Junior School

Prep

As we have settled back into the term, I am seeing the students become more confident learners, communicators and children of God. We have had a big focus on thinking of others, treating others as we would like to be treated, being fair and filling up our classroom cup so that we all have the opportunity to learn and grow together.

As a class, we finished our growth wall which represents our commitment to helping everyone grow in their own unique, God-given ways. We finished off our wall by adding some goals we would like to achieve for the term. Some students chose a personal goal and a learning goal, these ranged from; reading, writing, balancing, learning the monkey bars, getting better at counting and much more. We used the language 'the magical YET'. This means there are some things we can do already and some things that we need our magical yet to complete. I love seeing the growth mindset of these students and watching them set their own goals was amazing to see.

In Maths, we have been learning all things patterns as well as addition in various ways. The students are grasping addition really well, and have loved exploring games around this concept. We have also been revising number work through other games, focussing on targeted areas such as; one more, one less, number order, counting forwards and backwards. The students have been loving using items in our classroom as manipulativesand it has been beneficial for them to learn through hands on experiences.

In Literacy, we have been learning through a variety of ways including; weekly sound recognition, sentence writing, poems, songs and dance, guided reading and listening to reading and responding. With a main focus on our Prep performance for our Assembly item!

I have loved seeing students coming out of their shells, enjoying singing and dancing and getting excited for their 100 days of Prep! What an achievement for this class to be so proud of. They continue to grow and flourish everyday and it's a blessing to be apart of this journey with them.

Sarah Grainger

Prep E Teacher

Year 1

What an action-packed week we've had in Year 1! God continues to bless our class with energy, curiosity, and joyful hearts as the children explore new skills and express their wonderful imaginations.

On Monday, the class travelled by bus to their gymnastics session at Springers, our local gymnastics centre. It has been a delight to watch the children grow in confidence as they practised balancing, climbing, jumping, and moving in new ways. Lochie shared, "I liked the trampoline because it was fun and the gymnastics was in a shed. I liked the obstacle course because it was fun."

This term, we are exploring fractured fairy tales and have been enjoying the hilarious story The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. The children loved this clever twist on the traditional tale and used it as inspiration to write their own imaginative stories about what they would carry in a wheelbarrow. Their creativity certainly shone through!

Here are some of their wonderful ideas:

Hamish: "I would use the wheelbarrow to get the wood and then put six pieces of wood on the fire and then get in my pyjamas."

 

Maya: "I would put Jesse in my wheelbarrow because he liked being pushed."

 

Anna: "I would put my cat in the wheelbarrow, but she keeps hopping out. My mum would put the soil in the wheelbarrow. My cat gets crazy when I put her in the wheelbarrow."

 

Frankie: "I would carry wood for the fire on a cold day and I would carry dirt. I would also put my sister in and flowers in the wheelbarrow. Sometimes I put some concrete in it."

 

Ava: "I liked the story of The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. I liked the flower house."

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement at home. It is such a privilege to partner with you as we nurture each child's learning and faith.

Kerry Snook

Year 1 Teacher

Year 2

This week, Year 2 explored the story of David being anointed as king. We reflected on the important message from 1 Samuel 16:7: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Through discussion and a creative art activity inspired by this verse, students learnt that God values kindness, love and the good qualities within each person, rather than what we look like on the outside.

On Thursday, Year 2 travelled back in time to discover what life was like in the 1860s during an excursion to our local Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village.

The students began their day at the Common School, where they learnt reading, writing and sums. They had the opportunity to write on slates and practise school etiquette by standing to address the teacher and saying, “Yes, sir.”

Throughout the day, students enjoyed traditional games such as quoits, hoop rolling, skipping and wooden spinners. They also heard fascinating stories about local shipwrecks and Warrnambool’s maritime history.

The afternoon was filled with making and eating delicious scones before exploring the Maritime Village. It was a wonderful, hands-on experience that brought our local history to life!

Emily Hunter & Ellie Johnson

Year 2 Teachers

Year 3

Year 3 has been having a fantastic time getting hands-on with Science! Our classroom has become a mini science lab as we have explored how different materials can mix, change and react.

We put our scientist hats on to make slime, experimenting with ingredients and observing how combining materials can create something with completely different properties. There was plenty of stretching, squishing, problem-solving and excitement along the way!

We then took our learning outside and things became even more explosive! Using bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, we investigated chemical reactions and used the gas produced by the reaction to launch our very own rockets.

These experiments have been a wonderful way for students to practise predicting, observing, questioning and explaining – and to discover that Science can be wonderfully messy, exciting and fun!

Ang Hales

Year 3 Teacher

Year 4

We have had another busy and exciting week of learning in Year 4! In English, students have enjoyed completing research projects connected to our novel study, developing their research and presentation skills. 

In Mathematics, we have been exploring recursive number sequences and creating recurring patterns using matchsticks. Our excursion to the Warrnambool City Council was a highlight, where students learned about local laws and government, sat in the Council Chambers, and asked the Mayor some thoughtful questions. 

We also continued our literacy learning about space travel and the first Moon landing. Congratulations to our Students of the Week, Reuben, for his outstanding effort in English and novel study, and Jessica, for her wonderful work ethic and willingness to help others. 

A big thank you to Mr Griffin for accompanying us on our excursion and making the day so enjoyable. Next week, our Year 4 students are looking forward to their second Ten Pin Bowling session in PE with Ms Stephen. 

As winter continues, please remember to send a pair of gumboots to school to help keep muddy shoes and uniforms under control. Thank you for your ongoing support at home. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, stay warm and dry, and I look forward to another great week of learning together!

Naomi O'Brien

Year 4 Teacher

Year 6

On July 21st, the Year 6s woke up, got to school at 6:45 and left for Phillip Island. While we were there we had so much fun. We went rock climbing, kayaking, and pedal racing. We went and saw Koalas, did the giant swing, the flying fox, and watched the Penguin parade where all the little Penguins walk across the sand to get to their burrows. We went to the pinnacle, did archery, a talent show, movie nights and much more.

Two of the fun things we did were go to the chocolate factory and see how chocolate was made, buy chocolate, look at the machinery they use when making it, play chocolate games to earn chocolate balls and even get free chocolate samples! The other thing we did was A Maze N Things where we saw optical illusions, played minigolf and had so much fun.

Gabriela R

Year 6 Student

Garden Club

Over the next few weeks, we will be getting our garden beds ready for spring planting. This is always an exciting time as we prepare to grow fresh flowers, herbs, and vegetables for everyone to enjoy. Gardening provides wonderful opportunities for children to learn about nature, responsibility, patience, and God's amazing creation.

If your family has any spare seedlings, seeds, pots, garden tools, compost, mulch, or other gardening supplies that you no longer need, we would be so grateful for your donations. Every contribution, big or small, helps us create a thriving garden for our children to explore and care for.

Thank you for partnering with us as we nurture both our garden and our children's love of God's creation.

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." - Genesis 2:15

This verse reminds us that caring for the earth is one of the responsibilities God has entrusted to us. Through gardening, we can teach children the importance of stewardship, gratitude, and looking after the beautiful world God has given us.

Ally Robinson

Teacher