Wendy’s Group Week 9 Term 1

Posted on April 6, 2025 by wendyp

Hi everyone.

Autumn has definitely arrived this week and some of us are feeling the cold! Please encourage your children to wear or bring warmer clothing for these cooler days… but we do still need sun screen and wide-brimmed hats for outside play. UV levels are around 6/7 most days.

Thank you so much to the Maintenance Team for the work last weekend. So many jobs were achieved in spite of the awful weather! Great achievement! It’s particularly good to be able to close the sports shed doors properly!

This week has felt quite relaxed as we begin to wind down towards the end of term. The drumming and the social on Friday were good fun and we have had a glorious time with birthday afternoon teas this week!

There has been a flurry of activity in class with children finishing off PIPs. We have had the first few presentations and they have been wonderful so far. It is very difficult to predict the exact timing of presentations but, if your child really wants you to be here, we’ll do our best. I’m encouraging the children to make and use palm cards for their presentations and it would be great for them to practise presenting at home. Stumbling over pronunciation when presenting to the group is not fun!

 

We have also been having fun making our science models. There are water filters, water transportation mechanisms, hail protection devices and even a water fountain that works without electricity! Our water sessions with Jess’s group on Mondays have been great fun this term and the design processes have provided some fabulous learning opportunities. I’m really looking forward to seeing all the working models in operation starting next week and probably continuing into the start of next term.

In Maths, we’ve moved on to multiplication and division and in English, finishing up our unit on informative writing. Everyone completed comprehension questions based on information about Tim Winton (author of “Blueback” which we read earlier in the term) and we have now started reading “Laughter is the Best Ending” by Maryam Master for our shared book. Camp artworks are being painted this week and we had a fun music session on Monday with Gemma.

For Buddies this week, preschool came down to our room and we had a gorgeous time. The room was very calm and the atmosphere happy and engaged as our group showed their preschool buddies some of the possibilities with our games and construction toys. Maybe we’ll do this every week!

Stay warm and well and have a great week!

Love,

Wendy

Posted in Wendy's Class | Comments Off

Jess’ Class Week 9 Term 1

Posted on April 6, 2025 by alejandral

Dear Parents,

This week, the children began learning about fractions, focusing on the numerator and denominator, and how, like decimals, they represent numbers smaller than one. We had lots of fun folding paper to represent different denominators. During the repeated folding in half, it was exciting to see the children recognize the emerging pattern of doubling the denominator.

We also continued playing games with the three times tables, and the children are beginning to recognize the numbers by heart. Some of them are even starting to memorize them out of order!

Additionally, Susan, Sarah M, and I participated in a professional development session on teaching the writing process. It was a fantastic day spent with other educators, learning new and some familiar strategies to support children in the complex task of writing.

Happy weekend,

Jess

Posted in Jess's Class | Comments Off

Sarah’s Class Week 9 Term 1

Posted on April 6, 2025 by sarahm

Thank you, to Sarah D and Pepper for taking such great care of the group while I was away for a few days this past week.

We had our final visit to Lane Cove library on Monday and a music lesson with Gemma where the group have been learning how to read and recognise musical notes on a music bar. They’ve also been learning about pitch and rhythm through songs. Another unit in our Soundwaves was completed focusing on the sound ‘f ff ph’. We also explored subtracting a 2 digit number from another 2 and 3 digit number on an empty number line.

Given that our Science topic for this term has been on the environment and the impact we have on the earth we explored the global event coming up, “Earth Day”. Every year since 1970 on Tuesday, 22nd April the day hollers the importance of taking care of our planet. Using brown paper shopping bags the children cut our shapes and made a hanging message declaring 1 thing they will start and/or continue doing to help the planet. Things as simple as recycling plastic and avoiding single use plastic items. The children also designed a t.shirt with a logo celebrating the earth.

Everyone is very excited about presenting projects this week. I am sorry for the change of day from Monday to Wednesday for some children and hope that hasn’t caused too much of a problem for those of you planning to come. All the children have worked so beautifully together in their groups and have been collaborative and supportive of eachother. The projects showcase their dedication and effort. I hope you can all make it!

From all accounts I heard the drumming social was a lovely night. Thanks to Sally (Mabel’s mum in Wendy’s) for setting this up and those who helped pack away.

Next week, apart from the presentations, we will decide what movie to watch on our final day together. We will look at another strategy for adding and subtracting in Maths and continue with some story writing. We will have the last of our lessons from visiting teachers in music, Spanish and craft and set some time aside for a BIG CLEAN. We are still yet to plant our succulents into the plastic hanging pots, so hopefully, we’ll squeeze that in before we depart for the break.

Hope you have a good week ahead!

Love, Sarah

Posted in Sarah's Class | Comments Off

Amelia’s Class Week 9 Term 1

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Amelia

Hi everyone,

We are almost at the end of term with the last week in our sights! I hope you all have some lovely holidays or short trips planned for the Easter long weekend.

This week we started to wrap up some of our key units of work. With Amanda, the group looked deeper into centimetres and practiced measuring lengths using 30 centimetre rulers. We will practice working with centimetres more next week and then that will be our work on measurement done!

The elders presented their PIPs to the class group on Thursday as well. A huge congratulations to all of them for completing their first Personal Interest Project! It is always so wonderful for the children to feel that sense of accomplishment and proudly show off their hard work from a whole term of dedication. Thank you again to Archana for running the PIP sessions and supporting the group so beautifully. Well done!

We have also started to wrap up our unit on Rad Reptiles. The children started to design their own reptile using their knowledge of the key features that we have learnt about over the term. Next week, using the recycled materials some of you have brought in, the children will craft their made-up reptiles and present them to the group. If you have more recycled materials at home, please bring them in!

Amelia x

 

Posted in Amelia's Class | Comments Off

The Ladybirds Week 9 Term 1

Posted on April 6, 2025 by megs

This week, the Ladybirds focused on emotional regulation in PDHPE. We explored strategies to manage big emotions, like taking deep breaths, engaging in fun activities, and communicating our feelings clearly. It’s been great to see these techniques in action on the playground. Next week, we’ll dive deeper into the importance of communication, focusing on word choice and tone. In sport, we had a blast playing rolling dodgeball, practicing jumping, dodging, and rolling. After the game, we practiced yoga and bubble breathing, linking it to our emotional regulation lessons.

On Friday, we enjoyed a special African drumming lesson in preparation for the Drumming Social that evening. The children had a great time learning about the history of African drumming and how the drums are made.

Next week, we’ll visit the Lane Cove Library. Please send a shoulder bag for your child to carry their books and ensure they have a library account for borrowing.
A reminder: Many toys have been going missing. Please check your child’s bag for any items that don’t belong to them. The children have decided that moving forward, toys worth $30 or less will only be allowed at school to keep things safe.

A big thank you to Archana, who took the class on Thursday. She shared that the children worked hard and had a lovely day. Sarah and I are incredibly proud of our Ladybirds and all the progress they continue to make!

Looking forward to a fantastic last week of school!

With love,
Meg (and Sarah D)

Posted in Meg's Class | Comments Off

Preschool News Week 9 Term 1

Posted on April 6, 2025 by katrinaa

Hello everyone,

This week has flown by in a whirlwind of activity—blink, and suddenly it’s Friday!

We’ve had a joyful and jam-packed week, beginning with music sessions with Gemma and a special Buddies session on Tuesday. This time we all visited Wendy’s class, which led to a relaxed and investigative experience for everyone involved. We also enjoyed Spanish with Carolina, creative craft with Chris, and finished the week with drumming on Friday, followed by the lively Drumming Social on Friday night.

Group times have been rich with conversations around music, agreements, protective behaviours, and the much-loved request for pillow fighting—which the children have enthusiastically embedded into our program. These experiences have kept our days full of laughter, connection, and action.

The mud kitchen remains a favourite, drawing not only our preschoolers but also curious primary children into the imaginative and collaborative play.

Abi has been sharing some wonderful music sessions, and everyone has had time to reflect on our shared experiences through journaling. We’ve also embraced sensory play this week, with finger painting, clay, and playdough being enjoyed by many curious hands.

A huge thank you to Valentina for the donation of fabulous and intriguing dress-ups—they’ve been a hit! And heartfelt thanks to both Marie and Valentina for stepping into the role of preschool parent reps for 2024.

Thank you also to all the families who’ve signed up to help with End of Term Cleaning and to our behind-the-scenes washing fairies, your efforts keep us going with fresh laundry and clean spaces.

That’s a wrap for Week 9!

love,
Katrina, Lisa and Abi

Posted in Preschool news | Comments Off

Preschool News Week 7 Term 1

Posted on March 21, 2025 by katrinaa

Hello everyone,

This week, we all seemed to bunker down, creating a calm and relaxed environment in and around preschool.

It was a week full of events! We celebrated Harmony Week through games and activities, learnt about Persian New Year on Thursday, and joined in a sock parade on Friday as part of World Down Syndrome Day.

On Wednesday, we had planned to venture into primary for Summerhill Day, but with so much happening in preschool, many of the primary children ended up joining us instead! It was lovely to see them engaging with the pre-schoolers in our space.

Pillow fighting has been gaining momentum—it’s been just gorgeous watching the children dance to their chosen songs while engaging in this rich proprioceptive experience (the body’s ability to sense its position, movement, and orientation).

The mud kitchen continues to be a hub of exploration, especially around the water trough. After a recent group discussion, we came up with a new agreement to guide play in this area and ensure everyone’s play is respected: the water trough filled with water is to remain just water. If children want to mix in bark or sand, they can do so in a separate container. This way, those who want clean water to play with can still enjoy that experience.

A big thank you to Valentina (Quentin’s mum) for recycling our soft plastics, to Marie (Ollie’s mum) for the fabulous dress-ups, and as always, to the wonderful washing fairies for keeping us fresh and clean.

Looking forward to another wonderful week ahead!

Warmly,
Katrina, Abi and Lisa

Posted in Preschool news | Comments Off

The Ladybirds Week 7 Term 1

Posted on March 21, 2025 by megs

As many of you know, World Down Syndrome Day is a day that holds special meaning for one of our students. Throughout the week, we talked about it and read the book Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks. To help spread awareness and prepare for the crazy sock parade on Friday, we got creative in Craft, making funky, bright socks inspired by the artwork of Matisse.

In Maths, we started exploring 3D shapes and went on a shape hunt around the school to see how shapes “shape” our world.

In English, we continued our focus on the sounds of the week, /t/ and /s/. With four sounds under our belt, we learned how to combine them to form words. We practiced decoding and spelling through fun games and activities.

In sport, we had a great time designing obstacle courses that allowed us to practice key movements, such as balancing, jumping, climbing, and more.

Wednesday marked our first Summerhill Day! The children got to choose their activities and classes for the day. It was filled with creativity, as we saw groovy creations like Bug Hotels and Plasticine Villages come to life.

On Thursday, we adventured to a new park—Kimberley Playground—which we had yet to visit. The kids had an incredible time exploring the equipment, and it was a fantastic challenge for us as a class, as we had to walk a greater distance, including both uphill and downhill stretches.

A quick reminder about the importance of arriving at school before 9:00 am. Getting in early helps ensure your little one is settled for the day. It provides extra time if they find it difficult to separate in the morning and allows them to move their bodies and release some energy before inside time. Please try your very best to arrive at school before 9am. Thank you!

With love,
Meg (and Sarah D)

Posted in Meg's Class, Primary news | Comments Off

Amelia’s group Week 7 Term 1

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Amelia

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately I have been away all week and have dearly missed the class! Thank you so much to all of the teachers and parents that stepped up to support in my absence.

It sounded like a very busy week with a successful Summerhill Day on the Wednesday and a colourful sock day to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on the Friday.

The children continued learning about measurement with Archana, Sarah D and Pepper. We will get back into our Rad Reptile unit of work next Thursday and continue up to the last week of the term. The elders have made fantastic progress on their PIPs, and it seems a few groups are just about finished!

Next week we will have the whole primary school excursion to the Australian Museum on the Wednesday to experience the Machu Picchu exhibit. Just a reminder to arrive no later than 9am for a whole school meeting and an early morning tea.

Amelia x

Posted in Amelia's Class, Primary news | Comments Off

Sarah’s Class Week 7 Term 1

Posted on March 21, 2025 by sarahm

Hi everyone, hope you had a lovely weekend.

Unfortunately, Gemma (our music teacher) was unwell this week but that didn’t stop us from exploring music. Listening to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” we recognised the differences in each season and drew while we listened, sharing the feelings we associated from the staccato in Spring, to the lightness in Summer and the slow, deep melodic sounds of Autumn and Winter. It was a last minute idea which from their engagement the children seemed to enjoy. For our Maths this week, we have explored odd and even numbers and addition using the Split Strategy. We will continue to explore more strategies to add and subtract over the next couple of weeks.

We had a gorgeous Summerhill Day on Wednesday with a lot of varied activities on offer for the children to choose from. There was some serious games of Pickelball being played on the basketball court where hand eye co-ordination skills were developed and honed upon and team work played out. I had a lovely group from various classes making bug hotels and another group who did beading in the afternoon. Nice and relaxed. Also this week we talked about World Down Syndrome Day and Harmony Day, both falling on the same day, Friday 21st. We watched a couple of videos which explained both events and recognised the overlap of acceptance of difference and diversity. The children coloured in and wrote about ‘socks’ as a represenation of their individual uniqueness. It was great to see the number of children, in the school who adorned ‘crazy socks’ to honour this day and give a gold coin donation to support Down Syndrome Australia.

It looks like most of our planted seedlings are not going to make it. Sad. Last weekends heat burnt a few of them to a brown crisp and what we have left, thats green, do not look well. No amount of water seems to be helping, so we might start again and add mini succulents. Its nice to look at them hanging there on the fence.

As you would know we have another excursion coming up on Wednesday to the Australian Museum. A whole school meeting is planned at 9:00 am sharp when school starts. The children will then have a quick break for food before getting on the buses at 9:30 am to arrive for our tour at 10:00 am. PLEASE have your child to school early. I was most impressed with how this was doable for the usual latecomers for our excursion to Kimbriki. Plan ahead – have your child pack their bag, organise clothes, lunch and water bottle the night before. They will also need a hat! There are still some children who claim to not have a hat at school and need to borrow one. Leave a hat with their name on it permanently in their bag, for school only. This will make transitions and outings less stressful, to not have to look for a hat. Thanks so much!

Love, Sarah

Posted in Primary news, Sarah's Class | Comments Off