Learning Area News
Foundation News
Literacy
In Literacy, we have been exploring the letters 'h' and 'd’ and ‘e’, and the sounds that they make. Students have enjoyed identifying words that begin with each sound and coming up with their own creative examples. We have also been practising the correct, lower-case letter formation of these letters, using both whiteboards and paper to strengthen writing skills. We have also introduced tricky words. The tricky words that we have learnt this week are ‘they’ and ‘that’.
Numeracy
In Numeracy, we have been learning about partitioning numbers up to 10 into two and three parts using concrete materials.
Religion
In Religion, our topic is, ‘Our Catholic Church’. Students have been learning about different types of celebrations that happen within our church, at home, at school and in the wider community.
Inquiry
In Inquiry we have been learning about the 4 seasons of the year, Summer, Autumn, Winter and spring, and the changes that occur during these seasons.
At home you could reinforce learning by:
- Read a story with someone at home.
- Listening to your child read their reader each night.
- Practise writing the letters ‘m', 's', 't', 'a', 'p', 'i', 'f', 'r', ‘o’, ‘c’, ‘h’, ‘e’, ‘d’, using lower case letters.
- Use your home reading diary to read and write your tricky words.
Partition the following numbers into 2 parts.
7, 9, and 10
Give more than one example for each.
For example, 10 can be partitioned into 4 and 6, as well as 2 and 8.
If you’re feeling confident, give more than 2 examples.
Draw a picture to match your findings using the template below.
Year One News
Literacy
In Literacy, students have been learning about narratives. They have learnt how to plan a narrative and include a beginning, middle and solution. Students wrote a narrative about a boy and a soccer ball. Our tricky words this week are house, because and why.
Numeracy
In Numeracy, students have been learning about measurement. Students have been measuring everyday objects using strips of paper. They have been ordering items from longest to shortest.
Religion
In Religion our topic is ‘Pentecost' we have discussed which signs and symbols are used and how fire can remind Christians that God's Spirit brings light, courage and warmth.
Inquiry
In Inquiry, students have been learning about the seasons. They have been identifying which months belong to each season and discussing the different activities that can be enjoyed throughout the year. As part of their learning, students are now designing outfits suitable for each season, helping them make connections between weather and appropriate clothing.
At home you could reinforce learning by:
Literacy:
- Find words in your take home reader with the sound ár’, as in star.
- Practice putting the tricky words house, because and why into sentences.
- Listening to your child read their reader each night.
Numeracy:
- Find items in the home that are bigger than your hand. Order the items from longest to shortest.
- Find 3 items in the kitchen and order them from shortest to longest.
Year Two News
Literacy
In Literacy, during spelling, we have been learning about doubling the final consonant when adding the suffix íng’. The students have also been continuing to explore the ''ar'' sound (star, argue, shark), the ''y'' sound (puppy) and the ''_ey'' sound (key).
During grammar, the students have been learning about pronouns. Examples of these are me and us.
During comprehension, the students have continued making connections between and text and personal experiences and text to text. Students have been introduced to 'visualising’ strategy when reading to try and imagine what the characters would see, hear, taste, smell and feel.
Numeracy
In Numeracy, the students have been exploring addition and subtraction. Students have been adding and subtracting numbers in multiples of ten. They have also been partitioning numbers into tens and ones and representing these numbers using MAB blocks when adding and subtracting with no regrouping.
Religion
In Religion our topic is ‘Pentecost’. Students have reflected on the feeling of the disciples before and after the holy spirit came.
Inquiry
In Inquiry, students have been learning about the solar system and have focused on the earth rotating around the sun and the change of seasons this creates.
At home you could reinforce learning by:
Literacy:
- Practice reading and spelling our tricky words (alright, always, said, already, their, they).
- Write a list of words with doubling the final consonant when adding the suffix íng’.
- Listen to your child read their reader each night.
Numeracy:
Practise 2-digit addition and subtraction problems by drawing the MAB blocks to match. For example: 23 + 12 = 35
- For example: 34 – 11 =23
- Draw MAB blocks and cross out what is taken away. Then count how many MAB blocks haven't been crossed out and this is the answer.
Year 3 News
Literacy
In Literacy, we have begun reading our new class text Yirra and Her Deadly Dog, Demon. Students have been developing their comprehension skills by exploring characters, themes and important events throughout the story. We have also started learning about factual recounts and how they are used to retell important events in order.
Over the next two weeks, students will be creating their own factual recount on the history of the Aboriginal Flag, focusing on clear structure, sequencing and factual language.
During SpellEx, students are continuing to strengthen their spelling and word knowledge skills through a range of phonics and morphology activities.
Numeracy
In Numeracy, we are finishing our topic on addition and subtraction with 3-digit numbers. Students have been practising a range of strategies including estimating answers, using concrete materials and applying efficient mental and written strategies to solve problems. In Week 5, we will begin our new topic on Length, where students will measure, compare and estimate lengths using formal and informal units.
Religion
In Religion, we are continuing our Circle of Life unit. Students have been exploring ways people respond to grief and loss and discussing how support, hope and faith can help people through challenging times.
Humanities
In Humanities, we are continuing our topic “Journey Around Australia.” Students have been learning about different Australian states and territories, including Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT. We have explored important landmarks, facts, environments and features that make each place unique.
Some homework activities could include:
Factual recount practice:
Ask your child to recount an event from their weekend using sequencing words such as first, next, then and finally.
Aboriginal Flag research:
Investigate the colours and symbols of the Aboriginal Flag and discuss what each part represents.
Addition and subtraction challenge:
Create 3-digit addition or subtraction problems at home and encourage your child to estimate the answer first.
Length hunt:
Find 3 objects around the house and estimate then measure their length using a ruler or tape measure.
Around Australia quiz:
Choose one Australian state or territory and write 3 interesting facts about it.
Reading fluency practice with a familiar text:
- First read: Student reads once (adult tracks any tricky words).
- Second read: Student reads again aiming for smoother reading.
Third read: Student reads with expression and pauses at punctuation.
Handwriting practice:
Practise neat, joined handwriting using horizontal joins between letters.
Year 4 News
Our Year 4 students have continued to work hard throughout Week 4 and should be very proud of the positive learning habits they are demonstrating. It has been wonderful to see students showing confidence, working collaboratively, and taking increasing responsibility for their learning across all areas of the curriculum.
There is also plenty of excitement building as we prepare for our upcoming camp. Camp will provide students with valuable opportunities to develop independence, teamwork, resilience, and positive relationships with their peers in a fun and supportive environment. We are all looking forward to this exciting experience together.
Below is an overview of what we have been learning across key areas, along with some suggested activities to support learning at home:
Literacy
In Literacy, we have still been continuing with our novel Uncle Xbox and writing our factual recounts on the topic of ‘The colonisation of Australia and the impact on First Nations People’ We have also been continuing our SpellEx program and have seen some good impact on students spelling skills.
Numeracy
In Numeracy, our current topic is Length and Area. Particularly focusing on the skills comparing and ordering length, measuring perimeter and area using informal and metric units. Students have been doing hands on activities around the classroom using rulers and tape measures.
Religious Education
In Religion, students are still learning about the Circle of Life. They are exploring themes of growth, change, and the connections between living things.
Thank you for your continued support at home. It is wonderful to see students building confidence and enthusiasm in their learning, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities that Term 2 will bring.
Science
In Science, are still exploring distance forces. They are learning about how forces such as gravity and magnetism can act on objects without direct contact, and investigating how these forces influence movement.
Humanities
In Humanities, once a week we are undertaking ‘Managing Earths Resources’ were students are learning about renewable energy, reducing waste and how to properly look after the environment.
At home you could reinforce learning by:
Independent/Guided Reading
It is the expectation in Grade 4 that your child practices reading independently or to a family member for at least 10-20 minutes per night. This will help develop good routines for secondary school and reinforce reading fluency. Students are expected to take a book home from school from either the classroom or borrowed from the library.
Students are also welcome in the library at 8:30am every day to borrow and return books, read to themselves or a staff member.
Fluency Practice
To help reinforce learning in the classroom, we ask students to practice their number facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Complex concepts in mathematics relies on solid foundational knowledge, so students can focus on the learning and not be held up by simpler calculations. This can be just focusing on one area for 5 minutes per night to help develop speed and accuracy. If you have any questions about how to support your child’s fluency practice, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
Factual Recount Writing
- About a topic of their choosing.
Spelling Skills.
- Randomly quizzing your child on tricky words.
Maths
- Measuring random objects around the house
- Converting and comparing objects between mm, cm, m and km’s
Year Five News
We are continuing with the Risen Christ as our Religious Education topic looking at the story of Mary Magdelene, Emmaus Disciples and Peter and how Jesus’ resurrection gave them a new purpose.
English
In English we have started our follow up text Dirrarn, exploring Mia’s journey as she moves away to boarding school away from her community. We have also looked at Jandamarra an Indigenous warrior from the Kimberley Region in the late 1800s, which students will be writing and publishing a factual recount on.
Numeracy
In Numeracy, we have been exploring decimals and how to identify decimals in their correct place value columns all the way to thousandths and being able to place them on a number line. We have also been focusing on our four times tables which we encourage you to practice all number facts with them at home.
Numeracy
In Numeracy, we have been exploring decimals, how to identify decimals up to thousandths and how to order them on a number line.
Science
In Science, students have been learning about plant life, biotic and abiotic factors for plant survival and the adaptations they need to make to adjust to their environment. We also did a science experiment with flowers and food colouring seeing if the flowers would change colour if placed in different coloured water.
Need something to work on at home?
Turn off the TV, put all devices away and spend time with your child. You could play a board game. Challenge them to a game of card or UNO. Share some of your childhood stories. Remind your child to read each school night for at least 20 minutes, practice the timetables. Spending 30 minutes of quality time together is the best learning you will ever experience.
Year 6 News
Literacy
In Literacy, we had the opportunity to publish and share our fables, reading them to our Foundation buddies before moving onto our new novel, ‘Us Mob Walawurru’. This novel marks the shift to an indigenous focus for our novels.
Last week, our Year 6 students celebrated their writing by sharing their narratives with our Prep students in response to the novel 'The Silver Donkey.' They developed their own fable while incorporating writing techniques such as personification, paired adjectives and direct speech. The Prep students loved hearing all the imaginative, whimsical tales and the moral lessons that were shared through the stories
Numeracy
In Numeracy, students have been building on prior learning about identifying equivalent fractions and comparing fractions with related denominators on parallel number lines, as well as doubling and halving to convert fractions to common denominators.
Religious Education
In Religion, we have been planning how we can apply our understanding of the topic, "The Risen Christ". Using our knowledge of how some of the followers of Jesus felt following his death we have started planning a mock interview.
Science
In Science, we have launched into our new topic about the Earth, Moon, and Sun. We have learned about the Sun and its role in our System as well as the orbit of our planets around our Sun.
Humanities
In Humanities, we have been investigating the motivations behind empire building in the last 500 years. Whether it be economic ambitions, religious and cultural influences, or national prestige - we analysing how these shaped the world today.
Fun fact – Napoleon Bonaparte officially brought the metric system to France in 1801, which uses units like meters and kilograms. This system is now used in most countries around the world today!
At home you could reinforce learning by:
Independent/Guided Reading
It is the expectation in Grade 6 that your child practices reading independently or to a family member for at least 20 minutes per night. This will help develop good routines for secondary school and reinforce reading fluency. Students are expected to take a book home from school from either the classroom or borrowed from the library.
Students are also welcome in the library at 8:30am every day to borrow and return books, read to themselves or a staff member.
Fluency Practice.
To help reinforce learning in the classroom, we ask students to practice their number facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Complex concepts in mathematics relies on solid foundational knowledge, so students can focus on the learning and not be held up by simpler calculations. This can be just focusing on one area for 5 minutes per night to help develop speed and accuracy. If you have any questions about how to support your child’s fluency practice, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
