Junior School News
Prep
It's official- they are 100 days smarter! Last week, we celebrated 100 days of school. Our beautiful Prep students walked the red carpet, proudly led the whole school assembly and took part in lots of fun and creative activities. One of the highlights of the day was seeing everyone dressed up as 100-year-olds, with walking sticks, glasses and grey hair, or as characters from Milo’s Birthday Surprise! A big thank you to Ms Ashfield and Mrs Santana for everything they have done to make the first 100 days of Prep so special. We are also very grateful to our wonderful LSOs for the care and support they give every day. It was a fantastic way to celebrate how far our Preps have come.
Please read on to hear some of our students share their highlights from the day:
Porter: I liked dressing up and taking photos! I dressed up as an old man. When I'm 100, I want to be a motorbike star. I want A KTM motorbike.
Vivienne: My favourite part was taking photos in front of the balloons. When I am 100, I will work in the garden and plant flowers.
Camille: I loved dressing up! I dressed up as an old grandma. We got cupcakes after assembly, and we got to walk down the red mat!
Tom: I loved making Fruit Loop necklaces.When I'm 100 I'm going to eat all the food I want and have a pet orca. I also want a pet Indian Tipan and a tarantula!
Maddie: I loved 100 days of Prep because I got to bring my purse. When I'm 100, I want to sit down on my chair, watch TV and eat Oreos with my pet dog.
Year 1
This week, the whole school started the next round of Peer Observation sessions. This term, our focus is on persuasive writing. The Year 1 students were very excited to receive their new 'sky, grass and ground' writing books to help them with their letter placement. We've been working hard on writing sentences that make sense, using capital letters, full stops and other punctuation in the right places. At the end of each session, students reflect on their own writing and set a goal for next time, supported by the teacher’s glow and grow feedback. It’s incredible to see how this feedback has supported students and the progress they have already made.
Read on to hear what our students think about Peer Observation so far.
Josie: I am learning how to make my letters neater. I like getting feedback from my teachers.
Lara: I am proud of my work because I am getting better at making sure my sentences make sense. I read over my work to make sure it makes sense.
Lucy F: I am proud of myself because I am learning how to write my letters neatly using the grass, sky, and ground paper.
Madi: I am proud of myself because I am adding detail to my writing.
Noah: I have been using my 'glow' and 'grow' feedback to help me.
Sam: I am getting better at using capital letters at the start of my sentences. I'm trying to use exclamation marks and question marks too.
Year 2
This week, the Year 2 students excitedly welcomed their new fluffy friends into the classroom... the chicks! Through the 'Henny Penny Hatching' program, students will have the unique opportunity to observe the life cycle of chickens up close and take part in their daily care. This hands-on experience ties in perfectly with our Inquiry unit, Living Connections, where we’re exploring the big question: What do plants and animals need to stay alive? Over the coming weeks, students will investigate how different features help plants and animals survive, like roots, stems and leaves in plants, and feathers, beaks and feet in animals. By caring for the chicks, students are learning firsthand about the basic needs of living things: air, water, food and shelter. It has been a wonderful start to the unit and a very exciting time for our Year 2 students.
Click on the following link to view the live stream of our chicks. Stay tuned for some hatching!
https://sites.google.com/smhampton.catholic.edu.au/chickenlivestream/home
Here's what some of our Year 2 students have to say about the experience:
Chloe: I saw an egg that was wobbling! Some of them have a purple stamp. That means it will take a longer time to hatch.
Rose: They are SO cute and fluffy. I think we should name the brown one Ginger and the yellow one Cookie.
Lila: The chicks are so cute! One has been wobbling today in its shell. Some of the eggs have a stamp on them. I can't wait to hold them. Two of them came, and they had already hatched.
James: I think we should name one Fluffy Bottom! One of them is starting to hatch. I was so happy to come to school today to see the chicks.
William: I saw two chicks that looked like they were stuck together! I think they were just trying to stay warm, though. I'm looking forward to watching them grow.
