Classroom News
Foundation News
Learning Update
Welcome to Term 3! We are so excited to have everyone back in the classroom to continue our learning journey. Students have settled back into the routine well. It is amazing to think all the way back to the start of the year and to see all of the progress they have made, particularly when it comes to their transitions and routines. We will continue to encourage independence in their morning routines and promote quick, quiet, fast transitions. Congratulations to students for attending their first Student Led Conference. They all did a wonderful job!
Literacy
This term we are learning about Fairytales, Fables and Rhymes. This content will weave its way through our reading and writing, alongside our continued phonics focus. Last week we learnt about the digraph /th/ and read and wrote many words using the /th/ phoneme. Students learnt that this sound could be unvoiced or voiced. We will continue learning new digraphs, focusing on /ch/ this week. Students will also be introduced to King Midas and his story.
Numeracy
During our Maths lessons, we have been using number sentences to help us solve addition equations. Students have identified the parts of their story to then determine the whole. We have used dice to roll our numbers to add together or have played “Snap it” with 10 blocks to help us identify the parts. We will continue to look at addition strategies this week, identifying the larger number and counting on.
Skill in focus
Last week we focused on expanding kernel sentences. A kernel sentence is a small sentence. It makes sense and is a complete sentence, however we have been working on making them better. Students have been shown pictures and have been given a kernel sentence to then expand. Eg “The Queen waits.” We have included extra details such as “Why is the Queen waiting?” Or “Who is the Queen waiting for?”
Middle School News
Content Knowledge:
Middle Years students are continuing to enjoy and explore the concepts and events of the Ancient Romans in their new unit of work. In this study of work students are exposed to how class systems took place across Ancient Rome and the impact that this had on the people who live in this time. Throughout this exploration language such as Patricians (the wealthy) and Plebeians (common people) has been explored in our vocabulary lessons. In which students have then transferred this knowledge across their class discussions and writing throughout the week.
Text Construction:
This week we have been exploring the Roman Republic. Students have worked to create SPOs (Single Paragraph Outlines) and then draft these into complete paragraphs, using supporting evidence for each theme to inform their audience about the Roman Republic. In week 3 the students will continue this writing on the topics of democracy in Ancient Rome and The Punic Wars.
Numeracy:
This week students have been applying their multiplication strategies to achieve automaticity when recalling multiplication facts. The Middle Years students have focussed on number facts relating to 5’s,10’s and 9’s. Students enjoyed working on their quick recall of these facts using dice, and can continue to practise and develop the speed of recall and multiplication skills at home.
Thank you to all the families who attended our Student Led Conferences this week, the students are so proud of the work they have put into their presentations. If you were unable to attend on the day we encourage you to reach out on Sentral to your child’s teacher to arrange a time to meet before or after school.
Well done to all of our District Sports participants!
Specialist Spotlight
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
Teesdale MasterChef Challenge
In the final weeks of Term 2, Senior's were given a cooking challenge brief of 'Fried Rice'. Students planned our their dish in groups of 3 and decided on what ingredients would need, how they would cook their dish, and how it would be plated.
Groups had 45 minutes on Challenge Day to produce their meal, before presenting them to the judges!
Visual Art
Our students have made a fantastic start to Term 3 in Visual Art. Students have learnt about dioramas and will start construction in the next few weeks. If you have any spare shoe boxes (or cardboard boxes of a similar size) please send them to school for Visual Art. Detailed diorama plans, across all year levels have been wonderful to see. At the end of Term 2 students completed their cubism portraits which are now on display in the art room, well done seniors. Students also made the most of our free choice session in the final week of term making patterned dragon flies, oil pastel pictures and watercolour paintings. Looking forward to our diorama plans coming to life in the coming weeks.
-Karen Biscan
Science
Middle School students have been investigating what characteristics determine whether something can be classified as a ‘living, once living or non-living thing’. They enjoyed learning how to classify animals based upon their observable features and learned a lot about specific vertebrate and invertebrate groups of animals. They are now busy working on a project about their own chosen living organism.
Senior School students have been investigating reversible and irreversible changes to materials. They learned about reversible changes by exploring the three changing states of water and experimenting with evaporation, dissolving and separation. The students have loved learning about chemical, irreversible changes and have spent the last two weeks learning about rust. They enjoyed immersing untreated nails in a variety of everyday liquids and observing how rust did or did not corrode the metal.
-Leah Moloney