School News and Information

STAGE 1 NEWS

K/1 Magpies and Possums

What a wonderful and busy start we’ve had to Term 4 in the Magpie classroom! We loved welcoming families for Grandparents’ Day, where students proudly shared their learning and classroom achievements. We also enjoyed a special Interest Group Day, where students chose an activity that interested them, such as dance, cooking, making beeswax wraps, or taking part in fun STEM challenges. It was a fantastic day filled with creativity, teamwork, and enthusiasm. We’re looking forward to a busy and exciting end to the year and can’t wait to see all the amazing work our Magpies and Possums continue to produce!

Welcome Miss Lord

We are lucky to welcome Miss Lord into the Possums for the next four weeks as she completes her teaching experience from Newcastle University.

Grandparents Day

Students and grandparents enjoyed a special time together drawing portraits of each other. It was lovely to see everyone sharing smiles, laughter, and creativity! 💕🖍️

Magpies English

In English this term, Stage One has been exploring how authors help us understand the world around us. We read The Mess That We Made by Michelle Lord and Julia Blattman — a powerful story that shows how rubbish and plastic pollution affect our oceans and marine life. This text helped us think about how we can all help care for the environment.

Students have been learning to state their opinions based on information in a text and to use vocabulary that shows cause and effect in their writing. We were so impressed when students used their new Tier 2 and Tier 3 words to write and speak persuasively, encouraging others not to pollute and to take care of our planet.

Possums English

This term in English, students have been exploring the idea of context—how the way we use language and structure texts changes depending on the purpose and audience. Using our class books The Imagineer and The Most Magnificent Thing, students have been inspired to think creatively and to notice how authors use words and visuals to communicate ideas. They have read, discussed and responded to a range of texts including narratives, factual descriptions, procedures and explanations. Through these activities, students are developing their ability to plan, create and share their own imaginative and informative writing, using clear structure and thoughtful word choices.

Below is an example of their great writing!!!!

Magpies Maths

Over the past two weeks, the Magpie class has been learning all about equal groups as part of our introduction to multiplication and division. Students have been using hands-on materials to make and share equal groups of objects, helping them understand how multiplication works in everyday situations.

We are now learning that arrays can help us measure the area of shapes. Students are discovering how to use rows and columns of equal units to count and compare areas. They are learning to count the total area of a rectangle using skip counting or repeated addition, and to explain why all the units need to be the same size. We have also explored how a shape can be rotated while the area remains the same. The Magpie class has shown great curiosity and enthusiasm as they connect their number knowledge to real-world measurement.

Possums Maths

In Maths this term, students have been growing their confidence with numbers by breaking them apart and putting them back together in different ways. They’ve been learning and practising helpful strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems, and exploring what it means for number sentences to be “balanced” and equal. Students have also begun working with early multiplication and division by making equal groups and sharing items into fair amounts. We have focused on encouraging students to talk about their thinking, try different strategies, and choose the method that works best for them.

Science

This term in Science, Stage One has been busy exploring the world of materials! We have been venturing out to our lovely Nature Area, where students have enjoyed discovering and sorting natural and man-made materials found in our environment.

Students are learning to identify and describe materials based on their properties — such as texture, strength, and flexibility. We will also be investigating which materials are waterproof, conducting fun, hands-on experiments to test and record our findings.

Through these activities, students are developing their scientific thinking skills by observing, predicting, and testing while deepening their understanding of how materials are used in everyday life. It has been wonderful to see so much curiosity and enthusiasm during our Science lessons!

Possums Aeroponics Project

Our class aeroponics tower project is flourishing! Students have loved watching our plants grow and change each week, documenting their progress through drawings, photos, and observations. They’ve been learning about what plants need to survive and thrive, and exploring the process of photosynthesis — how plants use sunlight, water, and air to make their own food. With our tower garden growing so well, students are now beginning to plan our first harvest and think about how we can use what we’ve grown. It’s been a hands-on and exciting way to connect science with sustainability and healthy living!

Magpies Art

In Visual Arts, we have been creating powerful artworks to show why it’s important to protect our oceans and avoid pollution. After reading The Mess That We Made and Jelly-Boy, students discussed how human actions — especially plastic waste — can harm sea creatures and their habitats. We explored how rubbish in the water can be mistaken for food and how this affects ocean life. Using colour, texture, and different materials, students created artworks that show a strong contrast between a clean and polluted ocean, highlighting the impact of pollution. Each artwork tells a story and shares an important message about caring for our environment and keeping our oceans clean.

Possums Art

As part of our continued focus on sustainability and aligned with our provocations this term

In Art this term, students have been continuing to explore creativity through a sustainability lens. Our focus has been on imagining and designing our own unique characters and creatures, inspired by the question, “What could I create using what I already have?” Students began by sketching their ideas, then selected recycled materials to bring their designs to life. They are now working on building their paper mâché sculptures, using imagination, problem-solving and creative thinking as they experiment with shape, form and texture. It has been wonderful to see students repurposing everyday items in such inventive ways and celebrating the idea that art can be made from anything.