Learning Community 3

We're back from a (hopefully) restful school holiday and ready to tackle Term 3! Our first week back has been a breeze as we've settled back into our positive learning habits and routines. 

NAIDOC week activities 

In Maths this week, we looked at using decimals, percentages and fractions to describe probability, and  compared and ordered decimal numbers. We used inverse operations to find the value of a missing number in addition and subtraction sums, and multiplication and division sums, and created number patterns by adding, subtracting and multiplying numbers. 

In Reading, we began exploring Holes by Louis Sachar. We focused on setting, visualizing Camp Green Lake, and examining how the author’s language choices create mood and place. Students were introduced to the main character, Stanley, and discussed how his thoughts and feelings reveal key character traits. We also introduced the concept of ethics, specifically fairness, and linked this to events in the story. Students practiced summarising using plot structure, created vocabulary clines, and completed visual annotations of the setting. 

In Writing, students focused on crafting their autobiographies. They revisited the features of autobiographical writing, including first-person language, chronological order, time words, and personal reflections. Students planned and drafted key life moments—such as early life, starting school, hobbies, and memorable experiences. 

In Design Technologies this week, students explored how design has evolved across time, with a focus on Indigenous tools and technologies. They learned about biomimicry—design inspired by nature—and discussed additional real-world examples. After examining traditional Indigenous tools, students designed their own tools or technologies using only natural materials found around the school. They sketched detailed blueprints, gathered materials outdoors, and brought their ideas to life before presenting their creations to the class.

In AUSLAN this week, students began forming simple sentences and asking questions using sign language. They revised the alphabet to finger spell their names and practised signing “Hello, my name is…” and “What’s your name?” Students also learnt how to ask and answer “Where do you live?” using finger spelling and the sign for “live.” The class explored school subjects and days of the week, learning how to sign their daily schedules. Using online resources, students practised asking and answering questions like “9 o’clock, you have?” to build their confidence in using AUSLAN for everyday conversation.

This coming fortnight in Civics, students will learn about government and democracy. They wil explore how different levels of government work to provide services and make decisions, and how representatives are elected through voting. Connecting these ideas to their own experiences, students will discuss the importance of every vote and created a “Democracy Dictionary” to define key terms like election, parliament, and representative. They will reflect on their own ideas by designing posters about what they would do if they ran the government.