Round the classes
Reception: Katie
In Katie's Reception class we have been working on learning new sounds and learning how to form these correctly when writing. We have also been doing some oral language activities and have been working on how to retell a story that has a beginning, middle and end. In maths, we have been learning all about the number 5. We have learnt about the different ways this number can be made and how to break it into parts. In HASS we have been learning about Celebrations and have really enjoyed learning all about what Reconciliation week is. We have also been learning about the Red Zone and ways to help us calm down when we get into this situation. We are very much looking forward to meeting our new classmates when kindy transition starts on Wednesday.
Reception/ Year 1: Jaya
We can’t believe we’re already halfway through the term! The Reception / Year 1 class has been buzzing with all sorts of different learning experiences. In Maths, our focus has been on patterns – finding them, creating them, and analysing them. We've explored repeat units and the number of elements in a pattern. Our pattern-making has extended beyond the classroom, with activities involving natural materials, rhythms, music and body percussion. We have loved engaging in so many different hands-on activities.
A highlight of the last couple of weeks was on Monday the 26th, when we were lucky enough to have Gabi Freer visit. She led the Kindy, Katie's, and our class through a session full of joyful songs, rhymes, and movement. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Kindy children and learn some new songs together.
We’re looking forward to even more exciting learning as the term continues!
Year 1/2: Kelly
What a great week of reconciliation. In Literacy the children listened to the story, Big Rain Coming written by Katrina Germain and illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. It was a wonderful story which connected us with wanting rain on our land. The children learnt about the sequences of the week and what happened each day. We discussed the adjectives (describing words) within the story and the children had to recall what happened throughout the week. In HASS we have been currently looking at machines and our focus for the last two weeks has been looking at what tools/machines the First Nations people first used, and some they continue to use toda. The children enjoyed researching about why the tool was made and what it was made out of. It was great to see the children collaborate in pairs to get the task complete.
Year 2/3: Emma
What a wonderful time we have had together in Sam’s class this fortnight. Our classroom culture reflects positivity, kindness and a sense of calm. When this state of well-being can be achieved, we are open and ready for all the learning to take place. Our focus each morning and after each lunch play has been to check in with our emotions and communicate ways that help us settle and feel connected to our inner calm!
A highlight last week was our Reconciliation Day. All students commented on how much they enjoyed the diverse range of activities and learning new ways of moving forwards with Aboriginal Australians for a collaborative and inclusive future. In my class we looked at Eddie Mabo’s legacy of native title rights, and given he came from a beautiful Island in the Torres Strait; we chose woven fish as a representation of connection to land and sea for Indigenous Australians.
During HASS we have been delving into the world of old and modern technologies. We have agreed that some older technologies may have been harder to use and were more time consuming, however they allowed us to move our bodies more- washing and cooking in particular!
Phonics has allowed us to learn new sounds and words which then flows into our writing component this term, persuasive writing. A favourite so far has been a task of having to sell a product that is unsellable, for example, stinky socks or a cardboard iPad. Students loved to think of creative ways to convince an audience that this product was actually useful! Additionally, to enable us to visualise the structure of persuasive writing, we have used hoops with cues to jump in each time we start a new paragraph. This kinaesthetic learning allows students to absorb learning through physical activity.
During maths, we have been learning the connection between addition and subtraction equations, otherwise known as inverse relationships. We have enjoyed problem-solving as well as understanding the wonderful patterns that help us work out our answers.
I am looking forward to taking the class next week for more amazing learning and positive experiences!
Year 3/4: Stephen
The year 3/4s have spent some time learning about Indigenous perspectives, specifically focusing on fire farming or cultural burning. The main focus has been on how Aboriginal people know how to use fire as a tool for food gathering and hunting. For writing, the focus has been on information reports, ensuring all compositions include main headings, sub-headings, topic specific vocabulary and factual information. The students enjoyed a visit to the kindy as it provided them with an opportunity to sing a class song to an appreciative audience.
Year 4/5: Alex
In our Geography HASS unit, students have been pondering the term interconnection and thinking about how all living things and the environment are connected and rely on each other. They have been exploring the connection that Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander people have with the land. They have been studying two different versions of maps of Australia. One version looking at the states, territories and capital cities and how the land is divided up. They then looked at the AIATSIS Map showing the myriad of Aboriginal language groups. They compared the two maps and identified the Aboriginal language groups of the land surrounding each capital city. Students are now moving on to look at map conventions.
Year 5/6: Sallie
In the last fortnight, we have enjoyed many different activities to help us understand the meaning of Reconciliation Week. One that brought tears to my eyes was the " Sorry Letters" that students wrote after reading the book The Burnt Stick by Anthony Hill. The story is about how a First Nations mother covered her son in charcoal to make him appear darker when the welfare men came to their camp. This strategy worked for a few visits, but eventually the little boy was taken from his mother. The students wrote letters to the mothers of stolen children. The emotive language used is very powerful. Some of these words included hurt, acknowledging, regret, sorrow, disheartened, scars, devastated, unimaginable, unforgivable, remorse, forgive, miserable, understand, shocked, grief, difference, depression, mourning, harmony, ancestors, dreading, and unfair. These letters are pinned (will be soon) on the pinboard in the hallway. Of course, we have been working on our literacy and numeracy skills too; the core of everything we do!
Year 5/6 Podcast: What is Learn, Stand, Give, Fly?
