School News
Prep
The Preps have had a busy and exciting couple of weeks at school!
The Colour Run was a wonderful success. The students showed great enthusiasm, resilience, and teamwork, and we loved seeing how bright and colourful everyone was by the end!
In Inquiry, we’ve been learning about the life cycle of butterflies. Last week we watched our chrysalises transform into beautiful Monarch butterflies and then we released them. The students made wonderful observations throughout the process.
In Reading, we’ve been focusing on fluency, which is reading smoothly and using good expression. Families can support this at home by encouraging your child to re-read their take-home readers to build their fluency and expression.
The students are having a blast learning about Australian money in maths! They have been identifying the features of coins and notes, sorting them, and ordering them from highest value to lowest value. We also had a pretend shop in the classroom where students had the opportunity to create their own mini shop and sell items, and also be a customer with money and buy items. At home, it would be beneficial to show your child any coins and notes you have and help them to idenfity the features and value of them.
In writing, students have begun creating their very own acrostic poems. They’re really enjoying writing these poems as they are challenging themselves to come up with different words that begin with each letter of a word related to a topic, such as their name, animals, food, or colours.
Last week, the preps also made friendship bracelets with their Grade 5 buddies. The preps loved spending time with them, chatting, helping each other, and creating something special together!
Friendly reminders:
- The students will be bringing their portfolios home this week to share their wonderful learning from the term. These portfolios are yours to keep as a special keepsake and a celebration of all their hard work!
- The students will be practising their Christmas Carols song over the coming weeks. Our song is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Please encourage your child to sing this at home too!
Kindest regards,
The Prep Team
Laina Brebner, Kayla Hartrick and Emma Wright
Grade 1
What a fantastic fortnight it has been for our delightful Grade 1 students! They have worked hard and supported each other so beautifully, both in and outside of our classrooms. We are still on a high after ending Week 5 with our magnificent Colour Run! The afternoon was filled with laughter, vibrant colours, water, slime and a wonderful sense of community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all families for your amazing support. What a fabulous way to wrap up the week!
Our fabulous young readers have been honing their skills in reviewing and analysing texts that they read. They have also showcased their knowledge through a range of reading assessments. This week, we focused on strengthening our ability to read fluently by paying close attention to punctuation, practicing ‘scooping’ words to read smoothly, and recognising how bold, italicised and capitalised words add emphasis and meaning in texts that we read.
Our young authors have wrapped up their persuasive writing unit with a fun and exciting project, choosing their favourite holiday destinations and using persuasive techniques to make their writing shine!
We have shifted focus to personal recounts, guiding students to reflect on memorable ‘Wow’ and ‘Ouch’ moments as inspiration for their writing.
Our young mathematicians have had an exciting fortnight, diving into revising all they know about Place Value from earlier in the year and beginning work on Division. Students have practised letting 'animals' escape the zoo and sharing them onto trucks.
In Well-being students have practiced what good friendship behaviours are. Students have also enjoyed working with their buddies this fortnight to discuss friendship actions.
In Inquiry we culminated our ideas of what it means to be creative by completing the construction and presentation of our robots.
Kind regards,
The Grade 1 Team
Mel Layton, Sally Newton and Ashleigh Wilson and Tim Huntington
Grade 2
The last fortnight has been full of learning and plenty of fun.
Reading
In week 5, students continued to monitor and self- correct their reading. This week we introduced the adjusting strategy. Children have been practising how to change their voice to match each character’s feelings and mood. Students worked in pairs to film each other reading aloud. This allowed each person to receive visual, real-time feedback about what they are doing well in their reading and what they could improve. It has been lovely to hear the confident expression growing across the cohort.
Writing
We have begun our Passion Projects. Students will draft pieces that show what they know about the text types learned throughout the year. They are already excited to choose topics they care about and to show their best writing.
Maths
We wrapped up our division unit and have now moved into our learning on money. Students are working with notes and coins and exploring the many different ways to make a set amount. This has been a very hands on and an engaging start to what is always a favourite maths topic.
Colour Run
The Colour Run on Friday afternoon was a huge highlight. It was muddy and messy and full of smiles. The students had a fantastic time being sprayed with colour and racing through the bubbles. As teachers, we were very proud of the behaviour demonstrated by our Grade 2 students. Well done everyone!
To finish, we want to send a huge congratulations to Miss Jones who was married over the weekend. Our warmest wishes go to the new Mr and Mrs Margetts as they begin this exciting chapter together.
The Grade 2 Team
Allie Harrison, Sarah Jones and Brendan Van Haaster
Grade 3 & 4
Our Mathematicians have been exploring fractions through different models and are practicing identifying and recording equivalent fractions. They've found there are so many ways to express one half!
In Literacy, students have been busy analysing videos and images of advertisements. They investigated persuasive techniques such as striking colour choices, catchphrases, endorsements from celebrities, and persuasive wording that makes bold claims. They have been enjoying using technology to publish their own ads. Check out some examples below!
The Colour Run was certainly a highlight, with giant ball bouncing and zooper doopers keeping the crowd entertained between runs. We are so fortunate to have events such as these that build great memories!
Hopefully our Cyber Safety lesson has sparked some ideas for using technology for creativity, not just consumption. Making up a song on a digital instrument app, or creating a little animation are fun ways to move beyond simply viewing content.
In Inquiry, our students have formed groups for their projects. We can't wait to see what features and cultures they design for their very own country!
Kind regards,
The 3/4 Team
Damien Smith, Daena Hailey, Brent Smith, Claire Cripps and Nick Pagliaro
Grade 5 & 6
It’s been a busy and exciting fortnight for our 5/6 students!
Even with a short week due to Cup Day, students made the most of their learning time and finished the week with a splash at our Colour Run on Friday. It was fantastic to see everyone getting active and having fun together.
On Thursday, our Grade 5 students attended the Red Earth All Rounder Day at Mooroolbark College, taking part in a range of hands-on activities that encouraged teamwork, problem-solving, and confidence. We also took time on Remembrance Day to reflect and honour those who have served, with students completing thoughtful classroom activities and discussions.
In the classroom, we’ve been continuing to build our skills across all areas. In Reading, students have been practising summarising texts using the SWBST strategy. In Writing, we’re crafting persuasive letters with strong arguments and structure. Maths lessons have focused on fractions, decimals, and percentages, while in Inquiry, students are exploring how technology and market research influence business decisions. Through the Cyber Safety Project, we’ve discussed AI, bias, and responsible online use.
It’s been wonderful to see students’ curiosity, teamwork, and enthusiasm continue to shine.
Kind regards,
The 5/6 Team
Alarna Creed, Kylie Morrissey, Hayley Peirce, Llinos Poole and Erin Rennick.