Senior School News

Welcome back to a new school term! While Term 2 is often considered a quieter period, the senior school has been bustling with activity.

English: In the literacy block, both our Grade 5s and Grade 6s have delved into novel studies, driving their reading and writing skills. Grade 5's immersed themselves in Michael Morpurgo's "War Horse," set in Devon, England, during World War 1, while Grade 6's explored "Rivet Boy" by Barbara Henderson, a captivating blend of fact and fiction centred around the iconic Forth Rail Bridge construction. The Grade 6's are leveraging this narrative to fuel their persuasive writing unit, which will explore child labour laws.

Maths: Under our new structure, students continue to thrive in mathematics. Each lesson begins with a brief daily review followed by explicit teaching on the current unit, culminating in independent practice. Grade 6s have been tackling fractions, comparing and finding equivalence, and adding and subtracting unlike fractions. Our Grade 5s have been exploring a variety of multiplication strategies.

Topic:This term's topic, "Seeing the Light," guides students in exploring observable light phenomena and understanding its behaviours, including absorption, reflection, and refraction. To enhance learning, we encourage Grade 5 and 6 students to bring torches for upcoming experiments.

Confirmation:Our Grade 6 students are diligently preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation, having chosen their patron saints and delved into the significance of this sacrament. A parent information session will be held on May 6th at 3 pm to further support families in this preparation.

Buddy Time:Grade 5's have been actively engaging with their prep buddies, recently creating farm animals to reinforce the preps' farm excursion experience. Grade 6's eagerly anticipate more buddy time, with scheduling efforts underway to accommodate both interschool sports and Confirmation preparations.

Extracurricular Activities: Congratulations to all students who participated in interschool cross country this week! Additionally, Grade 5 and 6 students are actively involved in interschool sports, nurturing teamwork and sport-specific skills. Our Grade 5 students also visited Fernhill Nursing Home, fostering empathy and communication skills through intergenerational interactions.

Important Dates:

Confirmation parent afternoon: May 3rd @ 3 pm
School Photos: May 7th
Mother's Day: May 12th
Confirmation retreat: May 13th
Confirmation ceremony: May 16th @ 5 pm

For any inquiries, please feel free to reach out to your child's classroom teacher:

Darcy Bull: dbull@shsandringham.catholic.edu.au
Dara Blake: dblake@shsandringham.catholic.edu.au
Bec Maddocks: bmaddocks@shsandringham.catholic.edu.au
Jayne McKay: jmckay@shsandringham.catholic.edu.au

Trent Thiessens is currently on leave; please forward your emails to Jayne McKay.

Here's to a term filled with learning and growth!

Warm regards,

Jayne McKay

Senior Leader