1/2 A Year In Review

Wow! What a year we have had in 1/2 in 2024!

This year we experienced various different events, activities and special occasions. 

Kitchen and Garden

We were very lucky to have had many visits to the Kitchen/Garden program and enjoy gardening, harvesting and then cooking up a storm in the kitchen. It is a lifelong learning experience which the students will continue as they move up the school. 

Buddy Time

Throughout the year we enjoyed  wonderful buddy time with our buddy classes in Years 3/4 and 5/6. The students engaged in a variety of enriching activities, including story writing, sharing their favourite books, participating in STEM sessions, and enjoying lunch together. It was a fantastic opportunity for the students to build friendships, collaborate, and create lasting memories at school.

The Great Elf on the Shelf Mystery!

Our class recently embarked on an exciting adventure—the mystery of the missing Elf on the Shelf! When the elves mysteriously disappeared, the students jumped into action, collecting clues, following their instincts, and setting off on a thrilling quest to uncover their whereabouts.

After much searching and teamwork, the elves were finally found safe and sound in Mrs. Majdan's office. While the culprit behind the mystery remains unknown, the students thoroughly enjoyed the journey and celebrated their successful rescue mission. It was a delightful experience filled with problem-solving, collaboration, and plenty of festive cheer!

Lemonade Stand:

On Wednesday, 18 December, our students will take on the exciting challenge of opening their very own lemonade stands as part of our learning about money. This hands-on event is designed to teach students about the value of money, budgeting, teamwork, and basic business concepts, while also incorporating key lessons in advertising and persuasive language.

Each class will set up at least five lemonade stands around the school, where students will take on various roles, from preparing and selling lemonade to managing finances and creating appealing advertisements. The stands will be buzzing with activity as students eagerly sell their refreshing drinks to their peers throughout the day.

The event will prove to be an excellent opportunity for students to apply their learning in a real-life scenario. They will work together to budget their expenses, ensuring that their lemonade stands are both profitable and successful. Students will also have the chance to be creative in their advertising efforts, designing eye-catching posters and persuasive signs to attract customers. It will be amazing to see how the students use persuasive language techniques, such as highlighting the quality and freshness of their product, to entice others to buy their lemonade.

This hands-on experience will not only reinforce the importance of financial literacy but also provide valuable lessons in teamwork and communication. The lemonade stand challenge will be a great way to bring our learning to life, and everyone involved will have a lot of fun while gaining a deeper understanding of basic business concepts.

We are incredibly excited to see our young entrepreneurs in action and look forward to the hard work and creativity they will bring to this event. It promises to be an unforgettable learning experience for everyone involved, and we can’t wait to see what future business ventures our students will embark on next!

Claire Saxby:

At the beginning of Term 4, we were thrilled to welcome the acclaimed Australian author Claire Saxby to Whitehorse Primary School. After being so impressed by the writing inspired by her book Great White Shark, Claire kindly cleared her schedule to visit us and share her journey as a writer. It was a truly unforgettable experience for both students and teachers alike.

One of the highlights of Claire's visit was learning about her personal journey as a writer. She shared stories of how she began writing and the hurdles she has overcome in her career. It was inspiring to hear about the challenges she faced in getting her books published, and how her perseverance and passion for storytelling helped her overcome them. Claire's dedication to her craft reminded us all of the importance of resilience and never giving up on our dreams.

Claire’s in-depth knowledge of Australian animals was another highlight of the visit. She captivated us with fascinating facts about the creatures she writes about, especially her love for the animals that inspire her books. 

Overall, Claire’s visit was an inspiring and enriching experience. We are incredibly grateful to her for taking the time to share her wisdom, her journey, and her love of writing and Australian wildlife with us. Thank you, Claire Saxby, for being such an inspiring role model and for sparking a deeper love of storytelling and wildlife in our students!

Walking on Country:

At Whitehorse Primary School, we recognise, respect, and celebrate First Nations Peoples’ ongoing culture and history, and commit to continuous learning of First Nations’ perspectives. Early in the year, we delved deeper into our learning through our Integrated Studies unit ‘Walking on Country.’ Building on students’ experiences in Art, where they learned all about Birrarung (Yarra River), we were able to cultivate a connection and understanding of the importance of Country with our local excursion to Koonung Creek. This visit was carefully timed to align with Iuk (eel) Season, and students enjoyed exploring nature’s gifts while also being on the hopeful lookout for Iuk. This experience helped to build an understanding of the perspectives and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. As part of this learning, students developed an understanding of the significance of living and learning on Wurundjeri Country and the importance of caring for Country. Following this, our visit from Djirri Djirri Dancers Keira and Mikayla in June provided a wealth of knowledge and experience. This opportunity allowed for engagement with First Nations Peoples’ communities and was a fabulous learning experience for students and teachers alike! Through dance, we not only learnt about the importance of Ceremony but also learned some Woi Wurrung language!

 Mathematics and Numeracy in 2024

Can you believe how much numeracy learning has been done this year? Students have enjoyed our hands-on activities, where they got to investigate and problem-solve. We endeavoured to use the equipment during each maths session.

We covered many areas, such as number, algebra, measurement, space, chance, and data, not to mention place value, which is important at this level. 

Students enjoyed focusing on reasoning, which is one of the four proficiencies that we believe our students needed to work on. With this, they got to verbalise their learning to others using different methods whether it was verbal, written, or via visuals. This reflection really embedded their learning and thinking and they were able to discuss their problem-solving process which enhanced their understanding. They did a marvellous job and we are so proud of their efforts.

All students really loved building a bank of games that were played in the classroom. They were mainly to do with number and place value skills but boy did their skills develop quicker through this play. Maybe ask them to show you some that you could continue with over the Christmas holidays.

Its been a great year of investigating during our maths sessions!

Grade 2 Sleepover

One of the highlights on the Grade 2 calendar is the Sleepover.  What a night it was! There was so much excitement in the air. It was wonderful to see the students come in and organise their belongings. The students loved spending time with their friends and peers… chilling out in their sleeping bags, eating pizzas and watching a movie.  We (the teachers) were so delighted to see how the students calmly settled down and how respectful they were towards each other. But the ‘piece de resistance’ was the hotdog and footy day that followed.  

Hoop Time

The Grade 2s were so lucky this year to participate in the Hoop Time (Basketball Competition). It was such a great opportunity and our students made us so proud. Their sportsmanship was exemplary. Many schools comment on their fairness and respect for others…often encouraging people from both sides of the team.  They had a fabulous day, learning new skills and applying them in games. To top it all off, the amazing behaviour was complemented by the bus driver.  He had never seen such polite and respectful children.  Go Whitehorse!