What's happening?
Foundation
What a busy couple of weeks we have had in Foundation! We are so impressed with how quickly the students have settled into life at school. They are doing a wonderful job following their morning routine and entering the classroom with big smiles, ready to start the day. We were so excited to celebrate 10 days of school today!
Starting February 16th, we kindly encourage all students to enter the classroom independently each day. To help everyone get settled and complete their morning tasks smoothly, we ask that parents and guardians refrain from entering the classroom. This will allow all students to begin their day without distractions. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Literacy:
This week, students have been learning the sound codes for s, a, t, p. They have been developing their word reading skills using VC (vowel–consonant) and CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant) words. Students have also been practising their writing skills using these sounds. These skills will support them with their decodable readers, which will be sent home from Week 6.
Maths:
Students are currently working through a Counting and Place Value unit, with an initial focus on correct number formation, matching collections to numerals, and counting strategies. Students enjoyed making their “10 Days of School” paper chains today, practising ordering numbers to 10.
Social skills:
We have been so impressed with how well all students have adapted to the school rules. Students have been involved in school-wide discussions about how we can continue to follow these rules both inside and outside the classroom while making strong choices. This week, we began exploring our Super 6 School Values, with a focus on Responsibility.
This week we have sent home our Term 1 Foundation Newsletter. Seesaw logins were sent out last week. Please let your classroom teacher know if you have not been able to login. Seesaw is a fantastic way for parents and carers to see snippets of the students' days throughout the year!
Please ensure you are checking their satchels daily, as this is one of our main sources of communication. It would be great if you could remind students before school to put this in the tub when they arrive at school.
We are extremely proud of how far the students have come in such a short time. We know this is going to be a great year!
Grade 1
Welcome to Grade 1! The students have had a fabulous start and have settled into the Grade 1 routine really well. We are so proud of the way they are entering the classroom, organising themselves and being ready to learn. Thank you to all families for supporting such a smooth transition to Grade 1. It was lovely to have the opportunity to catch up at our recent Meet and Greets.
You will have noticed that students have begun bringing home their reader satchels. These contain parent information, their homework folder and reader folders. At home reading has commenced, it is essential that students read at least 5 times a week. This ensures consolidation of learnt skills. Research shows that this at home reading improves not only reading skills, but also word knowledge and writing skills. Word Study consolidation sheets will be sent home shortly. We would appreciate it if these can be completed and returned in the students’ homework folder by the allocated due date. These are activities that build on the students’ existing understandings. They are very excited to teach you all about silent final e.
Seesaw for 2026 is up and running if you have yet to connect, please do so to see some of your child’s work. Log on details have not changed from last year. However, if you are unable to connect, please contact your class teacher.
During Literacy, the focus is on descriptive writing, with an emphasis on using adjectives to make sentences more engaging for the reader. Our Word Study focus is learning about the silent final "e" and defining suffixes and prefixes.
During Maths, students have begun working in their groups and are excited about the new setup. Over the next three weeks, we will concentrate on Place Value, focusing on number order, sequencing, counting, and identifying where numbers appear on a number line. We'll also explore how numbers are represented in a 10-frame and practice subitising. Additionally, students have started working through their "5-A-Day" Maths revision booklets in the classroom. Please note that Maths groups are fluid so your child may move between different teachers throughout the year. These groups are established to ensure student learning needs are met.
Our Inquiry focus this term is Families Past and Present. Students will be exploring and learning about their own history and that of their families. They will learn about how the past is different from the present. There has been a request for family and a baby photo sent home, these can be emailed to your class teacher. Please note that the baby photo will be used for a classroom guessing activity.
Just a couple of quick reminders:
It is extremely useful if belongings are clearly labelled so they can be returned if misplaced.
If there is a change in pick up arrangements, please contact the class teacher prior, if the change is a late change (day of) please call the office as there is no guarantee the class teacher will see an email throughout the day.
Thanks again for a great start we are all extremely excited about our 2026 Grade 1 adventure!
Grade 2
The Grade 2 students have made a wonderful start to the 2025 school year. They are settling well into classroom routines and have continued to build their understanding of our Super Six values and school rules. Students have also enjoyed getting to know one another through the What’s in My Bag activity, which has been a lot of fun.
Students have now brought home their take-home readers. In Grade 2, we encourage the habit of daily reading at home, signing the reading log, and returning the reader bag to school every day. Students are also set up with a homework folder that “lives” in their reader bag so it can travel between home and school each day. Homework information and instructions are in the blue homework folder, and Essential Assessment codes can be found in the front hard folder for students who would like to play Sunset/Jetpack Maths for extra practice. Nessy logins will be available soon.
In Literacy, students have been exploring descriptive writing and information reports and are doing a terrific job demonstrating their understanding of the features of these text types. During our PhOrMeS/Word Study lessons, students have been learning to read and spell words relating to the fszl rule. This means that if a word has one syllable, one short vowel, and ends in f, s, z, or l, the final consonant is doubled. There are, of course, some exceptions to this rule.
Our Maths groups began last week, with students revising and building on their Number and Place Value knowledge and skills. Throughout the year, your child may work with different teachers for Maths, depending on their assessment results for each topic. This approach ensures students are placed in groups that best support their learning needs.
We have also introduced our Inquiry topic for this term, Animals and Their Habitats. Students have begun by classifying animals according to their features, such as invertebrates and vertebrates, and then further classifying vertebrates as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, or mammals. This topic is also being integrated into our Reading Comprehension lessons, where students are learning to locate explicit information and recall facts and details from texts.
It was lovely to meet so many parents and carers at our Meet and Greet sessions. We are looking forward to a fabulous year ahead and thank you for all your support so far.
Grade 3
Our Grade 3 students have made a terrific start to the year! Our ‘Learning How to Learn’ focus for the first two weeks of school went well. Students built on their understanding of our school rules, Super Six values, learned about the expectations of being a Grade 3 student, and participated in activities aimed to better get to know one another and to create a positive classroom environment.
Reading: Most students will have now chosen their own ‘take home’ book from our Grade 3 library, and can read these in addition to their books at home or from their local library. Please encourage your child to read at least four times a week, for a minimum of 15-20 minutes, and help them to record this in their diary (parent to sign at the end of the week). Diaries are checked by their classroom teacher every Friday. We have also started our Dibels reading assessment for fluency and comprehension.
Writing: We have been focusing on persuasive writing this week. Students are learning about text and paragraph structure, as well as language features such as rhetorical questions and high modality words. We have also been revising nouns and verbs, as well as the difference between a fragment and sentence.
Word Study: Students have been very busy reviewing the 1-1-1 doubling rule, and reading and spelling a range of homophones and ‘weird words’. They have also been learning about the following codes: o can say /u/, using ti ci or si when adding a suffix, ie versus ei, and wa wha war whar.
Core Knowledge: Our Sustainability inquiry topic commenced with students watching the movie ‘The Lorax’. This week, we have explored which of Earth’s resources can replenish themselves naturally and which cannot, using the terms ‘renewable and non-renewable resources’.
Maths: We have already completed our first Maths topic, Place Value. Students have been identifying, explaining and using the properties of odd and even numbers, as well as ordering, partitioning, regrouping and renaming numbers using standard and non-standard groupings. Next week, we move onto Addition and Subtraction.
Grade 4
Welcome to 2026. It has been a very positive and settled start to the year in Grade 4, and the students should be congratulated on how well they have transitioned into the new school year. They have approached learning with enthusiasm, shown responsibility with routines and expectations, and are already demonstrating a strong willingness to challenge themselves and give new things a go.
In Literacy, students have begun their new reading unit Into the Unknown, where they are learning about the early explorers of Australia. This week, the focus was on exploring the reasons why explorers explored, with students discussing ideas such as curiosity, discovery, trade and expansion. In writing, the focus has been on descriptive writing, with students learning how to use numbers, size, shape, colour, position and texture to create detailed and engaging descriptions of images and scenes. In word study, students learnt about the history of the English language and explored where many of our words and sounds come from, including how English has borrowed from other languages over time.
In Numeracy, students began the year by focusing on place value. They compared and ordered numbers up to one million and practised rounding numbers to the nearest ten, hundred and thousand. We also began our addition and subtraction unit, where students have been learning to add numbers up to five digits using a range of strategies and explaining their mathematical thinking.
A few reminders for the term include reading at home five times a week, ensuring diaries are signed by an adult, and remembering that Passion Projects are due in Week 4. Thank you for your continued support as we look forward to a great year of learning in Grade 4.
Grade 5
Grade 5 students have made a fantastic start to the term, and we have been incredibly proud of the effort, classroom participation, and positive behaviour they have shown as they adjust to the expectations of the senior school.
Reading Comprehension – A Long Walk to Water
Students have commenced reading A Long Walk to Water, a powerful novel that explores survival, resilience, and hope during the civil war in Sudan. Through our reading, students have begun learning about the main characters, daily life and harsh conditions in South Sudan, as well as the cultural backgrounds of different groups, including the Dinka and Nuer tribes.
Maths
Students have made a strong start to working within their maths groups, focusing on developing and applying a range of addition and subtraction strategies. Emphasis has been placed on explaining thinking clearly and selecting efficient strategies to solve problems.
Inquiry – Why Is It So? (Science)
Students have commenced our inquiry unit Why is it so? Exploring the scientific method and how scientists investigate the world around them. Throughout the term, students will work collaboratively to plan and conduct a range of hands-on experiments.
Writing – Descriptive and Narrative Writing
Students have been practising their ability to use strong, interesting vocabulary and figurative language to create vivid descriptions based on engaging prompts. Later in the term, students will be introduced to narrative writing, learning about key elements such as plot, characters, and setting.
Homework
Reading: Read and record in the diary four times per week
Seesaw: Weekly task focusing on vocabulary and spelling
Maths: Essential Assessment My Numeracy task
Grade 6
Literacy
The Grade 6 students kick started the year with a novel study unit. This unit examines the fiction genre through the classic novel, Treasure Island by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. This week they were introduced to the characters Jim Hawkins, Billy Bones, Black Dog and Dr Livesley. Students focused on plot, as well as literary elements such as characterization.
Writing
The Grade 6 students have been focusing on the description genre. This involves the students planning their writing using a description bubble. Last week, the students wrote fantastic descriptions on Peter Pan’s Neverland and are now working on descriptions of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All students are challenging themselves to write descriptions inclusive of adjectives, adverbs, figurative language, and technical language.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, students have been building their knowledge of Data. Next week, students will begin their properties of number topic with a focus on building number sense and how this applies to problem solving tasks.
Inquiry
The Grade 6 classes have been working on their ‘Political Party’ theme covering our nation’s system of government, democracy, and the constitution.
Interschool Sport
Last week, the Grade 6 students began their interschool sport journey with a practice match against St Brigid’s Primary School. Students took part in a variety of sports including cricket, hotshots tennis, volleyball, volleybounce, softball and lawn bowls.
Term Dates and Events
Please check Compass for further information regarding Term 1 dates and events relating to Grade 6 students