Spotlight on Learning

Stage 1

As we reach Week 10 and wrap up a wonderful Term 4, Year 1 have been busy finishing the year with energy, curiosity and plenty of Christmas cheer. It’s been a joyful time in the classroom as students reflect on how much they’ve grown, revisit favourite learning experiences, and celebrate their achievements from across the year.

In these final weeks, the children have enjoyed working together on creative end-of-year activities, strengthening their skills, and sharing the excitement that comes with the holiday season approaching. We are so proud of the way they have continued to show kindness, enthusiasm and resilience right up to the last day.

Christmas STEM activity 

Students worked individually or in pairs to make the longest paper chain using only two pieces of paper. We had lots of fun comparing and measuring to find our winner! Well done Oliver.

Christmas Craft 

Students loved creating and decorating Christmas trees using paper, glitter and gems. It was a glitter explosion in the classroom. 

Christmas Acrostic Poems

1MP wowed us with their very imaginative acrostic poems about Christmas. We focused on using lots of descriptive language. Well done! 

Mrs Mulholland - 1MP Classroom Teacher

Stage 2

For our final Spotlight on Learning, Stage 2 is excited to share what they have loved learning about this year. Enjoy!

This year I liked the colour run because I got so much colour on me and it brought back 2023 memories. It was so much fun. The funniest part was Mrs Jones getting slimed by the parents. She had a whole bucket of green slime tipped over her head! I am glad that was not me!

By Ruben 

I loved writing because it was really interesting, and it makes me want to keep writing—I don’t even know when to stop! I learned that I love imagining things. For example, I imagined that I had superpowers and could fly. I felt really happy about it because it’s super fun to do. Writing makes me smile because I enjoy it so much.

I loved the Fun Run because you get covered in colours. It’s also really fun with the tiger. We had to raise money to get a PIZZA PARTY! I learned that the Fun Run is about cheering people on. I loved the Pizza Party—everyone had a popper. I learned that it’s just for having fun; it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, just have fun.

By Sofia

I loved sport because you always make sure we have fun and never let us have a bad time. The best thing was basketball—I LOVED it this year!

By Elijah

This year, I enjoyed Genius Hour because we can make new friends, and I especially enjoyed games like Sequence, Monopoly and Uno. The best part is that we can make our own game! It was really fun designing the board - game and cards. I love Genius Hour and I hope it will continue again next year!

By Ellie

This year I have liked playing sport because it is fun and it is good exercise and I also like it because I like playing sport. My favourite sport is soccer because I like kicking balls around. When I played this year I learned that you can do better by working together.

By William

I enjoyed going to band this year. We had band training every Wednesday and performed for judges a few times. My favourite songs were Dragonborn, Star Wars, and Realm of the Bear. We also performed at the end-of-year concert and Presentation Day.

I loved the band because we had a strict teacher, we won a trophy and got to touch it, our music sounded great, and we had a pizza party with chips, Burger Rings, biscuits, and Solo drinks.

I play the saxophone and I’m in both the training band and the junior band. We have many instruments including French horn, trombone, saxophone, bass guitar, flute, clarinet, trumpet, percussion, and euphonium.

I learnt that there are many more scales and notes than I thought. I also learnt about musical terms like slur, forte, mezzo forte, mezzo piano, and piano.

By Caleb

My favourite activity this year was Genius Hour. We learnt golf with Mr Chong and learnt how to hit the ball. Golf is very fun. I hope that we can do it again next year.

By David & Henry

I loved the excursion the most because I really enjoyed the Bangarra Dance and how they dressed up as different ABORIGINAL animals and how they embodied them perfectly. I loved how they got lost and couldn’t find each other, and they kept switching like one was the animal and one was the person. I learnt that people can track each other by pathways and stars. 

By Izzy 

One of our favourite days this year was Science Day. We enjoyed doing lots of experiments, including exploring iron filings and magnetics. We learnt that the north pole of a magnet is actually the south pole and vice versa.

We also liked the Pizza Party. It was fun because we just needed to create some profiles to get pizza. We learnt that having a strong team makes it easier to achieve things.

Another highlight was Grandparents' Day. We loved celebrating with our grandparents—Ruben’s grandpa even found an eastern brown snake! We also drew pictures of our grandparents.

Finally, our favourite event was the Fun Run. We liked running around and eating ice blocks. We learnt that running is good for your health.

By Henrik

Mrs Jones - Stage 2 Assistant Principal

Stage 3

This term in Stage 3, our students have been immersed in a rich and varied learning journey that combines academic performance with creativity and real-world application. It has been wonderful to witness our students’ enthusiasm and growth across all learning areas.

English: Exploring The Wild Robot

Our English unit has centred around the novel The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. This gripping story about a robot named Roz who finds herself stranded on a remote island has captured the imaginations of our students. Throughout the unit, students have developed their reading comprehension skills by examining the development of characterisation and identifying key themes such as survival, adaptation, the relationship between technology and nature, and the meaning of friendship and community.

Students have engaged in a variety of activities, including character studies, creative writing prompts where they imagined Roz’s adventures, and class discussions exploring adaptations that would be necessary in our near future, where robots are becoming a part of our everyday life. The novel has also sparked opportunities for cross-curricular connections with science topics about ecosystems and animal behaviour, deepening their understanding in an integrated way. 

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown ties in very well with robotics activities, included as part of our Genius Hour program, providing students with a hands-on experience that demonstrates the incredible impact and potential of technology. 

Mathematics: Practical Percentages and Line Graphs

In Mathematics, the focus this term has been on understanding and calculating percentages, including percentage discounts, as well as collecting, interpreting, and creating line graphs. Our lessons have emphasised practical applications, helping students see how these concepts are used in everyday life—from shopping discounts and sales to analysing trends over time.

Students have tackled real-world problems, such as working out the best bargains on sale items by calculating the percentage off and final prices. When exploring line graphs, they have gathered data on topics of interest and represented this information visually, enhancing their skills in data interpretation and presentation.

Year 6 High School Transition Programs

Recognising that Year 6 marks an important milestone, our teachers have implemented transition programs to prepare students for high school. These programs include workshops on Creative Arts, Food Technology, Commerce and High School Transition.

The transition activities also focus on social and emotional learning, helping students build resilience, confidence, and strategies to manage change. This support aims to ensure students move confidently and successfully from primary to secondary education.

Genius Hour: Sparking Curiosity and Creativity

One of the most exciting additions to our Stage 3 curriculum this term has been Genius Hour—an innovative learning time that empowers students to explore their passions and develop new skills through collaborative projects in small groups.

Students have chosen from a wide array of engaging activities tailored to their interests, including:

• Robotics: Our Robotics program is a practical example of how powerful technology can be in fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, and collaborative learning. Students build and program simple robots to develop problem-solving and technical skills. Through designing and programming robots, students not only develop valuable problem-solving and critical thinking skills but also gain a deeper appreciation for how technology can be applied to solve real-world challenges. 

• Ted Talks: Students watch and discuss inspiring Ted Talks to build communication and critical thinking skills.

   

Sports: Students participate in team sports that promote fitness, teamwork, and strategy.

Austin’s Butterfly: Students explore environmental themes through art and storytelling in Austin’s Butterfly.

Logo Design: Students engage in hands-on and technology projects like logo design, focusing on composition, colour, and personal representation.

Japanese Lessons: Students learn basic conversational Japanese language and culture, broadening cultural awareness while discovering Japanese school life and festivals.

Composting: Students understand sustainability and environmental responsibility by managing compost bins.

Strategy Games: Students play strategy games that enhance logical thinking, planning, and cooperation.

These activities during Genius Hour not only foster creativity and curiosity but also nurture collaboration, leadership, and independence. 

Presentation Day

Our school community came together to celebrate the achievements and growth of our Kindergarten to Year 6 students at the annual presentation assembly. The event showcased student talents, highlighted memorable moments from the year, and recognised outstanding contributions and effort across all grades. Families, staff, and students enjoyed performances and presentations, reflecting on a year filled with learning, creativity, and resilience. The assembly was a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of our students and to look forward to new experiences in the coming year.

Mrs Janssen - 5J Classroom Teacher