Whole School Activities

Lower Division English

Lower Division recently concluded our unit examining the themes of Context and Representation in English. We read the book Iggy Peck, Architect, which is about a creative young boy who loves building and solving problems. The story helped students see how words and pictures can work together to tell a story and teach new ideas.

We learned about different types of sentences. They practised finding simple sentences (like “Iggy builds a bridge”) and compound sentences (like “Iggy builds a bridge and his class crosses it”). We talked about hybrid texts, which are books that mix storytelling and facts. Iggy Peck, Architect uses fun rhymes and also talks about real architecture. This helped us to see how hybrid texts can teach us while also telling an entertaining story.

Lower Division were asked to build bridges of their own using things found in the classroom - like paper, blocks, and tape. The bridges needed to be strong enough to have a book put on them - and well done to the class as all succeeded. We then wrote instructions on how to build our bridges using language features we had learned.

Lower Division STEM

In Term 2, our Lower Division students had an exciting STEM learning experience working with Associate Professor Brendan Jacobs from the University of New England (UNE). One of the highlights of this term was exploring various types of connectors—learning how different materials and techniques can be used to join things together.

Students experimented with tubes and a range of angled connectors, as well as materials like corflute, nuts and bolts, tape, and brackets. Using these, they built all sorts of creative structures and inventions. This hands-on approach gave students a wonderful opportunity to develop their creativity while working with unusual materials and tools.

The experience was both fun and educational, encouraging teamwork, problem-solving, and practical skills. We thank Mr Jacobs and look forward to more inspiring STEM activities in the future!

Seeds of Science | UNE Art Competition

Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 have recently created stunning artworks centred around the theme "Seeds of Science," participating in the exciting Seeds of Science Art Competition hosted by the University of New England (UNE) Discovery Voyager team for National Science Week 2026.

This competition invited artists of all ages to explore the fascinating world of botany, focusing on seeds and the vital life that starts beneath the surface. The young artists captured the beauty, complexity, and importance of plant life through various mediums including drawing, painting and digital media.

Winter Holidays | Six Spaces

As students return from the winter school holidays, our classrooms are alive with energy and stories. To help students reconnect and express their experiences, our Visual Arts lesson this week invited everyone to reflect creatively using the theme “Six Spaces of My Holiday.”

Students chose a 2D shape they liked and drew it six times on their page, either keeping all shapes the same size or varying them. Each shape was linked to a specific category, and students could respond by either drawing a picture with a caption or writing about their experience. The categories included:

• something I ate

• something I read

• something I saw

• something I watched

• something I played and

• my favourite moment.

This activity encouraged students to use drawing and colour to capture memories ranging from a delicious meal to a favourite movie, or a special moment with friends or family. Through brainstorming and artistic expression, everyone shared their stories in vibrant ways.

Celebrating NAIDOC Day with Community and Culture

Our school recently joined together to celebrate NAIDOC Week with a special assembly and an engaging session of traditional games. The assembly highlighted the rich culture, history, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, fostering respect and understanding among students. Rocky River Public School were invited to present an item. We practised and rehearsed daily to showcase 'Taba Naba.' All students should be proud of their performance, they all worked so hard, with a beautiful presentation. We look forward to sharing this item with our Rocky River School community at our next regular school assembly this term.

Before the assembly, students participated in a variety of traditional games, enjoying both the fun and the opportunity to connect with Indigenous culture through play. It was a meaningful way to connect learning with community and Country. 

We extend our sincere thanks to Mr Hunt and the staff at Uralla Central School for their generous invitation and excellent organisation of the day. 

Rocky River's Slam Poetry Cafe

At the end of last term, Stage 3 students hosted a slam poetry café, inviting Stage 2 as their audience. This event brought to life the themes from the NSW Department of Education’s Stage 3 English Unit on'Spotlight' by Solli Raphael, focusing on how young people can harness platforms to inspire change in the world around them, on a topic they are truly passionate about. Stage 3 extracted environmental themes from Solli's book, crafting unique poems; learning that creatively breaking the rules with intention, was more powerful than feeling confined by the traditional structure of a poem.

With some initial nerves setting in, students rehearsed and prepared a pilot show infront of each other. Within minutes, there was too much excitement to hold back, and the invitation was sent to welcome in our Stage 2 audience. Mrs Clyde-Smith set the scene, opening the show with a taste of the creativity and ethusiasm which was yet to be showcased.

By performing original slam poetry, Stage 3 students showcased their critical literacy and creativity, demonstrating how poetry can be an effective tool for raising awareness and advocating for positive change. The café setting created a fun and supportive atmosphere, encouraging students to see the power of words and inspiring them to find and use their own voices to make a difference in their school and community. It was exciting to dress up with props and use moody background music to set the scene. 

What a pleasure it was to see the confidence build in our Stage 3 poets, and the joy and entertainment experienced by our wonderful Stage 2 audience. After a term of informative text exploration, it was a creative and engaging way to end Term 2, with some students entering their original masterpieces into the 2026 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition!