Primary

                                                                   Mrs Leanne Schulz

Parent Teacher Interviews

Thank you for the wonderful feedback received from parents regarding the quality and delivery of teaching and Home Learning as we progress through Term 3. Our first Parent Teacher evening via Zoom was very successful. It was great to see many of the students attend the interviews and have an input into the discussions about their learning. The strong partnership we have established between home and school is crucial as it fosters connectedness and a sense of belonging for students, families and teachers. The open communication is very much appreciated. 

Sleeping Tips

Michael Grose, one of Australia’s leading parenting educators gives some good advice on helping children to get into good sleep routines. This enables children to use their brain and body at full capacity, and is critical to development and wellbeing.

Sleeping Tips for Kids by Michael Grose

Prep Update

During the past two weeks, the Preps have been extremely busy doing lots of activities for Home Learning. In Mathematics, we have been learning all about addition and have become experts at addition facts to 10 and doubles. In English, everyone has been working hard to write sentences with alliteration. The teachers have been blown away with our new knowledge and especially at how amazing our handwriting is looking. This week, the word of the week is ‘shark’. We had the option of making shark jelly, which was delicious. In Life Skills, the focus is on wellbeing. We are developing our skills to identify our own feelings and the feelings of others. Our Zoom sessions are enjoyable as we have fun and stay connected with the class.

Year 1 and 2 News

Year 1 students have been busy getting hands-on with their Maths learning. We have been learning all about multiplication using arrays that we find in our house. We have also been exploring the sun and have displayed our learning through posters and mini presentations. 

Science has been happening in the Year 2 classes! We have been exploring materials, their properties and why certain materials are better for some objects compared to others. We have tested different materials in experiments and thought about why some materials work better in experiments than others. We’ve also been having fun in our Zoom Homerooms by wearing crazy hats, bringing our toys to class and making stress balls to squeeze at home.

Year 3 Happenings

The Year 3 students have been working hard to complete their 3D projects, where they have to create 3D shapes using objects they find around their homes. They are studying facts about Australia and its neighbours and will continue to develop their research skills as the term progresses. The Year 3 students have also been writing paragraphs, which they will later include in their final information reports. During our Life Skills sessions, we have discussing the differences between having a fixed mindset compared with a growth mindset, with some children already beginning to show signs that they are changing their thinking habits.

Year 4 Highlight

The Year 4 students are immersed in their Integrated Studies unit on Australian History. They have been learning about First Contact and the First Fleet. Lots of comparing and contrasting is being done about life in Colonial Australia compared with life today.

Year 5M Integrated Studies ‘Space’

Over the last couple of weeks, 5M has been learning about the Solar System. We have been reading lots of information and discovering new things. We have learned about the phases of the moon and how the Earth, sun and the planets were formed. It all started when a nearby star exploded and then a cloud of dust and ash started to form into the sun, our star. Then, by the sun’s gravitational pull, it formed more and more dust and ash which became the eight planets of the Solar System. We made amazing models of the Solar System which were shown at Assembly. We really enjoyed working out how far each planet was away from the sun and also learning about the different sizes of each planet.

Asya E and Caleb D

Year 5A Kitchen Garden

Delicious meals have been made at home during Kitchen Garden classes! Frittatas, focaccias and yummy soup. There are many wonderful chefs in the making!

Year 6 Solar Energy Report

As part of our learning about energy in Integrated Studies, 6C completed an investigation to see if the light from the sun could be used to power up a dark space. For our investigation, we had to cut two holes into a box that was big enough to fit two plastic bottles filled with water. We then duct-taped aluminium foil around the holes and cut a little window to view the light inside the box. We even mixed food dye in the water to create a special effect. Finally, we fixed the water bottles into the holes and positioned the box in the sun. 

In the Philippines, communities use this idea to light up their homes. For 6C, this was just a little experiment to see how well it worked. 

Through our investigation we learnt that there are many ways in which we can use solar energy to power our homes. Here are some ideas:

• Solar panels: used to receive energy from the sun to power our heaters.
• Solar hot water: hot water received from the sun’s rays. 
• Opening blinds and curtains: allows sunlight in our homes and provides the warmth we need. Using this warmth from the sun, can also dry our clothes.

Hirundi I and Chelsea B - 6C

Term 3 Assemblies

One of the topics being discussed at Assemblies is Emotional Intelligence. Being able to name, recognise and regulate the emotions of ourselves and others effects our wellbeing. How emotionally intelligent you are can often impact the quality of your relationships, how well you communicate with others, and how effective you are at handling stress. Emotional Intelligence can be learnt by focusing on self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

Parents are welcome to attend Fairview and Cumberland Assemblies. Please note that there has been a slight change to the Assembly roster as the Assembly on 24 August is now being used to help celebrate Book Week. This is the new date for dressing up as a favourite book character. The Library staff will email parents an update about the event.

Term 3 Assembly Roster

 FAIRVIEW                                                                                       CUMBERLAND

Years Prep-6 Parent Zoom Forum ‘Building Capacity to Cope with Anxiety’

Parents are invited to attend this Zoom forum next week. We would love to see you there!

• Guest Speaker from Deakin University: Glenn Melvin
• Date: Tuesday 11 August
• Time: 5pm

Glenn is an Associate Professor and clinical psychologist at the School of Psychology, Deakin University in Melbourne, and an honorary Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, UK. Glenn’s research aims to improve our understanding and response to common mental health challenges experienced by kids and teens including anxiety and depression. He also has undertaken a number of projects that aim to support students who are struggling with school attendance. Glenn is a practising psychologist who is passionate about sharing insights and strategies with parents and carers. He is on the Executive Committee of the recently formed International Network for School Attendance.

NB. A Zoom link to attend this forum will be emailed to families. Please be aware that Zoom has a maximum capacity of 300 people. If there is a high demand, a further guest speaker may be organised.