Classroom News

Foundation

Decoding

We have begun introducing students to our long vowel digraphs. A digraph is where 2 letters come together to make 1 sound. We have introduced students to some of the most common graphemes (spelling choices) for these sounds and read texts using these sounds. Reading fluency has included the long /a/ sound, with the graphemes ‘ai’ as in snail and ‘ay’ as in day and long /e/ sound, with the graphemes ‘ee’ as in tree and ‘ea’ as in beach. Students begin by reading a word bank of words containing these sounds and use dots and dashes to identify the graphs and digraphs in these words. This then aids in their fluency when reading the text.

Content Knowledge and Text Construction

Students have recently begun their new Content Knowledge unit, My Body, My Senses. Through the story of Alyssa and Aunt Erica at a Sensational Carnival, students are exploring how we use our senses to understand and interact with the world around us. They are also learning how their senses help keep them safe by alerting them to potential dangers.

As part of this unit, students enjoyed a sensory walk around the school, using their senses to observe what they could see, hear, feel, smell, and even taste. Following the walk, they recorded their observations by writing sensory statements.

This week, our learning has focused on the sense of sight, including how our eyes work and the importance of protecting them. We have also begun introducing the concept of a topic, which will support students as they take their first exciting steps towards writing complete paragraphs.

Maths

In Mathematics, students have been learning about data and how it helps us collect and organise information. They have been exploring different types of questions and identifying whether a question can be answered with a simple yes or no, or whether it requires a different response.

Students have participated in class surveys and worked together to sort and represent the results. They have been developing their skills in interpreting data by discussing which groups have more, less, or the same number of responses. These conversations are helping students build their understanding of how data can be used to answer questions and compare information.

Later this week, students will begin creating their own survey questions and collecting data from their classmates, providing an exciting opportunity to apply the skills they have been developing.

Responsible Pet Ownership Incursion

On Monday, we were fortunate to take part in the Responsible Pet Ownership incursion. Students had the exciting opportunity to meet Biggie, a friendly Canadian Retriever, and learn from his owner about how to stay safe around dogs.

Throughout the session, students learned:

• when dogs should be left alone
• behaviours that may make dogs feel uncomfortable or unsafe
• how to recognise whether a dog is feeling happy, frightened, or angry
• safe ways to approach and greet a dog
• what to do if approached by an unfamiliar or aggressive dog

Students enthusiastically participated in role-play activities to practise responding to different situations and learned some catchy songs to help them remember important safety messages.

Following the incursion, we spent time with our buddies completing follow-up activities. Students enjoyed sharing stories about their own pets and making connections between their learning and experiences at home. It was a wonderful opportunity to reinforce key safety concepts while building relationships with their buddies.

Junior School

Content Knowledge

Junior School students have begun exploring the human body systems and learning about the important roles our organs play in keeping us alive and healthy. This week, we focused on the skin and heart, as well as how blood travels around the body. We will continue to investigate different parts of the body and discover ways we can look after our health.

Text Construction

Students have been learning how to write procedural texts and recently wrote procedures about their morning routines. We are now building our sentence-writing skills by turning simple sentences into more complex sentences with additional detail. Students have explored the four types of sentences, subordinating conjunctions and how to combine sentences using conjunctions to make their writing more interesting and informative.

Maths

In Maths, Junior School students have been exploring location and directional language. They have practised making quarter, half and three-quarter turns, as well as identifying left and right and learning how these movements relate to clockwise and anticlockwise directions. Students have also used positional language, such as above, below, next to and near, to describe the location of objects on maps. Next week, students will put their skills to the test by giving clear directions for a partner to follow!

Middle School

Literacy

We have begun an exciting new topic in Literacy: The Vikings! Students are enjoying learning about Norse myths and legends, discovering fascinating stories about Viking gods, heroes and their beliefs. Alongside our reading, students are continuing to build their writing stamina by responding to visual writing prompts. These activities encourage students to develop their ideas, add descriptive details and write for longer periods of time. We look forward to exploring more Viking stories and strengthening our writing skills throughout the term!

Mathematics 

In Maths, students have been learning about data investigations, focusing on collecting both numerical and categorical data. Students have now begun a week-long project where they will collect their own data, organise their findings and represent the information visually using a range of graphs. This project provides students with the opportunity to apply their graphing skills, interpret data and draw conclusions from their findings. We look forward to seeing the interesting questions they investigate and the results they discover!

Physical Education

In PE this term, students have continued to develop their skills and are enjoying playing Pickleball, building on the activities they participated in last term. We will soon move on to Ultimate Frisbee, where students will practise their throwing, catching and teamwork skills.

In weeks 4-6, we are also looking forward to welcoming rugby coaches to the school. Students will have the opportunity to develop their rugby skills, learn new techniques and enjoy some fun, active sessions.

It's shaping up to be a fantastic term of PE!