Learning & Teaching
Learning & teaching in Semester 2: Science
Next term, students from Foundation to Year Six will immerse in a wide range of exciting science units. Each year level will explore concepts that build curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Here’s a snapshot of the learning that will take place across the school:
Our youngest learners will discover the wonders of weather! Through hands-on activities, students will observe daily weather patterns, identify different types of weather (sunny, rainy, windy, cloudy), and discuss how weather affects their daily lives.
Year One students will explore what materials are made of and how they behave. Through sorting and testing a variety of everyday objects, they’ll learn about properties such as hardness, flexibility, and texture. Our Year Two students will learn about sustainability and the importance of caring for our environment. They will explore natural resources, recycling, reducing waste, and ways to protect our planet.
In our Middle Years cohort, Year Three will dive into the science of heat and how it moves. Students will learn about sources of heat energy, including the sun, and explore how heat can be transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation. Year Four students will investigate how living things depend on each other for survival. They will explore food chains and food webs, learning about producers, consumers, and decomposers.
In Year Five, students will study how animals survive in different environments. They will explore physical and behavioural adaptations, such as camouflage, migration, and hibernation and how these adaptations help animals find food, stay safe, and reproduce. Our senior students will investigate how substances change. They will explore the difference between reversible changes (like melting and freezing) and irreversible changes (such as cooking or burning).
Across all year levels, students are developing essential scientific skills-questioning, observing, predicting, experimenting, and reflecting. We look forward to this journey of discovery in the coming terms!
The Benefits of Reading during the holidays
Regular reading practice is one of the most important ways children develop strong literacy skills and a lifelong love of learning. When students read often, they build their vocabulary, improve comprehension, and become more confident in understanding a wide range of texts. Reading also strengthens concentration and imagination, allowing children to explore new ideas, cultures, and perspectives beyond their own experiences. Just a few minutes of reading each day can make a significant difference over time, helping students become more fluent and independent readers. Encouraging regular reading at home - whether through books, magazines, or shared stories - supports classroom learning and lays a strong foundation for future academic success.
Classroom Mastery
Teaching for Mastery is a professional learning and instructional coaching approach informed by the science of learning. It supports teachers to effectively manage cognitive load so students can concentrate, practise successfully, and store knowledge in long-term memory. The routines also strengthen the quality and consistency of classroom teaching by promoting clear explanations, explicit modelling, and guided practice, ultimately enhancing student engagement and deepening understanding.
At St Luke’s, teachers engaged in targeted professional learning to embed these practices into their teaching. As a result, we observed improved student transitions into the classroom, with the Entry Routine supporting readiness to learn. Consistent routines have been established for classroom entry and exit, cue to start, pick sticks, and mini whiteboards. We are introducing Voice Routines to support effective management of noise levels and maintain a focused learning environment.
Enjoy the holidays. We look forward to seeing enthusiastic children with smiling faces back at school on Tuesday 14th July, ready to learn!.
Rosanna Finn and Eloise Liddell
Library News
Overdue Books
We currently have 132 overdue books. Could these please be returned to the library this week? Your assistance in helping us keep our collection available for all students is greatly appreciated.
Book Week 2026
This year, Book Week runs from Monday, 24th August to Friday, 28th August.
The theme is "Symphony of Stories"
More details to follow next term.