INFANTS

Thank you to all our families and friends that were able to join us for some great school events to start the year off. It was wonderful to see so many people joining in the fun and cheering on the action of our Swimming Carnival. It was also great to welcome many families to school for our Meet the Teacher and Welcome BBQ in Week 4 – lots of fun climbing on our new equipment, great cricket action, and tasty sausages.

There are a number of other events happening in the second half of this term. Please keep an eye out for information regarding our new ‘Kickstart Kindy’ program – commencing later this term with School Tours. We also have the Athletics Carnival and Easter Hat Parade to look forward to before the term is out.

K/1

Our K/1 class has been full of action over the past few weeks. It really is amazing to see how quickly our youngest students have settled in and are really in the swing of learning and being a part of our school community. Highlights have included cooking muffins with Mrs Corcoran, making playdough, and going on a ‘Principal Hunt’ to find Mr Jones somewhere in the school. After looking at the playground, canteen, library, and his office, we continued on our trek to find him teaching Science in the High School. Lots of fun finding not only Mr Jones, but some cousins and big siblings doing a balloon experiment!

Year 1/2

Year 1/ 2 have had a very busy start to the year with assessments, routine development, social learning and lots of hard work. Well done to all students for their involvement with the Swimming Carnival in Week 4, we had a fabulous time, and the weather was certainly on our side. Congratulations to all students who went on to attend the district swimming carnival.

To begin the year, we have established routines of recognising our emotions, particularly after break times. All students can sign the colours in Auslan for ‘red’ (red zone), ‘blue’ (blue zone), ‘yellow’ (yellow zone) and ‘green’ (green zone) and use these signs to quickly signify how they are feeling after breaks and throughout the day. Students are recognising that our favourite zone is green as this is the zone that says we are ‘ready to learn’. We also know that it is okay to be in another zone, and it is important to use strategies to support us to ‘get back to green’.

In English, Year 1/ 2 explored the concept of representation, considering how authors use ‘real’ and ‘imagined’ worlds in their writing depending on who their audience is. We explored a range of factual texts and story books that contained bees and noticed the difference in how the bees were illustrated in each type of text. To end the unit, Year 1/ 2 created labelled diagrams of bees using simple and scientific language. You may have seen our fabulous bees on display at the Boorowa Show.

In Mathematics, students have been looking at numbers and shapes. Many students are confident to explore 2- and 3-digit numbers already and can effectively plot numbers on a place value chart. We have just delved into exploring patterns and are learning that they exist all around us. Students have explored patterns that grow and shrink and have been challenged to find patterns within the 100s chart.

We have begun a PDH unit this term about ‘getting along with others’. This has involved considering how to work in a team and how to communicate efficiently. To extend on this concept, students have been challenged to work hard in their table groups, earning rewards if their table is identified as our best working table throughout the week. Students are reminded not to disrupt the learning of others, as was our PBL focus for the first fortnight of the term and are learning to be resilient when others are being disruptive.

Families may have noticed homework folders have gone home and books are being swapped out each day they are returned. Whilst the homework booklet is not particularly important, I ask that families take opportunities when they can to read a home as this supports their literacy development greatly. If your child has not yet sent in a reading folder, please do so as soon as possible so that books can be sent home. If you need support in purchasing a reader folder, please let the school know as we may be able to assist.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or queries through the school office.

-Miss Friend

Year 2/3

We have had a great start to the year and we are all working together to make our classroom a calm and engaging place to learn. Homework has been sent home with students; they each have 1 Maths sheet for the week and are free to change their home reading books as frequently as they bring back their folders. We have all been working on our reading fluency and it's great to see so many students taking home new books each day to improve their reading skills. Cooking has been the highlight of the term so far and we can't wait to get back to the cooking room to create some more tasty treats with ingredients grown in our school garden. In Maths, we are focusing on being able to recognise, read and partition larger numbers. Our behaviour focus has been to make good behaviour decisions, so we do not distract our friends or ourselves from learning. STOP, THINK, CHOOSE!

The swimming carnival was a great success with students participating in lots of races and novelty. We all enjoyed a lovely day at the pool together. We are looking forward to a busy and productive term.

Miss Downey l Year 2/3 Teacher

Yindyamarra

Over the past few weeks, Yindyamarra students have been actively engaged in various hands-on learning experiences. As part of our show artwork, they explored how bees create honeycomb, using a creative technique of tearing out the centres of cardboard to replicate the intricate hexagonal pattern.

In mathematics, students have been investigating collections and the attributes of numbers and shapes. A highlight of this learning was designing their own unique monsters, each showcasing different attributes—a fun and engaging way to deepen their understanding.

We also kicked off our first cooking class of the year, where students enthusiastically prepared and tasted a variety of foods. They took great pride in making delicious tomato tarts, which were a hit.

The Yindyamarra students have settled into the 2025 school year with enthusiasm and a strong sense of participation. We look forward to many more exciting learning experiences ahead!

Rose Arber- Yindyamarra Teacher

Year 4/5

What a great start to the year in 4/5! Our students are settling into the year and working hard to build new routines and develop positive habits. We have been focusing on the importance of being respectful and responsible learners who actively participate in all areas of school life. From engaging in classroom discussions to taking responsibility for their learning, students are making great strides in building a strong foundation for the year ahead.

This term, our students have been strengthening their literacy skills through an engaging study of 'Just Tricking' by Andy Griffiths. The humorous short stories have sparked plenty of laughter while encouraging students to explore character development, plot twists, and imaginative writing techniques. To support reading at home, QR codes for our online reading logs were sent home this week. QR codes and home reading will replace homework for students in Years 4/5 in Terms 1 and 2 this year, as it is important to build daily reading as a habit that is essential for developing fluency, comprehension, and a lifelong love of books.

In Maths, we have been deepening our understanding of whole numbers and have now moved into addition and subtraction. Students have been developing efficient strategies to solve problems, using additive strategies, mental calculations, and written methods.

This week, students had a fantastic time visiting the food technology kitchen for a cooking session with Mrs Julia Corcoran. They loved the hands-on experience of making food that they can recreate at home, focusing on a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables—many of which were sourced from our own Boorowa Central School gardens! It's wonderful to see students excited about cooking and learning how to incorporate nutritious ingredients into their meals. We will be participating in cooking sessions fortnightly this year, and we are very lucky to be able to offer this opportunity in our school.

Our art lessons have been filled with creativity as students worked hard to prepare a display for the Boorowa Show. A highlight of our display was the beautiful origami canola flowers, which celebrated the pollinators of Boorowa. These tiny but vital creatures play a crucial role in producing the stunning yellow canola crops that are such an iconic feature of our region. The students’ work not only showcased their artistic talents but also their understanding of the environment around them.

If at any stage you have any questions or would like to discuss anything, please reach out.

Charlotte Groves

4/5 Classroom Teacher

Charlotte.Groves2@det.nsw.edu.au

Primary

Home Reading logs are beginning to be sent home! We encourage you to read with your child each night or support them in their independent reading. Establishing a nightly reading routine can greatly enhance their literacy skills and foster a love for books.

A huge congratulations to all our talented BCS students for the fabulous artwork they presented at the show last week! It was a wonderful display of creativity and expression. A heartfelt thank you to all the staff who supported our students in showcasing their incredible talents.

Thank you to all the parents and carers who attended our Welcome BBQ and Meet the Teacher evening. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces and to have the opportunity to show you around our classrooms. Your involvement is greatly appreciated!

Literacy Focus

In primary, we are diving into rich, quality literature during our first term of writing and reading. The 2/3 class is exploring "Fantastic Mr. Fox," while the 4/5 class is engaged with "Just Tricking." Our 5/6 students are captivated by "Storm Boy." All students are deeply engaged with these texts and are unpacking some wonderful themes together!

Essential Assessment - We are excited to be using Essential Assessment to assess numeracy and incorporate technology into our lessons. This engaging program has proven to be enjoyable for all students, leading to impressive results. Teachers are utilising this tool to guide their units of work in numeracy effectively.

Miss McIntosh

Assistant Principal

Wellbeing Matters