Save the Date - Primary Years Learning Showcase

The Primary Years Learning Showcase is an exciting community event returning to our college. Families are invited to explore open classrooms, engage in interactive sessions with our specialist teachers, and experience student-led showcases of learning. This is a wonderful opportunity to see learning in action and celebrate the growth, voice, and achievements of our students.

You won’t want to miss this! Be sure to save the date, Wednesday evening, May 13, in your calendars. More details coming soon.

Rebecca Moore

PYP Coordinator

NAPLAN update

NAPLAN has now wrapped up, and we are incredibly proud of the effort shown by all students. They approached each session with focus, resilience, and a positive mindset.

We also acknowledge the flexibility and professionalism of our teachers, who supported students so thoughtfully, especially when navigating a few technical challenges along the way. Thank you to everyone for your teamwork and perseverance in making this a successful experience.

Rebecca Moore

PYP Coordinator

Year 6 Canberra Camp

Our Year 6 students recently enjoyed a memorable five-day camp in Canberra, with three days filled with rich learning experiences. The camp strongly supported their Unit of Inquiry, How We Organise Ourselves, as students explored Australia’s system of democracy. Visits to Parliament House and the Electoral Education Centre helped students understand how laws are made and the importance of voting. At the Australian War Memorial, students reflected on Australia’s history and those who have served our country.

Questacon provided hands-on learning opportunities that encouraged curiosity and problem-solving, while bowling offered a chance to relax and build friendships. Throughout the camp, students demonstrated independence, resilience, and respect, representing the College with pride. This experience allowed them to connect their classroom learning to the real world, creating meaningful and lasting memories.

We extend a huge thank you to the parents. Their assistance was greatly appreciated!

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $45.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Rene Van Zyl

Assistant Head of Years

Gabrielle Wang visit

Last Friday on Harmony Day, we had the honour of welcoming award-winning author and illustrator Gabrielle Wang to speak with our Primary Years students.

Gabrielle inspired a love of reading and storytelling as she shared her journey as a writer and the creative process behind her books. To top it off, students had the exciting opportunity to follow along in a step-by-step drawing session, bringing one of her beloved characters, Baby Peng the dragon, to life!

Year 4 Mind and Body Incursion

On Wednesday 18 March, our Year 4s took part in a Mind and Body Incursion, connecting with their Who We Are Unit of Inquiry. Throughout the session, students explored different strategies to help recognise, understand and regulate their emotions, while learning how looking after both the mind and body supports overall wellbeing. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to build practical skills they can use every day.

Scott Darlow visit

Last Thursday, we had a special visit from proud Yorta Yorta man and musician Scott Darlow and his daughter, Kiah. As part of Harmony Week, they shared Aboriginal culture with our Primary Years students, performed songs on the guitar and yiḏaki (commonly known as the didgeridoo), and Kiah taught them a traditional Aboriginal song, ‘Ngarra Burra Ferra’.

Year 4 Incursion: Democracy, Community & Me

Our students recently participated in an engaging Civics and Citizenship incursion that brought Australian democracy to life. Students learned about the three levels of government and the difference between rules and laws. They also took part in a mock election, discovering how preferential voting works and what it means to achieve an absolute majority.

The highlight of the session was a council meeting role-play, where students stepped into the roles of Councillors and community members to debate local issues and make decisions.

Jordan Sack

Year 4 Teacher

Our incursion was very fun! We learnt about preferential voting. It is like normal voting, but a person has to get more than 50% of the votes to win. If no one gets more than 50% in the first count, the person with the least votes is out, and their votes are given to the voters’ second choice. This keeps happening until there is a winner.

We discovered that when voting takes place, the people who collect the votes also get to vote themselves, they don’t miss out. During the session, I also learnt that the hammer used in meetings is called a gavel and that before you speak you have to say "Mayor".

Germaine C 4B

In our incursion we learned about the three levels of government - Local, State and Federal. Did you know the federal government takes care of money, defence, immigration and things that affect the whole country. In our incursion, we got to do a role play based on how a council meeting would run as part of our local council.

I was elected Mayor and I got to listen to everyone's arguments, say my opinion and choose if I wanted to change the law or not. At the meeting, we spoke about whether dogs should be on leads or not within our community.

Anaya C 4C

Building Strong Foundations in Mathematics

Our Year 2 students have been enjoying using their new abacuses to support their learning in skip counting. Concrete materials play an important role in Mathematics, helping students represent counting, addition and subtraction in meaningful ways. By providing a visual and hands-on model, these tools make abstract concepts easier to understand and build confidence in problem solving.

As students develop their understanding, they gradually rely less on the physical materials, having formed strong connections to the abstract processes behind them. A range of concrete resources is used across our Mathematics lessons and remains available to students whenever they need extra support.

Maria Denholm

Head of Primary Years

Year 4 Music: Ostinatos

Our Year 4 musicians have been exploring ostinatos in Music this term — repeated musical phrases that create structure and flow within a piece. They were thrilled to put their learning into practice using their new glockenspiels, paired with handbells, resulting in an impressive performance from these young performers.

Guided by Mrs Ephraums, students followed the score on the whiteboard to keep their timing aligned, demonstrating strong cooperation, focus and listening skills — talents that will support their learning well beyond the Music classroom.

Maria Denholm

Head of Primary Years

Primary Years Ambassadors visit The Geelong College

On Wednesday 4 March the Primary Years Ambassadors and House Sports and Arts Leaders travelled to The Geelong College where they, along with students from other local independent schools participated in leadership training.

Ronan shared the following about the day:

Today, I have learnt that if you want a particular change in the school it starts with you. "Be the change you want to see in the world"- Mahatma Ghandi. Sometimes in life, in school and outside of school I like to have changes, so I initiate for it, but at this excursion I found Marrisa very inspiring learning that I need to convince more people for it to be much more effective.

Another major point that I learnt was that building relationships along your journey makes your task much more manageable, and so that you can have an efficient experience. In school, multiple times when I am in a group I must compromise to limit arguments and misunderstandings. These comprises are vital for the required collaboration whilst also not letting others boss you around. At times it is frustrating for me like it must be for others, but it is crucial for being qualified leader.

The students participated in many activities where they collaborated with students they had only just met. They grew in their thinking and shared openly with others. It was pleasure to spend the day with them!

Maria Denholm

Head of Primary Years

Year 2 Werribee Mansion Excursion

Our Year 2s recently stepped back in time with a visit to Werribee Mansion as part of their Where We Are in Place and Time inquiry unit. During the excursion, students explored what life was like in the Victorian era through interactive activities and guided learning. The experience included a tour of the historic mansion as well as the Laundry Room, where students tried hands-on tasks from the “olden days”. By immersing themselves in history through play and exploration, students gained a deeper understanding of how people lived in the past and how life has changed over time.

Prakriti Sharma

Teacher

Year 2 Werribee Museum Incursion

Lisa and Carolyn from the Werribee Museum came to visit the Year 2 class at Tarneit to talk about the History of Werribee. They shared current photos of local landmarks, buildings and roads and compared it with what it looked like in the past. They also brought in a telephone and taught the students how to make a phone call using the dial. Students also had the opportunity to hold an olden day 'sad iron'. Students enjoyed learning about the past and how technology, the environment and people have changed over time for their Where we are in place and time Inquiry unit.

Emily Chommanivong

Year 2 Teacher

Wyndham Mayor Preet Singh Visits Our Year 4s

On Monday 16 March, we were honoured to welcome Mayor of Wyndham, Preet Singh to speak with our Year 4 students about local government.

It was a fantastic interactive session, with students asking thoughtful questions and hearing about the Mayor’s experiences serving the community. A great opportunity for our students to learn more about how local government works and the role it plays in supporting our community.

Grade 3-6 Cross Country

Our Primary School Cross Country was held around campus on March 25th with students from Grades 3–6 taking part in a great day of running. The weather was ideal and the energy and effort from all students was fantastic to see. It was great to see so many students challenging themselves and giving their best across each race. Students who have qualified for the next stage will be notified, with the next event taking place on May 7.

A big thank you to our Sport Captains and sport leaders for their support as well as the PE team for helping the day run smoothly.

Liam Lambert

Sports Coordinator

Year 2 Abacuses

Our Year 2 students have been enjoying their new abacuses! Working with concrete materials helps make abstract concepts like addition and subtraction more tangible, supporting a deeper understanding. Over time, students build confidence and rely less on the tools as they strengthen their mathematical thinking. A variety of hands-on resources are always available in our Maths lessons to support learning for every student.

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