Year Level		Fortnightly Summary
Prep		During this term, the Prep students are exploring the features of native animals and their habitats and are using their understanding to create a report about their chosen animal. Last Friday, the students took part in an Australian Wildlife Incursion. Our presenter Kimberley brought a selection of Australian animals into the Prep classroom. She shared lots of interesting information about them and the students had the opportunity to stroke each of the animals. They were even lucky enough to hold some of them. This week, the Prep students wrote a recount about their experience and drew a picture of their favourite animal. If you would like to see our fabulous work, please come and look at the display boards in the entrance to the Prep classroom.
Year 1		In Literacy, the Year 1 students have enjoyed identifying the difference between facts and opinions, as they explore informative texts. Linked to our Inquiry topic, Needs of Plants and Animals, the students have engaged in reading informative texts about plants, animals and habitats. The students have also enjoyed working in pairs to design their own habitats for an animal of their choice.
Year 2		In Year Two, the students have been loving challenging themselves with our maths unit on addition and subtraction. We have been looking at two-digit numbers where we might need to rename our ones as tens or regroup our tens and ones. The students have been using base-10 blocks and drawings to help show their working out. In Literacy, we have continued working our way through Little Learners and the students have been revising the -ure and -ion sounds. This week, I gave the students a challenge to write about whatever they liked. I provided some picture prompts if they needed inspiration, but other than that, I wanted them to just show their very best writing. I was very impressed with their creativity and ability to show everything we have been learning, including correct punctuation and using conjunctions to make their sentences a little more interesting. During Inquiry, the students have thoroughly enjoyed looking at the features of plants and animals, observing the traits that help them to survive. In Religion, we have been looking at Stewardship and are now moving on to Scripture in the Bible, learning how the Bible contains both the Old and New Testaments.
Year 3		In Literacy, the Year Three students have been enjoying reading the book From the Heart, which connects closely with the themes of Reconciliation Week and National Sorry Day. Through this text, students have been learning about the Uluru Statement from the Heart and exploring the importance of reconciliation, respect and understanding Australia’s shared history. In Mathematics, students have been investigating patterns in counting and exploring statistics through a range of engaging activities. In Science, students have been learning about the different types of rocks and their features. Did you know that rock salt is actually a type of rock? Yes, rock salt is absolutely a rock! In geological terms, it is a sedimentary rock. We are also very excited to be celebrating Stella Maris’ 70th birthday this week. Happy Birthday, Stella!
Year 4		Our Year 4 students have had a wonderfully busy and engaging fortnight, filled with rich learning experiences and memorable events. We are still buzzing about our recent Camp Angahook adventure, with one of the highlights being our exciting visit to the chocolate factory along the Great Ocean Road. We also thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Stella Maris Day and our school’s 70th anniversary. Students marked this special occasion by creating beautiful stained glass-style artworks of Mary, reflecting their creativity and connection to our school’s faith tradition. In Mathematics, we are continuing our focus on 2D and 3D shapes. Students are making meaningful real-life connections by identifying shapes within their homes and everyday environments. In Inquiry, students are working diligently towards their Exhibition of Learning, where they will proudly share their volcano knowledge. As part of this unit, they will design, paint, and even erupt their own volcano models, an experience they are eagerly anticipating. Year 4 is also looking forward with excitement to their upcoming Sacrament of Holy Communion. In addition, students are preparing to be commissioned as Mini Vinnies representatives, stepping into roles of service and leadership within our school community.
Year 5		In Year 5, students have been developing their report writing skills and continuing to strengthen their comprehension and writing abilities through a range of engaging activities linked to our class novel, Dirrarn. In Mathematics, students have been learning about decimals and investigating 3D shapes, including exploring the different nets used to construct these solids and accurately building a variety of 3D shapes. In Inquiry, students have been learning about solids, liquids, and gases, and have worked collaboratively with Year 6 students to investigate and present the properties of each state of matter to the class. Students also enjoyed participating in a range of scientific experiments, including exploring the melting point of water. As part of Stella Maris’ 70th anniversary celebrations, students have been exploring the history of Stella Maris and the Beaumaris area, while learning more about the rich history of our local community. Year Five students also demonstrated excellent teamwork and sportsmanship at the school sports carnival.
Year 6		Year 6 students have been busy engaging in a range of learning areas. In Mathematics, students have been exploring 3D shapes and investigating the different planes of cross-sections that can be created within these solids. In Humanities and English, students have continued their learning about the Aboriginal history of pearl diving, while also analysing song lyrics connected to this history to deepen their understanding of the experiences and perspectives of Aboriginal peoples. In Religious Education, students have begun working on their Confirmation books and have shown great care and pride in the work they are completing as they prepare for their journey towards receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Specialists	Stem:	Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students have been loving using the Bee Bots this term. Last week, students participated in Bee Bot Bowling, which they thoroughly enjoyed. It was wonderful to see students encouraging one another and demonstrating great sportsmanship throughout the activity. Students needed to think strategically about how many times to press the forward button and where to place the Bee Bot so it could knock down the most cones. They also showed persistence and problem-solving skills when things did not go to plan. This week, students were challenged to work collaboratively to program their Bee Bot to “follow” a drawn path. They made predictions about how many moves the Bee Bot would need to make and tested and adjusted their programs as needed. Year 3 students have been learning about Ozobots and exploring a variety of special moves, including Tornado, Spin, ZigZag and Backwalk. They have also been learning how to program directions such as turning left, right, travelling straight at intersections, and making U-turns. Students have enjoyed experimenting with different code combinations and testing how their Ozobots respond. It has been fantastic to see their creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills developing during these activities. Year 4 students are beginning to create their Scratch Sustainability Game Project, which they are very excited about. Students are working with a partner to design and create a game that focuses on one or two sustainability issues, such as pollution, plastic waste, or protecting animals and habitats. Year 5 and 6 students are beginning to plan and design their Scratch Sustainability Game Project. They are being given the opportunity to work either independently or with a partner as they develop ideas for games that promote sustainability awareness and encourage positive environmental actions.
	Italian:	The Preps have been introduced to the ELLA apps which help to teach Italian in an interactive way. They have been working on APP 2 - The Beach, which has different activities to practise naming colours in Italian. Some of these include matching the colours to the crabs under the shells; driving a submarine and taking photos of the coloured sea creatures and selecting colours to draw a beach themed picture. As they work through the activities they are introduced to the characters called The Polyglots who greet them in Italian and reinforce the language they have been learning. Years 1 and 2 have continued to practise telling each other what food they like or dislike in a full sentence. This week the Year 1’s have extended their vocabulary to include Adoro … to describe a food they love as opposed to just like or dislike. In Year 2 the students have worked on being more specific about their preferences. By using the term Preferisco, they are able to pick a favourite out of two options or give an alternative if they do not like either food choice. In Year 3 and 4 the students have conducted surveys of classmates asking them about their opinion of four Italian foods. They have practised asking and answering the questions in Italian and learnt how to be more specific by using expressions like Non mi piace per niente (I don’t like it at all) or Adoro - (I love it. ) They have enjoyed recalling class objects by colour in a game. The students took turns in pairs attempting to be the first person to pick up the item that was requested e.g. Posso avere la penna rossa? (May I have the red pen?) In Year 5 and 6 the students have learnt how to give two reasons for pain or illness: Perche sono malato/a (Because I am sick) and Perche sono caduto/a (Because I fell). The have practised expanding there sentences by adding this information when asked why. They have worked on translation activities that reinforce this language.
	Performing Arts:	Foundation students have been exploring the purpose of masks and expressive faces in the world of drama. Through games, role-play, and creative movement activities, students have been learning how facial expressions and masks can help performers communicate emotions, characters, and stories to an audience. Years 1 and 2 have begun to learn about Folk dances. They enjoyed joining in with the Kinderdance from Germany and this week have learnt a dance from Russia called Sasha. With each dance the students learn the story behind it and when it is performed. As we continue to explore dances that use the whole body, Year 3 and 4 have taken a journey to Asia and practised the steps of an Indian dance called Bhangra. Each week the classes look at examples of dances from their families' cultures. Last week we saw Tongan, Ghanan and Argentinian dances. This week Year 3 saw English, Russian and Egyptian dance. It’s great to see the pride and curiosity students have in their cultural heritage. They have attempted to join in a Cha Cha and explored Latin American rhythms. Having been on camp the Year 4’s will work on this in week 7. Years 5 and 6 have been learning about the dances from the 1960’s. After having a go at dancing the twist, they learnt about some of the popular dances such as The Watusi, The Mash Potato and many more. They have then worked enthusiastically in groups to create their own 60’s inspired dance with moves chosen from four different dances of that era. They have begun looking at dances from the 1970’s.
	PE:	Prep students have been practising their throwing skills - they have been throwing frisbees and balls focusing on accuracy. Other ball skills such as bouncing, rolling and catching have also been worked on while playing games and activities. On rainy days, preps have worked on their fundamental movement skills such as jumping, sliding, hopping and dodging while dancing and moving to music. Year 1 and 2 students have been developing their ball skills with a focus on Netball. They have practised chest, overhead and bounce passes in small groups. Some of the netball rules such as Footwork, 3 seconds and 3 feet rules have been introduced. Students also learnt the skill of pivoting and identifying their grounded foot which is important when learning the Footwork rule. Year 3 and 4 students have completed their unit on Netball. They have learnt the 7 court positions, their boundaries and how they work together as a team. Some of the rules were introduced and students practised playing games and activities which focused on team play, developing ball skills such as accurate passing, catching and moving to space. Year 5 and 6 students have been developing their Netball and team play skills. They have learnt the 7 court positions and many of the netball rules. Students have worked on finessing their ball skills and have started working as a team to develop defensive and offensive strategies to assist their teams. Senior students will be adapting their ball skills and strategic play in the coming weeks to focus on Basketball and prepare for their Hoop Time competition.
	Art:	Foundation Foundation students have been exploring the work of Joan Miró while learning about primary colours and portrait art. Students are using bold lines, simple shapes, and bright colours to create imaginative self-portraits inspired by Miró’s playful artistic style. Year 1/2 Year 1 students are continuing work on their cityscape artworks. Students are developing their understanding of buildings, skylines, shapes, and perspective while experimenting with colour and detail to create vibrant urban scenes. Their artworks are becoming increasingly detailed and imaginative. Year 2 Year 2 students have also been exploring the work of mentor artist Yaritji Young. Inspired by her symbolic use of shapes and storytelling through art, students are creating their own artworks using repeated symbols, patterns, and meaningful designs to communicate ideas and connections to place. Year 3/4 Year 3 and 4 students have been investigating the colourful line work of Erika Petrikova. Students are experimenting with expressive lines, bold colour combinations, and pattern to create energetic and visually engaging artworks. Year 5/6 Year 5 and 6 students are continuing work on their Tjanpi Desert Weaving inspired animal sculptures. Students have been learning about contemporary Aboriginal fibre art practices and the collaborative work of the Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Using weaving and construction techniques, students are designing and creating expressive animal forms while developing patience, problem-solving skills, and creative thinking.

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