Year 3 Excursion: Healesville Sanctuary

On Wednesday, our Year 4 students embarked on an exciting excursion to Healesville Sanctuary, eager to discover more about Australian animals, their unique features, and how they adapt to their environment.

A highlight of the day was the Features, Life Cycles and the Environment workshop, where students explored the physical and behavioural adaptations of various animals. Another memorable experience was the Spirits of the Sky show, where students were captivated by the flight of birds of prey and parrots, learning about their incredible abilities and importance in the ecosystem.

Throughout the day, students observed a variety of animals up close, made connections to our geography unit, and enjoyed exploring the natural habitats of Australian animals.

Curious	We enjoyed seeing all the different animals in their habitats, especially the birds at the bird show. It was interesting to learn about which animals were carnivores and which animals were herbivores by looking at the animals' skulls and teeth. My favourite animal was the koala because they were cute & fluffy - Samuel I liked learning about the wallabies and their diet and adaptation features - Sienna
Inspire	The bus ride there was really boring. When we got there I saw a Tasmanian Devil and dingoes, which was really cool. It was so hot and Narelle let us go under the sprinklers to cool down. That was so fun and relaxing. I enjoyed learning about the animals’ diet and the bird show. The Barking Owl was my favourite animal because it can fly without anyone hearing it. - Anastasia
Respect	We enjoyed seeing all the different animals and learning about their features. We learnt about animal habitats and their diet. It was interesting when we found out about endangered animals. The excursion helped us understand how different animals live, grow and adapt to their environment. - Joshua and Agnes
Optimism	We got to see a bird show and the Black Breasted Buzzard was really cool because it broke open an egg with a rock. We were really surprised about how strong its beak was. The way the birds flew around the arena and past everyone was quite spectacular too. - Leon and CharlotteI enjoyed seeing the dingoes because we got to see their different adaptations like their light coloured fur and the strength of their jaw. In the workshop we learnt the chant “eyes to the side, born to hide, eyes to the front, born to hunt.” - Jim

Year 4 Teaching Staff

Narelle, Melisa, Bec, Georgia, Alex and Sarah

Golden Children

Congratulations to the following students for achieving the Golden Child status! Exceptional effort, boys. Well done!

Mathematics Information Evening (14/5/25)

We are excited to invite you to a Mathematics Information Evening on Wednesday 14th May. This event is an important opportunity for families to learn about key updates regarding changes in the curriculum, reporting, and teaching practices related to Mathematics.

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 – What’s Changing?

Across Victoria, schools have been transitioning from Victorian Curriculum 1.0 to Victorian Curriculum 2.0. This transition brings some important changes in the way content is taught across various subjects. For Mathematics, this change was introduced earlier than for other areas such as English, with schools across the state getting familiar with the new curriculum before it was officially rolled out.

This year, we have fully transitioned to Victorian Curriculum 2.0 in both Mathematics and English, ensuring that our teaching practices are aligned with the updated guidelines.

What Does This Mean for Your Child?

While the overall structure of the curriculum has shifted slightly, the changes are not drastic. The sequencing of concepts has been adjusted, but the updates have been well-received for their clarity and the support they offer teachers in guiding students through key learning concepts. Our staff have had the opportunity to transition smoothly between both versions of the curriculum and have been supported by our leadership team over the past 18 months to ensure a smooth adaptation.

Why Are We Hosting the Mathematics Information Evening?

With the introduction of the new curriculum, there will also be changes in how your child’s progress in Mathematics is reported. In some cases, this may mean that a child's results are either slightly adjusted up or down to better align with the new curriculum standards. These adjustments are necessary to ensure that student progress is accurately reflected according to the updated guidelines moving forward.

These changes will not impact English reporting, but we want to ensure that all families are well-informed about the new Mathematics curriculum. The evening will provide an overview of:

The updates to the Mathematics curriculum
How student progress will be reported moving forward
Insight into the teaching strategies that have been implemented to support your child’s learning

Learning Conversations

On Wednesday 28th - Thursday 29th May, we will be holding our Learning Conversations. While the school report offers a brief overview of your child's performance, these formal parent-teacher meetings provide a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's academic and social progress in greater detail.

We Encourage You to Attend

We invite all families to attend this informative evening on Wednesday 14th May. It will be an excellent opportunity to hear directly from our staff, ask any questions you may have, and gain valuable insight into how we are continuing to provide the best possible learning experiences for your child.

If you are interested in attending,

please complete this Expressions of Interest form below:

Pencil this date into your diaries and a formal invitation will be sent out early next term.

Rafael

Learning & Teaching and Digital Technologies Leader

Rafael.Fernandez@smcmeppingnth.catholic.edu.au

Admin News

Click here for fun holiday ideas!

Quote of the Week: