Primary
Mrs Leanne Schulz
2022 Primary School Theme
What interesting things have been happening in the Primary School?
Over the last few weeks teachers and students have been busy completing assessments and finishing off units of work. The students have been very productive throughout the term! It has been great to see students running around playing and laughing during recess and lunch despite the wintery conditions.
Prep News
Mrs Natasha Radley (Prep AHOS)
The last 2 weeks in Prep have been quite eggciting! We had 2 chicks that hatched on Wednesday. Aitken was our first chick and Millar was the second to hatch. The Prep students enjoyed watching the eggs hatch and the chicks grow every day. They saw how the feathers changed over ten days, how big they grew and how much food and water they ate and drank. Aitken was the loud one of the pair. They loved to snuggle with each other to sleep and chirp at one another when playing.
The Prep students are commended on a wonderful semester at school. They have worked so hard and achieved so much in such a short period of time. I would like to wish all families a wonderful three week break from the crazy school rush of the term. Stay safe and I cannot wait to see you all next term.
Year 1 and 2 News
Mr Jevon Scandrett (Year 1/2 AHOS)
It is hard to believe we are at the end of Term 2!
I am so incredibly proud of the students and staff who have worked so hard this term to achieve some wonderful learning together.
Year 1 students have had the opportunity to work with a Year 5 buddy class a few times over the term. Recently, they were able to work with the Year 5 students with their robots they have been using in STEAM classes. The Year 1 students were amazed when the robots were able to move around the room and answer questions based on the programming of their Year 5 buddy!
I asked a selection of Year 2 students to tell me their favourite part of Term 2. Here were their responses:
Harit S - 2A
“My favourite part of Term 2 was sports because sports can teach us how to do different activities.”
Freya P - 2H
“The best of Term 2 has been Integrated Studies when we got to have different activities set up around the room on the tables.”
Melis D - 2H
“My favourite part of Term 2 was practicing handwriting because it was very calming and I feel I got better at handwriting.”
Miles M - 2A
“The best part of Term 2 was Art because I am good at art and I love to do it.”
Nikolai M - 2H
“My favourite part was the excursion because we saw the First Nations gallery and I also liked when we made the dioramas in Integrated Studies. I also liked when I got to read with Miss Hermez.”
Dilara A - 2A
“The best part of Term 2 has been playing with my friends because they are kind to me.”
I wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday. I am so looking forward to another term with Year 1 and 2!
Year 3 and 4 News
Mrs Anne Adams (Year 3/4 AHOS)
We have had a full, yet short term of learning. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the Year 3 and Year 4 teachers for their hard work and commitment to our students. Also, we wish Mrs Gemma Jones well with her pregnancy and Parental Leave.
From all of us, we wish your families a safe and happy holiday and we look forward to seeing everyone back in Term 3.
Here are some highlights from the Semester One.
Reanna R - 4J
Kitchen Garden was my favourite thing this term. This was a new experience for us all. It didn’t feel like normal schoolwork and it helped us to work as a team and work together. My favourite recipe was the lavender cookies.
Deren A - 4J
I liked going to Camp Weekaway. I really enjoyed the activities and we made new friendships with the new students that came this year. My favourite activity was the canoeing as I got to try something new.
Maddy L - 4S
I have enjoyed Performing Arts because we get to play games that are really funny and dances that are hilarious. Sometimes I work with Jake, Novak, Lyla, Lachlan and Emma. We laugh a lot and our dances were crazy! We learnt to move using canon, repetition and unison.
Jake E - 4S
I really love soccer on the futsal pitch. Basically, all the boys love soccer and play every week. Sometimes the girls play soccer. We play well together, and we sort out our fights if something goes wrong. It is good for my fitness and my wellbeing. After lunch we come back to class happy and ready to learn.
Noah G - 4M
Netball was my highlight for the term. I liked the teamwork and competitiveness of the game. I played wing defence or goal attack. Mr Keegan taught us how to play and shoot goals.
Dana J - 4M
Cross Country was a real highlight for me. I love running and I love the competition as I get to see how good I am up against my year level and other schools. I competed in district cross country and came third place. This meant that I went on to compete in the next division.
Chloe P - 3R
I love reading and have enjoyed looking at the Cumberland winners from the Story Book Competition from last year. These have given me new ideas for my writing and the illustrations. I also liked how they described their characters. At the moment I am reading the Princess Bride by William Goldmann.
Nathan R - 3R
I loved going to the farm and seeing the calves. We went up just in time to give them milk. We got to go in there and have a pat. The Year ten students got to hold the bottles so the babies could feed. One calf was drinking really fast and looked weird when he was drinking.
Ashen N - 3T
I love Maths, because I am good at it. I like multiplication and addition. In class we have been using fake money to add and subtract and buy things in the shop we made. I am looking forward to learning division.
Saige R - 3T
I have loved making my book for the Cumberland Story Writing competition. We got to write and make whatever kind of book we wanted. We are now adding illustrations to our books. I really like reading other people’s books and getting feedback from my teacher and parents. They have given me new ideas and feedback. I will work on the illustrations over the holidays.
Sze Sze L - 3A
I love art and I loved making the trees with warm and cool colours. It took a while to finish but it looks really good!
Christian M - 3A
I really loved Melbourne in Minecraft. We mined for artefacts in the dig sites. We had to clean them and analyse them to see what they were. They were common, uncommon or ultra-rare artefacts. Once you clean them, you take a photo of them and put them in the online gallery for everyone to see.
Year 5 and 6 News
Mr Nigel Keegan (Year 5/6 AHOS)
Creative writing has been a highlight in Year 5 and Year 6. Students are showing excellent progress in developing their narrative craft with particular focus on ‘sizzling starts’, ‘tightening tension’ and ‘exciting endings’. The goal is to engage and entertain an audience by using imagination, creativity, and allowing the reader to ‘feel’ the characters emotions. Students can write freely using what they know about narrative structure, without being confined to writing about a set topic. We are looking forward to the published work and sharing them with each other, and with our buddies.
In addition to writing, Federation has proven to be a fascinating and enjoyable topic of study, especially during an election year. Students have been fortunate enough to learn about Governments past and present and how they change and gain a greater understanding of what they do. Class discussions on the different parties and the politicians in those parties have been interesting and robust! Students have also explored key people around the time 1890 – 1901 and the impact each had on establishing our nation. Sir Henry Parkes, is a very significant person whose impact can still be felt today. Edmond Barton was another; Australia’s first Prime Minister. The three levels of government have been explored - local, State and Federal, and the responsibility of each. The current focus is the ‘Timeline to Federation’ assessment, and research of influential people in the lead up to Federation. Ask your child all about it!
Cross Country
Congratulations to the following Year 5 and Year 6 students who competed in the next level of the Cross Country competition, ‘The Northern Metro Region Finals’: Rhys M, Jasmina M, Mia P, Ainslee M, Charlie D, Sariah E and Aanvi K. The students competed on Wednesday 15 June at Bundoora Park. The top 12 runners from each race progress to the State Cross Country Carnival.
Mia P and Jasmina M have made it through to the State Cross Country Championships. This is an incredible achievement!
Nicholas P has also made it into the Under 12’s Vic State AFL Team.
Year 4J News
We would like to thank Mrs Gemma Jones for her dedication and commitment to 4J throughout the year. Mrs Jones will be sadly missed by students and teachers as she embarks on a new chapter in her life and begins Parental Leave early in Term 3. We wish Mrs Jones and her family every happiness!
The new Homeroom teachers for 4J beginning in Term 3 will be Ms Hannah Petterson and Mrs Francis Scuderi. We are very fortunate to have Ms Petterson returning from Parental Leave and Mrs Scuderi joining the Primary team.
Term Break!
Well done to all the Primary students and staff for a solid term of fun and productive activities! Amongst winter illnesses, staff and students have made the most of the learning opportunities presented. A huge thank you to parents for always showing support and keeping open communication with the teachers. Positive partnerships between home and school are essential and are very much appreciated!
The Primary Staff and I would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday where you have a chance to recharge and enjoy some family time. We look forward to seeing you all once again in Term 3!
Building and Maintaining School Belonging
‘Parenting Ideas’ Article by Dr Kelly-Ann Allen
‘Though there have been a few positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the loss of traditional school routines has not been one of them. Lockdowns and remote learning over the past couple of years contributed heavily to a decline in physical school connection, but the continued experience of often unpredictable isolation periods continues to challenge a sense of belonging for many students.
Studies have shown a positive sense of school belonging among adolescents can increase life satisfaction, self-confidence, wellbeing, and other positive emotions. The lack of a sense of belonging can contribute to higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and overall negative feelings. Critically, a strong sense of belonging at school can be a protective factor for mental health, reducing the likelihood of mental illness well into adulthood.
Among the many variables found to help build a student’s sense of belonging, there are three key relationships: teachers, parents, and peers; and parents can have a role in safe-guarding all three.’
See full article attached