Learning and Teaching

Science Excursion to St John's College Dandenong

🌟Exciting News from Our Seniors' Visit to St John's: A Day of Discovery!🌟

On Thursday, June 27th, our senior students embarked on an exciting adventure to St John's, where they delved into the fascinating world of science under the guidance of Anna Nyguen, Saint Johns Science Teacher, and the talented Year 10 students who were ready and excited to be involved with our seniors.

This visit was based on our Inquiry/Religion unit this term on “Energy,” where our children further explored our concept question: “How does energy impact myself and others around me?”

Our seniors were buzzing with curiosity as they participated in hands-on experiments focusing on Light, Heat, Electricity, and Forces. With wide-eyed wonder, they discovered how light can bend and reflect using various objects, making the invisible world of optics come alive. They explored the mysterious realm of magnets, understanding the push and pull forces that make everyday objects interact in magical ways. Anna Nyguen was thoroughly impressed by the rich vocabulary our students demonstrated and the thoughtful justifications they provided during their explorations. Their enthusiasm and knowledge shone brightly as they connected their learning to the practical wonders of our world, like the solar panels that harness the sun’s heat to provide energy.

Throughout the term, our senior children have been learning about the importance of energy not only in our everyday lives but also in the broader context of our faith and community. They have come to appreciate how energy, in its many forms, is a gift that powers our homes, fuels our activities, and even lights up our churches. Through this understanding, they are growing into thoughtful stewards of the energy resources we are blessed with.

The excitement and discoveries of the day are sure to inspire our seniors to continue exploring the wonders of energy, guided by both scientific inquiry and the values we cherish. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to seeing how they will use their newfound knowledge to impact their world positively!

The Senior Team

Learning Space 1 Juniors

This week, as the weather turns colder in Melbourne, the Learning Space 1 Junior Prep students explored the theme of Winter. Students ventured into our school's outdoor area to immerse themselves in the winter environment.

During this exploration, students brainstormed ideas about Winter, crafted their own snowmen, and shared their thoughts and experiences on activities, games, sports and foods they enjoy during the Winter. They also wrote sentences about Winter in their writing books. Hands-on learning experiences like these enhance comprehension through engaging, practical opportunities.

This immersive approach provided a valuable and enjoyable learning experience for the students. We wish all the students and families a wonderful Winter school break.

Sue, Melissa, Aoife, Natasha

LS1 Junior Team

Learning Space 3 Juniors

In Learning Space 3 Juniors we have been learning about St Mary Mackillop.

We learnt how Mary Mackillop was born in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Her parents came from Scotland. Mary and Father Woods opened a school where poor children could learn.

She died on 8th August 1909 and is now a saint. We remember her on the 8th August every year.

We coloured in a stained glass window with St Mary Mackillop’s Feast Day. We are then able to cut them out and stand them up. She is Australia’s first canonised saint.

Rebecca, Imogene, Tamara

LS3 Junior Team

Learning Space 3 Seniors

As we conclude this term's exploration of our unit on ‘Energy’ in LS3, we challenged the students to share what they have learned about spiritual energy and ‘Human Dignity’.

The students reflected on their understanding of human dignity and presented to their peers by creating a prayer space in a format of their choice.

They were then asked to connect their reflections to a scripture reading where they showed strong connections with the real world (present) and how Jesus exemplified human dignity in his life (in the past).

The results were amazing, students chose songs, created art pieces, animations, slide shows and even performed role-plays to demonstrate the profound impact human dignity can have on our lives. They were able to showcase their growing understanding of the topics of equality, inclusion, acceptance and respect.

It was inspiring to see the creativity of each group and the depth of their understanding, in particular their strong connections to Jesus’ teaching of the greatest commandment of Love.

It reminds us that there is always more to learn and understand, inspiring us to keep exploring and seeking new perspectives, but most importantly to be accepting of our differences.

‘imago Dei’ means ‘image of God’ because we are all created in the image of God and it is important for us to remember: that we are all loved, we are all wanted and we are all valued.

Gerwin: I believe that human dignity is when you treat people with respect and kindness, and everyone is treated equally.

Divine: I believe human dignity is about human rights and not judging people for how they look, act or how old they are.

Phebian: I think human dignity is how you should treat other cultures and how we should understand other people.

Lachlan: I think human dignity is treating people how we would like to be treated, and that Jesus told us that we need to be patient and love one another.

Andrea, Sarah, Melody, Tanya

LS3 Senior Teachers

🌟LS2 Seniors : Clinic 3 Mathematics Clinics 🌟

We're thrilled to share the exciting progress your children in Clinic 3 Maths have made this term! We've been diving into the mathematical world of area, exploring the formula Area = Length × Width in practical and engaging ways. Over the past week, our young learners embarked on an investigation where they designed floor plans for houses and calculated the area of different rooms. But the adventure didn’t stop there!

Three enthusiastic students—Adian N, Carl, and Toby—took their interest to the next level. Together, we co-designed a fantastic learning task to extend their house design project. Their creativity blossomed as they brainstormed what a dream backyard should include: a deck, a shed, and a veggie garden or garden bed. But that wasn’t all! The boys challenged themselves to incorporate irregular shapes in two of their designs, calculating the area for each unique element. They were also excited to figure out the practical aspects of construction:

How much concrete is needed to fill the slab for the shed?
How much timber is required to build the deck?
How much soil is necessary to fill the garden bed or veggie patch?

This hands-on, co-designed project not only deepened their understanding of the area but also brought real-world applications into the classroom, making learning more relevant and exciting. Their creativity and enthusiasm have been truly inspiring. It has been a joy to work with the LS2 Clinic 3 Maths group this term, witnessing their growth and engagement with these real life mathematical challenges.

🌟LS2 Seniors Student Representative Council

This week has been buzzing with excitement as our budding leaders have been hard at work! In a bid to become the Student Representative Council (SRC) Rep for our Learning Space, the children have been writing heartfelt applications and preparing inspiring speeches.

Each student has tackled questions that reflect our PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning) Expectations, their achievements in learning, as well as their skills in communication, collaboration, and leadership. They've poured their creativity and passion into explaining why they should be chosen to represent their peers.

🎤 Speech Day is Just Around the Corner! 🎤Students will present their speeches during the day this week, sharing their vision and enthusiasm with their classmates. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their ideas and leadership potential.The SRC will run every Monday at 2.15pm starting in Term 3 and will meet with Rachel Lenko, Student Wellbeing Leader and Christine White.

Let’s cheer on our future leaders as they step up, speak out, and shine brightly! 🌟 Students chosen will be announced in Week 1 of Term 3.

🌟 LS2 Seniors: Clinic 2 Mathematics 🌟

In clinic settings, children have been using hands-on materials to learn about the place value of numbers, as well as factors and multiples. These activities have not only captured students' interest but also provided concrete representations to facilitate learning and understanding. The collaborative environment catered to different learning styles, and while challenges were present, they offered valuable opportunities for reflection and improvement.

Amy, Clare, Rosie, Rozeta, Eileen

LS2 Senior Teachers

SPORTS NEWS

SENIOR SPORTS

STATE CROSS COUNTRY

In the first week next term, on Thursday July 18th, Andi will represent us at State Cross Country. We wish Andi all the best and know she will be training hard over the holidays. Good luck Andi! We are very proud of your achievements and wait eagerly to hear how you go.

WHOLE SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS

SFS AUSKICK CENTRE – TERM 3

What exciting news for SFS! In Term 3 we will have Auskick offered at our school on Wednesdays from 3.30 pm - 4.30 pm starting Wednesday July 31st through to Wednesday August 28th. All levels are welcome to attend the 5 Auskick sessions. Parents will need to register their child via the QR code below. The cost of the 5 clinics is only $50 which includes the five Auskick sessions, a football and a pump.

To give students a taste of the Auskick clinics, Jackson from AFL will be coming to school to run free clinics for all the students early in Term 3. Further information for these clinics will be provided via Operoo shortly.

Please take advantage of this great opportunity where SFS becomes an Auskick Centre for only SFS students.

Giuliana

Sports Coordinator

gfaiola@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

SOCCER FUN DAY

Friday June 28th

What a great day we had today for Soccer Fun Day! It was fantastic to see all the students and teachers in their soccer/sports tops or colours.

SENIORS

Seniors were involved in House Soccer Matches from 8.50 am – 10.15 am Grade 5/6 Houses played first with the Grade 3/4 students cheering for their House, then Grade 3/4 Houses played as the Grade 5/6 students cheered. There was a great atmosphere!!! We would like to congratulate Grade 5/6 Patrick and Teresa Houses who both came first in their competition and also Grade 3/4 Patrick House for winning their competition! Both levels will be presented with their trophy, that will have their House engraved on it for 2024 and displayed in our trophy cabinet ready for next year’s competition.

STAFF/PARENTS VS GRADE 6 SOCCER MATCH

Following the Senior soccer matches, the whole school went out to the soccer pitch to cheer and support the Grade 6s, staff and parents in their soccer match. What a great atmosphere there was!!!

We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Grade 6s in their first win ever!! Well done to both sides for their sportsmanship and humour during the match.

JUNIORS

Juniors had a great time involved in rotational soccer activities from 11.35 am – 12.45 Music was playing and students rotated around 8 activities focused on developing their soccer skills. We would like to thank the Grade 6 students who volunteered to assist in running the Junior rotational activities. They demonstrated great leadership skills and assisted the Juniors to have a great time! These students have also received points for their House for the Community Spirit they have demonstrated by assisting the Juniors with their rotations.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students who participated with enthusiasm and excitement. We would also like to thank all the staff for their support and enthusiasm. Days like this wouldn’t happen without the support of our great staff. And our fantastic P&F who provided our pizza fun lunch to add to the celebrations of the day!

We wish everybody a safe and restful holiday and look forward to next term with new sporting opportunities for the students.

Giuliana

Sports Coordinator

gfaiola@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au