Foundation - Learning Snapshot

Welcome back to Term 4! We hope that the children had a restful and enjoyable time at home. We have hit the ground running this term, with the children producing magnificent holiday recounts and putting their data knowledge to the test by creating bar graphs. This term we look forward to many things including our swimming program, Andrew Chinn visiting, the Book Fair and hopefully some warmer weather!

Please find below our Learning Intentions for the term and important dates, you may like to print this out and put it on your fridge for future reference.

Foundation Learning Community Teachers

Junior Learning Community

Welcome to Term 4!

Once again, students have returned to school organised and ready to learn. A reminder to ensure your child’s hat is labelled as these are required this term.

It will be a busy term with many events such as;

Book Fair, Swimming, St. Luke’s Feast Day, Movie Night, Opening Day of our New Building, Italian Day, Our Junior excursion to Kyabram and more!

Please keep an eye out on the calendar for these dates.

Literacy

In writing, students have begun the term looking at the features of information reports. They have practised composing these for known topics such as St. Luke’s, their family or an animal. Some students have been conducting their own research and summarising the information they have collected on their chosen animal. We had a grammar focus on contractions and continue to focus on the correct use of capital letters and full stops. During Reading we have been focusing on collecting information from texts and summarising, as well as, making textual connections between ourselves and the wider world.

Mathematics

This fortnight students have participated in Mathematics groups with a focus on Chance and Data. During these sessions, students have used language associated with the likelihood of events; certain, likely, unlikely and impossible. They have collected data and represented this information in different ways. Students have also practised interpreting data from different sources.

Inquiry

Our Term Four Inquiry topic is; What Are Living Things? We commenced this unit with a visit to Eco Park which entailed preparing our classroom plots for some crops we will grow this term. Students enjoyed removing weeds and prepared the soil to sow broad beans, peas, snow peas, zucchini, radish and a variety of flowers. We look forward to caring for these crops over the term and watching them grow.

We also began learning about animal classifications; mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. Students practised sorting these animals into their categories, reading individual texts about them and sharing this information with their peers.

Healthy Harold

This week we were able to Welcome Harold back to our school. Our Junior students participated in an hour session teaching and reminding our students about safety. This included knowledge of signs, safety in the playground and safety around medication. Students role-played a 000 call. This may be a great opportunity to revisit this conversation regarding safety with your child.

Religion

Our new Religious Education unit is Our Call to Mission. Students have been learning about different organisations and charities that contribute to mission as well as ways they have previously contributed to mission, such as Mini Vinnies Winter Appeal or Caritas K’s at school. As a Junior focus, we have been identifying ways we can continue mission work without money. Students have made wonderful connections which will be evident in their ongoing assessment.

As teachers, we are proud of our students returning to school with enthusiasm and their abilities to easily return to our usual routines.

Have a safe weekend,

Junior Community Teachers

Middle Learning Community

Welcome back to term 4! We hope that all students and families enjoyed some well deserved time off and are ready for a big final term. This term, we look forward to many exciting events such as our swimming program at Aquamoves, Book Fair, Feast Day and a visit from Andrew Chinn!

Reading

In weeks three and four, students will learn to synthesise when reading. This comprehension skill involves combining new ideas with existing information to allow students to form conclusions about what they have read.

Writing

In weeks three and four, students will begin to apply their new found understanding of information reports to create their own about a chosen animal. Throughout the next two weeks, students will research the animals habitat, diet, classification and description of appearance. Students will present their findings as a written report and also prepare a short presentation about their animal to educate their classmates.

Spelling

In week three, due to the Feast Day Liturgy, Feast Day Mass, Andrew Chin visit we will not have a spelling focus this week. This will be a great opportunity for students to practice past spelling words.

In week four, our spelling focus will be on ‘aw as in saw.’

Numeracy

In weeks three and four, students will further their understanding of telling the time.

Inquiry

In weeks three and four, will learn to distinguish between non living things, plants and animals based on their features. Students will discuss how different groups of animals share features and group them together to classify the animal kingdom.

Religious Education

In weeks three and four, students will continue the Unit, Family and Relationships. Throughout this unit, students will learn to understand and appreciate the relationships within a family and understand how relationships in their families shape and develop their identity and self-worth.

Reminders:

Our Physical Education lessons with Mr Watts will remain on Tuesdays. Our second sports session with be with the Year 9 Notre Dame students on Thursday.
Feast Day Liturgy (17th of October)
Andrew Chin Workshop (17th of October)
Swimming program will commence Week Four and conclude at the end of Week Five.

Middle Learning Community Teachers

Senior Learning Community

Welcome to Term 4, students have quickly settled after what was hopefully a restful break. We have enjoyed hearing wonderful stories of short and extended family adventures.

Grade 6’s were lucky enough to participate in Inter School Athletics on Tuesday last week, enjoying a small amount of sunshine before the weather unfortunately cancelled our Grade 5 day. We congratulate Clancy Keenan and Samantha Nardella on making it through the next stage of competition in Albury.

You would have received an email this week in regards to the introduction of homework. We appreciate your ongoing support in guiding students to be organised each week to hand this in on time.

A small group of Grade 5’s will have the opportunity to attend Just Leadership Day run by Catholic Education Sandhurst on the 11th of November. While all our Grade 5’s will become leaders of St Luke’s next year we are only permitted to take a small group to this event. Students have started writing an application letter and this needs to be back by next Friday the 21st of October to be considered.

From the students:

This week Healthy Harold visited St. Luke’s and all the classes participated in fun activities. The 5/6’s learnt about respecting, relating, and connecting with people. We got to do a lot of different activities, like a choose-your-own-adventure one. We learnt a lot more about social skills and how you never know what someone could be going through. It was a really great learning experience and we enjoyed it a lot.

By Harper Daniel

On Monday this week some of the Year 5\6s and some Year 4s went to the athletics track to participate in Inter School Athletics. They competed in lots of different types of sports like the running events, high jump, shot put, long jump, triple jump and more. Out of all the kids that went we are very lucky to have two people that made it to Regional Athletics on Friday they will be competing in Albury.

By Samantha Nardella

We have a very busy term please take note of important dates:

24th Oct - 4th Nov - Swimming

8th Nov - Grade 6 - Yachting

11th Nov - Grade 5 - Just Leadership day (some Year 5’s)

12th Dec - Grade 6 Big Day Out

13th Dec - Grade 6 Graduation Mass

Senior Learning Community Teachers

Art

I would like to start with a huge thank you from all the parents for your support with the 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, washes 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

MacKillop Art Exhibition

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