Student Learning

What's been Happening in Year 1/2F

In Year 1/2F we’ve had a wonderful fun term so far! In English students have used their research about an animal to write an informative report. In Maths students have focused on directions and measurement. They enjoyed making their own maps of a city and used a Bee-bot to locate positions on their map. They also estimated the measurements of different objects and measured them using a metre and centimetre ruler.

On Wellbeing Day students learnt how to do Eco printing. A particular highlight was seeing the students’ faces light up as they watched their decorative leaf, or petal designs transfer onto their bags.

During National Reconciliation Week students decorated their own biscuit with the colours of the Aboriginal flag and learnt about how weaving is an integral part of Aboriginal culture. 

Last week students were delighted to start our serve project at Estia Health Aged Care where they participated in a rock painting activity with some of the residents.

'It was very fun because we got to do rock painting and we met new people,’ commented Jack.

Tricia Fuente

Year 1/2F Class Teacher

What's been Happening in Year 5/6M

Term 2 has begun with lots of exciting opportunities for 5/6M, including SACSA competitions, the Dan Warlow concert, and of course, rehearsing for our musical! It’s hard to believe we are half-way through the term already as our performance dates creep closer and closer. The students have been hard at work memorising their lines and often singing the songs in class as they work along. Here is a peek at what we have been learning.

English: Poetry

The focus for this term in English is poetry, and each week the students have been learning about a new poetic device that they can use to create a poem. They are working towards completing a digital booklet of poems that centre on these techniques by the end of the term. Some devices we have been learning include; imagery, personification, metaphors and similes, idioms, and assonance. Here are some of their imagery based poems that they wrote to capture the 5 senses that they experienced during the Easter break.

iUnit: Extreme Weather & Natural Disasters

The students have been very eager and engaged as we have been exploring natural disasters. We have been learning about the extreme weather that we might experience here in Australia, and they have been researching ways that we can mitigate the negative effects that come with it. 

Following on from our focus on migration last term where we created our own “letters from a migrant”. Ned brought in a box of his great grandfather's letters from his time in the Navy for us to read. Last week we enjoyed translating the cursive writing and reading about what life was really like being on a boat and away from family for so long. It was amazing to see the real life version of what we had been creating. 

Maths: Multiplication and Division

The Year 5s have been working hard at learning long division and a variety of ways to multiply this term. We have been applying these methods to problem solving questions, and are soon moving onto measurement, where we will explore area and perimeter. 

Art: Collages

In art this term we are learning about collaging techniques, and considering ways that we can sustainably create art by using what others might call “rubbish” throughout our collages! We have been analysing and developing questions about famous collagists such as Henry Matisse and Howardene Pindell, discussing how they communicate meaning through their collages. We have spent time practising these techniques to soon use in our own collages centred around what makes us who we are.

Abbey McKennall

Year 5/6M Class Teacher

Flourish 

A number of our students participated in Flourish activities over the past few weeks in lunch times. The activities were:

• Tomboy stitch with Mrs Wicks
• Mosaic coaster making with Mrs Olesen
• Mary Anning Art Prize with Mr Harris
• Seed packet design with Mrs Spencer

The students were enthusiastic participants and enjoyed expanding their interests and skills. There are another four Flourish activities happening in the second part of the term, and most of these are already fully booked. There is availability still in Angklung with Mrs Tretheway and bookings can be made using the link below

Flourish activities are also on offer in Term 3, so keep a look out for further information. 

Mary Anning Art Award Update

As part of the recent Flourish activities, students who were interested in entering the Mary Anning Art Prize explored some of the most iconic South Australian fossils and localities to decide on their chosen fossil and medium for their artwork (drawing, painting, sculpture, computer design).  Those students will have until 19th October (Term 4, Week 1) to complete and photograph their finished works to submit the photograph into the award. As always, Mr Harris will be available for support during Science lessons, at his classroom after school or via email and can photograph or scan artworks if needed. This is the first time Pilgrim School has entered the Mary Anning Art Prize, so if anyone else is interested, please email or see Mr Harris for facts sheets about the fossils and details before the end of Term 2.

Oliphant Science Awards 

This is a very exciting year for Pilgrim with 17 Oliphant Science Awards entries from across all year level cohorts. Students have entered across the following categories: posters, games, multimedia, models and inventions, and crystal investigations.

All registrations have been completed and entries are due to Mr Harris at school as follows:

• 3.30pm Friday 6th June - Multimedia
• 3.30pm Tuesday 22nd July - Posters, Games, Models and Inventions, Crystal Investigations.

As always, Mr Harris will be available for support during Science lessons, at his classroom after school or via email.

Andrew Harris

Science Teacher

harrisa@pilgrim.sa.edu.au

Premier’s Reading Challenge Indonesian Competition 

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, students are again invited to participate in this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge Indonesian Competition. This involves reading a book that is either in Indonesian or about Indonesia (eg a traditional story from Indonesia or a non-fiction book about something to do with Indonesia), and then writing a review about it on a provided template. Students have been given the opportunity in their Indonesian lessons to borrow books from the Indonesian classroom collection, but can use any book that is connected with Indonesia. Students need to return the completed templates to me by Monday 16th June (Week 8). All participants will receive a certificate. 

Please ensure that all books borrowed from the Indonesian classroom are returned, even if a student decides not to participate in the Indonesian PRC.

Kate Tretheway

Indonesian Teacher

Premier's Reading Challenge

Congratulations to Mr Ledson’s class for being the first to complete and return all their forms for the Premier's Reading Challenge in 2025. A special prize will be coming your way soon!

Well done to everyone who has completed and returned their forms. If you haven’t completed and returned your form yet, don’t worry - there is still plenty of time!

To complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge students need to read 12 eligible books including e-books, audio books, class or shared reading, having a book read to them, non-fiction books, books read as research for assignments or books in another language. Students in Foundation to Year 6 must read 8 books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist and 4 personal choice books between now and 5th September 2025.

For a full list of books or to download a spare student record click on the following link Premiers Reading Challenge which will direct you to the School Documentation page on Compass.  Alternatively, look for the coloured stickers in the Campus library or your local public library.

If you need help completing the form or checking which books are on the list, please see your child’s class teacher.

Happy reading!

Yiota Chesterfield 

Premier's Reading Challenge Coordinator