Specialist News

EWP 

P–2

There has been a buzz of excitement in the Prep–Year 2 hubs this term as we dive into the world of bees. Children have explored the unique roles of workers, drones, and queens, discovering how their teamwork ensures a thriving hive. We are also making connections between these pollinators and our own food security by listening to local farmers' perspectives. Thanks to a recent grant, we are creating a dedicated pollinator garden on school grounds. To celebrate World Bee Day, we spent last week planting out the space alongside educators from  La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary and Green by Nature and installed an insect hotel.

Meanwhile, our Prep Inquiry stations are in full swing with seed sorting and planting, pumpkin harvesting, and mud kitchen creations. 

Our school community is also extremely excited by the news from the coop that our beautiful chickens have finally started laying! 

3–6

Our senior students are immersed in the science of water. The year 3/4 students are exploring the water cycle, while Year 5/6 are investigating the vital importance of our oceans. Through our Inquiry stations, students act as citizen scientists by recording data in the school weather diary. We are tracking rainfall, temperature, and soil moisture and connecting these weather patterns with the Wurundjeri seasons. To see these concepts in action, children have followed procedural texts to build their own terrariums and greenhouses, strengthening their scientific vocabulary and conceptual understanding of the Water Cycle.

In the garden, we have been busy transitioning our farm. We’ve cleared out the summer Solanaceae (tomatoes/peppers) and Cucurbitaceae (zucchinis/cucumbers) to make room for winter-hardy brassicas (brocollis) and alliums (onions). We have planted some cut flowers including a crop of ranunculus - a persian rose - which will bloom in Spring.

Coming up in EWP

Reconciliation week is next week, to celebrate we will be learning about the historical roots of Victoria’s footy traditions by playing a Koori Game called Marngrook - the game many believe inspired Australian Rules Football.  The theme for this year’s Reconciliation Week this year is All In, a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day. Children will explore this concept and learn how Indigenous and non-Indigenous people have been working towards reconciliation in the past, and how we may contribute to this now and into the future.