Grade 1

What are we learning in the Junior School?

The School-Wide Key Understanding we are exploring this term is;

Known expectations and routines help me to manage myself and interactions with others.

Our first Big Idea linked to this understanding is;

We all have strengths and needs.

We expect this portion of our Inquiry to last approximately 4 weeks.

We have broken down this Big Idea into four key stages. These stages are;

I can identify my own strengths and needs.
I can communicate my strengths and needs.
I know that my strengths and needs change.
I can choose how to respond to my strengths and needs.

To enhance this portion of our Inquiry, we will explore these texts;

Perfectly Norman - By Tom Percival
Can a Fish Climb a Tree? by Jane Godwin
Not Quite Narwhal - Jessie Sima

The English concepts that we will explore through these texts are

Plot - including retelling texts, identifying key plot points, sequencing key plot points and using them to inspire our own writing
Questioning - answering and asking questions to deepen our understanding of texts, including exploring the difference between literal and inferential questions.

The Maths concepts that we will explore through this Big Idea are;

Place Value - recognising, representing, ordering and partitioning numbers, initially to 20, to 120 and then beyond.
Data - exploring how to gather and record data, including designing questions, asking questions, recording with tally marks/symbols and creating and reading graphs.

The Wellbeing concepts that we will explore through this Big Idea are;

Cultural and Personal Strengths
Positive Coping

Towards the end of this Inquiry, we will communicate with families about our next Big Idea. As we encourage students to be agents of their own learning, we remain flexible on pacing which means our Inquiry may move faster than originally planned, or may require more time with one or more concepts.

If you have any questions about this Inquiry, or you have any skills, resources, experiences or talents that may help us as we explore the concepts, please contact your classroom teacher.

We acknowledge the role of families in learning so please take every opportunity to talk to your child about their learning, share your own stories of strength and need with them and build connections between your child, your family and their learning at school. Formal assessment will be communicated through Semester reports.

With kindness,

Grade 1 Team - Deb, James, Kate and Jenny

Grade 2

Moving into Big Idea 2 - We act in ways to build community

This term, our school-wide Key Understanding is:

We all contribute to a safe and happy community.

We expect this part of our Inquiry learning to run for approximately four weeks. To support students in developing this understanding, we have broken the Big Idea into four key stages:

● A community is a group of people who are connected.

● There are different communities.

● I contribute to my community.

● Together, we act in ways to build community.

In Week 7, the Grade 2 classes will be exploring our local community by going on a neighbourhood walk to observe and learn about the places and features around our school.

Literacy – Texts We Will Explore

To support this Inquiry, students will engage with the following texts:

● Let’s Play! A Book About Making Friends

● A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey

● The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts

Through these texts, students will explore the curriculumconcepts of:

● Making predictions

● Parts of a sentence

Mathematics Focus

The Mathematics concepts connected to this Inquiry are:

● Place Value

● Measurement

Towards the end of this Inquiry, we will communicate withfamilies about our next Big Idea. As we encourage studentsto be active agents in their own learning, we remain flexiblewith pacing. This means our Inquiry may move morequickly than planned or require additional time withparticular concepts.

If you have any questions about this Inquiry, or if you have skills, resources, experiences, or talents that may supportour learning, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.

With kindness,

Grade 2 Team

Grade 3 & 4

What are we learning in Grade 3/4?

This term, our school-wide Key Understanding is that known expectations and routines help me to manage myself and my interactions with others. Our focus for the next three weeks is Big Idea #2: Managing myself can help to contribute to a safe and happy community. In inquiry, we will explore this concept by recognising actions that contribute to a safe and happy community, identifying work habits that support the community, ensuring that our own actions contribute positively, and explaining how the choices we make help create a safe and happy community.

Over the next three weeks, we will explore Respectful Relationships, with a focus on Help-Seeking. In particular, we will examine communication strategies, explore common help-seeking scenarios, consider the scale of challenges students may face, and identify appropriate help-seeking sources.

Literacy – Texts We Will Explore To support this Inquiry, students will engage with the following texts:

● Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (by Robert C O’Brien)

● Two sides to every story (by Beck & Robin Feiner)

● Written letters (Persuasive response)

Through these texts, students will explore the curriculum concepts of:

● Purpose

● Audience

Mathematics Focus The Mathematics concepts connected to this Inquiry are:

● Addition

● Statistics Gather and Record

Towards the end of this Inquiry, we will communicate with families about our next Big Idea. As we encourage students to be active agents in their own learning, we remain flexible with pacing. This means our Inquiry may move more quickly than planned or require additional time with particular concepts.

If you have any questions about this Inquiry, or if you have skills, resources, experiences, or talents that may support our learning, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.

With kindness,

The Middles Team

Grade 5 & 6

What are we learning in the Senior School from Term 2, Week 6-8

The School Wide Key Understanding we are exploring this term is;

Known expectations and routines help me to manage myself andinteractions with others.

Our next Big Idea, Big Idea 2, linked to this understanding is:

Together we are stronger.

We expect this portion of our Inquiry to go for approximately four weeks.

We have broken down this Big Idea into four key stages. These stages are;

1. I can reflect on how different people contribute to a group.

2. I can reflect on how different people contribute to a group.

3. I can suggest ways that respectful relationships can be achieved in agroup.

4. I can identify the characteristics of an effective group.

To enhance this portion of our Inquiry, In English we will explore these texts;

1. 10 ideas to overcome racism - Eleanora Fornasari

2. When we say Black Lives Matter - Maxine Beneba

3. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - FactSheet

The English concepts that we will explore through these texts are;

1. Complex Sentences, parts of sentences

2. Complex Sentences, parts of speech (nouns, verbs

The Maths concepts that we will explore through this Big Idea are;

1. Place Value

2. Measurement–length

The key Wellbeing concept that we will explore through this Big Idea isPersonal and Cultural Strengths.

Towards the end of this Inquiry, we will communicate with families about ournext Big Idea, Big Idea 3. As we encourage students to be agents of theirown learning, we remain flexible on pacing which means our Inquiry maymove faster than originally planned, or may require more time with one ormore concepts.

If you have any questions about this Inquiry, or you have any skills, resources,experiences or talents that may help us as we explore the concepts, pleasecontact your classroom teacher.

Formal assessment will be communicated through future student-ledconferences and Semester One reports at the end of the semester.

With kindness,

Senior Team

Science excursion to VSSEC

Ben Guest