Kinross Wolaroi Family Bulletin

Around the Junior School

Kindergarten

To align with our literacy storybook The Potato People by Pamela Allen, Kindergarten enjoyed an afternoon of pumpkin picking at Windermere this week. The students collected three different types of pumpkins. We cut open one and looked at the seeds and examined the different shapes and colours. Back at school, we looked at a simple procedure and followed this to make delicious pumpkin soup. Finally, it was time to eat! 

Canberra Excursion

By Millie McGee and Jaz Jandera

On a very cold and early Wednesday morning (Week 4) when most Kinross Wolaroi staff and students were asleep, Year 6, along with Miss Hazelton, Mr Whitehead and Mrs Milliken were up and on a 6am bus to Canberra.  

 

Once we arrived in Canberra, we stopped at Mount Ainslie Lookout to have a peek at some areas we were visiting on our stay. 

 

We then proceeded to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where we got to learn about different sports and even saw some of the facilities. We walked around and saw gymnasts and athletes training. As we were concluding the tour, we went into Sportex where we tried out being different Olympic athletes which was awesome. 

 

Next stop was Questacon and we got to explore science in depth and go on the free fall slide where our tummy was left to the top as our body slid to the bottom. We visited the National Museum of Australia which blew our mind as some of the Australian artifacts we saw were hundreds of years old – even older than our Grandparents! 

 

The next day, we woke on Thursday to a cold morning in our Canberra Park Hotel rooms. Out first destination was Geoscience. We learnt earthquakes and watched a detailed demonstration of tectonic plates colliding. Did you know that earthquakes in Japan can be felt and measured in Australia? 

 

Next, we went to Parliament House for a tour of the Senate and the House of Representatives. We then visited a replica room where we role-played an election and passing of a bill. It was incredibly interesting and informative. 

 

We then went to the National Portrait Gallery and then to the Mint to learn how money is made. We really enjoyed visiting Old Parliament House to learn how to vote. 

Joke: Why should you go to The Mint? Because it makes ‘cents’.

 

The highlight of Canberra was Zone 3. We stayed up late to enjoy a laser tag adventure along with many old-school entertaining games.  

 

Friday began with a trip to the Canberra Zoo followed by the War Memorial. We learnt about the different roles people played in the war and even saw the grave of the unknown soldier to show how everyone is equal. They all lost their lives fighting for their country! 

It was a very quiet bus trip home after a jam-packed, fun and informative few days! 

Dinosaur Party Pre-Kinder

This week in Pre-Kindy we have been learning about Dinosaurs, a very exciting subject indeed. The children are very eager to share previous knowledge with their classmates and learn new facts as well. On Monday we had a Dinosaur Party where the children were able to dress up and bring their favourite dinosaur toy from home. We sang songs, played games, learnt a new ‘Dino Stomp’ dance and sorted out food for the herbivores and the carnivores. For lunch we had a herbivore an carnivore themed lunch comprising of carrot sticks, cucumbers, meatballs and dinosnacks followed with a dinosaur stuck in jelly. A very roarsome time was had by all.

Year 5

Year 5 read and discussed a poem called ‘I Am Sorry’ by Stephanie Mulrooney. This poem highlights the hurt felt by indigenous Australia and hints at a positive, unified future. As a class, we discussed the metaphoric meaning of key phrases and formulated our own perspectives on what reconciliation means for Australians. Students explored the pain that remains in our communities and discussed how we as a society can transcend past wrongs and create a brighter, more harmonious future. In addition to this, students coloured and displayed the five-petal Native Hibiscus flower in the classroom as a symbol of compassion and healing. 

 

To complement Year 5’s study of the book Wonder by R.J Palacio, Prue and Grace from Social Futures returned to Kinross Wolaroi on Monday 22 May to deliver Part Two of “Different on the Outside but same on the Inside” to Year 5 which is an Inclusion Awareness Program.

 

This week, the students learnt ways that they could communicate with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing and a person who is blind or has low vision. Students learnt a few words in sign language and tips for strong communication if they have a visual impairment eg to tell the person ‘on your right’ rather than ‘over there’. They felt the dots on money and discussed why a $50 note only has four dots. Students learnt how to be respectful to people who use a wheelchair. It’s far more polite to be at eye level when talking to them. When talking to a person with speech difficulties, it is tempting to talk for them but it is important to be patient, not to shout and not to finish off their sentence for them. To develop a greater understanding, students thought about everyday tasks such as brushing your teeth and how challenging this could be for the different disabilities. They thought about the different modifications and technology to assist people and thought about inventions they could create to assist people with disabilities.  The most important thing Year 5 agreed that they learnt is to recognise everyone as people first and then their abilities. 

Year 3 attend the Orange Museum and Art Gallery

At the museum the students observed artefacts from the past and present. Some artefacts the Year 3 students enjoyed seeing and learning about included a basket woven by Aunty Helen a Wiradjuri woman. The students enjoyed seeing Mr Dalton's top hat and would have loved the opportunity to try it on.

 

Year 3 then had to observe objects from the past and present. They discussed the materials used and how the materials have changed over time due to new technologies. They were particularly fascinated by the change in size of the soy sauce bottle.

 

At the Art Gallery the students discussed what they think makes an artist. We viewed a few paintings in great detail; examining the colours, emotions, scale, texture and duration of time it took to create the artwork. Kayley demonstrated the way different artists would have created their artworks including the type of brush and technique. We viewed an artwork of coal mine, and the students were asked to observe the tiny details. Michael was asked to explain what he could see, without looking at the painting and the students could ask questions to prompt information. It was brilliant.

National Simultaneous Storytime

“It was finally time for the event of the year, Spike couldn’t believe it – THE GREAT RACE was here! The other sloths said it couldn’t be done, but Spike didn’t care, she was ready to run!” These are the first words in Rebecca Young’s book, The Speedy Sloth which was the book chosen for National Simultaneous Storytime. In the lead up to this day, Pre-k to Year 6 made predictions from the front cover and title. They researched all they knew about sloths and created some cute craft sloths. National Simultaneous Storytime was held on 24 May at 11am all around the country. This year there were 2,199,785 organisations that registered to participate. 

 

Our Junior School students met in the DPA where they saw their hard work on display and had to walk through vines ready to watch Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie read “The Speedy Sloth” live from Sydney Zoo. They were then treated to the illustrator, Heath MacKenzie who showed them step by step how to draw the speedy sloth.  

Year 6 Sorry Day

This term, Year 6 are studying democracy and the Stolen Generation in History and English. Last week, students visited Canberra, gaining an insight into not only the history of Indigenous Australians, but the way in with democracy has shaped our nation. National Sorry Day has provided ample learning opportunities for students in class this week. Watching and reflecting on the Kevin Rudd Apology Speech, delving deeply into a novel about the Stolen Generation – The Burnt Stick, and acknowledging the healing process for Indigenous Australians has contributed to the deep empathy, recognition and sorrow student’s feel during this time. 

Orange Show Schools Display 

Earlier this month, Junior School student artworks were entered in the ‘Schools Display’ section at the Orange Show. Congratulations to our K-2 students for coming first in their section. 

 

The images are of the winning display as well as photos of those artworks that formed part of the display. 

 

Students completed works that linked with content being learned in class, such as celebrations, life cycles, primary colours, and heating and cooling. They had the opportunity to create artworks using the art forms printmaking, drawing, painting, and 3D forms. 

Mrs. Holmes
Visual Arts Specialist Teacher 

Year 4 Incursion

In Week 6 the Year 4 students were treated to a virtual incursion from the Maritime Museum in Sydney. The focus of this session was on the early explorations of Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks. The students enjoyed seeing primary and secondary sources related to their journeys, especially their voyage to Botany Bay. They learned all about his discoveries and what life was like aboard the Endeavour. Question time allowed the students to ask some hard-hitting questions too! This was to support the current History program based on early world explorers. 

Merit Awards 

K Paddington           

  • Charlotte Elder: Fluent and accurate reading.

K Plume

  • Anastasia Rogers: Continually trying hard with letter formations and always being a kind and courteous friend to all.
  • William Lai: Your enthusiasm to learning and always following our classroom expectations.

1 Elmer

  • Emilia Douglas: Terrific tricky words.
  • Darby Mullins: Beautiful handwriting and bookwork.
  • Lincoln Morley: Challenging yourself in Maths lessons.

1 Simba

  • Stani Fatai: His contribution and supporting classmates with using ICT in the classroom.
  • Will Pegum: His commitment to learning about attributes of 2D and 3D shapes.

2 Jack Berne

  • Dinithi Nanayakkara: Spelling as well as a cheetah runs a race.
  • Lachlan Elder: Adding two-digit numbers together as well as a cook bakes a cake.

3 Watson   

  • Liam Hayward: His application and dedication in all areas of school life. Well Done!
  • Kayley Lett: Her beautiful work during handwriting and positive attitude towards her learning. Well Done!
  • Maddie Geard: Being a very kind and generous member of 3S and always doing things with a smile on her face. You bring a lot of joy to the classroom!
  • Jack Coleman: For always trying his best and taking great pride in the presentation of his work. Well done Jack!

3 Armstrong            

  • Edward Lai: For his hard work and commitment when learning about Time in Mathematics.
  • Eve MacMahon: For a very detailed and thoughtful speech plan in English.

4 Einstein   

  • Janagan Kandeepan: Challenging his understanding of fractions and decimals.
  • Grace Harvey: Showing resilience in her narrative writing.
  • James Robson: Using excellent dialogue to progress his narrative writing.
  • Georgia Dunn: Using her critical thinking skills in History lessons.

4 Pitt

  • Emmie Lawrie: Her positive attitude and the consistent effort that she puts into all classroom activities.
  • Will Davis: Showing commitment to his learning and taking on feedback.

 

5 Mabo

  • James Hinks: For following the class/school rules and for being a fantastic role model for his peers.
  • Georgiana Saran: For always joining in with discussions and presenting her ideas clearly.

5 King.

  • Lucie Chambers: Her focus and determination in Mathematics.
  • Tom Rourke: Using imagery to create enjoyable texts.

6 Mandela

  • Harry Church: Sharing his extensive knowledge and showing great enthusiasm in History and Science lessons.
  • Amelia McGee: Applying herself in Mathematics resulting in amazing results between her pre and post-tests.
  • Jaz Jandera: For always applying herself during class time and for taking such interest in the Canberra excursion.
  • Charlie Haydon: For asking insightful questions and showing such enthusiasm and curiosity on the Canberra excursion.

6 Brockman

  • Jett Johnson: His dedication to his work and the effort he applies to gain a deeper understanding of his learning.
  • Deven Prasad: Making a tremendous transition into Year 6 and for his inquisitive approach to his learning.