ST FIDELIS NEWSLETTER

What's happening in our learning spaces? 

FOUNDATION NEWS

After a busy first few weeks of Term 3, we are beginning to settle back into our regular routine! 

 

This week, we were all introduced to the Zones of Regulation. We identified various emotions and connected them to each of the four coloured zones: blue, yellow, red, and green. Green means we are calm, focused, happy, and ready to learn- this is where we want to be! We then engaged in meaningful discussions about when and why we might feel a certain way, and brainstormed different strategies we could use to help us move out of those zones and back into the green zone. There is a chart in each learning space, and as self-managers, we move our photos between the zones as needed throughout the day and use the brainstormed strategies to support ourselves. We will continue to engage in learning about this to help us manage our emotions and needs. 

As inquirers, we found out about Bullying as part of Bullying No Way Week! We engaged in a session with Kids Helpline to explore what bullying is, the different types of bullying and what to do if we witness or experience bullying. We discovered that bullying is a repeated action. Bullying occurs when someone keeps being mean on purpose, over and over again! 

 

The theme for 2025 is 'Be bold. Be kind. Speak up.' As researchers, we watched a video about Bullying, then engaged in discussions around Kindness. We identified ways we can show kindness to everyone in our community and made our thinking visible by drawing these and placing them together to create honeycomb cells. As collaborators, we came up with a promise as a class, and created a poster to raise awareness and promote courage, kindness and respect! You can check out our display on the window outside the Junior Learning Area!

As readers, we have been engaging with some of the CBCA shortlisted books in the lead up to Book Week. We have been exploring the difference between fiction and non-fiction texts, with a focus on the features. As thinkers, we identified that fiction texts are made-up stories that include characters, settings, problems and solutions. We have been using story maps to unpack these parts of the stories we have read. We have loved hearing the different stories and talking about all of the unique characters and events!

This week, we will be learning about…

  • Numeracy: Tuning in to Subtraction
  • Reading: Fiction-texts and their features/Book Week shortlisted texts 
  • InitiaLit: Using learnt sounds to build, read and spell words and sentences, and read decodable story books (Learnt sounds: m, s, t, a, p, i, f, r, c, o, d, h, e, n, g, l, k, u, b, j)
  • Writing: Adding detail to our writing and extending our sentences. Recording sounds, sight words, and using spaces, capital letters, and full stops. 
  • Inquiry: Exploring what scientists do
  • Religion: Confirmation and Jubilee Year
  • The Resilience Project: Gratitude and Empathy 

 

A friendly reminder about a few upcoming events…

  • Book Week Dress Up Day and Parade- Friday, 29th August, 9:00 am
  • Father’s Day Morning- Thursday, 4th September 
  • School Closure Day- Friday, 5th September
  • Hot Food Day- Wednesday, 17th September
  • End of Term (1 pm finish)- Friday, 19th September

 

Enjoy the week ahead!

Foundation Team, Alycia Marsico, Leanne Wenckowski and Olivia Sargent 

YEAR 1/2

It has been another exciting week in Year 1/2. Last week was full of hands-on learning opportunities. We have been developing our skills to write entertaining narrative texts, challenging ourselves with multiplication problems, and engaging in thoughtful discussions about how we should show kindness to others. 

 

Last week we recognised Bullying No Way week. As communicators, we had the opportunity to take part in a Kids Helpline Live Seminar. We listened carefully and learned about what bullying is, and the impact that it can have on others. We discovered actions that we can take to help prevent bullying behaviours, and the importance of being bold, being kind, and speaking up!

As part of inquiring into our big question, ‘What changes can we observe in everyday life?’ We have been finding out about how mixing materials can cause a change or a reaction. As scientists, we have taken part in an exciting experiment, mixing salt with water, and seeing what happens over seven days. We made our very own hypothesis and recorded our observations of what changes we noticed over five days. 

As readers and writers, we have been learning about sizzling starts, an exciting way to engage the reader in our writing. As thinkers, we have been developing the skill of describing a character by using interesting adjectives and descriptive language. We have practised describing both the physical appearance and the personality of our characters, painting a clear picture for the reader. We have also applied our knowledge of adjectives and narrative writing to describe the setting, helping readers imagine exactly where our stories take place!

As mathematicians, we have been tuning in to the concept of multiplication. Using hands-on materials, we have explored making equal groups to represent a multiplication number sentence. To extend our thinking, we have made connections to skip counting, repeated addition, and representing the problem as a picture. It’s been exciting to see our confidence grow as we make new discoveries! 

Upcoming events

  • Book Week Dress Up Parade - Friday, 29th August 
  • Father's Day Stall - Wednesday, 3rd September 
  • Father's Day Breakfast Activities - Thursday, 4th September 
  • School Closure Day - Friday, 5th September 
  • End of Term 3 -1 pm Friday, 19th September 

 

Vania Sparano, Nadia Ascenzo, Chloe Wang & Olivia Bovolato 

1/2 Team

YEAR 3/4 

As inquirers, this week we celebrated Anti-Bullying Week. The theme is “Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up.” We participated in an online webinar where we learnt about …

We also had a visit from our local policeman to inform us on Safety in our Community. We discussed using apps and games safely online. We learnt that if we are using technology, we should: 

  • Ensure that we are using websites and applications that are appropriate for our age - looking out for age restrictions, parental guidance ratings and content of the games. 
  • When we use technology, we should be in the same room as our trusted adult, so they can see our screens and be available if we have any questions or concerns. 
  • We should not be taking devices into our bedroom and we should be off our devices at least an hour before we go to bed because our devices stimulate our brains and make it difficult for us to fall asleep.
  • For more information, see https://www.police.vic.gov.au/online-safety and https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids/be-an-esafe-kid 

As a Catholic community, we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption by attending whole school Mass. In our classrooms, we learnt about the importance of Mary and her role in the church. 

This week, we will be learning about…

  • Numeracy: Addition & Subtraction for year 3. Multiplication & Division for year 4.
  • Reading: Class novel on Charlotte’s Web.
  • Writing: Character analysis.
  • Spelling: Review 
  • Inquiry: The Scientific Process.
  • Religion: Feast of the Assumption.

 

Year 3/4 Teachers

Belinda Panzarino & Sarah Hogan 

YEAR 5/6

We’re excited to share the excellent learning and growth happening across our school this week. From celebrating essential milestones in faith to exploring kindness and respect through “Bully No Way!”,  we embraced opportunities to learn, create, and support each other.

 

As writers, we have been exploring persuasive writing and the importance of using evidence to back up our arguments. We have also been learning about different points of view and how writing in the third person can make our arguments sound stronger and more convincing.

 

As people of faith, we joyfully congratulate our Year 6 students on celebrating their Confirmation. This special day marks an important milestone in their faith journey, and we are so proud of the commitment, reflection, and preparation they have shown. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to guide and inspire them each day.

As scientists, we have been working hard on our STEM MAD projects. We presented our ideas on Thursday with creativity, teamwork, and enthusiasm. We are so proud of our efforts! A huge thank you to Mr Frazzetto for his dedication and hard work in guiding us through our STEM MAD projects. 

 

This week, we have been learning about the “Bully No Way!” message, exploring what bullying is and how we can work together to stop it. Each day, students listened to daily provocations to spark discussion and reflection. They also created colourful posters to share these important messages with our school community.

Some key takeaways included:

  • Understanding the difference between bullying and conflict
  • The importance of speaking up and supporting others
  • How small acts of kindness can help create a safer, happier school environment

We were lucky enough to have Meredith and Joe from Brunswick Police Station run their Safety In Schools incursion with us. We learnt about keeping ourselves safe online, protecting our identities, and knowing what to do when things go wrong. Some tips they shared with us:

  • Don’t talk to strangers online or give out personal information, such as photos, names, school, family information, or likes/interests. 
  • Don’t share photos that have the school logo, in front of our homes/school, or places we like to frequent. 
  • Share all platforms used with our adults so they can keep us safe.
  • Only use our devices in open areas, not in our bedrooms.
  • Be respectful online, block and delete people, and be a.w.a.r.e.
  • Many platforms have age restrictions, 13 years and up. 
  • Use the E- Safety Commisioner to report online abuse

A reminder that Home Learning is distributed each Monday. Here are the answers for the Maths task provided for this week. A reminder to mark this with your child.

Bianka Zorzut, Vicky Karalis, Nick Tresize and Maddie Comrie

5/6 Team