Independence Centre

Curriculum

Selamat siang!

The students in the Independence Centre have had a blast practising their swimming skills over the last week. We have been really impressed with the attitudes displayed and the responsibility shown by all 3/4 students. We look forward to another fun filled week at Aquanation!

In Mathematics sessions across the week, the students began hands-on investigations of capacity. Using a wide variety of containers, students used the calibrated scales to accurately measure different amounts of water. It was interesting to make predictions about some different shaped containers that had no labelled measurements, and to explore which had a larger capacity. By the end of the week, students were using their knowledge of millilitres and litres to create their own calibrated scales on containers.

While NAIDOC week occurred during the school holidays (July 3rd-10th), students in the Independence Centre spent time across the week celebrating First Nations cultures, particularly through reading. We read a wide range of story books, and the students challenged themselves to complete a crossword puzzle using clues from an informative video about the importance of NAIDOC week. Students also explored First Nations languages and learned the meanings of words from different dialects.

As we explored First Nations cultures in Reading, we also explored our own personal cultures to inspire our Writing for the week. Students chose their own writing ‘seed’ that relates to their culture, whether that be about Christmas, a particular food or even traditional celebrations. They used this ‘seed’ to brainstorm ideas for a narrative story. Throughout the week, students used the writing process to plan and write a draft of a narrative story. Our overarching writing topic for the term is to entertain, so we will be spending more time planning, writing and editing our stories over the term.

Finally, we had our first Guided Inquiry session for the term. Our topic is ‘Discovery - Forces and Functions’, and during this session, the students spent time investigating different stations around the room that explored a variety of different forces. These included push and pull, magnetism and elasticity. After investigating with a range of materials, students created their own wonderings to add to our Guided Inquiry Wonder Walls. These wonderings will help drive the direction of our investigations later in the term.

Have a wonderful week and a great term ahead,

Miss Chooi, Miss Richardson, Miss Wang, Mrs McCoy, Miss Tillotson and Miss Honan :)

Student Voice:

Arav C - "I loved swimming because I'm learning to do proper dives."
Kayla S - "I enjoyed Maths because I got to use water to measure capacity."
Megan T - "I had fun wearing a life jacket in swimming because you got to bob up and down."

Reminders

Swimming things need to be brought in each day
If you do not have a 3 way conference booked, please email your child's teacher
Please bring in any cardboard boxes or recycled material that students will use later in the term for their STEM and Guided Inquiry project.

Pupil of the Week

3/4C: Ashley L -

For showing zest and enthusiasm during swimming lessons. It is wonderful to see your improvement after only a few lessons. Keep up the great work Ashley!

3/4H: Molly B -

For demonstrating curiosity and teamwork when investigating capacity. It is wonderful to always see you working hard to expand your knowledge and skills. Keep up the marvellous effort Molly!

3/4M: Rishi U -

For demonstrating curiosity and a love of learning when exploring synonyms for ‘said’ in small group writing focus. It is excellent to see you thinking creatively and sharing your ideas with your peers. Keep it up, Rishi!

3/4R: Fateh S -

For demonstrating enthusiasm and creativity when participating in a shared writing task. You did a great job choosing wow words and descriptive adverbs to tighten the tension. Fantastic work, Fateh.

3/4T: Emily F -

For demonstrating perseverance and zest during your swimming lessons. It is great to see you getting better in such a short time. Brilliant work Emily!

3/4W: Freddie B -

For demonstrating leadership when supporting your Year 2 Buddy to complete the NAIDOC week inspired task. You asked them questions and made them feel comfortable moving around the Senior space.