Round the classes 

Reception class: Katie 

Wow, what a busy term it has been for the Receptions. We have now learnt all the single sounds and have been busy learning how these sounds can be combined to make three- and four-letter words. We have also been attempting to write our very own recount stories.

In maths, we have been learning all about measurement. We have learnt about duration, length and the days of the week.

In science with Katie, we have been making snail traps to help catch those yucky snails who have been eating our garden. 

As part of our work with the Kimochis, we have been learning about Bella Rose and finding out how to deal with situations that might make us feel uncomfortable. 

This week we have also been learning about what NAIDOC week is.

We have also been super excited to finally be using our iPads. 

Year 1 class: Kelly and Troy

Wow! I can't believe that we are at the end of term 2 already. What a busy term we have had.

We completed another big write this week: Why is Uraidla the best. The children have been working on their punctuation, openers (interesting starting word for test art of the sentence) and WOW (describing words) goals to help them with their writing.

We have been learning the magic 'e' sounds [a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, u-e), as in car and er as in fern. They have been given challenges this week to make as many words as they can with the sounds and have been writing simple sentences using the sounds.

In maths, students have been learning about addition, subtraction and doubles. They have been given maths worded problems to solve and have used number sentences to complete the tasks. They have been using the model, represent and explain strategy to help them.

Last week the year 1 and 2 class went to Belair National Park for an excursion. Jade, from PlaySA, talk to the children about the importance of shelters for animals. The children got into groups to make bandicoot shelters first and then they got to make shelters that they could eat their lunch in. It was great to see how well the children cooperate, show resilience and communicate with each other.

Year 2 class: Sam and Suzie

In our English lessons, we have begun exploring traditional tales. The children have delved into the classic Folk Tale 'Little Red Riding Hood', examining the structure, characters, and themes. They have enjoyed reading and discussing this tale and have retold the tale using puppets and a variety of creative settings. 

In addition to traditional tales, we have also been working on our final Big Write narrative for the term, titled 'The Egg.' The students have been honing their creative writing skills, developing characters, setting, and plotlines to craft captivating narratives. They have been encouraged to use descriptive language and engage the reader through their writing.

In mathematics, we have been reinforcing our skills in addition and subtraction. The students have been actively engaged in solving mathematical problems, applying different strategies, and using mathematical language to explain their approaches. They have demonstrated their perseverance and grit, tackling challenges with a growth mindset and embracing being in The Learning Pit. Next term we will commence our new topic on shape and fractions.

A huge highlight was our excursion to Belair National Park to experience 'Cubby Building' with Kelly's Year 1 class. A special thank you to parent volunteers Kate and Hayley who attended the excursion with us. 

This week, we celebrated NAIDOC Week, a time to recognise and honour the cultures, contributions, and achievements of Aboriginal and Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait Islander) Peoples. We have explored the importance of elders in our community and our lives, emphasising the wisdom and guidance they offer. As part of our NAIDOC Week celebrations, we have read several picture books written by First Nations authors. The children have engaged in meaningful discussions about the meaning and purpose of these texts, gaining insights into the rich cultural heritage and storytelling traditions of Australia's First Nation Peoples.

We are proud of our students' enthusiasm and engagement in their learning throughout the term. Thank you for your ongoing support parents and caregivers. Have a safe, happy and fun school holidays everyone!

Year 2/3 class: Stephen and Henry

Phillipa and Henry have taken the class over the past two weeks as Stephen has been away. 

Phillipa has spent a lot of time reading this year's short-listed books with the class and writing reviews for each of them. They have also been learning about ocean life and boating. The kids have made trioramas, cork boats that could float, and boating hats. 

With Henry, the class has been looking at data collection and representation. They have been surveying and creating a variety of graph types. They have been focusing on quick writes in literacy, with this week's theme being group writing. 

Year 4/5 class: Alex

In writing this fortnight students have completed their Big Write on the topic of their favourite hobby. This Big Write was a celebration of all of their work in strengthening their persuasive writing this term, including the use of persuasive language devices and structuring their writing so that they are beginning and ending their pieces with their most powerful arguments. They have been looking back over their Big Write persuasive writing piece to reflect upon their progress toward their vocabulary and punctuation goals. 

In Mathematics students have been working with decimal numbers, conceptually unpacking the place value to the tenths, hundredths and thousandths. They have been converting between decimals and fractions and have also been doing some revision on the properties of 3D shapes. 

In Design and Technology, students have been working through the design process to plan their designs using detailed labelled diagrams. They have been constructing their cardboard prototypes for gravity-defying shoes that could allow a Year 4 or 5 student to walk on the ceiling. As part of their criteria, they must explain how their designs are inspired by systems of adhesion found in nature. 

This fortnight students enjoyed creating lanterns with Kelly’s class for the Winter Solstice event at the Uraidla Hotel. Students showed respect, teamwork and leadership when calmly working with younger students on their decorations. 

Year 5/6 class: Sallie

 Can you believe it is the end of term? I could do with another week to fit a few more things in (but my body couldn't) but I think we are ready for a break. Just this week we have had the Readers Cup quiz, and our fractions game night - which was a huge success.  

Things to look out for next term,  choir all-day rehearsal, rehearsal and concert at Festival Theatre,  excursion to SAMHRI,  Year 6 camp to Flinders, Year 5 (part of the year 2-5 camp) to Mylor), Footsteps Dance every Wednesday. Readers Cup performance night, Lightning Carnival (sporting event) ....my head is swimming just thinking about everything. In between all these lovely things we want to learn and fuel our curiosity.  

Enjoy the break with your children and I look forward to seeing them all rested and energised ready for term 3. 

Indonesian: Ibu Susan

In Indonesian the older students have been combining all this term's knowledge to write detailed descriptions of where beach objects and sea animals are located. They have also learnt about the conservation of endangered sea turtles in Java. The younger classes have been busy consolidating their learning with various activities including songs, stories, poems and craft.

Selamat berlibur! Happy Holidays!

Instrumental Music Workshop

On the 27th of June Ellie Koay, Harriet Marsland, Elsa Marsland and Ada Brodie-Tyrrell went to Unley High School to do a band workshop and concert. They played in an orchestra with a wide variety of instruments including flute, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, cello, percussion and bass. They practised for a few hours before performing to the parents of the players. They played three songs which were Freaky Fantasy, Dragon Dance and Slides Rule. The workshop inspired us to work hard in our musical learning. 

By Ada

Readers Cup

This week on Tuesday our school hosted The Readers Cup Quiz. This event included groups of 5 or 6 students from different hills schools completed a quiz based on five different books. the books were Lost Whale, Two Weeks with the Queen, Can You See Me, Runt, and lastly The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel. There was a range of questions for each book with varying points allocated for the right answer.  We do not know our scores because there is a second part to Readers Cup. On the 17th of August, we will have the performance night. On this night the groups will act out a performance of their choice, but the performance must be based on the book Hats of Marvello by Amanda Graham. Both scores will be added together, and the winning team announced. We loved the challenge because the questions were all so different and it was fun competing against 50 other students.

By Ethan

Math's Game Night

Last Tuesday, our 5/6 class finally presented our board games to our parents. Over this last term, groups of four were selected randomly to make and create board games which eventually lead up to the day when our parents got to critique our games. It took a lot of work to make these games, a lot of problem-solving and using our imagination. The games were based on fractions, decimals and percentages and were a way to highlight our knowledge in this area. The previous week, everyone played each other's games and critiqued them. We gave the groups suggestions and hints of ways to improve their games before the parents played them. When everyone arrived, each parent played their own children's board game and gave suggestions at the end. It was a good night and everyone had fun!

By Gisele