Literacy

In Reading, students have been exploring Indigenous narratives and the importance of hearing stories from different perspectives, especially in connection with our integrated studies on Australian colonisation. We have been focusing on inferencing—reading between the lines to understand deeper meanings—and unpacking the symbolism that is often woven into Indigenous storytelling. Students have also been encouraged to consider how the same event can be experienced differently depending on perspective, which has led to some powerful discussions and reflections.

In Writing, students have been developing their own creation stories, inspired by Dreamtime stories, using rich language and symbolism to share how the world around them might have come to be. This process has encouraged them to reflect on the past, draw inspiration from traditional storytelling, and think deeply about the importance of stories in shaping culture and identity.

Numeracy

In Numeracy, our focus has been on developing a stronger understanding of decimals and how they connect to real-life situations. Students have practised adding and subtracting decimals through practical contexts such as best buys at the supermarket, converting units of measurement, and solving everyday problems. Estimation has also been an important part of this learning, helping students to make quick, reasonable calculations and to check the accuracy of their answers. This approach has allowed students to see the usefulness of mathematics in daily life and build their confidence with problem-solving.

Deakin Science

This term, students from Deakin University have joined our Level 6 classrooms as part of their teaching placement. They are working closely with our students, introducing a range of science topics through hands-on experiments and interactive activities. This has been an exciting opportunity for students to learn in new ways and explore different areas of science. The Deakin students will continue working with our classes from Weeks 6–9.

Science Week

Week 5 at Doncaster Primary School was Science Week. Each Level 6 class conducted an experiment - Rocket Balloon Racers. The students investigated how balloons travel across a string attached to a straw. The experiments were presented at the Science Expo on Friday.

The 6C students worked collaboratively to write a science report outlining their findings. They concluded that their hypothesis was incorrect after conducting the experiment and were able to explain why this occurred.

Results:

Overall, Science Week in Level 6 was a huge success! The students enjoyed attending the Science Expo to learn about the experiments the other Levels completed, and teach their buddies about their own experiment.

Viktoria 6C:

For our class science experiment, we had to create a balloon rocket. We were in groups to begin and had to create a list of materials to make sure we had everything for the experiment. We started with one balloon and attached it to the straw and let it zoom across the string. We found the results were good, and it seemed pretty fast. The last balloon took a few tries to move across the string because it was too small, but it ended up being the fastest!

Alison 6C:

We learnt that if the balloon was larger it doesn't necessarily mean it moves faster across the string. We had a discussion about Newton's Second Law. We had a lot of fun experimenting with different sizes of balloons and seeing how fast they moved across the string. We found out how fast they travelled by using a timer, and measured a string to find the distance. e used a measuring tape to measure the circumference of the balloons and put all our information in our results table.

Book Week

It's been an action packed week of literacy activities to celebrate Book Week. Level 6 were excited to have Australian author Felice Arena visit and speak to us about his books. He had tips for writing as well as some stories about his own life. We've also enjoyed Book Week reading lessons, checking out the Book Fair, Book Week kahoots, the Cake competition and of course the Costume Parade.

Water Safety

In Week 4, Students took part in a special water safety session at the pool. They practised real-life skills such as how to help someone in an emergency, the safe use of life jackets, and strategies to stay safe around water. This hands-on experience not only built confidence but also gave students practical knowledge they can apply in everyday life. It was a highly engaging session where students worked together, had fun, and walked away with valuable skills that support their safety and wellbeing.

From the Office