Kookaburra Class – A Wonderful Start to Term 2

Kookaburra Class have had a fantastic start to Term 2 and have demonstrated wonderful learning across all curriculum areas. Students have settled back into classroom routines positively and continue to display enthusiasm, confidence and persistence during learning activities. It has been wonderful to see students supporting one another, participating in class discussions and striving to do their personal best each day.

English

In English, the Kookaburras have been developing their early literacy skills through a variety of engaging phonics, reading and writing activities. Students have been working hard to strengthen their understanding of letter-sound relationships and are becoming more confident when blending and segmenting sounds while reading and writing words.

This term, we have been reading the texts The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and Shoes from Grandpa by Mem Fox. Through these engaging texts, students have explored characters, sequencing events and identifying important details within stories. Students particularly enjoyed making connections between the stories and their own experiences and participating in rich class discussions.

As part of our grammar focus, students have been learning about pronouns, proper nouns and verbs used to describe actions. They have been practising identifying these within texts and applying them within their own writing. Students have also continued building their understanding of High Frequency Words and are becoming increasingly confident at recognising and using these words independently within sentences and writing tasks.

It has been wonderful to see students taking pride in their writing and attempting to use their phonics knowledge, spacing, punctuation and sentence structure during independent writing activities.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students have been exploring the concept of mass through hands-on learning experiences. The Kookaburras have been learning to identify and compare the mass of different objects and describe whether items are heavier, lighter or equal in mass. Students have enjoyed using classroom objects to investigate and compare weight and explain their mathematical thinking using appropriate mathematical language.

Students have also been learning about categorising objects and placing them into groups based on shared characteristics. Through sorting activities, discussions and practical tasks, students have been developing their ability to identify similarities and differences between objects and explain the reasoning behind their groupings.

Additionally, students have been learning about time, with a focus on reading and identifying o’clock times and sequencing daily activities. Students have enjoyed discussing routines and creating schedules to demonstrate their understanding of how time is used throughout the day.

PDHPE

In PDHPE, students have continued developing their Fundamental Movement Skills and applying these skills during Game Sense activities. Students have been practising a variety of movement skills including running, jumping, balancing, throwing and catching while participating in cooperative games and team activities.

It has been fantastic to see students demonstrating teamwork, resilience and encouragement towards one another during these activities. The Kookaburras have shown great enthusiasm and participation while developing their confidence and coordination through active learning experiences. 

During week 2, Appin Public School held the K-2 Cross Country Carnival, which all students thoroughly enjoyed the event and the activities run by the amazing Year 6 Sports Captains. 

We are incredibly proud of the Kookaburras for their excellent effort, positive attitude and enthusiasm towards learning this term. We look forward to continuing to support and celebrate their growth and achievements throughout Term 2.

The Emus have had a fantastic start to Term 2! In English, we have been exploring informative texts through The Big Book of Bugs, as well as enjoying stories such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Shoes From Grandpa. Students have been learning all about sentence writing and the important features needed to create a complete sentence.

In Mathematics, we have been learning about time by exploring events in our day and comparing how long different activities take. We have also been investigating mass by hefting and comparing the weight of different objects.

In PDHPE, we have been continuing to develop our fundamental movement skills through a range of engaging activities and games. We also enjoyed our first Peer Support lesson and have been learning about school rules alongside our buddies. In Creative and Performing Arts, students have been continuing their learning in dance and music, enjoying opportunities to move, perform, and express themselves creatively. 

Students thoroughly enjoyed participating in the K–2 Cross Country Carnival and did a fantastic job showing enthusiasm, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the event.

We are looking forward to a wonderful rest of the term filled with lots more learning and fun!

Term 2 has already been jam-packed with exciting school events and lots of incredible learning occurring in our classroom.

The start of Term 2 was focused on Glider students refining their daily classroom routines. One of these, is our paired fluency routine which allows students to read to a partner of similar or different reading ability. Students observe what a good reader should sound like through an explicit lesson on reading fluency and have a weekly focus around the acronym EARS (Expression - reading like a storyteller, Accuracy - reading at a smooth talking pace, Rhythm - paying attention to punctuation and phrasing, Smoothness - fixing up mistakes). Students are now learning to give constructive feedback to their partner and this routine ensures students are reading to a partner every day to continue to develop their reading fluency.

We have jumped into the world of character building with our first unit of the term focusing around how authors create memorable characters. There were belly laughs (from all, including me!) as we read through Pig the Pug, Pig the Rebel and The Bad Guys. Students had a great time testing their abilities in creating their very own Pig the Pug characters and describing them using noun groups, adjectives and even experimenting with dialogue. Our next unit is around Narratives (stories).

Our whole school focus on vocabulary has allowed students to learn about and use Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words in their writing. As a teacher, it is really exciting to see this translate into their written work and being used in the correct context!

Archie H: Trevor was astonished to see Pig's bad behaviour.

Harlow: Mrs Trunchbull was bellowing at the students in the playground.

Blayke: He was a criminal mastermind and rebellious too.

Noah: Pig has red, bulging eyes.

Sofia: "Hurry up and give me the button!" cried Henry.

In Mathematics, we have been learning to count large collections effectively and have been learning a range of games to improve our number skills. Students have been testing their place value knowledge through a range of activities such as Place Value Wars and Place Value Climb. We have also been learning about equivalence and balancing number sentences, with students exploring how both sides of an equation must have the same value, for example 22 + 11 = 30 + 3. Glider students have loved opportunities to test their addition and subtraction skills on Sunset Maths as a part of the schools subscription to Essential Assessment. This is a valuable learning tool as our students learn how to use the iPads to log on, sign in using their own passwords and explore digital technology in a fun and meaningful way.

1/2 Bilby has made a terrific start to Term 2! It has been wonderful to see the enormous growth and progress the students have made since the beginning of the year. The students are coming to school each day with enthusiasm, confidence, and a genuine eagerness to learn, creating a positive and engaging classroom environment. 

In English this term, our focus is on imaginative texts. We have been exploring the Pig the Pug series, along with other engaging stories by author Aaron Blabey. These fun and entertaining texts have inspired rich class discussions about characters, with students identifying both their external traits and inner qualities. Through these learning experiences, students are developing their understanding of how an author’s description of a character can shape the reader’s impressions and influence the way a story is understood. I can’t wait to see the stories they create this term. We will continue learning new sounds in Phonics, practising fluency pairs, and expanding our vocabulary by exploring and learning new words each week. 

In Mathematics, we will build on our skills related to whole numbers, grouping numbers, equivalence, and solving worded problems. Additionally, the students will begin exploring maps and positional pathways, developing their spatial awareness.

In Creative and Performing Arts, students will continue their learning in dance, using shapes and movements to communicate ideas. In music, they will develop their playing skills through the use of environmental sounds, instruments, and technology.

Our Science lessons will focus on the design process, where students will define user needs and create solutions. In HSIE, students are learning how people use stories, images, objects, and sites to understand the ancient past.

Finally, in PDHPE, students will continue to develop their fundamental movement skills, while also building interpersonal skills to support positive interactions and cooperation with others. We also enjoyed participating in the K/1 Cross Country and for the first time our Year 2’s were able to run at the 3-6 Cross Country carnival earlier this term.

This term we welcome Holly Rowley, a UOW Practicum student who will be teaching in the Bilby classroom. In week 8, Bilbies will be performing at the K-2 assembly. We are looking forward to showcasing our talents with our families. I am looking forward to another amazing and productive term with 1/2 Bilby class.

The legendary Lorikeets have settled beautifully into Term 2 and continue to impress me each and every day with their enthusiasm, confidence, and positivity. It has been fantastic to see the growth students have already made this year, both academically and socially, as they continue to develop into capable and independent learners.

In English, students are exploring imaginative texts through a range of engaging stories, including the hilarious Pig the Pug series and The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey. These texts have sparked thoughtful discussions about characters, with students identifying character traits, emotions, and behaviours, as well as designing their own Pig characters. Through these activities, students are learning how authors use descriptions and actions to shape a reader’s understanding of a story. We are looking forward to seeing students apply these ideas in their own creative writing throughout the term. Alongside this, students are continuing to strengthen their phonics knowledge, reading fluency, and vocabulary skills through weekly VCOP activities, word of the week, and paired reading fluency tasks.

In Mathematics, students are developing their understanding of whole numbers, grouping and partitioning numbers, equivalence, and problem-solving strategies. They will also begin investigating maps, directions, and positional language as they build their spatial awareness skills.

In Creative and Performing Arts, students are continuing to explore movement and expression through dance, using different shapes and actions to communicate ideas. In music lessons, they are experimenting with environmental sounds, instruments, and technology to build their confidence and performance skills.

Science this term focuses on the design process, with students identifying needs and designing possible solutions to problems. In HSIE, students are learning about the ancient past and examining how stories, artefacts, images, and significant sites help us understand life long ago.

In PDHPE, students are continuing to practise and refine their fundamental movement skills while also developing teamwork, cooperation, and positive relationship skills. Earlier this term, students enthusiastically participated in the K–1 Cross Country event, and our Year 2 students proudly represented the class in the 3–6 Cross Country carnival for the first time. All of the lorikeets gave a phenomenal effort and made myself, and their parents and carers proud. Keep up the good work, Lorikeets!

The Turtles – Term 2 Newsletter Update

1/2 Turtles have made a terrific start to Term 2.  It has been a pleasure getting to know all of the students and the staff and community at Appin Public School.

Our focus is on imaginative texts in English. The Pig the Pug series, along with other engaging stories by author Aaron Blabey, have been fun and engaging to read and have inspired the students to write their own short imaginative texts.  There have been class discussions about characters, and interesting adjectives and students are learning how quality vocabulary can improve their writing. Each week students are learning new phonemes (sounds) and how to spell a range of words containing these phonemes to expand their vocabulary.

In Mathematics, students will continue developing their understanding of numbers by exploring whole numbers, grouping, equivalence, and strategies for solving word problems. They will also investigate maps and positional language, helping them strengthen their spatial awareness and ability to describe location and movement.

Students will engage in dance lessons using shapes and movements to communicate ideas. In music lessons, students will experiment with the use of environmental sounds, instruments, and technology.

Our Science lessons will focus on the design process and solving simple challenges using technology. Students are learning how people use stories, images, objects, and sites to understand the ancient past for History.

In PDHPE, students will continue to develop their fundamental movement skills, while also building interpersonal skills to support positive interactions and cooperation with others. Students expressed that they enjoyed participating in the K/1 Cross Country, and for the first time, our Year 2 students were able to run at the 3–6 Cross Country carnival earlier this term.

In Week 4, 1/2 Turtles performed at the K–2 assembly.  We performed a turtle quiz and then sang the "I Had a Little Turtle - Tiny Tim", song.

Attendance Matters – A Great Start to the Term

We are extremely proud of the strong attendance demonstrated across the school. Regular attendance plays a vital role in student learning, wellbeing, and success, and it is wonderful to see so many students arriving at school each day ready to learn and engage. This reflects the strong partnership between our school and families, who continue to support the importance of consistent attendance. We thank our students and community for their ongoing commitment and encourage everyone to continue striving for excellent attendance throughout the year. 

Another huge congratulations to Possum Class, who have recorded the best attendance this term so far, with a whopping 98.4%! We are incredibly proud of your commitment and effort.