JLC

Class Sport

JLC students love participating in Class Sport on Thursdays. Last year they were taught how to play a game called “Bommy Knockers” which quickly became one of their favourites! This game requires students to play in teams, using pool noodles students need to chase each other and tap their opponents on the bottom with the bommy knocker, aka the pool noodle, all while avoiding having their bottom tapped. When they are tapped they must return to their team and pass the bommy knocker to the next person, who then enters the playing area to try and the fun and hilarity continues.

Maths-3D Shapes

Over the last few weeks the children in the Junior Learning Community have been learning all about 3D shapes. They learnt that 3D shapes are solid three dimensional figures which show length, width and height. The children were able to match classroom objects to 3D shapes and could distinguish a 2D shape from a 3D shape. They learnt new vocabulary related to 3D shapes and completed various activities where they were required to count the number of faces, edges and vertices.  

Writing - Poetry

This term during Writing lessons, we have been learning how to write a Couplet Poem. The children learnt that a couplet poem consists of two lines that rhyme and each line has the same number of syllables. The children practised reading some couplets and clapped the syllables.  They had a go at thinking of something they wanted to write a poem about, thought of some rhyming words related to their topic and had a go at writing their own couplet.  

Religious Education

Recently in Religion we have been learning about Forgiveness.  We listened to one of Jesus’ best known parables called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son’.  In the story, we learn about the relationship between a father and his two sons. The plot centres around the younger son who, impatient and greedy, asks his father for his inheritance. The father agrees, but the son wastes his money, eventually becoming homeless and destitute.  In the end, to the son’s great surprise, the father forgives his son and welcomes him back into the family.  The moral of the story is that, no matter what you’ve done, God will forgive you if you’re willing to be humble and own up to your mistakes.  The children were asked to make a paper chain for our prayer table.  Each child was given a strip of paper and asked to write the name of someone from whom they wish to ask for forgiveness and for what they are sorry for.  All the strips were joined together and placed on our Prayer Table. 

Silent Reading 

Each day in the Junior Learning Community, as part of our morning routine, the children have a silent reading block that they look forward to daily. The aim of this activity is to improve their reading skills and their love of reading. The children can pick books that they enjoy and want to read.  It also gives us (the teachers) an opportunity to listen to their reading and assess each child’s progress.  Apart from this, improving their reading stamina is also one of our goals. Improving reading stamina helps young readers build confidence as they are reading independently for more extended periods of time.  We hope that their love of reading continues to grow in the future.  

Writing - Information Reports

Over this term, the children in the Junior Learning Community have been learning how to write an Information Report.  The children have been reading short, informative texts giving an overview of dolphins.  They have used the information to write a rough draft of their report under the headings of Characteristics (what dolphins look like) Habitat (where they live), Diet (what they eat) and Fun Facts. They have worked very hard in class and have asked lots of questions, some requiring extra research on dolphins.  

Bounce Back 

During Bounce Back, the children in the Junior Learning Community have been learning about ‘Being Responsible’.  We listened to a story called ‘Horton hatches an egg’ by Dr. Seuss.  The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant, who is tricked into sitting on a bird's egg while its mother, Mayzie, takes a long vacation to Palm Beach. Horton had given his word and stayed faithfully in the nest until the egg hatched because that was the responsible thing to do. To Horton’s surprise the animal that hatched was an elephant bird.   The children were able to say what being responsible means and in keeping with the theme of the story they did a great job at creating a new animal from two animals just like Horton did. 

Kind regards

Signora Gina Michieli & Miss Carly Wills

JLC Classroom Teachers