Secondary 9/10 PreCAL

Community Experience

Term 4 is an exciting term for our PreCAL students as they have been provided choice in the Community Experience group they participate in. With our focus on leisure we had 3 different groups go out in week 2. Our Science group visited the Melbourne Zoo, the Arts/Cultural group visited the city and explored Birrarung Marr and the Recreation group spending the day exploring the Plenty Gorge. We were lucky that the weather cleared and all the groups were able to enjoy their day.

English

In reading, the PreCAL classes focussing on comprehension strategies and using images to support them in answering questions about a text. They are answering questions based on who, what, where and when and using texts related to the upcoming Halloween celebrations.

 In writing, the PreCAL classes are continuing to explore procedures and linking this to their STEAM focus for this term. The classes are following procedures to create their products to sell at the Christmas Concert later in the year. Students are identifying the order of their procedure by looking for clue words such as first, next etc.

Mathematics

In Maths the PreCAL classes have revisited Place Value for the first two weeks of term. Students have been comparing and ordering numbers practising their skills in working with numbers. They have also been working on showing the same number in different ways. PreCAL have been recapping their learning earlier in the year on time, telling the time, putting the days of the week in order etc.

Social Competencies

To start off the term, 9/10s have continued on with our Drug Education unit. In this unit, students have learnt about alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes. To do this we explore the law, side effects and why drug use can be dangerous by utilising trusted resources such as Your Room, Climate Schools and relevant YouTube videos.

Meanwhile PreCAL students finished making their class social story about healthy and unhealthy drugs. They classified medicine, cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine drinks by whether they are good or bad for you and identified the way someone would feel if they took that drug.

If parents are interested in following this up at home, DrinkWise has some excellent information on alcohol here: https://drinkwise.org.au/ and the Better Health Channel has a great article on how to discourage your kids from smoking here: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/smoking-how-to-discourage-your-children

I’ve been really impressed by the level of maturity and insights in connecting with this unit. Well done 9/10!

Courtney King

Social Compentencies

STEAM

STEAM in PreCAL has switched focus to Science and chemical change. All of the classes are exploring the properties of different materials including solids, liquids and gases and how materials can change between the different states through the process of heating and cooling.

The classes will be working hard each week to create some products which will be sold at our Christmas Concert at the end of term. They will be making soaps, bath bombs and bath salts. Thank you to our parent helpers Denise Welling and Kylie Lewin who are coming in and assisting with this enterprising project.