This Week At OOPS

Class Art Projects

All of our students have enjoyed helping to make class artworks for our silent auction over the past few weeks, and they look incredible!  Feel free to pop into the office to see them for yourself.  Our very special Prep - Year 2 artworks are being finalised and will appear on our auction site very soon, so stay tuned!

Year 5 & 6 STEM – LEGO Robotics

This week, our Year 5 & 6 students explored our brand-new LEGO Robotics kits! Working together in teams, students built and programmed their robot ‘servers’ to navigate using different inputs. They explored how inputs and outputs work together to control a robot’s actions while developing their teamwork, problem-solving and coding skills. It was fantastic to see their creativity and collaboration in action!

Year 1 Maths – Let's Go Shopping!

Our Year 1 students have been busy putting their money skills into practice with some hands-on shopping experiences!

Students have been exploring how to calculate the total cost of two or more items and work out how much change they should receive when making a purchase.

Working in pairs, students took turns being the shopkeeper and customer, selecting items from a shopping catalogue, adding prices together and using play money to pay for their purchases. Our shopkeepers then had the important job of calculating and giving the correct change!

Students used part-part-whole models, addition and subtraction number sentences, and their knowledge of Australian coins and notes to solve real-life money problems.

This is a fantastic skill to practise outside of school! Next time you're at the shops, encourage your child to look at the prices of two items and work out how much they would cost altogether. You could also give them a pretend budget of $10 or $20 and ask how much change they would receive. These simple, everyday opportunities are a great way to build confidence and show children how maths is used in the real world.

It was wonderful to see so much mathematical thinking, teamwork and problem-solving as our Year 1 students brought their very own shops to life!

Trivia Night

By the look of these photos, everyone had a ball at our Aussie Icon Trivia Night last Saturday.  Huge thanks to Sarah Alligan (aka Trude, see below) for organising this event, she did an amazing job.  Well done to everyone who attended with such creative costumes!

Don't Let Reading Take a Holiday! 

Research highlights an important concern known as the “summer reading slide.” During extended school holidays, children lose ground in their reading development when regular reading practice stops. This can be particularly significant for children who are still developing fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills, which are all primary aged school children.

Children have worked hard throughout 2026 to become confident, capable readers. Without opportunities to practise, some may return to school needing additional time to regain confidence and momentum.

The good news is that simple, consistent reading routines make a real difference. Encouraging children to read each day, sharing books and talking about stories and information are practical ways families can support each child’s learning.

With our school fete approaching, there will be plenty of books for sale. Why not take your child along and let them select books they would love to read over the holidays? Choosing their own books helps develop enthusiasm and ownership of reading.

Reading is a skill that grows with practice. A little reading each day helps protect the progress children have worked so hard to achieve.

Holiday Reading Checklist for Families

• Make reading a daily habit – Set aside the time at a regular time each day.
• Read together – Take turns reading aloud, even with older children.
• Talk about the story – Ask questions such as "Why do you think that happened?" or "What might happen next?"
• Visit the local library – Borrow books that spark curiosity and interest. Choose a variety of fiction and non-fiction.
• Visit our school fete! – With plenty of books for sale at the upcoming fete, why not take your child along and encourage them to choose books they'd love to read over the holidays? Giving children ownership of their reading choices is a wonderful way to build motivation and enjoyment. You will also pick up a bargain!
• Be a reading role model – Let your child see you enjoying a book, newspaper or magazine.
• Make reading part of everyday life – Read signs, menus, instructions and recipes together.
• Celebrate effort and progress – Encourage persistence with tricky words and praise improvements.

The key is consistency. An enjoyable reading routine each day is far more beneficial than just one lengthy session.

Let's keep those reading muscles working over the holidays so every child returns to school feeling confident, capable and ready for new learning!