Learning and Teaching News
It has been a wonderful start to Term 2, with plenty of buzz and excitement across the school as our students have taken part in a range of engaging incursions and learning experiences. We wanted to share some highlights from the first two weeks of the term and celebrate the rich Inquiry learning already taking place across our school.
Prep Inquiry Learning – Life Ed Victoria Visit
Our Prep students recently took part in an engaging Health incursion with Life Ed Victoria to support their Term 1 Inquiry learning. This session explored the big idea “Everything your body needs for a healthy day” and helped students make connections to the Victorian Curriculum focus on personal health, hygiene and wellbeing.
With the help of Healthy Harold the giraffe, students learned about the importance of keeping their bodies clean—such as brushing their teeth and washing their hands—choosing foods that support a healthy, balanced diet, and understanding how sleep and physical activity help their bodies grow and stay strong. Harold encouraged students to share what they have been learning throughout the term, and it was wonderful to see them confidently describe healthy habits and explain why these choices matter for their everyday wellbeing. Well done to our prep students!
Grade 1/2 Inquiry – Physical Science Toy Cart Incursion
Our Grade 1/2 students have launched into their Physical Science unit with great enthusiasm, taking part in a hands‑on incursion where they designed and built a wooden toy cart for their teddy bears. This experience introduced students to the forces that make objects move and helped them begin identifying pushes and pulls in real‑life situations.
Using hammers and nails, students explored how they could push materials together or pull nails out when adjustments were needed. As they tested their carts, students observed and discussed how the size, shape and material of an object can change the way it moves. This practical workshop sparked curiosity, encouraged problem‑solving, and provided a strong foundation for their ongoing Inquiry into how forces work in our everyday world.
Grade 3/4 Inquiry – Launching Our Physical Science Unit
The Grade 3/4 students have launched their Physical Science Inquiry unit with an exciting, hands‑on incursion exploring forces and circuits. This term, students are investigating how forces such as friction, gravity, magnetism and static electricity can change the way objects move. During the incursion, students experimented, observed and discussed the different ways forces influence motion, sparking curiosity and plenty of scientific thinking.
To give our community a glimpse into their learning, some students from Grade 3/4 have written a short snapshot about their recent incursion. We hope you enjoy hearing about the experience from a student perspective.
Student News from Grade 3/4
The science incursion taught us lots of things and was really fun. There were suspended wheels and circuits using solar panels that set off alarms and cotton balls that turned into fire. Another fun thing was using a trebuchet to launch projectiles at foam bricks. The science incursion was super fun! - Eva
On Wednesday, the 29th April we learned about forces through an incursion. Two people came over to teach us all about what was on the tables. They explained how everything needed to work. There was even a museum table. We got to touch everything except the museum table. - Naia
On Wednesday we had our Science incursion and my favourite thing was the balance birds because they could balance on most things . The presenter that was helping us also used a water bottle as a rocket and the water sprayed everywhere . There were also two little balls and we put paper and the balls made fire. The presenter also made the shaving cream expand. It was so fun! - Akira
Kathy Blythe
Learning and Teaching Leader
MATHS NEWS
At St Martin de Porres, we are continuing our strong focus on fluency in the four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Fluency is more than speed. It’s about students being able to work with numbers accurately, efficiently and flexibly, choosing strategies that make sense and applying them with confidence.
When students know their number of facts automatically, they free up valuable working memory. This means they can focus on the deeper thinking required for problem‑solving, fractions, multi‑step tasks and the rich mathematical learning we want for every child.
Importantly, fluency develops through practising facts that are already known, not by rushing through unfamiliar ones. When students practise known facts under mild time pressure, they strengthen recall and build confidence. When they practise unknown facts under speed, they often develop anxiety, guesswork or inefficient habits. Our goal is to build strong foundations, not fast mistakes.
The MACS Vision for Instruction emphasises:
High expectations for all learners
Explicit teaching and purposeful practice
Rich mathematical thinking supported by strong foundations
Data‑informed teaching that responds to student needs
Our fluency approach reflects this vision. Teachers use assessment information to identify which facts students know, which they are developing, and which require explicit teaching before any timed practice occurs. This ensures every child experiences success and growth.
Supporting Fluency at Home
All students at SMDP have access to two engaging online platforms to practice fluency from home:
Times Tables Rock Stars: supports multiplication and division fluency
NumBots: builds strong number recognition alongside addition and subtraction foundations
These platforms adapt to your child’s level, ensuring they practise facts that are appropriate and achievable. It’s important that your child is the one answering the questions, as the program adjusts difficulty based on their responses. When adults or siblings answer to help collect coins, the platform receives inaccurate information, which can make tasks too hard or too easy and affects the data teachers use to plan targeted support.
Families are welcome to contact Lauren if you would like further guidance or support on how to best support your child’s home learning in mathematics.
Together, we can help every learner build the confidence, accuracy and flexibility they need to thrive in mathematics.
Lauren Middlebrook
Mathematics Leader