Learning Communities
Foundation - Learning
We have had a super week in Foundation after our week at home. The children have come back eager to learn and to catch up with their buddies. This week there has been lots of excitement with many of us visiting the Book Fair in the library and with both classes participating in a sports session led by some Year 9 Notre Dame students. We have been learning about our word of the week ‘Queen’ by reading an interesting book that has told us all about Queen Elizabeth’s life and what duties she performed. On Friday the children enjoyed learning about fractions by cutting up bread into halves and quarters during a Mathematics lesson…a tasty and fun way to end the week!
Please continue to check PAM for your child’s ongoing assessments. There has been a Mathematics assessment released last week, and more to come as the term progresses.
Next Week’s Learning (Week 5)…
SMART Spelling
Next week our word of the week is ‘s w a n’. - s like in sausage - w like in walrus - a like in was
- n like in nanna
Reading
For the next two weeks in reading we will explore fiction texts Horace and Poggy Frog’s Contest. We will explore different forms of punctuation including exclamation marks, talking marks and question marks. We will also practice breaking apart words into their different sounds and our inferring skills.
Writing
In Writing, we will practice writing complex sentences by using the colourful semantics to guide us (who, what doing, what, where, when). We continue to practice being ‘SMART spellers’ by stretching out the sounds we can hear in words.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, we will begin revising different concepts that we have learnt throughout the year. For the next two weeks we will review some addition strategies and practice using tools including tens frames, number lines and manipulatives to solve problems. The children will break apart worded problems and will form number sentences e.g. 12 + 6 = 18.
We will continue to practice our skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s, counting on from given numbers and identifying odd and even numbers.
Inquiry
In Inquiry we will begin to learn about specific Australian animals in preparation for an assessment task. We will read, watch information videos and make notes to help us with our learning.
Religious Education
In Religious Education we are identifying ways in which we can be kind and care for people just as Jesus showed us.
Foundation Learning Community Teachers
Junior Learning Community
We have had a wonderful week back at school after the unexpected week away due to the floods. The children have, once again, demonstrated great resilience as they returned to school and have begun the week fantastically. Despite the disappointment of missing out on our swimming programme, the children have shown great understanding and care towards the floods and those affected within our community and region.
We have asked the children to demonstrate great creativity this week, through the connection of our Inquiry and Literacy lessons. The students have had a chance to create their own fictional animal by merging body parts of animals they know and love. It has been amazing to hear some of the suggestions and what these animals eat, where they live or how big they are. The children have written an Information Report on their fictional animal and these will be released as Ongoing Assessments in the near future.
In Mathematics we are delving into fractions. The students are showing great knowledge of how they may have seen fractions in real life and are beginning to see how fractions can be part of a whole or group of objects. We will continue to broaden our knowledge of fractions over the next week.
Religious Education has given us a great opportunity to investigate kindness and mission within our friendships. We watched the story of the Rainbow Fish and the students made a beautiful display for our hallway with their very own fish.
We have some exciting things planned for Inquiry, with the use of our iPads we are looking forward to making our animals and creating a virtual class zoo. This will be a really fun activity and we look forward to stretching our technology skills as we do this through multiple apps. In our classrooms we will also continue to investigate animal classifications and habitats.
We thank everyone for another smooth return to school. We hope that everyone is safe and well after an unpredictable week and we hope for sunnier weather in the coming weeks!
Junior Community Teachers
Middle Learning Community
It was wonderful to welcome students back after an unexpected week away due to the floods. Students have returned eager to learn despite the disappointment of missing out on swimming and the Andrew Chin visit which they were very much looking forward to. The Middle Learning Community teachers are very proud of the resilience they have shown. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those that were affected.
Reading
In Weeks Five and Six, students will read various texts related to their animal of focus for their information report. Students will use a variety of comprehension strategies such as summarising, searching for and using information and synthesising.
Writing
In Weeks Five and Six, students will continue to write their information report on their animal of choice. Students will also create a short presentation to educate the class about their animal of focus.
Spelling
Students will not have a specific spelling focus in Week Five due to the shorter than normal week.
In Week Six, our spelling focus will be on words ending in the suffix -ful as in cheerful.
Numeracy
In Week Five, students will develop their understanding of converting between analogue and digital times.
In Weeks Six, students will focus on units of measurement.
Religious Education
In Week Five, students will conclude their Religious Education unit, Family and Relationships.
In Week Six, students will begin their final Religious Education unit of this year, The Jesse Tree.
Reminders:
- Mrs Thompson has released an Art ongoing assessment task to PAM.
- Our Physical Education lessons with Mr Watts will remain on Tuesdays. Our second sports session will be with the Year 9 Notre Dame students on Thursday.
Middle Learning Community Teachers
Senior Learning Community
Another wet week at school this week, with students needing to embrace our wet weather program inside for many lunch and recess times. As we near the end of the year we are starting to see some children needing extra reminders to show teachers and peers respect and kindness. We will be making this a focus over the coming weeks. Discussing how we speak to others with respect and are considerate of all children within our school community, not just our closest friends. We would appreciate it if these conversations continued at home.
We are also aware that many students within our Senior Learning Community have access to and are using social media. It is a timely reminder to be aware of the online platforms your children are using and helping them to navigate these safely. Unfortunately from time to time, group chats happening outside of school hours can have negative impacts on students social and emotional health.
Year Six Yachting which was scheduled for Week Six has been cancelled due to flooding of the Shepparton Lake causing unsafe conditions. Year Six students found out this week that they will be heading to FunFields in Whittlesea for their Big Day out celebration on the 12th of December. This is something they can look forward to. A note will be provided closer to the date.
From the Students:
Flood Reflection:
Last week the whole school put school on pause because of the floods. The floods affected a lot of homes in Shepparton and Kialla. Thank you to all the people that volunteered to make sandbags or help the community. The floods have affected school swimming for everyone. We hope everyone is okay in the community and continue to stay safe. - Ryder Dudgeon
W.A.L.T
Literacy: Information Reports, Focusing on desert plants and animals.
Numeracy: Fractions and decimals, consolidation of learning.
Inquiry: Desert survivors. How do animals and plants adapt?
Religion: Living as disciples. How do the beatitudes and Catholic social teachings fit with social justice issues taking place in our world today.
Senior Learning Community Teachers
Art
I would like to start with a huge thank you from all the parents for your support with the Art program this year. All students are currently working on their final art project for the year prior to beginning our Advent tasks.
I am currently looking for a few small things for the Art room. If you have any of these items laying around your house taking up space the art room will be happy to take them off your hands.
*Buttons - any shape, size or colour
*Paper/plastic plates or cups
*Small nuts, bolts, screws, washes etc. No bigger than a 10cent piece
*Old keys
*Old plastic store cards - (ones that look like bank cards eg: Katie’s, perks, cotton on, boost etc).
*Small cardboard boxes (nothing bigger than a tissue box please).
*Balls of wool
*Offcuts of material or left over pieces
*Beads
Please drop off all donations to the office in a bag labeled Art. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Brooke
MacKillop Art Exhibition
