Learning Centre News... 

Learning Centre One

How are we already in week 8! This Term seems to be flying by before our eyes! We are so excited to see the great achievements that the preps have achieved! 

In Literacy, the students have been continuing on with their sounds and applying their sound knowledge to be able to spell and make attempts at writing words. The students continued to explore segmenting words and looking at the initial sound. Students have been exploring different food groups and what consists of them. They then used this knowledge to begin forming an opinion on what they believe to be sometimes foods and foods that we have all the time. Through this the students began to develop an opinion to persuade a reader and for them to support their understanding and reasons to support their opinion. Students then participated in a language experience to create their own ‘Healthy Sandwich’. They made a sandwich using bread, ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, carrot and cucumber. It was great seeing the students talk and use the language of procedure after making their sandwiches. 

During Math the students have been learning number counting and how numbers have a sequence, we can count backwards and forwards and that we can have a pattern when we count. Students learned how to count forwards and backwards using a numberline and explored the concept of skip counting and patterns that occur when we skip count. Students then explore the concept of ‘teen’ numbers and how they’re made up of 10s and ones.

Throughout Religion, the students have been learning about the concept of waiting and what a patient looks like and what it feels like to wait for something. We continued to explore the various seasons and how they intertwine with the liturgical season of Lent and the colours that associate with each season of the Godly Calendar. 

iPads

It is important that each day students iPads are brought back each day to school and are charged and ready for the children to use for learning. We will be using them a lot in the next few weeks, so please ensure that they are bought each day

Transitioning to Year One

As we prepare to transition the students to year one we would like your support in helping them to develop their independence by allowing them to leave the learning space at the end of the day to find the person that will be collecting them. It is important that you inform your child in the morning of who and the area in which they will require to go to be picked up at the end of the day. We would also like the students to be bringing their bags in themselves in the morning as another means for us to prepare them to transition to year one. We thank you for your understanding and constant support and if you have any question please see the learning group teacher or Amanda

Playground Outside LC1

It is important that at the end of the school day there are no children playing on the playground. The playground isn’t supervised by staff, and we would hate for anyone to injure or hurt themselves. 

Some friendly reminders:

• Students require their iPads for learning. Please ensure that they’re charged and brought to school each day.
• Book bags get changed every Monday. Please make sure they’re bought back so they can be changed and returned Tuesday.
• NO HAT NO PLAY - Please ensure you have a labeled hat as we will be needing them for outside play as they will have to remain in the shade if they don’t have a hat
• 29th November - Mini Cross Country 12 - 1:30 pm - All Welcome!
• 14th December - Whole School Assembly - 9am Sports Hall
• 14th December - Last Day of Term 4 - 1pm Finish

Prep Team - Amanda, Donna, Imogen, Kiah, Mary, Sam & Tina. 

Learning Centre Two

YEAR 5 LEADERSHIP DAY

Last week, the Year 5 students all gathered in the hall for the second part of the Future Leaders Day at OLSC. On the day, our current School Captains and Vice Captains came and spoke to us about their leadership experience this year. They spoke beautifully and each shared some words of wisdom for our aspiring 2024 leaders.

We have had an overwhelming response to the leadership application process which will give us an outstanding group of students to choose from for the leadership roles in 2023. On Monday and Tuesday next week, the students who have applied will stand in front of the 5/6 student cohort, the senior teachers, Justin and Sandy to present their speeches. We wish them all the very best of luck!

FINAL HUDDLE EXCURSION

On Monday, some of the students from Ann and Scott's class groups visited The Huddle at the North Melbourne Football Club. They are the final group of students to participate in this excursion and by the looks of the photos, they had a fantastic time working on challenges in teams.

MATHS

Our focus in Maths lessons has been on decimals and their relationship to fractions and percentages. Students have been representing these both numerically and with images, and have been making comparisons based on their size with the help of place value knowledge. 

In Lisa's class today, the students have been sorting and ordering equivalent mixed numbers and improper fractions. These were placed along a number line and also matched with a pictorial representation for each one.

This week, they have also been working to add fractions with like denominators while showing this as an image in their maths books.

MEDIA ARTS INQUIRY

As the term draws to a close, the 5/6s are busy producing their media arts presentations for our Inquiry. They are using a variety of 'media' to create a short film that they have planned and prepared for in small groups. Students have been through the storyboard process, have written scripts and are now filming their final pieces. These will range from short documentaries, interviews with very important people, instructional demonstrations or creative story-telling. Here are some photos of Chelsea's class as they prepare for and complete their films.

Some friendly reminders...

• Monday 27th November - Giving Tree and Hamper Drive begins
• Monday 27th November - Year 5 Leadership speeches
• Tuesday 28th November - Year 5 Leadership speeches
• Tuesday 12th December - Christmas dress-up day and Melbourne Renegades cricket incursion
• Wednesday 13th December - Yr 6 Fun day at Adventure Park
• Thursday 14th December - 9 am Whole School Assembly
• Thursday 14th December - Last day for year 6 students and 6:30 pm Graduation Mass
• Friday 15th December - 9 am Christmas liturgy
• Friday 15th December - Last day of 2023, school finishes at 1 pm

Year 5/6 Team: Alexandra, Ann, Anna, Chelsea, Cheryl, Danielle, Gillian, Isaac, Kristina, Lisa, Selena, & Scott.

Learning Centre Three

It has been nice to have a couple of ‘normal’ weeks at school as we head into the end of the year. 

                                                              Tree planting 

In Literacy, we have been focusing on advertising and learning about the different types of advertising (print, TV, media, posters). We then had a go at making an advertisement ourselves. 

In Maths, we finished off investigating money, what the coins and notes look like and their value. This week we focused on the probability of different events happening, using words like will happen, might happen, won’t happen as well as certain and impossible. 

During Inquiry, we have begun writing our own story that will be presented as a book, puppet show or comic strip. With our plan, we have started preparing for the good copy that will be presented to the class in week 10. 

During Religion, we looked at the important people in Jesus’ life and made the connection to our own lives by making a family tree. We then used the Liturgical calendar and began preparation for Advent by discussing events that we prepare for. 

iPads

It is important that each day students iPads are brought back each day to school and are charged and ready for the children to use for learning. We will be using them a lot in the next few weeks, so please ensure that they are bought each day

Playground outside LC1

It is important that at the end of the school day there are no children playing on the playground. The playground isn’t supervised by staff, and we would hate for anyone to injure or hurt themselves.

Some friendly reminders

• Monday 27th November - Giving Tree and Hamper Drive begins
• Tuesday 12th December - Christmas dress-up day
• Thursday 14th December - Whole School Assembly - 9am Sports Hall
• Friday 15th December - 9 am Christmas liturgy - Last Day of school, 1pm Finish

Year 1/2 Team - Alison, Bianca, Janeen, Jannine, Jess, Jordan, Marilyn, Shalome, Tasmin,  Sue and Sarena.

Learning Centre Four

Literacy:

We have been continuing to explore persuasive devices and incorporate these in our writing. Following our advertising posters, where we used colour, word choice and images to try to convince people to go see a chosen movie or read a chosen book. We are now exploring the use of claims and reasons, according to themes such as 'education', 'health' or 'money', to persuade our readers. 

Inquiry: 

Having created our storyboards to break down and plan out familiar fairytales and other stories, we have begun using media arts to retell them. Some students were inspired by our excursion to ACMI and are creating flip books. Other students have been making figurines out of plasticine to create stop motion movies. Other students have created puppets to retell their stories through puppet plays. 

Maths: 

 After initially exploring unit fractions and their representations, we have been making fraction walls to demonstrate different fractions, such as halves, thirds, quarters and up to twelfths. We then used these fraction walls to assist us in identifying equivalent fractions, for example 1 half is equivalent to 2 quarters and 3 sixths.  

Religion:

As we approach the seasons of Advent and Christmas, we have been exploring the Christmas story according to Matthew's gospel. This version includes the shepherds and the message of peace that they received from the host of angels. We have created Advent wreaths for our learning groups to help us focus and follow along during this season.  

Camp

We are very excited for our 3/4 camp next week! Here area  few reminders for camp:

• Please arrive at school at normal time on Wednesday morning and come to the Sports Centre, not LC4. 
• If you have any medicine/medication for your child, please ensure you have completed a Medication Authority Form (which can be accessed via the school website) and hand the form and medicine (in a labelled ziplock bag) to Sandy.
• We encourage all students pack their bags with their parents, as they will need to pack their own bags to come home. 
• We also encourage all students to practise rolling up their sleeping bags and putting them in their covers. 

Please find attached the camp information session slideshow, if you have not yet had the chance to view it. 

A packing checklist has also been sent via Class Dojo and is available here:

Some friendly reminders...

• Monday 27th November - Giving Tree and Hamper Drive begins
• Tuesday 12th December - Christmas dress-up day
• Thursday 14th December - Whole School Assembly - 9am Sports Hall. All Welcome!
• Friday 15th December - Christmas Liturgy and Carols - 9am Sports Hall. All Welcome!
• Friday 15th December - Last Day of school

Year 3/4 Team: Adam, Ben, Beth, Elizabeth, Emma, Gabby, Hayley, Helen, Isaac, John and Zach.