1/2 Classes

Information Reports

Our classes have been learning how to write information reports this term. We have done lots of reading to learn facts about our chosen animal and have organised our notes into different headings. We're looking forward to publishing our final pieces over the new few weeks.

Maths

Some of our staff, including Mr Shuttleworth, attending a Maths PD in Ballarat recently. One of the key ideas to come out of this day was the benefit of "The Struggle". When students are struggling instead of being able to do something straight away, it helps their brain get stronger.

We have tried a few different challenging tasks that require a struggle, including "36 Fences" with our Grade 2s. The students had to try to make the biggest yard they could (in squares) by using 36 fence panels. At the start of the task, students said they felt frustrated, annoyed, confused or irritated with "The Struggle". As they worked their way through the task, working together, making mistakes and trying new strategies, the emotions started to change. Students later said they were proud, relieved, excited, and (for some of our students), competitive as they tried to make the biggest yard in the class. Well done to Maddy, Isabel and Asher who came up with the three biggest yards!

Buddies

Today the whole school participated in a buddies session. The focus was on the Creation Story of Tiddalik. 

A Creation Story is a type of story that helps to explain the history and some of the traditional beliefs held by our First Peoples. They are stories which blend scientifically verifiable events from our ancient past with stories that relate to our beliefs, tales of morality and life lessons. Ours is an oral tradition which is over 60,000 years old, spanning more than 2,000 generations. Some of our Creation Stories talk about events from the last ice age, when long extinct animals still roamed the land, of lands being flooded and of stars turning super nova. Our stories also teach us to be good to one another, to listen to our Elders, look after our country and understand how many things work.

One of Australia’s best known Creation Stories Tiddalik is a small mischievous and very thirsty frog who appears in one of Australia’s best known Creation Stories. It’s the story of a frog whose greed results in all of the water in the creeks, lakes and rivers being depleted, resulting in the other animals working together to see it returned.

Tiddalik’s story is found in many parts of Australia, however the way Tiddalik’s story is told in the Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery and at Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre is a version that belongs to the Gunnai Kurnai people of Gippsland, Victoria.

Watch and listen here: Tiddalik 

Students watched and listened to the story told by Uncle Herb, and reflected on the important messages within the story. Then had the choice to complete a story retell, word search or illustration of the story. 

The previous session we painted our hands and made prints. We were amazed to see some animal shapes that had formed in these prints when we took them home today!