Classroom News

Foundation: Mrs Mclay

Wow! What a term in Foundation. 

 In Literacy we have been learning and developing our letter-sound knowledge. This term we have learnt 8 new sounds.  We are using these sounds/letters in many ways. We're blending these sounds together to form simple words and are practicing our segmenting skills for spelling. In the classroom, we’ve been using our growing knowledge to read short decodable texts, play interactive games, and write simple sentences using words we can sound out. It’s been amazing to see the confidence growing in our young readers and writers! 

In Maths we have been developing our number skills, with numbers to 20. We’ve been strengthening our counting skills—counting forwards and backwards, identifying numbers, and making collections of up to 20 objects. We’ve been learning how to recognise numbers in different ways, such as on ten frames, number tracks, and with MAB blocks. An important focus has been understanding teen numbers as “ten and some more.” We’ve been using hands-on materials to build numbers like 14 as “10 and 4 more,” helping students begin to understand place value. We’ve enjoyed playing number games, sorting and ordering numbers, and solving simple problems using counting strategies. The students are becoming more confident in working with numbers and are developing a strong foundation for future learning in number and place value. 

In Inquiry we have been working through the five-step design process to investigate and define, generate and design, produce and implement, evaluate and plan and manage. Foundation students had the opportunity to design and create a boat made from recycled materials. Students had to use their learning experiences to design a boat that would float in water for one minute. Students that were unsuccessful were able to use their time to manage their design and plan/improve their design for a ‘re-do.’ This activity in Inquiry was by far the most enjoyed experience for our Foundation students.  

Lots to look forward to once we come back to school next term. With the school production in the works, as well as a few other super exciting opportunities. Foundation students will also celebrate their 100 Days of Learning next term. They have been excitedly counting down the days until this super fun event. 

And in the words of Foundation Hart, “I love you all, I miss you all and I’ll see you all next term.” 

Foundation- Grade 1: Miss Emmett

What a busy and exciting term it has been in F/1! Over the course of the semester, we have learned 20 letter-sound correspondences as part of our InitiaLit program. We have enjoyed using these sounds to build and read simple words and are becoming more confident in identifying and blending sounds to make meaning. It’s been wonderful to see their growing independence in reading and writing using the tools they’ve developed. 

In Maths, students have been learning to partition numbers into tens and ones. Through hands-on games, activities, and manipulatives, they have explored how numbers can be broken apart and represented in different ways. These experiences have helped students develop a strong understanding of place value, which forms a foundation for future mathematical learning. 

In Inquiry, our young designers have had a fantastic time exploring what makes something float or sink.After designing and building their own model boats using a variety of materials, students tested their creations on water to see how well they would float. There were lots of cheers, creative problem-solving and great discussions as they reflected on what worked well and how they might improve their designs. 

We’re proud of all the learning and growth that has taken place this term and look forward to what next term brings! 

Students in F/1 have been learning about how we can express God's love through caring for creation! We've been discussing and exploring ways to show kindness and care for each other and nature. This week we used leaves to talk about how we're all unique and can work together to create something beautiful. Students made rubbings of leaves and used their imagination to create some beautiful art!

Grade 2: Miss Wooden

This term, our students embarked on an exciting inquiry unit that challenged them to become real-world problem solvers. Faced with a guiding question—“How can we design something to solve a real problem?”—students rolled up their sleeves, put on their thinking caps, and dove headfirst into the design process.

From identifying meaningful problems in their school to brainstorming, testing, and improving their ideas, students demonstrated not only creativity and collaboration, but also incredible resilience. Many encountered setbacks along the way—designs that didn’t quite work, materials that didn’t behave as expected, or feedback that required them to rethink their ideas. But rather than give up, they leaned into the challenge.

Grade 3: Mrs Stock

What a wonderful term we’ve had! There has been so much happening in and out of the classroom, and we are all looking forward to a well-deserved break with our families. We hope everyone enjoys their holidays and manages to keep warm. Lucky Charlie and Ollie are heading to Darwin — we hope you both enjoy the sunshine!

Last week we were treated to some special visitors in the classroom. Charlie’s chicken came in for a visit, as did Zarielle’s new hermit crab. The students have really enjoyed all the little visitors we've had throughout the term.

Surprisingly, we've only had one wet weather day this term! The students made the most of it by playing games, swapping footy cards, building with LEGO, and simply enjoying time together. It’s always a highlight when our Grade 3s and 4s spend time together.

We also enjoyed our second-last visit to the Tongala Aged Care facility. This time, we took along Snakes and Ladders. It’s always heartwarming to see the students and residents engaging together, and the smiles on everyone's faces were priceless.

In the classroom, we’ve just finished our unit on Addition and Subtraction. The students have worked hard and now have a range of strategies to solve various problems—great job, everyone!

Finally, congratulations to Table - Pizza Party Boys for taking out the class competition this week with over 1000 points! What an effort!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Grade 4: Miss Dove & Mrs McKiernan

I can’t believe we are already at the end of Term 2. As always, we’ve had a fun and busy couple of weeks in Grade 4. 

In Maths, we've been working on our Addition and Subtraction unit. We used fact families to solve addition and subtraction equations, learned to use the commutative property of addition, and created equivalent addition and subtraction number sentences. We then applied these strategies to check and explain whether addition and subtraction equations were true. 

In Literacy, we have finished our novel Uncle Xbox. It’s a great short novel, but most of the class are still voting Kensuke’s Kingdom as their favourite so far! Students are excited to begin their next novel, The Arrival by Shaun Tan, which is very different — it’s actually a book without words! The story is told through detailed illustrations, requiring the reader to closely observe the images to understand the visual narrative. The absence of words compels the reader to actively engage with the illustrations, interpret their meaning, and construct the narrative based on visual cues and emotional impact. 

In Inquiry, students worked in pairs or small groups to create their own inventions, following the design process. They started by exploring the schoolyard and classroom, identifying problems and thinking of things they could make to help solve them. It was great to see students collaborating to come up with useful ideas. We had inventions like chair organisers, a box to store our tokens, sensory toys, glasses holders, and even a device to transport items from downstairs to upstairs. Students planned their designs and recorded all the materials they needed — it was fantastic to see many excited and organised students bringing their supplies from home. We joined the Grade 2 and 3 students to share and discuss our creations. It was wonderful to see students showing curiosity about different designs and asking lots of questions. 

We hope everyone has a safe, restful and enjoyable break, and we look forward to seeing you all back in Term 3. 

As part of the Resilience Project, Year Four students have been making board games to practice teamwork! They have explored helpful behaviours for group work and used their previous learning about gratitude to create board games utilising the Resilience Project gratitude question cards. 

Grade 5-6: Miss Rasmussen

Our 5/6 students have worked extremely hard this term creating their products and setting up their market stalls for the St Pats Market Day they will be running this Thursday as a part of their Inquiry Unit. They are looking so amazing. 

Last week they also shared and marketed their products at assembly and it created a wonderful buzz and excitement.