Learning & Teaching

Author's Corner

Where the magic of words and the boundless imagination of our young authors take centre stage.

Today we are featuring Bonnie in Prep:

Challenging Tasks in Mathematics

At Holy Cross, we utilise challenging tasks within our maths units as a strategy to build student agency and develop problem-solving skills. These tasks empower children to think independently and engage deeply with mathematical concepts.

When teaching through challenging tasks, teachers present problems without providing a step-by-step solution/strategy. This invites children to grapple with the mathematical concepts within the problem and encourages them to explore multiple strategies and solutions. It also promotes a growth mindset, as children learn that making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process. After learners have grappled with a problem and designed their own solutions, teachers spotlight children's strategies as a springboard for explicit mathematical teaching.

This week our Year Four children were presented with a challenging task that invited them to explore the relationship between perimeter and area.

Exploring Systems and Cycles: Year 3 and 4 Children Investigate Jackson's Creek and Hanging Rock for Clues

Our Year 3 and 4 children visited Jackson's Creek and Hanging Rock last week, where they carefully sought evidence of systems and cycles in the natural world. Armed with sketchbooks and iPads, the children spotted evidence far and wide, including saplings at the base of towering trees, cloud formations above dwindling creeks, and recognised the changing seasons in the surrounding flora. The highlight of the day was a super cute encounter with a koala mother and her baby, which was definitely the children's favourite evidence of life cycles in nature. Well done to our Year 3 and 4 children for gathering so much information to drive their future learning across the term.

Wild Action Zoo Incursion

Last Thursday, the Year 5/6 children participated in an incursion with Wild Action Zoo.  A wide variety of birds, mammals and reptiles all local to the Macedon Ranges were brought in and children had the opportunity to touch and hold the animals.

This incursion supported our Inquiry learning about systems and cycles. We learnt that living creatures are connected with the land and with each other. The presenter highlighted the need for us to respect and care for our unique environment so that these animals can thrive.  

Discovery: Recreating Australian Landscapes

This week in Discovery our children were inspired by the huge variety of Australian landscapes and decided to represent some of these special places using natural materials. Below you can see Hanging Rock recreated out of sand and stones. You will also notice a desert landscape and the beginnings of a lizard emerging from beneath a rock.