Science Technology Engineering and Maths
Foundation & F/1
This term in STEM, our F/1 classes have started a unit on staying safe online. Students are learning what personal information is, like their full name, home address, birthday, password or a photo of their face, and how it's different from general information such as "pizza is a food." Through movement games and role-play, they've been practising a simple routine: Stop, Think, Ask a trusted adult. Now they're spotting where personal information can appear in apps and games, such as usernames and avatars. Meanwhile, our Foundation class has been wrapping up its Waterways unit. At home, you could practise "Stop, Think, Ask" together whenever a game or website asks for information.
Year 2
Year 2 students are finishing our "Protecting Waterways from Plastic" unit. They've been learning how plastic rubbish ends up in rivers and creeks, how it harms the animals and people who rely on them, and how good design can help stop it. We're also starting a new unit on sound! Students are discovering that every sound is made by something vibrating. They've been humming with their fingers on their throats to feel the vibration, and playing "sound detectives" to find the source of everyday noises. Ask your child to show you how to feel a sound at home!
Year 3
Year 3 has begun a new Digital Technologies unit called Input and Output. Students are learning that a digital system, like a laptop or tablet, is made of hardware and software working together. They're also learning about peripherals, the extra devices we connect to add more functions, like a keyboard, mouse, printer or headphones. They're sorting these devices into "input" (sending information in) and "output" (giving information out). Try a quick game at home: point to a device and ask your child whether it's input or output.
Year 4
Year 4 students are wrapping up our Sustainable Transport unit. They're reflecting on what they've learned about different ways of getting around and how some choices are better for our environment than others. It's a great time to ask your child how they think your family could travel more sustainably, whether that's walking, riding, catching public transport or carpooling.
Year 5
Year 5 has started a Digital Technologies unit on networks. Students are learning that a network is a group of connected devices that share data, and that networks come in all sizes, from a laptop on home Wi-Fi to our school network to the global internet. This week, they're exploring the parts that make a network work, including routers, modems, switches and servers. They're also reading network maps to trace how data travels when you search for something online. At home, see if your child can find your modem or router and explain what it does!
Year 6
Year 6 students are beginning a new unit on ergonomic design: designing products that are comfortable, safe and easy for people to use. They'll look at how everyday objects, like chairs, keyboards and tools, are shaped to fit the human body, and why good design matters for our health. Ask your child to point out something at home they think is well designed, or not!