FOUNDATION – YEAR 2
As we welcome the 2026 school year, our Foundation to Year 2 students have returned with excitement and a readiness to learn. It has been wonderful to see students eagerly stepping into their new year levels.
For our Foundation students, this year marks the beginning of their learning journey with Clyde Grammar. They have settled in beautifully and embraced school routines with enthusiasm.
We jumped straight into Term 1 activities, with a special highlight being a visit from two local police officers who are also parents at our school. They generously gave up their holiday time to speak with students about the important role police play in keeping our community safe. Students were fascinated to see real handcuffs and a baton up close, and the excitement peaked when the police siren echoed across the school grounds.
In Year 1, students have settled in well, forming new friendships and building their understanding of kind and respectful interactions. A special highlight was celebrating Lunar New Year, where students created horse crafts and colourful lanterns while learning about cultural traditions and expressing their creativity.
Our Year 2 students have been exploring environmental learning, including water sustainability and how saving water helps protect animals. They have been learning about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and how our actions impact the environment.
Year 2 students have also been investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander seasons and how they connect to changes in weather and nature across Australia. Recount writing has begun, with students developing their narrative skills by creating their own fairytale stories. They have been mapping story structures and exploring characters, settings and plot development.
It has been a fantastic and busy start to the year across Foundation to Year 2. We look forward to an exciting term filled with curiosity, growth and continued learning.
Year 1A students have been learning about Aboriginal culture and its significance in shaping Australia. They explored the meaning of the Aboriginal flag, discovering that the black represents Aboriginal people, the red symbolises the land, and the yellow circle represents the sun. Through discussion and creative activities, students have been developing a growing understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture.
Year 1B have made a fantastic start to developing their spelling skills in the first few weeks of school. They have enthusiastically taken part in small group activities, exploring CVC words, identifying beginning sounds, solving fun puzzles, and practising their spelling on the interactive whiteboard. It has been wonderful to see their confidence and excitement grow each day!
Year 2A students celebrated Shrove Tuesday by helping to mix and pour delicious pancakes. As they cooked, students learned about the tradition of using up ingredients before Lent and showed fantastic teamwork and enthusiasm. It was a joyful morning filled with learning, laughter and tasty treats!
The students of Year 2B have been learning to build and represent two-digit numbers using multibase arithmetic blocks (MAB) and icy pole sticks. They explored place value by identifying tens and ones, then physically constructing numbers with tens rods and one cubes to deepen their understanding.
YEARS 3 – 6
Welcome to 2026! It is always a joy to begin a new school year at Clyde Grammar.
Seeing the smiling faces of returning students, the excited yet nervous expressions of new students and the relieved parents at the school gates makes this time of year especially rewarding. We hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful summer holiday and, judging by students’ stories, many special memories were made.
It has been lovely to see routines and daily schedules quickly fall back into place as students and teachers focus on this term’s learning priorities. Establishing strong habits for classwork and homework is an important focus at the start of the year and helps set the foundation for a successful term ahead.
It was also a pleasure to welcome so many enthusiastic parents to the recent information evenings. We look forward to continuing these valuable conversations during the upcoming parent teacher pastoral care meetings.
In Mathematics, we have been exploring place value. In Writing, we have been practising our narrative and persuasive skills. In Integrated Studies, we have been learning about different celebrations and why they are important around the world.
Year 3 has begun brilliantly, with students settling in confidently and showing great enthusiasm for their learning.
A particular highlight was celebrating Shrove Tuesday. Students enjoyed making and tasting delicious pancakes together. They had great fun measuring and mixing the ingredients and then choosing their favourite toppings.
Year 4 students have started the year in a wonderfully creative way.
During a recent Art lesson, students ventured beyond the school gates and, using coloured pencils and clipboards, created artwork en plein air (in the open air). They sketched the local waterway and imagined what it might have looked like hundreds or even thousands of years ago.
On Fridays, during Period 6, the Year 4 students take part in a Social Development session. It is a wonderful way for them to finish the week.
Students socialise by playing games, drawing and enjoying each other’s company. We recently purchased a large box of LEGO and students have been very enthusiastic about their creations.
It has been a fantastic start to the year in Year 5. We have spent time getting to know one another and building positive classroom relationships through a range of collaborative activities.
In Mathematics, students have been exploring 24-hour time and creating timelines to represent events accurately. In Integrated Studies, we have begun learning about animal adaptations by investigating structural and behavioural features and how these help animals survive in their environments.
We have also connected this learning to Art, where students explored different textures to represent features of their chosen animal. It has been wonderful to see such enthusiasm, creativity and teamwork already on display.
Working collaboratively in groups, students carried out an investigation of “sticky patterns”. This involved identifying rules, testing predictions and explaining their thinking. It was wonderful to see students discussing strategies, justifying their answers and applying mathematical language with confidence.
In the lead up to our visit, students have been exploring the Federation of Australia in 1901 and developing their understanding of how the country is governed today. They have done an excellent job investigating the distinct roles and responsibilities of the three levels of government, demonstrating curiosity and thoughtful engagement with this important aspect of Australia’s history and civic life.