In English, we are learning about the four kinds of sentences:

• statement (a telling sentence), “I played Sport at school today”.
• question (an asking sentence), “Did you have a good time at school today?”
• command (a command sentence) “Turn off the TV and go to bed”.
• an exclamation (an exciting sentence). “It’s my birthday!”

In Maths we are learning how to problem solve using addition and subtraction strategies.

In Religion we viewed a video clip of ‘The Good Shepherd’ and ‘The lost Sheep’. We learnt that Jesus cares for us and protects us like the Shepherd who cared for his sheep.

In Science we are designing a bridge using a range of materials. Our bridge must carry a small match box car without the bridge collapsing. We viewed a Google slide show of pictures of the different bridges from around the world. Using paper and pencils, we planned and designed a bridge to be built using the provided materials in the classroom.

The Kinders were asked to bring some materials from home. Some suggestions are: cardboard or cardboard tubes, straws, toothpicks, pop sticks, tape, styrofoam, egg cartons, string and cereal boxes. We will be making our bridge on Monday of week 7.

In our Geography Unit on ‘People Live in Places’ we explored why place is important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We looked at rock carvings made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and discussed why they are special.

Year 1

In Religion we have continued our studies of the Hebrew Scriptures. We looked more closely at Old Testament stories that emphasise that our God is a God who saves and protects, as demonstrated in 'Daniel and the Lions' Den'. We completed an assessment related to our knowledge of the stories we've covered this term, and what we learn about God through these stories. We are looking forward to starting our new unit this week - 'Advent and Christmas'. 

In English we read the book 'The Day The Crayons Quit' by Drew Daywalt. It's a clever story, where each of Duncan's crayons write their own letter to Duncan to explain their viewpoint. We discussed the structure of a letter and wrote letters in response to the orange and yellow crayons. We've been putting a big effort in every morning to improve our reading and spelling of sight words, and we've also been working on sentence editing activities as a grammar focus. Mrs Noble and Miss Payton have been conducting reading, writing and spelling assessments over the last couple of weeks as we are now on the downhill run to reports and the end of the year!

During Maths in Week 4, we looked at measuring length. We used several different uniform informal units, like paperclips and connecting blocks, to measure the length of different objects around the classroom. We also learnt how to use just one of these units, for example one paperclip, to measure the length of objects using the 'make, mark and move' strategy. In Week 5, we studied multiplication and division. We looked at using groups and rows to represent multiplication sums and word problems, and we also shared an amount into equal groups to represent division sums and word problems. In Science, Year 1 finished making their zoos. We spent some time looking at which animals could be grouped together based on their external features, and which animals couldn’t be grouped together. We looked at three examples of zoo layouts: one that wasn’t very good, one that was good and one that was excellent. We discussed the qualities of each of the layouts, categories for the animals, and how the students could make their zoo layout just as great as the 'excellent' one! The students then got to draw a plan of their map before finalising the design and layout, adding their animals before taking Miss Payton on a tour!

To acknowledge NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) week last week, Yr 1 viewed a short Powerpoint presentation about the significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our Australian culture. We completed dot paintings of Australian animals, and we have included pictures of our art-making in this newsletter. 

 Year 2

Year 2 have worked extremely hard over the last two weeks. I would like to thank Mrs Francis for teaching Year 2 will I was on leave.

In Religion the children enjoyed investigating St Paul’s first missionary journey and creating a timeline of St Paul’s life.

In English the students have been working creatively on writing their narratives. Some of their sizzling starts are amazing. The children have been very creative in coming up with fabulous complications and resolutions. We have some potential authors in our room. We are working hard at being able to use speech marks correctly within our narratives.

Over the last two week the children have covered 2D shapes in Mathematics where they had to identify the properties of each shape; had fun flipping, sliding and turning shapes and recording results; painting symmetrical pictures and drawing mirror images. They also worked with fractions learning how to identify fractions of a group of objects. 

In Health the students have identified the different food groups and explored how eating healthy foods and drinks can benefit their health and wellbeing. They also role played positive personal hygiene practices and discussed the consequences for choosing not to maintain good practices.

Year 3

Year 4

In Religion, we completed our unit on the Hebrew Scriptures. We looked at the various genres of writing in the Old Testament and determined which category various parts of scripture belonged in. We also looked at the history of the writing of the Bible. It was an interesting topic with some challenging activities. We are now learning about Advent and Christmas. We are starting by looking at the history of Advent over the centuries.

In English, as part of our story, Tears in the Jungle by brothers Daniel and William Clarke, we investigated aspects of Indonesia and where it is situated on the world map in relation to Australia. We also compared populations of Indonesia and Australia, size of the countries and the climate and vegetation. We completed our own story for “Where the Forest Meets the Sea” and it looks very impressive on our back wall!

We have been practising Public Speaking and our skills are developing well. We know it is important to speak to the audience and not read our speech. Everyone has been supportive of one another, offering great suggestions and advice.

Our focus in Maths last week was Volume and Capacity and we are learning about Fractions and Decimals this week. We enjoyed lots of fun activities involving measuring and water. We created our own 1 Litre graded measuring containers by working cooperatively with a partner. Mrs Carroll was very impressed with our clearly marked containers.

In Science, we have continued to study the many living things in our world. We had fun working on the computer last week on a site called “Garden Detectives”. With a partner we researched various garden creatures. We drew each creature then we described their appearance, features and movement.

In Music, we learnt a song from east Timor called, “Oh Hele Le”. It was fun singing in another language and dancing to the words in the traditional way. Our task this week is to create our own movements for the song.

We had so much fun meeting our Kinder Buddies, over the last two weeks! We cannot wait for 2021!

Year 5/6

The amazing descriptive, persuasive writing that is being produced in 5/6 this term continues to surprise.

One task in the last couple of weeks was to write the blurb for a real estate agent to sell a house, using images like these.

Here are some examples of their work.

 This gourmet kitchen, with brilliant sunlight and a fantastic living space, has dining right next to you. Georgie

 A generously spaced living area, which is the modernistic heart of the home, tied in with an amazingly crafted gourmet kitchen. Deacon

 This generous living room, with a beautiful dining table, astonishingly modern furniture, and lovely plants, is almost certain to please you. Lachlan

 A peaceful and lovely room that is too beautiful to say no to, extreme quality at your fingertips. Ari

 A lovely and cosy area, with a lounge room dining area and kitchen, with a stunning window to catch the gorgeous sunrise and sunset. Annalise

 A generous dining, living room with the stunning sunrise just outside your window. Ewan

 A gourmet kitchen, perfectly positioned in a generous living area, with an idyllic space that will most certainly impress your guests. Olivia

 Here are the descriptions for another house. Can you picture it? The image will be revealed next newsletter… 

 This home is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The home can see the sunset from every angle. All rooms are cosy and perfectly positioned with only the sound of the melodic birdsong to disrupt you. Also within the boundary is an exceptionally large shed that can be the one you’ve been looking for. Logan

This cosy home is just perfect for you with its unique style and its stunning shed made for the most amazing projects. With its beautiful windows, you can see the idyllic landscape from every room.  Just being there, you can feel the glory of each season. The area around is your own peaceful paradise. This could be your dream home. Bree

 This delightful, uniquely structured home is one of the world’s wonders and is also right in the middle of the land's beautiful features. You could think of this to be a perfect renovation opportunity with all the trees surrounding you, plus you will never be cold in winter as you’ve got firewood to spare. This luxurious home is filled with windows to see the bush views and see how it spreads out across the land. You will get to feel all the seasons in their glory throughout the year. Don't miss the chance to purchase this lovely home. Bailey

 An outstanding, rare, one of a kind home that will definitely bring tears to your eyes, with beautiful nature surrounding your home. A peaceful area with no one around. Maria

 As you drive into nature’s home, you see hundreds of trees. You have a generous plot of land to do whatever you want! When you walk into your beautifully designed home, you feel the cool breeze drawing through the house. Nobody is on the road, as if you’re all alone. Levi

 With this unique structure of a home, you will never be able to leave it. This beautifully built home gives you a taste of each season, free air conditioning and a great view of sunrise and sunset. This unique home is exceptionally far away from any loud noises, making it very peaceful. Elsie

 A perfectly positioned cottage. When driving you can see the road reaching out into the distance. Around it, there is a never-ending landscape of trees that surrounds you. Just minutes away from local shops and schools, experience all 4 seasons from every corner of the house, and the refreshing breeze that comes through, fills your house up with fresh air. You will be blown away by this lovely constructed cottage. Julian

 When you arrive in this beautifully landscaped neighbourhood, you will be pleased that you decided to come and look at this house. It is beautifully nestled, with your neighbour far, far away. There's a beautiful shed just waiting to be your workman's paradise. You won't believe how peaceful this neighbourhood is. You won't be able to hear anything, not even birds. You will be delighted with this house. Buy it before anyone else does. Sam

 As you drive down the deserted, quiet road, a home shines as it awaits a lovely owner. The astonishing antique timber, with a rustic coloured tin roof, shelters you from all weather. You have a gorgeous view of the acres of land beyond the eye can see. The high ceilings above you lets the cool breeze comfort you. The crafty people have a personalised space out the back, with your very own forest of trees, with the best firewood waiting to be used, to warm you up on those chilly nights. El

 This house is uniquely designed just for you. The cosy space lets you hear the birdsong in the morning. This outstanding home will leave you speechless. Not that far away,  is a shed, a worker's paradise. This stunning backyard will have endless space for alfresco dining. It’s just minutes away from local schools and shops. Archie