School of Foundations
As we approach the end of another term, I want to take a moment to reflect on the journey our students have undertaken over the past few months. It has been a period of growth, learning, and achievement, and I am proud to be part of this educational community.
First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for your unwavering support throughout this term. Your partnership in your child's education is invaluable, and it has a profound impact on their success. Together, we have created a nurturing and inspiring environment in which our students can thrive.
As we head into the well-deserved break, I encourage you to take some time to rest, rejuvenate, and bond with your children. The upcoming holidays provide an opportunity for relaxation and quality family time, which are essential for their overall well-being.
Looking ahead to the next term, we are excited about the educational opportunities and experiences that await our students. We will continue to provide a safe and nurturing environment that fosters both academic excellence and personal growth.
During a two-week break, students have the opportunity to engage in various activities that can be both enjoyable and productive. Here is a list of activities for students to consider:
Read for Pleasure: Encourage students to pick up a book, magazine, or e-reader and enjoy reading for leisure. It's a great way to unwind and expand their knowledge.
Explore a New Hobby: Whether it's painting, playing a musical instrument, cooking, or coding, students can use this time to pick up a new hobby or further develop an existing one.
Outdoor Activities: Encourage physical activity by going for hikes, bike rides, playing sports, or simply spending time in nature. Outdoor activities are a great way to stay healthy and relieve stress.
Creative Writing: If they enjoy writing, students can start a journal, write short stories, or even work on a novel. Creative writing can be an excellent way to express themselves.
Art and Craft Projects: Engaging in arts and crafts can be therapeutic and a great way to unleash creativity. They can try drawing, painting, knitting, or any other craft they're interested in.
Cooking and Baking: Learning to cook new recipes or bake treats can be both fun and practical. It's a valuable life skill and a chance to experiment in the kitchen.
Online Gaming and Puzzles: Playing online games or solving puzzles can be an enjoyable way to pass the time. It can also be a social activity if they play with friends.
Watch Documentaries: Encourage them to watch educational documentaries on topics of interest. It's a great way to learn while relaxing.
Family and Friend Time: Spending quality time with family and friends, whether in person or through video calls, is essential for maintaining social connections and building relationships.
Learn about some interesting topics:
Please remember that our school's doors are always open, and if you have any concerns or questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support both you and your child's educational journey. Thank you once again for entrusting us with your child's education.
Miss Pecnik
Head of School of Foundations: K-4
SOF Wellbeing News
Amongst our School of Foundations students lies a multitude of gems…gems in the shape of kind, considerate and thoughtful young people! In every Learning Space, it is evident to see the students being acknowledged for their acts of kindness towards others, as well as dedication towards their learning, as the Pillar Walls in each class grow. At St Luke’s, the 6 Pillars (Witness, Manage, Relate, Inquire, Think and Create) underpin learning and are nurtured throughout all learning areas, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Celebrating student success with our Pillars.
Each week, through the Social Pillars of Witness, Manage and Relate, we reflect upon ways that we can demonstrate these life skills within our dealings with others. One way our Stage 2 students have been displaying these Social Pillars is by taking on the role of Student Leaders. When a need arises, or when initiative drives it, our Stage 2 students have led and worked with younger students to support them in their friendships, learning and social justice issues. Some of the initiatives our Stage 2 students have instigated include playground buddy activities, environmental protection drives and learning companion opportunities. It is truly wonderful to see our Stage 2 students demonstrate leadership qualities and for our younger students to embrace their enthusiasm and support.
Student Leaders vests which are worn when our students take on a supportive or leading role in the College.
Some of our students undertaking environmental protection initiatives
Stage 2 students supporting younger students in learning companion opportunities
We look forward to sharing more reports of our students displaying respect and support for one another.
Mrs Emerton
Assistant Principal; K-4
Early Stage 1
Golden Ridge Animal Farm
On Tuesday 5th September, Kindergarten visited Golden Ridge Animal Farm at Dural. The excursion complemented the learning that is happening in class in Science. Students have been investigating the driving question, What are living things and how are they used to meet our needs?
We excitedly boarded the bus and travelled to the farm where we were met by a Farmer Rachael. Farmer Rachael told us about how to stay safe on the farm when walking around and when interacting with the animals. After we were divided into small groups we toured the farm learning about the different animals and their habitats. We saw llamas, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks and a milking cow called Bessy.
Farmer Rachael told the children about the milk Bessy makes, and importantly all the things that we use Bessy’s milk for. The children learned that milk from cows can be used for many of the foods they enjoy, such as yoghurt, cheese, ice-cream, butter and cream. After milking the cow (if we were feeling brave), students learned that the sheep wool and llama fur are also used to make clothing, blankets and things that help keep people warm, while the eggs that the chickens make are also used for food.
It was an exciting and long day at Golden Ridge Animal Farm!
English
Kindergarten students have been reading informative texts during shared reading times. This has complemented the informative writing of an animal. Students have been predicting the purpose of each text and identifying the features of informative texts. These features include:
- a contents pages;
- labelled diagrams with important words;
- a glossary of important words; and
- text with factual information.
These are some of the informative books the students have been reading in Kindergarten.
You can support your child in this area of learning by visiting a library to look for informative books related to an area of interest for your child, such as nature, construction, weather or space. Can you find the contents page, labelled diagrams, and the glossary?
During small group reading, students are learning to read by looking closely at sounds and letters in a word, checking that the words match the picture, and using their knowledge of letters and sounds to read different texts. In this time of the reading groups students are supported and challenged to read and comprehend texts. While students are working with a teacher, other children are participating in other activities reinforcing learning in fine motor skills, handwriting, phonics, comprehension, sentence structure, and sight words.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, students have been sorting, describing, naming and making two-dimensional shapes, including triangles, circles, squares and rectangles. It has been a fun and engaging time with students experimenting with craft sticks to create shapes with various sides. Students also had the opportunity to create a picture using two-dimensional shapes. They also found that they knew other shapes that had five, six, and eight sides! These are called pentagons, hexagons, and octagons. As an extension boys and girls found that shapes of four sides may look different, and could be rhombus, trapeziums, and parallelograms.
You can support your child in this area of learning by noticing shapes in your house, at the park or at the shops. What shapes can you see? Can you see a circle, square, rectangle, or triangle? What about some more tricky shapes?
Religion
As students continued their investigation into the driving question, What is Church, they have been looking closely at the St Luke’s Cross. The St Luke’s cross is a key symbol of hope for the college, and has an important story that the children enjoyed learning about. You can find the story of the St Luke’s cross and the important symbols that can be found on the cross here. Students have also started to design their own cross using their own important symbols of hope, such as butterflies, smiley faces and flowers.
You can support your child in this area of learning by talking about hope and what it means to have hope. When have you been hopeful before?
Stage 1
As we approach the end of Term 3, the students have had many learning experiences throughout the term to help consolidate their understanding in across all Key Learning Areas.
English - Informative Writing
In Stage 1, we have been learning how to write an informative text. Drawing on shared knowledge from our recent visit to Hambledon Cottage students were able to construct an information report using facts and were also able to include a labelled diagram. Students continued on to write information reports about animals and procedural texts. Each text includes diagrams and labels which they know is a feature of informative texts. Students have done their own research and planned and constructed their own reports.
Mathematics
This week in Mathematics, Stage One students have been developing their understanding of Time. So far this week, students have been learning to read a calendar and to use it to calculate the number of months, weeks or days until an upcoming event. In the days to come, students will also be learning how to read an analog and digital clock, using the terminology o'clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to.
History - The Past in the Present
This term students have been learning about family life in the past and the present. Students compared their own family life to what life was like in the 1950’s. They discovered that in the 1950’s most women stayed home to look after their children and dad went to work. Students also found out that before people had televisions they would listen to the radio in their spare time. In the coming weeks, students will be learning about the different roles children and women had in the past to the present.
Health - Healthy and Active
In our Health unit this term, the students have explored the food pyramid and discussed healthy food options. They have also been learning about how healthy food options fuel their bodies and provide all the energy they need while allowing them to focus in the classroom. Healthy food options are an important aspect of this unit as it educates the students about making positive healthy choices that affect their growing bodies. The importance of daily exercise has also been a focus, encouraging students to be active. At the end of last term, the students received their weet-bix fit-bit which has also encouraged students to stay active.
Stage 2
English
Students this Term have been diving into Persuasive Writing with a particular focus on Sustainability. They have been exploring pressing environmental issues such as deforestation, littering and many others! They have been researching and mastering persuasive techniques such as high modality, using facts to back up their opinions to try and encourage others to follow. They are also emerging as future sustainability leaders and teaching all of us how to create a greener world!
Mathematics - 3D space / Volume and Capacity
Students have been embarking on an exciting journey into the world of three-dimensional space. They've honed their skills in working with shapes that possess length, width and height including cubes, rectangular prisms, spheres, and pyramids, with tremendous enthusiasm and competence. Moreover, comprehending volume has been a significant part of their mathematical adventure. Students have been exploring measuring and comparing the space enclosed within various 3D shapes. Their remarkable problem-solving abilities have undoubtedly flourished. Furthermore, in addition to volume, Stage 2 has embarked on an exploration of the concept of capacity. They've engaged in hands-on experiments aimed at measuring and comparing the liquid-holding capabilities of various containers.
Religion - Liturgy
Throughout Term 3, Stage 2 have been exploring how we can be merciful in our everyday lives. To recognise and reflect on the students' learning, the students enjoyed engaging and participating in their Stage 2 liturgy. This liturgy allowed the students to share their learning of the corporal works of mercy, how we can show mercy and forgiveness to others.
Other - Coles visit
Stage 2 students visited Coles, the supermarket and no they weren't buying groceries! They were on a mission to learn about different kinds of packaging. From cereal boxes to special containers, they discovered how cookies and other food are wrapped up and packaged up. It was an exciting adventure that helped them understand why packaging is important and how it affects our choices and the environment. Photos
Drama (Music)
Stage one has been focusing on drama activities about the story of Hansel and Gretel. It has been a great way to introduce our students to the art of drama and storytelling. Students have been brainstorming ideas and deciding on ways they can act out the story. They have been learning to use their face and body to represent real emotions and characters in the story. Students have been performing their version of the story for each other. Students have been learning to work together, develop their creativity, and have fun with their ideas.
Stage 2 have been working on a short body percussion unit to end the term. They have been working on creating short group performances, and we have enjoyed seeing and hearing all the creative ideas students have had. We have also been working on a class performance of “Bring Me Little Water Sylvie”, which combines a body percussion pattern with singing. This has been very challenging, and has given students an opportunity to practise their timing, coordination and persistence when learning is challenging. See a video of Year 3 Gringotts practising here.
Diversity
During our maths lessons this week we have been stretching our brain power and working on ‘times as many’. HUGE! We have been building towers all week, making ones that are four times as tall, six times as tall and proving to me how they knew! Lots of thinking and lots of proving. Great work from Year One mathematicians!
”Make a tower that is 6 times as tall as mine. Draw your tower and prove your answer”.
Ms Honeyman
Diversity Coordinator