The Learning Page...

What is Happening in English This Term?

We have a very exciting term ahead of us in English. Our Prep to Grade 4 students will be exploring nature this term through units on plants or animals. This includes exploring Old MacDonald Had A Farm in Prep, The Wind in the Willows in Grade 3 and many other wonderful stories. Most units will also have a strong focus on non-fiction texts.

Our Grade 5/6 students will be focussing on key events in history by reading two novels - one about the Stolen Generation and one set in Poland the Second World War.

Wherever possible, our English lessons occur in the morning. The exception to this is when students have specialist classes first up. 

• In Prep to Grade 2, the first hour is spent working on skills to become literate. These include: a phonics or spelling lesson, handwriting, fluency practise and/or grammar. Students then move into an hour long English lesson when they focus on reading and writing about a certain topic.
• In Grades 3 to 6, the first 30 mins is spent on a spelling lesson. The following 90 minutes are focussed on reading a class novel and writing about the novel and concepts within it.

We encourage you to get involved in your child's learning by talking about it with them. You may like to ask, "What did you learn in English today?". You can also support by ensuring that your child arrives between 8:45am and 8:50am each morning so they are in class by the time lessons begin sharply at 9:00am.

Need Books?

Book Club is a service we offer from Scholastic to make purchasing books, games and learning resources easy. There are eight issues of Book Club a year, so twice a term you will find a Book Club article and link in our newsletter. This is one of those times.

If you and your child see any items that you like, ordering is easy! SMPS is linked to the Book Club LOOP system; Linked Online Ordering & Payment platform for parents. Please see the attached page below for instructions on ordering.

Encouraging your child to read and have a love of good books can accelerate their learning. We would love you to take the time to look through the catalogue. Each order also helps earn teaching resources and learning materials for our school.

Parents have fed back that they find it helpful when we recommend books. We have noticed how popular arts and crafts have been with students, so as the weather begins to turn colder and wetter, we are focussing in this newsletter on craft activities that keep kids engaged and off screens.

• Prep – Grade 1:
  Dino World Sticker Activity Case (page 9, item 113): Enter the world of the dinosaurs in this roar-some activity case. It includes four activity books packed with puzzles, colouring pages, 500 stickers and more. A great link to our Grade 1 unit on dinosaurs this term. RRP $19.99, Book Club price $10.
• Grade 2:
  Sand Painting Studio (final page, item 079): Make mesmerizing sand art, inspired by swirling tie-dye colors! "Paint" the artwork with glue and a custom-tooled palette knife, them drizzle your sand in organic swirls to create sand art that looks just like your favorite tie-dyed t-shirt. Sand-sational! RRP $29.99, Book Club price $26. 
• Grade 3 – Grade 4:
  Harry Potter Origami Volume 2 (page 16, item 225): Make 15 amazing origami props as seen in the Harry Potter films using easy-to-follow instructions. RRP $16.99, Book Club price $15.
• Grade 5 – Grade 6:
  Make Your Own Nerf Launcher (page 25, item 355): Everything you need to create and use catapults, slingshots, and other NERF approved launchers! RRP $19.99, Book Club price $18.
• Extra: The Bad Guys 1-14 Pack (page 5, item 052): When you read the Specialist Updates Page, you'll see that Bad Guys has been one of the most borrowed books. Why stop with just one book at a time when you could have a full set of books 1-14?

We hope this helps with your book browsing. Happy reading!

Curious Minds

Challenge and Enrichment Series

We were very excited to have our first challenge and enrichment class in Biomimicry in the first week of term. The children explored how designs often mimic nature, like how bullet trains and aeroplanes have similarities to birds. They listened, researched, played a Kahoot and then used their learnings to create their own design. We had many creative designs including:

• a drink bottle inspired by cacti so that it can hold lots of water and put people off stealing it due to its prickles
• a water tank that uses a spongy tool like coral to absorb extra water
• a spiky tool to collect rubbish out of the ocean that was inspired by spikes on plants

Victorian High-Ability Program

Our School Captain, Sai, finished the Victorian High-Ability Program in Mathematics - Patterns: From Symbols to Secrets. This 10-week course encourages students to discover that mathematics is not about ‘getting to the answer’, by demonstrating there are often multiple solutions and multiple strategies. Students explore concepts that are not usually covered in the primary mathematics curriculum, such as alternative numeral systems and cryptography. Sai shared that he particularly enjoyed working in breakout rooms to discuss and debate questions with peers.

This term, we have seen another student qualify for the English course - The Power of the Pen. This course helps students explore the purpose and impact of writing. They will consider a world without writing, examine the history of writing, and have the opportunity to extend their story writing skills. Students will engage in narrative masterclasses focused on plot, character, setting, perspective, voice and genre. They will explore humorous and optimistic texts, the difference between writing to control and writing to empower, and the ways in which writing can change hearts and minds.

We often get questions about how students can participate in the Victorian High-Ability Program. VHAP is open to students in Years 5-8. Students are identified by the Department of Education. They are selected based on their NAPLAN results and their school report marks (known as progression points). For students who are wanting to participate, we recommend trying their hardest all the time to earn the strongest marks they can. If students don't qualify in Primary School, they may qualify in Year 7 or 8.