Classroom News 

PREP

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces at our Mission Day celebrations last Friday! Thank you to everyone who came along and supported this special day. We are looking forward to a fun-filled second half of Term 4, with lots of exciting activities and events still to come!

This week, we have enjoyed learning about the grapheme‘y’, which makes the /ee/ sound at the end of words such as happy and puppy. In Numeracy, we have continued exploring measurement, with a particular focus on capacity through hands-on learning experiences.

During our Religion lessons, we have been exploring the meaning of ‘joy’. We have enjoyed sharing the things that bring us joy and discussing ways we can spread joy to others through our words and actions.

We have begun preparing for our upcoming Prep Prayer Gathering, which will be held on Friday 13th November (Week 6).Some students will have their readings glued into their home reading books so they can practise at home. Other students will have their parts recorded or will be working on special contributions here at school. We are looking forward to sharing this special celebration with our school community!

On Thursday 5th November, we will be heading to Messy Patch in Mount Duneed for a fun-filled day of hands-on, messy play! Please keep an eye on ClassDojo for important information, reminders and updates as we get closer to the excursion.

Student-Free Days and Public Holiday

Please be aware of the following dates:

Monday 2nd November: Student-Free Day – Staff Curriculum Planning

Tuesday 3rd November: Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Wednesday 4th November: Student-Free Day – Staff Professional Development

Rotary Books - on Wednesday 11th November we will welcome Sue from Rotary back into our classroom. We have loved listening to Sue read stories to us, and we cannot wait to see her for her final visit.

Wide Smiles - On Thursday 12th and Friday 13th November we will have our dental visit from Wide Smiles. Permission notes were sent home with a QR code in Week 2. 

We look forward to welcoming the students back on Thursday 5th November for our exciting excursion to Messy Patch!

Thank you for your continued support. We have a busy and exciting few weeks ahead and can't wait to enjoy all the wonderful experiences Term 4 has in store!

The Prep Team

Elissa Rodger                erodger@smcolac.catholic.edu.au  

Emma Roberts              eroberts@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Liza Alexander              lalexander@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 1

What a fantastic time we all had supporting our Mission Stalls last week! It was wonderful to see so many of our families joining us for the day. We would like to commend the students on their outstanding participation and generous support for this important cause.

This term, we have had a lot of fun starting our new Inquiry topic, Changing Places. So far, we have explored the natural features of oceans, rivers, and reefs. This week, we continued our learning by investigating storms and the impact they have on our waterways and marine environments.

We are also very excited to be practising for our final Year 1 Prayer Gathering. We hope our families and friends can join us this Friday in the church.

In Maths, we have begun our Measurement unit by using informal units to measure objects and exploring how to sequence events throughout the day. We have been learning specific time vocabulary—such as morning, afternoon, and evening—and connecting these terms to everyday routines.

In Literacy, we have been reading The Day the Crayons Quit while learning to differentiate between commands and exclamations. We have also begun learning how to structure paragraphs effectively using a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Leah Martin                  lmartin@smcolac.catholic.edu.au 

Abbey Hayes                ahayes@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 2

Wow, I can’t believe how quickly this term is going! In just two weeks, we will already be halfway through Term 4. It has been wonderful to see the students continue to grow in confidence and enthusiasm as they engage with their learning. Here is a little update on what we have been learning about in Grade 2.

In Numeracy students have begun their new unit of learning on Time and Space. We are currently developing our ability to read analogue clocks to the quarter hour and are becoming more confident when describing and identifying different times.

We have also been learning to read simple maps and using our developing knowledge of directional language to provide directions to landmarks. It has been fantastic to see students applying their mathematical thinking to real-world situations.

In Literacy, we have been revising our understanding of morphemes, including -ful, -ness, -ment, -less, -al, sub-, -er and -or. Students have been exploring how adding these morphemes to a base word can change its meaning and have enjoyed experimenting with their use to continue to develop their growing vocabulary. 

Students have also continued to develop their knowledge of Narrative writing through texts such as The Frog Prince and The Tadpole’s Promise. We have been using the Story Circle to assist us in planning and organising our stories. It has been wonderful to see students becoming increasingly confident in structuring their narratives and developing their ideas.

In Humanities, students have been learning about how people are connected to places and exploring what makes a place special to someone. It has been lovely listening to students reflect on the places that hold special meaning for them and hearing the personal stories they have shared about these places.

In Religion, students have been learning about the Trinity and what it represents, including its connection to Baptism and Jesus. This week, students reflected on Mark’s account of the Baptism of Jesus, considering what this important event tells us about Jesus and his relationship with God.

A reminder that next Monday and Wednesday are pupil-free days, alongside the Tuesday Melbourne Cup public holiday. We hope everyone enjoys the extended break and has a safe and relaxing few days. We are also beginning to collect small cardboard boxes, egg cartons, milk containers, toilet paper rolls, tissue or matchbox boxes, old fabrics and any other building materials that could be used for our upcoming Humanities project. This project will require students to build/replicate a place that is special to them and any donations over the coming weeks would be much appreciated. 

We are looking forward to another wonderful few weeks of learning and growth as we continue through Term 4!

The Grade 2 Team.

Matt O'Dowd                  modowd@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Deb Holland                   dholland@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 3

We are already four weeks into Term 4, and what a busy and exciting start it has been! The weeks are certainly flying by, and we have been enjoying plenty of fun, new experiences and wonderful learning opportunities along the way.

In Literacy, we have been continuing our exploration of the story spiral and how it helps us understand the structure of narratives. We even enjoyed reading some of Clem’s favourite picture books and identifying how each story fits into the different stages of the story spiral. Students then had the opportunity to put their learning into practice by planning and creating their own narratives using the story spiral template.

In Numeracy, we have been exploring right angles and developing our understanding of why they are so important. Students have been learning how to identify right angles and recognise them in different shapes and everyday objects.

In Religious Education, we are exploring the concept of Origins and learning about the importance of beginnings, stories and traditions. Our Year 3 students did an amazing job leading our recent Prayer Gathering on this theme. We were incredibly proud of their confidence, preparation and the respectful way they shared their learning with our school community.

Mission Day was a huge success! This year was particularly exciting for our Year 3 students as it was our first opportunity to run stalls and experience this much-loved annual school event from a different perspective. We thoroughly enjoyed taking on this responsibility and contributing to such a wonderful day. A big thank you to everyone who attended, supported our stalls and lent a helping hand to make the day such a success.

Our excursion was such a fun day. Keep your eyes peeled for next fortnights newsletter to hear some responses from our students. 

Looking ahead to Week 5, we have a shorter learning week. A reminder that there will be no school for students on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday due to public holidays and staff professional development. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Thursday 5th November, ready for another exciting few weeks of learning!

We can’t believe how quickly our final term together is passing and are looking forward to making the most of the weeks ahead!

Matt Absalom               mabsalom@smcolac.catholic.edu.au   

GRADE 4

What a busy and exciting couple of weeks we’ve had in Grade 4! Our excursion to Warrnambool was an absolute hit, with the students having a complete blast as they rotated through all the activities. They represented our school beautifully and should be very proud of their wonderful behavior throughout the day. Meanwhile, our swimming program has officially kicked off, and it has been great to see the kids building their confidence and thoroughly enjoying their time in the water so far.

In the classroom, our unit on fractions is wrapping up, and we are getting ready to dive into learning about angles and time in Mathematics. In Literacy, our creative writing week has been a standout highlight—the students have let their imaginations run wild, crafting incredibly creative and engaging stories! In Religion, we are exploring origins and asking the big question: Where do stories begin? Students are examining how different religious traditions and cultural narratives originate and share meaningful messages.

Rebecca Gallagher              rgallagher@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Amanda Delorenzo              mdelorenzo@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Meg Knight                             mknight@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 5

What a fantastic few weeks we have had in Year 5! Our swimming program kicked off last Thursday with some beautiful weather, and the students were wonderful throughout the day. Just a friendly reminder to please ensure your child brings shoes that are easy to slip on and off for swimming, as some students found it tricky getting their sneakers back on at the pool.

Last Friday, we also celebrated Mission Day! We are incredibly proud of how our students organised themselves and ran their stalls to raise money for those in need through Catholic Mission. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm, teamwork and generosity throughout the day.

We also had a busy week completing PAT testing. Our students demonstrated a fantastic attitude and gave their personal best. Well done, Year 5!

This week in literacy, we have begun our narrative intensive unit, focusing on characters who experience a transformation throughout a story. For example, a character might change from being selfish to selfless. This links beautifully with our Religious Education topic of Transformation, encouraging students to think about how characters grow, change and learn from their experiences.

In Numeracy, we have continued working in our numeracy groups, focusing on decimals. Some groups have even learnt a new game called Decimal Pickle, which involves ordering and comparing decimals. Perhaps your child could teach you how to play at home!

Students have also enjoyed using hands-on materials, including number lines and decimats, to build their understanding of decimals and make connections between different representations.

In Humanities, we have begun our exciting community projects, where students are exploring ways to respond to the needs of our Colac community. This week, students have been learning about the difference between goods and services and discussing which goods and services might be needed to bring their chosen community projects to life. We are looking forward to seeing their creative ideas develop over the coming weeks.

In Religion, we have continued exploring our theme of Transformation, focusing on the remarkable transformation of St Paul. Students have been learning about Saul, who later became known as Paul, and the significant contribution he made to the New Testament.

Through the story of The Conversion of Saul from the Acts of the Apostles, students have explored how people can change through powerful experiences. They particularly enjoyed participating in a Bibliodrama, bringing the Scripture to life through movement, dialogue and reflection. We also made some interesting connections to the bats in the Colac Botanic Gardens, sparking thoughtful discussions about transformation in the world around us!

We are so proud of the effort, enthusiasm and positive attitude our Year 5 students continue to bring to their learning. We look forward to another wonderful week ahead!

Rachel Downard                rdownard@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Rachael Cahill                    rcahill@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 6

Another busy few weeks in Grade 6! The students had an absolutely amazing time on camp and were brilliant as they travelled around Melbourne. All staff who attended were incredibly impressed with their behaviour and enthusiasm. It was a fantastic way to kick off Term 4!

A huge congratulations to all our students on such a wonderful Mission Day celebration! It started with the Grade 6s ending the teachers’ winning streak, taking out a one-point victory in our rebound ball game. It was fantastic to see the students celebrating and enjoying themselves! They also did an exceptional job running their Mission Day stalls, showing great organisation, teamwork and initiative.

In Literacy, we have finished publishing some wonderfully creative and fun narrative poems, which we can’t wait to share with you at our upcoming Learning Conversations. We are now beginning our unit on An Eagle in the Snow, exploring writing devices and vocabulary to deepen our understanding of the text.

In Numeracy, we are wrapping up our Decimals unit by exploring the relationship between percentages and decimals and learning how to calculate discounts. We will then turn our attention to our Measurement unit.

We have also been busy preparing for our Prayer Gathering next week, focusing on Transformation. This will be the very last Prayer Gathering for our Grade 6 students, making it a particularly special occasion. The students have been working hard on their preparations, and we look forward to sharing this special celebration with you all!

A friendly reminder that our swimming program has commenced and takes place on Thursdays. We appreciate your support in ensuring students arrive prepared with everything they need for each session.

Our super-busy term certainly isn’t slowing down! Don’t forget that next Monday and Wednesday are pupil-free days.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jess Downard                    jdownard@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Jodie Hassett                    jhassett@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Maegen Potter                 mpotter@smcolac.catholic.edu.au