What's happening?
Foundation
We have been very busy getting straight back into the swing of things and have enjoyed reading the students holiday and weekly weekend recounts. It is great to see their confidence grow each week as they continue to improve.
This week we are learning 2 new digraphs ‘ph’ and ‘wh’, whilst also reviewing the digraphs previously taught (ng, ch, sh, th). We now know the digraph ‘ph’ makes a /f/ sound and is only in some common words like dolphin, photo, elephant and phone. We also know that ‘wh’ is mainly used in question words or old English words such as ‘why, what, wharf, whale and whether.’
In Maths Groups, we have finished off our final unit of ’Place Value’ and have now moved on to ‘Subtraction’. The students have enjoyed many hands-on activities to practise taking away. Our Friday sessions (in classes) are for assessment, My Numeracy tasks or Problem Solving activities.
This term for Inquiry we are looking at all things animals. The students have so far learnt about animal eating habits (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore) and this week we are discussing vertebrates/invertebrates. We are all very impressed with student’s invertebrates Show & Tell. It was very clear how much effort had gone into constructing them, and all students presented them with lots of information and enthusiasm. This week we have started looking at ‘Mammals’ and enjoyed making a paper plate mammal with our Grade 6 buddy!
Just a reminder that swimming begins in Week 5. Please remember to pay and consent via Compass. A notice will be sent home closer to the date with some ‘housekeeping’ items that will assist with making the sessions run smoothly! You may like to start practicing with your child on how to pack their swimming bag, put on googles and how to change out of wet bathers and into clothes.
Grade 1
We had an amazing time at the Melbourne Museum last week, and have been very impressed with all of the facts that the children have been able to recall from their visit! Thank you so much to our amazing parent helpers who came along to assist.
This term we will be learning all about vowel teams (diphthongs), where two vowels work together to make a combined sound. This week the students have been learning about when to use the letters oi, and oy to make an /oi/ sound in words. Keep an eye out for these new cards in your child’s sound packs!
During week 5, the Grade 1’s will be heading to Mentone Grammar for our F-2 swimming program. For new families, Parkdale swimming caps will be given to the students Monday of week 5. Students requiring new swimming caps, these can be purchased from the office for $5 each. Please ensure you check Compass and make sure you have consented and paid for your child to attend.
In Maths this week the students have begun an introduction into early multiplication. At this level, the students identify groups and use addition and skip counting strategies to solve for the total amount of objects in each group. From here, we will also begin looking at arrays in our environment.
Grade 2
This fortnight, students have been developing their skills with ‘explanation’ texts, investigating questions such as, ‘Why is the ocean salty?’, ‘Why are deserts hot during the day but cold at night?’, ‘How do seeds grow?’, etc. As part of our ‘Core Knowledge’ unit we have focused on the features of fairy tales, retelling and summarising skills, along with building vocabulary.
In our ‘Word Study’ sessions, students have been learning about the prefixes re- and pre-, as well as identifying two types of bases and recognising that bases carry the main meaning of words.
In Maths this fortnight, we continued our measurement topic with students investigating length, area, capacity, volume and mass. As always, opportunities to explore ‘measurement’ in everyday situations at home will be a great way to consolidate and build on your child’s knowledge.
As part of our Inquiry topic, ‘Animals and their Habitats’, students began to research the different habitats around the world and how they support animals to survive.
Our wellbeing focus this fortnight is on emotional literacy and the ‘Zones of Regulation’, and then empathy and social skills.
Thank you for your ongoing support with homework: Regular reading aloud and ‘Red Flag Word’ spelling.
Optional extras: ‘Nessy Reading and Spelling’ and ‘Sunset/Jetpack Maths’ (Essential Assessment).
Grade 3
We have continued into Term 4 in tremendous fashion, with the students picking up right where they left off. It has been great to see them all enjoying our new topics and sharing their knowledge and experience with one another.
Reading: Students have started their CARS Reading Comprehension assessments this week and have been able to demonstrate their learnt knowledge very well. It has been great to see all of their hard work pay off! Our mentor text this week is ‘Drought' and our vocabulary focus words are span, withered, grudging and ceaseless. Students are beginning to understand the harsh realities of the Australian climate, as well as the vastness of the country.
Writing: Students are finishing their published information reports on an Australian state or territory and are beginning to revisit persuasive writing. These past few weeks have provided the students an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, teamwork skills and create some fantastic pieces of work. Persuasive writing will provide a similar opportunity, as we are revisiting the topic and allowing students a chance to write about their favourite holiday destinations in Australia. In our grammar lessons, we are distinguishing between when we can use ‘a’ vs. ‘an’ in a sentence.
Maths: We have moved on from 'Chance' and are now focused on telling the time. Students have been learning to use analogue clocks, telling the time to the nearest 5,15 and 30-minute interval. It would be great if you can continue to challenge them at home!
Grade 4
Another wonderful fortnight has passed in Grade 4 and the kids are making terrific progress across the curriculum. A reminder that our excursion to the Moonlit Sanctuary is coming up in Week 5 (31st of October) and all consent and payment need to be finalised shortly.
Literacy:
Students have continued their study of our novel ‘Wonder’ and are further developing their ability to use evidence found in the text to add depth and reasoning to their responses. They have completed the first part of the book which was focused on the perspective of August. The kids have been forced to reflect on the concept of kindness and the acceptance of different anomalies people have. The kids have made wonderful progress in their explanation texts focused on a variety of animal and plant life cycles.
Numeracy:
It’s that ‘Time’ again where our students further explore the concept of Time. Each group has been focusing on different elements of time ranging from: telling the time on analogue clocks, converting and ordering time to using 24 hour time with timetables. It is encouraged that children are exposed to opportunities to use time at home to help plan outings etc. to give them chances to apply their learning in the real world.
Inquiry:
The students have been looking at how pollination occurs and the impact it has on the life cycle of plants and animals. Students have been dissecting flowers and fruit to look closely at how they are made and the different features they have. The Grade 4’s are beginning to understand the connection between plants and animals and how important they are for each other’s life cycle.
Grade 5
Literacy
In Literacy this week, students have continued reading and responding to our mentor text, ‘A Single Shard’ which is set in 12th century Korea. Students have continued exploring Korean culture and have enjoyed being challenged by some very interesting philosophical questions. They’ve also enjoyed unpacking some unique examples of symbolism and figurative language. Students have also continued to practice their note taking and summarising skills during our information report writing sessions.
Numeracy
In Numeracy this week, maths groups continued exploring different ways to display data, practiced interpreting data to draw conclusions and have learned how to calculate the mean, median, mode and range of data sets. Next week students will begin our unit on Location and Transformation, which will also be linked to our inquiry unit.
Inquiry – Travel Expo
Our project groups have continued working diligently within their groups and have enjoyed researching their selected countries. So far, groups have learned about the weather and climate, natural disasters and plant and animal adaptations that occur within their country. Next, students will be researching cultural events and landmarks.
Grade 6
Literacy
We have begun our novel study of Treasure Island, which will be our main literacy focus for this term. Students have started exploring comprehension questions, key character details and unpacking the vocabulary used in the text.
In writing, we are focusing on narrative texts. We have begun by focusing on writing interesting and engaging setting descriptions. This will assist students when they are writing a full narrative story later in the term.
Mathematics
This week we have begun our unit focused on patterns and algebra. There is a range of curriculum that will be covered in this unit. This week we will start looking at finding an unknown quantity in an equation, using the order of operations and following algorithms.
Inquiry
Students have been very much enjoying planning for their Market Day Stalls. This week they will conduct ‘market research’ by presenting their product ideas to the Grade 3s and gathering feedback from them. This will allow them to make changes to their proposed products before they begin manufacturing in the coming weeks.
As part of this project students will be required to purchase the materials required to manufacture their products. Each group has a budget of $20 to spend. This cost is to be shared fairly across the group of students. Students need to organise in their groups who will be responsible for the purchase of each required item.
Sport
This term in Grade 6 sport students have been training for either the Rugby or Lacrosse Gala Day. Students have been working well on Friday mornings to improve their skills and work together as a team. We look forward to participating in each of the Gala Days this term.
- Rugby Gala Day – Friday 20th October
- Lacrosse Gala Day – Friday 10th November
Important End of Year Dates
The following are some important dates to keep in your calendars, there will be more information shared via Compass regarding these events as they are finalised.
- Year 7 Orientation Day (Government Schools): Tuesday 12th December
- Graduation & Memory Books: Thursday 14th December
- Grade 6 Lunch: Friday 15th December
- MSAC Excursion: Tuesday 19th December
- Last Day of Term 4: Wednesday 20th December