Science Term 1 Newsletter
Welcome to Term 1
Hello families,
My name is Miss Slann, and I’m very excited to be back at Cheltenham East as the new Science teacher this year. I’m really looking forward to working with all of your children and exploring the wonderful world of science together!
Across all year levels, our main focus this term will be Chemical Science. Students will take part in hands-on investigations, ask questions, make predictions, and test ideas as real scientists do. My goal is to help students build curiosity, confidence and, most importantly, a love of science through engaging and practical learning experiences.
Foundation:
Students will be introduced to simple science expectations such as listening carefully, following instructions, working safely, and being kind and respectful when sharing equipment and ideas. For the first time, they will explore what science is and how we learn through inquiring, observing, and investigating. They will examine the properties of materials (such as hard, soft, smooth, or rough) and learn why certain materials are chosen for different purposes in everyday life. Most importantly, they will have lots of fun with many hands-on activities.
Year 1-2:
Students will continue to develop safe science habits, including using equipment correctly, working cooperatively, and sharing their observations using words, drawings, and simple explanations. Building on last year’s understanding of materials, students will investigate how materials can be physically changed without changing their composition. They will explore actions such as bending, twisting, squashing, stretching, and breaking, using hands-on activities like testing different classroom objects to see how they change and what stays the same.
Year 3-4
Students will be expected to take greater responsibility for their learning by following investigation steps, recording results clearly, and working respectfully in groups. They will build on their understanding of atoms and elements by studying matter and the three states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. Students will explore how matter is grouped, compare properties, and investigate how heating and cooling can cause state changes. Learning will involve lots of hands-on, engaging investigations, such as melting, freezing, and observing evaporation.
Year 5-6:
Students will work as collaborative scientists, demonstrating safe laboratory behaviour, accurate observations, and thoughtful discussion of results and conclusions. They will deepen their understanding of changes in state by examining the observable properties of solids, liquids, and gases and modelling the motion and arrangement of particles. Students will also investigate mixtures and solutions, combining substances and exploring dissolving, separating mixtures, and reversible changes. Experiments may include creating solutions, filtering mixtures, and modelling particle movement using simple materials.
Communication
If you have any queries along the way, please feel free to contact me using my email
Louise Slann (louise.slann@education.vic.gov.au)