School News
Prep
It has been a busy and exciting fortnight in Prep, with lots of learning and new experiences across the curriculum. The children have been working hard to develop their skills, explore new ideas and learn alongside their classmates.
Reading and Spelling
In Reading and Spelling, the Preps have been practising their Level 3 sight words using their sound boards. They have done a wonderful job building their confidence with these words and transferring their skills into their reading. It has been great to see the children becoming more confident and independent as they apply what they have learnt.
Writing
The Preps have started their learning task of creating an information report about an animal of their choice. They have been recording facts about their animal's appearance and habitat, as well as drawing and labelling a diagram. The children are learning how to organise information and use facts and illustrations to teach others about their chosen animal.
Maths
In Maths, the Preps have begun a learning task focused on collecting and representing data. They are learning how to create a simple question, collect responses, display their findings in a bar graph and analyse the results. The children have been doing a fantastic job thinking like mathematicians and interpreting the information they collect.
Investigations
The Preps enjoyed their first week of Investigations in our new learning spaces. Some of their favourite areas have been the travel agent, airport, Friendology table, Japanese café and information report writing area.
The children have enjoyed exploring these spaces, using their imaginations and working together. The friendship bracelets at the Friendology table have been a particular highlight, providing opportunities to talk about friendship and strengthen connections with their peers.
Quantum – Exploring Our Five Senses
The Preps had a wonderful time at Quantum, where they explored how we use our five senses to understand the world around us.
During the visit, the children created a model of an ear and learnt about the different parts involved in hearing. They also explored taste by identifying flavours such as sweet, bitter and salty. Using their sense of touch, they investigated different materials without looking and challenged themselves to complete a puzzle without their sight. They also explored their sense of smell by smelling mystery scents and trying to identify what they could be.
It was a great opportunity for the children to learn through hands-on experiences, make observations and share their ideas.
Kind regards,
The Prep Team
Laina Brebner, Kayla Hartrick and Emma Wright
Grade 1
Welcome back to Term 4! We have been so impressed with how the students have settled quickly into their work and rekindled friendships after their two week holiday break.
In Reading we have been consolidating our Level 6 sounds: ar, ur, ir, er, oo (mooon and book) and or. We have been enjoying a new range of games and activities that allow us practise reading and writing words that contain these sounds.
In Writing we are beginning to write persuasive pieces. Students have selected a topic and are practising writing a paragraph following the structure of I think... because..... For example.
In Maths we are learning to generate questions, collect and organise data and then represent this data in a variety of graphs.
In Inquiry we have begun our new topic of 'A Culture of Respect'. We are looking at where our families are from and what makes us each unique. We have been really enjoying exploring some new Investigations Spaces, including the Pizza and Shoe Shop!
Last Friday we enjoyed a wonderful Fun Day/Night with the Level 2 students. We had so much fun participating in activities including Yoga, Mini golf, Craft and Bush Dancing. Bushwahzee were very impressed with our students and how quickly they picked up their dancing! We even got to enjoy a session with our buddies in the afternoon.
We have many exciting things to look forward to during Term 4, so please keep your eyes on compass and the feed forward each week to stay informed.
Kind regards,
The Grade 1 Team
Mel Layton, Rowena Blake, Sally Newton and Tim Huntington
Grade 2
A Fantastic Start to Term 4!
We have had a wonderful start to Term 4 in Grade 2, with lots of exciting learning and memorable experiences!
In Mathematics, we have begun exploring how to collect, organise and represent data using graphs. We are learning how to interpret the information presented and use it to answer questions and make comparisons.
In Reading, we have been developing our critiquing skills by sharing our opinions about texts, thinking carefully about what we read and supporting our ideas with reasons.
In Writing, we have started learning about persuasive texts, exploring how authors use convincing language and strong arguments to persuade their readers.
We have also begun learning how to use our new computers! The students are developing their skills in Microsoft Word, learning how to type, format and publish their work. It has been exciting to see everyone building their confidence and discovering new ways to present their learning.
One of the biggest highlights of our start to the term was our Grade 1 and 2 Fun Day and Grade 2 Sleepover! Everyone had a fantastic time participating in a range of fun activities, including a bush dance, making squishy balls, meditation and yoga, mini golf and giant games. After a busy afternoon, we enjoyed a delicious pizza dinner before settling down to watch a movie together. It was wonderful to see the students having fun, spending time with their friends and creating special memories.
On Saturday morning, we enjoyed an amazing breakfast together before heading home, tired but happy after a fantastic night! The sleepover was a wonderful opportunity for the students to build their independence, strengthen friendships and enjoy a special experience with their classmates.
A huge thank you to all the teachers and staff who gave their time, energy and enthusiasm to help make the Fun Day and Sleepover such a success. We really appreciate your support in creating such a memorable experience for our students.
We are looking forward to another fantastic term filled with learning, laughter and exciting opportunities in Grade 2!
Kind regards,
The Grade 2 Team
Allie Harrison, Sarah Margetts and Brendan Van Haaster
Grade 3/4
We welcome our new families to the 34 cohort who have started with us recently. Well done to our students for helping them settle in and making them feel at home!
In Literacy, we’ve been studying “Ned Kelly and the Green Sash” written by Mark Grenwood. Students have analysed Ned’s choices in the book and had interesting debates about the events from history told from differing perspectives. We’ve also been exploring persuasive techniques, such as rhetorical questions and the use of quotes, as ways that authors shape meaning for the reader.
Our chance experiments have been highly engaging, with students designing and testing different types of equal and unequal spinners. After tracking results in a table, we found some surprises and some predicted outcomes were apparent. Writing chance outcomes as fractions is linking to our next Maths topic coming up this term.
Our Inquiry sessions this term have been exploring the concept of ‘social justice.’ These lessons have involved role plays and learning to think flexibly to solve problems. Listening with empathy has also been a focus. We are highlighting that humans have different views, values and needs, while also sharing many in common.
In Well-being, we have defined our school value of Support with a number of examples within and outside of the classroom. Families are encouraged to discuss ways in which your child can support their household with tasks, to keep with this term’s theme.
Kind regards,
The 3/4 Team
Nick Pagliaro, Daena Hailey, Brent Smith, Claire Cripps, Ashleigh Wilson and Mykaela Oakley and Marty Trosche
Grade 5/6
There has been lots of exciting learning happening in Grade 5/6! Students put on their detective hats as readers, sharpened their skills as persuasive writers and investigated the fascinating world of probability in Maths.
Reading
Students explored how information texts are organised and how authors guide readers through a topic. Using texts about topics such as volcanoes and the human brain, they investigated how headings and paragraphs helped organise information, made inferences by combining text clues with what they already knew, and summarised key ideas in their own words. They also explored the difference between facts and opinions and investigated how biased language could influence what readers thought. These activities helped students develop their skills as thoughtful, critical readers who looked beyond the words on the page.
Writing
Could our students convince you to agree with their point of view? That was the challenge they took on as persuasive writers! Students explored thought-provoking topics, including whether we should prioritise space exploration or focus on solving problems here on Earth, and whether lab-grown meat could be part of our future. They investigated how writers used emotive language, rhetorical questions, powerful word choices and evidence to influence an audience. Students then chose their own topics, developed their strongest arguments and planned, drafted and refined their persuasive texts. They worked on making their arguments more convincing and considered how they could engage their readers and encourage them to see a different point of view.
Maths
In Maths, students became probability investigators! They designed and conducted chance experiments, recorded their results and used fractions, decimals and percentages to describe the likelihood of different outcomes. They compared what they expected to happen with what actually happened, using their results to identify patterns, explain their findings and explore why experimental results sometimes differed from what they had predicted.
Inquiry
In Inquiry, students began exploring social justice and what it means to create a fairer world. They considered different perspectives, investigated issues affecting individuals and communities, and thought about why some people faced barriers to opportunities that others might take for granted. Students were encouraged to ask questions, consider different viewpoints and explore how individuals and communities could contribute to positive change.
It was wonderful to see students developing their confidence, sharing their ideas and challenging themselves to think more deeply about the world around them.
A reminder for families: As the weather continues to warm up, please ensure your child brings a named sun hat and a water bottle to school each day. These simple steps help keep everyone sun-safe, hydrated and ready to learn and play!
Kind regards,
The 5/6 Team
Llinos Poole, Erin Rennick, Hayley Peirce and Kylie Morrissey