Week 2 Sparks New Learning in the Junior School

Pre-Kindergarten

Welcome back to Spring Term! It has been wonderful to see the children settle back into the routines of Pre-Kindergarten so well. We are very fortunate to have Lexi and Max join our class this term and we welcome them and their families.

The beginning of the term will see us exploring the concept that God created people and they can come from all over the world and have many similarities and differences. It would be appreciated if you could talk to your child about their cultural background, as we will be exploring things such as traditional food, dance, costumes, transport, homes, etc. from around the world. If you have any photos you would like to bring in for your child to share, there will be many opportunities for this. 

The children have already been busy learning new skills such as cutting and the beginning of name writing. The children were very excited to have a go at writing their names and we have been doing this in a number of ways, including using magnetic letters, tracing their names on laminated sheets and also practising their names on the iPads. There is no expectation that the children will be able to write their name independently by the end of the year, although we are working on name recognition as well as developing fine motor skills in preparation for writing. 

I look forward to a fantastic term shared with you all.

Mrs Fretwell

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher 

Kindergarten C

The Kindergarten children were so excited to come back from holidays to find some new outdoor equipment to play with. A big thank you must go out to Mr Smyth and the high school students who put together the new tricycles which are getting a major workout around the racing car track.

This term in Big Ideas, we are investigating 'How Things Work¹. We have been very busy pulling apart laptops, appliances, toys and stereos and are amazed at how many internal parts they are made up of. We were especially excited to use real tools such as screwdrivers and spanners and investigate how many pieces are magnetic.

There is never a dull moment in Kindergarten!

Mrs Borg

Kindergarten C Teacher

Pre-Primary

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Dr Seuss

Spring Term has welcomed the Pre-Primary students back to class as well as a robin, which has created a nest outside the classroom doors. She has been keeping an eye on the Junior School garden, fruit trees and sunflower seeds as well as the Pre-Primary students. She even watched the students eat freshly picked lettuce leaves and a sprinkle of cheese-YUM!

The students have been consolidating their knowledge of geometric shapes and extending their phonological awareness as they learn about word families, such as ‘-ot’ and ‘-og’. They problem solved when creating a village of houses out of recycled cardboard packing boxes. Initially they planned the design, measured the rough size and constructed the boxes. After they constructed their house they decorated it with puff paint.

Miss Pritchard

Pre-Primary Teacher

Year Two

Welcome back to Spring Term. It is great to see all of the students and parents smiling and welcoming faces. 

This term we have continued our learning in Geography through the introduction of iTunesU courses as a learning tool. The students are using the tool to engage in discussions about their learning, identify something positive about their peers' learning and offer suggestions for them to think about. The more discussions they are engaging in, the deeper and more reflective their learning is becoming. It is amazing to see the independence developing in the students. 

Our topic for Big Ideas this term is 'Guess Who’s Coming to Visit!’ Without giving too much away, this topic integrates the learning areas of Technology and Enterprise, Health and English. The students will be developing the skills of investigation and persuasion throughout the term.

Our focus in Mathematics is the application of mental strategies through word problems. We discuss the vocabulary used to solve the problem, check that we have completed everything as the problem asked and explain how we solved the problem. The students are also looking at the relationship between multiplication and division.

Mrs Ryan

Year Two Teacher

Other News

The Year Three students had a busy time this week being film stars as the College farewelled the Year 12 students. They left a unique message, inspired by author Serge Bloch, for the graduates to "Reach for the Stars".

Tuesday, 27 October at 6:00pm will be the Reconciliation Meeting for Candidates and Parents. The meeting will be held in the Parish Church. All students who have enrolled for the Sacrament are required to attend with a parent or adult. 

Annual Celebration Evening is on Thursday, 29 October at 6:30pm. This is not a compulsory event; however, families are most welcome to attend. For those who are attending, students must wear their College uniform including: College polo, shorts and tracksuit top with predominantly white sneakers. 

Melissa Croswell

Head of Junior School

22 October 2015