This Week At OOPS
Victorian State School Spectacular
Yesterday students participating in the Victorian State School Spectacular Mass Choir enjoyed their final hub rehearsal of the term. Our amazing conductor Clare Wever taught us many fun and creative ways to remember tricky lyrics and sing our very best. We can’t wait for our next rehearsal with all the other schools at Melbourne Town Hall next term!
Prep Firefighter Visit
This week our Prep students enjoyed a special visit from the firefighters!
They learned about the difference between safe and unsafe fires, had a look at the protective equipment firefighters wear and discussed the importance of having a safe meeting place during an emergency. Students also practised the important fire safety message: "Crawl down low and go, go, go!" to help them stay safe if there is smoke filling a room.
To continue the learning at home, students have been challenged to talk with their families and identify their household's safe meeting place in case of an emergency.
Year 1/2 Data Detectives!
Our Year 1 and 2 students have been exploring data collection, tally marks and graphing in Maths.
Working in teams, Year 1 students gathered information, recorded their findings using tally marks and then transferred their data onto colourful column graphs. This hands-on learning experience helped students develop their understanding of how data can be organised, represented and interpreted.
Students practised important mathematical skills including:
- Collecting and recording data
- Using tally marks accurately
- Creating column graphs
- Comparing quantities
Discussing which categories had the most and least responses
The classroom was buzzing with mathematical conversations as students worked collaboratively to analyse their results and explain what their graphs showed. It was wonderful to see students applying their learning in such an engaging and practical way while developing their confidence in representing data.
Well done, mathematicians!
Junior Scholars
Our Year 3 Junior Scholars have been working hard to publish our first ever student newsletter – ‘The Pick of the Bunch.’ During Term 1, they surveyed all classes across the school to find out what they were interested in reading about. The Junior Scholars made sure to include as much of this feedback as possible so they are sure you will love this first edition. They don’t want to give too much away, but in ‘The Pick of the Bunch’ you will find; teacher profiles, puzzles, word searches, fun facts, comics and more!
Coming Soon: Inclusive Play for All!
Old Orchard Primary School is excited to announce that new inclusive playground equipment will soon be arriving thanks to the generous support of Variety Victoria and the Cassandra Gantner Foundation.
The funding contribution of $32,729 will help bring three exciting pieces of inclusive equipment to our school:
- Double Inclusive Whirlwind – providing opportunities for students to spin, play and connect together.
- Sieve – encouraging creative, sensory-rich sand and water play through exploration and discovery.
- Inclusive All-Terrain Vehicle – supporting imaginative play and ensuring students of all abilities can participate alongside their peers.
Inclusive play spaces help children develop friendships, confidence, communication skills and a sense of belonging. By providing accessible and engaging equipment, we are ensuring that all students can enjoy meaningful play experiences together.
We would like to sincerely thank Variety Victoria and the Cassandra Gantner Foundation for their generosity and commitment to creating inclusive opportunities for children. Their support will have a lasting impact on our students and school community for many years to come.
For more information, visit https://vic.variety.org.au/
Kitchen Garden
Our year 3 & 4 students had a fantastic time making mini quiches as part of our Kitchen Garden Program. They harvested fresh silverbeet straight from the school garden, practised their safe knife chopping skills while preparing the ingredients, and worked together to create a tray of delicious mini quiches. Students continued to build confidence in the kitchen while learning about growing and cooking fresh food.
