What a Term We've Had!

It’s been a busy and exciting term filled with rich learning experiences! In the classroom, we've been diving into multiplication and division, crafting creative narrative stories, celebrating both Science Week and Book Week with enthusiasm and preparing to surprise our dads on Father’s Day.

Beyond the classroom, we had a fantastic excursion to the Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium, where students were filled with wonder and awe exploring the underwater world. Back at school, our Fridays have been extra fruity and fun thanks to our popular "Slinky Apple Fridays"!

So grab a cuppa and let’s go…

 

Book Week – Book an Adventure
Always a favourite on the school calendar, Book Week was once again a big hit in Year 1/2! The students enthusiastically embraced the theme "Book an Adventure", exploring a wide range of new and exciting stories throughout the week and dressing up in their favourite book characters.

Our classrooms were buzzing with creativity as students explored literature through art and craft activities inspired by the books we read. The joy of storytelling truly came to life!

We’re especially excited to be borrowing the CBCA-shortlisted books from the library, thanks to Mrs Barca, and can’t wait to share our favourites with our families at home. 

With so many incredible stories to choose from, it was no easy task to select just one for our own book reviews - but here are some of our top picks:

Science Week – Decoding the Universe
This year’s National Science Week theme, “Decoding the Universe - Exploring the Unknown with Nature’s Hidden Language,” inspired our Year 1/2 students to dive into the wonders of the natural world. The theme encouraged students to explore the science and mathematics behind nature and technology - uncovering the secrets of the universe in ways that were both fun and meaningful.

As part of our class’ hands-on learning, we created our own mini-ecosystem by planting a terrarium in a large glass bowl. Using layers of soil, carefully chosen plants, and small decorative touches, the terrarium has become a living, growing science experiment.

We’ve been observing how these ecosystems change over time, monitoring plant growth and learning what helps our tiny environments thrive. It’s been a wonderful way to see science in action and understand the delicate balance of nature.

Slinky Apple Fridays

The Story of the Slinky: Did you know the Slinky was invented by accident? In 1943, a mechanical engineer named Richard James was trying to make special springs to help keep ship equipment steady. One day, he accidentally knocked a spring off a shelf - and to his surprise, it didn’t just fall. It “walked” down the shelves all by itself! That amazing moment gave him the idea for the Slinky toy we still enjoy today.

Although our slinky apples don’t walk, they certainly taste great! The classroom is always a buzz of activity as we slinky our way through Brain Break every Friday. There’s something extra fun about eating apples when they’re spiralled into a slinky shape - why do they always seem to taste even better that way?

Exploring the Wonders of the Sea
Excitement was in the air long before we even boarded the bus for our big adventure to the Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium! Our visit was filled with amazement and curiosity as students explored the incredible world beneath the sea, discovering fascinating marine animals and underwater habitats up close.

The students have shared their experiences through some wonderful recounts, capturing the magic of the day in their own words. It truly was a memorable excursion - fun, educational, and enjoyed by all… even the grown ups!

My visit to the Aquarium (by Saul)

We went to the Aquarium. First we had to go on the bus to get there. When we got there we got to go through the V.I.P door. We saw fish and jellyfish and we saw the lifecycle of a jellyfish. We saw a super small jellyfish but there was more than one. Let’s move to the sharks!

My visit to the Aquarium (by Leo)

We had to go on a bus to go to the Aquarium. I saw a turtle and a big crocodile. In the penguin enclosure I found out that penguins are really good at swimming and I saw a jellyfish that can change colour. I saw a giant stingray and a turtle called Plugger. The seahorses were very pretty. The crabs were really cool. I also held a cool shark egg. The leopard shark had a lot of dots on it and the swordfish had a big nose.

My visit to the Aquarium (by Charlotte)

We came to the Aquarium on a bus. We had a picnic outside. I saw a fish called Squishy and it was my favourite fish. I touched a Port Jackson egg and I saw a jellyfish. I went through a tunnel with jellyfish inside it.

My visit to the Aquarium (by Joanna)

We saw a crocodile, seastar, jellyfish and turtles. Plugger the turtle only had 3 legs when she was rescued. We also saw Port Jackson sharks and we also got to touch the eggs. We saw seastars and we got to touch one of the seastars and learn some facts.

Narrative Writing - Life of an Author
This term, our budding authors have been learning how to craft exciting and engaging narrative stories. As a class, we’ve explored the key ingredients that make great writing come to life - starting with a sizzling start, creating interesting characters, and building an engaging plot.

Through guided lessons and shared writing experiences, students are developing their confidence and creativity as storytellers. It’s been wonderful to see their imaginations come alive on the page!

You Are Oat-erly Awesome, Dad!
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day - and what better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with a healthy, homemade treat!

In the lead-up to Father’s Day, our class had a wonderful time creating personalised gifts, including pots of delicious toasted muesli and heartfelt cards to show just how much they love and appreciate their dads.

To all the dads, stepdads, grandads, and special father figures in our children’s lives - we hope you had a fabulous day on Sunday. You are all oat-erly awesome!