Spotlight on Learning
Stage 1
Stage 1 Excursion to Sydney Zoo
On Tuesday 4th November, our Stage 1 students enjoyed an exciting excursion to Sydney Zoo.
2B spent the morning with our fantastic tour guide Steve, who was definitely not the same Steve from Minecraft! Steve led us through a fun and interactive workshop where we talked about what animals need to survive, helping us understand the important needs of different species.
During our visit, we had the pleasure of meeting some incredible animals up close. Ron the blue tongue lizard, also known as the Mugadung in the Dharug language, and Ramen the python were both very special guests. The students were thrilled to have the opportunity to gently pat Ron and Ramen.
Our exploration then took us through the African and Asian enclosures, where we saw a variety of animals including the African Painted Dogs, majestic Elephants and curious Meerkats. Later on, we ventured through the rest of the zoo and discovered lots more fascinating animals, with the Capybaras proving to be a popular sight.
It was a truly memorable day filled with fun, learning and plenty of wildlife wonders.
Miss Betty - 2B Classroom Teacher
Stage 2
3/4J have been very busy over the past few weeks. We have been refining our persuasive writing skills and learning about strong modal verbs, the rule of three, emotive language, and rhetorical questions, to name a few. Parents, watch out—you may find them practicing their persuasive techniques on you!
Here are a few examples of our work.
Our novel study, Little Wave, explores three very different children who find each other and discover their own confidence. 3/4J have enjoyed exploring the different personalities and the ways they have overcome various challenges. The students get to know each other by writing to their pen pals. 3/4J pretended to be one of their pen pals and wrote a letter, focusing on the structure of letter writing.
In maths, we enjoyed learning how to calculate the area of irregular shapes. We learned how to use a grid overlay. Take a look at how we calculated the area of the leaves!
In sport, we are becoming expert basketball players. This week, we learned to dribble from different levels using both our left and right hands.
Thank you to the P&C for our wonderful pizza party.
Mrs Jones - Stage 2 Assistant Principal
Stage 3
6S students fell in love with their new class novel Queenie in Seven Moves written by Zanni Louise. We conducted a small case study on the author, analysing her background, what inspired her to create the protagonist Queenie, and exploring statistics on homelessness in Australia.
The story became more engaging with every chapter, especially when the love line between Queenie and Dory developed. Students acknowledged and appreciated the author’s deliberate word choices, figurative language, and “show, don’t tell” techniques, which heightened the tension in the narrative.
Inspired by the novel, students wrote their own narratives based on personal experiences. Some wrote love stories inspired by tales from their parents and grandparents, while others created stories about a main character winning a PSSA competition for their school. Although their storylines differed, all students included figurative language, used “show, don’t tell,” and experimented with plot subversion to create engaging narratives.
This week, students will compose a song based on the narrative they wrote, create background music using online platforms, and write an explanation of their lyrics. It is my pleasure, as the 6S teacher, to read and listen to their wonderful work.
Mr So - 6S Classroom Teacher