Junior School
Throughout Term 1, the overarching theme in Junior School has been Identity. A healthy identity comes from a deep understanding of who we really are. The Bible teaches us that we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ Psalm 139:14. In this big and crazy world, with a population of almost eight billion people, it is easy to get lost and not know who we are. It is easy for young people to think they are worthless.
This term, students have been learning that they are not only created by God in His image, but they are also loved by God. We are told in Psalm 139 that we were intricately woven and knitted together in our mother’s womb, and even before our birth, God knew us. God cares so much for each of us that He knows everything about us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He even knows the number of hairs on our head, Luke 12:7. How incredible is that! But even more remarkable is that He loved us so much that He sent His only son Jesus to die for us and pay for our sins. If we accept Him as our Saviour, we can have a personal relationship with our Creator. Now that is what I call amazing love! My deep hope for every student in Junior School is that they can find their identity in Christ.
Staff valued the time to meet with families last week at our Semester 1 Parent Teacher Interviews. Thank you to the parents who attended. A successful parent-teacher partnership shows a child that an entire team of adults is on their side. To foster trust and open communication with your child’s teacher, please use the school diary or make an appointment via the College office. We welcome opportunities to collaborate to ensure your child’s learning experience at Oxley is both positive and productive.
There are still a few events to come to finish off Term 1. Year 1 and 2 students will welcome all their special visitors to Grandparents’ Afternoon on 1 April from 2.00pm – 3.00pm. Our teachers have an array of wonderful activities to make this a memorable time for the students. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing youth learning and spending time with the older generation.
And even when I am old and grey, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come. Psalm 71:18
Parents, please remember you are also welcome to attend the Strings Open Lessons for Year 2 students in the final week of Term 1. Details can be found in the email sent out on Tuesday 15 March. I pray that we will finish this term well as a Junior School.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1
Amy Liddle
Head of Junior School
What Did You Do at School Today?
Prep
This week, in Maths we learnt about mass. Did you know you can use your hands to weigh objects to find out which is heavier and lighter? We discovered that sometimes a smaller object can be heavier than something that is large in size. We have been meeting with our buddies every Friday. We enjoy having lunch with them and sharing our learning that has taken place during the week. We can’t wait to see what we will be learning about next!
Year 1
We have been learning the tricks of the trade to persuade our reader when writing a persuasive text. We know we need to form an opinion and have powerful reasons to back it up. Strong use of words and feelings makes the reader want to agree with us. We have also been practising our oral skills when taking a stand on a topic. Be on the lookout for convincing negotiations at home!
Year 2
WOW! What a terrific fortnight in Year 2. Last week, we began learning about persuasive writing. We enjoyed reading the book The Day the Crayons Quit and laughed as the crayons tried to convince their owner to give them a break. We used this story as inspiration to write persuasive letters from the perspective of our own stationery items. Our letters were full of emotion, humour and, of course, persuasive language. In Mathematics, we explored a range of different maps. We were challenged to draw a map of our classroom from a bird’s eye view. Phew, it was hard! We thought carefully about the location of each object and its size. Hmmm, we wonder what the last two weeks of Term 1 will hold for Year 2?
Year 3
We have had a fantastic time creating an advertising poster for a new product we have made. Choosing a target audience, our posters hooked us in, provided information about our product, as well as why we need to purchase the item. We are busy practising our speech before presenting it to the class. Persuasive writing is so much fun! We have enjoyed learning new design skills on the Surface Go to ensure the visual presentations stand out from the crowd.
Year 4
‘I have a dream.’ These famous words from one speech changed the world as we know it. We have been looking at how we can use our words as a call to action. After creating a list of things we are passionate about seeing change in, we have chosen a topic to write a persuasive speech and call others to stand beside us to change the norms. No homework! Class pets! Stop polluting! Recycle! All these and more. We are so excited to make our voices heard this term. Our families better watch out, because we may be trying out our persuasive speeches on you soon!
Year 5
In Integrated Studies, we have been inquiring about a part of our learning that interested us during our Ethics and Emotions unit, this term. Many of us have focused on ethical dilemmas, identity, and the importance of honesty. In IT we have been learning how if and repeat statements can help us troubleshoot problems. We have created posters that our peers can look at to help each other complete tasks, such as printing or creating hyperlinks. In Mathematics we focused on fractions, and it has been amazing to see how much growth we have shown our teachers in our conceptual understanding of parts of a whole. Speaking of which, we are excited that we may complete a whole term, after spending two years experiencing a fraction of a term!
Year 6
We have begun to explore persuasive writing and are excited to learn how to argue with intelligent arguments and creative reasons! Last week, we were shocked to find that our pencil cases had gone on holiday, because they were feeling overworked and neglected. We learnt first hand how inconvenient it is to not have a pencil case, prompting us to write a convincing letter to persuade them to return to us once again, or for some of us, writing a letter notifying our pencil cases to let them know that their services were no longer needed. In Maths, we have been learning about fractions and how we can express them in different ways, using number lines and equivalent fractions. We continue to learn to rise to the challenge and make connections! Last Friday, we played our third Interschool Sports games against Lilydale, and Oxley came away with a win in every sport that was played! It is so great to be able to compete against other schools, once again. We loved supporting the efforts in Ukraine and wearing a spot of blue or yellow throughout the day to remind us to keep all involved in our thoughts and prayers.