Foundation

Welcome Back to Term 2!

We hope you all had a wonderful break and enjoyed some time with family and friends. It has been lovely to see the children return to school with such energy, ready for another exciting term of learning and discovery.

ANZAC Day Activities

Last week, we reflected on the importance of ANZAC Day. The children were engaged in meaningful activities to help them understand and honour the spirit of the ANZACs. Together, we made ANZAC biscuits; learnt about their historical significance and why they became a symbol of care during wartime. We also created a beautiful class wreath.

What’s Ahead This Term

Term 2 promises to be a busy and rewarding time. We are continuing to build on important skills in literacy and numeracy, while also exploring a new inquiry topic: Finding Features. This topic focuses on helping students observe and identify external features of plants and animals. This involves using their senses to explore and group living things based on shared characteristics. There will also be some exciting events and opportunities for students to showcase their learning.

Mrs Tanya, Classroom Teacher

Year 1/2 B

Mrs Torney, Classroom Teacher

Year 3/4 A

Welcome back to Term 2!

It has already been a busy and productive start for everyone. It was wonderful to catch up with parents during Learning Conversations, all were positive and meaningful!

We are off to camp at Queenscliff this week and we are incredibly excited! This is going to be a fantastic experience for all, we cannot wait to share with you how it goes.

Below are a few upcoming events that we have been preparing for in PE:

Cross Country: Tuesday 6th of May
Calder Winter Sports Boort: Thursday 8th of May

Mr Campbell and Mrs McKenzie, Classroom Teacher

Year 3/4 B

Welcome back to Term 2!

We have had a great term 1 and are ready for another amazing term. We finished off the term with a fantastic Fete. We ran a Putt Putt Stall with the other 3/4 class and our students were very helpful when they had their shift.

We have been busy working on our reading responses, multiplication and division in Maths and digital technologies in Inquiry. We are now focusing on fractions in Maths, civics and citizenship in Inquiry and building on making connections, and inferring in reading this term!

The Reading Marathon is back for 2025! Students will be asked to record the number of minutes they read each day. Carers/parents will be asked to sign to confirm what reading is done at home. Minutes will be tallied weekly. Year level and overall leaders will be listed outside the library. Awesome prizes, including books, box-sets of books and more will be up for grabs. Can't wait to see all the minutes read!

We have our camp in Queenscliff this week where we will have a blast down at the beach. The activities look amazing!

Other events coming up are:

Cross country - 6th of May (2A and 2B)
Calder winter sports - 8th of May

Miss Lockhart, Classroom Teacher

Primary Music

Welcome back to Music, for term 2!

We are kickstarting the term with Celtic Music, diving into all things bagpipes, whistles, river and highland dancing and beautiful folk tunes. We've already discovered that lots of students have personal connections to the Celtic nations, and are excited to learn more about the cultures. Students in Years 3-6 will be learning the Tin Whistle. This instrument can be learnt from picture music and I recommend it as a 'starting' instrument at home if your child is eager to learn an instrument. Whilst the sound can be hard to battle through at the beginning, it's a great stepping stone to more advanced instruments and will build your child's confidence. The link below is the tin whistle we are using in class. The instrument comes with picture instructions for a range of songs. We will be using mouth piece disinfectant to clean the tin whistles between uses.

https://futuremusic.com.au/products/waltons-irish-tin-whistle?_pos=1&_sid=253f8691a&_ss=r&variant=45656463606011

CHOIR

Due to interest from some students, I will be starting up a choir group at lunchtime on Wednesdays. This will be to learn basic singing skills, performing as a group and to just enjoy singing. Details can be found on the poster in the newsletter. Currently only offered for Years 3-6, but may expand, depending on demand.

Mrs Postle, Primary Music Teacher

Year 7 Humanities

Dioramas

Towards the end of Term 1, Year 7 Humanities students worked collaboratively in teams to design and create a ‘perfect city’, using their knowledge of liveability from our unit. Students were highly engaged, respectful and creative in their dioramas. I was so impressed with their creations shown below. Well done team!

Mr Watson, Humanities Teacher

Year 8

Miss Milne, Mr Pettifer, Mr Brayshaw and Mr Merritt, Homeroom Teachers

Year 10 Humanities

Year 10 - Civics Mock Trial Unit

In Term 1, Year 10 Humanities students worked through a Civics unit around the Australian Government and our legal system. This unit culminated in a mock trial, where students were either on the prosecution or defence, and had to create and present their case. Students worked tirelessly in using the evidence provided to create their arguments, witness statements and scripts. During Week 10, we conducted our Mock Trial - with Judge Watson making his first appearance! Students were highly engaged in our trial and their courtroom decorum was impeccable. I was so impressed by their efforts. Well done team!

Mr Watson, Humanities Teacher

Year 11

Welcome to Term 2. We hope you had a restful break and are ready for another exciting and productive term ahead.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped out at the Fete on the last day of term!

Whether you were running our stall, cooking and helping serve on the BBQ, or assisting with set up and pack up, it was fantastic to see so many of you getting involved and supporting the event. Your efforts were greatly appreciated!

There’s lots of activities to look forward to over the coming weeks, including Cross Country, the 160 Year Celebrations for Education in Wedderburn, before some Exams, and of course the GAT later in the term. But first, we’re starting strong with this week’s Debutante Ball—a fantastic way to kick off the term! We wish all our Debutantes and their partners the best of luck and we can’t wait to celebrate with them Friday night.

We’d also like to extend a big thank you to all students and families who took part in our recent Learning Conversations. These are valuable moments to reflect, receive feedback, and plan for improvement. A special shoutout to those Yr 11s who helped Mr Forrest, Mr Lockhart, and our ES staff with activities for the younger students during this time—your support and leadership were truly appreciated. Remember the importance of building and looking after friendships.

Don’t forget—start thinking about your questions for Morning Circle! It’s your space to share, connect, and help build a strong and positive classroom community. Everyone will get the chance to pose their own question throughout the term!

Let’s make Term 2 one to remember—full of growth, teamwork, and success! 💪📚

Mr Fowles & Mr Gretgrix, Year 11 Homeroom Teachers.

PE News - Mr P and Miss Milne

Cross Country

On Tuesday the 6th of May, we will be holding our next sporting event, the Cross Country. The first event will begin at 11:15am, with a BBQ lunch at 1:00pm. Families and supporters are encouraged to come along to the day. Remember to come dressed in house colours. For more information, please visit compass.

Approximate starting times

11:15 am Senior Boys (U17, U18 & Open) – 5km
11:15 am Intermediate Boys (U15 & U16) – 5km
11:25 am Year 6 Boys and Girls – 3km
11:30 am Year 5 Boys and Girls) – 3km
11:35 am Senior Girls (U17, U18 & Open) – 3km
11:35 am Intermediate Girls (U15 & U16) – 3km
11:45 am Year 4 Boys and Girls) – 3km
11:50 am Year 3 Boys and Girls – 3km
12:00 am Junior Boys (U13 & U14) – 3km
12:05 pm Junior Girls (U13 & U14) – 3km
12:15 pm Year 2 Boys and Girls
12:20 pm Year 1 Boys and Girls
12:25 pm Foundation Boys and Girls

Calder Winter Sports

On Thursday the 8th of May, our Year 3-6 students will be travelling to Boort for the Calder Winter sports. A reminder that all students need to bring a packed lunch, snacks and water for the day. Please visit compass for more information.

Emma Milne & Ben Pettifer

Sports Coordinators

Reading Marathon

On your mark ... the Reading Marathon begins!

While the Reading Olympics won't officially open until Term 3, our first event is underway, starting ... now!

The Reading Marathon is back for 2025.

Students will be asked to record the number of minutes they read each day (see classroom/English teachers for how to do this)
Carers/parents will be asked to sign to confirm reading done at home
Minutes will be tallied weekly
Year level and overall leaders will be listed outside the library
Awesome prizes, including books, box-sets of books, and more will be up for grabs
There will be new surprises, including 'sprint weeks' where students with the highest % growth for that week can win big

Get on board and support your house! Last year, the Reading Olympics was the decider for the overall House Championship so don't let your house down.

GO ANSETT!!!!!

Mr Iser, Reading Marathon Coordinator

School Wide Positive Behaviour Supports - SWPBS