Week 9, Term 4

Hello from the Prep Rooms! 

As we approach the end of Term, we have been busy! This week we have shown our understanding of our Big Question ‘How do things move?’ by designing and creating their own push/pull toy. We hope you enjoyed seeing them when students brought them home! After practising with our code-and-go mice for a few weeks, students created their own path to help the mouse reach the cheese. They used directional arrows to plan their path before coding the mouse! There was a lot of excitement watching the mouse move and celebrating when its nose touched the cheese! As it is now December, we have begun some Christmas activities ready to share at the School Christmas Extravaganza next Thursday. On Friday we celebrated our final swimming lesson. We are proud of the way all the students have had a go and been brave getting in the pool each session. 

Next week we have some exciting activities: 

• Tuesday 10th December: Students will step up and meet their 2025 class and new teacher for a session to get to know each other. 

• Thursday 12th December: Families are invited to come and visit the classrooms to see what Christmassy activities are on display. More information to come. 

• Friday 13th December: Students will bring home their Learning Journals, showcasing their amazing work from 2024! 

 
Have a wonderful weekend! 

Lauren and Nicole 

Hello from the 1/2 unit! 

It has been a super fun week within our classes as we countdown to the end of the school year. We have been embracing the Christmas spirit this week with lots of Christmas-themed activities and setting up our class Christmas trees.  

In Literacy this week we have been sharing our favourite Christmas stories and unscrambling statements and questions with a Christmas theme. Students wrote their final big write for 2024 about their best Christmas ever.  We were entertained with stories about naughty elves on shelves, helping Santa deliver his presents on Christmas Eve, visiting the North Pole and special family Christmases at home. 

In Maths we have been investigating shapes and what happens to them when they are transformed by being flipped, slid, and turned.  We also enjoyed playing movement games as we practiced our knowledge of position when using words such as clockwise, anticlockwise, left and right. 

As part of the 'Going Further' stage of our current Big Question, 'Where does energy come from?' the students began designing Santa sleighs for the Christmas expo.  Families will have received a letter this week with information of materials that are needed for the children to begin the construction stage.  We look forward to showcasing our creative skills on December 12th. 

Our reading program has finished up this week in order for our annual stocktake of readers. Thankyou to our reading helpers for the year. Having you come along and read with those extra kids really makes a difference to our reading program. 

A highlight of this term has definitely been our swimming lessons and we have been so impressed with the brave way students have participated, even when feeling nervous. Thank you so much to Carly for her incredible organisation and our wonderful parent helpers who have helped supervise walking to and from the indoor pool. 

Next week students will participate in the Step Up day where they will find out their new teacher and classmates for 2025, construct their Santa sleigh to be shared at the Christmas Expo and learning journals will be sent home on Friday. 

Have a lovely weekend! 

Sally, Wendy, Sarah and Bec 

Week 9 and feeling Gingerbread-a-rific! 

In addition to some puzzle shape problems in maths, finishing our mentor text, Treasure Island and spelling, we’ve enjoyed two big events including a visit from the Essendon Football Club and our annual Gingerbread creations. Each class has gone through a collaborative process of choosing a theme, assigning roles and working together to make the gingerbread. It has been a lot of fun. 

Here are some pictures from the AFL clinic: 

The weeks are flying by as we approach the end of the school year, but we haven’t slowed down—with so much happening, there’s never a dull moment! 

This week, we had some special guests from Essendon Football Club visit our Grade 3–6 students. They answered questions about their journeys into football and even had a kick of the footy with students during recess. 

When did you start playing football, and how did you get into it? 

• Sam Draper: Played soccer as a kid and dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. Switched to AFL at 17. 

• Zach Reid: Started with Auskick, played for Gisborne, and was eventually drafted. 

• Harry Jones: Began with Auskick as well. 

What has been your worst injury, and how do you handle challenges like injuries? 

• Zach Reid: Tore a pectoral muscle, which was a tough experience. 

• Sam Draper: Transitioning from soccer to AFL was challenging, but persistence paid off. 

• Harry Jones: Competing against bigger-bodied players can be difficult — I use my speed to outmaneuver them. 

What factors contribute to mental health challenges in the AFL, and how do you manage them? 

• Challenges: Passionate fans and media scrutiny can create immense pressure, especially when feeling like you’ve let supporters down. 

• Support: Players have access to doctors and psychologists, regularly check in with teammates, and lean on each other for support. 

Our Grade 5 students also spent time meeting their 2025 Prep buddies as part of the Buddy Program. This initiative fosters social and emotional growth for both older and younger students, and it was wonderful to see the Grade 5s helping our future Preps transition into school life. They’re shaping up to be fantastic role models! 

In Grade 6, students are hard at work on their When I Grow Up (WIGUs) videos and preparing for the much-anticipated Teacher Chase. Graduation preparations are in full swing for Wednesday, 18th December, and big emotions are surfacing as students reflect on their primary school years coming to an end. 

And who could forget the gingerbread chaos? A huge thank you to all the families who supported the baking process—it wouldn’t have been possible without you! While things don’t always go to plan in the world of gingerbread, students have shown great resilience as they worked on their group projects. Next week, we’ll begin assembling and decorating the gingerbread creations. Families are invited to see all the hard work on display at the Creative Christmas Expo from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm on Thursday, 12th December. 

Week 10 Dates: 

• Monday, 9th: Please bring in all baked gingerbread. 

• Tuesday, 10th: Step-Up Day (students find out their classes for 2025). 

• Thursday, 12th: Creative Christmas Expo, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. 

• Friday, 13th: Learning Journals sent home. 

Have a lovely weekend! 

Hannah, Mr. Higgins, Jay, Sam, Liz, and Giovanna 

Prep N

Jude K - for the confident way you coded the mouse to get the cheese during STEAM.

Alfie Mc - for your focus and persistence when matching patterns in Maths. 

Prep E

Matteo T - for the bravery and determination you have shown each week at swimming lessons. 

Oona D - for your detailed design and creativity when making your pull dog toy.

1/2 S

FFion M - for your impressive leadership when being a chook monitor. 

Zaria FW - for the care and effort you put into designing your Santa sleigh. 

Bella C - for the care and effort you put into designing your Santa sleigh. 

1/2 SB

Wesley H - for the creativity you showed when designing your Santa sleigh. 

Isaac S - for the effortt you have been putting into your writing. 

Daisy H - for being an upstgander and supporting friends when they needed help. 

Ben E - for participating in our swimming lessons with courage and learning so much!

1/2 W

Winton H - for the care and attention to detail you took when designing Santa's sleigh.

Delilah B - for the passion and beauty you put into every piece of work. 

3/4 CN

Phoebe A - for the way you always challenge yourself and strive for your personal best. 

Frances W - for the way you were able to seek help and share your feelings in a calm and thoughtful way.  

3/4 H

Finn T - for making strong choices and seeking support when needed. 

Evie F - for working well in groups and respecting others' ideas. 

3/4 L

Caitlyn Y - for your bravery and positivity when faced with challenging tasks. 

3/4 PS

Mathilde T - for taking on challenging projects with energy and positivity.  

3/4 H

Chet C - for going above and beyond helping to clearn up after gingerbread making!

Freddie A - for going above and beyond helping to clearn up after gingerbread making!

5/6 HG

Bella T - for making our classroom bubbly and bright with your bright and bubbly personality! Welcome to CNPS!

Edan L - for demonstrating strength and resilience. Keep soldiering on!

5/6 SL

Ada T - for the way you have applied yourself to all learning tasks this year. You've been amazing!

Jomal N - for your thoughtfulness during softball practice. You make sure everyone had a good time. 

Indonesian 

Hazel O - For - your "Superstar" approach towards your learning. Your positive attitude and diligence have been so impressive! Bagus!