Student Learning

What's been Happening in Year 1/2O 

We have had such an exciting start to Term 3. The students enjoyed a fun and active morning at AFL Max. This excursion linked with our Term 2 HASS unit. Our focus was on the ’Keeping Safe Curriculum’, as well as how we can look after our bodies. So, what better way to do this than to jump around, enjoy the obstacle courses and rock climbing walls at AFL Max.

In English, students are starting to explore the topic of Procedure Writing. We have mostly been looking at recipes, and how important it is to have our ingredients, as well as the steps needed to complete our procedure. As part of our morning groups, students are creating a procedure booklet on ‘How to make Fairy Bread’. This term we are continuing with our phonics program. This has been a great experience for our students to come alongside each other and help during class activities.

In our Christian Education lessons, students have been learning about what it means to be a disciple. They will be learning about how Jesus had disciples and how they became his friends. They will learn about how an unholy man named Saul became one of Jesus’ greatest followers.

In HASS this term, students have been looking at the different continents and oceans. We are starting to explore our Globe and the students have been singing songs to familiarise themselves with our seven continents and five oceans. We have discussed why Australia is called the land down under, as well as listened to a song sung by our First Nations People.

As part of our Serve project this term we will continue to visit our friends across the road at Estia. The students - and our older friends - have loved these visits and are always looking forward to these weekly times together. This term we will enjoy playing board games.

Vanessa Olesen

Year 1/2 Class Teacher

Year 1/2 Excursion 

The Year 1/2 students thoroughly enjoyed our excursion to AFL Max. Students actively participated in a number of activities such as the Wipe Out Machine, an inflatable obstacle course, the Leap of Faith where they had to bravely fall forwards/backwards from a diving platform, bouldering, trampolines and AFL skills practice. Some comments from the students about the excursion.

My favourite part was the Wipe Out Machine because I had to jump and dodge as it moved.

by Chloe 

My favourite part was the Leap of Faith because I liked jumping off of the platform.

by Mercy

My favourite part was bouldering because I got to challenge myself.

by Gracie

I liked the bouldering because I liked climbing across it.

by Arnold

I liked the Wipe Out Machine because it kept pushing me over.

by William

Tricia Fuente

Year 1/2 Class Teacher

What's been Happening in Year 3/4H

Term 3 has started back well, with fond memories of finishing last Term with the Musical, while looking forward to special events this term including Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day and the Zoo Snooze for Year 3s. Both Year 3/4 classes have begun a series of morning rotations between 8.30am and 8.45am to allow students extra practice and revision of literacy and numeracy learning, as well as shared reading and some fun games! 

This Term often sees a next big step forward in the growth and development of the students, so Christian Education and Wellbeing topics are programmed to address some of the common challenges and celebrations of getting a little bit older. Here are some examples of other learning we have been doing or just starting.

Art 

This term in Visual Art, our focus is sculpture. We have started exploring materials and techniques using foil to create animals and figures in the style of the famous Swiss sculptor Giacometti. Part of the unit explores the way that sculpture influences the space in which it is displayed, so we have also been experimenting with mounting sculptures on a base. 

Maths

In Year 3, we finished the term creating graphs from bird surveys taken from around the school, using Google Sheets to enter data, generate results and interpret our findings. 

This term we began by revisiting and building on our knowledge of 3 dimensional shapes and how they can be classified according to their faces, edges and vertices (corners).

Science

The focus for Science this term is the effect of heating and cooling on materials. One experiment we have completed so far investigated materials for their ability to be a conductor or insulator of heat. We set up metal, wooden and plastic spoons in cups of boiling water and placed a small dob of butter on the handle of each spoon. If the butter melted and slid down the spoon, it proved that the spoon conducted heat from the boiling water into itself, and then transferred the heat into the butter to melt it. Metal spoons were the only conductors of heat. This has real-world implications for jobs such as cooking:  which sort of spoon would be the safest to stir boiling stew or soup? And also for recycling: which materials can be heated and made into something new instead of being buried in landfill?  

Andrew Harris

Year 3/4 Class Teacher

Science Week 'Silly Scientist' Incursion

To celebrate the upcoming Science Week, we had a visit from The Silly Scientist for a whole school show displaying the wonder and excitement of Science. Exploding elephant toothpaste, fizzing lava lamps, floating balls, stomp-powered rockets, optical illusions and even AC/DC and didgeridoos were all part of the one hour of fun and learning across all strands of the science curriculum. The students were complimented on their engagement by the presenters and can be proud of the attributes they put into action. Don’t be surprised, parents, if you get asked for a balloon, a five-cent coin and a hair dryer!

Andrew Harris

Science Specialist Teacher

Oliphant Science Awards

On the weekend of 3-4 August, Science Alive! was held at the Wayville Showgrounds. As part of this event, the Oliphant Science Awards were judged and some of the categories displayed. Although there were no winners from Pilgrim this year, the quality of entries continued to be of a very high standard, and represented a new record for entries from our school. Crystal growing, games, models and inventions, photography, posters and scientific illustration were represented. Entries are on display in Pilgrim's Science Room, and can either be collected by students to take home, or left to donate to the Science Room for future display and reference purposes. Well done to those students who entered. 

Andrew Harris

Science Specialist Teacher

Foundation Excursion

Last week the Foundations went on an excursion to the Adelaide Zoo as part of our Living Things Science unit. We explored the zoo and had many discussions about the animals and their behaviours, diets, needs, and the way this contributes to how the animals are grouped in their enclosures.

We saw many species of animals, such as giraffes, pandas, crocodiles, penguins, tigers, and monkeys. A highlight was the Free Flight Bird Show. We had many varieties of birds fly around our heads and got to learn many interesting facts about the birds.

From the students:

My favourite part was seeing the giraffes, they were so cool and very tall!

From  Ruthie

I loved the otters, the capybaras and the baby penguins. My wish was to see them and I got to! They were very cute. 

From Esther

My favourite part was seeing the pandas eat. I thought it was nice and they looked very relaxed.

From Mckenna

It was an awesome time spent together and we look forward to applying our new knowledge to our learning this term!

Tom Ledson, Megan Loffler and Lisa Newbury

Foundation Teachers

Flourish Enrichment Activities 

This term's activities are well underway. If your child would like to participate in Dodgeball, this is now open to students from Years 3 - 6, please use the link below to book.

Premier's Reading Challenge 

Well done to everyone who has completed and returned their forms. If you haven’t completed and returned your form yet, please hand this into the Front Office.

To complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge students need to read 12 eligible books including e-books, audio books, class or shared reading, having a book read to them, non-fiction books, books read as research for assignments or books in another language. Students in Foundation to Year 6 must read 8 books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist and 4 personal choice books between now and 5th September 2025.

For a full list of books or to download a spare student record click on the following link Premiers Reading Challenge which will direct you to the School Documentation page on Compass (navigate to Information Sent Home, Whole School). Alternatively, look for the coloured stickers in the Campus library or your local public library.

If you need help completing the form or checking which books are on the list, please see your child’s class teacher.

Happy reading!

Yiota Chesterfield 

Premier's Reading Challenge Coordinator