Grammar News

Junior School

SARAH CAFFREY

 Head of Curriculum – Junior School  

   

Lunchtime Clubs

 

In the Junior School we recognise the importance of positive and quality play opportunities. We are excited to provide opportunities for our students to explore and participate in a range of play activities as part of their School experience, and in pursuit of developing the whole child. Our teachers and support staff at Oakleigh Grammar dedicate their lunchtimes to run clubs for the students, providing places where they can feel connected and part of a group that shares similar interests. We are lucky at Oakleigh Grammar to have such dedicated, enthusiastic and talented staff at our School, that are willing to share their time, skills and expertise with our students.

 

New Lunchtime Clubs will commence in Term Two

 

Lunchtime clubs are an opportunity for students to have fun and interact with peers, including peers from different year levels. Clubs have the potential to create benefits for students such as:

  • Improving social skills
  • Increased friendship groups
  • Promoting positive peer acceptance and interactions
  • Creating feelings of happiness and success
  • Engagement in teamwork, co-operation and collaboration
  • Opportunity to increase interests, knowledge and skills
  • Increased feelings of safety whilst at School
  • Learning social cues and opportunity to practice social skills
  • An opportunity to ‘take a break’ from the playground

Lunchtime clubs also benefit staff by providing opportunities to work with different age groups, share their talents and skills, and get to know students outside of the classroom.

 

This week students were presented with information about each club. After the holidays we will provide students with an opportunity to express their interest in a particular club. 

 

During Term Two, the following clubs are offered.

Prep – Year 2

Mr Smith - Technology Club 

Mrs Parkes - Mindfulness 

Mrs Parkes - Games 

 

Year 3 – Year 5

Mrs Borneman - Enrichment in STEAM 

Mrs Caffrey - Dance Aerobics 

Miss Busuttil - Team Building Games 

Miss Scott - Leadership in Action (Every 2nd Friday, Yr 5 Leadership Group) 

 

All Year Groups

Mrs Foden – Book Club 

 

We are looking forward to sharing more with you when our clubs commence.

 

ANZAC Day Poetry Competition 

 

ANZAC Day is a special day recognised in Australia on the 25 April each year. It is important that we honour, remember and commemorate the brave men and women who have and who are currently serving our country. 

 

Our Higgins Member of Parliament, Dr Katie Allen, is holding the annual Higgins Anzac Day Poetry Competition. This year’s theme is ‘Women in War’, highlighting the many varied ways in which women have played an active role.

 

Students who express an interest in this area are encouraged to write a poem in 150 words or less, ensuring the focus is on the theme. Each school will receive 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. 

 

Poems, along with the submission form below, must be completed and submitted by Friday 16 April. Happy writing!

 

AllenK_Higgins Anzac Day Poetry Comp 2021.pdf

 

 

 AMBRE BORNEMAN

Enrichment Coordinator – Junior School   

 

Enrichment Maths in Year 3 

 

Did you know a picture sparks a thousand mathematical concepts? 

The students in the 'Explain' Phase Maths Enrichment group have been using the stimulus ‘Flag Cubes’ to spark their mathematical thinking. The image below was presented to the group and they were first asked to estimate how many cubes they could see, and to justify their answers. They then moved into fractions and percentages, the properties of shape and different types of angles in flags. 

 

Once these concepts had been discussed, we found that we had many different answers. The group began their open-ended investigations where they researched the countries each of the flags belongs to and created a data display and a graph of their choice using their data. The students then used the iPads to present the same data in a different format electronically. See some of their amazing work below.

 

Family Maths

 

Use the Flags Cube picture to spark a mathematical conversation at the dinner table

Explore (ELC to Prep)

  • How could you sort the flags into groups?
  • Name 5 different shapes you can see on the flags.

Engage (Years 1 & 2)

  • Name the features of a cube that distinguishes them from other 3D shapes.
  • Choose one of the flags from the image and using mathematical language, describe what the flag looks like. See if your family members can guess which flag you are talking about. Can they name the country it is from?

Explain (Year 3)

  • What fraction of the flags have red on them? Can you describe this as a percentage?
  • If you were going to teach a younger person how to identify one third, which flag would you use? Why?

Elaborate (Years 4 & 5)

  • There are many examples of right angles in the image, can you find 3? Can you find 6 acute angles? 3 obtuse? 3 reflex?
  • What is the probability of selecting 2 flags in a row with black on them?