Around the Junior School
Year 3 French Exchange
On Friday, 13 September, Year 3, along with our French exchange students, visited Scenic World in the Blue Mountains as part of our geography unit on Australia and the Protection of Places.
The aim was to understand the fast nature of flora and fauna in the area; to have a closer look at the incredible landforms of mountains, rocky cliffs and terrain, and to understand what we need to do to care for these areas.
We started our adventure on the Scenic Skyway where we learned about Katoomba Falls and the exact size of the Blue Mountains as part of the Great Dividing Range. Our next adventure took us on the scenic railway as we descended down the Blue Mountains on the steepest railway in the world. Amongst many screams and squeals, most students did manage to open their eyes to take in some of the breathtaking scenery! We then completed an hour long walk along the boardwalk where we learnt about the history of the area as an old coal mine, in addition to learning about the indigenous significance of the Blue Mountains. We concluded our excursion with an exit from the valley on the cable car which again allowed us to admire the breathtaking scenery of the area. Students completed the excursion with a different understanding of why protecting the Australian landscape is so important, and a newfound knowledge of what we can do to look after our amazing landforms.
Nicole Caro, Academic Staff
Float or Sink: The Great Boat Challenge!
In Year 2, we had a fantastic time making boats out of aluminium foil and straws, inspired by the book Who Sank the Boat?
As we designed our boats, we explored the properties of materials and how they affect our creations. We discussed why aluminium foil is strong yet lightweight, making it a good choice for our boats. We also learned about the flexibility of straws and how they can add support.
Each pair tested their boats to see how many dice they could hold without sinking. Through this experiential learning, we discovered how different materials can work together to create something that floats. It was a fun way to connect our science lessons to the story while using our creativity and teamwork!
We look forward to writing our persuasive text in English on who sank the boat next, diving deeper into the mystery and sharing our thoughts!
Mr Lachlan Barrett, Academic Staff
Bluey's Birthday in Pre-Kinder!
A day filled with fun, joy, and celebration!
Our Pre-Kinder students got creative making presents, decorating cupcakes, and playing pass the parcel (using Lucky's dad's rules!). We even had a mini disco party.
Miss Olivia Sleeman, Academic Staff
SRC Junior School RUOK? Day
Thursday 12 September was National RUOK? Day.
The Junior School SRC Representatives held lunch time clubs throughout the week - students came along to Miss Hazelton's classroom to help colour and create some RUOK? Day wristbands and posters for the school. Teachers recognised the day with their students by engaging in some activities and encouraging students to connect with people by having meaningful conversations on a regular basis.
Miss Belle Hazelton, Academic Staff
Year 2’s Adventure in Making (Re)cycled Paper!
On September 18, Year 2 classes took a 'field trip' to the Senior School Science Labs and had a blast making recycled paper with the help of the awesome Acting Head of Science, Mr McLennan!
First, we were briefed by Mr McLennan about our investigations ahead. Then he answered some of our questions before we gathered all kinds of paper from the classroom— forgotten Year 12 physics worksheets and paper towel. It was like a treasure hunt for paper! We tore it all into tiny pieces and soaked it in water over a few days.
Over the next few days, the Science team blended the soaked paper into a gooey mixture that looked like a science experiment gone wild! This is what we call 'paper pulp'.
We then poured the pulp onto screens to make our recycled paper sheets. With Mr. McLennan’s expert guidance, we pressed out the extra water, and you could feel the excitement in the air. It was magical!
This experiment was not just fun—it also helped us learn about the properties of materials. We saw how paper can change when it’s mixed with water and blended, and we discovered how recycling different textures and fibers can be mixed together to make something new. It perfectly complements what we’ve been studying in science!
After a little drying time, we will have our very own (re)cycled paper, ready for new masterpieces! Mr McLennan might even be able to use our 'recycled paper' to print some more physics revision for Year 12!
By 2 Yindyamarra and 2 Lorax
Year 1 Explorers
Year 1 have been learning about the history of Kinross Wolaroi School as part of our History unit this term.
We have had lovely visitors to speak with us, we have looked at wonderful items from the archives of our school and we have explored many of our buildings both new and old, around our school campus.
On Monday 23 September, we were lucky enough to go on an excursion to the PLC campus to explore the History of Kinross. We are very grateful for Aunty Debb who was able to open Stuart Douglas House for us and who showed us around the building. Some of us couldn’t believe that students lived at the school!
We spent time playing old fashioned games, touring the buildings, and making some comparisons between the old and the new through drawings. Year 1 had a fabulous day exploring and discussing the past.
Miss Mia Moloney, Academic Staff
Year 2 Geography Project: Connecting Across the Globe!
Our Year 2 students had the exciting opportunity to connect with a Year 2 class in Guildford, England!
Each student was paired with a new 'global pal' from Guildford Girls High and wrote a letter introducing themselves, sharing what life is like at Kinross, and talking about our wonderful town. To make their letters even more special, students created Canva posters filled with pictures they took on their ipads around our school.
As a fun surprise, we included a small gift— a Kinross Wolaroi Wyvern soft toy—as a token of friendship. The students thoroughly enjoyed the project, and they can't wait to hear back from their new friends overseas.
