Primary News 

Celebrating Literature - We love it!

Scholastic Book Fair

It has been wonderful to have so many families and students attend the Scholastic Book Fair 20th-25th May and take the opportunity to nurture and feed the love of literature across our community.  Sales this year exceeded all expectations.

I would like to especially thank Mrs Melissa Harford, our Curriculum and Learning Coordinator, along with dedicated Primary staff, who volunteered their time to provide this opportunity for our community. 

22nd Annual National Simultaneous Storytime

The Book Fair this week was a lovely prelude to the 22nd annual National Simultaneous Storytime in the Primary School. 

Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. It  is a vibrant and fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6. 

 By participating in this event we endeavour to:

• promote the value of reading and literacy

• promote the fun of books and a love for them

• promote interest in our Australian writers

This Year's book was Family Tree, written by Josh Pyke and illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh.  Family Tree celebrates the seasons of life, family and community.

Click https://www.alia.org.au/nss if you would like to share the story and utilise some resources  at home.

Year 6 Incursions: Museum of Australian Democracy, Parliamentary Education Office & Australian War Memorial

Over the past two weeks, Year 6 learners have been embarking upon a plethora of exciting experiential learning as part of their investigations into Australia as a democracy and the systems that are used to uphold these values. Part of this unit has had us ‘visiting’ virtually different sites in Canberra and connecting live with experts as we look, learn and ask questions about crucial artifacts that are significant to Australia’s story. 

We had Queen Elizabeth, aka Summer, open a Parliamentary sitting, while Laurie Oakes, aka Tristan, spoke about the importance of people through journalists asking our representatives questions about their values and opinions. Throughout these sessions, we were able to hear about the important contribution people from all cultures and backgrounds have gifted to us to improve our quality of life and maintain the freedoms and rights we enjoy today. 

Melissa Harford

Year 6 Homeroom Teacher

Tree of Life and Sea of Hands

In our Junior Primary building, there is a beautiful mural emerging to mark National Reconciliation week.  All of our Primary students are contributing to this in meaningful, age appropriate ways.

Our Prep to Year 2 students are creating a Sea of Hands.  Sea of Hands is an iconic symbol of reconciliation and a way for communities all around Australia to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues and events. Sea of Hands is an act of recognition – of identities, cultures and history.

Upper Primary students are decorating a “Tree of Life” – incorporating the artwork of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist Safina Stewart (see Ministry news for more details about this).  Each student has a gumleaf to decorate and add to the mural, as a commitment to learn about, pray for and take action towards justice for our First Nations people.  This has led to rich conversations about specific injustices faced both historically and in the present.

We are proud of the way our students have engaged with these activities, and pray that they would grow in their passion for justice, as we walk the journey of reconciliation together in Australia.

Stephanie Cox

Prep Homeroom Teacher

Year 2 PBL

Our Year 2 students spent the day exploring Cranbourne Botanical Gardens to explore the different flora and fauna from around the world to help with their PBL this term.

We spent time looking at wonderful plants, doing a seek and find hunt of different plants in the gardens, an online digital art exhibit and much more. 

We all had such a fun day and are looking forward to further exploring different plants and discussing this in class over the next few weeks.