Classroom News

Foundation: Mrs Fleming

It’s been a busy couple of weeks in Foundation as we come to the end of our first term at school. 

In Literacy, students have been introduced to the letters 't' and 'a'. They have been working hard on saying the sounds for each letter and writing these letters using the correct formation. Students have also enjoyed our third storybook, Grandpa and Thomas, with the highlight of the week being the creation of sand art pictures inspired by the story. Don't they look amazing!

In Mathematics, students have been focusing on their number formation for the numbers 0–10. They are using catchy phrases to help them remember how to correctly form each number. We have also begun our new unit on Place Value, where students have been counting small collections, exploring the concepts of more and less, matching collections to the correct numeral and even subitising. 

We had a fun filled day on Friday last week when we celebrated 'National Ride to School Day' and 'National Down Syndrome Day'. It was great to see so many students participate in our planned ride to school from the Tongala Police Station. We also had lots of fun wearing our brightest and craziest socks to help raise awareness around Down Syndrome. Blake did a great job picking his favourite socks in Foundation choosing Josie as the winner. Thank you to all those who got involved. 

Grade 1/2: Mrs McKiernan & Mrs Tyler

We have had a delightful couple of weeks in our 1/2 class, with lots of learning and students displaying confidence in their learning. It has been a pleasure to see students encouraging each other and helping each other out.

We have been introduced to Lent and Easter as part of the liturgical year. Students have been discussing and reflecting on what kindness, giving and prayer looks like to them and in their lives. We have had a closer look at Lent being a time to practise three things: prayer, giving to others, and letting go of unhelpful habits. Check out some photos of our representations of the Last Supper using playdough, drawing and Lego. 

In English, we have started learning about reports as a type of text. We have planned and written a report on the facts of a spider. We have learnt some interesting facts about spiders, and how they are different to insets. For example, a spider has eight legs and two fangs, while insects have six legs and don't have fangs. We look forward to looking at the beginning, middle and end of stories in the next couple of weeks!

In Numeracy, we have begun our topic on addition and subtraction. We have been looking at the symbols used for adding, subtracting and equal to and when to use them.

We look forward to the last couple of weeks of term one! 

Grade 1/2: Miss Wooden

It's been a busy term!! In Grade 1/2 all the students have been thinking about what has been their favourite!

Lara: I like learning in Maths.

Isabelle: I like being in Grade 1/2 Wooden.

Angel: I liked going to the swimming carnival.

Grace: I liked going to the swimming carnival.

Evvy: I liked riding to school.

Pippa: I have liked doing sports and art. 

Blake: I have liked playing with the ball. 

Huxi: I liked Harmony Day with DJ GeeGee.

Jack: I have liked doing sports and going to the swimming carnival. 

Andrew: I have liked playing football at lunch and snack.

Lacey: I liked going to the swimming carnival.

Harlow: I liked going to the swimming carnival.

Finn: I liked playing with Patty when he came to do his work experience.

Jarrah: I liked riding to school. 

Seb: I have liked learning in Literacy.

Grade 3: Miss Taylor

The highlight of the past fortnight was undoubtedly our St Patrick’s Day celebrations! It was a fun-filled day with a real sense of excitement across the school. One of the biggest highlights was our whole-school dance battle parade, where students proudly showed off their green outfits and dance moves! Of course, the day wouldn’t be complete without some delicious cupcakes... thanks Rach!

In English, students have proudly completed both their persuasive writing unit and our class novel, Kensuke's Kingdom. After weeks of planning and drafting in their workbooks, students brought together their ideas to write a full persuasive essay, including an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion, sharing their chosen stance on deforestation. They then had the opportunity to type their final pieces on the iPads - an exciting way to celebrate all of their hard work. The finished products look fantastic! We were so surprised to learn that Kensuke’s Kingdom is based on a true story, which made it even more exciting and led to lots of great class discussions!

In Maths, we are continuing our work on multiplication and division. Students have been exploring patterns in times tables and using arrays to visually represent their thinking, as well as writing matching equations. The 5s and 10s times tables have been a class favourite...students are finding success with these and building confidence as they go.

In Science, we have begun our new topic: Living or Non-Living. Students are learning about MRS GREN and the characteristics that help us find out whether something is truly alive. This has already sparked some interesting discussions, particularly around tricky examples like fire, leading to some thoughtful and curious thinking in the classroom.

In Religion, we have continued to build our Lenten Tree. Students have been adding leaves with words that represent what Lent means to them, reflecting on what they might give up or change during this time, and taking the opportunity to write their own personal prayers. It has been a calm and meaningful way for students to connect with the season of Lent.

As we power into the final week of Term 1 (can't believe it!) the Year 3s are still full of beans, ready to make the most of every last lesson, laugh, and learning adventure before the holidays! Bring it on!

Grade 4/5: Mrs Stock

It has been another busy and productive fortnight in the 4/5 classroom! Students have continued to show great enthusiasm towards their learning, and it has been wonderful to see their confidence grow across all areas.

English

In English, the Grade 5 students have continued reading Deadly Science: The Solar System, building their understanding of space while exploring key scientific ideas and vocabulary. They have also begun learning how to write an explanation text and are currently drafting their own piece on “How to Launch a Space Mission”, focusing on clearly explaining steps and organising their ideas.

The Year 4 students have recently completed their persuasive writing on deforestation, producing some thoughtful and well-structured pieces. They have also finished their class novel Kensuke’s Kingdom and have now begun their new text Wongutha Tales. This collection of stories shares Aboriginal knowledge and experiences, exploring important themes such as respect, belonging, identity and culture. Students are already engaging well in discussions and making meaningful connections to the text.

Mathematics

In Maths, students have continued developing strategies for multiplication and division, strengthening their fluency and confidence. We have also begun our new unit on area and perimeter, which students are picking up really well.

Religion

In Religion, students have been learning about Lent as a journey from darkness to light. They have explored the spiritual meaning of darkness and light, identifying examples and sharing their ideas through paired discussions. Students have also reflected on how they have experienced Christ’s light in their own lives, showing thoughtful and meaningful insights.

Last week was a fun and exciting one with our St Patrick’s Day Feast celebrations and dress-up. We also enjoyed Ride to School Day and Crazy Sock Day for Down Syndrome Awareness. This was such a great way to celebrate together as a school community. We can’t believe how quickly the term has flown by and that we are almost at the end! 

We hope you all have a safe and happy Easter break.

Grade 5/6: Miss Rasmussen

In Grade 5/6, we have had a fantastic and busy few weeks of learning across the curriculum.

In English, students have been exploring the Solar System and are building their knowledge by learning many new and interesting facts. Alongside this, we have been focusing on explanation texts, with students currently working on writing their own piece titled “How to Plan and Launch a Space Mission.” A key focus has been developing effective note-taking skills. Students are beginning to use simple and efficient strategies to record important information when presented with new learning, helping them organise their ideas and deepen their understanding.

In Mathematics, we have been learning about perimeter and area. Students have developed their ability to measure the perimeter of both regular and irregular polygons, as well as apply formulas to calculate the perimeter of regular shapes with equal sides. When exploring area, we have used measuring templates to investigate both regular and irregular shapes. Students have also learnt helpful strategies, such as combining parts of shapes to make whole squares, to support more accurate measurement.

We also enjoyed a wonderful day celebrating St Patrick’s Day. It was great to see so much enthusiasm, participation, and school spirit throughout the day.

These are our highlights from the celebrations…

Playing markers up with the St Augustine's students - Denzil. 

The mini soccer game - Daphne. 

The parade - Charlotte. 

Tug of war - Isla. 

Getting to wear green - Archer. 

Eating yummy cupcakes - Reegan. 

Having hot dogs for lunch - Stevie. 

Whole school game of dodgeball - Charli. 

Throwing the rubber chicken game - Lil.