Specialists
Students this term are looking at materials, their properties and how to manipulate them to achieve a purpose. This fortnight the P-2 classes looked at various types of materials and listed all their properties. E.g Wood is hard, sharp, breakable, brown, prickly and opaque. Students then made a musical instrument called a Kazoo. This involved testing the range of sounds it made depending on the material used. In week two, students looked at how a gummy bear changes shape and size when placed in different water based solutions. Some got bigger, some went squishy and some stayed the same.
In the 3-4 area this term students are learning about Biological Science. This week we looked at the four characteristics of living things. We then brainstormed a range of things that are living/ not living. Students completed a “Planet Zog” investigation. We finished by looking at plants as living things and each planted a seed, which we will observe over the term.
We are also on the lookout for some caterpillars, that we can observe over their life cycle. If you have seen any in your garden or vegie area, can you please reach out to the school. Thank you, Mrs Portwine.
In the 5-6 area this term students are learning about Forces. In week 2, students investigated and explored “Newtons Three Laws” of motion. This involved taking part in a range of sports and activities that cause movement, acceleration, friction and equal and opposite reactions. As a class we made Elephant Toothpaste and conducted the Coke/Mentos experiment.
It’s wonderful to be back after the break and diving into all things Auslan! What a fantastic start to the term! The students have been doing an amazing job revisiting their signs, remembering their vocabulary and, best of all, sharing their Auslan skills with their families and the wider community. It is so special to see children proudly teaching others what they have learnt. They are helping to build a more inclusive and connected community, and what a wonderful gift that is!
Over the past two weeks, students have been busy revising a wide range of signs, including colours, family, feelings, greetings, pets, farm animals, Australian animals and classroom vocabulary. It has been incredible to see them bringing all these signs together, confidently combining their knowledge and communicating in longer phrases. Their growing confidence, enthusiasm and ability to use Auslan in meaningful ways is something to be very proud of!
We continue to explore Auslan stories and songs, which provide wonderful opportunities to strengthen our signing skills. Through watching and observing, students are developing their understanding of facial expressions, body language, lip patterns and the many important visual clues that make Auslan such a rich and expressive language.
There is plenty more excitement ahead this term, with students beginning to learn and practise a number of songs in Auslan, starting with our Australian National Anthem! Areas we will cover are finger spelling, numbers, asking questions, foods, body parts, days of the week, weather, seasons, nature words and Christmas. We can’t wait to see their skills continue to grow as they take on this new challenge.
P.E NEWS
Region Athletics
Well done to Sully N and Heidi P who recently competed at the Region Athletics Championships. You should both be very proud of your efforts and achievements! Congratulations to Heidi who came 3rd in her shot put event!
Campaspe Basketball Tournament
Good luck to all our teams competing in the Interschool Basketball Tournament in Echuca next week! We know you’ll give it your very best, showing determination, teamwork and spirit on the court.
NEWS FROM THE ART ROOM
So far in Term 4 the Preps have had fun experimenting with bubble wrap prints and making some wonderfully creative model magic masterpieces! Grade 1/2s made their own model magic masterpieces and they also learned about and created their own triptychs (a piece of art consisting of three separate but similar pieces that hang side by side) using a variety of painting techniques.
The 3/4s created painted papers which they then used to decorate a pot plant each. These will be used to hold the seeds that they plant in STEM as part of their unit on Biological Science.
The 5/6 students also learned about triptychs and created their own using various painting techniques. It was fantastic to see so many creative ideas on display!
Art Club is also happening again during lunchtime on a Tuesday after being paused for a few weeks last term in the lead up to the Art Expo. This continues to be a very popular choice for many students and it's wonderful to see students from different year levels working together and helping each other to learn new skills and explore their creativity.
