Classroom News

Foundation Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4

Dear Parents/ Caregivers,

Welcome to Weeks 4 and 5! These are exciting and busy weeks in Prep, with the firefighters returning on Monday 26th and the Melbourne Cup public holiday on Tuesday. We are looking forward to a fun couple of weeks filled with learning, special activities and opportunities for our students to continue growing and developing.

A few friendly reminders:

• Homework is due back every Monday, we change our text and new Sounds-Write words are pasted into their homework book.
• Thursday is Library Day, so please remember to send your child's library bag and borrowed library book so they can return it and borrow an exciting new book to enjoy at home.

Below is our updated T4 timetable. 

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. We hope everyone enjoys the warmer weather and has a wonderful couple of weeks ahead!

Literacy:

In Reading, our Prep students will continue building their reading, speaking and vocabulary skills through our Core Knowledge units as we explore Our World, developing their understanding of the world around them. We are continuing Word of the Week from our Core Knowledge texts to help expand students' vocabulary and encourage them to use rich language in their speaking and writing. Each week, students are challenged to use the word in conversations and classroom activities. So far, our focus words have been cautiously, gradually, and distinct.

In Writing, students will learn how to plan and organise their ideas by creating story planners and story maps, while exploring The Little Red Hen and using the text as a model to develop their own ideas for writing. They will participate in modelled writing and dictation sessions each week to strengthen their sentence construction, handwriting, spelling and punctuation skills. Towards the end of the unit, students will apply everything they have learnt by planning, writing, editing and publishing their own innovation story, where they will create their own version of a familiar text. This is an exciting opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and celebrate the writing skills they have developed throughout the term.

Sounds-Write:

In Sounds-Write, Students will continue to participate in daily Sounds-Write lessons, beginning the Extended Code and exploring the sounds /ae/ and /ee/ . Lessons will include word building, reading and spelling, dictation, seek the sound and sound review activities. Throughout the term, students will continue to develop their phonemic awareness, build automaticity when reading and spelling words, and strengthen their understanding of different spelling patterns that can represent the same sound. They will also work towards improving their reading fluency and confidently applying their phonics knowledge to read and write increasingly complex words. Regular revision and assessment will help students consolidate previously taught sounds and skills while building confidence in their reading and writing.

Students will also learn and practise new high-frequency words, including friend, out, people and family, while applying their phonics knowledge through regular dictation activities. These sessions support students to develop accuracy in spelling, punctuation and sentence writing while reinforcing the sounds and spelling patterns they have been learning in class.

Numeracy:

In Mathematics, our Prep students have been exploring 2D shapes and developing their understanding of their features, including sides and corners. Through hands-on activities, games and discussions, students have been learning to identify, describe and compare different shapes. We will also continue our Facts on Fire sessions three times a week, where students practise addition within 10 recognising numbers and quickly recalling basic facts. Students will continue to consolidate their learning through a range of fun and engaging maths games and activities.

HASS: Geography:

Students will continue to investigate The World Around Them, which is also connected to our Core Knowledge unit in Reading. We have already begun exploring the places that are special to us and discovering what makes these places important. Students have been exploring familiar places, including their homes, school and local community. They will continue to develop their geographical skills by identifying important features, using simple maps and symbols, and creating their own maps of Toorak Primary School.

Wellbeing:

Students have been exploring what it means to achieve and feel success through our Wellbeing program. We have been discussing how success looks different for everyone and the importance of having a go, setting achievable goals and persevering when faced with challenges. Students have been learning that effort, practice and a positive attitude help us develop new skills and improve over time. We have also been celebrating our own achievements and recognising the successes of others. Families can support this learning at home by celebrating effort and encouraging children to keep trying when things feel challenging.

Warmest regards, 

Foundation Team

Tegan Cochrane, Renee Kociski, Ashleigh Smith and Vanessa Stimar

Year 1 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4

Dear Year 1 Parents and Caregivers,

Important Dates to Remember:

*Please keep sending in small cardboard boxes and cardboard rolls for science.

Wishing everyone a great fortnight.

Kind Regards,

Year 1 Team

Caroline Morrison, Emma McDonnell, and Alison Sparks

Year 2 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4

Dear Year 2 Parents and Caregivers,

Below is a snapshot of recent activities, alongside important dates for the next two weeks. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Kind regards, 

Year 2 Teachers

Daniel Lewis, Thilini Marasinghe, Zhuang Bian, Charlene Maguire

Year 3 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4

Dear Year 3 Parents/ Caregivers,

Please see the list below for important information and dates.

Important Dates:

Reading

In Reading, the students will be learning about the Viking Age!

We continue to learn about Scandinavia and the areas the vikings lived in, as well as the tools they used, such as weapons and ships, and how they became feared seaborn raiders.

After this, we will be reading the Velveteen Rabbit, and exploring the themes of identity, self worth and love.

Writing

In Writing, students will be creating persuasive pieces. The topic they are arguing before or against is “Should we save special things from the past, for the future.” Students have chosen their side, and are now formulating their arguments. The big ideas that students are relating their arguments to are, Global Citizen, Money, Education and Time. It would be great if you can discuss this topic with your child to help give them ideas for their arguments.  

Numeracy

In Numeracy, students are learning about the chance and probability of events occurring, such as likely and unlikely, certain and uncertain.

Students will be doing a mixture of hands-on tasks, using concrete materials as well as worksheets and worded problems to solve problems related to chance.

Geography 

This term, the student’s geography unit coincides with our reading unit, The Viking Age. Throughout the term, the students will learn about Scandinavian culture and their impact on the world today. This unit picks up directly after the fall of Rome in 476 BC, where European cultures blended across the Mediterranean and cultures such as Nordes were left alone due to their climates. The students will look at maps to determine the origins of Nordic culture and the equipment they used to conquer much of mainland Europe. 

Wellbeing

In Wellbeing, the students are continuing their work on Positive Relationships. Throughout the next few weeks, the students will study case scenarios and depict  stereotypes within society. With the work they have already undertaken, the students are able to identify gender based violence as a form of interpersonal violence that harms people on the basis of their gender. Examples the students gave include; groups of students targeting a girl for playing soccer with boys, and a group of students teasing a boy for having long hair. You can help support your child with having positive conversations centred around individuality and positive role modelling.  

If you have any questions. comments or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

The Year 3 Team

Harrison, Lauren and Cassie

Year 4 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4

Dear Year 4 Parents and Caregivers,

Below is an outline of our curriculum program for the term, along with some important dates for your diary. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Portsea Camp!! 

Wow, another camp done for our Year 4 cohort. It was full of sun, laughter and facing their fears. The Year 4 students had an amazing time at Portsea Camp, filled with adventure, teamwork and plenty of memorable moments! They challenged themselves with a range of exciting activities, including the flying fox, big swing (even convincing a few teachers to have a go!), archery, high ropes, beach games and Gaga ball. Throughout the camp, students showed fantastic resilience as they faced their fears, tried new skills and encouraged one another to step outside their comfort zones. Students also took responsibility for setting up and packing away the kitchen for each meal, demonstrating independence and a willingness to help. Despite the challenges of a few sleepless nights, our Year 4 students should be incredibly proud of the way they represented our school, showed kindness and embraced every opportunity. It was a wonderful few days of learning, laughter and growing independence that created memories to last a lifetime. Hope you enjoy some photos for their time away…. 

Other Reminders: 

Homework: 

Each week students will required to do: 

Maths: 4 tasks to practice a variety of concepts and to increase number fluency 

Reading Nightly: In order to develop vocabulary, comprehension skills and reading fluency, our other component of homework is reading for 20 minutes everyday. Students should complete their reading challenge sheet that has been stuck into their homework book. 

Homework tasks and books will be released  on a Monday and they will be due back on a Friday. It is not expected that students  are completing homework on weekends. 

Devices Reminder: 

We encourage students to bring their devices everyday and would appreciate your assistance in getting students in the habit of charging their laptops every night so that they can be used for tasks during the day. 

Phones and smart watches will be required to be handed in to classroom teachers at the beginning of each day. If you need to pass a message onto your child, please phone the office or email your child’s classroom teacher.

Kind Regards,

Year 4 Team

Sam Palla, Jessica De Angelis, Tim Maclachlan and Katie Smith 

Year 5 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Wow, it’s Week 4 already! What a fantastic few weeks we’ve had! The students had a wonderful time at camp, making special memories, trying new things, building friendships and learning lots along the way. It was lovely to see everyone getting involved, challenging themselves and having fun together.

As we continue through the term, we have lots of exciting learning experiences and activities ahead. Please take note of the important dates coming up, as outlined below, so you can stay up to date with everything happening in our classroom.

Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to another great week of learning, growth and fun! 😊

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or require further clarification. 

Year 5 Team

Vanessa Burke and Josh Bretherton, 

Year 6 Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4 

Dear Year 6 Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Week 4 of Term 4. The weeks are flying by! Our Year 6 students have been working hard while enjoying their final term of primary school.

Parent Helpers Needed! We are looking for parent helpers for two upcoming events:

• Volleyball Gala Day – [Wednesday 4 / Friday 6] November
• Year 6 Big Day Out: Funfields Excursion – Wednesday 16 December

If you are able to help, please email your child’s classroom teacher with your name and the event(s) you can attend. Thank you in advance for your support. It takes a community to make these events happen for our students.

Below is a snapshot of recent activities, along with important dates. 

Kind Regards,

 Year 6 Team

 James Thomas, Natasha Williams and Emma Heron

Specialist Curriculum Newsletter - Week 4, Term 4

 Dear Parents/ Caregivers,

Below is an outline of our specialist curriculum program for Term 4.

Performing Arts- Music/Drama

Music/Drama:

Foundation students this term will explore and create music through playful, hands-on experiences. They will develop their understanding of beat, rhythm, dynamics and sound through singing, body percussion and experimentation with tuned and untuned percussion instruments. 

Year 1 students will develop their listening, singing and instrumental skills through practical experiences. They will learn to play a range of classroom instruments. Students will recognise, perform and create rhythmic patterns, explore melodies on the xylophone using the notes C, D, E, F and G, and strengthen their pitch accuracy through singing a variety of songs. Through body percussion, students will develop their creativity, confidence and enjoyment of music-making.

Year 2 students will extend their listening, singing and instrumental skills through practical experiences with the recorder, xylophone and a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. They will strengthen their understanding of beat, rhythm, pitch and musical notation through performing and composing. Students will recognise, perform and create rhythmic patterns, develop simple melodies on the recorder and xylophone, and build their recorder technique by learning new notes and performing an expanding repertoire of songs. Through body percussion, movement and ensemble activities, students will develop rhythmic awareness, confidence and musical independence.

Year 3 students will develop their listening, singing and instrumental skills by exploring the elements of music through performance. They will continue learning to play the violin, viola or cello, refining their posture, bow hold and playing technique. Students will learn the open strings and first-finger notes. They will strengthen their pitch accuracy through singing, develop their ability to read and write musical notation, and deepen their understanding of beat, rhythm and musical expression through body percussion, movement and ensemble activities. 

Year 4 students will further develop their listening, singing and instrumental skills by exploring the elements of music through performance, composition and creative activities. They will refine their musicianship through singing, body percussion and instrumental performance. Students will learn to play the guitar, ukulele, drum kit and xylophone, developing their technique, rhythmic accuracy, pitch awareness and ensemble skills. They will create and perform their own rhythmic patterns and melodies. Students will perform as an ensemble while developing confidence, creativity and musical expression.

Year 5 students will develop their drama skills through the exploration and performance of mime, pantomime and physical theatre. They will investigate how performers communicate ideas, emotions, relationships and stories through body movement, gesture, facial expression, posture, use of space and physical expression. They will develop their scriptwriting skills by creating original scripts and performing them for an audience.

Year 6 students will continue to develop their drama skills through a variety of scripted performances. They will explore how drama communicates ideas, stories, emotions and perspectives through characterisation, voice and  movement. They will explore and perform Shakespearean drama and develop their scriptwriting skills by creating and presenting their own original scripts.

Term 4 provides an opportunity to celebrate students’ musical growth and achievements throughout the year. Through creating, rehearsing and performing, students share their learning, strengthen their confidence and conclude the year with a sense of pride, enjoyment and achievement in the performing arts.

Visual Arts 

Foundation students this term will be introduced to Indigenous art symbols and their cultural meanings. They will respond to Jimmy Pike’s Rainbow Serpent through discussion and artmaking. The students will create self-representations using the scraper paper they make. They will explore collage techniques inspired by Henri Matisse and arrange shapes to form unique visual compositions. The students will explore complementary colours and use them to express their knowledge in landscape and portrait artworks.

Year 1 and 2 students will study sea creatures, looking at different shapes and forms. They will express their ability to blend fluorescent oil pastel in a sea creature artwork. The students will experience fingerpainting and use their paper craft skills when they construct a rainbow flower garden. They will be challenged  to convey their ideas in ripple art to complete a 3D artwork.

Year 3 students will study different lettering fonts and construct their name using colour pencils and colour slicks  to achieve 3D value in their work. Taking inspiration from American Artist Georgie Okeffe they will create a watercolour still life shell using watercolour pencils. Studying zentangles the students will construct a colourful spider web. Inspired by Sam Cox they will challenge themselves to create a doodle artwork.

Year 4  students will study one point perspective and different lettering fonts. They will  construct their name using markers to achieve 3D value in their work. Taking inspiration from American Artist Georgie Okeffe they will create a watercolour still life shell using watercolour pencils. Studying zentangles the students will construct a colourful spider web. Inspired by Sam Cox they will challenge themselves to create a doodle artwork.

Year 5 and 6 students will study First Nations symbols and use sponges to print their own story artwork. They will explore how to write their name as a neon sign using coloured paint and pencil. The students will use their knowledge of one point perspective to compile an alien planet design.

Physical Education

Foundation students this term will continue to develop their fundamental movement skills in a variety of partner, small group and whole class activities and games. They will practice their cricket skills in a variety of modified cricket activities and develop their team work strategies through participating in team games and challenges. 

Year 1 and 2 students will build on their striking skills through participating in cricket and tennis based activities. They will learn the basic rules of the sport through participating in modified games. Students will also take part in team work games designed to build cooperation and inclusion strategies. All Foundation to Grade 2 students will be practising their throwing, jumping and running skills in preparation for the House Athletics Carnival. 

Year 3 and 4 students will be developing their soccer skills this term as they prepare for their upcoming Soccer Gala Day. Students will learn game-specific skills, positioning and team strategies. Students will participate in a cricket unit focussed on developing striking and fielding skills and strategies to be successful in modified games. Throughout all lessons, students will focus on applying fair play and inclusive strategies. 

Year 4 and 5 students will also have the exciting opportunity to take part in a karate program to develop their focus, discipline and fitness. 

Year 5 and 6 students have been participating in introductory lacrosse lessons, where they are learning how to scoop, pass and catch in small-sided games. This term, students will adopt a role with a unique set of responsibilities to organise and participate in a soccer round robin. Students will develop their volleyball skills in preparation for the Beach Volleyball Gala Day. They will learn the rules required to play a game and practice different team strategies. 

French

It has been a wonderful year of learning French, and Term 4 is full of exciting opportunities for students to build on their language skills through creative projects, music and cultural learning!

A special congratulations to Hugo E from Grade 5! We are incredibly proud to share that Hugo has won the Hors Catégorie award in the Berthe Mouchette French Poetry Recital Competition, organised by the Alliance Française. Competing against approximately 7,000 participants from schools across Victoria, this is a fantastic achievement and a testament to Hugo’s hard work, confidence and dedication to learning French. Hugo will be celebrating his success at an awards ceremony at St Kilda Town Hall in November. Félicitations, Hugo!

Foundation to Year 2 students are continuing to build on their knowledge of colours in French while discovering new vocabulary related to clothing. Through hands-on, creative activities, students are designing their own paper dolls and creating colourful outfits for them. As they cut, design and decorate, they are learning to recognise and use French words for different clothing items, making meaningful connections between language learning and creativity.

Years 3 and 4 students in Years 3 and 4 are taking their paper doll projects a step further by creating outfits and practising how to describe what their dolls are wearing in French. They are learning to combine clothing vocabulary with colours to form complete French sentences. This project encourages students to apply their existing knowledge, develop their sentence-building skills and build confidence in expressing themselves in French.

Years 5 and 6 students are becoming French travel guides! They are working on a project to create a slideshow about a French city of their choice. Through their research, students are exploring the geography, landmarks, culture and unique features of different cities across France. They will use their French language skills to present information about their chosen destination, developing their vocabulary, research skills and understanding of French culture along the way.

Chanson du trimestre – Song of the Term 

This term, all students will be learning “Vive le vent”, the French version of the much-loved winter song Jingle Bells. Sung by Les Amis de Boubi, this cheerful and festive song introduces students to French vocabulary associated with winter and New Year celebrations. Through singing, rhythm and repetition, students will practise their pronunciation, improve their listening skills and experience the joy of learning French through music.

Families are encouraged to sing along at home!

Listen to “Vive le vent” by Les Amis de Boubi:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcpIVcIh4YQ

Lyrics:

Vive le vent, vive le ventVive le vent d’hiverQui s’en va sifflant, soufflantDans les grands sapins verts, oh !

Vive le temps, vive le tempsVive le temps d’hiverBoules de neige et Jour de l’AnEt Bonne Année grand-mère !

À la maison – French at Home 

Looking for a fun way to practise French together? This term, students can also enjoy “Les Vêtements” by Blabber Beasts French for Kids, a fun video that introduces and reinforces vocabulary for clothing.

Watch it together and see if your child can identify the different items of clothing in French!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neWjlFG-sPE

Quelques mots à retenir – Key vocabulary:

• Un t-shirt – a T-shirt
• Une robe – a dress
• Des chaussures – shoes
• Des chaussettes – socks
• Un pull – a jumper
• Un uniforme – a uniform

Merci for your continued support of our French program. We look forward to finishing the year with lots of creativity, music and wonderful French learning!