Keep up-to-date with your child’s learning with these short weekly updates from their teachers. Click on the buttons below to go straight to your child’s class, or find out what others are up to!
Kindergarten/Boronia Room
Parent/Teacher Night for Kindergarten Parents, Wednesday 1st March, 7pm. Adults only event. R.S.V.P to Karen in the office.
This week has seen many of the children complete their first craft project, so the “school of fish” mobile is almost complete. A few children have started on the next project, a turtle with a finger-knitted shell. This project is a long-held tradition for children in the Kindergarten because it is so loved and cherished by them once completed. The school of fish mobile will be on display and ready for admiring on the Parent/Teacher Night next Wednesday.
All the children are enthusiastic workers and everyone is enjoying our morning songs and regular galloping on our imaginary ponies. The children delight in sharing with me the names they have chosen for their ponies. We have such fun, galloping around the room, out the doors and across the verandah, giving our day such a joyful start.
The story this week was “The Little Star”, about a little star that wished it could go down to the sea and swim with a little dolphin. The star’s longing was overheard by a passing fairy who granted the little star’s wish, “Little star I’ll carry you, from the sky to the ocean blue. You may stay and play in the sea, then you’ll return to the sky with me.”
After a wonderful day playing in the sea with the little dolphin, little star doesn’t want to return to the sky and requests to stay. The fairy replies, “Little star, I’ll grant your wish, you may become a little starfish.” “You may stay in the rock pools blue, and the stars in the sky will shine down on you”.
I have included a photo of the “Little Star” and the children’s artistic beeswax responses to this week’s beautiful story.
Have a relaxing weekend, ready for another great week ahead.
Francine, Freya and Zenith
Class 1/2
There’s a change in the air, crisper mornings are starting to creep in, and I’ve noticed a slight tinge of orange in the leaves, as Autumn nears, feelings of nostalgia float in like the veil of mist we awoke to this morning.
On Monday we were excited to ease the heat with lunch time sprinklers and water play for PE, to now be welcoming the cooler rainy weather with gumboots and raincoats for rain play.
Class 1 have delighted in the Fairy Tales to introduce the letters of the alphabet, as we make and draw the letters, as well as hearing stories that bring the form and sounds of the letter to the child’s awareness. They have also been working wilfully on their recorder cases as they are eager to finish and give their new recorders a home.
Class 2 have been hearing the Animal Fables, as they begin to become aware of the duality in their own morality by hearing about the thoughts, feelings and actions of the different animals and the lessons which they are learning along the way. Class 2 have started their new craft project, knitting a scarf for the coming cooler months.
We also started buddy reading this week with Class 3/4 which both classes enjoyed greatly. The children felt comfortable with their new buddies and were happy in choosing their own book to read and being read to.
We would like to thank all the parents who attended our parent information night. It was lovely to meet with you and share some of what we do in your child’s classroom. We would like to extend an invitation to all parents and carers of our class to volunteer to be involved in our classroom, whether it be through parent reading, sharing skills and or culture. We would love to learn all that you may have to offer. Please drop in or send an email to discuss.
Many of the Class 2 students have been regularly reading and exchanging their reader at least twice a week. If your child is not yet reading with you during the week, could you please gently encourage them. One of our students stated today that when he sat down to read, it only took up five minutes of his time, and now, he knows new words! – Amazing 😊
With the current wet weather, we have had numerous children without suitable footwear or raincoats. We ask that all children please bring a raincoat every day, have a pair of gumboots ready at school and a change of warm clothes. Unfortunately, children without raincoats miss out on rainy day play.
We look forward to next week, starting play practice for our Autumn Fair. The St Michael play holds a long-standing tradition within our school as the students progress through the roles each year. We will begin rehearsals by incorporating the songs and movements into our morning circle.
Wishing you all a blissful end to Summer.
Amy and Isabelle
Class 3/4
This week has flown by.
We have begun our second Main Lesson, called “Maths on the Farm”. The content is basically in the title! Audrey and Fred are our main characters (tree-changers who met on a movie set, she an actress, he a tap dancer).
We will focus on multiplication and division, with a bit of volume and capacity, and temperature and rainfall thrown in for good measure.
Smoothie stall will be on next Friday.
Please send in raincoats, for just-in-case times.
Have a great weekend,
Julie and Meredith
Class 5/6
We are off to camp next week! Please be sure that your child is rested over the weekend (and that they do the lion’s share of their packing! It’s all part of taking on increasing responsibility and growing the suite of independent achievements they will need to feel confident for high school!).
The class are very excited. And you may have seen Sydney’s carved turtle watermelon fruit ‘cake’ on our social media channels (Facebook or Instagram) – celebrating without cake never looked so good!
Also, this week, Class 5 have been doing some practice online NAPLAN tests in the library with Martin. We will also do some paper-based practice tests to both revise some literacy skills and help them to feel prepared.
In our Main Lesson, we heard the story of the Blue Willow Plate, and wrote a recount of both the story and how to spot an authentic reproduction. Poor Kwang-Se and her partner, Chang were forbidden to be together, and the gods turned them into doves so they could fly high away from strife.
We are now looking at the initial opening-up of China through the Silk Road trading and the important exchange of goods and ideas, and will continue next week with Marco Polo’s adventures.
During our Maths Main Lessons, we are having quizzes to identify our multiplication table fact-learning goals for the term. The class have begun a touch-typing program, and have been planning what they would like to achieve in their ICT/ STEM program this year.
Below are some dates for your diary:
- Monday/Tuesday 27-28 February overnight Class 5/6 camp at Yarramundi
- Monday 13 March Swimming Fun Day
- Wednesday 15 to Friday 17 March Class 5 NAPLAN dates (more information to follow)
- Tuesday 21 March 5.30pm St Michael Festival Play
- Tuesday 28th and Thursday 30 March Parent Teacher Interviews (information for booking with Karen will follow).
Enjoy your weekend,
Steph and Lee