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Term 3 Week 1 

Magnify Around the Classrooms

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Foundation

The Preps have started Term 3 by picking up from where they left off in term 2.  They have revised the sounds previously learnt and are now learning about the /j/ sound as in jellyfish and Jan.  Preps are learning how to correctly form the letter ‘b’ in cursive script and are learning the new tricky words, ‘his’ and ‘her.’  Next week they will be working on the /ck/ sound, the tricky words ‘them’ and ‘there’ and the new sound, /w/.  Grade Prep children have been listening to the story book, “Thunderstorm Dancing.”  This text has introduced them to the vocab: pounding, twirling, gleaming.  Children have linked the story to their own experiences of storms and different types of weather. 

Gr 1

Grade Ones have been revising sounds learnt throughout first semester.  They have revised base words and suffixes and how to break words into syllables.  They will complete a cumulative review spelling assessment this week.  Grade Ones are learning about informative texts with a focus on reports.  They have been looking at the parts of a report, such as sub-headings and facts.  They are learning how to write facts for a report and Grade Ones are learning to combine sentences by joining subjects using the word ‘and.’ 

Gr 2

Grade Twos have continued revising learnt sounds and tricky words.  Some Grade Twos have been learning about the soft ‘c’ and soft ‘g’ sounds (‘c’ saying /s/ and ‘g’ saying /j/). Both of these sounds follow the same pattern:  if the letter ‘c’ or ‘g’ is followed by the letters e, i or y, then they make their soft sound.  Eg. City, centre, cyclone, gentle, giant, gymnastics.  Grade Twos will have a reading comprehension assessment this week.  Some of the tricky words being learnt are ‘remember,’ ‘other’ and ‘another.’  The Grade Two children have finished their lessons on the story book, “The Story of Rosy Dock” by Jeannie Baker.  Most of the children thought Rosy Dock was a lady in the story.  Ask your child to tell you what Rosy Dock is in this story. 

Foundation

Grade Preps are focusing on subtraction and using number stories to represent different subtraction problems.  Next week they will count to find the difference between two numbers and will use a number track to find the difference between two numbers.  They will also revise addition and play some maths card games.

Gr 1 

Grade Ones are focusing on Addition and Subtraction.  They are learning about ‘difference’ by using number stories, bar models and number lines.  Their sums involve numbers to 20.  They have learnt a new card game which uses their knowledge of subtraction and difference in order to play.

Gr 2

Grade Twos have been focusing on the measurement topics of mass and volume.  They have been estimating the mass and volume of objects and containers and have then used balance scales and water/sand to find the mass and volume of items.  They know that to accurately compare the mass and volume of objects, they need to use a uniform informal unit of measure.  The children are really enjoying the hands-on tasks involved in these units of work. 

Gr 3 and 4

In Literacy, the students will be reading Storm Boy. It was a novel written in 1964 by Colin Thiele. Storm Boy was first adapted into film in 1976 and more recently in 2019. Set in the Coorong region of South Australia in the 1950’s, Storm Boy is the story of a boy and his pelican. Storm Boy likes to wander alone along the fierce deserted coast among the dunes that face out into the Southern Ocean. After a pelican mother is shot, Storm Boy rescues the three baby pelicans and nurses them back to health. He names them Mr Proud, Mr Ponder and Mr Percival. After he releases them, his favourite, Mr Percival, returns. The story then concentrates on the conflict between his lifestyle, the externally imposed requirement for him to attend a school, the fate of the pelican, and the relationship of the boy, and later his father. During the lessons, students will read and comprehend the text using knowledge of text structures and language, and by monitoring comprehension, describe the character and setting in the text, ask and answer questions to clarify meaning and promote deeper understanding of the text, identify and describe how literary devices shape meaning in the text, learn and apply newly taught vocabulary and expand sentences by adding detail for ‘who’, ‘when’ and ‘where.’

In Maths, students are learning to double and skip count, combining fraction up to 1 whole and show different representations of fractions. Some students are also learning about commutative properties of addition. (you can add numbers in any order, and you will always get the same answer) 2 + 7 + 4 + 3 = 16, 3 + 2 + 4 + 7 =16, 7 + 4 + 2 + 3 = 16. 

In Humanities, students will be learning about Australia and where in the world is it. They will be learning to identify Australia's location in relation to its neighbouring countries and understand basic geographical features and identify and describe the main natural features and landscapes of Australia. The new topic is 'Comparing Australia to its Neighbours.'

Gr 5 and 6

In Maths, the Grade 5 students have been learning about probability and conducting and comparing chance experiments. 

The Grade 6 students have started looking at fractions again, and in particular adding and subtracting fractions, comparing fractions and converting improper fractions to mixed numbers. 

In Literacy, the Grade 5 students have started their new book for the term called ‘Tom Appleby Convict Boy’. This book is a compelling historical fiction novel set in 18th-century England and Australia. The story follows the life of young Tom Appleby, a poor and orphaned boy living in London during the time when children faced dire circumstances. When Tom steals some money and a handkerchief, he is caught and sentenced to transportation, along with other convicts, to the distant shores of Australia.  

During this unit, the Grade 5’s will be focusing on writing an information report about ‘Convict Settlement in Australia’.  

Our Grade 6 students have started their new book this week called ‘Once’ by Morris Gleitzman. This is a captivating and heart-wrenching historical novel written by Morris Gleitzman. Set during World War II, the story follows the journey of Felix Salinger, a young Jewish boy living in Poland. Felix possesses an innocent and optimistic outlook on life, despite the horrors unfolding around him. After his parents are forced to flee their home and leave him in an orphanage for his safety, Felix escapes to find them, believing they are still alive. Throughout his odyssey, Felix encounters numerous dangers and witnesses the devastating impact of the Nazi regime on Jewish communities.The narrative captures the atrocities and grim realities of the Holocaust through the innocent eyes of a child. Gleitzman delicately balances the heartbreak and hope, exploring themes of courage, resilience, and the enduring power of friendship. 

During this unit, the Grade 6’s will be focusing on writing an information report about the country of ‘Poland’.

In Science, The Grade 5’s are studying ‘Plant Survival’ in Science, and the Grade 6’s have started a new topic this week all about ‘Habitats’. 

During humanities, the Grade 5’s have continued their unit called ‘Changing Communities’ and the Grade 6’s have started a new unit all about ‘Federation’.