Inquiry

The 1/2 and 3/4 students are well on their way towards making a positive impact in the school grounds on issues and opportunities that they've identified, which is really exciting! Students are also really enjoying the warm up thinking activities using intriguing images, and the philosophical discussions; for example, several classes had fascinating discussions around the concept of belonging.

1/2s - Making our school a better home for more creatures

Through the nature hunts (wildlife audits) in the first half of the year and examining iNaturalist, the 1/2s realised that we have no small birds in our school grounds.  A visit from a Newlands parent representing BirdLife Australia helped them to understand that this was in great part because we don't have appropriate habitat to help them feel safe from predators and medium to large birds like the Noisy Miner. Since then, students have learned about the kinds of plants that support the three groups of small birds (seed-eaters, insect-eaters, and nectar-drinkers). Using this knowledge, this week 1/2C created a plant list and consulted with NPS horticulturalist and grounds keeper, Sab. I'll take the plant list with me to a nursery when Courtney and I spend the money we were awarded through a grant to create a habitat garden. 

Students have also loved learning about the blue banded bee, so 1/2C included the matted flax lily (or dianella) on the shopping list. Over the coming weeks, we'll continue to make clay homes for the blue banded bee (BBB) and later create some BBB villages using designs that 1/2s drew  based on the needs of the BBB. 

3/4 - Addressing student-identified issues - being leaders and change makers!

Grade 3/4 students continue to focus on three of the main issues identified by students at the start of the year as lacking or negatively affecting students: litter, the situation in the toilets, and the need for more nature in the school grounds for wellbeing and biodiversity. Students have been inquiring into the causes of the litter and bad behaviour in the toilets, what the impacts are on students, the school, and the environment, and designing solutions that target the causes and draw upon behaviour change strategies. 

As you would have read in last week's newsletter, the Toilet Private Investigators (a group of 3/4B students) have started implementing their plan and this week held a meeting with the newly assigned toilet monitors from each class.

In the coming weeks, 3/4s will go on a Nature Connection Orienteering excursion to further develop their understanding of the natural world, tune into the effects of nature on our wellbeing, and start to think about how they could bring these learnings into our school grounds. (If you're a 3/4 parent/carer, please keen an eye out on Sentral for an important message about this excursion!)

In addition to these student-led solutions to the issues, I am very excited to announce that we have begun a song writing program! The 3/4s will be working with singer song-writer, community choir leader, and NPS parent Phil who has lots of experience leading community song writing programs. This school song will be used to promote our school values, address the identified issues, and encourage students to stand up and speak out. Phil is running incursions with each 3/4 class, which students are really enjoying, and then the song writing will begin, followed be recording, performing, and creating a video. Stay tuned!