School of Foundations
St Luke's Catholic College
Learning, Leading and Celebrating in Term 4
Term 4 is always a busy one, and this year is no different! Across K-4, our dedicated teachers and students have embraced the first few weeks with purposeful learning, engaging activities and assessments that help us celebrate progress and identify next steps. We are making the most of every minute as we round out the year.
There is much to look forward to. Our Remembrance Day commemoration on the 11th November will provide an opportunity to pause, remember those who have served and sacrificed, and reflect on our shared hope for peace.
Our annual St Luke’s Day celebration is another much-loved occasion. We will celebrate our patron saint through a whole-college liturgy, recognise our students’ talents in the ever-popular showcase, and enjoy activities that bring us together to learn, work and play.
Students are also preparing for their end-of-year Student Led Conferences, reflecting on their learning, recognising their growth and considering what they would like to share with their families.
One of my favourite things to hear at assemblies and special gatherings is the enthusiastic singing of our National Anthem. The pride and respect shown by our School of Foundations students make these moments particularly special.
Equally lovely is our youngest learners’ desire to contribute and lead. Leadership can be seen in the everyday ways children encourage others, share an interest and help someone feel included.
Over the past few years, our SOF Lunch Clubs have offered opportunities to enjoy crafts, sport, dance, music, games and more. These experiences have been made possible by the generosity of teachers who give their lunchtime to support them.
This term, Years 3 and 4 students were invited to submit expressions of interest in hosting their own clubs. With teacher supervision, some of our wonderful student leaders are now helping facilitate our Term 4 Lunch Clubs; sharing their interests, welcoming others and taking responsibility for creating enjoyable experiences for their peers.
It is a pleasure to see their ideas come to life and their confidence grow as they contribute to our community.
Nicole Emerton
SOF Head of School (Acting)
Kindergarten Term 4 Week 3
English
We started our writing this term with Recount writing of school holidays. Students loved sharing what they did in their school holidays with each other and with their teachers. We have been working hard to remember to use finger spaces, capital letters at the start of our sentences and full stops at the end.
Over the next few weeks students will be writing persuasively. Kindergarten persuasive writing is all about helping young learners share their opinions, give a simple reason, and build early communication skills through fun, everyday topics.
Mathematics
Our Kindergarten mathematicians have been busy exploring length! Using hands-on activities and concrete materials, the children have been comparing and measuring different objects to discover which are longer, shorter or the same length. The children have been practising using their mathematical language to describe and compare objects, as well as finding objects that are the same length. Through fun, practical learning experiences, they are developing their measuring skills and growing in confidence as little mathematicians!
Religion
This term, we are exploring how God is present in our world today. We have begun by exploring how we are unique and special, being created in God’s image and likeness. The students identified qualities that they possess such as being loving, kind and caring. We look forward to discovering, wondering and learning alongside our students.
Parish Mass
Earlier this term, Kindergarten attended Thursday morning Parish Mass, with students reading the Prayers of the Faithful and the Responsorial Psalm. They enjoyed participating and making connections with their learning in Religious Education last term.
Stage 1
Term 4, Week 3
English
Year 1 Lions have been learning about the exciting world of poetry and discovering the different elements that make a poem unique. Students have explored how poems are written in lines and stanzas and how poets use rhyme and rhythm to bring their words to life. They have discovered that poems can have a beat and flow, just like a rap! Students have also investigated how poets use onomatopoeia, words that imitate sounds, and repetition to make their poems more engaging, expressive and fun to read. Through these activities, Year 1 Lions are developing their creativity and confidence as they begin to write their own poems.
Mathematics
In Mathematics this term, Year 1 Wizards have been busy exploring the unit Time! Students have been learning to read and represent time using both analogue and digital clocks, focusing on o’clock and half-past times. They have also been learning about the days of the week, the months of the year and how to use calendars to identify dates and important events. The Wizards have explored measuring and comparing the duration of events using informal units, such as counting claps, steps or other repeated actions to measure how long activities take. The Wizards have loved participating in hands-on activities and practical experiences to practise their time-telling skills. They have been learning to identify the features of a clock, understand the role of the hour and minute hands, and make connections between time and their daily routines. Through these engaging activities, the Wizards have been developing their confidence in reading clocks, understanding calendars and recognising how time helps us organise our day, week and year.
Religion
In Religion, Year 2 students are learning about sacred stories and how to navigate and read the Bible. They are exploring how the Bible is organised and discovering the important messages and teachings found within its stories. Students are also learning how these messages can guide the choices they make in their everyday lives.
Celebration of Learning
On Thursday, Year 2 welcomed parents into the classroom for a wonderful Celebration of Learning! Together, students and parents played the Race to 100 dice game, putting their maths skills into practice in a fun and engaging way. The game encouraged students to use their addition and subtraction skills, count forwards, and think strategically as they worked towards 100. It was a fantastic opportunity for parents to see the learning taking place in the classroom and the progress students have been making in maths. Thank you to all the parents who joined us and helped make the experience so special!
Stage 2
Term 4, Week 3
English
Throughout Term 3, Stage 2 has been learning how to write our own imaginative stories. We learned that a good story needs interesting characters, a setting, a conflict and a resolution. By learning about the Mountain Plot, it has helped us plan and organise our ideas. We started by introducing our characters and setting, then built up the events as the problem became more exciting. At the top of the mountain was the climax, which was the most exciting part of our story. Then, we worked our way down the mountain to solve the problem and finish our story. We also learned to use descriptive language and interesting details to make our stories more enjoyable to read.
Mathematics
Stage 2 students have been exploring the exciting world of chance and probability in Mathematics! Through hands-on experiments using dice, coins, spinners and mystery bags, students have been making predictions, conducting repeated trials and recording their results using tally tables and graphs. They have been developing their mathematical reasoning by comparing predicted and actual results, investigating fair and unfair games, and explaining how chance outcomes can vary. These engaging investigations are helping students build confidence in using mathematical language, interpreting data and supporting their conclusions with evidence.
Religion
This year, Gringotts has been focusing on being intentional with our kindness. We have learnt from Jesus through prayer to think about the person receiving the kindness, not just about the one showing it.
Throughout Terms 2 and 3, Gringotts has been working on a sneaky project we have called ‘The Secret Agent Ninja Challenge’. We have been operating in the shadows to carry out small acts of kindness for people in our school.
When Mrs McMurrich arrived in Term 2, she received a St Luke’s Guide book for our school. All SOF teachers found individualised cards and origami flowers, which we secretly left in their classrooms. Even SOF students received a surprise when we decorated the school with positive posters with encouraging messages and thoughts.
Our goal was simple → to spread kindness and make people smile.
Although we’ve been eager to share our secret with you all for months, we also know that kindness doesn’t have to be loud or obvious to make a difference. Even the smallest gesture can brighten someone’s day. It’s not about what you get back; it’s about the smile you put on someone else’s face.
We’re already thinking about our next secret mission and hope that our Secret Agent Ninja Challenge inspires everyone to spread a little kindness, too. After all, you never know how much a small act of kindness might mean to someone!
Creative Art
In Visual Arts, Stage 2 students explored the question, “What is art?” They discussed how artists use colour, materials and imagination to express ideas and feelings. Students then experimented with paint and oil pastels to create their own colourful artworks. Some students drew inspiration from Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, using swirling lines and vibrant colours to recreate their own version of the famous painting. It was wonderful to see each student bring their own ideas and creativity to the task.
