Teaching and Learning News

As Term One and ten weeks of learning draw to a close, we are very proud of our learners and the learning they have achieved.

EMC3 Maths

Exploring Mathematical Sequences of Connected, Cumulative and Challenging Tasks in Year 2

This week Sharyn Livy from Monash University has been at SMDP, observing Sarah in Year 2S teach a unit of work on recognising shapes. This learning sequence focussed on classifying, making, naming and describing two-dimensional shapes (polygons). These are some of the words you might have heard if you were in 2S this week; triangle, trapezium, square, parallelogram, quadrilaterals, polygon, pentagons, octagon, kite, hexagon, congruent, equal length sides, straight sides, right angles and closed figures. 

While on holidays you can ask your child to identify Polygons (two dimensional shapes) in the environment. Ask them to explain what shape it is. For additional ideas regarding maths at home please read the linked article Maths is all around you.

Music Competition

The students in choir and band entered a competition where they performed a rollicking sea shanty song as part of Catholic Education Week celebrations across Melbourne.

With great excitement they found out yesterday they were the competition winners and will now have their performance polished and professionally filmed and recorded early next term. 

Well done to all the performers!

School Camp

Our Year 5 and 6 students had a wonderful camp experience last week. They spent 3 days and 2 nights at Don Bosco Camp by the sea at Safety Beach.

Here are a few extracts from their writing reflecting on the experience. You can also click on the  link to  enjoy the video that shows students playing GaGa ball, mastering stand up paddle boarding and having a go at tree surfing.

See the link below to see the camp in action

Click on the link to watch a video of the students' camp experience.

As I jumped off the bus and landed on my glorious two feet, I sang “We’re at the enchanted garden!” in my head and followed Dan down the wobbly steps to the sign in. While we were racing down the wet ramp, we ambled through the turf maze, we spotted a kangaroo! We scurried through the garden hedges and gazed at the beautiful hand carved statues. - Ajur 5LM 

Who's in my cabin? These are the famous words of the best event in school! I didn’t even get any sleep before this magnificent event! As I got to school, the group was ready to go, and so was I. We got onto the bus and I felt normal. But the bus was shockingly slow. What was supposed to be 1 hour 15 minutes felt like a millennium. -  Owen 5LB

All I could hear were shrieks of laughter, everywhere. The bus had arrived and everyone was excited. Kids were hugging and chatting to their parents as they boarded the bus to leave. After what felt like an eternity, I saw a faint glimpse of Don Bosco! I hurriedly rushed out of the bus when the teachers gave the order. Don Bosco Camp was colossal. -  Anika 5LM

I was jumping with excitement and I could not stop. My favourite part was going to the beach. We made a wonderful 20 metre walk and finally arrived at Safety Beach. The first awesome thing we did was digging big holes in the sand. After around 30 minutes we played a game of holy Don Bosco pirates where we had to hide from pirates and try to tag them while they weren't watching. Exactly after they said we were allowed to get into the water I snapped my goggles on my forehead and dived in the water. -

Srujan 5LB

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!” I heard screaming all around me and I saw people up in a tree. Shivers went down my spine. We were in a lush green forest full of surprises where the most thrilling surprise was tree surfing. It was a lot of fun. There were five levels and one practise level. We had to go up high in a tree where there were platforms to stand on and ropes above our heads where we had connected a hook & a zipline hanger for safety. - Randhir 5LM

History Inquiry

In Term 2, our whole school is focussing on history for our Inquiry. We are exploring the history of our area from the time of the Yalikut Willam people to now.

Although the focus will be different at each year level, we will all act and think like historians to investigate the past; objects, places and people.

Part of this inquiry will involve finding out about the history of our school which turns 50 next year.

If you have any contacts, photos, artefacts and stories of St Martin De Porres school from the past, we would love to hear from you. Contact your child's teacher or give me a call.

Have a happy and holy Easter and safe and relaxing holidays.

Denise Kelly

Deputy Principal/learning & Teaching leader