Middle School News

Upper Primary (Years 5-6)

This Semester, Year 5/6 students have been investigating mixtures. Students have been learning to identify solids, liquids and gases and have conducted a range of experiments, mixing different solids and liquids to see how they change such as flour, water, oil and rice. They have also investigated how mixtures change when heated or cooled, using items such as butter and water.

Lower Secondary (Years 7-8)

The 7/8 cohort have recently commenced their Travel Training program for the year. As part of the program, students head out into the community to explore different forms of transport while building important community access and independence skills. During these outings, students are supported in tasks such as purchasing items, safely crossing roads, using all forms of public transit, and practising appropriate behaviour in public settings. 

Over the past few weeks, we have been taking students to different communities and experiences such as Watergardens Shopping Centre, Timezone at Highpoint Shopping Centre, Sunshine Plaza, and Art Vo. Students have enjoyed visiting these places and having the opportunity to order in the food court and play arcade games with friends. These experiences have provided valuable opportunities for students to develop confidence in themselves, as well as confidence in their communication, independence, and social skills in real-world settings. 

In numeracy, students continue to show their understanding of multiplicative thinking and time and duration. During travel training, students are tasked with understanding what time PT arrives and departs, as well as elapsed time while we are in the community. In literacy, students are working on their phonics sounds to blend and decode words, reading comprehension activities paired with our mentor text, and writing an autobiography.

In Inquiry class during Term 3, students have been learning about states of matter, chemical and physical changes, mixtures and solutions, and reversible and irreversible changes. These topics have allowed students to complete experiments to see these changes in real time. Some of these Inquiry activities have been really tasty! Students have made pancakes, coke floats/Spyders, a volcano, elephant toothpaste, and modelling clay among a few other activities. 

Students of the Week