Classroom News

Foundation Newsletter - Week 4, Term 3

Dear Parents/ Caregivers,

Welcome to Weeks 4 and 5! These are exciting and busy weeks in Prep, with one of our favourite celebrations 100 Days of Prep! We had the best day celebrating with our students and all their incredible costumes. They have grown and learned so much over their first 100 days of school!

As we are well and truly into the cold and flu season, we have noticed an increase in illnesses among both students and staff. We will always do our very best to care for and support our little learners at school, but if your child is feeling unwell, please keep them home to rest and recover. This helps them get better sooner and reduces the spread of illness throughout our classroom.

A few friendly reminders:

• Homework is due back every Monday, we change our text and new Sounds-Write words are pasted into their homework book.
• Thursday is Library Day, so please remember to send your child's library bag and borrowed library book so they can return it and borrow an exciting new book to enjoy at home.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. We hope everyone stays healthy, warm and has a wonderful couple of weeks ahead!

Literacy 

In Reading, our Prep students will continue building their reading, speaking and vocabulary skills through our Core Knowledge units as we explore the seasons of Summer and Autumn, before reviewing and consolidating everything we have learnt over the past four weeks.

We have also introduced a Word of the Week from our Core Knowledge texts to help expand students' vocabulary and encourage them to use rich language in their speaking and writing. Each week, students are challenged to use the word in conversations and classroom activities. So far, our focus words have been cautiously, gradually, and distinct.

In Writing, students will learn how to plan and organise their ideas by creating story planners and story maps, while using engaging animal information texts to inspire their own writing. They will participate in modelled writing and dictation sessions each week to strengthen their sentence construction, handwriting, spelling and punctuation skills.

Towards the end of the unit, students will apply everything they have learnt by planning, writing, editing and publishing their own innovation story, where they will create their own version of a familiar text. This is an exciting opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and celebrate the writing skills they have developed throughout the term.

Sounds-Write

In Sounds-Write, students will continue working through Unit 11, building their knowledge of more complex spellings and developing confidence in reading and spelling words containing consonant blends and digraphs (ch, tch, th (hard and soft), sh, ck, wh and ng. Throughout the fortnight, students will participate in daily symbol searches, sound swap activities, word building, and reading and spelling practice to strengthen their decoding and encoding skills.

Students will also learn and practise new high-frequency words, including there, where, because and small, while applying their phonics knowledge through regular dictation activities. These sessions support students to develop accuracy in spelling, punctuation and sentence writing while reinforcing the sounds and spelling patterns they have been learning in class.

Numeracy

In Mathematics, our Prep students will continue developing their number sense by exploring different ways to break apart and make numbers 6–9. Through hands-on activities, games and problem-solving tasks, students will investigate number bonds and learn that numbers can be represented in many different ways. Building a strong understanding of these number relationships supports students' confidence with addition, subtraction and mental maths.

We will also continue our Facts on Fire sessions, 3 times a week, where students practise recognising dot patterns and quickly recalling the total. These short, engaging activities help develop number fluency, subitising skills and confidence with basic facts. Students will finish the fortnight by applying their learning through a range of fun maths games that reinforce the concepts explored in class.

HASS: Science: Weather and Seasons

Students will continue to investigate the four seasons, with a focus on summer and autumn which is also connected to our Core Knowledge unit in Reading. We are exploring how weather changes across the seasons, how plants and animals respond, and how people adapt to different conditions. 

Wellbeing

In Respectful Relationships, students learn that everyone can be both strong and gentle. Through stories, games and class discussions, they explore how strength can be used in kind, helpful and respectful ways. Students also practise fair and friendly play, learning how to include others, take turns, share, solve small problems together and use kind words and actions. These lessons help students build positive friendships and understand how their choices can help everyone feel safe, included and respected. 

Reminder: Hands on Science Weather Incursion

In Week 8, on Wednesday 2nd September, our Prep students will participate in a Hands on Science Weather Incursion, where they will investigate different types of weather through exciting hands-on experiments and interactive activities. The incursion will support our Science and Core Knowledge learning by exploring how weather changes, the tools used to observe and measure weather, and ways to stay safe in different weather conditions. Students will develop their scientific inquiry skills by making observations, asking questions and participating in practical investigations.

100 Days of Prep:

What an incredible day we had celebrating 100 Days of Prep! It was wonderful to see our classroom filled with so many fabulous "100-year-olds," with students embracing the theme and arriving in some very creative costumes. Thank you to all our families for helping make the day so special.

The students enjoyed a range of fun 100 Days activities, shared a delicious pizza lunch, and spent time celebrating with their wonderful Year 6 buddies. It was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on just how much our Prep students have grown, learned and achieved over their first 100 days of school.

We are so proud of everything they have accomplished so far this year and loved celebrating this exciting milestone together. It truly was a day full of smiles, laughter and memorable moments.

Please enjoy the class and group photos below!

Warmest regards, 

Tegan Cochrane, Renee Kociski, Ashleigh Smith and Vanessa Stimar

Foundation Teachers

Year 1 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 3

Dear Year 1 Parents and Caregivers,

We are already space explorers this term and have been excited by our visit from the Mad about Science Team. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Kind Regards,

Year 1 Team

Caroline Morrison, Rosie Robinson, and Alison Sparks

Year 2 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 3

Dear Year 2 Parents and Caregivers,

Below is a snapshot of recent activities, alongside important dates for the next two weeks. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Kind regards, 

Daniel Lewis, Thilini Marasinghe, Zhuang Bian, Charlene Maguire

Year 2 Teachers

Year 3 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 3

Dear Parents/ Caregivers,

Thank you for the fantastic start to term 3.

We thought it would be beneficial to outline a few of the important dates and curriculum content for this term. Below is an overview of important dates for Term 3. There will be possible updates or new dates added to Compass as the term progresses:

 Important Dates to Remember:

Numeracy

This fortnight, students have been learning to read and tell the time using analogue clocks, including o'clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to, and time to the nearest minute. They have also begun exploring a range of mental addition strategies to solve problems efficiently. 

Reading and Writing

In Reading, we have been reading Matilda, and the students have been loving the story so far. We have explored the main characters through character analysis, practised our new skill of summarising, and completed a range of comprehension activities to deepen students' understanding of the text.

In Writing, we have been exploring the structure of narratives in preparation for planning and writing our own stories. Students used a narrative toolkit to examine a model text, identifying the key features and author's craft that make a narrative engaging. Prior to this, we strengthened our grammar skills by learning when to use "a" and "an", and practised changing verbs between past and present tense. 

HASS: Science

In Science, students have begun the unit on life cycles of a plant. They have planted a broadbean seed, and have been caring for it and monitoring its growth. Over the next few weeks we will look at a range of plants, inside and outside and monitor how they change as they grow from a seed to a plant.

Wellbeing

In Wellbeing, we have been exploring the importance of positive friendships and learning strategies for mending friendships through our "Building Bridges" lessons. Students have discussed ways to resolve conflicts respectfully and strengthen relationships. Over the coming fortnight, they will take part in role-play activities to practise real-life situations where they may need to "build bridges" with friends and use positive communication skills.

Laptops will be required everyday. Please assist your child to ensure that their device is coming to school fully charged each day. 

Thank you,

Year 3 Team

Cassie, Harrison and Lauren

Year 4 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 3

Dear Year 4 Parents and Caregivers, 

Below is a snapshot of recent activities, alongside important dates for the term. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Kind Regards,

Year 4 Team

Sam Pallas, Jessica De Angelis, Katie Smith and Tim Maclachlan

Year 5 Newsletter - Week 4, Term 3

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Below is a snapshot of important Term 3 dates. Please note that additional events and updates may be added to Compass throughout the term, so we encourage you to check regularly to stay informed.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or require further clarification. 

Vanessa Burke and Josh Bretherton, 

Year 5 Teachers

Year 6 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 3

Dear Year 6 Parents and Caregivers,

Please note that due to Ski Camp, an alternative revision program will run for students not attending. 

We thought it would be beneficial to outline a few of the important dates and curriculum content for this term. Below is an overview of important dates for Term 3. There will be possible updates or new dates added to Compass as the term progresses:

Kind Regards,

Year 6 Team

James Thomas, Natasha Williams and Emma Heron

Specialist  Curriculum Newsletter - Term 3 , 2026

Dear Parents/ Caregivers,

Below is an outline of our specialist curriculum program for Term 3.

Performing Arts- Music

Choir: This is held each Thursday during lunch in the Music room. .The Choir is open to all students in Year 2 and above.

Rock Band: This is held each Monday during lunch in the Music room. The Rock Band is open to all students from year 4-6.

Foundation students explore musical ideas through play. They continue to develop their understanding of beat by using a variety of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. Through singing, movement and body percussion activities, students build their sense of rhythm in an engaging, interactive and enjoyable learning environment. 

Year 1 students will develop their listening, singing and instrumental skills while exploring and creating their own melodies and rhythms. They will investigate the different instrument families and begin learning to play a range of classroom instruments. Students will recognise, perform and create rhythmic patterns, develop melodic ideas on the xylophone using the notes C, D, E, F and G, and build pitch accuracy through singing a variety of songs. Lessons will include body percussion activities, musical games and an introduction to famous composers, encouraging students to develop creativity, confidence and enjoyment in music-making. 

Year 2 students will further develop their listening, singing and instrumental skills while learning the recorder and xylophone. They will strengthen their understanding of musical notes, rhythm and pitch through performing, composing and responding to music. Students will create their own rhythmic patterns and simple melodies using the recorder, xylophone and a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. Through body percussion, movement and ensemble activities, they will continue to develop a strong sense of beat and rhythm. Students will also extend their recorder skills by learning new notes and performing an increasing repertoire of songs, while building confidence, creativity and musicianship through composing and performing their own musical ideas. 

Year 3 students will develop their listening, singing and instrumental skills while exploring the elements of music through performance and composition. Students will learn to play the violin, viola or cello, developing correct posture, bow hold and playing technique. They will learn all open strings and first-finger notes, using these to perform, improvise and create their own melodies and rhythmic patterns on their instruments. Students will continue to develop pitch accuracy through singing and begin reading and writing musical notation. Their learning will be further enhanced through body percussion, movement and ensemble activities that strengthen their understanding of beat, rhythm and musical expression.  

Year 4 students will develop their listening, singing and instrumental skills while exploring the elements of music through performance, composition and creativity. Students will continue to refine their musicianship through singing, body percussion and instrumental performance, including ongoing string studies. They will learn to play a range of instruments including guitar, drum kit and xylophone, developing technique, rhythm, pitch and ensemble skills. Students will create their own rhythms, melodies and musical compositions using a variety of instruments, applying their understanding of musical elements such as beat, dynamics, tempo and form. Through group performances and collaborative music-making, students will strengthen their ability to play together as an ensemble while developing confidence, creativity and musical expression. 

Year 5 students will explore the art of drama through the study of mime and physical theatre. Students will develop an understanding of how performers can communicate ideas, emotions and stories without using words, through the use of body movement, gesture, facial expression and physical choices. They will explore the elements of drama, including characterisation, role, situation, tension, focus, space and movement, to create meaningful performances.

Through mime activities, students will investigate how the use of space, levels, direction, proximity and body positioning can communicate relationships and dramatic meaning. They will develop their ability to create believable characters by experimenting with facial expressions, posture, movement qualities and vocal choices. Students will learn how performers use exaggeration, control and precision to engage audiences and convey emotions clearly.

Year 6 students will explore the elements of drama through the development, rehearsal and presentation of devised and scripted performances. Students will strengthen their understanding of how drama communicates ideas, stories and emotions through characterisation, voice, movement, relationships and dramatic choices. They will investigate how performers use the elements of drama, including role, situation, tension, focus, space, time, mood and contrast, to create engaging and meaningful performances.

Students will develop their performance skills by exploring character development, script interpretation and the use of vocal techniques such as tone, pace, volume, expression and articulation. They will experiment with movement, gesture, facial expression and body language to communicate character intentions and emotions effectively. Students will explore how the use of space, levels, positioning, stage directions and interaction with other performers can enhance storytelling and create dramatic meaning.

Through collaborative devising and rehearsal processes, students will create, refine and present dramatic works for different audiences and settings. They will develop skills in improvisation, problem-solving and responding to feedback, while making purposeful decisions about performance style, structure and presentation. Students will reflect on their own and others’ work, evaluating how effectively dramatic elements and performance techniques have been used to engage audiences and communicate ideas.

We look forward to a vibrant and inspiring term ahead, filled with opportunities for students to explore, create and perform through engaging musical experiences that nurture creativity, collaboration and a love of the performing arts. 

 Visual Arts  

This year the students will spend their time in the art room preparing works for our magnificent biannual art show. They will showcase their impressive talents and we hope to raise funds for a new kiln to benefit the creativity for all students. Please read the newsletter each week to see how your family can contribute!

Foundation students will be inspired by the abstract forms of American artist Wassily Kindinky. They will explore how to use an acrylic paint and a glue mixture to outline their design. The students will use watercolour paint to complete their abstract creation. They will take inspiration from Brazilian artist, painter, serigrapher (silk screen printer) and sculptor Romeo Brittio to experiment with oil pastels to create an artwork. The students will learn about Lascaux cave paintings and build on their understanding of how early humans used animals and symbols to communicate ideas and experiences. They will crafted a textured cave-like surface using wet painting techniques and plastic wrap. The students will develop and represent a simple visual story using animals and/or invented symbols with charcoal and pastel to create this.

Year 1 students will experience straw blowing watercolour paint to make a vibrant parrot artwork. They will explore painting with cardboard instead of a brush using acrylic paint. The students will experiment with watercolour paints and oil pastels to create this seascape painting inspired by Fauvist French painter Raoul Dufy. They will use their paper craft skills to construct an animal artwork from printed and coloured paper.

Year 2 students will brainstorm ideas for different themed hand and finger puppets. They will experience making their own templates out of paper and these patterns will be used to cut out shapes from felt and paper to construct their puppets. The students will use their problem- solving and logical thinking skills to complete these projects.

Year 3 students will challenge their artistic self expression with a paper doll project.  They will craft characters and their outfits, which will encourage their problem- solving and logical thinking skills. The students  will combine yarn, cardboard and foil to construct a fish and experiment with coloured permanent markers to add detail to this creation.

Year 4  students will experience blending watercolour paint and printing a textured pattern onto it with acrylic paint to achieve a honeycomb effect. They will use a foam stencil to transfer a print onto this art work and explore blending oil pastel to complete the project. The students will use various papers and practice their paper craft skills to construct a 3D windmill.

Year 5 students will take inspiration from English artist Anne Stokes and explore the process of  rolling and shaping magic clay to create a dragon's eye artwork. They will study street art and different lettering fonts. The students will experiment with paint pens to construct a name plate on silver metal tape. They will apply their paint pens skills to wooden board to create a bird themed drink coaster. The students will study still life and draw a combination of images in proportion. They will add value(dimension ) to these using watercolour paint.

Year 6 students will take inspiration from Pablo Picasso’s continuous line portraits and create one of themselves. They will explore the skills of blending water based ink to this artwork. The students will experience blending and shaping coloured wire to construct a self portrait sculpture. They will study still life and draw a combination of images in proportion. The students added value (dimension) using coloured chalk pastel.

Physical Education

Foundation students are continuing to develop their fundamental movement skills in a variety of partner, small group and whole class activities and games. Students have been focusing on overhand throwing and catching. This term, the Foundation students will practice the fundamental movement skill of a ball bounce in a variety of basketball activities and stations. Students will practice throwing a frisbee in a variety of activities, team challenges and games. 

Year 1 and 2 students have been busy working independently and collaboratively to develop their skipping skills. Students have challenged themselves to skip backwards, in small groups and for minutes at a time. This term, our Year 1 and 2 students will be participating in a karate program with experienced coaches from Karyukai Karate.  Students will develop their motor skills, physical fitness, and confidence through a variety of exciting activities. Students will participate in a variety of modified basketball activities to practice dribbling, passing and shooting. 

Year 3 and 4 students are preparing for their upcoming ultimate frisbee gala day. Students will develop frisbee specific skills, team strategies and an understanding of the rules. This term, Year 3 and 4 students will participate in basketball-based activities, where students will be learning the skills and strategies needed to play a game. Throughout all lessons, students will focus on applying fair play and inclusive practices. 

Year 5 and 6 students are currently participating in a Sport Education in Physical Education Program (SEPEP) unit. This student-led program focuses on students taking ownership of their physical education and allows students to develop understanding of how to organise and participate in a given sport. The Year 5 and 6 students will be focusing on basketball. The Year 5 and 6 students will then commence preparation for their ultimate frisbee gala day happening later in the term. 

French

On 14 July, Toorak Primary School celebrated French Day to mark Bastille Day, France's national day. Students embraced the occasion by dressing in the colours of the French flag—blue, white and red—and enjoyed a range of French-themed activities throughout the day.

A heartfelt thank you to all of our families for supporting this special event by helping students dress up and celebrate French culture. Your enthusiasm helped make the day such a success. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to France At Home for generously providing delicious galette cookies for our students to enjoy. If you would like to enjoy more authentic French food and treats at home, visit franceathome.com.au to explore their range of imported French products.

This term, a number of our Year 5 and 6 students are participating in the Association of French Teachers in Victoria (AFTV) French Song Competition. Students will rehearse and film themselves performing a French song of their choice, developing their confidence in pronunciation, fluency and performance skills while communicating in French. We wish all of our participants Bonne chance !

What students are learning this term

Foundation – Year 2 students are learning to recognise, understand and use French colour vocabulary in a variety of interactive games, songs and hands-on activities inspired by our French circus incursion. They will practise saying colours such as rouge (red), bleu (blue), jaune (yellow), vert (green), blanc (white) and noir (black), building their confidence to communicate using familiar words and simple phrases.

Year 3 and 4 students are expanding their vocabulary by learning colours as well as items of clothing, including foulard (scarf), pantalon (pants) and jupe (skirt). They will apply this language to create simple descriptive sentences such as “Mon foulard est rose” (My scarf is pink), developing their ability to interact in French using familiar sentence structures and increasing their understanding of how French grammar and vocabulary work together.

Year 5 and 6 students are developing their speaking and pronunciation skills through learning and performing French songs. Working collaboratively, they will rehearse, record and film their performances for the AFTV French Song Competition. This authentic learning experience encourages students to communicate creatively in French while building confidence, fluency and intercultural understanding through music.

Songs of the term:

‘La chanson des couleurs’ by Learn French Through Music 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZR66TjjrDc

Key vocabulary:

Jaune- yellow

Bleu- blue

Rouge- red

Rose- pink

Marron- brown

Vert- green

Blanc- White

Orange- orange

Noir- black

Regards,

The Specialist Team

Elizabeth Exintaris, Michelle Reynolds, Emma Webb and Madame Li