The Learning Zone
"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere." - Chinese Proverb
"Coming together is the beginning, staying together is progress,
and working together is success." - Henry Ford
Poetry
Over recent weeks the students have been learning about poetry and exploring the ways poets use language to shape meaning in texts as well as the distinctive features of a range of poems including ballads, haiku and limericks. When composing poetry children can tap into their creativity as they think about the new and unexpected relationships between words. They enjoy the freedom to express themselves with metaphor, imagery and symbolism. Being able to use language freely in this way helps students to gain new perspectives on life and everyday experiences.
Stage 1 Limericks:
There once was a pilot called Zeez,
Who such wobbly knees.
He once crashed the plane,
And is now in great pain,
So now he has to eat lots of peas!
Written by Henri Hochstadt
There was a man named Bob,
Who could not find a good job.
They offered him CEO,
But he said "Oh no!"
He loves eating corn on the cob.
Written by Nina Power
There once was a girl named Meela,
With a type of dog called a blue heeler.
The heeler helped her at her shop,
The dog acted like a cop.
I hope no one tries to steal her.
Written by Layla Pollard
A black and white cow named Penny,
Enjoys eating nuggets by the many.
She uses pink sauce,
Not blue sauce of course.
Then Penny ran off with a bull named Benny.
Written by Jaibaaz Singh
Stage 3:
MiniLit
Congratulations to Kohen Fensbo, Jorge Verad and Andy Vo from Year 2 who recently completed the Minilit reading program. Well done on all of your hard work during the program.
Armidale Diocesan Mathematics Initiative (MaST)
What is happening in the world of mathematics at St Joseph's? Let's take a look!
Please see the information below to assist your child at home.
Maths At Home:
Kindergarten - Addition
Kindergarten now it is time for another look at Addition. Have fun!
Encourage your child to help you when out shopping by counting and collecting objects to put into the basket, e.g. ‘Can you get 2 apples? (add more) How many do we have altogether?’
Using everyday materials to model addition. For example, start with 5 spoons from the cutlery drawer, now add 4 more spoons. How many are there altogether?
Look at the ten frames below. How many more counters are needed to make ten? Write your answer in the box next to each ten frame.
Stage 1 - Area
After completing a unit of work on Multiplication Stage 1 have begun working on Area which promises to be lots of fun.
Area is all about the space (surface) occupied by a flat shape or the surface of an object. Parents, please encourage your child to compare the area of different shapes and measure using informal units. For example: top of the dining room table, top of their desk, different footprints/handprints, etc.
The links below are about finding the area:
Count the number of grid squares in
each rectangle to find the area.
Which rectangle has the largest area?
Which rectangles have the same area?
Stage 2 - 3D Space
Stage 2 have commenced their next unit on 3D Space this week. Please use the link below to assist your child with this topic.
Use the DET poster for correct definitions and terminology.
Stage 3 - Area
Stage 3 are working on Area.
Practice with Rectangles: Have your child measure and calculate the area of rectangles at home, using different units (cm², m²). Discuss how rectangles with the same area can have different dimensions and compare rectangles with the same perimeter to see how their areas differ.
Visualise with Paper Cutouts: Encourage your child to cut out triangles and duplicate them. Have them rotate the duplicates to form parallelograms. This hands-on activity helps them see how two triangles with the same base and height form a parallelogram.
Discuss Observations: Ask your child to describe what they notice about the relationship between the triangles and parallelograms. Discuss how the area of one triangle is half of the parallelogram's area, reinforcing the concept without focusing on calculations.
Have a wonderful week of learning!