YEARS 5 AND 6

It's term 4, and for our grade 6's their final term of primary school!

We've had a wonderful start to the term in the grade 5/6 classroom, and I look forward to all of the excitement coming up! On Friday of week 1 this term, a number of students in our 5/6 class went to Albury to compete in the Upper Hume Division Athletics. Hearing not only how well our students did in their respective events, but also how respectful and responsible they were, made me very proud that they were representing Sacred Heart School. A huge congratulations to all who competed, and especially to Indi, who placed second in shotput, and went on to compete at the Hume Regional Athletics Championships, where she came in fourth place! Such an incredible accomplishment!

Literacy

This term we have begun writing narratives based on our class novel, 'The Grandest Bookshop in the World' by Amelia Mellor. These narratives are written within the genres of Historical Fiction and Magical Realism, set in the time and place of 'The Grandest Bookshop in the World', which is Melbourne in the 1880s-1910s. As a class we have been focusing on how to define Magical Realism, and how to write stories within that style. Magical Realism is a genre of art and fiction that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical or fantastical elements. Examples outside of our class novel that we have looked at are 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl. It is a very tricky genre to write as it is quite easy to go too far into the magical and end up writing a fantasy story, but our class have come up with some absolutely amazing ideas, and I am very excited to read their finished pieces!

Maths

In maths we have just completed our second unit on Fractions. Within this unit we have primarily focused on addition and subtraction of fractions and how we can use our prior learning of equivalent fractions to help us. We began by understanding the process with fractions that have the same denominator and then progressed to what we do when the denominators are related but not the same. Related denominators mean that one denominator is a multiple of the other. We used halving and doubling to create equivalent fractions in order to ensure our equations both have the same denominator, allowing us to do our addition and subtraction.

Religion

In religion this term we have been looking at the Catholic Mission initiative Socktober, and how we as leaders of our school can help raise money for people in need. We began by understanding the history and context of the event and why we participate. We talked about Saint Mary MacKillop and how she spent her life working towards all children having access to education, especially children from rural or impoverished backgrounds. She was someone who gave so much and always tried to do good for others. As a school, and especially in grade 5/6 as leaders, we want to try to walk in her footsteps as much as possible and do good wherever and whenever we can. Students then brainstormed some fun activities and events we could host to raise money and awareness for Socktober, and have begun creating posters to display for these events. This will take place in a few weeks, and we will send out all of the details for this as we get closer to the date.

Exciting Things

In their STEM specialist class, 5/6s are learning how bridges are designed and engineered, looking at bridges around the world and their special or unique features. They will then be converting that knowledge to work on building their own bridges, stable enough to stay standing across 2 separated desks. 5/6 students were also fortunate enough to have a very special workshop with Art Starts, where they helped paint a mural based around the UN Convention's Rights of the Child that, once completed, will be displayed in the Corryong Library!

Miss Charlotte Meares

Grade 5/6 Teacher

YEARS 2/3/4

In 2/3/4, students have been very busy at work!

This term in Maths, we’ve been diving into the exciting world of Data! Through hands-on activities, we’ve explored how to collect data by making observations and creating our own surveys. Students loved designing questions and seeing how different types of data can be gathered.

Once we had our data, we got to work recording and analysing it. We learned to present our findings in different ways, including tally charts, frequency tables, and column graphs. It’s been wonderful to see everyone engaged and thinking critically about how we use data in everyday life.

In Literacy, we’ve been working hard on creating our own Narrative texts. We began by learning about the structure of a good story, focusing on the importance and purpose of a beginning, middle, and end.

To start, we explored how to create strong characters and vivid settings that draw the reader in.

Now, we’re moving into the middle of our narratives, where the focus is on building action, suspense, and exploring our characters’ motives.

It’s been exciting to watch the students’ creativity shine as their stories are starting to come to life!

On Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st of October, year 3/4 Students went on school camp to Howman's Gap. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to experience outdoor education and to put their skills to the test in some wonderful outdoor activities. Over the two days, Year 3/4 students tested their emotions and persistence in some team building activities.

On Monday we settled in before engaging in some trail games... like working together to throw a tyre tube over a very tall pole! This proved to be quite difficult, and many emotions were shared! We were very lucky to have the opportunity to participate in Archery before settling in to enjoy the games/arcade room for free time. For dinner we had spaghetti and all students left the dining room with full tummies- some in a food coma!

On Tuesday, we organised ourselves and packed up our rooms before heading in to make our own breakfast. Many students had never experienced a commercial bread toaster- so it was very humorous watching the surprise as their toast was cooked and rolled out on the other side of the toaster. Rock climbing was our second activity. There were three options for rock climbing: easy, medium and hard. The hardest option had a pig at the very top that many of our students managed to get to, while the medium course had a bell to ring. This was a great experience!

The Giant Swing was up next. This was the activity that was most anticipated. We had to be harnessed up and clipped to the giant swing. The other members of the group had to use all their strength to pull a rope which made the person in the swing go higher into the air. When the person on the swing was ready, they pulled a toggle that detached them from the rope that the other members were hanging on to- and they went flying on the swing. So many brave students faced their fears of heights and participated in this activity. Some even wanting to go higher on their second attempt.

This school camp offered more than just fun and adventure, it was a valuable opportunity for students to develop a wide range of personal, social, and practical skills. They focused on learning how to become self-sufficient in making our own beds, setting up tables and chairs, vacuuming up after ourselves, getting/making our own meals and being responsible for organising themselves- all very important skills to have!

Not only did we get to take advantage of the spectacular alpine environment, but we also had the entire facility to ourselves!

Mrs Stephens and 2/3/4

FOUNDATION AND YEAR 1

In Inquiry, students have been learning about the Sun and how shade helps protect living things. They shared ideas about ways to stay safe in the sun and talked about how different materials can help block heat.

The highlight of the week was designing and building their very own frog shelters. Students thoughtfully planned their ideas, choosing and labelling materials they believed would work best. The classroom was buzzing with excitement as everyone experimented with different textures and shapes to create unique and clever shelters. Each design included at least three materials and aimed to stand proudly on its own. We’re now eagerly waiting for a sunny day to put their creations to the test and see which one keeps our rock frog the coolest!

In Literacy, students have been diving into the beautiful story Migaloo by Mark Wilson. They explored how a good narrative is built with a clear beginning, middle and end, and how adding extra details about what, where and why makes their writing shine. The classroom has been full of imagination as students expanded their sentences and shared ideas inspired by Migaloo’s journey. When we discovered that Migaloo is based on a real white whale, students were excited to turn their stories into informative pieces filled with fascinating facts. It has been wonderful to see their creativity and curiosity come together in their writing.

In Mathematics, students have been exploring length in fun and hands-on ways. They compared and ordered objects using hand spans and foot spans, discovering how different units can give different results. We then explored using uniform units to measure accurately, making sure to start and finish at the right points. Some students even took on extra challenges, thinking about what happens when there is half a unit left to measure. It has been wonderful to see their curiosity grow as they measured, compared and problem-solved together.

Mrs Marie Nagy

Foundation & Year 1 Teacher

Catholic Identity

Sacred Heart Parish Wodonga

Sacred Heart Parish Bulletin