UPA

What an exciting term UPA has had learning all about our amazing body and the different functions each body part can do. It has been fascinating learning about our bones, muscles, brain, heart and lungs. Students were amazed when we started to look inside our bodies and how many layers there are. Each week we have had lots of fun with our learning experience through science activities taking a closer look at each of our body parts. We experienced touching soft noodles to help describe how our brain feels, listening to our hearts by using stethoscopes and heart monitors, and blowing up balloons through straws to demonstrate how our lungs work.

We developed our writing vocabulary through each experience and learnt to use lots of adjectives to help describe what our body can do. Through our introception sessions we were able to describe and further develop an understanding of how our body feels through emotions. Students were curious and asked lots of questions about Aboriginal culture during Reconciliation week. We read stories and watched a video of an elder as he presented a smoking ceremony and we practised saying our acknowledgment to Country each day.

We went on a class nature walk and collected small items from the land to make a nature bracelet to help us connect to Country. Every Tuesday afternoon UPA turned into a school of fishes at the pool. They had a great time working on their swimming skills, from kicking on their backs and stomachs, working on putting their heads under water to using a flutter board to float. It has been a fabulous term and I am so proud of all the students and their hard work they have done so far. I am looking forward to another great term.

UPB

There are lots of development in UPB in Term 2. We have welcomed new members Erick and Zoe to our class. In the Discovery unit, we investigated some main body parts from bones, muscles, brain heart to lungs. It was amazing to look at books and videos about them and talk about all the critical work they do for us. Students engaged in many experiments to look at the key features of those body parts. For example, we used a stethoscope to check our heartbeats and compared two playdough bodies with and without bones inside. We looked at different verbs to recount our experiences and particularly we learned about verbs in the past tense.

Our interoception program helped to deepen our understanding of our body by looking at the feelings of different parts of the body and finding the connection to our emotions. In Maths, we worked on our number sense through targeted teaching and hands-on games. It was nice to see students become more confident and independent with their work. Last but not least, we had a wonderful time swimming at Watermarc. It was not easy to share space and wait for the turns in a non-school setting and I am so proud of everyone showing respect and being safe!

Looking forward to another fabulous term together!

UPC

UPC have had an exciting and busy Term 2. Our Discovery Unit was based on the human body and everyone thoroughly enjoyed participating in weekly language experiences that saw us explore different body parts and their functions. We really enjoyed different experiments such as making an arm model, creating a heart pump and making lungs with straws and balloons. We have made lots of progress in our writing, identifying nouns and verbs and creating sentences.

We have also worked hard on developing our phonic skills to help us read and write, everyone has done tremendously well. Our Interoception program helped us to gain insight into our body’s feelings and ways to identify these. In Maths, we worked hard on our number sense and became well versed at using tens frames and also made great progress on our individual learning goals.

We enjoyed participating in the Electives program and are very excited to be swimming next term. We sadly said goodbye to our ES Paula but have warmly welcomed Ellisar in her place.

We are looking forward to what’s coming up in Term 3!

UPD

The students in UPD have completed an excellent term’s work by actively engaging in their learning, in all areas of the curriculum. There has been many stand-out moments for the students along the way, beginning with our ANZAC Day excursion at the beginning of the term. The students made their own poppies out of red tissue paper and were honoured to lay them at the Watsonia RSL cenotaph. They paid their respect to the soldiers in this way.

This term, the students have focused on learning all about ‘The Body’ in English sessions and the Discovery Unit. They have read informative texts to learn about the body parts and all the significant body organs and muscles, such as the heart, lungs, brain and bones. A special highlight for the students was hosting our section assembly and singing the song “Shake Them Skeleton Bones”, which they were able to learn off by heart. They also made an x-ray machine which depicted all the major bones in the body.

Learning about the heart was an educational and authentic experience for the students, as they were able to measure their resting heart rate with a pulse oximeter.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the Mind and Body Incursion, where they engaged in meditation, yoga and dancing experiences.

In Maths, the students have developed and consolidated their Numeracy skills by focusing on Place Value activities. We finished off the term by learning about Location and practising using positional language.

All in all, it has been a productive term, full of meaningful learning and the students can be commended for their hard work and diligence.

UPE

The students in UPE have explored the topic “Our Amazing Body” with great enthusiasm this term. The students have spent a lot of time learning about our body and how it works and they have been curious and insightful participants during our weekly language experiences and the conversations that follow these activities. Stand out activities for UPE have been creating a pump model to demonstrate how the heart pumps blood and creating a lung model where they were able to see how our lungs expand and contract as we breathe.

UPE have been working hard at developing and consolidating their understanding of numbers and place value in Mathematics. Each week the students have engaged with ten frames and concrete objects to demonstrate their growth and understanding over a range of different number concepts.

Both Deanna and Megan are extremely proud of the progress the students in UPE have made in the Little Learners Love Literacy program. All of the students are continually reading a wider range of CVC words as well as showing an increase in their understanding of the content that they are reading.

UPE is a vibrant and energetic class where the students enjoy sharing stories and engaging with their peers. This term we have been so amazed at the kindness and compassion that the students have shown one another and the willingness to help a friend in need.

Well done UPE! You have all worked incredibly hard this term and we cannot wait to see what Term 3 holds for you all!

UPF

We are thrilled to share with you a snapshot of the wonderful term of learning in UPF.

Our Discovery Unit, Our Amazing Body, developed students’ knowledge about bones, muscles and organs, including the brain, and the respiratory and the digestive system. Language Experiences were engaging, interactive and hands-on experiments each Monday, which paved the way for building vocabulary and constructing a writing piece by the end of each week.

In Numeracy, students continued to develop their number sense through explicit instruction, small group and independent games and activities to gain a deeper understanding of place value. We finished the term with a focus on location through a language experience in which students used positional language and their problem solving skills to locate hidden treasures!

Some highlights of Term 2:

ANZAC Day Memorial excursion
Parents visiting for Education Week
Mind & Body Incursion
AUSLAN course for Michelle, Alex & Amber
Learning, Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes in Noongar for Reconciliation Week
Year 5 Camp to The Ranch

Thank you to our wonderful Class Captain, Huda, for continually displaying the Concord Student Expectations. Huda is a conscientious learner, who is responsible and respectful in and out of the classroom. Similarly, thank you to Cassie, who has represented UPF as our SRC member for the entire semester. Cassie and her fellow SRC reps across the school enjoyed an end-of-semester camp in recognition of their dedication to the role.

Term 3 will see another student selected as Class Captain for the term, while we will choose another student to represent UPF as SRC rep for the semester.

Our students have worked really hard this term. We cram a lot into each week. We hope they enjoy a couple of weeks at home with family or away somewhere wonderful.

UPG

The students in UPG have had another fantastic term! This term we have explored the human body, deepening our understanding of different body parts and their functions. We did this through a range of experiments and hands-on activities during our language experiences and then applied this understanding to our writing and reading sessions. Some highlights include creating our own set of lungs, measuring our heart rates through different activities such as meditation and running and participating in a mindfulness incursion. Students have spent time developing their understanding of place value through lots of games and hands-on activities. The student should be extremely proud of all they have achieved this term!

UPH

This term we learnt about different parts of the body and their function. We loved learning about the brain and completed a range of activities and exercises to use different areas of our brains. We’ve enjoyed researching and exploring different bones and muscles in our bodies. We even used different machines to check and monitor our heart rates during different activities! Our class enjoyed learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history during ‘Reconciliation Week’. Our grade 5’s are so excited to go on camp at the end of this term to ‘The Ranch’. Well done to UPH on an amazing term, I am so excited for the next one!

ALLIED HEALTH

Speech Therapist: Adrianna Galioto

Term 2 has been full of learning and fun! In Speech, we have been building our vocabulary to label our body parts and talk about what our body can do. A highlight this term was attending the Mind and Body Incursion and getting to see the students learn about different ways to energise and relax their bodies.

Rachel Morgan Kirsten Telford

Leading Teacher Leading Teacher

Teaching and Learning Wellbeing and Engagement

Upper Primary

Issue 2 · 21 Jun 2023

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