Round the classes
Reception class: Katie
The Reception class have been busy learning our final few single sounds. We have been learning to write three- and four-letter words and perfecting our sentence writing. We have also had a go at writing our very own recount stories.
In maths, we have been learning about the numbers 8, 9 and 10.
As part of HASS we have been learning about celebrations and this week learnt about an Indonesian Kite festival.
Last week we met the Kimochi Cat. He taught us the importance of saying sorry when we hurt other people’s feelings.
Finally, as part of science/design and technology, we have been learning about snails and just how damaging they can be to our garden. This week we made our very own snail traps.
Year 1 class: Kelly and Troy
What a magnificent effort the children did with their performance of Wombat Stew! Both Troy and I were so impressed with those who memorised their lines and acted out their roles. A special thank you goes to the parents for helping the children with their lines.
This week we have focused on the split diagraphs a_e, e_e, i_e, o_e and u_e and discussed how the magic 'e' uses its strength to make the short vowel sound turn into a long vowel sound.
For writing, the children created a narrative story about a wombat. It is wonderful to see the children think about their punctuation and 'WOW' words when describing the characters, setting and problem of the story.
In maths, we have started learning about addition and subtraction and using the strategy of counting on from the larger number. The children have been engaged in maths games to help with their adding and subtracting as well as modelling, representing and explaining their reasons for how they got their answers.
We were lucky this week to catch up with Alex's 4/5 class to decorate the lanterns ready for the winter solstice this Saturday. It was wonderful seeing how well the children collaborated with each other to get the task complete.
Year 2 class: Sam and Suzie
The past two weeks have been an engaging and productive period, with a focus on various subjects and hands-on activities that have ignited children's curiosity and fostered their growth.
In our English lessons we read the captivating story, 'The Day the Crayons Quit' by Oliver Jeffers. Through this delightful tale, our class explored the power of persuasive language and the use of emotions to convince readers of their points of view. We witnessed their creativity flourish as they composed persuasive letters, employing vivid language and well-constructed arguments. It's inspiring to witness their developing confidence in their writing abilities.
Moving on to Mathematics, we have been tackling worded problems using a structured approach known as model, represent, and explain. By breaking down complex problems into manageable steps, our students have gained a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. We have also introduced the "part, part, whole" system, which enables them to identify what they know and what they don't know. This process has helped them develop problem-solving strategies and enhanced their analytical thinking skills.
Design and Technology has been an absolute highlight for our students as they embarked on the task of designing their very own playground. Working collaboratively in groups, they applied their creativity, problem-solving skills, and knowledge of materials to design innovative and engaging spaces. Following the loose parts philosophy, they incorporated three push and pull items, two constructed items, and two natural items into their designs. The enthusiasm and dedication they showed during this project were truly remarkable, and we look forward to sharing photographs of their thoughtful creations with you soon.
Wishing you a wonderful fortnight ahead!
Year 2/3 class: Stephen and Henry
We have been learning how to make text-to-text connections. This involves sharing two or more picture books and then recording what is similar between them – a comparison. When we compare them, we look for similar themes (friendship, being excluded) and author messages. We also think about the characters in each story, and we look to see if they have similar traits. Making text-to-text connections is one of the reading comprehension strategies we learn about.
We have been learning about money in maths. This involves thinking about ‘what makes what’ – how many different ways can we make $20, how many different ways can we make $50 and so forth. Learning about money also means knowing how to count in multiples of 5 and 10.
As part of our learning in Australian geography, we have designed some travel brochures. These are persuasive texts, designed to convince readers to visit a chosen part of Australia.
Year 4/5 class: Alex
In their literacy learning this fortnight students have been creating persuasive writing pieces about time outdoors vs screen time. They have chosen a side to argue for, brainstormed and selected three strong arguments to use. They then used the OREO paragraph structure to organise their writing and back up their reasons with examples and evidence. Students have been reviewing and learning a range of persuasive language devices such as rhetorical questions, the rule of three and alliteration. They have been practising including these in their writing pieces to persuade their readers of their opinions.
In mathematics students have been focused on learning a range of methods for subtraction. They have been applying their strategies to explore possible answers in problem-solving challenges.
In Design and Technology, students have been thinking like engineers. They have been exploring the concept of gravity and how some insects and geckos are able to defy gravity by using different methods of adhesion to walk upside down on the ceiling. Students are using systems found in nature as inspiration to design their own cardboard prototypes of gravity-defying shoes.
In health, students have been exploring the theme of trustworthiness. They have been discussing what makes someone trustworthy and whether it is ever okay to lie. Through class discussions, students have been reflecting on the importance of building and maintaining trust with others and the negative impact a loss of trust can have on a relationship with a friend or family member. Students have also been using the zones of regulation to monitor how they are feeling throughout the day and think about whether they need to select a tool to help regulate their emotions at a given moment.
Year 5/6 class: Sallie
We are full swing into making our games and hoping to have a "games night" announcement soon.
We have been completing some revision work in maths around addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Daily maths mental is honing our skills of sharing our ideas and strategies and covers a wide range of topics.
In English, we are back to our guided reading books (after a couple of weeks of catching up in other areas) and enjoying the stories and making connections with our writing.
In HASS we have moved into the area of "landforms" and will start looking at the environmental impacts on different types of landforms. It's always interesting when we start to look at what our local environment may have looked like when the First Nations people were here, before grape vines and vegetable gardens. If anyone has some old photos they could email of our local area that would be great.
PE: Henry
This past fortnight in PE we have continued to look at lacrosse. All students have developed fantastic scooping, throwing and catching skills over this unit. This week we have started playing small-sided games, giving the students the opportunity to showcase their skills. It's been great to see the kids playing fairly, while also cheering on each other regardless of their teams!
Indonesian: Ibu Susan
In Indonesian we have been looking at objects found at the beach with the older classes. We are using these with the prepositions of place. The younger classes have been reading poems about sea creatures in Indonesian using their vocabulary of keywords from this term.
Science: Troy
In Science, students have been busy planning and conducting experiments. Our older students have been investigating if gas has matter, our Year Ones testing the movement of different-sized objects and our year twos exploring how long can you tear a piece of paper.
SAPSASA Netball
Believe it or not, we actually didn't get rained on. The boys lost their game against Woodside ( we had 3 people away sick). Thanks to Arlo and Harrison for filling in. Callum was filling in but then he was sick too. Great effort by the boys. The girls won their first game against Lobethal and then lost their last two games (very close though). All involved showed resilience today ...it was freezing!!! Thank you to Aerlie for coaching the girls and Jo for coaching the boys. Gisele did a great job umpiring and Phoenix and Henry were very focused while timing and scoring. Thanks to Emily, Vanessa, and Angela for the cheering and support.
