F/1:

English

During the first few weeks of term two, students have settled back into our routine and learning beautifully.

We have enjoyed continuing our learning in English, starting with our daily sentence, followed by our whole class lesson involving phonics, reading and writing activities, independent practice where we have play ed fun activities like bingo bus and completed a craft activity that matches the sounds we have been learning.

We have started with the storybook ‘Bogtrotter’, where we have learnt about the words gloomy, hopeful and stared and will enjoy a fun creative activity the end of the week to summarise our learning from the story book.

We have also focused on the ‘who’ and ‘action’ in our InitialWrite lessons, discussing different characters and animals and what they’re doing. Then, we have been putting the ‘who’ and ‘action’ into sentences.

Maths

Our students have made a wonderful start to Maths this term as we explore the concept of Part–Whole. They have been learning how numbers can be broken into smaller parts and put back together, using hands-on activities, games and visual tools like five-frames and ten-frames.

Students are building confidence in recognising numbers, explaining their thinking, and working out how many more are needed to make a whole. It has been fantastic to see them exploring different ways to make numbers to 10, specially making 10. This strong foundation supports their understanding of addition, subtraction and overall number sense in a fun and engaging way.

1/2:

Maths

We’ve been building strong foundations in addition and subtraction through partitioning, hands-on materials, and intentional strategy use.

Students are learning to break numbers apart (partitioning) to better understand how numbers work, then recombining them to solve problems with increasing accuracy and confidence. By using concrete materials, drawings, and mental strategies, students are making their thinking visible and developing flexible approaches to solving number problems.

We’re seeing students explain their reasoning, choose strategies that work for them, and build real number sense 🧮✨

This week we started exploring place value with three-digit numbers - learning how to read them, write them in words, and compare them to work out where they belong in order.

Students have been breaking numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones to build deeper understanding, using hands-on materials and visual models to support their thinking. We’ve have started ordering numbers, justifying our choices, and explaining how we know which is bigger or smaller.

English

During our Storybook session with Edwina the Emu, students engaged deeply with the text through discussion and purposeful writing. A favourite activity was a new game called “Let’s Go Shopping,” where we explored our focus vocabulary: announce and require. Students took turns announcing what they required from the shop, while also remembering and repeating the growing list - building both vocabulary and listening skills in a fun, engaging way.

We also focused on creating thoughtful questions using evidence from the story, encouraging students to think carefully about what they read and how they know it. Students extended their thinking by generating their own “wondering” questions and practised writing and sharing these with their peers.

It’s been wonderful to see students becoming more reflective readers who are developing a strong understanding and love of rich vocabulary.

3/4:

Swan Hill Camp

We set off at 8:45 with smiles all around, enjoying a smooth trip up the highway to Swan Hill.

Once we arrived at our accommodation, Brodie from Educational Services warmly welcomed us and helped organise our two-day stay. After a tour and settling in, students were grouped and began exploring the Pioneer Settlement.

The next two days were packed with fun and hands-on experiences. Students enjoyed vintage car and horse and cart rides, tried their hand at Morse code (thanks to the unforgettable Mrs Cranky!), made and tasted lamingtons, and visited the blacksmith to make their own nail. They also experienced river cruises along the Little Murray, played old-fashioned games, and took part in creative activities such as making peg dolls. They finished their first day off with a visit to the local art gallery. On Friday morning, we enjoyed a brisk walk to see Swan Hill’s iconic Murray Cod before finishing our final activities.

A highlight of the camp was the Heartbeat of the Murray light show, which shared the story of the river’s Indigenous history through to today.

It was wonderful to see so many students step outside their comfort zones and try new experiences, whether tasting lamingtons, riding in a cart, or creating their own nail.

We enjoyed delicious meals and appreciated the warm hospitality of the Pioneer Settlement staff. Most importantly, our students were outstanding, their enthusiasm, respectful behaviour, and the friendships they formed made the camp a great success.

Mrs Kerlin, Mrs Schwab, Miss Eade, Michelle and Dea would like to thank everyone for a fantastic two days

Devices We have enjoyed using our new devices. In Inquiry, we have used them to access information about our neighbouring countries. We have also been practising our typing skills in literacy. The use of Microsoft Teams enables me (Miss Eade) to share links to websites and documents with students easily.

5/6:

This term, Year 5/6 have been engaged in rich learning across all areas of the curriculum. In Inquiry, we have been exploring Australia and our Asian neighbours, building our understanding of culture and geography. As part of this learning, students considered the experiences of refugees and reflected thoughtfully on what they might pack in a suitcase if they were arriving in Australia as a refugee.

In Mathematics, we have begun our work on fractions. Students are learning how to change mixed numerals into improper fractions and are developing their understanding by representing fractions visually.

Our learning in Religion has focused on Mary Magdalene. Students learned about her encounter with Jesus, how she witnessed and shared his message, and how this connects to the idea that our relationship with God is personal.

In English, students have been learning about the referendum and the rights of First Nations peoples as part of their preparation for writing factual recounts. They have also been enjoying our class novel Us Mob, which has sparked meaningful discussions and strengthened comprehension skills.

In Science, we have been busy learning about planets and space, and students have enjoyed creating informative posters on these topics.

We were also fortunate to welcome representatives from RSC, along with some past students, as part of our transition program. They shared their experiences and spoke to us about the many exciting opportunities available at secondary college.

Lastly, we have also enjoyed spending time with our Foundation buddies and Miss Sortino, where students proudly shared their knowledge and enjoyed teaching their buddies many new things.

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Rochester Secondary College - Transition Plan