From the Classroom

Foundation - Term Highlights

What a fantastic and busy term it has been in Foundation! Our young learners have continued to grow in confidence and skills across all areas of learning, and we are so proud of their efforts.

In Literacy, the children have been exploring books, letters, and sounds with great enthusiasm. We’ve been working through our phonics program, and most students have now learned the majority of the letters of the alphabet and their matching sounds. It’s been wonderful to see them applying this knowledge when reading and writing. A highlight has been our dictation sentence writing, where students practise listening, stretching out sounds, and writing simple sentences independently. They are becoming confident little writers!

Our Big Books continue to be a classroom favourite! Each week, students enjoy making predictions, asking questions, and retelling the story by the end of the week. These stories become very familiar, and many children are now joining in with repeated parts and discussing characters and events. Some students are also taking home one of our much-loved Joy Cowley readers, which they are very proud of!

In Mathematics, we have been busy building number knowledge through counting, games, and hands-on activities. We’ve explored number patterns, matching quantities to numerals, and problem-solving using real-life examples.

Developmental Play remains a special part of our routine, giving students time to be creative, work together, and develop social and problem-solving skills. Whether it's constructing, role-playing, or drawing, we love seeing the teamwork and imagination that shines during these sessions.

A major highlight this term was our exciting Gymnastics Week at Jets! The children had so much fun learning to balance, jump, roll, and climb. Their confidence and coordination grew across the week, and it was fantastic to see so many students challenge themselves and try new things.

We also had a very special visit from the school guinea pigs! The children loved meeting Sunshine and Mousey and spending time with Lucy, who helped us learn how to care for them. Cuddling these two super cute guinea pigs was a fun and calming experience that brought lots of smiles and gentle moments to our classroom.

We’ve also continued our wonderful Buddy Program, with weekly catch-ups alongside older students. Strong friendships are forming, and it’s such a positive experience for both the Foundation students and their older buddies. From shared stories to games and activities, these sessions are filled with smiles and support.

Thank you for your ongoing encouragement at home. It’s been a joyful and productive term so far. 

ART

Foundation Symmetrical Butterflies

Students have been learning about the concept of symmetry in art and nature. They explored how shapes, colours and patterns can be mirrored on both sides to create balance. To put this learning into practice, students drew and painted beautiful butterfly artworks using watercolour paints, showcasing their understanding of symmetry by decorating their wings with matching shapes and colours. They loved watching their butterfly wings come to life with vibrant, matching patterns on each side. Well done!

Grade 1/2 Yayoi Kusama Pumpkins

Our Grade 1/2 students have been learning about the famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her vibrant and playful dot artworks. We explored her colourful creations, including her recent exhibition in Melbourne, and were inspired by her iconic pumpkin sculptures. Students then created their own dot pumpkin artworks using watercolour paints, experimenting with bright colours and repeated dot patterns. The finished pieces are full of personality and creativity, just like Kusama’s work!

Grade 5/6 Plasticine Woodland Artworks 

Our Grade 5/6 students have been exploring the creative possibilities of plasticine to produce vibrant 2D artworks of woodland creatures. Students experimented with colour combinations to add depth and interest to their designs, while also using smearing and texture techniques to create fur, feathers, and other natural details. The results are expressive, colourful artworks that showcase both technical skill and creative imagination. Very proud of the thoughtful effort students have shown throughout this project!

Grade 3/4/5/6 clay artworks

All clay artworks are ready to take home. Please collect from the art room before the end of term and carry home carefully!

Science News 

Grade 1/2

This term in science, students learned all about mixtures! They did fun, hands-on experiments to see how different materials can be mixed and taken apart. From making their own mixtures to testing how oil and water don’t mix, students learned to describe what a mixture is and noticed how materials can change when mixed.

Grade 3/4

Students explored different materials and how they are used in everyday life. They did fun experiments to test things like how strong, flexible or waterproof materials are. They also discovered why some materials are better for certain jobs like why raincoats need to keep water out!

Grade 5/6

This term, students became Change Detectives! They did fun, hands-on experiments to explore how things can change like melting ice or mixing vinegar and bicarb soda. They learned the difference between changes that can be undone and those that can’t and used their observation skills to look for clues.

P.E News  

Foundation/1/2

It’s been a busy and energetic term full of movement and fun! Students built their fundamental movement skills through a variety of fun and active games. They took part in minor games, beanbag activities, and obstacle courses, helping them improve their balance, coordination, and teamwork. Students also explored bouncing and catching, played modified soccer and basketball, and practised underarm bowling through playful challenges. 

Grades 3-6

In P.E students took part in a range of team sports and skill-building activities. They played minor games to warm up and build teamwork, and developed their ball-handling, movement, and game sense through sports like soccer, AFL football, basketball, netball, and scoop ball. Students practised working as a team, following rules, and applying strategies in modified game settings. It’s been an active and exciting term!