Reception class: Katie

Since returning to school the Reception class has been doing lots of new learning. In literacy we have started to learn what a digraph is. We have also started learning about syllables and how to write an information report.

As part of our work in maths we have been learning about addition and subtraction strategies. To do this we have been playing a lot of games.

As part of our work in science with Katie we have started learning about ants. We have learnt some fun facts about them and have started learning about their habitat.

In HASS we have been busy learning about the Aboriginal culture. We have been learning about Aboriginal peoples' connection with the land as well as the number of different languages there are across Australia.

Finally as part of our work with the Kimochis we have met Clover and this week we met our final Kimochi Hero the dog.

Year 1 class: Kelly

What a great start to Term three! We have been busy learning new sounds - ir as in bird and ur as in surf. Students have been practising their spelling and writing sentences using the ir and ur sounds.

This week, for our Big Write, the children have had discussions about: Should children have chores/jobs? It has been great listening to whether or not they think children should/shouldn't have jobs. They have been really thinking about how they can persuade others with their opinion.

We have also introduced our new writing genre for the term: information reports. The children have viewed a non-fiction text about beetles, watched a video and read some information about beetles. They have learnt how to take notes and create a mind/brain map about all the information they have learnt. Next week they will attempt their first information report writing task about beetles.

For an art activity with me, they learnt how to draw a beetle following step-by-step instructions. We discussed how we can make the beetle stand out or pop off the page. See their efforts below.

In maths we are continuing with our worded addition and subtraction. The children are learning a new strategy: first, next and then. They are using their model to represent and explain strategies and also to help them solve the worded problems.

Year 2 class: Sam

From exploring language to diving into mathematical adventures and grooving to cool dance moves, the beginning of Term 3 has been a journey of growth and discovery.

In our literacy lessons, we have been immersing ourselves in the delightful 'sh' sound created by the phoneme 'ch'. But that's not all! Our inquisitive young minds embarked on a fascinating exploration of the etymology behind these words, leading to an astonishing discovery - many of these 'ch' words have their origins in the French language!

Words like 'chic', 'chaise', 'chiffon', 'chandelier', and 'bechamel' fascinated us as we delved into their French roots. To celebrate our newfound linguistic knowledge, we came together to create a class book, brimming with 'silly sentences' featuring these 'ch' phoneme words. Here are some witty sentences and illustrations concocted by our imaginative students:

Through this playful activity, our students not only strengthened their phonetic skills but also discovered the power of language and its cultural connections.

In our maths classes, we embarked on an exciting journey into the world of fractions. We focused on creating two equal parts of a whole (the square), identifying one of these parts as one half, and exploring various representations of one half while keeping its size consistent.

Engaging with shapes and participating in hands-on tasks, Year 2 students learned to partition wholes to find the same fractional amount in different ways. They eagerly verified the sizes of the parts using creative methods such as cutting and comparing or using manipulatives to check size. These interactive activities sparked engaging conversations and enabled us to uncover misconceptions and make exciting new learning discoveries.

Our first Footsteps dance classes filled the school gymnasium with excitement! Our students embraced cool new dance moves, grooving to the beats with joy and enthusiasm. Beyond the fun and energy, dance lessons offer numerous benefits, including coordination, expressiveness, and confidence. These dance lessons align with the Australian Curriculum outcomes, providing a unique way to foster creativity and physical expression.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Year 2/3 class: Stephen and Suzie

We have continued our focus on Place Value for maths. Our latest task has involved us each been given a digit. In groups of 5 or 6, we line up at the front of the class and listen to a challenge from our peers in the audience (see the pictures). Our peers in the audience tell us what sort of number to make using the individual digits eg:

“Make the largest number possible”
“Make the smallest number possible”
“Make the second smallest number possible”

For HASS we have started looking into our topic for this term which is Food Security. We are looking at what Food Security means and how it can be achieved by people around the world. We are also looking at some things that stop Food Security from being achieved.

Year 4/5 class: Alex

In writing, students have started a unit on information reports. They have been researching the features, habitat, diet and behaviour of the Greater Bilby. They have been practising the skills of note-taking and have written a pre-assessment piece on the topic for their Brightpath assessment.

In mathematics students have been continuing their work on decimals and fractions, converting between decimals and fractions, ordering and comparing decimal numbers on number lines and solving problems in context involving decimal numbers.

In Design and Technology, students have been writing their persuasive pitches to convince the audience of why their gravity-defying shoe is worth buying. They have been using a rubric to self-assess their speech and design project with the criteria of: biomimicry, construction, shoe transformation, persuasive devices and oral presentation skills.

This fortnight students enjoyed starting their weekly ‘Footsteps’ dance lesson. The session was high energy, engaging and the choreography provided a well-pitched level of challenge.

Year 5/6 class: Sallie

We have only been at school three weeks and I feel like we have already done so many things. We have started our Maths Investigation into Measurement (while also brushing up on our division and multiplication skills).

In English we are continuing on with our guided reading novels and all three are at crucial parts - its easy to locate the "tension" in a well written novel. We have been preparing for our BIG WRITE - which is in the genre of persuasive writing. We have formed our goals, checked our "I can" statements, read our past work, and unpacked an example of a high Brightpath level of writing...all with the goal of improving our own work. We are back into spelling and nearly everybody has finished the Premiers Reading Challenge!

For history we are researching the why and how of convicts coming to Australia. One of our main focuses here is to look at everything from all different perspectives. Did you know children as young as 14 were being sent to Australia, as convicts, for minor crimes? Lego Spike (new for the Year 5s) is our design and technology focus for this term and involves coding and designing robots. Lots of fun things coming up!

Festival of Music Choir Tickets

Indonesian: Ibu Susan

We have had a busy start to the term in Indonesian. The younger students have read a story using the words Saya melihat..…(I can see…..). This introduces several new nouns. The older students are looking at the verb bermain ( to play) and using it with many new and familiar words. They have also enjoyed dancing with the Indonesian dance group Takupaz by watching videos of their modern dance moves.

Mon 7 August 7pm	Gov. Council
Fri 11 August	Sallie's tuckshop *
Thurs 17 August	Readers Cup Performance
Fri 18 August	Year 4/5/6 SAHMRI Excursion
Mon 21 - Fri 25 August	Book Week
Wed 23 August	Yr 5/6 Choir rehearsal at Magic Millions
Fri 1 Sept 7-9pm	Art Show *

Pupil Free/ School Closure Days
Mon 16 Oct	Term 4 Week 1
Mon 6 Nov (Uraidla Sho	Term 4 Week 4

Important dates