Senior Classroom News

                           News from Grade 4

This week the students in Year 4 have used the text “FOX”, by Margaret Wild, 

as a model (mentor text) to create an engaging opening to our writing. 

We have been learning about how the opening lines to our writing can determine whether the reader will be engaged - whether they will want to keep reading!!

Margaret Wild begins her book FOX with:

Through the charred forest, over hot ash, runs Dog, with a bird clamped in his big, gentle mouth. 

We looked at the author’s use of descriptive language, particularly how she used noun groups in her writing. 

These are the AMAZING opening lines the students came up with, modelled on the opening line from FOX. 

• Through the muddy bush, over lots of puddles, runs Pippa, with a netball clamped in her big, strong hands.  (Pippa)
• Through the smokey skidfest, over hot rubber, runs Dean the dragon, with his keys held tightly in his scaly, slimy tail. (Ethan)
• Through the dirty house, over quiet people, runs Cat, with a mouse clamped firmly in his big, gentle mouth. (Charlii)
• Through the clean classroom, over fallen bags, runs Ollie, with a note clamped in his giant, warm, soft hands. (Eli)
• Through the muddy backyard, over the messy sandpit, runs Boss Baby, with a nappy in his small, soft hands. (Oliver)
• Through the muddy classroom, over the children’s bags, runs Sheep, with a diamond wedged in his wool. (Heath)
• Through the busy bus stop, over lots of luggage, runs Vicky, with a special rock clutched close to her warm chest. (Ruby)
• Through the poisoned rainforest, over fallen logs, runs Fox, with a bleeding rabbit clamped in her big gentle mouth. ( Amelia)
• Through the quiet but messy classroom, over the big printer, runs Mouse, with a little house tied tightly on his back. (Gracie)

                   News from the 5/6 Classroom

This fortnight in the grade 5/6 room we have been looking at patterns and algorithms. We enjoyed entering in an algorithm to the bee bots to get them to stay within our tracks. A few students attempted to make the bee bot do the nutbush which was great to see! 

We also enjoyed following a cooking recipe which is also another form of algorithm to make our Father’s Day gift apricot balls. 

                                                ART

This year St. Mary's have submitted a group artwork in the Mackillop Art Exhibition titled 'Faux Fossils. To create this artwork students from Year's 4 - 6 designed a fossil and formed their design from florist wire. They then glued the florist wire onto a 10cm2 canvas. When the glue was dry they applied paper mache over the top and coloured their piece using dry pastels. A selection of these masterpieces were attached in a tile formation and placed in a natural coloured frame.