Stage Snapshot – Learning in Stage 3 (Year 5 & 6)

Classroom Learning Updates

English

Stage 3 students have been busy exploring characterisation in our novel study of August and Jones, diving into how authors develop memorable characters and the ways we connect with their journeys. 

Mathematics

In mathematics, students are strengthening their multiplicative thinking by learning a range of strategies for multiplication and division, including how to use the distributive property to solve problems efficiently. 

Other Key Learning Areas

Our history lessons have focused on the development of Australian colonies, sparking thoughtful discussions about how communities change and grow. In science, students have been investigating the forces that shape our world, conducting hands-on experiments to explore concepts such as gravity, friction, and magnetism. 

It’s been a fantastic term of learning across all areas so far. We look forward to the rest of the term! 

Stage Snapshot – Learning in Stage 2 (Year 2, 3 & 4)

Stage 2 have had a fantastic start to second half of term with engaging learning experiences across all subject areas.

English
We have begun studying the mentor texts The Little Refugee and We Are Australians. Through these texts, students are developing an understanding of how authors use perspective and context to connect with key themes. They are also creating multimodal historical accounts and free verse poetry, drawing on their personal, social, and cultural contexts to explore their own identity. Over the next five weeks, our focus will shift to exploring a variety of poetic devices to support the writing of original poetry pieces.

Mathematics
In Mathematics, students have been learning how to identify inverse operations through the saying “If I know one, I know four.” This has helped strengthen their number sense and problem-solving strategies. We have also been exploring the concept of Mass, comparing the weight of different objects and making connections to real-life situations.

Wellbeing
In Week 4, Stage 2 enjoyed a visit from Healthy Harold. This session focused on relationships, including recognising social settings and cues to help us build safe and respectful connections with others.

Stage 2 have been busy practising both our class song and the whole-school song in preparation for the Busking for Change event, which will be held in the hall in Week 7. Students have been working hard to develop their singing skills and are doing a fantastic job. We look forward to seeing you there and are excited to showcase our performances. 

Stage 2 students continue to show curiosity, persistence, and collaboration in their learning. We are looking forward to an exciting few weeks ahead!

Stage Snapshot – Learning in Stage 1

• In English Year 1 students are engaging with the book 'Boy' to explore themes of kindness, understanding, and acceptance. Through shared reading and discussion, students are developing their comprehension skills by identifying the main ideas and key events in the story. They are also learning to make personal connections by reflecting on how the characters’ actions show empathy and respect. Activities include sequencing events, describing characters, and using the text as a model to create their own sentences about friendship and caring for others. This learning experience supports vocabulary development, oral language skills, and positive social interactions in the classroom.

• During math lessons Year 1 students are actively participating in Number Talks to build their confidence and flexibility with numbers. During these sessions, students share and explain different strategies for solving problems, such as using doubles, making tens, and counting on. This encourages mathematical reasoning, clear communication, and the ability to justify their thinking. By listening to and discussing multiple approaches, students develop a deeper understanding of number relationships and improve their mental computation skills in a supportive, collaborative environment. 

• Year 1 students also enjoyed a visit from Healthy Harold, who delivered an engaging lesson about the importance of friendships. Through fun activities and discussions, students learned how to be a good friend, show kindness, and resolve conflicts in positive ways. The session highlighted the value of respect, empathy, and including others, helping students understand how strong friendships contribute to their overall wellbeing and happiness.

Stage Snapshot – Learning in Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten)

What an exciting fortnight it has been! Our students were absolutely thrilled to welcome Healthy Harold in the Life Education Van. The visit was filled with fun and engaging activities that helped our children learn about being kind friends. We also celebrated Book Week, enjoying a range of activities that sparked a love of reading and storytelling throughout the school. The Book Week parade was a highlight, with students showcasing unique and creative costumes that brought their favourite characters to life. Smiling faces filled the playground as everyone enjoyed the vibrant and joyful celebration.

In our classrooms, we have focused our learning on how to subtract numbers using concrete materials. These hands-on tools allow children to visualise and physically manipulate numbers, making abstract ideas more understandable. Over the next few weeks, we will introduce strategies like counting back and other methods to deepen their understanding. Concrete materials will continue to be a priority, as they play a vital role in early numeracy to build a strong foundation for future mathematical learning. We have also begun exploring the idea of making equal groups, which serves as an early introduction to division. Students have enjoyed equally sharing collections of objects to form groups with the same number in each. 

In English, we have been exploring characters in narratives by reading engaging books such as No Never and The Invisible Boy. These stories provide rich opportunities for students to understand characters’ feelings, motivations and actions. Alongside this, we are focusing on building our students’ vocabulary to make their writing more interesting. By exploring synonyms for common words such as said, good, bad, big and little, students are learning to choose more descriptive and varied words in their writing. Parents can support this learning at home by pointing out these words and their alternatives in books you read together or during everyday conversations. This simple practice helps children expand their vocabulary and develop stronger communication skills.

We are incredibly proud of the progress our students are making and look forward to more exciting learning adventures ahead! Recently, students have also been learning a special song in preparation for our upcoming Busking for Change event. We hope you can make it!