Around the Junior School

Year 4 Science

Year 4 were lucky enough to be invited to the Senior School Science Laboratories to learn about some of the sustainable practices being used to combat the issue of plastic waste and oil spills.

We saw some oil that had special bacteria added to it to consume the oil. We learned that this is used in oceans around the world to help minimise the damage of oil spills to the environment. In a couple of weeks we will check back in and see the bacteria's progress.

We were also lucky enough to meet some insects that consume plastic, including worms, beetles and cockroaches. We each got to take one of these insects back to the classroom and will watch them consume a piece of plastic for the remainder of the term.

It was a great opportunity to participate in a contextual learning lesson to enhance our Geography unit, one of the many exciting things happening with TREE! Thank you to Mrs Gibson, Mr McLennan and Ms Cheesewright for having us.

Year 4 Excursion

On Friday 10 March, Year 4 students hopped on to the bus to go to the Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre. We visited the centre to help bring our Geography topic to life. We are looking at sustainability and ways in which we can help the environment . We saw where the rubbish from our red bins goes once it is collected. We were amazed at the compactor machine that turned everything into large cubes. It was surprising to see that the rubbish cubes were then wrapped in plastic. This is to stop the rubbish from flying away and damaging the environment.

Once back at school, an incursion was held called 'It's a Wormy World' where we got to learn about the benefits of worm farms to the environment as well as holding some worms ourselves!

Year 4 at Windermere

Junior School Technology and Innovation

Term 1 has been busy for technology in the Junior School. In Week 1 we distributed 1:1 devices to Years 2, 5 and 6 during class time. In week 2 we held a special evening to onboard 1:1 devices with our Year 1 and Year 4 students and their parents. This gave parents some insight into the devices their children will be using this year, the platforms they will be accessing and their current ICT skills. Small groups sets were distributed to Pre-Kinder and Kindergarten and have started to be included in weekly activities.

Minecraft Social Club resumed quickly at the start of Term 1 and was a favourite lunchtime activity for Years 1 to 6. Students use Minecraft Education on iPads and laptops to create worlds and interact with each other online. Kindergarten will be invited to join in Term 3.

In class time, Term 1 began with eSafety for all year groups. Age-appropriate lessons were given around the themes of digital citizenship, digital footprints and keeping ourselves safe online. eSafety is revisited at the beginning of each term as a reminder to students and expanding on relevant topics.

The latter half of Term 1 has seen each year group launch into lessons and projects that integrate an ICT element into units of work developed by the classroom teachers. An outline of the concepts is below:

Kindergarten has used Google Earth as part of their Geography unit exploring the world then zooming into Orange.
Year 1 has been investigating the world of bees through Minecraft, where they can explore a beehive and learn about the importance of bees in farming and food production.
Year 2 has been creating Stop Motion Animation Nursery Rhymes.
Year 3 has been working through Laptop Bootcamp as they transition from regular use of iPads to regular use of laptops as part of their weekly activities.
Year 4 has discussed the United Nations Global goals and is using micro:bits as part of their Geography unit investigating sustainability.
Year 5 is learning about Digital Systems which has included a computer components demonstration by Mr Pearce, the school’s ICT manager, and an upcoming presentation on artificial intelligence from a Year 5 parent working in the industry.
Year 6 has been developing their skills using the Makey Makeys as part of their Electricity and Energy unit with their end goal being to create an interactive poster report.

If parents are interested in learning more about the Technology and Innovation program in the Junior School, they can attend a session at the upcoming Junior School Parent Workshop on Thursday 23 March. Parents will be able play with some of the technologies our students use, including BeeBots, Makey Makeys and GarageBand.

To register your attendance please click on this link: Parent Workshops-How can I support my child? (office.com)

LEGO Donations

Unwanted LEGO can find a new home in Area 51! We would like to start a LEGO Masters Lunchtime club. We have purchased several kits and baseplates but need a lot more LEGO to make this viable. If families have any LEGO that is looking for a good home, please donate it to Area 51. Please only official LEGO pieces and no Duplo.

Cybersafety Expert – Susan McLean

We are very excited to bring the highly qualified and experienced cybersafety expert Susan McLean in Week 8. On Tuesday 28 March Susan will be speaking to Years 3 to 6, Junior School staff and parents.

Kinross Wolaroi School invites all Junior and Senior School Parents to join us in the DPA for our guest speaker Susan McLean. McLean, former Victorian Police Officer for 27 years, is Australian’s leading expert in all areas of cyber safety. Her mission is to make cyber safety straightforward common sense, as she gives parents and teachers the understanding to be able to manage the many fears that come with internet usage confidently and effectively. To book in please click on this link: Cybersafety Speaker - Susan McLean Tickets, Derek Pigot Auditorium , Orange | TryBooking Australia

CodeCamp – Easter 2023

The Junior School is excited to welcome back CodeCamp in the Easter holidays. We are offering the popular YouTube Creators again and a new program called Roblox Legends. Programs will run for two days in the second week of the holidays on Thu 20 and Fri 21 April. For more information on the programs click here: School Holiday Camps near Emu Swamp, 2800 | Code Camp

To register please click on this link: Kinross Wolaroi School Waitlist - Autumn 23 (wufoo.com)

Windermere Open Day

Friday 3 March saw the Kinross Wolaroi School community come together and enjoy a wonderful afternoon at the inaugural Windermere Open Day.

Families were able to spend the afternoon meandering around the farm, enjoying all the spoils the farm had to offer. The Junior School was proud to be represented by the TWIG and Music students.

The TWIG students held candle making and soap demonstrations, whilst the busy crowds were entertained by the talented musicians. Families were able to enjoy the delicious vegetarian paella cooked up by the Year 10 Hospitality students, whilst the children visiting were able to plant seeds for the vegetable garden and give the baby chicks a cuddle.

The TREE Team would like to thank all families who came along to show their support of the Windermere Open Day and experience the space the students are able to access as an additional learning space.

Rebecca Essex

Junior School TREE Coordinator

Merit Awards - Term 1 Week 7 2023

K Paddington

Flynn Savage-Showing kindness to others

K Plume

James Meachin-Thoughtful contributions to class discussions and trying his hardest to produce beautiful bookwork.
Rhys Morley-Working hard on number formation and settling in well to our Kindergarten routines.

1 Elmer

Samuel Milliken-Fabulous reading
Tilly Byrnes-Fabulous reading

1 Simba

Thomas Williams-his hard-working approach to addition and subtraction strategies in Maths
Poppy Fardell-consistent application and achievement in the classroom in all subject areas

2 Jack Berne

Ivy Coleman-completing all learning tasks to a standard as high as the clouds
Jessica MacMahon- ‘Word Building’ like a wizard during spelling investigations

3 Watson

Alec Stewart-being a helpful and thoughtful friend. We are very lucky to have you in 3S!
Arthur Mullins-persisting during challenging tasks and setting achievable goals. Well done!

3 Armstrong

4 Einstein

Mahi Bohra-Showing commitment to her learning and taking on feedback
James Proudford-Nalder-Having a positive outlook on his learning and being a cheerful presence for all his peers

4 Pitt

Joshua Westcott-for consistently showing respect to others in class.
Bella Zhang-For being a kind member of our class and for demonstrating a great working relationship with others.

5 Mabo

Jack Caro-For perseverance and effort with persuasive writing
Amara Tomlinson-For consistently demonstrating a diligent work ethic and believing that she can always improve her work

5 King

Elizabeth Harmer-Her empathy and kindness towards others
Lucie Chambers-Her determination and focus in Mathematics.

6 Mandela

Miller Byrne-Her enthusiasm and progress in Mathematics, particularly in multiplication and division.
Alexander Priest-For his contribution in organising events and activities during Round Square sessions.

6 Brockman

Luca Kotasthane-His wonderful use of poetic language in his free verse poem
Elizabeth Croft-Her wonderful commitment to the school values and her support of other students
Aari Poole-His commitment to all areas of his learning

Harmony Day

This week the SRC team, Miss Hazelton and Mr Tyack hosted Harmony Day in the Kinross Wolaroi Junior School. Harmony Day is an opportunity for us as a school to come together and celebrate the diverse nature of our community. Students reflected on the values of belonging, inclusiveness and respect and participated in a range of activities that promoted harmony. Hand painting on canvases, lunch time games on the oval and in class activities were just to name a few! Student wore a touch of orange to demonstrate their support for such a significant event. In addition to this, the SRC planted a mandarin tree as a reminder of our collective oneness. This is sitting in a beautiful pot outside of the Junior School office!