SPOTLIGHT

Year 1

 Learning Update: Multiplication Masters & Reading Detectives!

Our clever Year 1 students in 1S, 1N, and 1P have been working incredibly hard and making fantastic progress across all three classrooms. Their teachers could not be prouder of the enthusiasm, effort, and focus they bring to learning every single day.

In Mathematics, our flexible grouping model is running brilliantly. The children are moving seamlessly across 1S, 1N, and 1P as we dive into the foundations of multiplication by learning how to make and count equal groups. Working alongside different teachers and peers from across the entire cohort has given every student targeted support and extension at their exact point of need, while helping them build wonderful new friendships along the way.

Our amazing readers are also shining during Guided Reading as they practice being story detectives! The students have been focusing on the power of prediction, examining book covers and titles to guess what might happen before they read, pausing mid-story to weigh new clues and adjust their ideas, and finally comparing their initial thoughts to the actual ending once the book is complete.

Take a look at the following pictures to see our hard-working Year 1 stars engaged, collaborating, and learning so well together!

YEAR 3

Term 3 has certainly started with a bang, with lots of exciting learning experiences and special events keeping us busy. We began the term with our wonderful Grandparents’ Day. It was such a special morning filled with smiles, stories and plenty of fun. We enjoyed taking photos together in our photobooth, sharing stories over morning tea and presenting our grandparents with the special cards and badges we had made for them. Our “Groovy Grandparents” artwork was also a crowd favourite and was proudly displayed for everyone to enjoy. It was a beautiful opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the important role our grandparents play in our lives.

The following week, we celebrated NAIDOC Week, where we were immersed in a range of engaging learning games and activities. These experiences helped us to learn more about, acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories. We had lots of fun joining in games in the COLA with Mr French, Miss Sharni and Miss Kimberly, while developing our understanding and respect for First Nations cultures. We have also continued working on our artwork inspired by talented Indigenous artist Bronwyn Bancroft, exploring her distinctive style and vibrant picture book illustrations. We have loved experimenting with colour, pattern and design to create our own unique artworks inspired by her work. 

In Mathematics, we have been learning all about 3D objects. The students particularly enjoyed becoming hands-on mathematicians by constructing models of different 3D objects using playdough and matchsticks. This activity helped us to explore the properties, faces, edges and vertices of different objects while having plenty of fun along the way. In English, we are continuing to enjoy our class novel, Charlotte’s Web. We have been completing a range of rich learning tasks based on the story, exploring the characters, their relationships and the events that unfold. We are using these ideas to help us construct our own narratives about two unlikely characters who become friends. 

During our afternoon KLA sessions, we have been busy exploring the world around us. In Geography, we are learning about Australia’s natural and human-made features, as well as our different states and territories and their climates. In Science, we have been investigating how the Earth’s surface changes over time, exploring fascinating concepts such as weathering, erosion and the formation of mountains. The students have particularly enjoyed getting hands-on with these concepts through a range of engaging investigations and activities, helping us to understand how the world around us is constantly changing. It has already been a busy start to Term 3, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the term brings.

Debating

This week our Stage 3 debaters have taken on Round 2 of the Armidale Catholic Schools Stage Debating Competition. The topic was "That all exams should be replaced with prepared assessment tasks." 

Team A were the affirmative team and debated against St Xavier's Gunnedah's Team B. Ruby, Ellianna, Maddy and Marlee prepared their speeches for the debate. Unfortunately, Maddy and Marlee were absent on the actual day, so Patrick and Hugh stepped in. The team were incredibly persuasive, and were awarded the win. 

Team B were the negative team and debated against St Xavier's Gunnedah's Team A. Ivy, Evangelyn, Olivia and Addi were well prepared and researched. Their persuasive skills also earned them a win. 

Well done to both teams and thank you to the Year 6 coaches for helping to guide them. We look forward to another debate in a few weeks.