FOUNDATION – YEAR 2
Like every year, Term 4 is flying by! All Foundation to Year 2 classes are gearing up for our end of year Performing Arts concert and enthusiastically practising their performances for this special event.
Foundation students have also been busy creating our garden and checking on the growth of our new plants.
In Literacy, students have been experimenting with story writing and continuing to build their reading fluency. In Mathematics, they have been exploring measurement using a variety of materials, including teddy bears, counters and Unifix blocks.
One of their favourite activities has been collecting nature samples from outside and arranging them on tables from smallest to largest. It has been rewarding to see the students learning through real experiences, working together, sharing their ideas and developing their skills across all areas of the curriculum.
Year 1 classes have been exploring narrative stories and developing their understanding of how to create captivating tales with interesting characters, settings and events.
Students learned how to organise their ideas into paragraphs, helping their writing flow in a clear and meaningful way. They are building their confidence in expressing their ideas as they add detail to their stories and use their imagination to bring their writing to life.
In Integrated Studies, Year 1 students investigated the diverse environments found across Australia and the animals that call these places home. They learned how human-made objects and structures, such as roads, buildings and rubbish, can impact native animals and their habitats.
Term 4 is a time to revisit learning from throughout the year, while consolidating our skills and identifying any gaps in our understanding. Year 2 students have worked hard on Maths revision, recognising areas they find challenging and focusing on building their confidence and understanding through extra practice.
In Writing, we have explored two very different genres: narrative and persuasive writing. Both offer plenty of opportunities to be creative and have fun with words! In Humanities, the Year 2 topic this term is Push and Pull, which continues to spark curiosity as students investigate how forces work in the world around them.
Deanne Williams
Foundation – Year 2 Coordinator
During our Integrated Studies unit, In the Garden, Foundation students explored the incredible world of plants and insects. They loved getting their hands dirty as they planted a variety of herbs, flowers and vegetables, learning about what plants need to grow and thrive.
Students investigated the different parts of a plant and discovered the important role each one plays. They also explored the fascinating insects that live in and around the garden, learning about the creatures found both above and below ground and how they help our garden grow.
Through these genuine experiences that sparked observation and discussion, students developed a deeper understanding of the natural world and the importance of caring for our environment.
Our Year 1A students have been busy learning and creating. In Writing, we have been developing our narrative skills by adding adjectives and dialogue to stories about Candy Land and a mystery egg.
In Maths, we baked scones to explore halves, quarters and arrays. During Integrated, we began our collaborative Great Barrier Reef display and created Uluru paintings featuring cute kangaroos.
We are excited to continue our learning and see our wonderful creations come together!
Year 1B students have had a lovely time in recent weeks. We’ve been exploring different environments around Australia and creating our own oceans, rainforests, deserts and wetlands.
We’re excited to add animals to our creations later this term. We have also been revisiting number patterns, using stamps to make and continue our own patterns as we get ready for upcoming testing.
Both activities have brought lots of excitement, smiles and happy chatter to our classroom!
In Mathematics, Year 2 students are revising the topics they have explored throughout the year, helping to consolidate their learning and build confidence. They have particularly enjoyed revisiting measurement, where they explored mass and volume through various activities and practical investigations.
These absorbing activities have allowed students to compare, estimate and measure different objects and liquids while developing their understanding of these important mathematical concepts.
Our Year 2 students have been writing letters to their pen pals at Sorrento Primary School. They have had lots of fun thinking of interesting questions to ask their pen pals so they can learn more about them.
The letters will soon be sent to Sorrento, and our students are eagerly awaiting their replies!
YEARS 3 – 6
It goes without saying that Term 4 is always busy! Across Years 3–6, we’ve already seen a blur of activity.
Our Years 3 and 4 students enjoyed some memorable camp experiences. Year 3 students celebrated their first school sleepover with pizza, ice cream, a disco and dancing, while Year 4 students headed to Portsea for an adventure-filled camp. They took on flying foxes, giant swings and plenty of challenges outside their comfort zones.
Both experiences were filled with fun, laughter and friendship. A huge thank you to our Year 3s and 4 teachers, support staff and parents and carers for helping make these special milestones possible.
Our Year 5 students have also been busy, already hosting an open classroom this term. Year 5A students gave families a preview of their delightful class assembly, while 5B students showcased Maths games and team-building activities.
Year 6 students continue to juggle excitement and apprehension as their transition to Year 7 draws closer. We are looking forward to celebrating their primary school journey with an epic Graduation Ceremony! Songs, dances, videos and speeches all need to be mastered and polished for the big event, which will be the first Graduation Ceremony in our fabulous new gym.
Needless to say, our final term is shaping up to be exciting and memorable.
Greg Newham
Year 3-6 Coordinator
Our Year 3 sleepover was full of fun, laughter, activities and excitement! Students ate pizza and ice cream with toppings before hitting the dance floor for a disco filled with dancing and prizes. The fun continued the next day with an interactive Science incursion, where students explored, experimented and made discoveries together.
The sleepover was a great first taste of camp, giving students the chance to enjoy a night with their friends away from home.
Year 4 students kicked off their Portsea camp with a day packed full of adventure. They soared through the air on the flying fox and challenged themselves on the high ropes, building confidence and cheering on their friends.
As the sun set, the fun continued with an exciting trivia night and delicious toasted marshmallows around the campfire.
The next day saw even more excitement as students kayaked on the beautiful bay and soared on the giant swing. After a fun-filled program, everyone hit the dance floor for disco night, showing off their best dance moves with glow sticks in hand.
Camp was brimming with activities, laughter, friendship and memories that will last a lifetime!
Year 5A students got creative with a special collage activity, using newspaper, magazines and scrap paper to bring their ideas to life. They explored different colours, textures and images before carefully cutting out individual letters to create their own inspirational quotes.
Each piece was unique, reflecting the students’ creativity, individuality, empathy and positive messages. It was terrific to see their imagination shine as they transformed everyday materials into meaningful works of art.
It was lovely to welcome families into our classroom to celebrate the students’ learning. Parents and carers explored their child’s work before joining a fun team-building challenge to construct the tallest tower using only paper and tape.
The activity built upon our recent lessons about teamwork, listening to others, caring and ensuring everyone feels included. There was plenty of creative problem-solving and laughter as families worked together.
Most importantly, it reinforced the message that everyone has valuable ideas and great things happen when we listen and work as a team.
Our Year 6 students have been sharpening their number fluency skills through the exciting card game Best of 6. This fascinating game challenges students to apply their knowledge of the order of operations while thinking strategically.
The children absolutely loved playing it, and their competitive spirit shone during our class tournament.
In 6B, we combined our mathematical and artistic skills to create visual illusions. By constructing seven triangular prisms, each with sides measuring 4cm, we were able to cover an entire A4 sheet of paper.
We then divided two A4 images into seven equal strips and carefully cut each image into seven pieces. The children placed the corresponding strips from each image onto opposite sides of the prisms (are you keeping up?).
Once all the pieces were in place, they could view two different images simply by looking at the prisms from the left and right sides. What a fantastic way to combine Maths, Art and a little bit of optical illusion magic!