Teaching and Learning Areas

Foundation

Our Prep students have been thoroughly enjoying their Unit of Inquiry on jobs. Throughout the unit, they have explored a range of occupations, learning about the uniforms people wear, the tasks they perform, where they work, and the tools they use in their roles.

We visited Essedon Traffic School during the week we learnt about traffic jobs. Thank you to all the parent volunteers who were able to come help supervise. We appreciate it.

A special thank you to our guest speakers - Daniel, Deanne and Courtney, as well as Maria - for taking the time to visit and share insights into their professions. The students were highly engaged and loved asking questions about their work.

The students also greatly enjoyed a visit from two officers at Brunswick Police Station, where they learnt about the important role police officers play in our community, as well as key road safety messages.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this unit such an engaging and meaningful learning experience for our Prep students.

From the Prep team (Pia, Stef, Tori and Yasmin)

Grade 1/2

Mad About Minibeasts!

In Inquiry this term, the grade 1/2s have been learning all about minibeasts. We were very excited to have a minibeast incursion where we got to see and learn about real minibeasts, such as crickets, butterflies and stick insects.

 The grade 1/2 students also created information posters to teach others about the appearance, habitat, diet and life cycle of their favourite minibeasts. We conducted research through books, websites and videos to gather facts and then used our knowledge to write informative texts with labeled diagrams.

 To finish off our Inquiry unit, we are making dioramas to show the minibeasts' habitat or life cycle. 

We are very excited to work on this creative project and share our learning!

Grade 3/4

Last week the 3/4s were lucky enough to go on an excursion to Melbourne Museum. Our focus was on learning more about the culture, traditions and history of Australia’s First Nations peoples. 

We got to explore the Millari Garden and First Peoples’ exhibition, both part of the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum. We learnt that Bunjilaka means ‘Bunjil’s Place’ (Bunjil is the creator spirit for the Kulin Nations, which includes the Wurundjeri people on whose land Merri-bek Primary School stands).

 We got to see and learn about some of the plants that First Nations groups across the country use for healing illness or injury and to construct useful objects, saw the diversity of Aboriginal Australian tools, accessories and weapons and also learn a little more about their experiences since the arrival of the First Fleet, which we have been learning about in Integrated lessons this term. We also popped into the new Our Wondrous Planet exhibition to marvel at the biodiversity on planet Earth. All up it was a great day out with lots of fun and learning.

Grade 5/6 

It has been a busy and productive period across the year level, with students engaged in a range of learning areas as we move further into the term.

In Mathematics, students across classes have completed a significant amount of assessment in preparation for reports. This has helped teachers gather a clear picture of progress and achievement so far this year. Our current focus has been on multiplication and algebra, with students building fluency in multiplication strategies, recognising and creating patterns, and beginning to explore early algebraic thinking.

In Reading, students are now about one-third of the way through The Hobbit. We are currently deep in the goblin caves beneath the Misty Mountains, and there has been strong engagement and discussion around the events and themes in the text. Students are developing their understanding of character traits and motivations, while also unpacking more complex vocabulary and exploring the features and themes of extended narrative and fantasy texts.

In Writing, students are working on extended fantasy narratives of their own. The emphasis has been on expanding ideas with greater detail, strengthening vocabulary choices, and crafting more complex and engaging sentences to enrich their storytelling.

In Integrated Studies, students are exploring trade and food production, linked to the design and creation of their own fantasy islands. This has been a highly hands-on unit, with students constructing 3D island models using a range of materials including paint, glue, and plenty of imagination. The classrooms have been full of creativity, collaboration, and (messy!) making.

This week, our Grade 5/6 students had a fantastic time participating in the Melbourne Victory School of Football Primary School Gala Day. Students proudly represented our school as they competed in a series of soccer matches against other primary schools.

 Throughout the day, they demonstrated outstanding teamwork, resilience, sportsmanship, and respect towards both teammates and opponents. It was wonderful to see students encouraging one another, celebrating successes, and persevering through challenges. Well done year 5/6 students!

Thank you to the families who have kindly sent in resources to support the 3D island projects — these contributions have been greatly appreciated and have helped bring student ideas to life.

Spanish Culture