Primary School

Another massive week in the Primary School has been filled with excitement, learning and plenty of school spirit. Our Year Five Assembly was truly out of this world, showcasing the confidence, creativity and talents of our students in a fantastic performance enjoyed by all. Year Two students had an amazing time on their Magical Mystery History Tour, immersing themselves in hands-on learning and bringing history to life through engaging experiences and activities. Across the school, our Farmer Dress Up Day had everyone embracing their comfiest denim, boots and country style, creating a fun and vibrant atmosphere throughout the day. We are now looking forward to welcoming our wonderful grandparents on Friday as we celebrate the special role they play in the lives of our students and school community. 

Classroom News 

Please see the classroom news below. Some fantastic experiences are happening in our classrooms; we hope you enjoy reading about them.  

Djinda 

Last week in Djinda we went camping! We role-played, sitting around the campfire and created Mother's Day craft while sharing stories. Taking turns in teams, we thought about additional items we needed to add to the space to evoke meaningful shared play. This gave the children a sense of ownership, with each team taking turns, ensuring the space was left tidy for their friends. This week, we will continue to camp, sharing stories with the added fun of toasting marshmallows. 

Kindergarten 

Both classes are thoroughly enjoying their shared time together as we learn the story of The Little Red Hen. We are also becoming very clever at retaining the sounds we have learnt this term. This week we enjoyed a big walk to the Wild Space! Some of us delighted in finding so many things beginning with our special ‘s’ sound: sand, seaweed, sticks and sun. We loved exploring nature while practising our listening and sound skills together! 

We have also been busy exploring our farming inquiry. Together we have been talking about the different things we might find on farms and the many different types of farms there are. We have discovered farms with animals, farms that grow crops like wheat, flowers, vegetables, and so much more. The children have loved sharing their ideas and knowledge during our discussions. 

Pre-Primary  

In Pre-Primary B our inquiry this term is ‘Under the Water’. Students brainstormed topics and created their own inquiry questions, ranging from ocean salt to underwater volcanoes. We began by learning what an ocean is and how maps and globes represent land and water. Students created their own maps, identifying oceans, land, and sorting sea and land animals. A student question led to learning about the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and the equator, which students added to their maps. We explored ocean layers through a class art display. Students also researched an ocean animal, identified its zone, and explained their reasoning. To understand ocean depth, students used MAB blocks to represent metres and calculated the depth of each ocean layer using place-value knowledge. 

Year One 

We found the wombat Nat and the possum Blossom who had snatched the gumleaves from Poe the crow – they were hiding in our classroom! (see last week’s newsletter!) This was great for the next stage of our Talk for Writing text The Gumleaf Thief as we are now reciting the text and have recreated it through five sentences stories. However, the most unexpected learning came through the children’s idea to send Nat and Blossom to the class Peace table (a class area where disputes can be settled and problems solved) to apologise to Poe for snatching his gumleaf. Instead of berating the snatchers, the class showed great compassion using phrases like ‘they didn’t mean it’ and ‘we just need to teach them how to be kind’. Our next text (innovation) might just be ‘The Gumleaf Friends’! 

Year Two 

It has been a busy few weeks for Year Two! Last week was packed full of crazy decade dress-ups, cutting and gluing some beautiful fraction displays and diving deeper into our Humanities inquiry with some discussion about significant people. We explored some important people in history, both locally and nationally, and brainstormed the legacy we want to leave. On Friday, we got to enjoy the sun with a walk down to the Wild Space and school vineyards. This week was packed full of fun with our Magical Mystery History Tour excursion on Tuesday, ‘dress as a farmer’ and Walk to School on Wednesday, and we are looking forward to a visit from our grandparents for Grandparents’ Day tomorrow. 

Year Three  

In Year Three we have been applying the MRS GREN acronym to determine if things are living or non-living. This included looking more closely at plants to determine how they show each of these principles and how important they are to our world. As part of Humanities, we dived more deeply into Australia, specifically Western Australia, where we learned about the regions, range of climates, diverse landscapes, animals and natural features. Students found many places that they would love to visit or perhaps have a school camp at.    

Year Four 

In Year Four, we have been exploring convict occupations and imagining what life was like arriving in Australia with just a skill, some determination and probably very muddy boots. Students are preparing to interview their grandparents and other treasured family members on Friday to uncover hidden talents, past occupations and surprising skills that would have been valuable in helping build a brand-new colony. We have also been investigating simple machines, using fulcrums to test how a well-placed pivot can turn heavy lifting into something much more manageable – proving that even the toughest jobs can be made easier with a bit of clever science (and teamwork). 

Year Five  

In Year Five this week, we’ve been looking 

At not just assembly and our space cake cooking 

But instead at poetry, at stories in verse 

Finding our rhyme and rhythm, plenty to rehearse 

We’re looking at a ballad, an epic tale 

Making our own creation story, our holy grail 

Every poem needs a hero, a guy or a girl 

Overcome the enemy, watch the story unfurl 

Get the creative juices flowing; get in the zone 

Our story ends with a new king on the throne  

Or perhaps even a natural disaster averted  

So swing by Year Five and be poetically converted 

Year Six 

This week we have continued our work on decimal multiplication and division with some engaging hands-on lessons to aid learning. The students have certainly found these a lot of fun whilst trying to improve their multiplicative thinking. In Science we have continued to explore chemical reactions and this week explored how sugar is absorbed in various water temperatures. Mrs Mackenzie also shared some of her life experiences whilst living in Canada, particularly around Niagara Falls and the chemical changes that occur with the freezing of the ice bridges. 

Physical Education 

Great Southern Primary Netball Tournament 

Our school netball teams had an outstanding day at the recent interschool netball tournament, showcasing excellent skill, teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the competition. 

The Year Six Girls team played exceptionally well across the day, demonstrating fantastic passing, strong defence and accurate shooting to finish the tournament as champions. Their determination and teamwork were evident in every match, and they should be extremely proud of their achievement. 

The Year Six Boys team also had a remarkable tournament, remaining undefeated all day. The boys displayed outstanding teamwork, communication and skill on the court, earning them a well-deserved tournament win. Their positive attitude and encouragement of one another was wonderful to see. 

Our mixed Years Five and Six Girls team also represented the School with pride. The team played with great enthusiasm and determination, narrowly missing out on a place in the grand final after several close and exciting matches. Their effort and improvement throughout the day were impressive. 

Across all teams, students demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and camaraderie, supporting teammates and opponents alike while competing at a very high standard of netball. 

A huge thank you goes to our dedicated coaches and helpers for their support and encouragement throughout the season and on tournament day: 

• Mrs Gemma Sandy – Years Five and Six Girls team coach  
• Mrs Joanne Wegner – Year Six Girls team coach  
• Mr Stephen Berryman – Year Six Boys team coach 
• Mrs Caroline Cameron – assistant coach 

• Mrs Nyree Mackenzie – assistant coach  

   

We would also like to thank our wonderful student umpires: Sophie Pearson, Abbie Cameron and Molly Stan-Bishop, for their assistance and professionalism during the tournament. 

Congratulations to all players on an amazing day of netball and for representing our school so proudly. 

Languages 

Lately, we have been preparing for our upcoming pronunciation task by exploring how certain letters, digraphs and trigraphs create particular sounds in French, such as on, ou and an. Did you know that in French the three letters eau always make the sound ‘o’? We also discussed why pronunciation is so important. Learning vocabulary and grammar takes a lot of effort, so being able to pronounce words clearly helps ensure the message is understood and gives students confidence. 

ECC Briefing  

The following superstars have worked exceptionally well and received a Star Award for their outstanding efforts.  

• Kindergarten A:  Arlo Swann  
• Kindergarten B: Rose Weatherill 
• Pre-Primary A: Margo Hodge  
• Pre-Primary B: Sebastien Chen 
• Year One:  Rosie Pearce 

The following students have stood out for their ability to show compassion.  

• Kindergarten A: Olive Yap 
• Kindergarten B: Violet Clarke  
• Pre-Primary A: Remi Yap 
• Year One: Charlie Macdonald 

Primary School Briefing 

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a certificate for showing the school value of Integrity 

• Year Three: Sydney Coleman 
• Year Four: Zayne Prasad and Eymen Carter 
• Year Five: Raine Melia and Harriet Stan-Bishop 
• Year Six: Tate Eckersley and Ava Rowe 

Brag Award: Well done Year Four B – Mr Carman’s class – for winning the Brag Award. Another fun one with Georgia Rutter holding the longest one-leg stand!  

Congratulations to our Personal Best certificate recipients from Year Four B and Year Five B and our latest members of the 120 Club! 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Ms Leah Field | Head of Primary and

Mrs Hayley Ranger | Head of Early Childhood