Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It's been a busy few weeks for our College community. Despite the numerous changes to their usual routines, our students continue to meet expectations admirably.

A quick reminder that the final day of Term 3 will feature our assembly, starting at 9.00am in the Brigidine Centre. We encourage all students and staff to attend on Friday 20th September, as we come together to celebrate the achievements of the term and look forward to the upcoming break.

A message from our Year 8 Leaders

During this term, the Year 8s have been busy packing knowledge filled math, science and English lessons. In maths the Year 8s have been learning about ratios, distance, speed and time and are now currently learning probability with the help of Mr Hill, Mr Carver, Miss Clarke and a newly introduced platform called Edrolo. We learnt about how to calculate the distance someone travelled if they only knew the time and speed, and reversed, how to calculate what each part is worth in a ratio and we are now beginning probability with learning about dice and a standard deck of cards.

In the science lab we learned about physical and chemical change and their every day effects. Physical change is often reversible and its substance doesn’t change, e.g breaking a glass, it changes shape but it’s still glass. On the other hand Chemical change is not reversible, changing substance, e.g baking a cake in the oven, adding heat to the mixture solidifies the new substance into a delicious cake.

In English classes, we have been completing spelling mastery, informative writing, reviewing parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, sentence fragments, etc) and studying the text; The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon. The novel is a murder mystery novel, the main character; Christopher Boone has Asperger’s, a condition that causes him to have significant difficulties in social situations e.g nonverbal cues, reading expressions and giving blunt responses. Christopher discovers his neighbour’s dog has been murdered, with a garden fork to be exact, so he sets off to find the killer. This incredible story has the Year 8s on the edge of our seats at every page turn and we recommend the read to all.

Zoe G.

Year 8 Space

Our Year 8 students are eagerly anticipating their upcoming Market Day, with preparations now in full swing. Their enthusiasm and leadership in organising this event highlights their ability to take initiative and work collaboratively, making it one of the term’s standout moments. As they step into this task, we continue to support and encourage them, confident that their efforts will culminate in a rewarding and successful experience.

The Market Day will be held for our students in F-4. Year 8 students have been working to develop a product while applying the 5P’s of business: Product, Profit, Price, People and Place. Items that will be available for sale include slime, lolly bags, jewellery and much more. It promises to be a fun and engaging afternoon for all involved, offering a wonderful opportunity for our younger students to participate and enjoy the creative efforts of their peers.

Students have also had the opportunity to hear from local police officer Shane Roberts, who visited to discuss important topics related to Consent and Respectful Relationships. Shane provided a presentation on what a respectful relationship should look like, offering insights into understanding respect and setting boundaries in personal and intimate relationships. His visit helped to reinforce the importance of these values, giving students a clearer understanding of how to navigate relationships with respect and care. Some of this work ties in quite well with what the students have learned in their Life Relationships unit of work.

Year 7 Space

This term the Year 7s have been very busy in the numeracy and literacy areas. In maths, students have been learning about area, perimeter and volume using different formulas, then extending into radius, diameter and circumference of circles before heading into cartesian planes, plotting dots on coordinates and finding the coordinates of where objects are located.

The Year 7s were introduced to a new platform known as Edrolo. Feedback of Edrolo from students has been positive, with many stating “the explanations on how to correct our misunderstandings immediately before moving to the next question are really helpful ”

In English the Year 7s are currently working on spelling mastery, informative writing, parts of speech and reading and unpacking the novel The Giver. The novel is a morally driven and interesting story about a young boy called Jonas who lives in a society free of crime and sadness. At the age of 12, children are assigned their jobs, which they will train for and do for the rest of their lives. Everything is chosen; from your parents to your partner. The people in Jonas' community are sheltered from physical discomfort and emotional turmoil through a combination of propaganda and medication, but they miss out on most of life's joys as well. The main idea of The Giver is that life is not complete without both good and bad experiences. This interesting story has the Year 7s asking many questions and very excited to watch the movie when the novel is finished.

Years 5/6 Space

This term has seen the Year 5s engaging in many exciting topics in literacy and numeracy. During reading, students read Freak the Mighty and went on many quests with Max and Kevin learning about the impact of strong connections, loss, acceptance and diversity. We have had a big focus on reading fluency with all of our students making fantastic progress.

In maths, Year 5 students have worked hard to master the process of BODMAS while mastering multiplication and division skills and how inverse operations work. Students have been working really hard to consolidate quick number facts and strategies to help them work out tricky multiplication strategies.

In writing, both Years 5 and 6 students learnt the structure of informative writing and how to find information using credible online sources. Students were excited to learn and write about the history of The Olympics as well as watching the Australian medal tally grow daily.

In TA, students have explored the personal and social capabilities themes of diversity including physical and cultural, paying it forward and acceptance of others. We also learnt what it looks like to give and receive a compliment and how to deal with negative and positive feedback. In the coming weeks students will be engaging in learning around conflict resolution and emotional literacy as we get reading for our Canberra camp in Term 4.

PBL saw students apply their maths skills while creating their ‘Pretend Life’ by budgeting and navigating the real world of bills and employment.

SOLE - Be Proud!

As we are fast approaching the end of the term, students have every right to celebrate their achievements. This week in our spaces, we're focusing on fostering a sense of pride in what they've accomplished and looking forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. It's a time to reflect on their hard work, acknowledge the growth they've experienced, and prepare for the challenges and successes yet to come.

We encourage our students to take this moment to appreciate not only their academic progress but also their personal development and contributions to our College community. Whether it's overcoming obstacles, building stronger relationships or discovering new passions, each accomplishment is a step forward. As we head into the final stretch of the term, let's continue to support and inspire one another, keeping our focus on both the achievements we've celebrated and the goals we are still striving to reach.

The Resilience Project and Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships

Our TAs continue to support our students with engaging warm-up games and positive primers designed to stimulate their thinking and foster micro-connections with each of them. Last week, our 5-minute activities were themed around the recent Production, which we must say, was outstanding—credit goes to our students and staff for their hard work. Be sure to check out our mini warm-up games!

Over the past several weeks in TA, students have focused on problem-solving and developing strategies to address their challenges. They have learned to apply three key approaches: the Problem Solving Tree, the Problem Solving Checklist, and the "Because It’s Worth It" method.

Throughout this time, students have been presented with various problems and have actively worked to find effective solutions. With the guidance of their teachers and by employing their own unique techniques, they’ve been encouraged to explore different ways to tackle issues, adapting their approaches based on what works best for each situation. This process has not only enhanced their problem-solving skills but also fostered greater independence and resilience in overcoming obstacles.

Reminder: Hats Required

As we approach warmer weather, please be reminded that all students will need to wear their hats outside. This is in line with our SunSmart policy to ensure that students are protected while they are outdoors. Please make sure your child’s hat is clearly labeled with their name to avoid any mix-ups. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep our students safe and sun-smart.

Thank you for your continued support in these important initiatives. Together we are working to create a positive and focused learning environment for all.

Warm regards,

All staff in the 5-8 Community

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