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
Kindergarten Winter Lantern Walk and Spiral – Friday 20 June 5.30pm
Thank you to all the full-time Kindergarten parents for booking in so promptly for your mid-year teacher interviews. Please record your selected day and time allocation somewhere so you won’t forget your commitment to attend.
On Monday, the Kindergarten children painted with three colours to create gorgeous multi-coloured paintings for their Winter Lanterns. These paintings will be shaped by me into Lanterns that the children will carry on the Midwinter Festival Night on Friday 20 June.
This week the children enjoyed the beautiful puppet story of “Wirambi Bayala – The Bat Story” (written down by Corina and Uncle Lex, Dharug Elders) and told with permission by Zoe Goldsmith, as part of our reconciliation program.
The children have been learning the Dharug words for Mudyin (family) Wayang (Mum), Dad (Biyang), during their Tuesday Dharug Dhalang session with Amy Brownlee. On Tuesday we all walked down to the mini oval so we could enjoy sitting and learning on Country.
We also enjoyed our last gardening session with Annie for this term. The children planted a range of small bushes in the area around the Tea Tee Room and decorated them lovingly with moss, seeds and petals. We will miss Annie and look forward to engaging with her again next term.
Indoor slippers, singlets, long-sleeved tops and coats, a must for all the young children to help them stay warm while at school both indoors and outside in the playground.
Best wishes to everyone.
Francine
Class 1/2
Welcome to Winter and crisp cool days! I hope that crunchy leaves and silly stories have kept you warm this week. I was so pleased to return to Class 1/2 after a period of being unwell. Thank you to Soumya and our assistants for all that they have done this week to continue our rhythm and hold the class so well.
Along with the cool Winter weather we have doing our best to combat any illness that may be around. Class 1/2 has been practicing washing our hands for 20 seconds and singing Happy Birthday twice is just right! Please continue to send lots of food and encourage children to dress in layers for maximum warmth.
Soumya has been working on the Zones of Regulation with Class 1/2. The children had lots of creative ideas and have been practicing what we can do when our internal motor is running too fast or too slow. These ideas are displayed in our room to remind us how we can get back to ‘just right’, helping everyone to learn and play smoothly.
Our Mathematics Main Lessons continued with the many adventures for Queen Equals, King Counting, Farmer Plus and the little gnomes. The children have explored the concepts of time in our lives through our own rich school timetable as well as using concrete materials to consolidate different combinations to make 10 or 20. Skip counting with games, crafty counting caterpillars and rhythm sticks have been some fun ways to consolidate multiplication facts and mathematical thinking.
Rowena and Class One began working on their beautiful lanterns and singing practice became a highlight of our days!
Enjoy a lovely long weekend,
Kath and Class 1/2 Assistants
Class 3/4
It has been a busy week! We had a lovely walk and play in the Pine Forest with Class 1/2. Wind and rain prevented us from this delight for many weeks, and it was like a deep breath out for the children to run and build cubbies and play in this gorgeous place.
We began our new Main Lesson on Norse Myths and the cold weather seems a fitting accompaniment to this exciting and dramatic theme from the north. We are channelling our Viking strength, all standing a little taller, and our creativity, getting caught up in the magic of these tales. At the moment, we are looking at the creation of the Norse World with its realms for giants, humans and gods.
We also revisited our building project, continuing to add walls to the cubby and even some concreting near the steps this week!
Lantern making has begun in preparation for Winter’s Night. The classroom is abuzz with bamboo for frames, golden and scarlet painting, autumn leaf prints and wax paper windows.
To add to the joy of this, we began to practice singing the Winter songs for the festival. The children come to life with these songs as someone said yesterday “they are deeply held in the recesses of their brains”! The school singing, as a whole, is something remarkable and breathtaking.
We started a new novel in class, The Naming of Tishkin Silk. We have just met Griffin Silk who has a “rainbow” of older sisters and has been homeschooled until now. He has just started school, and met Princess Leyla, who he sees as an “uncommon person” like him, due to her daisy chain crown.
Some children are coming to school forgetting jumpers or wearing shorts and then they spend the day squatting with their jumper covering their legs. I know it is hard for some children to transition to the heavier layers of the Winter season, but if you can continue to encourage it, it makes it easier for them to learn and play. Also, toasties are even more appreciated by the children in this season.
Enjoy the weekend and please make sure to let me know if you have any questions about anything.
Warm regards
Jeneva and Meredith
Class 5/6
We are in the midst of geometry.
“The incredible wonders of geometry are to be found working everywhere in the natural world around us, no matter where we turn our gaze” – E. Fairman
The children are learning how to use the tools of the trade and create beauty simultaneously. There are times when we (teacher included) get stuck and have to start again. Precision and care being the key to our geometric successes. This discipline of our wills to work when something is just hard work, is a skill we all need to carry with us through our days on this earth. The children are fully engrossed in these experiences and are doing great work.
On other matters: FUTSAL is next week (Friday 13 June). Children need to be dropped off and picked up at Katoomba Aquatic centre, 8am- 3pm. Parents are welcome to attend. Please check the blue note that was sent home for details.
Lee will not be in class next week; in her place we will have Jenn with us in class.
Have a great long weekend and I will see your children on Tuesday.
Warmly,
Julie and Lee
