Primary School
What’s happening in the Primary learning space
We have had a tremendous start to our school year with a busy term of learning. For parents of students in our junior classes you may have noticed a change in our take home reader system. Over the past year we have been transitioning out of what are known as levelled predictable books to decodable books that complement and revise the phonics learning occurring in our classrooms. As a teaching staff we have readjusted our ongoing assessment tools to inform and further support our students learning.
Our classrooms have been hives of engaging learning utilising our PBL approach, here are just few highlights over the Primary school. Our prep students have been investigating life cycles and metamorphosis, and were even able to see the metamorphosis of a chrysalis to a butterfly. In Year 1, our students have been investigating healthy eating and how to stay healthy, culminating in a donation drive for the Royal Children’s Hospital appeal through the sale of living herbs and plants. Our Year 2’s investigated the water cycle and the importance of water sustainability. Connection to country and sustainability has been a focus in Year 3 with a trip to Healesville Sanctuary to learn more about how we can take actions to look after our world. First contacts, world explorers and understanding how the earth’s surface has, and continues to change over time has been areas of foci for the Year 4 cohort. Our Year 5 students visited Sovereign Hill in Ballarat and have been investigating the gold rush era and how this event impacted the colonies of Australia, and ultimately Australia as a nation. Healthy lifestyle campaigns which explore the essential elements of healthy bodies and minds, community connections to supporting health, and empowering others to make healthy lifestyle decisions has been the focus for the Year 6’s. As you can read our learners have been busy bees, making connections and building on prior learning. We have been utilising our community as campus, working hard to solve real-life problems. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.
Year 6 Camp
During the week of April 30th to May 4th our Year 6 students made the journey to Canberra. With over 20 different venue visits and 12 different tours, our amazing students took every opportunity to deepen their understanding about Australia - past, present and future. This week’s common theme was centered around the driving question of telling and preserving stories of the past for the present and future.
Our tour began with our first major stop at Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Center. This camp, formerly an army barracks, housed more than 300,000 people from 1949 to 1971. Upon arrival to Australia, migrants usually from Non-English speaking backgrounds spent their first few months, sometimes years here waiting for processing and employment.
Bob our tour guide, shared with us stories about the different people who had ventured through this center. After another short stop and a singing of happy birthday we arrived in Canberra at 6:30pm.
Monday was an incredibly busy day with a visit to Parliament House. We were amazed to find that Parliament House has over 2,700 clocks! Here we deepened our knowledge of our democratic system and even had a mock House of Representatives sitting. There was even a big Lego model of Parliament House in the cafeteria. We amazed and impressed our tour guide Monique with all of our knowledge on how laws are made, and the multiple tiers of government.
From here we went to the National Gallery, hearing stories and analysing artworks of Jackson Pollack, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichenstein and Emily Kam. Our observations were insightful and thoughtful. Following this we visited the War Memorial to further extend our knowledge and understanding of Australian history. Here we prayed around the tomb of the unknown soldier, and learned about Jack Edmenson, Charles Bean, the Rats of Tobruk and the sinking of the HMAS Sydney. We walked along ANZAC Parade and paid homage to the many contributors who fought and upheld Australia’s democracy and freedom. Following this, we took the opportunity to visit Mt Ainslie looking back over Canberra. From this view we could easily make out the Parliamentary Triangle. We ended our day with a swim at the Australian Institute of Sport.
If Monday was busy, Tuesday was a little crazier! We began with a walk through Reconciliation Place and a visit to the National Capital Exhibition. We learned that a married couple Marion and Walter Burley Griffin won the international competition to design Canberra. However, we were shocked to learn that Marion’s name was not placed on the original design out of fear that the design would be automatically rejected because a female had contributed. We headed from here to the Electoral Office to learn about
Preferential Voting, and the history of voting in Australia. We even had a go at voting too! We had lunch in the Rose Garden and visited the Aboriginal Embassy opposite old Parliament House. We ventured into Old Parliament, opened in 1927, to learn about the stories of key political figures and social activists. Interestingly, we learned that despite having female representatives, there was not a female toilet in Old Parliament House until 1971. It was surreal to sit in the seats that many politicians had sat in before us. Our day ended with a tour of the Australian Institute of Sport and having a try of different sports in the Sport expo.
Wednesday was another early start with us trying to finish off the rest of ANZAC Parade. From here we visited and participated in lots of hands on activities at Questacon which was super fun. We then moved onto the National Museum to learn about the stories of many people who influenced Australia’s cultural, economic and political landscape. Following this we headed to the Governor General’s House and surprised Captain Daigon with our knowledge of Governor General David Hurley and the role that he plays in Australia’s Political System. It was crazy to think about how we were standing in the same place, and walking on the same carpet that many very famous and influential people had been standing. Our next stop was the Royal Mint to learn about the stories of Australian currency, specifically coins. Our final part of the tour was a trip around all of the different Embassies and High Commissions. We played guess the flag, while the tunes from the radio were playing in the background.
Before we knew it, it was time to pack our bags, say farewell to our hosts and head home. We stopped at some awesome playgrounds, watched some great movies and had an old fashion sing along. Our bus driver Nathum was AMAZING with some labelling him “the best bus driver ever!” All in all, it was a very memorable camp, but made even more wonderful by the remarkable Lakeside Ambassadors and all of our families and staff who opened their hearts to support this experience.
It would be remiss of me to not also thank the Australian Government for their support in making this experience possible. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $45 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs.
Mrs Melissa Harford
Year 6 Homeroom Teacher
Year 4 Camp
On Monday 8th May, 34 excited Year 4 students and 5 enthusiastic leaders boarded a coach headed for Camp Burnside. For many of the 34 students this was their first camp. Once we arrived we were greeted by the camp coordinator Toby, aka Big Toby. The students were notified of their Activity Groups and their Cabins.
After settling in our rooms, we made a long trek to the beach. At the beach we played games and made sand castles. After the long walk back, off to free time. Dinner was Pasta and a chocolate mousse dessert. Our night activity was sitting around the campfire toasting marshmallows, singing songs and playing games.
The next morning after breakfast, Mrs Williames, encouraged the students to think of the story of David and Goliath. Mrs Williames also encouraged Year 4s to be bold, find a rock and have that rock as a reminder of the bravery that David showed.
Our first 2 activities consisted of Mountain Bike Riding and Orienteering. Half of the Year 4s went riding with Mr Horton, Ms Scates, Big Toby and Mikaela (aka Big Mikaela). We first rode around the oval and then went out of the camp on a bike ride that went up and down some massive hills.
After morning tea, we finished the first 2 activities. Lunch was a wrap with chicken and salad. It was delicious.
After lunch we went into our coloured groups: Pink, Blue, Green and Orange and started the first of our four activities. On Tuesday we completed 2 activities, either Low Ropes, Archery, Wall Climbing or Flying Fox. Our night activity was a Trivia Night, organised by Mrs Williames and hosted by Mrs Williames and Mr Horton.
On the final day of camp, we arose to the sounds of Mr Horton singing, Rise and Shine and give God the Glory and a happy birthday to Jasmine. After breakfast we got ready for our first activity. At morning tea we sang a very loud HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jasmine where the camp made a beautiful birthday cake for her.
Once our final activity was completed and lunch was had, we bid our farewells and thanked Burnside Camp for having us and boarded the coach, with our bus driver, Jess.
An awesome camp experience.
We thank Mrs Zirkel, Mrs Mibus, Ms Scates, Mrs Williames, Mr Horton, Big Toby, Big Mikaela for a wonderful 3 day camp.
Mr Horton
Year 4 Homeroom Teacher
Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge
BOOK Fair
