Prep

What a positive and enthusiastic start we have had to Term 2. The weather is definitely starting to change but it hasn’t dampened our spirits. We have already had many fun experiences and there are many more to come.

Our Investigations spaces have morphed and changed to reflect our new areas of learning for Term 2. The travel agent and airport have been very busy with happy travelers planning some extravagant holidays to exotic places. Some of our other engaging areas include the dinosaur dig, train station, gardening area and a huge sensory area dedicated to our 5 senses.

On Wednesday we had our house cross-country morning. We are very proud of the way the children tried their personal best and ran with enthusiasm. It was wet and cold but everyone had a fabulous time.

We are very much looking forward to our zoo excursion next Tuesday. Keep an eye out on Compass for more information in the coming days. On Friday we will send home details about what to pack and the timing of the day.

Have a great rest of the week,

The Prep Team

Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Creed, Mrs. Munnecke and Ms. Newton

Grade 1 & 2

The Level 1/2 Students have really settled into Term 2! They are loving the new undercover quadrangle area!

On Wednesday the 3rd of May the whole school got involved in our Cross Country. It was great to see everyone trying their best and in their house colours.

In Reading, students have been learning to identify the features of a procedural text. They have learnt how Headings (and subheadings) help the reader, how numerical or time connectives show order and learnt to explain how diagrams or images help make instructions clear. Students have been exposed to many different types of procedures and have lots of practice reading them.

In Writing students have been learning about the purpose of a procedure. They have learnt about the use of materials in procedural texts and how to describe steps in order using time connectives. Students have ordered picture instructions and have added sentences to match.

In Maths, students have been learning about Time. They have begun comparing and ordering the duration of events using the everyday language of time. They have learnt to tell time to the half-hour and tell time to the quarter-hour, using the language of 'past' and 'to'. Time is a very tricky concept for students to learn and we will continue to work on it throughout the year.

In Inquiry, students have been introduced to their Inquiry unit ‘Change-Stimulating Science’. We have started looking at observable features of objects and discussed these as a way to compare objects. They have done scientific observations on the colour, transparency, texture and flexibility on different objects.

Classroom parent helpers should have started or will be starting very soon and we look forward to having your help listening to the students read.

Have a great weekend.

The Level 1/2 Team

Llinos Poole, Kayla Hartrick, Rachel Boyle, Emma Wright, Sam Younes & Daena Hailey

Grade 3 & 4

Welcome back to Term 2! It's been great to see the students settle back into school with ease and enthusiasm.

We started off the term looking at the significance of Anzac Day and were all impressed with the mature way in which the students respectfully discussed and researched information on the topic.

Last week students participated in our school's house cross country. Despite the chilly temperatures and occasional nerves, the 3/4 students tried their personal best and set a fantastic example for the younger students. We were very proud of their efforts!

It was great to see students' smiling faces on Friday for school photo day. The students all came looking preened and polished and were mostly able to stay that way until their scheduled class photo time after recess!

Once again, homework is due on a Monday for students in 3/4. This includes Reading, Squizya and Spelling. This gives busy students the opportunity to complete any last minute tasks over the weekend.

A reminder to please ensure that laptops and portfolios are brought back to school ASAP. We've started using the laptops in lessons and portfolios are due to be sent home again later this term.

Have a wonderful week!

The Year 3/4 Team

Carolyn Allan, Tim Wilson, Hayley Peirce & Sarah Jones.

Grade 5 & 6

Despite our time at school being short this last fortnight, students have achieved a lot and out classrooms have been busy as we commence new units in each of the learning areas.

In Reading, students have been learning specific skills related to comprehension, summarising a text and interpreting worded questions in the lead up to their first learning task next week. Teachers have been utilising the 1:1 notebook program by distributing rich texts for them to explore; such as magazines and virtual classroom images. We have been searching for the authors purpose and main idea of these texts and have been learning that there are many clues within a text that help us to do this.

Take a look at the ‘lightbulb moment’ students had when searching for the main idea!

Writing this fortnight has been jam packed with exploration of some of the Seven Steps of Writing. We have been focusing deeply on being able to ‘Tighten the Tension’ in our writing and students have each produced two scenes that show their ability to do this.

5/6P have their passages on display in the classroom and we welcome you in to take a look at these.

We have only just begun our Inquiry unit “Museums in Motion’ however students have been learning about early Australian history and some of the influential people that helped to shape our country and make it what it is today. We are looking forward to delving into this further and it would be great to ask your child what they already know and what they are interested in finding out.

In Maths our focus has remained on area and perimeter however we are now learning the formulas for more complex and composite shapes. This is leading up to a really fun and exciting learning task next week where students are going to put their skills into action. Keep an eye out for this later in the term as it will be featuring in their Learning Portfolios.

Check out some of these more complex formulas - you might like to give your child a challenge at home by drawing a shape, labelling its sides and asking them to find the area and/or perimeter.

A reminder that homework is due each Monday to your child’s classroom teacher.

We look forward to updating you about what has been going on in our classrooms again soon!

The 5/6 Team

Damien Smith, Megan Pepprell, Brendan Van Haaster and Millie Pinney

Lost and Found