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
Book Week began on Monday, with the children meeting a real live author, Jodie McLeod. Jody read her book “Black Cockatoo with One Feather Blue” to the students, while they drank in the beauty and colour of the exquisite illustrations by Eloise Short.
Jodie spoke of the wonder and joy of living in the Blue Mountains, how she walks in the bush to find inspiration in nature and the natural world. She spoke of her love of birds and how she seeks out the beginning threads of a story. Jodie spoke to the children with joy and enthusiasm for her work as a writer. To conclude she showed the children how she goes about blocking in a story, leaving space for the images she wants to accompany her words.
On Wednesday we had our book parade, and all the Kindy children bravely described their character to the audience.
Special thanks to Soumya for working with the children in my absence. I know that they are being well cared for and supported.
Francine
Class 1/2
Book Week has been a blast in Class 1/2. Children were treated to an audience with Jodie McLeod on Monday, with a sneak peek at her yet-to-be-released picture book The 12 Birds of Christmas. Our annual book parade was a fun way to share our favourite stories, and we were graced with a visit from a very hungry caterpillar, ninja, fairies, cute animals and even a lamington!
It was fortuitous given the rainy days that followed, that we were delighted to accompany Class 3/4 to bush play on Monday afternoon. Chatting, digging in the soil and making ochre with our friends was the perfect way to spend the afternoon and reconnect after the weekend.
Our new Main Lesson, Celtic Tales, is already a lot of fun, with singing, dancing, all things fae and even a spritely tailor. The blue feather Jodie McLeod gifted our class has been fluttering in the breeze just as we’ve begun to explore the tale of The Magpie’s Nest. Based upon a funny little English folk tale, our class play will be performed in Week 9, Thursday 18 September. During our Eurythmy class, Isabella has been working with the children on the characteristics and movements of each bird from the turtledove or crow to the sparrow.
Enjoy a restful weekend!
Warmly,
Kath and Class 1/2 Assistants
Class 3/4
This week we made the most of the dry weather while we could with bush walks and bush and forest play on two afternoons. One with the 1/2 Class and another with 5/6. We also kept up our cross training, 10 minutes of laps around the knoll. One lap walked in 2 minutes 20 for reference. And there are various exaggerated claims of how fast children say they can run it. Yet to be verified.
The book week author visit was inspiring for students and teachers alike. Jodie Macleod talked about the art of story writing. And how we only need to think about a who, what, where, why and how to get started. As someone passionate about writing myself, it was lovely to see the children seeing their own potential as authors or illustrators or both.
We went on to look at two of the native local birds mentioned in the author talk, the Black Cockatoo and the Rose Robin. We enjoyed drawing them and researching facts and recording this.
The book week parade was a sweet delight to behold. Thank you to the parents for their care supporting their children with costumes and for those who came. After the parade we wrote about the history of book week in Australia and drew ourselves in our character costumes.
In Italian, the children learnt a song about a sandcastle battle! It was so delightful to see the way Jess interacts with the children, warm, affable and brimming with kindness.
The wet weather and Meredith’s absence have put the maypole practice on hold at the moment. We look forward to both resuming.
Monday next week is Cross Country. Please ensure kids have suitable shoes and clothing for the day.
Leaving gumboots at school and bringing inside shoes/slippers to feel relaxed and snuggly is also always lovely for the children, and something I am used to occurring.
Please feel free to do this.
Have a good weekend.
Jeneva and Meredith
Class 5/6
It has been one of those weeks where not everything has gone to plan! But we learn to ride the waves and find the goodness in what arises … unfortunately, our bushwalk was postponed due to the bus being unwell.
The weather has been great for water-loving animals and plants, but difficult for the humans. The class has coped well considering all the rain.
We began our ‘Business Mathematics’ Main Lesson. Minh and I have been co-teaching, running small group, maths games and some work together. The class is doing the numbers for an imaginary start up business of their own, plus we’re working out what the best price would be for serves of food when we have a class food stall ( what the costs are, how much profit we’d like to make etc.).
I was mightily impressed by all the children’s costumes for our book parade. It was great to witness their enthusiasm – very sweet!
We’re practicing our music pieces for the Spring Festival, which are starting to sound great!
May you have a lovely weekend,
Julie and Lee
