Around the Primary Classes
Nature Play
This week, a multi-age group attended Nature Play; Years 1 and 2 as well as a number of our Year 9 Child Studies students.
The beautiful autumn weather continued with stillness and stunning lighting - we are privileged to have Lambert Park so close.
At our session, we observed unstructured and dynamic play:
A small group made a pizza shop with a pizza oven, spinach from the creek, ground sand stones for seasoning and charcoal for black pepper.
Another group sat amongst the trees and said a prayer to 'Mary, Mother of Nature'.
Another group settled into the clay patch in the creek and made small thumb pots.
This is a place where children can lead their own play and choose how and what they want to play. The regular opportunity to be in nature helps to balance the many hours that children are sitting connected to devices; it supports development of the whole child including physical, cognitive and mental health as well as social-emotional growth. This week's play was rich, vibrant, joyful and full of imagination, curiosity, cooperation and creativity.
Playing in nature develops connectedness to nature and hopefully encourages a growing environmental awareness.
Year 3
Year 3 kicked off Term 2 with a fantastic excursion to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary! On a chilly but beautifully sunny day, students deepened their understanding of animal life cycles and Tasmanian geography. They met wombats and Tasmanian devils, fed kangaroos, and marvelled at pademelons, cockatoos, quolls, emus, and more. This hands-on experience brought classroom learning to life, showcasing how these native animals are adapted to Tasmania's unique environment.
The excursion was a wonderful opportunity to witness diverse life cycles firsthand and understand critical conservation efforts. Through guided tours and interactions with animals and keepers, students gained a deeper appreciation for protecting local wildlife and their habitats, fostering a sense of environmental responsibility. It was truly a memorable and enriching start to the term!
Year 4
Our Year 4 students have embraced Term 2 with great enthusiasm and energy! Students have loved practicing and performing Reader’s Theatre demonstrating fantastic teamwork and expression.
Beyond the classroom, Field Day saw our Year 4 students demonstrating wonderful sportsmanship and Mount Carmel College values, cheering each other on, and celebrating every effort. In Science, we have been exploring the effects of gravity, while HaSS lessons have seen students creating and using timelines to understand the past.
Year 5
It's been a busy start to the term for Year 5 as we have wrapped up our HASS unit on the settlement of Australian as a colony. The Year 5 students worked in groups to produce their own version of a successful settlement that included many elements needed for a colony to survive and prosper.
The girls gave a talk on their settlement explaining why it would be successful.
Mr Lowe and Mrs Himson were very impressed with the results of their hard work.
Year 6
Last Thursday, as part of our Easter Religion unit, the Year 6 students went on an excursion to Mount Saint Canice Church. We sketched different entities, such as the gorgeous marble altar, as well as a statue of Jesus holding a baby lamb.
Some students decided to sketch other natural artefacts, like fungi and the tall palm trees. The students were amazed by the stunning Stations of the Cross, and the intricate details carved on the marble. We really enjoyed the trip, and we got to see some beautiful objects. We really enjoyed going on this excursion.
We discovered that a long time ago the church was used as a home for girls. Every morning, the girls had to walk down to the 6 a.m. Mass. They sat in small wooden boxes on the other side of the church, so they couldn’t move around or be seen by the rest of the community.
Elise Hutchinson, Aimee Chen, Grace Moriarty & Ellie Huxtable
on behalf of Year 6