Learning Updates -

School of Wonder

Success shared at School of Wonder assembly

School of Wonder children gathered for assembly on Friday, May 14, to share their learning and celebrate each other's success. Assembly was led by Rehet Bhullar from Year 2, and Jack Stammers, also Year 2, read the Acknowledgement of Country. Alessandro Turkovic, Year 1, shared the learning and research he has done about rain and Foundation student Makedde O'Brien shared the book she has made about dinosaurs. Darcy Lott, Year 1, presented his soccer report and the success he had in kicking his first goal. Darcy's soccer report can be read on the Sports News page of this edition of il giornale. It was wonderful to see the children respecting everyone by listening to their peers and applauding their success.

 - Laurel Baxter-Butts, School of Wonder Leader

LEGO club builds language and social skills

Some children in the School of Wonder have engaged in a LEGO Club (LEGO-Based Therapy), which is a structured program to support and promote language development and social skills. The program is supported by Learning Diversity Leader Bek Watts and Catholic Education Sandhurst Speech Pathologist Lauren Cook. 

The sessions run for approximately 30 minutes twice a week. Children take on the roles of builder, supplier or engineer and must work together to complete a build. It has been wonderful to watch the teamwork, skills development and language of how to describe what brick is needed or where to place a block become increasingly detailed, at times with the support of visual displays. 

Here are some comments from some of the participants:

I made a dog and its body parts actually move. My job was the supplier and what the supplier does is give the blocks to the builder. The engineer tells me what block to get. My favourite job is the builder and getting to have free time at the end.  - Lara

 I was the engineer and it tells the builder where to 

put the blocks and the supplier what blocks to find and give to the builder. My favourite job is the builder as you get to build all the blocks together. - Nate

We would love to expand this program throughout the college, so if you have any unused LEGO at home that you would be willing to donate  (without instructions is fine), it would be greatly appreciated. 

Famous artwork inspires children's paintings

The Years 1 and 2 children have been studying the world-renowned artwork The Great Wave of Kanagawa by Katsushi Hokusai. We have been discussing the history of this almost 200-year-old work and how artwork can be preserved for a long period of time. The Great Wave of Kanagawa is one of Katsushi Hokusai’s finest works and possibly the single most famous image in all Oriental art. This work depicts a monstrous wave towering above with its impending crash of water creating a great tension for the people below. This contrasts the graceful lines of a tiny Mt Fuji sitting in the distance. We can see small fishermen huddled in their wooden crafts riding down one wave, diving straight into the next. These swift boats, called oshiokuribune, transported fresh fish and dried sardines in the morning to fish markets off Tokyo. The students have appropriated this artwork using a variety of mixed mediums including acrylic paint, paper, and wooden sticks.

 - Chantelle Bell, Visual Arts Learning Mentor

Simultaneous Storytime heads to space

School of Wonder children participated in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) this week by listening to Give me some space! by Philip Bunting. NSS is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. NSS aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book.