Learning & Teaching 

LITERACY - Vira Pirrotta

YEAR 1 & 2 PERSUASIVE WRITING 

This week, the students in Years 1 and 2 have been learning about the features of persuasive writing. Persuasive writing is when an author tries to convince the reader of the writer's opinion. An author includes personal experience, arguments, evidence and language that appeals to readers' emotions.  In short, the author tries to influence readers’ opinions about a topic. 

To introduce persuasive writing to the Year 1 and 2 students, the teachers selected a range of picture storybooks as mentor texts.  The students will explore how authors use persuasive language when writing. The students will be learning to state their opinions and reasons with evidence. They will focus on using connective language and conjunctions to write longer and complex sentences. They also had a big focus on using engaging and interesting vocabulary. 

To engage students in writing persuasive letters, the teachers created a provocation as they entered the learning space on Tuesday morning. They found the following note from their hats.  Their hats were not very happy. 

Dear 1/2 Students, 

Together, we have decided that enough is enough. We think you definitely do not treat us right, therefore we have gone on holiday and will not be returning anytime soon! 

First of all, we are tired of being thrown around like we do not matter; we have feelings too! You wouldn’t throw your best friend around, would you? We deserve to be treated with respect and do not like being left on the ground in the sun. It gets hot, and we get bothered! 

Also, why do you think you can bite on our straps?! I know you wouldn’t like to be licked and drooled on. We will not stand for it any longer! We demand to be treated like we matter. We protect you from the sun and make it possible for you to play outside. Remember, no hat, no play… You need us.

Last of all, we are tired of seeing how you care for your bags, lunchboxes and other belongings. We need to be cared for, too, and we want to be looked after just like you are looked after. We will not return until these conditions change! No ifs, no buts, no hats… NO PLAY (not our problem)!

From,  The Holidaying Hats 

Luckily the hats were happy with the student responses to their note. The students did such a great job persuading them. The hats were so impressed that they returned just in time for recess. Have a read of their amazing letters. Well done to all the Year 1/2 students. 

Enjoy the writing from our Year 1/2 students. 

 SUSTAINABILITY - Annette Gasbaroo

What is happening in Sustainability?

Our Foundation to Year 4 children had the opportunity to engage in various learning opportunities during Sustainability. We began by harvesting some of our produce in our vegetable garden. 

We discovered that in our vegetable garden, we had a variety of vegetables growing, like radishes, carrots, snow peas, lettuce, fennel and silver beet. We then thought about what we could make with all these fresh vegetables. Our group decided to make “A Salad of the Imagination”.

We harvested the vegetables that would be suited to make our salad of the imagination. 

Sebastian, Isabel, Isaac, Ella, Alessia, Sasha & Jabob

Once all the vegetables had been harvested, our job was to remove all the foliage and wash the vegetables.  We shelled all the snow peas, and cleaned the fennel, carrots and dill.  We washed and sorted our vegetables so we could prepare our 'Salad of the Imagination'.

Milana, Patrick, Eva, Veronica, Orlando, Ava & Petra.

Our group had the hardest job, we had to prepare the “Salad of the Imagination.”   We had to chop and peel all the vegetables.  Each one of us had a very important job to do.  We made sure that we washed our hands before handling any food. We chopped and peeled all the vegetables and placed them into various containers, ready for the next group to assemble our “Salad of the imagination.” 

Christian, Jude, Edan, Adam, Alessandra, Thomas, Mia Isaac, Alexander & Chrysi

Finally, it was time for our group to prepare the table for all the children to have a taste of the Salad of the imagination. We had lots of thinking to do. First, we had to find out who was coming to lunch.  We discovered that we had 34 children coming. Then we had to sort out how many forks and plates we needed. We collaborated together and got the job done.  Each one of us had a particular role to play.  Finally, we were ready to share our salad of the imagination. 

Lincoln, Max, Lucy, Sofia, Domenic, Nicholas & Samuel 

Today at Sustainbility we made a salad of the imagination.  We added carrots, lettuce, radishes, peas and a secret ingredient orange.  I think it will be delicious when we eat it. Alessandra FLW

Today at Sustainability we made a salad of the imagination.  It had carrots, fennel, radishes and snow peas.  We had a secret ingredient in the salad.  The secret ingredient was an orange. Isaac 3/4

Today at Sustanabiloity we made an imagination salad.  We put all the ingredients in a bowl. Adam FLW

Annette Gasbarro 

Sustainability leader.

NUMERACY - Colleen Monaghan

APSMO Awards were handed out last week at assembly, and the award for the youngest participant, Felix Carr, who persisted each week with problems presented and gained great results for his first year in the competition as a Year 3, was given. His name and achievement were left out of last week’s Newsletter, so I wanted to acknowledge him this week. Congratulations Felix! 

This week, we had our first Maths Games Day. The juniors participated in a range of activities, games and problems throughout the three sessions of the day. All teams showed great teamwork and collaboration. They worked together all day and persisted in the tasks presented to them. Well done juniors.

A huge thank you to all the parents who offered up their time and came along to help run the day. Your support was very much appreciated.  The winning team of the Year 1/2 Games' day for 2023 was Team 7. They worked so well as a team and achieved great scores throughout the day. Congratulations to:

• Sebastian Azzopardi
• Sophie Lawrence
• Petra Drongitis 
• Zachariah Hayar

Fractions

Across the school this week, Fractions are being taught.  Fractions can be a difficult topic for many.  When you’re helping your children with fractions, objects or pictures of objects are a great way to understand how they work. Start with concrete items, like food or counters – you can use pasta pieces or dried beans in place of counters – then draw them as pictures. Food is a great context. Cakes chocolate, sandwiches, and pizzas are shared equally.

Examples of fractions in everyday life:

• Cutting sandwiches, apples, oranges - into halves, quarters etc.
• Splitting a bill at a restaurant into halves, quarters, thirds
• Working out the price comparisons in a supermarket when something is half-price
• Figuring out amounts in the kitchen, for example, a recipe could serve 10 people but there are only 4 eating, and this means you’ll need fractions to figure out the correct amount
• In sports, working out half time, quarter time, full time. 
• Looking at time, half past, quarter past and to.

STEM - Joe Frazzetto

We are going to the Nationals!!!  

STEM MAD Showcase.

St Fidelis received great news last Wednesday! MACS announced that one of our STEM MAD groups’ prototypes has been selected to participate at the National STEM MAD Showcase on Thursday, 9th of November 2023. We would like to congratulate Scarlett, Mia, Gemma, Erica and Zara for making it this far. This is an amazing achievement!

On Thursday, 9th of November 2023, the team will attend the STEM MAD Student National showcase at the Catholic Leadership Centre to promote and pitch their prototype “The Carbon Eliminator.” Their Prototype was awarded the Runners Up Award for the State Award in the “Inspired by Nature” category. 

The STEM MAD National Showcase is a celebration of student learning. It acknowledges and promotes STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate the particularity of Catholic Schools. It encourages students to make a difference (MAD) in the world by acting for justice and the common good. It aligns with the papal call for action in Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home and with dioceses from around Australia participating.

STEM MAD National is a celebration of excellence in Catholic Education. The nation's best primary, secondary and 'Future is STEM' student teams, nominated by their dioceses, showcase their projects to conference participants, diocesan representatives, sponsors and affiliated organisations, school communities and fellow students.

We wish Scarlett, Mia, Gemma, Erica and Zara all the best and success.  Here are some photos of them working and improving their prototype Carbon Eliminator.

Year 5/6 Sensory Toys

Over the last term and a half, the Year 5/6 students from 5/6AO and 5/6GT have been working on a sensory toy to help children with autism. Students had to design and make a sensory toy that responds to movement with light and sound using a Micro-Bit. They explored, designed, created, tested and shared their prototype where it can make a difference in a child’s life. 

Last Monday, the Year 5/6 students shared their sensory toys with the Foundation students. The students played and interacted with the toy and were asked the following questions so the inventors were able to reflect and receive feedback where they could make improvements to their toy.

• What do you like about our Sensory Toy? Why?
• How can we improve our Sensory Toy?

It was amazing to see our senior and junior students collaborate and communicate how we can make a difference by being creative and imaginative thinkers. Here are some photos of the students being collaborative!!!

SPORT & PE - Michael Jennings

For our Annueal Sports day on Tuesday December 12, the students will be in their sports house colours.  If you are unsure of what colour your child is in, please click on the button below.