Merri-bek Mail

Teaching and Learning Areas

Foundation

In Foundation this term, we are learning all about how we impact the environment and how we can help look after our planet. We’ve been sorting rubbish and working out the best ways to deal with our waste - including feeding our food scraps to the lovely worms that live in our courtyard compost bin. Students held worms and considered how these wonderful creatures help to keep our world alive and clean. We look forward to taking a walk down to Merri Creek next week to see how we can help our waterways.

 

In Literacy we are learning to read and write procedural texts. We’ve followed the steps to plant seeds, make pirate hats and even considered how to bath a woolly mammoth!

In Maths we have been looking at patterns and learning about place value and how that special number 10 helps us to count, order and read bigger numbers. Students have used blocks to build train carriages, played trading games and bundled to help build their understanding of 2 digit numbers. 

 

Grade 1/2

The 1/2s have been busy learning about minibeasts this term. On Monday 22nd April, they had a special visitor come to our school from Labcoat Learning. Here, the students were able to rotate around different stations and explore various minibeasts. It was a great opportunity for students to see and touch different minibeasts such as a praying mantis, butterflies, crickets, caterpillars and more. 

 

We hope you enjoy the photos we have shared! 

Grade 3/4

Hi families and carers of 3/4,

 

We have had a fantastic start to Term 2. Camp is fast approaching and students are very excited. Information about what to bring, times we depart/arrive and camp activities has now been sent out. Don’t hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher if there are any questions.

 

In Integrated Curriculum, students have begun our unit called ‘Explorers’. So far we have looked at First Nations history pre-colonisation. Soon students will have a choice over which European explorer they will research e.g. James Cook, Matthew Flinders etc. They will have opportunities to look at the journeys these explorers made and how European colonisation has impacted First Nations people. Towards the end of the term, students will begin researching and writing an information report about their chosen explorer and presenting this information in a creative way.

 

In Mathematics so far this term, we have completed our unit on ‘time’. Families are encouraged to support students to read analogue clocks at home. Once they can do this, you can practise using calendars or understanding conversion of units e.g. there are 52 weeks in a year and 2 weeks in a fortnight. More recently, we have started our unit on ‘addition’. We have begun by working on fluency skills including ensuring students are confident with using simple addition strategies such as doubles and friends of 10. This week, students were introduced to strategies for efficiently adding 2 digit numbers. This includes the split strategy (otherwise known as chunking), where students split a number using place value knowledge e.g. 45 + 32 = 40 + 30 (tens column) and 5 + 2 (ones column) = 77. The split strategy is taught as a written strategy though with practise, most students eventually are able to do this in their head. Students who are ready will be introduced to the vertical algorithm for adding larger numbers.

 

In Literacy, students have been researching and writing a biography on a notable person of their choosing. Reading lessons have had a focus on note-taking skills, text processing strategies (skimming and scanning) and using multiple sources to find and cross-check information. This week, we have practised extending our vocabulary using the glossary often found in non-fiction texts as well as using various strategies to locate the meaning of unknown words. Writing lessons have had a focus on using paragraphs, and capital letters for proper nouns. Students are following the writing process to draft, edit, provide/receive peer feedback, revise and then publish their biographies.

 

Questions you can ask your child: 

  • Who are you writing your biography about?
  • Have you found any interesting facts about your notable person? 

We wish students a wonderful time away at camp and an enjoyable next few weeks. 

 

Thank you,

3/4 team (Elena, Daisy, Jennah, Keerththana, Lina, Stefanie and Thomas)

Grade 5/6

Welcome back to Term 2 to our wonderful 5/6 families! We have had a cracking start to the term with camp and Wellbeing Day already and much more to come in the coming weeks.

 

Last week, the 5/6 students went to Waratah Bay Beach Camp where they spent three days practising teamwork, communication and having lots of fun. We had such beautiful weather and spent the week doing ropes courses, team building activities, problem solving games and walks along Waratah Bay Beach. The students had the opportunity to explore rock pools, stargaze and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. The teachers really enjoyed seeing students work with new people and practise their problem solving skills and building new relationships. Overall, all the teachers and students had such a great time.

 

On Friday 26th April, Merri-bek Primary School had a whole school Wellbeing Day. Harriet took the 5/6 students through a mindfulness program in the morning that included mindful colouring and mindful eating. With Harriet’s guidance, the students ate either a Malteser or a sultana which helped students focus in on their senses, especially taste, smell, and texture. In the afternoon, Daniel and Orla, our school captains, MCed the 3-6 talent show. There were some real stand out talents including Lily and Kiki’s stand up comedy routine, Isa and Niamh’s fantastic singing, Beth and Sathya’s skit comedy, Ada and Zoe’s comedy magic, and Amaya’s magical illusions. Daniel and Orla did an excellent job at hosting the show and showcased their comedic abilities as well. Well done to everyone involved and who had a go! Big thanks to Michelle for organising the day, everyone really enjoyed themselves.

 

In the classroom, the students have been learning about different flora and fauna and writing information reports about a plant or animal of their choosing. Over the past few weeks, students have been researching about a plant or animal’s diet, habitat, adaptations and life cycle. This has supported the creation of their own fictional flora or fauna for their PBL communities. Beginning at the end of last term, students have created their own plant or animal designed to have adapted to their island community. Students have just begun learning about the fascinating history of money and different forms of currency around the world. This is to lead into The Island project where students are creating different currencies for their communities to trade and budget with.

 

This term for interschool sports we have soccer being coached by Simon, netball being coached by Harriet and AFL being coached by Jactina. Tori will be working with the students who aren’t doing a sport to practise coding skills and arts and craft.

 

We have a busy rest of the term ahead and are looking forward to all that we’ve got in store.

 

Stay warm and well!

 

Tori, Jacinta, Harriet, Sandra and Simon :)