Spotlight on Learning

Dear Families,

Wow, what a busy and exciting term it has been so far! We can’t believe we are already halfway through Term 3! Our Foundation students have been busy learning, exploring, creating and having lots of fun along the way. It has been wonderful to see their confidence growing as they tackle new challenges, make new discoveries and continue to show our school values of Safety, Respect and Learning. We are so proud of all the amazing learning happening in Foundation and can’t wait to see what the second half of the term brings! 🌟

A BIG THANK YOU to our beautiful Foundation students for giving their best wishes to our Year 6 students' confirmation this week. 

Learning for the week ahead

Religious Education:

Next week in Religious Education, students will explore how every person is unique and special, with their own gifts, talents and qualities. They will learn that God loves each of us unconditionally and that we are valued members of our families, school and wider community. Through stories, discussions and activities, students will reflect on how they can show love, kindness and respect to others, just as God shows love to us. 

English:

In English, we will be continuing our reading of 'The Smeds and the Smoos' by Julia Donaldson. It is a fun story about two families who are very different. The Smeds are red and the Smoos are blue, and they are told not to be friends. When a young Smed and a young Smoo become friends and go on an adventure together, their families learn that kindness, friendship and love are more important than differences. We will use this story to talk about accepting others, celebrating our differences, and treating everyone with respect.

If you would like to read the story with your child, please follow the link below.

Mathematics:

In Mathematics, students will be learning about sharing and equal groups. Students will practise sharing objects equally between two and three groups and explore what happens when there is one left over. They will also learn to check whether an amount can be shared equally.

Integrated Curriculum: 

This term, our Integrated learning will focus on The Arts.

Next week in Inquiry, students will explore stories through drama and media arts. They will create a simple digital storyboard with a clear beginning, middle and end, while learning how different camera views can tell a story. Through drama, students will use freeze frames to recreate important story moments and explore what characters might be thinking and feeling. 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL):

Next week in SEL, students will learn about the U Have Power anti-bullying program. They will explore how to be kind and respectful, what to do if they see bullying, and how everyone can help create a safe and caring classroom. Students will also have the opportunity to share and celebrate their learning. 

Auslan:

Next week in Auslan, we are learning the signs: 

Do you know?

I know

I don't know 

I remember

I think 

I wonder

What you can do at home

• Reading together at home is one of the best ways to support your child's learning. Enjoy this week's focus book by reading it together or listening to a read-aloud online (many can be found on YouTube).
• While reading, you could:
• Discuss the main events and important messages in the story.
• Ask your child to retell the story in their own words.
• Talk about the characters, the setting and what happens throughout the book.
• Look for words that begin with our focus sound/s.
• Encourage your child to think deeply by asking questions such as:
  • Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?
  • I wonder why...
  • What makes you think that?
  • Can you show me where it says...?
  • What do you think will happen next?
  • That didn't make sense to me. Let's read it again.
• You can also support your child's learning by:
• Practising correct letter formation and handwriting.
• Bringing our Mathematics learning into everyday life.
• Look for other opportunities to talk about maths during your daily routines. Example of this could be:
  • Count everyday objects, such as toys, fruit, stairs or cars.
  • Look for numbers on houses, letterboxes, clocks and number plates.
  • Talk about shapes you can see around your home or neighbourhood.
  • Compare quantities, such as "Who has more grapes?" or "Which pile has fewer?"
  • Use maths language like more, less, bigger, smaller, before, after, next to, behind and between.
  • Involve your child in cooking, asking them to count, measure or estimate ingredients.
  • Play simple board games or card games that involve counting, matching or recognising numbers.
  • Practise number stories using everyday objects, for example, "There were 8 strawberries. We ate 3. How many are left?"
  • Ask questions while shopping, such as "Can you find 5 apples?" or "Which item costs more?"
  • Notice patterns on clothing, wrapping paper, tiles or fences and encourage your child to continue the pattern.

Important Reminders:

• Fidget Toys

  We kindly ask that students do not bring fidget toys to school unless their use is a planned adjustment in consultation with Allied Health Professionals. Students who bring fidget toys without an approved adjustment will be asked to place them in their school bag for the remainder of the day to take home. We appreciate your support in encouraging your child to leave fidget toys at home.

• Monday 24th August - Book Week Dress Up Day and Parade
• Friday 4th September - Father's Day Morning - 8:25am - 9:30am
• Thursday 17th September - Last Day of Term 3
• Monday 5th October - First Day of Term 4

Students are encouraged to participate in the Premier's Reading Challenge.

Stickers with usernames and passwords have been placed on the back of the Little Learners Love Literacy tag on your child’s reader pouch. A bookmark containing a QR code linking directly to the challenge website has also been placed inside your child’s reader pouch.

The Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge concludes on Friday, 4 September 2026. Students must complete their reading and have all of their books logged online before this date to finish the challenge.

Alternatively, families can access the website using the link below:

• Please ensure that you are labelling your child's belongings.

• Can we please ask for a pair of socks and underwear to be placed in the front zip pocket of your child's school bag in case of a toileting accident.

Enjoy your weekend,

The Galilee Team

Contact Us @ Galilee

galilee@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au  (all teachers) or