Secondary 9/10 Learning
Mathematics
In Maths the classes have moved onto a focus on multiplication and division with students exploring how to solve problems using arrays, repeated addition and groups. They have discussed the importance of groups being equal and all the different language that is used in multiplication and division. In measurement we are now exploring length, how we measure it, how we record it and the different measurements we use. We have spent a lot of time exploring which measurement would be the best choice for different items, eg would it be best to measure the length of a pencil using metres?
English
In writing the students have moved on from procedural text to the slightly more complicated explanation texts. We have spent a lot of time looking at how procedures and explanations are different and also the similarities they share. While they are both a non-fiction text type explanations tell us why something happens or how something works.
In reading we are revisiting the essential comprehension strategies required to make meaning when we read. We have looked at asking questions while we are reading to help us understand and also recognising when we lose meaning while we read so that we stop, back up and reread the passage. We are constantly modelling these strategies to the students and providing them with many opportunities to practise them at school. We encourage all of our students to be reading at home as well!
Integrated
Integrated studies continues with our science based themes of electricity and changing state. Each group has an excursion or an incursion coming up in the next few weeks, please make sure you are logging onto Compass and providing consent and paying for those events. On Sept 4th we have States of Matter incursion on with Professor Bunsen coming out to wow us, while the electricity group is heading to Scienceworks the following week on Tue 11th.
Duke of Ed
The classes are busily preparing for their community service projects with some classes planning on selling artwork at the Christmas barbeque next term, while others are organising an upcoming footy colours day.
STEAM continues to be a highlight on Friday afternoons with the students enjoying the creative and less structured end to the week. The new programs have proven to be a success with the students engaging with the new design challenges and collaborating with a different group of students. The current groupings have a few weeks left to complete their designs.
PreCAL
Community Experience
During week 5 and 6 the PreCAL classes visited Zart Art and Bunnings to view the gallery area at Zart Art and to purchase items to make a father’s day gift. The students focused on their communication skills when purchasing items and used the visual clues in the stores to locate the items they wished to purchase. The students created a shopping list at school and used this to guide their shopping on the experience day. When purchasing their items they practiced the skills they have been working on at school with money including identifying the coins and notes when paying for their items.
English
In reading the PreCAL classes have been looking at word knowledge for the past few weeks. They have explored different word endings including ‘ed’ ‘ing’ ‘op’ ‘less’ etc and have used the class books created on the community experience days to identify words which have those endings. The students have also been using their knowledge of the sounds different letters make to create words to match pictures displayed.
In writing the PreCAL classes have moved onto a descriptive text type focus. They have started off with building their oral language to describe an object or image verbally using their senses to help them describe it. They have been encouraged to answer the questions of what does it look like, feel like, sound like, taste like and smell like to assist them in developing their descriptions. The students enjoyed describing what they had created after the visits to Zart Art and Bunnings.
Mathematics
In Maths the PreCAL classes finished their focus on money in week 5 and started to investigate multiplication and division in week 6. They are exploring the different words we use when working in multiplication and division such as groups and sharing. The importance of the groups being equal and fair will be a focus across the unit. Classes have also begun looking at length as the measurement focus. The students had fun arranging themselves into height order and have started to create a class display of all the words we use to describe and compare length. It would be great if you could practise using some of those words at home to describe length, eg long, short, tall, taller etc.
Steam
In PreCAL STEAM the classes are continuing their focus on design technologies using Kinex, Lego, Strawbees and other materials to create their structures. They are working hard on following instructions to create certain objects and also enjoying the freedom of being ‘master builders’ and creating their own designs.
