Classroom News

Foundation: Mrs Fleming

This fortnight, our Foundation students have been busy with their learning and have also had the opportunity to enjoy some extra special days at school. 

The Foundation students did a wonderful job participating in their very first school Cross Country event last week! It was fantastic to see every student trying their best, showing determination and encouraging one another throughout the day. We were so proud of the positive attitude and sportsmanship displayed by all students. A big thank you to the parents and families who came along to support and cheer on the children. Your encouragement made the day even more special.

We also enjoyed celebrating our very first Mother’s Day at school. The Foundation students loved creating special gifts in Art for the important women in their lives and had so much fun choosing treasures at the Mother’s Day stall. We were thrilled with the amazing turnout for our Wonderful Women’s Breakfast! Thank you to all the mums, grandparents and special friends who joined us to enjoy the delicious breakfast prepared by our teachers. It was a lovely morning celebrating the special people in our students’ lives.

Grade 1/2: Mrs McKiernan & Mrs Tyler

In Literacy, the Grade 1 students have been veery productive during their small group activities as we consolidate our tricky words from Term 1 and introduce more. They have been working in small, targeted groups to support one another as well as develop important communication, cooperation, and problem-solving skills. It is pleasing to watch students be respectful, responsible, and willing to contribute during this time. 

The Grade 1/2 students participated in this terms Inform and Empower session this week. We learnt about the importance of balancing screen time and making sure we turn devices off an hour before bed. 

Grade 1/2: Miss Wooden

We have had a crazy busy start to Term 2! These are some of our favourite things so far!

Lara: I liked running in cross country.

Huxi: I like having lots of special activities.

Grace: I like getting fit for the cross country and athletic carnival.

Pippa: I have liked having my Mum for art and sport.

Angel: I liked running in cross country.

Isabelle: I liked doing our class Liturgy.

Harlow: I liked making stuff.

Lacey: I am excited for hot chip lunch to celebrate Term 1 attendance.

Jack: I liked running in cross country.

Everest: I liked doing the class Liturgy.

Lucy: I liked running in the cross country.

Grade 3: Miss Taylor

It has been another action-packed fortnight in Year 3!

One of the biggest highlights was our annual Cross Country. Our Year 3 students took on the huge challenge of running 2 kilometres, and what an incredible effort it was! Every single student completed the course with determination, persistence and a smile on their face. There were some truly jaw-dropping times, but what stood out most was the way our students gave it their all and never gave up. Once their race was finished, they proudly lined the track to cheer on students from the other year levels, showing fantastic school spirit and encouragement. 

We also took part in an exciting live Adventures Online: Inform and Empower session, where students learned all about staying safe and healthy online. The session focused on finding a healthy balance between screen time and “green time”, and students were surprised to learn how too much screen time can affect our health, our minds and even our friendships. A key takeaway was the importance of switching off devices at least an hour before bedtime. The interactive Kahoot was a huge hit and had everyone engaged from start to finish! 

It was wonderful to celebrate the special women in our lives through both the Mother’s Day Stall and Mother’s Day Breakfast. Students took great care in selecting thoughtful gifts for their mums and loved the excitement of keeping their choices a secret. The breakfast was filled with warmth, laughter and lots of happy faces as mums, grandmothers and other special guests joined us for a delicious feast. 

Back in the classroom, students have been getting very hands-on with our length unit. Armed with 30 cm rulers and 1 m rulers, we have been measuring everything from classroom objects and furniture to each other! Students have been developing their predicting and estimating skills, deciding which unit of measurement and tool is best suited to different objects, while also learning how to use rulers accurately. 

In English, students have begun exploring the history of British colonisation of Australia and the significant impact it had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. As we build our understanding of these important events, students are preparing to write factual recounts using past tense, time connectives, chronological order and the structure of a well-organised recount.

From the cross country track to the classroom, they continue to show what a capable and resilient group of learners they are, and we are excited to see all they will achieve in the weeks ahead! 

Grade 4/5: Mrs Stock

Welcome to another busy fortnight in Grade 4/5! It has been wonderful to see students continuing to settle into routines and engaging so positively in their learning. 

In English, students have been focusing on factual recounts, while also continuing to develop their reading fluency skills. Reading fluency is an important area of focus, and we encourage students to continue practising reading regularly at home to help build confidence, expression and accuracy. Over the past fortnight, students also completed their PAT Reading and Mathematics assessments, which are completed twice a year. It has been fantastic to reflect on the growth students have made and celebrate their progress.

In Mathematics, we have recently completed our units on fractions and 3D shapes. Students are now beginning their learning about decimals, exploring place value and making connections between fractions and decimal numbers.

In Religion, students have begun their new unit, The Risen Church. Students have been exploring how different followers of Jesus experienced the Resurrection by comparing the experiences of the Emmaus disciples, Mary Magdalene and Peter. They have identified similarities and differences in emotions, recognition and transformation, leading to some thoughtful class discussions.

In Inquiry, students have begun learning about Australia in the 1800s. This Year 5 unit explores the significant period of Australian colonisation, including the causes of British settlement and its impacts. Students are investigating different perspectives of colonial life, including First Nations experiences, while learning about important people and events that shaped Australia. Engagement has been fantastic, with students asking lots of thoughtful and interesting questions.

Last week, students participated in our Inform and Empower session for Term 2, focusing on building healthy relationships with devices, balancing screen time and green time, and exploring the impacts of excessive screen use. Students always enjoy these sessions, and this one was highly interactive and engaging, encouraging important conversations around healthy habits and wellbeing.

Last week, students also participated in the Cross Country, which was a fantastic event. It was lovely to see so many families attending and cheering on the students. The encouragement and support shown by everyone created a wonderful atmosphere, with students cheering each other on and showing great persistence throughout the event.

Grade 5/6: Miss Rasmussen

In Maths, we have moved on to decimals and it has been great to see the fantastic base level of understanding that students already possess from previous learning. We have been working with numbers to thousandths and ten thousandths, focusing on place value, comparing decimals and representing decimals in different ways. A highlight has been playing our “Stop the Clock” game, where students attempted to stop a stopwatch on a set time before marking the number on a number line. This was a fun and engaging way to develop a deeper understanding of decimals and how they compare in size. We have also had a strong focus on times table fluency, with students challenging themselves to improve their speed and accuracy during our times table challenges. It has been fantastic to see students motivated and eager to beat their previous best scores and times.

In English, students have now completed their Factual Recount on the 1967 Referendum. Throughout the unit, students learnt about the key structure of a factual recount, including an introduction, three body paragraphs explaining the events leading up to, during and after the referendum, and a conclusion. A key component of this unit has been developing students’ ability to write notes from information learnt in class and then use these notes to independently construct their factual recount.

We also participated in our Inform and Empower session, where students explored healthy screen habits, the importance of balancing screen time with “green time”, and how apps and games are designed to keep users engaged online. It was wonderful to see students thoughtfully engaging in discussions around sleep, wellbeing and healthy technology use.