Students News

Foundation 

We have now commenced specialist classes and have visited the library for the first time. Martina is the library helper and told us all about our wonderful library space. We learned that we need a library bag to borrow a book each week and that the library is a quiet space to enjoy and share books. 

We have started to learn more about some letters of the alphabet and the sounds (phonemes) they make. Learning about rhyme has helped us to spell words too. 

We have enjoyed lunch with our buddies are are now feeling a lot more familiar with our surroundings.

Grades 1 & 2

We have been busy playing maths games with a partner such as the game, Get out of my house. The students all did a great job of setting the materials up at their table.

Together we created a human birthday month graph. Can you see which month has the highest number of birthdays in 1LR?

Grade 2

Patterns are at the heart of mathematics. The grade twos had fun this week making, describing, extending and adjusting patterns. They collaborated with a partner, then recorded their thinking in their new maths grid books.

Grades 3 & 4

In Grades 3 and 4, the students are exploring Persuasive Language Devices through the acronym AFOREST, which helps enhance the effectiveness of their writing. 

This week, they focused on the "A" in AFOREST—Alliteration, which refers to the repetition of the same initial consonant sound or letter at the beginning of words.

Our Grade 3 and 4 students have kicked off an exciting journey in the garden as part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program here at Kalinda. Every fortnight, students work together in the garden to grow and harvest fresh, healthy food that will later make its way into the kitchen, where Grade 4 students will transform it into delicious recipes!

This week, the students had the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get involved in a variety of activities. They harvested ripe tomatoes, watered garden beds, collected snails, and even trimmed plants to keep everything healthy and thriving. One of the highlights was adding stakes to the green bean garden bed, ensuring strong growth in the coming weeks.

The excitement didn’t stop there—students were also able to sample some freshly-picked cucumber straight from the garden. The crisp, juicy flavor was a huge hit with the kids. It’s always a treat to enjoy the fruits of their labor right from the soil!

This hands-on learning experience not only teaches students about sustainable gardening but also sparks an appreciation for where our food comes from. We can’t wait to see what the next fortnight brings in the garden!

LOTE

Foundation classes have started learning Japanese, Konnichiwa!, and Asobimasho! (Hello! Let’s play!)

The class is working on creating Konnichiwa 🐥chick.

The grade 1/2 have been learning about New Year celebrations in Japan. This year I called ‘Hebi Doshi’ meaning Year of the snake. We practised writing it in hiragana on whiteboards and chalk outside. There were snakes all the way from the Japanese room to the foundation playground!

Our new Japanese intern will be arriving after the Easter School Holidays. We will be posting more information about hosting Moe in the upcoming newsletters. Please speak to or email White Sensei if you are interested in hosting our intern this year. 

ART

Our Yayoi Kusama artwork is under way. There are pumpkins, mushrooms and dots everywhere!

If you are attending our Community Afternoon, please feel free to collect and add a sticker to our “Obliteration Area”, pictured here.

Please continue collecting empty, cleaned small plastic bottles for our Gr 3/4 students to use in an upcoming sculpture activity. 

Libby Shaw

Visual Art Teacher