Around the rooms

...Year 3...

To begin the year with a positive mindset, Year 3 have been reflecting on the things they are grateful for. Students have taken part in a range of gratitude activities designed to help them recognise the small and meaningful moments in their day.

Each morning, the class spends the first five minutes settling into learning by thinking of something they are grateful for. This simple routine has quickly become a favourite part of the day. Our gratitude journals give students a calm space to enter the classroom, leave their worries at the door, and prepare themselves to learn, grow, and connect with others.

In Year 3, students have been exploring the history of our local land and learning about its deep significance to the Indigenous peoples who have cared for this Country for thousands of years. They compared what the landscape looks like today with how it may have appeared in the past, developing a stronger understanding of how places change over time.

As part of this learning, students investigated the importance of storytelling in Indigenous cultures and discovered how dot painting is used by some First Nations groups to share stories, journeys, and connections to Country. Inspired by this tradition, Year 3 created their own dot paintings representing our local area. Each student wrote a short description explaining the meaningful elements they chose to include in their artwork and why these features were important to them.

My Home

This is a dot painting, it has all kinds of colours. It has a pond, some plants and a few people sitting next to a fire, that is where they eat and tell stories.

Harrison Coleman

The Magical Home

This dot painting includes a pond where I see fish and geese. My painting also includes a red mountain where I build shelter and make clay sculptures like ducks.

Annika Ku

The Gadigal Park

This dot painting shows birds at a watering hole with flowers and a sun. This painting shows the peace of nature.

Abigail Santander

...Year 4...

Year 4 has made a wonderful start to the year! We have been diving into rich learning experiences across the curriculum, showing creativity, confidence and growing independence. It has been fantastic to see students supporting one another, sharing feedback and taking pride in their work. Below are a few highlights from our talented classroom reporters. 

Miss Harrison

Poetry by Zoe

This term in English, Year 4 has been exploring poetry. We began by reading examples such as Jelly-Boy, by Nicole Godwin, and learning poetic techniques such as alliteration and personification. We wrote poems about the ocean and shared feedback, describing the images we could picture in each other’s work. We then learnt how to write cinquain poems, creating them about the seasons and later about our hobbies, which was epic! Recently, we have been improving our poems by using sensory language, which helps bring the poem to life for the reader. I can’t wait to write more!

Amadeus by Douglas

In Music, Year 4 students are learning to play instruments through the Amadeus program. Every fortnight, we are divided into three groups: Brass, Woodwind and Strings. We are learning to read music and play the correct notes, which is especially important when performing in a concert or orchestra. We are also learning about musical symbols such as the treble clef and rest beats. Our music teachers are very supportive, and our friends help us if we get stuck or confused. It is one of my favourite classes at STMM!

Portraits by Amelie

At the start of the year, we brought our unique personalities to our classroom by creating portraits that represent the things we love. We used our imagination to include special details that make each one personal and meaningful. Some of us added things like dogs, pizza or favourite hobbies to show what matters to us. Each of us is special, but together, we are spectacular!