Professional Learning Community Foundation (Preps)

Hi PLCF Families,

As we are entering the second week of assessing students, the Prep teachers could not be happier with the skills and knowledge our students are demonstrating. We are seeing some wonderful growth but most importantly, some wonderful students giving everything a 'red hot go'.

As the weather continues to cool down, we continue to remind families to check their children's jumpers, jackets, beanies etc. for names. The weather outside is cold but the classrooms are warm, so jumpers are coming on and off regularly - unnamed items are very difficult to return to their correct owner and often end up in Lost Property.

Recently we were lucky enough to have the Melbourne Museum visit with some Dinosaur replica fossils. Students were excited to learn about the history of the Triceratops and a local dinosaur the Muttaburrasaurus. We look forward to reflecting more on this experience next term when we begin to write about Dinosaurs.

We understand there is a lot of absence due to illness recently, we appreciate you keeping your child home when they are unwell and covid testing. Just a reminder to notify our office when students are absent due to illness. We always look forward seeing them return once they are feeling better.

Thanks from the Prep Team.

Professional Learning Community 1 (Grade 1 )

The time has flown by as fast as lightning and we find ourselves over halfway through Term 2 already!

The last 2 weeks have seen students at DPS working hard and showing our school value of ‘Personal Best’ as they complete various assessments. All of the Grade 1 teachers are very proud of the way their students have given everything a ‘red hot go’ and demonstrated how much they’ve already learnt this year. We look forward to seeing all the achievements that are still to come!

On Friday the 20th of May we were lucky enough to have a visit from the Melbourne Museum and learn about some pretty fascinating fossils. We were amazed to learn about how humungous the dinosaurs were and how these fossils were discovered.

On Wednesday the 25th at 11am we participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime where we read Family Tree by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh. Students loved listening to the beautifully written and illustrated Australian book and discussing some of the messages in the text.

As the weather begins to get very chilly, please ensure students have named school jumpers and coats to wear to and from school and outside at play times.

1A students’ cookie creations in Kitchen

Professional Learning Community 2 (Grade 2 )

Congratulations to all Year Two students on their hard work and dedication throughout assessment weeks, with all students aiming to do their personal best.

In Reading we have been focusing on summarising key ideas and parts of a text, both fiction and non-fiction. Students used a Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then, template to assist with constructing their summary. All students thoroughly enjoyed reading a range of fairy tales during their independent reading time. A reminder to all parents and guardians to please take the time to sit, read, discuss, and share any ideas about what your child has read each night.

During Writing, students have had a lot of fun creating a ‘Once Upon a Time’ fairy tale narrative. With a famous fairy tale character, students used the Mountain Planner to help construct their narrative. They then wrote a persuasive text, arguing why the “Big Bad Wolf” was a hero, rather than a villain. Students loved creating their own ideas and giving evidence as to how the wolf was trying to help the three little pigs.

In Numeracy, we have been learning about Addition and Subtraction. Teachers have exposed students to a range of strategies to use when helping to solve number sentences and worded problems. Students had a great time playing strike out with a partner.

Throughout the term students have been learning about push and pull. Students conducted several experiments over the past weeks including the egg drop, buoyancy floating test and the air balloon rocket. It has been fantastic to see how students have adjusted their thinking and reasoning from the beginning through to the end of each experiment, based on what they found out.

Professional Learning Community 3 (Grade 3)

We are loving assessment weeks in PLC3! We have been busy reading, spelling, measuring and online testing. When we are not testing we have been working quietly to be considerate of those testing. The grade 3s have been so respectful and kind to their classmates - playing cooperative strategy games, creating books and then sharing those books and solving some numeracy crimes! We have also had to clean up the measuring rice kit a couple of times! As staff we look forward to collating all of the data we have collected and seeing exactly where our students are working, which we will share with you in the semester reports. Celebrate your children at home for working so hard and being so kind to their classmates.

Professional Learning Community 4 (Grade 4)

Grade 4s had an absolute blast on camp at Cave Hill Creek. They came home extra-tired after experiencing lots of new activities and with some not getting much sleep at all. That also includes some teaching staff! One of the many highlights was our night walk, then we sat around the camp fire while Mr Senior played his guitar and we sang songs. ‘She’s coming around the mountain’ was a favourite and we loved seeing Mrs Wood and Miss Fisher dancing around the fire.

Our two weeks of assessments are coming to an end this week. We are very proud of all the students who have worked hard to show their learning over the last few weeks. Some of the assessments are a one-to-one conference with the teacher and the class have been respecting the needs of their peers to be quiet and work independently during these times. Many students are achieving some amazing results and up-coming reports will reflect a student’s achievement according to the Victorian Curriculum and a personal comment will be written by the class room teacher.

Our writing during the second half of this term will focus on our Physical Science topic of Smooth Moves. Students have been investigating how different forces work, including gravity and a link which can be made perfectly with this topic is forces used during the medieval days. As students have just experienced using a bow and arrow on camp, they are excited to learn about what happens when the archer pulls the string back. This is called projectile motion and is movement of an object in a curved path toward the ground because it has both a horizontal force and the downward force of gravity acting on it. Another example of this is the terrifying trebuchet where cannon balls are released. Some students might get the opportunity to make a simple trebuchet during Science time.

Rug up and have a great week everyone.

Professional Learning Community 5 (Grade 5)

It has been a gruelling couple of weeks of assessment and we’re not quite done yet. Our Grade 5 students have been and will continue working incredibly hard to show us exactly what they can do. We’re already seeing some wonderful results. Keep up the great work Grade 5s, you can do it!

A huge well done to those who participated in the winter sports. It was indeed a cold wintery day to contend with! This term we will see those taking part in the Girls’ Program attend their breakfast launch (in Week 7) and first activity (in Week 8). If you are part of the program, make sure to keep track of events. A schedule has been distributed to the students involved, but if you need one, please see Miss McCutcheon.

Have a great week everyone!

Professional Learning Community 6 (Grade 6)

What a wonderful term it has been

From camp and the crazy things we have seen

To swimming and writing all about war

We all want ‘just a bit more’

Creating our own board games have been a blast

Prime, composite and squared numbers better think fast

And how can we forget the great fluency we have read

True Shakespeareans in our rooms is what we have said

And yet the term must come to an end

So rest up, enjoy the break and chat to a friend!

Have a great break

From PLC 6!

Important Reminders

BOOK CLUB

CURRICULUM DAY

CSEF & STATE SCHOOLS RELIEF