fantastic day in the city and a wonderful opportunity to bring classroom learning to life. Connecting with history in a meaningful way.

 

Writing

In writing lessons this term, students have been doing the Writers Notebook unit. They use their notebook to collect ideas, practise new skills, and reflect on their writing journey. Writing lessons aim to help students see themselves as real writers with unique voices, while building confidence and developing their own writing craft as young authors.

 

Reading

During reading this term, students have started Literature Circles. This unit focuses on analysing and critically thinking about a wide range of texts. Students have been exploring how authors use illustrations, events, characters, word choice and phrases to support the key messages and themes in the text. Students will showcase and share their knowledge of texts through structured discussions, presentations, and group activities.

 

Numeracy

In our numeracy classes, the 5/6 students have begun this term focusing on multiplicative thinking. Students are learning how to use a range of mental and written strategies to solve multiplication and division problems. Students have done a wonderful job showing their multiplication and division knowledge through open ended tasks and games. 

 

ISS

This term for interschool sports we have soccer being coached by Jack, netball being coached by Jacinta and AFL being coached by Joe/ Hannah. Elena has been working with the students who aren’t doing a sport to create products for a fundraiser, learn arts and crafts skills, and practise their graphic design and coding skills. 

 

We have a busy rest of the term ahead and are looking forward to all that we’ve got in store.

 

Stay warm and well!

 PE / Sport

District Cross Country Championship – Monday 19th May

 

On Monday 19th May, a team of dedicated and determined students represented Merri-bek Primary School at the District Cross Country Championship. We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated — each one put in a fantastic effort, showing resilience, sportsmanship, and school pride throughout the day.

 

Special Congratulations to

  • Mae Thompson-Orr – 3rd place
  • Bethany Wilson – 4th place

Both Mae and Bethany have now qualified for the Division Cross Country Championship– an outstanding achievement!

 

A big well done also to Archie Woods, who finished in 14th place and has been named an emergency for the division level.

 

Thank you to all students, families, and staff who supported this event. We look forward to cheering Mae and Bethany on at the next stage of the competition!

 

Go Merri-bek!

Performing Arts

Lights, Camera, Action!

 

The Grade 5/6 students have been having a great time getting creative curating and filming a 1990’s inspired music video clip. 90’s music video clips were iconic for their time, long before the internet. Many fans would eagerly watch these clips on popular music shows such as MTV, Rage and TV hits. We discussed how these media outlets have changed over time, and how theatrical and dramatic the dance choreography was.

 

 Students have loved lip syncing over the lyrics and choreographing their own dance moves, filming in different areas of the classroom and courtyard. 

 

It’s been awesome to see students bring in props and costumes from home as well. How great are these props made by Milou in 5/6A for the song ‘Men in Black’?

Spanish

This term in Spanish, students have been building their vocabulary and communication skills through a range of fun and interactive topics.

 

 Foundation students have been learning about fruits and practicing how to express their likes and dislikes.

 

 Year 1–2 students have been exploring food and tastes, using songs and games to understand basic commands and actions.

 

 Year 3–4 students have been working on describing actions people do and learning how to tell the time in Spanish.

 

 Meanwhile, Year 5–6 students have been learning to write full sentences using a range of action verbs, helping them express daily routines and simple activities with greater confidence.

 

 Across all year levels, students have been developing their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills through songs, role-plays, and creative tasks.

STEM

Term 2 in STEM has been all about design.

 

Our Foundation students have been practising construction skills using cardboard and paper. They have explored folding, cutting, and using glue while working on a variety of fun projects, including making shapes, tangrams, 2D standing houses, and paper chains.

 

The Grade 1/2 students have focused on the cycle of designing, building, and testing, as well as learning and sharing techniques for construction. Through marble runs, car tracks, and pinwheels, they created solutions, tested them, and improved them—demonstrating resilience and critical thinking along the way.

 

Students in Grades 3/4 and 5/6 have been learning about the design process. They investigated design requirements by asking questions and considering the needs of their projects during the planning stage. They spent time generating and prototyping ideas, turned their concepts into finished products, and finally evaluated their success.

 

Students can look forward to building on their fantastic work so far and learning new skills and techniques to make future projects even more exciting.