Around the Classrooms

Grade 3/4RC

It has been a great term, filled with many learning opportunities. The students have continued to improve their skills across all areas of learning. 

In Religious Education, the students explored Catholic Social Teachings and the way Jesus used parables to show how we should live and care for one another. Through stories such as the Mustard Seed, students reflected on how small acts can grow into something much larger. In the parable of the Sower, the students learned about nurturing faith in rich soil so it can flourish in their lives.  

In English, the students read the novel Storm Boy. They learnt new vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. They fine tuned their skills in identifying key words and phrases from the text, then applying them to their own sentence building. The students learnt how to identify then construct compound and complex sentences. 

In Mathematics, the students have been developing their skills in a range of areas including telling time, decimals, fractions and mass and capacity. They have practiced representing fractions visually and applying them to real life situations. Within the topic of  time, students worked on reading both analogue and digital clocks, as well as applying problem solving strategies. Decimal work has focused on place value and understanding how decimals connect to fractions. Each day, the students participate in Maths group rehearsals for 10 minutes. These are focussed tasks which revise past concepts.

In Inquiry, students have been learning about the First Nations People, First Fleet, and the beginnings of Australia’s system of government. They explored the journeys and experiences of the First Fleet, and contrasted this with the long and rich history of First Nations communities prior to European arrival. Through discussions and activities, students are beginning to understand how the government was established in Australia, and how these early events continue to shape our nation today. The students thoroughly enjoyed constructing their 3D models.   

Wishing all students and their families a relaxing two weeks of well deserved holidays. 

Mr. Rosario Corio

Prep Incursion

Last Friday, the Prep students participated in an incursion called ‘The Past In Your Class’, run by the National Trust. As part of the experience, students stepped back in time to explore what school life was like in the 1870s — and discovered just how much things have changed!

Students learned that in the past, girls were always expected to enter the classroom first, eating indoors was not allowed, and teachers were often much stricter — sometimes even unkind! These differences sparked great discussion about how education and rules have changed over the past 155 years.

Students also learned about the family who lived at Rippon Lea, as told through the eyes of Clara, one of the 9 children of the household. Students learnt that the family attended school at their home, where they were expected to be on time, dressed neatly, sit quietly and complete all their work — so much work! The Preps had a go at writing with ink, which was a lot harder than using a greylead.

It was a hands-on and memorable way to experience history and see firsthand just how much schooling has really changed.

The Prep Team