Year 3

Literacy

Book Week Library visit

During our recent visit to the Euroa Library for Book Week 2025, we gathered to celebrate the joy of reading. Library coordinator Cathy captivated the audience by reading two of this year's CBCA-shortlisted stories, bringing the characters and adventures to life. Following the readings, Cathy offered an insightful explanation of the Children's Book Council of Australia's (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards selection process. She detailed how a panel of judges evaluates submissions based on literary merit, illustration quality, and relevance to young readers, and highlighted the 'Shadow Judging' initiative, where student groups across Australia participate by reading shortlisted books and voting for their favourites . This interactive session not only deepened our appreciation for the shortlisted works but also shed light on the rigorous and inclusive process behind recognising outstanding children's literature. Several students , being members , were able to borrow books on our way out. If you haven't already you might want to become a member.

Last Week’s Adventure: Treasure Hunt Came to Life!

Last week, our students were transported into an action-packed musical adventure with Treasure Hunt, written by Craig Christie and presented in partnership with the Children’s Book Council of Australia for Book Week 2025

What the Kids Experienced

Jess by the ocean and George in the forest woke one morning to discover something vital had gone missing—something that had changed their world in a worrying way. Together, they journeyed on a quest to recover the lost treasure
Along the way, despite their differences, Jess and George discovered a shared need. They encountered distrust and numerous challenges—but help arrived unexpectedly when they needed it most.

Why It Was Chosen for Book Week

The performance celebrated the CBCA’s 80th anniversary and the 2025 theme, Book an Adventure, bringing the spirit of exploration and storytelling to life in a vivid, musical format.
Students were immersed in themes like sustainability, our relationship with the natural environment, and the power of reading to unite people across different backgrounds.
The show featured selections from the 2025 CBCA Shortlisted Books, making it a rich, literature-infused experience.

Parade/ The Hungry caterpillar

Book week activity

The Land Recalls You is a tender, poetic picture book penned by Gunai author Kirli Saunders (OAM) and illustrated by debut Bundjalung artists David and Noni Cragg. Through sparse yet resonant language—opening with lines like “Do not mourn the hands that raised you … Do not weep for songs of land”—it offers a powerful narrative of returning, remembrance, and healing, gently honouring the Stolen Generations and those taken from their lands. The story weaves themes of identity, cultural memory, and belonging in a way that resonates deeply with First Nations readers while also connecting with a broad audience. David and Noni Cragg’s illustrations are rich in colour and symbolism, perfectly complementing the lyrical prose. This book could be followed by a creative activity where students use nature’s gifts—such as leaves, stones, feathers, and flowers—to create artworks that express their own connection to home, reminding us of the deep and enduring bond we share with the land.

Writing

We continue to reinforce uniform handwriting by guiding students to form their letters in the correct shape and keep them properly aligned on the lines. By practising every day, we’re building consistency in letter size, alignment, and spacing—vital components for legibility and neatness. We also remind our learners not to insert uppercase letters in the middle of words, ensuring they understand that capital letters are reserved for appropriate contexts like the beginning of sentences or names. With dedicated daily practice, the class is already showing significant improvement in producing clear, uniformly sized letters that sit correctly on the baseline—that "home base" for every letter

Maths

🧮 Maths Update: Exploring Turns, Angles, and Time

Recent Learning: Turns and Angles

In our recent maths lessons, we've been exploring the concept of turns and their relationship to angles. Students have learned to describe and perform quarter, half, three-quarter, and full turns, both clockwise and anti-clockwise. We've connected these turns to right angles, identifying that:

1/4 turn = 90° = 1 right angle
1/2 turn = 180° = 2 right angles
3/4 turn = 270° = 3 right angles
1 full turn = 360° = 4 right angles

Students have practiced identifying whether angles are less than, greater than, or equal to a right angle, enhancing their understanding of angles and turns.

Upcoming Learning: Telling Time

Looking ahead, our next topic will focus on telling time. Students will develop skills in reading and understanding both analogue and digital clocks including...

Reading analogue clocks to the quarter hour
Reading analogue clocks to five-minute intervals
Reading analogue clocks to the minute
Writing digital times
Matching analogue and digital times
Converting between analogue and digital times
Solving problems involving both analogue and digital times

At-Home Activities to Reinforce Learning

To support your child's learning at home, here are some engaging activities:

🌀 Turn and Angle Activities

Turn Practice: Use a clock or a piece of paper with a clock face. Ask your child to perform quarter, half, and full turns, both clockwise and anti-clockwise, and describe the angle formed.
Angle Hunt: Look for right angles around the house or neighbourhood. Discuss objects that form right angles and compare them to turns you've practiced.

🕰️ Telling Time Activities

Analog Clock Practice: Draw a clock on paper or use a toy clock. Practice setting the time to the quarter hour, five-minute intervals, and exact minutes.
Digital Time Matching: Create cards with analogue clock faces on one side and digital times on the other. Mix them up and challenge your child to match the correct analogue and digital times.
Time Conversion Challenges: Write down a series of times in either analogue or digital format and ask your child to convert them to the other format.
Real-Life Time Problems: Discuss daily routines and ask questions like, "If we leave the house at 3:15 PM and the movie starts at 4:00 PM, how long do we have?"

These activities not only reinforce classroom learning but also make maths fun and interactive. If you have any questions or need additional resources, feel free to reach out!

🌸 Whole School Mass: Feast of the Assumption

On August 15, our school community gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This significant event commemorates the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. It is a time to honour Mary's unique role in salvation history and her unwavering faith in God's plan.

During the Mass, students and staff reflected on Mary's virtues and her example of purity, grace, and complete trust in God. The liturgical colour for the day was white, symbolizing purity, joy, and the glory of Heaven. The celebration included hymns, prayers, and a special blessing . This day serves as a reminder of the hope of eternal life and encourages us to strive for holiness in our daily lives.

🌸 The Parable of The Sower

Over the past five weeks, the students have been diving into scripture through the Parable of the Sower. They've explored what farming would have looked like in Jesus' time and uncovered the deeper meaning behind the parable—how it speaks to the strength of character, the importance of kindness, and building a life grounded in faith. This week, it’s all starting to come together as they begin working on a mini project to showcase what they’ve learned and how these timeless lessons still apply in our modern world.

The Resilience Project

🕊️ Our Focus on Forgiveness: Building Stronger Hearts and Minds

At our school, we believe in nurturing not just academic skills but also the emotional and social well-being of our students. One of the core values we emphasise is forgiveness. Understanding and practicing forgiveness is essential for personal growth and harmonious relationships.

Why Forgiveness Matters

Forgiveness is more than just a moral lesson; it's a powerful tool for emotional health. Teaching children about forgiveness helps them let go of anger and resentment, leading to reduced stress and improved mental well-being. It fosters empathy, compassion, and the ability to navigate conflicts constructively.

How We're Teaching Forgiveness

In our classrooms, we incorporate various activities to help students understand and practice forgiveness:

Storytelling and Discussions: We read stories that highlight the importance of forgiveness and engage students in discussions about the characters' actions and feelings.
Role-Playing: Students participate in role-playing scenarios to practice apologising, forgiving, and resolving conflicts peacefully.
Reflection Activities: Through journaling and group activities, students reflect on their own experiences with forgiveness and learn strategies to apply it in their daily lives.

Supporting Forgiveness at Home

Parents play a crucial role in reinforcing the lessons of forgiveness. Here are some ways you can support your child:

Model Forgiveness: Demonstrate forgiving behaviours in your interactions. Children learn by observing the adults around them.
Discuss the Benefits: Talk about how forgiveness can lead to peace and stronger relationships.
Encourage Open Communication: Create an environment where your child feels comfortable expressing their feelings and discussing conflicts.

By working together, we can help our students develop the emotional resilience and interpersonal skills they need to thrive.

Backflips against Bullying

Backflips Against Bullying: A High-Flying Message

A few weeks ago, our school had the privilege of hosting the Backflips Against Bullying performance, an engaging and impactful event that combined acrobatics with essential anti-bullying messages. This dynamic program featured skilled performers who captivated students with their parkour and acrobatic feats, all while imparting valuable lessons on bullying prevention.

Throughout the performance, students were introduced to the concept of being an "upstander"—someone who actively stands up against bullying. The performers demonstrated various scenarios, illustrating how to recognise and respond to bullying behaviours effectively. Interactive segments encouraged students to participate, reinforcing the importance of empathy, resilience, and support within the school community.

One of the highlights was the inclusion of students and even teachers in the performance, fostering a sense of unity and shared responsibility in combating bullying. The event concluded with a powerful message: "Bullying doesn't make you tough," underscoring the significance of kindness and respect in building a positive school environment.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Backflips Against Bullying team for delivering such an inspiring and memorable experience. Their innovative approach has left a lasting impression on our students, empowering them to take a stand and make a difference.

SRC

🎉 Farewell and Thanks to Our Class SRC Reps

A big thank you to Roy and Lucy for their outstanding leadership as our class SRC representatives. Their dedication and initiative have made a significant impact on our school community. To celebrate their achievements, we enjoyed a delightful hot chocolate and donut gathering, where Roy and Lucy passed the leadership baton to Tayte and Emily. We are excited to see the new ideas and initiatives Tayte and Emily will bring to our class. Thank you, Roy and Lucy, for your hard work and commitment; we look forward to the continued success of our class under the guidance of Tayte and Emily.

Down Ball Rules

With the new addition of the down ball rules sign, as suggested by our SRC, we hope that there will be less confusion and more cooperation. The rules will be permanently displayed in the courtyard should anyone need any clarification.