2022 - November Edition

Teaching and Learning

Classroom News

Prep

The preps have embarked on a journey across the world to Dubai. They have been lucky enough to connect with a lovely school and share letters back and forth. What a great way to learn about different cultures around the world.

 

Year 1/2

In Science lessons, the Year 1/2 classes have been busy learning about pushes and pulls.  After discovering we use pushes and pulls every day to lots of different things, we looked at toys that use pushes and pulls. Students have been making some simple push and pull toys in class.  Next week, they will begin to design and make their own toy that uses a push or a pull to move a spinning part. 

Year 3/4

In Science, Year 3/4A students investigated friction to further their understanding of how forces are involved in our everyday lives.

Year 3/4B have been working hard to show their understanding of the characteristic features of humorous poetry. In Maths, they have engaged in hands on activities to develop their knowledge of capacity.

Year 3/4C have been investigating how materials and forces work together during their Science and Technology lessons.

 

Year 5/6

Wow!! Can you believe we are halfway through the last term of the year? 

 

We do have another full term of learning and assessing and would like to mention:

 

  • the importance of being at school every day at this time to complete assessment tasks and to do the important prior learning that goes with these tasks, as we are considerably time poor it is often a struggle to catch students up and as we progress further into the term there may be no opportunities for this to happen.
  • Year 5/6 students are being asked to wear an all-black wardrobe for our concert item for Carols in the Grove this year, please let us know if your student is not going to be attending for organisation purposes. 
  • Keep your eyes open for the Year 6 graduation information which will be coming home soon, we are all looking forward to this amazing night of celebrating our fabulous students before they leave us for high school. 

Learning Celebration

Our Semester 2 learning celebration will occur on Monday of week 10 (5th of December). This is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the academic, cultural, sporting and behavioural successes of our students and reflect on the learning that has occurred this semester.   The parents of students receiving awards will receive an invitation before the event.  Our 

Year 6 students will be visiting their secondary schools on this day and will receive their awards at their Year 6 graduation.

Outdoor Classroom Day!

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to inspire and celebrate outdoor play and learning, at home and at school. On Outdoor Classroom Day itself, teachers celebrate with a special day outdoors for their class. This year GGSS classes enjoyed some time out in the fresh air completing learning activities. 

 

Laidley Cluster Drone Challenge 5/6 

 On Wednesday 2nd November, our year 5/6 students: Marlee Pearce; Dexter Cole, William Saal and Silas Nevins participated in the first ever Laidley cluster Drone Challenge at Laidley District State School. 

8 schools were invited to use their STEM ideas to create a carrier to transport materials up a constructed mountain to a crash site. They had to take off, fly control and land the drone with the carrier attached. We thought flying a drone would be easy but found that manoeuvring it was a little tricky.

The day went as follows:

  • Our students started the day having some Drone lessons from a Drone expert, Yvonne from UniSQ. 
  • Once they knew the aim of the challenge, students were given a 1 ½ to plan and test their design. 
  • At 12 pm we had a phenomenal lunch by Dominoes Hattonvale (very grateful) organised by our PNC President, Michelle Norman.
  • Then it was on to the actual presentations and challenge flying. All students out did themselves with their designs and willingness to push past the trickiness of controlling the drone.
  • The judges took over to make their deliberations and we all had fun having drone races.
  • Awards in the hall were up next. 
  • There are only 4 awards handed out for the challenge day: Overall winners; Collaboration Award; Design Solution and Digital Solution. Our students showed that we are kind, we collaborate and that we have beautiful growth mindset – we won the Collaboration Award. 

We had the best time, just meeting fellow students from other schools to share in STEM fun was so valuable. I could not be prouder of how our GGSS students spoke, behaved and showed how the word FAIL is just a F -first, A-Attempt, I – In, L-Learning.