Specialist News

Junior School

The students have continued to hone their rolling, throwing and catching through a variety of partner and team games. They have started to verbalise strategies they are using and have even coached their peers in game play.

Middle School

The students have begun a striking unit through the game of Tennis. They have been working at completing a forehand shot to an intended spot on the court. Some students have even mastered the backhand. This has been done through modified stations in which repetition occurs in order to master the skill rather than in a game play scenario. 

Senior School

Over the last 3 weeks students in year 5 and year 6 (along with year 3) participated in a sporting schools funded  golf program run by coach Jake from DS sports.

Students have learnt how to putt, chip and drive through a variety of activities. this even included students creating their own 10 hole golf course on the oval, putting to use the rabbit holes!

The  year 6 students walked down to Settlers Run Golf Club on Tuesday 3rd December to have an on course experience on the driving range and chipping/putting area. The excitement of using real balls was next level.

Thanks to DS sports and Settlers Run Golf Club for this fun opportunity for the students.

Student in the Spotlight

On November 30th, at the last round of the Supercross Championship, Brooklyn from 4A competed in his very first race in front of 45,000 people at Marvel Stadium. Brooklyn has been riding motorbikes since he was 2.5 years old, however has never raced. He was selected to compete by Yamaha Australia and after his first gate drop ever, he finished an amazing 4th! 

Well done Brooklyn!

Holiday Golf Programs @ Settlers Run

The hype created by having our oval double at a 10 hole mini golf course created a buzz across all year levels - even those who did not get the chance to complete the Golf Program on Tuesdays commented on how fun it looked.

With so many of our families living close to Settlers Run and the golf course why not have the kids entertained during the holidays.

Settlers Run make use of the Golf Australia MyGolf system. All program registrations take place via the Golf Australia website which can be found here

https://www.golf.org.au/mygolf/program-

Nature Play

In our nature play sessions, students have been practicing using natural materials to craft their own paint brushes, collecting sticks, leaves, and other bits of nature to assemble unique tools wrapped with wool. Additionally, students worked collaboratively to design and construct mazes using natural elements like sticks, stones, and fallen branches, enhancing teamwork and spatial thinking. These activities are excellent to nurture a love for nature and get students outside.

Kitchen

Year 3 Students Get a Taste of Old-Fashioned Cooking.  Students rolled up their sleeves and practiced some traditional cooking skills, whipping up a batch of simple yet delicious lemonade scones. With flour-dusted hands and big smiles, the students learned the art of not over kneading dough and baking scones to golden perfection. The excitement continued as they topped their creations with jam and cream, turning them into a treat to be proud of. The verdict? Absolutely delicious!

Garden

The highlight of our garden activities over the past few weeks has been the harvesting of our cherries and broadbeans.

Shelling the broad beans was a two-step process. First, the students carefully removed the beans from their pods. Then, after a quick two-minute boil, they peeled off the tough outer layer to reveal the tender beans inside. 

The students thoroughly enjoyed the sense of accomplishment that comes with preparing food they have nurtured from the garden.

Environmental Science

As our unit on light has faded, senior school students have been having some fun in the kitchen. So far, they’ve successfully made scones and chocolate truffles, showcasing their fantastic teamwork and culinary skills. In just 50 minutes, each group has followed the recipe, cooked, enjoyed their creations, and cleaned up, ready for the next group. Well done to all our budding chefs—you’ve done an amazing job!

Foundation and Junior School

Students are making great strides in developing their digital literacy. Learning to navigate technology has helped them build both independence and problem-solving skills. Here’s a breakdown of what they’ve accomplished so far:

1. Turning on the computer – A simple yet essential first step.
2. Logging in – Typing their class name and password, and using the Shift key for capitalisation, which helps them improve both typing and keyboarding skills.
3. Navigating to Google – Understanding how to find the Google icon and open it up, which is a key skill for internet navigation.
4. Maximizing the screen – Practicing window management for a more user-friendly workspace.
5. Using Bookmarks – Finding the correct game by scrolling through the bookmarks, which teaches them how to organise and access frequently used websites.
6. Opening and selecting the game – Making choices about game levels demonstrates their ability to follow instructions and engage in problem-solving.
7. Signing out – Practicing proper sign-out protocols ensures they respect their online safety and privacy.

It's amazing how many steps are involved in a simple activity like playing a typing game! These foundational skills will undoubtedly support their continued growth in technology.

Cyber Safety

Students watched a variety of videos based around rules for at home screen time and using their 'powers' to be responsible and safe online.

Firstly we watched this video in class time, and talked about rules and why they are important. This could be a great starting point for families to develop some rules at home too.

https://infogram.com/1pnmq05pj33d6yiz6j9wvlzyw5fmv19dyr0

Next lesson we watched videos of the following animals and learned about their super powers. Making their own stick puppets allowed the students to express their creativity and understand the idea of roles and responsibilities. 

Role-Playing Online Safety: Through role play, students practiced how to act responsibly and respectfully online. For example, they acted out what to do if something online feels uncomfortable or confusing, which is a great way for them to internalise concepts like:

• Being Responsible: Taking care when interacting online (not sharing personal information, reporting inappropriate content).
• Being Respectful: Treating others with kindness and respect, whether online or in person.
• Trusting Their Feelings: Teaching children to trust their instincts when something doesn't feel right. For example, if a website feels unsafe or a message seems suspicious, they should tell a trusted adult.
• Investigating: Encouraging children to question the content they are reading or seeing. Not everything they see online is real! 

Middle and Senior

Students from Years 2 to 6 have been enthusiastically publishing their creative stories using the digital platform Book Creator. This activity has allowed them to practise and refine their typing skills while exploring their artistic talents through illustrations and digital effects. From adding vibrant images to experimenting with layouts, students have embraced the process of bringing their written work to life in a digital format. Their creativity and hard work are shining through in their impressive final products, which demonstrate their growing confidence in using technology to enhance their storytelling.

Foundation and Junior School

Students have been focusing on learning techniques with paper such as cutting, folding, curling and sculpting. They have explored concertina folds, creating two coloured springs, spirals, fringing, folding pleats and making mini fans and using decorative scissors. Their collaborative artworks were loads of fun but creating their own monochromatic (varying tones of a single color) paper sculpture was a huge hit! This hands-on activity was not only fun but also helped students explore color theory and artistic techniques while thinking creatively about their designs.

Middle School

Students have used sculpting and collage techniques to extend their range of skills with paper. They were challenged to create a 3D deconstructed hamburger or other food item with multiple layers. Folding, curling, fringing and other techniques were used to produce some were outstanding!

Following this they have learnt new techniques for drawing landscapes. Students completed some warm ups on whiteboards ensuring their landscapes had a foreground, middleground and background before sketching their own.

Senior School

Year 5

Students have continued to persevere with their paper mache pinatas. Disappointingly we had quite a few deflated balloons and popping incidents which made things difficult for many children but this proved to be a valuable learning experience and they came back bigger and better the following lesson. 

Year 6

At long last students put their final touches on their pavers for their legacy artwork. Fingers crossed these will be on display Week 9-10 so check in with your child if you want to snap a picture before the end of term!

Junior School

The Foundations students have been playing games around taking turns and following the rules. The year 1 and 2 students have continued onwith Stop, Opt and Go, practicing how to listen to our bodies and identify our feelings and making sure we make our choice with a calm head and body so we make safe choices.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

The year 3 student shave been exploring how our hurtful words do damage on the inside that we can't see and exploring our emotions once again. The year 4 students have completed their unit on conflict and are now moving into our teamwork games, focusing on the skills of communicating, listening, problem solving and cooperating.

SENIOR SCHOOL

The year 5 and 6 students have also started their unit on teamwork, again discussing the elements of teamwork and the skills we must demonstrate to prove we are a team player. It has been lovely to be out playing games with our year 6 students and seeing the laughter and joy just getting to be with their friends in these finals weeks of primary school.