From the classroom
3/4 Inquiry Day
Today was so much fun! We learned all about different materials and how they work. First, we got to touch and test things like plastic, cardboard, and fabric to see if they were strong, flexible, or waterproof. Then, we had to choose a challenge: building a bridge, making a water holder, or designing something to stop an egg from breaking. We all had to design our product and list the materials that we were going to use and get these ready. People got to make a bridge and Mr Carroll stood on them and nearly all of them worked. A couple of groups decided to make a water storage device. A lot of us tried the egg drop challenge and everyone managed to make a product that protected the egg. I learned about the design process and that using the right materials is important for making things work.
Club Wrap up
This term students have been invovled in a variety of clubs including Dance, Science, Gardening, Bike Ed, Book Club, Cooking, Football, Music and Fishing. Thank you to our staff members that have gone out of their way to create exciting opportunities for our students. Below is what some of the students from 1/2 Wright thought about clubs this term.
Dakota – This term my club was Bike Ed. It was fun because we got to go down steep hills, especially the one under the bridge.
Evie – The best thing about Dance Club was when we did the ‘Chicken Dance’. Thank you, Shelley, for running dance and for making it so fun!
Flynn – My club was Cooking. I liked cooking because we mad rumballs.
Hunter – The best thing about Bike Ed was that we can go down steep hills.
Jack – Footy club was REALLY good because every time I went the teams were fair. We got to join with St Jo’s.
Ava – This term my club was Science, I liked it because it sounded fun. The best thing about my club was the experiments.
Ricky – This term my club was Footy, it was fun and I was happy. Thank you Mr Rasmussen.
Isaac – This term my club was Science. I liked Coke a Cola and Mentos explosions because they went really high.
Art News
This term started with us following the Olympics and working with air dry clay to make Olympic gold medals. The book, Gymnastica Fantastica, was our inspiration to create a gymnast doing a pose with magiclay.
We have used food dye to paint zoo animals. Shortlisted books from Book week saw us scrunching paper towel and dipping it in paint to create ducks. Father’s/ Special Person’s Day activities involved us making coat hangers for their favourite piece of clothing, Games of Tic Tac Toe and mosaic tile drinks coasters.
We have looked at artists like Keith Haring and Reggie Laurent and made our own interpretation of their work.
Grade 5/6 have been learning about One point perspective and created some fantastic
pictures in a circle.
Indonesian News
We have had a brilliant term of learning in the Indonesian room and I have been so impressed by the enthusiasm and effort that the students have shown!
Our Prep/1 class focused on learning fruit and colour words and then read the stories ‘Ulat Lapar’ (Hungry Caterpillar) and ‘Bluey suka buah’ (Bluey likes fruit) to consolidate their learning. They made Bluey puppets and enjoyed acting out the story.
Grade 1/2s learnt the vocabulary for clothing and demonstrated their comprehension of the story ‘Lucy Dingin’ (Cold Lucy) by illustrating sentences from the story and then creating their own books about themselves feeling cold and needing a jacket. In the story Bu Whitford lends them a jacket but it is ‘terlalu besar’ (too big), a Prep student lends them a jacket but it is ‘terlalu kecil’ (too small) and finally, a friend lends them a jacket and it is ‘Pas’ (fits). However, they then become too ‘panas’ (hot)!
Grade 3/4 students have been developing their vocabulary of animals, food and places in order to read and comprehend the story ‘Cicak lapar’ (Hungry Lizard). They did a fabulous job at reading the story and translating paragraphs and then illustrating them.
In Grade 5/6 the students enjoyed learning how to go shopping in Indonesian. They were challenged with a unit targeted at Year 8 students, but all did really well with the games, tests and activities. They learnt to ask and respond to selling items, ask about quantities and pricing and use greetings and manners. They finished the unit by writing their own scripts of a shopping role play and performing it to the class.
I hope you all students have a fabulous, well deserved holiday break. I am off to Bali, so am very excited to come back with some stories and resources for the students in Term 4!
Hayley Whelan (Bu Whelan)
Performing Arts & Library
Students in P/1/2 began Term 3 in Performing Arts by studying instrumental music through the classic story of "Peter and the Wolf," which introduced them to different instruments and their unique sounds. They began to investigate the elements of Music learning about pitch by identifying high, medium and low voices and also exploring musical instruments that produce high and low sounds. Students are having a great time using instruments such as drums, claves and tambourines to show how music can change tempo. Also, how our bodies can move in response to changes in tempo.
In the Library, Book week provided a fantastic opportunity to explore some new books and enjoy the book week parade dressed as our favourite book character. The Library has been open daily at lunchtimes throughout the week, providing opportunities to find a quiet place to read or play board games with friends.
PE
In PE this term Prep - 2 finished off their gymnastics unit and began their athletics unit. Both units relate well as we look at how to improve performance through using the elements of movement (effort, space and time). This will lead in well to our whole school athletics carnival which will be held on Thursday 17th October at the Rochester Little Athletics club (Windridge Oval)
In 3-6 they completed the Athletics unit in preparation for the District Athletics. They have now moved on to striking and fielding sports and are really enjoying the challenge of t-ball and softball. The focus of this unit is the sports specific skills as well as tactics and strategies invloved in striking and fielding sports.
