INFANTS

There is lots of action happening in the last couple of weeks of term, and everyone is getting excited about these events. First up, we have the Athletics Carnival next Wednesday 2 April. All students will be taking part in this great day of racing, jumping, throwing and good fun down at the Recreation Oval. Younger students who turn 5, 6 or 7 this year, will return to school at around lunch time, with those turning 8 and above staying at the carnival for the whole day. We look forward to seeing as many friends and family there on the day to cheer and join in the fun!

Excitement is building in the Infants block in the lead up to Easter. We’ve been getting our creative hats on in preparation for our Boorowa Easter Hat Parade, which is happening on Wednesday 9 April at 10.00am at the Boorowa Recreation Ground. This is such a lovely event that combines children from the BEE Centre with students from our school and St Josephs, making it inclusive of all Boorowa families. We hope many family and friends are able to come down to the cricket ground to take part in the fun. In the meantime, if you get a chance, pop in to the Infants Building to have a look at our bright and colourful eggs decorating our hallway.

This fortnight we have been welcoming families with students starting school next year to join us for ‘Kindy 2026 Kickstart Tours’. We have had a great response with many new and current families visiting our school and taking a tour with Mr Jones and our Primary Captains to see our wonderful school in action. Thank you to Joe, Edie, Maddyn and William for being exceptional leaders and role models during these tours.

K/1

K/1 has a special class friend called ‘Kookie’ the Kookaburra. He and his little brother live in the classroom and keep an eye on how our class is travelling and if needed, they fly down for a cuddle with a classmate. Each Friday, Kookie chooses to go home for a weekend of adventures with a classmate who has had a great week of learning and has been a great role model for the rest of the class. So far Kookie has been lucky enough to have many bike and buggy rides, join in on a birthday party, have fun at the park and pool and snuggle in to special beds his friends have made him.

This week we have enjoyed reading BJ Novak’s book, ‘The Book With No Pictures’ and finding out all the ways the author has made us laugh at silly sounds and words. We have been busy making our own ‘Blorks and BLuurFs’ and made a class book out of these.

In Mathematics, K/1 have been learning all about measurement. We practiced ‘hefting’ things to find out items that have a heavier, lighter or about the same mass as our lunchboxes. Students had fun using their ‘see-saw’ arms to demonstrate this. We are continuing to focus on number skills, including forming our numerals correctly, counting sequences and finding all the little numbers that make bigger numbers.

Year 1/2

Can you believe the term is drawing to a close already? Year 1/ 2 have had an incredibly busy term and have settled very well into the routines of the classroom and motions of school life.

Over the last few weeks, as a part of the school’s Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) focus, we have been discussing how to understand relationships. We have focused on what makes a good friend and peer in the classroom and on the playground. Students have engaged in rich conversations about how to be kind to one another and find appropriate friends to play with.

We have now engaged in three cooking sessions in the Food Tech room. Our last session involved making chicken and salad wraps. Students were exposed to cutting techniques as they cut up the ingredients. We all engaged in conversations about the healthy food choices going into the wrap.

In Mathematics, students have explored a range of measurement tasks. We have looked at measurement vocabulary such as volume, length, area and mass in detail and have practiced using each of these. To extend students’ knowledge we have looked at informal units of measurement as well as formal units, such as meters, centimetres, kilograms and many more. Moving forward, we are just beginning a new unit that is all about addition and subtraction strategies.

In English, Year 1/ 2 have just wrapped up a narrative unit. In this unit, we looked at the term ‘sequencing’ and students were challenged to recognise and use correct narrative structure to plan, develop, edit and publish their own pieces of writing. Students also worked towards the learning outcomes of consistently using correct tense in written pieces, adding prepositional phrases and using feedback to support their process. Well done to all students! We have just begun a new unit on context and students have been tasked to compare their own context to those of people around Australia.

In Sport this term, we have been preparing for the Athletics Carnival that is rapidly approaching (next week!). Students have been learning how to correctly throw a ‘shot put’ and the skills required in long jump. We have also practiced sprinting and relay races. To connect across key learning areas, students spent a lot of time outside for Mathematics classes as we measured our shot-put throws and long jumps.

Easter is also fast approaching, and Year 1/ 2 alongside other classes have begun decorating the hallway with Easter themed artworks. This week, we will be beginning to create our Easter Hats in preparation for the Parade in the final week of school.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.

Miss. Friend

Year 2/3

What a busy term we have had, we have been learning some skills in Sport to be ready for our athletics carnival.

In PDHPE, we have been talking about safety, we have talked about using the crossing safely at school and practised crossing the road in a safe way. We have also learnt about being safe in and around water and we created our own water safety posters to display on the wall. We also had a visit from the police to take about being safe in our community and what to do in an emergency. The students enjoyed trying out the handcuffs and asking lots of questions about being a police officer.

In Maths, we have been learning about measurement. We measured ourselves against a metre ruler and then had to create a line of blocks that would be a metre long. Then we talked about measuring distances in metres and kilometres, we each had a turn of using the trundle wheel to measure the basketball court and the ninja course. Our next few lesson will be focussed on measuring in centimetres and millimetres.

In Literacy, we have recently completed a unit of work based around Roald Dahl's novel 'Fantastic Mr Fox'. We are now learning to use the laptops to research various topics relating to the oceans and marine life. We have enjoyed rehearsing the Australian National Anthem and discussing what the words in the song mean.

In cooking last week, we were practising chopping and grating to make some delicious chicken and salad wraps. Students enjoyed munching on the lettuce and carrot as they worked.

During Harmony Day we talked about being kind and inclusive of everyone, because everyone belongs in our school and community. We created lists of kind words about each other and each made our own triarama that illustrated things we like and are good at.

We are looking forward to all the exciting things coming up before the end of this term, the athletics carnival, the Easter hat parade, lots of other fun things we enjoy doing at school with our friends.

Miss Downey

Mr Rowley’s Update – Science, History, Creative Arts & Intervention Weeks 6 to 8 Newsletter

Dear families,

With the term rolling along faster than a billy cart on a downhill track, it’s time to share what’s been happening in Science, History, Creative Arts and Intervention across K to 6. From decoding tricky words to exploring the wonders of the sky, our students have been curious, creative, and absolutely committed to their learning. It’s been a joy to be part of it all.

NAPLAN – Effort, Resilience and Pride

Firstly, a huge congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students for completing their NAPLAN assessments. These assessments can be daunting, but I was genuinely proud of the calm and determined way our students approached each test. They demonstrated persistence, focus, and a willingness to challenge themselves, qualities far more valuable than any test score. It was a privilege to witness their growth and maturity through the process. Well done, team!

Intervention – Building Confident Readers

Our targeted intervention program is in full swing for Stage 2 and 3 students, with a strong focus on reading, decoding and fluency. I’ve been working with students in small groups and one-on-one, tailoring support to their individual needs. We’re using the Fast Phonics program to reinforce core skills, alongside a variety of engaging texts and structured literacy strategies. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch students grow in confidence, unlock meaning from text, and start to see themselves as capable readers. These are quiet achievements that make a big difference.

Science & History Across K to 6

K/1 – From Paddocks to People and Family Connections

K/1 recently wrapped up their Farm to Family science unit. From discovering that milk doesn’t just appear in cartons to exploring how plants and animals provide us with food, clothing and shelter, the students were buzzing with curiosity. They investigated fibres from nature, matched them to products, and even experimented with designing solutions using different materials—some very clever thinking from our youngest learners.

In History, we’ve now moved into a unit on Families. Students are exploring who’s in their family, how they’re connected, and where their families come from. They’ve enjoyed creating simple family trees and sharing stories about their homes and cultures. It’s been heartwarming to see their sense of identity and connection grow through these discussions.

1/2 – Weather Watchers and Kindness Champions

Our 1/2 scientists have their eyes firmly on the sky. In our current unit, students are investigating observable changes throughout the day and seasons. With weather diaries in hand and newly built rain gauges outside the classroom, they’ve become expert weather reporters—tracking the Sun’s movement, observing cloud patterns, and identifying how the sky changes as night falls. The excitement when they spotted the Moon in daylight was priceless!

In Creative Arts, we’ve been working through our Be a Good Friend unit, using storytelling, visual art and drama to explore empathy, kindness and inclusion. Through role-play and reflection, students are learning how to navigate friendships, express feelings and support each other in meaningful ways.

2/3 – States of Matter and Deepening Understanding of Culture

2/3 recently completed their Changes of State unit, and let me tell you—things definitely got steamy! Students explored solids, liquids and gases through hands-on investigations, experimenting with heat to see how matter changes state. Whether it was melting chocolate or capturing condensation, their scientific thinking was on full display. Unfortunately, in most of these experiments were online but I will be making an effort to have in class experiments ready to go for the students.

We’ve now transitioned into History, where students are exploring life Before Contact. We’re learning about the rich cultures, traditions and ways of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples prior to European settlement. Students are developing their research skills, learning about Country and language groups, and gaining a deeper appreciation for the First Peoples of Australia.

4/5 – Stretching Thinking and Making Connections

4/5 have been working through the same science and history units as 2/3, but with added opportunities to extend their thinking and dive deeper into the content. In Science, they’ve explored the changing states of matter through more complex investigations, while in History, their thoughtful reflections and discussions around pre-contact Aboriginal life have shown great maturity and insight. The level of respect and interest they bring to these lessons has been impressive.

5/6 – Survival of the Fittest and the Role of Environment

Stage 3 students have just completed the Adapting to Survive unit. We explored how animals and plants use features and behaviours to survive in different environments. Students designed their own imaginative species with clever adaptations—everything from camouflage crabs to heat-reflective desert plants!

We’ve now moved into Living Things in Their Environment, where we’re looking at how changes in environmental conditions affect living things. Students are learning about migration, hibernation, mould growth, and extreme habitats. We’re also exploring how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems support sustainability and environmental care—a powerful connection between traditional knowledge and modern science.

Yindy – Learning Through Play, Nature and Time

In Yindy, learning continues through play-based and hands-on activities. Students recently finished their science unit Look Up and Around, where they tracked seasonal changes, built rain gauges, and learned about the Moon and stars. Their curiosity and wonder about the world above have led to some beautiful conversations.

In History, they’ve explored concepts of time—learning to sequence events, understand past and present, and even create simple personal timelines. They’ve been introduced to the Aboriginal seasonal calendar, recognising that time can be understood in many different ways, not just with months and dates. In sport, students continue to build social skills through cooperative games like boccia and soccer—focusing on teamwork, fairness and having fun.

Final Thoughts

There’s a spark in every classroom right now—a sense of energy and engagement that comes from students feeling challenged, supported and proud of what they’re learning. Whether it’s tracking the clouds, understanding the past, or mastering a tricky new word, our students are rising to the occasion.

Thank you for your ongoing support. It makes a real difference, and I’m grateful to work alongside such a fantastic school community. If you need anything or have any concerns, as always, feel free to contact me via email matthew.rowley12@det.nsw.edu or make an appointment with me by calling the office.

Warm regards, Mr Rowley

Year 5/6

Mathematics

This fortnight in our 5/6 classes, we have embarked on an exciting journey in our maths unit focused on time management! Our students have been learning how to read and create their own timetables, a skill that is not only essential for school but also for life beyond the classroom.

As part of this engaging activity, each student designed a personal timetable, incorporating specific criteria to ensure it meets their daily needs. They also tackled the challenge of converting between 12-hour and 24-hour time, which sparked some fascinating discussions about how we use time in our everyday lives.

Through this project, we've opened up conversations about the importance of managing our time effectively. Students are discovering how these skills can help them balance their schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and personal time. We believe that mastering time management is a valuable skill that they will continue to build on as they grow.

Police Visit

This week, our Stage 3 students had a valuable visit from our local police officers. They spoke about the importance of cyber safety, making thoughtful language choices, and ensuring safety within our community. It was a positive and engaging talk, and our students asked many insightful questions, demonstrating their eagerness to learn.

Primary

Easter Hat Parade

The Easter Hat Parade is coming up in Week 11! Over the next week, students will be working with their teachers to create their Easter hats for this community event. We encourage everyone to participate and celebrate this joyful occasion together.

Essential Assessment

We are continuing to utilise Essential Assessment to support our numeracy assessment and consolidation. We commend our students for their efficient learning and engagement with the platform. It has been wonderful to see them taking ownership of their learning and actively seeking feedback.

Athletics Carnival

Looking ahead, our Athletics Carnival is scheduled for next Wednesday, April 2nd. We are looking forward to a fun-filled day of activities and to seeing all our students participate. Please remember to send your child with a hat, water bottle, and snacks for the day.

As we approach the end of the term, we would like to thank you all for your ongoing support. It has been a busy time, but it is truly amazing to watch the growth happening in our classrooms.

Warm regards,

Meg McIntosh Primary Assistant Principal

Wellbeing Matters