What's happening?
Foundation
We’ve been busy settling straight back into the swing of things and have loved reading the students’ weekly weekend recounts. This term, we’ve also begun exploring narrative writing, focusing on the four key story elements: character, setting, problem, and solution. In just a few weeks, students will be ready to write their very first narrative! It’s been wonderful to see their confidence grow each week, and we are so proud of the incredible progress they’ve made this year.
In Foundation, we are currently learning about the ‘oo’ code, which makes two sounds, the long /oo/ as in moon and the short /oo/ as in book. Next, we will move on to the ‘ou’ and ‘ow’ codes.
In Maths Groups, we have completed our final unit on Place Value and will be moving on to Division: Sharing. The students will engage in a range of hands-on activities to practise sharing. During our Friday sessions, students take part in assessments and work on problem-solving, using Bar modelling.
This term in Inquiry, we are exploring all things animals! So far, students have learned about different animal coverings such as feathers, fur, and scales. Over the coming weeks, we will continue learning about various animal groups. We’ve begun by exploring Mammals and Marsupials, focusing on how they breathe, where they live, what their coverings are, and what their babies look like.
We have Japanese Day coming up in Week 4 on Wednesday, 29th October! The theme this year is Undokai (Japanese Sports Day). Dress-up ideas include sumo suits, kimonos, Harajuku-inspired outfits, Hello Kitty T-shirts, and Pikachu onesies. It’s bound to be a fun-filled day!
Just a friendly reminder that Monday, 4th November (Week 5) is a Curriculum Day, a pupil-free day. In addition, Tuesday, 5th November is Melbourne Cup Day, so there will be no school on either day.
Our school swimming program is fast approaching in Week 6. To help your child feel more confident and independent, we encourage you to continue to practise getting changed into and out of bathers at home, as well as drying off and dressing themselves. The more practice they get now, the more prepared they’ll be when the program begins.
This term is going to be another big one. Please keep an eye out on Compass for any upcoming information.
Grade 1
The Year one’s have really been enjoying their exploration into Mini Beasts, and many have been keeping an eye on the amount of bugs that have moved into the Bug Hotel that was set up in Week 1.
In Literacy, we have commenced our Narrative writing with a focus on Mini beasts. Students will work through what a good narrative looks like this week and will focus on the different stages within a Narrative, through planning and writing the story. This week we are still working through the code of ‘qu” and will move to “ck “ in week 4. In Morphology, the students will be learning the prefix “tri” and review “bi.” In handwriting the letters, we are focusing on are the letters “e and h.”
Maths
Students have commenced a new topic of Shape for Maths. We are looking at “what is a 2D shape” and what are the “features” which make each shape unique. How many sides and vertices and what type of line represents the shape.
For our Term 4 topic Minibeasts this week we will be looking at the body parts of insects followed by classifying the insects into their scientific groups.
We have had a focus on Kindness again and what that looks like and means. We will move into respect next week.
Just a friendly reminder that students need their hats in order to play outside. Please make sure that all items coming to school are labelled. We appreciate all your help with this as well as continuing to practice reading at home every day.
Grade 2
Our Grade 2 students had a terrific time on their excursion to Ripponlea Estate, despite the very wet conditions! Thank you so much to our wonderful parent helpers that assisted.
Writing: We have been exploring narrative texts and students are developing their skills with using different literary devices to begin their stories using a variety of ‘sizzling starts’ to captivate the reader. Students are also aiming to include more descriptive language to engage their audience and help them to visualise characters, setting and events.
PhOrMeS / Word Study: In our PhOrMeS lessons, we’ve been learning to understand when to drop the e when adding a vowel suffix to silent final e words. If a base word ends in a silent final e then we drop the e, before adding a vowel suffix.
Reading: As part of our Core Knowledge reading unit, we have continued to engage in the text ‘The Wind in the Willows’ by exploring themes within the text such as friendship/loyalty, responsibility and irresponsibility. Students have also been exploring the meaning of interesting vocabulary and interpreting characters’ responses to events that occur in the story.
Inquiry: Next week students will identify examples of change in day-to-day life of children by comparing the past and the present as part of our inquiry into ‘Our Community: Past and Present’ They will also discuss the effects of changing technology on people’s lives and the significance of these changes.
Wellbeing: As part of our ‘U R Strong’ program students have been learning about the ‘friend-o-meter’. This is helping students reflect on how they are feeling in their friendships and the importance of paying attention to how their friends feel too.
Maths: We are wrapping up our unit on Fractions this week. Next week we will begin our Mass and Capacity unit. Students will be learning to measure and compare objects based on capacity and mass using both informal and formal units.
Homework: Thank you for your support with homework: Regular reading aloud and a weekly Word Study/PhOrMeS worksheet. Optional online extras: ‘Nessy Reading and Spelling’ and ‘Sunset/Jetpack Maths’ (Essential Assessment).
Grade 3
Novel Study: Our Grade 3 students are really enjoying our class novel, ‘Charlotte’s Web’. Students listen to a chapter each lesson and participate in discussions and written responses to build and demonstrate comprehension, and develop skills such as writing summary sentences and paragraphs about the main ideas within the text, and using adverbial phrases to expand sentences.
Core Knowledge: For our ‘Earth Science’ inquiry unit this fortnight, students have investigated different landforms on Earth, with a focus on famous Australian landforms, as well as tectonic plates and how earthquakes and volcanoes occur.
Writing: As part of our narrative writing unit, students have been learning more about the components of an effective introduction/orientation, and this week, are building their skills with planning and writing an action paragraph leading to a problem, which also includes specific language features.
Word Study: Students have been reviewing words derived from the Latin base strue/struct, as well as words that include Greek number roots, and a range of ‘weird words’. We are currently learning more about Latin etymology, with a focus on the Latin number roots, such as un in unite, unique, unison, etc.
Maths: We started our mass topic this week, with students estimating, measuring, comparing and recording the mass of various items using an analogue scale, and explaining the relationship between grams and kilograms. Next week, we will move onto capacity. As always, we encourage opportunities to explore these concepts further at home.
Reminder of upcoming events (please consent and complete/return relevant documents):
Swimming – Week 6
Camp – Week 7
We have been encouraging students to try a sleepover at a friend’s house (if they have not done this before/often), to help prepare them for camp.
Homework: Students are reminded to ask a grown-up to check their homework with them and fix errors or make changes as needed, before submitting. Also, to continue regular home reading, record in diary, get it signed by a grown up, and bring it to school every Friday. Thanks for your ongoing support with this.
Grade 4
Another wonderful fortnight has passed in Grade 4 and the kids are making terrific progress across the curriculum.
Literacy:
Students have continued their study of our novel ‘Wonder’ and are further developing their ability to use evidence found in the text to add depth and reasoning to their responses. They have completed the first part of the book which was focused on the perspective of August. The grade 4’s have been forced to reflect on the concept of kindness and the acceptance of different anomalies people have. They are making wonderful progress in planning narratives, brainstorming ideas for characters, settings and complications for stories.
Numeracy:
We have just finished up our measurement (Mass and Capacity) unit, and have delved straight into Angles. Students will be displaying their understanding of different angle names (e.g. acute, obtuse, right angles etc), as well as lots of hands-on measuring of angles using protractors.
Inquiry:
We have been exploring countries in Africa and South America in relation to Australia, looking at geographical features, as well as comparing weather and climates and discussing why these might be similar or different to Australia. Students will learn more about these countries during our rotations over the next few weeks.
Reminders:
Students should continue to read at least 5 times a week at home & record their reading in their diaries. We are also sending printed homework sheets weekly. These tasks are a great opportunity for your child to review and apply our vocabulary focus words introduced in our literacy lessons on ‘Wonder’. My Numeracy Tasks are set on Essential Assessment, or students can opt for a hard copy. Please support your students to continue to stay on top of their homework.
Grade 5
The Grade 5 students have made a great start to their final term. Over the last couple of weeks, the Grade 5 students have shown a great deal of maturity with their participation in their first two sessions of Health Ed. This Thursday will be the last session for the program.
Maths
Students have been deepening their understanding of statistical investigations and the use of different types of data and key terminology used such as range, frequency, mean, median, and mode. They have also demonstrated growing confidence in communicating their findings and identifying trends within data.
Writing
Students have been unpacking the structures of narrative writing using a mottled piece of writing. Students have also been developing their knowledge, understanding and use of figurative and sensory language. Within the literacy session, students have also been participating in regular daily review sessions focused on spelling, dictation, grammar and punctuation.
Reading
In Reading, students have continued to build upon their knowledge and understanding of our read text ‘A Long Walk to Water’. Students have been unpacking the main characters in the text, Nya and Salva, and the many different tribes in the area they live within South Sudan. During these sessions, students have been working on their ability to read and respond to questions with greater depth and use of evidence from the text.
Inquiry
Over the past two weeks, in Inquiry, students have explored types of natural disasters and the differences between weather and climate. They then researched their chosen country to find out more information about the most common natural disasters that occur and about the climate and weather conditions that determine the best time to visit their country.
Homework
This term - literacy, maths, and minimum 20 minutes of reading each night recorded in diaries and signed off each week by a parent.
Reminders
Information regarding Grade 6 Rugby Jumpers and Polo tops is now on Compass.
Orders of your child's 2026 Gr 6 Rugby Jumper and/or polo top have now been submitted. Payment is now required and due by Monday 3rd November.
Please contact Helen Teasdale (Business Manager) on 9580 1451 if you have any payment enquiries.
The 2026 Rugby Top is $85.00.
The 2026 Polo Top is $52.00
Please look out for a Compass event regarding Year 5 students' upcoming visit to Parkdale Secondary College.
Grade 6
This week, the students voted on a design for their graduation t-shirts. We had many amazing entries, showcasing some very talented artists in Grade 6.
Congratulations to our winning designer, Maya in 6E, for her exceptional artwork, which will feature on the t-shirts at our graduation ceremony.
Literacy
We are into our novel study of Rivet Boy, which is based on a true story set in Scotland in the late 1880s and focuses on the main character, 12-year-old John Nicol, having to start work on Scotland’s famous Forth Rail Bridge (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) as his family’s main breadwinner.
Writing
The Grade 6 students are finalising the publishing of their memory book writing rough drafts. The students have been given feedback on their pre-assessment writing piece and have identified two goals they would like to focus on improving within their narrative writing. We have also explored what makes a good orientation and the structure of narrative writing.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, students have been working on Data Representation, which includes looking at different types of data, as well as refining questions and choosing methods of data collection.
Inquiry
The students have been learning about the basics of how an economy is run. The key features of an economy, including needs and wants, the use of raw materials, capital and resources needed and the difference between goods and services, consumers and producers.
Metro Train Safety Incursion
Interschool Sport
Congratulations to all our teams on their fantastic effort and sportsmanship in the next round of interschool sport:
Girls Basketball Team
Softball boys
Volleyball girls and boys
Cricket girls and boys
All students can be proud of their contribution to their teams and the way they represented our school and congratulations to the Boys Cricket team who have progressed to the Regional Finals.