Damascus Community

Dear Families,

In week 9, students explored prayer, peace and Catholic values in Religious Education and participated in the Community Mass. In English, they focused on the prefixes in-, im- and non-, developed vocabulary and fluency through The Impossible Bridge, and practised applying new words in reading and writing. In Mathematics, students investigated 3D objects, identifying faces, edges and vertices, sorting objects by their features and applying their knowledge to building stable structures. In Integrated Studies, students used rehearsal and constructive feedback to improve their performances.

Students also participated in the Wala Connections First Nations Dance Workshop, learning about culture, storytelling and connection to Country through movement and music. In Auslan, students revised learning from Units 5 and 6 and completed End of Cycle Assessments. For Social and Emotional Learning, students recognised R U OK? Day, learning how to check in with others, listen with care and seek support from trusted adults.

Students also celebrated Father’s Day, taking time to recognise and appreciate the special fathers, grandfathers and father figures in their lives.

R U OK? Day learning:

Learning for the Week 9/Term 3:

Religious Education:

For Religious Education in Week 10, students will learn that Catholics are called to care for creation and their community. They will identify ways people can care for the world and others, and consider how their choices can have a positive impact. Students will also begin planning a reflection of their RE learning, choosing a Scripture story or passage, a Catholic symbol, prayer, ritual or tradition, and describing ways Catholics can live like Jesus in their everyday lives.

English:

For Reading in Week 10, students will focus on the suffix -en and explore how it can be added to words to form verbs and adjectives. They will practise reading, spelling and building words with -en, including vocabulary such as strengthen, woven, proven and broaden. Students will also complete choral reading of The Four Seasons Awaken, participate in small-group and partner reading to build fluency, and finish the week with a review and Reader’s Theatre performance.

For Writing in Week 10, students will use their planing notes to write a complete and organised informative paragraph about how trees grow towards the light. They will use time connectives, fronted adverbials and transition words to link ideas clearly, write an effective concluding sentence, and then edit and publish a final copy of their information report, including a labelled diagram with arrows.

Mathematics:

For Mathematics in Week 10, students will continue exploring three-dimensional objects and their features. They will identify the two-dimensional shapes that make up the faces of 3D objects, and describe objects using mathematical language such as faces, edges and vertices. Students will also compare and sort 3D objects based on their features, explaining how and why they have grouped them.

Integrated Curriculum:

For Integrated Studies in Week 10, students will reflect on their learning as performers and celebrate the progress they have made across Music, Dance and Drama. They will discuss the skills they have developed, recognise areas of growth and share what they have learnt through their performance experiences.

Auslan:

For Auslan in Week 10, students will continue using visual thinking and familiar signs to communicate ideas. They will practise creating one or two short Auslan phrases, independently or with support, and build confidence when responding to signed phrases. Students will also reinforce their learning through familiar activities such as Memory, using their Auslan knowledge to express their thinking.

Social & Emotional Learning:

For Social and Emotional Learning in Week 10, students will explore the idea that the opposite of violence is respect. They will practise using respectful communication, solving problems in kind and peaceful ways, and supporting others during tricky situations. Students will identify respectful actions and consider how their choices can help others feel safe, supported and included.

What you can do at home

• Read together each night and talk about the message in a story. Ask your child what the author might want the reader to think, feel or learn.

   

• Practise maths in everyday life by noticing patterns at home or outside, such as patterns in tiles, clothes, blocks, counting, or nature. Ask your child to describe what repeats or what changes.

   

• Talk and share signs together by asking your child to teach you an Auslan sign or facial expression they have learned at school. Practising together helps build confidence and communication skills.

Important Classroom 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.

• Spare clothes/change of clothes

  Please pack spare clothes with 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 or if they get muddy during recess and play time. 

• Please ensure that you are labelling all your child's belongings.
• Please remind your child to change their reading books when they need to. 

Important Dates to Remember:

• Thursday 17th September - Coffee and Connect - Meet our Primary School Nurse, Erica McWilliams at the Staff Room
• Thursday, 17th September - Last Day of Term 3
• Monday 5th October - First Day of Term 4

Enjoy your weekend,

The Damascus Team

Contact us @Damascus

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