Learning Communities
Foundation - Learning
Excursion to Zanker Farm
Next Week’s Learning (Week 7)…
SMART Spelling
Next week our word of the week is hair. We are becoming very confident SMART spellers as we now know what a trigraph is! A trigraph is when 3 letters go walking together and make 1 sound. The trigraph we will look at in hair is 'air ' like in chair and fair.
Reading
For the next two weeks in reading we will complete a mini-author study on ‘Julia Donaldson’ where we will read two of our all time favourite stories, ‘The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom’. We will continue to explore different forms of punctuation including exclamation marks, talking marks and question marks. We will continue to develop our comprehension skills and make text connections.
Writing
In Writing, we will practice writing complex sentences by using the colourful semantics to guide us (who, what doing, what, where, when). We continue to practice being ‘SMART spellers’ by stretching out the sounds we can hear in words.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, we will begin revising different concepts that we have learnt throughout the year. For the next two weeks we will review some subtraction strategies and practice using tools including tens frames, number lines and manipulatives to solve problems. The children will break apart worded problems and will form number sentences e.g. 12 - 6 = 6.
We will continue to practice our skip counting by 2s, 5,s and 10s, counting on from given numbers as well as identifying odd and even numbers.
Inquiry
In Inquiry, children will choose an Australian animal that we have learnt about in class. Children will use their knowledge of this animal to create a poster in preparation for their class oral presentation.
Religion
In Religion we will continue to identify ways in which we can be kind and care for people just as Jesus showed us.
Reminders: As the weather continues to get warmer, children will be asked to apply sunscreen before any sport lesson and lunch/recess period. Sunscreen (Cancer Council Approved) is available in all of the classrooms for the students to access. If you would prefer your child to use a certain brand, then by all means please send it along in your child’s school bag.
Foundation Learning Community Teachers
Junior Learning Community
This has been an exciting fortnight in the Junior Learning Community as we attended our excursion to the Kyabram Zoo. It was a fantastic day out with the children. We were excited to see all the animals and listen to all the amazing facts the children were telling each other about them on the day.
In other learning areas we have introduced Poetry in Writing. We have begun with Acrostic, Cinquain and Odes. The children are proving to be amazing poets and some of the odes they wrote to one another were absolutely beautiful.
In Mathematics we are investigating mass. The children have practised hefting items against each other. We have also used scales and experimented with weights of items in the classroom.
We have attached some photos of our excursion. We hope that the children had as much of a wonderful time as we the teachers did.
Junior Community Teachers
Middle Learning Community
Hard to believe we are at the end of Week Six, Term Four already!
We welcome some much improved weather and the outdoor recess and lunches that come with it. A reminder that in term Four, students are expected to wear hats when outside. It is recommended that students leave their hats in their bag boxes each night so they do not accidentally leave them at home.
On Wednesday, we welcomed David Williams to the 3/4 Learning Community for a special ICT session. The session’s focus was around the features and capabilities of the program Keynote. One of the skills students learnt was how to create their very own 'gifs' using a Sprite Sheet.
Reading
In Week Seven, students will continue to learn about the comprehension strategy 'cause and effect'.
In Week Eight, students will practice the comprehension skill of Inferring. To infer you need to combine the knowledge you already have (prior knowledge) with the clues in the text to figure out the information the author has not told the reader directly.
Writing
In Weeks Seven and Eight, students will apply their knowledge of recount writing to create a class newsletter about major events that have happened this school year.
Spelling
In Week Seven, our spelling focus will be on ‘se as in horse.’
In Week Eight, our spelling focus will be on ‘s as in treasure.’
Numeracy
In Week Seven, students will continue to focus on area, perimeter, mass and capacity.
In Week Eight, students will learn to classify, describe and represent angles.
Religious Education
In Weeks Seven and Eight, students will continue the unit ‘The Jesse Tree.’ Throughout the next two weeks, students will continue to develop their understanding of Jesus’ family tree and the ornaments that represent their story.
Reminders:
- Please check PAM, the Middle Learning Community teachers have released this term's maths assessment task.
- In Term Four, students must wear hats when outside.
Middle Learning Community Teachers.
Senior Learning Community
The much improved weather has been whole heartedly welcomed over the last two weeks. Students are enjoying playing in the sunshine during lunch and recess. Students will continue to be reminded that during Term Four school hats (without writing or graffiti) must be worn in order to play. Students without an appropriate hat will be asked to sit in the shade.
Over the next few weeks, several ongoing assessments will go live on PAM for your viewing. Please keep an eye on these. A Literacy Reading task has already been released and can be accessed through the PAM everywhere app.
Congratulations to the Grade Five students who, after writing a letter, were chosen to attend this year's Caritas ‘Just Leadership’ day: Malavika S, Evie C, Jesse S, Archer G, Zoe D, Isla L, Liam S, Sophie H. We know that you will represent our school with pride.
This week in the lead up to Remembrance Day, students completed some activities based around the meaning and importance of this day. The significance of remembering all the fallen soldiers, no matter who they were, or which side they fought on was a focus.
Student Recap
Since it is getting closer to the end of the year the Year Six's have been planning their yearbook. In this year's book, it will include a picture of when each student was in Prep, Year Six and a computer generated photo of what they will look like when they are old. Each student had to answer some questions like 'favourite quote' and 'funniest school memories'. This will appear near their photos. All Year Six students are pretty excited.
By Samantha and Ryder.
Important Dates.
12th December- Grade Six students Big Day Out at FunFields Theme Park in Whittlesea.
13th December - 6pm Grade Six Graduation Mass.
14th December- Last day of school for students.
W.A.L.T
Literacy: Information Reports, clauses, researching, interpreting texts.
Numeracy: Money and financial matters, calculating percentages.
Inquiry: Desert Survivors- Adaptions.
Religion: Living as disciples, learning about Beatitudes and Catholic Social Teachings and how they apply to our everyday lives.
Senior Learning Community Teachers.
Art
I would like to start with a huge thank you to all the parents for your support with the Visual Art Program this year. All students are currently working on their final art project for the year prior to beginning our Advent tasks.
I am currently looking for a few small things for the Art room. If you have any of these items laying around your house taking up space the art room will be happy to take them off your hands.
*Buttons - any shape, size or colour.
*Paper/plastic plates or cups.
*Small nuts, bolts, screws, washers etc. (No bigger than a 10cent piece.)
*Old keys.
*Old plastic store cards - (ones that look like bank cards eg: Katie’s, Perks, Cotton On, Boost etc).
*Small cardboard boxes (nothing bigger than a tissue box please).
*Balls of wool.
*Offcuts of material or left over pieces.
*Beads.
Please drop off all donations to the office in a bag labeled Art. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Brooke Thompson.
MacKillop Art Exhibition
