Lower Primary

Term 2 has flown by, and what a term of learning it has been! Our students have explored new ideas, taken on challenges and continued to work together to build a kind and respectful Lower Primary community. You will have received your child’s semester report and had the opportunity to attend Student Support Meetings to discuss their progress. All of our students have tried hard to do their best and the Lower Primary staff acknowledge our student’s growth both academically and socially. We are  proud of everything our students have achieved.

Throughout the term, students have participated in a wide range of experiences that not only supported their academic learning but also developed a sense of belonging and collaboration. From classroom activities to special events, these experiences have helped build important skills such as teamwork, resilience, kindness, and responsibility. Activities and events have included a range of language experiences, incursions, visits to the Discovery centre, Reconciliation Week, Mother's and Special Person's Day Activities, soccer coaching and swimming, all of which have provided valuable learning opportunities in and outside the classroom. 

Students have continued learning to follow rules and routines to stay safe and to contribute positively to their learning environments. Whether they were sharing class materials during literacy sessions, working as a team during PE or supporting their classmates in group tasks, it was wonderful to see our students beginning to put our school values and expectations into practice each day.

Discovery Unit: Learning About Safety

The Discovery unit focused on safety and continued to create curiosity and meaningful discussion. Students explored how to stay safe in different environments: at school, at home, and in the community. Through hands-on activities and role plays, they learned how to use classroom tools and playground equipment safely, and what to do in emergencies.

One of the highlights was a visit from Fire Services Victoria. The students were excited to meet real-life firefighters, explore a fire truck, try out the equipment, and practise important fire safety procedures such as: “Stop, drop, cover and roll” and “Get down low and go, go, go”.

We also had a special visit from our local lollipop crossing supervisor, who showed students how to cross the road safely by using the “Stop, Look, Listen, Think” strategy. Practising these skills in the yard helped reinforce the importance of being aware and responsible in real-life situations. Students also visited the Discovery Centre, where they explored the sensory experience of the mile room and used the green screen to create values-based safety posters—a fun and creative way to reflect on what they learned!

Mother’s Day, Special People’s Day & Education Week.

This year, Mother’s Day, Special Person’s Day and Education Week all fell within a week of each other. To make the most of both celebrations, Lower Primary combined them  into one afternoon of fun and creativity. It was great to welcome so many mothers, grandmothers, fathers, and special people into our classrooms. The students were so proud to showcase their hard work—cooking, crafting handmade gifts and cards, performing songs, and displaying their learning. Each classroom offered a unique program of activities, making the event special for all involved. This also gave families the chance to be involved and engage in shared learning experiences with their children. Our students were thrilled to have their parents participate in part of their school day and to share afternoon tea together.

National Reconciliation Week: Bridging Now to Next

During National Reconciliation Week, our students explored the theme “Bridging Now to Next,” learning about the past, present, and future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through stories, videos, and hands-on art activities, students began to develop an understanding of the importance of respectful relationships and cultural appreciation. These early learning experiences provide the building blocks for developing awareness, and  respect for Australia’s First Nations peoples.

Active Bodies

Our lunchtime soccer sessions with Coach Pat from DOC Football Academy are always a favourite. Students joined in weekly drills focused on listening, ball control, and teamwork. These sessions helped develop their fitness, sportsmanship, and confidence as well as adding that little bit extra to their playtime !

This term’s, Year 1 swimmers have taken their swimming skills to the next level. They started the lessons with foundational swimming skills and were ready to be challenged. Throughout the program, students extended their abilities by developing their freestyle stroke techniques, practising safe entry and exit in deep water and refining their floating and gliding skills. They also practiced important water safety strategies such as treading water with and without flotation devices, jumping into deep water and making their way back to the edge and learning how to use a life jacket as part of lifesaving procedures. Their growing confidence in the water and developing understanding of water safety was reflected in each lesson. They made great progress and with continued practice and reinforcement will continue to develop their swimming capability.

LPA, LPB, LPC

This term, students in LPA, LPB and LPC engaged in a range of hands-on activities during Maths sessions. They explored key concepts such as number and place value, addition, subtraction, shape, location, and transformation. Throughout our addition sessions, students demonstrated a range of strategies when solving addition problems: some used counters to count all, others counted on from the larger number, while some solved two and three-digit problems without regrouping. During our shape lessons, students explored both 2D and 3D shapes. They practised naming, making, and drawing shapes, as well as identifying and describing their attributes. Through the use of interactive games and manipulatives, students developed their mathematical understanding in a fun and engaging way.

LPD, LPE, LPG

LPD, LPE and LPG have had a fantastic term in their streamed phonics sessions. Students participated in a wide range of engaging activities designed to strengthen their understanding of common letter sounds, as well as their skills in blending and segmenting three-letter words. The program also introduced consonant digraphs and supported students in comprehending simple decodable texts. Through the use of sound bags filled with items beginning with target sounds, songs, sorting tasks, board games, bingo, and other interactive activities, students had many opportunities to build their phonics knowledge in a hands-on and enjoyable way. These experiences have supported students in applying their skills to reading, including identifying initial, medial, and final sounds in words, and beginning to spell using their phonemic awareness. We’re proud of the progress students have made and look forward to building on these foundations in the coming term.

LPH, LPI, LPJ, LPK 

Students in LPH, I, J and K had an exciting and educational experience when Fire Services Victoria visited our school. The firefighters spoke to the students about how to stay safe in the event of a fire and introduced key safety strategies, including ‘Stop, Drop, Cover, Roll’ and ‘Get down low and go, go, go.’ The students listened attentively, watched the firefighters demonstrate the safety actions and eagerly joined in practising them. One of the most exciting parts of the visit was getting a close-up look at the fire truck. The students loved exploring the truck, learning about the different equipment and seeing how firefighters use special tools to keep people safe. It was a highly engaging and hands-on session that helped build the students’ understanding of fire safety in a fun and memorable way.

Specialists

As we wrap up another wonderful term, we’d love to share some highlights from our exciting specialist programs. Our students have been busy exploring, creating, and learning in a variety of hands-on and engaging ways across Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Physical Education, and Library sessions. Students explored the world of rhythm using both body percussion and a range of instruments in Performing Art. They experimented with primary colours and explored how warm and cool colours can be used to create vibrant artwork during Art lessons. Students focused on developing their hand-eye coordination and ball-handling skills, with a particular emphasis on basketball and playing knockout in PE. They have also been making the most of their new basketball stand in the playground, shooting hoops during lunchtime. In the Library, we listened to a variety of multimodal texts about Australian animals and learnt interesting facts about our native wildlife. One of the most memorable moments of the term, was a special visit from a WildlifeIncursion. Students had the incredible opportunity to get up close with various native Australian animals, deepening their understanding and appreciation of our country’s unique wildlife. We are proud of all the students for their enthusiasm and effort across the term and look forward to more exciting learning experiences next term.

As the term comes to an end , we would like to thank students and staff for their hard work and commitment to learning and for making Lower Primary a great place to learn and grow.  

We hope you all enjoy a break with your children, and we look forward to seeing what next term brings!

Lower Primary staff