Learning Community 2

Old Gippstown excursion:

On our excursion to Old Gippstown, students stepped back in time to experience what life was like in the early 1900s. We started the day with butter churning, taking turns to mix the cream and watching it slowly turn into butter—just like people did before modern appliances.

In the General Store, we discovered the types of goods people used to buy, including how items like sugar were sold loosely and wrapped in paper instead of pre-packaged. We were also fascinated to learn how people ironed their clothes using heavy, heated irons and how women styled their hair creatively without electricity.

A highlight of the day was visiting the old schoolroom. We experienced what a school day was like over 100 years ago, sitting at wooden desks and following strict rules—like girls entering and leaving the classroom first. We even met the blacksmith, who showed us how metal was heated and shaped using tools and fire.

Students also had time to explore the different historic buildings, each telling a story of how people once lived. To finish the day, we relaxed in an early 1900s-style movie theatre and watched black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons—just as children would have enjoyed back then.

We were pleased to receive some wonderful feedback from Andrew at Old Gippstown, and we’re proud to share some of it with you:

Thank you for your schools visit to Old Gippstown today, Monday 16th June, 2025.

It was an absolute pleasure to host your school.

The staff & volunteers had great pleasure spending time and providing both education and enjoyment to your students. The volunteers felt very valued. 🙂

It was good to have your students' asking questions to me and our volunteers.  Some simply wanted to let me know that they didn’t do their homework 🙂, but other good questions were asked.

I trust you enjoyed tasting the butter that the students made (good fun with the butter churn). It was all gone, so that is a very good indication that it went well.

Your students were very well mannered and a pleasure to interact with.  This is a credit to you and your fellow teaching staff.

Reading

In Reading, we have been building our comprehension skills by learning to understand both the surface meaning (literal) and the deeper meaning (inferential) of texts. We have explored the author’s purpose by asking whether the author is trying to persuade, inform, or entertain us. This has helped us better understand the main message of a story and think more deeply about what we read.

Writing

In Writing, students have been developing their persuasive writing skills by exploring how advertising works. They recently created or picked a product and applied their understanding by designing posters to promote them. Each poster included a catchy product name, a memorable slogan, and three persuasive reasons to convince others to buy it.

For the remainder of the term, students will focus on recount writing. This week, they will plan and write a recount about our excursion to Old Gippstown, using time connectives and descriptive language to clearly share their experience.

Maths

In Maths, we have been continuing to build our understanding of addition and subtraction. Students have been learning to solve problems using the vertical (column) strategy, including carrying and borrowing. They have explored how numbers can be reorganised to make calculations easier and more efficient. This week, we began our new unit on mass and capacity. Through hands-on activities and real-life comparisons, students will be learning to identify objects that are heavier or lighter and develop a deeper understanding of measurement.

Reading & Diaries

thank you for your continued support in helping your child build this routine. If your child has misplaced their diary, please let us know so we can organise a replacement. Mr Rennie and Mrs McAsey aim to check diaries at least once a week, and we’ve been so impressed with the fantastic reading being recorded! 

Spelling

We have continued to send home weekly spelling words. Your child’s new spelling list will be added to their diary each week to support regular practice at home. If your child doesn’t have a diary at school, their spelling list will be placed inside one of their take-home readers every Friday.

This week’s sound is “ea” as in beach.

Library

 This term, students will continue visiting the school library every Thursday. Please remind your child to return their books on time so they can borrow new ones each week

2/3 Student Achievers

     Zane (2/3M):

Zane received the Student Achiever Award for his progress in Addition  and Subtraction and taking on Challenge tasks

    Miheli (2/3M):

Miheli continues to show steady growth across all areas of the curriculum, with strong progress in maths and continued development in her reading comprehension and understanding

    Jacob Tonkins (2/3R):

Jacob received this Student Achiever Award for always respecting his peers, having a strong sense of justice and recognising when to apologise without delay. 

    Jamie Lynch (2/3R):

Jamie received this Student Achiever Award for taking on his teachers' feedback and making better choices about who he sits near during instruction time.