News from our Classrooms
Foundation News
The Foundation students really enjoyed making a card, writing about their mum and the highlight last week was going to the library to purchase a gift in preparation for Mother's Day that was celebrated yesterday. We wish all Foundation mums a very happy Mother's Day and we hope your family spoilt you.
Today is Day 56 as we count towards 100 Days of Prep. On Wednesday the students will be attending the 9:15 am Mass as a level. Parents are most welcome to join us at church.
The inquiry unit for the first part of the term is under way. "How does it move and why?" looks at the way different things can move. Our focus is teaching the students to observe what is happening and this week they will begin to write and draw their observations in a journal. Working with a partner the students will play musical statues and also play on the playground. They need to observe what parts of the body are involved when their partner moves in different ways. Over the coming week they will also investigate how toys move in a variety of ways.
Please remember to return library books by Wednesday so that your child can borrow a new book on Thursday.
Year 1/2 News
Our Big Question for Inquiry is “How Forces Affect Movement”.
Our students have attended an incursion presented by Hands on Science. They enjoyed being scientists and undertaking various experiments to find out how various objects move. The students have been writing interesting facts about the incursion during literacy sessions.
Our students also had a visit from Luke at the Commonwealth Bank to learn about ways to save money and understand the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. In Numeracy, the students are focussing on subisting and splitting number of objects in a collection into different parts and explaining their thinking.
As May is the month of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the students are focussing on the many qualities that make her a special person and relating those qualities to their own mums. They were very excited to purchase gifts from the Mother’s Day stall and make special cards for their mums.
Year 3/4 News
Last term, our Physical Education Coordinator, Michael Jennings, applied to the 'Sporting Schools Funding' Program for a government grant to conduct a sports program at our school. We were successful and received a grant to conduct tennis lessons for the Year 3/4 students during Term 2. The program runs for five weeks and provides each 3/4 class with a one hour session each Friday. The coaches from the Brunswick Tennis Club have been assisting the 3/4 students in learning new skills and training them to become the next Roger Federer or Serena Williams. The 3/4 students have been extremely fortunate to be part of this tennis program and have shared their responses below.
I really enjoyed learning from the tennis coaches, I worked on my forehand. Thomas V 3/4LM
On Friday, I learnt how to hit the ball over the net with Tiana. Cynthia 3/4LM
I loved playing tennis on a Friday because it is fun and I have never played tennis at school Andie 3/4LM
I felt like I was playing real tennis like Roger Federer. George 3/4LM
I really enjoyed playing crazy tennis. I liked it because we bounced the ball numerous times before we hit it. Cara Pappas 3/4BF
I really like playing doubles with Frank. We played against Caterina and Ned. It was a competitive game! Jacob Carnes 3/4BF
I enjoyed battling my friends in a friendly game of tennis. I had a fun time! Alyssa Limoni 3/4BF
I’ve enjoyed playing tennis at school and learning new skills with my friends. Luis Gabriel 3/4KD
I liked doing a tennis rally with my friends because tennis keeps me active, moving and it’s a lot of fun. Eva Petersen 3/4KD
I play tennis at Strathmore, but this clinic has been really enjoyable and has helped me to improve my skills. Zac Lymberopoulos 3/4KD
Yr 5/6 News
The 5/6 students are enthusiastic about our new Physical Science, Inquiry unit, 'What makes it glow?'
To introduce the unit the students completed a thinking routine called Think, Puzzle Explore. They wrote what they think energy is and any words/ drawings about it, what puzzles them about energy and how can they explore what puzzles them to find answers.
The 5/6 teachers then set up some tables with items such as toasters, coffee machines, wires, globes, batteries, an open lap top, torch and diagrams of circuits.
We asked such questions as;
What are these things?
What could these diagrams represent?
How does it work?
What can you see? Can you name the parts?
What wonderings do you have?
The students are very curious and excited to learn more about electrical energy and attend an excursion to the Lego Discovery Centre on Thursday the 30th of May to see how coding can help robots made out of lego can move.
Once again, please ensure your Year 5 child is not becoming overly anxious about NAPLAN which is starting tomorrow. NAPLAN is a small snapshot, under test conditions, of what you child can do and teachers see great progress from the beginning of the year to the end.
It is a 'don't stress, try your best' attitude' that will help your child.
Thank you for your on going support with the learning of your child.
