Independence Centre

Curriculum

Last week started with a SPLASH at the annual Senior Swimming Carnival! We were on the buses first thing and spent the day by the poolside, cheering on our teammates in their different swimming events. Congratulations to all the swimmers that participated. It was such a great day! Thank you to all of the parents that came along to support Mrs Brisbane and the students with the smooth running of the day.

The Swimming Carnival gave the students an excellent opportunity to practise their recount writing skills. Students in the Independence Centre spent the week completing the Writing Process with this recount. First they brainstormed ideas and planned out their writing using a comic strip, then they drafted, edited and upleved and finally published their piece by typing it out on their iPads. The 3/4 teachers were all impressed with the way the students worked to improve their writing piece over the week.

In Reading sessions, the students investigated the author's intent/purpose for writing particular texts. We also looked at different genres of writing and the clues that texts give us to be able to identify their genres. Students began using their Reading Journals to create independent reading goals and collected evidence to support their learning in these areas. Throughout the year, students will participate in conferences with their teachers to read together and choose new learning goals for reading.

In Maths sessions across the week students continued to practice their place value skills. Using tools such as MAB blocks, place value charts and number expanders, they recorded, made and expanded numbers. We also practised the skill of renaming numbers. For example, how would you make the number 427 if you had no tens? You would need 4 hundreds and 27 ones. To showcase their place value skills, the students used MAB blocks to write their name, record the value of their name and write it in expanded form. These will be popping up on Seesaw shortly.

The students had the opportunity to make their own flowers and bees using paper cups and pipe cleaners in order to simulate flower pollination during STEM sessions this week. The pipe cleaners were dipped in coloured corn starch to simulate pollen, and the ‘bees’ moved around to different flowers collecting pollen on their legs to deliver to the stigma of other flowers.

This week, students glued a ‘Homework Expectations’ sheet into the front of their diaries outlining the weekly expectations. Students are expected to read each day and record this in their diaries, write one detailed comment each week, and complete one activity from the homework choice board that has been shared with them on Google Classroom and will be in the parent information books. The 3/4 teachers will explain this choice board in more detail on the Information Night Google Meet. Just a reminder to all families to make sure your child has all of the applications for their iPads downloaded at home as they are not allowed to download them at school. All students must have the Acceptable User Agreement signed through Google Classroom and Sentral in order to use their iPads at school.

We'll see everyone back at school on Thursday!

Wishing you a wonderful and safe week,

Mr Dix, Miss Gasowski, Mrs McCoy, Miss Molloy, Mr O’Connor and Miss Richardson :)

Student Voice

Tanaka - "I enjoyed the Swimming Carnival this week because I love doing freestyle."
Alita - "I really liked making the flower and the bee in STEM because we got to see how bees pollinate flowers!"
James - "I was proud of my writing piece because I used neat handwriting and then I got to use my iPad to publish it."

Reminders

MPRPS Learning From Home Website https://sites.google.com/education.vic.gov.au/mprps4808/home
Students need hats and water bottles each day
Message your classroom teacher on Sentral if you have any questions
Headphones for iPad
Information Night Tuesday 16th February via Google Meet
Seesaw family logins will be given out later in the term

Pupil of the Week

3/4D: Elise M -

For demonstrating the strength of teamwork! It was great to see you helping others log into their iPad applications. Great work using your strengths to help and support others.

3/4G: Harry Ea -

For using perseverance and focus to edit your recount of The Senior Swimming Carnival. Your hard work definitely paid off! Keep it up, Harry!

3/4K: Alice C -

For demonstrating creativity and persistence when solving your hundreds charts with missing numbers. You used some problem solving strategies and remained positive even when it was challenging. Great job Alice!

3/4M: Harry Eu -

For demonstrating a love of learning when carefully rereading and editing his writing piece about the Swimming Carnival. I was impressed with the way you upleveled your Ollie Openers to make your piece stronger. Keep it up!

3/4O: Stewart L -

For using the character strengths of teamwork and perseverance during our Maths problem solving task. You tried several strategies then chose a critical friend for support. Smashing Stewart!

3/4R: Nicha C -

For demonstrating the character strengths of perseverance, teamwork and zest in the classroom and at the Senior Swimming Carnival! You did such a fantastic job this week, keep it up!